SARS-CoV-2 incidence in secondary schools; the role of national and school-initiated COVID-19 measures

INTRODUCTION

Our aim was to gain insight into the effect of COVID-19 measures on SARS-CoV-2 incidence in secondary schools and the association with classroom CO₂ concentration and airborne contamination.

METHODS

Between October 2020-June 2021, 18 schools weekly reported SARS-CoV-2 incidence and completed surveys on school-initiated COVID-19 measures (e.g. improving hygiene or minimizing contacts). CO₂ was measured in occupied classrooms twice, and SARS-CoV-2 air contamination longitudinally using electrostatic dust collectors (EDC) and analyzed using RT-qPCR. National COVID-19 policy measures varied during pre-lockdown, lockdown and post-lockdown periods. During the entire study, schools were recommended to improve ventilation. SARS-CoV-2 incidence rate ratios (IRR) were estimated by Generalized Estimating Equation (GEE) models.

RESULTS

During 18 weeks follow-up (range: 10-22) SARS-CoV-2 school-incidence decreased during national lockdown (adjusted IRR: 0.41, 95%CI: 0.21-0.80) and post-lockdown (IRR: 0.60, 0.39-0.93) compared to pre-lockdown. School-initiated COVID-19 measures had no additional effect. Pre-lockdown, IRRs per 10% increase in time CO₂ exceeded 400, 550 and 800 ppm above outdoor level respectively, were 1.08 (1.00-1.16), 1.10 (1.02-1.19), and 1.08 (0.95-1.22). Post-lockdown, CO_2-concentrations were considerably lower and not associated with SARS-CoV-2 incidence. No SARS-CoV-2 RNA was detected in any of the EDC samples.

CONCLUSION

During a period with low SARS-CoV-2 population immunity and increased attention to ventilation, with CO₂ levels most of the time below acceptable thresholds, only the national policy during and post-lockdown of reduced class-occupancy, stringent quarantine, and contact testing reduced SARS-CoV-2 incidence in Dutch secondary schools. Widespread SARS-CoV-2 air contamination could not be demonstrated in schools under the prevailing conditions during the study.

Identification of hub necroptosis-related lncRNAs for prognosis prediction of esophageal carcinoma

Necroptosis is a newly identified programmed cell death associated with the biological process of various cancers, including esophageal carcinoma (ESCA). Meanwhile, the dysregulation of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) is greatly implicated in ESCA progression and necroptosis regulation. However, the lncRNAs involved in regulating necroptosis in ESCA are still unclear. In this study, we aim to explore the expression profile of necroptosis-related lncRNAs (NRLs), and evaluate their roles in ESCA prognosis and treatment. In the present study, 198 differentially expressed NRLs were identified between the ESCA and adjacent normal tissues through screening the data extracted from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. And, a prognostic panel consisting of 6 NRLs was constructed using the LASSO algorithm and multivariate Cox regression analysis. The ESCA patients with high risks had a markedly reduced survival time and higher mortality prevalence. Moreover, C-index of 6 NRLs-panel was superior to 48 published prognostic models based on lncRNAs or mRNAs for ESCA. There were significant differences between the high-risk and low-risk groups in tumor-related pathways, genetic mutations, and drug sensitivity responses. In vitro analysis revealed that inhibition of PVT1 impeded the proliferation, migration, and colony formation of ESCA cells, increased the expressions of p-RIP1 and p-MLKL and promoted necroptosis. By contrast, PVT1 overexpression resulted in a decrease in necroptotic cell death events, thus promoting tumor progression. Collectively, the established 6-NRLs panel was a promising biomarker for the prognostic prediction of ESCA. Moreover, our current findings provided potential targets for individualized therapy for ESCA patients.

A Clinical-Radiomics Based Nomogram to Predict Progressive Intraparenchymal Hemorrhage in Mild to Moderate Traumatic Injury Patients

PURPOSE

To develop a non-contrast computed tomography(NCCT)based radiomics model for predicting intraparenchymal hemorrhage progression in patients with mild to moderate traumatic brain injury(TBI).

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed 166 mild to moderate TBI patients with intraparenchymal hemorrhage from January 2018 to December 2021. The enrolled patients were divided into training cohort and test cohort with a ratio of 6:4. Uni- and multivariable logistic regression analyses were implemented to screen clinical-radiological factors and to establish a clinical-radiological model. Model performance was evaluated by the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC), the calibration curve, the decision curve analysis, sensitivity, and specificity.

RESULTS

Eleven radiomics features, presence with SDH, and D-dimer > 5 mg/l were selected to construct the combined clinical-radiomic model for the prediction of TICH in mild to moderate TBI patients. The AUC of the combined model was 0.81(95% confidence interval (CI), 0.72 to 0.90) in the training cohort and 0.88 (95% CI 0.79 to 0.96) in the test cohort, which were superior to the clinical model alone (AUC_training = 0.72, AUC_test = 0.74). The calibration curve demonstrated that the radiomics nomogram had a good agreement between prediction and observation. Decision curve analysis confirmed clinically useful.

CONCLUSIONS

The combined clinical-radiomic model that incorporates the radiomics score and clinical risk factors can serve as a reliable and powerful tool for Predicting intraparenchymal hemorrhage progression for patients with mild to moderate TBI.

FACS-assisted single-cell lipidome analysis of phosphatidylcholines and sphingomyelins in cells of different lineages

Recent advances in single-cell genomics and transcriptomics technologies have transformed our understanding of cellular heterogeneity in growth, development, ageing, and disease; however, methods for single-cell lipidomics have comparatively lagged behind in development. We have developed a method for the detection and quantification of a wide range of phosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin species from single cells that combines fluorescence-assisted cell sorting with automated chip-based nanoESI and shotgun lipidomics. We show herein that our method is capable of quantifying more than 50 different phosphatidylcholine and sphingomyelin species from single cells and can easily distinguish between cells of different lineages or cells treated with exogenous fatty acids. Moreover, our method can detect more subtle differences in the lipidome between cell lines of the same cancer type. Our approach can be run in parallel with other single-cell technologies to deliver near-complete, high-throughput multi-omics data on cells with a similar phenotype and has the capacity to significantly advance our current knowledge on cellular heterogeneity.

Patient activation and health-related quality-of-life in association with smartwatch alerts for atrial fibrillation detection

Background

Smartwatches with various alert systems are becoming increasingly popular in the detection of atrial fibrillation (AF) post stroke, however their impact on psychological well-being remains unknown.

Purpose

Assess the association between smartwatch alerts for detected atrial fibrillation in older stroke survivors and patient activation as well as health-related quality-of-life.

Methods

Data were used from the Pulsewatch study, a multiphase, randomized controlled trial, which enrolled older adults (≥50 years of age) from the UMass Memorial Health System with history of a stroke and no contraindications to anticoagulation, who were given a smartwatch for AF detection. In Phase I, participants were randomized 3:1 (intervention:control) to receive a smartwatch/smartphone pair and an FDA-approved cardiac patch monitor or only the patch (control) to monitor for AF for 14 days. In Phase II, participants were re-randomized 1:1, with the intervention group being offered the smartwatch/smartphone pair for an extra 30 days. Participants were grouped into those receiving at least one alert of a possible abnormal rhythm versus those who did not receive any alerts from their smartwatch. At baseline, 14 days, and 44 days the Consumer Health Activation Index was used to assess patient activation and the Physical and Mental Component Summary of Short-Form Health Survey were utilized to evaluate physical and mental health-related quality-of-life, respectively. Mixed-effects repeated measures linear regression models were used to examine changes in patient activation and physical and mental health-related quality-of-life, in relation to alerts, adjusting for confounding variables including age, sex, race, history of arrhythmias, history of congestive heart failure, history of coronary artery disease, baseline depression, and baseline cognitive impairment, over the study period.

Results

94 participants (64.6±9.1 years of age, 87.2% non-Hispanic white, and 43.6% female) were included in the analysis; 16 of whom received at least one alert. Specifically, twelve participants received 1 to 3 alerts, three participants received 11 to 18, and one participant received 226. In fully adjusted models, receiving alerts was not associated with changes in patient activation or mental health-related quality-of-life (β −1.70, p-value 0.60 and β 2.85, p-value 0.09 respectively), but was associated with a significant reduction in physical health-related quality-of-life (β −4.67, p-value 0.04).

Conclusions

In a cohort of older stroke survivors who wore smartwatches for up to 44 days, reception of alerts was not significantly associated with changes in patient activation or mental health-related quality-of-life but was significantly related to a decline in physical health-related quality-of-life. Further studies are necessary to explore the use of smartwatches in AF screening and their impact on psychological health and quality-of-life.

Funding Acknowledgement

Type of funding sources: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): R01HL137734 from the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute

Metabolic Profiling of Mice with Deletion of the Orphan G Protein-Coupled Receptor, GPR37L1

Understanding the neurogenic causes of obesity may reveal novel drug targets to counter the obesity crisis and associated sequelae. Here, we investigate whether the deletion of GPR37L1, an astrocyte-specific orphan G protein-coupled receptor, affects whole-body energy homeostasis in mice. We subjected male Gpr37l1−/− mice and littermate wildtype (Gpr37l1+/+, C57BL/6J background) controls to either 12 weeks of high-fat diet (HFD) or chow feeding, or to 1 year of chow diet, with body composition quantified by EchoMRI, glucose handling by glucose tolerance test and metabolic rate by indirect calorimetry. Following an HFD, Gpr37l1−/− mice had similar glucose handling, body weight and fat mass compared with wildtype controls. Interestingly, we observed a significantly elevated respiratory exchange ratio in HFD- and chow-fed Gpr37l1−/− mice during daylight hours. After 1 year of chow feeding, we again saw no differences in glucose and insulin tolerance or body weight between genotypes, nor in energy expenditure or respiratory exchange ratio. However, there was significantly lower fat mass accumulation, and higher ambulatory activity in the Gpr37l1−/− mice during night hours. Overall, these results indicate that while GPR37L1 may play a minor role in whole-body metabolism, it is not a viable clinical target for the treatment of obesity.

Genome-wide DNA methylation analysis by MethylRad and the transcriptome profiles reveal the potential cancer-related lncRNAs in colon cancer

Colon cancer (CC) is characterized by global aberrant DNA methylation that may affect gene expression and genomic stability. A series of studies have demonstrated that DNA methylation could regulate the expressions of not only protein-coding genes but also ncRNAs. However, the regulatory role of lncRNA genes methylaton in CC remains largely unknown. In the present study, we systemically characterize the profile of DNA methylation, especially the aberrant methylation of lncRNAs genes using MethylRAD technology. A total of 132 999 CCGG/8487 CCWGG sites were identified as differentially methylated sites (DMSs), which were mainly located on the introns and intergenic elements. Moreover, 1,359 CCGG/1,052 CCWGG differentially methylated genes (DMGs) were screened. Our results demonstrated that aberrant methylation of lncRNA genes occurred most frequently, accounting for 37.5% and 44.3% in CCGG and CCWGG DMGs respectively. In addition, 963 lncRNA DMGs were co-analyzed with 1328 differentially expressed lncRNAs which were identified from TCGA database. We found that 15 lncRNAs might be CC-related lncRNAs. ZNF667-AS1 and MAFA-AS1 were down-regulated in CC, which might be silenced by hypermethylation. Besides, 13 lncRNAs were hypomethylated and up-regulated in CC. Moreover, our results validated the expression and methylation level of CC-related lncRNAs by RT-qPCR and pyrosequencing assay. In conclusion, we performed a genome-wide DNA methylation analysis by MethylRAD to acquire both CCGG and CCWGG DMSs and DMGs in CC. The results screened lncRNA DMSs as potential biomarkers and identified 15 lncRNAs as CC-related lncRNAs. This study provided novel therapy targets and valuable insights into molecular mechanism in tumorigenesis and development of CC.

A tale of two countries: all-cause mortality among people living with HIV and receiving combination antiretroviral therapy in the UK and Canada

Objectives

We sought to compare all‐cause mortality of people living with HIV and accessing care in Canada and the UK.

Methods

Individuals from the Canadian Observational Cohort (CANOC) collaboration and UK Collaborative HIV Cohort (UK CHIC) study who were aged ≥ 18 years, had initiated antiretroviral therapy (ART) for the first time between 2000 and 2012 and who had acquired HIV through sexual transmission were included in the analysis. Cox regression was used to investigate the difference in mortality risk between the two cohort collaborations, accounting for loss to follow‐up as a competing risk.

Results

A total of 19 960 participants were included in the analysis (CANOC, 4137; UK CHIC, 15 823). CANOC participants were more likely to be older [median age 39 years (interquartile range (IQR): 33, 46 years) vs. 36 years (IQR: 31, 43 years) for UK CHIC participants], to be male (86 vs. 73%, respectively), and to report men who have sex with men (MSM) sexual transmission risk (72 vs. 56%, respectively) (all P < 0.001). Overall, 762 deaths occurred during 98 798 person‐years (PY) of follow‐up, giving a crude mortality rate of 7.7 per 1000 PY [95% confidence interval (CI): 7.1, 8.3 per 1000 PY]. The crude mortality rates were 8.6 (95% CI: 7.4, 10.0) and 7.5 (95% CI: 6.9, 8.1) per 1000 PY among CANOC and UK CHIC study participants, respectively. No statistically significant difference in mortality risk was observed between the cohort collaborations in Cox regression accounting for loss to follow‐up as a competing risk (adjusted hazard ratio 0.86; 95% CI: 0.72–1.03).

Conclusions

Despite differences in national HIV care provision and treatment guidelines, mortality risk did not differ between CANOC and UK CHIC study participants who acquired HIV through sexual transmission.

Reductions in all-cause and cause-specific mortality among HIV-infected individuals receiving antiretroviral therapy in British Columbia, Canada: 2001-2012

OBJECTIVES

Since 2006, the British Columbia HIV/AIDS Drug Treatment Program (DTP) has expanded enrolment and dramatically increased its number of participants. We examined the effect this expansion has had on the underlying cause of death in HIV-infected individuals.

METHODS

We analysed data from participants aged 18 years and older in the DTP to measure 2-year mortality rates and causes of death from 2001 to 2012. We conducted tests of trend for all-cause and cause-specific mortality, and compared demographics and characteristics of individuals. Cox proportional hazard models were used to determine the risk of death.

RESULTS

A total of 8185 participants received antiretroviral therapy (ART) during the study period. Mortality declined from 3.88 per 100 person-years (PY) in 2001-2002 to 2.15 per 100 PY in 2011-2012 (P = 0.02). There were significant decreases in HIV-related deaths (2.34 to 0.56 per 100 PY; P = 0.02) and deaths attributable to chronic liver disease (0.20 to 0.09 per 100 PY; P = 0.01), cardiovascular disease (0.24 to 0.05 per 100 PY; P = 0.03) and suicides (0.47 to 0 per 100 PY; P = 0.003). Multivariate models, adjusted for age, gender, history of injecting drug use, AIDS diagnoses and baseline CD4 cell counts, demonstrated that initiation of ART in all time periods after 2001-2002 was independently associated with reduced mortality (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

We observed declines in HIV-related mortality and certain non-HIV-related causes of death among participants in the BC DTP from 2001 to 2012. These findings suggest that there may be broader benefits to the increasingly liberal HIV treatment guidelines, including reductions in death caused by cardiovascular disease and chronic liver disease.

Rogue waves for a system of coupled derivative nonlinear Schrödinger equations

Rogue waves (RWs) are unexpectedly strong excitations emerging from an otherwise tranquil background. The nonlinear Schrödinger equation (NLSE), a ubiquitous model with wide applications to fluid mechanics, optics, plasmas, etc., exhibits RWs only in the regime of modulation instability (MI) of the background. For a system of multiple waveguides, the governing coupled NLSEs can produce regimes of MI and RWs, even if each component has dispersion and cubic nonlinearity of opposite signs. A similar effect is demonstrated here for a system of coupled derivative NLSEs (DNLSEs) where the special feature is the nonlinear self-steepening of narrow pulses. More precisely, these additional regimes of MI and RWs for coupled DNLSEs depend on the mismatch in group velocities between the components, and the parameters for cubic nonlinearity and self-steepening. RWs considered in this paper differ from those of the NLSEs in terms of the amplification ratio and criteria of existence. Applications to optics and plasma physics are discussed.

[Survey of urology nurses on occupation protection from intravesical chemotherapy]

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the awareness of self protection and practice of nurses from urology department when giving intravesical chemotherapy to patients with urinary bladder cancer.

METHODS

One survey via a self-designed questionnaire and an on-the-spot examination of anticancer drugs preparing were done and compared among 42 nurses from urology department and 48 nurses from oncology department.

RESULTS

All nurses from oncology department were trained with anticancer drugs-associated knowledge and 83.3% nurses from urology department had received some training (P<0.05). Over 64.6%nurses from department of medical oncology were familiar with all the five parts of chemotherapy drugs protection protocol, while only 40.5%nurses from department of urology were aware of them. During the on-the-spot examination, 50.0% and 21.4% nurses respectively from oncology department and urology department could complete seven anticancer drugs preparation procedure correctly (P <0.05) CONCLUSIONS: The nurses from urology department had weak awareness of self protection and were lack of chemotherapy associated training and standard practice when giving intravesical chemotherapy. It is imperative to work out a protection plan to educate the nurses and establish the protocols for preparing anticancer drugs to reduce the occurrence of occupational hazard.

Clinical research of eliminating the negative psychological impact of patients with cancer with psychological support and intervention combined amitriptyline

Cancer patients need not only advanced therapeutic method but also spiritual counseling. Therefore clinical nurses need to analyze the negative psychological status and discuss the effect of psychological support and intervention on the improvement of patients' psychological burden, thus to establish effective intervention plans for patients. A total of 30 patients with cancer were selected for study. They were divided into blank group, intervention group and control group. Patients in three groups were orally administrated amitriptyline if necessary. Patients in blank group directlyfilled in the form of self-perceived burden and self-made questionnaire of general material of patients. Different groups were interfered with psychological support in different patterns for 3 months. The differences of SPB experience, MCMQ and QLQ-CCC in two groups werecompared respectively. It was found that SPBscore of cancer patients in blank group was in moderate level of burden, while SPB score in intervention group and control group were relatively lower, and score of MCMQ and QLO-CCC in intervention group were higher than that in control group. It was concluded that the experience of self-perceived burden existed in most cancer chemotherapy patients. Psychological support and intervention can obviously reduce the SPB experience of cancer patients and improve patients' living quality.

Effects of 2,5-hexanedione on angiogenesis and vasculogenesis in chick embryos

n-Hexane is widely used in industry and its metabolite, 2,5-hexanedione (2,5-HD), has been implicated as a neural toxin in the developing fetus. Using the chick embryo model, we have previously revealed the neurotoxicity of 2,5-HD during development and established that high dose of 2,5-HD was embryo lethal. In view of the close linkage in biology for neurogenesis and angiogenesis, we speculated that it was most likely caused by cardiovascular dysplasia, therefore in this study, we investigated the effects of 2,5-HD on the development of the vasculature, which involves vasculogenesis and angiogenesis. Using gastrulating chick embryos as a model, we demonstrated that the hemangioblasts (precursor of hematopoietic and endothelial cells) migrated to the area opaca where they form the blood islands. However, this process was impaired when the embryos were treated with 2,5-HD, suggesting that 2,5-HD is capable of impairing vasculogenesis. To study the effect of 2,5-HD exposure on angiogenesis, we used the chick yolk-sac membrane (YSM) and chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) models. We found that, at low (0.02M) concentration, 2,5-HD stimulated angiogenesis while at higher concentrations (>0.1M) it inhibited this process. This biphasic response of angiogenesis to 2,5-HD exposure was found to be associated with altered expression of the VEGF-R, FGF-2 and angiogenin. Moreover, we also determined that 2,5-HD exposure increased the reactive oxygen species (ROS) production. In conclusion, 2,5-HD could induce dysplasia in the developing vasculature, which in turn could cause extravascular hemolysis and the embryos to die.

Estimating the global and regional burden of suboptimal nutrition on chronic disease: methods and inputs to the analysis

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES

Global burdens of cardiovascular disease (CVD), diabetes and cancer are on the rise. Little quantitative data are available on the global impact of diet on these conditions. The objective of this study was to develop systematic and comparable methods to quantitatively assess the impact of suboptimal dietary habits on CVD, diabetes and cancer burdens globally and in 21 world regions.

SUBJECTS/METHODS

Using a comparative risk assessment framework, we developed methods to establish for selected dietary risk factors the effect sizes of probable or convincing causal diet-disease relationships, the alternative minimum-risk exposure distributions and the exposure distributions. These inputs, together with disease-specific mortality rates, allow computation of the numbers of events attributable to each dietary factor.

RESULTS

Using World Health Organization and similar evidence criteria for convincing/probable causal effects, we identified 14 potential diet-disease relationships. Effect sizes and ranges of uncertainty will be derived from systematic reviews and meta-analyses of trials or high-quality observational studies. Alternative minimum-risk distributions were identified based on amounts corresponding to the lowest disease rates in populations. Optimal and alternative definitions for each exposure were established based on the data used to quantify harmful or protective effects. We developed methods for identifying and obtaining data from nationally representative surveys. A ranking scale was developed to assess survey quality and validity of dietary assessment methods. Multi-level hierarchical models will be developed to impute missing data.

CONCLUSIONS

These new methods will allow, for the first time, assessment of the global impact of specific dietary factors on chronic disease mortality. Such global assessment is not only possible but is also imperative for priority setting and policy making.

High prevalence of food insecurity among HIV-infected individuals receiving HAART in a resource-rich setting

This study aimed to assess the prevalence and correlates of food insecurity in a cohort of HIV-infected individuals on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in British Columbia (BC), Canada. Adults receiving HAART voluntarily enrolled into the Longitudinal Investigations into Supportive and Ancillary Health Services (LISA) cohort. Individual food insecurity was measured using a modified version of the Radimer/Cornell Questionnaire. We performed bivariate analyses to determine differences between explanatory variables for individuals who were food secure and food insecure. We performed logistic regression to determine independent predictors of food insecurity. Of the 457 individuals enrolled in the LISA cohort, 324 (71.0%) were found to be food insecure. Multivariate analysis indicated that individuals who had an annual incomes less than $15,000 (odds ratio [OR] 3.15, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.83, 5.44), used illicit drugs (OR 1.85, 95% CI 1.03, 3.33), smoked tobacco (OR 2.30, 95% CI 1.30, 4.07), had depressive symptoms (OR 2.34, 95% CI 1.38, 3.96), and were younger (OR 0.95, 95% CI, 0.92, 0.98) were more likely to be food insecure. Our results demonstrated a high (71%) prevalence of food insecurity among HIV-infected individuals receiving HAART in this resource-rich setting, and that food insecurity is associated with a compendium of environmental and behavioral factors. More research is needed to understand the biological and social pathways linking food insecurity to these variables in order to identify program strategies that can effectively improve food security among HIV-infected populations.

Improved efficacy of gene therapy approaches for Pompe disease using a new, immune-deficient GSD-II mouse model

Glycogen storage disease type II (GSD-II) is a lysosomal storage disorder in which the lack of human acid-alpha glucosidase (hGAA) activity results in massive accumulations of glycogen in cardiac and skeletal muscle fibers. Affected individuals die of cardiorespiratory failure secondary to the skeletal and/or cardiac muscle involvement. Recombinant hGAA enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) is currently in clinical trials and, although promising, ERT may be limited by large-scale production issues and/or the need for frequent infusions. These limitations could be circumvented or augmented by gene therapy strategies. Previous findings in our lab demonstrated that hepatic targeting of a modified adenovirus vector expressing human GAA was able to correct the glycogen accumulation in multiple affected muscles in the GAA-KO mice, by virtue of high-level, hepatic secretion of hGAA. However, although the vector persisted and expressed hGAA for 6 months in the liver, plasma hGAA was not detectable beyond 10 dpi (days postinjection), and reaccumulation of glycogen was observed. Two possibilities may have contributed to this phenomenon, the shut down of the CMV promoter and/or the onset of high levels of anti-hGAA antibodies. In order to test these and other possibilities, we have now developed an immune-deficient mouse model of GSD-II by interbreeding GAA-KO mice with severe combined immune-deficient (SCID) mice, generating double knockout, GAA-KO/SCID mice. In this new mouse model, we evaluated the efficacy of an [E1-, polymerase-] AdhGAA vector, in the absence of anti-hGAA antibody responses. After intravenous injection, GAA detection in the plasma was prolonged for at least 6 months secondary to the lack of anti-hGAA antibody production in all of the treated mice. GAA-KO/SCID mice treated with high doses of viral vector demonstrated longer durations of glycogen correction in both skeletal and cardiac muscles, relative to mice injected with lower doses of the vector. Notably, within 2 weeks of vector injection, muscle strength and coordination was normalized, and the improved muscle function persisted for at least 6 months. In summary, this new mouse model of GSD-II now makes it possible to assess the full potential for efficacy of any GAA-expressing vector (and/or ERT) contemplated for use in GSD-II gene therapy, without the negative influence that anti-hGAA antibodies entail.

Phase I/II 90Y-Zevalin (yttrium-90 ibritumomab tiuxetan, IDEC-Y2B8) radioimmunotherapy dosimetry results in relapsed or refractory non-Hodgkin's lymphoma

Dosimetry studies in patients with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma were performed to estimate the radiation absorbed dose to normal organs and bone marrow from 90Y-Zevalin (yttrium-90 ibritumomab tiuxetan, IDEC-Y2B8) treatment in this phase I/II, multicenter trial. The trial was designed to determine the dose of Rituximab (chimeric anti-CD20, Rituxan, IDEC-C2B8, MabThera), the unlabeled antibody given prior to the radioconjugate to clear peripheral blood B cells and optimize distribution, and to determine the maximum tolerated dose of 90Y-Zevalin [7.4, 11, or 15 MBq/kg (0.2, 0.3, or 0.4 mCi/kg)]. Patients received (111)In-Zevalin (indium-111 ibritumomab tiuxetan, IDEC-In2B8 ) on day 0 followed by a therapeutic dose of 90Y-Zevalin on day 7. Both doses were preceded by an infusion of the chimeric, unlabeled antibody Rituximab. Following administration of (111)In-Zevalin, serial anterior/posterior whole-body scans were acquired. Major-organ radioactivity versus time estimates were calculated using regions of interest. Residence times were computed and entered into the MIRDOSE3 computer software program to calculate estimated radiation absorbed dose to each organ. Initial analyses of estimated radiation absorbed dose were completed at the clinical site. An additional, centralized dosimetry analysis was performed subsequently to provide a consistent analysis of data collected from the seven clinical sites. In all patients with dosimetry data (n=56), normal organ and red marrow radiation absorbed doses were estimated to be well under the protocol-defined upper limit of 20 Gy and 3 Gy, respectively. Median estimated radiation absorbed dose was 3.4 Gy to liver (range 1.2-7.8 Gy), 2.6 Gy to lungs (range 0.72-4.4 Gy), and 0.38 Gy to kidneys (range 0.07-0.61 Gy). Median estimated tumor radiation absorbed dose was 17 Gy (range 5.8-67 Gy). No correlation was noted between hematologic toxicity and the following variables: red marrow radiation absorbed dose, blood T(1/2), blood AUC, plasma T(1/2), and plasma AUC. It is concluded that 90Y-Zevalin administered at nonmyeloablative maximum tolerated doses results in acceptable radiation absorbed doses to normal organs. The only toxicity of note is hematologic and is not correlated to red marrow radiation absorbed dose estimates or T(1/2), reflecting that hematologic toxicity is dependent on bone marrow reserve in this heavily pretreated population.

Analysis and PCR detection of antigen compositions of ovine progressive pneumonia virus

Ovine progressive pneumonia virus (OPPV) was proliferated utilizing sheep foetal lung cells, and the cytopathic effect (CPE) of the virus was investigated. OPPV was purified with a 10%-sucrose cushion and then with 20%-55% discontinuous sucrose density gradient centrifugation. The structural proteins and antigen compositions of OPPV were analysed by SDS-PAGE and Western blotting. Besides, the OPP proviral cDNAs of the virus-infected cell cultures and the peripheral blood monocytes from sheep infected by the virus were detected using polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The results show that the CPE of sheep foetal lung cells infected by OPPV is typical of the disease. The purified virions are intact and of high purity when observed with an electron microscope. OPPV proteins consist of 18 polypeptide bands and the molecular weights range from 18 to 120 kd. Among these, 3 were glycoproteins (designated by gp120, gp50 and gp47). The appearance and peak time of the p28 antibody from sheep inoculated with OPPV are earlier than those of the p94 antibody to OPPV. Besides, the strength of immune reaction of p28 antibody is greater than that of p94 antibody. With PCR, it is demonstrated that the initial time for OPP proviral cDNAs to be integrated into the sheep foetal lung cells and the peripheral blood monocytes in sheep were 24 h and 9 d after inoculation, respectively.