Genetic and clinical determinants of abdominal aortic diameter: genome-wide association studies, exome array data and Mendelian randomization study.

Progressive dilation of the infrarenal aortic diameter is a consequence of the ageing process and is considered the main determinant of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA). We aimed to investigate the genetic and clinical determinants of abdominal aortic diameter (AAD). We conducted a meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies in 10 cohorts (n = 13 542) imputed to the 1000 Genome Project reference panel including 12 815 subjects in the discovery phase and 727 subjects [Partners Biobank cohort 1 (PBIO)] as replication. Maximum anterior-posterior diameter of the infrarenal aorta was used as AAD. We also included exome array data (n = 14 480) from seven epidemiologic studies. Single-variant and gene-based associations were done using SeqMeta package. A Mendelian randomization analysis was applied to investigate the causal effect of a number of clinical risk factors on AAD. In genome-wide association study (GWAS) on AAD, rs74448815 in the intronic region of LDLRAD4 reached genome-wide significance (beta = -0.02, SE = 0.004, P-value = 2.10 × 10-8). The association replicated in the PBIO1 cohort (P-value = 8.19 × 10-4). In exome-array single-variant analysis (P-value threshold = 9 × 10-7), the lowest P-value was found for rs239259 located in SLC22A20 (beta = 0.007, P-value = 1.2 × 10-5). In the gene-based analysis (P-value threshold = 1.85 × 10-6), PCSK5 showed an association with AAD (P-value = 8.03 × 10-7). Furthermore, in Mendelian randomization analyses, we found evidence for genetic association of pulse pressure (beta = -0.003, P-value = 0.02), triglycerides (beta = -0.16, P-value = 0.008) and height (beta = 0.03, P-value < 0.0001), known risk factors for AAA, consistent with a causal association with AAD. Our findings point to new biology as well as highlighting gene regions in mechanisms that have previously been implicated in the genetics of other vascular diseases.

Associations of carotid intima media thickness with gene expression in whole blood and genetically predicted gene expression across 48 tissues.

Carotid intima media thickness (cIMT) is a biomarker of subclinical atherosclerosis and a predictor of future cardiovascular events. Identifying associations between gene expression levels and cIMT may provide insight to atherosclerosis etiology. Here, we use two approaches to identify associations between mRNA levels and cIMT: differential gene expression analysis in whole blood and S-PrediXcan. We used microarrays to measure genome-wide whole blood mRNA levels of 5647 European individuals from four studies. We examined the association of mRNA levels with cIMT adjusted for various potential confounders. Significant associations were tested for replication in three studies totaling 3943 participants. Next, we applied S-PrediXcan to summary statistics from a cIMT genome-wide association study (GWAS) of 71 128 individuals to estimate the association between genetically determined mRNA levels and cIMT and replicated these analyses using S-PrediXcan on an independent GWAS on cIMT that included 22 179 individuals from the UK Biobank. mRNA levels of TNFAIP3, CEBPD and METRNL were inversely associated with cIMT, but these associations were not significant in the replication analysis. S-PrediXcan identified associations between cIMT and genetically determined mRNA levels for 36 genes, of which six were significant in the replication analysis, including TLN2, which had not been previously reported for cIMT. There was weak correlation between our results using differential gene expression analysis and S-PrediXcan. Differential expression analysis and S-PrediXcan represent complementary approaches for the discovery of associations between phenotypes and gene expression. Using these approaches, we prioritize TNFAIP3, CEBPD, METRNL and TLN2 as new candidate genes whose differential expression might modulate cIMT.

Investigation of the pathogen-specific antibody response in periprosthetic joint infection.

PURPOSE: Periprosthetic joint infections (PJIs) are a very demanding complication of arthroplasty. Diagnosis of PJI and pathogen identification pose considerable challenges in clinical practice. We hypothesized that the pathogen-specific immune response to PJI reflects the infection process, provides clinically relevant information on disease course, and has the potential to further optimize antimicrobial therapy. METHODS: We conducted a prospective matched cohort pilot study with 13 patients undergoing two-stage septic revision arthroplasty (PJI patients) between 06/2020 and 06/2021, as well as 11 control patients undergoing one-stage aseptic revision arthroplasty (Non-PJI patients). Pre-, intra- and postoperative serum samples were collected at standardized time points. We developed a custom Luminex®-based quantitative bead-based suspension array (Infection Array; IA), and used it for simultaneous measurement of antibody specificities against 32 pathogens commonly associated with PJI in 267 serum samples. RESULTS: The IA was able to trace the dynamics of the pathogen-specific humoral immune response in all patients against PJI-related pathogens, prominently coagulase-negative staphylococci and streptococci. Pathogen-specific serum antibody titers declined in 62% of PJI patients over the course of treatment, while no changes in antibody titers were observed in 82% of Non-PJI patients during this study. Our serological data strongly suggested that antibody signatures reflect an immune response to microbial invasion. CONCLUSION: Our results provide insights into the pathophysiology of PJI and information on the individual disease courses. The IA is therefore a promising and novel serological tool of high resolution for monitoring the immunoproteomic footprints of infectious pathogens in the course of PJI.

Toll-Like Receptor 1 Locus Re-examined in a Genome-Wide Association Study Update on Anti-Helicobacter pylori IgG Titers.

BACKGROUND & AIMS: A genome-wide significant association between anti-Helicobacter pylori (H pylori) IgG titers and Toll-like receptor (TLR1/6/10) locus on 4p14 was demonstrated for individuals of European ancestry, but not uniformly replicated. We re-investigated this association in an updated genome-wide association study (GWAS) meta-analysis for populations with low gastric cancer incidence, address potential causes of cohort heterogeneity, and explore functional implications of genetic variation at the TLR1/6/10 locus. METHODS: The dichotomous GWAS (25% individuals exhibiting highest anti-H pylori IgG titers vs remaining 75%) included discovery and replication sampls of, respectively, n = 15,685 and n = 9676, all of European ancestry. Longitudinal analysis of serologic data was performed on H pylori-eradicated subjects (n = 132) and patients under surveillance for premalignant gastric lesions (n = 107). TLR1/6/10 surface expression, TLR1 mRNA, and cytokine levels were measured in leukocyte subsets of healthy subjects (n = 26) genotyped for TLR1/6/10 variants. RESULTS: The association of the TLR1/6/10 locus with anti-H pylori IgG titers (rs12233670; ß = -0.267 ± SE 0.034; P = 4.42 × 10-15) presented with high heterogeneity and failed replication. Anti-H pylori IgG titers declined within 2-4 years after eradication treatment (P = 0.004), and decreased over time in patients with premalignant gastric lesions (P < 0.001). Variation at the TLR1/6/10 locus affected TLR1-mediated cytokine production and TLR1 surface expression on monocytes (P = 0.016) and neutrophils (P = 0.030), but not mRNA levels. CONCLUSIONS: The association between anti-H pylori IgG titers and TLR1/6/10 locus was not replicated across cohorts, possibly owing to dependency of anti-H pylori IgG titers on therapy, clearance, and antibody decay. H pylori-mediated immune cell activation is partly mediated via TLR1 signaling, which in turn is affected by genetic variation.

Genome-wide association study of Helicobacter pylori serological status in Latin American children.

BACKGROUND: Few genome-wide association studies (GWAS) on Helicobacter pylori infection susceptibility have been conducted for admixed populations from developing countries. Here, we performed a GWAS to identify genetic factors associated with H. pylori serostatus in a cohort of admixed children from a large Latin American urban center. METHODS: A cross-sectional study involving 1161 children from 4 to 11 years old living in poor areas of Salvador, in northeastern Brazil. Logistic regression analysis was performed to detect associations between single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) and H. pylori seropositivity, assuming an additive genetic model. Enrichment analyses were conducted using the MAGMA v1.10 software. RESULTS: We found 22 SNVs to be suggestively associated (p < 10-5 ) with H. pylori seropositivity. The most suggestive SNV was the rs77955022 (p = 4.83e-07) located in an intronic region of EXOC3 at 5p15.33. The second most suggestively associated SNV was rs10914996 (p = 8.97e-07), located in an intergenic region at 1p34.3. Furthermore, we were able to replicate three SNVs (p < 0.05) in the Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP) cohort: the rs2339212 and rs4795970, both located at 17q12 near TMEM132E, as well as the rs6595814, an intronic variant of FBN2 at 5q23.3. The enrichment analysis indicated the participation of genes and metabolic pathways related to the regulation of the digestive system and gastric acid secretion in the risk of seropositivity for H. pylori. CONCLUSIONS: Additional studies are required to validate these association findings in larger population samples and to get insight into the underlying physiological mechanisms.

Gene-mapping study of extremes of cerebral small vessel disease reveals TRIM47 as a strong candidate.

Cerebral small vessel disease is a leading cause of stroke and a major contributor to cognitive decline and dementia, but our understanding of specific genes underlying the cause of sporadic cerebral small vessel disease is limited. We report a genome-wide association study and a whole-exome association study on a composite extreme phenotype of cerebral small vessel disease derived from its most common MRI features: white matter hyperintensities and lacunes. Seventeen population-based cohorts of older persons with MRI measurements and genome-wide genotyping (n = 41 326), whole-exome sequencing (n = 15 965), or exome chip (n = 5249) data contributed 13 776 and 7079 extreme small vessel disease samples for the genome-wide association study and whole-exome association study, respectively. The genome-wide association study identified significant association of common variants in 11 loci with extreme small vessel disease, of which the chr12q24.11 locus was not previously reported to be associated with any MRI marker of cerebral small vessel disease. The whole-exome association study identified significant associations of extreme small vessel disease with common variants in the 5' UTR region of EFEMP1 (chr2p16.1) and one probably damaging common missense variant in TRIM47 (chr17q25.1). Mendelian randomization supports the causal association of extensive small vessel disease severity with increased risk of stroke and Alzheimer's disease. Combined evidence from summary-based Mendelian randomization studies and profiling of human loss-of-function allele carriers showed an inverse relation between TRIM47 expression in the brain and blood vessels and extensive small vessel disease severity. We observed significant enrichment of Trim47 in isolated brain vessel preparations compared to total brain fraction in mice, in line with the literature showing Trim47 enrichment in brain endothelial cells at single cell level. Functional evaluation of TRIM47 by small interfering RNAs-mediated knockdown in human brain endothelial cells showed increased endothelial permeability, an important hallmark of cerebral small vessel disease pathology. Overall, our comprehensive gene-mapping study and preliminary functional evaluation suggests a putative role of TRIM47 in the pathophysiology of cerebral small vessel disease, making it an important candidate for extensive in vivo explorations and future translational work.

The C-Mannosylome of Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Implies a Role for ADAMTS16 C-Mannosylation in Eye Development.

C-mannosylation is a modification of tryptophan residues with a single mannose and can affect protein folding, secretion, and/or function. To date, only a few proteins have been demonstrated to be C-mannosylated, and studies that globally assess protein C-mannosylation are scarce. To interrogate the C-mannosylome of human induced pluripotent stem cells, we compared the secretomes of CRISPR-Cas9 mutants lacking either the C-mannosyltransferase DPY19L1 or DPY19L3 to WT human induced pluripotent stem cells using MS-based quantitative proteomics. The secretion of numerous proteins was reduced in these mutants, including that of A Disintegrin And Metalloproteinase with ThromboSpondin Motifs 16 (ADAMTS16), an extracellular protease that was previously reported to be essential for optic fissure fusion in zebrafish eye development. To test the functional relevance of this observation, we targeted dpy19l1 or dpy19l3 in embryos of the Japanese rice fish medaka (Oryzias latipes) by CRISPR-Cas9. We observed that targeting of dpy19l3 partially caused defects in optic fissure fusion, called coloboma. We further showed in a cellular model that DPY19L1 and DPY19L3 mediate C-mannosylation of a recombinantly expressed thrombospondin type 1 repeat of ADAMTS16 and thereby support its secretion. Taken together, our findings imply that DPY19L3-mediated C-mannosylation is involved in eye development by assisting secretion of the extracellular protease ADAMTS16.

Prenatal exposure to per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and pregnancy outcome in Austria.

Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) are a large group of persistent industrial chemicals that can harm reproductive health. PFAS levels were analysed to determine the current sources of exposure and possible associations between prenatal PFAS exposure and adverse pregnancy outcome. Samples from 136 mother-newborn pairs recruited between 2017 and 2019 were analysed for the presence of 31 target PFAS in maternal serum, umbilical cord serum, and placental tissue by high-performance liquid chromatography coupled to a tandem mass spectrometer. Questionnaires and medical records were used to survey sources of exposure and pregnancy outcome, including small for gestational age (SGA), fetal growth restriction (FGR), preeclampsia (PE), preterm birth, large for gestational age (LGA) and gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM). Data were analysed for individual PFAS and sum4PFAS (sum of perfluorooctanoic acid (PFOA), perfluorononanoic acid (PFNA), perfluorohexane sulfonate (PFHxS), and perfluorooctane sulfonate (PFOS) serum levels) in logistic regression analyses and categorical regression analyses. Compared to data from a previous Viennese study in 2010-12, sum4PFAS levels were generally lower. Sum4PFAS serum levels of three women (2.2%) exceeded 6.9 µg/L, a level that corresponds to the recently established tolerable weekly intake (TWI) of EFSA for nursing mothers aged 35 years; in the 2010/2012 study it was 13.6%. The large contribution of unidentified extractable organofluorine (EOF) fractions to total PFAS exposure is a concern. Study site, mean maternal corpuscular hemoglobin (MCH), use of facial lotion, and owning upholstered furniture were significantly influencing maternal exposure. While no effect of sum4PFAS on pregnancy outcome could be detected, we found highest placental PFDA levels in SGA births. PFHxS levels in umbilical cord and placenta were highest in preterm births. Further studies are needed to elucidate the relationship of prenatal PFAS exposure and pregnancy outcome, in particular to confirm whether and how placental PFDA levels may contribute to an increased risk for SGA.

Genome-wide scan identifies novel genetic loci regulating salivary metabolite levels.

Saliva, as a biofluid, is inexpensive and non-invasive to obtain, and provides a vital tool to investigate oral health and its interaction with systemic health conditions. There is growing interest in salivary biomarkers for systemic diseases, notably cardiovascular disease. Whereas hundreds of genetic loci have been shown to be involved in the regulation of blood metabolites, leading to significant insights into the pathogenesis of complex human diseases, little is known about the impact of host genetics on salivary metabolites. Here we report the first genome-wide association study exploring 476 salivary metabolites in 1419 subjects from the TwinsUK cohort (discovery phase), followed by replication in the Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP-2) cohort. A total of 14 distinct locus-metabolite associations were identified in the discovery phase, most of which were replicated in SHIP-2. While only a limited number of the loci that are known to regulate blood metabolites were also associated with salivary metabolites in our study, we identified several novel saliva-specific locus-metabolite associations, including associations for the AGMAT (with the metabolites 4-guanidinobutanoate and beta-guanidinopropanoate), ATP13A5 (with the metabolite creatinine) and DPYS (with the metabolites 3-ureidopropionate and 3-ureidoisobutyrate) loci. Our study suggests that there may be regulatory pathways of particular relevance to the salivary metabolome. In addition, some of our findings may have clinical significance, such as the utility of the pyrimidine (uracil) degradation metabolites in predicting 5-fluorouracil toxicity and the role of the agmatine pathway metabolites as biomarkers of oral health.

Associations of Mitochondrial and Nuclear Mitochondrial Variants and Genes with Seven Metabolic Traits.

Mitochondria (MT), the major site of cellular energy production, are under dual genetic control by 37 mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) genes and numerous nuclear genes (MT-nDNA). In the CHARGEmtDNA+ Consortium, we studied genetic associations of mtDNA and MT-nDNA associations with body mass index (BMI), waist-hip-ratio (WHR), glucose, insulin, HOMA-B, HOMA-IR, and HbA1c. This 45-cohort collaboration comprised 70,775 (insulin) to 170,202 (BMI) pan-ancestry individuals. Validation and imputation of mtDNA variants was followed by single-variant and gene-based association testing. We report two significant common variants, one in MT-ATP6 associated (p ≤ 5E-04) with WHR and one in the D-loop with glucose. Five rare variants in MT-ATP6, MT-ND5, and MT-ND6 associated with BMI, WHR, or insulin. Gene-based meta-analysis identified MT-ND3 associated with BMI (p ≤ 1E-03). We considered 2,282 MT-nDNA candidate gene associations compiled from online summary results for our traits (20 unique studies with 31 dataset consortia's genome-wide associations [GWASs]). Of these, 109 genes associated (p ≤ 1E-06) with at least 1 of our 7 traits. We assessed regulatory features of variants in the 109 genes, cis- and trans-gene expression regulation, and performed enrichment and protein-protein interactions analyses. Of the identified mtDNA and MT-nDNA genes, 79 associated with adipose measures, 49 with glucose/insulin, 13 with risk for type 2 diabetes, and 18 with cardiovascular disease, indicating for pleiotropic effects with health implications. Additionally, 21 genes related to cholesterol, suggesting additional important roles for the genes identified. Our results suggest that mtDNA and MT-nDNA genes and variants reported make important contributions to glucose and insulin metabolism, adipocyte regulation, diabetes, and cardiovascular disease.

Multi-ancestry genome-wide gene-sleep interactions identify novel loci for blood pressure.

Long and short sleep duration are associated with elevated blood pressure (BP), possibly through effects on molecular pathways that influence neuroendocrine and vascular systems. To gain new insights into the genetic basis of sleep-related BP variation, we performed genome-wide gene by short or long sleep duration interaction analyses on four BP traits (systolic BP, diastolic BP, mean arterial pressure, and pulse pressure) across five ancestry groups in two stages using 2 degree of freedom (df) joint test followed by 1df test of interaction effects. Primary multi-ancestry analysis in 62,969 individuals in stage 1 identified three novel gene by sleep interactions that were replicated in an additional 59,296 individuals in stage 2 (stage 1 + 2 Pjoint < 5 × 10-8), including rs7955964 (FIGNL2/ANKRD33) that increases BP among long sleepers, and rs73493041 (SNORA26/C9orf170) and rs10406644 (KCTD15/LSM14A) that increase BP among short sleepers (Pint < 5 × 10-8). Secondary ancestry-specific analysis identified another novel gene by long sleep interaction at rs111887471 (TRPC3/KIAA1109) in individuals of African ancestry (Pint = 2 × 10-6). Combined stage 1 and 2 analyses additionally identified significant gene by long sleep interactions at 10 loci including MKLN1 and RGL3/ELAVL3 previously associated with BP, and significant gene by short sleep interactions at 10 loci including C2orf43 previously associated with BP (Pint < 10-3). 2df test also identified novel loci for BP after modeling sleep that has known functions in sleep-wake regulation, nervous and cardiometabolic systems. This study indicates that sleep and primary mechanisms regulating BP may interact to elevate BP level, suggesting novel insights into sleep-related BP regulation.

Genome-wide association analysis in dilated cardiomyopathy reveals two new players in systolic heart failure on chromosomes 3p25.1 and 22q11.23.

AIMS: Our objective was to better understand the genetic bases of dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), a leading cause of systolic heart failure. METHODS AND RESULTS: We conducted the largest genome-wide association study performed so far in DCM, with 2719 cases and 4440 controls in the discovery population. We identified and replicated two new DCM-associated loci on chromosome 3p25.1 [lead single-nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs62232870, P = 8.7 × 10-11 and 7.7 × 10-4 in the discovery and replication steps, respectively] and chromosome 22q11.23 (lead SNP rs7284877, P = 3.3 × 10-8 and 1.4 × 10-3 in the discovery and replication steps, respectively), while confirming two previously identified DCM loci on chromosomes 10 and 1, BAG3 and HSPB7. A genetic risk score constructed from the number of risk alleles at these four DCM loci revealed a 3-fold increased risk of DCM for individuals with 8 risk alleles compared to individuals with 5 risk alleles (median of the referral population). In silico annotation and functional 4C-sequencing analyses on iPSC-derived cardiomyocytes identify SLC6A6 as the most likely DCM gene at the 3p25.1 locus. This gene encodes a taurine transporter whose involvement in myocardial dysfunction and DCM is supported by numerous observations in humans and animals. At the 22q11.23 locus, in silico and data mining annotations, and to a lesser extent functional analysis, strongly suggest SMARCB1 as the candidate culprit gene. CONCLUSION: This study provides a better understanding of the genetic architecture of DCM and sheds light on novel biological pathways underlying heart failure.

Recreational activity after cementless total hip arthroplasty in patients older than 75 years.

INTRODUCTION: This retrospective study aimed to compare activity levels before and at mid-term follow-up after primary cementless total hip arthroplasty (THA) in patients older than 75 years. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A cohort of 79 patients with a mean age at surgery of 78 years (range 76-84 years) was evaluated 6.3 years (range 4-8 years) after cementless THA due to osteoarthritis and was followed up with a questionnaire to determine their activity level. Pre- and post-operative recreational activities were assessed at routine follow-up using the University of California, Los Angeles activity score, and the Schulthess Clinic sports and activity questionnaire. Post-operative health-related quality of life was measured using Veterans Rand 12-item survey (VR-12). RESULTS: Six years after THA, 72% of preoperatively active patients had returned to activity. Comparing activity preoperatively (before the onset of symptoms) and 6 years after THA, the number of disciplines and session length has decreased significantly. A significant decline in high-impact activities was observed, while participation in low-impact activities significantly increased. CONCLUSION: The majority of patients maintained a recreational activity level in the mid-term after primary cementless THA. However, a change in disciplines toward low-impact activities was observed.

[Hospital Crisis Management in the Pandemic]. / Krisenmanagement in pandemischen Lagen im Krankenhaus.

Pandemics pose different challenges for hospitals than classic damage events. Crises require a specific management structure on the operational and the strategic level. Hospitals therefore need crisis management structures and processes. These allow hospitals to react to crises that affect the house itself, as is the case in a pandemic. Crisis teams have been useful management tools in emergency services, public agencies, and private companies alike. They should also be established in hospitals on the operational and the strategic level. Since crisis teams in hospitals are not part of everyday work, regular training and exercises are indispensable. Furthermore, financing including training and staffing must be provided.

Salivary metabolites associated with a 5-year tooth loss identified in a population-based setting.

BACKGROUND: Periodontitis is among the most common chronic diseases worldwide, and it is one of the main reasons for tooth loss. Comprehensive profiling of the metabolite content of the saliva can enable the identification of novel pathways associated with periodontitis and highlight non-invasive markers to facilitate time and cost-effective screening efforts for the presence of periodontitis and the prediction of tooth loss. METHODS: We first investigated cross-sectional associations of 13 oral health variables with saliva levels of 562 metabolites, measured by untargeted mass spectrometry among a sub-sample (n = 938) of the Study of Health in Pomerania (SHIP-2) using linear regression models adjusting for common confounders. We took forward any candidate metabolite associated with at least two oral variables, to test for an association with a 5-year tooth loss over and above baseline oral health status using negative binomial regression models. RESULTS: We identified 84 saliva metabolites that were associated with at least one oral variable cross-sectionally, for a subset of which we observed robust replication in an independent study. Out of 34 metabolites associated with more than two oral variables, baseline saliva levels of nine metabolites were positively associated with a 5-year tooth loss. Across all analyses, the metabolites 2-pyrrolidineacetic acid and butyrylputrescine were the most consistent candidate metabolites, likely reflecting oral dysbiosis. Other candidate metabolites likely reflected tissue destruction and cell proliferation. CONCLUSIONS: Untargeted metabolic profiling of saliva replicated metabolic signatures of periodontal status and revealed novel metabolites associated with periodontitis and future tooth loss.

Knock-down of LRP/LR influences signalling pathways in late-stage colorectal carcinoma cells.

BACKGROUND: The 37 kDa/67 kDa laminin receptor (LRP/LR) is involved in several tumourigenic-promoting processes including cellular viability maintenance and apoptotic evasion. Thus, the aim of this study was to assess the molecular mechanism of LRP/LR on apoptotic pathways in late stage (DLD-1) colorectal cancer cells upon siRNA-mediated down-regulation of LRP/LR. METHODS: siRNAs were used to down-regulate the expression of LRP/LR in DLD-1 cells which was assessed using western blotting and qPCR. To evaluate the mechanistic role of LRP/LR, proteomic analysis of pathways involved in proliferation and apoptosis were investigated. The data from the study was analysed using a one-way ANOVA, followed by a two-tailed student's t-test with a confidence interval of 95%. RESULTS: Here we show that knock-down of LRP/LR led to significant changes in the proteome of DLD-1 cells, exposing new roles of the protein. Moreover, analysis showed that LRP/LR may alter components of the MAPK, p53-apoptotic and autophagic signalling pathways to aid colorectal cancer cells in continuous growth and survival. Knock-down of LRP/LR also resulted in significant decreases in telomerase activity and telomerase-related proteins in the DLD-1 cells. CONCLUSIONS: These findings show that LRP/LR is critically implicated in apoptosis and cell viability maintenance and suggest that siRNA-mediated knock-down of LRP/LR may be a possible therapeutic strategy for the treatment of colorectal cancer.

Comparison of extraction methods for per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in human serum and placenta samples-insights into extractable organic fluorine (EOF).

Since the detection of per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) in humans and different environmental media in the last two decades, this substance group has attracted a lot of attention as well as increasing concerns. The fluorine mass balance approach, by comparing the levels of targeted PFAS after conversion to fluorine equivalents with those of extractable organic fluorine (EOF), showed the presence of unidentified organofluorine in different environmental samples. Out of the thousands of PFAS in existence, only a very small fraction is included in routine analysis. In recent years, liquid chromatography coupled with tandem-mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) has demonstrated the ability to analytically cover a wide spectrum of PFAS. In contrast, conventional extraction methods developed 10 to 15 years ago were only evaluated for a limited number of PFAS. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of three different extraction methods, adapted from the literatures without further optimization (ion-pair liquid-liquid extraction, solid-phase extraction (SPE), using hydrophilic-lipophilic (HLB) or weak anion exchange (WAX) sorbents), for human biomonitoring of 61 PFAS in serum and placental tissue samples. In addition, levels of EOF were compared among these extraction methods via spiked samples. Results showed that performance, in terms of recovery, differed between the extraction methods for different PFAS; different extraction methods resulted in different EOF concentrations indicating that the choice of extraction method is important for target PFAS and EOF analysis. Results of maternal serum samples, analyzed in two different laboratories using two different extraction methods, showed an accordance of 107.6% (± 21.3); the detected perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAAs) in maternal and cord serum samples were in the range of 0.076 to 2.9 ng/mL.Graphical abstract.

Ozone as oxidizing agent for the total oxidizable precursor (TOP) assay and as a preceding step for activated carbon treatments concerning per- and polyfluoroalkyl substance removal.

Several thousands of highly persistent per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances (PFAS) exist and it is therefore challenging to analytically determine a larger spectrum of these compounds simultaneously in one sample. It is even more difficult to efficiently remove mobile PFAS in wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs) to protect the receiving waters. The total oxidizable precursor (TOP) assay is an approach that enables the detection of the total PFAS content in a sample via oxidation of precursors, followed by subsequent analysis of the perfluoroalkyl acid (PFAA) concentration before and after oxidative processes. Activated carbon combined with a preceding ozonation step is considered a promising tool for the removal of micropollutants but considering PFAS removal efficiencies in effluents for this process combination more information is required. The focus of the study was to implement and assess the TOP assay with ozone as oxidizing agent to estimate the total PFAS content in a WWTP effluent. Additionally, granular activated carbon (GAC) and powdered activated carbon (PAC) with a preceding ozonation step was tested for the removal efficiencies for 22 PFAS. For the TOP assay the obtained accordance in molarity using spiked tap water as quality control was 95.2% (15 mg O3/L) and 99.1% (6 mg O3/L). Applying the TOP assay, an estimated total PFAS content of 840 ng/L was determined in the respective effluent, which was 91.1% higher than obtained by target PFAS analysis, implying the presence of unknown precursors not included in common monitoring. While all treatment techniques that included ozone or a preceding ozonation step solely transformed precursors and long-chain perfluoroalkyl acids (PFAA, i.e., >C9) to shorter congeners, PAC was the only tested water treatment application that was able to remove 19.3% of the total PFAS molarity.

Concomitant Tricuspid Valve Repair during Minimally Invasive Mitral Valve Repair.

BACKGROUND: Concomitant use of tricuspid valve (TV) surgery and minimally invasive mitral valve (MV) repair is debatable due to a prolonged time of surgery with presumably elevated operative risk. Herein, we examined cardiopulmonary bypass times and 30-day mortality in patients who underwent MV repair with and without concomitant TV surgery. METHODS: We retrospectively evaluated 3,962 patients with MV regurgitation who underwent minimally invasive MV repair without (n = 3,463; MVr group) and with (n = 499; MVr + TVr group) concomitant TV surgery between 1999 and 2014. Preoperative parameters between the groups were significantly different; therefore, propensity score matching was performed. RESULTS: Mean cardiopulmonary bypass time for all patients was 125.5 ± 55.8 minutes in MVr and 162.0 ± 58.0 minutes in MVr + TVr (p < 0.001). Overall 30-day mortality was significantly different between these groups (4.8 vs. 2.1%; p < 0.001); however, after adjustment, there was no significant difference (3.3 vs. 1.2%; p = 0.07). Backward logistic regression revealed that cardiopulmonary bypass time was not a significant predictor for early mortality within the MVr + TVr cohort. CONCLUSION: Concomitant TV repair using prosthetic rings through a minimally invasive approach is safe and does not lead to elevated early mortality in our patient cohort. Therefore, prolonged cardiopulmonary bypass time should not be the sole reason to rule out MV repair with concomitant TV repair and to prefer the use of suture techniques, which saves only a few minutes compared with prosthetic ring implantation.

Genome-Wide DNA Alterations in X-Irradiated Human Gingiva Fibroblasts.

While ionizing radiation (IR) is a powerful tool in medical diagnostics, nuclear medicine, and radiology, it also is a serious threat to the integrity of genetic material. Mutagenic effects of IR to the human genome have long been the subject of research, yet still comparatively little is known about the genome-wide effects of IR exposure on the DNA-sequence level. In this study, we employed high throughput sequencing technologies to investigate IR-induced DNA alterations in human gingiva fibroblasts (HGF) that were acutely exposed to 0.5, 2, and 10 Gy of 240 kV X-radiation followed by repair times of 16 h or 7 days before whole-genome sequencing (WGS). Our analysis of the obtained WGS datasets revealed patterns of IR-induced variant (SNV and InDel) accumulation across the genome, within chromosomes as well as around the borders of topologically associating domains (TADs). Chromosome 19 consistently accumulated the highest SNVs and InDels events. Translocations showed variable patterns but with recurrent chromosomes of origin (e.g., Chr7 and Chr16). IR-induced InDels showed a relative increase in number relative to SNVs and a characteristic signature with respect to the frequency of triplet deletions in areas without repetitive or microhomology features. Overall experimental conditions and datasets the majority of SNVs per genome had no or little predicted functional impact with a maximum of 62, showing damaging potential. A dose-dependent effect of IR was surprisingly not apparent. We also observed a significant reduction in transition/transversion (Ti/Tv) ratios for IR-dependent SNVs, which could point to a contribution of the mismatch repair (MMR) system that strongly favors the repair of transitions over transversions, to the IR-induced DNA-damage response in human cells. Taken together, our results show the presence of distinguishable characteristic patterns of IR-induced DNA-alterations on a genome-wide level and implicate DNA-repair mechanisms in the formation of these signatures.