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Flow cytometry: an overview.

Flow cytometry is a method of rapidly analyzing large numbers of cells as they flow in a liquid medium through a laser source. Flow cytometry provides valuable information regarding DNA content, RNA content, and the percentage of cells in the S phase of the cell cycle. This information can be used to predict the aggressiveness of many tumors, which has direct prognostic and diagnostic implications. Flow cytometry assists healthcare professionals in planning and implementing effective, appropriate, and timely interventions. Because flow cytometry is becoming more prevalent, nurses must be aware of its actual and potential applications. The data obtained from flow cytometry provide important information that can assist nurses in anticipating a particular regimen for specific tumors and in projecting the patient's clinical course. With this information, nurses can modify and individualize care plans. When used in conjunction with a patient's clinical presentation and other laboratory findings, flow cytometry has a direct impact on both treatment decisions and nursing interventions.

DNA↗

Oct4 distribution and level in mouse clones: consequences for pluripotency.

Somatic cell clones often fail at a developmental stage coincident with commencement of differentiation. The transcription factor Oct4 is expressed during cleavage stages and is essential for the differentiation of the blastocyst. Oct4 expression becomes restricted to the inner cell mass and epiblast. After gastrulation Oct4 is active only in germ cells and is silent in somatic cells. Here, Oct4 and an Oct4-GFP transgene were used as markers for which gene reprogramming could be directly related to the developmental potential of somatic cell clones. Cumulus cell clones initiated Oct4 expression at the correct stage but showed an incorrect spatial expression in the majority of blastocysts. The ability of clones to form outgrowths was reduced, and the outgrowths had low or even undetectable levels of Oct4 RNA or GFP. The quality of GFP signals in blastocysts correlated with the ability to generate outgrowths that maintain GFP expression and the frequency of embryonic stem (ES) cell derivation. Abnormal Oct4 expression in clones is either directly or indirectly caused by reprogramming errors and is indicative of a general failure to reset the genetic program. The abnormal Oct4 expression may be associated with aberrant expression of other crucial developmental genes, leading to abnormalities at various embryonic stages. Regardless of other genes, the variations observed in Oct4 levels alone account for the majority of failures currently observed for somatic cell cloning.

Animals↗

Laser microdissection and capture of pure cardiomyocytes and fibroblasts from infarcted heart regions: perceived hyperoxia induces p21 in peri-infarct myocytes.

Myocardial infarction caused by ischemia-reperfusion in the coronary vasculature is a focal event characterized by an infarct-core, bordering peri-infarct zone and remote noninfarct zone. Recently, we have reported the first technique, based on laser microdissection pressure catapulting (LMPC), enabling the dissection of infarction-induced biological responses in multicellular regions of the heart. Molecular mechanisms in play at the peri-infarct zone are central to myocardial healing. At the infarct site, myocytes are more sensitive to insult than robust fibroblasts. Understanding of cell-specific responses in the said zones is therefore critical. In this work, we describe the first technique to collect the myocardial tissue with a single-cell resolution. The infarcted myocardium was identified by using a truncated hematoxylin-eosin stain. Cell elements from the infarct, peri-infarct, and noninfarct zones were collected in a chaotropic RNA lysis solution with micron-level surgical precision. Isolated RNA was analyzed for quality by employing microfluidics technology and reverse transcribed to generate cDNA. Purity of the collected specimen was established by real-time PCR analyses of cell-specific genes. Previously, we have reported that the oxygen-sensitive induction of p21/Cip1/Waf1/Sdi1 in cardiac fibroblasts in the peri-infarct zone plays a vital role in myocardial remodeling. Using the novel LMPC technique developed herein, we confirmed that finding and report for the first time that the induction of p21 in the peri-infarct zone is not limited to fibroblasts but is also evident in myocytes. This work presents the first account of an analytical technique that applies the LMPC technology to study myocardial remodeling with a cell-type specific resolution.

Actins↗

Quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction assay for mouse androgen receptor mRNA.

A quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay for mouse androgen receptor (AR) mRNA was developed to study relative changes in AR gene expression. Serial dilutions of a standard comprising a fragment of the ampicillin resistance gene flanked by the primer sequences of the AR mRNA were added to a constant amount of total RNA for RT-PCR. Primers were designed to generate a 541-bp fragment of mouse AR mRNA (target [T]) and a 460-bp fragment of the standard (S). PCR products were resolved by gel electrophoresis and quantitated by densitometry. A standard curve was generated for each sample by plotting the logarithm of T/S products vs the logarithm of the amount of S added. The amount of T was determined from the standard curve where intensities of PCR products of T and S were equal. The assay was validated by measuring the relative abundance of AR mRNA in 10 mouse tissues, and results were consistent with studies of AR expression in rat tissues. Assay reproducibility, tested by repeating assays on four different tissues on different days from the RT step, had a coefficient of variation of 6-16%. The current assay is thus both reproducible and valid in quantitation of mouse AR mRNA.

Adrenal Glands↗

Detection of cytochrome P450 and other drug-metabolizing enzyme mRNAs in peripheral blood mononuclear cells using DNA arrays.

The purpose of this study was to determine whether the expression of cytochrome P450 (CYP) enzyme mRNAs, other drug-metabolizing enzyme mRNAs, and transporter mRNAs can be detected using DNA arrays. Total RNA was isolated from peripheral blood mononuclear cells of 10 multiple sclerosis patients and 10 age- and sex-matched controls. The mRNA was reverse transcribed to radiolabeled cDNA, and the resultant cDNA was used to probe a DNA array containing several thousand known human genes. The signals corresponding to several CYPs, drug-metabolizing, and transporter mRNAs was substantially above background. The results demonstrate that the DNA array technique has the sensitivity and the selectivity for applications in the pharmaceutical sciences. The mean values for mRNAs of specific CYPs and drug-metabolizing enzymes in peripheral blood cells were compared with reported values for liver. The capabilities of DNA arrays may prove useful for characterizing CYP expression in a variety of clinical samples.

ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Mem↗

Use of iris pigment epithelium to replace retinal pigment epithelium in age-related macular degeneration: a gene expression analysis.

OBJECTIVE: To determine the gene expression profiles of primary retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) and iris pigment epithelium (IPE) using microarrays. METHODS: Primary RPE and IPE from 6 human donor eyes were collected, and total RNA was isolated. Differences in gene expression were determined using a human genechip (human U95Av2 [12 600 probes]; Affymetrix Inc, Santa Clara, Calif). RESULTS: Hierarchical cluster analysis differentiated the gene expression profiles of RPE and IPE clusters into 2 distinct groups. A mean +/- SD of 5308 +/- 416 gene probes were expressed in RPE vs 6130 +/- 205 in IPE. Sixty-eight genes were expressed only in RPE; 154 genes were expressed only in IPE. Twenty-two additional genes had greater than 3-fold increased expression in RPE vs IPE, and 147 genes had greater than 3-fold decreased expression in RPE vs IPE. CONCLUSION: There are major differences in the gene expression profiles of primary RPE vs IPE. Clinical Relevance The different gene expression profiles of primary RPE vs IPE harvested from the same donor eyes infer that it may be difficult for IPE to replace all aspects of damaged RPE function in transplantation studies.

Aged↗

Microarray gene expression profiling during the segmentation phase of zebrafish development.

We analyzed 15,512 unique transcripts from wild-type Danio rerio using a long oligonucleotide microarray containing >16,000 65-mers probes. Total RNA was isolated from staged embryos at 2 h intervals over a 24-h period. On average, at any given time point, 27% of the probe set detected corresponding transcripts in embryonic RNA. There were two predominant patterns in the nearly 4000 genes that changed expression in at least one time point during the first 24 hpf. At 12 hpf, we detected 420 up-regulated and 386 down-regulated genes. By 24 hpf, the number of up- and down-regulated genes had increased to 954 and 766, respectively. While the majority of these genes maintained their new level of expression for the duration of the time course, we identified five genes with phasic regulation over the 24-h time course. Two of these genes, germ cell nuclear factor and mesogenin, have been identified as being expressed during gastrulation (5 1/4 to 10 h postfertilization) and subsequently repressed. A cluster containing 36 distinct ribosomal proteins was up-regulated at 12 h, indicating a capability for de novo protein synthesis during and after this stage. Twenty-three muscle-specific genes were up-regulated late during the initial 24 hpf, corresponding to the development and differentiation of the somites.

Animals↗

Comparison of microarray designs for class comparison and class discovery.

MOTIVATION: Two-color microarray experiments in which an aliquot derived from a common RNA sample is placed on each array are called reference designs. Traditionally, microarray experiments have used reference designs, but designs without a reference have recently been proposed as alternatives. RESULTS: We develop a statistical model that distinguishes the different levels of variation typically present in cancer data, including biological variation among RNA samples, experimental error and variation attributable to phenotype. Within the context of this model, we examine the reference design and two designs which do not use a reference, the balanced block design and the loop design, focusing particularly on efficiency of estimates and the performance of cluster analysis. We calculate the relative efficiency of designs when there are a fixed number of arrays available, and when there are a fixed number of samples available. Monte Carlo simulation is used to compare the designs when the objective is class discovery based on cluster analysis of the samples. The number of discrepancies between the estimated clusters and the true clusters were significantly smaller for the reference design than for the loop design. The efficiency of the reference design relative to the loop and block designs depends on the relation between inter- and intra-sample variance. These results suggest that if cluster analysis is a major goal of the experiment, then a reference design is preferable. If identification of differentially expressed genes is the main concern, then design selection may involve a consideration of several factors.

Algorithms↗

Microarray analysis of gene expression after transverse aortic constriction in mice.

Cardiac hypertrophy is a compensatory response initially beneficial to heart function but can ultimately lead to cardiac decompensation. It is an integrated process involving multiple cellular signaling pathways and their cross talk. Microarray GeneChip technology is a powerful new tool to identify gene expression profiles of cardiac hypertrophy. To identify well-characterized as well as novel adaptive mechanisms, we utilized a murine model of compensated pressure overload hypertrophy (transverse aortic constriction, TAC). At 48 h, 10 days, and 3 wk, hearts were harvested and total RNA hybridized to Affymetrix U74Av2 GeneChips, which contain a 12,488-gene/EST probe set. Verification of gene expression was performed by SYBR quantitative real-time RT-PCR (QRT-PCR) for selected genes. A rigorous evaluation of the adequacy of the control condition was also performed. For statistical analysis we generated a four-step filtering criteria. Our results show an upregulation of 38 genes (48 h), 269 genes (10 days), and 203 genes (3 wk) and downregulation of 15 genes (48 h), 160 genes (10 days), and 124 genes (3 wk). Transcripts differentially expressed after TAC were categorized into 12 functional groups and revealed the presence of several intriguing transcripts, e.g., cell proliferation-related Ki-67 and several apoptosis-related genes. Overall changes in QRT-PCR were in accordance with GeneChip data, with the highest correlation for genes with the largest up- or downregulation with TAC. Thus TAC results in altered expression of genes in several pathways regulating both cardiac structure and function. However, for in vivo gene microarray experiments, it is critical to define adequate controls, perform rigorous statistical analysis, and provide validation by alternative methods.

Acute Disease↗

Development of three multiplex RT-PCR assays for the detection of 12 respiratory RNA viruses.

Three multiplex hemi-nested RT-PCR assays were developed to detect simultaneously 12 RNA respiratory viruses: influenza viruses A, B and C, human respiratory syncytial virus (hRSV), human metapneumovirus (hMPV), parainfluenza virus types 1-4 (PIV-1, -2, -3 and -4), human coronavirus OC43 and 229E (HCoV) and rhinovirus (hRV). An internal amplification control was included in one of the RT-PCR assays. The RT-PCR multiplex 1 and the hemi-nested multiplex 1 detected 1 and 0.1 TCID50 of RSV A, respectively, and 0.01 and 0.001 TCID50 of influenza virus A/H3N2, respectively. Two hundred and three nasal aspirates from hospitalised children were retrospectively tested in comparison with two conventional methods: direct immunofluorescence assay and viral isolation technique. Almost all samples (89/91) that were positive by immunofluorescence assay and/or viral isolation technique were detected by the multiplex assay. This method also detected an additional 85 viruses and 33 co-infections. The overall sensitivity (98%), rapidity and enhanced efficiency of these multiplex hemi-nested RT-PCR assays suggest that they would be a significant improvement over conventional methods for the detection of a broad spectrum of respiratory viruses.

Child↗

Inter-laboratory comparison of HCV-RNA assay results: implications for multi-centre research.

To investigate whether it is appropriate to assume comparability of hepatitis virus C (HCV)-RNA results across laboratories in multi-centre studies, nine laboratories of the European Paediatric HCV Network participated in an international proficiency study of HCV-RNA assays. A panel of 12 samples of different dilutions and genotypes was sent to each laboratory and tested with qualitative and/or quantitative HCV-RNA assays according to local procedures. Commercial assays were used in seven laboratories and in-house assays in two. All six laboratories in which a commercial qualitative assay was used were proficient, as were four of six runs (in five laboratories) in which a commercial quantitative assay was used. The proficiency of the laboratories where in-house assays were used could not be assessed according to the VQC definition because of differences in the methods used. Overall, there were several false-negative results, but only one false-positive result with a quantitative assay and none with a qualitative assay. The false-negative results may have implications for the diagnosis of infection, and highlight the need for an antibody test to be performed at 18 months to confirm the absence of infection. The results of qualitative assays were generally consistent across laboratories but it was difficult to evaluate and compare the results of quantitative assays. Multivariate analysis of data collected in multi-centre studies should therefore allow for centre and/or assay used.

Child, Preschool↗

Viral load test reports: a description of content from a sample of US laboratories.

CONTEXT: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) RNA testing (viral load testing) is increasingly important in the care of patients infected with HIV-1 to determine when to initiate, monitor, and change antiretroviral therapy. Patient viral load testing information is communicated to the clinician through the laboratory test report. OBJECTIVES: To examine the format and information used in reporting viral load testing results and determine the clarity of the information provided in these reports. DESIGN: Patient test reports with all personal identifiers removed were requested of viral load testing laboratories participating in a telephone survey of laboratory practices. Hospital, independent, health department, and "other type" laboratories identified as university-associated laboratories participated in the telephone survey. RESULTS: Thirty-seven unique test reports were collected. All laboratories reported results in copies/mL, while 14% also reported results as "log(10) copies/mL." The test kit was identified by only 24% of the laboratories. Reportable ranges were specified by 70% of the laboratories, but there was considerable variation in terminology. One laboratory reported a viral load copy number below the manufacturer's test kit lower limit of sensitivity. The layout and format differed among reports. Some results were expressed in log(10), others contained nonsignificant integers, while others contained exponential numbers. Supplemental information in some reports included previous patient test results and significance of changes from baseline. The format of some reports made it difficult to read the report information and interpret the testing results. CONCLUSION: This study emphasizes the importance of standardizing the reporting of HIV-1 viral load test results to minimize result misinterpretation and incorrect treatment.

Data Collection↗

Functional analysis of p53 gene and the prognostic impact of dominant-negative p53 mutation in endometrial cancer.

In addition to the loss of function, mutant p53 can possess a dominant-negative effect on wild-type p53 and may also exert gain-of-function activity. It is not clear whether the functional status of p53 mutation contributes to differences in outcome in endometrial cancer. We collected a total of 92 RNA samples of high quality from endometrial cancer tissues, and the samples were subjected to yeast functional assay and sequencing for p53 mutations. The detected mutant p53 genes were further investigated for their dominant-negative activity using a yeast-based transdominance assay. p53 mutation was found in 24 out of 92 (26.1%) tumors, of which 10 exhibited no dominant-negative activity (recessive mutation) and 14 showed dominant-negative activity. Dominant-negative p53 mutation was related to advanced stages (p = 0.01), nonendometrioid type tumors (p = 0.01) and grade 3 tumors (p = 0.04). The patients with dominant-negative mutation had significantly shorter survival than patients with no mutation (p < 0.0001) and those with a recessive mutation (p = 0.01) in the p53 gene. No difference in survival was found between the patients with tumors harboring a recessive p53 mutation and those with tumors harboring a wild-type p53. Multivariate analysis revealed that dominant-negative p53 mutation (p = 0.019), FIGO stage (p = 0.0037) and histologic subtype (p = 0.014) were independently related to patient survival. Dominant-negative p53 mutation was the most important prognostic factor for stage III/IV endometrial cancer (p = 0.0023). In conclusion, dominant-negative p53 mutation is often found in advanced stages and aggressive histologic subtypes of endometrial cancer and it is a strong predictor of survival of patients with advanced endometrial cancer. To elucidate further the role of p53 mutation in endometrial cancer, it is necessary to investigate gain-of-function activity involving dominant-negative p53 mutant proteins.

Biological Assay↗

Quantitation of the change in GADD153 messenger RNA level as a molecular marker of tumor response in head and neck cancer.

Cells injured by exposure to cisplatin (cDDP) undergo a cellular injury response that shares characteristics with responses produced by many other injurious agents. We sought to determine whether the increase of the message of the "growth arrest and DNA damage-inducible" gene, GADD153, could be used to assess the extent of the cellular injury response in model systems and in patients with head and neck cancer after treatment with cDDP. The mRNA levels of GADD153, a gene highly transcriptionally activated by cDDP damage, were increased in a transient, concentration-dependent manner by cDDP when human UMSCC10b head and neck carcinoma cells were treated with cDDP both in vitro and when grown as tumor xenografts in nude mice. There was a good correlation between the change in level of GADD153 mRNA and UMSCC10b cell kill by cDDP in vitro (r = 0.98). The magnitude of the increase was proportionally reduced in UMSCC10b sublines that were 3- or 6-fold resistant to cDDP. GADD153 mRNA levels were measured in biopsies obtained before and 24 h after treatment with cDDP from 32 patients with stage III/IV head and neck cancer. There was a relationship between the increase in GADD153 mRNA levels and the response rate. Seven of the 32 patients had no response and no increase in GADD153 mRNA level. Among the eight patients who attained a partial response, the increase in GADD153 message ranged from 0.7-2.5-fold. In contrast, 17 of 32 patients had a complete response, and this was accompanied by a 2-9-fold induction of GADD153. The mean increase in the complete responders (3.8+/-2.2-fold) differed significantly from that for the partial responders (1.6+/-0.9) and nonresponders (0.8+/-0.5; P <0.05); the difference between the partial responders and nonresponders was also significant (P <0.05). An increase of GADD153 mRNA of 1.75-fold or higher predicted a complete response, with a sensitivity of 94% and a specificity of 87%. We conclude that the magnitude of the increase in GADD153 mRNA is a promising candidate for service as an intermediate marker of head and neck tumor response to cDDP. The fact that the change in GADD153 mRNA reflects the actual extent of injury sustained by the tumor makes it particularly attractive as a potential marker. One strength of this approach is that it can provide a measure of the effectiveness of therapy as early as 24-48 h after the first dose of treatment.

Animals↗

Effect of sperm glutathione peroxidases 1 and 4 on embryo asymmetry and blastocyst quality in oocyte donation cycles.

OBJECTIVE: To prospectively determine the impact of concrete components of the sperm oxidative glutathione stress system in terms of enzymatic activity and mitochondrial RNA (mRNA) expression on embryo quality and reproductive outcome. Human spermatozoa use the glutathione system to inactivate reactive oxygen metabolites, and there is a close correlation between some components of the glutathione system and male fertility. However, very few data are published regarding this system in sperm cells and its effect on fertilization ability and embryo development in human beings. DESIGN: An oocyte-donation model, used to homogenize the female factor. SETTING: University-affiliated private IVF setting. PATIENT(S): Semen samples from infertile males (n = 43) of couples undergoing oocyte-donation cycles (n = 43). INTERVENTION(S): None. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Gene expression and activity of glutathione peroxidases (GPXs) 1 and 4, glutathione reductase, and intracellular glutathione (GSH) by fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction and spectrophotometry, respectively. RESULT(S): Fertilization rate, pronuclear number, asymmetry, and pronuclear body distribution were not correlated with any sperm glutathione parameters that were considered. When day 3 embryo parameters were evaluated, only GPX4 mRNA expression in sperm cells was statistically significantly lower when asymmetric embryos were observed. Also, worst embryo development and morphology on day 5 was statistically significantly correlated with lower sperm GPX1 activity (101.07 vs. 258.8 IU/mg protein). Glutathione system analysis in fresh sperm was not statistically significantly different in patients achieving pregnancy compared with those who not, and we did not find any correlation with implantation rate. CONCLUSION(S): We have been able to correlate embryo morphology on day 3 with the sperm expression of GPX family members. The results indicate that sperm-derived mRNA may condition human embryo quality and persist even to blastocyst stage. The correlation of the sperm GPX family mRNA expression with embryo health appears quite promising for discovery of molecular causes of male infertility.

Adult↗

Applicability of an absolute quantitative procedure to monitor intra-individual bcr/abl transcript kinetics in clinical samples from chronic myelogenous leukemia patients.

Chimeric bcr/abl fusion proteins are thought to be the molecular 'pathogen' of chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML). Expression levels of the respective fusion RNAs reflect disease progression as well as remission upon therapeutic intervention in CML patients. However, there is no quick and reliable method that would allow the quantitative routine monitoring of bcr/abl hybrid transcripts. A fluorescent probe-based PCR assay (TaqMan) has been described to quantitfy the exact amount of target sequences. We have established TaqMan real-time RT-PCRs for M-bcr/abl (b2a2, b2a3, b3a2, b3a3) and m-bcr/abl (e1a2) fusion transcripts as well as for beta-actin. All PCRs quantified as little as 10 copies/100 ng total cDNA. In order to investigate whether this procedure is appropriate for routine diagnostic monitoring, we performed retrospective measurements on 9 documented CML disease courses. Our data show that ongoing or relapsing CML is paralleled by increasing peripheral levels of bcr/abl fusion RNAs. Furthermore, sucessful anti-leukemic treatment is reflected by decreasing absolute bcr/abl transcript numbers. In contrast with conventional bcr/abl PCR techniques we could distinguish single positive values and gradually increasing copy numbers.

Disease Progression↗

Matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry as a rapid quality control method in oligonucleotide synthesis.

Oligonucleotide synthesis is a major activity for a large number of laboratories throughout the world. Dimethoxytrityl-deprotection monitors on instruments give the operator a measure of synthetic efficiency, but cannot be considered as a reliable indicator of the final quality of the cleaved and deprotected oligonucleotide. We have therefore adapted and developed methods of analyzing oligonucleotides by matrix-assisted laser desorption ionization mass spectrometry to the quality control situation, resulting in the ability to analyze 20 oligonucleotides up to at least 40 bases long in less than an hour. Most oligonucleotides can be analyzed automatically using the automatic scanning feature of a Kratos MALDI III analyzer.

Electrophoresis, Capillary↗