Development and validation of a Chinese version chronic wound health-related quality of life instrument: A methodological study

AIMS AND OBJECTIVES

To develop a Chinese version of a chronic wound health-related quality of life (QoL) instrument and to examine the psychometric properties of this instrument.

BACKGROUND

Existing QoL instruments are not tailored to the linguistic and cultural characteristics of Chinese-speaking patients; a version addressing this gap will increase clinical understanding of their healthcare experience and may help guide chronic wound care.

DESIGN

A methodological study.

METHODS

The method advanced by DeVellis (2017) was used to develop the instrument. An initial pool of 38 items was created. To optimize scale length and test reliability and validity, exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses were conducted. A total of 23 items formed the final pool. After two rounds of expert discussions, the average content validity index of the final 23 items was .89.

RESULTS

A total of 226 patients completed the instrument and were divided into two groups for further analysis. Exploratory factor analysis revealed that 15 items remained in four factors (social activity restrictions, physical and psychological disturbance, wound burden and daily life limitation), which accounted for 64.87% of the variance. Confirmatory factor analysis revealed an acceptable fit of the hypothesized factor structure and the convergent and discriminant validities were achieved. Cronbach's α coefficients for each factor were .807, .773, .799 and .713, respectively.

CONCLUSION

The Chinese version of a chronic wound health-related QoL instrument consists of 15 items in four subscales and demonstrates good reliability and validity.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE

This instrument can be used intermittently or continuously to evaluate the treatment effect of chronic wounds by assessing health-related QoL. Scholars in Chinese-speaking regions may find this culturally compatible instrument useful when conducting studies related to chronic wounds.

PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION

Two hundred twenty-six participants provided their perspectives on health-related QoL.

Diabetic Rats Induced Using a High-Fat Diet and Low-Dose Streptozotocin Treatment Exhibit Gut Microbiota Dysbiosis and Osteoporotic Bone Pathologies

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) presents a challenge for individuals today, affecting their health and life quality. Besides its known complications, T2DM has been found to contribute to bone/mineral abnormalities, thereby increasing the vulnerability to bone fragility/fractures. However, there is still a need for appropriate diagnostic approaches and targeted medications to address T2DM-associated bone diseases. This study aims to investigate the relationship between changes in gut microbiota, T2DM, and osteoporosis. To explore this, a T2DM rat model was induced by combining a high-fat diet and low-dose streptozotocin treatment. Our findings reveal that T2DM rats have lower bone mass and reduced levels of bone turnover markers compared to control rats. We also observe significant alterations in gut microbiota in T2DM rats, characterized by a higher relative abundance of Firmicutes (F) and Proteobacteria (P), but a lower relative abundance of Bacteroidetes (B) at the phylum level. Further analysis indicates a correlation between the F/B ratio and bone turnover levels, as well as between the B/P ratio and HbA1c levels. Additionally, at the genus level, we observe an inverse correlation in the relative abundance of Lachnospiraceae. These findings show promise for the development of new strategies to diagnose and treat T2DM-associated bone diseases.

Targeting Macrophages: Therapeutic Approaches in Diabetic Kidney Disease

Diabetes is not solely a metabolic disorder but also involves inflammatory processes. The immune response it incites is a primary contributor to damage in target organs. Research indicates that during the initial phases of diabetic nephropathy, macrophages infiltrate the kidneys alongside lymphocytes, initiating a cascade of inflammatory reactions. The interplay between macrophages and other renal cells is pivotal in the advancement of kidney disease within a hyperglycemic milieu. While M1 macrophages react to the inflammatory stimuli induced by elevated glucose levels early in the disease progression, their subsequent transition to M2 macrophages, which possess anti-inflammatory and tissue repair properties, also contributes to fibrosis in the later stages of nephropathy by transforming into myofibroblasts. Comprehending the diverse functions of macrophages in diabetic kidney disease and regulating their activity could offer therapeutic benefits for managing this condition.

Treatment outcome and germline predictive factors of ropeginterferon alpha-2b in myeloproliferative neoplasm patients

BACKGROUND

Studies have shown that some single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) could serve as excellent markers in foretelling the treatment outcome of interferon (IFN) in myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN). However, most work originated from western countries, and data from different ethnic populations have been lacking.

METHODS

To gain insights, targeted sequencing was performed to detect myeloid-associated mutations and SNPs in eight loci across three genes (IFNL4, IFN-γ, and inosine triphosphate pyrophosphatase [ITPA]) to explore their predictive roles in our cohort of 21 ropeginterferon alpha-2b (ROPEG)-treated MPN patients, among whom real-time quantitative PCR was also performed periodically to monitor the JAK2V617F allele burden in 19 JAK2V617F-mutated cases.

RESULTS

ELN response criteria were adopted to designate patients as good responders if they achieved complete hematological responses (CHR) within 1 year (CHR1) or attained major molecular responses (MMR), which occurred in 70% and 45% of the patients, respectively. IFNL4 and IFN-γ gene SNPs were infrequent in our population and were thus excluded from further analysis. Two ITPA SNPs rs6051702 A>C and rs1127354 C>A were associated with an inferior CHR1 rate and MMR rate, respectively. The former seemed to be linked to grade 2 or worse hepatotoxicity as well, although the comparison was of borderline significance only (50%, vs. 6.7% in those with common haplotype, p = 0.053). Twelve patients harbored 19 additional somatic mutations in 12 genes, but the trajectory of these mutations varied considerably and was not predictive of any response.

CONCLUSIONS

Overall, this study provided valuable information on the ethnics- and genetics-based algorithm in the treatment of MPN.

Microbial Analysis in Chronic Rhinosinusitis Patients with Chronic Kidney Disease and End-Stage Renal Disease

INTRODUCTION

This study aimed to elucidate the bacterial profile of chronic rhinosinusitis (CRS) in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and chronic kidney disease (CKD) compared with nonrenal patients, guiding antibiotic selection for clinicians.

METHODS

We retrospectively analyzed 13,906 inpatients from the Chang Gung Research Database who underwent sinus surgery (2004-2018). Patients were categorized into ESRD-CRS, CKD-CRS, and non-CKD-CRS based on the estimated glomerular filtration rate. Bacterial cultures from surgical samples were classified as facultative anaerobes or aerobes (e.g., Klebsiella pneumoniae [KP], Pseudomonas aeruginosa [Ps.a]), anaerobes, and fungi and ranked by prevalence.

RESULTS

Data from 47 ESRD-CRS, 230 CKD-CRS, and 13,123 non-CKD-CRS patients were analyzed. In ESRD-CRS, the predominant species were KP (31.6%), Ps.a (21.1%), and Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus (CoNS, 15.8%). CKD-CRS showed Staphylococcus epidermidis (27.7%), CoNS (20.5%), and Ps.a (20.5%). Non-CKD-CRS had Staphylococcus epidermidis (29.8%), CoNS (25.0%), and Staphylococcus aureus (15.5%). For anaerobes, ESRD-CRS was dominated by Fusobacterium nucleatum (10.5%) and Peptostreptococcus micros (10.5%), whereas CKD-CRS and non-CKD-CRS showed Propionibacterium acnes as a primary strain (14.5% and 28.7%, respectively).

CONCLUSION

For CRS in ESRD, antibiotics targeting KP and Fusobacterium nucleatum are recommended. In CKD-CRS, a focus on Staphylococcus epidermidis and Propionibacterium acnes is suggested.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE

4 Laryngoscope, 2024.

Crosslinking chitosan with glucose via the modified Maillard reaction promotes the osteoinduction of mouse MC3T3-E1 pre-osteoblasts

Bone defects are a common clinical issue, but therapeutic efficiency can be challenging in cases of more considerable traumas or elderly patients with degenerated physiological metabolism. To address this issue, a more suitable cell-biomaterial construct promoting bone regeneration has been extensively investigated, with the chitosan scaffold being considered a potential candidate. In this study, chitosan was crosslinked with different doses of glucose (CTS-10~50%Glc) using a modified Maillard reaction condition to develop a more appropriate cell-biomaterial construct. Mouse MC3T3-E1 pre-osteoblasts were seeded onto the scaffolds to examine their osteoinductive capability. The results showed that CTS-Glc scaffolds with higher glucose contents effectively improved the adhesion and survival of mouse MC3T3-E1 pre-osteoblasts and promoted their differentiation and mineralization. It was further demonstrated that the membrane integrin α5 subunit of pre-osteoblasts is the primary adhesion molecule that communicates with CTS-Glc scaffolds. After that, Akt signaling was activated, and then bone morphogenetic protein 4 was secreted to initiate the osteoinduction of pre-osteoblasts. The prepared CTS-Glc scaffold, with enhanced osteoinduction capability and detailed mechanism elucidations, offers a promising candidate material for advancing bone tissue engineering and clinical regenerative medicine. As a result, this study presents a potential tool for future clinical treatment of bone defects.

Mandatory monthly outpatient visits could improve therapeutic inertia in patients with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes

AIMS/INTRODUCTION

Delayed intensification of treatment, or therapeutic inertia, increases the risk of diabetic complications and death. The aim of this study was to determine the effect of mandatory monthly outpatient visits on therapeutic inertia in patients with suboptimal control of type 2 diabetes.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This retrospective cohort study used data from the Chang Gung Research Database and defined two study periods: the baseline period and the intervention period. The intervention period began when the Kaohsiung branch initiated a mandatory monthly outpatient visits program. Type 2 diabetes patients with baseline glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) >7% and a follow-up HbA1c measurement were enrolled in each period, and divided into a Kaohsiung branch (intervention) group and the other branches (control) group. Therapy intensification was evaluated by comparing prescriptions after the follow-up HbA1c measurement with the prescriptions after the baseline HbA1c measurement.

RESULTS

A total of 5,045 patients at the Kaohsiung branch and 13,400 participants at other branches were enrolled in the baseline period; and 5,573 and 15,603 patients, respectively, were enrolled in the intervention period. The adjusted odds ratio (AOR) for therapy intensification in patients with baseline HbA1c ≥9% was not significantly higher at 1.21 (95% CI, 1.00-1.47) in the intervention period at the Kaohsiung branch, but was significantly higher (AOR, 1.53; 95% CI, 1.02-2.30) in the subgroup with worsened HbA1c.

CONCLUSIONS

Mandatory monthly outpatient visits could improve therapeutic inertia in patients with poorly controlled type 2 diabetes, especially in those with worsened control. The trajectory of HbA1c could significantly influence the assessment of the prevalence of therapeutic inertia.

Therapeutic Potential of Regorafenib in Cisplatin-Resistant Bladder Cancer with High Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition and Stemness Properties

Bladder cancer is becoming one of the most common malignancies across the world. Although treatment strategy has been continuously improved, which has led to cisplatin-based chemotherapy becoming the standard medication, cancer recurrence and metastasis still occur in a high proportion of patients because of drug resistance. The high efficacy of regorafenib, a broad-spectrum kinase inhibitor, has been evidenced in treating a variety of advanced cancers. Hence, this study investigated whether regorafenib could also effectively antagonize the survival of cisplatin-resistant bladder cancer and elucidate the underlying mechanism. Two types of cisplatin-resistant bladder cancer cells, T24R1 and T24R2, were isolated from T24 cisplatin-sensitive bladder cancer cells. These cells were characterized, and T24R1- and T24R2-xenografted tumor mice were created to examine the therapeutic efficacy of regorafenib. T24R1 and T24R2 cells exhibited higher expression levels of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and stemness markers compared to the T24 cells, and regorafenib could simultaneously inhibit the viability and the expression of EMT/stemness markers of both T24R1 and T24R2 cells. Moreover, regorafenib could efficiently arrest the cell cycle, promote apoptosis, and block the transmigration/migration capabilities of both types of cells. Finally, regorafenib could significantly antagonize the growth of T24R1- and T24R2-xenografted tumors in mice. These results demonstrated the therapeutic efficacy of regorafenib in cisplatin-resistant bladder cancers. This study, thus, provides more insights into the mechanism of action of regorafenib and demonstrates its great potential in the future treatment of cisplatin-resistant advanced bladder cancer patients.

An observational study on salivary conductivity for fluid status assessment and clinical relevance in acute ischemic stroke during intravenous fluid hydration

The body fluid status in acute stroke is a crucial determinant in early stroke recovery but a real-time method to monitor body fluid status is not available. This study aims to evaluate the relationship between salivary conductivity and body fluid status during the period of intravenous fluid hydration. Between June 2020 to August 2022, patients presenting with clinical signs of stroke at the emergency department were enrolled. Salivary conductivities were measured before and 3 h after intravenous hydration. Patients were considered responsive if their salivary conductivities at 3 h decreased by more than 20% compared to their baseline values. Stroke severity was assessed using the National Institutes of Health Stroke Scale, and early neurological improvement was defined as a decrease of ≥ 2 points within 72 h of admission. Among 108 recruited patients, there were 35 of stroke mimics, 6 of transient ischemic attack and 67 of acute ischemic stroke. Salivary conductivity was significantly decreased after hydration in all patients (9008 versus 8118 µs/cm, p = 0.030). Among patients with acute ischemic stroke, the responsive group, showed a higher rate of early neurological improvement within 3 days compared to the non-responsive group (37% versus 10%, p = 0.009). In a multivariate logistic regression model, a decrease in salivary conductivity of 20% or more was found to be an independent factor associated with early neurological improvement (odds ratio 5.42, 95% confidence interval 1.31-22.5, p = 0.020). Real-time salivary conductivity might be a potential indicator of hydration status of the patient with acute ischemic stroke.

Insight into the Clonal Lineage and Antimicrobial Resistance of Staphylococcus aureus from Vascular Access Infections before and during the COVID-19 Pandemic

Patients receiving hemodialysis are at risk of vascular access infections (VAIs) and are particularly vulnerable to the opportunistic pathogen Staphylococcus aureus. Hemodialysis patients were also at increased risk of infection during the COVID-19 pandemic. Therefore, this study determined the change in the molecular and antibiotic resistance profiles of S. aureus isolates from VAIs during the pandemic compared with before. A total of 102 S. aureus isolates were collected from VAIs between November 2013 and December 2021. Before the pandemic, 69 isolates were collected, 58%, 39.1%, and 2.9% from arteriovenous grafts (AVGs), tunneled cuffed catheters (TCCs), and arteriovenous fistulas (AVFs), respectively. The prevalence of AVG and TCC isolates changed to 39.4% and 60.6%, respectively, of the 33 isolates during the pandemic. Sequence type (ST)59 was the predominant clone in TCC methicillin-resistant S. aureus (MRSA) and AVG-MRSA before the pandemic, whereas the predominant clone was ST8 in AVG-MRSA during the pandemic. ST59 carrying the ermB gene was resistant to clindamycin and erythromycin. By contrast, ST8 carrying the msrA gene was exclusively resistant to erythromycin. The ST distribution for different VAIs changed from before to during the pandemic. The change in antibiotic resistance rate for different VAIs was closely related to the distribution of specific STs.

Altered glutamate level and its association with working memory among patients with treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS): a proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy study

BACKGROUND

Treatment-resistant schizophrenia (TRS) and non-TRS may be associated with different dopaminergic and glutamatergic regulations. The concept of dysregulated glutamatergic concentrations in specific brain regions remains controversial. Herein, we aimed to assess (i) the distribution of the glutamatergic concentration in the brain, (ii) the association between working memory (WM) differences in TRS and non-TRS patients, and (iii) whether an alteration in the glutamate (Glu) level is associated with WM.

METHODS

The participants included 38 TRS patients, 35 non-TRS patients, and 19 healthy controls (HCs), all of whom underwent 1.5-Tesla proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy of anterior cingulate cortex (ACC) and medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC). The ratios of glutamatergic neurometabolites to N-acetylaspartate + N-acetyl aspartylglutamate (NAAx) were calculated. Cognitive function was assessed using the Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scales, 4th Edition, which included the working memory index (WMI).

RESULT

The TRS patients had a higher glutamate + glutamine (Glx)/NAAx ratio compared to the non-TRS patients and HCs in the ACC, but this was not significantly different in the MPFC. WM was negatively correlated with Glx/NAAx in the ACC among the non-TRS patients, but not in the TRS patients or HCs.

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings were consistent with most studies indicating that the glutamatergic concentration in the ACC plays important roles in the classification of TRS and cognition. Our results may provide potential evidence for predictors and treatment response biomarkers in TRS patients. Further research is needed to probe the value using the relationship between Glu and WM as a potential prognostic predictor of schizophrenia.

A Nomogram Incorporating Neutrophil-to-Lymphocyte Ratio and Squamous Cell Carcinoma Antigen Predicts the Prognosis of Oral Cancers

We introduced a novel squamous cell carcinoma inflammatory index (SCI) and explored its prognostic utility for individuals with operable oral cavity squamous cell carcinomas (OSCCs). We retrospectively analyzed data from 288 patients who were given a diagnosis of primary OSCC from January 2008 to December 2017. The SCI value was derived by multiplying the serum squamous cell carcinoma antigen and neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio values. We appraised the associations of the SCI with survival outcomes by performing Cox proportional hazards and Kaplan-Meier analyses. We constructed a nomogram for survival predictions by incorporating independent prognostic factors in a multivariable analysis. By executing a receiver operating characteristic curve analysis, we identified the SCI cutoff to be 3.45, and 188 and 100 patients had SCI values of <3.45 and ≥3.45, respectively. The patients with a high SCI (≥3.45) were associated with worse disease-free survival and overall survival than those with a low SCI (<3.45). An elevated preoperative SCI (≥3.45) predicted adverse overall survival (hazard ratio [HR] = 2.378; p < 0.002) and disease-free survival (HR = 2.219; p < 0.001). The SCI-based nomogram accurately predicted overall survival (concordance index: 0.779). Our findings indicate that SCI is a valuable biomarker that is highly associated with patient survival outcomes in OSCC.

Dickkopf-1 Acts as a Profibrotic Mediator in Progressive Chronic Kidney Disease

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a serious public health problem. Due to a high variability in the speed of CKD progression to end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and the critical involvement of Wnt/β-catenin signaling in CKD, we investigated the role of the Wnt antagonist Dickkopf-1 (DKK1) in CKD progression. Our data revealed that patients with CKD stages 4-5 had higher DKK1 levels in their serum and renal tissues than the control subjects. In an 8-year follow-up, the serum DKK1-high group in the enrolled CKD patients showed a faster progression to ESRD than the serum DKK1-low group. Using a rat model of 5/6 nephrectomy (Nx)-induced CKD, we consistently detected elevated serum levels and renal production of DKK1 in 5/6 Nx rats compared to sham-operated rats. Importantly, the knockdown of the DKK1 levels in the 5/6 Nx rats markedly attenuated the CKD-associated phenotypes. Mechanistically, we demonstrated that the treatment of mouse mesangial cells with recombinant DKK1 protein induced not only the production of multiple fibrogenic proteins, but also the expression of endogenous DKK1. Collectively, our findings suggest that DKK1 acts as a profibrotic mediator in CKD, and elevated levels of serum DKK1 may be an independent predictor of faster disease progression to ESRD in patients with advanced CKD.

Functional and Anatomical Outcomes of Anti-Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Treatment for Exudative Age-Related Macular Degeneration with or without Obstructive Sleep Apnea

(1) To investigate the functional and anatomical outcomes of anti-vascular endothelial growth factor (anti-VEGF) treatment in patients with exudative age-related macular degeneration (AMD) with or without obstructive sleep apnea (OSA); (2) In total, 65 patients with AMD with or without OSA who received three consecutive doses of intravitreal anti-VEGF injections were enrolled. The primary outcomes-best-corrected visual acuity (BCVA) and central macular thickness (CMT)-were assessed at 1 and 3 months. Moreover, morphological changes observed through optical coherence tomography were analyzed; (3) In total, 15 of the 65 patients had OSA and were included in the OSA group; the remaining 50 patients were included in the non-OSA (control) group. At 1 and 3 months after treatment, BCVA and CMT had improved but did not differ significantly between the groups. More patients in the OSA group demonstrated subretinal fluid (SRF) resorption at 3 months after treatment than in the non-OSA group (p = 0.009). Changes in other imaging biomarkers, such as intraretinal cysts, retinal pigment epithelium detachment, hyperreflective dots, and ellipsoid zone disruptions, did not differ significantly between the groups; (4) Our results suggest that the BCVA and CMT outcomes 3 months after anti-VEGF treatment are similar between patients with and without OSA. Moreover, patients with OSA may exhibit superior SRF resorption. A large-scale prospective study is mandatory to evaluate the association between SRF resorption and visual outcomes in AMD patients with OSA.

Association between initial in-hospital heart rate and glycemic control in patients with acute ischemic stroke and diabetes mellitus

BACKGROUND

A high resting heart rate (HR) has been associated with an increased risk of diabetes mellitus. This study explored the association between initial in-hospital HR and glycemic control in patients with acute ischemic stroke (AIS) and diabetes mellitus.

METHODS

We analyzed data from 4,715 patients with AIS and type 2 diabetes mellitus enrolled in the Chang Gung Research Database between January 2010 and September 2018. The study outcome was unfavorable glycemic control, defined as glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) ≥ 7%. In statistical analyses, the mean initial in-hospital HR was used as both a continuous and categorical variable. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were estimated using multivariable logistic regression analysis. The associations between the HR subgroups and HbA1c levels were analyzed using a generalized linear model.

RESULTS

Compared with the reference group (HR < 60 bpm), the adjusted ORs for unfavorable glycemic control were 1.093 (95% CI 0.786-1.519) for an HR of 60-69 bpm, 1.370 (95% CI 0.991-1.892) for an HR of 70-79 bpm, and 1.608 (95% CI 1.145-2.257) for an HR of ≥ 80 bpm. Even after adjusting for possible confounders, the HbA1c levels after admission and discharge among diabetic stroke patients increased significantly in the subgroups with higher HRs (p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS

High initial in-hospital HR is associated with unfavorable glycemic control in patients with AIS and diabetes mellitus, particularly in those with an HR of ≥ 80 bpm, compared with those with an HR of < 60 bpm.

Early administration of ivabradine in patients admitted for acute decompensated heart failure

BACKGROUND

Heart rate (HR) control is important in heart failure (HF) patients with reduced ejection fraction, and ivabradine is indicated for patients with chronic HF and sinus rhythm. However, ivabradine is limited in initiation of ivabradine at acute stage of HF.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

This multi-institutional retrospective study enrolled 30,639 patients who were admitted for HF from January 01, 2013 to December 31, 2018 at Chang Gung Memorial Hospitals. After applying selection criteria, the eligible patients were divided into ivabradine and non-ivabradine groups according to the initiation of ivabradine at the index hospitalization. HR, clinical outcomes including HF hospitalization, all-cause hospitalization, mortality, the composite of cardiovascular (CV) death or HF hospitalization and newly developed atrial fibrillation, and left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) and left atrium size were compared between the ivabradine and non-ivabradine groups after inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) analysis after 12 months.

RESULTS

The HR at admission in the ivabradine group (n = 433) was 99.04 ± 20.69/min, compared to 86.99 ± 20.34/min in the non-ivabradine group (n = 9,601). After IPTW, HR was lower in the ivabradine group than that in the non-ivabradine group after 12 months (74.14 ± 8.53 vs. 81.23 ± 16.79 bpm, p = 0.079). However, there were no significant differences in HF hospitalization (HR = 1.02; 95% CI, 0.38-2.79), all-cause hospitalization (HR = 0.95; 95% CI, 0.54-1.68), mortality (HR = 0.87; 95% CI, 0.69-1.08), the composite of CV death or HF hospitalization (HR = 0.87; 95% CI, 0.69-1.08) and newly developed AF between the two groups. In addition, LVEF increased with time in both groups, but there were no significant differences during the observation period.

CONCLUSION

Ivabradine was beneficial in controlling HR when initiated in patients with acute stage of HF, but it did not seem to provide any benefits in reducing HF hospitalization, all-cause hospitalization, and mortality in 1 year after discharge.

Inhibition of Neddylation Suppresses Osteoclast Differentiation and Function In Vitro and Alleviates Osteoporosis In Vivo

Neddylation, or the covalent addition of NEDD8 to specific lysine residue of proteins, is a reversible posttranslational modification, which regulates numerous biological functions; however, its involvement and therapeutic significance in osteoporosis remains unknown. Our results revealed that during the soluble receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (sRANKL)-stimulated osteoclast differentiation, the neddylation and expression of UBA3, the NEDD8-activating enzyme (NAE) catalytic subunit, were dose- and time-dependently upregulated in RAW 264.7 macrophages. UBA3 knockdown for diminishing NAE activity or administering low doses of the NAE inhibitor MLN4924 significantly suppressed sRANKL-stimulated osteoclast differentiation and bone-resorbing activity in the macrophages by inhibiting sRANKL-stimulated neddylation and tumor necrosis factor receptor-associated factor 6 (TRAF6)-activated transforming growth factor-β-activated kinase 1 (TAK1) downstream signaling for diminishing nuclear factor-activated T cells c1 (NFATc1) expression. sRANKL enhanced the interaction of TRAF6 with the neddylated proteins and the polyubiquitination of TRAF6's lysine 63, which activated TAK1 downstream signaling; however, this process was inhibited by MLN4924. MLN4924 significantly reduced osteoporosis in an ovariectomy- and sRANKL-induced osteoporosis mouse model in vivo. Our novel finding was that NAE-mediated neddylation participates in RANKL-activated TRAF6-TAK1-NFATc1 signaling during osteoclast differentiation and osteoporosis, suggesting that neddylation may be a new target for treating osteoporosis.

Elevated risk of acute epiglottitis in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease: A nationwide cohort study

Objective

In individuals with epiglottitis, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a common comorbidity; however, the impact of COPD under such circumstances is not well documented. Therefore, we performed this population-based study to determine whether, in adults, COPD is a risk factor for epiglottitis.

Methods

In this retrospective matched-cohort study, data obtained from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database were analyzed. We identified all patients newly diagnosed as having COPD in 2000–2011 and performed frequency matching and propensity-score matching for every patient with COPD individually to another patient without a COPD diagnosis. We used epiglottitis occurrence as the study endpoint, and we investigated the hazard ratio of epiglottitis by using the Cox proportional hazards model after adjustment for potential confounders.

Results

In the frequency matching, the cumulative epiglottitis incidence was significantly higher (p = 0.005) in the COPD cohort. According to the adjusted Cox proportional hazard model, COPD exhibited a significant association with elevated epiglottitis incidence (adjusted hazard ratio: 1.76; 95% confidence interval: 1.15–2.70, p = 0.009). Similar trend was observed in the propensity-score matching analysis (adjusted hazard ratio: 1.50; 95% confidence interval: 0.99–2.29, p = 0.057). Our subgroup analysis revealed COPD to be an epiglottitis risk factor in male patients and those aged 40–64 years.

Conclusions

This is the first nationwide matched-cohort research to examine the association of COPD with epiglottitis. Our results revealed that COPD may be a potential risk factor for epiglottitis; thus, clinicians should be mindful of the potential increased risk of epiglottitis following COPD.

Visfatin and Resveratrol Differentially Regulate the Expression of Thymidylate Synthase to Control the Sensitivity of Human Colorectal Cancer Cells to Capecitabine Cytotoxicity

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a highly lethal malignant cancer. Capecitabine, a 5-fluororacil (5-FU) derivate, is its first-line drug, but the resistance of CRC to capecitabine is still the most challenging factor for curing patients. It has been suggested that thymidylate synthase (TYMS) level might affect the capecitabine efficacy in CRC patients, but the mechanism still needs more elucidation. Obesity is a risk factor for CRC. Recently, a correlation between serum visfatin, an obesity-elicited adipokine, and CRC development has been found. Thus, the aim of present study is to examine the visfatin capacity in TYMS expression and in the development of capecitabine resistance of CRC. Moreover, an attractive natural component, i.e., resveratrol, has been proposed in anticancer therapy and has hence been examined in the present study to see its potential capacity in the alleviation of CRC resistance. Our results found that visfatin significantly reduces the CRC sensitivity to capecitabine by controlling the TYMS expression via p38 signaling and Sp1 transcription factor. Moreover, resveratrol could significantly alleviate the visfatin effect on capecitabine-treated CRC cells. These results provided new insights to understand the capecitabine susceptibility of CRC under a visfatin-containing environment and a possible therapeutic application of resveratrol in CRC patients with obesity.

Sarcomeres Morphology and Z-Line Arrangement Disarray Induced by Ventricular Premature Contractions through the Rac2/Cofilin Pathway

The most common ventricular premature contractions (VPCs) originate from the right ventricular outflow tract (RVOT), but the molecular mechanisms of altered cytoskeletons of VPC-induced cardiomyopathy remain unexplored. We created a RVOT bigeminy VPC pig model (n = 6 in each group). Echocardiography was performed. The histopathological alternations in the LV myocardium were analyzed, and next generation sequencing (NGS) and functional enrichment analyses were employed to identify the differentially expressed genes (DEGs) responsible for the histopathological alternations. Finally, a cell silencing model was used to confirm the key regulatory gene and pathway. VPC pigs had increased LV diameters in the 6-month follow-up period. A histological study showed more actin cytoskeleton disorganization and actin accumulation over intercalated disc, Z-line arrangement disarray, increased β-catenin expression, and cardiomyocyte enlargement in the LV myocardium of the VPC pigs compared to the control pigs. The NGS study showed actin cytoskeleton signaling, RhoGDI signaling, and signaling by Rho Family GTPases and ILK Signaling presented z-scores with same activation states. The expressions of Rac family small GTPase 2 (Rac2), the p-cofilin/cofilin ratio, and the F-actin/G-actin ratio were downregulated in the VPC group compared to the control group. Moreover, the intensity and number of actin filaments per cardiomyocyte were significantly decreased by Rac2 siRNA in the cell silencing model. Therefore, the Rac2/cofilin pathway was found to play a crucial role in the sarcomere morphology and Z-line arrangement disarray induced by RVOT bigeminy VPCs.

Role of Nutritional Status in the Treatment Outcome for Esophageal Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Undernourishment is reported to impair treatment response, further leading to poor prognosis for cancer patients. We aimed to investigate the role of nutritional status on the prognosis of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the esophagus, and its correlation with anticancer immune responsiveness. We retrospectively reviewed 340 esophageal-SCC patients who completed curative treatment and received a nutrition evaluation by the Patient-Generated Subjective Global Assessment (PGSGA) score at the beginning and completion of neoadjuvant treatment at our hospital. The correlation between the nutritional status and various clinicopathological parameters and prognosis were examined. In addition, the role of nutritional status in the regulation of the anticancer immune response was also assessed in cancer patients and in a 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide (4NQO)-induced esophageal tumor model. Our data revealed that malnutrition (patients with a high PGSGA score) was associated with advanced stage and reduced survival rate. Patients in the group with a high PGSGA score were correlated with the higher neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio, higher proportion of myeloid-derived-suppressor cells (MDSC) and increased IL-6 level. Furthermore, surgical resection brought the survival benefit to patients in the low PGSGA group, but not for the malnourished patients after neoadjuvant treatment. Using a 4NQO-induced tumor model, we found that nutrition supplementation decreased the rate of invasive tumor formation and attenuated the immune-suppressive microenvironment. In conclusion, malnutrition was associated with poor prognosis in esophageal-SCC patients. Nutritional status evaluated by PGSGA may be useful to guide treatment decisions in clinical practice. Nutritional supplementation is suggested to improve prognosis, and it might be related to augmented anticancer immune response.

Comparison of functional dorsal attention network alterations in breast cancer survivors before and after chemotherapy

ABSTRACT

Breast cancer is the leading type of cancer among women worldwide, and a high number of breast cancer patients are suffering from psychological and cognitive disorders. This cross-sectional study used resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (rs-fMRI) and clinical neuropsychological tests to evaluate the possible underlying mechanisms.We enrolled 32 breast cancer patients without chemotherapy (BC), 32 breast cancer patients within 6 to 12 months after the completion of chemotherapy (BC_CTx) and 46 healthy controls. Participants underwent neuropsychological tests and rs-fMRI with mean fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation and mean regional homogeneity analyses. Between groups whole-brain voxel-wise rs-fMRI comparisons were calculated using two-sample t test. rs-fMRI and neuropsychological tests correlation analyses were calculated using multiple regression. Age and years of education were used as covariates. A false discovery rate-corrected P-value of less than .05 was considered statistically significant.We found significantly alteration of mean fractional amplitude of low-frequency fluctuation and mean regional homogeneity in the frontoparietal lobe and occipital lobe in the BC group compared with the other 2 groups, indicating alteration of functional dorsal attention network (DAN). Furthermore, we found the DAN alteration was correlated with neuropsychological impairment.The majority of potential underlying mechanisms of DAN alteration in BC patients may due to insufficient frontoparietal lobe neural activity to drive DAN and may be related to the effects of neuropsychological distress. Further longitudinal studies with comprehensive images and neuropsychological tests correlations are recommended.

Characterization and Optimization of Chitosan-Coated Polybutylcyanoacrylate Nanoparticles for the Transfection-Guided Neural Differentiation of Mouse Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells

Gene transfection is a valuable tool for analyzing gene regulation and function, and providing an avenue for the genetic engineering of cells for therapeutic purposes. Though efficient, the potential concerns over viral vectors for gene transfection has led to research in non-viral alternatives. Cationic polyplexes such as those synthesized from chitosan offer distinct advantages such as enhanced polyplex stability, cellular uptake, endo-lysosomal escape, and release, but are limited by the poor solubility and viscosity of chitosan. In this study, the easily synthesized biocompatible and biodegradable polymeric polysorbate 80 polybutylcyanoacrylate nanoparticles (PS80 PBCA NP) are utilized as the backbone for surface modification with chitosan, in order to address the synthetic issues faced when using chitosan alone as a carrier. Plasmid DNA (pDNA) containing the brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) gene coupled to a hypoxia-responsive element and the cytomegalovirus promotor gene was selected as the genetic cargo for the in vitro transfection-guided neural-lineage specification of mouse induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), which were assessed by immunofluorescence staining. The chitosan-coated PS80 PBCA NP/BDNF pDNA polyplex measured 163.8 ± 1.8 nm and zeta potential measured -34.8 ± 1.8 mV with 0.01% (w/v) high molecular weight chitosan (HMWC); the pDNA loading efficiency reached 90% at a nanoparticle to pDNA weight ratio of 15, which also corresponded to enhanced polyplex stability on the DNA stability assay. The HMWC-PS80 PBCA NP/BDNF pDNA polyplex was non-toxic to mouse iPSCs for up to 80 μg/mL (weight ratio = 40) and enhanced the expression of BDNF when compared with PS80 PBCA NP/BDNF pDNA polyplex. Evidence for neural-lineage specification of mouse iPSCs was observed by an increased expression of nestin, neurofilament heavy polypeptide, and beta III tubulin, and the effects appeared superior when transfection was performed with the chitosan-coated formulation. This study illustrates the versatility of the PS80 PBCA NP and that surface decoration with chitosan enabled this delivery platform to be used for the transfection-guided differentiation of mouse iPSCs.

Using Non-Contrast MRA to Discriminate between Obstructive and Nonobstructive Venous Diseases of the Legs

BACKGROUND

Venous interventions of the legs are less predictable owing to a lock of objective tools.

METHODS

One hundred and twenty patients with lower extremity venous disease were evaluated anatomically using TRANCE MRI. Then, a QFlow analysis was performed in 53 patients with only one leg affected for hemodynamic evaluation. Those patients with complete QFlow were classified into obstructive and nonobstructive.

RESULTS

The QFlow-namely, stroke volume, forward flow volume, mean flux, stroke distance (SD), and mean velocity (MV) in the external iliac vein (EIV), femoral vein (FV), popliteal vein (PV), and great saphenous vein (GSV). The obstructed group had a shorter SD and lower MV in the EIV, EIV/FV, and GSV/PV (SD: p-values of 0.025, 0.05, and 0.043, respectively; MV: p-values of 0.02, 0.05, and 0.048, respectively). A good performance in discriminating obstructive venous disease was reported for SD in the EIV (area under the curve (AUC) = 67.9%, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 53.2-82.7%), EIV/FV (AUC = 72.4%, 95% CI = 58.2-86.5%), and GSV/PV (AUC = 67.9%, 95% CI = 51.7-84.1%). The SD in the EIV, EIV/FV, and GSV/PV had the ability to discriminate between obstructive and nonobstructive diseases (p-values of 0.025, 0.005, and 0.043). The MV in the EIV, EIV/FV, and GSV/PV had ability to discriminate between obstructive and nonobstructive venous diseases (p-values of 0.02, 0.005, and 0.048).

CONCLUSIONS

The SD and MV were lower for obstructive than nonobstructive disease in the EIV.

Effects of long-term anti-seizure medication monotherapy on all-cause death in patients with post-stroke epilepsy: a nationwide population-based study in Taiwan

OBJECTIVE

We aim to compare the effect of long-term anti-seizure medication (ASM) monotherapy on the risk of death and new ischemic stroke in patients with post-stroke epilepsy (PSE).

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We identified all hospitalized patients (≥ 20 years) with a primary diagnosis of ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke from 2001 to 2012 using the National Health Insurance Research Database in Taiwan. The PSE cohort were defined as the stroke patients (1) who had no epilepsy and no ASMs use before the index stroke, and (2) who had epilepsy and ASMs use after 14 days from the stroke onset. The patients with PSE receiving ASM monotherapy were enrolled and were categorized into phenytoin, valproic acid, carbamazepine, and new ASM groups. We employed the Cox regression model to estimate the unadjusted and adjusted hazard ratios (HRs) with 95 % confidence intervals (CIs) of death and new ischemic stroke within 5 years across all groups, using the new ASM group as the reference.

RESULTS

Of 6962 patients with PSE using ASM monotherapy, 3917 (56 %) were on phenytoin, 1623 (23 %) on valproic acid, 457 (7 %) on carbamazepine, and 965 (14 %) on new ASMs. After adjusting for confounders, compared with new ASM users, phenytoin users had a higher risk of death in 5 years (HR: 1.64; 95 % CI: 1.06-2.55). On the other hand, all ASM groups showed a similar risk of new ischemic stroke in 5 years.

CONCLUSIONS

Among patients with PSE on first-line monotherapy, compared to new ASMs, use of phenytoin was associated with a higher risk of death in 5 years.

The Effect of Polybutylcyanoacrylate Nanoparticles as a Protos Delivery Vehicle on Dental Bone Formation

BACKGROUND

Dental implants are commonly used for missing teeth, for which success depends heavily on the quality of the alveolar bone. The creation of an ideal implant site is a key component in shortening the treatment time, which remains clinically challenging. Strontium ranelate (Protos) is an anti-osteoporotic agent which has previously been used to promote bone formation, however the systemic use of Protos has been linked to serious cardiovascular and venous thromboembolic events, thus local delivery strategies may be better suited for this purpose. In this study, a biodegradable, and biocompatible nanocarrier "polybutylcyanoacrylate" (PBCA) loaded with strontium was constructed and its ability to promote bone formation was assessed.

METHODOLOGY

PBCA nanoparticles loaded with strontium (PBCA-Sr NPs) were synthesized using the emulsion polymerization method, and their physical properties (zeta potential, size and shape) and entrapment efficiency were characterized. Committed MSCs (osteoblasts) were derived from the differentiation of cultured rat mesenchymal stem cells (MSC), which were tested with the PBCA-Sr NPs for cytotoxicity, inflammatory response, bone formation and mineralization. Scanning electron microscopy was performed following a 7-day treatment of PBCA-Sr NPs on decellularized procaine mandibular bone blocks grafted with osteoblasts.

RESULTS

Spherical PBCA-Sr NPs of 166.7 ± 2.3 nm, zeta potential of -1.15 ± 0.28 mV with a strontium loading efficiency of 90.04 ± 3.27% were constructed. The presence of strontium was confirmed by energy-dispersive X-ray spectroscopy. Rat committed MSCs incubated in PBCA-Sr NPs for 24 hrs showed viabilities in excess of 90% for concentrations of up to 250 ug/mL, the cellular expression of osteocalcin and alkaline phosphatase were 1.4 and 1.3 times higher than the untreated control, and significantly higher than those treated with strontium alone. Bone formation was evident following osteoblast engraftment on the decellularized procaine mandibular bone block with PBCA-Sr NPs, which appeared superior to those treated with strontium alone.

CONCLUSION

Treatment of committed MSCs with PBCA-Sr NPs showed higher expression of markers of bone formation when compared with strontium alone and which corresponded to greater degree of bone formation observed on the 3-dimensinal decellularized procaine mandibular bone block. Further quantitative analysis on the extent of new bone formation is warranted.

Porphyromonas gingivalis promotes tumor progression in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma

PURPOSE

Increasing evidence indicates that the microbiome may influence tumor growth and modulate the tumor microenvironment of gastrointestinal cancers. However, the role of oral bacteria in the development of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (EsoSCC) has remained unclear. Herein, we investigated the relationship between the periodontal pathogen Porphyromonas gingivalis and EsoSCC.

METHODS

To identify bacterial biomarkers associated with EsoSCC, we analyzed microbiomes in oral biofilms. The presence of P. gingivalis in esophageal tissues and relationships of P. gingivalis infection with clinicopathologic characteristics in 156 patients with EsoSCC were assessed using immunohistochemistry. The role of P. gingivalis infection in in vitro and in vivo EsoSCC progression was also assessed.

RESULTS

Microbiota profiles in oral biofilms revealed that P. gingivalis abundance was associated with an increased risk of EsoSCC development. In total, 57% of patients with EsoSCC were found to be infected with P. gingivalis. The presence of P. gingivalis was found to be associated with advanced clinical stages and a poor prognosis. It was also found to be associated with an elevated esophageal cancer incidence in a 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide-induced mouse model and with an increased xenograft tumor growth. P. gingivalis infection increased interleukin (IL)-6 production and it promoted epithelial-mesenchymal transition and the recruitment of myeloid-derived suppressor cells. Furthermore, inhibited IL-6 signaling attenuated the tumor-promoting effects of P. gingivalis in 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide-treated mice and xenograft mouse models.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data indicate that P. gingivalis may promote esophageal cancer development and progression. Direct targeting of P. gingivalis or concomitant IL-6 signaling may be a promising strategy to prevent and/or treat EsoSCC associated with P. gingivalis infection.

Roles of lung-recruited monocytes and pulmonary Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) in resolving Ventilator-Induced Lung Injury (VILI)

Monocytes and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) have profound effects on tissue injury and repair. In ventilator-induced lung injury (VILI), monocytes, the majority of which are Ly6C+high, and VEGF are known to initiate lung injury. However, their roles in post-VILI lung repair remain unclear. In this study, we used a two-hit mouse model of VILI to identify the phenotypes of monocytes recruited to the lungs during the resolution of VILI and investigated the contributions of monocytes and VEGF to lung repair. We found that the lung-recruited monocytes were predominantly Ly6C+low from day 1 after the insult. Meanwhile, contrary to inflammatory cytokines, pulmonary VEGF decreased upon VILI but subsequently increased significantly on days 7 and 14 after the injury. There was a strong positive correlation between VEGF expression and proliferation of alveolar epithelial cells in lung sections. The expression pattern of VEGF mRNA in lung-recruited monocytes was similar to that of pulmonary VEGF proteins, and the depletion of monocytes significantly suppressed the increase of pulmonary VEGF proteins on days 7 and 14 after VILI. In conclusion, during recovery from VILI, the temporal expression patterns of pulmonary growth factors are different from those of inflammatory cytokines, and the restoration of pulmonary VEGF by monocytes, which are mostly Ly6C+low, is associated with pulmonary epithelial proliferation. Lung-recruited monocytes and pulmonary VEGF may play crucial roles in post-VILI lung repair.

Usefulness of serial post-systolic shortening by speckle tracking echocardiography to predict major adverse cardiovascular events and segmental function improvement after acute myocardial infarction

Purpose

The aim is to determine whether serial post-systolic shortening (PSS) using speckle tracking echocardiography (STE) could predict major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE), especially symptom-driven infarct-related artery (IRA) revascularization and improvement in segmental function in post-myocardial infarction patients.

Methods/Results

Ninety-four patients (average age 61.1 ± 12.5 y, 84 [84.9%] male) with new-onset acute myocardial infarction were enrolled. Serial echocardiography was performed during the initial presentation, and at 3, 6 and 12 months after admission. PSS, strain and systolic strain rate were calculated using STE. Improvement in segmental function was defined as a decrease of ≧1 grade in wall motion score. During the follow-up (29.4 ± 12.7months), 22 patients (23.4%) had MACE and 17 patients had symptom-driven IRA revascularization. In multivariate model, PSS at 3 months was independently predictive for symptom-driven IRA revascularization (Hazard ratio (HR) = 0.5, 95% CI = 0.26–0.97) and for MACE (HR = 0.4, 95% CI = 0.24–0.67) (p < 0.05). Segmental function improvements were found in 255 segments (66.1%) and ROC curve analyses showed that AUC (95% CI) of the initial PSS was 0.7(0.65–0.77) (cut-off values = -1.08, sensitivity = 58%, specificity = 73% specificity).

Conclusions

Post-systolic shortening at 3 months is an independent predictor for symptom-driven IRA revascularization and MACE. Regional wall motion recovery also could be predicted by initial PSS. Serial assessment of two-dimensional STE should be investigated in post-myocardial infarction patients in the future.

Virtual Screening and In Vitro Evaluation of PD-1 Dimer Stabilizers for Uncoupling PD-1/PD-L1 Interaction from Natural Products

Genetic mutations accumulated overtime could generate many growth and survival advantages for cancer cells, but these mutations also mark cancer cells as targets to be eliminated by the immune system. To evade immune surveillance, cancer cells adopted different intrinsic molecules to suppress immune response. PD-L1 is frequently overexpressed in many cancer cells, and its engagement with PD-1 on T cells diminishes the extent of cytotoxicity from the immune system. To resume immunity for fighting cancer, several therapeutic antibodies disrupting the PD-1/PD-L1 interaction have been introduced in clinical practice. However, their immunogenicity, low tissue penetrance, and high production costs rendered these antibodies beneficial to only a limited number of patients. PD-L1 dimer formation shields the interaction interface for PD-1 binding; hence, screening for small molecule compounds stabilizing the PD-L1 dimer may make immune therapy more effective and widely affordable. In the current study, 111 candidates were selected from over 180,000 natural compound structures through virtual screening, contact fingerprint analysis, and pharmacological property prediction. Twenty-two representative candidates were further evaluated in vitro. Two compounds were found capable of inhibiting the PD-1/PD-L1 interaction and promoting PD-L1 dimer formation. Further structure optimization and clinical development of these lead inhibitors will eventually lead to more effective and affordable immunotherapeutic drugs for cancer patients.

A highly sensitive and specific real-time quantitative PCR for BRAF V600E/K mutation screening

Mutations that lead to constitutive activation of key regulators in cellular processes are one of the most important drivers behind vigorous growth of cancer cells, and are thus prime targets in cancer treatment. BRAF V600E mutation transduces strong growth and survival signals for cancer cells, and is widely present in various types of cancers including lung cancer. A combination of BRAF inhibitor (dabrafenib) and MEK inhibitor (trametinib) has recently been approved and significantly improved the survival of patients with advanced NSCLC harboring BRAF V600E/K mutation. To improve the detection of BRAF V600E/K mutation and investigate the incidence and clinicopathological features of the mutation in lung cancer patients of southern Taiwan, a highly sensitive and specific real-time quantitative PCR (RT-qPCR) method, able to detect single-digit copies of mutant DNA, was established and compared with BRAF V600E-specific immunohistochemistry. Results showed that the BRAF V600E mutation was present at low frequency (0.65%, 2/306) in the studied patient group, and the detection sensitivity and specificity of the new RT-qPCR and V600E-specific immunohistochemistry both reached 100% and 97.6%, respectively. Screening the BRAF V600E/K mutation with the RT-qPCR and V600E-specific immunohistochemistry simultaneously could help improve detection accuracy.

Clinical utility of hepatitis C virus core antigen assay in the monitoring of direct-acting antivirals for chronic hepatitis C

BACKGROUND

Hepatitis C virus core antigen (HCV Ag) assay has been proposed as a more economical alternative to HCV RNA detection. This study aimed to investigate the clinical utility of HCV Ag assay in the monitoring of direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) for chronic hepatitis C patients.

METHODS

We analyzed serum samples from 110 patients treated with paritaprevir/ritonavir, ombitasvir, and dasabuvir (PrOD) with or without ribavirin. The levels for both HCV Ag and HCV RNA assessed by COBAS TaqMan HCV (CTM) Test or Abbott RealTime HCV (ART) assay were evaluated at baseline, week 2, 4, and 12 during treatment and 12 weeks after completion.

RESULTS

Baseline HCV Ag levels showed good correlations with HCV viral load (r = 0.879; p<0.001); whereas the correlation was slightly stronger with CTM test than with ART assay (p = 0.074). The concordance of HCV Ag and HCV RNA undetectability was significantly better in CTM test than in ART assay at week 2 (p = 0.003) and week 4 (p = 0.003). A sustained viral response 12 weeks off therapy (SVR12) was achieved in 108 patients (98%); the HCV Ag assay identified 99% of these patients. Both undetectability of serum HCV Ag and HCV RNA had high positive predictive value at week 2 (98% vs. 100%) and at week 4 (97% vs. 99%) in predicting SVR12.

CONCLUSIONS

HCV Ag assay may be a feasible alternative to HCV RNA for the determination of SVR12 in patients treated with DAAs.

DNMT3b/OCT4 expression confers sorafenib resistance and poor prognosis of hepatocellular carcinoma through IL-6/STAT3 regulation

BACKGROUND

The inflammatory cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) is critical for the expression of octamer-binding transcription factor 4 (OCT4), which is highly associated with early tumor recurrence and poor prognosis of hepatocellular carcinomas (HCC). DNA methyltransferase (DNMT) family is closely linked with OCT4 expression and drug resistance. However, the underlying mechanism regarding the interplay between DNMTs and IL-6-induced OCT4 expression and the sorafenib resistance of HCC remains largely unclear.

METHODS

HCC tissue samples were used to examine the association between DNMTs/OCT4 expression levels and clinical prognosis. Serum levels of IL-6 were detected using ELISA assays (n = 144). Gain- and loss-of-function experiments were performed in cell lines and mouse xenograft models to determine the underlying mechanism in vitro and in vivo.

RESULTS

We demonstrate that levels of DNA methyltransferase 3 beta (DNMT3b) are significantly correlated with the OCT4 levels in HCC tissues (n = 144), and the OCT4 expression levels are positively associated with the serum IL-6 levels. Higher levels of IL-6, DNMT3b, or OCT4 predicted early HCC recurrence and poor prognosis. We show that IL-6/STAT3 activation increases DNMT3b/1 and OCT4 in HCC. Activated phospho-STAT3 (STAT-Y640F) significantly increased DNMT3b/OCT4, while dominant negative phospho-STAT3 (STAT-Y705F) was suppressive. Inhibiting DNMT3b with RNA interference or nanaomycin A (a selective DNMT3b inhibitor) effectively suppressed the IL-6 or STAT-Y640F-induced increase of DNMT3b-OCT4 and ALDH activity in vitro and in vivo. The fact that OCT4 regulates the DNMT1 expressions were further demonstrated either by OCT4 forced expression or DNMT1 silence. Additionally, the DNMT3b silencing reduced the OCT4 expression in sorafenib-resistant Hep3B cells with or without IL-6 treatment. Notably, targeting DNMT3b with nanaomycin A significantly increased the cell sensitivity to sorafenib, with a synergistic combination index (CI) in sorafenib-resistant Hep3B cells.

CONCLUSIONS

The DNMT3b plays a critical role in the IL-6-mediated OCT4 expression and the drug sensitivity of sorafenib-resistant HCC. The p-STAT3 activation increases the DNMT3b/OCT4 which confers the tumor early recurrence and poor prognosis of HCC patients. Findings from this study highlight the significance of IL-6-DNMT3b-mediated OCT4 expressions in future therapeutic target for patients expressing cancer stemness-related properties or sorafenib resistance in HCC.