NUDT15 is a key genetic factor for prediction of hematotoxicity in pediatric patients who received a standard low dosage regimen of 6-mercaptopurine

6-Mercaptopurine (6-MP) is commonly used for treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). The incidence of hematotoxicity caused by this drug is quite high in Asians even using a standard low dosage regimen. The present study was aimed to elucidate the impact of thiopurine S-methyltransferase (TPMT), a nucleoside diphosphate-linked moiety X-type motif 15 (NUDT15), inosine triphosphatase (ITPA) and ATP Binding Cassette Subfamily C Member 4 (ABCC4) polymorphisms on hematotoxicity in pediatric patients who received a standard low starting dose of 6-MP. One hundred and sixty-nine pediatric patients were enrolled and their genotypes were determined. Patients who carried NUDT15¹3 and NUDT15¹2 genotypes were at a 10–15 fold higher risk of severe neutropenia than those of the wild-type during the early months of the maintenance phase. Risk of neutropenia was not significantly increased in patients with other NUDT15 variants as well as in patients with TPMT, ITPA or ABCC4 variants. These results suggest that NUDT15 polymorphisms particularly, NUDT15¹3 and NUDT15¹2, play major roles in 6-MP-induced severe hematotoxicity even when using a standard low dosage of 6-MP and genotyping of these variants is necessary in order to obtain precise tolerance doses and avoid severe hematotoxicity in pediatric patients.     

Does Outcome/Survival of Patients With Myelodysplastic Syndromes Should Be Predicted by Reduced Levels of ADAMTS-13? Results From a Pilot Study

IntroductionVon Willebrand factor (vWF) cleaving protease ADAMTS-13 has a key role for maintaining normal size of vWF. A deficiency or dysfunction of vWF cleaving protease is associated with ultra large vWF multimers and thrombotic microangiopathy. Patients with cancers have reduced levels of vWF cleaving protease. In this pilot study, we have evaluated whether or not deficiencies of ADAMTS-13 were present in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). Moreover, we assessed if a reduction in basal levels of ADAMTS-13 may play a role in the prognosis of MDS.Patients and MethodsWe measured and compared the levels of vWF cleaving protease ADAMTS-13 in 100 patients with MDS and 35 healthy controls. Patients were divided into 2 groups according to the International Prognostic Scoring System: group I consisting of 44 patients with low-risk MDS and group II of 56 patients with high-risk MDS. Patients with high-risk and low-risk MDS presented significantly lower levels of ADAMTS-13 than controls (P < .001 and P = .0177, respectively). High-risk patients had significantly lower levels of ADAMTS-13 when compared with the low-risk group (P < .001).ResultsWe found that reduced levels of ADAMTS-13 have a relationship with overall survival (P < .001). Statistical analysis showed that ADAMTS-13 correlates with cytogenetics (P < .001) and a tendency of slight correlation with platelet count and basal levels of ADAMTS-13 (R, 0.35; P value, 0.001). Moreover, we found that levels of ADAMTS-13 have correlation with response to treatment (P < .001).ConclusionsADAMTS-13 in MDS might represent a surrogate marker of prognosis, response to therapy, or disease progression. Further studies are needed.     

The relationships among monocyte subsets,miRNAs and inflammatory cytokines in patients with acute myocardial infarction

Background

Acute myocardial infarction (AMI) causes irreversible myocardial damage and release of inflammatory mediators, including cytokines, chemokines and miRNAs. We aimed to investigate changes in the levels of cytokines (IL-6, TNF-α and IL-10), miRNAs profiles (miR-146 and miR-155) and distribution of different monocyte subsets (CD14++CD16-, CD14++CD16+, CD14+CD16++) in the acute and post-healing phases of AMI.

The human major histocompatibility complex class Ib molecule HLA-E binds signal sequence-derived peptides with primary anchor residues at positions 2 and 9

Human histocompatibility leukocyte antigen E (HLA-E) and mouse major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class Ib antigen, Qa-1, share the same substitutions at two normally conserved positions 143 and 147, which are likely to affect binding of the C terminus of peptides. Qa-1 is able to bind a peptide derived from the leader sequence of H-2 D and H-2 L molecules. We developed a peptide binding assay in vitro to compare the binding specificity of HLA-E with the mouse MHC class Ib molecule Qa-1. We demonstrate that HLA-E binds, although poorly, the peptide which binds to Qa-1 and that it also binds nonamer signal sequence-derived peptides from human MHC class I molecules. Using alanine and glycine substitutions, we could define primary anchor residues at positions 2 and 9 and secondary anchor residues at position 7 and possibly 3.     

男性不育症患者中YRRM2基因缺陷的研究

YRRM基因是控制精子生成与成熟的一个重要因素，一旦该基因缺陷，将会造成无精或少精。本研究对340例无精与少精患者的外周血标本进行了PCR基因扩增筛查，结果发现7例为该基因缺陷，占2％。证明YRRM2的缺陷也是造成中国人群男性不育的一个原因，从而可作为指导医生采用适当治疗方法的一个可靠指标。在实验过程中，采用直接加热白细胞提取基因组DNA，并以此作为模板对YRRM2基因进行扩增，既节省时间和经费，又保持良好的扩增效果，使之可用于临床医院作为常规检查。     

The universal algorithm of maturation for secretory and excretory protein precursors.

During maturation, most proteins undergo different posttranslational modifications. In most simple cases, signal peptidases remove the signal or leader peptide from the precursors of the secretory proteins during their translocation across the ER membrane. For biologically active proteins, such as enzymes, regulatory and defense proteins, toxins, etc., additional maturation-regulating mechanisms were shown to proceed with limited proteolysis of inactive precursors by specific enzymes. A number of specific enzymes from different cell types selectively cleave proproteins at specific processing sites. In this work, we analyzed the sequences of protein precursors synthesized in the excretory glands of different animals and identified new, non-traditional processing sites. They differ from the motifs previously identified in secreted proteins' precursors and enabled us to reconstruct the sequence of events leading to the conversion of protein precursors into the final products (mature proteins). We also found that in animals, the maturation mechanism of secretory and excretory proteins and the set of enzymes involved are species specific. The processing sites identified in protein precursors in this study are useful for a more detailed genome analysis and more accurate mature protein sequence prediction.     

依达拉奉联合瑞舒伐他汀治疗心源性脑梗死的疗效及对血清CXCL12、UCH-L1、HC-gp39水平的影响

目的 探究依达拉奉联合瑞舒伐他汀治疗心源性脑梗死的疗效及对血清趋化因子12（CXCL12）、泛素C末端水解酶L1（UCH-L1）、人类软骨糖蛋白-39（HC-gp39）水平的影响。方法 选取2020年3月—2022年4月达州市中心医院收治的90例心源性脑梗死患者作为研究对象,随机分为对照组和观察组,各45例。对照组给予瑞舒伐他汀治疗,观察组给予依达拉奉联合瑞舒伐他汀治疗。比较两组疗效、CXCL12、UCH-L1、HC-gp39、血液流变学指标、血脂水平及美国国立卫生研究院脑卒中量表（NIHSS）评分。结果 观察组总有效率高于对照组（P <0.05）。观察组治疗前后血清CXCL12、UCH-L1、HC-gp39水平的差值高于对照组（P <0.05）。观察组治疗前后全血低切黏度、全血高切黏度及纤维蛋白原水平的差值高于对照组（P <0.05）。观察组治疗前后TC、TG、LDL-C水平的差值高于对照组（P <0.05）。观察组治疗前后NIHSS评分的差值高于对照组（P <0.05）。结论 依达拉奉联合瑞舒伐他汀治疗心源性心肌梗死可有效提高患者临床疗效,改善血液流变学指标、血脂、神经功能及炎症反应。     

Elongated peptides,not the predicted nonapeptide stimulate a major histocompatibility complex class I-restricted cytotoxic T lymphocyte clone with specificity for a bacterial heat shock protein

The peptides recognized by an H-2D^b-restricted CD8 cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) clone which is specific for the 60-kDa mycobacterial heat shock protein (hsp) and cross-reacts with stressed host cells were characterized. None of the nonapeptides from hsp60 conforming to the H-2D^b binding motif were able to sensitize target cells for lysis by this CTL clone. Sequence analysis of the stimulatory fraction from a trypsin digest of hsp60, together with synthetic peptide studies, defined a cluster of overlapping epitopes. Carboxy-terminal extension by at least one amino acid of the nonamer predicted to bind best to H-2D^b was essential for CTL recognition. Two such elongated peptides, a 10-mer and a 12-mer stimulated the clone at similarly low concentrations in the 100 pM range. We assume that these two peptides comply best with the natural epitope. In contrast, the 11-mer was inactive. The stimulatory 10-mer bound to H-2D^b with an efficacy similar to that of the nonapeptide corresponding to the H-2D^b motif, as revealed by peptide induced major histocompatibility complex (MHC) surface expression on RMA-S cells and competitive blocking of epitope recognition by the nonamer. Binding of these carboxy-terminally extended peptides to the MHC groove can be explained by anchoring through the amino acid residue Asn in position 5 of the peptide and by intrusion of the hydrophobic carboxy-terminal Ala (10-mer) or Leu (12-mer), but not Gly (11-mer), into the hydrophobic pocket of the H-2D^b cleft. Because the carboxy-terminal part is thus larger than predicted this region of the peptide may arch up from the binding groove. We assume that recognition of steric components of the MHC/peptide complex broaden the range of epitope specificity for a single T cell receptor. This flexibility not only promotes recognition of several overlapping peptides from a single antigen, but may also increase the chance of cross-reaction with similar peptides from unrelated proteins, including autoantigens. Consistent with this latter assumption, the T cell clone cross-recognizes mycobacterial hsp60 and stressed host cells.     

汉滩病毒G1蛋白胞质区ITAM样基序与Syk细胞内相互作用

目的：研究汉滩病毒（HTNV）G1蛋白胞质区ITAM样基序与Syk的细胞内相互作用。方法：构建用于研究Syk和G1ITAM样基序之间相互作用的哺乳动物细胞双杂交系统，验证G1ITAM样基序与Syk之间是否存在细胞内相互作用。结果：哺乳动物细胞双杂交分析证实G1ITAM样基序在哺乳动物细胞内可以与Syk相互作用；而突变体分析表明，这种相互作用依赖于该基序中两个高度保守的酪氨酸残基的存在。结论：HTNVG1蛋白胞质区高度保守ITAM样基序在体外和哺乳动物细胞内可以与Syk相互作用，为进一步探讨G1蛋白ITAM样基序在HFRS免疫信号传递中的作用及其与血管内皮损伤的关系奠定了基础。     

gp49B1 suppresses stem cell factor-induced mast cell activation-secretion and attendant inflammation in vivo

We report that gp49B1, a mast cell membrane receptor with two immunoreceptor tyrosine-based inhibitory motifs (ITIM), constitutively inhibits mast cell activation-secretion induced by stem cell factor (SCF), a tissue-derived cytokine that also regulates mast cell development. The intradermal injection of SCF into the ears of gp49B1 null (gp49B(-/-)) mice elicited approximately 4- and 2.5-fold more degranulating mast cells and tissue swelling caused by edema, respectively, than in gp49B(+/+) mice. SCF did not induce tissue swelling in mast cell-deficient mice, and the responsiveness of gp49B(-/-) mice to mast cell-associated amine and lipid mediators was unaltered. When gp49B(+/+) and gp49B(-/-) mice were pretreated with antagonists of the amines, SCF-induced tissue swelling was reduced by >90% and 60%, respectively, and it was reduced by >90% in both genotypes when a cysteinyl leukotriene receptor antagonist was also provided. Hence, the dominant contribution of secretory granule amines to SCF-induced tissue swelling is the result of gp49B1-mediated inhibition of the production of cysteinyl leukotrienes by mast cells. Our findings also provide the first example of an ITIM-bearing receptor that constitutively suppresses inflammation generated in vivo independently of the adaptive immune response by a receptor that signals through intrinsic tyrosine kinase activity rather than immunoreceptor tyrosine-based activation motifs.