Development and validation of a five-gene model to predict postoperative brain metastasis in operable lung adenocarcinoma

One of the most common sites of extra-thoracic distant metastasis of nonsmall-cell lung cancer is the brain. Our study was performed to discover genes associated with postoperative brain metastasis in operable lung adenocarcinoma (LUAD). RNA seq was performed in specimens of primary LUAD from seven patients with brain metastases and 45 patients without recurrence. Immunohistochemical (IHC) assays of the differentially expressed genes were conducted in 272 surgical-resected LUAD specimens. LASSO Cox regression was used to filter genes related to brain metastasis and construct brain metastasis score (BMS). GSE31210 and GSE50081 were used as validation datasets of the model. Gene Set Enrichment Analysis was performed in patients stratified by risk of brain metastasis in the TCGA database. Through the initial screening, eight genes (CDK1, KPNA2, KIF11, ASPM, CEP55, HJURP, TYMS and TTK) were selected for IHC analyses. The BMS based on protein expression levels of five genes (TYMS, CDK1, HJURP, CEP55 and KIF11) was highly predictive of brain metastasis in our cohort (12-month AUC: 0.791, 36-month AUC: 0.766, 60-month AUC: 0.812). The validation of BMS on overall survival of GSE31210 and GSE50081 also showed excellent predictive value (GSE31210, 12-month AUC: 0.682, 36-month AUC: 0.713, 60-month AUC: 0.762; GSE50081, 12-month AUC: 0.706, 36-month AUC: 0.700, 60-month AUC: 0.724). Further analyses showed high BMS was associated with pathways of cell cycle and DNA repair. A five-gene predictive model exhibits potential clinical utility for the prediction of postoperative brain metastasis and the individual management of patients with LUAD after radical resection.     

One hundred years of high-throughput Drosophila research

From the beginning, Drosophila was a high-throughput model organism. Unbiased and genome-wide efforts ranging from Morgan's search for spontaneous mutations and subsequent saturating loss-of-function and gain-of-function screens up to more recent techniques such as microarrays, proteomics and cellular assays have been and will continue to be the backbone of Drosophila research. Integrating these large datasets is one of the next challenges. However, once achieved, a plethora of information far exceeding the information content of the singular experiments will be revealed. Several high-throughput techniques and experimental strategies highlighting the unbiased and integrative nature of Drosophila research during the last century will be discussed.     

M/XDR-TB的快速分子检测和耐药特征分析

目的 使用分子线性探针杂交技术结合仪器法液体快速培养分析耐多药( multidrug resistant,MDR)及广泛耐药(extensively drug resistant,XDR)结核分枝杆菌(Mycobacterium tuberculosis,MTB)的耐药基因和表型特征.方法 运用GenoType MTBDR试剂盒检测M/XDR-TB菌株中各耐药基因的突变位点及类型,平行用BD MGIT960系统检测所选菌株对一线及二线抗结核药物的敏感性.结果 (1)94株MDR-TB经MGIT960检测,乙胺丁醇(ethambutol,EMB)、阿米卡星(amikacin,AMK)、氧氟沙星(ofloxacin,OFX)及莫西沙星(moxifloxacin,MFX)的耐药率分别为36.2%、17.0%、54.3%和55.3%.XDR-TB检出率为13.8%.(2)以MGIT960药敏结果作为参考标准,94株MDR-TB中,GenoType MTBDRplus检测MTB对异烟肼(isoniazid,INH)、利福平(rifampin,RFP)耐药的符合率分别为86.2%和95.7%;GenoType MTBDRsl检测MTB对EMB、AMK、OFX及MFX耐药的敏感性分别为47.1%、81.3%、94.1%、94.2%;特异性分别为75.0%、98.7%、90.7%、92.9%.(3)rpoB基因突变中以S531L最多;INH耐药主要由katG基因发生突变导致,以S315T1类型居多;gyrA突变位点主要集中在第94位密码子.所测菌株中有23例为复合耐药,7例为未知突变.结论 M/XDR-TB中,INH、RFP、AMK、OFX及MFX耐药株大多分别是由katG、rpoB、rrs及gyrA突变导致,乙胺丁醇与embB之间的耐药关联性相对较低.GenoType MTBDR试剂盒检测M/XDR-TB敏感性和特异性较好,可以在未获得传统细菌表型药敏结果前指导临床用药治疗.     

精子蛋白17抗体免疫磁性颗粒活性分析及细胞成像研究

目的:制备精子蛋白17(Sp17)抗体免疫磁性纳米颗粒, 以期用于卵巢癌的磁共振成像靶向诊断.方法:在偶联剂EDC/NHS作用下, 将壳聚糖修饰磁性氧化铁纳米颗粒与抗人Sp17抗体结合, 制备抗Sp17抗体免疫磁性纳米颗粒(IMNPs).透射电镜观察颗粒的形貌特征, 非变性聚丙烯酰胺凝胶电泳评价抗体与磁性颗粒的结合效果, ELISA检测免疫磁性颗粒的免疫活性.将IMNPs与转染人Sp17的卵巢癌HO-8910细胞共孵育, 进行体外磁共振成像检测.结果:成功实现了抗体与磁性纳米颗粒的偶联, 并且IMNPs保持良好的抗体活性.磁共振显示该颗粒成功靶向Sp17阳性的细胞, 没有发生明显的非特异吸附.结论:该免疫磁性纳米颗粒特异性良好, 可进一步用作卵巢癌的靶向治疗研究.     

血栓弹力图在急性一氧化碳中毒患者中的应用

目的探讨血栓弹力图(TEG)在急性一氧化碳中毒(ACOP)患者抗凝治疗中的应用价值。方法选取44例确诊为ACOP的患者作为ACOP组,以及45例健康体检者作为对照组,于治疗前后抽取静脉血,做TEG检测及常规凝血试验,并对检测结果进行统计学分析。结果 ACOP患者的TEG主要检测参数,包括反应时间(R)、血栓形成的速度(由α角度反映)、血栓最大幅度(MA),均高于对照组,差异有统计学意义(P0.01);常规凝血检测的指标,包括凝血酶原时间、活化部分凝血酶原时间、凝血酶时间、纤维蛋白原,两组差异无统计学意义(P0.01)。结论 TEG指标能更敏感地反映ACOP患者的血小板功能活性,为临床治疗提供一定的参考。     

γ-干扰素体外释放试验在结核病诊断中的价值

目的探讨γ-干扰素(γ-IFN)体外释放试验(IGRA)对诊断结核病的临床价值。方法 479例结核病患者纳入结核病组,42例体检健康者纳入对照组。两组被试均行IGRA、蛋白芯片法检测,采用抗酸染色(AFB)检测结核病患者痰液中的抗酸杆菌。比较IGRA与蛋白芯片法对结核病的诊断效能及在肺结核与肺外结核中的检测效果,并比较IGRA对AFB阳性和阴性的肺结核和肺外结核患者的检测效果。结果IGRA和结核分枝杆菌蛋白芯片法敏感度分别为89.56%(429/479)和76.20%(365/479),特异度分别为100.00%(42/42)和88.10(37/42),准确率分别为90.40%(471/521)和77.16%(402/521)。418例肺结核患者中AFB阳性127例,AFB阴性者291例,其中AFB阳性肺结核患者中IGRA阳性率为93.70%(119/127),AFB阴性肺结核患者阳性率为88.66%(258/291);肺外结核61例患者AFB均阴性,IGRA和结核分枝杆菌蛋白芯片阳性率分别为85.25%(52/61)和68.85%(42/61)。结论 IGRA与结核分枝杆菌蛋白芯片法相比,对结核病诊断有较高的敏感度与特异度,尤其是对AFB阴性的结核病有较高的检出率,值得临床推广应用。     

Noninvasive visualization of tumor growth in a human colorectal liver metastases xenograft model using bioluminescence in vivo imaging

Background

Bioluminescence imaging (BLI) is an ideal tool for noninvasive, quantitative monitoring of tumor progression/regression in animal models. The effectiveness of different treatment strategies is displayed by an altered intensity of bioluminescence, demonstrating a change of the tumor burden. The aim of this study was to establish a reliable, reproducible colorectal hepatic metastases cancer animal model.

Methods

Cells of the human colon carcinoma cell line HCT-116 Luc^pos expressing the firefly luciferase enzyme gene were used. HCT-116 Luc^pos cells (2.5 × 10⁶) were injected through the portal vein into the liver of immunoincompetent nude mice. BLI was used to analyze intrahepatic tumor burden and growth kinetic.

Results

HCT-116 Luc^pos cells demonstrated a progressive and reproducible growth in the liver after intraportal injection. Four days after injection, the animals were analyzed for tumor growth by BLI, and mice without or too low bioluminescence signals were excluded (between 10% and 20% animals). HCT-116 Luc^pos intrahepatic tumors responded successfully to different dosages (5 and 10 mg/kg) of 5-fluorouracil.

Conclusions

BLI is an important tool with many potential advantages for investigators. The measurement of intrahepatic tumor growth by imaging luciferase activity noninvasively provides valuable information on tumor burden and effectiveness of therapy. Thus, the presented intrahepatic metastases model based on the growth of HCT-116 Luc^pos cells is suitable for in vivo testing of different cancer therapy strategies.     

Epithelial Progenitors in the Normal Human Mammary Gland

The human mammary gland is organized developmentally as a hierarchy of progenitor cells that become progressively restricted in their proliferative abilities and lineage options. Three types of human mammary epithelial cell progenitors are now identified. The first is thought to be a luminal-restricted progenitor; in vitro under conditions that support both luminal and myoepithelial cell differentiation, this cell produces clones of differentiating daughter cells that are exclusively positive for markers characteristic of luminal cells produced in vivo (i.e., keratins 8/18 and 19, epithelial cell adhesion molecule [EpCAM] and MUC1). The second type is a bipotent progenitor. It is identified by its ability to produce mixed colonies in single cell assays. These colonies contain a central core of cells expressing luminal markers surrounded by cells with a morphology and markers (e.g., keratin 14⁺) characteristic of myoepithelial cells. Serial passage in vitro of an enriched population of bipotent progenitors promotes the expansion of a third type of progenitor that is thought to be myoepithelial-restricted because it only produces cells with myoepithelial features. Luminal-restricted and bipotent progenitors can prospectively be isolated as distinct subpopulations from freshly dissociated suspensions of normal human mammary cells. Both are distinguished from many other cell types in mammary tissue by their expression of EpCAM and CD49f (6 integrin). They are distinguished from each other by their differential expression of MUC1, which is expressed at much higher levels on the luminal progenitors. To relate the role of these progenitors to the generation of the three-dimensional tubuloalveolar structure of the mammary tree produced in vivo, we propose a model in which the commitment to the luminal versus the myoepithelial lineage may play a determining role in the generation of alveoli and ducts.     

小鼠高迁移率族蛋白B1启动子的构建与转录活性检测

【目的】构建小鼠高迁移率族蛋白B1(high-mobility group box 1 protein,HMGB1)启动子全长序列的荧光素酶报告基因用于药物筛选。【方法】采用PCR技术扩增小鼠HMGB1基因启动子全长序列,用GV238载体构建报告质粒GV238-HMGB1-P-Luc,以pGL3-basic作为阴性对照质粒,与内参质粒pRL共转染Hela细胞,以内毒素(LPS,0.2μg/mL)作为激活剂,以正丁酸钠(SB,10 mmol/L)作为抑制剂,分组处理24 h后检测荧光素酶活性。【结果】经酶切、PCR及测序鉴定证实克隆的HMGB1基因启动子全长2 140 bp,DNA序列正确无突变。与pGL3-basic组比较,GV238-HMGB1-P-Luc组荧光素酶活性显著增强(P0.05);与GV238-HMGB1-P-Luc组比较,LPS组荧光素酶活性显著增强(P0.01);与LPS组比较,SB组荧光素酶活性显著降低(P0.01)。【结论】HMGB1基因启动子报告基因构建成功,LPS可以增强其表达,SB则可以抑制LPS刺激下的HMGB1启动子表达增强,可为下一步筛选具有调控HMGB1启动子活性的药物奠定基础。     

经前平颗粒对经前期综合征肝气逆证模型大鼠不同脑区γ-氨基丁酸A受体结合活性的影响

目的 通过检测经前期综合征（premenstrual syndrome,PMS）肝气逆证模型大鼠大脑皮质和海马γ-氨基丁酸A受体（GABA_AR）结合活性变化,探讨中药经前平颗粒对PMS肝气逆证的干预作用。方法 多因素综合刺激法复制PMS肝气逆证大鼠模型。放射性配体受体结合技术测定大鼠皮质和海马GABA_AR的结合活性变化。结果 与正常组相比,肝气逆证造模组大鼠大脑皮质和海马GABA_AR结合活性均明显增加。与模型组相比,经前平颗粒组大鼠皮质和海马GABA_AR活性均明显下降。结论 大鼠皮质和海马GABA_AR结合活性增加可能是PMS肝气逆证的重要机制之一。中药经前平颗粒可对GABA_AR 结合活性含量异常变化起到调节作用。