Prevention of gastric cancer: a miss.
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Cell Transformation, Neoplastic↗
Biomedical subjects
Philip R Taylor
Publications and source records attributed to Philip R Taylor.
Body Mass Index, percent body fat, and regional body fat distribution in relation to leptin concentrations in healthy, non-smoking postmenopausal women in a feeding study.
BACKGROUND: The relationship between BMI and leptin has been studied extensively in the past, but previous reports in postmenopausal women have not been conducted under carefully controlled dietary conditions of weight maintenance using precise measures of body fat distribution. The aim of the present study was to examine the association between serum leptin concentration and adiposity as estimated by BMI and dual energy x-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) measures (percent body fat, central and peripheral fat, and lean mass) in postmenopausal women. METHODS: This study was conducted as a cross-sectional analysis within the control segment of a randomized, crossover trial in which postmenopausal women (n = 51) consumed 0 (control), 15 (one drink), and 30 (two drinks) g alcohol (ethanol)/d for 8 weeks as part of a controlled diet. BMIs were determined and DEXA scans were administered to the women during the 0 g alcohol treatment, and a blood sample was collected at baseline and week 8 of each study period for leptin analysis. RESULTS AND DISCUSSION: In multivariate analysis, women who were overweight (BMI > 25 to < or = 30 kg/m2) had a 2-fold increase, and obese women (BMI > 30 kg/m2) had more than a 3-fold increase in serum leptin concentrations compared to normal weight (BMI < or =25 kg/m2) women. When the models for the different measures of adiposity were assessed by multiple R2, models which included percent body fat explained the highest proportion (approximately 80%) of the serum leptin variance. CONCLUSION: Under carefully controlled dietary conditions, we confirm that higher levels of adiposity were associated with higher concentrations of serum leptin. It appears that percent body fat in postmenopausal women may be the best adiposity-related predictor of serum leptin.
Absorptiometry, Photon↗
Clinical trials of vitamin and mineral supplements for cancer prevention.
Approximately 20-30% of Americans consume multivitamin supplements daily, indicating high public interest in the prevention of cancer and other chronic diseases through a nutrition-based approach. Although several bioactive food components, including vitamins and minerals, have been investigated for their ability to affect cancer risk, few large, randomized, placebo-controlled clinical trials of multivitamins with cancer as the primary endpoint have been performed. The results of most large-scale trials of multivitamin supplements (combinations of > or = 2 vitamins and minerals) to prevent cancer have been mixed. The Linxian General Population and Dysplasia trials found a decreased risk of cancer, particularly stomach cancer, for participants taking a multivitamin supplement, but this was in a borderline-deficient population in China. Two trials, the Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention Study and the beta-Carotene and Retinol Efficacy Trial, found an increased risk of lung cancer among male cigarette smokers or asbestos-exposed persons taking beta-carotene-a surprising result, considering that most epidemiologic studies have suggested that consumption of fruit and vegetables appears to lower cancer risk. To clarify the effects of multivitamin supplements, several large randomized clinical trials are underway, including the Physicians' Health Study II, the Selenium and Vitamin E Cancer Prevention Trial, and a European study, Supplémentation en Vitamines et Minéraux Antioxydants (SU.VI. MAX). Because epidemiologic studies generally evaluate foods rather than specific bioactive food components, a systematic approach to determining how combinations of vitamins and minerals may interact to ameliorate cancer risk is necessary to further our understanding of the potential benefits and risks of supplement use.
Dietary Supplements↗
Tissue microarray analysis reveals a tight correlation between protein expression pattern and progression of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.
BACKGROUND: The development of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) progresses a multistage process, collectively known as precursor lesions, also called dysplasia (DYS) and carcinoma in situ (CIS), subsequent invasive lesions and final metastasis. In this study, we are interested in investigating the expression of a variety of functional classes of proteins in ESCC and its precursor lesions and characterizing the correlation of these proteins with ESCC malignant progression. METHODS: Fas, FADD, caspase 8, CDC25B, fascin, CK14, CK4, annexin I, laminin-5gamma2 and SPARC were analyzed using immunohistochemistry on tissue microarray containing 205 ESCC and 173 adjacent precursor lesions as well as corresponding normal mucosa. To confirm the immunohistochemical results, three proteins, fascin, CK14 and laminin-5gamma2, which were overexpressed in ESCC on tissue microarray, were detected in 12 ESCC cell lines by Western blot assay. RESULTS: In ESCC and its precursor lesions, FADD, CDC25B, fascin, CK14, laminin-5gamma2 and SPARC were overexpressed, while Fas, caspase 8, CK4 and annexin I were underexpressed. The abnormalities of these proteins could be classified into different groups in relation to the stages of ESCC development. They were "early" corresponding to mild and moderate DYS with overexpression of fascin, FADD and CDC25B and underexpression of Fas, caspase 8, CK4 and annexin I, "intermediate" to severe DYS and CIS with overexpression of FADD and CK14, and "late" to invasive lesions (ESCC) and to advanced pTNM stage ESCC lesions with overexpression of CK14, laminin-5gamma2 and SPARC. CONCLUSION: Analyzing the protein expression patterns of Fas, FADD, caspase 8, CDC25B, fascin, CK14, CK4, annexin I, laminin-5gamma2 and SPARC would be valuable to develop rational strategies for early detection of lesions at risk in advance as well as for prevention and treatment of ESCC.
Adult↗
Dectin-1 is required for beta-glucan recognition and control of fungal infection.
Beta-glucan is one of the most abundant polysaccharides in fungal pathogens, yet its importance in antifungal immunity is unclear. Here we show that deficiency of dectin-1, the myeloid receptor for beta-glucan, rendered mice susceptible to infection with Candida albicans. Dectin-1-deficient leukocytes demonstrated significantly impaired responses to fungi even in the presence of opsonins. Impaired leukocyte responses were manifested in vivo by reduced inflammatory cell recruitment after fungal infection, resulting in substantially increased fungal burdens and enhanced fungal dissemination. Our results establish a fundamental function for beta-glucan recognition by dectin-1 in antifungal immunity and demonstrate a signaling non-Toll-like pattern-recognition receptor required for the induction of protective immune responses.
Animals↗
Genome-wide loss of heterozygosity and copy number alteration in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma using the Affymetrix GeneChip Mapping 10 K array.
BACKGROUND: Esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) is a common malignancy worldwide. Comprehensive genomic characterization of ESCC will further our understanding of the carcinogenesis process in this disease. RESULTS: Genome-wide detection of chromosomal changes was performed using the Affymetrix GeneChip 10 K single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array, including loss of heterozygosity (LOH) and copy number alterations (CNA), for 26 pairs of matched germ-line and micro-dissected tumor DNA samples. LOH regions were identified by two methods--using Affymetrix's genotype call software and using Affymetrix's copy number alteration tool (CNAT) software--and both approaches yielded similar results. Non-random LOH regions were found on 10 chromosomal arms (in decreasing order of frequency: 17p, 9p, 9q, 13q, 17q, 4q, 4p, 3p, 15q, and 5q), including 20 novel LOH regions (10 kb to 4.26 Mb). Fifteen CNA-loss regions (200 kb to 4.3 Mb) and 36 CNA-gain regions (200 kb to 9.3 Mb) were also identified. CONCLUSION: These studies demonstrate that the Affymetrix 10 K SNP chip is a valid platform to integrate analyses of LOH and CNA. The comprehensive knowledge gained from this analysis will enable improved strategies to prevent, diagnose, and treat ESCC.
Aged↗
Ly49B is expressed on multiple subpopulations of myeloid cells.
Using a novel mAb specific for mouse Ly49B, we report here that Ly49B, the last remaining member of the C57 Ly49 family to be characterized, is expressed at low levels on approximately 1.5% of spleen cells, none which are NK cells or T cells but which instead belong to several distinct subpopulations of myeloid cells defined by expression of CD11b and different levels of Gr1. Much larger proportions of bone marrow and peritoneal cells expressed Ly49B, all being CD11b+ and comprising multiple subpopulations defined by light scatter, F4/80, and Gr1 expression. Costaining for Ly49Q, also expressed on myeloid cells, revealed that Ly49B and Ly49Q were most strongly expressed on nonoverlapping subpopulations, Ly49Q(high) cells being mostly B220+CD4+ and/or CD8+, Ly49B+ cells lacking these markers. Myeloid populations that developed from bone marrow progenitors in vitro frequently coexpressed both Ly49B and Ly49Q, and Ly49B expression could be up-regulated by LPS, alpha-IFN, and gamma-IFN, often independently of Ly49Q. PCR analysis revealed that cultured NK cells and T cells contained Ly49B transcripts, and Ly49B expression could be detected on NK cells cultured in IL-12 plus IL-18, and on an immature NK cell line. Immunohistochemical studies showed that Ly49B expression in tissues overlapped with but was distinct from that of all other myeloid molecules examined, being particularly prominent in the lamina propria and dome of Peyer's patches, implicating an important role of Ly49B in gut immunobiology. In transfected cells, Ly49B was found to associate with SHP-1, SHP-2, and SHIP in a manner strongly regulated by intracellular phosphorylation events.
Animals↗
Opposing risks of gastric cardia and noncardia gastric adenocarcinomas associated with Helicobacter pylori seropositivity.
BACKGROUND: Colonization with Helicobacter pylori is a risk factor for gastric adenocarcinoma, but the magnitude of this association and its relationship to anatomic location of the cancer, duration of follow-up, age at diagnosis, histologic subtype, and H. pylori strain differences are less clear. We conducted a prospective nested case-control study of H. pylori serology to address these questions. METHODS: Case and control subjects were selected from the 29,133 50- to 69-year-old males recruited into the Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention Study. At baseline, detailed demographic data and a serum sample were collected. From 1985 to 1999, 243 incident cases of gastric adenocarcinoma were diagnosed in cohort members. Serum samples from 234 case subjects (173 with noncardia gastric cancers and 61 with gastric cardia cancers) and 234 age-matched control subjects were assayed for antibodies against H. pylori whole-cell and CagA antigens. We fit conditional logistic regression models to estimate the unadjusted and adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the association of H. pylori seropositivity, defined as seropositivity to either whole-cell or CagA antigens, with noncardia gastric and gastric cardia cancers. All statistical tests were two-sided. RESULTS: H. pylori seropositivity was strongly associated with the risk of noncardia gastric cancer (adjusted OR = 7.9, 95% CI = 3.0 to 20.9) but was inversely associated with the risk of gastric cardia cancer (adjusted OR = 0.31, 95% CI = 0.11 to 0.89). H. pylori seropositivity rates did not vary statistically significantly by length of follow-up, age at diagnosis, or histologic subtype. A calculation of rates showed that the absolute risks of noncardia gastric and cardia gastric adenocarcinomas in the H. pylori-positive participants of this cohort would be 63 and 12 per 100,000 person-years, respectively, whereas corresponding rates in H. pylori-negative participants would be 8 and 37 per 100,000 person-years, respectively. CONCLUSION: H. pylori is a strong risk factor for noncardia gastric cancer but is inversely associated with the risk of gastric cardia cancer. These findings bolster the hypothesis that decreasing H. pylori prevalence during the past century may have contributed to lower rates of noncardia cancer and higher rates of cardia cancer in Western countries.
Adenocarcinoma↗
A prospective nested case-control study of vitamin D status and pancreatic cancer risk in male smokers.
Sun exposure is associated with lower death rates for pancreatic cancer in some ecological studies. Skin exposure to UVB light induces cutaneous production of precursors to 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D]. Pancreatic islet and duct cells express 25(OH)D(3)-1alpha-hydroxylase that generates the biologically active 1,25(OH)(2) vitamin D form. Thus, 25(OH)D concentrations could affect pancreatic function and possibly pancreatic cancer etiology. We conducted a prospective nested case-control study in the Alpha-Tocopherol, Beta-Carotene Cancer Prevention cohort of male Finnish smokers, ages 50 to 69 years at baseline, to test whether more adequate vitamin D status, as determined by prediagnostic serum 25(OH)D concentrations, was associated with lower pancreatic cancer risk. Two hundred incident exocrine pancreatic cancer cases that occurred between 1985 and 2001 (up to 16.7 years of follow-up) were matched by age and date of blood draw to 400 controls who were alive and free of cancer at the time the case was diagnosed. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CI) were calculated using conditional logistic regression. Higher vitamin D concentrations were associated with a 3-fold increased risk for pancreatic cancer (highest versus lowest quintile, >65.5 versus <32.0 nmol/L: OR, 2.92; 95% CI, 1.56-5.48, P(trend) = 0.001) that remained after excluding cases diagnosed early during follow-up. Contrary to expectations, subjects with higher prediagnostic vitamin D status had an increased pancreatic cancer risk compared with those with lower status. Our findings need to be replicated in other populations and caution is warranted in their interpretation and implication. Our results are intriguing and may provide clues that further the understanding of the etiology of this highly fatal cancer.
Aged↗
No association between HPV infection and the neoplastic progression of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma: result from a cross-sectional study in a high-risk region of China.
Esophageal cancer is a leading cause of cancer death, especially in developing countries. In high-risk regions, squamous cell carcinoma is the most common type of esophageal cancer, and its etiology remains poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the association between human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC) and related precursor lesions in a high-risk area of China. We conducted a cross-sectional study among adult inhabitants of Linxian, China. All subjects were interviewed about potential risk factors, had the length of their esophagus sampled by a balloon cytology examination and underwent endoscopy with mucosal iodine staining and biopsy of all unstained lesions. A multivalent HPV hybridization probe, Digene Hybrid Capture II (Gaithersburg, MD), which recognizes high-risk types 16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 39, 45, 51, 52, 56, 58, 59 and 68, was used to determine the HPV infection status of the cytologic specimens, and the endoscopic biopsies were used to classify each subject's esophageal disease. 740 subjects completed the cytologic and endoscopic exams, and 702 had adequate cytologic and biopsy specimens. Using a cutpoint of > or =3.0 pg/ml of HPV DNA to define a positive test, HPV positivity was identified in 13% (61/475) of subjects without squamous dysplasia, 8% (8/102) with mild dysplasia, 7% (6/83) with moderate dysplasia, 16% (6/38) with severe dysplasia and zero (0/4) with invasive ESCC. Changing the cutpoint defining a positive test did not change the association of HPV infection and dysplasia grade. In this high-risk population, infection of esophageal cells with high-risk HPV types occurs in 13% of asymptomatic adults with no evidence of squamous dysplasia and a similar proportion of individuals with mild, moderate or severe dysplasia. This suggests that HPV infection is not a major risk factor for ESCC in this high-risk Chinese population. Further studies are warranted to determine if infection with this agent is associated with neoplastic progression in a subset of cases.
Adult↗
Self-reported goiter is associated with a significantly increased risk of gastric noncardia adenocarcinoma in a large population-based Chinese cohort.
Iodine is concentrated by the gastric mucosa, where it may act as an antioxidant. Therefore, iodine deficiency, and its sequelae goiter, may be associated with an increased risk of gastric cancer. We examined the association between self-reported goiter and upper gastrointestinal cancer in a Chinese cohort of 29,584 adults. Using multivariate adjusted Cox models, we found goiter associated with a significantly increased risk of gastric noncardia adenocarcinoma, HR (95% CI) 2.04 (1.01, 4.11) and nonsignificantly with gastric cardia adenocarcinoma, HR (95% CI) 1.45 (0.91, 2.30). We also found a borderline, insignificant increased risk of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma, HR (95% CI) 1.37 (0.97, 1.94). Our findings are consistent with the hypothesis that iodine deficiency is associated with an increased risk of gastric cancer.
Adenocarcinoma↗
Human papillomavirus serology and the risk of esophageal and gastric cancers: results from a cohort in a high-risk region in China.
Each year, esophageal and gastric cancers cause more than 900,000 deaths worldwide. Human papilloma virus (HPV), especially type 16, has been suggested to have a role in the etiology of esophageal cancer, however, the results of previous seroepidemiological studies have not been consistent. We conducted a large prospective study to examine the association between serum antibodies to HPV 16, HPV 18 and HPV 73 and subsequent development of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (ESCC), gastric cardia adenocarcinoma (GCA), and gastric noncardia adenocarcinoma (GNCA) in a high-risk population for these cancers in Linxian, China. Case and control subjects for this study were selected from the 29,584 participants of the Linxian General Population Trial. Prediagnostic serum samples from 99 cases of ESCC, 100 cases of GCA, 70 cases of GNCA, and 381 age- and sex- matched controls were selected for this study. The presence of antibodies to HPV virus-like particles was determined by type-specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Fewer than 15% of ESCC, GCA, or GNCA cases were positive for each HPV type, and no significant associations were found. The adjusted odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) for HPV 16 seropositivity and ESCC, GCA, and GNCA risk were 1.6 (0.8-3.3), 1.3 (0.6-2.8) and 0.4 (0.1-1.6), respectively. The comparable ORs (95% CIs) for HPV 18 were 1.0 (0.4-2.2), 0.9 (0.4-2.1) and 1.5 (0.6-3.4). For HPV 73, these figures were 1.3 (0.6-2.5), 1.2 (0.6-2.3) and 0.9 (0.4-2.1). The results of this study do not support a major role for HPV 16, HPV 18 and HPV 73 in the etiology of esophageal and gastric cancers in Linxian, China.
Adult↗
Diet and sex hormones in boys: findings from the dietary intervention study in children.
CONTEXT: Diet reportedly alters serum sex hormone concentrations in adults, but little is known about the influence of diet during puberty on these hormones. OBJECTIVE: We aimed to determine whether an intervention to lower fat intake during adolescence alters serum sex hormone concentrations and progression through puberty. DESIGN: In 1990-1997, we conducted an ancillary study to the Dietary Intervention Study in Children, a multicenter, randomized, controlled clinical trial to test the safety and efficacy of a cholesterol-lowering dietary intervention in children. PARTICIPANTS: Healthy, prepubertal, 8 to 10 yr olds with elevated low-density lipoprotein cholesterol were randomized to usual care or a behavioral intervention. Of 362 randomized Dietary Intervention Study in Children boys, 354 participated in the ancillary study. Eighty-four percent of boys attended last visits when their median time on trial was 7.1 yr. INTERVENTION: The behavioral intervention continued throughout the duration of the trial and promoted a diet with 28% energy from total fat, less than 8% from saturated fat, 9% or less from polyunsaturated fat, and less than 75 mg cholesterol per 1000 kcal. OUTCOME MEASURES: The main outcome measure for boys formulated before study initiation was non-SHBG bound testosterone concentration. Secondary outcomes included serum total testosterone, dihydrotestosterone, androstenedione, estradiol, estrone, SHBG, and Tanner stage. RESULTS: There were no significant treatment group differences in boys' serum hormone levels, SHBG, or Tanner stages at any individual visit or over the course of the trial when evaluated by longitudinal models. CONCLUSION: Modest reductions in total fat, saturated fat, and possibly energy intake do not alter progression through puberty or serum sex hormone concentrations in adolescent boys.
Androstenedione↗
The influence of genetic polymorphisms in Ahr, CYP1A1, CYP1A2, CYP1B1, GST M1, GST T1 and UGT1A1 on urine 1-hydroxypyrene glucuronide concentrations in healthy subjects from Rio Grande do Sul, Brazil.
Polymorphisms in genes encoding polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) metabolizing enzymes may alter metabolism of these carcinogens and contribute to inter-individual difference in urine concentrations. We investigated the influence of genetic polymorphism on PAH metabolism in urine from 199 healthy subjects from Southern Brazil. We measured urine 1-hydroxypyrene glucuronide (1-OHPG) concentrations using immunoaffinity chromatography and synchronous fluorescence spectroscopy and genotyped subjects using standard methods. Genetic variants in CYP1B1 (rs1056827, rs1800440, rs10012) were strongly associated with urine 1-OHPG with P-values < 0.010. Variants in aryl hydrocarbon receptor (Ahr) (rs4986826), CYP1A1 (rs1799814) and CYP1A2 (rs2069514) were also, although less strongly, associated with changes in urine 1-OHPG concentrations. These variants had P-values of 0.074, 0.040 and 0.025, respectively. The median urine 1-OHPG concentrations (pmol/ml) in the homozygous wild-type and homozygous variants for CYP1B1 (rs10012) and the Ahr, CYP1A1 and CYP1A2 variants listed above were 2.16 and 0.10, 2.16 and 0.41, 2.03 and 0.46, 2.19 and 2.79, respectively. We found no effect of deletions in GST M1 or GST T1, or different alleles of UGT1A1*28. Adjusting for age, sex, place of residence, tobacco smoke exposure, maté drinking, cachaça and barbeque preparation had only a minor impact on the associations. A model containing just exposure variables had an r2 of 0.21; a model with single genotypes for Ahr, CYP1A1, CYP1A2 and CYP1B1 had an r2 of 0.10; and a model combining both exposure and genotype information had a total r2 of 0.33. Our results suggest that CYP1B1 genotypes are strongly associated with urine 1-OHPG concentrations in this population.
Aryl Hydrocarbon Hydroxylases↗
Serum concentrations of 1,1,1-trichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethane (DDT) and 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethylene (DDE) and risk of primary liver cancer.
BACKGROUND: 1,1,1-Trichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethane (DDT) exposure has been demonstrated to cause liver tumors in laboratory rodents. DDT's persistent metabolite and environmental degradation product, 1,1-dichloro-2,2-bis(p-chlorophenyl)ethylene (DDE), has also been associated with liver tumors in laboratory animals. Whether DDT and DDE are associated with hepatocarcinogenesis in humans is not clear. METHODS: We carried out a nested case-control study among the participants of the Nutritional Intervention Trials in Linxian, China. The case group included 168 individuals who developed liver cancer during the trials, and the control group included 385 individuals frequency-matched on age and sex who were alive and well at the end of the study. Serum concentrations of DDT and DDE were measured by gas chromatography-mass spectrometry. Odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using multivariable analysis. RESULTS: In multivariable-adjusted models, the risk of developing liver cancer increased with increased serum DDT concentration (OR for quintile 1 versus quintile 5 = 3.8, 95% CI = 1.7 to 8.6, P(trend) = .0024). In contrast, there was no statistically significant association between liver cancer and serum DDE concentration. The association between high serum DDT concentration and liver cancer was stronger among individuals with DDE concentrations below the median value (odds ratio for tertile 3 versus tertile 1 = 3.55, 95% CI = 1.45 to 8.74) than those with concentrations above the median (OR = 1.70, 95% CI = 0.97 to 2.98). A calculation of crude liver cancer risk found that there would be 26 liver cancers per 100 000 persons per year in the lowest quintile of DDT exposure versus 46 liver cancers per 100 000 persons per year in the highest quintile of DDT exposure. CONCLUSIONS: DDT may be a risk factor for liver cancer, particularly among persons with lower DDE concentrations. Risk may be particularly increased among persons exposed directly to DDT (resulting in a higher ratio of DDT to DDE) or, alternatively, risk may be associated with individual ability to metabolize DDT to DDE.
Adult↗
Innate immune response to human bone marrow fibroblastic cell implantation in CB17 scid/beige mice.
Immunocompromised mouse models have been extensively used to assess human cell implantation for evaluation of cytotherapy, gene therapy and tissue engineering strategies, as these mice are deficient in T and B lymphoid cells. However, the innate immune response and its effect on human cell xenotransplantation in these mouse models are mainly unknown. The aim of this study is to characterise the myeloid populations in the spleen and blood of CB17 scid beige (CB17 sb) mice, and to study the inflammatory cell responses to xenogeneic implantation of enhanced green fluorescent protein (GFP)-labelled human bone marrow fibroblastic (HBMF) cells into CB17 sb mice. The results indicate that even though CB17 sb mice are deficient in B- and T-cells, they exhibit some increases in their monocyte (Mo), macrophage (Mphi) and neutrophil (Neu) populations. NK cell and eosinophil populations show no differences compared with wild-type Balb/C mice. An innate immune response, identified by CR3 (CD11b/CD18)-positive myeloid inflammatory cells and F4/80-positive macrophages, was evident in the tissues where HBMF cells were implanted. As a consequence, the majority of implanted HBMF cells were eliminated by 4 weeks after implantation. Interestingly, the mineralised matrix formed by osteogenic HBMF cells was also eroded by multinuclear Mphi-like giant cells. We conclude that CB17 sb mice retain active innate immune cells, which respond to HBMF cell xenotransplantation. This study highlights the importance of the innate immune cells in the anti-xenograft response and suggests that strategies to block the activities of these cells may ameliorate the progressive long-term elimination of xenotransplants.
Animals↗
Gene expression differences in normal esophageal mucosa associated with regression and progression of mild and moderate squamous dysplasia in a high-risk Chinese population.
A randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled 2 x 2 factorial chemoprevention trial was conducted in Linxian, China to assess the effects of selenomethionine and celecoxib on the natural history of esophageal squamous dysplasia. Results from this study indicated that asymptomatic adults with mild dysplasia were more likely to show an improvement when treated with selenomethionine compared with placebo (P = 0.02). Prompted by this finding, we examined the molecular profiles associated with regression and progression of dysplastic lesions in normal mucosa from 29 individuals, a subset of the Linxian cohort, using the Affymetrix U133A chip. Twenty differentially expressed genes were associated with regression and 129 were associated with progression when we compared the change in gene expression over time. Genes associated with immune response (n = 15), cell cycle (n = 15), metabolism (n = 15), calcium transport or calcium ion activity (n = 10), regulation of transcription (n = 9), signal transduction (n = 7), cytoskeleton and microtubules (n = 5), nucleotide processing and biosynthesis (n = 4), G-coupled signaling (n = 4), and apoptosis (n = 3) were present in the list of 149 genes. Using the Expression Analysis Systematic Explorer pathway analysis program, only the immune response pathway was significantly overrepresented among these 149 genes. Individuals whose lesions regressed seemed to have higher expression of genes associated with immune stimulation, such as antigen presentation, survival of T cells, and T-cell activation (HLA-DRA, HLA-DPA1, HLA-DBQ1, CD58, and FCER1A). In contrast, individuals whose lesions progressed had higher expression of genes involved in immune suppression and inflammation (CNR2, NFATC4, NFRKB, MBP, INHBB, CMKLR1, CRP, ORMS, SERPINA7, and SERPINA1). These data suggest that local and systemic immune responses may influence the natural history of esophageal squamous dysplasia.
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell↗
Soluble Dectin-1 as a tool to detect beta-glucans.
Beta-glucans are structural components of fungal cell walls which are involved in the immune recognition of fungal pathogens and possess beneficial immunomodulatory activities in isolated form. Here we have developed a soluble chimeric form of the major mammalian beta-glucan receptor, Dectin-1, and demonstrate its application for the detection and characterisation of soluble and insoluble beta-glucans, including fungal particles, using ELISA, flow cytometric and fluorescence-based microscopy assays.
Antibody Specificity↗