Correlation between serum cytokine levels and the effect of allogeneic serum-based eye drops

INTRODUCTION

The Institute of Hematology and Transfusion Medicine (IHTM) in Warsaw has produced autologous serum eye drops (ASEDs) for the treatment of Dry Eye Syndrome (DES) since 1991. In 2019, IHTM introduced allogeneic tears (alloSEDs) for patients on long-term treatment.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

114 patients who applied alloSEDs were included in the study.They were asked to complete the OSDI questionnaire before and after using ASEDs and 100 units of alloSEDs drops from each donation. The OSDI index rates DES severity (0 no symptoms; 100 severe). We also compared the content of IL-1β, IL-2, IL- 6, IL-10 and VEGF in ASEDs (38 samples) and alloSEDs (15 serum samples). The study data covered the 2019-2022 period.

RESULTS

114 patients participated in the study. We compared the the effectiveness of ASEDs and alloSEDs. The average, OSDI dropped from 68.42 ± 5,86 (before application) to 51.05 ± 19,06 (after application). Data from the questionnaires (prepared at IHTM) completed and returned (41/114) present the most common indications for the use of serum drops, including DES with no underlying disease, DES secondary to GvHD (Graft versus Host Disease), Sjögren's Syndrome (SS). The study reported higher cytokine levels associated with disease entities such as SS. After application of drops with high cytokine levels, patients reported adverse reactions such as sand under the eyelids, impaired visual acuity, and worse eye lubrication.

CONCLUSIONS

AlloSEDs with acceptably low values of pro-inflammatory cytokines and sufficiently high levels of VEGF growth factor may contribute to alleviation of inflammatory eye symptoms.

Molecular detection of exosomal miRNAs of blood serum for prognosis of colorectal cancer

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common cancer affecting people. The discovery of new, non-invasive, specific, and sensitive molecular biomarkers for CRC may assist in the diagnosis and support therapeutic decision making. Exosomal miRNAs have been demonstrated in carcinogenesis and CRC development, which makes these miRNAs strong biomarkers for CRC. Deep sequencing allows a robust high-throughput informatics investigation of the types and abundance of exosomal miRNAs. Thus, exosomal miRNAs can be efficiently examined as diagnostic biomarkers for disease screening. In the present study, a number of 660 mature miRNAs were detected in patients diagnosed with CRC at different stages. Of which, 29 miRNAs were differentially expressed in CRC patients compared with healthy controls. Twenty-nine miRNAs with high abundance levels were further selected for subsequent analysis. These miRNAs were either highly up-regulated (e.g., let-7a-5p, let-7c-5p, let-7f-5p, let-7d-3p, miR-423-5p, miR-3184-5p, and miR-584) or down-regulated (e.g., miR-30a-5p, miR-99-5p, miR-150-5p, miR-26-5p and miR-204-5p). These miRNAs influence critical genes in CRC, leading to either tumor growth or suppression. Most of the reported diagnostic exosomal miRNAs were shown to be circulating in blood serum. The latter is a novel miRNA that was found in exosomal profile of blood serum. Some of the predicted target genes of highly expressed miRNAs participate in several cancer pathways, including CRC pathway. These target genes include tumor suppressor genes, oncogenes and DNA repair genes. Main focus was given to multiple critical signaling cross-talking pathways including transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) signaling pathways that are directly linked to CRC. In conclusion, we recommend further analysis in order to experimentally confirm exact relationships between selected differentially expressed miRNAs and their predicted target genes and downstream functional consequences.

Cross-Platform Comparison of Highly Sensitive Immunoassays for Inflammatory Markers in a COVID-19 Cohort

A variety of commercial platforms are available for the simultaneous detection of multiple cytokines and associated proteins, often employing Ab pairs to capture and detect target proteins. In this study, we comprehensively evaluated the performance of three distinct platforms: the fluorescent bead-based Luminex assay, the proximity extension-based Olink assay, and a novel proximity ligation assay platform known as Alamar NULISAseq. These assessments were conducted on human serum samples from the National Institutes of Health IMPACC study, with a focus on three essential performance metrics: detectability, correlation, and differential expression. Our results reveal several key findings. First, the Alamar platform demonstrated the highest overall detectability, followed by Olink and then Luminex. Second, the correlation of protein measurements between the Alamar and Olink platforms tended to be stronger than the correlation of either of these platforms with Luminex. Third, we observed that detectability differences across the platforms often translated to differences in differential expression findings, although high detectability did not guarantee the ability to identify meaningful biological differences. Our study provides valuable insights into the comparative performance of these assays, enhancing our understanding of their strengths and limitations when assessing complex biological samples, as exemplified by the sera from this COVID-19 cohort.

Development of Shark Single Domain Antibodies Specific for Human α-Fetoprotein and the Multimerization Strategy in Serum Detection

Sensitive detection of cancer biomarkers can contribute to the timely diagnosis and treatment of diseases. In this study, the whitespotted bamboo sharks were immunized with human α-fetoprotein (AFP), and a phage-displayed variable new antigen receptor (VNAR) single domain antibody library was constructed. Then four unique VNARs (VNAR1, VNAR11, VNAR21, and VNAR25) against AFP were isolated from the library by biopanning for the first time. All of the sequences belong to type II of VNAR, and the VNAR11 was much different from the rest of the three sequences. Then VNAR1 and VNAR11 were selected to fuse with the C4-binding protein α chain (C4bpα) sequence and efficiently expressed in the Escherichia coli system. Furthermore, a VNAR-C4bpα-mediated sandwich chemiluminescence immunoassay (VSCLIA) was developed for the detection of AFP in human serum samples. After optimization, the VSCLIA showed a limit of detection of 0.74 ng/mL with good selectivity and accuracy. Moreover, the results of clinical serum samples detected by the VSCLIA were confirmed by an automatic immunoanalyzer in the hospital, indicating its practical application in actual samples. In conclusion, the novel antibody element VNAR exhibits great potential for immunodiagnosis, and this study also provides a new direction and experimental basis for AFP detection.

Human Blood Serum Counteracts EGFR/HER2-Targeted Drug Lapatinib Impact on Squamous Carcinoma SK-BR-3 Cell Growth and Gene Expression

Lapatinib is a targeted therapeutic inhibiting HER2 and EGFR proteins. It is used for the therapy of HER2-positive breast cancer, although not all the patients respond to it. Using human blood serum samples from 14 female donors (separately taken or combined), we found that human blood serum dramatically abolishes the lapatinib-mediated inhibition of growth of the human breast squamous carcinoma SK-BR-3 cell line. This antagonism between lapatinib and human serum was associated with cancelation of the drug induced G1/S cell cycle transition arrest. RNA sequencing revealed 308 differentially expressed genes in the presence of lapatinib. Remarkably, when combined with lapatinib, human blood serum showed the capacity of restoring both the rate of cell growth, and the expression of 96.1% of the genes expression of which were altered by the lapatinib treatment alone. Co-administration of EGF with lapatinib also restores the cell growth and cancels alteration of expression of 95.8% of the genes specific to lapatinib treatment of SK-BR-3 cells. Differential gene expression analysis also showed that in the presence of human serum or EGF, lapatinib was unable to inhibit the Toll-Like Receptor signaling pathway and alter expression of genes linked to the Gene Ontology term of Focal adhesion.

Implementation of pure shift 1 H NMR in metabolic phenotyping for structural information recovery of biofluid metabolites with complex spin systems

NMR spectroscopy is a mainstay of metabolic profiling approaches to investigation of physiological and pathological processes. The one-dimensional proton pulse sequences typically used in phenotyping large numbers of samples generate spectra that are rich in information but where metabolite identification is often compromised by peak overlap. Recently developed pure shift (PS) NMR spectroscopy, where all J-coupling multiplicities are removed from the spectra, has the potential to simplify the complex proton NMR spectra that arise from biosamples and hence to aid metabolite identification. Here we have evaluated two complementary approaches to spectral simplification: the HOBS (band-selective with real-time acquisition) and the PSYCHE (broadband with pseudo-2D interferogram acquisition) pulse sequences. We compare their relative sensitivities and robustness for deconvolving both urine and serum matrices. Both methods improve resolution of resonances ranging from doublets, triplets and quartets to more complex signals such as doublets of doublets and multiplets in highly overcrowded spectral regions. HOBS is the more sensitive method and takes less time to acquire in comparison with PSYCHE, but can introduce unavoidable artefacts from metabolites with strong couplings, whereas PSYCHE is more adaptable to these types of spin system, although at the expense of sensitivity. Both methods are robust and easy to implement. We also demonstrate that strong coupling artefacts contain latent connectivity information that can be used to enhance metabolite identification. Metabolite identification is a bottleneck in metabolic profiling studies. In the case of NMR, PS experiments can be included in metabolite identification workflows, providing additional capability for biomarker discovery.

Richer than previously probed: An application of 1H NMR reveals one hundred metabolites using only fifty microliter serum

The classical approach restricts the detection of metabolites in serum samples by using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy; however, the presence of copious proteins and lipoproteins emphasize and necessitate the development of a contemporary, high-throughput tactic. To eliminate the lipoproteins and proteins from sera to engender filtered sera (FS), the study was executed with 50 μl serum obtained from five healthy individuals with 5 years of age difference from 25 to 45 years old and the application of a unique mechanical filter with molecular weight cut-off value of 2KDa. The 10 μl FS from each individual was pooled to make 50 μl final volume filled in a co-axial tube for acquisition of a battery of 1D/2D investigations at 800 MHz NMR spectrometer and the assigned metabolites was confirmed through mass spectrometry as well as by comparing 1H NMR spectra of individual metabolites. This innovative tactic is commissioning to reveal more than 100 metabolites. In contrast to the protein precipitation method, 24 new metabolites were recognized in the present study. The present innovative approach characterizes nucleosides, nitrogenous bases, and volatile metabolites that possibly produce a landmark for the delineation of a comprehensive metabolic profile applicable for detection of the molecular cause of pathogenicity, early-stage disease detection and prognosis, inborn error of metabolism, and forensic investigations exerting the least volume of FS and NMR spectroscopy. The assignment of 100 metabolites using 1H NMR-based FS is described for the first time in the present report.

The development and optimisation of an HPLC-based in vitro serum stability assay for a calcitonin gene-related peptide receptor antagonist peptide

Evaluation of the stability of peptide drug candidates in biological fluids, such as blood serum, is of high importance during the lead optimisation phase. Here, we describe the optimisation and validation of a method for the evaluation of the stability of a lead calcitonin gene-related peptide antagonist peptide (P006) in blood serum. After initially determining appropriate peptide and human serum concentrations and selection of the quenching reagent, the HPLC method optimisation used two experimental designs, Plackett-Burman design and Taguchi design. The analytical method was validated as complying with the International Council for Harmonisation of Technical Requirements for Pharmaceuticals for Human Use guidelines. The optimised method allowed the successful resolution of the parent peptide from its metabolites using RP-HPLC and identification of the major metabolites of P006 by mass spectrometry. This paradigm may be widely adopted as a robust early-stage platform for screening peptide stability to rule out candidates with low in vitro stability, which would likely translate into poor in vivo pharmacokinetics.

Screening and validation of an alkaline-tolerant biomimetic affinity chromatography A5-87 resin for purification of discarded bovine serum Immunoglobulin G

It is important to recycle the bovine blood discarded at slaughter and develop it into high value-added bovine serum products. Biomimetic affinity chromatography (BiAC) resins have been developed to specifically purify bovine serum immunoglobulin G (Bs-IgG). The BiAC strategy was used to screen the resins with the best purification effect on Bs-IgG. Four resins with specificity for Bs-IgG adsorption were selected from 90 BiAC resins. Finally, BiAC-A5-87 was selected and used to purify Bs-IgG based on the results of SDS-PAGE and BCA protein quantification analysis. The adsorption capacity and purity of BiAC-A5-87 were 32.79 ± 3.57 mg/mL and 85.9 ± 1.21 % for Bs-IgG, respectively. The total protein recovery rate of Bs-IgG purified by BiAC-A5-87 was 89.78±3.52 %. The resin of BiAC-A5-87 column was recycled in 40 breakthrough cycles, and its Bs-IgG adsorption efficiency decreased by less than 10 %. After soaking BiAC-A5-87 in 1.0 moL NaOH solution for 64 h, its adsorption capacity for Bs-IgG was almost the same as that before soaking. The development of waste bovine serum not only realizes the utilization of blood resources and produces high economic benefits but also reduces the pollution of the environment.

Serum trace element levels and activity of enzymes associated with oxidative stress in endometriosis and endometrial cancer

Endometriosis and endometrial cancer are closely related to oxidative stress. However, the direct relationship between copper and zinc levels and oxidative stress in the extracellular and intracellular space remains unclear. The presented study is focused on the determination of serum Zn and Cu levels, glutathione concentration and enzyme activity in three groups: patients diagnosed with endometrial cancer (EC), patients diagnosed with endometriosis (EM), and a healthy control group. Spectrophotometric determination of trace elements revealed that levels of zinc and copper were lower in blood plasma of patients with endometriosis as compared with the other groups; however, there were no significant differences in the Cu/Zn ratio. Furthermore, significantly increased blood serum glutathione levels were detected in both EM and EC groups compared with the control group. While the activity of superoxide dismutase (SOD) was similar across the studied groups, we observed differences in the activity of other enzymes associated with oxidative stress, including glutathione peroxidase (GPx), glutathione reductase (GR) and glutathione S-transferase (GST), between the control group and the EM and EC patients. Additionally, analysis of gene expression based on free circulating mRNA indicated significant differences in the expression of SOD isoenzymes between the patient groups and the control group; expression of GPx isoenzymes was also altered. Obtained results may have potential application in diagnostics as well as monitoring of endometriosis and endometrial cancer.

Comparative targeted metabolomic profiles of porcine plasma and serum

Metabolomics has been used to characterise many biological matrices and obtain detailed pictures of biological systems based on many metabolites. Plasma and serum are two blood-derived biofluids commonly used to assess and monitor the organismal metabolism and obtain information on the physiological and health conditions of an animal. Plasma is the supernatant that is separated from the cellular components after centrifugation of the blood that is first added with an anticoagulant. Serum is obtained after centrifugation of the blood that has been coagulated. The choice of one or the other biofluid for metabolomic analyses is related to specific analytical needs and technical issues, to problems derived by the collection and preparation steps, in particular when specimens are sampled from animals involved in field studies. Thus far, most of the metabolomic studies that compared plasma and serum have been carried out in humans and very little is known on the pigs. In this study, we used a targeted metabolomic platform that can detect about 180 metabolites of five biochemical classes to compare plasma and serum profiles of samples collected from 24 pigs. To also obtain a cross-species comparative metabolomic analysis, information for human plasma and serum derived from the same platform was retrieved from previous studies. Statistical analyses included univariate and multivariate approaches aimed at identifying stable and/or differentially abundant metabolites between the two porcine biofluids. A total of 154 (∼83%) metabolites passed the initial quality control, indicating a good repeatability of the analytical platform in pigs. Discarded metabolites included aspartate and biogenic amines that were already reported to be unstable in human studies. More than 80% of the metabolites had similar profiles in both porcine biofluids (average correlation was 0.75). Concentrations were usually higher in serum than in plasma, in agreement with what was already reported in humans. The univariate analysis identified 44 metabolites that had statistically different concentrations between porcine plasma and serum, of which 28 metabolites were also confirmed by the multivariate analysis. The obtained picture described similarities and differences between these two biofluids in pigs and the related human-pig comparisons. The obtained information can be useful for the choice of one or the other matrix for the implementation of metabolomic studies in this livestock species. The results can also provide useful hints to valuing the pig as animal model, in particular when metabolite-derived physiological states are relevant.

Optical Screening and Classification of Drug Binding to Proteins in Human Blood Serum

Protein-drug interactions in the human bloodstream are important factors in applications ranging from drug design, where protein binding influences efficacy and dose delivery, to biomedical diagnostics, where rapid, quantitative measurements could guide optimized treatment regimes. Current measurement approaches use multistep assays, which probe the protein-bound drug fraction indirectly and do not provide fundamental structural or dynamic information about the in vivo protein-drug interaction. We demonstrate that ultrafast 2D-IR spectroscopy can overcome these issues by providing a direct, label-free optical measurement of protein-drug binding in blood serum samples. Four commonly prescribed drugs, known to bind to human serum albumin (HSA), were added to pooled human serum at physiologically relevant concentrations. In each case, spectral changes to the amide I band of the serum sample were observed, consistent with binding to HSA, but were distinct for each of the four drugs. A machine-learning-based classification of the serum samples achieved a total cross-validation prediction accuracy of 92% when differentiating serum-only samples from those with a drug present. Identification on a per-drug basis achieved correct drug identification in 75% of cases. These unique spectroscopic signatures of the drug-protein interaction thus enable the detection and differentiation of drug containing samples and give structural insight into the binding process as well as quantitative information on protein-drug binding. Using currently available instrumentation, the 2D-IR data acquisition required just 1 min and 10 μL of serum per sample, and so these results pave the way to fast, specific, and quantitative measurements of protein-drug binding in vivo with potentially invaluable applications for the development of novel therapies and personalized medicine.

Albumin of People with Diabetes Mellitus Is More Reduced at Low HbA1c

Oxidative stress is involved in the development, progression, and complications of diabetes mellitus (DM). Oxidative modification of human serum albumin's cysteine-34 is a marker for oxidative stress-related pathological conditions. We aimed to evaluate the redox state of albumin in patients with DM to investigate possible correlations with age, diabetes duration, and disease control status. Plasma aliquots were collected from 52 participants (26 type 1 and 26 type 2 DM). Patients were divided into two groups according to their glycated hemoglobin levels less than or equal to and greater than 58 mmol/L. Albumin redox state was assessed with high-performance liquid chromatography by fractionating it into human mercaptalbumin (HMA) and human nonmercaptalbumin 1 and 2 (HNA1 and HNA2). Albumin redox fractions were differently related to the age of study participants. In age-matched T1DM and T2DM groups, the albumin redox state was essentially the same. Irreversibly oxidized HNA2 was positively correlated with diabetes duration, especially in the T1DM group. HNA was increased in people with an increased HbA1c (>58 mmol/mol). Our results support the hypothesis that oxidative stress plays a crucial role in DM pathogenesis and emphasize the importance of diabetes control on systemic oxidative burden.

Influence of bovine and human serum albumin on the binding kinetics of biomolecular interactions

Bovine serum albumin (BSA) containing buffers are the standard blocking buffer in biosensing, yet human serum is the intended application for most clinical sensors. However, the effect of human serum albumin (HSA) on binding assays remains underexplored. A simple and well-studied assay (human IgG/goat anti-human IgG) was investigated with a surface plasmon resonance (SPR) sensor to address this fundamental question in sensing. Calibrations were performed with buffers containing various concentrations of bovine or human serum albumin, as well as full and diluted bovine or IgG-depleted human serum. It was found that HSA or human serum, but not BSA or bovine serum, significantly affected the SPR shift and binding constants of the assay. Interestingly, large differences were also observed depending on whether the animal or human antibody was immobilized on the SPR chip for detection, highlighting that matrix protein/analyte/receptor interactions play a significant role in the response. We find that the interaction of soluble HSA with human IgG interferes with the recognition region, affecting the binding constant, and thus results obtained in BSA are not necessarily applicable to clinical samples or in vivo conditions. We also clearly demonstrate why a minimum dilution of 1 : 10 is often required in SPR assays to remove most background effects. Taken together, these results show that: (1) BSA does not affect the binding constant between antibodies and thus serves its purpose well when only surface blocking is intended, (2) HSA is an adequate surrogate for human serum in assay optimization, and (3) blocking buffers should be prepared with HSA in the optimization steps of assays to be translated to human blood or serum.

Evaluation of blood serum iron concentration as an alternative biomarker for inflammation in dairy cows

This study aimed to clarify the relationship between acute phase protein (APP) concentrations and serum Fe concentrations to determine whether serum iron (Fe) can be clinically applied as a substitute for APPs in cows. One hundred five Holstein-Friesian breed lactating dairy cows were enrolled in this study. Cows with inflammatory diseases were 16 subclinical, and 15 severe mastitis cows, in addition to 15 mild and 16 severe sole ulcer cows. The plasma haptoglobin (HPT), alpha-1 acid glycoprotein (AGP), SAA, serum Fe levels, and other biochemical parameters in the cows were measured. The two-sample t-tests and multiple logistic regression analysis were used to compare the control and inflammatory disease groups. ROC analysis was used to evaluate the ability to diagnose inflammation disease. From the results, the proposed diagnostic cutoff value for plasma SAA and serum Fe concentrations to identify dairy cows with inflammatory diseases based on analyses of ROC curves were set at > 3.65 mg/l and < 120.50 µg/dl, respectively. Therefore, instead of using expensive inflammatory markers to evaluate the inflammatory state at the first treatment day for inflammatory diseases in cow, it shows the useful for screening with serum Fe concentration that can be measured easily and inexpensively as alternative inflammatory biomarkers.

Accumulation of β-Amyloid Leads to a Decrease in Lynx1 and Lypd6B Expression in the Hippocampus and Increased Expression of Proinflammatory Cytokines in the Hippocampus and Blood Serum

Alzheimer's disease is a rapidly progressive neurodegenerative disease, the development of which is associated with the accumulation of β-amyloid oligomers, dysfunction of the α7-nAChR nicotinic acetylcholine receptor, and activation of inflammation. Previously, we showed that the neuromodulator Lynx1, which belongs to the Ly6/uPAR family, competes with β-amyloid(1-42) for binding to α7-nAChR. In this work, we studied the expression and localization of Ly6/uPAR family proteins in the hippocampus of 2xTg-AD transgenic mice that model AD and demonstrate increased amyloidosis in the brain. Using real-time PCR, we showed a decrease in the expression of the genes encoding Lynx1, Lypd6b, and the postsynaptic marker PSD95, as well as an increase in the expression of the TNFα gene in the hippocampus of 2xTg-AD mice. Histochemical analysis showed that, in the hippocampus of 2xTg-AD mice, Lynx1 does not colocalize with α7-nAChR, which can lead to the development of pathology when the receptor interacts with oligomeric β-amyloid. In addition, in 2xTg-AD mice, activation of systemic inflammation was shown, which manifests itself in a decrease in the serum level of SLURP-1, a Ly6/uPAR family protein capable of regulating inflammatory processes, as well as in an increase in the content of proinflammatory cytokines TNFα and TNFβ. Thus, α7-nAChR dysfunction and maintenance of the inflammatory microenvironment in the brain in Alzheimer's disease may be associated with a decrease in the expression of Ly6/uPAR family proteins that regulate α7-nAChR activity and inflammation.

Alterations in the Gut Microbiome and Metabolisms in Pregnancies with Fetal Growth Restriction

Fetuses diagnosed with fetal growth restriction (FGR) are at an elevated risk of stillbirth and adulthood morbidity. Gut dysbiosis has emerged as one of the impacts of placental insufficiency, which is the main cause of FGR. This study aimed to characterize the relationships among the intestinal microbiome, metabolites, and FGR. Characterization was conducted on the gut microbiome, fecal metabolome, and human phenotypes in a cohort of 35 patients with FGR and 35 normal pregnancies (NP). The serum metabolome was analyzed in 19 patients with FGR and 31 normal pregnant women. Multidimensional data was integrated to reveal the links between data sets. A fecal microbiota transplantation mouse model was used to determine the effects of the intestinal microbiome on fetal growth and placental phenotypes. The diversity and composition of the gut microbiota were altered in patients with FGR. A group of microbial species altered in FGR closely correlated with fetal measurements and maternal clinical variables. Fecal and serum metabolism profiles were distinct in FGR patients compared to those in the NP group. Altered metabolites were identified and associated with clinical phenotypes. Integrated multi-omics analysis revealed the interactions among gut microbiota, metabolites, and clinical measurements. Microbiota from FGR gravida transplanted to mice progestationally induced FGR and placental dysfunction, including impaired spiral artery remodeling and insufficient trophoblast cell invasion. Taken together, the integration of microbiome and metabolite profiles from the human cohort indicates that patients with FGR endure gut dysbiosis and metabolic disorders, which contribute to disease pathogenesis. IMPORTANCE Downstream of the primary cause of fetal growth restriction are placental insufficiency and fetal malnutrition. Gut microbiota and metabolites appear to play an important role in the progression of gestation, while dysbiosis induces maternal and fetal complications. Our study elaborates the significant differences in microbiota profiles and metabolome characteristics between women with FGR and normal pregnancies. This is the first attempt so far that reveals the mechanistic links in multi-omics in FGR, providing a novel insight into host-microbe interaction in placenta-derived diseases.

Cytokine enrichment in equine conditioned serum is not reliant on incubation in specialized containers

Autologous conditioned serum (ACS), i.e serum enriched with anti-inflammatory cytokines and growth factors, is a popular orthobiologic therapy used in equine practice. Costly specialized tubes containing glass beads are commonly used for ACS production. The objective of this in vitro study was to compare cytokine and growth factor levels in equine serum after incubation in three different tubes: commercial plastic ACS tubes (COMM); sterile 50 ml plastic centrifugation tubes (CEN); and 10 ml plastic vacutainer tubes (VAC). Blood from 15 healthy horses was incubated in the different tubes at 37°C for 22-24 h. The concentration of IL-1β, IL-1Ra, IL-10, IGF-1 and PDGF-BB was determined by ELISA and compared between tubes. There was no difference in concentration of IL-1Ra and IGF-1 between CEN and COMM. PDGF-BB was higher in CEN vs. COMM (P < 0.0001). IL-1Ra and PDGF-BB was higher (P < 0.005 and P = 0.02, respectively) whereas IGF-1 was lower in VAC (P < 0.003) vs. the other tubes. The centrifuge tube performed similarly to the commercial ACS tube in cytokine and growth factor enrichment and has the potential to dramatically reduce the cost of ACS treatment. Cytokine enrichment of equine serum does not require blood incubation in specialized ACS containers.

Increased levels of microRNA-320 in blood serum and plasma is associated with imminent and advanced lung cancer

Lung cancer (LC) incidence is increasing globally and altered levels of microRNAs (miRNAs) in blood may contribute to identification of individuals with LC. We identified miRNAs differentially expressed in peripheral blood at LC diagnosis and evaluated, in pre-diagnostic blood specimens, how long before diagnosis expression changes in such candidate miRNAs could be detected. We identified upregulated candidate miRNAs in plasma specimens from a hospital-based study sample of 128 patients with confirmed LC and 62 individuals with suspected but confirmed negative LC (FalsePos). We then evaluated the expression of candidate miRNAs in pre-diagnostic plasma or serum specimens of 360 future LC cases and 375 matched controls. There were 1663 miRNAs detected in diagnostic specimens, nine of which met our criteria for candidate miRNAs. Higher expression of three candidates, miR-320b, 320c, and 320d, was associated with poor survival, independent of LC stage and subtype. Moreover, miR-320c and miR-320d expression was higher in pre-diagnostic specimens collected within 2 years of LC diagnosis. Our results indicated that elevated levels of miR-320c and miR-320d may be early indications of imminent and advanced LC.

In Vitro Comparison of Lymphangiogenic Potential of Hypoxia Preconditioned Serum (HPS) and Platelet-Rich Plasma (PRP)

Strategies for therapeutic lymphangiogenesis are gradually directed toward the use of growth factor preparations. In particular, blood-derived growth factor products, including Hypoxia Preconditioned Serum (HPS) and Platelet-rich Plasma (PRP), are both clinically employed for accelerating tissue repair and have received considerable attention in the field of regenerative medicine research. In this study, a comparative analysis of HPS and PRP was conducted to explore their lymphangiogenic potential. We found higher pro-lymphangiogenic growth factor concentrations of VEGF-C, PDGF-BB, and bFGF in HPS in comparison to normal serum (NS) and PRP. The proliferation and migration of lymphatic endothelial cells (LECs) were promoted considerably with both HPS and PRP, but the strongest effect was achieved with HPS-40% dilution. Tube formation of LECs showed the highest number of tubes, branching points, greater tube length, and cell-covered area with HPS-10%. Finally, the effects were double-validated using an ex vivo lymphatic ring assay, in which the highest number of sprouts and the greatest sprout length were achieved with HPS-10%. Our findings demonstrate the superior lymphangiogenic potential of a new generation blood-derived secretome obtained by hypoxic preconditioning of peripheral blood cells-a method that offers a novel alternative to PRP.

High-Throughput and In-Depth Proteomic Profiling of 5 μL Plasma and Serum Using TMTpro 16-Plex

High-throughput and in-depth proteomic analysis of plasma and serum samples remains challenging due to the presence of multiple high-abundance proteins. Here, we provide a detailed protocol for proteomic analysis of serum and plasma specimens using a high-abundance protein depletion kit and TMTpro 16-plex reagents. This method requires only 5 μL serum or plasma, identifying and quantifying about 1000 proteins. A batch of 16 samples can be processed in 36 h. On average, each sample consumes about 1.5 h of mass spectrometer instrument time. Overall, our method can identify proteins across six orders of magnitude with high reproducibility (CV < 20%) using a shorter instrument time and less sample volume compared to existing methods. Thus, the method is suitable to be applied to large-scale proteomic studies.

[Pathogenetic role of multifunctional protein alpha-2-macroglobulin and its activity in tears and serum in age-related macular degeneration and proliferative diabetic retinopathy]

Alpha-2-macroglobulin (α2-MG) is a multifunctional protein involved in neurodegeneration, inflammation and neovascularization, which are key processes in the pathogenesis of age-related macular degeneration (AMD) and proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR). AMD and PDR are two of the main causes of vision loss and blindness, are difficult to treat, and are generally diagnosed at the stage of irreversible changes.

PURPOSE

This study estimates the activity of α2-MG in the blood serum and tears of patients with AMD and PDR in order to reveal the relation of its levels with the intensity of the pathological process in the retina.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The study included 17 patients (34 eyes) with AMD, 15 patients (30 eyes) with PDR, and 15 healthy adults (30 eyes) of the similar age. The activity of α2-MG in serum and tears was measured enzymatically using the specific substrate N-benzoyl-DL-arginine-p-nitroanilide (BAPNA).

RESULTS

The activity of α2-MG in tears of patients with AMD was on the average 3.5 times higher than in healthy controls, and in patients with PDR - 1.5 times higher. Patients with AMD at the submacular fibrosis stage showed decreased α2-MG activity in tears. The activity of α2-MG in serum of patients with AMD and PDR was on the average 25% higher than in healthy persons. No correlation was revealed between serum and tear levels of α2-MG activity.

CONCLUSION

This study revealed for the first time that in AMD and PDR the activity of α2-MG in tears is increased, and that in AMD the increase is higher than in PDR. An increase of α2-MG activity in serum confirms the presence of systemic inflammation. Absence of correlation between the serum and tear activity of α2-MG confirms its local origin. The high level of α2-MG activity in tears reflects the presence of an active destructive process in the retina, justifying its further investigation as a predictor of AMD and PDR course, as well as an indicator of therapy effectiveness.

Changes of tRNA-Derived Fragments by Alzheimer's Disease in Cerebrospinal Fluid and Blood Serum

BACKGROUND

Alzheimer's disease (AD) is the most common type of dementia, affecting individuals over 65. AD is also a multifactorial disease, with disease mechanisms incompletely characterized, and disease-modifying therapies are marginally effective. Biomarker signatures may shed light on the diagnosis, disease mechanisms, and the development of therapeutic targets. tRNA-derived RNA fragments (tRFs), a family of recently discovered small non-coding RNAs, have been found to be significantly enhanced in human AD hippocampus tissues. However, whether tRFs change in body fluids is unknown.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate whether tRFs in body fluids are impacted by AD.

METHODS

We first used T4 polynucleotide kinase-RNA-seq, a modified next-generation sequencing technique, to identify detectable tRFs in human cerebrospinal fluid and serum samples. The detectable tRFs were then compared in these fluids from control, AD, and mild cognitive impairment patients using tRF qRT-PCR. The stability of tRFs in serum was also investigated by checking the change in tRFs in response to protein digestion or exosome lysis.

RESULTS

Among various tRFs, tRF5-ProAGG seemed to be impacted by AD in both cerebrospinal fluid and serum. AD-impacted serum tRF5-ProAGG showed a correlation with the AD stage. Putative targets of tRF5-ProAGG in the hippocampus were also predicted by a computational algorithm, with some targets being validated experimentally and one of them being in a negative correlation with tRF5-ProAGG even using a small size of samples.

CONCLUSIONS

tRF5-ProAGG showed the potential as an AD biomarker and may play a role in disease progression.

CHANGES IN THE SERUM LEVEL OF LEPTIN AND TRANSFORMING GROWTH FACTOR-Β1 IN PATIENTS WITH ARTERIAL HYPERTENSION ON A BACKGROUND OF ABDOMINAL OBESITY

OBJECTIVE

The aim: Study of the levels of leptin and the growth modulator TGF-β1 in the blood serum of patients with hypertension, which occurs on the background of AO and without it.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Materials and methods: Carbohydrate metabolism was studied by the enzymatic method, the level of insulin in the blood (by the enzyme immunoassay method), the oral glucose tolerance test and the calculation of the NOMA index.

RESULTS

Results: The data obtained in the work indicate a significant role of leptin in the formation of hypertension itself and the development of obesity, carbohydrate and lipid metabolism disorders. The increased level of transforming growth factor-β1 in the blood of such patients can be used as a fairly informative marker of the unfavorable prognosis of these diseases.

CONCLUSION

Conclusions: 1. In the control group, there was a significant increase in the initial values of heart rate, average levels of SBP and DBP, the frequency of hy-percholesterolemia and insulin resistance was established. 2. Significant disorders of lipid and carbohydrate metabolism and leptin synthesis were found in patients with hypertension, which occurs against the background of AO. 3. When analyzing the level of leptin depending on gender, a statistically significant increase in the level of blood leptin was found in the group of women with AH with AO compared to women with AH without AO and the control group. 4. A significant increase in the level of transforming growth factor-β1 in blood serum of patients with hypertension was established.

Redox State of Human Serum Albumin in Multiple Sclerosis: A Pilot Study

Like in many other pathologies, oxidative stress is involved in the development of neurodegenerative disorders. Human serum albumin (HSA) is the main protein in different body fluids including cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). By its redox state in terms of cysteine-34, albumin serves as marker for oxidative burden. We aimed to evaluate the redox state of HSA in patients with multiple sclerosis in serum and CSF in comparison to controls to identify possible correlations with disease activity and severity. Samples were stored at -70 °C until analysis by HPLC for the determination of albumin redox state in terms of the fractions of human mercaptalbumin (HMA), human nonmercaptalbumin1 (HNA1), and human nonmercaptalbumin2 (HNA2). Albumin in CSF showed significantly higher fractions of the reduced form HMA and decreased HNA1 and HNA2. There was no difference between albumin redox states in serum of patients and controls. In CSF of patients HNA2 showed a trend to higher fractions compared to controls. Albumin redox state in serum was associated with physical disability in remission while albumin redox state in CSF was related to disease activity. Thus, albumin redox state in serum and CSF of patients in relation to disease condition merits further investigation.

Metabolomic Differences between the Skin and Blood Sera of Atopic Dermatitis and Psoriasis

Atopic dermatitis (AD) and psoriasis (PS) are common chronic inflammatory dermatoses. Although the differences at the intercellular and intracellular signaling level between AD and PS are well described, the resulting differences at the metabolism level have not yet been systematically analyzed. We compared the metabolomic profiles of the lesional skin, non-lesional skin and blood sera of AD and PS. Skin biopsies from 15 patients with AD, 20 patients with PS and 17 controls were collected, and 25 patients with AD, 55 patients with PS and 63 controls were recruited for the blood serum analysis. Serum and skin samples were analyzed using a targeted approach to find the concentrations of 188 metabolites and their ratios. A total of 19 metabolites differed in the comparison of lesional skins, one metabolite in non-lesional skins and 5 metabolites in blood sera. Although we found several metabolomic similarities between PS and AD, clear differences were outlined. Sphingomyelins were elevated in lesional skin of AD, implying a deficient barrier function. Increased levels of phosphatidylcholines, carnitines and asymmetric dimethylarginine in PS lesional skin and carnitines amino acids in the PS serum pointed to elevated cell proliferation. The comparison of the metabolomic profiles of AD and PS skin and sera outlined distinct patterns that were well correlated with the differences in the pathogenetic mechanisms of these two chronic inflammatory dermatoses.

Utilization of Aminoguanidine Prevents Cytotoxic Effects of Semen

Studies of human semen in cell or tissue culture are hampered by the high cytotoxic activity of this body fluid. The components responsible for the cell damaging activity of semen are amine oxidases, which convert abundant polyamines, such as spermine or spermidine in seminal plasma into toxic intermediates. Amine oxidases are naturally present at low concentrations in seminal plasma and at high concentrations in fetal calf serum, a commonly used cell culture supplement. Here, we show that, in the presence of fetal calf serum, seminal plasma, as well as the polyamines spermine and spermidine, are highly cytotoxic to immortalized cells, primary blood mononuclear cells, and vaginal tissue. Thus, experiments investigating the effect of polyamines and seminal plasma on cellular functions should be performed with great caution, considering the confounding cytotoxic effects. The addition of the amine oxidase inhibitor aminoguanidine to fetal calf serum and/or the utilization of serum-free medium greatly reduced this serum-induced cytotoxicity of polyamines and seminal plasma in cell lines, primary cells, and tissues and, thus, should be implemented in all future studies analyzing the role of polyamines and semen on cellular functions.

Comparison of the antioxidant properties of serum and plasma samples as well as glutathione under environmental and pharmacological stress factors involving different classes of drugs

We compared the antioxidant activity of serum and plasma samples of a known glutathione content with the activity of glutathione, whilst determining to what extent various stress factors might change the activity of the tested samples. Copper ions and benzene were used as examples of environmental stress factors, and xenobiotics in the form of representatives of various groups of drugs, were used as examples of pharmacological stressors at therapeutic ranges. The activity was assessed by the ABTS, ORAC, FRAP and CUPRAC methods. Glutathione content was measured by the HPLC-FD method. During the experiments, plasma samples were shown to be more resistant to oxidative stress. Moreover, the important role of environmental xenobiotics in oxidative stress was revealed, as well as the differentiated influence of pharmaceutical xenobiotics. Among all pharmaceutical xenobiotics tested, including representatives of antiarrhythmic, antiepileptic, cytostatic and mucolytic drugs, the greatest stress was shown for antiarrhythmic drugs and cytostatics.

Improved profiling of low molecular weight serum proteome for gastric carcinoma by data-independent acquisition

Low molecular weight proteins (LMWPs) in the bloodstream participate in various biological processes and are closely associated with disease status, whereas identification of serous LMWPs remains a great technical challenge due to the wide dynamic range of protein components. In this study, we constructed an integrated LMWP library by combining the LMWPs obtained by three enrichment methods (50% ACN, 20% ACN + 20 mM ABC, and 30 kDa) and their fractions identified by the data-dependent acquisition method. With this newly constructed library, we comprehensively profiled LMWPs in serum using data-independent acquisition and reliably achieved quantitative results for 75% serous LMWPs. When applying this strategy to quantify LMWPs in human serum samples, we could identify 405 proteins on average per sample, of which 136 proteins were with a MW less than 30 kDa and 293 proteins were with a MW less than 65 kDa. Of note, pre- and post-operative gastric carcinoma (GC) patients showed differentially expressed serous LWMPs, which was also different from the pattern of LWMP expression in healthy controls. In conclusion, our results showed that LMWPs could efficiently distinguish GC patients from healthy controls as well as between pre- and post-operative statuses, and more importantly, our newly developed LMWP profiling platform could be used to discover candidate LMWP biomarkers for disease diagnosis and status monitoring.

Identification of polycystic ovary syndrome from blood serum using hormone levels via Raman spectroscopy and multivariate analysis

Polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS) is a disease, which causes infertility in women. The factors for the development of the disease are still not well understood and diagnostic methods need to be improved. Therefore, in this study, Raman spectroscopy as a potential diagnostic tool, was investigated and spectra of blood serum were collected from PCOS and healthy women. The obtained spectra showed distinct changes in intensities as well as shift of peaks for the blood serum collected from PCOS compared to healthy individuals. Partial Last Square (PLS) analysis and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) allowed to determine that Raman shifts of amides (1500 - 1700 cm^-1) and CH₂, CH₃ lipid groups (2700 - 3000 cm^-1), could be thus used as potential PCOS markers. Furthermore, the Pearson correlation test showed a strong correlation between hormones (lutropin (LH), prolactin (PRL), follicle-stimulating (FSH), dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEAS), thyroid-stimulating (TSH), Estradiol) and lipids, as well as between hormones and protein functional groups in PCOS women, compared to the control. These results show, that the lipid and protein balance could be potentially applied as a helpful PCOS marker in Raman spectra.

Sera from women with different metabolic and menopause states differentially regulate cell viability and Akt activation in a breast cancer in-vitro model

Obesity is associated with an increased incidence and aggressiveness of breast cancer and is estimated to increment the development of this tumor by 50 to 86%. These associations are driven, in part, by changes in the serum molecules. Epidemiological studies have reported that Metformin reduces the incidence of obesity-associated cancer, probably by regulating the metabolic state. In this study, we evaluated in a breast cancer in-vitro model the activation of the IR-β/Akt/p70S6K pathway by exposure to human sera with different metabolic and hormonal characteristics. Furthermore, we evaluated the effect of brief Metformin treatment on sera of obese postmenopausal women and its impact on Akt and NF-κB activation. We demonstrated that MCF-7 cells represent a robust cellular model to differentiate Akt pathway activation influenced by the stimulation with sera from obese women, resulting in increased cell viability rates compared to cells stimulated with sera from normal-weight women. In particular, stimulation with sera from postmenopausal obese women showed an increase in the phosphorylation of IR-β and Akt proteins. These effects were reversed after exposure of MCF-7 cells to sera from postmenopausal obese women with insulin resistance with Metformin treatment. Whereas sera from women without insulin resistance affected NF-κB regulation. We further demonstrated that sera from post-Metformin obese women induced an increase in p38 phosphorylation, independent of insulin resistance. Our results suggest a possible mechanism in which obesity-mediated serum molecules could enhance the development of luminal A-breast cancer by increasing Akt activation. Further, we provided evidence that the phenomenon was reversed by Metformin treatment in a subgroup of women.

Profiling Blood Serum Extracellular Vesicles in Plaque Psoriasis and Psoriatic Arthritis Patients Reveals Potential Disease Biomarkers

Psoriasis vulgaris (PsV) and psoriatic arthritis (PsA) are inflammatory diseases with unresolved pathophysiological aspects. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) play an important role in intercellular communication. We compared the miRNA contents and surface proteome of the EVs in the blood serum of PsV and PsA patients to healthy controls. Size-exclusion chromatography was used to isolate EVs from the blood serum of 12 PsV patients, 12 PsA patients and 12 healthy control subjects. EV samples were characterized and RNA sequencing was used to identify differentially enriched EV-bound miRNAs. We found 212 differentially enriched EV-bound miRNAs present in both PsV and PsA groups—a total of 13 miRNAs at FDR ≤ 0.05. The predicted target genes of these miRNAs were significantly related to lesser known but potentially disease-relevant pathways. The EV array revealed that PsV patient EV samples were significantly enriched with CD9 EV-marker compared to controls. Analysis of EV-bound miRNAs suggests that signaling via EVs in the blood serum could play a role in the pathophysiological processes of PsV and PsA. EVs may be able to fill the void in clinically applicable diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers for PsV and PsA.

[Preliminary study on the diagnostic value of serum-derived exosomal lncRNA in epithelial ovarian cancer]

Objective: To investigate the diagnostic value of long noncoding RNA (lncRNA) extracted from serum exosomes in epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). Methods: (1) Patients with ovarian tumors who were hospitalized in the Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Guangxi Medical University from August 2018 to December 2019, including 35 cases of EOC patients (malignant group) and 20 cases of benign ovarian tumor patients (benign group) were collected; during the same period, 15 healthy women (normal group) who underwent physical examination in the Affiliated Tumor Hospital of Guangxi Medical University were used as controls. Fasting venous blood serum was collected from the above three groups of women, and serum exosomes were isolated and purified using commercial kits. The morphology of exosomal particles was observed with transmission electron microscope, and the particle size distribution of the exosomes was detected by NanoSight technology. The expression of specific proteins cluster of differentiation (CD)₆₃, CD₈₁, and tumor susceptibility gene 101 (TSG101) of exosomes were analyzed by western blot. (2) Four cases of EOC patients and three cases of healthy women were randomly selected. High-throughput sequencing technology was used to analyze the differentially expressed lncRNA in serum exosomes of these four EOC patients and three healthy women, and screen out the significantly differentially expressed lncRNA. The screened lncRNA with different expression levels was verified by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (QRT-PCR) in these seven original clinical samples, furtherly confirmed and tested with QRT-PCR in larger clinical samples (a total of 70 serum samples). (3) The receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve of the target lncRNA was drawn and its diagnostic indicators such as sensitivity and specificity were evaluated. By using logistic binary regression model, multi-factor joint diagnostic models were constructed and evaluated. Results: (1) Under transmission electron microscope, clear lipid bilayer structure was observed in serum exosomes, and one side presented a concave hemispheric or cup like structure; the peak diameter of the exosomal particles detected with NanoSight technology was 127.6 nm, and the particles between 30 and 150 nm accounted for 58.9%; western blot confirmed that the obtained (exosomal) particles could detect the expression of the marker proteins CD₆₃, CD₈₁, and TSG101. (2) Analysis of high-throughput sequencing technology showed that compared with the women in the normal sequencing group (3 cases), 425 differentially expressed lncRNAs (including 23 up-regulated and 402 down-regulated) were screened in the serum exosomes of the malignant sequencing group (4 cases). Six types of lncRNA with significantly abnormal expression levels (including FER1L6-AS2, LINC00470, LINC01811, CXXC4-AS1, LINC02343, and LINC02428) were randomly selected for original sample verification, and the results were consistent with the sequencing results. Subsequently, these six lncRNAs were used for larger samples QRT-PCR verification. Compared with the benign and normal groups, the expression of FER1L6-AS2, LINC00470 and LINC01811 in malignant group increased by 1.66 and 1.84-fold, 2.05 and 2.46-fold, 2.94 and 2.35-fold, respectively; the expressions of CXXC4-AS1, LINC02343 and LINC02428 were down-regulated to 29% and 34%, 40% and 46%, 42% and 42%, respectively. For the same lncRNA, there were statistical differences between the malignant group and the benign group, between the malignant group and the normal group (all P<0.05), and there were no statistical differences between the benign group and the normal group (all P>0.05). (3) The results showed that the area under curve (AUC) of these six lncRNAs ranged from 0.722 to 0.805, which had moderate diagnostic efficiency. To use logistic binary regression model to establish multi-indicator joint diagnostic models and establish different joint factor ROC curves. The results showed that the AUC of the joint factor prediction model 1 (composed of FER1L6-AS2 and LINC01811), the joint factor prediction model 2 (composed of CXXC4-AS1, LINC02343, and LINC02428), and the joint factor prediction model 3 (composed of FER1L6-AS2, CXXC4-AS1, LINC02343, and LINC02428) were 0.865, 0.934, and 0.962, respectively. The diagnostic efficacy of the combined factor prediction models was higher than that of the single lncRNA (all P<0.05). Conclusions: High-throughput sequencing technology is an effective method for screening out the different expression levels of lncRNA extracted from serum exosomes. The combined detection of multiple serum exosomal lncRNA indicators has a certain diagnostic efficacy for patients with EOC. Detection of serum exosomal lncRNA indicators will provide new ideas for the diagnosis of EOC.

Network modeling predicts personalized gene expression and drug responses in valve myofibroblasts cultured with patient sera

Aortic valve stenosis (AVS) patients experience pathogenic valve leaflet stiffening due to excessive extracellular matrix (ECM) remodeling. Numerous microenvironmental cues influence pathogenic expression of ECM remodeling genes in tissue-resident valvular myofibroblasts, and the regulation of complex myofibroblast signaling networks depends on patient-specific extracellular factors. Here, we combined a manually curated myofibroblast signaling network with a data-driven transcription factor network to predict patient-specific myofibroblast gene expression signatures and drug responses. Using transcriptomic data from myofibroblasts cultured with AVS patient sera, we produced a large-scale, logic-gated differential equation model in which 11 biochemical and biomechanical signals were transduced via a network of 334 signaling and transcription reactions to accurately predict the expression of 27 fibrosis-related genes. Correlations were found between personalized model-predicted gene expression and AVS patient echocardiography data, suggesting links between fibrosis-related signaling and patient-specific AVS severity. Further, global network perturbation analyses revealed signaling molecules with the most influence over network-wide activity, including endothelin 1 (ET1), interleukin 6 (IL6), and transforming growth factor β (TGFβ), along with downstream mediators c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK), signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT), and reactive oxygen species (ROS). Lastly, we performed virtual drug screening to identify patient-specific drug responses, which were experimentally validated via fibrotic gene expression measurements in valvular interstitial cells cultured with AVS patient sera and treated with or without bosentan-a clinically approved ET1 receptor inhibitor. In sum, our work advances the ability of computational approaches to provide a mechanistic basis for clinical decisions including patient stratification and personalized drug screening.

Depressive symptoms in non-alcoholic fatty liver disease are identified by perturbed lipid and lipoprotein metabolism

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and depression are common disorders and have bidirectional contributing relationships to metabolic syndrome. We aimed to determine whether a fasting serum signature of recent, self-reported depressive symptoms could be identified in a heterogeneous NAFLD cohort using nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR)-based metabolomics integrated with clinical chemistry. Serum nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) metabolite profiles and corresponding clinical chemistry were compared between patients with depressive symptoms in the last 12-months (n = 81) and patients without recent depressive symptoms (n = 137 controls) using multivariate statistics. Orthogonal partial least squares discriminant analysis (OPLS-DA) of the biochemical and metabolomic data identified NAFLD patients with recent depression with a cross-validated accuracy of 61.5%, independent of age, sex, medication, and other comorbidities. This led to the development of a diagnostic algorithm with AUC 0.83 for future testing in larger clinical cohorts. Serum triglycerides, VLDL cholesterol, and the inflammatory biomarker GlycA were key metabolites increased in patients with recent depressive symptoms, while serum glutamine level was reduced. Here, serum NMR metabolite analysis provides a link between disturbed lipid metabolism, inflammation, and active mental health issues in NAFLD, irrespective of disease severity.

Time and Temperature Stability of TGF-β1, EGF and IGF-1 in 20% and 100% Human Serum

Autologous serum eye drops (ASEDs) are used as a treatment for severe dry eye disease. The concentration and stability of various growth factors in ASEDs is determinative for their efficiency. We therefore assessed the concentrations of transforming growth factor beta 1 (TGF-β1), epidermal growth factor (EGF) and insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) in ASEDs following storage at 4-8, -20, -80 and -156 °C. Twenty % and 100% sera from eight healthy volunteers were analysed by the sandwich enzyme immunoassay at different time intervals up to seven months. The mean levels of TGF-β1 and EGF in undiluted and 20% serum did not differ significantly from the baseline levels in fresh serum for any storage conditions after 7 days at 4-8 °C, as well as after 4- and 7-month preservation at sub-zero temperatures. In 20% serum, no IGF-1 concentration decrease was found following 7 days of preservation at 4-8 °C. However, a decrease to 78 % and 81 % (P < 0.01) of baseline values was found in 20% serum after 4-month storage at -20 °C and 7-month storage at -156 °C, respectively. A more pronounced decrease in IGF-1 was observed in undiluted serum. All assessed growth factors present in 20% frozen serum remained stable for up to 7 months. The highest stability was achieved at -80 °C. At -20 and -156 °C, some decrease in IGF-1 occurred. Our results indicate that 20% ASEDs can be stored frozen up to 7 months under proper conditions.

Transient Focal Cerebral Ischemia Leads to miRNA Alterations in Different Brain Regions, Blood Serum, Liver, and Spleen

Ischemic stroke is characterized by an occlusion of a cerebral blood vessel resulting in neuronal cell death due to nutritional and oxygen deficiency. Additionally, post-ischemic cell death is augmented after reperfusion. These events are paralleled by dysregulated miRNA expression profiles in the peri-infarct area. Understanding the underlying molecular mechanism in the peri-infarct region is crucial for developing promising therapeutics. Utilizing a tMCAo (transient Middle Cerebral Artery occlusion) model in rats, we studied the expression levels of the miRNAs (miR) 223-3p, 155-5p, 3473, and 448-5p in the cortex, amygdala, thalamus, and hippocampus of both the ipsi- and contralateral hemispheres. Additionally, the levels in the blood serum, spleen, and liver and the expression of their target genes, namely, Nlrp3, Socs1, Socs3, and Vegfa, were assessed. We observed an increase in all miRNAs on the ipsilateral side of the cerebral cortex in a time-dependent manner and increased miRNAs levels (miR-223-3p, miR-3473, and miR-448-5p) in the contralateral hemisphere after 72 h. Besides the cerebral cortex, the amygdala presented increased expression levels, whereas the thalamus and hippocampus showed no alterations. Different levels of the investigated miRNAs were detected in blood serum, liver, and spleen. The gene targets were altered not only in the peri-infarct area of the cortex but selectively increased in the investigated non-affected brain regions along with the spleen and liver during the reperfusion time up to 72 h. Our results suggest a supra-regional influence of miRNAs following ischemic stroke, which should be studied to further identify whether miRNAs are transported or locally upregulated.

X-ray Characterization of Conformational Changes of Human Apo- and Holo-Transferrin

Human serum transferrin (Tf) is a bilobed glycoprotein whose function is to transport iron through receptor-mediated endocytosis. The mechanism for iron release is pH-dependent and involves conformational changes in the protein, thus making it an attractive system for possible biomedical applications. In this contribution, two powerful X-ray techniques, namely Macromolecular X-ray Crystallography (MX) and Small Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS), were used to study the conformational changes of iron-free (apo) and iron-loaded (holo) transferrin in crystal and solution states, respectively, at three different pH values of physiological relevance. A crystallographic model of glycosylated apo-Tf was obtained at 3.0 Å resolution, which did not resolve further despite many efforts to improve crystal quality. In the solution, apo-Tf remained mostly globular in all the pH conditions tested; however, the co-existence of closed, partially open, and open conformations was observed for holo-Tf, which showed a more elongated and flexible shape overall.

Impacts of changes in intestinal flora on the metabolism of Sprague-Dawley rats

Changes in intestinal flora affect the health and cause metabolic diseases of the host. The extent to which the impact of different changes in intestinal flora would have on the metabolism of an individual has not been reported. This study aims to investigate the effect of different changes in intestinal flora on the metabolism of Sprague-Dawley (SD) normal rats' individuals. Forty-eight SD rats were randomly divided into 6 groups (8 rats per group), which were treated with normal saline, probiotics, nonpathogenic Escherichia coli, Salmonella enteritidis, gentamicin, and magnesium sulfate, respectively. After 7 days, the ileum of each group of rats was collected and real-time polymerase chain reaction was used to analyze the composition of intestinal flora. And gas chromatography/mass spectrometry (GC/MS) was used to analyze plasma metabolic profile. The results revealed that the decrease in alanine content in the probiotics group was statistically significant, while the alanine content in the nonpathogenic Escherichia group increased significantly. Alanine, leucine, isoleucine, and serine decreased significantly in the Salmonella group. Proline and butyric acid decreased significantly in the gentamicin group. The principal component analysis showed significant differences in the Salmonella group compared with other test groups. Overall, the most significant metabolic changes were observed in SD rats in the Salmonella group, while a great similarity was observed in the probiotics, Escherichia group, and gentamicin groups compared with the normal group. Changes in intestinal flora had a certain impact on the metabolism in SD rats, especially on amino acid levels.

Prostaglandins in biofluids in pregnancy and labour: A systematic review

Prostaglandins are thought to be important mediators in the initiation of human labour, however the evidence supporting this is not entirely clear. Determining how, and which, prostaglandins change during pregnancy and labour may provide insight into mechanisms governing labour initiation and the potential to predict timing of labour onset. The current study systematically searched the existing scientific literature to determine how biofluid levels of prostaglandins change throughout pregnancy before and during labour, and whether prostaglandins and/or their metabolites may be useful for prediction of labour. The databases EMBASE and MEDLINE were searched for English-language articles on prostaglandins measured in plasma, serum, amniotic fluid, or urine during pregnancy and/or spontaneous labour. Studies were assessed for quality and risk of bias and a qualitative summary of included studies was generated. Our review identified 83 studies published between 1968-2021 that met the inclusion criteria. As measured in amniotic fluid, levels of PGE2, along with PGF2α and its metabolite 13,14-dihydro-15-keto-PGF2α were reported higher in labour compared to non-labour. In blood, only 13,14-dihydro-15-keto-PGF2α was reported higher in labour. Additionally, PGF2α, PGF1α, and PGE2 were reported to increase in amniotic fluid as pregnancy progressed, though this pattern was not consistent in plasma. Overall, the evidence supporting changes in prostaglandin levels in these biofluids remains unclear. An important limitation is the lack of data on the complexity of the prostaglandin pathway outside of the PGE and PGF families. Future studies using new methodologies capable of co-assessing multiple prostaglandins and metabolites, in large, well-defined populations, will help provide more insight as to the identification of exactly which prostaglandins and/or metabolites consistently change with labour. Revisiting and revising our understanding of the prostaglandins may provide better targets for clinical monitoring of pregnancies. This study was supported by the Canadian Institutes of Health Research.

Proteomic Characterization of Plasma Rich in Growth Factors and Undiluted Autologous Serum

Over the last three decades, there has been special interest in developing drugs that mimic the characteristics of natural tears for use it in the treatment of several ocular surface disorders. Interestingly, the composition of blood plasma is very similar to tears. Therefore, different blood-derived products like autologous serum (AS) and plasma rich in growth factors (PRGF) have been developed for the treatment of diverse ocular pathologies. However, scarce studies have been carried out to analyze the differences between both types of blood-derived products. In the present study, blood from three healthy donors was drawn and processed to obtain AS and PRGF eye drops. Then, human corneal stromal keratocytes (HK) were treated with PRGF or undiluted AS. Proteomic analysis was carried out to analyze and characterize the differential protein profiles between PRGF and AS, and the differentially expressed proteins in HK cells after PRGF and AS treatment. The results obtained in the present study show that undiluted AS induces the activation of different pathways related to an inflammatory, angiogenic, oxidative stress and scarring response in HK cells regarding PRGF. These results suggest that PRGF could be a better alternative than AS for the treatment of ocular surface disorders.

A Method to Monitor the NAD+ Metabolome-From Mechanistic to Clinical Applications

Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD+) and its reduced form (NADH) are coenzymes employed in hundreds of metabolic reactions. NAD+ also serves as a substrate for enzymes such as sirtuins, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerases (PARPs) and ADP-ribosyl cyclases. Given the pivotal role of NAD(H) in health and disease, studying NAD+ metabolism has become essential to monitor genetic- and/or drug-induced perturbations related to metabolic status and diseases (such as ageing, cancer or obesity), and its possible therapies. Here, we present a strategy based on liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), for the analysis of the NAD+ metabolome in biological samples. In this method, hydrophilic interaction chromatography (HILIC) was used to separate a total of 18 metabolites belonging to pathways leading to NAD+ biosynthesis, including precursors, intermediates and catabolites. As redox cofactors are known for their instability, a sample preparation procedure was developed to handle a variety of biological matrices: cell models, rodent tissues and biofluids, as well as human biofluids (urine, plasma, serum, whole blood). For clinical applications, quantitative LC-MS/MS for a subset of metabolites was demonstrated for the analysis of the human whole blood of nine volunteers. Using this developed workflow, our methodology allows studying NAD+ biology from mechanistic to clinical applications.

NMR analysis of the correlation of metabolic changes in blood and cerebrospinal fluid in Alzheimer model male and female mice

The development of effective therapies as well as early, molecular diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease is impeded by the lack of understanding of the underlying pathological mechanisms. Metabolomics studies of body fluids as well as brain tissues have shown major changes in metabolic profiles of Alzheimer's patients. However, with analysis performed at the late stages of the disease it is not possible to distinguish causes and consequence. The mouse model APP/PS1 expresses a mutant amyloid precursor protein resulting in early Amyloid β (Aβ) accumulation as well as many resulting physiological changes including changes in metabolic profile and metabolism. Analysis of metabolic profile of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and blood of APP/PS1 mouse model can provide information about metabolic changes in these body fluids caused by Aβ accumulation. Using our novel method for analysis of correlation and mathematical ranking of significant correlations between metabolites in CSF and blood, we have explored changes in metabolite correlation and connectedness in APP/PS1 and wild type mice. Metabolites concentration and correlation changes in CSF, blood and across the blood brain barrier determined in this work are affected by the production of amyloid plaque. Metabolite changes observed in the APP/PS1 mouse model are the response to the mutation causing plaque formation, not the cause for the plaque suggesting that they are less relevant in the context of early treatment and prevention then the metabolic changes observed only in humans.

A quantitative method for the detection and validation of catalase activity at physiological concentration in human serum, plasma and erythrocytes

A novel method has been proposed to develop a simple, rapid, sensitive and affordable chromogenic attempt for the quantification of catalase (CAT) activity in blood samples. The method is based on the oxidation of pyrocatechol (PC) to give quinone form which by oxidative coupling with aminyl radical of 4-aminoantipyrine (4-AAP) resulting from H₂O₂/CAT to produce a pink colored quinone-imine product with λ_max = 530 nm in a 100 mmol/L of tris buffer of pH 9.8 at room temperature (30 °C). The linearity of CAT assay was between 0.316 and 10 U/mL. The accuracy ranges for CAT having concentrations of 1.25, 5 and 7.5 μmol/L were 89-105.52, 90-107%, and 91-104.58% respectively. Within-run and between-run precision studies showed CV's of 1.98-3.02% (n = 7) and 2.97-4.40% (n = 7), respectively. The detection and quantification limits of CAT were 0.12 and 0.225 μmol/L, respectively. The Michaelis-Menten constant and maximum velocity of the reaction was K_m = 1.052 mM and V_max = 0.168 μmol/min, respectively. The present method provides a convenient means for investigating the usefulness of CAT measurements in biological sample assessing the potential for free radical-induced pathology.

Global biochemical analysis of plasma, serum and whole blood collected using various anticoagulant additives

Introduction

Analysis of blood for the evaluation of clinically relevant biomarkers requires precise collection and sample handling by phlebotomists and laboratory staff. An important consideration for the clinical application of metabolomics are the different anticoagulants utilized for sample collection. Most studies that have characterized differences in metabolite levels in various blood collection tubes have focused on single analytes. We define analyte levels on a global metabolomics platform following blood sampling using five different, but commonly used, clinical laboratory blood collection tubes (i.e., plasma anticoagulated with either EDTA, lithium heparin or sodium citrate, along with no additive (serum), and EDTA anticoagulated whole blood).

Methods

Using an untargeted metabolomics platform we analyzed five sample types after all had been collected and stored at -80°C. The biochemical composition was determined and differences between the samples established using matched-pair t-tests.

Results

We identified 1,117 biochemicals across all samples and detected a mean of 1,036 in the sample groups. Compared to the levels of metabolites in EDTA plasma, the number of biochemicals present at statistically significant different levels (p<0.05) ranged from 452 (serum) to 917 (whole blood). Several metabolites linked to screening assays for rare diseases including acylcarnitines, bilirubin and heme metabolites, nucleosides, and redox balance metabolites varied significantly across the sample collection types.

Conclusions

Our study highlights the widespread effects and importance of using consistent additives for assessing small molecule levels in clinical metabolomics. The biochemistry that occurs during the blood collection process creates a reproducible signal that can identify specimens collected with different anticoagulants in metabolomic studies.

Impact statement

In this manuscript, normal/healthy donors had peripheral blood collected using multiple anticoagulants as well as serum during a fasted blood draw. Global metabolomics is a new technology being utilized to draw clinical conclusions and we interrogated the effects of different anticoagulants on the levels of biochemicals from each of the donors. Characterizing the effects of the anticoagulants on biochemical levels will help researchers leverage the information using global metabolomics in order to make conclusions regarding important disease biomarkers.

Molecular classification and clinical diagnosis of acute-on-chronic liver failure patients by serum metabolomics

Prevalence of acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) patients is growing worldwide, associating with multi-organ failure and high short-term mortality rates. ACLF can be of varying entity manifestation, whereas it remains poorly defined. Traditional Chinese medicine (TCM) stratifies ACLF into two types, damp hot (DH) and cold damp (CD), by seasoned TCM practitioners, for specific treatment with different TCMs. The biggest challenge for the outcome of TCM therapy is the accuracy of diagnosis. However, it is difficult to guarantee it due to lack of the molecule classification of ACLF. Herein, we recruited 58 subjects including 34 ACLF patients (18 DH and 16 CD) and 24 healthy controls, and analyzed serum metabolic profiles using untargeted ultra-performance liquid chromatography coupled with quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (UPLC-Q-TOF/MS) metabolomics approach. A total of 10 serum metabolites were found as potential biomarkers for diagnosis of ACLF. Among them, taurochenodesoxycholic acid (N3), glycyldeoxycholic acid (N5) and 12-HETE-GABA (N7), varied between two types of ACLF and can be merged as a combination marker to differentiate CD from DH patients with area under the receiver operating curve (AUC) of 0.928 (95 % CI 0.8-1). CD patients possessed comparatively higher bile acid metabolism and lower arachidonic acid metabolism compared with DH patients. The results provide not only serum molecules for early accurate diagnosis of ACLF patients, but also potential clinical biomarkers for classification of CD and DH types. The findings clarify that molecular markers will be objective criteria for diagnosis of clinical types in TCM practice.

Serum metabolomics analysis reveals that weight loss in obese dogs results in a similar metabolic profile to dogs in ideal body condition

INTRODUCTION

The study of metabolic profile can be an important tool to better understand, at a systemic level, metabolic alterations caused by different pathological conditions, such as obesity. Furthermore, it allows the discovery of metabolic biomarkers, which may help to diagnose alterations caused by obesity.

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the metabolic profile of blood serum of obese dogs, control dogs, and dogs that were subjected to a weight loss program.

METHODS

Ten obese adult spayed female dogs were included, and their body composition was determined by the deuterium isotope dilution method. The dogs were subjected to a weight loss program and formed a new experimental group after losing 20% of the initial body weight. A third experimental group was composed of ten lean adult spayed female dogs. The metabolic profile of blood serum was evaluated through nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR). Principal Component Analyses (PCA) and Orthogonal Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (OPLS-DA) models were constructed using Pareto scaling pre-processing. Pathway analysis was also performed using the MetaboAnalist online tool.

RESULTS

The PCA shows that the control and after weight loss groups presented a trend to negative PC1, indicating similarities between these two groups. In contrast, obese animals presented a tendency to appear on negative PC2 indicating a different metabolic profile. The OPLS-DA analysis of the serum indicated that healthy groups presented higher content of glucose, while animals that lost weight had higher levels of cholesterol and lactate than the control group. On the other hand, the analysis showed that lipid content, cholesterol, and branched-chain amino acids were highest in obese animals. Variable Influence on Projection (VIP) analysis demonstrated that Lactate is the most important metabolite for the OPLS-DA model and Hierarchical Cluster Analysis (HCA) corroborated the similarity between the control group and the obese after weight loss groups. Moreover, the pathway analysis indicated the most important metabolic pathways related to this dataset.

CONCLUSIONS

The metabolomic assessment based on NMR of blood serum differed between obese dogs and animals in optimal body condition. Moreover, the weight loss resulted in metabolic profiles similar to those observed in lean animals.

Serum metabolomic patterns in young patients with ischemic stroke: a case study

BACKGROUND

Ischemic stroke is one of the leading causes of death and adult disability. The incidence of ischemic stroke continues to rise in young adults. This study aimed to provide a comprehensive evaluation of metabolic changes and explore possible mechanisms in young ischemic stroke patients without common risk factors.

METHODS

This study investigated serum metabolomics in 50 young patients with newly suffered ischemic stroke and 50 age-, sex-, and body mass index-matched healthy controls. Liquid chromatography coupled with a Waters Xevo TQ-S mass spectrometer with an electrospray ionization (ESI) source was used to analyze amino acid or bile acid, and free fatty acid or lipid was analyzed by liquid chromatography coupled with a Qtrap5500 mass spectrometer with an ESI source. The metabolomic data were analyzed by performing a multivariate statistical analysis.

RESULTS

A total of 197 metabolites, including amino acids, bile acids, free fatty acids, and lipids, were identified in all participants. Multivariate models showed significant differences in serum metabolomic patterns between young patients with ischemic stroke and healthy controls. The stroke patients had increased L-methionine, homocysteine, glutamine, uric acid, GCDCA, and PE (18:0/20:4, 16:0/22:5), and decreased levels of L-citrulline, taurine, PC (16:2/22:6, 16:2/20:5, 15:0/18:2), and SM (d18:1/23:0, d20:0/19:1, d18:1/22:0, d16:0/26:1, d16:0/18:0, d16:0/22:1, d18:1/19:1, d16:0/17:1, d16:1/24:1, d18:1/19:0). Based on the identified metabolites, the metabolic pathways of arginine biosynthesis, glycerophospholipid metabolism, and taurine and hypotaurine metabolism were significantly enriched in the young patients with ischemic stroke.

CONCLUSIONS

Serum metabolomic patterns were significantly different between young patients with ischemic stroke and healthy controls. Our study is beneficial in providing a further view into the pathophysiology of young patients with ischemic stroke.

Nanoassemblies with Effective Serum Tolerance Capability Achieving Robust Gene Silencing Efficacy for Breast Cancer Gene Therapy

The transfection efficiency of siRNA mediated by cationic polymers is limited due to the instability of polymers/siRNA complexes in the presence of serum. Poly(ethylene glycol) (PEG) is usually applied to modify cationic polymers, so as to reduce protein and cell adsorption and then to improve siRNA transfection efficiency. However, the polymers' modification with PEG mostly consumes the free amino of the polymers, which can, in turn, reduce the charge density and limit their siRNA transfection efficacy. Here, a new PEG modification strategy that need not consume the surface aminos of polymers is proposed. Catechol-PEG polymers are coated on the surface of phenylboronic acid (PBA)-modified Generation 5 (G5) poly(amidoamine) dendrimers (G5PBA) via reversible boronate esters to establish PEG-modified dendrimer/siRNA nanoassemblies for efficient siRNA delivery. The PEG/G5PBA/siRNA nanoassemblies have positive charge and show excellent gene silencing efficacy in the absence of serum in vitro. More importantly, the PEG/G5PBA/siRNA nanoassemblies also exhibit excellent serum resistance and gene silencing efficacy in serum-containing medium. Furthermore, the effective antiserum and gene silencing efficacy elicited by these nanoassemblies lead to excellent antitumor effects in vivo. This proposed strategy constitutes an important approach to reach an excellent gene silencing efficacy in the presence of serum.

Autologous conditioned serum for degenerative diseases and prospects

Autologous conditioned serum (ACS) is a blood-derived product that is prepared by the incubation of whole blood with medical-grade glass beads, resulting in serum enrichment in interleukin-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra), anti-inflammatory cytokines (IL-4, IL-10, and IL-13), and high concentrations of growth factors. ACS has shown qualitatively and quantitatively better therapeutic effects than most established pharmacological treatments and surgery for joint diseases given its ability to both target the inflammatory cascade to decrease cartilage destruction as well as improve endogenous repair mechanisms. ACS application is simple and safe with limited adverse effects. This article reviews the role of ACS in degenerative joint disease, in addition to other inflammatory and autoimmune diseases, given its regenerative and immune-modulating properties.