Differential MMP-14 targeting by biglycan, decorin, fibromodulin, and lumican unraveled by in silico approach.

Small leucine-rich proteoglycans (SLRPs) are major regulators of extracellular matrix assembly and cell signaling. Lumican, a member of the SLRPs family, and its derived peptides were shown to possess antitumor activity by interacting directly with the catalytic domain of MMP-14 leading to the inhibition of its activity. The aim of the present report was to characterize by in silico three-dimensional (3D) modeling the structure and the dynamics of four SLRPs including their core protein and their specific polysaccharide chains to assess their capacity to bind to MMP-14 and to regulate its activity. Molecular docking experiments were performed to identify the specific amino acids of MMP-14 interacting with each of the four SLRPs. The inhibition of each SLRP (100 nM) on MMP-14 activity was measured and the constants of inhibition (Ki) were evaluated. The impact of the number of glycan chains, structures, and dynamics of lumican on the interaction with MMP-14 was assessed by molecular dynamics simulations. Molecular docking analysis showed that all SLRPs bind to MMP-14 through their concave face, but in different regions of the catalytic domain of MMP-14. Each SLRPs inhibited significantly the MMP-14 activity. Finally, molecular dynamics showed the role of glycan chains in interaction with MMP-14 and shielding effect of SLRPs. Altogether, the results demonstrated that each SLRP exhibited inhibition of MMP-14 activity. However, the differential targeting of MMP-14 by the SLRPs was shown to be related not only to the core protein conformation but also to the glycan chain structures and dynamics.

Investigation of Glypican-4 and -6 by Infrared Spectral Imaging during the Hair Growth Cycle.

The expression of glypicans in different hair follicle (HF) compartments is still poorly understood. Heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) distribution in HF is classically investigated by conventional histology, biochemical analysis, and immunohistochemistry. Our previous study proposed a novel approach to assess hair histology and glypican-1 (GPC1) distribution changes in the HF at different phases of the hair growth cycle using infrared spectral imaging (IRSI). We show in the present manuscript for the first time complementary data on the distribution of glypican-4 (GPC4) and glypican-6 (GPC6) in HF at different phases of the hair growth cycle using IR imaging. Findings were supported by Western blot assays focusing on the GPC4 and GPC6 expression in HFs. Like all proteoglycan features, the glypicans are characterized by a core protein to which sulfated and/or unsulfated glycosaminoglycan (GAG) chains are covalently linked. Our study demonstrates the capacity of IRSI to identify the different HF tissue structures and to highlight protein, proteoglycan (PG), GAG, and sulfated GAG distribution in these structures. The comparison between anagen, catagen, and telogen phases shows the qualitative and/or quantitative evolution of GAGs, as supported by Western blot. Thus, in one analysis, IRSI can simultaneously reveal the location of proteins, PGs, GAGs and sulfated GAGs in HFs in a chemical and label-free manner. From a dermatological point of view, IRSI may constitute a promising technique to study alopecia.

High amylase concentration in drainage liquid can early predict proximal and distal intestinal anastomotic leakages: A prospective observational study.

Background: Anastomotic leak (AL) is a serious complication in digestive surgery. Early diagnosis might allow clinicians to anticipate appropriate management. The aim of this study was to assess the predictive value of amylase concentration in drain fluid for the early diagnosis of digestive tract AL. Materials and Methods: Hundred and fourteen consecutive patients "at risk" of AL, in whom a flexible drainage was placed by surgeon's choice after digestive anastomosis were included. Patients with eso-gastric, bilio-digestive, and pancreatic anastomoses were excluded. Drain amylase measurement (DAM) was routinely performed on postoperative day (POD) 1, 3, 5-7. DAM values were compared between patients with postoperative AL versus patients without AL. A receiver-operating curve (ROC) with calculation of the areas under the ROC curves area under curves was performed and a cutoff value of DAM was calculated. Results: AL occurred in 25 patients (AL group) and 89 patients did not present AL (C group). The mean DAM was significantly higher in AL group versus C Group on POD 1, 3, and 5. A cutoff value of 307 IU/L predicted the occurrence of AL with a sensitivity and specificity of 91% and 100%, respectively. Positive and negative predictive values were 100% and 97.5%, respectively. Patients with AL had an elevated DAM prior to the appearance of any clinical signs of AL. Conclusion: High level DAM could accurately predict AL for proximal and distal digestive tract anastomoses. This simple, noninvasive, and low-cost method can accurately predict early AL and help physicians to perform appropriate imaging and treatment.

Lack of admission biomarkers' clinical utility in outcomes prediction in patients suspected with infection in the emergency department.

INTRODUCTION: Initial procalcitonin (PCT) levels may fail in mortality and septic shock prediction and raise cost-effectiveness issues. Since measurement of lactate, C-reactive protein (CRP), white blood cells and neutrophils is common in the emergency department (ED), we compared prediction abilities of these biomarkers to PCT. METHODS: From January 1st to December 31st, 2018, an observational, single center, retrospective study was conducted in the adult ED of the Reims University Hospital (France). Endpoints were bacteremia, septic shock, and in-hospital mortality, related to the same ED visit. RESULTS: Over one year, 459 patients suspected with infection were included, of mean age 60.4 years (SD: 22.0), with 50.8% male, and 364 (79.3%) were hospitalized following ED visit. Overall, 45 (9.8%) patients had a bacteremia, 39 (8.5%) a septic shock and 54 (11.8%) died during their hospitalization. PCT and CRP showed the best discrimination for bacteremia, with an area under curve (AUC) of 0.68 for PCT and 0.65 for CRP. PCT and lactate showed similar good discriminative power for septic shock, with an AUC of 0.78 for both, and poor discrimination for in-hospital mortality, with an AUC of 0.62 for PCT and 0.69 for lactate. Systolic blood pressure and pulse oximetry showed similar discrimination for septic shock as PCT or lactate, while they showed higher discrimination for in-hospital mortality than PCT. CONCLUSION: Usual admission biomarkers lack clinical utility in predicting septic shock or in-hospital mortality. CRP and PCT are poorly efficient in predicting bacteremia.

Tumour cell blebbing and extracellular vesicle shedding: key role of matrikines and ribosomal protein SA.

BACKGROUND: Carcinogenesis occurs in elastin-rich tissues and leads to local inflammation and elastolytic proteinase release. This contributes to bioactive matrix fragment (Matrikine) accumulation like elastin degradation products (EDP) stimulating tumour cell invasive and metastatic properties. We previously demonstrate that EDPs exert protumoural activities through Hsp90 secretion to stabilised extracellular proteinases. METHODS: EDP influence on cancer cell blebbing and extracellular vesicle shedding were examined with a videomicroscope coupled with confocal Yokogawa spinning disk, by transmission electron microscopy, scanning electron microscopy and confocal microscopy. The ribosomal protein SA (RPSA) elastin receptor was identified after affinity chromatography by western blotting and cell immunolocalisation. mRNA expression was studied using real-time PCR. SiRNA were used to confirm the essential role of RPSA. RESULTS: We demonstrate that extracellular matrix degradation products like EDPs induce tumour amoeboid phenotype with cell membrane blebbing and shedding of extracellular vesicle containing Hsp90 and proteinases in the extracellular space. EDPs influence intracellular calcium influx and cytoskeleton reorganisation. Among matrikines, VGVAPG and AGVPGLGVG peptides reproduced EDP effects through RPSA binding. CONCLUSIONS: Our data suggests that matrikines induce cancer cell blebbing and extracellular vesicle release through RPSA binding, favouring dissemination, cell-to-cell communication and growth of cancer cells in metastatic sites.

Matrikines from basement membrane collagens: a new anti-cancer strategy.

BACKGROUND: Tumor microenvironment is a complex system composed of a largely altered extracellular matrix with different cell types that determine angiogenic responses and tumor progression. Upon the influence of hypoxia, tumor cells secrete cytokines that activate stromal cells to produce proteases and angiogenic factors. In addition to stromal ECM breakdown, proteases exert various pro- or anti-tumorigenic functions and participate in the release of various ECM fragments, named matrikines or matricryptins, capable to act as endogenous angiogenesis inhibitors and to limit tumor progression. SCOPE OF REVIEW: We will focus on the matrikines derived from the NC1 domains of the different constitutive chains of basement membrane-associated collagens and mainly collagen IV. MAJOR CONCLUSIONS: The putative targets of the matrikine control are the proliferation and invasive properties of tumor or inflammatory cells, and the angiogenic and lymphangiogenic responses. Collagen-derived matrikines such as canstatin, tumstatin or tetrastatin for example, decrease tumor growth in various cancer models. Their anti-cancer activities comprise anti-proliferative effects on tumor or endothelial cells by induction of apoptosis or cell cycle blockade and the induction of a loss of their migratory phenotype. They were used in various preclinical therapeutic strategies: i) induction of their overexpression by cancer cells or by the host cells, ii) use of recombinant proteins or synthetic peptides or structural analogues designed from the structure of the active sequences, iii) used in combined therapies with conventional chemotherapy or radiotherapy. GENERAL SIGNIFICANCE: Collagen-derived matrikines strongly inhibited tumor growth in many preclinical cancer models in mouse. They constitute a new family of anti-cancer agents able to limit cancer progression. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Matrix-mediated cell behaviour and properties.

A new anti-tumor strategy based on in vivo tumstatin overexpression after plasmid electrotransfer in muscle.

The NC1 domains from the different α(IV) collagen chains were found to exert anti-tumorigenic and/or anti-angiogenic activities. A limitation to the therapeutic use of these matrikines is the large amount of purified recombinant proteins, in the milligram range in mice that should be administered daily throughout the experimental procedures. In the current study, we developed a new therapeutic approach based on tumstatin (NC1α3(IV)) overexpression in vivo in a mouse melanoma model. Gene electrotransfer of naked plasmid DNA (pDNA) is particularly attractive because of its simplicity, its lack of immune responsiveness and its safety. The pDNA electrotransfer in muscle mediates a substantial gene expression that lasts several months. A pVAX1© vector containing the tumstatin cDNA was injected into the legs of C57BL/6 mice and submitted to electrotranfer. Sera were collected at different times and tumstatin was quantified by ELISA. Tumstatin secretion reached a plateau at day 21 with an expression level of 12 µg/mL. For testing the effects of tumstatin expression on tumor growth in vivo, B16F1 melanoma cells were subcutaneously injected in mice 7 days after empty pVAX1© (Mock) or pVAX1©-tumstatin electrotransfer. Tumstatin expression triggered a large decrease in tumor growth and an increase in mouse survival. This new therapeutic approach seems promising to inhibit tumor progression in vivo.

An Innovative 3D-Printed Insert Designed to Enable Straightforward 2D and 3D Cell Cultures.

The classical analyses of indirect communication between different cell types necessitate the use of conditioned media. Moreover, the production of conditioned media remains time-consuming and far from physiological and pathological conditions. Although a few models of co-culture are commercially available, they remain restricted to specific assays and are mostly for two types of cells. Here, 3D-printed inserts are used that are compatible with numerous functional assays. The insert allows the separation of one well of a 6-well plate into four compartments. A wide range of combinations can be set. Moreover, windows are designed in each wall of the compartments so that potential intercellular communication between every compartment is possible in the culture medium in a volume-dependent manner. For example, paracrine intercellular communication can be studied between four cell types in monolayer, in 3D (spheroids), or by combining both. In addition, a mix of different cell types can be seeded in the same compartment in 2D or 3D (organoids) format. The absence of a bottom in the 3D-printed inserts allows the usual culture conditions on the plate, possible coating on the plate containing the insert, and direct visualization by optical microscopy. The multiple compartments provide the possibility to collect different cell types independently or to use, in each compartment, different reagents for RNA or protein extraction. In this study, a detailed methodology is provided to use the new 3D-printed insert as a co-culture system. To demonstrate several capacities of this flexible and simple model, previously published functional assays of cell communication were performed in the new 3D-printed inserts and were demonstrated to be reproducible. The 3D-printed inserts and the conventional cell culture using conditioned media led to similar results. In conclusion, the 3D-printed insert is a simple device that can be adapted to numerous models of co-cultures with adherent cell types.

Association between admission biomarkers and clinical outcome in older adults diagnosed with an infection in the emergency department.

INTRODUCTION: In older adults, prognostic performances of admission biomarkers have been poorly investigated. This study aims to compare the prognostic abilities of usual admission biomarkers, especially PCT and CRP, for major clinical outcomes, comparing older to younger adults diagnosed with an infection in the ED, and to investigate the prognostic abilities of PCT and CRP depending on the glomerular filtration rate (GFR). METHODS: It was an observational, single-center, retrospective study, conducted in the Reims University Hospital, France. Endpoints were bacteremia, septic shock, and in-hospital mortality, related to the same ED visit. RESULTS: Over 1 year, 852 patients were included with 291 (34.2%) ≥75 years, and 127 (15.3%) patients had a GFR <30 mL.min-1.1.73 m2. Overall, 74 bacteremia, 56 septic shock and 82 in-hospital deaths have been observed. Prognostic abilities of admission biomarkers tended to be systematically lower in older compared to younger adults (PCT and CRP AUROC for bacteremia were, respectively, 0.71 and 0.62 in older adults vs 0.75 and 0.70 in younger adults; PCT and CRP AUROC for septic shock were, respectively, 0.71 and 0.66 in older adults vs 0.82 and 0.68 in younger adults). PCT showed a significant discriminating power for septic shock and in-hospital mortality only for GFR ≥ 30, and CRP showed a significant discriminating power for bacteremia and septic shock only for GFR ≥60. CONCLUSION: Caution must be taken when interpreting admission biomarkers, as their prognostic abilities are lower in older adults or in patients with renal insufficiency diagnosed with an infection.

Increased intravitreal glucose in rhegmatogenous retinal detachment.

PURPOSE: Altered glucose metabolism, along with low-grade inflammation, has been proposed to be involved in retinal detachment (RD)-induced cone loss. Here, we assessed intravitreal glucose and cytological profile in patients with macula-off RD. METHODS: Glucose concentration was analysed in vitreous samples from 137 non-diabetic patients undergoing vitrectomy for either primary macula-off RD (n = 73) or epiretinal membrane (ERM; n = 64). Cellularity was assessed in vitreous cytospin preparations by a semi-quantitative immunostaining approach. RESULTS: Intravitreal glucose concentration was higher in the RD group (2.28 mmol.L-1 n =73 vs 1.6 mmol.L-1 n = 64; p < 0.0001). Overall cellularity and density of macrophages were significantly higher in the vitreous of RD patients (respectively p = 0.003 and p < 0.0001). Among the RD patients, intravitreal glucose concentration correlated with macrophages density (p = 0.002): its levels remained significantly higher in eyes in which macrophages were innumerable compared to lower macrophages densities RD eyes (p = 0.0095). CONCLUSIONS: We observed a strong relationship between intravitreal glucose concentration and vitreous macrophage density. Additional indicators for vitreous glycation and low-grade inflammation should be further studied.

[Recommendations for the management of monoclonal gammopathies in biochemistry]. / Synthèse sur la prise en charge des gammapathies monoclonales en biochimie : des recommandations à la pratique quotidienne.

Multiple myeloma (MM) is a hematologic malignancy most frequently preceded by a transient state called "pre-myeloma", whose main representatives are the Monoclonal Gammopathy of Undetermined Significance (MGUS) and asymptomatic MM. The biologist has an important role in the diagnosis of monoclonal gammopathy, from initial diagnosis to monitoring. Many national and international recommendations have been published in recent years, particularly that of the National Health Authority (HAS) and of the International Myeloma Working Group (IMWG). The HAS published a guide detailing all of the management of patients with MM. These recommendations are currently restricted to France. The IMWG made recommendations for early screening of these diseases, aiming to diagnose almost all of the monoclonal gammopathies. This is not without problems, with a significant cost to the patient, particularly for the expensive serum-free light chain measurement, not recommended by the HAS. In France, there are no national guidelines for the detection of pre-myeloma pathologies. In the absence of specific recommendations for these cases, the dialogue between clinician and biologist is even more crucial for the optimal management of patients with monoclonal gammopathy, particularly for establishing a difficult diagnosis.

Regulation of stem cell fate by HSPGs: implication in hair follicle cycling.

Heparan sulfate proteoglycans (HSPGs) are part of proteoglycan family. They are composed of heparan sulfate (HS)-type glycosaminoglycan (GAG) chains covalently linked to a core protein. By interacting with growth factors and/or receptors, they regulate numerous pathways including Wnt, hedgehog (Hh), bone morphogenic protein (BMP) and fibroblast growth factor (FGF) pathways. They act as inhibitor or activator of these pathways to modulate embryonic and adult stem cell fate during organ morphogenesis, regeneration and homeostasis. This review summarizes the knowledge on HSPG structure and classification and explores several signaling pathways regulated by HSPGs in stem cell fate. A specific focus on hair follicle stem cell fate and the possibility to target HSPGs in order to tackle hair loss are discussed in more dermatological and cosmeceutical perspectives.

[Hyperamylasemia after cardiac surgery: which significance?]. / Augmentation de l'amylasémie après chirurgie cardiaque : quelle signification ?

We report the case of an 82-year-old woman, suffering of aortic valve stenosis, hospitalized for an aortic valve replacement surgery. This woman presented a hyperamylasemia during the early postoperative period. This raised the question of issue and explanation of this hyperamylasemia. A review of the literature showed that hyperamylasemia was reported in a large number of patients undergoing cardiac surgery, with various serum amylase levels and time courses. Mechanisms of this hyperamylasemia remain poorly understood and the interest of amylasemia measurement after cardiothoracic surgery is not clearly defined. Since postoperative hyperamylasemia can result from a tissular hypoxia, blood lactate measurement could be a more effective biochemical marker.

Clinical Outcome Predictive Value of Procalcitonin in Patients Suspected with Infection in the Emergency Department.

Procalcitonin (PCT) may be useful for early risk stratification in the emergency department (ED), but the transposition of published data to routine emergency practice is sometimes limited. An observational retrospective study was conducted in the adult ED of the Reims University Hospital (France). Over one year, 852 patients suspected of infection were included, of mean age 61.7 years (SD: 22.6), and 624 (73.2%) were hospitalized following ED visit. Overall, 82 (9.6%) patients died during their hospitalization with an odds ratio (OR) of 5.10 (95% CI: 2.19-11.87) for PCT ≥ 0.5, in multivariate logistic regression analyses. Moreover, 78 (9.2%) patients were admitted to an ICU, 74 (8.7%) had attributable bacteremia, and 56 (6.6%) evolved toward septic shock with an OR of 4.37 (2.08-9.16), 6.38 (2.67-15.24), and 6.38 (2.41-16.86), respectively, for PCT ≥ 0.5. The highest discriminatory values were found for patients with age <65 years, but PCT lost its discrimination power for in-hospital mortality in patients with a bronchopulmonary infection site or a temperature ≥37.8°C and for ICU admission in patients with severe clinical presentations. PCT could be helpful in risk stratification, but several limitations must be considered, including being sometimes outperformed by a simple clinical examination.

Hair Histology and Glycosaminoglycans Distribution Probed by Infrared Spectral Imaging: Focus on Heparan Sulfate Proteoglycan and Glypican-1 during Hair Growth Cycle.

The expression of glypicans in different hair follicle (HF) compartments and their potential roles during hair shaft growth are still poorly understood. Heparan sulfate proteoglycan (HSPG) distribution in HFs is classically investigated by conventional histology, biochemical analysis, and immunohistochemistry. In this report, a novel approach is proposed to assess hair histology and HSPG distribution changes in HFs at different phases of the hair growth cycle using infrared spectral imaging (IRSI). The distribution of HSPGs in HFs was probed by IRSI using the absorption region relevant to sulfation as a spectral marker. The findings were supported by Western immunoblotting and immunohistochemistry assays focusing on the glypican-1 expression and distribution in HFs. This study demonstrates the capacity of IRSI to identify the different HF tissue structures and to highlight protein, proteoglycan (PG), glycosaminoglycan (GAG), and sulfated GAG distribution in these structures. The comparison between anagen, catagen, and telogen phases shows the qualitative and/or quantitative evolution of GAGs as supported by Western immunoblotting. Thus, IRSI can simultaneously reveal the location of proteins, PGs, GAGs, and sulfated GAGs in HFs in a reagent- and label-free manner. From a dermatological point of view, IRSI shows its potential as a promising technique to study alopecia.

F4, a collagen XIX-derived peptide, inhibits tumor angiogenesis through αvß3 and α5ß1 integrin interaction.

We previously demonstrated that F4 peptide (CNPEDCLYPVSHAHQR) from collagen XIX was able to inhibit melanoma cell migrationin vitro and cancer progression in a mouse melanoma model. The aim of the present work was to study the anti-angiogenic properties of F4 peptide. We demonstrated that F4 peptide inhibited VEGF-induced pseudo-tube formation on Matrigel by endothelial cells and endothelial sprouting in a rat aortic ring assay. By affinity chromatography, we identified αvß3 and α5ß1 integrins as potential receptors for F4 peptide on endothelial cell surface. Using solid phase assays, we proved the direct interaction between F4 and both integrins. Taken together, our results demonstrate that F4 peptide is a potent antitumor agent inhibiting both angiogenesis and tumor cell migration.

Differential MMP-14 Targeting by Lumican-Derived Peptides Unraveled by In Silico Approach.

Lumican, a small leucine-rich proteoglycan (SLRP) of the extracellular matrix (ECM), displays anti-tumor properties through its direct interaction with MMP-14. Lumican-derived peptides, such as lumcorin (17 amino acids) or L9M (10 amino acids), are able to inhibit the proteolytic activity of MMP-14 and melanoma progression. This work aimed to visualize the interactions of lumican-derived peptides and MMP-14. Molecular modeling was used to characterize the interactions between lumican-derived peptides, such as lumcorin, L9M, and cyclic L9M (L9Mc, 12 amino acids), and MMP-14. The interaction of L9Mc with MMP-14 was preferential with the MT-Loop domain while lumcorin interacted more with the catalytic site. Key residues in the MMP-14 amino acid sequence were highlighted for the interaction between the inhibitory SLRP-derived peptides and MMP-14. In order to validate the in silico data, MMP-14 activity and migration assays were performed using murine B16F1 and human HT-144 melanoma cells. In contrast to the HT-144 melanoma cell line, L9Mc significantly inhibited the migration of B16F1 cells and the activity of MMP-14 but with less efficacy than lumican and lumcorin. L9Mc significantly inhibited the proliferation of B16F1 but not of HT-144 cells in vitro and primary melanoma tumor growth in vivo. Thus, the site of interaction between the domains of MMP-14 and lumcorin or L9Mc were different, which might explain the differences in the inhibitory effect of MMP-14 activity. Altogether, the biological assays validated the prediction of the in silico study. Possible and feasible improvements include molecular dynamics results.