Nasal administration of anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody ameliorates disease in a mouse model of Alzheimer's disease

Emerging evidence suggests that dysregulation of neuroinflammation, particularly that orchestrated by microglia, plays a significant role in the pathogenesis of Alzheimer's disease (AD). Danger signals including dead neurons, dystrophic axons, phosphorylated tau, and amyloid plaques alter the functional phenotype of microglia from a homeostatic (M0) to a neurodegenerative or disease-associated phenotype, which in turn drives neuroinflammation and promotes disease. Thus, therapies that target microglia activation constitute a unique approach for treating AD. Here, we report that nasally administered anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody in the 3xTg AD mouse model reduced microglial activation and improved cognition independent of amyloid beta deposition. In addition, gene expression analysis demonstrated decreased oxidative stress, increased axogenesis and synaptic organization, and metabolic changes in the hippocampus and cortex of nasal anti-CD3 treated animals. The beneficial effect of nasal anti-CD3 was associated with the accumulation of T cells in the brain where they were in close contact with microglial cells. Taken together, our findings identify nasal anti-CD3 as a unique form of immunotherapy to treat Alzheimer's disease independent of amyloid beta targeting.

Improved performance of quantitative collagen parameters versus standard histology in longitudinal assessment of nonadvanced liver fibrosis for chronic hepatitis B

Monitoring longitudinal nonadvanced fibrosis is a more common scenario in management of chronic hepatitis B (CHB), for which, however, current evaluation methods generally lack sufficient performance. We conducted a proof-of-concept study to evaluate the performance of quantitative fibrous collagen parameters (q-FP) in the assessment. Data sets from a prior CHB trial (NCT00962533) with mostly mild-to-moderate fibrosis participants were used for this study. 301 subjects with paired liver biopsies were consecutively included. Of these, 139 subjects were used to establish the test and the rest for internal validation. Fibrosis change between baseline and week 104 of treatment was blindly assessed with q-FP and was compared with Ishak fibrosis staging. There were 70% and 93% subjects with Ishak F0-2 at baseline and week 104, respectively. For the test of the subjects, q-FP and Ishak staging showed no difference in determining the incidence of fibrosis regression (68% vs 67%; difference = 0.7%, P = 1.00). Q-FP demonstrated that the regression was independently associated with the antiviral efficacy endpoint (OR 3.0, 95% CI 1.4-6.5, P = .005), but Ishak failed the detection (OR 0.6, 95% CI 0.3-1.3, P = .24). Moreover, q-FP directly revealed a higher fibrosis-resistance to antiviral treatment in virus genotypes C vs B and in males vs females. These results were confirmed in the validation subjects. Additionally, a functional model built on the test subjects showed an accuracy of 82% in stratifying fibrosis reversibility of the validation subjects. In conclusion, q-FP could have improved efficiency and accuracy in the longitudinal assessment of mild-to-moderate CHB fibrosis, indicating a potential alternative to current evaluation methodologies.

Knockdown of RhoGDIα induces apoptosis and increases lung cancer cell chemosensitivity to paclitaxel

This study aimed to investigate the effects of RhoGDIα knockdown on apoptosis and the chemosensitivity of lung cancer cells to paclitaxel. The signaling proteins involved were also assessed. RhoGDIα expression was assessed by RT-PCR, Western blotting and immunohistochemistry. Apoptosis was determined by flow cytometric assessment, and cell viability was measured with the MTT assay. Phosphorylation levels of signaling proteins, ERK, JNK, Akt, Bad and IκBα were tested by Western blotting and immunohistochemistry. Positivity for RhoGDIα in lung cancer tissues was significantly higher than in paracancerous tissues. Downregulation of RhoGDIα was associated with significantly increased apoptosis and repressed cell viability. This effect could be due to the consequent upregulation of p-JNK, as well as decreased levels of p-ERK, p-Bad and p-IκBα. Knockdown of RhoGDIα strengthened the effect on apoptosis and inhibition of cell viability induced by paclitaxel treatment. This chemosensitization effect could be a result of the intensification of pro-apoptotic JNK activation, and repression of anti-apoptotic p-ERK, p-Bad and p-IκBα expression stimulated by paclitaxel. In summary, our study indicated that RhoGDIα could be a promising therapeutic target, and the combination of RhoGDIα siRNA and paclitaxel might be a valuable potential therapy for lung cancer treatment.

The first clinical results of "wide-focus and low-pressure" ESWL

A clinical study of the concept "wide-focus and low-pressure" extracorporal shock-wave lithotripsy (ESWL) was performed in a scientific cooperation between the Physical Institute of the University of Stuttgart and the Xixin Medical Instruments Co. Ltd. in Wuxian-Suzhou, China. In this cooperation, self-focusing electromagnetic shock-wave generator systems from the University of Stuttgart were integrated into Xixin lithotripters and installed in seven hospitals in China. A total of 297 detailed patient protocols revealed an average of 1532 shock pulses for successful treatment with no necessity for pain medication and auxiliary measures, and a stone-free rate of 86% after a follow-up of 3 months. These results are discussed in terms of the wide-focus low-pressure conditions and the mechanism of binary fragmentation by squeezing.

Sodium butyrate induces growth arrest and senescence-like phenotypes in gynecologic cancer cells

We demonstrated here the growth-suppressing effects of sodium butyrate (NaB) on human endometrial and ovarian cancer cells. The arrest of cells at the G1 checkpoint accounted for this effect. NaB-mediated p21 might arrest endometrial and ovarian cancer cells at the G0/G1 phase by eliciting pRb unphosphorylation. To demonstrate the role of pRb regulation by p21, we measured the sensitivity to NaB of cervical cancer cells in which pRb had been inactivated by HPV E7. The cervical cancer cells displayed a sensitivity in NaB-mediated G2/M arrest in addition to their sensitivity in G0/G1 arrest. Arrest at G0/G1 and G2/M accompanied induction of senescence-like phenotypes (SLPs). Most importantly, the effect of NaB on senescence induction was not coupled with the predominance of hypophosphorylated pRb forms in the cervical cancer cells. This suggested that NaB had the potential to elicit SLPs through p21-mediated withdrawal from cell cycle progression. The consequences of p21 induction were manifold. The effects of NaB on gynecologic cancer cell growth indicated its potential use in cancer treatment. NaB was effective even in the cancer cells with mutant p53 and/or Rb genes by eliciting cell senescence.

[Pulmonary damage caused by right side infective endocarditis in intravenous drug users]

OBJECTIVE

To highlight the understanding of pulmonary damage caused by right side infective endocarditis (RIE).

METHODS

28 intravenous drug users with pulmonary damage caused by RIE from 1994 to 2000 were reviewed with chest roentgenogram, chest B-ultrasound, blood gas analysis and sputum cultures.

RESULTS

100% (28/28) cases with RIE showed pulmonary damage, in which cough 100% (28/28), expectoration 71% (20/28), breathlessness 64% (18/28), pleuritic chest pain 57% (16/28), hemoptysis 36% (10/28) rales were present in 20 cases (71%) (20/28). By chest X-rays 82% (23/28) patients showed pulmonary infiltrative lesion, 21% (6/28) showed multiple thin wall cystic lesion. manifestations for pulmonary embolism were shown in 6 cases (21%). Pleural effusion was confirmed by chest B-ultrasound in 6 cases (21%). Respiratory failure present in 4 cases (4/28). Positive rate of sputum cultures was 54% (15/28). The prognosis for twenty-three patients (82%) when treated with the regimen of 4 to 6 weeks of parenteral antibiotics was good, Five patients (18%) underwent surgery, and two of them died.

CONCLUSION

The pulmonary damage by RIE should be paid more attention to for avoiding misdiagnosis.

[Transbronchial needle aspiration in routine bronchoscope practice]

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the yield of transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA) in a clinical routine bronscopy practice after training under the guide by CT scanning.

METHODS

Using Wang TBNA System and CT scanning methods to define the site in airway for puncturing the enlarged mediastinal lymphnode. The positive rate of TBNA was 64%, almost equal to the positive rate (61%) of the method by operating directly under CT scanning. TBNA was performed on 100 consecutive patients with 152 enlarged mediastinal nodes undergoing diagnostic fiberoptic bronchoscopy.

RESULT

The positive rate (64%) was equal to the positive rate (61%) under the CT guide.

CONCLUSIONS

CT guiding TBNA is very useful for training doctors to learn the TBNA technique, and TBNA can be done very well and play an important role in routine bronchoscope practice.

CT scan directed transbronchial needle aspiration biopsy for mediastinal nodes

STUDY OBJECTIVES

This study was performed to determine whether transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA) biopsy under CT guidance can increase its diagnostic yield so that this technique can be used for staging of lung cancer at our institution.

STUDY DESIGN

After an initial unacceptable low yield of TBNA on the first 10 patients (20% positive), we switched the biopsy procedure from the bronchoscopy suite to the CT room. After each passage of the needle to the mediastinum lymph node, CT scan was performed to locate the tip of the needle. If the initial attempt was not successful, TBNA was repeated at the same setting until CT documented that the tip of the needle was exactly inside the lymph node.

RESULT

A total of 49 patients with 69 mediastinum adenopathies were enrolled in this study. There were 31 patients with malignant mediastinal adenopathy proven by TBNA (60% sensitivity). Fifteen patients showed normal results of needle aspiration despite the presence of primary lung cancer. Three patients showed mediastinal abscesses.

CONCLUSION

Despite numerous successful reports in the literature, the general application of the TBNA procedure appears to be limited because of its low sensitivity, although this could be due to numerous factors. However, using CT guidance to be sure that the tip of the needle is exactly inside the node can increase its sensitivity markedly. It may also increase the specificity of normal results of TBNA biopsy.

[Strain of screening high toxin--producing from Corynebacterium diphtheria PW8-weissensee]

Corynebacterium diphtheria PW8-weissensee was grown on different media for screening high toxin produce. Through six times of screening (selecting butyrous brilliant smooth small colonies and testing their toxin production capacity) from original strain producing toxin 160 Lf/ml, a high toxin--producing descendand culture was obtained, which produced 79% more toxin than the original strain did.

[Transbronchial needle aspiration under CT guide for enlarged mediastinal lymph node biopsy]

To ascertain the nature of enlarged mediastinal lymph nodes transbronchial needle aspiration (TBNA) was performed under CT guide through bronchoscopy. Forty-five enlarged mediastinal lymph nodes from 33 lung cancer patients were biopsied. The results indicated that 25 enlarged lymph nodes from 20 patients were due to cancer metastasis while 15 enlarged lymph nodes from 8 cases were due to inflammation, and those from the remaining 5 cases were normal. Therefore, about 33.3% of the enlarged mediastinal lymph nodes in lung cancer patients result from noncancerous inflammatory changes. TBNA under CT guide has the advantage of accurate localization, is easy to perform and safe.