Perfluorooctanoate and changes in anthropometric parameters with age in young girls in the Greater Cincinnati and San Francisco Bay Area

METHODS

We conducted a study of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance biomarkers, including PFOA, in girls from Greater Cincinnati (CIN, N = 353) and the San Francisco Bay Area (SFBA, N = 351). PFOA was measured in the baseline serum sample collected in 2004-2007 of 704 girls at age 6-8 years. Mixed effects models were used to derive the effect of PFOA on BMI, waist-to-height and waist-to-hip ratios over increasing age in this longitudinal cohort.

RESULTS

Median PFOA serum concentrations were 7.3 (CIN) and 5.8 (SFBA) ng/mL, above the U.S. population median for children 12-19 years in 2005-2006 (3.8 ng/mL). Log-transformed serum PFOA had a strong inverse association with BMIz in the CIN girls (p = 0.0002) and the combined two-site data (p = 0.0008); the joint inverse effect of PFOA and Age*PFOA weakened at age at 10-11 years. However, in the SFBA group alone, the relationship was not significant (p = 0.1641) with no evidence of changing effect with age. The effect of PFOA on waist:height ratio was similar to BMIz at both sites, but we did not find a significant effect of PFOA on waist:hip ratio in either the CIN or SFBA girls.

CONCLUSIONS

PFOA is associated with decreased BMI and waist:height ratio in young girls, but the strength of the relationship decreases with age. Site heterogeneity may be due to greater early life exposure in Cincinnati.

DISCLAIMER

The findings and conclusions in this report are those of the authors and do not necessarily represent the official position of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Use of trade names is for identification only and does not imply endorsement by the CDC, the Public Health Service, or the US Department of Health and Human Services.

CDK5-mediated phosphorylation and stabilization of TPX2 promotes hepatocellular tumorigenesis

Background

CDK5, an atypical member of the CDK family, play a significant role in the tumorigenesis of multiple organ, but CDK5 and its substrates in genesis and development of HCC is still unclear.

Methods

Expression of CDK5 in HCC tumor and paired adjacent noncancerous tissues from 90 patients were measured by Western blotting, immunohistochemistry, and real-time PCR. The role of CDK5 in cell function and tumorigenesis was explored in HCC cell lines, ex vivo xenografts and diethylnitrosamine induced HCC model. Furthermore, comparative phosphoproteomic screening identified the oncoprotein TPX2 as a new substrate of CDK5. We also identified the effect of CDK5/P25 interaction blocker tamoxifen on HCC cell growth and migration.

Results

CDK5 was increased in HCC tisues and the level of CDK5 was correlated with the severity of HCC based on patient recurrence and 5-year fatality rate. Exogenously expressed CDK5 but not kinase-dead CDK5 promoted proliferation, migration, and invasion of HCC cells. Functional ablation of CDK5 significantly inhibited the exacerbation of HCC cells. Xenograft implantation of HCC cells overexpressing CDK5 promoted tumorigenesis, and genetic knockdown of CDK5 reduced HCC growth and metastasis in vivo. More importantly, heterozygous knockout CDK5 (Cdk5+/−) attenuated HCC tumorigenesis induced by diethylnitrosamine. CDK5-mediated phosphorylation of TPX2 at serine 486 promoted its protein stability. TPX2 silence could restore HCC cell migration capability with overexpression CDK5. Treatment with tamoxifen inhibited cell growth and migration of HCC, demonstrating the role of active CDK5 in HCC.

Conclusions

Our results suggest activation of CDK5 is associated with HCC tumorigenesis. CDK5-mediated phosphorylation and stabilization of TPX2 promotes hepatocellular proliferation and tumorigenicity.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (10.1186/s13046-019-1297-6) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The oncoprotein HBXIP facilitates metastasis of hepatocellular carcinoma cells by activation of MMP15 expression

Background: Due to the high recurrence and metastasis rate, the clinical outcomes of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) are still unsatisfactory. Hepatitis B virus X-interacting protein (HBXIP) has been reported to play crucial roles in carcinogenesis.

Purpose: We aimed to reveal the functional significance and underlying mechanism of HBXIP in HCC metastasis. Methods: Cell transwell assay, in vivo metastasis model, real-time PCR, western blot analysis, luciferase reporter and chromatin immunoprecipitation assays were applied.

Results: Here, we detected the HBXIP expression level and determined its clinical significance in HCC. We found that HBXIP was significantly upregulated in HCC tissues, and correlated with vascular invasion, tumor metastasis and worse prognosis of HCC patients. HBXIP enhanced cell migration and invasion in vitro, and promoted the metastasis of HCC in vivo. Furthermore, we confirmed that HBXIP increased MMP15 expression through association with proto-oncogene c-myc. Depletion of c-myc abolished HBXIP-mediated MMP-15 upregulation. We also observed a positive correlation between HBXIP and MMP15 expression in HCC tissues.

Conclusion: Our results establish a novel function for HBXIP-MMP15 regulation in HCC metastasis and suggest its candidacy as a new prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target for HCC metastasis.

Effects of in ovo injection of sulfur-containing amino acids on heat shock protein 70, corticosterone hormone, antioxidant indices, and lipid profile of newly hatched broiler chicks exposed to heat stress during incubation

This study hypothesizes that in ovo sulfur amino acids (SAA) injection can alleviate the heat or oxidative stress of hatched chicks. Thus, the study aimed to assess the impact of in ovo injection of SAA with heat stress during the incubation on heat shock protein 70 (HSP70), corticosterone hormone, antioxidant indices, and lipid profile of newly hatched broiler chicks. Eggs were incubated under optimal incubation temperature (37.8°C) from days 1 to 10 then under high temperature (39.6°C for 6 h daily) between 10 and 18 D of the incubation. At day 17.5 of incubation, 150 eggs were randomly divided into 3 groups of 50 replicate eggs. The first group served as control (non-injected group, NIG), the second group was only injected with saline solution (saline-injected group, SIG), and the third group was injected with a mixture of 5.90 mg L-methionine plus 3.40 mg L-cysteine (sulfur amino acids-injected group, SAAIG). The results exhibited that serum HSP70 and corticosterone concentrations were significantly reduced (P < 0.001) in the SAAIG compared with the NIG and SIG. In ovo SAA injection significantly augmented the antioxidant indices in the serum and tissues compared with the NIG and SIG. HSP70 mRNA relative expression was decreased but glutathione peroxidase (GSH-Px) mRNA relative expression was augmented in the tested tissues (P < 0.001) in the SAAIG compared with the NIG. The SAAIG had significantly (P < 0.05) lower levels in serum lipid profile compared to those of the control and SIG. In conclusion, in ovo SAA injection (methionine plus cysteine) in the embryonated eggs exposed to heat stress increased GSH-Px gene expression and antioxidant indices, and reduced HSP70 gene expression, corticosterone concentrations, and lipid profile of newly hatched broiler chicks.

Anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) monoclonal antibody combined with cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil in patients with metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma after radical radiotherapy: a multicentre, open-label, phase II clinical trial

BACKGROUND

We conducted a single-arm phase II trial to evaluate the efficacy and adverse effects (AEs) of an anti-epidermal growth factor receptor monoclonal antibody, nimotuzumab, combined with cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil (PF) as first-line treatment in recurrent metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma after radical radiotherapy.

METHODS

Patients who met the eligibility criteria were recruited from ten institutions (ClinicalTrials.gov; NCT01616849). A Simon optimal two-stage design was used to calculate the sample size. All patients received weekly nimotuzumab (200 mg) added to cisplatin (100 mg/m2 D1) and 5-fluorouracil (4 g/m2 continuous infusion D1-4) every 3-weekly for a maximum of six cycles. Primary end point was objective response rate (ORR). Secondary end points included disease control rate (DCR), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS) and AEs.

RESULTS

A total of 35 patients were enrolled (13 in stage 1 and 22 in stage 2). Overall ORR and DCR were 71.4% (25/35) and 85.7% (30/35), respectively. Median PFS and OS were 7.0 (95% CI 5.8-8.2) months and 16.3 (95% CI 11.4-21.3) months, respectively. Unplanned exploratory analyses suggest that patients who received ≥2400 mg nimotuzumab and ≥4 cycles of PF had superior ORR, PFS and OS than those who did not (88.9% versus 12.5%, P < 0.001; 7.4 versus 2.7 months, P = 0.081; 17.0 versus 8.0 months, P = 0.202). Favourable subgroups included patients with lung metastasis [HROS 0.324 (95% CI 0.146-0.717), P = 0.008] and disease-free interval of >12 months [HROS 0.307 (95% CI 0.131-0.724), P = 0.004], but no difference was observed for metastatic burden. The only major grade 3/4 AE was leukopenia (62.9%).

CONCLUSION

Combination nimotuzumab-PF chemotherapy demonstrates potential efficacy, and is well tolerated as first-line chemotherapy regimen in recurrent metastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

[The effect of miR-155 on HBV replication and PTEN expression in vivo]

Objective: To construct the mmu-miR-155 eukaryotic overexpression vector pmR-155 and to investigate its effect on HBV replication and expression of PTEN in vivo. Methods: The mmu-mir-146a precursor gene fragment pre-mmu-mir-146a was amplified by PCR, then connected to the pmR-mCherry plasmid vector after double enzyme digestion, the accuracy of recombinant vector was verified by colony PCR、double enzyme digestion and sequencing; then the recombinant vector was transfected HBV transgene mice(Experimental Group)with hydrodynamics-based injection via vena caudalis, and pmR-mCherry plasmid、PBS were respectively transfected into the mice as Empty plasmid Group、Blank Group. The concentration of IFN-γ in the serum was detected by ELISA. The expression of SOCS1、PTEN mRNA in the liver was detected by qPCR at 30d post-transfectioned. The Western blot was performed to detect the changes in SOCS1、PTEN、HBX in the liver tissue at 30 d post-transfectioned. The results were analyzed with Student's t-test, or one-way analysis of variance and the least significant difference test. Results: the colony PCR、double enzyme digestion and sequencing verified that the gene was inserted into the pmR-mCherry vector. Compared with Blank Group, the expression of miR-155 in the Experimental Group was significantly increased(t = 8.90, P < 0.01); the concentration of IFN-γ in the Experimental Group was significantly increased(F = 26.58, P < 0.01); the mRNA(F(SOCS1 mRNA) = 19.72, P < 0.01; F(PTEN mRNA) = 7.38, P < 0.05) and protein(F(SOCS1) = 50.30, P < 0.01; F(PTEN) = 129.00, P < 0.01) expression of COCS1、PTEN was significantly decreased in the Experimental group and the protein of HBX was also significantly(F(HBX) = 77.97, P < 0.01). Conclusion: The pmR-155 eukaryotic overexpression vector is successfully constructed, this recombinant vector can express miR-155 stably; miR-155 can down-regulate cocs1、PTEN gene expression and up-regulate the expression of IFN-γ, it can inhibit the replication of HBV and a potential targets to treating hepatocellular carcinoma.

LAPTM4B facilitates tumor growth and induces autophagy in hepatocellular carcinoma

Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most frequent cancers and the third leading cause of cancer-related deaths. It has been reported that lysosomal associated transmembrane protein LAPTM4B expression is significantly upregulated in human cancers and closely associated with tumor initiation and progression.

Purpose: We aimed to reveal the relevance of LAPTM4B and the pathogenesis of HCC. Methods: Cell viability assessment, colony formation assay, in vivo xenograrft model, microarray, real-time PCR, immunofluorescence and western blot analysis were applied.

Results: Our results demonstrated that LAPTM4B promoted HCC cell proliferation in vitro and tumorigenesis in vivo. Additionally, upon starvation conditions, LAPTM4B facilitated cell survival, inhibited apoptosis and induced autophagic flux. Expression profiling coupled with gene ontology (GO) analysis revealed that 159 gene downregulated by LAPTM4B silencing was significantly enriched in response to nutrient and some metabolic processes. Moreover, LAPTM4B activated ATG3 transcription to modulate HCC cell apoptosis and autophagy.

Conclusion: Our findings demonstrate that LAPTM4B acts as an oncogene that promotes HCC tumorigenesis and autophagy, and indicate that LAPTM4B may be used as a novel therapeutic target for HCC treatment.

Overexpression and clinical relevance of the RNA helicase DHX15 in hepatocellular carcinoma

DHX15 is an outstanding member of the DEAH-box RNA helicase family. A few studies suggest that DHX15 contributes to carcinogenesis in several tumor cell lines. However, whether DHX15 acts as an oncogene or tumor suppressor and its association with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) prognosis are still poorly understood. To address this question, we used immunohistochemistry to evaluate DHX15 expression patterns and their association with clinicopathological factors and the prognosis of patients with HCC. Our results showed that DHX15 expression was significantly higher in cancerous tissues than that in nontumor tissues (P < .0001). DHX15 expression in HCC patients was associated with differentiation status (P = .018), tumor number (P = .048), intrahepatic or extrahepatic metastasis (P = .001), serum α-fetoprotein (P = .006), hepatitis B virus level (P = .018), and recurrence (P < .001). In addition, the survival analysis revealed that the DHX15-high group had significantly decreased overall survival time (P = .004) and lower 1-year survival rates (P = .002) compared with the DHX15-low group. Furthermore, multivariate analysis identified DHX15 expression as an independent factor associated with poor prognosis in HCC (P = .036). In summary, these findings demonstrate, for the first time, that DHX15 is significantly upregulated in HCC and its high expression was correlated with poor prognosis, suggesting its pivotal role in the progression of HCC. The present results suggest that DHX15 may serve as a potential prognostic biomarker for HCC patients.

Volatile flavour components, microbiota and their correlations in different sufu, a Chinese fermented soybean food

AIM

To investigate the volatile flavour components (VFCs), microbiota and their correlations of three categories of sufu, a Chinese fermented soybean food.

METHODS AND RESULTS

The VFCs were analyzed by headspace solid-phase micro-extraction (HS-SPME) combined with gas chromatography and mass spectrometry. A total of 141 VFCs were tentatively identified, in which 12 esters, eight aldehydes, five alcohols and nine miscellaneous compounds were recognized as the characteristic VFCs through the relative odour activity value. The complex microbial community was revealed by Illumina MiSeq sequencing. Among the total 202 bacteria and 125 fungi species identified, 16 bacteria and 7 fungi species were revealed as dominant community members. Furthermore, the VFC-microbiota correlation was characterized by Spearman's rank correlation coefficients (ρ). Based on the positive VFC-microbiota correlation, two bacterial species and three fungal species were selected as potential flavour-producing microbiota.

CONCLUSIONS

A variety of VFCs and complicated microbiota were observed in the three categories of sufu. Lactococcus lactis, Sphingobacterium sp., Pichia fermentans, Kodamaea ohmeri and Saccharomyces rouxii were the potential flavour-producing microbiota.

SIGNIFICANCE AND IMPACT OF THE STUDY

The preliminary results would be useful for designing starter cultures to produce sufu with desirable sensory properties, consistent flavour and shorter ripening time. Furthermore, these results will also provide a new insight to improve the flavour quality of traditional fermented soybean food.

Differential diagnostic value of 18F-FDG PET/CT for benign and malignant vertebral compression fractures: comparison with magnetic resonance imaging

Purpose

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the differential diagnostic value of 2-[fluorine-18]-fluoro-2-deoxy-d-glucose (¹⁸F-FDG) positron emission tomography (PET)/computed tomography (CT) for benign and malignant vertebral compression fractures (VCFs), where the diagnostic accuracy of ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT was compared with magnetic resonance imaging (MRI).

Patients and methods

Between 2015 and 2017, we retrospectively evaluated 87 patients with 116 VCFs. MRI was performed in all the 87 patients, whereas ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT was executed in 51 patients. Three malignant features (convex posterior cortex, epidural mass formation, and pedicle enhancement) from MRI and the maximum standardized uptake value (SUV_max) from ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT were evaluated in benign and malignant VCFs, respectively. Sensitivity, specificity, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of MRI and ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT were compared in the differentiation of malignant from benign VCFs.

Results

The results of our investigation showed that the sensitivity and specificity for predicting malignant VCFs were 75.6% and 77.3% for convex posterior cortex, 82.9% and 813% for epidural mass formation, and 85.7% and 70.8% for pedicle enhancement. ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT demonstrated higher sensitivity (100%) but lower specificity (38.9%) as compared to MRI with regard to differentiation between benign and malignant VCFs. A significant difference in the SUV_max values was observed between the benign and malignant fractures (2.9 ± 1.0 vs 5.0 ± 1.8, P < 0.01). Besides the value of SUV_max, it has been noticed that the FDG uptake pattern differed in malignant and benign fractures.

Conclusion

Significant MRI findings such as convex posterior cortex, epidural mass formation, and pedicle enhancement are highly suggestive of malignancy. ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT reliably differentiated the fractures of malignant from benign based on both SUV_max and ¹⁸F-FDG uptake pattern. In a situation where MRI findings are not diagnostic, ¹⁸F-FDG PET/CT provides additional information as it has high sensitivity and is semiquantitative.

Depth of field extension and objective space depth measurement based on wavefront imaging

When all the parts of the wavefront imaging system are kept static after wavefront measuring, the target's images are blurry, because the depth of field (DOF) of the system affects the imaging quality. In this paper, the method for extending the DOF of the wavefront imaging system through an integrated architecture of a liquid-crystal microlens array (LCMLA) powered by electricity and a common photosensitive array, is presented. The DOF can be extended remarkably only by stitching together several sub-images of the LCMLA. The problem that the wavefronts and imaging results are insensitive to the objective depth is also solved. Optimal driving voltage signals are found out according to Sobel mean gradient to efficiently calibrate the depth of objective space in order to quantitatively measure the depth. The approach indicates a viable way to effectively extend the DOF of imaging micro-systems and to measure the geometrical depth of targets at the same time.