High frequency and allele‐specific differences of BRCA1 founder mutations in breast cancer and ovarian cancer patients from Belarus

Bogdanova NV, Antonenkova NN, Rogov YI, Karstens JH, Hillemanns P, Dörk T. High frequency and allele‐specific differences of BRCA1 founder mutations in breast cancer and ovarian cancer patients from Belarus. Breast cancer and ovarian cancer are common malignancies in Belarus accounting for about 3500 and 800 new cases per year, respectively. For breast cancer, the rates and age of onset appear to vary significantly in regions differentially affected by the Chernobyl accident. We assessed the frequency and distribution of three BRCA1 founder mutations 5382insC, 4153delA and Cys61Gly in two hospital‐based series of 1945 unselected breast cancer patients and of 201 unselected ovarian cancer patients from Belarus as well as in 1019 healthy control females from the same population. Any of these mutations were identified in 4.4% of the breast cancer patients, 26.4% of the ovarian cancer patients and 0.5% of the controls. In the breast cancer patients, BRCA1 mutations were strongly associated with earlier age at diagnosis, with oestrogen receptor (ER) negative tumours and with a first‐degree family history of breast cancer, although only 35% of the identified BRCA1 mutation carriers had such a family history. There were no marked differences in the regional distribution of BRCA1 mutations, so that the significant differences in age at diagnosis and family history of breast cancer patients from areas afflicted by the Chernobyl accident could not be explained by BRCA1. We next observed a higher impact and a shifted mutational spectrum of BRCA1 in the series of Byelorussian ovarian cancer patients where the three founder mutations accounted for 26.4% (53/201). While the Cys61Gly mutation appeared underrepresented in ovarian cancer as compared with breast cancer cases from the same population (p = 0.01), the 4153delA mutation made a higher contribution to ovarian cancer than to breast cancer (p < 0.01). BRCA1 mutations were significantly enriched among ovarian cancer cases with a first‐degree family history of breast or ovarian cancer, whereas the median age at ovarian cancer diagnosis was not different between mutation carriers and non‐carriers. Taken together, these results identify three BRCA1 founder mutations as key components of inherited breast and ovarian cancer susceptibility in Belarus and might have implications for cancer prevention, treatment and genetic counselling in this population.     

The state of the immune system in thyroidectomized rats

Disorders in the immune system manifesting in decreased weight and cellularity of lymphoid organs, decreased count of large granular lymphocytes, suppression of the immune response and metabolic activity of macrophages were observed in experimental animals 1-6 months after thyroidectomy. The intensity of these disorders depends on the period elapsed after the surgery. These disorders can result from not only changes in the levels of the pituitary-thyroid hormones, but also disturbances in the endocrine function of the thymus in thyroidectomized animals.     

Vitamin A intake and xerophthalmia among Indian children

OBJECTIVE: To estimate prevalence of xerophthalmia and to assess dietary intake of vitamin A in Indian children aged under 6 y. DESIGN: Cross sectional study. STUDY SETTING: Urban slums under Urban Health Centre affiliated to Department of Preventive and Social Medicine, Government Medical College, Nagpur, India. PARTICIPANTS: The study included 1094 all children under 6 y of age, from two randomly selected urban slums. METHODS: Xerophthalmia was diagnosed on the basis of ocular signs and symptoms (WHO recommendations). Dietary intake of vitamin A was assessed by using one year recall method recommended by International Vitamin A Consultative Group. RESULTS: Prevalence of xerophthalmia was estimated to be 8.7%. Nine hundred and ninety-five (90.9%) study subjects were identified as inhabitants consuming dietary vitamin A at below recommended levels. (UPF score < 210). Five hundred and ninety-three (54.2%) study subjects were consuming dietary vitamin A at approximately less than 200 RE/d (UPF score < 120) while 402 (36.2%) were consuming approximately 200-300 RE/d (UPF score 120-210). The prevalence of xerophthalmia was found to be decreasing as the score of usual pattern of food consumption (UPF) increased. CONCLUSIONS: Children with a dietary intake represented by a UPF score of less than 120 were at high risk of developing xerophthalmia, whereas, those consuming vitamin A equal to a UPF score greater than 120 were at comparatively less risk despite being below the recommended levels.     

Primary spinal extradural hydatid cyst causing spinal cord compression

Primary spinal hydatid disease is rare and represents an uncommon but significant manifestation of hydatid disease. We report a case of primary intraspinal extradural hydatid cyst of the thoracic region causing spinal cord compression. The presenting symptoms were mostly atypical and the diagnosis was established preoperatively on the basis of magnetic resonance imaging. The patient underwent surgery resulting in complete recovery and is recurrence-free after 24 months follow-up.     

FoxD3在胚胎发育和维持胚胎干细胞多能性的作用

学术背景：胚胎干细胞无论对转基因动物的制备还是对疾病的治疗都具有巨大的潜能，但前提是用于治疗的胚胎干细胞具有其特有的多能性和全能性，而FoxD3在胚胎发育和维持胚胎干细胞多能性都具有重要作用。目的：了解FoxD3在胚胎发育和维持胚胎干细胞多能性的作用。检索策略：应用计算机检索Pubmed1996—09／2007—05期间的相关文章，检索词为“FoxD3”，限定语言种类为英文。检索到67篇文章，排除重复的和与胚胎发育和胚胎干细胞相关性不大的文章，共纳入32篇文献。文献评价：32篇文献中分别涉及胚胎干细胞转录调节、FoxD3在胚胎发育和维持胚胎干细胞多能性的作用及其Foxd3在其他细胞中（骨髓细胞、神经嵴细胞、色素细胞）的功能等方面的内容,资料综合：胚胎干细胞具有其他细胞不可比拟的特性使胚胎干细胞应用广泛，要合理控制胚胎干细胞在体内和体外的分化，关键要了解那些控制胚胎干细胞命运的基因。FoxD3是叉头框（Forkheadbox，Fox）家族中的一个转录调控因子，它对胚胎上胚层及其衍生物的形成和建立多潜能胚胎干细胞系具有重要作用，并与控制胚胎发育和胚胎干细胞多能性的其他转录调控因子有一定的联系。结论：FoxD3是维持胚胎上胚层细胞多潜能性和在体外建立胚胎干细胞系所必需的。     

A possible autocrine role for interleukin-6 in two lymphoma cell lines

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) is a growth factor with diverse biologic activity. Originally described as a T-cell product that enhances immunoglobulin (Ig) secretion in antigen-stimulated B cells, it also affects the growth of T cells, plasmacytomas, hybridomas, and hematopoietic stem cells. We report the expression and secretion of IL-6 by two lymphoma cell lines, OCI-LY3 and OCI-LY12. Addition of recombinant IL-6 stimulated their growth, whereas addition of polyclonal anti- recombinant IL-6 (anti-rIL-6) had a marked inhibitory effect on proliferation. These results suggest an autocrine role for IL-6 in the growth of these lymphoma cells in culture.     

Use of 5-fluorouracil to analyze the effect of macrophage inflammatory protein-1 alpha on long-term reconstituting stem cells in vivo

A macrophage-derived inhibitor of early hematopoietic progenitors (colony-forming unit-spleen, CFU-A) called stem cell inhibitor was found to be identical to macrophage inflammatory protein-1 alpha (MIP-1 alpha). We investigated the effect of MIP-1 alpha on the earliest stem cells that sustain long-term hematopoiesis in vivo in a competitive bone marrow repopulation assay. Because long-term reconstituting (LTR) stem cells are normally quiescent, an in vivo model was first developed in which they are triggered to cycle. A first 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) injection was used to eliminate later progenitors, causing the LTR stem cells, which are normally resistant to 5-FU, to enter the cell cycle and become sensitive to a second 5-FU injection administered 5 days later. Human MIP-1 alpha administered from day 0 to 7 was unable to prevent the depletion of the LTR stem cells by the second 5-FU treatment, as observed on day 7 in this model, suggesting that the LTR stem cells were not prevented from being triggered into cycle despite the MIP-1 alpha treatment. However, the MIP-1 alpha protocol used here did substantially decrease the number of more mature hematopoietic progenitors (granulocyte-macrophage colony-forming cells [CFC], burst- forming unit-erythroid, CFCmulti, and preCFCmulti) recovered in the bone marrow shortly after a single 5-FU injection. In vitro, MIP-1 alpha had no inhibitory effect on the ability of these progenitors to form colonies. This study confirms the in vivo inhibitory effect of MIP- 1 alpha on subpopulations of hematopoietic progenitors that are activated in myelodepressed animals. However, MIP-1 alpha had no effect on the long-term reconstituting stem cells in vivo under conditions in which it effectively reduced all later progenitors.     

Cycle initiation and colony formation in culture by murine marrow cells with long-term reconstituting potential in vivo

This investigation was directed at separating long-term reconstituting (LTR) stem cells in normal murine marrow from hematopoietic precursors detectable in short-term assays in vitro and in vivo, and then at determining whether purified LTR cells could themselves form colonies in culture. To do so, it was first necessary to identify culture conditions that would induce their growth while preserving their long- term reconstituting capacity. Marrow was cultured with various cytokines in liquid suspension for 4 days, after which the surviving LTR activity was quantitated in a competitive in vivo assay. Activity was preserved near input levels with combined murine c-kit ligand (KL), interleukin-1 (IL-1), IL-6, and IL-11. When the cultures also included tritiated or unlabeled thymidine, LTR potential was eliminated, indicating that essentially all LTR cells were induced into cell cycle with these cytokines. To purify them, marrow was sorted on the basis of Ly6A expression and Rhodamine 123 retention. The Ly6AhiRh123ls fraction contained 85% of total recovered LTR activity but only 1% of the recovered cells measured by multilineage colony formation in spleens or in vitro. This fraction was cultured in methyl cellulose with KL, IL-1, IL-6, and IL-11 for 4 to 6 days, after which colonies were isolated and injected into mice. High levels of permanent reconstitution were achievable in sublethally irradiated W41/W41 mice after the injection of a single reconstituting unit, and limiting dilution analysis estimated the frequency of multilineage LTR at 1 in 11,200 unpurified adult marrow cells. In either lethally irradiated normal or sublethally irradiated W41/W41 mice, 1-year lymphomyeloid reconstitutions were obtained from 1 in 65 to 84 colonies of 2 to 16 dispersed cells, but not from larger colonies or those with clumped cells. The results establish that resting marrow LTR cells can be separated from almost all of the more advanced clonogenic cells that are still pluripotential, can be induced to cycle in culture by defined cytokines with preservation of their reconstituting potential, and can be manipulated and assayed efficiently at single-cell and colony levels.