Immunohistochemical quantification of inflammatory cells in endomyocardial biopsy fragments after heart transplantation: a new potential method to improve the diagnosis of rejection after heart transplantation

Use of paclitaxel carried in lipid nanoparticles to treat aortic allograft transplantation in rats

OBJECTIVES

The aim of this study was to test whether lipid core nanoparticles loaded with paclitaxel (LDE-PTX) protect rat aortic allograft from immunological damage.

METHODS

Fisher and Lewis rats were used differing in minor histocompatibility loci. Sixteen Lewis rats were allocated to four-animal groups: SYNG (syngeneic), Lewis rats receiving aorta grafts from Lewis rats; ALLO (allogeneic), Lewis rats receiving aortas from Fisher rats; ALLO+LDE (allogeneic transplant treated with LDE), Lewis rats receiving aortas from Fisher rats, treated with LDE (weekly injection for 3 weeks); ALLO+LDE-PTX (allogeneic transplant treated with LDE-PTX), Lewis rats receiving aortas from Fisher rats treated with LDE-PTX (4 mg/kg weekly for 3 weeks). Treatments began on transplantation day.

RESULTS

Thirty days post-transplantation, SYNG showed intact aortas. ALLO and ALLO+LDE presented intense neointimal formation. In ALLO+LDE-PTX, treatment inhibited neointimal formation; narrowing of aortic lumen was prevented in ALLO and ALLO+LDE. LDE-PTX strongly inhibited proliferation and intimal invasion by smooth muscle cells, diminished 4-fold presence of apoptotic/dead cells in the intima, reduced the invasion of aorta by macrophages and T-cells and gene expression of pro-inflammatory tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNFα), interferon gamma (IFNγ) and interleukin-1 beta (IL-1β).

CONCLUSIONS

LDE-PTX was effective in preventing the vasculopathy associated with rejection and may offer a potent therapeutic tool for post-transplantation.

LATS1 suppresses proliferation and invasion of cervical cancer

Loss of large tumor suppressor kinase 1 (LATS1)Y has been implicated in numerous types of human cancer. However, its involvement in human cervical cancer remains to be elucidated. The present study aimed to investigate the clinical significance and biological characteristics of LATS1 in human cervical cancer. The present study investigated the protein expression levels of LATS1 in tissues from 80 cases of cervical cancer using immunohistochemistry and demonstrated that LATS1 was downregulated in 45% (36/80) of cervical cancers. Transfection of LATS1 was performed in the SiHa cell line and LATS1 siRNA knockdown was performed in the Caski cell line. MTT assay and Matrigel invasion assay indicated that LATS1 overexpression inhibited cell proliferation and invasion. LATS1 overexpression upregulated p27 expression, and downregulated the expression of cyclin E and matrix metalloproteinase 9. In addition, LATS1 overexpression stimulated yes-associated protein 1 (YAP) phosphorylation. Depletion of LATS1 in Caski cells resulted in the opposite effects. The current study demonstrated that LATS1 was downregulated in cervical cancer and may suppress cell growth and invasion through regulating the expression of cyclin E, p27, MMP9 and YAP.

Systemic inflammation in a melanoma patient treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors-an autopsy study

Background

Immune checkpoint inhibitors targeting cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-associated protein 4 (CTLA-4) and programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) have been recently approved for treatment of patients with metastatic melanoma and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Despite important clinical benefits, these therapies are associated with a diverse spectrum of immune-related adverse events (irAEs) that are typically transient, but occasionally severe or even fatal.

Case presentation

This autopsy case illustrates that clinically overt irAEs may represent only a fraction of the total spectrum of immune-related organ pathology in patients treated with immune checkpoint inhibitors. We report a comprehensive analysis of systemic irAE pathology based on the autopsy of a 35-year-old female patient with metastatic melanoma treated first with ipilimumab and then nivolumab. The clinical course was characterized by a mixed tumor response with regression of skin and lung metastases and fatal progression of metastatic disease in the small bowel, peritoneum and brain. During therapy with ipilimumab, radiographic features of immune-related pneumonitis were noted. The autopsy examination established a sarcoid-like granulomatous reaction of the lung, pulmonary fibrosis and diffuse alveolar damage. Importantly, a clinically unapparent but histologically striking systemic inflammation involving the heart, central nervous system, liver and bone marrow was identified. Severe immune-related end-organ damage due to lymphocytic myocarditis was found.

Conclusions

Autopsy studies are an important measure of quality control and may identify clinically unapparent irAEs in patients treated with immunotherapy. Pathologists and clinicians need to be aware of the broad spectrum of irAEs for timely management of treatment-related morbidity.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s40425-016-0117-1) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.