The mucinous domain of pancreatic carboxyl-ester lipase (CEL) contains core 1/core 2 O-glycans that can be modified by ABO blood group determinants.

Carboxyl-ester lipase (CEL) is a pancreatic fat-digesting enzyme associated with human disease. Rare mutations in the CEL gene cause a syndrome of pancreatic exocrine and endocrine dysfunction denoted MODY8, whereas a recombined CEL allele increases the risk for chronic pancreatitis. Moreover, CEL has been linked to pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) through a postulated oncofetal CEL variant termed feto-acinar pancreatic protein (FAPP). The monoclonal antibody mAb16D10 was previously reported to detect a glycotope in the highly O-glycosylated, mucin-like C terminus of CEL/FAPP. We here assessed the expression of human CEL in malignant pancreatic lesions and cell lines. CEL was not detectably expressed in neoplastic cells, implying that FAPP is unlikely to be a glycoisoform of CEL in pancreatic cancer. Testing of the mAb16D10 antibody in glycan microarrays then demonstrated that it recognized structures containing terminal GalNAc-α1,3(Fuc-α1,2)Gal (blood group A antigen) and also repeated protein sequences containing GalNAc residues linked to Ser/Thr (Tn antigen), findings that were supported by immunostainings of human pancreatic tissue. To examine whether the CEL glycoprotein might be modified by blood group antigens, we used high-sensitivity MALDI-TOF MS to characterize the released O-glycan pool of CEL immunoprecipitated from human pancreatic juice. We found that the O-glycome of CEL consisted mainly of core 1/core 2 structures with a composition depending on the subject's FUT2 and ABO gene polymorphisms. Thus, among digestive enzymes secreted by the pancreas, CEL is a glycoprotein with some unique characteristics, supporting the view that it could serve additional biological functions to its cholesteryl esterase activity in the duodenum.

Associations between ABO blood groups and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma: influence on resection status and survival.

Both serology-based and genetic studies have reported an association between pancreatic cancer risk and ABO blood groups. We have investigated this relationship in a cohort of pancreatic cancer patients from Western Norway (n = 237) and two control materials (healthy blood donors, n = 379; unselected hospitalized patients, n = 6149). When comparing patient and blood donor ABO allele frequencies, we found only the A1 allele to be associated with significantly higher risk for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) (23.8% vs. 17.9%; OR = 1.43, P = 0.018). Analyzing phenotypes, blood group A was more frequent among PDAC cases than blood donors (50.8% vs. 40.6%; OR = 1.51, P = 0.021), an enrichment fully explained by the A1 subgroup. Blood group O frequency was lower in cases than in blood donors (33.8% vs. 42.7%; OR = 0.69, P = 0.039). This lower frequency was confirmed when cases were compared to hospitalized patients (33.8% vs. 42.9%; OR = 0.68, P = 0.012). Results for blood group B varied according to which control cohort was used for comparison. When patients were classified according to surgical treatment, the enrichment of blood group A was most prominent among unresected cases (54.0%), who also had the lowest prevalence of O (28.7%). There was a statistically significant better survival (P = 0.04) for blood group O cases than non-O cases among unresected but not among resected patients. Secretor status did not show an association with PDAC or survival. Our study demonstrates that pancreatic cancer risk is influenced by ABO status, in particular blood groups O and A1 , and that this association may reflect also in tumor resectability and survival.

Tissue MicroRNA profiles as diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers in patients with resectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and periampullary cancers.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to validate previously described diagnostic and prognostic microRNA expression profiles in tissue samples from patients with pancreatic cancer and other periampullary cancers. METHODS: Expression of 46 selected microRNAs was studied in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue from patients with resected pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (n = 165), ampullary cancer (n=59), duodenal cancer (n = 6), distal common bile duct cancer (n = 21), and gastric cancer (n = 20); chronic pancreatitis (n = 39); and normal pancreas (n = 35). The microRNAs were analyzed by PCR using the Fluidigm platform. RESULTS: Twenty-two microRNAs were significantly differently expressed in patients with pancreatic cancer when compared to healthy controls and chronic pancreatitis patients; 17 miRNAs were upregulated (miR-21-5p, -23a-3p, -31-5p, -34c-5p, -93-3p, -135b-3p, -155-5p, -186-5p, -196b-5p, -203, -205-5p, -210, -222-3p, -451, -492, -614, and miR-622) and 5 were downregulated (miR-122-5p, -130b-3p, -216b, -217, and miR-375). MicroRNAs were grouped into diagnostic indices of varying complexity. Ten microRNAs associated with prognosis were identified (let-7 g, miR-29a-5p, -34a-5p, -125a-3p, -146a-5p, -187, -205-5p, -212-3p, -222-5p, and miR-450b-5p). Prognostic indices based on differences in expression of 2 different microRNAs were constructed for pancreatic and ampullary cancer combined and separately (30, 5, and 21 indices). CONCLUSION: The study confirms that pancreatic cancer tissue has a microRNA expression profile that is different from that of other periampullary cancers, chronic pancreatitis, and normal pancreas. We identified prognostic microRNAs and microRNA indices that were associated with shorter overall survival in patients with radically resected pancreatic cancer.

Copy number variants and VNTR length polymorphisms of the carboxyl-ester lipase (CEL) gene as risk factors in pancreatic cancer.

BACKGROUND/OBJECTIVES: We have recently described copy number variants (CNVs) of the human carboxyl-ester lipase (CEL) gene, including a recombined deletion allele (CEL-HYB) that is a genetic risk factor for chronic pancreatitis. Associations with pancreatic disease have also been reported for the variable number of tandem repeat (VNTR) region located in CEL exon 11. Here, we examined if CEL CNVs and VNTR length polymorphisms affect the risk for developing pancreatic cancer. METHODS: CEL CNVs and VNTR were genotyped in a German family with non-alcoholic chronic pancreatitis and pancreatic cancer, in 265 German and 197 Norwegian patients diagnosed with pancreatic adenocarcinoma, and in 882 controls. CNV screening was performed using PCR assays followed by agarose gel electrophoresis whereas VNTR lengths were determined by DNA fragment analysis. RESULTS: The investigated family was CEL-HYB-positive. However, an association of CEL-HYB or a duplication CEL allele with pancreatic cancer was not seen in our two patient cohorts. The frequency of the 23-repeat VNTR allele was borderline significant in Norwegian cases compared to controls (1.2% vs. 0.3%; P = 0.05). For all other VNTR lengths, no statistically significant difference in frequency was observed. Moreover, no association with pancreatic cancer was detected when CEL VNTR lengths were pooled into groups of short, normal or long alleles. CONCLUSIONS: We could not demonstrate an association between CEL CNVs and pancreatic cancer. An association is also unlikely for CEL VNTR lengths, although analyses in larger materials are necessary to completely exclude an effect of rare VNTR alleles.

Impact of KRAS, BRAF, PIK3CA, TP53 status and intraindividual mutation heterogeneity on outcome after liver resection for colorectal cancer metastases.

We determined prognostic impact of KRAS, BRAF, PIK3CA and TP53 mutation status and mutation heterogeneity among 164 colorectal cancer (CRC) patients undergoing liver resections for metastatic disease. Mutation status was determined by Sanger sequencing of a total of 422 metastatic deposits. In univariate analysis, KRAS (33.5%), BRAF (6.1%) and PIK3CA (13.4%) mutations each predicted reduced median time to relapse (TTR) (7 vs. 22, 3 vs. 16 and 4 vs. 17 months; p < 0.001, 0.002 and 0.023, respectively). KRAS and BRAF mutations also predicted a reduced median disease-specific survival (DSS) (29 vs. 51 and 16 vs. 49 months; p <0.001 and 0.008, respectively). No effect of TP53 (60.4%) mutation status was observed. Postoperative, but not preoperative chemotherapy improved both TTR and DSS (p < 0.001 for both) with no interaction with gene mutation status. Among 94 patients harboring two or more metastatic deposits, 13 revealed mutation heterogeneity across metastatic deposits for at least one gene. Mutation heterogeneity predicted reduced median DSS compared to homogeneous mutations (18 vs. 37 months; p = 0.011 for all genes; 16 vs. 26 months; p < 0.001 analyzing BRAF or KRAS mutations separately). In multivariate analyses, KRAS or BRAF mutations consistently predicted poor TRR and DSS. Mutation heterogeneity robustly predicted DSS but not TTR, while postoperative chemotherapy improved both TTR and DSS. Our findings indicate that BRAF and KRAS mutations as well as mutation heterogeneity predict poor outcome in CRC patients subsequent to liver resections and might help guide treatment decisions.

Glycogenin-2 is dispensable for liver glycogen synthesis and glucagon-stimulated glucose release.

CONTEXT: The synthesis of glycogen is initiated by glycogenin. In humans, glycogenin-1 is expressed ubiquitously, whereas glycogenin-2 (GN2) is highly expressed in liver. It has therefore been suggested that GN2 is a liver isoform of glycogenin. In a search for possible copy number variations associated with monogenic diabetes, we identified a 102-kb deletion of the X chromosome involving the entire GYG2 gene (encoding GN2) in 2 families. OBJECTIVE: The purpose of this study was to test whether male GYG2 deletion carriers had abnormal glucose metabolism and/or glycogen synthesis. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PATIENTS: Two families with diabetes and a GYG2 deletion were investigated with medical history and examination, glucagon stimulation tests, and liver biopsies. RESULTS: We identified a GYG2 deletion in 3 members of family 1, 8 members of family 2, and 1 blood donor. The deletion showed no clear cosegregation with diabetes. Deletion carriers reported no symptoms related to fasting. Results of cardiac examination and abdominal ultrasound imaging were normal. A glucagon stimulation test in 4 male deletion carriers showed a mean rise in plasma glucose of 3.6 mmol/L (95% confidence interval, 2.9-4.2) compared with 2.8 mmol/L (95% confidence interval, 2.2-3.4) in control subjects. Liver biopsy specimens did not show clear morphologic changes by light microscopy and showed the presence of both α- and ß-glycogen by electron microscopy. We detected GYG1 but not GYG2 mRNA expression in the liver biopsy specimens. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first evaluation of humans without GN2 expression. Our data indicate that GN2 is not required for liver glycogen synthesis and glucagon-stimulated glucose release.

Performance comparison of three BRAF V600E detection methods in malignant melanoma and colorectal cancer specimens.

Personalized cancer care requires reliable biomarkers. While the BRAF V600E mutation is implemented in the clinic, no method for its detection has so far been established as reference. We aimed to perform a comprehensive comparison of three methods currently being used for V600E detection in clinical samples. We analysed genomic DNA from 127 malignant melanomas (77 patients) and 389 tumours from 141 colorectal cancer patients (383 liver metastases and 6 primary tumours) by Sanger sequencing and a single probe-based high-resolution melting assay (LightMix). Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissue from a subset of these lesions (n = 77 and 304, respectively) was analysed by immunohistochemistry (IHC) using the V600E-specific antibody VE1. In a dilution series of V600E-mutated DNA in wild-type DNA, the detection limit for the LightMix assay was 1:1000 mutated alleles while it was 1:10 for Sanger sequencing. In line with this, we detected 15 additional mutated melanoma samples and two additional mutated metastatic colorectal cancer samples by the LightMix assay compared to Sanger sequencing. For the melanoma samples, we observed high concordance between DNA-based methods and analysis by IHC. However, in colorectal samples, IHC performed poorly with 12 samples being scored as V600E positive exclusively by IHC and nine samples being scored as V600E negative exclusively by IHC. In conclusion, the VE1 antibody is not recommendable for clinical tests of colorectal cancer samples. For melanoma samples, IHC may be useful as a screening tool guiding further analytical approaches.

Carboxyl-ester lipase maturity-onset diabetes of the young is associated with development of pancreatic cysts and upregulated MAPK signaling in secretin-stimulated duodenal fluid.

Carboxyl-ester lipase (CEL) maturity-onset diabetes of the young (MODY) is a monogenic form of diabetes and pancreatic exocrine dysfunction due to mutations in the CEL gene encoding CEL. The pathogenic mechanism for diabetes development is unknown. Since CEL is expressed mainly in pancreatic acinar cells, we asked whether we could find structural pancreatic changes in CEL-MODY subjects during the course of diabetes development. Furthermore, we hypothesized that the diseased pancreas releases proteins that are detectable in pancreatic fluid and potentially reflect activation or inactivation of disease-specific pathways. We therefore investigated nondiabetic and diabetic CEL-mutation carriers by pancreatic imaging studies and secretin-stimulated duodenal juice sampling. The secretin-stimulated duodenal juice was studied using cytokine assays, mass spectrometry (MS) proteomics, and multiplexed MS-based measurement of kinase activities. We identified multiple pancreatic cysts in all eight diabetic mutation carriers but not in any of the four nondiabetic mutation carriers or the six healthy controls. Furthermore, we identified upregulated mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) target proteins and MAPK-driven cytokines and increased MAPK activity in the secretin-stimulated duodenal juice. These findings show that subjects with CEL-MODY develop multiple pancreatic cysts by the time they develop diabetes and that upregulated MAPK signaling in the pancreatic secretome may reflect the pathophysiological development of pancreatic cysts and diabetes.

Vascular proliferation is associated with survival in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

In pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC), the benefit of current chemotherapy and radiation therapy is very limited, even in radically resected patients. New treatment strategies, for example based on the inhibition of the tumour's blood supply, need to be explored. We have investigated angiogenesis markers and their associations with relapse and survival in 52 histologically confirmed cases of PDAC. Angiogenesis in the primary tumour was evaluated by microvessel density (MVD), vascular proliferation index (VPI) and the presence of glomeruloid microvascular proliferations (GMP). These features were analysed in the context of clinicopathological variables, KRAS mutation status, relapse location and survival. MVD (median 134 microvessels/mm(2) , range 88-177) and VPI (median 3.2%, range 1.6-4.9) were associated with larger tumour size and lymph node metastasis. MVD was also related to the occurrence of liver metastases. Both variables were associated with survival in univariate and multivariate analyses. GMPs were present in 32 (62%) of the cases. Patients who exhibited MVD and VPI values above median, and GMP positivity, had a median survival of only 4.2 months after surgery. In conclusion, the angiogenesis markers MVD and VPI have a significant impact on survival. By also including GMP, a subgroup of PDAC patients with particularly short survival could be identified.

Quantitative measurement of ultrasound attenuation and Hepato-Renal Index in Non-Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to non-invasively explore new methods of ultrasound attenuation measurements in livers of patients with Non-Alcoholic-Fatty-Liver-Disease (NAFLD) and to measure the liver tissue elasticity. MATERIAL AND METHOD: Sixteen patients with NAFLD, twelve patients with liver fibrosis and fifteen healthy subjects were included. Echo Levels (ELs) in dB were measured at 2 and 7 cm depths in the right liver to calculate the attenuation. ELs were measured in liver and right kidney tissue to calculate the Hepato-Renal Index (HRI). This index was calculated both as a difference, HRI-diff; (EL Liver -EL Kidney) and HRI-ratio; (EL Liver / EL Kidney) using built-in software of the ultrasound scanner. Liver tissue elasticity was measured using transient elastography (TE, Fibroscan®). NAFLD and liver fibrosis were confirmed by liver biopsy. RESULTS: We found that HRI- diff was significantly higher in the NAFLD group compared with healthy subjects, 6.2 dB (0.8-11.4) vs.1. 9 dB (0.0-6.1), p=0.012. HRI- ratio was significantly lower between the same two groups, 0.9 dB (0.8-1.02) vs.1.01 dB (0.9-1.12), and p<0.0001. TE, ELs and liver size showed significant differences between NAFLD patients and healthy controls. Between patients with fibrosis and NAFLD the differences were significant for TE, liver size and attenuation. Intra- and interobserver correlation and agreement of ELs were good. CONCLUSION: Measurements of liver tissue using HR-Indexes, ultrasound attenuation, and tissue elasticity may be useful methods to differentiate objectively between steatosis and healthy and quantify the differences.

Automated tracking of nanoparticle-labeled melanoma cells improves the predictive power of a brain metastasis model.

Biologic and therapeutic advances in melanoma brain metastasis are hampered by the paucity of reproducible and predictive animal models. In this work, we developed a robust model of brain metastasis that empowers quantitative tracking of cellular dissemination and tumor progression. Human melanoma cells labeled with superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPION) were injected into the left cardiac ventricle of mice and visualized by MRI. We showed that SPION exposure did not affect viability, growth, or migration in multiple cell lines across several in vitro assays. Moreover, labeling did not impose changes in cell-cycle distribution or apoptosis. In vivo, several SPION-positive cell lines displayed similar cerebral imaging and histologic features. MRI-based automated quantification of labeled cells in the brain showed a sigmoid association between metastasis frequency and doses of inoculated cells. Validation of this fully automated quantification showed a strong correlation with manual signal registration (r(2) = 0.921, P < 0.001) and incidence of brain metastases (r(2) = 0.708, P < 0.001). Metastasis formation resembled the pattern seen in humans and was unaffected by SPION labeling (histology; tumor count, P = 0.686; survival, P = 0.547). In summary, we present here a highly reproducible animal model that can improve the predictive value of mechanistic and therapeutic studies of melanoma brain metastasis.

In vivo animal models for studying brain metastasis: value and limitations.

Brain metastasis is associated with a particular poor prognosis. Novel insight into the brain metastatic process is therefore warranted. Several preclinical models of brain tumor metastasis have been developed during the last 60 years, and they have in part revealed some of the mechanisms underlying the metastatic process. This review discusses mechanisms of brain metastasis with a key focus of the development of animal model systems. This includes the use of rodent, syngeneic brain metastasis models (spontaneous, chemically induced and genetically engineered models) and human xenotransplantation models (ectopic inoculation and orthotopic models). Current information indicates that none of these fully reflect tumor development seen in patients with metastatic disease. The various model systems used, however, have provided important insight into specific mechanisms of the metastatic process related to the brain. By combining the knowledge obtained from animal models, new important information on the molecular mechanisms behind metastasis will be obtained, leading to the future development of new therapeutic strategies.

HNF1B mutation in a Turkish child with renal and exocrine pancreas insufficiency, diabetes and liver disease.

A small-for-gestational age female infant presented with bilateral hypoplastic kidneys at 3 months of age. She developed chronic renal insufficiency. Insulin-requiring, non-autoimmune diabetes was documented at 6 years of age. She had mild steatosis and iron deposition in the liver, and mal-development of pancreas. Genetic studies revealed a heterozygous mutation (S148L) of the HNF1B gene, compatible with an HNF1B-MODY phenotype (MODY5). This is the first case of HNF1B-MODY reported from Turkey and represents a particularly severe phenotype of the disease.

Targeting the NG2/CSPG4 proteoglycan retards tumour growth and angiogenesis in preclinical models of GBM and melanoma.

Aberrant expression of the progenitor marker Neuron-glia 2 (NG2/CSPG4) or melanoma proteoglycan on cancer cells and angiogenic vasculature is associated with an aggressive disease course in several malignancies including glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) and melanoma. Thus, we investigated the mechanism of NG2 mediated malignant progression and its potential as a therapeutic target in clinically relevant GBM and melanoma animal models. Xenografting NG2 overexpressing GBM cell lines resulted in increased growth rate, angiogenesis and vascular permeability compared to control, NG2 negative tumours. The effect of abrogating NG2 function was investigated after intracerebral delivery of lentivirally encoded shRNAs targeting NG2 in patient GBM xenografts as well as in established subcutaneous A375 melanoma tumours. NG2 knockdown reduced melanoma proliferation and increased apoptosis and necrosis. Targeting NG2 in two heterogeneous GBM xenografts significantly reduced tumour growth and oedema levels, angiogenesis and normalised vascular function. Vascular normalisation resulted in increased tumour invasion and decreased apoptosis and necrosis. We conclude that NG2 promotes tumour progression by multiple mechanisms and represents an amenable target for cancer molecular therapy.

Expression of the progenitor marker NG2/CSPG4 predicts poor survival and resistance to ionising radiation in glioblastoma.

Glioblastoma (GBM) is a highly aggressive brain tumour, where patients respond poorly to radiotherapy and exhibit dismal survival outcomes. The mechanisms of radioresistance are not completely understood. However, cancer cells with an immature stem-like phenotype are hypothesised to play a role in radioresistance. Since the progenitor marker neuron-glial-2 (NG2) has been shown to regulate several aspects of GBM progression in experimental systems, we hypothesised that its expression would influence the survival of GBM patients. Quantification of NG2 expression in 74 GBM biopsies from newly diagnosed and untreated patients revealed that 50% express high NG2 levels on tumour cells and associated vessels, being associated with significantly shorter survival. This effect was independent of age at diagnosis, treatment received and hypermethylation of the O(6)-methylguanine methyltransferase (MGMT) DNA repair gene promoter. NG2 was frequently co-expressed with nestin and vimentin but rarely with CD133 and the NG2 positive tumour cells harboured genetic aberrations typical for GBM. 2D proteomics of 11 randomly selected biopsies revealed upregulation of an antioxidant, peroxiredoxin-1 (PRDX-1), in the shortest surviving patients. Expression of PRDX-1 was associated with significantly reduced products of oxidative stress. Furthermore, NG2 expressing GBM cells showed resistance to ionising radiation (IR), rapidly recognised DNA damage and effectuated cell cycle checkpoint signalling. PRDX-1 knockdown transiently slowed tumour growth rates and sensitised them to IR in vivo. Our data establish NG2 as an important prognostic factor for GBM patient survival, by mediating resistance to radiotherapy through induction of ROS scavenging enzymes and preferential DNA damage signalling.

Visualization of CD44 and CD133 in normal pancreas and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas: non-overlapping membrane expression in cell populations positive for both markers.

Tumor-initiating cells of pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) have been isolated based on expression of either CD133 or CD44. The authors aimed to visualize pancreatic cells simultaneously expressing both these cell surface markers by employing the same antibodies commonly used in cell-sorting studies. Normal and diseased pancreatic tissue, including 51 PDAC cases, were analyzed. CD44 and CD133 expression was determined by immunohistochemical double staining on formalin-fixed material and subcellular protein distribution evaluated by immunofluorescence/confocal microscopy. In the normal pancreas, CD44 and CD133 were coexpressed in the centroacinar regions but in non-overlapping subcellular compartments. As expected, CD44 was found mainly basolaterally, whereas CD133 was present on the apical/endoluminal membrane. This was also the case in chronically inflamed/atrophic pancreatic tissue and in PDAC. In some malignant ducts, CD44 was found at the apical cell membrane adjacent to but never overlapping with CD133 expression. CD44 level was significantly associated with the patient's lymph node status. In conclusion, a CD44+/CD133+ cell population does exist in the normal and neoplastic pancreas. The preferentially centroacinar localization of the doubly positive cells in the normal parenchyma suggests that this population could be of particular interest in attempts to identify tumor-initiating cells in PDAC.

Long-term cultures of bone marrow-derived human mesenchymal stem cells frequently undergo spontaneous malignant transformation.

Human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSC) aid in tissue maintenance and repair by differentiating into specialized cell types. Due to this ability, hMSC are currently being evaluated for cell-based therapies of tissue injury and degenerative diseases. However, extensive expansion ex vivo is a prerequisite to obtain the cell numbers required for human cell-based therapy protocols. Recent studies indicate that hMSC may contribute to cancer development and progression either by acting as cancer-initiating cells or through interactions with stromal elements. If spontaneous transformation ex vivo occurs, this may jeopardize the use of hMSC as therapeutic tools. Whereas murine MSC readily undergo spontaneous transformation, there are conflicting reports about spontaneous transformation of hMSC. We have addressed this controversy in a two-center study by growing bone marrow-derived hMSC in long-term cultures (5-106 weeks). We report for the first time spontaneous malignant transformation to occur in 45.8% (11 of 24) of these cultures. In comparison with hMSC, the transformed mesenchymal cells (TMC) showed a significantly increased proliferation rate and altered morphology and phenotype. In contrast to hMSC, TMC grew well in soft agar assays and were unable to undergo complete differentiation. Importantly, TMC were highly tumorigenic, causing multiple fast-growing lung deposits when injected into immunodeficient mice. We conclude that spontaneous malignant transformation may represent a biohazard in long-term ex vivo expansion of hMSC. On the other hand, this spontaneous transformation process may represent a unique model for studying molecular pathways initiating malignant transformation of hMSC.

Inhibition of experimental Sjögren's syndrome through immunization with HSP60 and its peptide amino acids 437-460.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate a potential immunomodulatory effect of the 60-kd heat-shock protein (Hsp60) on experimental spontaneous Sjögren's syndrome (SS). METHODS: Seven-week-old nonobese diabetic (NOD) mice were immunized with eukaryotic Hsp60 or an Hsp60-derived peptide (amino acid residue [aa] 437-460). At 21 weeks of age, nondiabetic mice were investigated for salivary gland inflammation, exocrine function, and extraglandular disease manifestations. In addition, biomarker profiles comprising 87 analytes in serum and 75 in saliva were analyzed. RESULTS: In mice immunized with Hsp60 and aa 437-460, SS-related histopathologic features were significantly reduced compared with NOD controls. In addition, 50% of Hsp60-injected mice and 33% of aa 437-460-injected mice retained normal exocrine function. Both treatments induced similar changes in biomarker profiles. Notably, levels of circulating interferon-gamma-inducible 10-kd protein (IP-10) and eotaxin were decreased significantly after treatment. Anti-type 3 muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (anti-M3R) IgG1, interleukin-10, and leptin discriminated best between the different treatment groups. Successful prevention of hyposalivation was accompanied by quantitative alterations in 36 biomarkers, of which 19 mediators of inflammation declined to levels comparable with those found in BALB/c mice. Low secreted vascular endothelial growth factor A was the most accurate predictor of successful prevention of hyposalivation. Low salivary granulocyte chemotactic protein 2 was identified as the best predictor of normal secretory function across the strains. CONCLUSION: Immunization with Hsp60 and its peptide aa 437-460 led to inhibition of SS in NOD mice. Comprehensive analyses revealed specific biomarker signatures capable of predicting treatment group and treatment outcome. Molecules involved in inflammatory chemotaxis, neovascularization, and regulatory pathways caused the differences displayed by the biomarker profiles.

Crohn's disease: Comparison of in vitro ultrasonographic images and histology.

OBJECTIVE: To examine some typical histological findings in Crohn's disease using high-frequency ultrasound and to define the echo properties of these findings. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Bowel resection specimens from 14 patients operated on for Crohn's disease were examined with a 10 MHz linear array ultrasound transducer in a saline reservoir. Needles were placed in the specimen corresponding to the ultrasound plane. After formalin fixation, histological sections were taken according to these markings. Fifty-eight ultrasonographic images with 123 regions of interest were compared with corresponding histology. RESULTS: A thickened muscularis mucosae (>0.3 mm) was found in 48 of 69 regions of interest on histology. Submucosa with slight to moderate fibrosis was imaged as an echo-rich layer with sporadic, echo-poor elements (36/56), while severe fibrosis was seen as an echo-rich layer with diffuse, echo-poor elements (40/55). Muscularis propria with slight to moderate fibrosis was seen as an echo-poor layer with sporadic, echo-rich elements (49/66) while severe fibrosis was seen as an echo-poor layer with diffuse, echo-rich elements (17/22). Crohn's rosary was seen as echo-poor extensions of the 4th echo layer (31/50). CONCLUSIONS: Typical histological findings in Crohn's disease such as a thickened muscularis mucosae and Crohn's rosary can be imaged with high-frequency ultrasound in vitro. Fibrosis in the submucosa and muscularis propria is associated with decreasing and increasing echogenicity, respectively.