Cyclo-oxygenase 2, a putative mediator of vessel remodeling, is expressed in the brain AVM vessels and associates with inflammation.

BACKGROUND: Brain arteriovenous malformations (bAVM) may rupture causing disability or death. BAVM vessels are characterized by abnormally high flow that in general triggers expansive vessel remodeling mediated by cyclo-oxygenase-2 (COX2), the target of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs. We investigated whether COX2 is expressed in bAVMs and whether it associates with inflammation and haemorrhage in these lesions. METHODS: Tissue was obtained from surgery of 139 bAVMs and 21 normal Circle of Willis samples. The samples were studied with immunohistochemistry and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). Clinical data was collected from patient records. RESULTS: COX2 expression was found in 78% (109/139) of the bAVMs and localized to the vessels' lumen or medial layer in 70% (95/135) of the bAVMs. Receptors for prostaglandin E2, a COX2-derived mediator of vascular remodeling, were found in the endothelial and smooth muscle cells and perivascular inflammatory cells of bAVMs. COX2 was expressed by infiltrating inflammatory cells and correlated with the extent of inflammation (r = .231, p = .007, Spearman rank correlation). COX2 expression did not associate with haemorrhage. CONCLUSION: COX2 is induced in bAVMs, and possibly participates in the regulation of vessel wall remodelling and ongoing inflammation. Role of COX2 signalling in the pathobiology and clinical course of bAVMs merits further studies.

Genome-wide association study of sporadic brain arteriovenous malformations.

BACKGROUND: The pathogenesis of sporadic brain arteriovenous malformations (BAVMs) remains unknown, but studies suggest a genetic component. We estimated the heritability of sporadic BAVM and performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) to investigate association of common single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) with risk of sporadic BAVM in the international, multicentre Genetics of Arteriovenous Malformation (GEN-AVM) consortium. METHODS: The Caucasian discovery cohort included 515 BAVM cases and 1191 controls genotyped using Affymetrix genome-wide SNP arrays. Genotype data were imputed to 1000 Genomes Project data, and well-imputed SNPs (>0.01 minor allele frequency) were analysed for association with BAVM. 57 top BAVM-associated SNPs (51 SNPs with p<10(-05) or p<10(-04) in candidate pathway genes, and 6 candidate BAVM SNPs) were tested in a replication cohort including 608 BAVM cases and 744 controls. RESULTS: The estimated heritability of BAVM was 17.6% (SE 8.9%, age and sex-adjusted p=0.015). None of the SNPs were significantly associated with BAVM in the replication cohort after correction for multiple testing. 6 SNPs had a nominal p<0.1 in the replication cohort and map to introns in EGFEM1P, SP4 and CDKAL1 or near JAG1 and BNC2. Of the 6 candidate SNPs, 2 in ACVRL1 and MMP3 had a nominal p<0.05 in the replication cohort. CONCLUSIONS: We performed the first GWAS of sporadic BAVM in the largest BAVM cohort assembled to date. No GWAS SNPs were replicated, suggesting that common SNPs do not contribute strongly to BAVM susceptibility. However, heritability estimates suggest a modest but significant genetic contribution.

The ACVRL1 c.314-35A>G polymorphism is associated with organ vascular malformations in hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia patients with ENG mutations, but not in patients with ACVRL1 mutations.

Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) is characterized by vascular malformations (VMs) and caused by mutations in TGFß/BMP9 pathway genes, most commonly ENG or ACVRL1. Patients with HHT have diverse manifestations related to skin and mucosal telangiectases and organ VMs, including arteriovenous malformations (AVM). The clinical heterogeneity of HHT suggests a role for genetic modifiers. We hypothesized that the ACVRL1 c.314-35A>G and ENG c.207G>A polymorphisms, previously associated with sporadic brain AVM, are associated with organ VM in HHT. We genotyped these variants in 716 patients with HHT and evaluated association of genotype with presence of any organ VM, and specifically with brain VM, liver VM and pulmonary AVM, by multivariate logistic regression analyses stratified by HHT mutation. Among all patients with HHT, neither polymorphism was significantly associated with presence of any organ VM; ACVRL1 c.314-35A>G showed a trend toward association with pulmonary AVM (OR = 1.48, P = 0.062). ACVRL1 c.314-35A>G was significantly associated with any VM among patients with HHT with ENG (OR = 2.66, P = 0.022), but not ACVRL1 (OR = 0.79, P = 0.52) mutations. ACVRL1 c.314-35A>G was also associated with pulmonary AVM and liver VM among ENG mutation heterozygotes. There were no significant associations between ENG c.207G>A and any VM phenotype. These results suggest that common polymorphisms in HHT genes other than the mutated gene modulate phenotype severity of HHT disease, specifically presence of organ VM.

Association of common candidate variants with vascular malformations and intracranial hemorrhage in hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia.

BACKGROUND: Hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia (HHT) is caused by mutations in TGFß/BMP9 pathway genes and characterized by vascular malformations (VM) including arteriovenous malformations (AVM) in lung, liver, and brain, which lead to severe complications including intracranial hemorrhage (ICH) from brain VM. The clinical heterogeneity of HHT suggests a role for genetic modifier effects. Common variants in loci that modify phenotype severity in Tgfb knockout mice were previously reported as associated with lung AVM in HHT. Common variants in candidate genes were reported as associated with sporadic brain AVM and/or ICH. We investigated whether these variants are associated with HHT organ VM or with ICH from brain VM in 752 Caucasian HHT patients enrolled by the Brian Vascular Malformation Consortium. METHODS: We genotyped 11 candidate variants: four variants reported as associated with lung AVM in HHT (PTPN14 rs2936018, USH2A rs700024, ADAM17 rs12474540, rs10495565), and seven variants reported as associated with sporadic BAVM or ICH (APOE ε2, ANGPTL4 rs11672433, EPHB4 rs314308, IL6 rs1800795, IL1B rs1143627, ITGB8 rs10486391, TNFA rs361525). Association of genotype with any VM, lung AVM, liver VM, brain VM or brain VM ICH was evaluated by multivariate logistic regression adjusted for age, gender, and family clustering. RESULTS: None of the 11 variants was significantly associated with any phenotype. There was a trend toward association of USH2A rs700024 with ICH (OR = 2.77, 95% CI = 1.13-6.80, p = .026). CONCLUSION: We did not replicate previously reported associations with HHT lung AVM and variants in Tgfb modifier loci. We also did not find significant associations between variants reported in sporadic brain AVM and VM or ICH in HHT.

Reductions in brain pericytes are associated with arteriovenous malformation vascular instability.

OBJECTIVEBrain arteriovenous malformations (bAVMs) are rupture-prone tangles of blood vessels with direct shunting of blood flow between arterial and venous circulations. The molecular and/or cellular mechanisms contributing to bAVM pathogenesis and/or destabilization in sporadic lesions have remained elusive. Initial insights into AVM formation have been gained through models of genetic AVM syndromes. And while many studies have focused on endothelial cells, the contributions of other vascular cell types have yet to be systematically studied. Pericytes are multifunctional mural cells that regulate brain angiogenesis, blood-brain barrier integrity, and vascular stability. Here, the authors analyze the abundance of brain pericytes and their association with vascular changes in sporadic human AVMs.METHODSTissues from bAVMs and from temporal lobe specimens from patients with medically intractable epilepsy (nonvascular lesion controls [NVLCs]) were resected. Immunofluorescent staining with confocal microscopy was performed to quantify pericytes (platelet-derived growth factor receptor-beta [PDGFRß] and aminopeptidase N [CD13]) and extravascular hemoglobin. Iron-positive hemosiderin deposits were quantified with Prussian blue staining. Syngo iFlow post-image processing was used to measure nidal blood flow on preintervention angiograms.RESULTSQuantitative immunofluorescent analysis demonstrated a 68% reduction in the vascular pericyte number in bAVMs compared with the number in NVLCs (p < 0.01). Additional analysis demonstrated 52% and 50% reductions in the vascular surface area covered by CD13- and PDGFRß-positive pericyte cell processes, respectively, in bAVMs (p < 0.01). Reductions in pericyte coverage were statistically significantly greater in bAVMs with prior rupture (p < 0.05). Unruptured bAVMs had increased microhemorrhage, as evidenced by a 15.5-fold increase in extravascular hemoglobin compared with levels in NVLCs (p < 0.01). Within unruptured bAVM specimens, extravascular hemoglobin correlated negatively with pericyte coverage (CD13: r = -0.93, p < 0.01; PDGFRß: r = -0.87, p < 0.01). A similar negative correlation was observed with pericyte coverage and Prussian blue-positive hemosiderin deposits (CD13: r = -0.90, p < 0.01; PDGFRß: r = -0.86, p < 0.01). Pericyte coverage positively correlated with the mean transit time of blood flow or the time that circulating blood spends within the bAVM nidus (CD13: r = 0.60, p < 0.05; PDGFRß: r = 0.63, p < 0.05). A greater reduction in pericyte coverage is therefore associated with a reduced mean transit time or faster rate of blood flow through the bAVM nidus. No correlations were observed with time to peak flow within feeding arteries or draining veins.CONCLUSIONSBrain pericyte number and coverage are reduced in sporadic bAVMs and are lowest in cases with prior rupture. In unruptured bAVMs, pericyte reductions correlate with the severity of microhemorrhage. A loss of pericytes also correlates with a faster rate of blood flow through the bAVM nidus. This suggests that pericytes are associated with and may contribute to vascular fragility and hemodynamic changes in bAVMs. Future studies in animal models are needed to better characterize the role of pericytes in AVM pathogenesis.

Identification of a rare BMP pathway mutation in a non-syndromic human brain arteriovenous malformation via exome sequencing.

Brain arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) are abnormal connections between arteries and veins that can result in hemorrhagic stroke. A genetic basis for AVMs is suspected, and we investigated potential mutations in a 14-year-old girl who developed a recurrent brain AVM. Whole-exome sequencing (WES) of AVM lesion tissue and blood was performed accompanied by in silico modeling, protein expression observation in lesion tissue and zebrafish modeling. A stop-gain mutation (c.C739T:p.R247X) in the gene SMAD family member 9 (SMAD9) was discovered. In the human brain tissue, immunofluorescent staining demonstrated a vascular predominance of SMAD9 at the protein level. Vascular SMAD9 was markedly reduced in AVM peri-nidal blood vessels, which was accompanied by a decrease in phosphorylated SMAD4, a downstream effector protein of the bone morphogenic protein signaling pathway. Zebrafish modeling (Tg kdrl:eGFP) of the morpholino splice site and translation-blocking knockdown of SMAD9 resulted in abnormal cerebral artery-to-vein connections with morphologic similarities to human AVMs. Orthogonal trajectories of evidence established a relationship between the candidate mutation discovered in SMAD9 via WES and the clinical phenotype. Replication in similar rare cases of recurrent AVM, or even more broadly sporadic AVM, may be informative in building a more comprehensive understanding of AVM pathogenesis.

A treatment paradigm for high-grade brain arteriovenous malformations: volume-staged radiosurgical downgrading followed by microsurgical resection.

OBJECT: The surgical treatment of many large arteriovenous malformations (AVMs) is associated with substantial risks, and many are considered inoperable. Furthermore, AVMs larger than 3 cm in diameter are not usually treated with conventional single-session radiosurgery encompassing the entire AVM volume. Volume-staged stereotactic radiosurgery (VS-SRS) is an option for large AVMs, but it has mixed results. The authors report on a series of patients with high-grade AVMs who underwent multiple VS-SRS sessions with resultant downgrading of the AVMs, followed by resection. METHODS: A cohort of patients was retrieved from a single-institution AVM patient registry consisting of prospectively collected data. VS-SRS was performed as a planned intentional treatment. Surgery was considered as salvage therapy in select patients. RESULTS: Sixteen AVMs underwent VS-SRS followed by surgery. Four AVMs presented with rupture. The mean patient age was 25.3 years (range 13-54 years). The average initial Spetzler-Martin grade before any treatment was 4, while the average supplemented Spetzler-Martin grade (Spetzler-Martin plus Lawton-Young) was 7.1. The average AVM size in maximum dimension was 5.9 cm (range 3.3-10 cm). All AVMs were supratentorial in location and all except one were in eloquent areas of the brain, with 7 involving primary motor cortex. The mean number of VS-SRS sessions was 2.7 (range 2-5 sessions). The mean interval between first VS-SRS session and resection was 5.7 years. There were 4 hemorrhages that occurred after VS-SRS. The average Spetzler-Martin grade was reduced to 2.5 (downgrade, -1.5) and the average supplemented Spetzler-Martin grade was reduced to 5.6 (downgrade, -1.5). The maximum AVM size was reduced to an average of 3.0 cm (downsize=-2.9 cm). The mean modified Rankin Scale (mRS) scores were 1.2, 2.3, and 2.2 before VS-SRS, before surgery, and at last follow-up, respectively (mean follow-up, 6.9 years). Fifteen AVMs were cured after surgery. Ten patients had good outcomes at last follow-up (7 with mRS Score 0 or 1, and 3 with mRS Score 2). There were 2 deaths (both mRS Score 1 before treatment) and 4 patients with mRS Score 3 outcome (from mRS Scores 0, 1, and 2 [n=2]). CONCLUSIONS: Volume-staged SRS can downgrade AVMs, transforming high-grade AVMs (initially considered inoperable) into operable AVMs with acceptable surgical risks. This treatment paradigm offers an alternative to conservative observation for young patients with unruptured AVMs and long life expectancy, where the risk of hemorrhage is substantial. Difficult AVMs were cured in 15 patients. Surgical morbidity associated with downgraded AVMs is reduced to that of postradiosurgical/preoperative supplemented Spetzler-Martin grades, not their initial AVM grades.

Endovascular biopsy: evaluating the feasibility of harvesting endothelial cells using detachable coils.

The absence of safe and reliable methods to harvest vascular tissue in situ limits the discovery of the underlying genetic and pathophysiological mechanisms of many vascular disorders such as aneurysms. We investigated the feasibility and comparable efficacy of endothelial cell collection using a spectrum of endovascular coils. Nine detachable coils ranging in k coefficient (0.15-0.24), diameter (4.0 mm-16.0 mm), and length (8.0 cm-47.0 cm) were tested in pigs. All coils were deployed and retrieved within the iliac artery of pigs (three coils/pig). Collected coils were evaluated under light microscopy. The total and endothelial cells collected by each coil were quantified. The nucleated cells were identified by Wright-Giemsa and DAPI stains. Endothelial and smooth muscle cells were identified by CD31 and α-smooth muscle actin antibody staining. Coils were deployed and retrieved without technical difficulty. Light microscopy demonstrated sheets of cellular material concentrated within the coil winds. All coils collected cellular material while five of nine (55.6%) coils retrieved endothelial cells. Coils collected mean endothelial cell counts of 89.0±101.6. Regression analysis demonstrated a positive correlation between increasing coil diameter and endothelial cell counts (R(2)=0.52, p = 0.029). Conventional detachable coils can be used to harvest endothelial cells. The number of endothelial cells collected by a coil positively correlated with its diameter. Given the widespread use of coils and their well-described safety profile their potential as an endovascular biopsy device would expand the availability of tissue for cellular and molecular analysis.

A genome-wide investigation of copy number variation in patients with sporadic brain arteriovenous malformation.

BACKGROUND: Brain arteriovenous malformations (BAVM) are clusters of abnormal blood vessels, with shunting of blood from the arterial to venous circulation and a high risk of rupture and intracranial hemorrhage. Most BAVMs are sporadic, but also occur in patients with Hereditary Hemorrhagic Telangiectasia, a Mendelian disorder caused by mutations in genes in the transforming growth factor beta (TGFß) signaling pathway. METHODS: To investigate whether copy number variations (CNVs) contribute to risk of sporadic BAVM, we performed a genome-wide association study in 371 sporadic BAVM cases and 563 healthy controls, all Caucasian. Cases and controls were genotyped using the Affymetrix 6.0 array. CNVs were called using the PennCNV and Birdsuite algorithms and analyzed via segment-based and gene-based approaches. Common and rare CNVs were evaluated for association with BAVM. RESULTS: A CNV region on 1p36.13, containing the neuroblastoma breakpoint family, member 1 gene (NBPF1), was significantly enriched with duplications in BAVM cases compared to controls (P = 2.2×10(-9)); NBPF1 was also significantly associated with BAVM in gene-based analysis using both PennCNV and Birdsuite. We experimentally validated the 1p36.13 duplication; however, the association did not replicate in an independent cohort of 184 sporadic BAVM cases and 182 controls (OR = 0.81, P = 0.8). Rare CNV analysis did not identify genes significantly associated with BAVM. CONCLUSION: We did not identify common CNVs associated with sporadic BAVM that replicated in an independent cohort. Replication in larger cohorts is required to elucidate the possible role of common or rare CNVs in BAVM pathogenesis.

Accumulation of multipotent progenitors with a basal differentiation bias during aging of human mammary epithelia.

Women older than 50 years account for 75% of new breast cancer diagnoses, and the majority of these tumors are of a luminal subtype. Although age-associated changes, including endocrine profiles and alterations within the breast microenvironment, increase cancer risk, an understanding of the cellular and molecular mechanisms that underlies these observations is lacking. In this study, we generated a large collection of normal human mammary epithelial cell strains from women ages 16 to 91 years, derived from primary tissues, to investigate the molecular changes that occur in aging breast cells. We found that in finite lifespan cultured and uncultured epithelial cells, aging is associated with a reduction of myoepithelial cells and an increase in luminal cells that express keratin 14 and integrin-α6, a phenotype that is usually expressed exclusively in myoepithelial cells in women younger than 30 years. Changes to the luminal lineage resulted from age-dependent expansion of defective multipotent progenitors that gave rise to incompletely differentiated luminal or myoepithelial cells. The aging process therefore results in both a shift in the balance of luminal/myoepithelial lineages and to changes in the functional spectrum of multipotent progenitors, which together increase the potential for malignant transformation. Together, our findings provide a cellular basis to explain the observed vulnerability to breast cancer that increases with age.