Epigenetic inactivation of mir-34b/c in addition to mir-34a and DAPK1 in chronic lymphocytic leukemia

BACKGROUND: TP53 mutation/deletion is uncommon in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). We postulated that components of TP53-centered tumor suppressor network, miR-34b/c, in addition to DAPK1 and miR-34a might be inactivated by DNA hypermethylation. Moreover, we tested if miR-34b/c methylation might correlate with miR-203 or miR-124-1 methylation in CLL. METHODS: miR-34b/c, miR-34a and DAPK1 methylation was studied in 11 normal controls, 7 CLL cell lines, and 78 diagnostic CLL samples by methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction. MEC-1 cells were treated with 5-Aza-2'-deoxycytidine for reversal of methylation-associated miRNA silencing. Tumor suppressor properties of miR-34b were demonstrated by over-expression of precursor miR-34b in MEC-1 cells. RESULTS: miR-34b/c promoter was unmethylated in normal controls, but completely methylated in 4 CLL cell lines. miR-34b/c expression was inversely correlated with miR-34b/c methylation. Different MSP statuses of miR-34b/c, including complete methylation and complete unmethylation, were verified by quantitative bisulfite pyrosequencing. 5-Aza-2'-deoxycytidine treatment resulted in promoter demethylation and miR-34b re-expression in MEC1 cells. Moreover, over-expression of miR-34b resulted in inhibition of cellular proliferation and increased cell death. In primary CLL samples, miR-34a, miR-34b/c and DAPK1 methylation was detected in 2.6%, 17.9% and 34.6% of patients at diagnosis respectively. Furthermore, 39.7%, 3.8% and 2.6% patients had methylation of one, two or all three genes respectively. Overall, 46.2% patients had methylation of at least one of these three genes. Besides, miR-34b/c methylation was associated with methylation of miR-34a (P = 0.03) and miR-203 (P = 0.012) in CLL. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, miR-34b/c is a tumor suppressor miRNA frequently methylated, and hence silenced in CLL. Together with DAPK1 methylation, miR-34b/c methylation is implicated in the disruption of the TP53-centered tumor suppressor network. Moreover, the association of miRNA methylation warrants further study.published_or_final_versio

Epigenetic inactivation of miR-9 family microRNAs in chronic lymphocytic leukemia--implications on constitutive activation of NFκB pathway

published_or_final_versio

Relationship between Environmental Phthalate Exposure and the Intelligence of School-Age Children

BACKGROUND: Concern over phthalates has emerged because of their potential toxicity to humans. OBJECTIVE: We investigated the relationship between the urinary concentrations of phthalate metabolites and children`s intellectual functioning. METHODS: This study enrolled 667 children at nine elementary schools in five South Korean cities. A cross-sectional examination of urine phthalate concentrations was performed, and scores on neuro-psychological tests were obtained from both the children and their mothers. RESULTS: We measured mono-2-ethylhexyl phthalate (MEHP) and mono(2-ethyl-5-oxohexyl) phthalate (MEOHP), both metabolites of di(2-ethylhexyl)phthalate (DEHP), and mono-n-butyl phthalate (MBP), a metabolite of dibutyl phthalate (DBP), in urine samples. The geometric mean (ln) concentrations of MEHP, MEOHP, and MBP were 21.3 mu g/L [geometric SD (GSD) = 2.2 mu g/L; range, 0.5-445.4], 18.0 mu g/L (GSD = 2.4; range, 0.07-291.1), and 48.9 mu g/L (GSD = 2.2; range, 2.1-1645.5), respectively. After adjusting for demographic and developmental covariates, the Full Scale IQ and Verbal IQ scores were negatively associated with DEHP metabolites but not with DBP metabolites. We also found a significant negative relationship between the urine concentrations of the metabolites of DEHP and DBP and children`s vocabulary subscores. After controlling for maternal IQ, a significant inverse relationship between DEHP metabolites and vocabulary subscale score remained. Among boys, we found a negative association between increasing MEHP phthalate concentrations and the sum of DEHP metabolite concentrations and Wechsler Intelligence Scale for Children vocabulary score; however, among girls, we found no significant association between these variables. CONCLUSION: Controlling for maternal IQ and other covariates, the results show an inverse relationship between phthalate metabolites and IQ scores; however, given the limitations in cross-sectional epidemiology, prospective studies are needed to fully explore these associations.This work was funded by the Eco-Technopia 21 project of Korea Institute of Environmental Science and Technology (091-081-059).Cho SC, 2010, J CHILD PSYCHOL PSYC, V51, P1050, DOI 10.1111/j.1469-7610.2010.02250.xKim BN, 2009, BIOL PSYCHIAT, V66, P958, DOI 10.1016/j.biopsych.2009.07.034Tanida T, 2009, TOXICOL LETT, V189, P40, DOI 10.1016/j.toxlet.2009.04.005Ghisari M, 2009, TOXICOL LETT, V189, P67, DOI 10.1016/j.toxlet.2009.05.004Barnett JH, 2009, AM J PSYCHIAT, V166, P909, DOI 10.1176/appi.ajp.2009.08081251Kim Y, 2009, NEUROTOXICOLOGY, V30, P564, DOI 10.1016/j.neuro.2009.03.012Engel SM, 2009, NEUROTOXICOLOGY, V30, P522, DOI 10.1016/j.neuro.2009.04.001Kamrin MA, 2009, J TOXICOL ENV HEAL B, V12, P157, DOI 10.1080/10937400902729226Brown JS, 2009, SCHIZOPHRENIA BULL, V35, P256, DOI 10.1093/schbul/sbm147Bellinger DC, 2008, NEUROTOXICOLOGY, V29, P828, DOI 10.1016/j.neuro.2008.04.005Wolff MS, 2008, ENVIRON HEALTH PERSP, V116, P1092, DOI 10.1289/ehp.11007van Neerven S, 2008, PROG NEUROBIOL, V85, P433, DOI 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2008.04.006Hatch EE, 2008, ENVIRON HEALTH-GLOB, V7, DOI 10.1186/1476-069X-7-27Zevalkink J, 2008, J GENET PSYCHOL, V169, P72Kolarik B, 2008, ENVIRON HEALTH PERSP, V116, P98, DOI 10.1289/ehp.10498SATHYANARAYANA S, 2008, CURR PROBL PEDIAT AD, V38, P34KHO YL, 2008, J ENV HLTH SCI, V34, P271Huang PC, 2007, HUM REPROD, V22, P2715, DOI 10.1093/humrep/dem205Janjua NR, 2007, ENVIRON SCI TECHNOL, V41, P5564, DOI 10.1021/es0628755Meeker JD, 2007, ENVIRON HEALTH PERSP, V115, P1029, DOI 10.1289/ehp.9852Fromme H, 2007, INT J HYG ENVIR HEAL, V210, P21, DOI 10.1016/j.ijheh.2006.09.005Xu Y, 2007, ARCH TOXICOL, V81, P57, DOI 10.1007/s00204-006-0143-8Pereira C, 2007, ACTA HISTOCHEM, V109, P29, DOI 10.1016/j.acthis.2006.09.008Hauser R, 2006, EPIDEMIOLOGY, V17, P682, DOI 10.1097/01.ede.0000235996.89953.d7Zhu DF, 2006, BRAIN, V129, P2923, DOI 10.1093/brain/awl215Andrade AJM, 2006, TOXICOLOGY, V227, P185, DOI 10.1016/j.tox.2006.07.022Lottrup G, 2006, INT J ANDROL, V29, P172, DOI 10.1111/j.1365-2605.2005.00642.xBreous E, 2005, MOL CELL ENDOCRINOL, V244, P75, DOI 10.1016/j.mce.2005.06.009Wenzel A, 2005, MOL CELL ENDOCRINOL, V244, P63, DOI 10.1016/j.mce.2005.02.008Kato K, 2005, ANAL CHEM, V77, P2985, DOI 10.1021/ac0481248Tanaka T, 2005, FOOD CHEM TOXICOL, V43, P581, DOI 10.1016/j.fct.2005.01.001Duty SM, 2005, HUM REPROD, V20, P604, DOI 10.1093/humrep/deh656Kota BP, 2005, PHARMACOL RES, V51, P85, DOI 10.1016/j.phrs.2004.07.012Hays T, 2005, CARCINOGENESIS, V26, P219, DOI 10.1093/carcin/bgh285Hauser R, 2004, ENVIRON HEALTH PERSP, V112, P1734, DOI 10.1289/ehp.7212Bornehag CG, 2004, ENVIRON HEALTH PERSP, V112, P1393, DOI 10.1289/ehp.7187Ishido M, 2004, J NEUROCHEM, V91, P69, DOI 10.1111/j.1471-4159.2004.02696.xMink PJ, 2004, EPIDEMIOLOGY, V15, P385, DOI 10.1097/01.ede.0000128402.86336.7eBellinger DC, 2004, EPIDEMIOLOGY, V15, P383, DOI 10.1097/01.ede.0000129525.15064.a4Shea KM, 2003, PEDIATRICS, V111, P1467Tanaka T, 2002, FOOD CHEM TOXICOL, V40, P1499, DOI 10.1016/S0278-6915(02)00073-XHoppin JA, 2002, ENVIRON HEALTH PERSP, V110, P515SATTLER JM, 2001, ASSESSMENT CHILDRENRice D, 2000, ENVIRON HEALTH PERSP, V108, P511Bellinger DC, 2000, NEUROTOXICOL TERATOL, V22, P133LIM YR, 2000, KOR J CLIN PSYCHOL, V19, P563Braissant O, 1998, ENDOCRINOLOGY, V139, P2748Peters JM, 1997, CARCINOGENESIS, V18, P2029Baldini IM, 1997, PROG NEURO-PSYCHOPH, V21, P925Roberts RA, 1997, FUND APPL TOXICOL, V38, P107PARK KS, 1996, DEV KEDI WISC INDIVIMONZANI F, 1993, CLIN INVESTIGATOR, V71, P367SILVERSTEIN AB, 1990, J CLIN PSYCHOL, V46, P333HINTON RH, 1986, ENVIRON HEALTH PERSP, V70, P195KIM MK, 1986, SEOUL J PSYCHIAT, V11, P194KAUFMAN AS, 1976, CONTEMP EDUC PSYCHOL, V1, P1801

Guidelines for the use and interpretation of assays for monitoring autophagy (4th edition)1.

In 2008, we published the first set of guidelines for standardizing research in autophagy. Since then, this topic has received increasing attention, and many scientists have entered the field. Our knowledge base and relevant new technologies have also been expanding. Thus, it is important to formulate on a regular basis updated guidelines for monitoring autophagy in different organisms. Despite numerous reviews, there continues to be confusion regarding acceptable methods to evaluate autophagy, especially in multicellular eukaryotes. Here, we present a set of guidelines for investigators to select and interpret methods to examine autophagy and related processes, and for reviewers to provide realistic and reasonable critiques of reports that are focused on these processes. These guidelines are not meant to be a dogmatic set of rules, because the appropriateness of any assay largely depends on the question being asked and the system being used. Moreover, no individual assay is perfect for every situation, calling for the use of multiple techniques to properly monitor autophagy in each experimental setting. Finally, several core components of the autophagy machinery have been implicated in distinct autophagic processes (canonical and noncanonical autophagy), implying that genetic approaches to block autophagy should rely on targeting two or more autophagy-related genes that ideally participate in distinct steps of the pathway. Along similar lines, because multiple proteins involved in autophagy also regulate other cellular pathways including apoptosis, not all of them can be used as a specific marker for bona fide autophagic responses. Here, we critically discuss current methods of assessing autophagy and the information they can, or cannot, provide. Our ultimate goal is to encourage intellectual and technical innovation in the field

Epigenetic inactivation of mir-34b/c in addition to mir-34a and DAPK1 in chronic lymphocytic leukemia

BACKGROUND: TP53 mutation/deletion is uncommon in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). We postulated that components of TP53-centered tumor suppressor network, miR-34b/c, in addition to DAPK1 and miR-34a might be inactivated by DNA hypermethylation. Moreover, we tested if miR-34b/c methylation might correlate with miR-203 or miR-124-1 methylation in CLL. METHODS: miR-34b/c, miR-34a and DAPK1 methylation was studied in 11 normal controls, 7 CLL cell lines, and 78 diagnostic CLL samples by methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction. MEC-1 cells were treated with 5-Aza-2'-deoxycytidine for reversal of methylation-associated miRNA silencing. Tumor suppressor properties of miR-34b were demonstrated by over-expression of precursor miR-34b in MEC-1 cells. RESULTS: miR-34b/c promoter was unmethylated in normal controls, but completely methylated in 4 CLL cell lines. miR-34b/c expression inversely correlated with miR-34b/c methylation. Different MSP statuses of miR-34b/c, including complete methylation and complete unmethylation, were verified by quantitative bisulfite pyrosequencing. 5-Aza-2'-deoxycytidine treatment resulted in promoter demethylation and miR-34b re-expression in MEC1 cells. Moreover, over-expression of miR-34b resulted in inhibition of cellular proliferation and increased cell death. In primary CLL samples, miR-34a, miR-34b/c and DAPK1 methylation was detected in 2.6%, 17.9% and 34.6% of patients at diagnosis respectively. Furthermore, 39.7%, 3.8% and 2.6% patients had methylation of one, two or all three genes respectively. Overall, 46.2% patients had methylation of at least one of these three genes. Besides, miR-34b/c methylation was associated with methylation of miR-34a (P = 0.03) and miR-203 (P = 0.012) in CLL. CONCLUSIONS: Taken together, miR-34b/c is a tumor suppressor miRNA frequently methylated, and hence silenced in CLL. Together with DAPK1 methylation, miR-34b/c methylation is implicated in the disruption of the TP53-centered tumor suppressor network. Moreover, the association of miRNA methylation warrants further study

Epigenetic inactivation of miR-9 family microRNAs in chronic lymphocytic leukemia--implications on constitutive activation of NFκB pathway.

Background: The miR-9 family microRNAs have been identified as a tumor suppressor miRNA in cancers. We postulated that miR-9-1, miR-9-2 and miR-9-3 might be inactivated by DNA hypermethylation in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL).Methods: Methylation of miR-9-1, miR-9-2 and miR-9-3 was studied in eight normal controls including normal bone marrow, buffy coat, and CD19-sorted peripheral blood B-cells from healthy individuals, seven CLL cell lines, and seventy-eight diagnostic CLL samples by methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction.Results: The promoters of miR-9-3 and miR-9-1 were both unmethylated in normal controls, but methylated in five (71.4%) and one of seven CLL cell lines respectively. However, miR-9-2 promoter was methylated in normal controls including CD19 + ve B-cells, hence suggestive of a tissue-specific but not tumor-specific methylation, and thus not further studied. Different MSP statuses of miR-9-3, including complete methylation, partial methylation, and complete unmethylation, were verified by quantitative bisulfite methylation analysis. 5-Aza-2′-deoxycytidine treatment resulted in miR-9-3 promoter demethylation and re-expression of pri-miR-9-3 in I83-E95 and WAC3CD5+ cells, which were homozygously methylated for miR-9-3. Moreover, overexpression of miR-9 led to suppressed cell proliferation and enhanced apoptosis together with downregulation of NFκB1 in I83-E95 cells, supporting a tumor suppressor role of miR-9-3 in CLL. In primary CLL samples, miR-9-3 was detected in 17% and miR-9-1 methylation in none of the patients at diagnosis. Moreover, miR-9-3 methylation was associated with advanced Rai stage (≥ stage 2) (P = 0.04).Conclusions: Of the miR-9 family, miR-9-3 is a tumor suppressor miRNA relatively frequently methylated, and hence silenced in CLL; whereas miR-9-1 methylation is rare in CLL. The role of miR-9-3 methylation in the constitutive activation of NFκB signaling pathway in CLL warrants further study

Impact of JAK2V617F mutation on thrombosis and myeloid transformation in essential thrombocythemia: A multivariate analysis by Cox regression in 141 patients

Objective: To perform a multivariate analysis by Cox proportional hazard model of the impact of JAK2 V617F mutation on thrombosis and myeloid transformations in patients with essential thrombocythemia (ET). Patients and methods: The clinicopathologic features and outcome of a cohort of Chinese ET patients were retrospectively reviewed. JAK2 V617F mutation was detected by allele-specific polymerase chain reaction. Potential risk factors including JAK2 V617F that might impact on thrombosis and outcome were studied by multivariate analysis with Cox proportional hazard model. Results: Of 141 patients studied, JAK2 V617F was found in 80 cases (57%). JAK2 V617F was positively correlated with hemoglobin and leukocyte count at diagnosis. Univariate analysis showed significant thrombotic risks to be JAK2 V617F (P=0.006), hemoglobin >13 g/dl (P=0.015), and age >55 years (P=0.011). However, in multivariate analysis, only age and hemoglobin were independent risk factors. JAK2 V617F was unrelated to survival or leukemic/myelofibrotic transformation. Conclusion: In Chinese patients with ET, JAK2 V617F was positively associated with age, hemoglobin, and leukocyte count, but was not an independent risk for thrombosis. © 2010 W. S. Maney & Son Ltd.link_to_subscribed_fulltex