Development and evaluation of a human CD47/HER2 bispecific antibody for Trastuzumab-resistant breast cancer immunotherapy

The treatment for trastuzumab-resistant breast cancer (BC) remains a challenge in clinical settings. It was known that CD47 is preferentially upregulated in HER2+ BC cells, which is correlated with drug resistance to trastuzumab. Here, we developed a novel anti-CD47/HER2 bispecific antibody (BsAb) against trastuzumab-resistant BC, named IMM2902. IMM2902 demonstrated high binding affinity, blocking activity, antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity (ADCC), antibody-dependent cellular phagocytosis (ADCP), and internalization degradation effects against both trastuzumab-sensitive and trastuzumab-resistant BC cells in vitro. The in vivo experimental data indicated that IMM2902 was more effective than their respective controls in inhibiting tumor growth in a trastuzumab-sensitive BT474 mouse model, a trastuzumab-resistant HCC1954 mouse model, two trastuzumab-resistant patient-derived xenograft (PDX) mouse models and a cord blood (CB)-humanized HCC1954 mouse model. Through spatial transcriptome assays, multiplex immunofluorescence (mIFC) and in vitro assays, our findings provided evidence that IMM2902 effectively stimulates macrophages to generate C-X-C motif chemokine ligand (CXCL) 9 and CXCL10, thereby facilitating the recruitment of T cells and NK cells to the tumor site. Moreover, IMM2902 demonstrated a high safety profile regarding anemia and non-specific cytokines release. Collectively, our results highlighted a novel therapeutic approach for the treatment of HER2+ BCs and this approach exhibits significant anti-tumor efficacy without causing off-target toxicity in trastuzumab-resistant BC cells.

Molecular Analysis of Murine KitK641E Melanoma Progression

Acral and mucosal melanomas are often driven by sequence variants in the KIT receptor tyrosine kinase, with nearly 40% harboring alterations in the KIT locus. Despite advances in the knowledge of KIT-mutated melanomas, little is known about the molecular reprogramming that occurs during KIT-mediated melanoma progression owing to the rarity of acral and mucosal melanomas and the lack of comprehensive biological tools and models. To this end, we used a murine model that allows us to ascertain the molecular underpinnings of the stages of cancer progression-transformation, tumorigenesis, immune engagement, and tumor escalation. We found dramatic increases in biosynthetic demands associated with the transformation stage, including DNA and RNA metabolism, leading to replication stress. Tumorigenesis was closely linked to neuronal and axonal development, likely necessary for invasion into the host. Immune engagement highlighted early immune excitation and rejection pathways, possibly triggered by abrupt neoantigen exposure. Finally, tumor escalation pathways proved consistent with immune evasion, with immune-related pathways becoming significantly downregulated. To our knowledge, it is previously unreported that these critical milestones needed for KIT-driven melanoma tumor formation have been studied at the molecular level using isogenically matched and phenotypically defined cells.

An Ultra-stable Supramolecular Framework Based on Consecutive Side-by-side Hydrogen Bonds for One-step C2H4/C2H6 Separation

The one-step efficient separation of high-purity C2H4 from C2H4/C2H6 mixtures by hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks (HOFs) faces two problems: lack of strategies for constructing stable pores in HOFs and how to obtain high C2H6 selectivity. Herein, we have developed a microporous Mortise-Tenon-type HOF (MTHOF-1, MT is short for Mortise-Tenon structure) with a new self-assembly mode for C2H4/C2H6 separation. Unlike previous HOFs which usually possess discrete head-to-head hydrogen bonds, MTHOF-1 is assembled by unique consecutive side-by-side hydrogen bonds, which result in mortise-and-tenon pores decorated with orderly arranged amide groups and benzene rings. As expected, MTHOF-1 exhibits excellent stability under various conditions and shows clear separation trends for C2H6/C2H4. The IAST selectivity is as high as 2.15 at 298 K. More importantly, dynamic breakthrough experiments have demonstrated that MTHOF-1 can effectively separate the C2H6/C2H4 feed gas to obtain polymer-grade C2H4 in one step even under high-humidity conditions.

Ideal Cage-like Pores for Molecular Sieving of Butane Isomers with High Purity and Record Productivity​

n-C4H10 and iso-C4H10 are both important petrochemical raw materials. Considering the coexistence of the isomers in the production process, it is necessary to achieve their efficient separation through an economical way. However, to obtain high-purity n-C4H10 and iso-C4H10 in one-step separation process, developing iso-C4H10-exclusion adsorbents with high n-C4H10 adsorption capacity is crucial. Herein, we report a cage-like MOF (SIFSIX-Cu-TPA) with small windows and large cavities which can selectively allow smaller n-C4H10 enter the pore and accommodate a large amount of n-C4H10 simultaneously. Adsorption isotherms reveal that SIFSIX-Cu-TPA not only completely excludes iso-C4H10 in a wide temperature range, but also exhibits a very high n-C4H10 adsorption capacity of 94.2 cm3 g-1 at 100 kPa and 298 K, which is the highest value among iso-C4H10-exclusion-type adsorbents. Breakthrough experiments show that SIFSIX-Cu-TPA has excellent n/iso-C4H10 separation performance and can achieve a record-high productivity of iso-C4H10 (3.2 mol kg-1) with high purity (>99.95%) as well as 3.0 mol kg-1 of n-C4H10 (>99%) in one separation circle. More importantly, SIFSIX-Cu-TPA can realize the efficient separation of butanes at different flow rates, temperatures, as well as under high humid condition, which indicates that SIFSIX-Cu-TPA can be deemed as an ideal platform for industrial butane isomers separation.

The top 100 most-cited papers in incisional hernia: a bibliometric analysis from 2003 to 2023

PURPOSE

Incisional hernia (IH) is one of the most common complications after abdominal surgeries and may bring great suffering to patients. This study aims to evaluate the global trends in IH research from 2003 to 2023 and visualize the frontiers using bibliometric analysis.

METHODS

The literature search was conducted on the Web of Science for IH studies published from 2003 to 2023 and sorted by citation frequency. The top 100 most-cited articles were analyzed by the annual publication number, prolific countries and institutions, influential author and journal, and the number of citations through descriptive statistics and visualization.

RESULTS

The top paper was cited 1075 times and the median number of citations was 146. All studies were published between 2003 and 2019 and the most prolific year was 2003 with 14 articles. Jeekel J and Rosen M were regarded as the most productive authors with ten articles each and acquired 2738 and 2391 citations, respectively. The top three institutions with the most productive articles were Erasmus Mc, Carolinas Med Ctr, and Univ Utah, while the top three countries were the United States, Netherlands and Germany. The most frequent keyword was "incisional hernia" with 55 occurrences, followed by "mesh repair", "randomized controlled trial", and "polypropylene".

CONCLUSION

The 100 most-cited papers related to IH were published predominantly by USA and European countries, with randomized controlled trial (RCT) and observational study designs, addressing topics related to risk factors, complications, mesh repair, and mesh components.

The causal association between body fat distribution and risk of abdominal wall hernia: a two-sample Mendelian randomization study

PURPOSE

Obesity and a high body mass index (BMI) are considered as risk factors for abdominal wall hernia (AWH). However, anthropometric measures of body fat distribution (BFD) seem to be better indicators in the hernia field. This Mendelian randomization analysis aimed to generate more robust evidence for the impact of waist circumstance (WC), body, trunk, arm, and leg fat percentages (BFP, TFP, AFP, LFP) on AWH.

METHODS

A univariable MR design was employed and the summary statistics allowing for assessment were obtained from the genome-wide association studies (GWASs). An inverse variance weighted (IVW) method was applied as the primary analysis, and the odds ratio value was used to evaluate the causal relationship between BFD and AWH.

RESULTS

None of the MR-Egger regression intercepts deviated from null, indicating no evidence of horizontal pleiotropy (p > 0.05). The Cochran Q test showed heterogeneity between the genetic IVs for WC (p = 0.005; p = 0.005), TFP (p < 0.001; p < 0.001), AFP-L (p = 0.016; p = 0.015), LFP-R (p = 0.012; p = 0.009), and LFP-L (p < 0.001; p < 0.001). Taking the IVW random-effects model as gold standard, each standard deviation increment in genetically determined WC, BFP, TFP, AFP-R, AFP-L, LFP-R, and LFP-L raised the risk of AWH by 70.9%, 70.7%, 56.5%, 69.7%, 78.3%, 87.7%, and 72.5%, respectively.

CONCLUSIONS

This study proves the causal relationship between AWH and BFD, attracting more attention from BMI to BFD. It provides evidence-based medical evidence that healthy figure management can prevent AWH.

The Compatibility of COFs Cathode and Optimized Electrolyte for Ultra-Long Lifetime Rechargeable Aqueous Zinc-Ion Battery

Rechargeable aqueous zinc-ion batteries (RAZIBs) are attractive due to their affordability, safety, and eco-friendliness. However, their potential is limited by the lack of high-capacity cathodes and compatible electrolytes needed for reliable performance. Herein, we have presented a compatibility strategy for the development of a durable and long-lasting RAZIBs. The covalent organic frameworks (COFs) based on anthraquinone (DAAQ-COF) is created and utilized as the cathode, with zinc metal serving as the anode. The electrolyte is made up of an aqueous solution containing zinc salts at various concentrations. The COF cathode has been designed to be endowed with a rich array of redox-active groups, enhancing its electrochemical properties. Meanwhile, the electrolyte is formulated using triflate anions, which have exhibited superiority over sulfate anions. This strategy lead to the development of an optimized COF cathode with fast charging capability, high Coulombic efficiency (nearly 100 %) and long-term cyclability (retention rate of nearly 100 % at 1 A g-1 after 10000 cycles). Moreover, through experimental analysis, a co-insertion mechanism involving Zn2+ and H+ in this cathode is discovered for the first time. These findings represent a promising path for the advancement of organic cathode materials in high-performance and sustainable RAZIBs.

Flexible Microporous Framework for One-Step Acquisition of Ethylene from Ternary C2 Hydrocarbons

One-step purification of ethylene (C2H4) from ternary C2 hydrocarbon mixtures is a crucial task and an enduring challenge because of their similar molecular size and physical properties. Owing to their intriguing structural dynamics, flexible MOFs have attracted more attention for gas adsorption and separation. Herein, we report a flexible MOF FJI-W-66 that exhibits rarely seen "breathing" behaviors for C2 hydrocarbons. Upon activation, the channels of guest-free FJI-W-66a significantly contract to a nearly closed-pore state. FJI-W-66a shows the stepwise adsorption isotherms for C2 hydrocarbons, which suggests the occurrence of structural transformation between less open and more open phases. Breakthrough experiments provide evidence that FJI-W-66a can selectively separate C2H4 from C2H2/C2H4/C2H6 mixtures with different ratios under ambient conditions, realizing the one-step acquisition of C2H4 from ternary C2 hydrocarbons.

Risk factors for incisional hernia after gastrointestinal surgeries in non-tumor patients

PURPOSE

Incisional hernia (IH) is a common secondary ventral hernia after abdominal incisions and there is still little reliable evidence to predict and prevent IH. This study aimed to estimate risk factors of its incidence, especially concentrating on blood results.

METHODS

96 patients received midline laparotomy for gastrointestinal benign diseases and suffered from IH were enrolled in the IH group. A control group of 192 patients were randomly selected from patients underwent midline laparotomy for gastrointestinal benign diseases without IH.

RESULTS

Patients in the IH group exhibited higher age (P < 0.001), BMI (P < 0.001), hernia history (P = 0.001) and laparotomy history (P < 0.001). Rate of coronary heart disease (P = 0.046), hypertension (P < 0.001), diabetes (P = 0.008), incisional infection (P = 0.004) and emergency surgery (P = 0.041) were also higher in the IH group. Patients with IH had lower levels of Hb (P = 0.002), TP (P = 0.013), ALB (P < 0.001), A/G (P = 0.019), PA (P < 0.001), HDL-C (P = 0.008) and ApoA1 (P = 0.005). Meanwhile, patients in the control group bore lower levels of LDH (P = 0.008), GLU (P = 0.007), BUN (P = 0.048), UA (P = 0.021), TG (P = 0.011), TG/HDL-C (P = 0.002), TC/HDL-C (P = 0.013), ApoB/ApoA1 (P = 0.001) and Lp(a) (P = 0.001). A multivariate logistic regression revealed that high BMI, laparotomy history, incisional infection, decreased PA, elevated levels of UA, Lp(a) and ApoB/ApoA1 were independent risk factors of IH.

CONCLUSION

This is the first study to reveal the relationship between IH and serum biochemical levels, and give a prediction through the nomograph model. These results will help surgeons identify high-risk patients, and take measures to prevent IH during the perioperative period.

Water-Stable Microporous Bipyrazole-Based Framework for Efficient Separation of MTO Products

Recently, methanol-to-olefins (MTO) technology has been widely used. The development of new adsorbents to separate MTO products and obtain high-purity ethylene (C2H4) and propylene (C3H6) has become an urgent task. Herein, an exceptionally highly water-stable metal-organic framework (MOF), [Cu3(OH)2(Me2BPZ)2]·(solvent)x (1) (H2Me2BPZ = 3,3'-dimethyl-1H,1'H-4,4'-bipyrazole) with hexagonal pores, has been elaborately designed and constructed. After being soaked in water for 7 days, it still maintains its structure, and the uptake of N2 at 77 K is unchanged. The adsorption capacity of C3H6 can reach 138 cm3 g-1, while the uptake of C2H4 is only 52 cm3 g-1 at 298 K and 1 bar. The dynamic breakthrough experiments show that the mixture of C3H6/C2H4 (50/50, v/v) can be efficiently separated in one step. High-purity C2H4 and C3H6 can be obtained through an adsorption and desorption cycle and the yields of C2H4 (purity ≥ 99.95%) and C3H6 (purity ≥ 99%) are 84 and 48 L kg-1, respectively. Surprisingly, when the flow rate is increased, the separation performance has no obvious change. Additionally, humidity has no effect on the separation performance. Finally, theoretical simulations indicate that there are stronger interactions between the C3H6 molecule and the framework, which are beneficial to capturing C3H6 over C2H4.

[The efficacy of chemotherapy re-challenge in third-line setting for metastatic colorectal cancer patients: a real-world study]

Objective: To explore the efficacy of chemotherapy re-challenge in the third-line setting for patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) in the real world. Methods: The clinicopathological data, treatment information, recent treatment efficacy, adverse events and survival data of mCRC patients who had disease progression after treatment with oxaliplatin-based and/or irinotecan-based chemotherapy and received third-line chemotherapy re-challenge from January 2013 to December 2020 at Tianjin Medical University Cancer Institute and Hospital were retrospectively collected. Survival curves were plotted with the Kaplan-Meier method, and the Cox proportional hazard model was used to analyze the prognostic factors. Results: A total of 95 mCRC patients were included. Among them, 32 patients (33.7%) received chemotherapy alone and 63 patients (66.3%) received chemotherapy combined with targeted drugs. Eighty-three patients were treated with dual-drug chemotherapy (87.4%), including oxaliplatin re-challenge in 35 patients and irinotecan re-challenge in 48 patients. The remaining 12 patients were treated with triplet chemotherapy regimens (12.6%). Among them, as 5 patients had sequential application of oxaliplatin and irinotecan in front-line treatments, their third-line therapy re-challenged both oxaliplatin and irinotecan; 7 patients only had oxaliplatin prescription before, and these patients re-challenged oxaliplatin in the third-line treatment. The overall response rate (ORR) and disease control rate (DCR) reached 8.6% (8/93) and 61.3% (57/93), respectively. The median progression free survival (mPFS) and median overall survival (mOS) were 4.9 months and 13.0 months, respectively. The most common adverse events were leukopenia (34.7%) and neutropenia (34.7%), followed by gastrointestinal adverse reactions such as nausea (32.6%) and vomiting (31.6%). Grade 3-4 adverse events were mostly hematological toxicity. Cox multivariate analysis showed that gender (HR=1.609, 95% CI: 1.016-2.548) and the PFS of front-line treatments (HR=0.598, 95% CI: 0.378-0.947) were independent prognostic factors. Conclusion: The results suggested that it is safe and effective for mCRC patients to choose third-line chemotherapy re-challenge, especially for patients with a PFS of more than one year in front-line treatments.

HMGB1/SET/HAT1 complex-mediated SASH1 repression drives glycolysis and metastasis in lung adenocarcinoma

High-mobility group box 1 (HMGB1) can enhance the stability and accessibility of nucleus binding sites to nucleosomes and transcription factors. Recently, HMGB1 has been recognized as a positive regulator of tumor glutamine, and its overexpression has been correlated with tumorigenesis and cancer progression. However, functions and mechanisms of HMGB1 in regulation of glycolysis during cancer progression in lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD) is still unclear. Here, we found that intracellular HMGB1 was consistently upregulated in LUAD specimens, and positively relevant to tumor grade and poor survival. HMGB1 facilitated glycolysis and promoted metastasis through physical interaction with SET and HAT1, forming HMGB1/SET/HAT1 complex that inhibited H3K9 and H3K27 acetylation in LUAD. The functional proteins complex coordinated histone modification to suppress the expression of SASH1, thus further facilitating glycolysis and inducing the metastasis in vitro and in vivo. Consistent with this, the expression of SASH1 was negatively correlated with HMGB1, SET and GLUT1, and positively correlated with HAT1 in human LUAD specimens. Clinically, LUAD patients with high expression of HMGB1 and low expression of SASH1 exhibited the worst clinical outcomes. Overall, the findings of this study revealed the critical role of HMGB1 in glycolysis and metastasis by attenuating H3K9ace and H3K27ace through physical interacted with SET and HAT1, which may facilitate future targeted therapies.

The Noninvasive Sonothermogenetics Used for Neuromodulation in M1 Region of Mice Brain by Overexpression of TRPV1

Sonogenetics is preferred for neuroregulation and the treatment of brain diseases due to its noninvasive properties. Ultrasonic stimulation produces thermal and mechanical effects, among others. Since transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) could be activated at 42 °C, it is overexpressed in the M1 region of the mouse motor cortex to sense the change of temperature upon being stimulated by focused ultrasound. Whether the heat generated by ultrasonic stimulation could activate TRPV1 in the M1 region and induce changes in electromyography (EMG) signals collected from the mice's triceps was carefully verified. The position of the focused ultrasound and the temperature of the tissue at the location of the focused position were simulated using COMSOL software and verified via experiments. For Neuro-2a cells with TRPV1 overexpression, 42 °C could activate the TRPV1 and induce calcium influx. For mice with TRPV1 overexpression in the M1 region, tissue temperature of >42 °C in the M1 region induces an increased number of cfos, suggesting that neurons with overexpressed TRPV1 in the M1 region can be activated using focused ultrasound. Furthermore, when the temperature is >42 °C, the peak-to-peak value of the EMG signal for mice with TRPV1 overexpression in the M1 region was higher than that for mice without TRPV1 overexpression. The immunohistochemical results showed that ultrasound was not harmful to the stimulation site. The noninvasive ultrasound stimulation combined with thermosensitive protein TRPV1 overexpressed in neurocytes as sonothermogenetics technology has great potential to be used for the treatment of neurological diseases.

Parents of preschoolers use multiple strategies to feed their children: Findings from an observational video pilot study

The current study leveraged observational data collection methods to fill gaps in our understanding of parent approach to feeding as well as child responses to various parental approaches. Specifically, the study aimed to: 1) characterize the broad range of food parenting practices used by parents of preschoolers during shared mealtimes at home, including differences by child gender, and 2) describe child responses to specific parent feeding practices. Forty parent-child dyads participated by recording two in-home shared meals. Meals were coded using a behavioral coding scheme that coded the occurrence of 11 distinct food parenting practices (e.g. indirect and direct commands, praise, bribes) and eight child responses (e.g., eat, refuse, cry/whine) to food parenting practices. Results revealed that parents engaged in a broad range of food parenting practices at meals. On average, parents in our sample used 10.51 (SD 7.83; Range 0-30) total food parenting practices per mealtime with a mean use of 3.38 (SD 1.67; Range 0-8) unique food parenting practices per mealtime. Use of indirect and direct commands to eat were most common; direct and indirect commands were used by 97.5% (n = 39) and 87.5% (n = 35) of parents at meals, respectively. No statistically significant differences were observed by child gender. No one specific feeding practice consistently yielded compliance or refusal to eat from the child, instead child responses were often mixed (e.g., compliance followed by refusal and/or refusal followed by compliance). However, use of praise to prompt eating was the practice that most often resulted in child compliance; 80.8% of children complied following parent's use of praise as a prompt to eat. Findings deepen our understanding of the types and frequency of food parenting practices used by parents of preschoolers during meals eaten at home and illuminate child responses to specific food parenting practices.

Corneal Astigmatism Alteration after Combined Silicone Oil Removal and Cataract Surgery with Intraocular Lens Implantation

Purpose

To explore short-term changes in corneal astigmatism after combined silicone oil removal and cataract (SORC) surgery.

Methods

We enrolled 89 patients (43 men and 46 women). Zeiss IOLMaster was used to measure corneal astigmatism status and axial length on the day before and after the SORC surgery. Best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and intraocular pressure (IOP) were recorded. The results were compared to the outcomes at 3 days, 1 week, and 1 month postoperatively.

Results

Compared to baseline, K1 decreased significantly at 3 days postoperatively (P = 0.016), 1 week (P = 0.009), and 1 month (P = 0.035), while K2 increased significantly at 3 days postoperatively (P = 0.002), 1 week (P < 0.001), and 1 month (P = 0.001), as well as corneal astigmatism (all P < 0.001). Compared to that at the baseline, BCVA significantly improved at 3 days, 1 week, and 1 month postoperatively (all P < 0.001). Meanwhile, IOP decreased significantly at 3 days postoperatively (P < 0.001), 1 week (P = 0.005), and 1 month (P = 0.007). Similarly, axial length decreased at all follow-up time points (all P < 0.001).

Conclusion

Corneal astigmatism increased in the short term after the SORC operation but gradually decreased at 1 month postoperatively. BCVA improved steadily, and SORC was widely used in the clinic.

Measurement of Direct-Photon Cross Section and Double-Helicity Asymmetry at sqrt[s]=510 GeV in p[over →]+p[over →] Collisions

We present measurements of the cross section and double-helicity asymmetry A_{LL} of direct-photon production in p[over →]+p[over →] collisions at sqrt[s]=510  GeV. The measurements have been performed at midrapidity (|η|<0.25) with the PHENIX detector at the Relativistic Heavy Ion Collider. At relativistic energies, direct photons are dominantly produced from the initial quark-gluon hard scattering and do not interact via the strong force at leading order. Therefore, at sqrt[s]=510  GeV, where leading-order-effects dominate, these measurements provide clean and direct access to the gluon helicity in the polarized proton in the gluon-momentum-fraction range 0.02<x<0.08, with direct sensitivity to the sign of the gluon contribution.

[Clinical efficacy and safety analysis of 125I seed implantation in the treatment of mediastinal lymph node metastasis of lung cancer]

Objective: To investigate the clinical efficacy and safety of ¹²⁵I seed implantation in the treatment of mediastinal lymph node metastasis of lung cancer. Methods: Clinical data of 36 patients who underwent CT-guided ¹²⁵I seed implantation for mediastinal lymph node metastasis of lung cancer from August 2013 to April 2020 in three hospitals of the Northern radioactive particle implantation treatment collaboration group were retrospectively collected, including 24 males and 12 females, aged 46 to 84 years. Cox regression model was used to analyze the relationship between local control rate, survival rate and tumor stage, pathological type, postoperative D90, postoperative D100 and other variables, and to analyze the occurrence of complications. Results: The objective response rate of CT-guided ¹²⁵I seed implantation in the treatment of mediastinal lymph node metastasis of lung cancer was 75% (27/36), the median control time was 12 months, the 1-year local control rate was 47.2% (17/36), and the median survival time was 17 months. The 1-year and 2-year survival rates were 61.1% (22/36) and 22.2% (8/36) respectively. Univariate analysis showed that in the treatment of mediastinal lymph node metastasis with CT-guided ¹²⁵I implantation, factors related to local control included tumor stage (HR=5.246, 95%CI: 2.243-12.268, P<0.001), postoperative D90 (HR=0.191, 95%CI: 0.085-0.431, P<0.001), postoperative D100 (HR=0.240, 95%CI: 0.108-0.533, P<0.001); The factors affecting survival were tumor stage (HR=2.712, 95%CI: 1.356-5.425, P=0.005), postoperative D90 (HR=0.110, 95%CI: 0.041-0.294, P<0.001), postoperative D100 (HR=0.212, 95%CI: 0.092-0.489, P<0.001). Multivariate analysis showed that tumor stage (HR=5.305, 95%CI: 2.187-12.872, P<0.001) and postoperative D100 (HR=0.237, 95%CI: 0.099-0.568, P<0.001) were correlated with local control rate. Tumor stage (HR=2.347, 95%CI: 1.095-5.032, P=0.028) and postoperative D90 (HR=0.144, 95%CI: 0.051-0.410, P<0.001) were correlated with survival. In terms of complications, 9 of the 36 patients had pneumothorax, and 1 of them was cured by closed thoracic drainage for severe pneumothorax; 5 cases developed pulmonary hemorrhage and 5 cases developed hemoptysis, which recovered after hemostasis treatment. One case developed pulmonary infection and recovered after anti-inflammatory treatment. No radiation esophagitis and radiation pneumonia occurred; No grade 3 or higher complications occurred. Conclusion: ¹²⁵I seed implantation in the treatment of lung cancer mediastinal lymph node metastasis has a high local control rate and controllable adverse effects.

Tuning Pore Polarization to Boost Ethane/Ethylene Separation Performance in Hydrogen-Bonded Organic Frameworks

Hydrogen-bonded organic frameworks (HOFs) show great potential in energy-saving C2H6/C2H4 separation, but there are few examples of one-step acquisition of C2H4 from C2H6/C2H4 because it is still difficult to achieve the reverse-order adsorption of C2H6 and C2H4. In this work, we boost the C2H6/C2H4 separation performance in two graphene-sheet-like HOFs by tuning pore polarization. Upon heating, an in situ solid phase transformation can be observed from HOF-NBDA(DMA) (DMA = dimethylamine cation) to HOF-NBDA, accompanied with transformation of the electronegative skeleton into neutral one. As a result, the pore surface of HOF-NBDA has become nonpolar, which is beneficial to selectively adsorbing C2H6. The difference in the capacities for C2H6 and C2H4 is 23.4 cm3∙g-1 for HOF-NBDA, and the C2H6/C2H4 uptake ratio is 136%, which are much higher than those for HOF-NBDA(DMA) (5.0 cm3∙g-1 and 108% respectively). Practical breakthrough experiments demonstrate HOF-NBDA could produce polymer-grade C2H4 from C2H6/C2H4 (1/99, v/v) mixture with a high productivity of 29.2 L∙kg-1 at 298 K, which is about five times as high as HOF-NBDA(DMA) (5.4 L∙kg-1). In addition, in situ breakthrough experiments and theoretical calculations indicate the pore surface of HOF-NBDA is beneficial to preferentially capture C2H6 and thus boosts selective separation of C2H6/C2H4.

Highly Stable Metal-Organic Framework with Redox-Active Naphthalene Diimide Core as Cathode Material for Aqueous Zinc-Ion Batteries

Recently, metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) as the cathode materials for aqueous zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs) received growing attention. Herein, a novel MOF, Ni-Ndi-trz (Ndi-trz=2,7-di(4H-1,2,4-triazol-4-yl)benzo[lmn][3,8]phenanthroline-1,3,6,8(2H,7H)-tetraone) was synthesized through a solvothermal method. Its rational design using a naphthalene diimide (Ndi) core allowed the formation of a four-fold interpenetrated pcu (primitive cubic) topology. The as-synthesized Ni-Ndi-trz is highly stable over a wide pH range (0-12) for 30 days, which is critical to ensure the decent cyclability of zinc-ion batteries (ZIBs). When used as the cathode material of ZIBs, it shows a high initial specific capacity of 90.7 mAh g^-1 and excellent cycling stability. Remarkably, three-electrode system tests, ex situ FTIR, UV/Vis and XPS spectra revealed that the Ndi core of Ni-Ndi-trz undergoes a reversible interconversion between the keto and enol forms when interacting with Zn²⁺ ions. This work may shed light on the feasibility of designing novel MOFs and exploring their mechanisms for zinc ion batteries.

Mir-421 and mir-550a-1 are potential prognostic markers in esophageal adenocarcinoma

OBJECTIVE

To identify the prognostic indicators of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) for future EAC diagnosis and treatment.

METHODS

The EAC dataset from The Cancer Genome Atlas was screened for differentially expressed microRNAs (miRNAs) and mRNAs associated with EAC. Weighted gene coexpression network analysis was performed to cluster miRNAs or mRNA with similar expression patterns to identify the miRNAs or mRNA that are highly associated with EAC. Prognostic miRNAs for overall survival (OS) were identified using Cox proportional-hazards regression analysis and least absolute shrinkage and selection operator based on survival duration and status. Two types of miRNAs were selected to develop a prognostic signature model for EAC using multiple Cox regression analysis. Furthermore, the signature was validated using internal validation sets 1 and 2. The receiver operating characteristic curve and concordance index were used to evaluate the accuracy of the signature and validation sets. The expression of miR-421, miR-550a-3p, and miR-550a-5p was assessed using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR). The proliferation, invasion, and migration of EAC cells were assessed using CCK8 and transwell assays. The OS of target mRNAs was assessed using Kaplan-Meier analysis. Functional enrichment analysis of the target mRNAs was performed using Metascape.

RESULTS

The prognostic signature and validation sets comprising mir-421 and mir-550a-1 had favorable predictive power in OS. Compared with the patients with EAC in the high-expression group, those assigned to the low-expression group displayed increased OS according to survival analysis. Differential and qPCR analysis showed that miR-421, miR-550a-3p, and miR-550a-5p were highly expressed in the EAC tissues and cell lines. Moreover, the downregulation of miR-421 and miR-550a-3p with inhibitor markedly suppressed the proliferation, invasion, and migration in OE33 cells compared with the negative control. A total of 20 target mRNAs of three miRNAs were predicted, among which seven target mRNAs-ASAP3, BCL2L2, LMF1, PPM1L, PTPN21, SLC18A2, and NR3C2-had prognostic value; PRKACB, PDCD4, RPS6KA5, and BCL2L2 were enriched in the miRNA cancer pathway.

CONCLUSION

Prognostic indicators of EAC may be useful in future EAC diagnosis and treatment.

[Validation of calculation method for dose distribution around radioactive iodine-125 particles based on AAPM TG43 report]

Objective: According to the formula provided by the TG43 report [AAPM TG43 (2004)] proposed by the American Association of Physicists in Medicine (AAPM) in 2004, we calculated the dose distribution around the radioactive iodine-125 particles, and verified the calculation accuracy of the radioactive iodine-125 particles treatment planning system. Methods: AAPM TG43 (2004) report provides two calculation methods when calculating the dose around a single radioactive source. The calculation method that does not consider the geometric structure of the radioactive source is called point source calculation method, and the calculation method that considers the geometric structure of the radioactive source is called line source calculation method. Assuming a single Amersham 6711 radioactive iodine-125 particle with an activity of 100 U, the following point doses were calculated according to the two calculation methods provided by AAPM TG43 (2004) report, at 0°, 90° directions, distances 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4, 4.5, 5, 5.5 and 6 cm; In the direction of 45°, the doses at 0.71, 1.41, 2.12, 2.83, 3.54, 4.24, 4.95, 5.66, 6.36, 7.07, 7.78 and 8.49 cm. On the clinically used brachytherapy planning system variseeds 8.0, the above two calculation methods are used to calculate the corresponding activity and the dose around the corresponding type of radioactive iodine-125 particles, and the function of capturing points to templates built in the planning system is used to accurately find the above corresponding point position, using a single measurement of the above corresponding point dose; and comparation of the results were performed to see if there is a statistical difference. Results: The AAPM TG43 report uses point source calculation method to calculate the dose of single Amersham 6711 radioactive iodine-125 particles with activity of 100 U at 0° and 90° directions. The points with the same distance and the same dose are 8 082.18, 1 870.08, 756.58, 381.47, 217.11, 131.91, 86.55, 58.32, 39.97, 27.42, 19.74, 14.13 Gy, respectively, at 0.5, 1, 1.5, 2, 2.5, 3, 3.5, 4, 4.5, 5, 5.5 and 6 cm away from them. In the 45° direction, the doses at the distances of 0.71, 1.41, 2.12, 2.83, 3.54, 4.24, 4.95, 5.66, 6.36, 7.07, 7.78 and 8.49 cm are 3 957.37, 865.83, 329.99, 155.69, 84.10, 48.50, 28.49, 17.80, 11.37, 7.38, 4.98 and 3.39 Gy, respectively; For line source calculation method, radioactive particles are at the same distance as above. The doses at each point in the direction of 0° are 3 128.71, 755.44, 330.30, 180.53, 107.74, 68.56, 46.40, 32.22, 22.70, 16.00, 11.51, 8.24 Gy, respectively. The doses at each point in the direction of 90° are 8 306.46, 1 981.01, 802.74, 405.38, 230.60, 140.03, 91.83, 61.84, 42.36, 29.05, 20.91, 14.97 Gy; In the 45° direction, the dose at the corresponding distance as above is 4 020.78, 877.43, 333.49, 156.93, 84.69, 48.81, 28.65, 17.89, 11.42, 7.41, 4.99 and 3.40 Gy, respectively. The maximum dose difference (0.3%) between the two methods is 7.78 cm in the 45° direction, the maximum difference (-0.3%) between the two methods is 8.49 cm in the 45° direction, and the value of other sampling points is less than 0.3%. The closer the Amersham 6711 iodine-125 particles are to the source in the directions of 0°, 45°, and 90°, the faster the dose will drop, and the dose will drop gradually as the distance increases. Conclusion: The brachytherapy planning system variseeds 8.0 and the AAPM TG43 report calculate a maximum dose difference of 0.3%, which can accurately calculate the dose distribution around radioactive iodine-125 seeds, and provide a reliable tool for the clinical implementation of radioactive iodine-125 particles implantation for tumor treatment.

Oridonin Induces Apoptosis in Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma by Inhibiting Cytoskeletal Protein LASP1 and PDLIM1

Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma is a severe malignancy for its high mortality and poor prognosis. Mainstay chemotherapies cause serious side effects for their ways of inducing cell death. Oridonin is the main bioactive constituent from natural plants that has anticancer ability and weak side effects. The proteomics method is efficient to understand the anticancer mechanism. However, proteins identified by proteomics aimed at understanding oridonin's anticancer mechanism is seldom overlapped by different groups. This study used proteomics based on two-dimensional electrophoresis sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (2-DE SDS-PAGE) integrated with mass spectrometry and Gene Set Enrichment Analysis (GSEA) to understand the anticancer mechanism of oridonin on esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC). The results showed that oridonin induced ESCC cell death via apoptosis by decreasing the protein expression of LASP1 and PDLIM1.

Study on the effective measurement area of an open-ended coaxial probe for the dielectric measurement of biological tissues

BACKGROUND

The dielectric properties of tissues are very important physical factors for the investigation and application of bio-electromagnetism. However, the size of the active sample tissue is usually limited in actual measurement, making it difficult to meet the requirements of the existing high-frequency measurement methods, thus influencing the measurement results.

OBJECTIVE

The present study aimed to systematically investigate the various factors influencing the effective measurement area of the open-ended coaxial probe, including the design size of the probe and the dielectric properties of the object to be measured.

METHODS

The simplified material mixing model, in which several types of materials were set as the material under test (MUT) and the perfect conductor (PEC) was set as the specific material, was used in the simulation to study the effective measurement area of eight types of probes with different sizes for the dielectric measurement of different MUTs. Different concentrations of NaCl solutions and three types of coaxial probes were used in the actual measurement to verify the simulation results.

RESULTS

According to the simulation results, the effective measurement area, especially the effective measurement radius, was closely related to the outer conductor radius of the probe. The effective measurement area of the probe decreased when the outer conductor radius of the probe reduced. Moreover, the change in the effective measurement area of the probe was independent of the MUT when the cross-sectional size of the probe was smaller than a certain threshold value. The experimental results also confirmed this conclusion.

CONCLUSION

According to the research results, the independent variable dimension could be effectively reduced and the modeling difficulty was reduced when the analysis model of the effective measurement area of the probe was established.

Divergent BRAF Inhibitor Resistance Mechanisms Revealed through Epigenetic Mapping

Although tremendous progress has been made in targeted and immune-based treatments for advanced melanoma, there remains a substantial therapeutic failure rate. For patients with BRAF(V600)-mutant melanomas, resistance to BRAF inhibitors remains a significant survival hurdle. Although multiple compensatory mechanisms to bypass BRAF blockade have been discovered, the epigenetic patterns are still poorly characterized. In this report, we generated eight matched pairs of vemurafenib-sensitive/-resistant melanoma lines and subjected these to concurrent RNA-sequencing and H3K27ac chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing analysis. Globally, we identified two classes of epigenetic profiles that correlate with resistance. Class 1 resistance involves fewer RNA expression alterations accompanied by fewer enhancer mark changes with H3K27ac. Class 2 resistance shows widespread alterations in transcription and enhancer profiles, which converge on epithelial‒mesenchymal transition and hypoxia-related pathways. We also observed significant and dynamic changes in superenhancers that underpin these transcriptomic patterns. We subsequently verified the two-class structure in pre-BRAF inhibitors and postrelapse human melanoma specimens. Our findings reveal a broad and underappreciated spectrum of epigenetic plasticity during acquired BRAF inhibitor resistance.

Suppressing interferences of EIT on synchronous recording EEG based on comb filter for seizure detection

Background and objective

The purpose of this study was to eliminate the interferences of electrical impedance tomography (EIT) on synchronous recording electroencephalography (EEG) for seizure detection.

Methods

The simulated EIT signal generated by COMSOL Multiphysics was superimposed on the clinical EEG signal obtained from the CHB-MIT Scalp EEG Database, and then the spectrum features of superimposed mixed signals were analyzed. According to the spectrum analysis, in addition to high-frequency interference at 51.2 kHz related to the drive current, there was also low-frequency interference caused by switching of electrode pairs, which were used to inject drive current. A low pass filter and a comb filter were used to suppress the high-frequency interference and low-frequency interference, respectively. Simulation results suggested the low-pass filter and comb filter working together effectively filtered out the interference of EIT on EEG in the process of synchronous monitoring.

Results

As a result, the normal EEG and epileptic EEG could be recognized effectively. Pearson correlation analysis further confirmed the interference of EIT on EEG was effectively suppressed.

Conclusions

This study provides a simple and effective interference suppression method for the synchronous monitoring of EIT and EEG, which could be served as a reference for the synchronous monitoring of EEG and other medical electromagnetic devices.

Rational Pore Design of a Cage-like Metal-Organic Framework for Efficient C2H2/CO2 Separation

Considering the importance of C₂H₂ in industry, it is of great significance to develop porous materials for efficient C₂H₂/CO₂ separation. Besides the high selectivity, the C₂H₂ adsorption capacity is another vital factor in C₂H₂/CO₂ separation. However, the "trade-off" between these two factors is still perplexing. Rational pore design of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) has been proven to be an effective way to solve the above problem. In this work, we have appropriately combined three kinds of strategies in the design of the MOF (FJI-H33), i.e., the introduction of open metal sites, construction of cage-like cavities, and adjustment of moderate pore size. As anticipated, FJI-H33 exhibits both outstanding C₂H₂ adsorption capacity and high C₂H₂/CO₂ selectivity. At 298 K and 100 kPa, the C₂H₂ storage capacity of FJI-H33 is 154 cm³/g, while the CO₂ uptake is only 80 cm³/g. The ideal adsorbed solution theory (IAST) selectivity of C₂H₂/CO₂ (50:50) is calculated as high as 15.5 at 298 K. More importantly, the excellent practical separation performance was verified by breakthrough experiments. In addition, the calculation of adsorption sites and relevant energy by density functional theory (DFT) provides a good explanation for the excellent separation performance and pore design strategy.

Multi-stage voltage droop compensation based on resonant circuit for unipolar solid-state Marx Generators

The low-voltage droop of high-voltage pulses is required to provide stable pulsed electric fields in many applications. Increasing the capacitance of energy storage capacitors increases both the size and the cost of the system. In this paper, four compensation stages based on the resonant circuit have been inserted into a 16-stage solid-state Marx generator to compensate for the voltage droop in different conditions. The nearly linear part of the sinusoidal voltage is precisely added to the load during discharging as compensation, and the rectangular pulsed voltage with little droop can be realized. Different numbers of compensation stages and different resonant inductances can compensate the droop to different levels, which means the compensation effect is also adjustable. Moreover, these compensation stages can operate as common stages in Marx generators as long as we open-circuit the resonant circuits. Since the capacitors in resonant compensation stages are also charged in parallel with capacitors in common stages, no auxiliary power supply is required. Simulating and experimental results show that the droop of a 9 kV pulse can be ideally compensated over a 500 Ω resistive load at various pulse widths. The pulse width should be shorter than the length of the nearly linear part of the sinusoidal voltage.

Temperature dependence of dielectric properties of blood at 10 Hz-100 MHz

The temperature dependence of the dielectric properties of blood is important for studying the biological effects of electromagnetic fields, electromagnetic protection, disease diagnosis, and treatment. However, owing to the limitations of measurement methods, there are still some uncertainties regarding the temperature characteristics of the dielectric properties of blood at low and medium frequencies. In this study, we designed a composite impedance measurement box with high heat transfer efficiency that allowed for a four/two-electrode measurement method. Four-electrode measurements were carried out at 10 Hz-1 MHz to overcome the influence of electrode polarization, and two-electrode measurements were carried out at 100 Hz-100 MHz to avoid the influence of distribution parameters, and the data was integrated to achieve dielectric measurements at 10 Hz-100 MHz. At the same time, the temperature of fresh blood from rabbits was controlled at 17-39°C in combination with a temperature-controlled water sink. The results showed that the temperature coefficient for the real part of the resistivity of blood remained constant from 10 Hz to 100 kHz (-2.42%/°C) and then gradually decreased to -0.26%/°C. The temperature coefficient of the imaginary part was positive and bimodal from 6.31 kHz to 100 MHz, with peaks of 5.22%/°C and 4.14%/°C at 126 kHz and 39.8 MHz, respectively. Finally, a third-order function model was developed to describe the dielectric spectra at these temperatures, in which the resistivity parameter in each dispersion zone decreased linearly with temperature and each characteristic frequency increased linearly with temperature. The model could estimate the dielectric properties at any frequency and temperature in this range, and the maximum error was less than 1.39%, thus laying the foundation for subsequent studies.

Magnetic vortex nanoring coated with gadolinium oxide for highly enhanced T1-T2 dual-modality magnetic resonance imaging-guided magnetic hyperthermia cancer ablation

Nowadays, about 30% of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) exams need contrast agents (CAs) to improve the sensitivity and quality of the images for accurate diagnosis. Here, a multifunctional nano-agent with ring-like vortex-domain iron oxide as core and gadolinium oxide as shell (vortex nanoring Fe₃O₄ @Gd₂O₃, abbreviated as VNFG) was firstly designed and prepared for highly enhanced T₁-T₂ dual-modality magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-guided magnetic thermal cancer therapy. After thorough characterization, the core-shell structure of VNFG was confirmed. Moreover, the excellent heat generation property (SAR=984.26 W/g) of the proposed VNFG under alternating magnetic fields was firmly demonstrated. Furthermore, both in vitro and in vivo studies have revealed a good preliminary indication of VNFG's biological compatibility, dual-modality enhancing feature and antitumor efficacy. This work demonstrates that the proposed VNFG can be a high-performance tumor diagnosis and theranostic treatment agent and may have great potential for clinical application in the future.

AB0228 THE CONNECTION BETWEEN NUTRITIONAL STATUS AND DISEASE ACTIVITY IN RHEUMATOID ARTHRITIS

Background

Nutritional status is closely associated with a person’s physical condition. As for patients with autoimmune disease, nutritional status may affect the balance of immune system, which successively affects disease activity.

Objectives

The prognostic nutritional index (PNI), nutritional risk index (NRI), controlling nutritional status (CONUT) score and body mass index (BMI) are four widely used nutritional indices [1]. This study aimed to investigate the relationship between nutritional status and disease activity of rheumatoid arthritis (RA).

Methods

168 RA patients and 50 healthy volunteers were retrospectively enrolled. According to the disease activity score using 28 joint counts-erythrocyte sedimentation rate (DAS28-ESR), the cohort of RA patients was divided into the lower disease activity groups (DAS28-ESR≤3.2) and the higher disease activity groups (DAS28-ESR>3.2). We recorded clinical assessment and laboratory data for further analysis. Spearman’s correlation, receiver operation characteristic (ROC) curves, binary logistic regression analysis were carried out.

Results

Compared to the higher disease activity group, the lower disease activity group had low-level total protein (TP), ESR and CRP (all P<0.05), while high-level albumin and PNI (all P<0.05). PNI and NRI were negatively correlated with DAS28-ESR (r=-0.395, and r=-0.200, all P<0.05), while CONUT score was positively correlated with DAS28-ESR (r=0.324, P<0.05). ROC curve illustrated that area under the curve (AUC) of PNI for RA patients with higher disease activity was superior to NRI, CONUT score and BMI. The AUC of PNI was 0.693.

Figure 1.

The diagnostic value of variables for disease activity in rheumatoid arthritis using ROC curve

Table 1.

The correlation between nutritional indices and disease activity score using 28 joint counts-erythrocyte sedimentation rate (DAS28-ESR)

PNINRICONUT scoreBMIrP valuerP valuerP valuerP valueNeutrophil(×109/L)-0.0610.4340.0450.5680.0250.7570.0790.313Monocyte(×109/L)0.1830.1630.1450.064-0.1040.1930.1520.052Lymphocyte(×109/L)0.4720.0000.2010.010-0.4360.0000.2080.007ESR (mm/h)-0.5610.000-0.2580.0010.3930.000-0.1820.020CRP (mg/L)-0.5200.000-0.0770.3260.3910.0000.0030.967RF(IU/ml)-0.2240.004-0.1160.1510.2600.001-0.0820.306CCP(IU/ml)-0.1390.088-0.2010.0140.1950.018-0.1880.022DAS28-ESR-0.3950.000-0.2000.0110.3240.000-0.1420.072

Conclusion

PNI may become a manageable marker for detector disease activity of RA patients.

References

[1]Ahn, S.S., et al., Comparison of the Clinical Implications among Five Different Nutritional Indices in Patients with Lupus Nephritis. Nutrients, 2019. 11(7).

Disclosure of Interests

None declared

POS0799 BIOMARKER CHANGES IN TAKAYASU ARTERITIS AFTER TOFACITINIB TREATMENT AND THE MOLECULAR SIGNATURE ASSOCIATED WITH DISEASE CHARACTERISTICS

Background

Takayasu’s arteritis (TAK) is a chronic, non-specific, granulomatous macrovasculitis and its pathogenesis is still unclear. The increasing evidence indicated that multiple pathological process involved in the development of TAK. According to previous reports, multiple biomarkers representative different pathological process (1-3), However, which biomarker can closely reflect disease activity or vascular changes and whether these abnormal processes can be prevented by current therapies remained unknown.

Objectives

To analyze changes of serum cytokine, chemokine, and growth factor profiles in patients with Takayasu arteritis (TAK) after tofacitinib treatment and explore potential molecular signatures related with various disease characteristics

Methods

Seventeen patients from a TAK cohort treated with tofacitinib and 12 healthy controls were recruited in this study. Potential biomarkers with TAK including cytokines, MMPs, chemokines and growth factors were detected in these patients (0, 6, 12 months) and healthy controls. Molecular changes, disease activity, disease remission, and vascular imaging changes were analyzed in these patients after treatment. Furthermore, molecule signatures associated with these clinical features/outcomes were explored via radar plot and correlation analysis.

Results

At baseline, all the patients were in active status. Meanwhile, patients’ cytokines (PTX3, IL-6, IFN-γ), chemokines (IL-16, CCL22, CCL2), growth factor (VEGF) and MMP9 were significantly higher than those of healthy controls (all p<0.05), while FGF-2 was significantly lower in patients with TAK (p=0.02). After treatment, 94.12% of patients achieved complete remission at 6 and 12 months; patients’ ESR and CRP levels were significantly reduced at 6 months (p=0.02, p=0.046 respectively); vascular improvement were observed in 6 (35.29%) patients at 12 months. With regards to these molecules, IL-10 was increased at 6 months compared with its baseline level (p=0.007). No changes were observed in other cytokines, chemokines, or growth factors. Besides, the radar plot demonstrated that PTX3 was closely correlated with disease activity. In addition, patients with vascular imaging improvement had relatively higher baseline levels of TNFα, ESR, and CRP (p=0.04, p=0.056, p=0.07, respectively), lower CCL22, FGF, and PDGF-AB levels (p=0.056, p=0.06 and p=0.08 respectively) compared with patients without it.

Conclusion

Multiple molecules representative different pathological mechanism participated in the pathogenesis of TAK. PTX3 was a prominent marker for disease activity, and CCL22 may have a predictive value for vascular imaging changes.

References

[1]Dagna L, Salvo F, Tiraboschi M, et al. Pentraxin-3 as a marker of disease activity in Takayasu arteritis. Ann Intern Med. 2011;155(7):425-433. doi:10.7326/0003-4819-155-7-201110040-00005

[2]Sun Y, Kong X, Wu S, et al. YKL-40 as a new biomarker of disease activity in Takayasu arteritis. Int J Cardiol. 2019; 293: 231-237

[3]Dong H, Zhang Y, Zou Y, et al. Elevated chemokines concentration is associated with disease activity in Takayasu arteritis. Cytokine. 2021; 143: 155515

Disclosure of Interests

None declared

POS0491 A COMPREHENSIVE PROFILE OF CHEMOKINES IN THE PERIPHERAL BLOOD AND VASCULAR TISSUE OF PATIENTS WITH TAKAYASU ARTERITIS

Background

Takayasu arteritis (TAK) is a chronic granulomatous large vessel vasculitis with multiple immune cells involved [1]. In TAK, vascular lesions originate from the vascular adventitia. The vascular adventitia is rich in vasa vasorum, which can transport peripheral immune cells to active vascular lesions in the early stage of lesion development [2]. Thus, chemokines played critical roles in the pathogenesis of TAK. It has been reported that the levels of RANTES, CCL2, CCL20, CXCL8, and CXCL10 were elevated in TAK, and their levels were correlated with disease activity [3, 4]. However, the profile of chemokines in TAK has not been clearly elucidated.

Objectives

This study aimed to investigate chemokine profile in peripheral blood and vascular tissue of patients with TAK.

Methods

A total of 58 patients with TAK and 53 healthy controls were enrolled. Chemokine array assay was performed in five patients with TAK and three controls. Chemokines with higher levels were preliminarily validated in 20 patients and controls. The validated chemokines were further confirmed in another group of samples with 25 patients and 25 controls. Their expression and distribution were also examined in vascular tissue from 8 patients and 5 controls. Correlations between these chemokines and peripheral immune cells, cytokines, disease activity parameters were analyzed. Their serum changes were also investigated in these 45 patients after glucocorticoids and immunosuppressive treatment.

Results

Patients and controls were age and sex-matched. Twelve higher chemokines and 4 lower chemokines were found based on the chemokine array. After validation, increase of 5 chemokines were confirmed in patients with TAK, including CCL22, RANTES, CXCL16, CXCL11, and IL-16. Their expressions were also increased in vascular tissue of patients with TAK. In addition, levels of RANTES and IL-16 were positively correlated with peripheral CD3+CD4+ T cell numbers. Close localization of CCL22, CXCL11 or IL-16 with inflammatory cells were also observed in TAK vascular tissue. No correlations were found between these chemokines and cytokines (IL-6, IL-17, IFN-γ) or inflammatory parameters (ESR, CRP). No differences were observed regarding with these chemokines between active and inactive patients. After treatment, increase of CCL22 and decrease of RANTES, CXCL16 were found, while no changes were showed in levels of CXCL11 and IL-16.

Conclusion

CCL22, RANTES, CXCL16, CXCL11, and IL-16 were identified as the major chemokines involved in the recruitment of immune cells in the vascular tissue of patients with TAK. Additionally, the persistently high levels of CCL22, CXCL11, and IL-16 observed after treatment indicate their role in vascular chronic inflammation or fibrosis and demonstrate the need for developing more efficacious treatment options.

References

[1]Seyahi E. Takayasu arteritis: an update. Curr Opin Rheumatol. 2017 Jan;29(1):51-56.

[2]Corbera-Bellalta M, Planas-Rigol E, Lozano E, Terrades-García N, Alba MA, Prieto-González S, García-Martínez A, Albero R, Enjuanes A, Espígol-Frigolé G, Hernández-Rodríguez J, Roux-Lombard P, Ferlin WG, Dayer JM, Kosco-Vilbois MH, Cid MC. Blocking interferon γ reduces expression of chemokines CXCL9, CXCL10 and CXCL11 and decreases macrophage infiltration in ex vivo cultured arteries from patients with giant cell arteritis. Ann Rheum Dis. 2016 Jun;75(6):1177-86.

[3]Noris M, Daina E, Gamba S, Bonazzola S, Remuzzi G. Interleukin-6 and RANTES in Takayasu arteritis: a guide for therapeutic decisions? Circulation. 1999 Jul 6;100(1):55-60.

[4]Dong H, Zhang Y, Zou Y, Chen Y, Yue J, Liu H, Jiang X. Elevated chemokines concentration is associated with disease activity in Takayasu arteritis. Cytokine. 2021 Jul;143:155515.

Disclosure of Interests

None declared.

Advances in the study of CD47-based bispecific antibody in cancer immunotherapy

Tumor therapy has entered the era of immunotherapy. Monoclonal antibodies (mAb), immune checkpoint inhibitors, chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T), cytokine-induced killer (CIK)，tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) and other cellular immunotherapies have become the focus of current research. The CD47/SIRPα target is becoming another popular tumor immunotherapy target following the PDCD1/CD247(PD1/PD-L1) checkpoint inhibitor. In recent years, a large number of CD47/SIRPα mAbs, fusion proteins, and CD47/SIRPα-based bispecific antibodies (BsAbs) are undergoing preclinical and clinical trials and have good curative effects in the treatment of hematological tumors and solid tumors. They bring new vitality and hope for the treatment of patients with advanced tumors. This review summarizes the research progress of CD47/SIRPα-based BsAbs with different targets for tumor treatment. There are 12 and 9 BsAbs in clinical trials and pre-clinical research, respectively. We report on the mechanism of 15 BsAb molecules with different target and analyze the efficacy and safety of preclinical and clinical trials, discuss the issues that may be faced in the development of CD47-based BsAbs, and dual target molecules, and summarize their development prospects. This review provides a reference for the safety and effectiveness of BsAbs in clinical application and in the future development of antibodies.

Stable Fluorinated Hybrid Microporous Material for the Efficient Separation of C2-C3 Alkyne/Alkene Mixtures

The separation of C₂-C₃ alkyne/alkene mixtures is important but difficult work thanks to their similar physical and chemical properties. Crystalline porous materials with high alkyne adsorption and prominent separation selectivity of alkyne/alkene mixtures have been extensively investigated because of their energy-saving merits. Herein, we report a fluorinated hybrid microporous material (FJI-W1) that exhibits unexpected water and thermal stability. Gas sorption isotherms show that FJI-W1 has ultrahigh C₂H₂ and C₃H₄ adsorption capacities of 150 and 159 cm³/g, respectively. Furthermore, dynamic breakthrough experiments indicate that the intervals of breakthrough time between the two gases for 1:99 (v/v) C₂H₂/C₂H₄ and 1:99 (v/v) C₃H₄/C₃H₆ can be up to 230 and 600 min/g, respectively. Additionally, the tests with different flow rates and three-cycle breakthrough tests demonstrate that FJI-W1 has a remarkable C₂-C₃ alkyne/alkene separation performance.