ObjectiveRecent studies have found aristaless-related homeobox gene (ARX)/pancreatic and duodenal homeobox 1 (PDX1), alpha-thalassemia/mental retardation X-linked (ATRX)/death domain-associated protein (DAXX) and alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT) to be promising prognostic biomarkers for non-functional pancreatic neuroendocrine tumours (NF-PanNETs). However, they have not been comprehensively evaluated, especially among small NF-PanNETs (≤2.0 cm). Moreover, their status in neuroendocrine tumours (NETs) from other sites remains unknown.DesignAn international cohort of 1322 NETs was evaluated by immunolabelling for ARX/PDX1 and ATRX/DAXX, and telomere-specific fluorescence in situ hybridisation for ALT. This cohort included 561 primary NF-PanNETs, 107 NF-PanNET metastases and 654 primary, non-pancreatic non-functional NETs and NET metastases. The results were correlated with numerous clinicopathological features including relapse-free survival (RFS).ResultsATRX/DAXX loss and ALT were associated with several adverse prognostic findings and distant metastasis/recurrence (p<0.001). The 5-year RFS rates for patients with ATRX/DAXX-negative and ALT-positive NF-PanNETs were 40% and 42% as compared with 85% and 86% for wild-type NF-PanNETs (p<0.001 and p<0.001). Shorter 5-year RFS rates for ≤2.0 cm NF-PanNETs patients were also seen with ATRX/DAXX loss (65% vs 92%, p=0.003) and ALT (60% vs 93%, p<0.001). By multivariate analysis, ATRX/DAXX and ALT status were independent prognostic factors for RFS. Conversely, classifying NF-PanNETs by ARX/PDX1 expression did not independently correlate with RFS. Except for 4% of pulmonary carcinoids, ATRX/DAXX loss and ALT were only identified in primary (25% and 29%) and NF-PanNET metastases (62% and 71%).ConclusionsATRX/DAXX and ALT should be considered in the prognostic evaluation of NF-PanNETs including ≤2.0 cm tumours, and are highly specific for pancreatic origin among NET metastases of unknown primary.
AB, Chatterjee S. PECAM-1 and caveolae form the mechanosensing complex necessary for NOX2 activation and angiogenic signaling with stopped flow in pulmonary endothelium. Am J Physiol Lung Cell Mol Physiol 305: L805-L818, 2013. First published September 27, 2013 doi:10.1152/ajplung.00123.2013.-We showed that stop of flow triggers a mechanosignaling cascade that leads to the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS); however, a mechanosensor coupled to the cytoskeleton that could potentially transduce flow stimulus has not been identified. We showed a role for KATP channel, caveolae (caveolin-1), and NADPH oxidase 2 (NOX2) in ROS production with stop of flow. Based on reports of a mechanosensory complex that includes platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (PECAM-1) and initiates signaling with mechanical force, we hypothesized that PECAM-1 could serve as a mechanosensor in sensing disruption of flow. Using lungs in situ, we observed that ROS production with stop of flow was significantly reduced in PECAM-1 Ϫ/Ϫ lungs compared with lungs from wild-type (WT) mice. Lack of PECAM-1 did not affect NOX2 activation machinery or the caveolin-1 expression or caveolae number in the pulmonary endothelium. Stop of flow in vitro triggered an increase in angiogenic potential of WT pulmonary microvascular endothelial cells (PMVEC) but not of PECAM-1 Ϫ/Ϫ PMVEC. Obstruction of flow in lungs in vivo showed that the neutrophil infiltration as observed in WT mice was significantly lowered in PECAM-1 Ϫ/Ϫ mice. With stop of flow, WT lungs showed higher expression of the angiogenic marker VEGF compared with untreated (sham) and PECAM-1 Ϫ/Ϫ lungs. Thus PECAM-1 (and caveolae) are parts of the mechanosensing machinery that generates superoxide with loss of shear; the resultant ROS potentially drives neutrophil influx and acts as an angiogenic signal. mechanotransduction; stop of flow; pulmonary endothelium; PECAM; K atp (Kir6.2) channel; NOX2; angiogenic potential CELLS SENSE THE PHYSICAL STIMULUS in their environment and translate these physical forces into biochemical signals (20, 37). Sensing and responding to a physical force require specialized structures and machinery that can engage in signal transduction (12,23,42).In the vascular system, with a highly distributed network of blood vessels, mechanical forces arising from blood flow initiate signaling that helps maintain vascular structure and function. Indeed, shear associated with blood flow is sensed by the endothelium and the resultant signaling regulates normal vascular physiology (such as embryonic morphogenesis and organization of the vascular tree) while irregular or abnormal shear can lead to vascular dysfunction and disease (19,27). Thus the mechanosignaling that accompanies various shear profiles and patterns, regular or aberrant, governs susceptibility to atherosclerosis, by inducing athero-protective or atheroprone phenotypes in endothelial cells (10,22). It thus becomes important to understand the link among the mechanical force, the shear sensing machinery and...
Sex hormones affect immune responses and might promote autoimmunity. Endocrine disrupting chemicals such as bisphenol A (BPA) may mimic their immune effects. Conventional dendritic cells (cDCs) are pivotal initiators of immune responses upon activation by danger signals coming from pathogens or distressed tissues through triggering of the Toll-like receptors (TLRs). We generated in vitro murine cDCs in the absence of estrogens and measured the effects of exogenously added estrogen or BPA on their differentiation and activation by the TLR ligands LPS and CpG. Estrogen enhanced the differentiation of GM-CSF-dependent cDCs from bone marrow precursors in vitro, and the selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs) tamoxifen and fulvestrant blocked these effects. Moreover, estrogen augmented the upregulation of costimulatory molecules and proinflammatory cytokines (IL-12p70 and TNFα) upon stimulation by TLR9 ligand CpG, while the response to LPS was less estrogen-dependent. These effects are partially explained by an estrogen-dependent regulation of TLR9 expression. BPA did not promote cDC differentiation nor activation upon TLR stimulation. Our results suggest that estrogen promotes immune responses by increasing DC activation, with a preferential effect on TLR9 over TLR4 stimulation, and highlight the influence of estrogens in DC cultures, while BPA does not mimic estrogen in the DC functions that we tested.
The chemotherapy response score (CRS) proposed by Bohm and colleagues in 2015 has been validated as a reproducible method for determining histopathologic response of tubo-ovarian carcinoma to neoadjuvant chemotherapy and stratifies tumor response into 3 groups: CRS1 is defined as minimal/no response, CRS2 as moderate response, and CRS3 as marked response. Although described as a 3-tiered system, it essentially works as a 2-tiered system (CRS1/CRS2 vs. CRS3) for assessing prognosis. Here, we analyzed the prognostic value of CRS in a large cohort of tubo-ovarian carcinomas at a tertiary care center and evaluated the potential for Ki-67 labeling index on post-neoadjuvant chemotherapy samples to provide additional prognostic information. We included 170 patients with tubo-ovarian carcinoma treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by interval debulking surgery. We determined CRS for each case by reviewing slides from the interval debulking surgery resection specimen and calculated progression-free survival and overall survival. For each case with residual disease (CRS1 and CRS2, n = 123, 72%), we also performed Ki-67 antibody staining and determined both average and highest Ki-67 labeling index. Consistent with prior studies, patients in our cohort with CRS1 and CRS2 showed significantly shorter progression-free survival and overall survival compared with CRS3. Further, in the subset of cases with CRS1 and CRS2, Ki-67 labeling index was predictive of OS at multiple cutoff points. An average Ki-67 labeling index of 20% (log rank test P-value: 0.0004) or a highest Ki-67 labeling index of 50% (log rank test P-value: 0.0002) could provide a practically useful cutoff. Multivariable cox proportional hazard model showed worse overall survival with both, average Ki-67 > 20% (hazard ratios: 2.02, P-value: 0.00422, confidence interval: 1.25-3.28) and highest Ki-67 > 50% (hazard ratios: 1.88, P-value: 0.0205, confidence interval: 1.1-3.2). We propose adding Ki-67 labeling index to CRS to provide additional prognostic separation between patients with CRS1 and CRS2.
The autoimmune disease Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE) is linked to estrogen (E2) and may be affected by the environmental estrogen bisphenol A (BPA) that is used in plastics production. E2 and BPA bind to estrogen receptors (ER), altering cellular pathways. We investigated the effect of E2 and BPA on the regulation of cathepsins, central enzymes in major histocompatibility class II (MHC‐II) antigen presentation. A bioinformatic analysis showed that many cathepsins have putative estrogen response elements (ERE) making them candidates for regulation by compounds that activate ER. Splenocytes isolated from C57/Bl6 and lupus‐prone NZB/WF1 female mice were treated with varying concentrations of hormone. B cells were also purified using magnetic activated cell sorting and populations were routinely enriched to >90% as verified by fluorescence activated cell scanning. Following treatment, cathepsin expression (via Western blotting) and activity (by fluorescence enzyme activity assays) were monitored. In both cell populations we found that cathepsins B and L were increased in NZB/WF1 but not control mice when exposed to E2, while the opposite effect was seen with BPA. These results indicate that MHC‐II antigen processing and presentation is differentially regulated in SLE animals and that environmental estrogens can affect immune function. Funded by NIH grant 1R15ES013947‐01, Merck/AAAS USRP, and Van Sant.
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