No fever and leucocytosis in response to a lipopolysaccharide challenge in an insectivorous bat

Bat immune systems may allow them to respond to zoonotic agents more efficiently than other mammals. As the first line of defence, the taxonomically conserved acute phase immune reaction of leucocytosis and fever is crucial for coping with infections, but it is unknown if this response is a key constituent to bat immunological success. We investigated the acute phase reaction to a standard lipopolysaccharide (LPS) challenge in Pallas's mastiff bats (Molossus molossus). Challenged bats lost mass, but in contrast to other mammals showed no leucocytosis or fever. There also was no influence on body temperature reduction during torpor. When compared to recent genome-wide assays for constituent immune genes, this lack of a conserved fever response to LPS contributes to a clearer understanding of the innate immune system in bat species and of the coevolution of bats with a wide diversity of pathogens

STAT3-dependent analysis reveals PDK4 as independent predictor of recurrence in prostate cancer

Prostate cancer (PCa) has a broad spectrum of clinical behavior; hence, biomarkers are urgently needed for risk stratification. Here, we aim to find potential biomarkers for risk stratification, by utilizing a gene co-expression network of transcriptomics data in addition to laser-microdissected proteomics from human and murine prostate FFPE samples. We show up-regulation of oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) in PCa on the transcriptomic level and up-regulation of the TCA cycle/OXPHOS on the proteomic level, which is inversely correlated to STAT3 expression. We hereby identify gene expression of pyruvate dehydrogenase kinase 4 (PDK4), a key regulator of the TCA cycle, as a promising independent prognostic marker in PCa. PDK4 predicts disease recurrence independent of diagnostic risk factors such as grading, staging, and PSA level. Therefore, low PDK4 is a promising marker for PCa with dismal prognosis