Generation of Amelx-iCre Mice Supports Ameloblast-Specific Role for Stim1

The identification and targeting of the molecular pathways regulating amelogenesis is an ongoing challenge in dental research, and progress has been restricted by the limited number of genetic tools available to study gene function in ameloblasts. Here, we generated 4 transgenic Cre-driver mouse lines that express improved Cre (iCre)-recombinase from the locus of the mouse ameloblast-specific gene amelogenin X (Amelx-iCre) with a large (250-kb) bacterial artificial chromosome DNA vector. All 4 Amelx-iCre transgenic lines were bred with ROSA26 reporter mice to characterize the iCre developmental pattern with the LacZ gene encoding β-galactosidase enzyme activity assay and Cre protein immunohistochemistry. From the 4 generated transgenic lines, 2 were selected for further analysis because they expressed a high amount of Cre recombinase exclusively in ameloblasts and showed developmental stage- and cell-specific β-galactosidase activity mimicking the endogenous amelogenin expression. To test the functionality of the selected transgenic models, we bred the 2 Amelx-iCre mice lines with stromal interaction molecule 1 (Stim1) floxed mice to generate ameloblast-specific Stim1 conditional knockout mice (Stim1 cKO). STIM1 protein serves as one of the main calcium sensors in ameloblasts and plays a major role in enamel mineralization and ameloblast differentiation. Amelx-iCre mice displayed exclusive CRE-mediated recombination in incisor and molar ameloblasts. Stim1 cKO mice showed a severely defected enamel phenotype, including reduced structural integrity concomitant with increased attrition and smaller teeth. The phenotype and genotype of the Amelx-iCre/Stim1 cKO showed significant differences with the previously reported Ker14-Cre/Stim1 cKO, highlighting the need for cell- and stage-specific Cre lines for an accurate phenotype-genotype comparison. Furthermore, our model has the advantage of carrying the entire Amelx gene locus rather than being limited to an Amelx partial promoter construct, which greatly enhances the stability and the specificity of our Cre expression. As such, the Amelx-iCre transgenic lines that we developed may serve as a powerful tool for targeting ameloblast-specific gene expression in future investigations.

[Surgical treatment of uremic secondary hyperparathyroidism complicated with thyroid nodules]

Objective:To investigate the surgical treatment of secondary hyperparathyroidism(SHPT) with thyroid nodule(TN) in uremic patients.Method:The clinical data of 26 patients diagnosed as SHPT combined with TN were retrospectively analyzed.Result:The patients underwent total parathyroidectomy and parathyroid granuless were transplanted subcutaneously into the forearm. The levels of parathyroid hormone,alkaline phosphatase,serum calcium,serum phosphorus and calcium-phosphorus product in 6 months and 12 months after operation were significantly lower than those before operation(P<0.01).The quality of life assessed by KDQOL-SF scale was significantly higher than that before operation(P<0.01). Concomtiant TN was operated simultaneously, and gravel calcification was significantly associated with papillary thyroid carcinoma(P<0.01).Conclusion:Total parathyroidectomy plus subcutaneous minimal forearm autograft and concurrent surgery with TN are feasible, and can not only properly treat TN, but also significantly improve SHPT-related prognosis and quality of life. We should be alert to the possibility of malignant TN in SHPT background, especially those with grit calcification.

A comparison of the BISAP score and Amylase and BMI (CAB) score versus for predicting severe acute pancreatitis

BACKGROUND AND AIMS

Early prediction of severe acute pancreatitis (SAP)would be helpful for triaging patients to the appropriate level of care and intervention. The aim of this study is to compare the performance of the Change in Amylase And Body mass index (CAB) score and BISAP score for predicting SAP.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

A total of 406 with AP were enrolled. The age, gender, body mass index(BMI), blood urea nitrogen determined at the time of admission and serum amylase determined on day 1 and day 2 after hospitalization were collected and analyzed statistically.

RESULTS

Multivariable analysis confirmed that blood urea nitrogen (OR 1.06; 95%CI 1.03-1.09) and percentage change in amylase day 2 (OR 0.75; 95%CI 0.65-0.87) were independently associated with development of SAP. No statistically significant association was observed between BMI (OR 1.04; 95%CI 0.951.13) and severity of acute pancreatitis. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve for Body mass index (BMI), percentage change in amylase day 2, BISAP score and CAB score were 0.57±0.05, 0.68±0.04, 0.84±0.03 and0.53±0.05, respectively.

CONCLUSION

BISAP is more accurate for predicting the severity of acute pancreatitis than the CAB score.

[Analysis of sleep structure and related factors in children with severe obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome]

Objective: To investigate the sleep structure and related factors in children with severe obstructive sleep apnea-hypopnea syndrome(OSAHS). Method: We summarized the characteristics of 250 children withsevere OSAHS diagnosed by polysomnography（PSG）in our hospital from January 1, 2017 to December 31, 2017. According to AHI, the patients were divided into three groups, 159 in group A with 20 < AHI≤0, 57 in group B with 40 < AHI≤60, and 34 in group C with AHI > 60. We collected the basic data, sleep parameters (sleep efficiency, latency, sleep stage, sleep index, etc.), preoperative arterial blood gas test results (awake and postsleep state), echocardiographic findings of the three groups. Statistical comparisons between groups were performed with SPSS19.0. Result: BMI, AHI, OAHI, LSaO₂ was significantly different with among the three groups (all P<0.01), and there was a linear correlation between BMI and AHI (r=0.251). There was significant differences in sleep efficiency (SE), sleep latency (SO), and rapid eye movement (REM) latency among the three groups. Compared with group A, the proportion of sleep in stage 1 increased by 38%, the proportion of sleep in stage 3+4 was decreased by 19%, and the proportion of REM was decreased by 14% in group C. There was no significant difference between group A and B. There was a significant linear correlation between AHI and ODI in NREM and REM, respectively (r¹=0.663, r₂=0.499, P< 0.001), and the ODI in REM (63.8±35.0) was significantly higher than that in NREM (29.7±36.0), accounting for 68% of the sleep. Sixty-five children had received preoperative arterial blood gas test (awake and post-sleep state). There was a significant negative correlation between AHI and SaO₂ after sleep (r=-0.444, P=0.000), and no significant correlation in awake state. Forty-four patients underwent preoperative echocardiographic examination. There was significant differences between group A and C in interventricular septum thickness, left ventricular diameter, and main pulmonary artery diameter (P<0.05). There was no significant difference between group A and B. There were no significant differences in aortic annulus diameter, left atrial diameter, left ventricular end diastolic dimension (LVEDD), ejection fraction(EF), and right ventricular anteroposterior diameter among the groups (P>0.05). Conclusion: Obesity is an important factor affecting the severity of OSAHS. As the severity of disease increased, the proportion of awakening time and stage 1 of sleep increased, but stage 3, 4 and REM decreased significantly. The SE, SO, and REM latency were significantly associated with the severity of OSAHS. The severity of hypoxemia is significantly related to AHI, and mainly occur in REM stage. Severe OSAHS is risk factor for cardiovascular complications.

An integration of UPLC-DAD/ESI-Q-TOF MS, GC-MS, and PCA analysis for quality evaluation and identification of cultivars of Chrysanthemi Flos (Juhua)

BACKGROUND

Chrysanthemi Flos (CF), as a popular traditional Chinese medicine (TCM), has five main cultivars in China, namely "Chuju", "Boju", "Gongju", "Huaiju" and "Hangju". Due to their habitats and processing methods, great quality variations occur yet no systematical study has ever been carried out to evaluate such variations.

PURPOSE

In this study, we aim to establish a new approach that can serve both as a quality control method and as an identification method for cultivars of CF.

METHOD

The components in CF samples were identified by a combination of UPLC-ESI-Q-TOF/MS and GC/MS. Furthermore, a multimodal quantitative method was established by UPLC-UV coupled with principal component analysis (PCA) and the similarity evaluation system (SES), which was used to control and identify four cultivars of CF.

RESULTS

18 compounds of flavonoids and caffeoylquinic acids were identified and ten of them were quantified using UPLC-ESI-Q-TOF/MS. Different cultivars of CF could be clearly distinguished with the fingerprints evaluation and principal component analysis (PCA). A total of 74 volatile compounds were detected by GC/MS. The distinctness of volatile components was observed. By the combination of UPLC-ESI-Q-TOF/MS and GC/MS, an identification and quality control method for CF was successfully established.

CONCLUSION

The combination of UPLC-ESI-Q-TOF/MS and GC/MS could act as a comprehensive multimodal method for both identification and quality control of herbal medicines. This study provided new insights into the overall evaluation method for herbal medicines possessing different cultivars.

[Clinical study of cervical necrotizing fasciitis accompanied with descending necrotizing mediastinitis treated with cervical double parallel incision combined with mediastinoscope or thoracoscope]

Objective: To summarize the experience of applying cervical double parallel incision combined with mediastinoscope or thoracoscope in the treatment of cervical necrotizing fasciitis (CNF) accompanied with descending necrotizing mediastinitis (DNM), so as to provide a reference for clinical practice. Methods: The clinical data of six patients with CNF accompanied with DNM who were admitted to the Department of Stomatology and the Department of Otolaryngology Head and Neck Surgery, The First People's Hospital of Changzhou from September 2014 to September 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. All of the six patients were confirmed by CT of neck and chest, among whom there were two males and four females aged from 48 to 73. Three patients were treated with cervical double parallel incision combined with mediastinoscope to be combined with cervical and thoracic drainage under general anesthesia while the other three with cervical double parallel incision combined with thoracoscope to be combined cervical and thoracic drainage under general anesthesia. The CT of neck and chest as well as infectious indicators including hematology, C-reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin (PCT) were reexamined during the postoperative period. Results: The cervical and thoracic combined drainage was unobstructed in all of the six patients, no secondary surgery was performed, and the infectious indicators gradually decreased. All patients had off-bed activities on the first day after the operation, were all cured and discharged after an average of 21 days (16 to 36 days) in hospital and followed up for an average of 18 months (4 to 30 months) after the operation. None of them experienced infection relapse, and they were all satisfied with the appearance of the cervical incision. Conclusions: Cervical double parallel incision combined with mediastinoscope or thoracoscope for the treatment of CNF accompanied with DNM has the advantages of complete drainage, small trauma, excellent efficacy and aesthetic operative area, thus being deserved to be clinically popularized.

MicroRNA-1285 inhibits malignant biological behaviors of human pancreatic cancer cells by negative regulation of YAP1

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma is a most deadly malignancy, with a 5-year survival rate of ~7%. Chemotherapy is the main treatment strategy of this disease. However, the high rate of resistance to chemotherapeutic agent contributes to poor prognosis. MicroRNAs are essential for the initiation, progression and chemoresistance of human malignancies. Previous studies have shown that miRNA-1285 participates in renal cell carcinoma and hepatocellular carcinoma. However, its roles in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma are poorly understood. In this study, we confirmed that miR-1285 was significantly down-regulated in gemcitabine-resistant pancreatic cancer cell lines by qRT-PCR. We found that miR-1285 suppressed cell proliferation as well as increased the sensitivity of PDAC cells to gemcitabine by CCK8 assays in vitro. Results from transwell assay indicated that miR-1285 inhibited pancreatic cancer cell migration and invasion. Experiments using different cell lines got identical results. All those results demonstrated that miR-1285 act as tumor suppressor of pancreatic cancer. To our knowledge, this study is the first to elucidate the function of miR-1285 in pancreatic cancer. Western blotting analysis verified that miR-1285 negatively regulated YAP1 protein level, together with EGFR and β-catenin. YAP1 is a known oncoprotein of pancreatic cancer. As silencing of YAP1 activity might be beneficial in cancer prevention and treatment, our results suggest that miR-1285 might serve as a novel therapeutic target for miRNA-based therapy in pancreatic cancer. Further research elucidating the exact mechanisms of miRNA-1285 function and the correlation between miR-1285 levels in tissues or serum and clinical characteristics of pancreatic cancer is needed later.

[Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma immune microenvironment and immunotherapy prospects]

The tumor components of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) are composed of immune microenvironment of extracellular matrix, fibroblasts, endothelial cells and immune cells together with a minority of malignant cells. The failure of the therapeutic measures, such as chemotherapy, targeted therapy and immunotherapy, has been linked to the specific immune microenvironment of pancreatic cancer. By analyzing the components of immune microenvironment of pancreatic cancer, the mechanism of various components in pancreatic cancer such as highly immunosuppressive, hypoxic and connective tissue hyperplasia can be clarified. New efforts in single-cell profiling will enable a better understanding of the composition of the microenvironment in primary and metastatic PDAC, as well as an understanding of how the microenvironment may respond to novel therapeutic approaches.

[Efficacy and safety of Entecavir monotherapy switched from Lamivudine combined Adefovir Dipivoxil for chronic hepatitis B virus-related compensated liver cirrhosis]

Objective: To observe the efficacy and safety of de novo combination of Lamivudine(LAM) and Adefovir Dipivoxil (ADV) therapy counter to Entecavir (ETV) monotherapy in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB)- related compensated liver cirrhosis. Methods: Patients with chronic hepatitis B-related compensated cirrhosis who were initially treated with LAM and ADV for more than 1 year were randomly assigned to two groups, one half replaced with ETV monotherapy, and the other half continued LAM and ADV co-therapy. Liver biochemistry, renal biochemistry, estimated glomerular filtration rate, alpha-fetoprotein, HBV serology markers and serum HBV DNA were measured every 3 months. Urine β2-microglobulin was measured every 6 months And retinol binding protein, followed up for 3 years. The mean values of the two groups were compared with t-test, and the rate of comparison was analyzed by x2 test. Results: A total of 580 cases were collected, 290 cases were replaced with ETV monotherapy, the other 290 patients continued to LAM and ADV combination therapy. In the ETV group, the rates of HBV DNA negative conversion at 1 year, 2 years and 3 years were 77.6%, 84.5% and 94.5% respectively, while the HBV DNA negative conversion rates at 1, 2 and 3 years in the LAM and ADV combination groups were 69.3%, 73.4% and 80.3% respectively. Among them, the negative rates of HBV DNA in the second year and the third year were P < 0.05, the difference was statistically significant. The 3-year cumulative gene-resistant rate in the ETV group was 1.4%, while the combined treatment was as high as 8.6%, and the difference was statistically significant in the two groups. The estimated value of serum creatinine and glomerular filtration rate in ETV group was followed by 3 years, and the baseline level was maintained, in the same group, the serum creatinine was higher than baseline, and the estimated value of glomerular filtration rate decreased. The results showed that there were 6.2%, 12.1%, 22.1% and 0, 0.3%, 1%, respectively, in 1, 2 and 3 years for the group of consecutive treatment and the replacement of ETV Group. The estimated glomerular filtration rate decreased by more than 30% compared with the baseline. The difference was statistically significant; the proportion of serum creatinine in the 1 year, 2 years and 3 years of the combined treatment group was 1.7%, 4.5% and 6.6%, compared with the baseline rise of > 50 μmol/l, and the ETV group was replaced in the 1 year, The values of 2 and 3 years were 0,0,0.7%, of which the 2nd and 3rd years were statistically significant; the proportion of microalbuminuria and retinol-binding protein in patients with combined treatment group was also significantly higher than that of Β2-m ETV Group. Conclusion: The initial combination of LAM and ADV therapy is inferior in terms of ETV monotherapy. Single therapy with ETV increase the rate of viral response, reduce the incidence of drug resistance, and also reduce the incidence of renal impairment in patients with chronic hepatitis B -related compensated liver cirrhosis.

miR-25 Mediates Retinal Degeneration Via Inhibiting ITGAV and PEDF in Rat

BACKGROUND

Age-related macular degeneration (AMD) is the main cause of irreversible blindness in the elderly. Oxidative stress in retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) is deemed to play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of AMD. miR-25 functions as an essential modulator in response to oxidative-stress in several cell types, but its function in RPE cells is poorly understood.

OBJECTIVE

To explore the roles of miR-25 in RPE cells and in the development of AMD.

METHODS

A rat model of retinal degeneration was induced by sodium iodate (SI). Subretinal injection of antagomiR-25 was performed for the intervention while the scramble as control. Visual responses were recorded with Electroretinogram (ERG). TUNEL assay was performed to detect apoptosis. Phagosome quantification in vivo was performed to evaluate RPE cell function. Oxygen-glucose deprivation treatment was performed to mimic in vitro oxidative stress. Gene expression at mRNA level and protein level were performed by quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR) and Western Blot, respectively. The pigment epithelium derived factor (PEDF) level in the cultured medium was measured by Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). The interaction between miR-25 and integrin αV (IGTAV) / PEDF 3'UTR was examined by dual luciferase assay. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) assay was performed to examine its transcriptional regulation of miR-25.

RESULTS

Oxidative stress up-regulated miR-25 in RPE cells in very early stage, accompanied by decreased phagocytosis and reduced growth factor secretion in those cells. Such changes preceded RPE cell apoptosis and visual impairment in the SItreated rats. Furthermore, antagomiR-25 intervention effectively rescued RPE cells from degeneration in such model. The increased miR-25 was confirmed to mediate RPE degeneration through direct targeting IGTAV and PEDF. On the other hand, upstream, miR-25 was found to be up-regulated by STAT3 signaling under oxidative stress in both in vivo and in vitro models.

CONCLUSION

Our findings demonstrate that, in SI-treated rats, oxidative stress activates STAT3 signaling which up-regulates miR-25 expression, in a very early stage. The increased miR-25 then inhibits ITGAV and PEDF expressions, resulting in RPE phagocytosis dysfunction and then RPE apoptosis and visual impairment as observed in patients with AMD. These findings lead us to a better understanding of AMD pathogenesis, and suggest that miR-25 could be a potential therapeutic target for oxidative stress related RPE diseases, like AMD.

The use of carbon nanoparticles to track occult lingual lymph nodes in early-stage tongue squamous cell carcinoma

The lingual lymph nodes (LLNs) can only be detected with difficulty in early-stage tongue squamous cell carcinomas owing to the small size. Recurrence or metastasis could occur in the floor of the mouth as a result of neglecting the LLNs. The injection of carbon nanoparticles to track occult LLNs in early-stage tongue squamous cell carcinoma is presented and discussed. This technique is simple and easy to use intraoperatively. If LLNs were stained black during the operation, the sublingual gland along with the fatty tissue of the floor of the mouth were removed simultaneously. The LLNs in early-stage tongue squamous cell carcinoma deserve more attention.

Comparison of the subjective satisfaction of the donor site morbidity: Free radial forearm flap versus anterolateral thigh flap for reconstruction in tongue cancer patients

BACKGROUND

The purpose of the study was to compare the differences of the subjective satisfaction of the donor site morbidity between the free radial forearm flap (FRFF) and anterolateral thigh flap (ALTF) for tongue reconstruction.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

One hundred and nineteen patients underwent FRFF or ALTF reconstruction were retrospectively evaluated by a standardized self-established donor site morbidity questionnaire which included 5 domains, sensibility, movement disabilities, cosmetics, social activities and general impacts on the quality of life.

RESULTS

The Cronbach's coefficient alpha of the questionnaire was 0.707. The exploratory factor analysis revealed that the 5 items of the questionnaire might load onto two distinct subscales. Patients with ALTF had higher scores in the sensibility, cosmetics and the composite score (P < 0.05). No significant differences were found in the movement disabilities, social activities and general impacts on the quality of life between the two groups (P > 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

ALTF has the advantage of better results of donor site morbidity, such as sensibility and cosmetics, over FRFF.

[Study of surgery combined with 125I brachytherapy for adenoid cystic carcinoma of oral and maxillofacial region]

OBJECTIVE

To retrospectively analyze the results of treatment outcome by surgery combined with ₁₂₅I brachytherapy and correlative factors of adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC).

METHODS

In the study, 75 patients with primary ACC of oral and maxillofacial region were treated by surgery combined with ₁₂₅I seeds brachytherapy. Radical resection or subtotal resection was applied for the tumor. The brachytherapy treatment planning system was used to create implant plans with the prescribed dose of 60 Gy to 120 Gy. The ₁₂₅I seeds were implanted intraoperatively or postoperatively. The regular follow-up was required. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to assess the tumor control rate and the patients' survival rates. Meanwhile, the Cox regression analysis was used to find out the prognostic factors.

RESULTS

Local control rates at the end of 3 and 5 years were as follows: T1-T2, 92.2% and 82.0%; T3-T4, 82.6% and 82.6%; and overall, 90.0% and 78.8%. The disease-free survival rates were 74.9% and 54.3%, respectively. The overall survival rates for all the patients were 86.0% and 79.6%, respectively at the end of 3 and 5 years and were 91.3% and 91.3% for T1-T2 patients vs. 73.9% and 59.7% for T3-T4 patients. Distant metastasis-free survival rates at the end of 3 and 5 years were 84.4% and 76.7%, respectively. The distant metastasis-free survival rates at the end of 3 and 5 years were 83.4% and 79.6% with T1-T2 lesion compared with 86.0% and 67.8% with T3-T4 lesion. According to the COX univariate analysis and multivariate analysis, the risk of local recurrence would be raised by the age. Tumor stage and tumor site were the prognostic factors of the overall survival rates.

CONCLUSION

₁₂₅I brachytherapy conducted as an adjuvant therapy postoperatively of ACC of oral and maxillofacial region can acquire satisfactory localregional control, distant metastasis-free survival, disease-free survival and overall survival. Tumors are prone to recur on the older patients. Patients having advanced tumor stage or tumor located in the nasal cavity or sinuses will suffer lower survival rates.

Abstract P4-01-25: Blood-based DNA methylation as epigenetic biomarkers for non-invasive detection of breast cancer

Background: DNA methylation significantly contributes to all hallmarks of cancer. In particular, promoter hypermethylation has been identified as a potential marker for early detection of cancer, therapy monitoring, assessment of prognosis or prediction of therapy response. Here, we identified and validated breast cancer-specific methylation markers for diagnosis of the disease with high sensitivity and specificity.

Methods: 151 bio-banked samples were obtained for a randomized blind study; 65 subjects diagnosed with breast cancer (Stage I to IV), 15 subjects with benign breast disease, 32 subjects diagnosed with other cancer types (11 colorectal, 9 liver and 12 lung cancer), and 39 healthy donor samples. Cell-free DNA was then extracted from the samples, bisulfite converted, and DNA methylation was quantified by using the IvyGene Platform. Finally, the raw data were collected and analyzed to evaluate the test performance.

Results: A total of 53 of the 65 breast cancer samples were correctly identified for an overall calculated sensitivity of 89% with little difference between the sensitivity of detecting Stage I to Stage IV breast cancer (range 88% to 94%). The breast cancer subjects were correctly identified with 96% specificity. Additionally, 28 of 32 samples drawn from healthy donor subjects (specificity 95%) and all 15 samples drawn from subjects diagnosed with benign breast disease (specificity 100%) were also correctly identified. Of the samples drawn from subjects with cancer other than breast cancer, over 96% of lung cancer, colorectal cancer and liver cancer samples were correctly identified as not breast cancer.

Conclusion: The results demonstrate the high diagnostic potential of ctDNA methylation markers in the blood for the detection of breast cancer. In addition, a quantitative analysis of ctDNA provides an opportunity for non-invasive detection of cancer and it's benefits can be anticipated to improve patient management and healthcare quality.

References:

1. Brooks, J.; Cairns, P.; and Zeleniuch-Jacquotte, A. (2009) Promoter Methylation and the Detection of Breast Cancer. Cancer Causes Control. 20(9), 1539–1550.

2. Xu, R. H.; Wei, W.; Krawczyk, M.; Wang, W.; Luo, H.; Flagg, K.; Yi, S.; Shi, W.; Quan, Q.; Li, K.; Zheng, L.; Zhang, H.; Caughey, B. A.; Zhao, Q.; Hou, J.; Zhang, R.; Xu, Y.; Cai, H.; Li, G.; Hou, R.; Zhong, Z.; Lin, D.; Fu, X.; Zhu, J.; Duan, Y.; Yu, M.; Ying, B.; Zhang, W.; Wang, J.; Zhang, E.; Zhang, C.; Li, O.; Guo, R.; Carter, H.; Zhu, J. K.; Hao, X.; and Zhang, K. (2017) Circulating tumour DNA methylation markers for diagnosis and prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma. Nature materials 16, 1155-1161.

Citation Format: Roy D, Zheng L, Liu D, Li G, Li M, Zhang K, Van Etten RA. Blood-based DNA methylation as epigenetic biomarkers for non-invasive detection of breast cancer [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2018 Dec 4-8; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P4-01-25.

The influence of therapeutic vaccine candidate against HBeAg pEGFP-N1-C (472-507)-ecdCD40L on dendritic cells

Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major public health problem and immune tolerance is responsible for persistent HBV infection. HBV therapeutic vaccines targeting HBV e antigen (HBeAg) may have an excellent effect in overcoming HBV immune tolerance. Thus, there is urgency for designing therapeutic vaccine candidates that target HBeAg. In this research, we fused the C (472-507) gene sequence of HBV with the extracellular domain of human CD40 ligand sequence and ligated this fused sequence into the pEGFP-N1 vector to construct the recombinant plasmid pEGFP-N1-C (472-507)-ecdCD40L. Then, the dendritic cells (DCs) generated from human peripheral blood were transfected with this recombinant plasmid. After this, the phenotype and function of DCs were assessed. Compared with the three control groups of pEGFP-N1-C (472-507), pEGFP-N1 and phosphate buffered saline (PBS), we found that DCs transfected with the recombinant plasmid pEGFP-N1-C (472-507)-ecdCD40L enhanced the expression of costimulatory molecules (CD80, CD86 and HLA-DR) and secretion of cytokine IL-12p70. Furthermore, the capacity of inducing the proliferation of allogeneic lymphocytes was also improved. Our study validated that transfecting DCs with recombinant plasmid pEGFP-N1-C (472-507)-ecdCD40L could activate DCs and enhance their functions. Therefore, C (472-507)-ecdCD40L fusion sequence may be a promising vaccine candidate for chronic hepatitis B therapythat targets HBeAg.

[Increased serum soluble-endoglin level and its clinical significance in antiphospholipid syndrome]

OBJECTIVE

To detect the serum levels of soluble endothelial glycoprotein endoglin (s-Eng) in patients with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) and to evaluate the correlation between s-Eng levels and clinical features and laboratory parameters.

METHODS

The levels of serum s-Eng were measured by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 139 patients with APS, 44 patients with SLE but no APS, 37 patients with primary Sjögren's syndrome (pSS), 23 patients with Bechet's disease (BD), 22 patients with systemic sclerosis (SSc) and 22 persistent anticardiolipin antibody (aCL) positive individuals without SLE or APS (simply aCL positive group) and 87 health controls (HC) without any auto-immune diseases. These APS patients included 64 primary APS patients and 75 APS patients secondary to SLE.The correlation between the clinical data, laboratory parameters, and serum s-Eng levels were analyzed.Independent samples t test, paired t test, Chi-square Test, Mann-Whitney U test, Pearson's χ² test were used for statistical analyses.

RESULTS

(1) The serum levels of s-Eng were significantly higher in the patients with APS whether primary or secondary to SLE than in the health controls and simply aCL positive group and the patients with other autoimmune diseases, including SLE, pSS, BD and SSc (P<0.001). There was no significant difference in the serum s-Eng levels between simply aCL positive group and health controls [(5.17±2.00) mg/L vs. (5.04±1.11) mg/L, P>0.05]. (2) The best cut-off value for the diagnosis of APS was no less than 8.37 mg/L as mean ± 3SD value, with the sensitivity at 0.772 and the specificity at 0.928. The Youden index was 0.700. These results indicated good validity of s-Eng as a diagnostic marker for APS. (3) The proportions of artery thrombosis and pathological pregnancy were higher in the group of s-Eng-positive APS patients than that in s-Eng-negative group (46/81 vs. 19/58, 29/65 vs. 10/44, respectively, all P<0.05). The levels of PLT were lower in the group of s-Eng-positive APS patients (72.00×10⁹/L vs. 119.00×10⁹/L, P<0.001). (4) The proportions of the presence (93.83% vs. 37.93%, P<0.001) and titer (61.70 U/mL vs. 15.45 U/mL, P<0.001) of aCL were both higher in the group of s-Eng-positive APS patients than in s-Eng-negative group. The proportions of the presence (61.73% vs. 43.10%, P<0.05) and titer (33.48 U/mL vs.17.40 U/mL, P<0.05) of anti-β2-glycoprotein I antibody were both higher in the group of s-Eng-positive APS patients than in s-Eng-negative group too.

CONCLUSION

s-Eng serum levels were significantly increased in the patients with APS, and it may play a role as acomplementary serological marker for the diagnosis and risk prediction of APS.