Project description:Neutrophilic inflammation is associated with poorly controlled asthma. Serum levels of sST2, a soluble IL-33 receptor, increase in neutrophilic lung diseases. We hypothesized that high serum sST2 levels in stable asthmatics are a predictor for exacerbation within a short duration.This prospective observational study evaluated the serum sST2 levels of 104 asthmatic patients who were treated by a lung disease specialist with follow-ups for 3 months.High serum sST2 levels (>?18 ng/ml) predicted severe asthma exacerbation within 3 months. Serum sST2 levels correlated positively with asthma severity (treatment step), airway H2O2 levels, and serum IL-8 levels. High serum sST2 levels and blood neutrophilia (>?6000 /?l) were independent predictors of exacerbation. We defined a post-hoc exacerbation-risk score combining high serum sST2 level and blood neutrophilia, which stratified patients into four groups. The score predicted exacerbation-risk with an area under curve of 0.91 in the receiver operating characteristic curve analysis. Patients with the highest scores had the most severe phenotype, with 85.7% showing exacerbation, airflow limitation, and corticosteroid-insensitivity.High serum sST2 levels predicted exacerbation within the general asthmatic population and, when combined with blood neutrophil levels, provided an exacerbation-risk score that was an accurate predictor of exacerbation occurring within 3 months.
Project description:Chronic heart failure (CHF) represents a major cause of hospitalization and death. Recent evidence shows that novel biomarkers such as soluble suppression of tumorigenicity (sST2), growth-differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15), soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) and heart-type fatty acid binding protein (H-FABP) are correlated with inflammatory and ischemic responses in CHF patients. In this study we examined the effects of Ivabradine that inhibited the hyperpolarization-activated cyclic nucleotide-gated channel (HCN channel, also called funny current If), thereby leading to selective heart rate reduction and improved myocardial oxygen supply on the cardiac biomarkers sST2, GDF-15, suPAR and H-FABP in 50 CHF patients at the University Hospital of Jena. Patients were divided into three groups based on the etiology of CHF: dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM, n=20), ischemic cardiomyopathy (ICM, n=20) and hypertensive cardiomyopathy (HCM, n=10). The patients were administered Ivabradine (5 mg, bid for 3 months, and 7.5 mg bid for further 3 months). Analyses of cardiovascular biomarkers were performed at baseline as well as at 3- and 6-month follow-ups. At 6-month follow-up, GDF-15 levels were significantly reduced compared to baseline levels (P=0.0215), indicating a reduction in the progress of cardiac remodeling. H-FABP concentration was significantly lower in DCM patients compared to ICM (1.89 vs 3.24 ?g/mL) and HCM patients (1.89 vs 3.80 ?g/mL), and decreased over the 6-month follow-up (P=0.0151). suPAR median levels remained elevated, implying major ongoing inflammatory processes. As shown by significant decreases in GDF-15 and H-FABP levels, a reduction in ventricular remodeling and sub-clinical ischemia could be assumed. However, markers of hemodynamic stress (sST2) and inflammation (suPAR) showed no change or progression after 6 months of Ivabradine treatment in CHF patients. Further studies are necessary to validate the clinical applicability of these novel cardiovascular biomarkers.
Project description:Unfavourable conditions throughout the period of parental care can severely affect growth, reproductive performance, and survival. Yet, individuals may be affected differently, depending on the developmental period during which constraints are experienced. Here we tested whether the nestling phase compared to the fledgling phase is more susceptible to nutritional stress by considering biometry, physiology, sexually selected male ornaments and survival using zebra finches (Taeniopygia guttata) as a model species. As nestlings (day 0-17) or fledglings (day 17-35), subjects were raised either on low or high quality food. A low quality diet resulted in significantly elevated baseline corticosterone titres in both nestlings and fledglings. Subjects showed substantial compensatory growth after they had experienced low quality food as nestlings but catch-up growth did neither lead to elevated baseline corticosterone titres nor did we detect long term effects on biometry, male cheek patch, or survival. The compensation for temporally unfavourable environmental conditions reflects substantial phenotypic plasticity and the results show that costs of catch-up growth were not mediated via corticosterone as a physiological correlate of allostatic load. These findings provide new insights into the mechanisms and plasticity with which animals respond to periods of constraints during development as they may occur in a mistiming of breeding.
Project description:We present a series of experiments that explore the boundary conditions for how emotional arousal influences height estimates. Four experiments are presented, which investigated the influence of context, situation-relevance, intensity, and attribution of arousal on height estimates. In Experiment 1, we manipulated the environmental context to signal either danger (viewing a height from above) or safety (viewing a height from below). High arousal only increased height estimates made from above. In Experiment 2, two arousal inductions were used that contained either 1) height-relevant arousing images or 2) height-irrelevant arousing images. Regardless of theme, arousal increased height estimates compared to a neutral group. In Experiment 3, arousal intensity was manipulated by inserting an intermediate or long delay between the induction and height estimates. A brief, but not a long, delay from the arousal induction served to increase height estimates. In Experiment 4, an attribution manipulation was included, and those participants who were made aware of the source of their arousal reduced their height estimates compared to participants who received no attribution instructions. Thus, arousal that is attributed to its true source is discounted from feelings elicited by the height, thereby reducing height estimates. Overall, we suggest that misattributed, embodied arousal is used as a cue when estimating heights from above that can lead to overestimation.
Project description:BACKGROUND:The phosphatase chronophin (CIN/PDXP) has been shown to be an important regulator of glioma cell migration and invasion. It has two known substrates: p-Ser3-cofilin, the phosphorylated form of the actin binding protein cofilin, and pyridoxal 5'-phosphate, the active form of vitamin B6. Phosphoregulation of cofilin, among other functions, plays an important role in cell migration, whereas active vitamin B6 is a cofactor for more than one hundred enzymatic reactions. The role of CIN has yet only been examined in glioblastoma cell line models derived under serum culture conditions. RESULTS:We found that CIN is highly expressed in cells cultured under non-adherent, serum-free conditions that are thought to better mimic the in vivo situation. Furthermore, the substrates of CIN, p-Ser3-cofilin and active vitamin B6, were significantly reduced as compared to cell lines cultured in serum-containing medium. To further examine its molecular role we stably knocked down the CIN protein with two different shRNA hairpins in the glioblastoma cell lines NCH421k and NCH644. Both cell lines did not show any significant alterations in proliferation but expression of differentiation markers (such as GFAP or TUBB3) was increased in the knockdown cell lines. In addition, colony formation was significantly impaired in NCH644. Of note, in both cell lines CIN knockdown increased active vitamin B6 levels with vitamin B6 being known to be important for S-adenosylmethionine biosynthesis. Nevertheless, global histone and DNA methylation remained unaltered as was chemoresistance towards temozolomide. To further elucidate the role of phosphocofilin in glioblastoma cells we applied inhibitors for ROCK1/2 and LIMK1/2 to our model. LIMK- and ROCK-inhibitor treatment alone was not toxic for glioblastoma cells. However, it had profound, but antagonistic effects in NCH421k and NCH644 under chemotherapy. CONCLUSION:In non-adherent glioblastoma cell lines cultured in serum-free medium, chronophin knockdown induces phenotypic changes, e.g. in colony formation and transcription, but these are highly dependent on the cellular background. The same is true for phenotypes observed after treatment with inhibitors for kinases regulating cofilin phosphorylation (ROCKs and LIMKs). Targeting the cofilin phosphorylation pathway might therefore not be a straightforward therapeutic option in glioblastoma.
Project description:ObjectiveTo test the safety, tolerability, and urate-elevating capability of the urate precursor inosine taken orally or by feeding tube in people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).MethodsThis was a pilot, open-label trial in 25 participants with ALS. Treatment duration was 12 weeks. The dose of inosine was titrated at pre-specified time points to elevate serum urate levels to 7-8 mg/dL. Primary outcomes were safety (as assessed by the occurrence of adverse events [AEs]) and tolerability (defined as the ability to complete the 12-week study on study drug). Secondary outcomes included biomarkers of oxidative stress and damage. As an exploratory analysis, observed outcomes were compared with a virtual control arm built using prediction algorithms to estimate ALSFRS-R scores.ResultsTwenty-four out of 25 participants (96%) completed 12 weeks of study drug treatment. One participant was unable to comply with study visits and was lost to follow-up. Serum urate rose to target levels in 6 weeks. No serious AEs attributed to study drug and no AEs of special concern, such as urolithiasis and gout, occurred. Selected biomarkers of oxidative stress and damage had significant changes during the study period. Observed changes in ALSFRS-R did not differ from baseline predictions.InterpretationInosine appeared safe, well tolerated, and effective in raising serum urate levels in people with ALS. These findings, together with epidemiological observations and preclinical data supporting a neuroprotective role of urate in ALS models, provide the rationale for larger clinical trials testing inosine as a potential disease-modifying therapy for ALS.
Project description:Retroviruses cause immunodeficiency and cancer but also are used as vectors for the expression of heterologous genes. Nevertheless, optimal translation of introduced genes often is not achieved. Here we show that transfection into mammalian cells of lentiviral or gammaretroviral vectors, including those with specific shRNAs, increased expression of a cotransfected gene relative to standard plasmid vectors. Levels of most endogenous cellular proteins were unchanged. Transfer of lentiviral vector sequences into a standard plasmid conferred the ability to give increased expression of cotransfected genes (superinduction). Superinduction by the retroviral vector was not dependent on the cell type or species, the type of reporter gene, or the method of transfection. No differences were detected in the IFN, unfolded protein, or stress responses in the presence of retroviral vectors. RT-PCRs revealed that RNA levels of cotransfected genes were unchanged during superinduction, yet Western blotting, pulse labeling, and the use of bicistronic vectors showed increased cap-dependent translation of cointroduced genes. Expression of the mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) kinase target 4E-BP1, but not the mTOR inhibitor Torin 1, preferentially inhibited superinduction relative to basal protein expression. Furthermore, transcription of lentiviral vector sequences from a doxycycline-inducible promoter eliminated superinduction, consistent with a DNA-triggered event. Thus, retroviral DNA increased translation of cointroduced genes in trans by an mTOR-independent signaling mechanism. Our experiments have broad applications for the design of retroviral vectors for transfections, DNA vaccines, and gene therapy.
Project description:Left ventricular remodeling following myocardial infarction (MI) is related to adverse outcome. It has been shown that an up-regulation of plasma soluble ST2 (sST2) levels are associated with lower pre-discharge left ventricular (LV) ejection fraction, adverse cardiovascular outcomes and mortality outcome after MI. The mechanisms involved in its modulation are unknown and there is not specific treatment capable of lowering plasma sST2 levels in acute-stage HF. We recently identified Yin-yang 1 (Yy1) as a transcription factor related to circulating soluble ST2 isoform (sST2) expression in infarcted myocardium. However, the underlying mechanisms involved in this process have not been thoroughly elucidated. This study aimed to evaluate the pathophysiological implication of miR-199a-5p in cardiac remodeling and the expression of the soluble ST2 isoform. Myocardial infarction (MI) was induced by permanent ligation of the left anterior coronary artery in C57BL6/J mice that randomly received antimiR199a therapy, antimiR-Ctrl or saline. A model of biomechanical stretching was also used to characterize the underlying mechanisms involved in the activation of Yy1/sST2 axis. Our results show that the significant upregulation of miR-199a-5p after myocardial infarction increases pathological cardiac hypertrophy by upregulating circulating soluble sST2 levels. AntimiR199a therapy up-regulates Sirt1 and inactivates the co-activator P300 protein, thus leading to Yy1 inhibition which decreases both expression and release of circulating sST2 by cardiomyocytes after myocardial infarction. Pharmacological inhibition of miR-199a rescues cardiac hypertrophy and heart failure in mice, offering a potential therapeutic approach for cardiac failure.
Project description:Acute kidney injury (AKI) after cardiac surgery is a common and serious complication. Although lower than normal serum bicarbonate levels are known to be associated with consecutive renal function deterioration in patients with chronic kidney injury, it is not well-known whether preoperative low serum bicarbonate levels are associated with the development of AKI in patients who undergo cardiac surgery. Therefore, the clinical implication of preoperative serum bicarbonate levels on AKI occurrence after cardiac surgery was investigated. Patients who underwent coronary artery bypass or valve surgery at Yonsei University Health System from January 2013 to December 2014 were enrolled. The patients were divided into 3 groups based on preoperative serum bicarbonate levels, which represented group 1 (below normal levels) <23?mEq/L; group 2 (normal levels) 23 to 24?mEq/L; and group 3 (elevated levels) >24?mEq/L. The primary outcome was the predicated incidence of AKI 48?hours after cardiac surgery. AKI was defined according to Acute Kidney Injury Network criteria. Among 875 patients, 228 (26.1%) developed AKI within 48?hours after cardiac surgery. The incidence of AKI was higher in group 1 (40.9%) than in group 2 (26.5%) and group 3 (19.5%) (P?<?0.001). In addition, the duration of postoperative stay in a hospital intensive care unit (ICU) was longer for AKI patients and for those in the low-preoperative-serum-bicarbonate-level groups. A multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that low preoperative serum bicarbonate levels were significantly associated with AKI even after adjustment for age, sex, hypertension, diabetes mellitus, operation type, preoperative hemoglobin, and estimated glomerular filtration rate. In conclusion, low serum bicarbonate levels were associated with higher incidence of AKI and prolonged ICU stay. Further studies are needed to clarify whether strict correction of bicarbonate levels close to normal limits may have a protective role in preventing further AKI development.
Project description:BackgroundSkin cancer is one of the common malignancies. There is sufficient evidence that sunlight (ultraviolet radiation) contributes to the development of skin cancer, but there is also evidence that relates adequate serum levels of vitamin D produced on the skin by the action of ultraviolet radiation with the decreased risk of various types of cancers, including skin cancer. The aim of this study was to investigate the association of vitamin D serum levels among patients with non-melanoma skin cancers (basal cell carcinoma and squamous cell carcinoma) and controls.MethodsA prospective observational case-control study was conducted in a sample of 84 subjects in Extremadura (Spain). Forty-one patients with histologically diagnosed basal cell carcinomas and squamous cell carcinomas and 43 healthy controls were randomly chosen to assess whether vitamin D (25(OH)D3) serum level, age and sex were related to non-melanoma skin cancer and to determine the possible risk of this type of skin cancer for these variables.ResultsWhen analysing serum vitamin D levels, we ensured that all our subjects, both cases and controls, had normal or low serum vitamin D levels, even though the samples were taken during months with the highest solar irradiance in our region. It is striking in our results that there was a higher percentage of subjects with deficits of vitamin D who did not have skin cancer (66%) than patients with deficits with these types of skin cancers (34%). When adjusting the model for age and sex, vitamin D values above 18 ng/ml increased the risk of suffering from non-melanoma skin cancer by nearly 7-fold (aOR: 6.94, 95% CI [1.55-31.11], p = 0.01).ConclusionsDespite the controversial data obtained in the literature, our results suggest that lower levels of vitamin D may be related to a reduced incidence of non-melanoma skin cancer.