Genetic variants of Kudoa septempunctata (Myxozoa: Multivalvulida), a flounder parasite causing foodborne disease

Foodborne disease outbreaks caused by raw olive flounders (Paralichthys olivaceus) parasitized with Kudoa septempunctata have been reported in Japan. Origins of olive flounders consumed in Japan vary, being either domestic or imported, and aquaculture-raised or natural. Although it is unknown whether different sources are associated with different outcomes, it is desirable to identify whether this is the case by determining whether unique K. septempunctata strains occur and if so, whether some are associated with foodborne illness. We here developed an intraspecific genotyping method, using the sequence variation of mitochondrial genes. We collected olive flounder samples from foodborne disease outbreaks, domestic fish farms or quarantine offices and investigated whether K. septempunctata genotype is associated with pathogenicity or geographic origin. The 104 samples were classified into three genotypes, ST1, ST2 and ST3. Frequency of symptomatic cases differed by genotypes, but the association was not statistically significant. Whereas K. septempunctata detected from aquaculture-raised and natural fish from Japan were either ST1 or ST2, those from fish inspected at quarantine from Korea to Japan were ST3. Our method can be applied to phylogeographic analysis of K. septempunctata and contribute to containing the foodborne disease. The genotype database is hosted in the PubMLST website (http://pubmlst.org/kseptempunctata/).

Cord blood-derived endothelial colony-forming cell function is disrupted in congenital diaphragmatic hernia

Vascular growth is necessary for normal lung development. Although endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) play an important role in vascularization, little is known about EPC function in congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH), a severe neonatal condition that is associated with pulmonary hypoplasia. We hypothesized that the function of endothelial colony-forming cells (ECFCs), a type of EPC, is impaired in CDH. Cord blood (CB) was collected from full-term CDH patients and healthy controls. We assessed CB progenitor cell populations as well as plasma vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and stromal cell-derived factor 1α (SDF1α) levels. CB ECFC clonogenicity; growth kinetics; migration; production of VEGF, SDF1α, and nitric oxide (NO); vasculogenic capacity; and mRNA expression of VEGF-A, fms-related tyrosine kinase 1 (FLT1), kinase insert domain receptor (KDR), nitric oxide synthase (NOS) 1-3, SDF1, and chemokine (C-X-C motif) receptor 4 (CXCR4) were also assessed. Compared with controls, CB ECFCs were decreased in CDH. CDH ECFCs had reduced potential for self-renewal, clonogenicity, proliferation, and migration. Their capacity for NO production was enhanced but their response to VEGF was blunted in CDH ECFCs. In vivo potential for de novo vasculogenesis was reduced in CDH ECFCs. There was no difference in CB plasma VEGF and SDF1α concentrations, VEGF and SDF1α production by ECFCs, and ECFC mRNA expression of VEGF-A, FLT1, KDR, NOS1-3, SDF1, and CXCR4 between CDH and control subjects. In conclusion, CB ECFC function is disrupted in CDH, but these changes may be caused by mechanisms other than alteration of VEGF-NO and SDF1-CXCR4 signaling.

MicroRNA and gynecologic cancers

AIM

Gynecologic malignancies are serious problems in female health. Here we aim to discuss the involvement of microRNA (miRNA) in the pathogenesis of gynecologic cancers and use of miRNA profiles for diagnosis of diseases.

METHODS

In order to obtain information needed for this review, we searched the PubMed database with the following keywords: miRNA and ovarian cancer; miRNA and cervical cancer; and miRNA and endometrial cancer.

RESULTS

Recent explosive investigations in the field have dramatically expanded our knowledge of the roles of miRNA in the pathology of gynecologic malignancies. In ovarian cancer, miRNA participates in the development of drug resistance. In cervical cancer and endometrial cancer, miRNA play essential roles in important oncogenic processes, including cell proliferation, migration and metastasis. miRNA also have high potentials to be used as biomarkers in these diseases.

CONCLUSION

Further validation of the studies and improvement of the methods will result in the broader use of miRNA in the diagnosis of diseases as well as in understanding of the pathomechanisms of gynecologic cancers.

Poly-dipeptides encoded by the C9ORF72 repeats block global protein translation

The expansion of the GGGGCC hexanucleotide repeat in the non-coding region of the Chromosome 9 open-reading frame 72 (C9orf72) gene is the most common genetic cause of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). This genetic alteration leads to the accumulation of five types of poly-dipeptides translated from the GGGGCC hexanucleotide repeat. Among these, poly-proline-arginine (poly-PR) and poly-glycine-arginine (poly-GR) peptides are known to be neurotoxic. However, the mechanisms of neurotoxicity associated with these poly-dipeptides are not clear. A proteomics approach identified a number of interacting proteins with poly-PR peptide, including mRNA-binding proteins, ribosomal proteins, translation initiation factors and translation elongation factors. Immunostaining of brain sections from patients with C9orf72 ALS showed that poly-GR was colocalized with a mRNA-binding protein, hnRNPA1. In vitro translation assays showed that poly-PR and poly-GR peptides made insoluble complexes with mRNA, restrained the access of translation factors to mRNA, and blocked protein translation. Our results demonstrate that impaired protein translation mediated by poly-PR and poly-GR peptides plays a role in neurotoxicity and reveal that the pathways altered by the poly-dipeptides-mRNA complexes are potential therapeutic targets for treatment of C9orf72 FTD/ALS.

Quantitative nucleic features are effective for discrimination of intraductal proliferative lesions of the breast

Background:

Intraductal proliferative lesions (IDPLs) of the breast are recognized as a risk factor for subsequent invasive carcinoma development. Although opportunities for IDPL diagnosis have increased, these lesions are difficult to diagnose correctly, especially atypical ductal hyperplasia (ADH) and low-grade ductal carcinoma in situ (LG-DCIS). In order to define the difference between these lesions, many molecular pathological approaches have been performed. However, still we do not have a molecular marker and objective histological index about IDPLs of the breast.

Methods:

We generated full digital pathology archives from 175 female IDPL patients, including usual ductal hyperplasia (UDH), ADH, LG-DCIS, intermediate-grade (IM)-DCIS, and high-grade (HG)-DCIS. After total 2,035,807 nucleic segmentations were extracted, we evaluated nuclear features using step-wise linear discriminant analysis (LDA) and a support vector machine.

Results:

High diagnostic accuracy (81.8–99.3%) was achieved between pathologists’ diagnoses and two-group LDA predictions from nucleic features for IDPL discrimination. Grouping of nuclear features as size and shape-related or intranuclear texture-related revealed that the latter group was more important when distinguishing between normal duct, UDH, ADH, and LG-DCIS. However, these two groups were equally important when discriminating between LG-DCIS and HG-DCIS. The Mahalanobis distances between each group showed that the smallest distance values occurred between LG-DCIS and IM-DCIS and between ADH and Normal. On the other hand, the distance value between ADH and LG-DCIS was larger than this distance.

Conclusions:

In this study, we have presented a practical and useful digital pathological method that incorporates nuclear morphological and textural features for IDPL prediction. We expect that this novel algorithm is used for the automated diagnosis assisting system for breast cancer.

Exosome-Mediated Targeted Delivery of miRNAs

Many types of cells release phospholipid membrane vesicles that are thought to play key roles in cell-cell communication, antigen presentation, and the spread of infectious agents. These membrane vesicles, derived from the late endosomes, are called exosomes. Various proteins, messenger RNAs (mRNAs), and microRNAs (miRNAs) are carried by exosomes to cells in remote locations, like a message in a bottle. Because they can protect encapsulated small RNAs from ribonucleases (RNases) in body fluid, exosomes represent ideal carriers for nucleic acid drugs. In addition, because exosomes are constructed from self components, they are predicted to have low antigenicity and toxicity, extremely important properties for carriers used in drug delivery. This article describes a protocol for using exosomes as carriers for RNA drug delivery systems.

Pulmonary arterial hypertension due to pulmonary vascular amyloid deposition in a patient with multiple myeloma

Systemic amyloidosis is characterized by amyloid deposition throughout the body and subsequent dysfunction of various organs. Although pulmonary amyloidosis does occur, pulmonary hypertension (PH) caused by amyloidosis is extremely rare. In most of these cases, amyloid deposition occurred diffusely in alveolar septa, indicating that PH was due to lung disease and/or hypoxia. On the other hand, the mechanism of PH due to amyloid deposition in the pulmonary arteries has never been demonstrated. Here, we report the first case of PH due to amyloid deposition in pulmonary elastic arteries and muscular artery, which was complicated by multiple myeloma (MM). In the autopsy specimen of the patient, amyloid deposition was found mainly in the pulmonary arterial media, along with intimal thickening with luminal narrowing. PH thus appeared to be caused by marked decrease of pulmonary elasticity due to the amyloid deposition in the arterial media that resulted in stasis of the blood flow and subsequent luminal narrowing. Our present data demonstrates a new concept of PH caused by amyloidosis, namely, pulmonary arterial hypertension due to amyloidosis.

Smooth muscle immaturity in the carotid arterial neointima as a prognostic marker for systemic atherogenic cardiovascular events in the Asian male

Although immaturity of neointimal smooth muscle cells (SMCs) in coronary arteries has recently been demonstrated to be associated with acute coronary syndrome, the carotid arterial counterpart has not been investigated. We hypothesized that the same investigation of carotid endarterectomy specimens might contribute to living patients. Carotid endarterectomy specimens from 33 Asian males who underwent a 5-year follow-up were examined. Age, atherosclerotic risk factors, and percentage stenosis were investigated. Histologically, the fibrous cap/lipid core ratio was measured. Maturation of SMCs was assessed by the h-caldesmon/smooth muscle actin (SMA) ratio by immunohistochemistry in 3 different regions (luminal, medial, and opposite side of lipid core) in the neointima. Associations of these factors with preoperative symptoms along with postoperative systemic atherogenic cardiovascular events were analyzed. It was revealed that fibrous cap/lipid core ratio was significantly lower in symptomatic than in asymptomatic patients, while the h-caldesmon/SMA ratio was significantly lower in patients with than without postoperative systemic atherogenic cardiovascular events by the Student's t-test (P<0.05). Logistic regression model demonstrated that younger age and a lower h-caldesmon/SMA ratio were associated with postoperative systemic atherogenic cardiovascular events (P<0.05). This result was not different when 3 different regions were each analyzed instead. Immaturity of neointimal SMCs shown by a lower h-caldesmon/SMA ratio by immunohistochemistry was associated with systemic atherogenic cardiovascular events. Thus, this finding may be predictive of these events after carotid endarterectomy. Uniform results among different neointimal regions suggest that immaturity of neointimal SMCs causes plaque instability and does not occur secondarily to plaque instability.

Does perineural invasion of the myenteric plexus have a key role in annular rectal invasion and digestive system symptoms of prostate carcinoma patients?

Prostate carcinoma is one of the most common cancers globally. It relatively rarely invades the rectum, accounting for only about 4% of resected cases. About half of these cases of rectal invasion show an annular rectal stricture pattern. It has been hypothesized that anatomical structures, namely Denonvilliers fascia, may play an important role in annular rectal involvement of prostate carcinoma. Here, we propose another hypothesis: the reason for annular rectal invasion by prostate carcinoma is its extension along the myenteric plexus (Auerbach's plexus). We illustrate this using a case presentation and description of the symptoms of such cases. From a review of the literature, autonomic digestive system symptoms of rectal invasion of prostatic carcinoma, such as diarrhea, tenesmus, or fecal incontinence is seen in about half of cases, coinciding with the frequency of annular rectal invasion. Thus, by modifying the long-established hypothesis, our suggestion that prostate carcinoma spreads along the myenteric plexus when cancer cells invade beyond the Denonvilliers fascia to the rectum could explain the cause and frequency not only of the annular rectal invasion but also the digestive system symptoms related to this disease. The prognosis of prostate carcinoma invading the rectum is very poor; however, this new hypothesis might shed light on the digestive system symptoms associated with prostate carcinoma and might lead to recognition and treatment of these cases at a relatively early stage of rectal invasion.

Two Different Concentrations of Topical Levofloxacin for the Treatment of Multidrug-Resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa Keratitis

PURPOSE

To compare the efficacy of topical 1.5% and 0.5% levofloxacin (LVFX) for the treatment of multidrug-resistant Pseudomonas aeruginosa (MDRP) keratitis in rabbits.

METHODS

In a rabbit eye, we produced an MDRP keratitis model by excising a 2-mm circular disc of the cornea up to a depth of one-half of the stromal layer and inoculated an MDRP strain into the corneal concavity. Nine hours after inoculation and after confirming that MDRP keratitis had developed, we treated the eyes topically with 0.5% levofloxacin, 1.5% levofloxacin, or phosphate-buffered saline (PBS) every 6 h until 57 h postinfection. The infected eyes were evaluated by clinical score, histopathological examination, and viable bacterial count (colony forming units).

RESULTS

In the MDRP keratitis model, clinical score was significantly lower in 0.5% and 1.5% levofloxacin-treated groups than in PBS-treated group and was the lowest in 1.5% levofloxacin-treated group. Histopathological examination showed maintenance of corneal translucency and little influx of polymorphonuclear neutrophils in 1.5% levofloxacin-treated group. Viable bacterial count in the infected cornea was significantly lower in 0.5% levofloxacin-treated group compared with PBS-treated group, while no viable bacteria were detected in 1.5% levofloxacin-treated group.

CONCLUSIONS

Using our MDRP keratitis model, we showed that topical 0.5% levofloxacin is not adequately effective, while 1.5% levofloxacin is efficacious in controlling MDRP keratitis.

Loss of teeth in positions mesially adjacent to implant-supported fixed dentures: a retrospective clinical survey

The aim of this study was to investigate the loss of teeth in positions mesially adjacent to implant-supported fixed dentures (IFDs) after insertion of IFDs in unilateral free-end edentulous spaces in the mandible at dental clinics. There were a total of 157 adjacent teeth. Nine adjacent teeth (5.73%, 9 of 157), 9 opposing teeth (2.59%, 9 of 348), 38 posterior teeth (1.93%, 38 of 1,964), and 3 anterior teeth (0.22%, 3 of 1,380) were lost during the observation period. The percentage of lost adjacent teeth was higher than that of posterior teeth (P = .002). Teeth in positions adjacent to the IFDs require more attention than other remaining teeth.

Young-age-onset pancreatoduodenal carcinoma in Shwachman-Diamond syndrome

Shwachman-Diamond syndrome, which is characterized by pancreatic fatty degeneration, skeletal growth retardation, and hematological dysfunction, is a congenital disease caused by SBDS gene mutations. Although hematological disorders often accompany this syndrome, carcinomas associated with this syndrome have not been reported except in one breast cancer and one moderately differentiated pancreatic cancer case. We report on an autopsy of a 24-year-old case of pancreatoduodenal carcinoma in Shwachman-Diamond syndrome. The histology of the tumor was undifferentiated carcinoma, which seems to have originated from either the pancreatic duct or the duodenal epithelium. The tumor was intermingled with two pathological changes characteristic of Shwachman-Diamond syndrome: fatty degeneration of the pancreas and inflammation of the villous stroma of the duodenum. Considering that SBDS protein regulates mitosis and its suppression causes genomic instability, this case might provide an example of carcinogenesis based on genomic instability, together with degenerative changes and chronic inflammation, at a very young age.

Evaluation of the human papillomavirus mRNA test for the detection of cervical lesions in Japan

AIMS

For the screening of cervical abnormalities, human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA testing is widely used along with Papanicolaou (Pap) testing. Although the sensitivity of the HPV DNA testing is good, its specificity is relatively low. In the present study, the authors evaluated the use of the Gen-Probe APTIMA HPV Assay for the detection of HPV mRNA and compared it with HPV DNA testing.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Liquid cervical Pap specimens collected from 410 women were assessed using the APTIMA test, the Qiagen Hybrid Capture 2 HPV DNA (HC2) Test, and the AMPLICOR HPV Test.

RESULTS

The sensitivity and specificity for the detection of high-risk HPV were 85.6% and 99.2% for the APTIMA test, 94.1% and 98.4% for the HC2 test, and 90.2% and 95.7% for the AMPLICOR test, respectively. As the severity of the cervical lesion progressed, the positive rate of the three tests indicated a similar increase. The clinical sensitivity and specificity for the detection of squamous intraepithelial lesion (SIL) were 91.2% and 84.2% for the APTIMA test, 94.5% and 80.4% for the HC2 test, and 87.9% and 78.2% for the AMPLICOR test, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The APTIMA is sensitive and specific for the detection of high-risk HPV. In the specimens with SIL, the APTIMA test is more specific than the HC2 and the AMPLICOR tests. This indicates that the APTIMA test may improve patient management and reduce the cost of screening.

Selenium recovery from kiln powder of cement manufacturing by chemical leaching and bioreduction

A novel process by using chemical leaching followed by bacterial reductive precipitation was proposed for selenium recovery from kiln powder as a byproduct of cement manufacturing. The kiln powder at a slurry concentration of 10 w/v% with 0.25 M Na2CO3 at 28°C produced wastewater containing about 30 mg-Se/L selenium. The wastewater was diluted four-fold and adjusted to pH 8.0 as preconditioning for bioreduction. A bacterial strain Pseudomonas stutzeri NT-I, capable of reducing selenate and selenite into insoluble elemental selenium, could recover about 90% selenium from the preconditioned wastewater containing selenium of 5 mg-Se/L when supplemented with lactate or glycerol. The selenium concentrations in the treated wastewater were low around the regulated effluent concentration of 0.1 mg-Se/L in Japan.

Abstract 4377: Novel RNAi agent can control HCV replication

Technique of RNA interference (RNAi) is important for investigating functional gene research and drug target. miRNA-122 (miR-122) is expressed abundantly in liver tissue, and it can control the Hepatitis C virus (HCV) replication. Locked Nucleic Acid (LNA)-miR-122 was shown to suppress HCV replication through inhibiting miR-122 function. Recently, anti-HCV therapy for chronic hepatitis C by LNA-miR-122 has been applied for clinical study in phase II. We developed alternative chemically modified sponge oligonucleotides (SO) for inhibition of interest miRNA function. In order to find more effective anti-viral agent, we attempted to compare the inhibition effects for viral replication between LNA-miR-122 and SO for miR-122.

SO contained triplicated binding sites to miR-122, composed of either DNA or RNA, which were combined with terephthalate or glycine. We chose three types of sequences complementary to target miR-122: one perfect match sequence and two imperfect match sequences (bubble, and bulge). The effects of SOs on HCV replication were assessed by using HCV replicon cells (OR6), which contained full-genome HCV with genotype 1b and luciferase reporter genes.

We compared the luciferase activity, the expression of HCV RNA, and the expression of HCV core protein in OR6 cells treated with LNA-miR-122 and several SO constructions. SO composed of terephthalate-bound RNA sequences with bulge-type imperfect complementarity was most effective in inhibiting HCV replication. By real-time qPCR analysis, the expression level of ISG15 and RIG-I in the OR6 cell treated with SO was not significantly higher than those treated with negative control (NC) or LNA. By XTT incorporation assay, the cell proliferation level in OR6 treated with SO was not also significantly affected as compared that treated with NC or LNA.

We investigated novel RNAi agent termed SO that could effectively suppress HCV replication as compared LNA-miR-122. SO treatment did not activate the endogenous IFN pathway nor induce the cell mortality. Therefore SO is promising as a novel anti-vial agent.

Citation Format: Masahiko Kuroda, Masakatsu Takanashi, Shinichiro Ohno, Yoshiki Murakami. Novel RNAi agent can control HCV replication. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 105th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2014 Apr 5-9; San Diego, CA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2014;74(19 Suppl):Abstract nr 4377. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2014-4377