Oridonin Suppresses Proliferation of Human Ovarian Cancer Cells via Blockage of mTOR Signaling.

Oridonin, an ent-kaurane diterpenoid compound isolated from the traditional Chinese herb Rabdosia rubescens, has shown various pharmacological and physiological effects such as anti-tumor, anti-bacterial, and anti-inflammatory properties. However, the effect of oridonin on human ovarian cancer cell lines has not been determined. In this study, we demonstrated that oridonin inhibited ovarian cancer cell proliferation, migration and invasion in a dose-dependent manner.

Cryptococcus Neoformans Infection and Immune Cell Regulation in Human Monocytes.

Background/aims: Cryptococcus neoformans infections are becoming increasingly prevalent and remain a life-threatening clinical issue in immune-compromised hosts. The microorganism evades a variety of endogenous anti-fungal mechanims of host immune cells. The signaling pathways in human immune cells that become activated in response to Cryptococcus neoformans infection have yet to be fully characterized.

Decreased TLR2 signal expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cell from patients with cryptococcal meningitis.

Toll-like receptors are the most important pattern recognition receptors that can recognize conserved molecular structures shared by large groups of pathogens. Here, the aim was to determine the expression and role of TLR2 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from patients with cryptococcal meningitis and healthy controls. TLR2 expression was measured using RT-PCR and western blotting.

A chromosomal passenger complex protein signature model predicts poor prognosis for non-small-cell lung cancer.

Aim: The chromosomal passenger complex (CPC) acts as a key modulator for mitosis and cell cytokinesis. High levels of CPC proteins are frequently observed in multiple cancers and are correlated with more progressive malignant behaviors. The aim of the study was to evaluate whether CPC components or their combinations could be used to assess the clinical risk of patients with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

SCUBE3 overexpression predicts poor prognosis in non-small cell lung cancer.

Signal peptide-CUB-EGF-like domain-containing protein 3 (SCUBE3) is highly expressed in invasive lung cancers. In vitro investigation indicated that SCUBE3 may play a critical role in lung cancer invasion and metastasis. The current study immunohistochemically investigated the expression of SCUBE3 in 119 cases of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tumors and this study evaluated its clinical-pathological and prognostic significance.

[Abnormal expression of miR-let-7b in primary biliary cirrhosis and its clinical significance].

Objective: To evaluate the expression of microRNA (miR)-let-7b in peripheral blood cells of patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) and investigate its relationship to clinical disease parameters.

Methods: Peripheral blood and serum samples were obtained for study from 60 PBC patients and 60 healthy controls. Peripheral blood cells were extracted and subjected to real-time PCR to measure miR-let-7b expression.

Red blood cell distribution width is a potential index to assess the disease activity of systemic lupus erythematosus.

Background: General population-based investigations have revealed that red blood cell distribution width (RDW) is associated with inflammatory indexes such as erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP). Chronic inflammation is one of the major components of many autoimmune diseases and RDW may reflect the severity of these autoimmune diseases as well. Therefore, the objective of this study was to investigate the correlation between RDW and disease activity of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE).

Expression of protein tyrosine kinase 6 (PTK6) in nonsmall cell lung cancer and their clinical and prognostic significance.

Aim: The aim of the study was to validate the expression of protein tyrosine kinase 6 (PTK6) in nonsmall cell lung cancer (NSCLC), and to evaluate its clinicopathological and prognostic significance.

Methods: We first conducted a meta-analysis on the mRNA profiling data sets of NSCLC in the Oncomine database. Then, one of the most significantly upregulated tyrosine kinase targets, PTK6, was further validated by immunohistochemistry in 104 primary NSCLC tumors.

Value of baseline platelet count for prediction of complications in primary biliary cirrhosis patients treated with ursodeoxycholic acid.

Background: Decreased platelet count has been observed in various liver diseases, but its significance in primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) remains unknown. The present study aimed to evaluate the predictive value of the platelet count at diagnosis for PBC-related complications in patients newly diagnosed with PBC and treated with ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA).

Methods: Ninety-six PBC patients without complications treated with UDCA immediately after diagnosis were retrospectively reviewed.

β-Arrestin 1 modulates functions of autoimmune T cells from primary biliary cirrhosis patients.

Objectives: Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is an autoimmune disease, characterized by antimitochondrial antibodies and autoreactive T cells causing destruction of the primary bile ducts. The molecular mechanisms regulating the autoreactive T cells remain elusive. β-Arrestins (βarr) are multifunctional signaling molecules that are crucial to T cell survival.

Expression and prognostic significance of cancer-testis antigens (CTA) in intrahepatic cholagiocarcinoma.

Background: Cancer-testis antigens (CTAs) are suitable targets for cancer-specific immunotherapy. The aim of the study is to investigate the expression of CTAs in intrahepatic cholagiocarcinoma (IHCC) and evaluate their potential therapeutic values.

Methods: Eighty-nine IHCC patients were retrospectively assessed for their expression of CTAs and HLA Class I by immunohistochemistry using the following antibodies: MA454 recognizing MAGE-A1, 57B recognizing multiple MAGE-A (MAGE-A3/A4), E978 recognizing NY-ESO-1, and EMR8-5 recognizing HLA class I.

Unit cloning and amplification as novel and universal strategies for complex vector construction and small DNA fragment preparation.

With a novel and universal strategy for the cloning of multiple DNA fragments, a complex synthetic vector (pVEC100), harboring the target DNA fragments in conventional 100-bp DNA ladder, was constructed for efficient and large-scale production of 100-bp DNA marker through bacteria fermentation, plasmid extraction and restrictive digestion. Since the restrictive digestion of complex vectors yields insufficient small DNA fragments, an innovative PCR model was developed as an alternative. The PCR model comprised a specially designed template vector and a unit amplification model for producing groups of small DNA fragments.

Increased Siglec-1 expression in monocytes of patients with primary biliary cirrhosis.

Objectives: To evaluate Siglec-1 protein (CD169) and mRNA levels in peripheral blood monocytes of patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) and investigate its role in PBC pathogenesis by looking for correlations between Siglec-1 expression and key PBC associated biochemical indices.

Methods: FACS analysis was used to identify the percentage of peripheral blood monocytes positive for both CD14 and Siglec-1 in (a) 45 PBC patients, (b) 40 patients with liver cirrhosis after hepatitis B infection and (c) 36 healthy controls. Siglec-1 mRNA was measured by real-time RT-PCR and serum biomarkers by routine biochemistry.

TNFSF9 expression in primary biliary cirrhosis and its clinical significance.

Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is a TH1/Th17 biased autoimmune disease of the medium and small bile ducts. The role of the costimulatory TNFSF9 (4-1BBL) in PBC progress was investigated by comparing its cell surface expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) by flow cytometry, its mRNA expression in PBMCs by QRT-PCR and its serum concentrations in PBC patients vs. healthy controls.

Overexpression of beta-arrestin 2 in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of patients with cryptococcal meningitis.

Cryptococcal meningitis is often associated with elevated IL-10 levels, which suggest a dysregulation in the antifungal immune response. beta-Arrestin 2 plays a major role in desensitization of G-protein-coupled receptors involved in the immune responses, provides a scaffolding platform for modification of many signal transduction proteins, and binds Src and MAP kinases family members. This study compared the levels of beta-arrestin 2 mRNA and protein in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of patients with cryptococcal meningitis detected.

WITHDRAWN:beta-arrestin 1 contributes to primary biliary cirrhosis.

The Ahead of Print article entitled 'beta-arrestin 1 contributes to primary biliary cirrhosis' was withdrawn by the publisher.

BLyS and APRIL expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of cryptococcal meningitis patients and their clinical significance.

Objective: To investigate the levels of APRIL, BlyS and receptors as TACI, BCMA and BAFF-R in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of cryptococcal meningitis (CM) patients and its clinical significance.

Methods: PBMC from 30 CM patients and 32 healthy controls were isolated. The mRNA levels of APRIL, BLyS and BLyS receptors were detected by fluorescent quantitation PCR.

Downregulation of MSP58 inhibits growth of human colorectal cancer cells via regulation of the cyclin D1-cyclin-dependent kinase 4-p21 pathway.

We have investigated the expression and role of the 58-kDa microspherule protein (MSP58) in colorectal carcinoma (CRC). By immuhistochemistry and immunofluorescence, we observed MSP58 in the nucleus and cytoplasm of CRC cells, and found MSP58 to be present in CRC specimens more often than in adjacent non-tumor tissues (92.5 vs 36.

Resistance to activation-induced cell death and elevated FLIPL expression of CD4+ T cells in a polyI:C-induced primary biliary cirrhosis mouse model.

Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is a type of organ-specific autoimmune disease in which immune tolerance is impaired by an unknown mechanism. We established a PBC animal model by injecting C57BL/6 mice with polyI:C to study activation-induced cell death (AICD) in CD4+ T lymphocytes and changes of apoptosis-associated molecules as a first step to understand the immune tolerance of PBC mice. Obvious inflammatory cell infiltration was observed in the portal area of the liver tissues in model mice and antimitochondrial antibodies (AMA) positive rate was 80%.

WITHDRAWN:MicroRNA profile in peripheral blood T cells of patients with primary biliary cirrhosis.

The Ahead of Print article entitled "MicroRNA profile in peripheral blood T cells of patients with primary biliary cirrhosis", was withdrawn at the author's request.

Increased granulysin expression in peripheral blood cells of patients with primary biliary cirrhosis and its clinical implications.

Introduction: Granulysin is a cytotoxic molecule involved in cellular immune reactions.

Materials And Methods: The levels of granulysin mRNA in the peripheral blood and serum granulysin of patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) were determined by quantitative polymerase chain reaction and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, respectively. The expression of granulysin mRNA and serum protein in PBC was increased compared to the controls.

Granulysin, a cytolytic molecule, is also a chemoattractant and proinflammatory activator.

Granulysin, a cationic protein produced by activated human CTL and NK cells, is cytolytic against microbial and tumor targets. In this study we show that granulysin also functions as a chemoattractant and activates monocytes to produce cytokines/chemokines. Although granulysin-mediated cytotoxicity occurs at micromolar concentrations, chemoattraction occurs in the nanomolar range, and immune activation occurs over a wide range of concentrations (nanomolar to micromolar).