Establishment and characterization of an ovarian cell line from half-smooth tongue sole Cynoglossus semilaevis

A new ovarian cell line, CSO, was established from half-smooth tongue sole Cynoglossus semilaevis. Primary culture of CSO cells was initiated from digestion of ovarian tissues pieces by trypsin solution and cultured at 24° C in Dulbecco's modified Eagle's medium-F12 medium (DMEM-F12, 1:1) (pH 7·0), supplemented with 20% foetal bovine serum, basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF), epidermal growth factor (EGF), insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) and human chorionic gonadotropin (HCG). The cultured CSO cells, fibroblastic in morphology, proliferated to 100% confluency 3 days later and had been subcultured to passage 80. Chromosome analyses indicated that the CSO cells exhibited chromosomal aneuploidy with a modal chromosome number of 42 that displayed the normal diploid karyotype of C. semilaevis [2n = 42 t, fundamental number (NF ) = 42]. Reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction revealed that CSO cells could express ovarian somatic cell functional genes p450armo, foxl2 and sox9a but not ovary germ cell marker gene vasa and male-specific gene dmrt1. Transfection experiment demonstrated that CSO cells transfected with pEGFP-N3 plasmid could express green fluorescence protein (GFP) with higher transfection efficiency. The CSO cell line might serve as a valuable tool for studies on the mechanism of sex determination and oogenesis of ovary in flatfish.

Gene expression analysis in serial liver fine needle aspirates

No method with low morbidity presently exists for obtaining serial hepatic gene expression measurements in humans. While hepatic fine needle aspiration (FNA) has lower morbidity than core needle biopsy, applicability is limited due to blood contamination, which confounds quantification of gene expression changes. The aim of this study was to validate FNA for assessment of hepatic gene expression. Liver needle biopsies and FNA procedures were simultaneously performed on 17 patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection with an additional FNA procedure 1 week later. Nine patients had mild/moderate fibrosis and eight advanced fibrosis. Gene expression profiling was performed using Affymetrix microarrays and TaqMan qPCR; pathway analysis was performed using Ingenuity. We developed a novel strategy that applies liver-enriched normalization genes to determine the percentage of liver in the FNA sample, which enables accurate gene expression measurements overcoming biases derived from blood contamination. We obtained almost identical gene expression results (ρ = 0.99, P < 0.0001) comparing needle biopsy and FNA samples for 21 preselected genes. Gene expression results were also validated in dogs. These data suggest that liver FNA is a reliable method for serial hepatic tissue sampling with potential utility for a variety of preclinical and clinical applications.

Preparation of Sapphire for High Quality III-Nitride Growth

We developed a unique preparation technique to eliminate surface damage on the c-plane of sapphire and render it atomically flat. AFM images of c-plane sapphire annealed at 1380 °C for 1hour show terrace-like features with about 0.2 μm long terraces. The GaN layers grown by MBE on annealed sapphire have [0 0 2] symmetric and [1 0 4] asymmetric full width at half maximum (FWHM) of about 60 and 132 arcsec, respectively. This compares with 408 and 600 arcsec, respectively, for GaN grown on sapphire having gone through conventional chemical cleaning.

Long-term outcome of HLA-haploidentical hematopoietic SCT without in vitro T-cell depletion for adult severe aplastic anemia after modified conditioning and supportive therapy

HLA-haploidentical hematopoietic SCT (HSCT) is an option for severe aplastic anemia (SAA) patients. Here, we evaluated the outcomes of 26 adult-SAA patients who received HLA-haploidentical HSCT in five transplant centers in southwestern China. Most of the patients in this study failed prior therapy and were transfused heavily before the transplantation. The patients received fludarabine+cyclophosphamide+antithymocyte globulin as conditioning regimens and then unmanipulated peripheral blood plus marrow transplantation. Micafungin, i.v. Ig and recombinant human TPO were used for post-grafting infection prevention and supportive care. Of 26 patients, 25 achieved engraftment at a median of 13 days (range, 11-19 days) after HSCT. One of 25 patients experienced graft rejection and did not achieve sustained engraftment after second HSCT. Therefore, the final engraftment rate was 92.3%. Three of 25 (12%) patients developed acute GVHD, 10 of 25 (40%) patients developed chronic GVHD (9 with limited whereas the other with extensive). The OS rate was 84.6% and the average follow-up time was 1313.2 (738-2005) days for surviving patients. This encouraging result suggests that HLA-haploidentical HSCT is an effective therapeutic option for adults with acquired SAA if an HLA-identical donor is not available.

T cell-derived IL-17 mediates epithelial changes in the airway and drives pulmonary neutrophilia

Th17 cells are a proinflammatory subset of effector T cells that have been implicated in the pathogenesis of asthma. Their production of the cytokine IL-17 is known to induce local recruitment of neutrophils, but the direct impact of IL-17 on the lung epithelium is poorly understood. In this study, we describe a novel mouse model of spontaneous IL-17-driven lung inflammation that exhibits many similarities to asthma in humans. We have found that STAT3 hyperactivity in T lymphocytes causes an expansion of Th17 cells, which home preferentially to the lungs. IL-17 secretion then leads to neutrophil infiltration and lung epithelial changes, in turn leading to a chronic inflammatory state with increased mucus production and decreased lung function. We used this model to investigate the effects of IL-17 activity on airway epithelium and identified CXCL5 and MIP-2 as important factors in neutrophil recruitment. The neutralization of IL-17 greatly reduces pulmonary neutrophilia, underscoring a key role for IL-17 in promoting chronic airway inflammation. These findings emphasize the role of IL-17 in mediating neutrophil-driven pulmonary inflammation and highlight a new mouse model that may be used for the development of novel therapies targeting Th17 cells in asthma and other chronic pulmonary diseases.

Topographical distribution pattern of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia across the cervix

OBJECTIVE

The distribution of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) lesions across the cervix was determined.

METHODS

A total of 575 women whose pathological diagnosis after cervical conization was confirmed as CIN were studied; 146 had low-grade CIN and 429 had high-grade CIN. CIN lesion location on the cervix was recorded using 12-h clock face notation.

RESULTS

In both groups, 12 o'clock was the most common and 2 o'clock the least common lesion location. The most severe lesions were most often located at 8 o'clock and 7 o'clock, in the low- and high-grade groups, respectively. The 2 o'clock site was the least frequent site for the most severe lesion in both groups. Lesions were found more frequently on the posterior lip of the cervix than on the anterior lip, and on the right side of the cervix than on the left side, in both groups.

CONCLUSIONS

The distribution of CIN lesions is not randomly distributed across the cervix. The 12, 8 and 7 o'clock sites, and the posterior lip and right side of the cervix, should be targeted during colposcopy-directed biopsy of patients with CIN lesions as this may improve diagnostic accuracy.

The human MTHFR rs4846049 polymorphism increases coronary heart disease risk through modifying miRNA binding

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Abnormal functioning of 5,10-methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) enhances the risk for coronary heart disease (CHD). Here, we tested whether a single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) located in the 3' untranslated region (UTR) of MTHFR was associated with CHD susceptibility by affecting microRNAs binding.

METHODS AND RESULTS

We first analyzed in silico the SNPs localized in the 3' UTR of MTHFR for their ability to modify miRNA binding. We observed that rs4846049 (G > T) was a potential candidate SNP to modulate miRNAs:MTHFR mRNA complex, with the greatest changed binding free energy for has-miR-149. Based on luciferase analysis, hsa-miR-149 inhibited the activity of the reporter vector carrying -T allele, but not -G allele. We further conducted a case-control study (654 vs 455) in a Chinese Han population. rs4846049 was significantly associated with increased risk for CHD. In addition, the T allele was associated with decreased levels of HDL-cholesterol and apoA. Finally, we observed a reduced MTHFR protein level in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of CHD patients with TT carriers compared to GG carriers of rs4846049.

CONCLUSION

Our results suggest that rs4846049 (G > T) of MTHFR is associated with increased risk for CHD. We also identified a potentially pathogenetic mechanism of SNP-modified posttranscriptional gene regulation by miRNAs to MTHFR.

Acute pancreas allograft rejection is associated with increased risk of graft failure in pancreas transplantation

The effect of acute allograft rejection (AR) on long-term pancreas allograft function is unclear. We retrospectively studied 227 consecutive pancreas transplants performed at our institution between January 1, 998 and December 31, 2009 including: 56 simultaneous pancreas and kidney (SPK), 69 pancreas transplantation alone (PTA); and 102 pancreas after kidney (PAK) transplants. With a median follow-up of 6.1 (IQR 3-9) years, 57 patients developed 79 episodes of AR, and 19 experienced more than one episode. The cumulative incidence for AR was 14.7%, 19.7%, 26.6% and 29.1% at 1, 2, 5 and 10 years. PTA transplant (hazards ratio [HR]=2.28, p=0.001) and donor age (per 10 years) (HR=1.34, p=0.006) were associated with higher risk for AR. The first AR episode after 3 months post PT was associated with increased risk for complete loss (CL) (HR 3.79, p<0.001), and the first AR episode occurring during 3- to 12-month and 12- to 24-month periods after PT were associated with significantly increased risk for at least partial loss (PL) (HR 2.84, p=0.014; and HR 6.25, p<0.001, respectively). We conclude that AR is associated with increased risk for CL and at least PL. The time that the first AR is observed may influence subsequent graft failure.

Identification of a novel HLA-A allele, A*02:357, in a Chinese individual

Human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-A*02:357 differs from A*02:01:01:01 by a single nucleotide at position 840 from A to T exon 4, leading to amino acid substitution from Arg to Ser.

Identification of a novel HLA-A allele A*33:61 in a Chinese individual

HLA-A*33:61 has two nucleotides change from A*33:03:01 at positions 559 and 560 in exon 3 where A→C and C→G (codon 163 ACG→CGG).

Outcomes of accelerated hypofractionated radiotherapy in stage i non-small-cell lung cancer

PURPOSE

Outcomes after treatment with accelerated hypofractionated radiotherapy in stage i medically inoperable non-small-cell lung cancer (nsclc) patients were determined.

METHODS

Our single-institution retrospective review looked at medically inoperable patients with T1-2N0M0 nsclc treated with accelerated hypofractionated curative-intent radiotherapy between 1999 and 2009. Patients were staged mainly by computed tomography imaging of chest and abdomen, bone scan, and computed tomography/magnetic resonance imaging of brain. Positron-emission tomography (pet) staging was performed in 6 patients. Medical charts were reviewed to determine demographics, radiotherapy details, sites of failure, toxicity (as defined by the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events, version 3.0) and vital status. The cumulative incidence of local and distant failure was calculated. Overall (os) and cause-specific (css) survival were estimated by the Kaplan-Meier method.

RESULT

In the 60 patients treated during the study period, the dose regimens were 50 Gy in 20 fractions (n = 6), 55 Gy in 20 fractions (n = 8), 60 Gy in 20 fractions (n = 42), and 60 Gy in 25 fractions (n = 4). All patients were treated once daily. The median follow-up was 27 months (range: 4-94 months). The os rates at 2 and 5 years were 61% [95% confidence interval (ci): 50% to 75%] and 19% (95% ci: 10% to 34%) respectively. The css rates at 2 and 5 years were 79% (95% ci: 68% to 91%) and 39% (95% ci: 24% to 63%) respectively. The cumulative incidence of local failure was 20% at 5 years. The cumulative incidence of distant failure was 28% at 5 years. No patients experienced grade 3 or greater pneumonitis or esophagitis.

CONCLUSIONS

Accelerated hypofractionated regimens are well tolerated and provide good local control in medically inoperable patients with stage i nsclc. Such regimens may be a reasonable treatment alternative when stereotactic body radiation therapy is not feasible.

Repeatability of edited lactate and other metabolites in astrocytoma at 3T

PURPOSE

To assess the repeatability of measurement of lactate and other metabolites in tumors using magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS).

MATERIALS AND METHODS

MRS with spectral editing for lactate was performed on 10 patients with astrocytoma (two Grade III, eight Grade IV) using an 8-channel receive coil at 3T. Lactate, lipid, choline, creatine, and N-acetyl aspartate (NAA) signals were measured in regions of tumor and contralateral white matter. Metabolites were quantified relative to unsuppressed water using LCModel fitting software.

RESULTS

The within-patient coefficients of variation were ≈16% (tumor lactate), 6%-8% (tumor choline and contralateral choline, creatine, and NAA), and 22% (tumor lipid). As expected due to their low concentration in normal tissue, lactate and lipid were not reliably detected in white matter but were found at high levels in most tumors. NAA and creatine were lower in tumors than in normal white matter, and choline varied between above- and below-normal values. No consistent short-term variation in metabolite levels was observed, despite differences in the time elapsed since administration of contrast agent.

CONCLUSION

MRS appears repeatable enough to provide longitudinal measures of metabolite content in tumors and contralateral tissue in the brain in vivo.

Poster - Thur Eve - 20: Serial FDG 4DPET imaging during radiotherapy in advanced lung cancer patients

The availability of respiratory synchronized PET (4DPET) imaging has enabled more accurate analysis of metabolic response since motion blur is minimized. We present our preliminary analysis of serial FDG 4DPET images acquired at weeks 0, 2, 4, and 7 during radiotherapy of seven stage II-III NSCLC patients. The tumor and nodal PTV of the week 0 images restrained a 4DPET image thresholding algorithm to automatically contour SUV levels ranging from 20 to 80% of the maximum SUV, creating an intensity volume histogram (IVH) for each week. These contours allowed analysis of PET volumes and standard PET metrics such as SUV_max and SUV_mean . We found a trend for decreasing SUV_max and SUV_mean over a treatment course in both the tumor and nodal regions. On average, the SUV_max within the tumor decreased by 17±13% (1 SD) after 2 weeks, 30±13% after 4 weeks, and 39±19% after 7 weeks of radiotherapy. Decreasing volume trends were also observed in the 20 to 80% max SUV autocontours, ranging from 26±29% to 50±40% respectively, over 7 weeks of treatment. Only one patient demonstrated an increase in FDG uptake within the tumor volume between week 0 and week 2 of treatment, and was also the only patient to recur locally at 3 months following treatment. Changes in tumor metabolism over the course of advanced NSCLC radiotherapy are quantifiable with serial FDG 4DPET imaging. Preliminary analysis suggests that variations in these trends could be useful in identifying non-responding patients that may require an alternative radiotherapeutic approach.

Transgastric endoscopic gastroenterostomy using a partially covered occluder: a canine feasibility study

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS

The use of natural orifice transluminal endoscopic surgery (NOTES) for gastroenterostomy has been previously reported, but it remains technically challenging and additional assistance is often needed. The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate a novel method for the creation of a gastroenterostomy using NOTES with an occluder.

METHODS

Transgastric endoscopic gastroenterostomy was performed in 12 healthy female dogs using a therapeutic upper gastrointestinal endoscope and a partially covered occluder. The occluder was removed with a snare 1 week later. The patency of the gastroenterostomy was confirmed by endoscopy, contrast radiological study, necropsy, and histological examination after 2 weeks.

RESULTS

NOTES gastroenterostomy with an occluder was successful in all 12 dogs. The mean operative time was 32.3 ± 10.3 min (range 20.3 - 53.5). One dog (the first; 8.3 %) died 4 days after the operation of severe intra-abdominal infection due to incorrect deployment of the occluder and poor bowel preparation. Minor bleeding occurred at the anastomosis after removal of the occluder in two of the remaining dogs (18.2 %). Necropsy revealed postoperative adhesions that had developed at the anastomotic site in one dog (9.1 %). No anastomotic leakage or intestinal obstruction was observed. Complete healing of the anastomosis was confirmed on histological evaluation.

CONCLUSION

Gastroenterostomy performed entirely by NOTES using an occluder was technically feasible in this survival animal model.