Messenger RNA encoding the insulin-like growth factors and their binding proteins, in women with fibroids, pretreated with luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone agonists

The primary objective of this study was to suggest a possiblemechanism of action of luteinizing hormone-releasing hormoneagonist (LHRHa) on fibroids. This was performed by investigatinginsulin-like growth factor (IGF)-I, IGF-II and IGF binding protein(IGFBP)-1, -2 and -3 mRNA expression in uterine fibroids fromwomen rendered hypo-oestrogenic by LHRHa, using Northern blotanalysis. Nine women with fibroids, who were rendered hypo-oestrogenicfrom at least 4 months pretreatment with LHRHa therapy priorto undergoing myomectomy were investigated. Our results showedthat IGF-I, IGF-II, IGFBP-2 and -3 mRNAs were expressed in uterinefibroids, and that IGFBP-1 mRNA or protein was not detectedin fibroids. Western ligand blotting showed the presence ofIGFBP-2 and -3 proteins, and when compared with a group of womenwith fibroids not treated with LHRHa (B.J.Vollenhoven et al.,1993, J. Clin. Endocrinol Metab., 76, 1106–1110) we foundthat there was no difference in the relative abundance for eachof the factors between the two groups of women. Therefore, LHRHaact to decrease fibroid size via induction of a hypo-oestrogenicstate rather than by changes in the IGFs and their IGFBPs.     

Identification and Validation of Nutrient State-Dependent Serum Protein Mediators of Human CD4+ T Cell Responsiveness

Intermittent fasting and fasting mimetic diets ameliorate inflammation. Similarly, serum extracted from fasted healthy and asthmatic subjects’ blunt inflammation in vitro, implicating serum components in this immunomodulation. To identify the proteins orchestrating these effects, SOMAScan technology was employed to evaluate serum protein levels in healthy subjects following an overnight, 24-h fast and 3 h after refeeding. Partial least square discriminant analysis identified several serum proteins as potential candidates to confer feeding status immunomodulation. The characterization of recombinant IGFBP1 (elevated following 24 h of fasting) and PYY (elevated following refeeding) in primary human CD4⁺ T cells found that they blunted and induced immune activation, respectively. Furthermore, integrated univariate serum protein analysis compared to RNA-seq analysis from peripheral blood mononuclear cells identified the induction of IL1RL1 and MFGE8 levels in refeeding compared to the 24-h fasting in the same study. Subsequent quantitation of these candidate proteins in lean versus obese individuals identified an inverse regulation of serum levels in the fasted subjects compared to the obese subjects. In parallel, IL1RL1 and MFGE8 supplementation promoted increased CD4⁺ T responsiveness to T cell receptor activation. Together, these data show that caloric load-linked conditions evoke serological protein changes, which in turn confer biological effects on circulating CD4⁺ T cell immune responsiveness.     

Gene expression and serum levels of insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) and IGF-binding proteins in a case of non-islet cell tumour hypoglycaemia

We describe a case of non-islet cell tumour hypoglycaemia (NICTH) associated with a renal cell carcinoma. Serum insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) (including IGF-II E peptide), IGF-binding proteins (IGFBPs), insulin and C-peptide were measured before and after surgical removal of the tumour. IGFBPs were visualized by Western ligand blotting. Preoperatively 'big' IGF-II and IGFBP-2 levels were raised. IGF-I, IGFBP-1 and IGFBP-3 were low, while insulin, C-peptide and GH were undetectable. These changes were reversed by 2 days postoperatively. Protease assays showed little IGFBP-3 protease activity preoperatively. Preoperatively, neutral chromatography demonstrated most of the immunoassayable IGFBP-3 in a high molecular weight form with a small amount of IGF-II. Most of the IGF-II and big IGF-II eluted in lower molecular weight forms. Postoperative samples showed a shift in IGF-II which became increasingly associated with IGFBP-3 in both low and high molecular weight complexes. By Northern blotting, expression of all species of IGF-II mRNA in the tumour was 10-fold greater than in normal human liver. The tumour did not express IGFBP-1 or IGFBP-2. IGFBP-3 was expressed in small amounts, while the expression of IGFBP-4 was two-fold higher than in liver. In conclusion, we have confirmed high levels of big IGF-II and IGFBP-2 in NICTH, changes which are reversed postoperatively. The IGF-II is derived from the tumour which overexpresses these genes but IGFBP-2 probably arises from extratumour upregulation.     

膜联蛋白A7与IGFBP2结合抑制肝癌细胞增殖

目的 分析膜联蛋白A7(ANXA7)与肝癌发生的相关性及筛选、鉴定ANXA7的相互作用分子,探讨ANXA7在肝癌发生中的机制.方法 通过实时定量PCR法检测48对肝癌与癌旁组织以及多种肝和肝癌细胞株中ANXA7表达量的差异,并通过肝癌细胞ANXA7过表达及特异性干扰抑制分析其对肝癌细胞增殖的影响.采用免疫共沉淀法筛选与ANXA7发生结合的蛋白,并以点突变法分析蛋白质相互作用的关键位点;用蛋白免疫印迹法分析了ANXA7对肝癌相关的重要信号通路中ERK1/2磷酸化水平的影响.结果 ANXA7在肝癌组织与肝癌细胞中均呈下调表达.胰岛素样生长因子结合蛋白2(insulin-like growth factor binding protein 2,IGFBP2)能与ANXA7蛋白发生特异性结合,且IGFBP2上的RGD序列是两者结合的关键位点.肝癌细胞中ANXA7表达上调能抑制肿瘤细胞增殖(P＜0.05),并能使IGFBP2介导的ERK1/2的磷酸化水平降低.下调ANXA7的表达可促进肝癌细胞增殖(P＜0.01),磷酸化ERK1/2的水平升高.结论 ANXA7可能作为一种抑癌基因,通过介导IGFBP2对ERK1/2磷酸化水平的影响参与对肝癌增殖的调控.     

Molecular features of non-B, non-C hepatocellular carcinoma: a PCR-array gene expression profiling study

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) usually develops following chronic liver inflammation caused by hepatitis C or B virus. Through expression profiling in a rare type of HCC, for which the causes are unknown, we sought to find key genes responsible for each step of hepatocarcinogenesis in the absence of viral influence. METHODS: We used 68 non-B, non-C liver tissues (20 HCC, 17 non-tumor, 31 normal liver) for expression profiling with PCR-array carrying 3072 genes known to be expressed in liver tissues. To select the differentially expressed genes, we performed random permutation testing. A weighted voting classification algorithm was used to confirm the reliability of gene selection. We then compared these genes with the results of previous expression profiling studies. RESULTS: A total of 220 differentially expressed genes were selected by random permutation tests. The classification accuracies using these genes were 91.8, 92.0 and 100.0% by a leave-one-out cross-validation, an additional PCR-array dataset and a Stanford DNA microarray dataset, respectively. By comparing our results with previous reports on virus-infected HCC, four genes (ALB, A2M, ECHS1 and IGFBP3) were commonly selected in some studies. CONCLUSIONS: The 220 differentially expressed genes selected by PCR-array are potentially responsible for hepatocarcinogenesis in the absence of viral influence.