Circulating bioactive sclerostin levels in an Austrian population-based cohort.

BACKGROUND: Circulating serum sclerostin levels are supposed to give a good estimation of the levels of this negative regulator of bone mass within bone. Most studies evaluating total serum sclerostin found different levels in males compared to females and in older compared to younger subjects. Besides an ELISA detecting total sclerostin an ELISA determining bioactive sclerostin has been developed. The aim of this study was to investigate serum levels of bioactive sclerostin in an Austrian population-based cohort. METHODS: We conducted a cross-sectional observational study in 235 healthy subjects. Using the bioactive ELISA assay (Biomedica) bioactive sclerostin levels were evaluated. RESULTS: Serum levels of bioactive sclerostin were higher in men than in women (24%). The levels correlated positively with age (r = 0.47). A positive correlation could also be detected with body mass index and bone mineral density. CONCLUSION: Using the ELISA detecting bioactive sclerostin our results are consistent with data in the literature obtained by different sclerostin assays. The determination of sclerostin concentrations in peripheral blood thus appears to be a robust parameter of bone metabolism.

Super-enhancer-based identification of a BATF3/IL-2R-module reveals vulnerabilities in anaplastic large cell lymphoma.

Anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL), an aggressive CD30-positive T-cell lymphoma, comprises systemic anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK)-positive, and ALK-negative, primary cutaneous and breast implant-associated ALCL. Prognosis of some ALCL subgroups is still unsatisfactory, and already in second line effective treatment options are lacking. To identify genes defining ALCL cell state and dependencies, we here characterize super-enhancer regions by genome-wide H3K27ac ChIP-seq. In addition to known ALCL key regulators, the AP-1-member BATF3 and IL-2 receptor (IL2R)-components are among the top hits. Specific and high-level IL2R expression in ALCL correlates with BATF3 expression. Confirming a regulatory link, IL-2R-expression decreases following BATF3 knockout, and BATF3 is recruited to IL2R regulatory regions. Functionally, IL-2, IL-15 and Neo-2/15, a hyper-stable IL-2/IL-15 mimic, accelerate ALCL growth and activate STAT1, STAT5 and ERK1/2. In line, strong IL-2Rα-expression in ALCL patients is linked to more aggressive clinical presentation. Finally, an IL-2Rα-targeting antibody-drug conjugate efficiently kills ALCL cells in vitro and in vivo. Our results highlight the importance of the BATF3/IL-2R-module for ALCL biology and identify IL-2Rα-targeting as a promising treatment strategy for ALCL.

Tumor suppressors in acute myeloid leukemia.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is a very heterogeneous type of blood cancer, which presents with a high rate of mortality especially in elderly patients. Better understanding of critical players, such as molecules with tumor suppressive properties, may help to fine-tune disease classification and thereby treatment modalities for this detrimental disease. Here, we summarize well-known and established tumor suppressors as well as emerging tumor suppressors, including transcription factors (TCFs) and other transcriptional regulators, such as epigenetic modulators. In addition, we look into the versatile field of miRNAs also interfering with tumorigenesis and progression, which offer new possibilities in AML diagnosis, prognosis, and therapy.

Efficient production of recombinant secretory IgA against Clostridium difficile toxins in CHO-K1 cells.

Despite the essential role secretory IgAs play in the defense against pathogenic invasion and the proposed value of recombinant secretory IgAs as novel therapeutics, currently there are no IgA-based therapies in clinics. Secretory IgAs are complex molecules and the major bottleneck limiting their therapeutic potential is a reliable recombinant production system. In this report, we addressed this issue and established a fast and robust production method for secretory IgAs in CHO-K1 cells using BAC-based expression vectors. As a proof of principle, we produced IgAs against Clostridium difficile toxins TcdA and TcdB. Recombinant secretory IgAs produced using our expression system showed comparable titers to IgGs, widely used as therapeutic biologicals. Importantly, secretory IgAs produced using our method were functional and could efficiently neutralize Clostridium difficile toxins TcdA and TcdB. These results show that recombinant secretory IgAs can be efficiently produced, thus opening the possibility to use them as therapeutic agents in clinics.

Correction to: Serum levels of sclerostin reflect altered bone microarchitecture in patients with hepatic cirrhosis.

Correction to: Wien Klin Wochenschr 2019 https://doi.org/10.1007/s00508-019-01595-8 The original version of this article unfortunately contained a mistake. The last sentence should read: Patients with ALD had significantly lower sclerostin levels, compared to controls. The authors apologize for the ….

Serum levels of sclerostin reflect altered bone microarchitecture in patients with hepatic cirrhosis.

BACKGROUND: Patients with hepatic cirrhosis are at increased risk of bone loss. Recent work on areal bone mineral density has reported contradictory findings. As the assessment of bone microarchitecture is complex, a search was made for correlations with new serum markers of bone turnover. Current data on serum sclerostin levels in patients with increased fracture risk are divergent and to date only one study has examined patients with hepatic cirrhosis. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate serum sclerostin levels and to test for correlations with microarchitecture. METHODS: This study was performed in 32 patients with recently diagnosed hepatic cirrhosis and 32 controls. The parameters of bone microarchitecture were assessed by high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography. Sclerostin was detected via a new ELISA that detects the active receptor interaction site at loop 2 of the sclerostin core region. RESULTS: Sclerostin levels were slightly, but not significantly lower in the patient group, compared to controls. In contrast, patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis had significantly lower levels than the controls. A significant correlation with areal bone mineral density (BMD) and trabecular microarchitecture was observed in the patient group. However, there was hardly any correlation between sclerostin and bone microarchitecture in the controls. CONCLUSION: In hepatic cirrhosis, sclerostin is related to altered bone microarchitecture and lower areal BMD. In alcoholic liver disease, low sclerostin concentrations were seen.

Validation of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for quantification of endostatin levels in mice as a biomarker of developing glomerulonephritis.

Endostatin, the C-terminal fragment of type XVIII collagen, was shown to be one of the most potent endothelial cell-specific inhibitors of angiogenesis. As altered circulating endostatin concentration is associated with impaired kidney function, new tools for measuring endostatin in rodents may be helpful to further investigate and understand its role within kidney disease progression. A novel and commercially available ELISA for the quantification of mouse and rat endostatin was developed and validated according to international quality guidelines including the parameters specificity, robustness, accuracy, dilution linearity, precision, limit of detection (LOD) and lower limit of quantification (LLOQ). Endostatin and blood urea nitrogen (BUN) concentration were measured in mice with a glomerulonephritis phenotype. The validation revealed that within the range of 0.5-32 nmol/L the immunoassay is robust and highly specific for the measurement of rodent endostatin with high sensitivity (LOD 0.24 nmol/L, LLOQ 0.5 nmol/L) and good reproducibility (intra- and inter-assay CV <10%). Also accuracy and dilution linearity were within the range of acceptance. BCL2 transgenic and ETV6/RUNX1;BCL2 double transgenic mice develop a glomerulonephritis phenotype over time, which was displayed by staining of kidney sections. Even before full manifestation of disease serum endostatin concentration rises significantly, whereas BUN levels just slightly increase. This newly developed and commercially available ELISA provides a reliable and accurate tool for the quantification of mouse and rat endostatin and may give new perspectives in the investigation of the role of endostatin as an important and early biomarker for reduced kidney function. Measurement of endostatin concentration is recommended to be used as a superior biomarker for chronic kidney disease compared to BUN.

Characterization of a sandwich ELISA for quantification of total human soluble neuropilin-1.

BACKGROUND: Neuropilin-1 (NRP1) is a highly interactive molecule that exists as transmembrane and soluble isoforms. Measurement of circulating levels of soluble NRP1 (sNRP1) in human serum and plasma has proven to be difficult due to present matrix interferences and due to the lack of a reliable technique. METHODS: We developed a highly specific and sensitive sandwich ELISA assay for total sNRP1 quantification in peripheral blood, and we validated the test according to ICH guidelines. The linear epitopes of the employed polyclonal and monoclonal anti-human NRP1 antibodies were mapped with microarray technology. We included a sample pre-treatment step with guanidine hydrochloride (GuHCl) to release sNRP1 from existing interferants. RESULTS: The ELISA assay which is calibrated with sNRP1 isoform 2 and covers a calibration range from 0.375 to 12 nmol/L detects sNRP1 in human serum and plasma (heparin, EDTA, and citrate). Multiple linear epitopes recognized by the polyclonal coating antibody are distributed over the whole sNRP1 sequence. The monoclonal detection antibody binds to a linear epitope which is in the N-terminal region of the a1 domain of human sNRP1. Assay parameters like precision (intra-assay: 6%), dilution linearity (95%-115%), specificity (98%), and spike recovery (81%-109%) meet the international standards of acceptance. CONCLUSION: Our novel sandwich ELISA provides a reliable tool for the quantitative determination of total human sNRP1. The assay detects free and previous ligand-bound total NRP1.

A high-sensitivity enzyme immunoassay for the quantification of soluble human semaphorin 4D in plasma.

Human semaphorin 4D (SEMA4D), a type I integral membrane glycoprotein, regulates key cellular functions (e.g. cell-cell communication, platelet activation). Its 120 kDa extracellular region can be shed from the membrane to release soluble SEMA4D (sSEMA4D). Studies on circulating sSEMA4D levels are mostly performed with poorly characterized assays and use serum and plasma as matrix. We developed and validated a sandwich ELISA utilizing two monoclonal antibodies with resolved epitopes and determined affinities. Human serum and plasma samples were analyzed, and the influence of protease activity on sSEMA4D concentration was tested by collecting samples in the presence of the protease inhibitor TAPI-1. Both antibodies recognize conformational epitopes in the sema domain. Validation for plasma (EDTA, citrate, heparin) showed valid specificity, precision, accuracy, dilution linearity, and robustness. The assay shows a calibration range from 62.5 to 2000 pmol/L with a quantification limit of 31 pmol/L. sSEMA4D was significantly higher in serum than in plasma, whereas serum and plasma levels from samples collected in the presence of TAPI-1 showed no statistical difference. This ELISA provides a reliable tool for the quantification of sSEMA4D in human plasma. Serum is not recommended as matrix due to the accumulation of shed SEMA4D during blood coagulation altering serum sSEMA4D levels.

The Reproduction Rate of Peptide Transporter PEPT-1 Deficient C. elegans Is Dependent on Dietary Glutamate Supply.

Intestinal absorption of dietary amino acids is mediated via two routes. Free amino acids released by hydrolysis of dietary proteins are taken up by a multitude of amino acid transporters while di- and tripeptides released are taken up by the peptide transporter PEPT-1. Loss of PEPT-1 impairs growth, post-embryonic development and reproduction in Caenorhabditis elegans, and supplementation with a mixture of all L-amino acids only partially rescues fertility. In the present study, we demonstrate that dietary L-glutamate is the responsible amino acid that can increase fertility in hermaphrodite pept-1 worms. This effect was associated with a significantly higher uptake of glutamate/aspartate in pept-1 than in wildtype C. elegans. Furthermore, we found that the intestinal transporter proteins SNF-5 of the solute carrier SLC6 family of nutrient amino acid transporters (NAT) and AAT-6 of the SLC7 family as the light subunit of a heteromeric amino acid transporter (HAT) play a key role in glutamate homeostasis in pept-1 C. elegans. Genes encoding these transporters are highly expressed and upon silencing a 95% reduced fertility (snf-5) and sterility (aat-6) was observed. A subsequent L-glutamate supplementation failed to rescue these phenotypes. Dietary glutamate supplementation did neither influence the feeding frequency, nor did it improve mating efficiency of pept-1 males. Most strikingly, pept-1 were more prone to habituation to repeated gentle touch stimuli than wildtype C. elegans, and dietary glutamate supply was sufficient to alter this behavioral output by restoring the mechanosensory response to wildtype levels. Taken together, our data demonstrate a key role of L-glutamate in amino acid homeostasis in C. elegans lacking the peptide transporter in the intestine and demonstrate its distinct role in reproduction and for neural circuits mediating touch sensitivity.

Characterization of a sandwich ELISA for the quantification of all human periostin isoforms.

BACKGROUND: Periostin (osteoblast-specific factor OSF-2) is a secreted protein occurring in seven known isoforms, and it is involved in a variety of biological processes in osteology, tissue repair, oncology, cardiovascular and respiratory systems or allergic manifestations. To analyze functional aspects of periostin, or the ability of periostin as potential biomarker in physiological and pathological conditions, there is the need for a precise, well-characterized assay that detects periostin in peripheral blood. METHODS: In this study the development of a sandwich ELISA using monoclonal and affinity-purified polyclonal anti-human periostin antibodies was described. Antibodies were characterized by mapping of linear epitopes with microarray technology, and by analyzing cross-reactive binding to human periostin isoforms with western blot. The assay was validated according to ICH/EMEA guidelines. RESULTS: The monoclonal coating antibody binds to a linear epitope conserved between the isoforms. The polyclonal detection antibody recognizes multiple conserved linear epitopes. Therefore, the periostin ELISA detects all known human periostin isoforms. The assay is optimized for human serum and plasma and covers a calibration range between 125 and 4000 pmol/L for isoform 1. Assay characteristics, such as precision (intra-assay: ≤3%, inter-assay: ≤6%), spike-recovery (83%-106%), dilution linearity (95%-126%), as well as sample stability meet the standards of acceptance. Periostin levels of apparently healthy individuals are 864±269 pmol/L (serum) and 817±170 pmol/L (plasma) respectively. CONCLUSION: This ELISA is a reliable and accurate tool for determination of all currently known periostin isoforms in human healthy and diseased samples.