An atlas of gross and histologic lesions and immunohistochemical immunoreactivity during the temporal progression of aerosolized Lassa virus induced hemorrhagic fever in cynomolgus macaques

Lassa virus (LASV) causes an acute multisystemic hemorrhagic fever in humans known as Lassa fever, which is endemic in several African countries. This manuscript focuses on the progression of disease in cynomolgus macaques challenged with aerosolized LASV and serially sampled for the development and progression of gross and histopathologic lesions. Gross lesions were first noted in tissues on day 6 and persisted throughout day 12. Viremia and histologic lesions were first noted on day 6 commencing with the pulmonary system and hemolymphatic system and progressing at later time points to include all systems. Immunoreactivity to LASV antigen was first observed in the lungs of one macaque on day 3 and appeared localized to macrophages with an increase at later time points to include immunoreactivity in all organ systems. Additionally, this manuscript will serve as a detailed atlas of histopathologic lesions and disease progression for comparison to other animal models of aerosolized Arenaviral disease.

Crosswalks between the Oxford hip and knee scores and the HOOS-12 and KOOS-12 instruments

OBJECTIVE

To develop and validate bi-directional crosswalks between the Oxford Hip Score (OHS) and HOOS-12 summary impact score, and between the Oxford Knee Score (OKS) and KOOS-12 summary impact score.

METHODS

Data were sourced from the Australian Orthopaedic Association National Joint Replacement Registry Patient-Reported Outcome Measures Program. Patients undergoing primary joint replacement for osteoarthritis who completed the OHS and HOOS-12 or OKS and KOOS-12 instruments were included in the analysis. An equipercentile method was used to create four crosswalks, with the distribution of scores smoothed using log-linear models prior to equating. Crosswalk validity was assessed through comparison of actual vs derived scores, Pearson correlation coefficients, root mean square errors (RMSE) and Bland-Altman plots.

RESULTS

Paired OHS/HOOS-12 data and paired OKS/KOOS-12 data were available for 4,513 patients undergoing total hip replacement and 5,942 patients undergoing total knee replacement, respectively. Minimal differences were observed between actual and crosswalk-derived mean scores (actual OHS 27.55 vs derived OHS 27.56; actual HOOS-12 53.28 vs derived HOOS-12 53.31; actual OKS 27.34 vs derived OKS 27.34; actual KOOS-12 50.51 vs derived KOOS-12 50.58). High correlation was observed between actual and derived scores (Pearson's r for hip-specific instruments: 0.943-0.946; Pearson's r for knee-specific instruments: 0.925-0.931). Plotted actual vs mean derived scores also indicated robust concordance across the breadth of the instrument scales.

CONCLUSION

These crosswalks provide close approximations of actual OHS, OKS, HOOS-12 and KOOS-12 scores, as indicated by multiple validation metrics. They offer a resource for clinicians, researchers and arthroplasty registries to support PROMs score conversion and data harmonisation efforts.

Performance of the HOOS-12 and KOOS-12 instruments for evaluating outcomes from joint replacement surgery

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the psychometric properties of the 12-item Hip disability and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (HOOS-12) and Knee injury and Osteoarthritis Outcome Score (KOOS-12) for use in evaluating outcomes after joint replacement for osteoarthritis.

DESIGN

Patient-reported outcomes data collected by the Australian Orthopaedic Association National Joint Replacement Registry were used for this analysis. HOOS-12 and KOOS-12 domain (pain, function, quality of life) and summary impact data were available. The Oxford Hip Score (OHS), Oxford Knee Score (OKS) and EQ-5D-5L were used as comparators. Instruments were administered pre-operatively and at 6 months post-operatively. Internal consistency reliability, floor and ceiling effects, convergent validity, known groups validity, and responsiveness were evaluated using standard psychometric techniques.

RESULTS

Baseline HOOS-12 and KOOS-12 data were available for 3,023 patients undergoing primary total hip replacement and 4,010 patients undergoing primary total knee replacement. At baseline, high internal consistency was demonstrated for all domains and summary scores (Cronbach's alpha: HOOS-12 = 0.81-0.93; KOOS-12 = 0.82-0.92). Post-operative ceiling effects (>15% of patients scoring the best possible score) were identified for the HOOS-12 pain (46%), function (39%) and quality of life domains (26%) and summary score (17%), and for the KOOS-12 pain (21%) and function domains (18%). The HOOS-12 and KOOS-12 could differentiate between two known groups (lowest/highest OHS or OKS quartiles post-operatively; p < 0.001) and were highly responsive to change (effect sizes for HOOS-12: 2.20-2.83; KOOS-12: 1.82-2.35).

CONCLUSION

The HOOS-12 and KOOS-12 have good psychometric properties for capturing joint replacement outcomes including excellent responsiveness, although ceiling effects may limit monitoring of post-operative improvement.

Prevalence and changes in analgesic medication utilisation 1 year prior to total joint replacement in an older cohort of patients

OBJECTIVES

To evaluate the prevalence and change in analgesic medications use prior to joint replacement in older patients between 2001 and 2012.

METHODS

A population based epidemiological study was conducted. Opioids, non-steroidal anti-inflammatories (NSAIDs), paracetamol, corticosteroid injections, medications for neuropathic pain, hypnotics, and muscle relaxants supplied 1 year prior to total knee replacement (TKR, n = 15,517) and hip replacement (THR, n = 10,018) were assessed. Patient characteristics and surgical indication adjusted prevalence ratios (PRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CI) are provided.

RESULTS

From 2001 to 2012, in the TKR cohort (median age 78.9) the prevalence of opioid use prior to surgery increased from 37% to 49% (PR = 1.01, 95% CI 1.00-1.01, P = 0.01), while in the THR cohort (median age 81.1) it increased from 44% to 54% (PR = 1.01, 95% CI 1.01-1.02, P < 0.001). Paracetamol use increased from 52% to 61% (PR = 1.0, 95% CI 1.0-1.0, P = 0.913) in the TKR cohort and from 55% to 67% (PR = 1.01, 95% CI 1.00-1.01, P = 0.005) in the THR cohort. Neuropathic pain medication use increased from 5% to 11% in the TKR cohort (PR = 1.04, 95% CI 1.02-1.06, P < 0.0001) and from 6% to 12% in the THR cohort (PR = 1.06, 95% CI 1.04-1.09, P < 0.0001). NSAID use decreased from 76% to 50% in the TKR cohort (PR = 0.96, 95% CI 0.95-0.96, P < 0.0001), and from 81% to 47% in THR cohort (PR = 0.95, 95% CI 0.94-0.95, P < 0.0001). Corticosteroid injections prevalence also decreased (TKR: 21-18%, PR = 0.97, 95% CI 0.96-0.97, P < 0.001, THR: 18-17%, PR = 0.97, 95% CI 0.96-0.98, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Pain medication utilization prior to joint replacement surgery changed significantly in this national older cohort of patients during the 2000s.

152. INVOLVEMENT OF TRP53 IN SIRT1 FUNCTION DURING EMBRYO DEVELOPMENT

Sirtuin 1 (SIRT1) is an NAD+-dependant deacetylase with significant functions in cell survival and metabolism, including glucose homeostasis and mitochondrial physiology. TRP53 is a universal effector of cellular stress responses and is an important target of SIRT1. Transcriptional activity of TRP53 in the pre-implantation embryo is associated with retarded development, however examination of SIRT1 function and how it relates to TRP53 activity remains to be elucidated. We therefore assessed whether SIRT1 is involved in pre-implantation embryo development and determined whether TRP53 interacts with SIRT1 function. Zygotes were collected from superovulated female mice and cultured to the blastocyst stage in optimised conditions (F1 mouse strain, G1/G2 series sequential media, 5%CO2, 5%O2, 90%N2, group culture) or compromised conditions (C57Bl/6 strain, mHTF static media, 5%CO2 in air, individual culture). Embryo development and blastocyst cell number was assessed following exposure to a SIRT1 inhibitor (0, 1, 10, 100 or 1000µM sirtinol). In subsequent experiments, embryos were cultured in a 2x2 factorial design (±1µM sirtinol and ±30µM pifithrin-α (TRP53 inhibitor)) and embryo development and cell number determined. Sirtinol caused a dose-dependent reduction in total cell number in blastocysts during culture in both optimised and compromised conditions (p<0.05), while the rate of development of zygotes was reduced for embryos in compromised but not optimised conditions (p<0.05). When SIRT1 was inhibited, in the presence or absence of TRP53 inhibition, blastocyst development and cell number for embryos in optimal conditions was unchanged. However, blastocyst development (83% vs 55%, p<0.05), and cell number (39 vs 54 cells, p<0.05) was reduced when SIRT1 was inhibited in compromised embryos, and in the absence of TRP53, development was resolved to control levels. These results show that SIRT1 is important for embryo development, particularly under compromised conditions, and that TRP53 is a likely target for SIRT1 deacetylase activity in the mammalian embryo.

U94 alters FN1 and ANGPTL4 gene expression and inhibits tumorigenesis of prostate cancer cell line PC3

Background

Insensitivity of advanced-stage prostate cancer to androgen ablation therapy is a serious problem in clinical practice because it is associated with aggressive progression and poor prognosis. Targeted therapeutic drug discovery efforts are thwarted by lack of adequate knowledge of gene(s) associated with prostate tumorigenesis. Therefore there is the need for studies to provide leads to targeted intervention measures. Here we propose that stable expression of U94, a tumor suppressor gene encoded by human herpesvirus 6A (HHV-6A), could alter gene expression and thereby inhibit the tumorigenicity of PC3 cell line. Microarray gene expression profiling on U94 recombinant PC3 cell line could reveal genes that would elucidate prostate cancer biology, and hopefully identify potential therapeutic targets.

Results

We have shown that stable expression of U94 gene in PC3 cell line inhibited its focus formation in culture, and tumorigenesis in nude mice. Moreover gene expression profiling revealed dramatic upregulation of FN 1 (fibronectin, 91 ± 16-fold), and profound downregulation of ANGPTL 4 (angiopoietin-like-4, 20 ± 4-fold) in U94 recombinant PC3 cell line. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction (QRT-PCR) analysis showed that the pattern of expression of FN 1 and ANGPTL 4 mRNA were consistent with the microarray data. Based on previous reports, the findings in this study implicate upregulation of FN 1 and downregulation of ANGPTL 4 in the anti tumor activity of U94. Genes with cancer inhibitory activities that were also upregulated include SERPINE 2 (serine/cysteine protease inhibitor 2, 7 ± 1-fold increase) and ADAMTS 1 (a disintegrin-like and metalloprotease with thrombospondin type 1 motif, 7 ± 2-fold increase). Additionally, SPUVE 23 (serine protease 23) that is pro-tumorigenic was significantly downregulated (10 ± 1-fold).

Conclusion

The dramatic upregulation of FN 1 and downregulation of ANGPTL 4 genes in PC3 cell line stably expressing U94 implicate up-regulation of FN 1 and downregulation of ANGPTL 4 in anti tumor activity of U94. Further studies are necessary to determine functional roles of differentially expressed genes in U94 recombinant PC3 cell line, and hopefully provide leads to potential therapeutic targets in prostate cancer.

The genetics of osteoporosis: vitamin D receptor gene polymorphisms and circulating osteocalcin in healthy Irish adults

BACKGROUND

A relationship between bone turnover and the vitamin D receptor (VDR) genotype is reported in Australian subjects of UK-Irish descent. There is conflicting evidence of linkage between the VDR genotype and differences in bone mineral density. No such study has been carried out on a resident Irish population.

AIMS

This study examined the relationship between serum osteocalcin (a marker of bone turnover) and VDR genotype in Irish adults.

METHODS

One hundred and eighteen healthy Irish adults aged between 19 and 67 were recruited and had two fasting blood samples taken. One sample was analysed for osteocalcin by enzyme immunoassay. The other was used to isolate genomic DNA and determine VDR genotype.

RESULTS

Tt was the most prevalent VDR genotype (53%) and tt (15%) the least prevalent in this group of healthy Irish adults. The tt VDR genotype was associated with significantly higher levels of serum osteocalcin (29% and 40%) than the Tt or TT VDR genotypes.

CONCLUSIONS

These findings suggest that healthy Irish adults with the tt VDR genotype have higher rates of bone turnover than those with Tt or TTVDR genotypes. They may have a higher risk of low bone mineral density and osteoporosis in later life.

Apolipoprotein E gene polymorphisms and serum cholesterol in healthy Irish adults: a proposed genetic marker for coronary artery disease risk

BACKGROUND

The apolipoprotein (Apo) E gene, and thus its gene product, plays a central and pervasive role in lipid metabolism by serving as a ligand for lipoprotein receptors. Polymorphisms of this gene have been associated with variation in lipid phenotypes in some Caucasian and Asian populations, but not in others. No such study has been carried out in a resident Irish population.

AIM

A study was designed to examine the relationship between serum cholesterols and Apo E genotype in a cohort of healthy Irish adults.

METHODS

One hundred healthy Irish adults, aged 19-65 years, were recruited from the Cork City area. Two fasting blood samples were collected from each subject. One was assayed for serum cholesterols--total and low-density lipoprotein (LDL), and high-density lipoprotein (HDL)--while the other sample was used for isolation of genomic DNA and determination of Apo E genotype.

RESULTS

While the E2 (12%) was the least prevalent, E3 was the most prevalent Apo E genotype (66%) in this group of healthy Irish adults. A significant Apo E gene-dosage effect was evident, whereby individuals with the Apo E2 genotype had a lower level of total cholesterol, E3 had intermediate levels, and E4 had a higher level. Moreover, those with the Apo E4 genotype had a significantly higher level of LDL cholesterol compared to E2 or E3 genotypes. There was no significant difference in mean serum adjusted HDL-cholesterol levels between the three Apo E genotypes.

CONCLUSION

These findings suggest that healthy Irish adults with the Apo E4 genotype have higher serum total and LDL-cholesterol levels than those with E2 or E3 Apo E genotypes and therefore may have a higher risk of atherosclerotic coronary artery disease and coronary heart disease in later life.

The effect of moderately and severely restricted dietary magnesium intakes on bone composition and bone metabolism in the rat

Forty 3-week-old male rats, Wistar strain, average weight 59 g, were randomized by weight into five groups of eight rats each. Three groups were fed ad libitum on a semi-purified diet containing (per kg) 400 (adequate), 200 (moderately Mg-restricted) or 20 (severely Mg-restricted) mg Mg for 3 weeks while two groups were pair-fed with the Mg-adequate diet in the same quantities as those consumed by the two Mg-restricted groups respectively. While weight gains and food conversion efficiency values for the Mg-restricted groups were similar to those of the corresponding pair-fed control groups, serum and kidney Mg, and femoral dry weight were reduced by 70, 7 and 9% respectively in the severely Mg-restricted group and were unaffected in the moderately Mg-restricted group. Significant reductions were observed in urinary pyridinoline (Pyr) (by 44 and 34%) and deoxypyridinoline (Dpyr) levels (by 40 and 33%) (markers of bone resorption), serum osteocalcin levels (by 46 and 28%) (marker of bone formation), femoral Mg levels (by 52 and 14%) and osteocalcin mRNA levels (by 46 and 22%) compared with the corresponding pair-fed controls, in the severely and moderately Mg-restricted groups respectively, and these reductions, except for those in urinary Pyr and Dpyr, were more marked in the severely Mg-restricted group. Femoral Ca and P concentrations were unaffected by dietary Mg restriction. These results show that not only severe but also moderate dietary restriction of Mg over 21 d results in qualitative changes in bone (i.e. reduced Mg concentration) as well as in aberrant bone turnover in young growing rats (i.e. severely depressed rates of bone formation and bone resorption), which may impair bone development and bone strength.

Effect of dietary copper intakes on biochemical markers of bone metabolism in healthy adult males

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the effects of changing from a medium (1.6 mg Cu/d) to a low (0.7 mg Cu/d) or a high (6.0 mg/d) Cu intake on biochemical indices of bone turnover in healthy adult males.

DESIGN

A longitudinal intervention trial.

SETTING

The study was conducted at the Institute of Food Research, Norwich, UK.

SUBJECTS

Eleven healthy adult males aged 20-59 y were recruited from Norwich Research Park.

INTERVENTION

Subjects were given medium (1.6 mg/d), low (0.7 mg/d) and high (6.0 mg/d) intakes of Cu, in that order, over consecutive 8 week periods with a minimum of 4 week washout periods. On the last d of each dietary period fasting first void urine and blood were collected.

RESULTS

Serum caeruloplasmin or Cu (indices of Cu status), serum osteocalcin (biomarker of bone formation), urinary creatinine (Cr) were unaffected by dietary Cu intake. Urinary Pyr/Cr and Dpyr/Cr (biomarkers of bone resorption) were significantly increased (P < 0.05) (by 30% and 25%, respectively), when subjects were switched from the medium to the low Cu diet and were significantly decreased (P < 0.05) (by 30%) and 22% respectively), when subjects were switched from the low to the high Cu diet.

CONCLUSION

The findings of the present study could have implications for bone health in individuals with marginal Cu intakes. Thus, further studies are warranted to better define the relationship of marginal Cu intakes to bone health.

The effect of magnesium supplementation on biochemical markers of bone metabolism or blood pressure in healthy young adult females

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the effects of increasing Mg intakes, above the usual dietary intake, on blood pressure and on biomarkers of bone metabolism in healthy young adult females.

DESIGN

A double-blind, placebo-controlled, randomised crossover Mg intervention trial.

SETTING

The study was conducted in the Department of Nutrition, University College, Cork, Ireland.

SUBJECTS

Twenty-six healthy (normotensive) adult females aged 20-28 y were recruited from University College, Cork.

INTERVENTION

Subjects were randomly assigned to their self-selected diets (approximately 11 mmol Mg/d) or their self-selected diet with a 10 mmol/d Mg supplement as Mg(OH)2 (approximately 22 mmol Mg/d) for 28 d followed by cross-over to the alternative diet for a further 28 d. During each dietary period urines (last 3 d) and blood (morning of 27 d) were collected and blood pressure was measured on the morning of 28 d.

RESULTS

Increasing Mg intake from the usual level (11 mmol/d) to 22 mmol/d for 28d increased urinary excretion of Mg by 36% and erythrocyte Mg content by 5% but had no effect on serum Mg, Ca, PTH, osteocalcin or bone-specific alkaline phosphatase (biomarkers of bone formation), urinary pyridinium crosslinks of collagen (biomarkers of bone resorption), or on blood pressure.

CONCLUSION

Increasing the mean Mg intake in healthy young adult females above the usual dietary intake, which is currently above the US EAR (estimated average requirement), but below the US RDA for Mg, does not affect blood pressure or the rate of bone turnover.

Intestinal calcium absorption in the aged rat: evidence of intestinal resistance to 1,25(OH)2 vitamin D

We investigated the role of circulating 1,25-dihydroxycholecalciferol (1,25(OH)2D) and intestinal resistance to 1,25(OH)2D in the diminished intestinal calcium absorption capacity of the senescent rat. We measured plasma 1,25(OH)2D, total and unoccupied duodenal vitamin D receptor, duodenal calbindin D9k protein (calbindin D), and net dietary calcium absorption in rats at several ages. As expected, circulating 1,25(OH)2D, calbindin D, and net calcium absorption decreased with age. However, no age-related changes were evident in intestinal vitamin D receptor levels. We then measured duodenal calcium absorption from in situ intestinal loops after continuous s.c. infusion of 1,25(OH)2D for up to 6 days and found that despite a marked elevation of plasma 1,25(OH)2D duodenal calcium absorption was significantly lower in old compared with young rats. To assess calcium absorption over a wide physiological range of plasma 1,25(OH)2D, in a dose-response study we altered plasma 1,25(OH)2D by continuous infusion of 1,25(OH)2D (at 0, 4, or 14 ng/100 g BW/day) for 9 days. We found that the slope of the linear regression between plasma 1,25(OH)2D and duodenal Ca transport in old rats was only 46% of that observed in young rats, suggesting an age-related resistance of the duodenal calcium transport process to the hormonal action of 1,25(OH)2D. Collectively, our observations suggest a dual defect in vitamin D metabolism in old animals: one defect related to the low circulating levels of 1,25(OH)2D and a second defect related to a relative intestinal resistance to the action of 1,25(OH)2D, which is apparently not due to a reduction in intestinal vitamin D receptor levels.

Inter and intra-individual variations in urinary excretion of pyridinium crosslinks of collagen in healthy young adults

OBJECTIVES

To investigate the inter- and intra-individual variation in the excretion of pyridinium crosslinks of collagen in first morning void urine samples in healthy young adults.

DESIGN

An observational study in which urinary pyridinium crosslinks of collagen were measured in fasting first void urine samples over five consecutive days.

SETTING

The study was conducted in the Department of Nutrition, University College, Cork, Ireland.

SUBJECTS

A total of 17 healthy young adults (11 females and 6 males) aged 22-26 y were recruited from University College, Cork. The subjects were without any history of bone or articular disease, and with no intake of medicine that could affect bone or cartilage metabolism.

RESULTS

There were large intra-individual variations in the excretion of both pyridinoline (Pyr) and deoxypyridinoline (Dpyr) in first morning void urine samples and the ratios of intra- to inter-individual variation were high. In comparison, inter-individual variation in excretion of crosslinks was relatively low. No significant day-to-day variation was observed either in Pyr or Dpyr excretion when either five, four or three consecutive days or four or three non-consecutive days of urine sampling were used. However, there were significant differences between any two consecutive or non-consecutive days in both Pyr and Dpyr excretion.

CONCLUSIONS

The relatively large day-to-day variation in urinary excretion of the pyridinium crosslinks emphasises the need to use multiple samples to characterise the crosslink excretion of an individual. The present study demonstrates that urine sampling for these crosslinks necessitates at least a 3 d collection to ensure that day-to-day effects are not a significant source of variation included in the data analysis.

The effects of aging on the bone inductive activity of recombinant human bone morphogenetic protein-2

We examined the effects of gain on the ectopic bone-forming ability of recombinant human BMP-2 (rhBMP-2) in rats and investigated the mechanism by which aging might affect this type of bone. Bone formation induced after 12 days of sc implantation of 5 micrograms rhBMP-2 was reduced as animals aged from 1-16 months. The osteocalcin messenger RNA levels of implants also declined in aging animals. When the implant period was doubled, 16-month-old rats formed amounts of bone equivalent to those in 3-month-old rats. Increasing the dose of rhBMP-2 increased bone formation in older rats. To get a response comparable to that seen in 1-month-old rats given 5 micrograms rhBMP-2 for 12 days, 3-month-old rats required 30 micrograms rhBMP-2, whereas 16-month-old rats required 60 micrograms. Treatment with either GH or 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 during the 12-day implantation period returned the bone formation in 16-month-olds rats to that in 3-month-old rats. These studies show that aging blunts rhBMP-2 inducted bone formation in rats. We speculate that the decreased response may be due in part to a decrease in the number of mesenchymal stem cells present in order rats or to a change in the responsiveness of these target cells to rhBMP-2.