Clinical, morphological and molecular biological examination of the myocardium in COVID-19 patients

The presence of coronavirus-associated myocarditis remains controversial despite elevations in cardiac troponin and natriuretic peptide in many patients.Aim. To assess the morphological changes in the myocardium of patients who died due to coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and compare them with the intravital level of cardiac biomarkers.Material and methods. A total of 420 hospital charts and 77 autopsies of those who died from COVID-19 were analyzed. In 15 of 77 cases (19%) with histologically suspected myocarditis, an immunohistochemical examination of the myocardium with antibodies to CD3, CD45, CD8, CD68, CD34, Ang1, VWF, VEGF, HLA-DR, MHC1, C1q, VP1 of enteroviruses was performed, and in 8 patients with immunohistochemically confirmed myocarditis (10%) — polymerase chain reaction for SARS-CoV-2.Results. Hemorrhage, intramural thrombosis, necrosis of non-coronary origin, myocardial infarction and lymphocytic myocarditis were detected in 43%, 10%, 17%, 19% and 10% of cases, respectively, without coronavirus N and E gene sequences in the myocardium. Dysplasia, hyperplasia and hypertrophy of the vascular endothelium, expression of Ang1, VWF, VEGF, MHC1, C1q, VP1 of enteroviruses were determined in 100, 100, 87, 100, 75 and 62% of cases of myocarditis, respectively. There were no significant correlations between inflammatory biomarkers and myocarditis.Conclusion. The main morphological manifestation of COVID-19 in the myocardium is the so-called endotheliitis with dysplasia and endothelial activation, leading to hemorrhages, intramural thrombosis and necrosis. There is no convincing evidence of a direct involvement of coronavirus in myocarditis induction

Молекулярная диагностика онкологических заболеваний: перспективы разработки стандартного образца содержания гена HER2

Cancer is the leading cause of death in the world. The development of oncopathology is closely related to various changes in the genetic material that occur in malignantly transformed cells. Medical decision-making requires a clear differentiation between normal and pathological indicators, which are, among other things, the results of application of quantitative methods in laboratory medicine. Studies of DNA isolated from a patient’s biological material, identification and measurement of the content of nucleotide sequences acting as oncopathology biomarkers allow to solve the problems of determining the genetic prerequisites for cancer, its early diagnosis, determining the treatment strategy, monitoring, and confirming the patient’s cure.The purpose of this research is to develop the main approaches to the design of DNA reference materials (RMs) for metrological support of molecular diagnostics of oncopathology through the example of the RM for the HER2 gene sequence content in the human genome, with the value of «the number of copies of the DNA sequence» which is metrologically traceable to the natural SI unit «one».In the course of the research, a technique for measuring the HER2 gene amplification (the number of copies of the gene sequence per genome) was developed based on the use of the digital PCR method (dPCR). Comparability of measurement results for the method developed by the authors, and the results obtained using a commercial kit by the MLPA method on samples of human biological material is shown.Five permanent cell lines obtained from the CUC «Vertebrate Cell Culture Collection» were characterized in relation to the copy number ratios of HER2 gene sequence and CEP17 and RPPH1 genes sequences. A cell line with the HER2 gene amplification was identified. The results obtained will be used to create the RM for the copy number ratio of the HER2 gene sequences and the RPPH1 and CEP17 gene sequences. Creation of matrix DNA RMs based on human cell cultures certified using dPCR will allow transferring the unit of copy numbers of the DNA sequence to calibrators included in medical devices, thereby ensuring the required reliability and comparability of measurement results in the laboratory diagnostics of oncopathology, as well as the possibility of calibrating routine methods of DNA diagnostics and intralaboratory quality control.Онкологические заболевания являются основной причиной смертности в мире. Развитие онкопатологий тесно связано с различными изменениями генетического материала, возникающими в злокачественно трансформированных клетках. Принятие медицинских решений требует четкой дифференциации нормальных и патологических показателей, являющихся в том числе результатами применения количественных методов в лабораторной медицине. Исследования ДНК, выделенной из биологического материала пациента, выявление и измерения содержания последовательностей нуклеотидов, выступающих в роли биомаркеров онкопатологий, позволяют решать задачи определения генетических предпосылок развития рака, его диагностики на ранней стадии, определения стратегии лечения, его мониторинга, подтверждения излечения пациента.Целью данного исследования является выработка основных подходов к созданию стандартных образцов (СО) ДНК для метрологического обеспечения молекулярной диагностики онкопатологий на примере СО содержания последовательности гена HER2 в составе генома человека, значение величины «число копий последовательности ДНК» которого метрологически прослеживается к естественной единице SI «один».В ходе исследования разработана методика выполнения измерений копийности (числа копий последовательности гена на геном) гена HER2, основанная на применении метода цифровой ПЦР (цПЦР). Показана сходимость результатов измерений для разработанной авторами методики и результатов, полученных с использованием коммерческого набора, использующего метод MLPA на образцах биологического материала человека.Охарактеризованы пять постоянных клеточных линий из ЦКП «Коллекция культур клеток позвоночных» по отношению числа копий последовательностей гена HER2 и генов CEP17 и RPPH1. Выявлена клеточная линия с повышенной копийностью гена HER2. Полученные результаты будут использованы при создании СО отношения числа копий последовательностей гена HER2 и генов RPPH1 и CEP17. Создание матричных СО ДНК на основе культур клеток человека, аттестованных с применением цПЦР, позволит передавать единицу величины числа копий последовательности ДНК калибраторам, входящим в состав медицинских изделий, обеспечивая тем самым требуемую достоверность и сопоставимость результатов измерений в лабораторной диагностике онкопатологий, а также возможность калибровки рутинных методик ДНК-диагностики и внутрилабораторного контроля качества

Genetic instability and anti-HPV immune response as drivers of infertility associated with HPV infection

Funding Information: RFBR grant 17–54-30002, Ministry of Science and Higher Education of the Russian Federation (Agreement No. 075–15–2019-1660) to Olga Smirnova. Publisher Copyright: © 2021, The Author(s).Human papillomavirus (HPV) is a sexually transmitted infection common among men and women of reproductive age worldwide. HPV viruses are associated with epithelial lesions and cancers. HPV infections have been shown to be significantly associated with many adverse effects in reproductive function. Infection with HPVs, specifically of high-oncogenic risk types (HR HPVs), affects different stages of human reproduction, resulting in a series of adverse outcomes: 1) reduction of male fertility (male infertility), characterized by qualitative and quantitative semen alterations; 2) impairment of couple fertility with increase of blastocyst apoptosis and reduction of endometrial implantation of trophoblastic cells; 3) defects of embryos and fetal development, with increase of spontaneous abortion and spontaneous preterm birth. The actual molecular mechanism(s) by which HPV infection is involved remain unclear. HPV-associated infertility as Janus, has two faces: one reflecting anti-HPV immunity, and the other, direct pathogenic effects of HPVs, specifically, of HR HPVs on the infected/HPV-replicating cells. Adverse effects observed for HR HPVs differ depending on the genotype of infecting virus, reflecting differential response of the host immune system as well as functional differences between HPVs and their individual proteins/antigens, including their ability to induce genetic instability/DNA damage. Review summarizes HPV involvement in all reproductive stages, evaluate the adverse role(s) played by HPVs, and identifies mechanisms of viral pathogenicity, common as well as specific for each stage of the reproduction process.publishersversionPeer reviewe

Postpericardiotomy syndrome: the role of genetic factors in the pathogenesis of a systemic inflammatory response after open-heart surgery

Aim. To assess the predictive value of polymorphic variants analyzing of interleukin-6  (IL-6)  gene  in patients  with postpericardiotomy  syndrome  (PPS) during open-heart surgery.Material and methods. The study included 200 patients. All patients were analyzed for acute  phase   parameters in serum,  effusion  fluid and  region  of IL-6  gene promoter sequence.Results. When analyzing the effusion fluid, in 15% of patients  with early PPS,  in accordance with the Light RW criteria, transudate was detected. Application of the Roth  BJ  criteria  increased this  proportion  to  32%.  An increase   in the  level of C-reactive  protein  (CRP), procalcitonin,  and  adenosine deaminase (ADA) activity indicated a systemic inflammatory response. The viral genome of cardiotropic viruses was detected in the effusion fluid in 10-12% of patients with PPS. Scanning mutations in the IL-6 500 bp region revealed one polymorphism of -174G>C. The frequency ofPPS  in patients  with different  genotypes (-174GC,  -174GG and  -174CC)  did not significantly differ. An association of the -174GG genotype of the IL-6 gene with a high risk of developing systemic inflammation in open-heart surgery and more frequent postoperative infectious complications has been established. In addition, the -174GG genotype was more often detected in patients with late PPS (p=0,017). There was nocorrelation between  the occurrence of genotypes, as well as the distribution of IL-6 gene  and coronary  obstruction  index. However, carriage  of the G allele was more often detected in patients with injury of left main coronary artery.Conclusion. The presence of the -174GG genotype of the IL-6 gene and cardiotropic viruses contribute to the systemic inflammation during cardiosurgical interventions in extracorporeal circulation, but do not have predictive value for the PPS development

HPV Type Distribution in Benign, High-Grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesions and Squamous Cell Cancers of the Anus by HIV Status

The incidence of anal cancer is increasing, especially in high-risk groups, such as PLWH. HPV 16, a high-risk (HR) HPV genotype, is the most common genotype in anal high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in the general population. However, few studies have described the distribution of HR HPV genotypes other than HPV 16 in the anus of PLWH. HPV genotyping was performed by DNA amplification followed by dot-blot hybridization to identify the HR and low-risk (LR) genotypes in benign anal lesions (n = 34), HSIL (n = 30), and SCC (n = 51) of PLWH and HIV-negative individuals. HPV 16 was the most prominent HR HPV identified, but it was less common in HSIL and SCC from PLWH compared with HIV-negative individuals, and other non-HPV 16 HR HPV (non-16 HR HPV) types were more prevalent in samples from PLWH. A higher proportion of clinically normal tissues from PLWH were positive for one or more HPV genotypes. Multiple HPV infection was a hallmark feature for all tissues (benign, HSIL, SCC) of PLWH. These results indicate that the development of anal screening approaches based on HPV DNA testing need to include non-16 HR HPVs along with HPV 16, especially for PLWH. Along with anal cytology, these updated screening approaches may help to identify and prevent anal disease progression in PLWH

A study of comparability in AFLP profiling using a simple model system.

NRC publication: Ye

HPV Type Distribution in Benign, High-Grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesions and Squamous Cell Cancers of the Anus by HIV Status

The incidence of anal cancer is increasing, especially in high-risk groups, such as PLWH. HPV 16, a high-risk (HR) HPV genotype, is the most common genotype in anal high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in the general population. However, few studies have described the distribution of HR HPV genotypes other than HPV 16 in the anus of PLWH. HPV genotyping was performed by DNA amplification followed by dot-blot hybridization to identify the HR and low-risk (LR) genotypes in benign anal lesions (n = 34), HSIL (n = 30), and SCC (n = 51) of PLWH and HIV-negative individuals. HPV 16 was the most prominent HR HPV identified, but it was less common in HSIL and SCC from PLWH compared with HIV-negative individuals, and other non-HPV 16 HR HPV (non-16 HR HPV) types were more prevalent in samples from PLWH. A higher proportion of clinically normal tissues from PLWH were positive for one or more HPV genotypes. Multiple HPV infection was a hallmark feature for all tissues (benign, HSIL, SCC) of PLWH. These results indicate that the development of anal screening approaches based on HPV DNA testing need to include non-16 HR HPVs along with HPV 16, especially for PLWH. Along with anal cytology, these updated screening approaches may help to identify and prevent anal disease progression in PLWH

HPV Type Distribution in Benign, High-Grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesions and Squamous Cell Cancers of the Anus by HIV Status.

The incidence of anal cancer is increasing, especially in high-risk groups, such as PLWH. HPV 16, a high-risk (HR) HPV genotype, is the most common genotype in anal high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSIL) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) in the general population. However, few studies have described the distribution of HR HPV genotypes other than HPV 16 in the anus of PLWH. HPV genotyping was performed by DNA amplification followed by dot-blot hybridization to identify the HR and low-risk (LR) genotypes in benign anal lesions (n = 34), HSIL (n = 30), and SCC (n = 51) of PLWH and HIV-negative individuals. HPV 16 was the most prominent HR HPV identified, but it was less common in HSIL and SCC from PLWH compared with HIV-negative individuals, and other non-HPV 16 HR HPV (non-16 HR HPV) types were more prevalent in samples from PLWH. A higher proportion of clinically normal tissues from PLWH were positive for one or more HPV genotypes. Multiple HPV infection was a hallmark feature for all tissues (benign, HSIL, SCC) of PLWH. These results indicate that the development of anal screening approaches based on HPV DNA testing need to include non-16 HR HPVs along with HPV 16, especially for PLWH. Along with anal cytology, these updated screening approaches may help to identify and prevent anal disease progression in PLWH

Quantification of cells with specific phenotypes II: Determination of CD4 expression level on reconstituted lyophilized human PBMC labelled with anti‐CD4 FITC antibody

This report focuses on the characterization of CD4 expression level in terms of equivalent number of reference fluorophores (ERF). Twelve different flow cytometer platforms across sixteen laboratories were utilized in this study. As a first step the participants were asked to calibrate the fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) channel of each flow cytometer using commercially available calibration standard consisting of five populations of microspheres. Each population had an assigned value of equivalent fluorescein fluorophores (EFF denotes a special case of the generic term ERF with FITC as the reference fluorophore). The EFF values were assigned at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST). A surface-labelled lyophilized cell preparation was provided by the National Institute of Biological Standards and Control (NIBSC), using human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) pre-labeled with a FITC conjugated anti-CD4 monoclonal antibody. Three PBMC sample vials, provided to each participant, were used for the CD4 expression analysis. The PBMC are purported to have a fixed number of surface CD4 receptors. On the basis of the microsphere calibration, the EFF value of the PBMC samples was measured to characterize the population average CD4 expression level of the PBMC preparations. Both the results of data analysis performed by each participant and the results of centralized analysis of all participants' raw data are reported. Centralized analysis gave a mean EFF value of 22,300 and an uncertainty of 750, corresponding to 3.3% (level of confidence 68%) of the mean EFF value. The next step will entail the measurement of the ERF values of the lyophilized PBMC stained with labels for other fluorescence channels. The ultimate goal is to show that lyophilized PBMC is a suitable biological reference cell material for multicolor flow cytometry and that it can be used to present multicolor flow cytometry measurements in terms of ABC (antibodies bound per cell) units. © 2015 International Society for Advancement of Cytometr