Palladium-Catalyzed Intermolecular Dehydrogenative C-2 Pentenylation of Indoles with 2-Methyl-2-butene

Five-carbon (C5) units are the fundamental building blocks that constitute a multitude of natural products. Herein we report an unprecedented unusual C5 functionalization of indole regioselectively at the C-2-position enabled by a (2-pyridyl)sulfonyl-directing palladium-catalyzed dehydrogenative strategy with a bulk chemical 2-methyl-2-butene as a C5 source. Compared to typical C5 functionalization using pentenyl alcohols, carbonates, borates, or halides as the C5 source, the protocol not only has a low cost advantage but also is of atom and step economy.

[Cardio-metabolic risk and adverse pregnancy outcomes in the first trimester: findings from the Shenzhen birth cohort study]

Objective: To investigate the relationship between cardio-metabolic abnormalities in the first trimester and adverse pregnancy outcomes (APO). Methods: This cohort study recruited singleton pregnancies in the first trimester (6-13+6 weeks of gestation) from Shenzhen Maternal and Child Health Care Hospital between January 1, 2021, and October 31, 2022. Cardiometabolic markers, including body mass index (BMI), blood pressure, fasting plasma glucose (FPG), high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), and triglycerides (TG), were recorded during the first trimester. Incidence of APO, including gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, gestational diabetes mellitus, preterm birth, fetal growth restriction, small for gestational age infant, and placental abruption, was documented. Cardiovascular metabolic abnormalities in the first trimester were defined as meeting one or more of the following criteria: elevated BMI (BMI≥24 kg/m²), elevated TG (TG≥1.7 mmol/L), decreased HDL-C (HDL-C<1.0 mmol/L), elevated blood pressure (systolic pressure≥130 mmHg (1 mmHg=0.133 kPa) and/or diastolic pressure≥85 mmHg), elevated FPG (FPG≥5.6 mmol/L). Enrolled women were categorized into abnormal cardio-metabolic and normal cardio-metabolic groups. Poisson regression was employed to analyze the association between cardio-metabolic abnormalities in the first trimester and APO. Results: The study included 14 197 pregnant women with an age of (32.0±4.1) years. There were 8 139 women in the normal cardio-metabolic group and 6 058 women in the abnormal cardio-metabolic group. Women with cardio-metabolic disorders in the first trimester had a younger gestational age and higher incidence rates of preterm birth, gestational hypertension, preeclampsia, and gestational diabetes mellitus (all P<0.05). In multivariable Poisson regression, elevated BMI (RR=1.22, 95%CI 1.15-1.29), elevated FPG (RR=1.59, 95%CI 1.38-1.82), elevated TG (RR=1.22, 95%CI 1.13-1.31), and elevated blood pressure (RR=1.50, 95%CI 1.39-1.63) were independent risk factors for APO, while decreased HDL-C (RR=0.93, 95%CI 0.70-1.23) was not. Elevated blood pressure (RR=5.57, 95%CI 4.58-6.78), elevated BMI (RR=1.71, 95%CI 1.40-2.09), and elevated TG (RR=1.38, 95%CI 1.10-1.74) had the greatest impact on the risk of developing preeclampsia. Elevated FPG (RR=1.70, 95%CI 1.45-1.99) had the greatest impact on the risk of gestational diabetes. Conclusions: Elevated blood pressure, BMI, TG and FPG in the first trimester are closely related to APO.

[Overview of design and construction of hypertensive disorders of a pregnancy-cohort in Shenzhen]

Hypertensive disorder of pregnancy (HDP) involves two major public health issues: mother-infant safety and prevention and controlling major chronic disease. HDP poses a serious threat to maternal and neonatal safety, and it is one of the leading causes of maternal and perinatal morbidity and mortality worldwide, as well as an important risk factor for long-term cardiovascular disease (CVD). In order to explore effective strategies to prevent and control the source of CVD and reduce its risk, we have established a cohort of HDPs in Shenzhen for the primordial prevention of CVD. The construction of the HDP cohort has already achieved preliminary progress till now. A total of 2 239 HDP women have been recruited in the HDP cohort. We have established a cohort data management platform and Biobank. The follow-up and assessment of postpartum cardiovascular metabolic risk in this cohort has also been launched. Our efforts will help explore the pathophysiological mechanism of HDP, especially the pathogenesis and precision phenotyping, prediction, and prevention of pre-eclampsia, which, therefore, may reduce the risk of adverse pregnancy outcomes, and provide a bridge to linking HDP and maternal-neonatal cardiovascular, metabolic risk to promote the cardiovascular health of mothers and their infants.

[Two cases of herpes simplex keratitis after trans-epithelial photorefractive keratectomy]

We herein report 2 cases of herpes simplex keratitis after trans-epithelial photorefractive keratectomy. Patients' medical histories, symptoms, signs, clinical examination results, diagnosis and treatment were showed in detail. Following precision diagnosis and medical intervention, including topical and systemic antiviral treatmented for 1 to 2 weeks. The two patients were cured with full reepithelialization without corneal scar.

[Associations between pre-pregnancy body mass index and occurrence and clinical features of preeclampsia]

Objective: To investigate the associations between pre-pregnancy body mass index (BMI) and occurrence and clinical features in pregnant women complicated by preeclampsia (PE). Methods: We recruited 42 427 pregnant women who were diagnosed with intrauterine pregnancy at Shenzhen Maternity and Child Healthcare Hospital from July 2017 to December 2019, with a gestational age of 6~8⁺⁶ weeks, excluding those with basic diseases and incomplete medical records. Among them, 659 were diagnosed with PE. According to the pre-pregnancy BMI, the pregnant women were divided into underweight group (42 cases), normal body weight group (422 cases), overweight group (138 cases) and obesity group (57 cases). Maternal outcomes (the occurrence of preeclampsia, cesarean delivery rate) and neonatal outcomes (birth weight, Apgar score and neonatal ICU admission) were recorded. The maternal outcomes, gestational age of delivery, delivery mode, newborn birth weight, Apgar score and admission to neonatal ICU were compared among the pregnant women in each group. Logistic regression model was established to analyze the influence of different pre-pregnancy BMI on the occurrence and clinical features of PE. Results: The incidence of PE was 1.55% (659/42 427), and the incidence of PE was 0.61% (42/6 941), 1.44% (422/29 297), 2.62% (138/5 273) and 6.22% (57/916) in the underweight group, the normal weight group, the overweight group and the obesity group, respectively. After adjustment for age, parity, educational level, history of preeclampsia, and in vitro fertilization and embryo transfer (IVF-ET), compared with normal group, the adjusted OR for developing early-onset PE were 0.57 (95%CI: 0.29-1.02) for underweight, 1.03 (95%CI: 0.65-1.56) for overweight and 2.15 (95%CI: 1.03-4.02) for obesity groups. The OR for developing late-onset PE were 0.50 (95%CI: 0.33-0.72) for underweight, 1.57 (95%CI: 1.23-1.99) for overweight and 4.25 (95%CI: 3.00-5.91) for obesity group. The OR for PE without severe features were 0.54 (95%CI: 0.30-0.89), 1.40 (95%CI: 0.97-1.99) and 5.11 (95%CI: 3.22-7.84) for underweight, overweight and obesity groups, respectively. The OR for severe PE were 0.51 (95%CI: 0.33-0.75), 1.42 (95%CI: 1.10-1.83) and 2.97 (95%CI: 1.95-4.38) for underweight, overweight and obesity groups, respectively. The median neonate birth weight in women with PE were 2 420 g (1 602-2 845 g), 2 435 g (1 692-3 030 g), 2 540 g (1 922-3 132 g), and 2 950 g (2 050-3 360 g) for underweight, normal, overweight and obesity groups, respectively. The neonatal birth weight in obesity group was heavier than that in normal group (P<0.05). The incidence rates of large for gestational age (LGA) in PE women were 0 (0/42), 3.3% (14/422), 7.3% (10/138) and 17.5% (10/57) for underweight, normal, overweight and obesity groups, respectively. The incidence rate of LGA in obesity group was higher than that in normal group (P<0.05). Conclusions: Pre-pregnancy obesity is an independent risk factor for PE. Obesity related PE is more likely associated with late-onset PE and LGA. It is recommended to control weight before pregnancy, limit weight gain during pregnancy and control blood pressure to reduce the incidence of PE and ensure the safety of mother and child.

Substrate Diversity of L-Threonic Acid Dehydrogenase Homologs

Despite physiological importance of aldonic sugar acids for living organisms, little is known about metabolic pathways of these compounds. Here, we investigated the functional diversity of homologs of L-threonic acid dehydrogenase (ThrDH; UniProt ID: Q0KBC7), an enzyme composed of two NAD-binding domains (PF14833 and PF03446). Ten ThrDH homologs with different genomic context were studied; seven new enzymatic activities were identified, such as (R)-pantoate dehydrogenase, L-altronic acid dehydrogenase, 6-deoxy-L-talonate dehydrogenase, L-idonic acid dehydrogenase, D-xylonic acid dehydrogenase, D-gluconic acid dehydrogenase, and 2-hydroxy-3-oxopantoate reductase activities. Two associated metabolic pathways were identified: L-idonic acid dehydrogenase was found to be involved in the degradation of L-idonic acid through oxidation/decarboxylation in Agrobacterium radiobacter K84, while 2-hydroxy-3-oxopantoate reductase was found to participate in D-glucarate catabolism through dehydration/cleavage in Ralstonia metallidurans CH34.

[Radiomics nomogram of MR: a prediction of cervical lymph node metastasis in laryngeal cancer]

Objective: To establish and validate a radiomics nomogram based on MR for predicting cervical lymph node metastasis in laryngeal cancer. Methods: One hundred and seventeen patients with laryngeal cancer who underwent MR examinations and received open surgery and neck dissection between January 2016 and December 2019 were included in this study. All patients were randomly divided into a training cohort (n=89) and test cohort (n=28) using computer-generated random numbers. Clinical characteristics and MR were collected. Radiological features were extracted from the MR images. Enhanced T1 and T2WI were selected for radiomics analysis, and the volume of interest was manually segmented from the Huiyihuiying radiomics cloud platform. The variance analysis (ANOVA) and the least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO) algorithm were used to reduce the dimensionality of the radiomics features in the training cohort. Then, a radiomic signature was established. The clinical risk factors were screened by using ANOVA and multivariate logistic regression. A nomogram was generated using clinical risk factors and the radiomic signature. The calibration curve and receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve were used to confirm the nomogram's performance in the training and test sets. The clinical usefulness of the nomogram was evaluated by decision curve analysis (DCA). Furthermore, a testing cohort was used to validate the model. Results: The radiomics signature consisted of 21 features, and the nomogram model included the radiomics signature and the MR-reported lymph node status. The model showed good calibration and discrimination. The model yielded areas under the ROC curve (AUC) in the training cohort, specificity, and sensitivity of 0.930, 0.930 and 0.875. In the test cohort, the model yielded AUC, specificity and sensitivity of 0.883, 0.889 and 0.800. DCA indicated that the nomogram model was clinically useful. Conclusion: The MR-based radiomics nomogram model may be used to predict cervical lymph node metastasis of laryngeal cancer preoperatively. MR-based radiomics could serve as a potential tool to help clinicians make an optimal clinical decision.

Ultra-long high quality catalyst-free WO3 nanowires for fabricating high-performance visible photodetectors

This work presents a study on the controlled growth of WO₃ nanowires via chemical vapor deposition without catalyst, and their potential applications in visible photodetectors. The influence of growth conditions on the morphology of WO₃ nanowires is studied in order to understand the growth mechanism of WO₃ nanowires, and ultra-long (60 [Formula: see text], the longest one ever reported) WO₃ nanowires with a spindle shape are achieved by optimizing the growth conditions. It was found that the length of WO₃ nanowires increases from 15 [Formula: see text] to 60 [Formula: see text] with increasing the argon carrier gas flow rate from 30 sccm to 90 sccm, and then saturates with further increasing the argon carrier gas flow rate. However, the length of WO₃ nanowires reduces from 60 [Formula: see text] to 19 [Formula: see text] with increasing the tube inner pressure from 2.5 Torr to 3.5 Torr. The photoconductor detectors based on WO₃ single nanowires present excellent device performance with a responsivity as high as 19 A W^-1 at a bias of 0.1 V, a detectivity as high as 1.06 × 10¹¹ Jones, and a response (rising and decay) time as short as 8 ms under the illumination of a 404 nm laser. These results indicate the great potential of WO₃ nanowires for applications in fabricating high performance visible photodetectors.

[A multicenter survey of the accessibility of essential medicines for children in China]

Objective: To investigate the availability, prices and affordability of essential medicines in pediatric population across China, in the hope of improving rational use of medicines. Methods: A multicenter cross-sectional survey of medicine prices, availability and affordability was conducted in 17 provinces, municipalities and autonomous region across east, south-central part, west and north of China. Data on 42 medicines used in pediatric population, both original and generic, were collected in 55 public hospitals from May 26 to June 2, 2017. Availability was expressed as the percentage of hospitals with stock of the target medicine on the day of data collection,and median price ratio (MPR) was the ratio of price upon investigation to international reference. Based on national minimum daily wage, affordability represents the number of working days needed to earn the expense which covers a standard course using the target medicine. Statistical software SPSS 13.0 was applied for descriptive analysis of availability, MPR and affordability. Results: Mean Availability of original and generic medicine was 33% and 32%, with median MPR being 5.43 and 1.55. Among the 19 medicines with price information for both original and generic product, the median MPR was 7.73 and 2.04 respectively. Regarding the five medicines used to treat four common pediatric diseases (pneumonia,peptic ulcer, congenital hypothyroidism, refractory nephrotic syndrome), the affordability was 0.63 (0.16-6.17) d for generic medicine, and 1.03 (0.16-11.53) d for its original counterpart. Conclusions: The availability to both original and generic products of the 42 medicines used in pediatric population was low in China. The prices of generic medicines seem to be lower and affordability higher than those of original medicines. There is an urgent need to improve the availability and affordability of pediatric medicines.

[Observation on the distribution of nerve fibers and neural cells morphology in Aspidogaster conchiola]

OBJECTIVE

To understand the distribution of nerve fibers and the types of neural cells in Aspidogaster conchiola.

METHODS

Whole worms were subjected to silver staining, histochemical staining and hematoxylin-eosin (HE) staining, and the nervous systems of the worms were observed.

RESULTS

There were 3 types of neural cells in the worm head near the cerebral ganglion, including unipolar, bipolar and multipolar neurons, which were divided into 7 types according to the morphology. There was a nerve network on the surface of pharynx and intestinal tract, as well as the reproductive organ, including testis, ovary, lower uterus and penis sac. The nerve network was consisted of circular and longitudinal nerve fibers, and the structure of the nerve network around the mouth was similar to central nerve.

CONCLUSIONS

The structure of the A. conchiola central nervous system is very complicated, and the neural networks may be associated with the physiologic activity of the worm. Different neural cells may have diverse functions.

Discrete Superconducting Phases in FeSe-Derived Superconductors

A general feature of unconventional superconductors is the existence of a superconducting dome in the phase diagram. Here we report a series of discrete superconducting phases in the simplest iron-based superconductor, FeSe thin flakes, by continuously tuning the carrier concentration through the intercalation of Li and Na ions with a solid ionic gating technique. Such discrete superconducting phases are robust against the substitution of 20% S for Se, but they are vulnerable to the substitution of 2% Cu for Fe, highlighting the importance of the iron site being intact. The superconducting phase diagram for FeSe derivatives is given, which is distinct from that of other unconventional superconductors.

The effect of hydroxychloroquine on haemostasis, complement, inflammation and angiogenesis in patients with antiphospholipid antibodies

Objectives

HCQ has been described as having a beneficial effect in patients with APS but its mechanism of action is unclear. We hypothesized that HCQ may have effects on subnormal angiogenesis, inflammation and haemostatic biomarkers seen in APS. The aim of our study was to assess laboratory markers [annexin A5 (AnxA5) anticoagulant activity, tissue factor (TF) levels, thromboelastography (TEG), CRP, Bb, C3a and VEGF] in HCQ-naïve patients with aPL at baseline and after commencing HCQ.

Methods

Twenty-two patients with aPL [20 female, 2 male, median age 55 (range 18-70) years] had blood taken pre- and 3 months after starting HCQ 200 mg daily.

Results

Soluble TF levels were significantly reduced comparing baseline and 3 months after HCQ commencement [401.8 (152.8) vs 300.9 (108) pg/ml (P = 0.010)]. No significant changes were found in the following [reported as pre- and post-HCQ commencement, mean (s.d.)]: AnxA5 anticoagulant ratio [187.1 (29.5) vs 193 (31) (P = 0.157)], anti-domain1 β2 glycoprotein1 IgG activity [1.8 (2) vs 1.2 (1.4) μg/ml (P = 0.105)], complement C3a-des-Arg [147.8 (84.5) vs 154.4 (88.1) ng/ml (P = 0.905)], complement Bb [1.3 (0.7) vs 1.1 (0.7) μg/ml (P = 0.422)], VEGF [68.8 (40) vs 59.4 (19.6) pg/ml (P = 0.454)] and CRP [7 (3.5) vs 7 (3.9) μg/ml (P = 0.917)]. TEG results including TEG reaction time, achievement of clot firmness, TEG maximum amplitude and TEG percentage lysis 30 and 60 min after maximum amplitude showed no significant difference.

Conclusion

HCQ significantly reduced soluble TF levels in patients with aPL. No significant change was observed in AnxA5 activity, anti-domain 1 IgG activity, TEG, CRP, complement Bb and C3a-des-Arg, and VEGF. Further studies of a larger patient cohort are needed.

Antibody-Mediated Disruption of the Annexin-V Antithrombotic Shield: A New Mechanism for Thrombosis in the Antiphospholipid Syndrome

The antiphospholipid (aPL) syndrome is a condition that manifests in patients as vascular thromboembolism or recurrent pregnancy loss together with laboratory evidence for the presence of antibodies against anionic phospholipid-protein complexes. For a recent comprehensive review, the reader is referred to Hughes et al.1 The syndrome was first proposed to be a distinct entity, called anticardiolipin syndrome, in 1985,2 and was later renamed antiphospholipid syndrome.3 The disorder was classified as “primary” in the absence of a concurrent autoimmune condition, such as systemic lupus erythematosus, or “secondary” in the presence of another such autoimmune disorder. Antiphospholipid antibodies are detected by their reactivity to anionic phospholipids (or protein-phospholipid complexes) in solid phase immunoassays, or by their inhibition of phospholipid-dependent coagulation reactions, known as the “lupus anticoagulant” effect. The ever-expanding, yet still insufficiently integrated, knowledge of this enigmatic disorder makes this area an intriguing subject for investigation.

The pathophysiologic mechanism of this syndrome has remained obscure, resulting from the apparent multiplicity of antigenic determinants recognized by the antibodies. In addition, a large number of effects1 have been described for the antibodies in vitro and in cell culture systems. These effects, which include the paradoxical lupus anticoagulant (LAC) phenomenon, are a consequence of the numerous roles played by phospholipids in the hemostasis system and in a multitude of biologic processes. The purpose of this review is to introduce the reader to the current state of knowledge of the role of annexin-V in this disorder.

[Association between single nucleotide polymorphism of BARD1 gene and BRCA1 gene mutation in epithelial ovarian cancer]

Objective: To investigate the relationship between single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of BARD1 gene and BRCA1 gene in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). Methods: Nineteen EOC patients with BRCA1 gene mutation and 50 EOC cases without BRCA1 gene mutation between January 2016 and October 2016 were collected, and all EOC were diagnosed by pathological method. BARD1 gene variants were detected by next generation sequencing (NGS). The SNP of BARD1 gene was analyzed by Pearson linear correlation. Logistic regression analysis was used to research the clinicopathologic features and BRCA1 gene mutation associated with BARD1 gene SNP. Pearson's chi-square test was used to analyze the association between BARD1 gene Val507Met, Arg378Ser and Pro24Ser with different clinicopathologic features and BRCA1 gene mutation risk. Results: (1) Eight BARD1 gene variants were found in 69 ovarian cancer patients, in which Val507Met, Arg378Ser and Pro24Ser were common variants, and the rate of mutation were all 54% (37/69). (2) There was a significant linear correlation among Val507Met, Arg378Ser and Pro24Ser (all P<0.01). (3) Obvious differences were found in Val507Met, Arg378Ser and Pro24Ser of BARD1 gene between BRCA1(+) and BRCA1(-) (all P<0.05) . (4) No differences were found between BARD1 gene Val507Met, Arg378Ser and Pro24Ser and the clinicopathologic features (all P>0.05), while obvious differences were found in BRCA1 gene mutation compared to the controls group. The risk of BRCA1 mutation in Val507Met and Arg378Ser were more evident in subjects with negative family history, positive menopause history, negative tubal ligation, onset age (≤60 years old) and sensitivity to platinum-based chemotherapy in EOC (all P<0.05), while Pro24Ser was only more evident in positive menopause history of EOC (P<0.05). Conclusions: BARD1 Val507Met, Arg378Ser and Pro24Ser are the common genotypes, which are associated with BRCA1 mutation in EOC. The family history, menopause history, tubal ligation, onset age and sensitivity to platinum-based chemotherapy have effects on BARD1 SNP in the risk of BRCA1 gene mutation.

A novel 2-stage approach that detects complement activation in patients with antiphospholipid antibody syndrome

INTRODUCTION

The antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is marked by autoantibodies that recognize anionic phospholipids in a cofactor-dependent manner. A role for complement has been implicated in the pathophysiology, however, elevations of complement activation markers have not been consistently demonstrated in clinical studies. We therefore designed a proof-of-principle study to determine whether complement activation might be detectable in APS by first exposing plasmas to phospholipid vesicles.

METHODS

We examined complement activation markers in patients with APS, non-APS thrombosis, systemic lupus erythematosus, cancer, patients with antiphospholipid antibodies without thrombosis (APL) and healthy controls. Direct measurements of plasma C5a and sC5b-9 levels were compared to levels that were generated in normal serum by phospholipid vesicles that had been pre-incubated with the same plasmas. We then determined the effects of the C5 inhibitor, eculizumab, examined the complement pathways involved, and determined whether the effects could be reproduced with purified IgGs and β2-glycoprotein I (β2GPI).

RESULTS

Plasma levels of C5a and sC5b-9 were higher, but not significantly increased in APS patients compared to healthy controls. In contrast, phospholipid vesicles pre-incubated with APS plasmas generated significantly higher levels than healthy controls and the other groups, except for APL patients. Complement activation was abrogated by addition of eculizumab. The results with substrate sera indicated that the alternative and classical/lectin pathways were involved. The results were reproducible with purified IgGs and β2GPI.

CONCLUSION

This proof-of-principle study confirms a role for complement in APS and opens the possibility of monitoring complement activation by including phospholipid vesicles in assay systems.

Visualization of macro-immune complexes in the antiphospholipid syndrome by multi-modal microscopy imaging

The antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is an autoimmune thrombotic condition that is marked by autoantibodies against phospholipid-binding proteins. The mechanism(s) of thrombogenesis has (have) resisted elucidation since its description over thirty years ago. Nevertheless, a defining aspect of the disorder is positivity for clinical laboratory tests that confirm antibody binding to anionic phospholipids. It is remarkable that, to our knowledge, the binding of proteins from plasmas of APS patients to phospholipid has not been previously imaged. We therefore investigated this with high resolution microscopy-based imaging techniques that have not been previously used to address this question, namely atomic force microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Atomic force microscopy imaging of APS plasmas incubated on an anionic planar phospholipid layer revealed the formation of distinct complex three-dimensional structures, which were morphologically dissimilar to structures formed from control plasmas from healthy patients. Likewise, scanning electron microscopy analysis of phospholipid vesicles incubated with APS plasmas in suspension showed formation of layered macro-immune complexes demonstrated by the significant agglomeration of a complex proteinaceous matrix from soluble plasma and aggregation of particles. In contrast, plasmas from healthy control samples bound to phospholipid vesicles in suspension generally displayed a more flattened, mat-like appearance by scanning electron microscopy. Scanning electron microscopy of plasma samples incubated on planar phospholipid layers and previously imaged by atomic force microscopy, corroborated the results obtained by mixing the plasmas with phospholipids in solution. Analysis of the incorporated proteins by silver stained SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis indicated considerable heterogeneity in the composition of the phospholipid vesicle-adsorbed proteins among APS patients. To our knowledge, these results provide the first images of plasma-derived APS immune complexes at high resolution, and show their consistent presence and heterogeneous compositions in APS patients. These findings demonstrate how high resolution microscopic techniques can contribute to advancing the understanding of an enigmatic disorder and may lay additional groundwork for furthering mechanistic understanding of APS.

Elevated plasma levels of copeptin linked to diabetic retinopathy in type 2 diabetes

BACKGROUND

The arginine vasopressin (AVP) system has been postulated to play a role in glucose homeostasis, insulin resistance, and diabetes mellitus in human and animal studies. The aim of this study was to evaluate the role of plasma copeptin in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) with and without diabetic retinopathy (DR).

METHOD

Plasma copeptin concentrations were determined in 281 patients with T2DM. At baseline, demographic and clinical information including presence of DR and vision-threatening DR (VTDR) was collected. The relationship between copeptin and DR or VTDR was investigated using logistic regression.

RESULTS

T2DM participants with DR or VTDR had significantly higher plasma copeptin concentrations on admission (P < 0.0001). Receiver operating characteristics to predict DR and VDTR demonstrated areas under the curve for copeptin of 0.784 (95% confidence interval [CI] 0.724-0.844) and 0.834 (95% CI 0.781-0.904), respectively, which were superior to those for the homeostasis model assessment of insulin resistance (DR AUC 0.736, 95% CI 0.676-0.797; VTDR AUC 0.754, 95% CI 0.703-0.828; P < 0.01). Multivariate logistic regression analysis adjusted for common DR risk factors showed plasma copeptin concentrations ≥28.6 pmol/L (>3rd quartile) to be an independent marker of DR (OR 3.68, 95% CI 2.04-6.79; P < 0.0001) and VTDR (OR 4.32, 95% CI 2.12-8.14; P < 0.0001).

CONCLUSIONS

We found that increased plasma copeptin concentrations were an independent marker of DR and VDTR in Chinese patients with T2DM, suggesting a possible role of copeptin in the pathogenesis of DR complications.

[Clinical significance and distribution of BRCA genes mutation in sporadic high grade serous ovarian cancer]

Objective: To investigate the mutations of BRCA genes in sporadic high grade serous ovarian cancer (HGSOC) and study its clinical significance. Methods: Sixty-eight patients between January 2015 and January 2016 from the Affiliated Cancer Hospital of Zhengzhou University were collected who were based on pathological diagnosis of ovarian cancer and had no reported family history, and all patients firstly hospitalized were untreated in other hospitals before. (1) The BRCA genes were detected by next-generation sequencing (NGS) method. (2) The serum tumor markers included carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), CA(125), CA(199), and human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) were detected by the chemiluminescence methods, and their correlation was analyzed by Pearson linear correlation. Descriptive statistics and comparisons were performed using two-tailed t-tests, Pearson's chi square test, Fisher's exact tests or logistic regression analysis as appropriate to research the clinicopathologic features associated with BRCA mutations, including age, International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics (FIGO) stage, platinum-based chemotherapy sensitivity, distant metastases, serum tumor markers (STM) . Results: (1) Fifteen cases (22%, 15/68) BRCA mutations were identified (BRCA1: 11 cases; BRCA2: 4 cases), and four novel mutations were observed. (2) The levels of CEA, CA(199), and HE4 were lower in BRCA mutations compared to that in control group, while no significant differences were found (P>0.05), but the level of CA(125) was much higher in BRCA mutation group than that in controls (t=-3.536, P=0.003). Further linear regression analysis found that there was a significant linear correlation between CA(125) and HE4 group (r=0.494, P<0.01), and the same correlation as CEA and CA(199) group (r=0.897, P<0.01). (3) Single factor analysis showed that no significant differences were observed in onset age, FIGO stage, distant metastasis, and STM between BRCA(+) and BRCA(-) group (P>0.05), while significant differences were found in CA(125) and sensitivity to platinum-based chemotherapy between the patients with BRCA mutation and wild type (P<0.05). The multiple factors analysis showed that the high level of CA(125) was a independent risk factor of BRCA mutations in sporadic HGSOC (P=0.007). Conclusion: The combination of CA(125) with BRCA have great clinical significance, the mutation of BRCA gene could guild the clinical chemotherapy regiments.

Efficacy of olopatadine hydrochloride 0.1%, emedastine difumarate 0.05%, and loteprednol etabonate 0.5% for Chinese children with seasonal allergic conjunctivitis: a randomized vehicle-controlled study

Background

Allergic conjunctivitis (AC) is a disease of various agents that affects the physical and mental health of children. Although the most effective therapy has not been found so far, it is essential to explore the considerable therapeutic method. We compared the clinical efficacy of olopatadine, emedastine, loteprednol etabonate (LE), and vehicle for treating seasonal allergic conjunctivitis (SAC) in Chinese children.

Methods

Eighty cases of 160 eyes aged from 5 to 10 years with SAC were available and those subjects were randomly distributed into 4 groups. Both their eyes received olopatadine hydrochloride 0.1% twice a day, emedastine difumarate 0.05% twice a day, or LE 0.5% 4 times a day, respectively, whereas those of the control group received artificial tears (AT) 0.5% 3 times a day. This study was conducted successfully and the observations were collected before treatment and on day 8 (±1 day) and day 15 (±2 days) afterward. The principal measurement of efficacy was focused on the signs and symptoms of the subjects, evaluated before and after treatment, in addition to visual acuity (VA) and fundus oculi.

Results

On day 8 (±1 day) and day 15 (±2 days), all the antiallergic agents were found to be more effective than vehicle (p < 0.05) in terms of all the symptoms and signs. However, there was no statistical significance (p ≥ 0.05) shown among the treatment groups. There were no evident changes in VA and no clinically significant changes were observed in fundus oculi.

Conclusion

After the treatment, the efficacy presented a similar distribution among the trial groups.

Ectopic expression of Arabidopsis thaliana Na+(K+)/H+ antiporter gene, AtNHX5, enhances soybean salt tolerance

Drought and salt stresses are the two major factors influencing the yield and quality of crops worldwide. Na(+)(K(+))/H(+) antiporters (NHXs) are ubiquitous membrane proteins that play important roles in maintaining the cellular pH and Na(+)(K(+)) homeostasis. The model plant Arabidopsis potentially encodes six NHX genes, namely AtNHX1 to 6. In the present study, AtNHX5, a comparatively less well-studied NHX, was cloned and transferred into a soybean variety, Dongnong-50, via Agrobacterium-mediated cotyledonary node transformation to assess its role in improving salt tolerance of the transgenic plants. The transgenic soybean plants were tolerant to the presence of 300 mM NaCl whereas the non-transgenic plants were not. Furthermore, after NaCl treatment, the transgenic plants had a higher content of free proline but lower content of malondialdehyde compared to the non-transgenic plants. Our results revealed that that AtNHX5 possibly functioned by efficiently transporting Na(+) and K(+) ions from the roots to the leaves. Overall, the results obtained in this study suggest that soybean salt tolerance could be improved through the over expression of Arabidopsis AtNHX5.

PRESBYOPIA OPTOMETRY METHOD BASED ON DIOPTER REGULATION AND CHARGE COUPLE DEVICE IMAGING TECHNOLOGY

With the development of photoelectric technology and single-chip microcomputer technology, objective optometry, also known as automatic optometry, is becoming precise. This paper proposed a presbyopia optometry method based on diopter regulation and Charge Couple Device (CCD) imaging technology and, in the meantime, designed a light path that could measure the system. This method projects a test figure to the eye ground and then the reflected image from the eye ground is detected by CCD. The image is then automatically identified by computer and the far point and near point diopters are determined to calculate lens parameter. This is a fully automatic objective optometry method which eliminates subjective factors of the tested subject. Furthermore, it can acquire the lens parameter of presbyopia accurately and quickly and can be used to measure the lens parameter of hyperopia, myopia and astigmatism.

Identification of differentially expressed genes associated with flower color in peach using genome-wide transcriptional analysis

Flower color is an important trait of the ornamental peach (Prunus persica L.). However, the mechanism responsible for the different colors that appear in the same genotype remains unclear. In this study, red samples showed higher anthocyanins content (0.122 ± 0.009 mg/g), which was significantly different from that in white samples (0.066 ± 0.010 mg/g). Similarly to carotenoids content, red extract (0.058 ± 0.004 mg/L) was significantly higher in white extract (0.015 ± 0.004 mg/L). We estimated gene expression using Illumina sequencing technology in libraries from white and red flower buds. A total of 3,599,960 and 3,464,141 tags were sequenced from the 2 libraries, respectively. Moreover, we identified 106 significantly differentially expressed genes between the 2 libraries. Among these, 78 and 28 represented transcripts with a higher or lower abundance of more than 2-fold than in the white flower library, respectively. GO annotation indicated that highly ranked genes were involved in the pigment biosynthetic process. Expression patterns of 11 genes were verified using quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction assays. The results suggest that hydroxycinnamoyl-coenzyme A shikimate/quinate hydroxycinnamoyltransferase, 2-oxoglutarate-dependent dioxygenase, isoflavone reductase, riboflavin kinase, zeta-carotene desaturase, and ATP binding cassette transporter may be associated with the flower color formation. Our results may be useful for scientists focusing on Prunus persica floral development and biotechnology.

Construction and analysis of a suppression subtractive hybridization library of regeneration-related genes in soybean

The development of a genetic transformation system is needed to address the problem of the low efficiency associated with soybean regeneration. To contribute to the enhancement of the soybean regenerative capacity, we explored the developmental mechanisms of soybean regeneration at the molecular level using a suppression subtractive hybridization cDNA library constructed from cotyledonary nodes of soybean cultivar DN50. A total of 918 positive clones were identified and screened, with most inserted fragments ranging from 100 to 750 bp. Of these, 411 differentially expressed functional expressed sequence tags were identified and annotated based on their similarity to orthologs and paralogs detected in GenBank using the nucleotide and translated nucleotide Basic Local Alignment Search Tools. Functional analysis revealed that the associated genes were involved in signal transduction, synthesis, and metabolism of macromolecules, glucose and protein synthesis and metabolism, light and leaf morphogenesis, regulation of apoptosis, cell defense, cell wall differentiation, and a variety of hormone and cytokinin-mediated signaling pathways. The information uncovered in our study should serve as a foundation for the establishment of an efficient and stable genetic transformation system for soybean regeneration.

Genetic diversity of HLA-DRB1 alleles in the Tujia population of Wufeng, Hubei Province, China

We established a genetic database by investigating human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-DRB1 allelic frequencies in a disease-association study in the Tujia population in Wufang, Hubei, China. The allele frequencies of the HLA-DRB1 locus in 262 healthy, unrelated Tujia individuals living in the Wufeng region of the Hubei Province were analyzed using the Luminex HLA sequence-specific oligonucleotide method with a WAKFlow HLA typing kit. A total of 13 alleles were detected at the HLA-DRB1 locus. HLA-DRB1*09 was the most common allele (22.52%), followed by DRB1*08 and DRB1*15 (11.07%), and DRB1*12 and DRB1*04 (10.69%). These data were compared with the results obtained for 10 other ethnic groups living in other regions as well as to Han groups using neighbor-joining dendrograms and principal component analysis. The results showed that the Tujia population has a close genetic relationship with the Middle Han population at the HLA-DRB1 locus. This information will be useful for HLA-DRB1-linked disease-association studies.

Annexin A5 anticoagulant activity in children with systemic lupus erythematosus and the association with antibodies to domain I of β2-glycoprotein I

Children with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) have a high prevalence of antiphospholipid (aPL) antibodies and are at increased risk for aPL-related thrombosis. We investigated the association between annexin A5 anticoagulant activity and antibodies to the domain I portion of β2-glycoprotein I (anti-DI antibodies), and propose a potential mechanism for the pathogenesis of aPL-related thrombosis. Using samples from 183 children with SLE collected during the Atherosclerosis Prevention in Pediatric Lupus Erythematosus (APPLE) trial, we examined resistance to the anticoagulant effects of annexin A5, using the annexin A5 resistance (A5R) assay, and evaluated for anti-DI IgG antibodies. Children with SLE had higher frequency of anti-D1 antibodies (p = 0.014) and significantly reduced A5R compared to pediatric controls: mean A5R = 172 ± 30% versus 242 ± 32% (p < 0.0001). Children with SLE and positive anti-DI antibodies had significantly lower mean A5R levels compared to those with negative anti-DI antibodies: mean A5R = 155 ± 24% versus 177 ± 30% (p < 0.0001). In multivariate analysis, anti-DI antibodies (p = 0.013) and lupus anticoagulant (LA) (p = 0.036) were both independently associated with reduced A5R. Children with SLE have significantly reduced annexin A5 anticoagulant activity that is associated with the presence of LA and anti-DI antibodies.

Viewing dynamic interactions of proteins and a model lipid membrane with atomic force microscopy

The information covered in this chapter will present a model homogenous membrane preparation technique and dynamic imaging procedure that can be successfully applied to more than one type of lipid study and atomic force microscope (AFM) instrument setup. The basic procedural steps have been used with an Asylum Research MFP-3D BIO and the Bruker (formerly, Veeco) BioScope. The AFM imaging protocol has been supplemented by procedures (not to be presented in this chapter) of ellipsometry, standardized western blotting, and dot-blots to verify appropriate purity and activity of all experimental molecular components; excellent purity and activity level of the lipids, proteins, and drug(s) greatly influence the success of imaging experiments in the scanning probe microscopy field. The major goal of the chapter is to provide detailed procedures for sample preparation and operation of the Asylum Research MFP-3D BIO AFM. In addition, one should be cognizant that our comprehensive description in the use of the MFP-3D BIO's functions for successful image acquisitions and analyses is greatly enhanced by Asylum Research's (AR's) accompanying extensive manual(s), technical notes, and AR's users forum. Ultimately, the stepwise protocol and information will allow novice personnel to begin acquiring quality images for processing and analysis with minimal supervision.

First Report of Ralstonia solanacearum Causing Bacterial Wilt of Yacon in China

Yacon (Smallanthus sonchifolius) is an important cash crop in Yunnan Province, China. In 2003, yacon was introduced to Yunnan province as a novelty root crop and as an experimental source of natural sugars; now more than 15 provinces cultivate the crop. Yunnan is one of the major yacon producing areas of China, with up to 10,000 ha yielding up to 50,000 t of yacon, which is nearly half of the production in China. In April and May 2010, bacterial wilt of yacon was observed in the fields of Lion Mountain of Wuding County, Yunnan Province, China. In 2011, the disease occurred in approximately 1 ha of yacon, resulting in 10% crop loss in that area. The initial symptoms observed were irregular, black, necrotic lesions on leaf margins. After 4 to 7 days, leaves became totally necrotic, plants wilted, and black stripes were observed on plant stems. Within 2 to 3 weeks, more than 70% of leaves within the crop were wilted. Subsequently, the plants died and stems became brittle. When dead plants were pulled from the soil, tubers were found to have turned black. When diseased stems and/or petioles were cut with a sterile sharp knife or razor blade, bacterial ooze appeared on the cut ends. High populations of morphologically uniform bacteria were isolated from the diseased plants by conventional methods. When cultured on TZC (2,3,5-Triphenylte tetrazolium chloride) agar medium (3), colonies were large, elevated, fluidal, and entirely white with a pale red center. The isolated bacterium was gram-negative, grew aerobically, and did not form endospores. The cells were 0.5 to 0.7 × 1.5 to 2.0 μm and nonencapsulated. Ralstonia solanacearum was identified and confirmed as the pathogen on the basis of morphological and physiological characteristics, pathogenicity test, and 16S rDNA sequence analysis (1,4). The nucleotide sequence is available in GenBank (Accession No. HQ176322.1). The pathogenic strain belonged to race 1 and biovar 3 according to the pathogenicity and carbohydrate utilization tests (2). Koch's postulates were tested in the greenhouse, with 10 plants inoculated per species. Plants were inoculated with 15 μl of cell suspension containing 10⁶ to 10⁷ CFU ml^-1 deposited into the third axilla with a capillary tube. The bacteria could infect tomato, pepper, tobacco, potato, common sage (Salvia dugesii Fernald), and patchouli, and caused typical symptoms of wilt and black lesions, but could not infect leaves of swamp mahogany (Eucalyptus robusta Smith), stramonium (Dature stramonium Datura L.), ginger, or maize. To our knowledge, this is the first report of yacon as a host of R. solanacearum. Since the pathogen has a wide host range, monitoring of the vegetation in and around yacon fields should be implemented as a mandatory management measure to prevent disease spread. References: (1) C. A. Boucher et al. J. Bacteriol. 169:5626, 1987. (2) A. C. Hayward. J. Appl. Bacteriol. 27:265, 1964. (3) A. Kelman. Phytopathology 44:693, 1954. (4) W. G. Weisburg et al. J. Bacteriol. 173:697, 1991.

Annexin A2 binds to endosomes following organelle destabilization by particulate wear debris

Endosomal functions are contingent on the integrity of the organelle-limiting membrane, whose disruption induces inflammation and cell death. Here we show that phagocytosis of ultrahigh molecular weight polyethylene particles induces damage to the endosomal-limiting membrane and results in the leakage of cathepsins into the cytosol and NLRP3-inflammasome activation. Annexin A2 recruitment to damaged organelles is shown by two-dimensional DIGE protein profiling, endosomal fractionation, confocal analysis of endogenous and annexin A2-GFP transfected cells, and immunogold labelling. Binding experiments, using fluorescent liposomes, confirms annexin A2 recruitment to endosomes containing phagocytosed polyethylene particles. Finally, an increase in cytosolic cathepsins, NLRP3-inflammasome activation, and IL-1 production is seen in dendritic cells from annexin A2-null mice, following exposure to polyethylene particles. Together, the results indicate a functional role of annexin A2 binding to endosomal membranes following organelle destabilization.

Insights into the pathophysiology of the antiphospholipid syndrome provided by atomic force microscopy

The antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is an enigmatic autoimmune disorder in which patients present with thrombosis and/or recurrent pregnancy losses together with laboratory evidence for the presence of autoantibodies in the blood that recognize proteins that bind to anionic phospholipids - the most important of which is β(2)-glycoprotein I (β(2)GPI). Earlier, we hypothesized that the clinical manifestations arise from antibody-induced disruption of a two-dimensional anticoagulant crystal shield, composed of annexin A5, present on placental trophoblast plasma membranes. Accordingly, we reasoned that a high resolution imaging technology, such as atomic force microscopy could be used to investigate such molecular interactions at high resolution in a non-fixed hydrated environment. This review will focus on the contribution of this technique to the elucidation of the mechanism of APS.

Hydroxychloroquine reduces binding of antiphospholipid antibodies to syncytiotrophoblasts and restores annexin A5 expression

OBJECTIVE

Antibody-mediated disruption of the annexin A5 anticoagulant shield has been posited to be a thrombogenic mechanism in the antiphospholipid syndrome. We recently showed that the antimalarial drug, hydroxychloroquine, dissociates antiphospholipid immune complexes and restores annexin A5 binding to planar phospholipid bilayer. Using quantitative immunoassays, we demonstrated similar effects on BeWo trophoblasts. We therefore, investigated the effects of the drug on localization of annexin A5 in primary cultures of human placental syncytiotrophoblasts.

STUDY DESIGN

Laser confocal microscopy with computer-based morphometric analysis was used to localize annexin A5 and antiphospholipid antibodies on syncytiotrophoblasts exposed to polyclonal and monoclonal antiphospholipid and control immunoglobulin-Gs.

RESULTS

Hydroxychloroquine reversed the effects of the antiphospholipid antibodies on the syncytiotrophoblasts by markedly reducing immunoglobulin-G binding and restoring annexin A5 expression.

CONCLUSION

These results provide the first morphologic evidence for this effect of hydroxychloroquine on human placental syncytiotrophoblasts and support the possibility of novel treatments that target antiphospholipid antibody binding.

Resistance to annexin A5 anticoagulant activity in women with histories for obstetric antiphospholipid syndrome

OBJECTIVE

The objective of the study was to investigate whether resistance to annexin A5 anticoagulant activity (AnxA5) occurs in women with histories for obstetric complications of antiphospholipid syndrome (Obs-APS) and whether this correlates with antibody recognition of domain 1 of β2-glycoprotein.

STUDY DESIGN

One hundred thirty-six women with antiphospholipid antibodies, including 70 with histories for Obs-APS and 30 controls, were investigated.

RESULTS

Women with Obs-APS showed resistance to AnxA5 activity (median, 216%; range, 130-282% vs controls; median, 247%; range, 217-283%; P < .0001) and elevated levels of anti-domain I immunoglobulin (Ig) G (optical density: median, 0.056; range, 0.021-0.489 vs median, 0.042; range, 0.020-0.323; P = .002). Those in the lowest tertile of AnxA5 anticoagulant ratios had an odds ratio for Obs-APS of 58.0 (95% confidence interval, 3.3-1021.5). There was an inverse correlation between levels of annexin A5 anticoagulant activity and anti-domain I IgG.

CONCLUSION

Resistance to AnxA5 anticoagulant activity is associated with antibody recognition of domain I of β2-glycoprotein I and identifies a subset of women with histories for Obs-APS.

Association of SCD1 and DGAT1 SNPs with the intramuscular fat traits in Chinese Simmental cattle and their distribution in eight Chinese cattle breeds

Intramuscular fat (IMF) is a key parameter for evaluation of nutritional quality of beef, with its endogenous synthesis regulated by stearoyl CoA desaturase (SCD1) and diacylglycerol-acyl transferase 1 (DGAT1) genes in cattle. The object of this research was to evaluate the effect of SCD1 and DGAT1 polymorphisms on IMF trait in beef cattle and to estimate the frequency distribution of SNPs in the two genes in Chinese cattle populations. The SCD1 and DGAT1 polymorphisms were detected by PCR-single strand conformation polymorphism (PCR-SSCP) method in Chinese Simmental cattle and their associations with IMF traits were analyzed using the general linear model (GLM). The frequency distribution of SNPs in SCD1 and DGAT1 genes were detected by PCR-SSCP method and analyzed in seven other cattle populations. The results showed significant associations of SNPs SCD1-878, SCD1-762, and DGAT1 10433 and 10434 with IMF (%) and shearing force values (SFV; kg) in Chinese Simmental cattle. A haplotype combining SCD1-878C, SCD1-762T, and DGAT1 10433 and 10434-GC had the highest IMF, marbling score and shearing force. The polymorphic investigation indicated that the frequency of SCD1-878C or SCD1-762T was significantly higher in Chinese southern cattle (Leiqiong, Yunnan High pump, BMY or Minnan Cattle) than in Chinese northern cattle (Chinese Simmental, Luxi Cattle, Bohai Black or Chinese Holstein), while the frequency of DGAT1 10433 and 10434-GC in Chinese indigenous breed (Leiqiong, Yunnan High pump, BMY, Luxi Cattle, Bohai Black, or Minnan Cattle) was significantly lower than breeds with imported blood (Chinese Simmental or Chinese Holstein). These findings demonstrated that both the SCD1 and DGAT1 SNPs were prospect genetic markers for IMF traits, and the SCD1 SNPs could be used as a genetic marker for southern or northern blood in Chinese cattle.

Resistance to annexin A5 anticoagulant activity: a thrombogenic mechanism for the antiphospholipid syndrome

The phospholipid binding protein, annexin A5 (AnxA5), has potent anticoagulant properties that result from its forming 2-dimensional crystals over phospholipids, blocking the availability of the phospholipids for critical coagulation enzyme reactions. This article reviews the evidence that antiphospholipid antibodies can disrupt this anticoagulant shield and unmask thrombogenic anionic phospholipids, which may thereby contribute to thrombosis in patients with the antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). This mechanism for thrombosis in APS can be monitored with coagulation assays for resistance to anticoagulant activity of AnxA5.

A low molecular weight polysaccharide isolated from Agaricus blazei suppresses tumor growth and angiogenesis in vivo

Previous studies indicated that the low molecular weight polysaccharide extracts from Agaricus blazei are potential antitumor agents or adjuvant in tumor treatment. In this study, we investigated the antitumor activity of LMPAB, a low molecular weight polysaccharide isolated from Agaricus blazei, and the molecular mechanisms of its antitumor activity. The antitumor effect of LMPAB was examined using mouse sarcoma 180 (S180) xenograft models. Antiangiogenic effect of LMPAB was determined by chicken embryo chorioallantoic membrane (CAM) angiogenesis and Matrigel-induced neovascularization in vivo models. The mRNA and protein levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were assessed using real-time reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction, immunohistochemistry, and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Tumor inhibitory rates in the S180 xenograft models were 9.7, 23.9, and 33.0%, respectively, after administration of LMPAB at dose of 50, 100, and 200 mg/kg/day for 2 weeks. LMPAB also inhibited angiogenesis in the CAM model and Matrigel-induced neovascularization in C57BL/6 mice. The mRNA and protein levels of VEGF in tumor tissues were significantly down-regulated in the BALB/c mice received LMPAB treatment. Furthermore, significant down-regulation of serum VEGF levels was also observed in the mice. Our data suggest that LMPAB might be a promising agent for tumor therapy, and the antitumor and antiangiogenic effects of LMPAB may be related with down-regulation of VEGF.

Primary malignant fibrous histiocytoma of the thyroid

AIMS AND METHODS

To study the clinical features, diagnosis, and treatment of primary malignant fibrous histiocytoma of the thyroid (MFH-T). Treatment and outcome were analyzed retrospectively in a consecutive series of 12 patients with primary MFH-T treated at the Cancer Hospital of the Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences from 1987 to 2007.

RESULTS

All 12 patients underwent surgery; surgery alone was used in four patients. Five patients were given post-operative radiotherapy, and one patient was given pre-operative radiotherapy. Two patients were given post-operative chemotherapy. Five patients had locoregional recurrence, and five had distant metastases in follow-up. Median survival was 9 months. One patient is alive, and has no evidence of disease. Six patients died six months after treatment, and the other four patients died in 10, 14, 18, and 24 months after treatment, respectively. Nine patients died of the disease, and one patient died of cerebral hemorrhage after treatment.

CONCLUSION

Primary MFH-T is very rare and has a poor prognosis. Although surgical resection of MFH-T is the treatment of choice in MFH-T, the results are unsatisfactory.

Theoretical investigations of the EPR parameters for Cr3+ and Mn4+ ions in PbTiO3 crystals

The complete high-order perturbation formulas of EPR parameters (g factors g( parallel), g( perpendicular) and zero-field splitting D), containing the crystal-field (CF) mechanism and charge-transfer (CT) mechanism (the latter is omitted in crystal-field theory which is often used to study the EPR parameters), are established from a cluster approach for 3d3 ions in tetragonal octahedral sites. According to the calculations based on these formulas, the EPR parameters g( parallel), g( perpendicular) and zero-field splitting D for Cr3+ and Mn4+ ions in PbTiO3 crystals are explained reasonably. The calculations show that (i) the sign of g-shift Deltag(i)(CT) (=g(i)-g(s), where g(s)=2.0023 is free-electron value and i= parallel and perpendicular) in CT mechanism is opposite to, but that of D(CT) is the same as, the corresponding signs in the CF mechanism and (ii) the relative importance of CT mechanism for the high valence state 3d3 ion (e.g., Mn4+) is large and so the contributions to EPR parameters from CT mechanism should be taken into account. The different sign of splitting D and the different defect structure for Cr3+ and Mn4+ impurity centers in PbTiO3 crystals are also suggested from the calculations. The results are discussed.

Investigations of the EPR zero-field splitting and the defect structure for Mn(2+) and Fe(3+) ions in anatase crystals

The EPR zero-field splittings D of Mn(2+) and Fe(3+) ions in anatase crystals at room and low temperatures are calculated from the high-order perturbation formula of zero-field splitting D for 3d(5) ions in tetragonal symmetry based on the dominant spin-orbit coupling mechanism. The calculated results are consistent with the observed values. From the calculations, Mn(2+) and Fe(3+) ions are suggested to substitute for Ti(4+) ions in anatase (in the previous paper, Mn(2+) ion was suggested at an interstitial site rather than substitutional site) and the defect structures (characterized mainly by the local oxygen parameter u) for both tetragonal Mn(2+) and Fe(3+) impurity centers are estimated. The different zero-field splitting at room and low temperatures are due mainly to the change of local oxygen parameter u with the temperature. These results are discussed.

Theoretical calculation of EPR g factors for Ni(3+) ion at the interstitial site of SnO(2) crystal

The EPR g factors g(x), g(y) and g(z) for Ni(3+) ion at the interstitial site in the rutile-type SnO(2) crystal are calculated from the second-order perturbation formulas of g factors based on the cluster approach for 3d(7) ion in rhombic symmetry. The calculated results are in agreement with the experimental values. The local lattice distortion induced by the impurity Ni(3+) at the interstitial site of SnO(2) is also estimated from the calculations. These results are discussed.

Enhanced susceptibility of adriamycin-treated human renal cell carcinoma cells to lysis by peripheral blood lymphocytes and tumor infiltrating lymphocytes

Previous studies indicated that the anticancer agent adriamycin (ADR) could induce activation of cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) and natural killer cells. In this study, we investigated the effect of ADR on the susceptibility of human renal cell carcinoma (RCC) cells to lysis by peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) and tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL). Treatment of human RCC cell line ACHN and freshly derived RCC cells with ADR at 1 microg/ml or more for 3 h significantly enhanced their susceptibility to lysis by PBL (P<0.05). This ADR-induced enhancement of susceptibility of RCC cells to lysis by PBL was also observed when freshly derived TIL were used as effector cells (P<0.05). ADR up-regulated the expression of leukocyte function-associated antigen-3 (LFA-3) and intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), which are critical in the binding and killing of CTL against cancer cells. Of the five fresh RCC cell cultures treated with ADR, LFA-3 was increased in all and ICAM-1 was increased in three of them, respectively (P<0.05). Up-regulation of LFA-3 and ICAM-1 was also observed in ACHN cells treated with two derivatives of ADR, epirubicin and pirarubicin. ADR further significantly increased the bindings of PBL to RCC cells (P<0.05). These findings suggest that treatment of RCC patients with low doses of ADR may sensitize the RCC cells to killing by PBL and TIL and may be a novel immunotherapeutic modality for the treatment of drug-resistant and/or immune-resistant RCC. The inducing of LFA-3 and ICAM-1 by ADR may be involved in the enhancement of susceptibility of PBL and TIL-mediated cytolysis in human RCC cells.

[Investigation of optical and EPR spectra of ZnO : V3+ crystal]

In the present paper, the 45 X 45 energy matrix of the 3d2 ions in trigonal symmetry with the strong-field-coupling mechanism is established. The forty-five optical energy levels and five EPR parameters (including the zero-field splitting D, g factors g//, g perpendicular and hyperfine structure constants A//, A perpendicular) of ZnO : V3+ cryst are calculated from the diagonalization of this complete energy matrix. The calculated results are in agreement with the observed values. Based on the calculation, it was found that the local structure of V3+ impurity center is different from the corresponding structure in the host crystal, i. e., the V3+ ion in ZnO does not occupy the exact Zn2+ site, but is displaced by DeltaZ approximately 0.003 nm along the c3 axis. The reasonableness of these results is discussed.

Investigations of the EPR g factors and hyperfine structure constants for two trigonal Co2+ centers in Al2O3 crystals

The EPR g factors gparallel, gperpendicular and the hyperfine structure constants Aparallel, Aperpendicular for two trigonal Co2+ centers (i.e. Co2+(I) center at the substitutional site and Co2+(II) center at the interstitial site) in Al2O3 crystals are calculated from the second-order perturbation formulas based on the cluster approach. In these formulas, the contributions to EPR parameters from both the spin-orbit coupling parameter of central 3dn ion and that of ligand are included. The calculated results are in reasonable agreement with the observed values. Based on the calculations, the defect structures of both Co2+ centers in Al2O3 crystals are obtained and the negative sign of Aparallel for Co2+(I) center is suggested. The results are discussed.

Monoclonal antibody to tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand receptor 2 (TRAIL-R2) induces apoptosis in primary renal cell carcinoma cells in vitro and inhibits tumor growth in vivo

Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) triggers apoptosis in a variety of tumor cells through two of its receptors: TRAIL-R1 and TRAIL-R2. We investigate the susceptibility of human renal cell carcinoma (RCC) cells to TRM-1 and HGS-ETR2, 2 human monoclonal agonistic antibodies specific for TRAIL-R1 and TRAIL-R2, respectively. HGS-ETR2 effectively induced apoptotic cell death in 10 of 11 cell cultures, including 2 human RCC cell lines and 9 human primary RCC cell cultures, with a more pronounced effect after preincubation with anti-human IgG Fc. In contrast, TRM-1 was effective in only 1 primary RCC cell culture. The increased effectiveness of HGS-ETR2 for inducing cell death might have been affected by differences in the cell-surface expression of the 2 TRAIL receptors, namely that TRAIL-R2 but not TRAIL-R1 was frequently expressed in most of the RCC cells tested. The activities of caspase-9, -8, -6, and -3 were increased with HGS-ETR2-induced apoptosis, and cell death could be blocked by specific caspase inhibitors for caspase-9, -8, and -3, and the general caspase inhibitor. In vivo administration of HGS-ETR2 with or without cross-linker significantly suppressed tumor growth of subcutaneously inoculated human RCC xenografts in immunodeficient mice. These results suggest the potential utility of TRAIL-R2 antibody as a novel therapeutic agent in RCC.

Studies of the trigonal field parameters and g factors for magnetic semiconductor NaCrS2

The trigonal field parameters v and v' of magnetic semiconductor NaCrS2 are calculated from the superposition model, and its g factors g parallel and g perpendicular are calculated from the high-order perturbation formulas of 3d3 ions in trigonal symmetry obtained by the one and two spin-orbit coupling parameter models. These calculations are based on the structural data of NaCrS2 crystal. The calculated results suggest that the superposition model is effective to the analyses of the low-symmetry field parameters of 3dn ions in crystals and that the two spin-orbit coupling parameter model (where the contributions from both the spin-orbit coupling parameter of 3dn ion and that of ligand are considered) is preferable to the one spin-orbit coupling parameter model (in which the contribution from only the spin-orbit coupling parameter of 3dn ion is considered) in the explanations of g factors in the cases that ligands have large spin-orbit coupling parameter in 3dn clusters.

Correlation between antiphospholipid antibodies that recognize domain I of beta2-glycoprotein I and a reduction in the anticoagulant activity of annexin A5

The paradoxical correlation between thrombosis and the lupus anticoagulant (LAC) effect is an enigmatic feature of the antiphospholipid (aPL) syndrome. The Dutch authors previously reported that thrombosis-related anti-beta2-glycoprotein I (beta2GPI) antibodies recognize domain I and cause LAC. The American authors reported that aPLs disrupt an anticoagulant annexin A5 (AnxA5) crystal shield. We investigated whether antidomain I antibodies correlate with disruption of AnxA5-anticoagulant activity. We studied a well-characterized group of 33 patients including subgroups with beta2GPI-dependent LAC that recognize domain I (n=11), with beta2GPI-independent LAC (n=12), and lacking LAC (n=10). The effects on AnxA5-anticoagulant activity were determined with an AnxA5 resistance assay that measures coagulation times with and without AnxA5. Patients with beta2GPI-dependent LAC (group A, all with thrombosis) had significantly lower AnxA5-anticoagulant ratios than those with beta2GPI-independent LAC (group B, thrombosis n=4; 157.8% versus 235.6%, P<.001) and those without LAC (group C, thrombosis n=2; 157.8% versus 232.5%, P<.001). There was no difference in the ratios between groups B and C (P=.92). Plasmas with beta2GPI-dependent LAC that recognize domain I displayed significantly increased AnxA5 resistance, suggesting that specifically anti-beta2GPI antibodies compete with AnxA5 for anionic phospholipids. These results are consistent with a model in which aPL antibodies may promote thrombosis by interfering with the anticoagulant activity of AnxA5.

Analysis of circulating annexin A5 parameters during pregnancy: absence of differences between women with recurrent spontaneous pregnancy losses and controls

OBJECTIVE

We investigated whether levels of annexin A5 (AnxA5), AnxA5 anticoagulant activity and binding, and anti-AnxA5 antibodies might be altered in women with previous histories of recurrent spontaneous pregnancy losses (RSPL) when tested during pregnancy.

STUDY DESIGN

Ninety pregnant women with histories of 3 or more RSPL (cases) and 150 women without adverse pregnancy histories (controls) were assayed for these AnxA5 parameters.

RESULTS

There were no significant differences between cases and controls in AnxA5 levels (median, 23.1 ng/mL [range, 2.1-201.1 ng/mL] vs 19.7 ng/mL [2.1-151.5 ng/mL]; P = .20), AnxA5 anticoagulant activity (183% [101%-236%] vs 168% [128%-256%]; P = .39) and binding (6.0 ng/aliquot PL [2.1-19.5 ng/aliquot PL) vs 6.1 ng/aliquot PL [1.6-16.8 ng/aliquot PL]; P = .72), and anti-AnxA5 antibody levels.

CONCLUSIONS

AnxA5 parameters do not distinguish between cases and controls when tested during pregnancy. The pregnant state itself appears to be associated with altered levels of AnxA5 parameters.