CMTM6 shapes antitumor T cell response through modulating protein expression of CD58 and PD-L1

The dysregulated expression of immune checkpoint molecules enables cancer cells to evade immune destruction. While blockade of inhibitory immune checkpoints like PD-L1 forms the basis of current cancer immunotherapies, a deficiency in costimulatory signals can render these therapies futile. CD58, a costimulatory ligand, plays a crucial role in antitumor immune responses, but the mechanisms controlling its expression remain unclear. Using two systematic approaches, we reveal that CMTM6 positively regulates CD58 expression. Notably, CMTM6 interacts with both CD58 and PD-L1, maintaining the expression of these two immune checkpoint ligands with opposing functions. Functionally, the presence of CMTM6 and CD58 on tumor cells significantly affects T cell-tumor interactions and response to PD-L1-PD-1 blockade. Collectively, these findings provide fundamental insights into CD58 regulation, uncover a shared regulator of stimulatory and inhibitory immune checkpoints, and highlight the importance of tumor-intrinsic CMTM6 and CD58 expression in antitumor immune responses.

Results of medical and surgical treatment in renovascular hypertension. Long-term results and choice of antihypertensive drugs

107 patients have been operated upon for atherosclerotic or fibromuscular renal artery stenosis from January 1, 1962 through December 31, 1973. At the time of last follow-up, or at 1 year 67% of patients with atherosclerotic renal artery stenosis, and 79% of patients with fibromuscular renal artery disease were considered to be improved. More recently 50 patients have been treated by surgery (24 patients) or with antihypertensive drugs. 70% (17 of 24) surgically treated patients and 61% (16 of 26) medically treated patients were improved after an average of approximately 1.5 years follow-up.

The seventh prototype of the mini-spindle-pump: does it fulfill the expectations of a short-term pump?

According to recent trends to develop implantable nonpulsatile blood pumps for different function modes and times, our intention was and still is to build a Mini-Spindle-Pump for a pumping duration of about 14 days. Initial conception for this plan was the premise that the device in a mock circuit should move 4 L of water/min at a speed of 12,000 to 15,000 rpm against a pressure difference of 90 mm Hg between pump inlet and outlet. Despite the development of 6 different prototypes, this project was not realized. Under the above-mentioned conditions, the main problem of this type of blood pump, the blood trauma, could not be reduced to an adequate level, i.e., the Mini-Spindle-Pump is not a high speed pump. Therefore, a revision of the conception was necessary. The device in a mock circuit should transport 5 L of water/min at a speed of about 9,000 rpm against a pressure difference of 90 mm Hg between its inlet and outlet. Considering the implantability of the blood pump, the following measurements for its components were arrived at. The U-shaped blockformed plexiglas housing was enlarged to 120 x 40 x 40 mm (length of blood chamber 86 mm, inner diameter 27 mm), and the rotor with 5 windings was redesigned at a length of 64 mm (outer diameter 25 mm, inner diameter 6.7 mm). In a mock circuit, this 7th prototype transported with a speed of 9,000 rpm about 10 L of water/min at an afterload of 80 mm Hg. In acute animal experiments with calves up to 15 h of pumping duration, the device showed the expected efficiency. Experiments with a longer pumping duration are necessary to confirm that this prototype will fulfill the criteria of a short-term pump according to Dr. Y. Nosé's advice.

Considerations and problems in the development of the mini-spindle pump

The premise for the development of the mini-spindle pump, planned as an implantable device for assisted circulation, was to transport 4 L of water/min in mock circulation with a speed of 12-15,000 rpm against an afterload of 90 mm Hg. After calculations, the resulting first prototype had a spindle rotor with 3 threads (outer diameter, 18 mm; inner diameter, 6.2 mm; length, 45 mm) in a U-shaped housing, driven by an electric motor with a cooling system. In mock circulation, this pump moved 7.8 L of water/min at 18,000 rpm. To avoid animal experiments, its influence on the blood was tested in a Maxima oxygenator. The device circulated 4.2 L of blood/min with the same speed. Because of its high traumatic hemolysis rate (> 250 mg% of free hemoglobin after 7 h of pumping), the rotor was modified, first without effect at 2.5 threads and then at 4 threads. In addition, in this third prototype, the flow direction was reversed. This prototype was more effective (4.3 L of blood/min at 12,000 rpm in the oxygenator) and the hemolysis rate, after a pumping duration of 8 h, could only be reduced to 180 mg% of free hemoglobin. As a result, a fourth prototype was developed (i.e., the U-shape of the housing was abandoned). This device functioned better than the third prototype (4.5 L of blood/min at 12,000 rpm in the oxygenator), but the blood trauma increased (220 mg% of free hemoglobin after 7 h of pumping).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Self-reports of memory problems in relatives of patients with probable Alzheimer's disease

This study examined the relationship between subjective memory complaints and performance on tests of memory by relatives of patients with probable Alzheimer's disease (AD) and by older adults without a family history of dementia. Relatives of AD patients did not differ significantly from controls either in level of complaint or in performance on neuropsychological tests. However, among relatives of patients with early-onset AD, significant correlations were found between performance on memory tests and self-rated changes in everyday memory. These findings raise the possibility that relatives who have entered the age range in which their parents or siblings developed dementia symptoms are monitoring their memory performance more diligently than relatives of patients whose illness began at much later ages or persons who have no close relatives with AD.

Urinary kallikrein in postobstructive diuresis

We studied urinary kallikrein excretion in the rat during unilateral release of 24-hr bilateral ureteral ligation (BUL). In six rats studied after 24 hr of BUL, the glomerular filtration rate was 20 per cent of that in the five sham-operated controls. In the BUL group, the urine flow rate was 5 fold greater, fractional sodium excretion 100 times greater, and fractional potassium excretion 5 times greater than in controls. Urinary kallikrein excretion in the BUL group was one-half that of the controls. However, urinary kallikrein excretion per functioning nephron was increased 3 fold in the BUL group. Five of six BUL rats with increased fractional sodium and water excretion also showed increased urinary kallikrein excretion/GFR when compared to controls. Our study suggests that after 24 hr of BUL in the rat, urinary kallikrein excretion is increased in relation to the remaining, functioning nephrons and suggests a role for the kallikrein-kinin system in the postobstructive salt and water losses.

The effects of kallikrein, plasmin, and thrombin on hog kidney renin

Pretreatment of hog high molecular weight renin for 30 min at 37 degrees C with 0.12 unit of either kallikrein or thrombin significantly increased (p less than 0.001) the amount of angiotensin I formed during subsequent incubations with homologous angiotensinogen. However, the thrombin-treated hog renin had 13 times more activity than the kallikrein-treated enzyme. Aprotinin did not inhibit the kallikrein-mediated activation of renin; the results indicated that aprotinin inhibited renin preferentially. Plasmin (0.25 unit) had little effect on the activity of high molecular weight renin. The molecular weight of hog renin on sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis was not altered after exposure to either kallikrein, thrombin, or plasmin. These results do not exclude the occurrence of a limited proteolytic event or a conformational change beyond the detection of the current method. The data show that the activation of hog high molecular weight renin by thrombin and kallikrein was not associated with the conversion of renin to Mr = 43,000.

Dopamine beta-hydroxylase and plasma renin activity in patients with low-, normal-, and high-renin essential hypertension

The relationship of serum dopamine-beta-hydroxylase (DBH), plasma renin activity (PRA) and urinary catecholamines (IU catechols) in various forms of essential hypertension (EHT) (low, normal and high renin) was evaluated. Eighty-four predominantly white, young (37 +/ 8 years (SD)), mildly hypertensive patients (diastolic pressure 93 +/- 4 mm Hg (SD)) continued their regular diet and received no medications. Thirteen patients had low-renin, 64 had normal-renin, and seven had high-renin EHT. DBH, total IU catechols and urinary norepinephrine were not different between these renin subgroups. DBH was significantly lower in all hypertensives (55.6 +/- 36 IU) and in the low-renin subgroup (46 +/- 30 IU) compared with normal subjects (68 +/- 35 IU) (p less than 0.01). However, the DBH range was so broad that an individual DBH value did not distinguish EHT from normals. After a baseline period, patients were randomly assigned to receive chlorthali done 50 mg q.a.m. or placebo in a double-blind study. In the chlorthalidone group 1 month after therapy, the diastolic pressure decreased, PRA increased, and total IU catechols and urinary norepinephrine increased. Serum DBH did not change during diuretic therapy. A significant correlation could not be shown between pretreatment DBH and the changes in PRA and IU catechols before and after diuretics for all treated EHT patients. However, within the normal PRA EHT subgroup receiving chlorthalidone, the one-third of patients with lowest pretreatment DBH levels (n = 10) were compared with the one-third of patients with the highest pretreatment DBH values (n = 10). The lower DBH patients showed significantly less change in PRA (delta PRA = 2.9 +/- 1.8 ng/ml/hr) compared with the higher DBH patients (delta PRA = 8.2 +/- 1.6; P less than 0.05). In some EHT patients, DBH levels may be related to PRA response to diuretic therapy.

Converting enzyme activity in human plasma

Human plasma converting enzyme activity was investigated by comparing biological with immunological activity of added or generated angiotensin after plasma incubation. Sodium citrate (2 x 10 -2 M ), 2:2'-dipyridyl (1 x 10 -4 and 1 x 10 -2 M ), chromotropic acid (3 x 10 -2 and 3 x 10 -3 M ) and desferrioxamine (10 and 100 mg/100 ml) did not interfere with converting enzyme. By contrast, EDTA (3 x 10 -3 M and 3 x 10 -2 M ), EGTA (3 x 10 -2 M ), 8-quinolinol (1 x 10 -2 M ), and oxalic acid (3 x 10 -2 M ) were shown to interfere with plasma converting enzyme activity. The EDTA inhibition of converting enzyme activity could be partially reversed by molar excess amounts of calcium, zinc and cobalt. The ability of these ions to restore converting enzyme activity to the plasma was quantitatively variable. Inhibition of converting enzyme activity by EDTA could not be reversed by the addition of iron, copper or manganese to the samples.

Renal venous renin determinations in the diagnosis of surgically correctable hypertension

Renin activity in renal vein plasma was measured in six normal subjects and 59 hypertensive patients. The average renin value in renal venous plasma in normal subjects was the same as that found in patients with essential hypertension and renal parenchymal hypertension. Renal venous renin levels were markedly elevated in patients with significant renal lesions who were improved by surgery but were normal in patients with insignificant renal artery stenosis. We defined an abnormal renal vein renin level as one which is higher than 4.1 ng/ml of plasma, the highest normal, and which is also more than twice as great as the level obtained from the opposite kidney. On 19 patients who were operated upon for renal hypertension, there were no "false positive tests," and two "false negative tests." One patient with essential hypertension had abnormal values by these standards. Since occasional "false positive" and "false negative" results occur, we presently recommend that this test be used with, but not to the exclusion of, other tests of renal function in preoperative evaluations. As experience with the test increases, and as more prospective studies are done, it may prove to be the single most useful device to predict surgical success in patients with renal artery and renal parenchymal hypertension.