Unraveling the potential of Morinda officinalis oligosaccharides as an adjuvant of escitalopram in depression treatment and exploring the underlying mechanisms

ETHNOPHAMACOLOGICAL RELEVANCE

Morinda officinalis oligosaccharides (MOs) is a mixture of oligosaccharides extracted from the roots of Morinda officinalis (MO). It is approved by Chinese Food and Drug Administration (CFDA) for depression treatment. MOs could improve the antidepressant efficacy of escitalopram in clinic.

AIM OF THE STUDY

We aim to explore the antidepressant activity and potential mechanism of the combination usage of MOs and escitalopram on animal model of depression.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Depressive animal model was induced by chronic mild stress (CMS). Behavioral tests were conducted to evaluate the antidepressant efficacy of MOs and escitalopram. Serum neurotransmitter levels were detected by High-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC). Quantitative real-time PCR and Western blotting were applied to assay the hippocampus neurotrophic factors' mRNA and protein levels. Peripheral cytokines levels were measured through Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA). Micorglia polization phenotype was assayed by immunofluorescence and flow cytometry.

RESULTS

MOs and escitalopram obviously attenuated depression-like behaviors of CMS mice. Importantly, MOs plus escitalopram exhibited better antidepressant activity on CMS mice than monotherapy. At the same time, MOs combined escitalopram treatment significantly increased hippocampus neurotransmitters and neurotrophic factor levels, stimulated hippocampus neurogenesis and relieved central nervous system (CNS) microglia over-activation of CMS mice. The combination therapy had greater effect on neuroprotection and inflammation attenuation of CMS mice than monotherapy.

CONCLUSION

Our results indicates MOs combined escitalopram might produce antidepressant activity through protecting neuron activity, relieving inflammation and modulating microglia polarization process.

Association between the HHEX polymorphism and delayed memory in first-episode schizophrenic patients

The hematopoietically-expressed homeobox gene (HHEX) played a critical role in regulating the immune system that the abnormality of which was involved in the psychopathology and cognitive deficits of psychiatric disorders. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of HHEX rs1111875 polymorphism on the susceptibility and cognitive deficits of first-episode schizophrenic patients (FSP). We assessed cognitive function in 239 first-episode patients meeting DSM-IV for schizophrenia, and 368 healthy controls using the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS). The HHEX rs1111875 polymorphism was genotyped. Our results showed that the allelic and genotypic frequencies of HHEX rs1111875 polymorphism didn't differ between FSP and healthy controls (both p > 0.05) after adjusting for sex and age. Cognitive test scores in FSP were significantly lower than those in healthy controls on all scales (all p < 0.001) except for the visuospatial/constructional score (p > 0.05) after adjusting for covariates. There was a significant genotype (p < 0.05) rather than genotype × diagnosis (p > 0.05) effect on the delayed memory score after adjusting for covariates. The HHEX rs1111875 polymorphism was significantly associated with the delayed memory score in FSP (p < 0.05), but not in healthy controls (p > 0.05) after adjusting for covariates. Our findings supported that the HHEX rs1111875 polymorphism did not contribute to the susceptibility to FSP. However, this polymorphism might influence the delayed memory in FSP. Moreover, FSP had poorer cognitive function than healthy controls except for the visuospatial/constructional domain.

Characterization of the human induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) SZGJMSi004-A line from a 28-year-old Han male patient with depression

Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from a 28-year-old male patient with unipolar depression were reprogrammed with reprogramming factors by electroporation. The pluripotency of transgene-free induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) was verified by immunofluorescence staining for pluripotency markers, and these iPSCs were able to differentiate into the 3 germ layers in vitro. These iPSCs also showed normal karyotypes. Thus, we believe that these iPSCs could be valuable models for exploring the underlying biological mechanism of depression and the safety of antidepressants through the use of iPSCs differentiated into different kinds of neurons or brain organoids.

Effects of CACNA1C and ANK3 on cognitive function in patients with bipolar disorder

Bipolar disorder (BD) is a complex, severe mental illness with cognitive impairment. Impairments in attention and memory are particularly evident. A large number of previous studies have identified CACNA1C and ANK3 gene variants as risk factors for BD and both affect cognitive function in people with BD. However, it is unclear whether there is an interaction effects between the two genes on cognitive impairment in patients. We used 153 Chinese Han Chinese patients with BD to explore the association of CACNA1C and ANK3 variants with attention and immediate memory using Plink software and and performed a epistatic interaction effects analysis. We found that CACNA1C and ANK3 gene variants respectively affected patients' scores on attention and memory tests. The significant SNP in the CACNA1C and ANK3 genes are rs73042126(P = 3.16 × 10-5,FDR = 0.0253) and rs2393640(P = 1.50 × 10-4,FDR = 0.0353) respectively. And they also interacted to affect cognitive functioning in BD patients (attention: P = 0.0289; immediate memory: P = 0.0398). Follow-up studies should increase the sample size, improve the assessment methods and experimental design, and further explore the pathogenic mechanisms of BD.

Progress on the relationship between tumor suppressor PDCD4 and diseases based on the analysis of structural characteristics

The tumor suppressor programmed cell death 4 (PDCD4) is downregulated in various tumor tissues indicating poor prognosis. PDCD4 is the first protein found to resist tumor transformation, invasion, and metastasis by inhibiting translation. The functions of PDCD4 dependent on its structures are affected by extracellular signals. It regulates tumor-related proteins through a variety of mechanisms, especially involved in two major signaling pathways, PI3K-Akt-mTOR and MAPK. By analyzing the relationship between the structures, functions and diseases of PDCD4, this review summarizes the roles of PDCD4 in several physiological processes and diseases such as apoptosis, autophagy, tumor, and inflammation in recent years, thereby providing insights for the study of the signaling pathways of PDCD4 and related proteins and the treatment of diseases targeting them.

Genetically Determined Plasma Hepatocyte Growth Factor Levels Are Associated With the Risk and Prognosis of Ischemic Stroke

BACKGROUND

Observational studies suggest that hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) is associated with the risk and prognosis of ischemic stroke, but the causality of these associations remains unclear. Therefore, we conducted Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses to explore the associations of genetically determined plasma HGF levels with the risk and prognosis of ischemic stroke.

METHODS

A total of 13 single-nucleotide polymorphisms associated with plasma HGF were selected as genetic instruments based on the data from a genome-wide association study with 21 758 European participants. Summary data about the risk of ischemic stroke were obtained from the MEGASTROKE (Multiancestry Genome-Wide Association Study of Stroke) Consortium with 34 217 ischemic stroke cases and 406 111 controls of European ancestry, and summary data about the prognosis of ischemic stroke were obtained from the GISCOME study (Genetics of Ischaemic Stroke Functional Outcome) with 6165 European patients with ischemic stroke. We conducted an inverse-variance weighted Mendelian randomization analysis followed by a series of sensitivity analyses to evaluate the associations of genetically determined plasma HGF with the risk and prognosis of ischemic stroke.

RESULTS

The primary analyses showed that genetically determined high HGF was associated with an increased risk of ischemic stroke (odds ratio per SD increase, 1.11 [95% CI, 1.04-1.19]; P=1.10×10-3) and poor prognosis of ischemic stroke (odds ratio per SD increase, 2.43 [95% CI, 1.76-3.52]; P=6.35×10-8). In the secondary analysis, genetically determined plasma HGF was associated with a high risk of large atherosclerotic stroke (odds ratio per SD increase, 1.39 [95% CI, 1.18-1.63]; P=5.08×10-5) but not small vessel stroke and cardioembolic stroke. Mendelian randomization-Egger regression showed no directional pleiotropy for all associations, and the sensitivity analyses with different Mendelian randomization methods further confirmed these findings.

CONCLUSIONS

We found positive associations of genetically determined plasma HGF with the risk and prognosis of ischemic stroke, suggesting that HGF might be implicated in the occurrence and development of ischemic stroke.

Revisiting reward impairments in schizophrenia spectrum disorders: a systematic review and meta-analysis for neuroimaging findings

BACKGROUND

Abnormal reward functioning is central to anhedonia and amotivation symptoms of schizophrenia (SCZ). Reward processing encompasses a series of psychological components. This systematic review and meta-analysis examined the brain dysfunction related to reward processing of individuals with SCZ spectrum disorders and risks, covering multiple reward components.

METHODS

After a systematic literature search, 37 neuroimaging studies were identified and divided into four groups based on their target psychology components (i.e. reward anticipation, reward consumption, reward learning, effort computation). Whole-brain Seed-based d Mapping (SDM) meta-analyses were conducted for all included studies and each component.

RESULTS

The meta-analysis for all reward-related studies revealed reduced functional activation across the SCZ spectrum in the striatum, orbital frontal cortex, cingulate cortex, and cerebellar areas. Meanwhile, distinct abnormal patterns were found for reward anticipation (decreased activation of the cingulate cortex and striatum), reward consumption (decreased activation of cerebellum IV/V areas, insula and inferior frontal gyri), and reward learning processing (decreased activation of the striatum, thalamus, cerebellar Crus I, cingulate cortex, orbitofrontal cortex, and parietal and occipital areas). Lastly, our qualitative review suggested that decreased activation of the ventral striatum and anterior cingulate cortex was also involved in effort computation.

CONCLUSIONS

These results provide deep insights on the component-based neuro-psychopathological mechanisms for anhedonia and amotivation symptoms of the SCZ spectrum.

The causal effect of schizophrenia on fractures and bone mineral density: a comprehensive two-sample Mendelian randomization study of European ancestry

BACKGROUND

Schizophrenia was clinically documented to co-occur with fractures and aberrant bone mineral density (BMD), but the potential causal relationship remained unclear. This study aimed to test the causal effects between schizophrenia and fractures as well as aberrant BMD by conducting Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses.

METHODS

Two-sample MR was utilized, based on instrumental variables from large genome-wide association studies (GWAS) of schizophrenia as exposure, to identify the causal association of schizophrenia with mixed fractures, fractures at different body sites (including skull and facial bones, shoulder and upper arm, wrist and hand, and femur) and BMDs of forearm (FA), femoral neck (FN), lumbar spine (LS) and estimated BMD (eBMD). Multivariable Mendelian randomization (MVMR) analysis was performed to minimize the confounding effect of body mass index (BMI).

RESULTS

Result from inverse variance weighting (IVW) method provided evidence schizophrenia increased the risk of fractures of skull and facial bones [odds ratio (OR) = 1.0006, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.0003 to 1.0010] and femur [OR =1.0007, 95% CI: 1.0003 to 1.0011], whereas, decreased the level of eBMD [β (95%CI): -0.013 (-0.021, -0.004)]. These causal effects still existed after adjusting for BMI. Sensitivity analyses showed similar results. However, no causal effect of schizophrenia on fracture or BMD in other parts was detected.

CONCLUSION

The current finding confirmed that schizophrenia was causally associated with the fractures of skull, face and femur as well as eBMD, which might remind psychiatrists to pay close attention to the fracture risk in schizophrenic patients when formulating their treatment strategies.

Serum total cholesterol levels associated with immediate memory performance in patients with chronic schizophrenia

Cognitive impairments are common in patients with schizophrenia. Changes in total cholesterol (TC) may be involved in the development of schizophrenia and associated with cognitive function. This study aimed to investigate differences in serum TC level and cognitive function between schizophrenia patients and healthy controls and explore the relationship between serum TC level and cognitive function in patients with schizophrenia. A total of 105 schizophrenia patients and 105 healthy controls were recruited. Results showed that patients with schizophrenia had significantly lower scores on the overall RBANS scale and subscales (i.e., immediate memory, language, attention, and delayed memory) than those of healthy controls. Pearson's correlation analyses showed that in patients with schizophrenia, serum TC levels were positively associated with RBANS subscale scores of immediate memory and language. Furthermore, multivariate regression analyses showed that serum TC level was positively associated with the immediate memory index in patients with schizophrenia. However, no significant association was found between serum TC level and RBANS score in the healthy control group. Our results suggest that elevated serum TC level may be related to improved cognitive function in patients with schizophrenia, especially that of immediate memory.

Abstract 5320: The RenMice™ HiTS (Hyperimmune target specific) Platform facilitates identification of novel therapeutic antibodies for challenging targets

In recent years, an increasing number of therapeutic antibodies have shown to be effective for the treatment of cancer and other diseases. However, limitations in the traditional discovery process, including immune tolerance of highly homologous genes, challenges with antibody sequence humanization, clone selection, and model selection for drug efficacy and safety evaluation, often hinder the process of identifying new therapeutic antibodies. The RenMice™ HiTS (Hyperimmune Target Specific) Platform is a library of chromosome engineered mice with fully human immunoglobulin variable domains replacing the mouse loci, each with a specific drug target gene knocked out. These mice are designed to establish robust immune responses and generate antibodies that bind to more epitopes of the target protein, including conserved domains. The platform is ideal for challenging targets, such as proteins with high homology across species, or multi-pass transmembrane proteins (e.g. GPCRs/ion channels). Here, we show that the platform can be used to generate antibodies that cross-react with multiple species, like human, monkey, dog, and mouse targets, by immunizing with both human and mouse or dog antigen. We provide examples for newer campaigns, including species cross-reactivity and internalization of novel antibodies targeting NECTIN-4, and high-throughput in vivo efficacy screening of novel anti-PD-1 antibodies in wild-type mice. In the future, we will evaluate the preliminary toxicity of these cross-reactive antibodies in preclinical animal models. Thus, selection of the best antibody candidate based on in vivo efficacy and safety allows for a streamlined and successful preclinical phase. In conclusion, the RenMice™ HiTS platform facilitates the generation of developable antibodies that recognize novel epitopes and challenging targets.

Citation Format: Xiaoqian Zhang, Shufang Fu, Shujin Zhang, Xin Ji, Li Hui, James Jin, Jing Zhang. The RenMice™ HiTS (Hyperimmune target specific) Platform facilitates identification of novel therapeutic antibodies for challenging targets. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2023; Part 1 (Regular and Invited Abstracts); 2023 Apr 14-19; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2023;83(7_Suppl):Abstract nr 5320.

Cathelicidins Target HSP60 To Restrict CVB3 Transmission via Disrupting the Exosome and Reducing Cardiomyocyte Apoptosis

Cathelicidin antimicrobial peptides (mouse, CRAMP; human, LL-37) have broad-spectrum antiviral activities against enveloped viruses, but their mechanisms of action against nonenveloped viruses remain to be elucidated. Coxsackievirus B3 (CVB3), a member of nonenveloped virus belonging to the Enterovirus genus of Picornaviridae, is an important pathogen of viral myocarditis and dilated cardiomyopathy. Here, we observed that cardiac CRAMP expression was significantly upregulated in mice after CVB3 infection. The administration of CRAMP or LL-37 markedly suppressed CVB3 infection in mice, and CRAMP deficiency increased the susceptibility of mice to CVB3. CRAMP and LL-37 inhibited CVB3 replication in primary cardiomyocytes. However, they did not inactivate CVB3 particles and did not regulate the response of cardiomyocytes against CVB3 infection. Intriguingly, they inhibited CVB3 transmission through the exosome, but not virus receptor. In detail, CRAMP and LL-37 directly induced the lysis of exosomes by interfering with exosomal heat shock protein 60 (HSP60) and then blocked the diffusion of exosomes to recipient cells and inhibited the establishment of productive infection by exosomes. In addition, the interaction of CRAMP and LL-37 with HSP60 simultaneously inhibited HSP60-induced apoptosis in cardiomyocytes and reduced HSP60-enhanced CVB3 replication. Our findings reveal a novel mechanism of cathelicidins against viral infection and provide a new therapeutic strategy for CVB3-induced viral myocarditis. IMPORTANCE The relative mechanisms that cathelicidin antimicrobial peptides use to influence nonenveloped virus infection are unclear. We show here that cathelicidin antimicrobial peptides (CRAMP and LL-37) directly target exosomal HSP60 to destroy exosomes, which in turn block the diffusion of exosomes to recipient cardiomyocytes and reduced HSP60-induced apoptosis, thus restricting coxsackievirus B3 infection. Our results provide new insights into the mechanisms cathelicidin antimicrobial peptides use against viral infection.

Association Between Human Blood Metabolome and the Risk of Psychiatric Disorders

BACKGROUND AND HYPOTHESIS

To identify promising drug targets for psychiatric disorders, we applied Mendelian randomization (MR) design to systematically screen blood metabolome for potential mediators of psychiatric disorders and further predict target-mediated side effects.

STUDY DESIGN

We selected 92 unique blood metabolites from 3 metabolome genome-wide association studies (GWASs) with totally 147 827 participants. Summary statistics for bipolar disorder (BIP), attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), major depressive disorder (MDD), schizophrenia (SCZ), panic disorder (PD), autistic spectrum disorder (ASD), and anorexia nervosa (AN) originated from the Psychiatric Genomics Consortium, involving 1 143 340 participants. Mendelian randomization (MR) analyses were conducted to estimate associations of blood metabolites with psychiatric disorders. Phenome-wide MR analysis was further performed to predict side effects mediated by metabolite-targeted interventions.

RESULTS

Eight metabolites were identified associated with psychiatric disorders, including five established mediators: N-acetylornithine (BIP: OR, 0.72 [95% CI, 0.66-0.79]; SCZ: OR, 0.74 [0.64-0.84]), glycine (BIP: OR, 0.62 [0.50-0.77]), docosahexaenoic acid (MDD: OR, 0.96 [0.94-0.97]), 3-Hydroxybutyrate (MDD: OR, 1.14 [1.08-1.21]), butyrylcarnitine (SCZ: OR, 1.22 [1.12-1.32]); and three novel mediators: 1-arachidonoylglycerophosphocholine (1-arachidonoyl-GPC)(BIP: OR, 0.31 [0.23-0.41]), glycoproteins (BIP: OR, 0.94 [0.92-0.97]), sphingomyelins (AN: OR, 1.12 [1.06-1.19]). Phenome-wide MR analysis showed that all identified metabolites except for N-acetylornithine and 3-Hydroxybutyrate had additional effects on nonpsychiatric diseases, while glycine, 3-Hydroxybutyrate, N-acetylornithine, and butyrylcarnitine had no adverse side effects.

CONCLUSIONS

This MR study identified five established and three novel mediators for psychiatric disorders. N-acetylornithine, glycine, 3-Hydroxybutyrate, and butyrylcarnitine might be promising targets against psychiatric disorders with no predicted adverse side effects.

Screening Behaviors and Related Factors among the First-Degree Relatives of Chinese Patients with Gastric Cancer

Objective

This study was aimed at investigating the screening behaviors of the first-degree relatives (FDRs) of Chinese patients with gastric cancer as well as the factors influencing screening behaviors.

Methods

In a cross-sectional design, 197 FDRs of patients with gastric cancer were enrolled at the Peking University Cancer Hospital. Four questionnaires were used: a demographic questionnaire, a knowledge questionnaire of risk factors and warning symptoms for gastric cancer, the Gastric Cancer Health Belief Scale, and a questionnaire screening for behavioral motivators and barriers. Logistic regression analysis was performed to determine the factors influencing screening behaviors.

Results

Among the 197 FDRs of patients with gastric cancer, 30.96% (61/197) of patients had undergone gastric cancer screening. Among those who participated in gastric cancer screening, the most common screening methods were gastroscopy and the Helicobacter pylori testing, both of which were applied in 63.93% (39/61) of participants, followed by serum tumor marker testing (55.74%, 34/61) and barium meal examination of the upper digestive tract (29.51%, 18/61). The gastric cancer risk factor knowledge score was 9.02 ​± ​3.95, and the gastric cancer warning symptom knowledge score was 4.39 ​± ​1.85. The participants' knowledge score was moderate, at 13.41 ​± ​5.16. The total health beliefs score was low, at 88.91 ​± ​12.66. Factors independently associated with the screening behaviors of FDRs included educational background, knowledge of gastric cancer risk factors, and health motivation (P ​< ​0.05).

Conclusions

The participation rate in gastric cancer screening of FDRs of patients with gastric cancer was relatively low and was affected by multiple factors. Our results highlighted the urgent need for educational campaigns and precision interventions to raise gastric cancer awareness.

Association between increased serum interleukin-8 levels and improved cognition in major depressive patients with SSRIs

BACKGROUND

The effect of neuroinflammatory cytokines on cognitive deficits in patients with major depressive disorder (MDD) can be altered by selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). This study aimed to examine serum interleukin-8 (IL-8) levels, cognitive function, and their associations in MDD patients with SSRIs.

METHODS

Thirty SSRI-treated MDD patients and 101 healthy controls were recruited for this study. We examined cognitive performance using the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) and serum IL-8 levels using the Human Inflammatory Cytokine Cytometric Bead Array in both cases and controls.

RESULTS

The RBANS test scores were significantly lower in MDD patients with SSRIs than in healthy controls after controlling for covariates (all p < 0.001). Serum levels of IL-8 were higher in MDD patients with SSRIs than in healthy controls after adjusting for covariates (F = 3.82, p = 0.05). Serum IL-8 levels were positively correlated with sub-scores of delayed memory (r = 0.37, p = 0.04) and visuospatial/constructional (r = 0.43, p = 0.02) in MDD patients with SSRIs but not in in healthy controls (delayed memory score: r = -0.12, p = 0.24; visuospatial/constructional score: r = 0.02, p = 0.81).

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings suggested that increased serum IL-8 level might not only be involved in the MDD psychopathology or the use of SSRIs but also correspond to improving MDD delayed memory and visuospatial/constructional function.

Generation and characterization of iPSCs from a patient with obsessive-compulsive disorder, his mother with schizophrenia and his healthy father

Schizophrenia (SCZ) and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) are complex polygenic disorders with brain morphology abnormalities. The etiologies and relationship of both disorders remain elusive, and should be further investigated. Thus, induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) were generated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from an OCD patient, his mother with SCZ and his healthy father with reprograming method. All iPSCs were characterized to have normal karyotype and expression of pluripotency makers. These iPSCs will be a valuable model to elucidate the pathophysiological mechanisms and association of both diseases.

Epigenetic Regulations in Autoimmunity and Cancer: from Basic Science to Translational Medicine

Epigenetics, as a discipline that aims to explain the differential expression of phenotypes arising from the same gene sequence and the heritability of epigenetic expression, has received much attention in medicine. Epigenetic mechanisms are constantly being discovered, including DNA methylation, histone modifications, noncoding RNAs and m6A. The immune system mainly achieves an immune response through the differentiation and functional expression of immune cells, in which epigenetic modification will have an important impact. Because of immune infiltration in the tumor microenvironment, immunotherapy has become a research hotspot in tumor therapy. Epigenetics plays an important role in autoimmune diseases and cancers through immunology. An increasing number of drugs targeting epigenetic mechanisms, such as DNA methyltransferase inhibitors, histone deacetylase inhibitors, and drug combinations, are being evaluated in clinical trials for the treatment of various cancers (including leukemia and osteosarcoma) and autoimmune diseases (systemic lupus erythematosus, rheumatoid arthritis, systemic sclerosis). This review summarizes the progress of epigenetic regulation for cancers and autoimmune diseases to date, shedding light on potential therapeutic strategies.

Chidamide-based 3-drug combination regimen reverses molecular relapse post transplantation in AML1-ETO-positive acute myeloid leukemia

Objective: We aimed to explore a new method to reverse early relapse in patients with AML1-ETO-positive acute myeloid cell transplantation. Methods: A chidamide-based 3-drug combination regimen was used in our center to treat patients with AML1-ETO-positive AML post transplantation but negative flow cytometry results. A retrospective analysis was performed of the survival rate and possible influencing factors of patients with relapse treated with this regimen in our center from January 2018 to January 2022. Results: The overall response rate was 95.8% (23/24), and the median number of treatment courses was 4 (range, 3-12 courses). The total molecular complete response (MCR) was 79.1% (19/24) after all treatments, and the molecular complete response was 37.5% (9/24) after one cycle of treatment but reached 58.3% (14/24) after four cycles; overall, the proportion of MCR increased gradually with the increase in treatment cycles. The projected 5-year overall survival rate was 73.9%. The projected 5-year leukemia-free survival rate was 64.8%, and the projected 1-year cumulative relapse rate was 35.5%. The incidence of grade II-IV graft-versus-host diseases (GVHD) was 29.2% (7/24), and that of grade III-IV GVHD was 20.8% (5/24), which could be effectively controlled by glucocorticoid therapy combined with calcineurin inhibitors The total incidence of chronic GVHD was 29.2% (7/24), and all cases were localized chronic GVHD. The total infection rate was 33.3% (8/24), mainly involving bacterial and fungal infections, and the incidence of life-threatening infections was 4.17% (1/24). The treatment-related mortality rate was 0%; and the total mortality rate was 20.8% (5/24). Nausea and vomiting, thrombocytopenia, and neutropenia were common adverse reactions, all of which were Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events grade 2-3 events and reversible after drug withdrawal. In terms of immunity, Th1 cell counts gradually increased, Th17 cell counts gradually decreased, and the Th1/Th17 ratio gradually increased after treatment. The CD8⁺ T lymphocyte count increased gradually, while the CD4⁺ T lymphocyte count did not change significantly. Conclusion: Our chidamide-based 3-drug combination regimen led to a high remission rate and tolerable adverse reactions in patients with AML1-ETO-positive post-transplant relapse, and most patients can achieve long-term survival with this regimen.

A cohort study of intrapartum group B streptococcus prophylaxis on atopic dermatitis in 2-year-old children

OBJECTIVE

To understand the occurrence of atopic dermatitis (AD) in children aged 2 years on exposure to maternal group B streptococcus (GBS) antibiotic prophylaxis (IAP).

DESIGN

Retrospective cohort study of 2909 mother-child pairs.

SETTING

Taixing People's Hospital in Eastern China.

PARTICIPANTS

Term infants born 2018-2019, followed longitudinally from birth to 2 years.

EXPOSURES

The GBS-IAP was defined as therapy with intravenous penicillin G or ampicillin or cefazolin ≥ 4 h prior to delivery to the mother. Reference infants were defined as born without or with other intrapartum antibiotic exposure.

OUTCOMES

The logistic regression models were employed to analyze the effect of intrapartum GBS prophylaxis on AD in 2-year-old children during delivery. Analysis was a priori stratified according to the mode of delivery and adjusted for relevant covariates.

RESULTS

The cohorts showed that preventive GBS-IAP was potentially associated with increased incidence of AD in children delivered vaginally according to logistic regression models before and after covariate-adjusted treatment (OR: 6.719,95% CI: 4.730-9.544,P < 0.001;aOR: 6.562,95% CI: 4.302-10.008, P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION

Prophylactic treatment of intrapartum GBS may raise the risk of AD in vaginally delivered children. These findings highlight the need to better understand the risk between childhood AD and current GBS-IAP intervention strategies.

First deliveries of felines by transcervical transfer of in vitro-cultured embryos

Transcervical transplantation of embryos has been wildly used in several species. However, it has not been successful in feline species because of their unique cervix structure combined with poor in vitro culture systems for embryos. In the present study, a simple device to guide the embryo transfer (ET) tube through the cervix and into the uterus was developed. To supply better blastocysts for ET, the in vitro culture system of feline embryos was also optimized. Results showed that 91.67 ± 4.17% of embryos developed to the blastocyst stage in QAU-4 medium compared with 49.17 ± 6.51% in KSOM medium. The total cell number of blastocysts reached 87.1 ± 22.1 in QAU-4 medium compared with 29.8 ± 2.1 in KSOM. Embryoid body formation was also observed in QAU-4 medium. Finally, by the improved technical scheme, CRX (Cone-Rod Homeobox) gene-edited kittens were successfully bred. To date, this is the first report, to our knowledge, of knockout kittens successfully delivered after transcervical ET with a simple transfer tube.

Altered neural mechanism of social reward anticipation in individuals with schizophrenia and social anhedonia

Altered social reward anticipation could be found in schizophrenia (SCZ) patients and individuals with high levels of social anhedonia (SA). However, few research investigated the putative neural processing for altered social reward anticipation in these populations on the SCZ spectrum. This study aimed to examine the underlying neural mechanisms of social reward anticipation in these populations. Twenty-three SCZ patients and 17 healthy controls (HC), 37 SA individuals and 50 respective HCs completed the Social Incentive Delay (SID) imaging task while they were undertaking MRI brain scans. We used the group contrast to examine the alterations of BOLD activation and functional connectivity (FC, psychophysiological interactions analysis). We then characterized the beta-series social brain network (SBN) based on the meta-analysis results from NeuroSynth and examined their prediction effects on real-life social network (SN) characteristics using the partial least squared regression analysis. The results showed that SCZ patients exhibited hypo-activation of the left medial frontal gyrus and the negative FCs with the left parietal regions, while individuals with SA showed the hyper-activation of the left middle frontal gyrus when anticipating social reward. For the beta-series SBNs, SCZ patients had strengthened cerebellum-temporal FCs, while SA individuals had strengthened left frontal regions FCs. However, such FCs of the SBN failed to predict the real-life SN characteristics. These preliminary findings suggested that SCZ patients and SA individuals appear to exhibit altered neural processing for social reward anticipation, and such neural activities showed a weakened association with real-life SN characteristics.

Pro-environmental behavior–Renewable energy transitions nexus: Exploring the role of higher education and information and communications technology diffusion

The most accepted solution to deal with the problems of global warming and climate change is to transform the energy sector by moving toward renewable energy. Therefore, the primary focus of the analysis is to examine the role of renewable energy consumption, higher education, and ICT in improving environmental quality and green growth in China. We have employed the quantile ARDL model to obtain the short-and long-run estimates. According to the findings of QARDL, the long-run estimated coefficients of renewable energy consumption and higher education are positively significant in most quantiles. However, in the long run, the estimates attached to ICT are insignificant in the CO2 emissions model in most quantiles. On the other hand, the estimates of renewable energy consumption are significantly positive from the 50th quantile and onward in the green growth model, confirming that the higher the renewable energy in the economy, closer it will get to the target of green economic growth. The long-run estimates of higher education and ICT are positively significant at most quantiles in the green growth model. In the short run, renewable energy consumption turned out to be the most critical determinant of CO2 emissions and green growth.

Sleep disorder as a clinical risk factor of major depression: associated with cognitive impairment

BACKGROUND

This research aims explored the sleep disorder (SD) role in major depressive disorder (MDD), and the SD influencing their cognition.

METHODS

372 MDD patients and 457 healthy controls (HCs) were enrolled.

RESULTS

Patients increased a 38.88 times SD risk compared with HCs. In patients, visuospatial/constructional score was lower in SD than non-SD, and PSQI score was negatively associated with visuospatial/constructional score of SD. In SD and non-SD, RBANS scores were lower in MDD than HCs, excepted for visuospatial/constructional in non-SD.

CONCLUSION

The SD as a MDD risk factor, has more serious visuospatial/constructional impairment alleviated via improving sleep/depression in patients.

Radial nerve trapped posterior to the proximal fracture end after closed reduction of supracondylar humerus fracture in children: A case report

Introduction and importance

Radial nerve injury is very common in supracondylar humerus fractures, but radial nerve entrapment between the fracture ends after closed reduction is very rare, and we report a case of radial nerve entrapment after closed reduction.

Case presentation

A 7-year-old boy was admitted to the Department of Pediatric Orthopedics 24 days after closed reduction of a supracondylar fracture of the humerus with radial nerve injury. Preoperative ultrasound showed radial nerve entrapment between the fracture ends, which was confirmed by surgery. After nerve release surgery, the radial nerve recovered well.

Clinical discussion

How to treat supracondylar humerus fractures in case of nerve damage remains controversial. We presented a rare case with radial nerve injury after supracondylar humerus fracture caused complete motor palsy in which the main trunk of the radial nerve above the right elbow traveled posterior to the fracture site. Awareness of the status of the nerve before and after surgery can help in the clinical decision to perform a concomitant nerve exploration, and in the context of this, ultrasound may be more helpful.

Conclusion

We recommend identifying the radial nerve using ultrasound during the closed reduction. If the nerve is entrapped between the fracture ends, exploration is recommended. For cases without entrapment, closed reduction with Kirschner wire fixation can be performed first, and the nerve should be re-examined with ultrasound.

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Radial nerve entrapped posterior to the proximal fracture end after closed reduction of SCHF was very rare.

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The use of ultrasound to identify the nerve status can reduce unnecessary surgery in the presence of radial nerve in SCHF.

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We proposed the management of SCHF with radial nerve injury through a review of the literature.

Decoupling between hub-connected functional connectivity of the social brain network and real-world social network in individuals with social anhedonia

Altered hub regions in brain network have been consistently reported in patients with schizophrenia. However, it is unclear whether similar altered hub regions of the brain would be exhibited in individuals with subclinical features of schizophrenia such as social anhedonia (SA). In this study, we examined the hub regions of resting-state social brain network (SBN) of 35 participants with SA and 50 healthy controls (HC). We further examined the prediction effect of hub-connected FCs with SBN on the real-life social network characteristics. Our findings showed that the right amygdala, left temporal lobe and right media superior frontal gyrus were the hub regions of SBN both in SA and HC groups. In the SA group, the left temporal lobe connected functional connectivity (FC) did not predict social network characteristics, while the other FCs strengthened the association with social network characteristics. These findings were replicated in an independent sample of 33 SA and 32 HC. These findings suggested that the left temporal lobe as one of the hub regions of SBN exhibited the abnormality of their connected FCs in the association with social network characteristics in individuals with SA.

Morinda officinalis oligosaccharides mitigate chronic mild stress-induced inflammation and depression-like behaviour by deactivating the MyD88/PI3K pathway via E2F2

Morinda officinalis oligosaccharides (MOs) are natural herbal extracts that have been shown to exert antidepressant effects. However, the mechanism of this effect remains unclear. Here, we explored the mechanism by which MOs improved experimental depression. Using a chronic mild stress (CMS) murine model, we examined whether MOs could protect against depressive-like behaviour. Lipopolysaccharide (LPS)- and ATP-treated BV2 cells were used to examine the potential mechanism by which MOs mediate the inflammatory response. We found that MOs prevented the CMS-induced reduction in the sucrose preference ratio in the sucrose preference test (SPT) and shortened the immobility durations in both the tail suspension test (TST) and forced swim test (FST). We also noticed that MOs suppressed inflammatory effects by deactivating the MyD88/PI3K pathway via E2F2 in CMS mice or LPS- and ATP-stimulated BV2 cells. Furthermore, overexpression of E2F2 blunted the beneficial effects of MOs in vitro. Collectively, these data showed that MOs exerted antidepressant effects in CMS mice by targeting E2F2-mediated MyD88/PI3K signalling pathway.

Abstract 2885: Generation of TCR-like fully human antibodies against HLA-antigen-peptide complexes using HLA transgenic RenMice

With the development of immunotherapy in recent years, therapeutic antibodies have become a major player combating cancer with the limitation of recognizing cell surface or secreted molecules. In contrast, the human T cell receptor (TCR) recognizes its cognate peptide antigen when presented on human leukocyte antigen (HLA) molecules, and thus detects a broader range of targets including intracellular proteins. Here we established an innovative strategy of generating fully human TCR mimic (TCRm) antibodies that can recognize antigen with a higher specificity and affinity. Previously, Biocytogen established RenMab™ and Renlite࣪ mice (RenMice). These humanized immunoglobulin mouse models generate fully human antibodies that carry human Ig heavy chain and human kappa light chain variable domains. Here, HLA genes were introduced into RenMice to build tolerance towards HLA. When immunized with HLA- peptide complexes, these mice generate antibodies that specifically target the HLA-Peptide complex, with no reactivity to HLA alone nor other peptide-HLA complexes. Compared to natural TCRs, these TCRm antibodies show higher affinity and specificity. Using optimized immunization methods and high-throughput screening, our antibody discovery platform generated fully human TCRm antibodies from HLA/RenMab™ and HLA/Renlite™ mice. Producing TCR-like binders with this unique TCRm technology can become a very powerful tool in the immunotherapy field.

Citation Format: Jun Du, Nannan Wang, Li Hui, Ruixue Wang, Taolin Liu, Qingcong Lin. Generation of TCR-like fully human antibodies against HLA-antigen-peptide complexes using HLA transgenic RenMice [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 2885.

Abstract 5615: YH008, a PD-1-CD40 bispecific antibody, inhibits tumor growth in vivo through PD-1-dependent activation of CD40 signaling

PD-1/PD-L1 inhibition immunotherapy is very popular in cancer treatment and has become one of the most pursued therapeutic strategies in the field. Combination treatment using anti-PD-1/PD-L1 agents with other immunomodulators brings additional benefits, such as preventing refractory effects towards PD-1/PD-L1 antibodies, and better inhibitory effects on tumor growth. Biocytogen developed YH008, a tetravalent anti PD-1/CD40 Fc-silenced IgG1 bispecific antibody (BsAb) that agonizes CD40 in a PD-1-dependent manner. Previously, YH008 demonstrated dose-dependent inhibitory efficacy against B16F10 engrafted tumors in PD-1/CD40 double humanized mice (established by Biocytogen: B-hPD1/CD40). Interestingly, in humanized CD40 mice that do not express human PD-1 expression, YH008 did not show tumor inhibition activity against the MC38 engrafted tumor. This observation indicates that YH008 activates the CD40 pathway in a PD-1 dependent manner. When compared with an anti-PD-L1/CD40 BsAb, YH008 showed superior tumor growth inhibition (TGI) against MC38 engrafted tumors in a triple humanized PD-1/PD-L1/CD40 mouse model (B-hPD-1/hPD-L1/hCD40). YH008 was observed to promote the proliferation and activation of dendritic cells, as well as increase CD8+/Treg ratio in B16F10 tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs). Furthermore, YH008 showed a superior liver toxicity profile compared to a selicrelumab analog. At a high dose of 100mg/kg, YH008 did not elevate liver enzymes in the blood of B-hPD1/hCD40 mice. Similarly, no significant adverse events were observed in a cynomolgus dose-escalation study. YH008 is currently in pre-clinical development with anticipated IND application in 2022.

Citation Format: Baihong Liu, Hao Yang, Li Hui, Benny Yang. YH008, a PD-1-CD40 bispecific antibody, inhibits tumor growth in vivo through PD-1-dependent activation of CD40 signaling [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2022; 2022 Apr 8-13. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2022;82(12_Suppl):Abstract nr 5615.

Inefficient integration during multiple facial processing in pre-morbid and early phases of psychosis

OBJECTIVES

We used eye-tracking to evaluate multiple facial context processing and event-related potential (ERP) to evaluate multiple facial recognition in individuals at clinical high risk (CHR) for psychosis.

METHODS

In total, 173 subjects (83 CHRs and 90 healthy controls [HCs]) were included and their emotion perception performances were accessed. A total of 40 CHRs and 40 well-matched HCs completed an eye-tracking task where they viewed pictures depicting a person in the foreground, presented as context-free, context-compatible, and context-incompatible. During the two-year follow-up, 26 CHRs developed psychosis, including 17 individuals who developed first-episode schizophrenia (FES). Eighteen well-matched HCs were made to complete the face number detection ERP task with image stimuli of one, two, or three faces.

RESULTS

Compared to the HC group, the CHR group showed reduced visual attention to contextual processing when viewing multiple faces. With the increasing complexity of contextual faces, the differences in eye-tracking characteristics also increased. In the ERP task, the N170 amplitude decreased with a higher face number in FES patients, while it increased with a higher face number in HCs.

CONCLUSIONS

Individuals in the very early phase of psychosis showed facial processing deficits with supporting evidence of different scan paths during context processing and disruption of N170 during multiple facial recognition.

A potential objective marker in first-episode schizophrenia based on abnormal niacin response

The lack of objective diagnostic markers has long been a challenge in the clinical management of schizophrenia (SZ). The current bivariate cut-offs method is an objective quantification of niacin skin flush abnormality (NFA) for identifying the SZ subgroup. However, the sensitivity of approximately 30% limits the application of NFA as a marker for detecting SZ. A laser Doppler flowmeter was employed to test the niacin skin-flushing response in 123 patients with first-episode psychosis including first-episode SZ (FES, n = 82) and psychotic bipolar disorders (PBP, n = 41), and non-psychiatric comparisons (NPC, n = 80). We modified the bivariate cut-offs using a combination of the niacin concentration corresponding to the half-maximal blood flow response (EC₅₀) and a new quantitative indicator called the overall trend area (OTA). The NFA used this study method predicted FES in the NPC group with 57% sensitivity, 89% specificity, and 73% accuracy compared to the 28% sensitivity, 91% specificity, and 59% accuracy of the existing method. This novel method could discern FES from the PBP group with an accuracy of 62%, compared with the 45% of the old method. In addition, we also discuss whether the bivariate cut-offs were occasional by adjusting the cut-offs threshold. The experimental results showed that the sensitivity and specificity were most stable when using the study method. The study indicates that NFA using modified bivariate cut-offs may be a potential objective marker in FES, and the niacin skin test could be feasible for early diagnosis and treatment of SZ.

Retrospective study of visualized ultra-mini percutaneous nephrolithotripsy vs. flexible ureterorenoscopy for nephrolithiasis patients with 1.5-2.5 cm kidney stones and without hydronephrosis

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the safety and efficacy of visualized ultra-mini percutaneous nephrolithotripsy (VUMP) and flexible ureterorenoscopy (FURS) in the treatment of nephrolithiasis patients with 1.5-2.5 cm kidney stones and without hydronephrosis.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

The clinical data of 143 nephrolithiasis patients without hydronephrosis (from April 2017 to March 2021) were collected and analyzed, including 65 cases in the VUMP group and 78 cases in the FURS group. The general clinical data, operation time, hospitalization time, recent stone-free rate (RSFR), long-term stone free rate (four weeks after operation, LSFR), Visual Analogue Scale (VAS), Bruggermann comfort score (BCS), and surgical complications of the two groups were collected and analyzed.

RESULTS

In the VUMP group, the operation time (49.14 ± 9.28 vs. 60.23 ± 9.45, p < 0.001), postoperative white blood cell count (11.05 ± 2.43 vs. 13.57 ± 2.71, p < 0.05) and BCS score (1.72 ± 0.80 vs. 2.81 ± 0.85, p < 0.001) were significantly lower than those of the FURS group, but the postoperative hemoglobin (8.25 ± 5.04 vs. 4.05 ± 3.07, p < 0.05), hospital stay (5.72 ± 1.75 vs. 3.12 ± 1.09, p < 0.001) and VAS score (3.18 ± 1.36 vs. 2.08 ± 1.28, p < 0.001) were significantly higher than those of the FURS group. Besides, the VUMP group was significantly higher than the FURS group in RSFR (90.32% vs. 72.22%, p < 0.05) and LSFR (95.38% vs. 85.89%, p < 0.05). The systemic inflammatory response syndrome rate (3.07% vs. 14.10%, p = 0.037) and total complications (9.23% vs. 20.51%, p = 0.032) were significantly lower in the VUMP group than in the FURS group.

CONCLUSIONS

Both VUMP and FURS are safe and effective in the treatment of nephrolithiasis patients with 1.5-2.5 cm kidney stones and without hydronephrosis, and the former is preferable for higher SFR, shorter operation time and lower complication rate.

Tocilizumab therapy for persistent high-grade fever in systemic lupus erythematosus: two cases and a literature review

Tocilizumab (TCZ) is a humanized immunoglobulin (Ig) G1 monoclonal antibody directed against the interleukin (IL)-6 receptor. We report on two patients with persistent high-grade fever and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) who were treated with TCZ. Two female Chinese patients presented with SLE and high-grade fever, with raised inflammatory markers including C-reactive protein, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and IL-6, but no signs of opportunistic infections. Their fever and other symptoms responded poorly to broad-spectrum antibiotics, antifungals, antivirals, and glucocorticoids. They were both treated with TCZ. Their body temperatures returned to normal after treatment with TCZ, and other symptoms, including arthralgia, gradually improved. Both patients were followed-up and their conditions remained steady to date. TCZ may thus be an alternative treatment for patients with SLE and persistent high-grade fever who fail to respond to initial antibiotics and high-dose glucocorticoids.

A non-bactericidal cathelicidin provides prophylactic efficacy against bacterial infection by driving phagocyte influx

The roles of bactericidal cathelicidins against bacterial infection have been extensively studied. However, the antibacterial property and mechanism of action of non-bactericidal cathelicidins are rarely known. Herein, a novel naturally occurring cathelicidin (PopuCATH) from tree frog (Polypedates puerensis) did not show any direct anti-bacterial activity in vitro. Intriguingly, intraperitoneal injection of PopuCATH before bacterial inoculation significantly reduced the bacterial load in tree frogs and mice, and reduced the inflammatory response induced by bacterial inoculation in mice. PopuCATH pretreatment also increased the survival rates of septic mice induced by a lethal dose of bacterial inoculation or cecal ligation and puncture (CLP). Intraperitoneal injection of PopuCATH significantly drove the leukocyte influx in both frogs and mice. In mice, PopuCATH rapidly drove neutrophil, monocyte/macrophage influx in mouse abdominal cavity and peripheral blood with a negligible impact on T and B lymphocytes, and neutrophils, monocytes/macrophages, but not T and B lymphocytes, were required for the preventive efficacy of PopuCATH. PopuCATH did not directly act as chemoattractant for phagocytes, but PopuCATH obviously drove phagocyte migration when it was cultured with macrophages. PopuCATH significantly elicited chemokine/cytokine production in macrophages through activating p38/ERK mitogen-activated protein kinases (MAPKs) and NF-κB p65. PopuCATH markedly enhanced neutrophil phagocytosis via promoting the release of neutrophil extracellular traps (NETs). Additionally, PopuCATH showed low side effects both in vitro and in vivo. Collectively, PopuCATH acts as a host-based immune defense regulator that provides prophylactic efficacy against bacterial infection without direct antimicrobial effects. Our findings reveal a non-bactericidal cathelicidin which possesses unique anti-bacterial action, and highlight the potential of PopuCATH to prevent bacterial infection.

A novel highly specific colorimetric fluorescent probe for the detection of nitrite in aqueous solution

Developing an effective method for the detection of nitrite (NO₂ ^- ions) in natural environment especially environmental waters and soils is very necessary, because it will cause serious damage to human health once excess NO₂ ^- ions enters the human body. Herein, a new colorimetric fluorescent probe NB-NO₂ ^- for determining NO₂ ^- ions was designed, and it possesses good water-solubility and pleasurable selectivity over others common ions for NO₂ ^- ions. The addition of NO₂ ^- ions changed the color of solution from blue to colorless by naked-eye. And through the test and calculation, the detection limit of the probe NB-NO₂ ^- is 129 nM. Based on the above excellent characteristics, the probe NB-NO₂ ^- was successfully used for monitoring NO₂ ^- ions in environmental waters and soils.

Theoretical investigation on the effect of the ligand on bis-silylation of C(sp)–C(sp) by Ni complexes

Density functional theory is used to study the bis-silylation of alkyne catalysed by a transition metal nickel–organic complex. The active catalyst, organic ligand, reaction mechanism, and rate-determining step were discussed with regard to dynamics and thermodynamics. COD or SIPr (COD = cyclooctadiene, SIPr = 1,3-bis(2,6-diisopropyl-phenyl)-4,5-dihydroimidazol-2-ylidene) coordination with Ni will greatly reduce the energy barrier of the Si–Si insertion step, that is, ΔΔG reaches 15.5 kcal mol⁻¹. Furthermore, the structure of alkynes will change the energy barrier of the alkyne insertion step.

Density functional theory (DFT) is used to study the bis-silylation of alkynes catalyzed by a transition metal nickel–organic complex; the active catalyst, the organic ligand, the reaction mechanism, and rate-determining step are discussed in this paper.

Associations of decreased serum total protein, albumin, and globulin with depressive severity of schizophrenia

OBJECTIVE

Depression and schizophrenia (SCH) were accompanied by an acute phase response (APR) that was implicated in the alterations in total protein (TP), albumin, and globulin levels. The aims of this study are to examine serum TP, albumin, globulin levels, depressive symptoms, and their associations in patients with SCH.

METHODS

We recruited 34 patients with SCH and 136 healthy controls (HCs) according to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition (DSM-IV). Psychiatric symptoms and biomarkers were assessed using the Chinese version of the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) as well as the bromocresol green and biuret methods.

RESULTS

Serum TP (F = 46.11, p < 0.001, η2 = 0.19), albumin (F = 31.69, p < 0.001, η2 = 0.14), and globulin (F = 12.48, p < 0.001, η2 = 0.06) levels were lower in patients than those in HCs after adjusting for covariates. Serum TP (r = -0.37, p = 0.03) and albumin (r = -0.37, p = 0.03) levels were negatively correlated with depressive score in patients. Stepwise multivariate regression analysis showed the negative associations of depressive score with serum TP (β = -0.13, t = -2.92, p = 0.007), albumin (β = -0.23, t = -2.36, p = 0.03), and globulin (β = -0.16, t = -2.40, p = 0.02) levels in patients. Serum TP, albumin, and globulin levels exhibited the accuracies of 87.1, 70.0, and 69.4% in discriminating between patients and HCs (area under the curve [AUC]: 0.78, 0.68, and 0.77; sensitivity/specificity: 52.9%/95.6%, 55.9%/73.5%, and 76.5%/67.6%).

CONCLUSION

Our data suggested that decreased serum TP, albumin, and globulin should be regarded as the SCH risk factors and were implicated in the depressive severity of SCH, which further provided the support for the hypothesis that SCH and depression were accompanied by the abnormal inflammatory cytokines with the APR.

Comparisons of Serum Interleukin-8 Levels in Major Depressive Patients With Drug-Free Versus SSRIs Versus Healthy Controls

OBJECTIVE

The interleukin-8 (IL-8) has been reported to play an important role in depression, which might be modulated by the selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs). Thus, the aim of this study was to investigate serum IL-8 levels, depressive symptom, and their associations in drug-free MDD patients, MDD patients with SSRIs, and healthy controls (HCs).

METHODS

Fifty-seven drug-free MDD patients (male/female = 35/22, mean age: 39.24 years), 30 MDD patients with SSRIs (male/female = 11/19, mean age: 39.73 years), and 101 HCs (male/female = 52/49, mean age: 37.38 years) were recruited in this cross-sectional study. Serum IL-8 levels and depressive symptom were assessed using the Flow Cytometer and Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD). The analysis of variance was used for the comparison between groups. The relationship between serum log₁₀ IL-8 levels and HAMD score was analyzed by Pearson correlation.

RESULTS

Serum log₁₀IL-8 levels were lower in all patients than HCs after controlling for covariates (F = 4.86, p = 0.03). There was significant difference in serum Log₁₀IL-8 levels among three groups after controlling for covariates (F = 14.63, p < 0.001). Serum Log₁₀IL-8 levels in drug-free patients were lower compared to HCs (F = 19.38, p < 0.001) or patients with SSRIs (F = 21.89, p < 0.001) after controlling for covariates. However, there was not difference in serum log₁₀IL-8 levels between patients with SSRIs and HCs after controlling for covariates. Moreover, serum Log₁₀IL-8 levels were negatively correlated with HAMD score in all patients (r = -0.37, p = 0.02). Also, serum Log₁₀IL-8 levels were negatively correlated with HAMD score in drug-free patients (r = -0.74, p = 0.01), but not in patients with SSRIs.

CONCLUSION

Our data supported that the decline in serum IL-8 levels was association with depression. Moreover, the SSRIs might modulate increased serum IL-8 levels of depression.

Associations among gonadal hormone, triglycerides and cognitive decline in female patients with major depressive disorders

BACKGROUND

Cognitive impairment has been identified as a core feature of depression. Serum triglycerides (TG), gonadal hormone and sex difference were shown to influence cognitive performance. The purpose of this study was to investigate the associations among serum TG, gonadal hormone, sex difference and cognitive performance in patients with major depressive disorders (MDD).

METHODS

The enrolled 183 patients (male/female = 80/103) meeting DSM-IV criteria for MDD were divided into high TG group (patients-HTG) and normal TG group (patients-NTG) according to TG level. Serum TG, estradiol (E2) and testosterone (T) levels were measured by the glycerokinase peroxidase-peroxidase and chemiluminescence methods. Cognition was assessed by the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS). The study was conducted between August 2016 and January 2020.

RESULTS

In female, patients-HTG had lower immediate memory, language, attention, delayed memory and RBANS total scores than patients-NTG after adjusting for covariates. There were significant differences in serum E2 and T levels between patients-HTG and patients-NTG in female after controlling for covariates. In female patients-HTG, serum E2 level was positively associated with immediate memory, delayed memory and RBANS total scores, and serum T level was positively related to immediate memory, language and RBANS total scores. These findings were not seen in male patients.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data suggested that patients-HTG exhibited poorer cognitive function compared with patients-NTG in female. Moreover, the decline in serum gonadal hormone level might contribute to the high TG development of female MDD, and was further implicated in their cognitive decline.

Conversion to psychosis in adolescents and adults: similar proportions, different predictors

BACKGROUND

Age effects may be important for improving models for the prediction of conversion to psychosis for individuals in the clinical high risk (CHR) state. This study aimed to explore whether adolescent CHR individuals (ages 9-17 years) differ significantly from adult CHR individuals (ages 18-45 years) in terms of conversion rates and predictors.

METHOD

Consecutive CHR individuals (N = 517) were assessed for demographic and clinical characteristics and followed up for 3 years. Individuals with CHR were classified as adolescent (n = 244) or adult (n = 273) groups. Age-specific prediction models of psychosis were generated separately using Cox regression.

RESULTS

Similar conversion rates were found between age groups; 52 out of 216 (24.1%) adolescent CHR individuals and 55 out of 219 (25.1%) CHR adults converted to psychosis. The conversion outcome was best predicted by negative symptoms compared to other clinical variables in CHR adolescents (χ² = 7.410, p = 0.006). In contrast, positive symptoms better predicted conversion in CHR adults (χ² = 6.585, p = 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

Adolescent and adult CHR individuals may require a different approach to early identification and prediction. These results can inform the development of more precise prediction models based on age-specific approaches.

The type 2 diabetes mellitus susceptibility gene CDKAL1 polymorphism is associated with depressive symptom in first-episode drug-naive schizophrenic patients

BACKGROUND

Patients with schizophrenia have an increased prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus that has shown a significant association with the rs7754840 polymorphism in the gene encoding the cyclin-dependent kinase 5 (CDK5) regulatory subunit-associated protein 1-like 1 (CDKAL1).

OBJECTIVE

To examine whether this polymorphism was involved in the susceptibility in first-episode drug-naive schizophrenic patients (FDSP), and further influenced their clinical symptoms.

METHODS

This polymorphism was genotyped in 239 FDSP and 368 healthy controls. The clinical symptoms in FDSP were assessed using the Positive and Negative Syndrome Scale (PANSS) five-factor models.

RESULTS

There was no significant difference in the allelic and genotypic frequencies of this polymorphism between two groups (both p > 0.05) after adjusting for covariates. However, the PANSS depressive score significantly differed by genotype in FDSP after adjusting for covariates (F = 5.25, p = 0.006). This significant difference also persisted after Bonferroni correction (p < 0.05). FDSP with C/C genotype had significantly higher PANSS depressive score than those with C/G genotype (p = 0.007) and those with G/G genotype (p = 0.005). Moreover, further stepwise multivariate regression analysis showed the significant association between the rs7754840 polymorphism and PANSS depressive score in FDSP (β = -1.07, t = -2.75, p = 0.007).

CONCLUSIONS

Our findings demonstrated that although the CDKAL1 rs7754840 polymorphism did not contribute to the susceptibility to FDSP, it might be implicated in depressive symptoms in this patient group.

Association between stereopsis deficits and attention decline in patients with major depressive disorder

Cognitive and sensory deficits were considered a core feature of major depressive disorder (MDD). However, few studies investigated stereopsis integrity in patients with MDD. Thus, the objectives of this study investigated stereopsis integrity and its correlations with cognitive function and depressive symptom in patients with MDD. 90 patients with MDD and 116 healthy controls (HCs) were enrolled in this study. Their stereoacuity was evaluated using the Titmus Stereopsis Test as well as assessing their cognitive function and depressive symptom by the Repeatable Battery for the Assessment of Neuropsychological Status (RBANS) and Hamilton Depression Scale (HAMD). Log seconds of arc was significantly higher in patients than HCs (1.92 ± 0.41 versus 1.67 ± 0.16, t = 5.35, p < 0.0001). The percentage of patients with correct stereopsis detection was markedly declined in 400 (z = 3.06, p = 0.002), 200 (z = 3.84, p < 0.001), 140 (z = 4.73, p < 0.001), 100 (z = 4.58, p < 0.001), 80 (z = 5.06, p < 0.001), 60 (z = 4.72, p < 0.001), 50 (z = 4.24, p < 0.001), and 40 (z = 4.85, p < 0.001) seconds of arc compared with HCs. Log seconds of arc was significantly correlated with the RBANS total score (r = -0.38, p < 0.0001), subscores of attention (r = -0.49, p < 0.0001) and language (r = -0.33, p = 0.001) rather than HAMD score (r = 0.03, p = 0.78) in MDD patients. In addition, log seconds of arc was significantly related to the RBANS total score (r = -0.58, p < 0.0001) and language score (r = -0.45, p = 0.006) rather than attention score (r = -0.30, p = 0.07) in HCs. Further stepwise multivariate regression analyses showed the negative correlation of log seconds of arc with attention score (β = -0.80, t = -3.95, p < 0.0001) rather than HAMD score (β = -0.008, t = -0.09, p = 0.93) in MDD patients. However, there was no relationship between log seconds of arc and attention score in HCs (β = 1.52, t = 1.19, p = 0.24). Our results identified the marked deficits of stereopsis in MDD patients that were tightly correlated with their attention functioning rather than depressive symptom.

A Dilute-and-Shoot UHPLC-MS/MS Isotope Dilution Method for Simultaneous Determination and Confirmation of Eleven Mycotoxins in Dried Distillers Grains with Solubles

BACKGROUND

Natural contamination of mycotoxins in dried distiller's grains with solubles (DDGS) as a mainstream animal feed ingredient poses risk to animal health.

OBJECTIVE

A regulatory method was needed for the agency to simultaneously detect eleven mycotoxins of high regulatory priority in DDGS.

METHODS

Ten grams of DDGS sample were extracted twice with acetonitrile/water under mildly acidic condition. Two aliquots from the combined crude extract were taken and processed separately: (1) diluted 400-fold with solvent for analysis of deoxynivalenol and fumonisins B1 and B2; (2) pH adjusted to 7.5, then diluted 15.7-fold for analysis of aflatoxins B1, B2, G1, G2, ochratoxin A, zearalenone, and T-2 and HT-2 toxins. Uniformly-labelled 13C-isotopologues of these mycotoxins were added as internal standards to the diluted extracts for quantitative analysis by ultra-high performance liquid chromatography tandem mass spectrometry (UHPLC-MS/MS). Results. The linear quantitation ranges (µg/kg) were: aflatoxin B1, B2, G1, and G2, 1.57 to 105; zearalenone, 16.3 to 1090; T-2 toxin, 3.14 to 208; HT-2 toxin, 48.2 to 3220; ochratoxin A, 0.47 to 31.4; deoxynivalenol, 240 to 16000; fumonisin B1 and B2, 320 to 21200. Accuracies for these analytes at each of three fortification levels range from 70.7% to 100%, with corresponding relative standard deviations between 1.4% to 10.5%. True recoveries were all higher than 83%.

CONCLUSIONS

This method was successfully validated to meet the agency's performance guidelines for regulatory methods.

HIGHLIGHTS

This method is easy, quick and robust to simultaneously quantify and confirm presence of eleven regulated mycotoxins in DDGS.

Abstract 501: Double-humanized 4-1BB/4-1BBL mouse is an advanced model for liver toxicity and efficacy evaluation of 4-1BB therapeutic antibodies

4-1BB is an activation-induced costimulatory TNF receptor family member which is expressed on a variety of cell types such as activated T cells, NK cells, DCs, B cells, monocytes and Neutrophils. 4-1BB/4-1BBL interaction leads to a series of activation effects including increased cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTL) activity, cytokine induction, prevention of activation-induced cells death (AICD). Agonistic monoclonal antibodies targeting 4-1BB have shown robust anti-tumor activity but has also caused substantial liver toxicity which hampered their clinical development. To better assist the efficacy and toxicity evaluation of anti 4-1BB antibodies, Biocytogen developed a 4-1BB/4-1BBL double humanized knock in mice, which is the second generation of humanized 4-1BB mice. In the double humanized mouse, the exons of mouse 4-1BBL and 4-1BB genes that encode the transmembrane domain and extracellular domain were replaced by human counterpart exons. The expression of knocked in exons were confirmed by both RT-PCR and Flow cytometry. In vivo efficacy study showed that 4-1BB antibodies significantly inhibited tumor growth in mice bearing the colon cancer cell line MC38 and this effect was dose-dependent. The tumor growth inhibition (TGI) reached approximately 70% in the mice group dosed 1mg/kg. More importantly, Toxicity study showed that compared to the single humanized 4-1BB mice, double humanized 4-1BB/4-1BBL mice have higher sensitivity on liver toxicity testing, reflected by sera AST and ALT level as well as liver pathological analysis. These results indicate that the double humanized B-h4-1BB/h4-1BBL mouse model, by mimicking a more human like 4-1BB and 4-1BBL interaction, has been proved to be a more advanced option for preclinical toxicity and efficacy evaluation for 4-1BB therapeutic antibodies compared to single humanized 4-1BB mice.

Citation Format: Lei Zhao, Linlin Wang, Dirui Li, Li Hui, Qingcong Lin. Double-humanized 4-1BB/4-1BBL mouse is an advanced model for liver toxicity and efficacy evaluation of 4-1BB therapeutic antibodies [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2021; 2021 Apr 10-15 and May 17-21. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(13_Suppl):Abstract nr 501.

Abstract 496: Humanized SIRPA and double humanized SIRPA/CD47 B-NDG mouse models are promising tools for anti-SIRPα antibody in vivo efficacy studies

The CD47/Signal regulatory protein α (SIRPα) axis regulates myeloid cell activation and functions as a crucial myeloid specific immune checkpoint. CD47 is highly expressed on many different types of cancer and upon binding with SIRPα which is abundantly expressed on myeloid cells, transduces inhibitory signals that protect cancer cells from phagocytosis by macrophages and other myeloid cells. Therefore, antibodies that block CD47 and SIRPα binding become encouraging tools for cancer immunotherapy. Biocytogen developed humanized SIRPα B-NDG mice and double humanized SIRPα/CD47 B-NDG mice to provide solid platforms for in vivo efficacy assessment of SIRPα antibodies with or without other immune checkpoint regulators. These mice have a B-NDG mouse background (completely lacking mature T, B and NK cells and were deficient in cytokine signaling) and express human SIRPα protein only or with human CD47 IgV domain and no mouse counterpart expressed. Raji-Luc cells were injected into these mouse models for tumor xenografting and anti-tumor efficacy of anti SIRPα antibody in combination with other antibodies was evaluated. The results showed that the combination of antibodies could effectively control tumor growth in the two mouse models. In addition, B-NDG hSIRPα/hCD47 mice can be used for toxicity assessment for SIRPα or CD47 antibodies. In summary, both B-NDG hSIRPA and B-NDG hSIRPA/hCD47 mice are promising models for preclinical in vivo evaluation of SIRPα antibodies and combined therapy.

Citation Format: Yuting Hu, Lei Zhao, Yujie Liu, Li Hui, Zhaoxue (Luke) Yu. Humanized SIRPA and double humanized SIRPA/CD47 B-NDG mouse models are promising tools for anti-SIRPα antibody in vivo efficacy studies [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2021; 2021 Apr 10-15 and May 17-21. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(13_Suppl):Abstract nr 496.

Abstract 1852: A novel PD1-CD40 bispecific antibody YH008 induces potent anti-tumor activity in vivo by PD1 dependent activation of CD40 signaling

Immunotherapies that target PD1/PDL1 pathway have marked a new era of cancer therapy. Combinatorial treatment of inhibiting PD1/PDL1 signaling and other immunomodulating agents has been widely tested and validated as a better strategy compared to single agent treatment. CD40 (TNFRSF5) is a member of the TNFR super family, a key T cell co-stimulatory signal critical for B-cell maturation and immunoglobulin class switching. Biocytogen developed a novel first in class PD1-CD40 bispecific antibody (YH008) that agonizes CD40 conditionally upon PD1 binding. In vitro study data shows YH008 can block the interaction of PD1 to PDL1 and induced dose dependent NFAT activation. YH008 was able to activate human CD40 on reporter cells in the presence of PD1-expressing jurkat cells in a dose dependent manner without relying on FcγR expressing cells. This feature is beneficial for conditionally activation of CD40+ cells in tumor microenvironment and tumor-draining lymph nodes, where tumor specific PD1+ T cells are enriched. In vivo study result shows that YH008 demonstrated robust anti-tumor efficacy against MC38 and B16F10 tumors in PD1/CD40 double humanized mice (B-hPD1/hCD40). In hCD40 mice which has no human PD1 engagement, YH008 did not show anti-tumor activity against MC38 tumor. Furthermore, YH008 did not elevate liver enzymes of MC38 bearingB-hPD1/hCD40 mice at dose as high as 26 mg/kg, demonstrating improved liver safety profile than selicrelumab. Taken together, these data demonstrated that YH008 is a promising new immunotherapeutic candidate in cancer treatment.

Citation Format: Baihong Liu, Li Hui, Chonghui Liu, Zhihong Li, Fangxia Pan, Benny Yang, Qingcong Lin. A novel PD1-CD40 bispecific antibody YH008 induces potent anti-tumor activity in vivo by PD1 dependent activation of CD40 signaling [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2021; 2021 Apr 10-15 and May 17-21. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2021;81(13_Suppl):Abstract nr 1852.