Interferon activation in bone marrow long-lived plasma cells in systemic lupus erythematosus.

While durable antibody responses from long-lived plasma cell (LLPC) populations are important for protection against pathogens, LLPC may be harmful if they produce antibodies against self-proteins or self-nuclear antigens as occurs in autoimmune diseases such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Thus, the elimination of autoreactive LLPC may improve the treatment of antibody-driven autoimmune diseases. However, LLPC remain a challenging therapeutic target.

Automated multi-scale computational pathotyping (AMSCP) of inflamed synovial tissue.

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a complex immune-mediated inflammatory disorder in which patients suffer from inflammatory-erosive arthritis. Recent advances on histopathology heterogeneity of RA synovial tissue revealed three distinct phenotypes based on cellular composition (pauci-immune, diffuse and lymphoid), suggesting that distinct etiologies warrant specific targeted therapy which motivates a need for cost effective phenotyping tools in preclinical and clinical settings. To this end, we developed an automated multi-scale computational pathotyping (AMSCP) pipeline for both human and mouse synovial tissue with two distinct components that can be leveraged together or independently: (1) segmentation of different tissue types to characterize tissue-level changes, and (2) cell type classification within each tissue compartment that assesses change across disease states.

Spatial and temporal changes in extracellular elastin and laminin distribution during lung alveolar development.

Lung alveolarization requires precise coordination of cell growth with extracellular matrix (ECM) synthesis and deposition. The role of extracellular matrices in alveogenesis is not fully understood, because prior knowledge is largely extrapolated from two-dimensional structural analysis. Herein, we studied temporospatial changes of two important ECM proteins, laminin and elastin that are tightly associated with alveolar capillary growth and lung elastic recoil respectively, during both mouse and human lung alveolarization.

Genome-wide transcriptional profiling reveals connective tissue mast cell accumulation in bronchopulmonary dysplasia.

Rationale: Bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD) is a major complication of premature birth. Risk factors for BPD are complex and include prenatal infection and O(2) toxicity. BPD pathology is equally complex and characterized by inflammation and dysmorphic airspaces and vasculature.

N-glucuronidation of perfluorooctanesulfonamide by human, rat, dog, and monkey liver microsomes and by expressed rat and human UDP-glucuronosyltransferases.

N-Alkylperfluorooctanesulfonamides have been used in a range of industrial and commercial applications. Perfluorooctanesulfonamide (FOSA) is a major metabolite of N-alkylperfluorooctanesulfonamides and has a long half-life in animals and in the environment and is biotransformed to FOSA N-glucuronide. The objective of this study was to identify and characterize the human and experimental animal liver UDP-glucuronosyltransferases (UGTs) that catalyze the N-glucuronidation of FOSA.

Biotransformation of N-ethyl-N-(2-hydroxyethyl)perfluorooctanesulfonamide by rat liver microsomes, cytosol, and slices and by expressed rat and human cytochromes P450.

Perfluorooctanesulfonic acid (PFOS) and its derivatives have been used in a range of industrial and commercial applications, including the manufacture of surfactants, adhesives, anticorrosion agents, and insecticides. PFOS is found at detectable concentrations in human and wildlife tissues and in the global environment. N-Substituted perfluorooctanesulfonamides are believed to be degraded to PFOS and, therefore, contribute to the accumulation of PFOS in the environment.

Nephrotoxicity of chlorofluoroacetic acid in rats.

Dichloroacetic acid (DCA), chlorofluoroacetic acid (CFA), and difluoroacetic acid (DFA) are inhibitors of pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase. DCA is used for the clinical management of congenital lactic acidosis. Glutathione transferase zeta (GSTZ1-1) catalyzes the biotransformation of DCA and CFA, and DCA is a mechanism-based inactivator of GSTZ1-1.

Immunohistochemical localization and activity of glutathione transferase zeta (GSTZ1-1) in rat tissues.

Glutathione transferase zeta (GSTZ1-1) catalyzes the biotransformation of a range of alpha-haloacids, including dichloroacetic acid (DCA), and the penultimate step in the tyrosine degradation pathway. DCA is a rodent carcinogen and a common drinking water contaminant. DCA also causes multiorgan toxicity in rodents and dogs.