Nonbonding oxygen holes and spinless scenario of magnetic response in doped cuprates

Both theoretical considerations and experimental data point to a more complicated nature of the valence hole states in doped cuprates than it is predicted by Zhang-Rice model. Actually, we deal with a competition of conventional hybrid Cu 3d-O 2p $b_{1g}\propto d_{x^2 -y^2}$ state and purely oxygen nonbonding state with $e_{u}x,y \propto p_{x,y}$ symmetry. The latter reveals a non-quenched Ising-like orbital moment that gives rise to a novel spinless purely oxygen scenario of the magnetic response in doped cuprates with the oxygen localized orbital magnetic moments of the order of tenths of Bohr magneton. We consider the mechanism of ${}^{63,65}$Cu-O 2p transferred orbital hyperfine interactions due to the mixing of the oxygen O 2p orbitals with Cu 3p semicore orbitals. Quantitative estimates point to a large magnitude of the respective contributions both to local field and electric field gradient, and their correlated character.Comment: 7 pages, 1 figur

Hormonal Therapy Resistant Estrogen-receptor Positive Metastatic Breast Cancer Cohort (HORSE-BC) Study : Current Status of Treatment Selection in Japan

The Hormonal therapy resistant estrogen-receptor positive metastatic breast cancer cohort (HORSE-BC) study is a multicenter observational study evaluating the efficacy and safety of secondary endocrine therapy (ET) for postmenopausal cases of metastatic breast cancer (MBC) with poor response to primary ET. In this initial report we analyze the HORSE-BC baseline data to clarify the current status of treatment selection for MBC in Japan. Baseline data for the 50 patients enrolled in HORSE-BC were analyzed, including patient characteristics, types of secondary ET, and reasons for selecting secondary ET. Postoperative recurrence was detected in 84% of patients (42/50) and de novo stage IV breast cancer in 16% (8/50). Forty-one patients (41/50; 82%) received fulvestrant, 5 patients (10%) received selective estrogen receptor modulators (SERMs), 3 patients (6%) received ET plus a mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitor, and 1 patient received an aromatase inhibitor (AI) as the secondary ET. Forty-five patients selected their secondary ET based on its therapeutic effect, while 14 patients selected it based on side effects. Most patients with progression after primary ET selected fulvestrant as the secondary ET based on its therapeutic and side effects. We await the final results from the HORSE-BC study

Association of TNFAIP3 interacting protein 1, TNIP1 with systemic lupus erythematosus in a Japanese population: a case-control association study

INTRODUCTION: TNFAIP3 interacting protein 1, TNIP1 (ABIN-1) is involved in inhibition of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) activation by interacting with TNF alpha-induced protein 3, A20 (TNFAIP3), an established susceptibility gene to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Recent genome-wide association studies revealed association of TNIP1 with SLE in the Caucasian and Chinese populations. In this study, we investigated whether the association of TNIP1 with SLE was replicated in a Japanese population. In addition, association of TNIP1 with RA was also examined. METHODS: A case-control association study was conducted on the TNIP1 single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs7708392 in 364 Japanese SLE patients, 553 RA patients and 513 healthy controls. RESULTS: Association of TNIP1 rs7708392C was replicated in Japanese SLE (allele frequency in SLE: 76.5%, control: 69.9%, P = 0.0022, odds ratio [OR] 1.40, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.13-1.74). Notably, the risk allele frequency in the healthy controls was considerably greater in Japanese (69.9%) than in Caucasians (24.3%). A tendency of stronger association was observed in the SLE patients with renal disorder (P = 0.00065, OR 1.60 [95%CI 1.22-2.10]) than in all SLE patients (P = 0.0022, OR 1.40 [95%CI 1.13-1.74]). Significant association with RA was not observed, regardless of the carriage of human leukocyte antigen DR β1 (HLA-DRB1) shared epitope. Significant gene-gene interaction between TNIP1 and TNFAIP3 was detected neither in SLE nor RA. CONCLUSIONS: Association of TNIP1 with SLE was confirmed in a Japanese population. TNIP1 is a shared SLE susceptibility gene in the Caucasian and Asian populations, but the genetic contribution appeared to be greater in the Japanese and Chinese populations because of the higher risk allele frequency. Taken together with the association of TNFAIP3, these observations underscore the crucial role of NF-κB regulation in the pathogenesis of SLE

Association of TNFAIP3 Polymorphism with Susceptibility to Systemic Lupus Erythematosus in a Japanese Population

Recent genome-wide association studies demonstrated association of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the TNFAIP3 region at 6q23 with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in European-American populations. In this study, we investigated whether SNPs in the TNFAIP3 region are associated with SLE also in a Japanese population. A case-control association study was performed on the SNPs rs13192841, rs2230926, and rs6922466 in 318 Japanese SLE patients and 444 healthy controls. Association of rs2230926 G allele with SLE was replicated in Japanese (allelic association P = .033, odds ratio [OR] 1.47, recessive model P = .023, OR 8.52). The association was preferentially observed in the SLE patients with nephritis. When the TNFAIP3 mRNA levels of the HapMap samples were examined using GENEVAR database, the presence of TNFAIP3 rs2230926 G allele was associated with lower mRNA expression of TNFAIP3 (P = .013). These results indicated that TNFAIP3 is a susceptibility gene to SLE both in the Caucasian and Asian populations

Association of TNFAIP3 polymorphism with susceptibility to systemic lupus erythematosus in a Japanese population

Recent genome-wide association studies demonstrated association of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in the TNFAIP3 region at 6q23 with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) in European-American populations. In this study, we investigated whether SNPs in the TNFAIP3 region are associated with SLE also in a Japanese population. A case-control association study was performed on the SNPs rs13192841, rs2230926, and rs6922466 in 318 Japanese SLE patients and 444 healthy controls. Association of rs2230926 G allele with SLE was replicated in Japanese (allelic association P = .033, odds ratio [OR] 1.47, recessive model P = .023, OR 8.52). The association was preferentially observed in the SLE patients with nephritis. When the TNFAIP3 mRNA levels of the HapMap samples were examined using GENEVAR database, the presence of TNFAIP3 rs2230926 G allele was associated with lower mRNA expression of TNFAIP3 (P = .013). These results indicated that TNFAIP3 is a susceptibility gene to SLE both in the Caucasian and Asian populations

Familial Occurrence of a Congenital Portosystemic Shunt of the Portal Vein

A congenital portosystemic shunt of the portal vein is a very rare vascular anomaly associated with the liver. We report the case of a 5-year-old girl with a patent ductus venosus and her 31-year-old mother with a congenital portosystemic shunt. The child presented with a history of an extremely low birth weight in addition to an atrial septal defect and a patent ductus venosus. At the age of 2, she underwent ligation of the ductus venosus. Her mother was also diagnosed with a congenital vascular anomaly at the age of 16. We have followed up and evaluated her asymptomatic mother for 15 years. To our knowledge, this is the first report describing the occurrence of a congenital portosystemic shunt in both a mother and her child

Thymidine Catabolism as a Metabolic Strategy for Cancer Survival

Thymidine phosphorylase (TP), a rate-limiting enzyme in thymidine catabolism, plays a pivotal role in tumor progression; however, the mechanisms underlying this role are not fully understood. Here, we found that TP-mediated thymidine catabolism could supply the carbon source in the glycolytic pathway and thus contribute to cell survival under conditions of nutrient deprivation. In TP-expressing cells, thymidine was converted to metabolites, including glucose 6-phosphate, lactate, 5-phospho-α-D-ribose 1-diphosphate, and serine, via the glycolytic pathway both in vitro and in vivo. These thymidine-derived metabolites were required for the survival of cells under low-glucose conditions. Furthermore, activation of thymidine catabolism was observed in human gastric cancer. These findings demonstrate that thymidine can serve as a glycolytic pathway substrate in human cancer cells

Thymidine catabolism promotes NADPH oxidase-derived reactive oxygen species (ROS) signalling in KB and yumoto cells

Thymidine phosphorylase (TP) is a rate-limiting enzyme in the thymidine catabolic pathway. TP is identical to platelet-derived endothelial cell growth factor and contributes to tumour angiogenesis. TP induces the generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and enhances the expression of oxidative stress-responsive genes, such as interleukin (IL)-8. However, the mechanism underlying ROS induction by TP remains unclear. In the present study, we demonstrated that TP promotes NADPH oxidase-derived ROS signalling in cancer cells. NADPH oxidase inhibition using apocynin or small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) abrogated the induction of IL-8 and ROS in TP-expressing cancer cells. Meanwhile, thymidine catabolism induced by TP increased the levels of NADPH and intermediates of the pentose phosphate pathway (PPP). Both siRNA knockdown of glucose 6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G6PD), a rate-limiting enzyme in PPP, and a G6PD inhibitor, dihydroepiandrosterone, reduced TP-induced ROS production. siRNA downregulation of 2-deoxy-D-ribose 5-phosphate (DR5P) aldolase, which is needed for DR5P to enter glycolysis, also suppressed the induction of NADPH and IL-8 in TP-expressing cells. These results suggested that TP-mediated thymidine catabolism increases the intracellular NADPH level via the PPP, which enhances the production of ROS by NADPH oxidase and activates its downstream signalling

Role of STAT4 polymorphisms in systemic lupus erythematosus in a Japanese population: a case-control association study of the STAT1-STAT4 region

IntroductionRecent studies identified STAT4 (signal transducers and activators of transcription-4) as a susceptibility gene for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). STAT1 is encoded adjacently to STAT4 on 2q32.2-q32.3, upregulated in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from SLE patients, and functionally relevant to SLE. This study was conducted to test whether STAT4 is associated with SLE in a Japanese population also, to identify the risk haplotype, and to examine the potential genetic contribution of STAT1. To accomplish these aims, we carried out a comprehensive association analysis of 52 tag single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) encompassing the STAT1-STAT4 region.MethodsIn the first screening, 52 tag SNPs were selected based on HapMap Phase II JPT (Japanese in Tokyo, Japan) data, and case-control association analysis was carried out on 105 Japanese female patients with SLE and 102 female controls. For associated SNPs, additional cases and controls were genotyped and association was analyzed using 308 SLE patients and 306 controls. Estimation of haplotype frequencies and an association study using the permutation test were performed with Haploview version 4.0 software. Population attributable risk percentage was estimated to compare the epidemiological significance of the risk genotype among populations.ResultsIn the first screening, rs7574865, rs11889341, and rs10168266 in STAT4 were most significantly associated (P < 0.01). Significant association was not observed for STAT1. Subsequent association studies of the three SNPs using 308 SLE patients and 306 controls confirmed a strong association of the rs7574865T allele (SLE patients: 46.3%, controls: 33.5%, P = 4.9 × 10-6, odds ratio 1.71) as well as TTT haplotype (rs10168266/rs11889341/rs7574865) (P = 1.5 × 10-6). The association was stronger in subgroups of SLE with nephritis and anti-double-stranded DNA antibodies. Population attributable risk percentage was estimated to be higher in the Japanese population (40.2%) than in Americans of European descent (19.5%).ConclusionsThe same STAT4 risk allele is associated with SLE in Caucasian and Japanese populations. Evidence for a role of STAT1 in genetic susceptibility to SLE was not detected. The contribution of STAT4 for the genetic background of SLE may be greater in the Japanese population than in Americans of European descent