Anti-Myxovirus Resistance Protein-1 Immunoglobulin A Autoantibody in Idiopathic Pulmonary Fibrosis.

Background: We have previously analysed serum autoantibody levels in patients with idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), idiopathic nonspecific interstitial pneumonia (iNSIP), and healthy controls and identified the autoantibody against anti-myxovirus resistance protein-1 (MX1) to be a specific autoantibody in iNSIP. We found that a higher anti-MX1 autoantibody level was a significant predictor of a good prognosis in patients with non-IPF idiopathic interstitial pneumonias. In this retrospective study, we sought to clarify the prognostic significance of the anti-MX1 autoantibody in IPF.

Immune response to dermatomyositis-specific autoantigen, transcriptional intermediary factor 1γ can result in experimental myositis.

Objectives: To investigate whether autoimmunity to transcriptional intermediary factor 1 (TIF1)γ, a ubiquitous nuclear autoantigen for myositis-specific autoantibodies detected in patients with dermatomyositis (DM) is pathogenetic for inflammatory myopathy.

Methods: Wild-type, β-microglobulin-null, perforin-null, Igμ-null and interferon α/β receptor (IFNAR)-null mice were immunised with recombinant human TIF1γ whole protein. A thymidine incorporation assay was performed using lymph node T cells from TIF1γ-immunised mice.

Overexpression of carbonyl reductase 1 inhibits malignant behaviors and epithelial mesenchymal transition by suppressing TGF-β signaling in uterine leiomyosarcoma cells.

Carbonyl reductase 1 (CBR1) has been reported to be involved in cancer progression. Recently, we found that CBR1 overexpression inhibited malignant behaviors and the epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT) in uterine cervical cancer. It remained unclear whether this was also the case in uterine leiomyosarcoma (uLMS), which is derived from mesenchymal cells and is a much more malignant gynecological tumor.

Decreased carbonyl reductase 1 expression promotes tumor growth via epithelial mesenchymal transition in uterine cervical squamous cell carcinomas.

Purpose: Carbonyl reductase 1 (CBR1) is involved in cancer progression. Recently, the authors reported that the loss of CBR1 expression is associated with a poor prognosis in uterine cervical cancer. Here, we investigated whether the decreased CBR1 expression promotes cancer progression by inducing the epithelial mesenchymal transition (EMT).

Improved quantification of a commercial enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit for measuring anti-MDA5 antibody.

Objectives: To compare the quantitative performance for measuring anti-MDA5 antibody titer of two enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) systems: an in-house ELISA and the commercial MESACUP anti-MDA5 test.

Methods: Anti-MDA5 antibody titer was measured in sera from 70 patients with dermatomyositis using an in-house ELISA and the MESACUP anti-MDA5 test side-by-side. For the commercial ELISA kit, serum samples diluted 1:101 were used according to the manufacturer's protocol, but serial dilutions of sera were also examined to identify the optimal serum dilution for quantification.

Clinical Utility of YKL-40 in Polymyositis/dermatomyositis-associated Interstitial Lung Disease.

Objective: Interstitial lung disease (ILD) is involved in polymyositis/dermatomyositis (PM/DM), a disease associated with poor prognoses. Chitinase-3-like-1 protein (YKL-40) has pleiotropic biological activities involved in inflammation, cell proliferation, and tissue remodeling; however, the clinical application of YKL-40 remains limited. We investigated the clinical significance of YKL-40 in PM/DM-ILD.

Classification of idiopathic interstitial pneumonias using anti-myxovirus resistance-protein 1 autoantibody.

Chronic fibrosing idiopathic interstitial pneumonia (IIP) can be divided into two main types: idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), a steroid-resistant and progressive disease with a median survival of 2-3 years, and idiopathic non-specific interstitial pneumonia (INSIP), a steroid-sensitive and non-progressive autoimmune disease. Although the clinical courses of these two diseases differ, they may be difficult to distinguish at diagnosis. We performed a comprehensive analysis of serum autoantibodies from patients definitively diagnosed with IPF, INSIP, autoimmune pulmonary alveolar proteinosis, and sarcoidosis.

Comprehensive assessment of myositis-specific autoantibodies in polymyositis/dermatomyositis-associated interstitial lung disease.

Objectives: Myositis-specific autoantibodies (MSAs) are associated with clinical phenotypes in polymyositis/dermatomyositis (PM/DM). No study has investigated the clinical features based on comprehensive MSA assessment in PM/DM-associated interstitial lung disease (ILD). We aimed to determine the practical significance of MSAs in PM/DM-ILD.

Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays for detection of anti-transcriptional intermediary factor-1 gamma and anti-Mi-2 autoantibodies in dermatomyositis.

Background: Autoantibodies against transcriptional intermediary factor 1 (TIF1) and Mi-2 are selectively detected in patients with dermatomyositis (DM). To measure these antibodies readily, the development of reliable ELISA systems has been needed.

Objective: This study aimed to establish enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays (ELISAs) for anti-TIF1γ and anti-Mi-2β antibodies (Abs) and to assess their utility.

Clinical Utility of an Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay for Detecting Anti-Melanoma Differentiation-Associated Gene 5 Autoantibodies.

Objective: Autoantibodies to melanoma differentiation-associated gene 5 (MDA5) are specifically expressed in patients with dermatomyositis (DM) and are associated with a subset of DM patients with rapidly progressive interstitial lung disease (RP-ILD). Here, we examined the clinical utility of a newly developed enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) system for detecting these antibodies.

Methods: Here we developed an improved ELISA for detecting anti-MDA5 antibodies.

Functional significance of transgelin-2 in uterine cervical squamous cell carcinoma.

Aim: Transgelin-2 (TAGLN2) has previously been found to be highly expressed in uterine cervical squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) tissues by proteomic analyses. The present study investigated the role of TAGLN2 in the malignant behaviors of cervical SCC cells in vitro and in vivo, and the clinical significance of TAGLN2 using immunohistochemistry for human cervical SCC tissues.

Methods: Antisense (AS) constructs of TAGLN2 cDNA (AS clones) and the empty vector (control clone) were transfected into a human uterine SCC cell line (SKG IIIa), and malignant behaviors were analyzed in vitro.

Clinical implications of human leukocyte antigen class I expression in endometrial cancer.

Decreased expression of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class I molecules, which is found in several types of cancer, is associated with worse clinical prognosis in cancer patients. The present study was undertaken to investigate the association of immunohistochemical HLA class I expression patterns with clinicopathological factors and prognosis in 96 endometrial cancer patients. HLA class I is composed of a heavy chain (HC-10) and a β2-microglobulin (β2-m) light chain.

NY-ESO-1 autoantibody as a tumor-specific biomarker for esophageal cancer: screening in 1969 patients with various cancers.

Background: Although serum NY-ESO-1 antibodies (s-NY-ESO-1-Abs) have been reported in patients with esophageal carcinoma, this assay system has not been used to study a large series of patients with various other cancers.

Patients And Methods: Serum samples of 1969 cancer patients [esophageal cancer (n = 172), lung cancer (n = 269), hepatocellular carcinoma (n = 91), prostate cancer (n = 358), gastric cancer (n = 313), colorectal cancer (n = 262), breast cancer (n = 365)] and 74 healthy individuals were analyzed using an originally developed enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay system for s-NY-ESO-1-Abs. The optical density cut-off value, determined as the mean plus three standard deviations for serum samples from the healthy controls, was fixed at 0.

Heat shock protein 70 is involved in malignant behaviors and chemosensitivities to cisplatin in cervical squamous cell carcinoma cells.

Aim: Heat shock protein 70 (HSP70) was previously found to be highly expressed in cervical squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) tissues compared with normal tissues by proteomic analyses. The present study investigated the roles of HSP70 in malignant behaviors and chemosensitivity to cisplatin in cervical SCC cells in vitro.

Methods: Effects of HSP70 knockdown on activities of cell migration, cell invasion and cell proliferation, cell cycle status, and apoptosis were examined using siRNA in two human cervical cancer cells (SiHa and SKG II).

The multicenter study of a new assay for simultaneous detection of multiple anti-aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases in myositis and interstitial pneumonia.

Objective: Autoantibodies to aminoacyl-tRNA synthetases (ARSs) are useful in the diagnosis of idiopathic inflammatory myopathy (IIM) with interstitial pneumonia (IP). We developed an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) system using a mixture of recombinant ARS antigens and tested its utility in a multicenter study.

Methods: We prepared six recombinant ARSs: GST-Jo-1, His-PL-12, His-EJ and GST-KS expressed in Escherichia coli, and His-PL-7 and His-OJ expressed in Hi-5 cells.

Clinical impact of systematic pelvic and para-aortic lymphadenectomy for pT1 and pT2 ovarian cancer: a retrospective survey by the Sankai Gynecology Study Group.

Background: The therapeutic value of systematic lymphadenectomy for early-stage epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC) is controversial. This study evaluates the survival impact and adverse events of systematic pelvic and para-aortic lymphadenectomy in patients with pT1 and pT2 EOC.

Methods: A retrospective investigation was performed using data from patients with pT1 and pT2 EOC at multi-institutions belonging to the Sankai Gynecologic Study Group (SGSG).

Decreased carbonyl reductase 1 expression promotes malignant behaviours by induction of epithelial mesenchymal transition and its clinical significance.

Human carbonyl reductase 1 (CBR1) is an enzyme that catalyse the reduction of many compounds by using NADPH-dependent oxydoreductase activity. Although CBR1 is known to regulate the tumour progression, the molecular mechanisms of CBR1 in cancer progression and the clinical significance of CBR1 status remain unclear. Here, we investigated the molecular mechanisms by which CBR1 affects cancer cell behaviour in vitro and the clinical significance of CBR1 using immunohistochemical analyses in endometrial cancer.

Suppression of carbonyl reductase expression enhances malignant behaviour in uterine cervical squamous cell carcinoma: carbonyl reductase predicts prognosis and lymph node metastasis.

Carbonyl reductase (CR) is an NADPH-dependent, mostly monomeric, cytosolic enzyme with broad substrate specificity for carbonyl compounds. CR appears to be involved in the regulation of tumour progression. However, molecular mechanisms of CR in tumour progression and clinical significance of CR status remain unclear in human uterine squamous cell carcinoma (SCC).

Identification of a novel SEREX antigen family, ECSA, in esophageal squamous cell carcinoma.

Background: Diagnosis of esophageal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) may improve with early diagnosis. Currently it is difficult to diagnose SCC in the early stage because there is a limited number of tumor markers available.

Results: Fifty-two esophageal SCC SEREX antigens were identified by SEREX (serological identification of antigens by recombinant cDNA expression cloning) using a cDNA phage library and sera of patients with esophageal SCC.

Development of NC1 and NC2 domains of type VII collagen ELISA for the diagnosis and analysis of the time course of epidermolysis bullosa acquisita patients.

Background: Epidermolysis bullosa acquisita (EBA) is an acquired autoimmune mechanobullous disease. EBA patients possess autoantibodies against type VII collagen which is composed of a collagenous domain flanked by non-collagenous NC1 and NC2 domains. It was reported that major epitopes reside within the NC1 domain and minor epitopes reside within NC2 domain.

Comparative proteomic profiling in squamous cell carcinoma of the uterine cervix.

Purpose: Proteomic profiling of human uterine cervical squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) tissues was performed to find new biomarkers for the early diagnosis and molecular target therapies.

Experimental Design: Proteins extracted from five of normal tissues and five of the SCC tissues were subjected to 2-DE followed by LC-MS/MS.

Results: Twenty-seven of the protein spots were increased, and five of them were identified by LC-MS/MS to be cytokeratin-19, HSP70, HSP27, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase, and transgellin-2.

In vivo assay of human NK-dependent ADCC using NOD/SCID/gammac(null) (NOG) mice.

Monoclonal antibodies are essential to the success of molecularly targeted therapies. Recently, numerous therapeutic antibodies have been developed for various diseases, including cancer and autoimmune diseases. Experimental systems to effectively evaluate these candidate antibodies are urgently needed.