The Information Technology (IT) Infrastructure of the Multicenter Archipelago of Ovarian Cancer Research Biobank: A Potential Blueprint for Other Biobanks.

Objective: Biobanks play a crucial role in fundamental and translational research by storing valuable biomaterials and data for future analyses. However, the design of their information technology (IT) infrastructures is often customized to specific requirements, thereby lacking the ability to be used for biobanks comprising other (types of) diseases. This results in substantial costs, time, and efforts for each new biobank project. The Dutch multicenter Archipelago of Ovarian Cancer Research (AOCR) biobank has developed an innovative, reusable IT infrastructure capable of adaptation to various biobanks, thereby enabling cost-effective and efficient implementation and management of biobank IT systems. Methods and Results: The AOCR IT infrastructure incorporates preexisting biobank software, mainly managed by Health-RI. The web-based registration tool Ldot is used for secure storage and pseudonymization of patient data. Clinicopathological data are retrieved from the Netherlands Cancer Registry and the Dutch nationwide pathology databank (Palga), both established repositories, reducing administrative workload and ensuring high data quality. Metadata of collected biomaterials are stored in the OpenSpecimen system. For digital pathology research, a hematoxylin and eosin-stained slide from each patient's tumor is digitized and uploaded to Slide Score. Furthermore, adhering to the Findable, Accessible, Interoperable, and Reusable (FAIR) principles, genomic data derived from the AOCR samples are stored in cBioPortal. Conclusion: The IT infrastructure of the AOCR biobank represents a new standard for biobanks, offering flexibility to handle diverse diseases and types of biomaterials. This infrastructure bypasses the need for disease-specific, custom-built software, thereby being cost- and time-effective while ensuring data quality and legislative compliance. The adaptability of this infrastructure highlights its potential to serve as a blueprint for the development of IT infrastructures in both new and existing biobanks.

Establishment of the Dutch Nationwide, Interdisciplinary Infrastructure and Biobank for Fundamental and Translational Ovarian Cancer Research: Archipelago of Ovarian Cancer Research.

OBJECTIVES: Ovarian cancer has the worst overall survival rate of all gynecologic malignancies. For the majority of patients, the 5-year overall survival rate of less than 50% has hardly improved over the last decades. To improve the outcome of patients with all subtypes of ovarian cancer, large-scale fundamental and translational research is needed. To accommodate these types of ovarian cancer research, we have established a Dutch nationwide, interdisciplinary infrastructure and biobank: the Archipelago of Ovarian Cancer Research (AOCR). The AOCR will facilitate fundamental and translational ovarian cancer research and enhance interdisciplinary, national, and international collaboration. DESIGN: The AOCR biobank is a prospective ovarian cancer biobank in which biomaterials are collected, processed, and stored in a uniform matter for future (genetic) scientific research. All 19 Dutch hospitals in which ovarian cancer surgery is performed participate and collaborate in the AOCR biobank. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS: Patients of 16 years and older with suspected or diagnosed ovarian, fallopian tube, or primary peritoneal cancer are recruited for participation. Patients who agree to participate give written informed consent for collection, storage, and issue of their biomaterials for future studies. After inclusion, different blood samples are taken at various predefined time points both before and during treatment. In case of a diagnostic paracentesis or biopsy, the residual biomaterials of these procedures are stored in the biobank. During surgery, primary tumor tissue and, if applicable, tissue from metastatic sites are collected and stored. From each patient, a representative histological hematoxylin and eosin stained slide is digitalized for research purposes, including reassessment by a panel of gynecologic pathologists. Clinical and pathological data are obtained on a per-study basis from Dutch registries. Research proposals for the issue of biomaterials and data are evaluated by both the Archipelago Scientific Committee and the Steering Committee. Researchers using the biomaterials from the AOCR biobank are encouraged to enrich the biobank with data and materials resulting from their analyses and experiments. LIMITATIONS: The implementation and first 4 years of collection are financed by an infrastructural grant from the Dutch Cancer Society. Therefore, the main limitation is that the costs for sustaining the biobank after the funding period will have to be covered. This coverage will come from incorporation of budget for biobanking in future grant applications and from fees from external researchers and commercial parties using the biomaterials stored in the AOCR biobank. Moreover, we will apply for grants aimed at sustaining and improving research infrastructures and biobanks. CONCLUSIONS: With the establishment of the Dutch nationwide, interdisciplinary Archipelago of Ovarian Cancer Research infrastructure and biobank, fundamental and translational research on ovarian cancer can be greatly improved. The ultimate aim of this infrastructure is that it will lead to improved diagnostics, treatment, and survival of patients with ovarian cancer.

Road to FAIR genomes: a gap analysis of NGS data generation and sharing in the Netherlands.

Objective: This study investigates current standards and operational gaps in the management and sharing of next generation sequencing (NGS) data within the healthcare and research setting and according to Findable, Accessible, Interoperable and Reusable (FAIR) principles. Methods: The analysis was performed as the basis from which to bridge identified gaps and develop widely accepted working standards that ensure optimal reusability of genomic data in healthcare and research settings in the Netherlands. This work is part of the 'Rational Pharmacotherapy Program' led by ZonMw, The Netherlands Organisation for Health Research and Development, which aims to promote the efficient implementation of NGS and personalised medicine within Dutch healthcare, with an initial focus on oncology and rare diseases. Results: Based on this analysis and as part of this programme, a consortium was formed to develop an instruction manual for FAIR genomic data in clinical care and research based on an inventory of commonly used workflows and standards in the (inter)national field of genome analysis. Conclusions: The gap analysis presented and discussed in this paper represents the starting point for this inventory and is a possible contribution from the Netherlands to the European 1+ Million Genomes Initiative. This paper addresses the topics of data generation, data quality, (meta)data standards, data storage and archiving and data integration and exchange.

FAIR Genomes metadata schema promoting Next Generation Sequencing data reuse in Dutch healthcare and research.

The genomes of thousands of individuals are profiled within Dutch healthcare and research each year. However, this valuable genomic data, associated clinical data and consent are captured in different ways and stored across many systems and organizations. This makes it difficult to discover rare disease patients, reuse data for personalized medicine and establish research cohorts based on specific parameters. FAIR Genomes aims to enable NGS data reuse by developing metadata standards for the data descriptions needed to FAIRify genomic data while also addressing ELSI issues. We developed a semantic schema of essential data elements harmonized with international FAIR initiatives. The FAIR Genomes schema v1.1 contains 110 elements in 9 modules. It reuses common ontologies such as NCIT, DUO and EDAM, only introducing new terms when necessary. The schema is represented by a YAML file that can be transformed into templates for data entry software (EDC) and programmatic interfaces (JSON, RDF) to ease genomic data sharing in research and healthcare. The schema, documentation and MOLGENIS reference implementation are available at https://fairgenomes.org .

Spatial concordance of DNA methylation classification in diffuse glioma.

BACKGROUND: Intratumoral heterogeneity is a hallmark of diffuse gliomas. DNA methylation profiling is an emerging approach in the clinical classification of brain tumors. The goal of this study is to investigate the effects of intratumoral heterogeneity on classification confidence. METHODS: We used neuronavigation to acquire 133 image-guided and spatially separated stereotactic biopsy samples from 16 adult patients with a diffuse glioma (7 IDH-wildtype and 2 IDH-mutant glioblastoma, 6 diffuse astrocytoma, IDH-mutant and 1 oligodendroglioma, IDH-mutant and 1p19q codeleted), which we characterized using DNA methylation arrays. Samples were obtained from regions with and without abnormalities on contrast-enhanced T1-weighted and fluid-attenuated inversion recovery MRI. Methylation profiles were analyzed to devise a 3-dimensional reconstruction of (epi)genetic heterogeneity. Tumor purity was assessed from clonal methylation sites. RESULTS: Molecular aberrations indicated that tumor was found outside imaging abnormalities, underlining the infiltrative nature of this tumor and the limitations of current routine imaging modalities. We demonstrate that tumor purity is highly variable between samples and explains a substantial part of apparent epigenetic spatial heterogeneity. We observed that DNA methylation subtypes are often, but not always, conserved in space taking tumor purity and prediction accuracy into account. CONCLUSION: Our results underscore the infiltrative nature of diffuse gliomas and suggest that DNA methylation subtypes are relatively concordant in this tumor type, although some heterogeneity exists.

The iCRF Generator: Generating interoperable electronic case report forms using online codebooks.

Semantic interoperability of clinical data is essential to preserve its meaning and intent when the data is exchanged, re-used or integrated with other data. Achieving semantic operability requires the use of a communication standard, such as HL7, as well as (functional) information standards. Manually mapping clinical data to a medical thesaurus, such as SNOMED CT, is complicated and requires expert knowledge of both the dataset, including its context, and the thesaurus. As an alternative, the (re-)use of codebooks, data definitions which may already have been mapped to a thesaurus, can be a viable approach. We've developed the iCRF Generator, a Java program that can generate the core of an interoperable electronic case report form (iCRF) for several of the major electronic data capture systems (EDCs). To build their CRFs, users can select one or more items from established codebooks, available from an online system called ART-DECOR. By providing an easy to use method to create CRFs for multiple EDCs based on the same codebooks, interoperability can be more easily attained.

Downstream Influence of Coronary Stenoses on Microcirculatory Remodeling: A Histopathology Study.

OBJECTIVE: Inducible myocardial ischemia is influenced by contributions of both the epicardial artery and the coronary microcirculation. Experimental studies have found adverse microcirculatory remodeling to occur downstream of severe coronary stenoses. Coronary physiology studies in patients contradict the experimental findings, as the minimal microvascular resistance is not modified by stenoses. The objective was to determine whether microcirculatory remodeling occurs downstream of coronary stenoses in the human coronary circulation. Approach and Results: Myocardium corresponding to 115 coronary arteries of 55 deceased patients was investigated. Histopathologic staining of the microcirculation was performed using antibodies against SMA-α (smooth muscle actin-α) and CD31, to stain arterioles and capillaries, respectively. The following parameters were analyzed: ratio between lumen and vesel area, ratio between lumen and vessel diameter (both ratios for arterioles of <40, 40-100, and 100-200 µm diameter), arteriolar density, and capillary density. From the 55 patients, 32 pairs of an unobstructed coronary artery and a coronary artery with a stenosis were formed. No statistically significant differences between any of the microcirculatory parameters were found. A confirmatory unpaired analysis compared 3 groups: (1) coronary arteries in patients without coronary artery disease (n=53), (2) unobstructed coronary arteries in patients with a stenosis in one of the other coronary arteries (n=23), and (3) coronary stenoses (n=39). No statistically significant differences were observed between the groups. CONCLUSIONS: The microcirculation distal to noncritical stenoses does not undergo structural remodeling in the human coronary circulation.

Prognostic value of microvessel density in stage II and III colon cancer patients: a retrospective cohort study.

BACKGROUND: Microvessel density (MVD), as a derived marker for angiogenesis, has been associated with poor outcome in several types of cancer. This study aimed to evaluate the prognostic value of MVD in stage II and III colon cancer and its relation to tumour-stroma-percentage (TSP) and expression of HIF1A and VEGFA. METHODS: Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) colon cancer tissues were collected from 53 stage II and 54 (5-fluorouracil-treated) stage III patients. MVD was scored by digital morphometric analysis of CD31-stained whole tumour sections. TSP was scored using haematoxylin-eosin stained slides. Protein expression of HIF1A and VEGFA was determined by immunohistochemical evaluation of tissue microarrays. RESULTS: Median MVD was higher in stage III compared to stage II colon cancers (11.1% versus 5.6% CD31-positive tissue area, p < 0.001). High MVD in stage II patients tended to be associated with poor disease free survival (DFS) in univariate analysis (p = 0.056). In contrast, high MVD in 5FU-treated stage III patients was associated with better DFS (p = 0.006). Prognostic value for MVD was observed in multivariate analyses for both cancer stages. CONCLUSIONS: MVD is an independent prognostic factor associated with poor DFS in stage II colon cancer patients, and with better DFS in stage III colon cancer patients treated with adjuvant chemotherapy.

Neurochemical fingerprinting of amygdalostriatal and intra-amygdaloid projections: a tracing-immunofluorescence study in the rat.

Amygdalostriatal and intra-amygdaloid fiber connectivity was studied in rats via injections of one of the tracers Phaseolus vulgaris leucoagglutinin (PHA-L) or biotinylated dextran amine (BDA) into various amygdaloid nuclei. To determine the neurotransmitter identity of labeled fibers we combined tracer detection with immunofluorescence staining, using antibodies against vesicular transporters (VTs) associated with glutamatergic (VGluT1, VGluT2) or GABAergic (VGAT) neurotransmission. High-magnification confocal laser scanning images were screened for overlap: occurrence inside tracer labeled fibers or axon terminals of immunofluorescence signal associated with one of the VTs. Labeled amygdalostriatal fibers were seen when tracer had been injected into the magnocellular and parvicellular portions of the basal amygdaloid nucleus and the lateral amygdaloid nucleus (nuclei belonging to 'cortical type' amygdaloid nuclei). Intra-amygdaloidal projection fibers were mostly found after tracer injections in the central and medial amygdaloid nuclei ('striatal type' amygdaloid nuclei). Terminals of tracer-labeled amygdalostriatal fibers contained immunofluorescence signal associated mostly with VGluT1 and to a lesser degree with VGluT2 or VGAT. Intra-amygdaloid labeled fibers showed colocalization mostly of VGluT1, followed by VGAT. VGluT2 co-occurred in a minority of intra-amygdaloid tracer-containing fiber terminals. We conclude from our observations that both amygdalostriatal and intra-amygdaloid projections, arising from, respectively, 'cortical type' and 'striatal type' amygdaloid nuclei contain strong glutamatergic and modest GABAergic components. The glutamatergic fibers express either VGluT1 or VGluT2. The absence in large numbers of tracer labeled fibers of expression of one of the selected VTs leads us to suspect that amygdalostriatal projection fibers may contain hitherto neglected neurotransmitters in these connections, e.g., aspartate.

StemBell therapy stabilizes atherosclerotic plaques after myocardial infarction.

BACKGROUND AIMS: After a myocardial infarction (MI) atherosclerosis is accelerated leading to destabilization of the atherosclerotic plaque. mesenchymal stromal cells are a promising therapeutic option for atherosclerosis. Previously, we demonstrated a novel stem cell delivery technique, with adipose stem cells coupled to microbubbles (i.e., StemBells) as therapy after MI. In this study, we aim to investigate the effect of StemBell therapy on atherosclerotic plaques in an atherosclerotic mouse model after MI. METHODS: MI was induced in atherosclerotic Apolipoprotein E-deficient mice that were fed a high-fat Western diet. Six days post-MI, the mice received either 5 × 105/100 µL StemBells or vehicle intravenously. The effects of StemBell treatment on the size and stability of aortic root atherosclerotic plaques and the infarcted heart were determined 28 days post-MI via (immuno)histological analyses. Moreover, monocyte subtypes and lipids in the blood were studied. RESULTS: StemBell treatment resulted in significantly increased cap thickness, decreased intra-plaque macrophage density and increased percentage of intra-plaque anti-inflammatory macrophages and chemokines, without affecting plaque size and serum cholesterol/triglycerides. Furthermore, StemBell treatment significantly increased the percentage of anti-inflammatory macrophages within the infarcted myocardium but did not affect cardiac function nor infarct size. Finally, also the average percentage of anti-inflammatory monocytes in the circulation was increased after StemBell therapy. DISCUSSION: StemBell therapy increased cap thickness and decreased intra-plaque inflammation after MI, indicative of stabilized atherosclerotic plaque. It also induced a shift of circulating monocytes and intra-plaque and intra-cardiac macrophages towards anti-inflammatory phenotypes. Hence, StemBell therapy may be a therapeutic option to prevent atherosclerosis acceleration after MI.

Mesencephalic dopamine neurons interfacing the shell of nucleus accumbens and the dorsolateral striatum in the rat.

Parallel corticostriatonigral circuits have been proposed that separately process motor, cognitive, and emotional-motivational information. Functional integration requires that interactions exist between neurons participating in these circuits. This makes it imperative to study the complex anatomical substrate underlying corticostriatonigral circuits. It has previously been proposed that dopaminergic neurons in the ventral mesencephalon may play a role in this circuit interaction. Therefore, we studied in rats convergence of basal ganglia circuits by depositing an anterograde neuroanatomical tracer into the ventral striatum together with a retrograde fluorescent tracer ipsilaterally in the dorsolateral striatum. In the mesencephalon, using confocal microscopy, we looked for possible appositions of anterogradely labeled fibers and retrogradely labeled neurons, "enhancing" the latter via intracellular injection of Lucifer Yellow. Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) immunofluorescence served to identify dopaminergic neurons. In neurophysiological experiments, we combined orthodromic stimulation in the medial ventral striatum with recording from ventral mesencephalic neurons characterized by antidromic stimulation from the dorsal striatum. We observed terminal fields of anterogradely labeled fibers that overlap populations of retrogradely labeled nigrostriatal cell bodies in the substantia nigra pars compacta and lateral ventral tegmental area (VTA), with numerous close appositions between boutons of anterogradely labeled fibers and nigrostriatal, TH-immunopositive neurons. Neurophysiological stimulation in the medial ventral striatum caused inhibition of dopaminergic nigrostriatal neurons projecting to the ventrolateral striatal territory. Responding nigrostriatal neurons were located in the medial substantia nigra and adjacent VTA. Our results strongly suggest a functional link between ventromedial, emotional-motivational striatum, and the sensorimotor dorsal striatum via dopaminergic nigrostriatal neurons.

Lumican and versican protein expression are associated with colorectal adenoma-to-carcinoma progression.

BACKGROUND: One prominent event associated with colorectal adenoma-to-carcinoma progression is genomic instability. Approximately 85% of colorectal cancer cases exhibit chromosomal instability characterized by accumulation of chromosome copy number aberrations (CNAs). Adenomas with gain of chromosome 8q, 13q, and/or 20q are at high risk of progression to cancer. Tumor progression is also associated with expansion of the extracellular matrix (ECM) and the activation of non-malignant cells within the tumor stroma. The glycoproteins versican and lumican are overexpressed at the mRNA level in colon carcinomas compared to adenomas, and are associated with the formation of tumor stroma. PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to characterize versican and lumican protein expression in tumor progression and investigate their association with CNAs commonly associated with adenoma-to-carcinoma progression. METHODS: Tissue microarrays were constructed with colon adenomas and carcinomas that were characterized for MSI-status and DNA copy number gains of chromosomes 8q, 13q and 20q. Sections were immunohistochemically stained for lumican and versican. Protein expression levels were evaluated using digitized slides, and scores were finally dichotomized into a positive or negative score per sample. RESULTS: Lumican and versican expression were both observed in neoplastic cells and in the tumor stroma of colon adenomas and carcinomas. Lumican expression was more frequently present in epithelial cells of carcinomas than adenomas (49% versus 18%; P = 0.0001) and in high-risk adenomas and carcinomas combined compared to low-risk adenomas (43% versus 16%; P = 0.005). Versican staining in the tumor stroma was more often present in high-risk adenomas combined with carcinomas compared to low-risk adenomas (57% versus 36%; P = 0.03) and was associated with the presence of gain of 13q (71% versus 44%; P = 0.04). CONCLUSION: Epithelial lumican and stromal versican protein expression are increased during colorectal adenoma-to-carcinoma progression.

The role of ADAMTS13 in acute myocardial infarction: cause or consequence?

AIMS: ADAMTS13, a disintegrin and metalloproteinase with a thrombospondin type 1 motif, member 13, is a metalloprotease that cleaves von Willebrand factor (VWF). There is considerable evidence that VWF levels increase and ADAMTS13 levels decrease in ST-elevation myocardial infarction (STEMI) patients. It is unclear whether this contributes to no reflow, infarct size, and intramyocardial haemorrhage (IMH). We aimed to determine the role of ADAMTS13 in STEMI patients and to investigate the benefits of recombinant ADAMTS13 (rADAMTS13) in a porcine model of myocardial ischaemia-reperfusion. METHODS AND RESULTS: In 49 consecutive percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI)-treated STEMI patients, blood samples were collected directly after through 7 days following PCI. Cardiac magnetic resonance was performed 4-6 days after PCI to determine infarct size and IMH. In 23 Yorkshire swine, the circumflex coronary artery was occluded for 75 min. rADAMTS13 or vehicle was administered intracoronary following reperfusion. Myocardial injury and infarct characteristics were assessed using cardiac enzymes, ECG, and histopathology. In patients with IMH, VWF activity and VWF antigen were significantly elevated directly after PCI and for all subsequent measurements, and ADAMTS13 activity significantly decreased at 4 and 7 days following PCI, in comparison with patients without IMH. VWF activity and ADAMTS13 activity were not related to infarct size. In rADAMTS13-treated animals, no differences in infarct size, IMH, or formation of microthrombi were witnessed compared with controls. CONCLUSIONS: No correlation was found between VWF/ADAMTS13 and infarct size in patients. However, patients suffering from IMH had significantly higher VWF activity and lower ADAMTS13 activity. Intracoronary administration of rADAMTS13 did not decrease infarct size or IMH in a porcine model of myocardial ischaemia-reperfusion. These data dispute the imbalance in ADAMTS13 and VWF as the cause of no reflow.

Glucose Transporter 1 (SLC2A1) and Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A (VEGFA) Predict Survival After Resection of Colorectal Cancer Liver Metastasis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the individual and combined prognostic value of HIF1α, SLC2A1, and vascular endothelial growth factor A (VEGFA) in a multi-institutional cohort of patients with resected colorectal cancer liver metastasis (CRCLM). BACKGROUND: In the majority of patients with CRCLM, resection seems not to be curative, despite its curative intent. Overexpression of hypoxia-inducible factor 1α (HIF1α), glucose transporter 1 (SLC2A1; also known as GLUT1), and VEGFA has been associated with tumor progression and poor prognosis of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC). METHODS: Tissue microarrays were generated using CRCLM and patient-matched primary CRC from patients who underwent CRCLM resection between 1990 and 2010. Prognostic value of HIF1α, SLC2A1, and VEGFA was determined by immunohistochemistry. A 500-fold cross-validated hazard rate ratio (HRRav) for overall survival was calculated. RESULTS: HIF1α, SLC2A1, and VEGFA expression could be evaluated in 328, 350, and 335 patients, respectively. High SLC2A1 expression was associated with good prognosis (HRRav, 0.67; P (HRR >1)  < 0.01) and high VEGFA expression to poor prognosis (HRRav, 1.84; P (HRR < 1)  = 0.02), also after multivariate analysis including established clinicopathological prognostic variables (HRRav, 0.67; P (HRR > 1)  < 0.01 and HRRav, 1.50; P (HRR < 1)  = 0.02, respectively). SLC2A1 showed prognostic value particularly in patients treated with systemic therapy (P < 0.01), whereas the prognostic value of VEGFA expression was mainly observed in patients not treated with systemic therapy (P < 0.01). Prognosis was especially poor in patients with both low SLC2A1 and high VEGFA expression (P < 0.01). HIF1α expression was not associated with survival. CONCLUSIONS: SLC2A1 and VEGFA expression are prognostic molecular biomarkers for patients with CRCLM with added value to established clinicopathological variables.

A prognostic classifier for patients with colorectal cancer liver metastasis, based on AURKA, PTGS2 and MMP9.

BACKGROUND: Prognosis of patients with colorectal cancer liver metastasis (CRCLM) is estimated based on clinicopathological models. Stratifying patients based on tumor biology may have additional value. METHODS: Tissue micro-arrays (TMAs), containing resected CRCLM and corresponding primary tumors from a multi-institutional cohort of 507 patients, were immunohistochemically stained for 18 candidate biomarkers. Cross-validated hazard rate ratios (HRRs) for overall survival (OS) and the proportion of HRRs with opposite effect (P(HRR < 1) or P(HRR > 1)) were calculated. A classifier was constructed by classification and regression tree (CART) analysis and its prognostic value determined by permutation analysis. Correlations between protein expression in primary tumor-CRCLM pairs were calculated. RESULTS: Based on their putative prognostic value, EGFR (P(HRR < 1) = .02), AURKA (P(HRR < 1) = .02), VEGFA (P(HRR < 1) = .02), PTGS2 (P(HRR < 1) = .01), SLC2A1 (P(HRR > 1) < 01), HIF1α (P(HRR > 1) = .06), KCNQ1 (P(HRR > 1) = .09), CEA (P (HRR > 1) = .05) and MMP9 (P(HRR < 1) = .07) were included in the CART analysis (n = 201). The resulting classifier was based on AURKA, PTGS2 and MMP9 expression and was associated with OS (HRR 2.79, p < .001), also after multivariate analysis (HRR 3.57, p < .001). The prognostic value of the biomarker-based classifier was superior to the clinicopathological model (p = .001). Prognostic value was highest for colon cancer patients (HRR 5.71, p < .001) and patients not treated with systemic therapy (HRR 3.48, p < .01). Classification based on protein expression in primary tumors could be based on AURKA expression only (HRR 2.59, p = .04). CONCLUSION: A classifier was generated for patients with CRCLM with improved prognostic value compared to the standard clinicopathological prognostic parameters, which may aid selection of patients who may benefit from adjuvant systemic therapy.

Extent and Location of Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes in Microsatellite-Stable Colon Cancer Predict Outcome to Adjuvant Active Specific Immunotherapy.

PURPOSE: To determine the prognostic and predictive value of tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) in colon cancer in a cohort of patients who previously took part in a trial on adjuvant active specific immunotherapy (ASI). EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: We determined the number and location of CD3 and CD8 positive T cells in archival tumor samples of 106 colon cancers. We correlated stromal and epithelial TIL numbers with tumor stage and treatment and determined the effects on disease-specific survival (DSS) and recurrence-free interval (RFI). RESULTS: On the basis of the data presented, we concluded that (i) high numbers of stromal CD3 T cells have positive prognostic value measured as DSS for patients with stage II microsatellite-stable tumors and (ii) high numbers of epithelial CD8-positive T cells have positive prognostic value measured as RFI for the group of patients with stage II microsatellite-stable tumors as well as for the whole group (so stage II plus stage III together). Furthermore, we concluded that high numbers of pre-existing stromal CD3-positive T cells are of positive predictive value in adjuvant ASI treatment measured as DSS as well as RFI. CONCLUSIONS: ASI therapy may contribute to an improved DSS and RFI in patients with microsatellite-stable colon tumors harboring high numbers of pre-existing stromal CD3(+) TIL. Validation in future clinical trials is awaited.

Global histone H3 lysine 27 triple methylation levels are reduced in vessels with advanced atherosclerotic plaques.

AIMS: Alterations in epigenetic processes are frequently noted in human disease. These epigenetic processes involve methylation of DNA and post-translational modifications of histones. It is well established that in particular histone methylation plays a key role in gene transcription. In this study, we have investigated the relationship between triple methylation of lysine 27 in histone H3 (H3K27Me3) modifications and atherosclerotic plaque stage. MATERIALS AND METHODS: 28 peri-renal aortic tissue patches covering the entire spectrum of atherosclerotic plaque development were evaluated by immunohistochemistry for the levels of H3K27Me3, EZH2, JMJD3 and BMI1. KEY FINDINGS: The results of our studies are in support of a reduction in global levels of the H3K27Me3 modification in vessels with advanced atherosclerotic plaques. This reduction in H3K27Me3 levels is not accompanied by alterations in global levels of the corresponding histone methyltransferase EZH2, the catalytic subunit of the polycomb repressive complex 2 (PRC2). Likewise no alterations in global levels of BMI1, a component of the PRC1 complex, which binds to H3K27Me3-modified histones or the global expression levels of the histone demethylase JMJD3, which removes the methyl marks on H3K27, were observed. SIGNIFICANCE: Together, our data show that in atherosclerosis development alterations in global levels of H3K27Me3 occur. The reduction in the number of nuclei in the tunica media that display the repressive H3K27Me3 mark in vessels with advanced atherosclerosis plaques therefore could be a reflection of the dynamic pattern of smooth muscle cell differentiation and proliferation associated with atherosclerotic disease.

Inhibitory interneuron classes express complementary AMPA-receptor patterns in macaque primary visual cortex.

Glutamate receptors mediate excitatory neurotransmission. A very prevalent type of glutamate receptor in the neocortex is the AMPA receptor (AMPAR). AMPARs mediate fast synaptic transmission and their functionality depends on the subunit composition. In primary visual cortex (area V1), the density and subunit composition of AMPARs differ among cortical layers and among cell types. The AMPARs expressed by the different types of inhibitory interneurons, which are crucial for network function, have not yet been characterized systematically. We investigated the distribution of AMPAR subunits in macaque V1 for three distinct subpopulations of inhibitory interneurons: parvalbumin-immunoreactive (PV-IR) interneurons, calbindin-immunoreactive (CB-IR) interneurons, and calretinin-immunoreactive (CR-IR) interneurons. We found that PV-IR cells, which have previously been identified as fast spiking, show high expression of the GluA2 and GluA3 subunits. In contrast, CB-IR and CR-IR cells, which tend to be intermediate spiking, show high expression of the GluA1 and GluA4 subunits. Thus, our data demonstrate that the expression of AMPARs divides inhibitory interneurons in macaque V1 into two categories that are compatible with existing classification methods based on calcium-binding proteins and firing behavior. Moreover, our findings suggest new approaches to target the different inhibitory interneuron classes pharmacologically in vivo.

Higher limb asymmetry in deceased human fetuses and infants with aneuploidy.

Aneuploidies cause gene-dosage imbalances that presumably result in a generalized decreased developmental homeostasis, which is expected to be detectable through an increase in fluctuating asymmetry (FA) of bilateral symmetric traits. However, support for the link between aneuploidy and FA is currently limited and no comparisons among different aneuploidies have been made. Here, we study FA in deceased human fetuses and infants from a 20-year hospital collection. Mean FA of limb bones was compared among groups of aneuploidies with different prenatal and postnatal survival chances and two reference groups (normal karyogram or no congenital anomalies). Limb asymmetry was 1.5 times higher for aneuploid cases with generally very short life expectancies (trisomy 13, trisomy 18, monosomy X, triploidy) than for trisomy 21 patients and both reference groups with higher life expectancies. Thus, FA levels are highest in groups for which developmental disturbances have been highest. Our results show a significant relationship between fluctuating asymmetry, human genetic disorders and severity of the associated abnormalities.