Anodontites trapesialis: A biological monitor of organochlorine pesticides

The mussel Anodontites trapesialis (Lam, 1819) was used as an indicator of organochlorine pollutants in the Pardo River, located in the municipality of Ribeirão Preto (21° 07S and 47° 45W), State of São Paulo, Brazil.Biological monitoring was performed for one year at the site of a sugar cane grove on the left bank of the river. Forty-three animals were placed in two aluminum enclosures on the river bottom at this site and 4 animals of each enclosure were sacrificed for pesticide analysis at 3-month intervals, each collection corresponding to one season of the year.The animals were found to have been exposed to DDT, lindane, heptachlor, aldrin and dieldrin. Endrin was not detected in any of the analyses.Research supported by Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico (CNPq) and by Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (FAPESP).     

Medical treatment reverses cytokine pattern in allergic and nonallergic chronic rhinosinusitis in asthmatic children

A Th2 cytokine pattern has recently been reported both in allergic and nonallergic chronic rhinosinusitis in asthmatic children. The aim of the study was to evaluate the cytokine pattern in chronic rhinosinusitis in allergic and nonallergic asthmatic children before and after medical treatment. Thirty asthmatic children were evaluated, 18 males and 12 females (mean age 9.1 years). Sixteen were allergic and 14 were nonallergic. All children were asthmatic and suffered from chronic rhinosinusitis, whose diagnosis was confirmed by endoscopy. All of them were treated with amoxicilline-clavulanate (20 mg/kg b.i.d.) and fluticasone propionate aqueous nasal spray (100 µg daily) for 14 days; a short course of oral corticosteroid was also prescribed (deflazacort 1 mg/kg daily for 2 days, 0.5 mg/kg daily for 4 days and 0.25 mg/kg daily for 4 days). Rhinosinusal lavage and nasal cytology were performed in all subjects before and after medical treatment. IL4 and IFNγ were measured by immunoassay and inflammatory cells were counted by conventional staining. Thirteen allergic children and 12 nonallergic children showed a negative endoscopy after the treatment. Allergic subjects showed a significant decrease of IL4 (p = 0.0002) and a significant increase of IFNγ (p = 0.03) after the treatment. Nonallergic children showed a significant decrease of IL4 (p = 0.0007) and a nonsignificant increase of IFNγ. A significant reduction of the inflammatory infiltrate was detected in all asthmatic children (p < 0.05). This study confirms a Th2 polarization in chronic rhinosinusitis both in allergic and nonallergic asthmatic children. Moreover, the medical treatment of chronic rhinosinusitis reversed the cytokine pattern from a Th2 towards a Th1 profile both in allergic and nonallergic children.     

Classification of clear-cell sarcoma as a subtype of melanoma by genomic profiling.

PURPOSE: To develop a genome-based classification scheme for clear-cell sarcoma (CCS), also known as melanoma of soft parts (MSP), which would have implications for diagnosis and treatment. This tumor displays characteristic features of soft tissue sarcoma (STS), including deep soft tissue primary location and a characteristic translocation, t(12;22)(q13;q12), involving EWS and ATF1 genes. CCS/MSP also has typical melanoma features, including immunoreactivity for S100 and HMB45, pigmentation, MITF-M expression, and a propensity for regional lymph node metastases. MATERIALS AND METHODS: RNA samples from 21 cell lines and 60 pathologically confirmed cases of STS, melanoma, and CCS/MSP were examined using the U95A GeneChip (Affymetrix, Santa Clara, CA). Hierarchical cluster analysis, principal component analysis, and support vector machine (SVM) analysis exploited genomic correlations within the data to classify CCS/MSP. RESULTS: Unsupervised analyses demonstrated a clear distinction between STS and melanoma and, furthermore, showed that CCS/MSP cluster with the melanomas as a distinct group. A supervised SVM learning approach further validated this finding and provided a user-independent approach to diagnosis. Genes of interest that discriminate CCS/MSP included those encoding melanocyte differentiation antigens, MITF, SOX10, ERBB3, and FGFR1. CONCLUSION: Gene expression profiles support the classification of CCS/MSP as a distinct genomic subtype of melanoma. Analysis of these gene profiles using the SVM may be an important diagnostic tool. Genomic analysis identified potential targets for the development of therapeutic strategies in the treatment of this disease.     

Vascular endothelial growth factor and p53 expressions in liver and abdominal metastases from colon cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the relationship between p53 overexpression and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) upregulation in liver and abdominal metastases from colon cancer. The analysis in the two metastatic sites was carried out to evaluate the potential role of microenvironment in the molecular regulation of VEGF. METHODS: Bioptic specimens of liver and abdominal metastases from colon carcinomas were examined by immunohistochemistry for p53 and VEGF expressions. Consecutive cases with assessable tumor tissue were selected. RESULTS: The study population consisted of 24 cases having liver metastases and 34 cases having abdominal metastases. Abdominal metastases showed a higher number of VEGF-positive cases and a higher intensity of VEGF immunoreactivity than liver metastases did (p = 0.01). The combined analysis of p53 and VEGF showed a strong association between the two markers in the 24 liver metastases; 9 cases were VEGF positive/p53 positive and 15 cases were VEGF negative/p53 negative. This relationship was not found in the 34 abdominal metastases, which showed concordance between the two markers in 9 VEGF-positive/p53-positive cases only. CONCLUSIONS: Microenvironment factors like hypoxia may have a predominant role in inducing VEGF expression and they can override the molecular control of p53 on VEGF.     

Fully synthetic carbohydrate-based vaccines in biochemically relapsed prostate cancer: clinical trial results with alpha-N-acetylgalactosamine-O-serine/threonine conjugate vaccine.

PURPOSE: We report the synthesis of a mucin-related O-linked glycopeptide, alpha-N-acetylgalactosamine-O-serine/threonine (Tn), which is highly simplistic in its structure and can induce a relevant humoral response when given in a trimer or clustered (c) formation. We tested for an antitumor effect, in the form of a change in the posttreatment versus pretreatment prostate-specific antigen (PSA) slopes, that might serve as a surrogate for effectiveness of vaccines in delaying the time to radiographic progression. METHODS: We compared the antibody response to immunization with two conjugates, Tn(c)-keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH) and Tn(c)-palmitic acid (PAM) with the saponin immunologic adjuvant QS21, in a phase I clinical trial in patients with biochemically relapsed prostate cancer. Patients received Tn(c)-KLH vaccine containing either 3, 7, or 15 microg of Tn(c) per vaccination. Ten patients received 100 microg of Tn(c)-PAM. QS21 was included in all vaccines. Five vaccinations were administered subcutaneously during 26 weeks with an additional booster vaccine at week 50. RESULTS: Tn(c), when given with the carrier molecule KLH and QS21, stimulated the production of high-titer immunoglobulin M (IgM) and IgG antibodies. Inferior antibody responses were seen with T(c)-PAM. There was no evidence of enhanced immunogenicity with increasing doses of vaccine. An antitumor effect in the form of a decline in posttreatment versus pretreatment PSA slopes was also observed. CONCLUSION: A safe synthetic conjugate vaccine in a trimer formation was developed that can break immunologic tolerance by inducing specific humoral responses. It seemed to affect the biochemical progression of the disease as determined by a change in PSA log slope.     

High Serum Levels of Soluble IL-2 Receptor, Cytokines, and C Reactive Protein Correlate with Impairment of T Cell Response in Patients with Advanced Epithelial Ovarian Cancer

The serum levels of interleukin-(IL-)1α, IL-1β, IL-2, IL-6, TNFα, and sIL-2R and the proliferative response of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) to phytohemagglutinin (PHA), anti-CD3 monoclonal antibody (mAb), recombinant IL-2 (rIL-2), and the combination of PHA or anti-CD3 mAb with rIL-2 were studied and correlated with serum levels of C-reactive protein (CRP) in women with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer. The expression of CD25 and CD122 subunities of membrane-bound IL-2R on PHA- or anti-CD3 mAb-stimulated PBMC was also studied. In comparisons with the controls, PBMC response to PHA, anti-CD3 mAb, and rIL-2 was significantly lower in the cancer patients. The addition of exogenous rIL-2 to the PBMC cultures increased response in both controls and patients but did not modify the significance of the differences. After stimulation with PHA or anti-CD3 mAb, the percentage of PBMC CD25⁺or CD122⁺was significantly lower in patients. The serum levels of IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-6, TNFα, sIL-2R, and CRP were significantly increased in patients compared to the controls. Instead, no differences were observed for serum levels of IL-2. A strong association was found between high serum levels of the above-mentioned cytokines, sIL-2R, and CRP. The results of our study on advanced stage (IIIb–IV) ovarian cancer patients are consistent with the previously reported hypothesis that high IL-6 and/or CRP serum levels may represent an important and independent prognostic factor of the likely outcome in cancer patients.     

Daptomycin: a novel cyclic lipopeptide antimicrobial.

PURPOSE: The development, activity, pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, clinical efficacy, adverse effects, and dosage and administration of daptomycin are reviewed. SUMMARY: Daptomycin, a novel cyclic lipopeptide antimicrobial, is bactericidal against a range of gram-positive bacteria, including many multiple-drug-resistant isolates. It has only minimal activity against anaerobic bacteria and no activity against gram-negative bacteria. Daptomycin exhibits linear pharmacokinetics, and the plasma concentration-versus-time relationship is best described by a two-compartment model with first-order elimination. The initial bactericidal activity is rapid, extensive, and concentration related. In clinical trials, daptomycin has shown efficacy in treating complicated skin and skin-structure infections (CSSSIs); the drug carries FDA-approved labeling for same. The adverse effects of daptomycin appear comparable to those of vancomycin and semisynthetic penicillins. The dosage for CSSSIs is 4 mg/kg by i.v. infusion every 24 hours. CONCLUSION: Daptomycin is bactericidal against gram-positive organisms and offers an option in the treatment of CSSSIs.     

Formation and antitumor activity of PNU-159682, a major metabolite of nemorubicin in human liver microsomes.

PURPOSE: Nemorubicin (3'-deamino-3'-[2'(S)-methoxy-4'-morpholinyl]doxorubicin; MMDX) is an investigational drug currently in phase II/III clinical testing in hepatocellular carcinoma. A bioactivation product of MMDX, 3'-deamino-3',4'-anhydro-[2'(S)-methoxy-3'(R)-oxy-4'-morpholinyl]doxorubicin (PNU-159682), has been recently identified in an incubate of the drug with NADPH-supplemented rat liver microsomes. The aims of this study were to obtain information about MMDX biotransformation to PNU-159682 in humans, and to explore the antitumor activity of PNU-159682. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Human liver microsomes (HLM) and microsomes from genetically engineered cell lines expressing individual human cytochrome P450s (CYP) were used to study MMDX biotransformation. We also examined the cytotoxicity and antitumor activity of PNU-159682 using a panel of in vitro-cultured human tumor cell lines and tumor-bearing mice, respectively. RESULTS: HLMs converted MMDX to a major metabolite, whose retention time in liquid chromatography and ion fragmentation in tandem mass spectrometry were identical to those of synthetic PNU-159682. In a bank of HLMs from 10 donors, rates of PNU-159682 formation correlated significantly with three distinct CYP3A-mediated activities. Troleandomycin and ketoconazole, both inhibitors of CYP3A, markedly reduced PNU-159682 formation by HLMs; the reaction was also concentration-dependently inhibited by a monoclonal antibody to CYP3A4/5. Of the 10 cDNA-expressed CYPs examined, only CYP3A4 formed PNU-159682. In addition, PNU-159682 was remarkably more cytotoxic than MMDX and doxorubicin in vitro, and was effective in the two in vivo tumor models tested, i.e., disseminated murine L1210 leukemia and MX-1 human mammary carcinoma xenografts. CONCLUSIONS: CYP3A4, the major CYP in human liver, converts MMDX to a more cytotoxic metabolite, PNU-159682, which retains antitumor activity in vivo.