Itpr1 regulates the formation of anterior eye segment tissues derived from neural crest cells.

Mutations in ITPR1 cause ataxia and aniridia in individuals with Gillespie syndrome (GLSP). However, the pathogenic mechanisms underlying aniridia remain unclear. We identified a de novo GLSP mutation hotspot in the 3'-region of ITPR1 in five individuals with GLSP. Furthermore, RNA-sequencing and immunoblotting revealed an eye-specific transcript of Itpr1, encoding a 218amino acid isoform. This isoform is localized not only in the endoplasmic reticulum, but also in the nuclear and cytoplasmic membranes. Ocular-specific transcription was repressed by SOX9 and induced by MAF in the anterior eye segment (AES) tissues. Mice lacking seven base pairs of the last Itpr1 exon exhibited ataxia and aniridia, in which the iris lymphatic vessels, sphincter and dilator muscles, corneal endothelium and stroma were disrupted, but the neural crest cells persisted after completion of AES formation. Our analyses revealed that the 218-amino acid isoform regulated the directionality of actin fibers and the intensity of focal adhesion. The isoform might control the nuclear entry of transcriptional regulators, such as YAP. It is also possible that ITPR1 regulates both AES differentiation and muscle contraction in the iris.

Identification and Characterization of Synaptic Vesicle Membrane Protein VAT-1 Homolog as a New Catechin-Binding Protein.

(-)-Epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCg), a major constituent of green tea extract, is well-known to exhibit many beneficial actions for human health by interacting with numerous proteins. In this study we identified synaptic vesicle membrane protein VAT-1 homolog (VAT1) as a novel EGCg-binding protein in human neuroglioma cell extracts using a magnetic pull-down assay and LC-tandem mass spectrometry. We prepared recombinant human VAT1 and analyzed its direct binding to EGCg and its alkylated derivatives using surface plasmon resonance. For EGCg and the derivative NUP-15, we measured an association constant of 0.02-0.85 ×103 M-1s-1 and a dissociation constant of nearly 8 × 10-4 s-1. The affinity Km(affinity) of their binding to VAT1 was in the 10-20 µM range and comparable with that of other EGCg-binding proteins reported previously. Based on the common structure of the compounds, VAT1 appeared to recognize a catechol or pyrogallol moiety around the B-, C- and G-rings of EGCg. Next, we examined whether VAT1 mediates the effects of EGCg and NUP-15 on expression of neprilysin (NEP). Treatments of mock cells with these compounds upregulated NEP, as observed previously, whereas no effect was observed in the VAT1-overexpressing cells, indicating that VAT1 prevented the effects of EGCg or NUP-15 by binding to and inactivating them in the cells overexpressing VAT1. Further investigation is required to determine the biological significance of the VAT1-EGCg interaction.

Effect of rifampicin administration on CYP induction in a dermatomyositis patient with vasospastic angina attributable to nilmatrelvir/ritonavir-induced blood tacrolimus elevation: A case report.

Ritonavir (RTV), which is used in combination with nilmatrelvir (NMV) to treat coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), inhibits cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A, thereby increasing blood tacrolimus (TAC) levels through a drug-drug interaction (DDI). We experienced a case in which a DDI between the two drugs led to markedly increased blood TAC levels, resulting in vasospastic angina (VSA) and acute kidney injury (AKI). Rifampicin (RFP) was administered to induce CYP3A and promote TAC metabolism. A 60-year-old man with dermatomyositis who was taking 3 mg/day TAC contracted COVID-19. The patient started oral NMV/RTV therapy, and he was admitted to the hospital after 4 days because of chest pain and AKI. On day 5, his blood TAC level increased markedly to 119.8 ng/mL. RFP 600 mg was administered once daily for 3 days, and his blood TAC level decreased to the therapeutic range of 9.6 ng/mL on day 9, leading to AKI improvement. Transient complete atrioventricular block and nonsustained ventricular tachycardia were present during chest pain. In the coronary spasm provocation test, complete occlusion was observed in the right coronary artery, leading to a diagnosis of VSA. VSA and AKI are possible side effects of high blood TAC levels caused by DDI, and attention should be paid to cardiovascular side effects such as VSA and AKI associated with increased blood levels of TAC when it is used together with NMV/RTV. When blood levels of TAC increase, oral RFP can rapidly decrease TAC blood levels and potentially reduce its toxicity.

Immune complexome analysis of a rich variety of serum immune complexes identifies disease-characteristic immune complex antigens in systemic sclerosis.

Systemic sclerosis (SSc) is an autoimmune disease characterized by vascular endothelial dysfunction and skin fibrosis. Recently, the presence and pathogenic role of immune complexes (ICs) of SSc patients were reported. However, the identities of antigens in these ICs are unknown. Therefore, we examined ICs in the serum of SSc patients to elucidate SSc pathogenesis. In this study, IC concentrations in serum samples from SSc and systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) patients were measured by C1q enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays; immune complex analysis was used for comprehensive identification and comparison of antigens incorporated into ICs (IC-antigens). The expression patterns of SSc-specific IC-antigens in skin sections were investigated by immunohistochemistry. Compared with SLE patients who developed disease because of IC deposition, SSc patients had a greater number of IC-antigens and a smaller difference in IC concentrations, suggesting that SSc pathogenesis is affected by the proteins present in ICs. In contrast, the IC concentration and number of IC-antigens did not significantly differ according to the clinical phenotype of SSc. We identified 478 IC-antigens in SSc patients, including multiple RNAP II-associated proteins that were targeted by antibodies previously associated with SSc pathogenesis. The most frequently detected RNAP II-associated protein, RNA polymerase II transcription subunit 30 (MED30), was strongly expressed at lesion sites and reportedly regulates endothelial differentiation. Therefore, increased expression of MED30 in lesions may have an antigenic effect, and MED30 function may be impaired or inhibited by IC formation. RNAP II-associated proteins may SSc pathogenesis through mechanisms such as the MED30 pathway.

Determination of Anthraquinone-Tagged Amines Using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography with Online UV Irradiation and Luminol Chemiluminescence Detection.

Quinones are frequently used as derivatization reagents in HPLC analysis to improve detection sensitivity. In the present study, a simple, sensitive, and selective chemiluminescence (CL) derivatization strategy for biogenic amines, prior to their HPLC-CL analysis, was developed. The novel CL derivatization strategy was established based on using anthraquinone-2-carbonyl chloride as derivatizing agent for amines and then using the unique property of the quinones' moiety to generate reactive oxygen species (ROS) in response to UV irradiation. Typical amines such as tryptamine and phenethylamine were derivatized with anthraquinone-2-carbonyl chloride and then injected into an HPLC system equipped with an online photoreactor. The anthraquinone-tagged amines are separated and then UV-irradiated when they pass through a photoreactor to generate ROS from the quinone moiety of the derivative. Tryptamine and phenethylamine can be determined by measuring the chemiluminescence intensity produced by the reaction of the generated ROS with luminol. The chemiluminescence disappears when the photoreactor is turned off, suggesting that ROS are no longer generated from the quinone moiety in the absence of UV irradiation. This result indicates that the generation of ROS could be controlled by turning the photoreactor on and off. Under the optimized conditions, the limits of detection for tryptamine and phenethylamine were 124 and 84 nM, respectively. The developed method is successfully applied to determine the concentrations of tryptamine and phenethylamine in wine samples.

Determination Method for Pyrroloquinoline Quinone in Food Products by HPLC-UV Detection Using a Redox-Based Colorimetric Reaction.

We have developed an HPLC-UV method for the determination of pyrroloquinoline quinone (PQQ), which utilizes a redox-based colorimetric reaction. In the proposed colorimetric reaction, the redox reaction between PQQ and dithiothreitol generates superoxide anion radicals that can convert 2-(4-iodophenyl)-3-(4-nitrophenyl)-5-phenyl-2H-tetrazolium chloride (INT) to formazan dye. After PQQ separation on an octadecyl silica column, it was mixed online with dithiothreitol and INT, and the formed formazan dye was monitored by absorbance at 490 nm. The detection limit (S/N = 3) of the proposed method was 7.6 nM (152 fmol/injection). The proposed method could selectively detect PQQ in food products without any clean-up procedures.

Coronin1C Is a GDP-Specific Rab44 Effector That Controls Osteoclast Formation by Regulating Cell Motility in Macrophages.

Osteoclasts are multinucleated bone-resorbing cells that are formed by the fusion of macrophages. Recently, we identified Rab44, a large Rab GTPase, as an upregulated gene during osteoclast differentiation that negatively regulates osteoclast differentiation. However, the molecular mechanisms by which Rab44 negatively regulates osteoclast differentiation remain unknown. Here, we found that the GDP form of Rab44 interacted with the actin-binding protein, Coronin1C, in murine macrophages. Immunoprecipitation experiments revealed that the interaction of Rab44 and Coronin1C occurred in wild-type and a dominant-negative (DN) mutant of Rab44, but not in a constitutively active (CA) mutant of Rab44. Consistent with these findings, the expression of the CA mutant inhibited osteoclast differentiation, whereas that of the DN mutant enhanced this differentiation. Using a phase-contrast microscope, Coronin1C-knockdown osteoclasts apparently impaired multinuclear formation. Moreover, Coronin1C knockdown impaired the migration and chemotaxis of RAW-D macrophages. An in vivo experimental system demonstrated that Coronin1C knockdown suppresses osteoclastogenesis. Therefore, the decreased cell formation and fusion of Coronin1C-depleted osteoclasts might be due to the decreased migration of Coronin1C-knockdown macrophages. These results indicate that Coronin1C is a GDP-specific Rab44 effector that controls osteoclast formation by regulating cell motility in macrophages.

Evaluation of four commercial severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 antibody tests.

INTRODUCTION: Numerous severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) serological tests exists commercially; however, their performance using clinical samples is limited. Although insufficient to detect SARS-CoV-2 in the early phase of infection, antibody assays can be of great use for surveillance studies or for some coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) patients presenting late to the hospital. METHODS: This study evaluated the sensitivity and specificity of four commercial SARS-CoV-2 lateral flow antibody tests using 213 serum specimens from 90 PCR-positive confirmed COVID-19 patients. Of 59 negative control sera, 50 were obtained from patients with other respiratory infectious diseases before COVID-19 pandemic began while nine were from patients infected with other respiratory viruses, including two seasonal coronaviruses. RESULTS: The varied sensitivities for the four commercial kits were 70.9%, 65.3%, 45.1%, and 65.7% for BioMedomics, Autobio Diagnostics, Genbody, and KURABO, respectively, between sick days 1 and 155 in COVID-19 patients. The sensitivities of the four tests gradually increased over time after infection before sick day 5 (15.0%, 12.5%, 15.0%, and 20.0%); from sick day 11-15 (95.7%, 87.2%, 53.2%, and 89.4%); and after sick day 20 (100%, 100%, 68.6%, and 96.1%), respectively. For severe illness, the sensitivities were quite high in the late phase after sick day 15. The specificities were over 96% for all four tests. No cross-reaction due to other pathogens, including seasonal coronaviruses, was observed. CONCLUSIONS: Our results demonstrated the large differences in the antibody test performances. This ought to be considered when performing surveillance analysis.

A Smart Advanced Chemiluminescence-Sensing Platform for Determination and Imaging of the Tissue Distribution of Natural Antioxidants.

Antioxidants have gained marked attention owing to their ability to prevent the oxidation of biological components and to protect the body from reactive oxygen species, thereby maintaining human health. Thus, antioxidant-rich dietary supplements and natural foods can be effective against oxidative stress and can even act as chemopreventive agents. Therefore, a simple and rapid assay for evaluation of antioxidant capacity and assessment of their distribution profile in natural sources is vital. Herein, we report a rapid, innovative chemiluminescence (CL) platform for evaluation and visualization of antioxidant capacity. We found that intense and long-lasting CL was formed upon the redox reaction of quinones, e.g., menadione, with antioxidants, e.g., l-ascorbic acid, in the presence of luminol. The produced CL intensities were proportional to the antioxidants' concentrations with a detection limit of 0.18 µM for the model antioxidant, l-ascorbic acid. As the formed CL was long-lasting, it could be easily captured and detected with a charge-coupled device (CCD) camera. To evaluate the quantification ability of the CCD camera, we developed a smart and fast microplate-based assay based on photographing the generated CL with a cooled CCD camera. The photographed CL intensities were linearly proportional with the antioxidant concentrations, and then the method was applied for photographing multiple food sample extracts. Ultimately, we utilized our method for the distribution profiling of antioxidant capacity in food cut sections. Samples were dipped in luminol and then in quinone, followed by CCD camera photography, without the need for any pulverization/extraction procedure, giving precise antioxidant distribution information.

Feasibility of Trypsin Digestion as a Sample Preparation for Daptomycin Quantification in Murine Skeletal Muscles.

It is important to evaluate the amount of daptomycin (DAP) distributed to skeletal muscles to elucidate the mechanisms related to penetration and side effects, such as myopathies. However, no attempt has been made to measure DAP concentrations in skeletal muscles. The study's aim to investigate the feasibility of trypsin digestion, as a muscle sample preparation technique for the determination of DAP in murine skeletal muscle, was evaluated in conjunction with a conventional HPLC-UV analysis. Compared with trypsin digestion, DAP was less recovered from spiked skeletal muscle by the conventional extraction, including homogenization, centrifugation, and filtration, because of its incorporation into the muscle protein. On the other hand, a sample preparation technique involving enzymatic digestion employing trypsin fully recovered DAP from the spiked skeletal muscle. Based on the spike recovery assay results, we proposed an efficient muscle sample preparation method involving trypsin digestion. HPLC analysis in conjunction with the sample preparation method has successfully determined DAP concentrations of skeletal muscles collected from mice administrated subcutaneously with DAP. The proposed method is suitable for application to investigations that include animal experiments on drug migration into muscle and mechanism underlying skeletal muscle injury as a side reaction, such as myopathies, of DAP therapy.

Combination index of the concentration and in vivo antagonism activity of racemic warfarin and its metabolites to assess individual drug responses.

The present study was undertaken to examine whether in vivo vitamin K epoxide reductase complex 1 (VKOR) "actual" antagonism activity, calculated by the concentrations and the reported anticoagulant activities of the R- and S-warfarin enantiomers and their metabolites, correlates with the weekly dose of warfarin. Five patients under palliative care were enrolled in our study and 20 serum samples were analyzed by an enantioselective high-performance liquid chromatography-ultraviolet detection method. In vivo VKOR inhibition activities of S-warfarin, R-warfarin, 7- and 10-hydroxywarfarin were calculated as the ratio of drug or metabolite concentration to the IC50. The mean drug concentrations (± SD) of S- and R-warfarin, 7-hydroxywarfarin and 10-hydroxywarfarin were 334 ± 154 ng/ml, 370 ± 115 ng/ml, 42 ± 15 ng/ml and 80 ± 44 ng/ml, respectively. Then, in vivo VKOR actual antagonism activities of S- and R-warfarin, 7-hydroxywarfarin and 10-hydroxywarfarin were calculated. Good correlation (R2 = 0.69-0.72) was obtained between the weekly warfarin dose and the ratios of INR/actual antagonism activity, while poor correlation was observed between the weekly warfarin dose and INR (R2 = 0.32) or the activities (R2 = 0.17-0.21). Actual antagonism activities along with the INR correlated well with the warfarin dose. This parameter may be useful for predicting or altering warfarin doses, although further verification in a larger study is required.

Similarity of autoimmune diseases based on the profile of immune complex antigens.

Since immune complexes (IC) are a direct product of immune response through the binding between antigen and antibody, the profile of antigen-associated ICs may depend on each autoimmune disease. In this report, we examined the similarity of four neurological autoimmune diseases, Alzheimer's disease and healthy donors, and seven connective tissue diseases based on the profiling of IC-associated antigens which were previously or recently identified by immune complexome analysis of cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) or serum samples. The similarity between each pair of two diseases was assessed by correlation coefficients as distance matrix with the use of detection frequency (i.e., the percentage of patients who were positive for a certain antigen in each disease) of each IC-associated antigen in a certain disease. Among 15 pairs of five diseases and healthy control examined by the analysis of CSF samples, only 1 pair of neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus and multiple sclerosis corresponds to the higher correlation value (r = 0.73) than 0.7. On the other hand, among seven connective tissue diseases examined by the analysis of serum samples, 12 of 21 pairs show high correlation value (r > 0.70). Our finding suggested that the profile of IC-associated antigens identified by immune complexome analysis of CSF samples can be useful for evaluating the similarity of neurological autoimmune diseases; however, not by that of serum samples.

Novel anti-suprabasin antibodies may contribute to the pathogenesis of neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus.

Neuropsychiatric systemic lupus erythematosus (NPSLE) is often difficult to diagnose and distinguish from other diseases, because no NPSLE-specific antibodies have been identified. We developed a novel proteomic strategy for identifying and profiling antigens in immune complexes in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), and applied this strategy to 26 NPSLE patients. As controls, we also included 25 SLE patients without neuropsychiatric manifestations (SLE), 15 with relapsing remitting multiple sclerosis (MS) and 10 with normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH). We identified immune complexes of suprabasin (SBSN) in the CSF of the NPSLE group. The titer of anti-SBSN antibodies was significantly higher in the CSF of the NPSLE group compared to those of the SLE, MS and NPH groups. Microarray data showed that the senescence and autophagy pathways were significantly changed in astrocytes exposed to anti-SBSN antibodies. Our findings indicate that SBSN could be a novel autoantibody for the evaluation of suspected NPSLE.

Determining Transgene Expression Characteristics Using a Suction Device with Multiple Hole Adjusting a Left Lateral Lobe of the Mouse Liver.

We developed a tissue suction-mediated transfection method (suction method) as a relatively reliable and less invasive technique for in vivo transfection. In this study, we determined hepatic transgene expression characteristics in the mouse liver, using a suction device, collecting information relevant to gene therapy and gene functional analysis by the liver suction method. To achieve high transgene expression levels, we developed a suction device with four holes (multiple hole device) and applied it to the larger portion of the left lateral lobe of the mouse liver. Hepatic transfection with physical stimuli was potentially controlled by activator protein-1 (AP-1) and nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cells (NF-κB). We examined the spatial distribution of transgene expression in the suctioned lobe by 2-dimensional imaging with histochemical staining and 3-dimensional multicolor deep imaging with tissue clearing methods. Through monitoring spatial distribution of transgene expression, the liver suction method was used to efficiently transfect extravascular hepatocytes in the suction-deformable upper lobe of the liver. Moreover, long-term transgene expression, at least 14 d, was achieved with the liver suction method when cytosine-phosphate-guanine (CpG)-free plasmid DNA was applied.

Determination of Tanshinones in Danshen (Salvia miltiorrhiza) by High-Performance Liquid Chromatography with Fluorescence Detection after pre-Column Derivatisation.

INTRODUCTION: Tanshinones are a major class of bioactive ingredients in the traditional herbal medicines, Danshen (Salvia miltiorrhiza). A sensitive and reliable determination method for tanshinones is useful to ensure the quality of Danshen. OBJECTIVE: To develop a sensitive and selective analytical method for tanshinones by high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) with fluorescence detection after pre-column derivatisation. METHODOLOGY: The proposed method depends on derivatisation reaction of tanshinones with 4-carbomethoxybenzaldehyde and ammonium acetate forming intensely fluorescent imidazole derivative. RESULTS: The proposed method provided excellent sensitivity with the detection limits of 3.3 nM (66 fmol/injection), 3.2 nM (64 fmol/injection) and 2.0 nM (40 fmol/injection) for cryptotanshinone, tanshinone I and tanshinone IIA, respectively, without the necessity of complicated instrumentations. The developed method is successfully applied to quantify the contents of tanshinones in Danshen. CONCLUSION: The developed method is the first analytical method for tanshinones by fluorescence detection. Since the derivatisation reaction is selective for the o-quinone structure of tanshinone, the developed method will become a suitable mean for the discovering of tanshinone type diterpenoids from herbal samples. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Immune complexome analysis reveals the specific and frequent presence of immune complex antigens in lung cancer patients: A pilot study.

Cancer immunotherapies such as antibodies targeting T cell checkpoints, or adaptive tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) transfer, have been developed to boost the endogenous immune response against human malignancies. However, activation of T cells by such antibodies can lead to the risk of autoimmune diseases. Also, the selection of tumor-reactive T cells for TIL relies on information regarding mutated antigens in tumors and does not reflect other factors involved in protein antigenicity. It is therefore essential to engineer therapeutic interventions by which T cell reactivity against tumor cells is selectively enhanced (i.e., "focused cancer immunotherapy") based on tumor antigens that are specifically expressed in the tumor of a certain cancer and in many patients with this cancer. Immune complexes (ICs) are the direct and stable products of immunological recognition by humoral immunity. Here, we searched for tumor-specific IC antigens in each of five cancers (lung (n = 28), colon (n = 20), bladder (n = 20), renal cell (n = 15) and malignant lymphoma (n = 9)), by using immune complexome analysis that comprehensively identifies and profiles the constituent antigens in ICs. This analysis indicated that gelsolin and inter-alpha-trypsin inhibitor heavy chains were specifically and frequently detected (at a frequency higher than 80%), and that phosphoproteins (VENTX, VCIP135) were also specifically present in the ICs of lung cancer patients. Immune complexome analysis successfully identified several tumor-specific IC antigens with high detection frequency in lung cancer patients. These specific antigens are required to validate the clinical benefit by further analysis using a large number of patients.

A Mini-Review of Reactive Oxygen Species in Urological Cancer: Correlation with NADPH Oxidases, Angiogenesis, and Apoptosis.

Oxidative stress refers to elevated reactive oxygen species (ROS) levels, and NADPH oxidases (NOXs), which are one of the most important sources of ROS. Oxidative stress plays important roles in the etiologies, pathological mechanisms, and treatment strategies of vascular diseases. Additionally, oxidative stress affects mechanisms of carcinogenesis, tumor growth, and prognosis in malignancies. Nearly all solid tumors show stimulation of neo-vascularity, termed angiogenesis, which is closely associated with malignant aggressiveness. Thus, cancers can be seen as a type of vascular disease. Oxidative stress-induced functions are regulated by complex endogenous mechanisms and exogenous factors, such as medication and diet. Although understanding these regulatory mechanisms is important for improving the prognosis of urothelial cancer, it is not sufficient, because there are controversial and conflicting opinions. Therefore, we believe that this knowledge is essential to discuss observations and treatment strategies in urothelial cancer. In this review, we describe the relationships between members of the NOX family and tumorigenesis, tumor growth, and pathological mechanisms in urological cancers including prostate cancer, renal cell carcinoma, and urothelial cancer. In addition, we introduce natural compounds and chemical agents that are associated with ROS-induced angiogenesis or apoptosis.

XRCC4 deficiency in human subjects causes a marked neurological phenotype but no overt immunodeficiency.

BACKGROUND: Nonhomologous end-joining (NHEJ) is the major DNA double-strand break (DSB) repair mechanism in human cells. The final rejoining step requires DNA ligase IV (LIG4) together with the partner proteins X-ray repair cross-complementing protein 4 (XRCC4) and XRCC4-like factor. Patients with mutations in genes encoding LIG4, XRCC4-like factor, or the other NHEJ proteins DNA-dependent protein kinase catalytic subunit and Artemis are DSB repair defective and immunodeficient because of the requirement for NHEJ during V(D)J recombination. OBJECTIVE: We found a patient displaying microcephaly and progressive ataxia but a normal immune response. We sought to determine pathogenic mutations and to describe the molecular pathogenesis of the patient. METHODS: We performed next-generation exome sequencing. We evaluated the DSB repair activities and V(D)J recombination capacity of the patient's cells, as well as performing a standard blood immunologic characterization. RESULTS: We identified causal mutations in the XRCC4 gene. The patient's cells are radiosensitive and display the most severe DSB repair defect we have encountered using patient-derived cell lines. In marked contrast, a V(D)J recombination plasmid assay revealed that the patient's cells did not display the junction abnormalities that are characteristic of other NHEJ-defective cell lines. The mutant protein can interact efficiently with LIG4 and functions normally in in vitro assays and when transiently expressed in vivo. However, the mutation makes the protein unstable, and it undergoes proteasome-mediated degradation. CONCLUSION: Our findings reveal a novel separation of impact phenotype: there is a pronounced DSB repair defect and marked clinical neurological manifestation but no clinical immunodeficiency.

Immune complexome analysis of antigens in circulating immune complexes isolated from patients with IgG4-related dacryoadenitis and/or sialadenitis.

OBJECTIVES: IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) is characterized by various serological abnormalities. Some patients with IgG4-RD present with hypergammaglobulinemia, hypocomplementemia, and autoantibodies recognizing rheumatoid factors and nuclear factors. However, whether IgG4-RD is an autoimmune disease remains unclear. METHODS: Here, we used immune complexome analysis to comprehensively identify constituent antigens of circulating immune complexes isolated from 10 patients with IgG4-related dacryoadenitis and/or sialadenitis (IgG4-RDS) which is one condition associated with IgG4-RD. RESULTS: We detected each of 125 distinct antigens in independent samples from two or more patients with IgG4-RDS. Of them, 17 antigens were found to be specific to patients with IgG4-RDS by comparing 125 antigens with all the antigens found in other connective tissue diseases (antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis, Takayasu's arteritis, mixed connective tissue disease, dermatomyositis, Sjögren's syndrome, systemic scleroderma, and systemic lupus erythematosus) or healthy donors. The number of disease-specific antigens associated with IgG4-RDS was comparable to those autoimmune diseases. CONCLUSIONS: Studies of the 17 IgG4-RDS-specific antigens might lead to a better understanding of the pathogenesis of IgG4-RD, but further study of the prevalence of these CIC-associated antigens that involves a selective and sensitive assay will be needed to determine their potential as diagnostic or pathogenic biomarkers.

Poly(L-lactic acid)-modified silica stationary phase for reversed-phase and hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography.

Poly(L-lactic acid) is a linear aliphatic thermoplastic polyester that can be produced from renewable resources. A poly(L-lactic acid)-modified silica stationary phase was newly prepared by amide bond reaction between amino groups on aminopropyl silica and carboxylic acid groups at the end of the poly(L-lactic acid) chain. The poly(L-lactic acid)-silica column was characterized in reversed-phase liquid chromatography and hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography with the use of different mobile phase compositions. The poly(L-lactic acid)-silica column was found to work in both modes, and the retention of test compounds depending on acetonitrile content exhibited "U-shaped" curves, which was an indicator of reversed-phase liquid chromatography/hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography mixed-mode retention behavior. In addition, carbonyl groups included into the poly(L-lactic acid) backbone work as an electron-accepting group toward a polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon and provide π-π interactions.