Truncated isoforms of GPSM2 containing the GoLoco motif region promote CD4+ T-cell migration in SLE.

OBJECTIVE: SLE is an autoimmune disease with a complex pathogenesis. T-cell infiltration into organs contributes to inflammation and organ damage in SLE. Recently, G-protein signalling modulator 2 (GPSM2) has been shown to be implicated in T-cell migration. METHODS: We analysed the expression levels of GPSM2 and of a truncated isoform of GPSM2 containing the GoLoco motif region in CD4+ T cells from patients with SLE and from healthy individuals by western blot. In a next step, we studied the role of the truncated GPSM2 isoform using a CD4+ T-cell migration assay. RESULTS: Our experiments revealed comparable levels of GPSM2 in CD4+ T cells from patients with SLE and healthy controls. In contrast, the truncated 35 kDa isoform of GPSM2 was significantly more highly expressed in CD4+ T cells from patients with SLE as compared with healthy subjects. Antibody-mediated blockade of the 35 kDa GPSM2 isoform reduced the in vitro capacity of CD4+ T cells to migrate towards the chemokine CCL20. CONCLUSIONS: A truncated GPSM2 isoform containing the GoLoco motif region is upregulated in CD4+ T cells from patients with SLE and promotes CD4+ T-cell migration. Targeting this isoform with specific antibodies might be a promising approach to reduce CD4+ T-cell infiltration into inflamed tissues and to prevent organ damage in SLE.

Regulatory T Cells from Patients with Rheumatoid Arthritis Are Characterized by Reduced Expression of Ikaros Zinc Finger Transcription Factors.

Regulatory T (Treg) cells play an important role in immune tolerance and contribute to the prevention of autoimmune diseases, including rheumatoid arthritis (RA). The differentiation, function and stability of Treg cells is controlled by members of the Ikaros zinc finger transcription factor family. In this study, we aimed to reveal how the expression of Ikaros transcription factors is affected by disease activity in RA. Therefore, we analyzed the ex vivo expression of Ikaros, Helios, Aiolos and Eos in Treg cells, Th17 cells and Th1 cells from RA patients by flow cytometry. We found significantly reduced expression of Helios, Aiolos and Eos in Treg cells from RA patients as compared to healthy controls. Moreover, Helios and Aiolos levels correlated with disease activity, as assessed by DAS28-CRP. In addition, Ikaros, Helios and Aiolos were significantly downregulated in Th1 cells from RA patients, while no difference between healthy individuals and RA was observed in Th17 cells. In summary, Helios and Aiolos expression in Treg cells correlates with disease activity and the expression levels of Ikaros transcription factors are diminished in Treg cells from RA patients. This observation could explain the reduced stability of Treg cells in RA.

Case Report: A Cryptosporidium infection in a patient with relapsed T-lymphoblastic lymphoma undergoing allogeneic stem cell transplantation.

Cryptosporidium infection is a rare cause of enterocolitis. In immunocompromised patients, cryptosporidiosis may lead to debilitating and life-threatening diarrhea and malabsorption, occasionally with multi-organ involvement. Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) requires long-term immunosuppressive therapy, while cellular immunity is usually compromised due to intensive conditioning chemotherapy. Diarrhea in patients who underwent allo-HSCT may be a sign of an infection, but can also be the result of intestinal graft-versus-host disease (GvHD). Here, we describe the case of a patient who developed severe diarrhea following allo-HSCT for relapsed T-lymphoblastic lymphoma. Initially, GvHD was suspected and treatment was initiated accordingly. However, a colon biopsy showed signs of cryptosporide oocysts alongside only low-grade GvHD. Following molecular confirmation of the diagnosis of cryptosporidiosis, an intensive treatment regimen was started. Despite the severe clinical course, the patient recovered and was discharged with only residual symptoms.

Complex karyotypes and KRAS and POT1 mutations impact outcome in CLL after chlorambucil-based chemotherapy or chemoimmunotherapy.

Genetic instability is a feature of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) with adverse prognosis. We hypothesized that chromosomal translocations or complex karyotypes and distinct somatic mutations may impact outcome after first-line chemoimmunotherapy of CLL patients. We performed metaphase karyotyping and next-generation sequencing (NGS) of 85 genes in pretreatment blood samples obtained from 161 patients registered for CLL11, a 3-arm phase 3 trial comparing frontline chlorambucil (Clb) vs Clb plus rituximab (Clb-R) or Clb plus obinutuzumab in CLL patients with significant comorbidity. Chromosomal aberrations as assessed by karyotyping were observed in 68.8% of 154 patients, 31.2% carried translocations, and 19.5% showed complex karyotypes. NGS revealed 198 missense/nonsense mutations and 76 small indels in 76.4% of patients. The most frequently mutated genes were NOTCH1, SF3B1, ATM, TP53, BIRC3, POT1, XPO1, and KRAS Sole chemotherapy, treatment with Clb-R, or genetic lesions in TP53 (9.9% of patients) and KRAS (6.2% of patients) were significantly associated with nonresponse to study therapy. In multivariate models, complex karyotypes and POT1 mutations (8.1% of patients) represented significant prognostic factors for an unfavorable survival, independently of IGHV mutation status, Binet stage, and serum ß-2-microglobuline. Patients with the copresence of complex karyotypes and deletions/mutations involving TP53 demonstrated a particularly short survival. In summary, this is the first prospective, controlled study in CLL patients that shows a role of complex karyotype aberrations as an independent prognostic factor for survival after front-line therapy. Moreover, the study identifies mutations in KRAS and POT1 as novel determinants of outcome after chemoimmunotherapy using chlorambucil and anti-CD20 treatment.

Profiling of somatic mutations in acute myeloid leukemia with FLT3-ITD at diagnosis and relapse.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) with an FLT3 internal tandem duplication (FLT3-ITD) mutation is an aggressive hematologic malignancy with a grave prognosis. To identify the mutational spectrum associated with relapse, whole-exome sequencing was performed on 13 matched diagnosis, relapse, and remission trios followed by targeted sequencing of 299 genes in 67 FLT3-ITD patients. The FLT3-ITD genome has an average of 13 mutations per sample, similar to other AML subtypes, which is a low mutation rate compared with that in solid tumors. Recurrent mutations occur in genes related to DNA methylation, chromatin, histone methylation, myeloid transcription factors, signaling, adhesion, cohesin complex, and the spliceosome. Their pattern of mutual exclusivity and cooperation among mutated genes suggests that these genes have a strong biological relationship. In addition, we identified mutations in previously unappreciated genes such as MLL3, NSD1, FAT1, FAT4, and IDH3B. Mutations in 9 genes were observed in the relapse-specific phase. DNMT3A mutations are the most stable mutations, and this DNMT3A-transformed clone can be present even in morphologic complete remissions. Of note, all AML matched trio samples shared at least 1 genomic alteration at diagnosis and relapse, suggesting common ancestral clones. Two types of clonal evolution occur at relapse: either the founder clone recurs or a subclone of the founder clone escapes from induction chemotherapy and expands at relapse by acquiring new mutations. Relapse-specific mutations displayed an increase in transversions. Functional assays demonstrated that both MLL3 and FAT1 exert tumor-suppressor activity in the FLT3-ITD subtype. An inhibitor of XPO1 synergized with standard AML induction chemotherapy to inhibit FLT3-ITD growth. This study clearly shows that FLT3-ITD AML requires additional driver genetic alterations in addition to FLT3-ITD alone.

Patient-specific analysis of FLT3 internal tandem duplications for the prognostication and monitoring of acute myeloid leukemia.

OBJECTIVES: Internal tandem duplications (ITDs) of the fms-like tyrosine kinase 3 ( FLT3) gene occur in 13-35% of patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML). FLT3-ITD is associated with poor clinical outcome and is an indication for allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT). METHODS: To investigate FLT3-ITD length, position, and mutational load in AML cases, we developed patient-specific quantitative real-time reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) assays and correlated the results with established sensitive minimal residual disease (MRD) parameters and clinical outcome. RESULTS: In 409 patients with AML, FLT3-ITDs could be detected in 54 cases (13%). Within our cohort, patients with FLT3-ITD ≥ 45 base pairs had significantly higher relapse rates (P = 0.03) and a worse overall survival (P = 0.03). Our method could be applied to 97% of FLT3-ITD-positive patients and was as sensitive as other MRD parameters such as PML-RARA , NPM1 mutations, or MLL -PTD (correlation: r = 0.63; 0.99, and 0.99, respectively). MRD negativity predicted lasting remission independent of allo-SCT (N = 7) or non-allo-SCT (N = 9). All paired diagnostic/relapsed samples showed FLT3-ITD positivity. Compared with bone marrow samples, FLT3-ITD analyses appeared to be equivalently sensitive in peripheral blood. CONCLUSIONS: We conclude that individualized monitoring of FLT3-ITD in patients with AML may guide treatment decisions and should be evaluated for the indication for allo-SCT.

[Aleksandr Lwowicz Blok (1852 - 1909)--character-sketch of the man and scientist]. / Aleksandr Lwowicz Blok (1852-1909)--portret niespelnionego czlowieka i uczonego.

The article is an attempt of a new outlook first of all upon scientific output of many years' (the years 1878 - 1909) lecturer on Russian State Law in the Imperial University of Warsaw--Aleksandr Lwowicz Blok. Historians of literature, researchers of life and output of the scientist's son, an eminent poet-symbolist Aleksandr A. Blok, to a high degree were able to reconstruct lot of life and vicissitudes of the Warsaw professor. Thanks to the preserved university archival materials it was possible to add many details to Blok's biography, especially concerning his professional problems. They were connected with dramatic events in personal life of the professor. According to relations of the part of his university co-workers and students, the circumstances even brought about the symptoms of the mental illness. Prematurely elderly he was a man deeply miserable, lonely and deprived of understanding by associates. Up till now his scientific output has not been described precisely enough. Not numerous memories of his contemporaries (Szymon Askenazy, Nikolaj Dubrowskij) and even inconspicuous modern researches of the Polish (Janusz Wolinski) brought about, in the author's opinion, too simplified and schematic character-sketch of Blok as a Russificator and nationalist, mediocre scholar and much worse lecturer. A scientific output of Blok is, indeed, inostensible--he published 2 books only--Master's thesis entitled: Wladza panstwowa w spoleczenstwie europejskim. Poglad na polityczna teorie Lorenza Steina i na francuska rzeczywistosc polityczna (1880) [State Authority in European Society. Outlook upon Political Theory of Lorenz Stein and French Political Facts (1880)] and Literatura polityczna w Rosj i o Rosji (1884) [Political Literature in Russia and on Russia (1884)] as an introduction to his course in State Law. Two thirds, so over 20 years of work, he gave to the not accomplished conception of creating a new classification of sciences that together with its assumptions was included in work of Blok's disciple--Jewgienij Spektorski. An attempt of objective, free of emotions look at Blok's output to some extent makes us verify one-sidedly its critical estimate. In Blok's writings one can observe several earlier unnoticed values--author's wide mind horizons, his erudition, interesting but not accomplished research conceptions, competence for analysing difficult issues fringing upon social, political and philosophical thought.