RNA-Seq-Based Molecular Classification Analyses in Colorectal Cancer and Synchronous Adenoma

Colorectal cancers (CRC) are classified into consensus molecular subtypes (CMS) based on gene expression profiles. The revised classification system iCMS was proposed by considering intrinsic epithelial status, microsatellite instability (MSI), and fibrosis. This study aimed to provide molecular evidence for the adenoma-carcinoma sequence concept by examining CRC and synchronous adenomas using iCMS. Epithelial CMS cell proportion was estimated using CiberSortx, an in silico cell fractionation method that included CMS cell types among the reference cell types. A random forest (RF) model estimated the posterior probabilities of CMS classes, which were compared with the CiberSortx results. Gene expression profiles of the published iCMS signature panel were retrieved from our dataset and subjected to heatmap clustering for classification. Bulk RNA sequencing data were collected from 29 adenocarcinomas and 11 adenoma samples. CiberSortx showed all CRC contained either CMS2 or CMS3 as the major epithelial cancer cell type. The RF model classified approximately half of the CRC as CMS4, whereas CMS4 was hardly detected by CiberSortx. Because they were enriched with myofibroblasts as per the CiberSortx classification, we tentatively designated them as iCMS2-F/iCMS3-F. iCMS coupled with the application of an in silico cell fractionation method can provide the molecular dissection of CRC and adenoma.

1602 A Quality Improvement Project on The Management of Patients with Traumatic Head Injury Presenting to A District General Hospital

Introduction

Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) is associated with morbidity and mortality. All District General Hospitals (DGH) in West Midlands liaise with Neurosurgery centres for management of these patients through a referral system (NORSe). The aim of this study was to assess outcomes in TBI following the implementation of vital interventions.

Method

A retrospective data was collected between 1/1/2019 and 1/12/2020. We included all patients admitted with traumatic brain injury over the age of 16. We accessed the data from the hospital database, clinical notes, and NORSe. A re-audit was performed following implementations of recommendations (proforma and care of elderly input). Further data were collected prospectively.

Results

Our cohort included n1=61 patients (first cycle) and n2= 29 (second cycle). The demographic age and gender were comparable in both cycles. The median time for Neurosurgery advice was 229 minutes (IQR 60-690) in the first cycle as compared to 80 minutes (IQR 40-120, P < 0.05) and the main cause for delay was inadequate information transfer. The mortality rate was 24% (5 were attributed to sepsis), as compared to 14% in the second cycle. The median length of stay (LOS) was 4 days (IQR 3-13.5) in the first cycle, which translates to a cost of £26,815 per quarter. In comparison, LOS was 3 days (IQR 2-4), which translates to the cost of bed occupancy of £12,771 and saving of £14,043 per quarter, in the second cycle.

Conclusions

The introduction of simple interventions in a DGH can help to significantly improve patient outcomes in those admitted with Traumatic brain injury.

Detection of SARS-CoV-2 in Fecal Samples From Patients With Asymptomatic and Mild COVID-19 in Korea

BACKGROUND & AIMS

Although coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is characterized by fever and respiratory symptoms, some patients have no or mild symptoms. Severe acute respiratory syndrome-coronavirus (SARS-CoV-2) has been detected in feces of patients. We investigated gastrointestinal symptoms and shedding of virus into feces of patients with asymptomatic or mild COVID-19.

METHODS

We collected data from 46 patients (median age, 26 y; 46% men) with asymptomatic or mild COVID-19 (without fever and pneumonia) and prolonged respiratory shedding of SARS-CoV-2, quarantined from April 4, 2020, through April 24, 2020, in Korea. Respiratory specimens included upper respiratory specimens (nasopharyngeal and oropharyngeal swabs) and lower respiratory specimens (sputum), and were collected twice per week. The median interval between COVID-19 diagnosis to the start of fecal sample collection was 37 days (range, 29-41 d); 213 stool specimens were collected from 46 patients. We used real-time reverse-transcription polymerase chain reaction to detect SARS-CoV-2 in the respiratory and fecal specimens.

RESULTS

Gastrointestinal manifestations were observed in 16 of the 46 patients (35%); diarrhea was the most common (15%), followed by abdominal pain (11%), dyspepsia (11%), and nausea (2%). Virus RNA was detected in feces from 2 patients without gastrointestinal symptoms (4%). Mean cycle threshold values from the time of quarantine to the time of fecal collection tended to be lower in patients with virus detected in fecal samples than in patients without virus in fecal samples (29.91 vs 33.67 in the first week, 29.47 vs 35.71 in the fifth week, respectively). Shedding of virus into feces persisted until day 50 after diagnosis; fecal samples began to test negative before or at approximately the time that respiratory specimens also began to test negative.

CONCLUSIONS

In an analysis of fecal and respiratory specimens from patients with COVID-19 in quarantine in Korea, we found that the gastrointestinal tract could be a route of transmission of SARS-CoV-2 even in patients with asymptomatic or mild disease, with no gastrointestinal symptoms. The viral load of the respiratory specimens appears be related to shedding of the virus into feces in this group of patients.

822 Lessons Learnt During the COVID-19 Pandemic on Emergency Surgical Admissions in A District General Hospital

Introduction

Coronavirus disease (COVID-19) is an acute severe respiratory distress syndrome which resulted in an unprecedented impact on NHS service provision. We aimed to assess the impact of COVID-19 on general surgical services in a district general hospital.

Method

Electronic health care record data was retrospectively collected from 6th of April to 6th of May for both 2019 and 2020.

Results

Despite fewer referrals and admissions in 2020 (133 vs 177 admissions in 2019), there were more failed discharges (29 vs 17 in 2019) and higher associated costs. Higher numbers of biliary related pathologies and pancreatitis (50 in 2020 vs 25 in 2019), and fewer complaints of non-specific abdominal pain (10 in 2020 vs 22 in 2019) were observed. The use of outpatient investigations decreased by approximately 40% in 2020; however, utilisation of inpatient investigations was comparable.

Conclusions

Better utilisation of outpatient investigations and virtual clinic services may surmount pressures from further peaks of COVID-19. The increase in biliary related cases and pancreatitis may be consequent upon lifestyle changes during lockdown. This merits further investigation and if appropriate, public health intervention. In the absence of an efficacious vaccine, further research would be essential to streamline general surgical services based on clinical risk stratification.

Differentially Abundant Bacterial Taxa Associated with Prognostic Variables of Crohn's Disease: Results from the IMPACT Study

Limited studies have examined the intestinal microbiota composition in relation to Crohn's disease (CD) prognosis. We analyzed the differences in microbial communities and relevant metabolic pathways associated with prognostic variables in patients with CD. We applied 16S rRNA gene sequencing to analyze a cohort of 1110 CD and healthy control (HC) fecal samples. We categorized patients with CD into good (CD-G), intermediate (CD-I) and poor (CD-P) prognosis groups, according to the history of using biologics and intestinal resection. Microbiota α-diversity decreased more in CD-P than CD-G and CD-I. Microbiota ß-diversity in CD-P differed from that in CD-G and CD-I. Thirteen genera and 10 species showed differential abundance between CD-G and CD-P groups. Escherichia coli (p = 0.001) and species Producta (p = 0.01) and genera Lactobacillus (p = 0.003) and Coprococcus (p = 0.01) consistently showed differences between CD-G and CD-P groups after adjusting for confounding variables. Functional profiling suggested that the microbial catabolic pathways and pathways related to enterobacterial common antigen and lipopolysaccharide biosynthesis were better represented in the CD-P group than in the CD-G group, and E. coli were the top contributors to these pathways. CD prognosis is associated with altered microbiota composition and decreased diversity, and E. coli might be causally involved in CD progression, and may have adapted to live in inflammatory environments.

Abstract 3612: Decreased vitamin C uptake mediated by SLC2A3 promotes leukemia progression and impedes Tet2 restoration

Background: Two new studies in Nature and Cell, from Agathocleous et al. (2017) and Cimmino et al. (2017), respectively, showed that vitamin C regulates HSC function and suppresses leukemogenesis by modulating Tet2 activity. However, little is known about the relationship between vitamin C transporter and hematological malignancies.

Purpose: In this study, we investigated the role of SLC2A3, a gene that encode GLUT3 which mainly transport glucose and oxidized form vitamin C, in hematological malignancies. Through this research we identified a set of biomarkers which can predict the effect of vitamin C treatment and develop stagey to improve this putative innovative treatment.

Results: We analyzed gene expression patterns of the major GLUT family genes in primary AML blast cells using previously published microarray datasets (GSE37307) and (GSE9476) and determined that SLC2A3 gene expression was significantly decreased in blast cells compared with normal hematopoietic cells. By contrast, expression of SLC2A1, SLC2A2 and SLC23A2 was not significant different in between primary AML cells and normal hematopoietic cells. Next, we analyzed the relevance of SLC2A3 expression to the survival of AML patients from TCGA and TARGET database and found that below-median SLC2A3 expression was associated with inferior overall survival. Subsequently, we detected the SLC2A3 mRNA expression level on 4 AML cell lines and 3 DLBCL cell lines, there were very low expression level on OCI-AML-3 and OCI-LY1. To check whether decreased expression of SLC2A3 has an impact on the Vitamin C effect, we treated the 7 cell lines with dose dependent vitamin C, up to 500 μM, 48 hours. The cell viability assay showed that OCI-AML-3 and OCI-LY1 have no response to Vitamin C, however the proliferation of NB4, HEL, HL60, OCI-LY19 and Toledo was suppressed by 250 μM Vitamin C.

Conclusions: SLC2A3 expression was decreased in AML blast cell and down regulation of SLC2A3 was closely associated with the poor outcomes of AML patients. In vitro study showed that SLC2A3 was essential for the effect of Vitamin C. Therefore, SLC2A3 could be a potential biomarker to predict the effect of Vitamin C treatment. In addition, through targeting SLC2A3, efficacy of Vitamin C treatment could be improved.

Citation Format: Jun Liu, Junshik Hong, Kwangsung Ahn, Sungsoo Yoon. Decreased vitamin C uptake mediated by SLC2A3 promotes leukemia progression and impedes Tet2 restoration [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2019; 2019 Mar 29-Apr 3; Atlanta, GA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 3612.

Identification of atopic dermatitis phenotypes with good responses to probiotics (Lactobacillus plantarum CJLP133) in children

The therapeutic effect of probiotics in atopic dermatitis (AD) remains controversial and varies according to the individual patient. We aimed to identify a population of AD patients with a good clinical response to probiotic treatment. We recruited 76 children with a median age of 7.1 years who suffered from moderate to severe AD. After a 2-week washout period, all patients were given Lactobacillus plantarum CJLP133 at a dosage of 1×10¹⁰ colony-forming units once a day for 12 weeks. We measured eosinophil counts in the peripheral blood, the proportion of CD4⁺CD25⁺Foxp3⁺ regulatory T (Treg) cells in CD4⁺ T cells, serum total immunoglobulin E (IgE) levels, and specific IgE against common allergens before the start of the treatment (T1) and at discontinuation (T2). Responders were defined as patients with at least a 30% reduction in the SCORing of AD (SCORAD) index after treatment. There were 36 responders and 40 non-responders after probiotic treatment. The median SCORAD was reduced from 29.5 (range 20.6-46.3) at T1 to 16.4 (range 6.3-30.8) at T2 in the responder group (P<0.001). In multivariable logistic regression analysis, a good clinical response was significantly associated with high total IgE levels (aOR 5.1, 95% CI 1.1-23.6), increased expression of transforming growth factor (TGF)-β (aOR 4.6, 95% CI 1.3-15.9), and a high proportion of Treg cells in CD4⁺ T cells (aOR 3.7, 95% CI 1.1-12.7) at T1. In the responder group, the proportion of Treg cells was significantly increased after 12 weeks of treatment (P=0.004), while TGF-β mRNA expression was decreased (P=0.017). Our results suggest that a subgroup of patients with a specific AD phenotype showing an immunologically active state (high total IgE, increased expression of TGF-β, high numbers of Treg cells) may benefit from probiotic treatment with L. plantarum CJLP133.

Reliability and validity of the Atopic Dermatitis Symptom Score (ADSS)

BACKGROUND

We have developed the Atopic Dermatitis Symptom Score (ADSS) by which patients or parents can easily assess and record AD symptoms on a daily basis in a smartphone application. The aim of this study was to evaluate the reliability and validity of the ADSS.

METHODS

We enrolled 307 children and adolescents with AD. Parents or caregivers were asked to record daily symptoms of the patients (itching, sleep disturbance, erythema, dryness, oozing, and edema) using a scale of 0-4. Statistical analyses consisted of the test-retest reliability, concurrent validity, minimal clinically important difference (MCID), responsiveness, floor or ceiling effects, and screening accuracy. Receiver-operating characteristic analyses were conducted to evaluate the ADSS cutoff point for predicting severe AD (SCORing AD [SCORAD] ≥40).

RESULTS

Test-retest reliability between daytime and night-time ADSS was good (intraclass correlation coefficient, 0.82 [95% CI: 0.70-0.90]). An increase in ADSS was significantly associated with an increase in SCORAD (r = 0.64, P < .0001) (concurrent validity). The MCID was 4.1 points for the ADSS. There was a significant association between changes in ADSS and SCORAD (r = 0.56, P < .0001), indicating good responsiveness. At the optimal ADSS cutoff value of 7.0, sensitivity, specificity, and positive and negative predictive values were 88.4%, 78.6%, 21.1%, and 99.1%, respectively (screening accuracy).

CONCLUSIONS

The ADSS can be a useful tool for self-assessment of skin symptoms in children with AD.

A multicenter study on anaphylaxis caused by peanut, tree nuts, and seeds in children and adolescents

Peanut (PN) and tree nuts (TNs) are common causes of anaphylaxis in Western countries, but no information is available in Korea. To feature clinical characteristics of anaphylaxis caused by PN, TNs, and seeds, a retrospective medical record review was performed in 14 university hospitals in Korea (2009-2013). One hundred and twenty-six cases were identified, with the mean age of 4.9 years. PN, walnut (WN), and pine nut accounted for 32.5%, 41.3%, and 7.1%, respectively. The median values of specific IgE (sIgE) to PN, WN, and pine nut were 10.50, 8.74, and 4.61 kU_A /l, respectively. Among 50 cases managed in the emergency department, 52.0% were treated with epinephrine, 66.0% with steroid, 94.0% with antihistamines, 36.0% with oxygen, and 48.0% with bronchodilator. In conclusion, WN, PN, and pine nut were the three most common triggers of anaphylaxis in Korean children, and anaphylaxis could occur at remarkably low levels of sIgE.

Airborne formaldehyde causes skin barrier dysfunction in atopic dermatitis

BACKGROUND

It remains to be elucidated whether exposure to air pollutants aggravates atopic dermatitis (AD).

OBJECTIVES

This study aimed to evaluate the effects of exposure to formaldehyde for 1 h and 2 h on skin barrier function in both the control and the AD groups.

METHODS

In 41 patients with AD and 34 healthy children, a provocation test was performed in which two different areas of normal-appearing skin on the forearm were stimulated with airborne formaldehyde at 500 μg m(-3) or placebo for 2 h. We measured transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and skin pH, and calculated the percentage change from baseline.

RESULTS

Exposure to formaldehyde increased TEWL in the control group [P < 0·001; median of difference 1·4; interquartile range (IQR) 0·9-1·6] and in the AD group (P < 0·001; median of difference 2·5; IQR 2·0-3·6). The percentage change of TEWL after formaldehyde exposure in the AD group was higher than in the control group (P < 0·001), whereas exposure to placebo showed no differences between both groups. The AD group also demonstrated a higher percentage increase in skin pH after exposure to formaldehyde than the control group (P < 0·001).

CONCLUSIONS

Short-term exposure to formaldehyde causes skin barrier dysfunction in both healthy children and children with AD, and this effect is more prominent in children with AD.

Common polygenic variation and risk for childhood-onset schizophrenia

Childhood-onset schizophrenia (COS) is a rare and severe form of the disorder, with more striking abnormalities with respect to prepsychotic developmental disorders and abnormities in the brain development compared with later-onset schizophrenia. We previously documented that COS patients, compared with their healthy siblings and with adult-onset patients (AOS), carry significantly more rare chromosomal copy number variations, spanning large genomic regions (>100 kb) (Ahn et al. 2014). Here, we interrogated the contribution of common polygenic variation to the genetic susceptibility for schizophrenia. We examined the association between a direct measure of genetic risk of schizophrenia in 130 COS probands and 103 healthy siblings. Using data from the schizophrenia and autism GWAS of the Psychiatric Genomic Consortia, we selected three risk-related sets of single nucleotide polymorphisms from which we conducted polygenic risk score comparisons for COS probands and their healthy siblings. COS probands had higher genetic risk scores of both schizophrenia and autism than their siblings (P<0.05). Given the small sample size, these findings suggest that COS patients have more salient genetic risk than do AOS.

Selective inhibition of FAAH produces antidiarrheal and antinociceptive effect mediated by endocannabinoids and cannabinoid-like fatty acid amides

BACKGROUND

The endogenous cannabinoid system (ECS) plays a crucial role in multiple physiological processes in the central nervous system and in the periphery. The discovery that selective cannabinoid (CB) receptor agonists exert a potent inhibitory action on gastrointestinal (GI) motility and pain has placed the ECS in the center of attention as a possible target for the treatment of functional GI diseases. However, side effects of CB agonists prompted the search for novel therapeutic targets. Here, the effect of PF-3845, a potent and selective fatty acid amide hydrolase (FAAH) inhibitor in the GI tract was investigated.

METHODS

The effect of PF-3845 on GI motility was characterized in vitro and in vivo, using mouse models that mimic physiological and pathophysiological conditions. The antinociceptive action of PF-3845 was evaluated on the basis of behavioral pain models. Endocannabinoid degradation product levels after inhibition of FAAH were quantified using HPLC-MS/MS.

KEY RESULTS

PF-3845 significantly inhibited mouse colonic motility in vitro and in vivo. Selective inhibition of FAAH reversed hypermotility and reduced pain in mouse models mimicking functional GI disorders. The effects of PF-3845 were mediated by endogenous CBs and non-CB lipophilic compounds via classical (CB1) and atypical CB receptors.

CONCLUSIONS & INFERENCES

These data expand our understanding of the ECS function and provide a novel framework for the development of future potential treatments of functional GI disorders.

Do newly built homes affect rhinitis in children? The ISAAC phase III study in Korea

BACKGROUND

As Korea has experienced rapid economic development, the lifestyles of Koreans have become more Westernized, in terms of urbanization and dietary habits. Also, the prevalences of allergic diseases, such as rhinitis, asthma, and dermatitis, have increased rapidly. This study aimed to identify the factors influencing the symptoms of rhinitis conditions, including rhinitis, allergic rhinitis, overlapped rhinitis, and overlapped allergic rhinitis, among Korean children aged 6-7 years.

METHODS

The study subjects were drawn from participants in the International Study of Asthma and Allergies in Childhood (ISAAC) study in 2010 and were aged 6-7 years. We analysed data for a total of 3804 children.

RESULTS

The prevalences of symptoms suggestive of rhinitis and allergic rhinitis in the previous 12 months were 43.4% and 22.1%, respectively. For overlapped rhinitis and overlapped allergic rhinitis, only 2.5% and 1.9% of the children had overlapping symptoms, having rhinitis with asthma and eczema simultaneously. Gender, a parental history of allergic disease, mould or dampness at home, and the risk factors for 'sick building syndrome' (SBS) were risk factors influencing rhinitis diseases. In particular, a history of moving to a newly built home in the child's infancy was strongly associated with symptoms of all the rhinitis diseases examined.

CONCLUSIONS

This study identified patterns of the prevalence of rhinitis conditions among Korean children that were similar to those reported in Western countries. We confirmed that a history of moving to a newly built home during infancy was associated with a considerable risk of rhinitis conditions.

IgE-mediated anaphylaxis and allergic reactions to idursulfase in patients with Hunter syndrome

BACKGROUND

Enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) with recombinant human idursulfase is effective for the treatment of Hunter syndrome, mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) type II. However, various adverse events can occur by the infusion of idursulfase. The purpose was to evaluate the occurrence of infusion-related allergic reactions, including anaphylaxis, to idursulfase in patients with MPS II receiving ERT and to elucidate its possible mechanism.

METHODS

A total of 34 patients with MPS II were enrolled to receive ERT with Elaprase(®) at a dose of 0.5 mg/kg intravenously once a week. Information regarding the symptoms, frequency, and timing of anaphylaxis during treatment was analyzed. Presence of anti-idursulfase IgE antibody was assessed by skin prick test (SPT) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Western blotting was performed to confirm the reaction between idursulfase and specific IgE.

RESULTS

Three patients (8.8%) showed anaphylaxis by infusion of idursulfase. No deaths occurred during the study. Anti-idursulfase IgE antibody was detected by SPT and ELISA. Immunoblotting with patients' sera and Elaprase(®) showed a single band of specific IgE binding to the protein around 70 kD, and idursulfase did not display amino acid sequence homology to known allergens. SPT with idursulfase demonstrated positive results in all patients with anaphylaxis. However, we failed to reveal any risk factors for the development of infusion-related immediate-type allergic reactions.

CONCLUSIONS

Anaphylaxis related to infusion of idursulfase is mediated by anti-idursulfase IgE antibody, which might be produced by de novo synthesis. SPT is useful in predicting the occurrence of anti-idursulfase IgE-mediated anaphylaxis during infusion.

Diffusion MRI findings of cytomegalovirus-associated ventriculitis: a case report

Cytomegalovirus (CMV) ventriculoencephalitis is a rare but serious potential complication of CMV infection in immunocompromised patients. Characteristic diffusion-weighted imaging findings can be helpful for the diagnosis of CMV ventriculitis, as in this case report.

[Emergency operation and hypothermic therapy for Stanford type A acute aortic dissection in the state of coma]

We report of a 77-year-old woman who was admitted to our hospital in coma by emergency. A computed tomography scan revealed acute aortic dissection (Stanford type A). We established selective antegrade cerebral perfusion within 3 hours of the onset and then performed ascending aortic replacement. In the state of hypothermia (35 degrees C), the patient was weaned from cardiopulmonary bypass. The patient was kept hypothermic until the operation was completed. We kept mild hypothermia (34.5 degrees C) in intensive care unit (ICU) for 40 hours. The patient was extubated at 94 hours after the operation. The patient was discharged from the hospital on foot on postoperative day 21.

Netrin-1: a novel universal biomarker of human kidney injury

Currently available diagnostic markers representing kidney injury or function such as serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen are insensitive and often increased late in the disease process. Netrin-1 protein, a laminin-related secreted molecule, is minimally or not expressed in tubular epithelial cells of normal kidneys. However, it is highly expressed in injured kidneys. Netrin-1 protein has been shown to be detected in urine from mice with acute kidney injury. The current study was carried out to evaluate whether netrin-1 is also induced in human acute kidney injury (AKI) and can serve as a urinary biomarker of the condition. We analyzed netrin-1 levels by sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in urine samples from 10 healthy controls, 22 recipients of a renal allograft, 11 patients with ischemic AKI, 13 with AKI associated with sepsis, 9 with radiocontrast-induced AKI, and 8 with drug-induced AKI. Urinary netrin-1 levels normalized for urinary creatinine were significantly higher in all subject groups. The highest values were observed in patients with sepsis and in transplant patients immediately postoperatively. The level of NGAL was similarly increased in transplant patients. In conclusion, urinary netrin-1 levels are increased in patients with various forms of AKI/ATN and may serve as a universal biomarker for AKI.

Identification of two pistachio allergens, Pis v 1 and Pis v 2, belonging to the 2S albumin and 11S globulin family

BACKGROUND

IgE-mediated allergic reactions to pistachio appear to be occurring more frequently; however, little is known about its allergenic proteins.

OBJECTIVE

We attempted to identify pistachio allergens and to clone the encoding genes.

METHODS

Pistachio proteins were extracted and separated by SDS-PAGE. Immunolabelling was performed with sera from 28 pistachio-allergic individuals. Proteins of interest were further analysed by Edman sequencing and mass spectrometry/mass spectrometry (MS/MS). In parallel, a cDNA library was generated from immature pistachios and screened with primers designed on the basis of internal sequences and peptide spectra. Full-length cDNA clones were isolated from the library and sequenced. Recombinant proteins were expressed and tested with sera from pistachio-allergic patients.

RESULTS

Nineteen out of 28 patients (68%) showed IgE binding to a 7 kDa protein fraction, while 14 (50%) showed specific IgE to a 32 kDa protein fraction. Analysis by Edman sequencing and MS/MS revealed that these proteins were homologue to the cashew nut allergens Ana o 3 and Ana o 2, respectively. Screening of the pistachio cDNA library resulted in isolation of novel protein cDNAs. Open-reading frame translation provided the complete amino acid sequences of two new allergenic pistachio proteins. Recombinant proteins were recognized by six out of six selected patients. Therefore, these new allergens were named Pis v 1 and Pis v 2 by the Allergen Nomenclature Subcommittee.

CONCLUSION

Novel allergens in pistachio, Pis v 1 and Pis v 2, which belong to 2S albumin and 11S globulin family, respectively, were isolated and the genes encoding these allergens were identified.

Effect of combined treatment of bortezomib and valproic acid on multiple myeloma cells

18539

Background: Valproic acid (VPA) has an activity of histone deacetylase inhibitor that is known to have in vitro cytotoxic effect on multiple myeloma (MM) cells. It was investigated that VPA could synergize with bortezomib for human MM cell lines. Methods: U266 cell lines were treated with bortezomib 50nM and/or VPA 0.6mM and then MTT assay, cell cycle analysis using FACS, immunoblot analysis, caspase-3 activity assay, and IL-6 ELISA assay were performed. Results: Bortezomib activated caspase-3 and induced G1 cell cycle arrest. In MTT assay, VPA suppressed the U266 cell proliferation with IC50 of 0.6mM and combined treatment of bortezomib and VPA had more inhibitory effect than bortezomib alone. This combination caused further G1 cell cycle arrest, caspase-3 activation, and lowered IL-6 secretion from U266 cells than bortezomib, respectively. In immunoblot analysis, this combination further decreased the expression of cyclin A, cyclin D1, cyclin E, CDK2, CDK4, and CDK6, whereas up-regulated p21 and p27 expression than bortezomib alone. Conclusions: The combined treatment of bortezomib and VPA has a more significant anti-myeloma effect than bortezomib alone.

No significant financial relationships to disclose.