Diet Significantly Influences the Immunopathology and Severity of Kidney Injury in Male C57Bl/6J Mice in a Model Dependent Manner.

Diet is a leading causative risk factor for morbidity and mortality worldwide, yet it is rarely considered in the design of preclinical animal studies. Several of the nutritional inadequacies reported in Americans have been shown to be detrimental to kidney health; however, the mechanisms responsible are unclear and have been largely attributed to the development of diabetes or hypertension. Here, we set out to determine whether diet influences the susceptibility to kidney injury in male C57Bl/6 mice.

Integration of Wet and Dry Bench Processes Optimizes Targeted Next-generation Sequencing of Low-quality and Low-quantity Tumor Biopsies.

All next-generation sequencing (NGS) procedures include assays performed at the laboratory bench ("wet bench") and data analyses conducted using bioinformatics pipelines ("dry bench"). Both elements are essential to produce accurate and reliable results, which are particularly critical for clinical laboratories. Targeted NGS technologies have increasingly found favor in oncology applications to help advance precision medicine objectives, yet the methods often involve disconnected and variable wet and dry bench workflows and uncoordinated reagent sets.

FNA needle rinses preserved in Cytolyt are acceptable specimen type for mutation testing of thyroid nodules.

Introduction: This study investigated the application of molecular testing to residual thyroid fine-needle aspiration material from needle rinses collected in Cytolyt.

Materials And Methods: Two thyroid needle rinses from 135 patients were collected in Cytolyt during routine diagnostic workup in our institution. Molecular testing was performed to detect 14 genetic alterations in BRAF, K-, H-, N-RAS genes as well as RET/PTC1, RET/PTC3, and PAX8/PPARγ and verified by next generation sequencing and correlated with cytologic diagnoses.

Differential expression of GNAS and KRAS mutations in pancreatic cysts.

Context: KRAS mutations play an important role in pancreatic cancer. GNAS mutations were discovered in intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasms (IPMN).

Objectives: Our aim was to identify the frequency of KRAS and GNAS mutations in pancreatic cystic neoplasms and pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC).

Functional DNA quantification guides accurate next-generation sequencing mutation detection in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tumor biopsies.

The formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded (FFPE) biopsy is a challenging sample for molecular assays such as targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS). We compared three methods for FFPE DNA quantification, including a novel PCR assay ('QFI-PCR') that measures the absolute copy number of amplifiable DNA, across 165 residual clinical specimens. The results reveal the limitations of commonly used approaches, and demonstrate the value of an integrated workflow using QFI-PCR to improve the accuracy of NGS mutation detection and guide changes in input that can rescue low quality FFPE DNA.

High-resolution methylation polymerase chain reaction for fragile X analysis: evidence for novel FMR1 methylation patterns undetected in Southern blot analyses.

Purpose: Fragile X syndrome is associated with the expansion of CGG trinucleotide repeats and subsequent methylation of the FMR1 gene. Molecular diagnosis of fragile X currently requires Southern blot analysis to assess methylation. This study describes the evaluation of a polymerase chain reaction-only workflow for the determination of methylation status across a broad range of FMR1 genotypes in male and female specimens.

DSS-induced colitis is exacerbated in STAT-6 knockout mice.

Background: Several transcription factors have been proposed to regulate IBD including the signal transducer and activator of transcription-6 (STAT-6).

Methods: The role of STAT-6 was examined in the 5% dextran sulfate sodium (DSS)-induced murine model of colitis using STAT-6 and wildtype mice.

Results: The disease activity index (DAI) revealed a significant increase in DAI in STAT-6 mice over STAT-6 mice given DSS.