Sialoglycans on lymphatic endothelial cells augment interactions with Siglec-1 (CD169) of lymph node macrophages

Cellular interactions between endothelial cells and macrophages regulate macrophage localization and phenotype, but the mechanisms underlying these interactions are poorly understood. Here we explored the role of sialoglycans on lymphatic endothelial cells (LEC) in interactions with macrophage-expressed Siglec-1 (CD169). Lectin-binding assays and mass spectrometric analyses revealed that LEC from human skin express more sialylated glycans than the corresponding blood endothelial cells. Higher amounts of sialylated and/or sulfated glycans on LEC than BEC were consistently observed in murine skin, lung and lymph nodes. The floor LEC of the subcapsular sinus (SCS) in murine lymph nodes (LN) displayed sialylated glycans at particularly high densities. The sialoglycans of LN LEC were strongly bound by Siglec-1. Such binding plays an important role in the localization of Siglec-1⁺ LN-SCS macrophages, as their numbers are strongly reduced in mice expressing a Siglec-1 mutant that is defective in sialoglycan binding. The residual Siglec-1⁺ macrophages are less proliferative and have a more anti-inflammatory phenotype. We propose that the densely clustered, sialylated glycans on the SCS floor LEC are a key component of the macrophage niche, providing anchorage for the Siglec-1⁺ LN-SCS macrophages.

The manifold roles of sialic acid for the biological functions of endothelial glycoproteins

Vascular endothelia are covered with a dense glycocalix that is heavily sialylated. Sialylation of vascular glycoconjugates is involved in the regulation of cell-cell interactions, be it among endothelial cells at cell junctions or between endothelial and blood-borne cells. It also plays important roles in modulating the binding of soluble ligands and the signaling by vascular receptors. Here, we provide an overview over the sialylation-function relationships of glycoproteins expressed in the blood and lymphatic vasculature. We first describe cellular interactions in which sialic acid contributes in a stereospecific manner to glycan epitopes recognized by glycan-binding proteins. Our major focus is however on the rarely discussed examples of vascular glycoproteins whose biological functions are modulated by sialylation through other mechanisms.

Characterization of Tumor Blood Vasculature Expression of Human Invasive Bladder Cancer by Laser Capture Microdissection and Transcriptional Profiling

Tumor-associated blood vessels differ from normal vessels and play key roles in tumor progression. We aimed to identify biomolecules that are expressed differentially in human bladder cancer-associated blood vessels to find novel biomarkers and mechanisms involved in tumor-associated angiogenesis. The transcriptome of tumor blood vasculature from human invasive bladder carcinoma (I-BLCA) and normal bladder tissue vasculature was compared using differential expression and unsupervised hierarchical clustering analyses. Pathway analysis identified up-regulation of genes involved in the proliferation, cell cycle, angiogenesis, inflammation, and transforming growth factor-β signaling in tumor blood vasculature. A common consensus gene expression signature was identified between bladder cancer tumor blood vasculature with tumor blood vasculature of other solid cancers, which correlated with the overall survival of patients with several of the solid cancers investigated in The Cancer Genome Atlas data set. In bladder tumor blood vasculature, the secreted factor angiopoietin-like protein 2 (ANGPTL2), was confirmed to be up-regulated by quantitative RT-PCR and immunohistochemical staining. The up-regulation of ANGPTL2 in plasma was also observed in non-invasive bladder carcinoma and I-BLCA. We semiquantitatively analyzed expression of ANGPTL2 in tissue microarrays from I-BLCA and surprisingly found an opposite correlation between staining intensity and progression-free survival. Our results indicate that ANGPTL2 might serve as a potential biomarker to predict progression-free survival in I-BLCA.

High expression of insulin receptor on tumour-associated blood vessels in invasive bladder cancer predicts poor overall and progression-free survival

Bladder cancer is a frequently recurring disease with a very poor prognosis once progressed to invasive stages, and tumour-associated blood vessels play a crucial role in this process. In order to identify novel biomarkers associated with progression, we isolated blood vascular endothelial cells (BECs) from human invasive bladder cancers and matched normal bladder tissue, and found that tumour-associated BECs greatly up-regulated the expression of insulin receptor (INSR). High expression of INSR on BECs of invasive bladder cancers was significantly associated with shorter progression-free and overall survival. Furthermore, increased expression of the INSR ligand IGF-2 in invasive bladder cancers was associated with reduced overall survival. INSR may therefore represent a novel biomarker to predict cancer progression. Mechanistically, we observed pronounced hypoxia in human bladder cancer tissue, and found a positive correlation between the expression of the hypoxia marker gene GLUT1 and vascular INSR expression, indicating that hypoxia drives INSR expression in tumour-associated blood vessels. In line with this, exposure of cultured BECs and human bladder cancer cell lines to hypoxia led to increased expression of INSR and IGF-2, respectively, and IGF-2 increased BEC migration through the activation of INSR in vitro. Taken together, we identified vascular INSR expression as a potential biomarker for progression in bladder cancer. Furthermore, our data suggest that IGF-2/INSR mediated paracrine crosstalk between bladder cancer cells and endothelial cells is functionally involved in tumour angiogenesis and may thus represent a new therapeutic target. Copyright © 2017 Pathological Society of Great Britain and Ireland. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Mutation of threonine 34 in mouse podoplanin-Fc reduces CLEC-2 binding and toxicity in vivo while retaining antilymphangiogenic activity

The lymphatic system plays an important role in cancer metastasis and inhibition of lymphangiogenesis could be valuable in fighting cancer dissemination. Podoplanin (Pdpn) is a small, transmembrane glycoprotein expressed on the surface of lymphatic endothelial cells (LEC). During mouse development, binding of Pdpn to the C-type lectin-like receptor 2 (CLEC-2) on platelets is critical for the separation of the lymphatic and blood vascular systems. Competitive inhibition of Pdpn functions with a soluble form of the protein, Pdpn-Fc, leads to reduced lymphangiogenesis in vitro and in vivo. However, the transgenic overexpression of human Pdpn-Fc in mouse skin causes disseminated intravascular coagulation due to platelet activation via CLEC-2. In the present study, we produced and characterized a mutant form of mouse Pdpn-Fc, in which threonine 34, which is considered essential for CLEC-2 binding, was mutated to alanine (PdpnT34A-Fc). Indeed, PdpnT34A-Fc displayed a 30-fold reduced binding affinity for CLEC-2 compared with Pdpn-Fc. This also translated into fewer side effects due to platelet activation in vivo. Mice showed less prolonged bleeding time and fewer embolized vessels in the liver, when PdpnT34A-Fc was injected intravenously. However, PdpnT34A-Fc was still as active as wild-type Pdpn-Fc in inhibiting lymphangiogenesis in vitro and also inhibited lymphangiogenesis in vivo. These data suggest that the function of Pdpn in lymphangiogenesis does not depend on threonine 34 in the CLEC-2 binding domain and that PdpnT34A-Fc might be an improved inhibitor of lymphangiogenesis with fewer toxic side effects.

Activation of the epidermal growth factor receptor promotes lymphangiogenesis in the skin

BACKGROUND

The lymphatic vascular system regulates tissue fluid homeostasis and plays important roles in immune surveillance, inflammation and cancer metastasis. However, the molecular mechanisms involved in the regulation of lymphangiogenesis remain incompletely characterized.

OBJECTIVE

We aimed to identify new pathways involved in the promotion of skin lymphangiogenesis.

METHODS

We used a mouse embryonic stem cell-derived embryoid body vascular differentiation assay to investigate the effects of a selection of pharmacological agents with the potential to inhibit blood and/or lymphatic vessel formation. We also used a subcutaneous Matrigel assay to study candidate lymphangiogenesis factors as well as skin-specific transgenic mice.

RESULTS

We found that compounds inhibiting the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor (EGFR) led to an impaired formation of lymphatic vessel-like structures. In vitro studies with human dermal lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs), that were found to express EGFR, revealed that EGF promotes lymphatic vessel formation. This effect was inhibited by EGFR-blocking antibodies and by low molecular weight inhibitors of the EGFR associated tyrosine kinase. Incorporation of EGF into a mouse matrigel plug assay showed that EGF promotes enlargement of lymphatic vessels in the skin in vivo. Moreover, transgenic mice with skin-specific overexpression of amphiregulin, another agonistic ligand of the EGFR, displayed an enhanced size and density of lymphatic vessels in the skin.

CONCLUSION

These findings reveal that EGFR activation is involved in lymphatic remodeling and suggest that specific EGFR antagonists might be used to inhibit pathological lymphangiogenesis.

Endocan is upregulated on tumor vessels in invasive bladder cancer where it mediates VEGF-A-induced angiogenesis

Tumor-associated blood vessels differ from normal vessels and proteins present only on tumor vessels may serve as biomarkers or targets for antiangiogenic therapy in cancer. Comparing the transcriptional profiles of blood vascular endothelium from human invasive bladder cancer with normal bladder tissue, we found that the endothelial cell-specific molecule endocan (ESM1) was highly elevated on tumor vessels. Endocan was associated with filopodia of angiogenic endothelial tip cells in invasive bladder cancer. Notably, endocan expression on tumor vessels correlated strongly with staging and invasiveness, predicting a shorter recurrence-free survival time in noninvasive bladder cancers. Both endocan and VEGF-A levels were higher in plasma of patients with invasive bladder cancer than healthy individuals. Mechanistic investigations in cultured blood vascular endothelial cells or transgenic mice revealed that endocan expression was stimulated by VEGF-A through the phosphorylation and activation of VEGFR-2, which was required to promote cell migration and tube formation by VEGF-A. Taken together, our findings suggest that disrupting endocan interaction with VEGFR-2 or VEGF-A could offer a novel rational strategy to inhibit tumor angiogenesis. Furthermore, they suggest that endocan might serve as a useful biomarker to monitor disease progression and the efficacy of VEGF-A-targeting therapies in patients with bladder cancer.

The Tn antigen-structural simplicity and biological complexity

Glycoproteins in animal cells contain a variety of glycan structures that are added co- and/or posttranslationally to proteins. Of over 20 different types of sugar-amino acid linkages known, the two major types are N-glycans (Asn-linked) and O-glycans (Ser/Thr-linked). An abnormal mucin-type O-glycan whose expression is associated with cancer and several human disorders is the Tn antigen. It has a relatively simple structure composed of N-acetyl-D-galactosamine with a glycosidic α linkage to serine/threonine residues in glycoproteins (GalNAcα1-O-Ser/Thr), and was one of the first glycoconjugates to be chemically synthesized. The Tn antigen is normally modified by a specific galactosyltransferase (T-synthase) in the Golgi apparatus of cells. Expression of active T-synthase is uniquely dependent on the molecular chaperone Cosmc, which is encoded by a gene on the X chromosome. Expression of the Tn antigen can arise as a consequence of mutations in the genes for T-synthase or Cosmc, or genes affecting other steps of O-glycosylation pathways. Because of the association of the Tn antigen with disease, there is much interest in the development of Tn-based vaccines and other therapeutic approaches based on Tn expression.

N-glycan structures and N-glycosylation sites of mouse soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 revealed by MALDI-TOF and FTICR mass spectrometry

Intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) is a heavily N-glycosylated transmembrane protein comprising five extracellular Ig-like domains. The soluble isoform of ICAM-1 (sICAM-1), consisting of its extracellular part, is elevated in the cerebrospinal fluid of patients with severe brain trauma. In mouse astrocytes, recombinant mouse sICAM-1 induces the production of the CXC chemokine macrophage inflammatory protein-2 (MIP-2). MIP-2 induction is glycosylation dependent, as it is strongly enhanced when sICAM-1 carries sialylated, complex-type N-glycans as synthesized by wild-type Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells. The present study was aimed at elucidating the N-glycosylation of mouse sICAM-1 expressed in wild-type CHO cells with regard to sialylation, N-glycan profile, and N-glycosylation sites. Ion-exchange chromatography and matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight (MALDI-TOF) mass spectrometry (MS) of the released N-glycans showed that sICAM-1 mostly carried di- and trisialylated complex-type N-glycans with or without one fucose. In some sialylated N-glycans, one N-acetylneuraminic acid was replaced by N-glycolylneuraminic acid, and approximately 4% carried a higher number of sialic acid residues than of antennae. The N-glycosylation sites of mouse sICAM-1 were analyzed by MALDI-Fourier transform ion cyclotron resonance (FTICR)-MS and nanoLC-ESI-FTICR-MS of tryptic digests of mouse sICAM-1 expressed in the Lec1 mutant of CHO cells. All nine consensus sequences for N-glycosylation were found to be glycosylated. These results show that the N-glycans that enhance the MIP-2-inducing activity of mouse sICAM-1 are mostly di- and trisialylated complex-type N-glycans including a small fraction carrying more sialic acid residues than antennae and that the nine N-glycosylation sites of mouse sICAM-1 are all glycosylated.

The chemokine fractalkine in patients with severe traumatic brain injury and a mouse model of closed head injury

The potential role of the chemokine Fractalkine (CX3CL1) in the pathophysiology of traumatic brain injury (TBI) was investigated in patients with head trauma and in mice after experimental cortical contusion. In control individuals, soluble (s)Fractalkine was present at low concentrations in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) (12.6 to 57.3 pg/mL) but at much higher levels in serum (21,288 to 74,548 pg/mL). Elevation of sFractalkine in CSF of TBI patients was observed during the whole study period (means: 29.92 to 535.33 pg/mL), whereas serum levels remained within normal ranges (means: 3,100 to 59,159 pg/mL). Based on these differences, a possible passage of sFractalkine from blood to CSF was supported by the strong correlation between blood-brain barrier dysfunction (according to the CSF-/serum-albumin quotient) and sFractalkine concentrations in CSF (R = 0.706; P < 0.01). In the brain of mice subjected to closed head injury, neither Fractalkine protein nor mRNA were found to be augmented; however, Fractalkine receptor (CX3CR1) mRNA steadily increased peaking at 1 week postinjury (P < 0.05, one-way analysis of variance). This possibly implies the receptor to be the key factor determining the action of constitutively expressed Fractalkine. Altogether, these data suggest that the Fractalkine-CX3CR1 protein system may be involved in the inflammatory response to TBI, particularly for the accumulation of leukocytes in the injured parenchyma.

Sialylated complex-type N-glycans enhance the signaling activity of soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 in mouse astrocytes

Intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) occurs as both a membrane and a soluble, secreted glycoprotein (sICAM-1). ICAM-1 on endothelial cells mediates leukocyte adhesion by binding to leukocyte function associated antigen-1 (LFA-1) and macrophage antigen-1 (Mac-1). Recombinant mouse sICAM-1 induces the production of macrophage inflammatory protein-2 (MIP-2) in mouse astrocytes by a novel LFA-1- and Mac-1-independent mechanism. Here we showed that N-glycan structures of sICAM-1 influence its ability to induce MIP-2 production. sICAM-1 expressed in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells was a more potent inducer of MIP-2 production than sICAM-1 expressed in HEK 293 cells, suggesting that posttranslational modification of sICAM-1 could influence its signaling activity. To explore the roles of glycosylation in sICAM-1 activity, we expressed sICAM-1 in mutant CHO cell lines differing in glycosylation, including Lec2, Lec8, and Lec1 as well as in CHO cells cultured in the presence of the alpha-mannosidase-I inhibitor kifunensine. Signaling activity of sICAM-1 lacking sialic acid was reduced 3-fold compared with sICAM-1 from CHO cells. The activity of sICAM-1 lacking both sialic acid and galactose was reduced 12-fold, whereas the activity of sICAM-1 carrying only high mannose-type N-glycans was reduced 12-26-fold. sICAM-1 glycoforms carrying truncated glycans retained full ability to bind to LFA-1 on leukocytes. Thus, sialylated and galactosylated complex-type N-glycans strongly enhanced the ability of sICAM-1 to induce MIP-2 production in astrocytes but did not alter its binding to LFA-1 on leukocytes. Glycosylation could therefore serve as a means to regulate specifically the signaling function of sICAM-1 in vivo.

Model glycosulfopeptides from P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 require tyrosine sulfation and a core 2-branched O-glycan to bind to L-selectin

L-selectin expressed on leukocytes is involved in lymphocyte homing to secondary lymphoid organs and leukocyte recruitment into inflamed tissue. L-selectin binds to the sulfated sialyl Lewis x (6-sulfo-sLex) epitope present on O-glycans of various glycoproteins in high endothelial venules. In addition, L-selectin interacts with the dimeric mucin P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 (PSGL-1) expressed on leukocytes. PSGL-1 lacks 6-sulfo-sLex but contains sulfated tyrosine residues (Tyr-SO3)at positions 46, 48, and 51 and sLex in a core 2-based O-glycan (C2-O-sLex) on Thr at position 57. The role of tyrosine sulfation and core 2 O-glycans in binding of PSGL-1 to L-selectin is not well defined. Here, we show that L-selectin binds to a glycosulfopeptide (GSP-6) modeled after the extreme N terminus of human PSGL-1, containing three Tyr-SO3 and a nearby Thr modified with C2-O-sLex. Leukocytes roll on immobilized GSP-6 in an L-selectin-dependent manner, and rolling is dependent on Tyr-SO3 and C2-O-sLex on GSP-6. The dissociation constant for binding of L-selectin to GSP-6, as measured by equilibrium gel filtration, is approximately 5 microm. Binding is dependent on Tyr-SO3 residues as well as the sialic acid and fucose residues of C2-O-sLex. Binding to an isomeric glycosulfopeptide containing three Tyr-SO3 residues and a core 1-based O-glycan expressing sLex was reduced by approximately 90%. All three Tyr-SO3 residues of GSP-6 are required for high affinity binding to L-selectin. Low affinity binding to mono- and disulfated GSPs is largely independent of the position of the Tyr-SO3 residues, except for some binding preference for an isomer sulfated on both Tyr-48 and -51. These results demonstrate that L-selectin binds with high affinity to the N-terminal region of PSGL-1 through cooperative interactions with three sulfated tyrosine residues and an appropriately positioned C2-O-sLex O-glycan.

The production of macrophage inflammatory protein-2 induced by soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 in mouse astrocytes is mediated by src tyrosine kinases and p42/44 mitogen-activated protein kinase

Severe traumatic brain injury stimulates the release of soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) into CSF. Studies in cultured mouse astrocytes suggest that sICAM-1 induces the production of macrophage inflammatory protein-2 (MIP-2). In the present study, we investigated the underlying mechanisms for MIP-2 induction. sICAM-1 induced MIP-2 in astrocytes lacking membrane-bound ICAM-1, indicating that its action is due to heterophilic binding to an undescribed receptor rather than homophilic binding to surface ICAM-1. Signal transduction may be mediated by src tyrosine kinases, as the src tyrosine kinase inhibitors herbimycin A and PP2 abolished MIP-2 induction by sICAM-1. Phosphorylation of p42/44 mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK), but not of p38 MAPK, occurred further downstream, as evidenced by western blot analysis combined with the use of herbimycin A and specific MAPK inhibitors. By contrast, induction of MIP-2 by tumour necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha) involved both p42/44 MAPK and p38 MAPK. Following stimulation with either sICAM-1 or TNF-alpha, astrocyte supernatants promoted chemotaxis of human neutrophils and incubation of these supernatants with anti-MIP-2 antibodies more efficiently suppressed the migration induced by sICAM-1 than by TNF-alpha. These results show that sICAM-1 induces the production of biologically active MIP-2 in astrocytes by heterophilic binding to an undefined receptor and activation of src tyrosine kinases and p42/44 MAPK.

Role of cerebral inflammation after traumatic brain injury: a revisited concept

Neuroinflammation occuring after traumatic brain injury (TBI) is a complex phenomenon comprising distinct cellular and molecular events involving the injured as well as the healthy cerebral tissue. Although immunoactivation only represents a one of the many cascades initiated in the pathophysiology of TBI, the exact function of each mediator, activated cell types or pathophysiological mechanism, needs to be further elucidated. It is widely accepted that inflammatory events display dual and opposing roles promoting, on the one hand, the repair of the injured tissue and, on the other hand, causing additional brain damage mediated by the numerous neurotoxic substances released. Most of the data supporting these hypotheses derive from experimental work based on both animal models and cultured neuronal cells. More recently, evidence has been provided that a complete elimination of selected inflammatory mediators is rather detrimental as shown by the attenuation of neurological recovery. However, there are conflicting results reported on this issue which strongly depend on the experimental setting used. The history of immunoactivation in neurotrauma is the subject of this review article, giving particular emphasis to the comparison of clinical versus experimental studies performed over the last 10 years. These results also are evaluated with respect to other neuropathologies, which are years ahead as compared to the research in TBI. The possible reciprocal influence of peripheral and intrathecal activation of the immune system will also be discussed. To conclude, the future directions of research in the field of neurotrauma is considered.

Regulation of chemokines and chemokine receptors after experimental closed head injury

The expression of the chemokines macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-2 and MIP-1alpha and of their receptors CXCR2 and CCR5 was assessed in wild type (WT) and TNF/lymphotoxin-alpha knockout (TNF/LT-alpha-/-) mice subjected to closed head injury (CHI). At 4 h after trauma intracerebral MIP-2 and MIP-1alpha levels were increased in both groups with MIP-2 concentrations being significantly higher in WT than in TNF/LT-alpha-/- animals (p < 0.05). Thereafter, MIP-2 production declined rapidly, whereas MIP-1alpha remained elevated for 7 days. Expression of CXCR2 was confined to astrocytes and increased dramatically within 24 h in both mouse types. Contrarily, CCR5 expression remained constitutively low and was mainly localized to microglia. These results show that after CHI, chemokines and their receptors are regulated differentially and with independent kinetics.

Upregulation of ICAM-1 and MCP-1 but not of MIP-2 and sensorimotor deficit in response to traumatic axonal injury in rats

The pathophysiology of traumatic axonal injury (TAI) is only partially understood. In this study, we investigated the inflammatory response as well as the extent of neurological deficit in a rat model of traumatic brain injury (TBI). Forty-two adult rats were subjected to moderate impact-acceleration brain injury and their brains were analyzed immunohistochemically for ICAM-1 expression and neutrophil infiltration from 1 hr up to 14 days after trauma. In addition, the chemotactic factors MIP-2 and MCP-1 were measured in brain homogenates by ELISA. For evaluating the neurological deficit, three sensorimotor tests were applied for the first time in this model. In the first 24 hr after trauma, the number of ICAM-1 positive vessels increased up to 4-fold in cortical and subcortical regions compared with sham operated controls (P < 0.05). Maximal ICAM-1 expression (up to 8-fold increase) was detected after 4 days (P < 0.001 vs. 24 hr), returning to control levels in all brain regions by 7 days after trauma. MCP-1 was elevated between 4 hr and 16 hr post-injury as compared with controls. In contrast, neither neutrophil infiltration nor elevation of MIP-2, both events relevant in focal brain injury, could be detected. In all neurological tests, a significant deficit was observed in traumatized rats as compared with sham operated animals from Day 1 post-injury (grasping reflex of the hindpaws: P < 0.001, vibrissae-evoked forelimb placing: P = 0.002, lateral stepping: P = 0.037). In conclusion, after moderate impact acceleration brain injury ICAM-1 upregulation has been demonstrated in the absence of neutrophil infiltration and is paralleled by a selective induction of chemokines, pointing out that individual and distinct inflammatory events occur after diffuse vs. focal TBI.

sICAM-1 and TNF-alpha induce MIP-2 with distinct kinetics in astrocytes and brain microvascular endothelial cells

The dysfunction of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) occurring after traumatic brain injury (TBI) is mediated by intracerebral neutrophil accumulation, chemokine release (e.g., interleukin (IL)-8) and upregulation of adhesion molecules (e.g., intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1). In patients with severe TBI, we previously found that elevated cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) IL-8 and soluble (s)ICAM-1 correlate with BBB dysfunction, and this prompted us to concomitantly monitor IL-8, sICAM-1 and their stimulator tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha in CSF. Potential mechanisms for upregulation of the IL-8 analogue, murine macrophage inflammatory protein (MIP)-2, and sICAM-1 at the BBB were studied using cultured mouse astrocytes and brain microvascular endothelial cells (MVEC). In CSF of seven patients, IL-8 and sICAM-1 were elevated for 19 days after severe TBI, whereas TNF-alpha exceeded normal values on 9 days. Stimulation of MVEC and astrocytes with TNF-alpha simultaneously induced the release of MIP-2 reaching saturation by 4-8 hr and of sICAM-1 increasing continuously from 2-4 hr to 12 hr. Augmented sICAM-1 production correlated with enhanced membrane-bound (m)ICAM-1 expression in both cell types (r(s) = 0.96 and 0.90, P < 0.0001), but was markedly higher in astrocytes. The release of sICAM-1 was not influenced by IL-8 or MIP-2, although astrocytes and MVEC expressed the IL-8/MIP-2 receptor (CXCR-2) as determined by FACS analysis. Instead, we found that sICAM-1 strongly induced MIP-2 secretion by both cell types with kinetics differing from those evoked by TNF-alpha. If added together, sICAM-1 and TNF-alpha synergistically induced MIP-2 production suggesting the involvement of two different pathways for MIP-2 regulation.

Experimental closed head injury: analysis of neurological outcome, blood-brain barrier dysfunction, intracranial neutrophil infiltration, and neuronal cell death in mice deficient in genes for pro-inflammatory cytokines

Cytokines are important mediators of intracranial inflammation following traumatic brain injury (TBI). In the present study, the neurological impairment and mortality, blood-brain barrier (BBB) function, intracranial polymorphonuclear leukocyte (PMN) accumulation, and posttraumatic neuronal cell death were monitored in mice lacking the genes for tumor necrosis factor (TNF)/lymphotoxin-alpha (LT-alpha) (TNF/LT-alpha-/-) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) and in wild-type (WT) littermates subjected to experimental closed head injury (total n = 107). The posttraumatic mortality was significantly increased in TNF/LT-alpha-/- mice (40%; P < 0.02) compared with WT animals (10%). The IL-6-/- mice also showed a higher mortality (17%) than their WT littermates (5.6%), but the difference was not statistically significant (P > 0.05). The neurological severity score was similar among all groups from 1 to 72 hours after trauma, whereas at 7 days, the TNF/LT-alpha-/- mice showed a tendency toward better neurological recovery than their WT littermates. Interestingly, neither the degree of BBB dysfunction nor the number of infiltrating PMNs in the injured hemisphere was different between WT and cytokine-deficient mice. Furthermore, the analysis of brain sections by in situ DNA nick end labeling (TUNEL histochemistry) at 24 hours and 7 days after head injury revealed a similar extent of posttraumatic intracranial cell death in all animals. These results show that the pathophysiological sequelae of TBI are not significantly altered in mice lacking the genes for the proinflammatory cytokines TNF, LT-alpha, and IL-6. Nevertheless, the increased posttraumatic mortality in TNF/LT-alpha-deficient mice suggests a protective effect of these cytokines by mechanisms that have not been elucidated yet.

Specific determination of germ cell alkaline phosphatase for early diagnosis and monitoring of seminoma: performance and limitations of different analytical techniques

Two-dimensional electrophoresis, ion-exchange chromatography and immunoassay were evaluated in order to improve the diagnostic specificity of the germ cell specific isoenzyme of alkaline phosphatase (GCAP) for the detection of seminoma. Assessment of GCAP is hampered by its structural heterogeneity and low serum concentration. The structural heterogeneity of GCAP from seminoma tissue could be clearly visualized by two-dimensional electrophoresis. We inferred that it depended on allelic amino acid substitutions, varying sialylation and differential cleavage of the membrane anchor. The allelic variability of GCAP affects the accuracy of immunological measurements. However, immunoassay was found to be the only technique sensitive enough to assess GCAP in serum. The elevated GCAP levels in 15% of healthy blood donors were shown to be correlated with smoking. Further studies clarifying how to interpret the values measured in smokers are prerequisite for the introduction of GCAP as a serum marker for seminoma. In the future, GCAP might be utilized for the detection of carcinoma in situ (CIS) cells in ejaculate. Assessment of the enhanced expression of cellular GCAP by CIS cells exfoliated into ejaculate could be a means for noninvasive, early diagnosis that presumably will not be hampered by the patient's smoking habits.

Simultaneous detection of all four alkaline phosphatase isoenzymes in human germ cell tumors using reverse transcription-PCR

We have developed a reverse transcription-PCR method that clearly distinguishes between the RNA transcripts of all four alkaline phosphatase (AP) genes. If compared to the methods used up to the present, the main advantages of the reverse transcription-PCR method presented are its specificity and high sensitivity. The germ cell AP and the placental AP, which are the two most closely related AP isoenzymes (98% homology), can clearly be distinguished without any interference by other AP isoenzymes. An enhanced expression of AP isoenzymes has been reported for various tumors. The examination of the pattern of AP isoenzyme expression in a specific tumor and the corresponding tissue of origin enables discrimination between eutopically and ectopically expressed isoenzymes and thus represents an important tool in the elucidation of AP isoenzymes as potential tumor markers. The pattern of AP expression in 15 germ cell tumors, 2 germinal epithelia adjacent to seminoma, 2 cell lines of germ cell tumor origin (Tera-1 and BeWo), and 5 normal testes was studied. In comparison to normal testes, in all seminomatous germ cell tumors eutopic expression of germ cell AP and ectopic expression of tissue-nonspecific AP were demonstrated. In both samples of pure embryonal carcinoma and in the embryonal carcinoma cell line, the transcription of all four mRNAs was shown. These results indicate that the expression of the isoenzymes depends on the degree of differentiation of a tumor and that a simultaneous up-regulation of all AP isoenzymes in all types of germ cell tumors does not exist.

Separation of the two most closely related isoenzymes of alkaline phosphatase by two-dimensional electrophoresis

Seminoma is the most frequent testicular germ cell tumor. While effective curative treatment of the disease is available today, there is to date no tumor marker suited for the diagnosis and follow-up. Several authors have suggested that the germ-cell-specific isoenzyme of alkaline phosphatase (GCAP) might be valuable for this purpose. GCAP shows 98% sequence homology with the placental isoenzyme of alkaline phosphatase (PLAP). Both display a high degree of phenotypic heterogeneity. Until now all attempts to raise an antibody reacting specifically with GCAP have failed. Consequently there is no immunological assay that allows the measurement of GCAP in the presence of PLAP. Two-dimensional electrophoresis with a sigmoid immobilized pH-gradient of 3-10 for the first dimension makes it possible to differentiate clearly between these two closely related isoenzymes. Additionally, it resolves their many phenotypic variants. This is of special interest, since malignant transformation affects the glycosylation patterns of many glycoproteins. For the detection of GCAP and PLAP in two-dimensional electrophoresis it is essential to purify the raw tissue extracts thoroughly. A chromatographic method suited for this purpose is presented.