Abnormal prothrombin (DES-y-Carboxy Prothrombin) in hepatocellular carcinoma

Des-γ-carboxy prothrombin (DCP), a protein induced by vitamin K absence or antagonist-II (PIVKA-II) was measured by an enzyme immunoassay (E-1023) using anti-DCP monoclonal antibody in 92 patients with various hepatobiliary diseases. Thirty-six of the 38 patients (94.7%) with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) had abnormal DCP levels greater than 0.1 arbitrary unit (AU)/ml, but only 18 of the 35 patients (51.4%) had AFP greater than 100 ng/ml (suspicious levels for HCC). There was no correlation between plasma or serum DCP and serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) levels. Serum alpha fetoprotein was elevated (above 20 ng/ml) in 23 of the 35 patients (65.7%), and DCP was elevated in all of the remaining 12 patients with normal AFP. DCP levels returned to normal levels following curative hepatic resection or orthotopic liver transplantation for HCC. DCP is a useful tumor marker in the diagnosis and postoperative monitoring of patients with HCC

IFN-γ amplifies NFκB-dependent Neisseria meningitidis invasion of epithelial cells via specific upregulation of CEA-related cell adhesion molecule 1

Temporal relationship between viral and bacterial infections has been observed, and may arise via the action of virus-induced inflammatory cytokines. These, by upregulating epithelial receptors targeted by bacteria, may encourage greater bacterial infiltration. In this study, human epithelial cells exposed to interferon-gamma but not tumour necrosis factor-alpha or interleukin 1-beta supported increased meningococcal adhesion and invasion. The increase was related to Opa but not Opc or pili adhesin expression. De novo synthesis of carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecule 1 (CEACAM1), a major Opa receptor, occurred in epithelial cells exposed to the cytokine, or when infected with Opa-expressing bacteria. Cell line-dependent differences in invasion that were observed could be correlated with CEACAM expression levels. There was also evidence for Opa/pili synergism leading to high levels of monolayer infiltration by capsulate bacteria. The use of nuclear factor-kappa B (NFκB) inhibitors, diferuloylmethane (curcumin) and SN50, abrogated bacterial infiltration of both untreated and interferon-gamma-treated cells. The studies demonstrate the importance of CEACAMs as mediators of increased cellular invasion under conditions of inflammation and bring to light the potential role of NFκB pathway in Opa-mediated invasion by meningococci. The data imply that cell-surface remodelling by virally induced cytokines could be one factor that increases host susceptibility to bacterial infection

The Effect of Immune Selection on the Structure of the Meningococcal Opa Protein Repertoire

The opa genes of the Gram negative bacterium Neisseria meningitidis encode Opacity-associated outer membrane proteins whose role is to promote adhesion to the human host tissue during colonisation and invasion. Each meningococcus contains 3–4 opa loci, each of which may be occupied by one of a large number of alleles. We analysed the Opa repertoire structure in a large, well-characterised collection of asymptomatically carried meningococci. Our data show an association between Opa repertoire and meningococcal lineages similar to that observed previously for meningococci isolated from cases of invasive disease. Furthermore, these Opa repertoires exhibit discrete, non-overlapping structure at a population level, and yet low within-repertoire diversity. These data are consistent with the predictions of a mathematical model of strong immune selection upon a system where identical alleles may occupy different loci

Effects of gravitational forces on single joint arm movements in humans

We have examined the kinematics and muscle activation patterns of single joint elbow movements made in the vertical plane. Movements of different amplitudes were performed during a visual, step-tracking task. By adjusting shoulder position, both elbow flexion and extension movements were made under three conditions: (a) in the horizontal plane, (b) in the vertical plane against gravity, and (c) in the vertical plane with gravity. Regardless of the gravitational load, all movements were characterized by time symmetric velocity profiles. In addition, no differences were found in the relationships between movement duration, peak velocity, and movement amplitude in movements with or against gravity. The pattern of muscle activation was influenced however, by the gravitational load. Both flexion and extension movements made with gravity were characterized by a reciprocally organized pattern of muscle activity in which phasic agonist activity was followed by phasic antagonist activity. Flexion and extension movements made against gravity were characterized by early phasic antagonist activity occurring at about the same time as the initial agonist burst. These findings suggest that EMG patterns are modified in order to preserve a common temporal structure in the face of different gravitational loads.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/46567/1/221_2004_Article_BF00239600.pd

Structural alterations in a type IV pilus subunit protein result in concurrent defects in multicellular behaviour and adherence to host tissue

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/72384/1/j.1365-2958.2001.02629.x.pd

Cell Invasion by Neisseria meningitidis Requires a Functional Interplay between the Focal Adhesion Kinase, Src and Cortactin

Entry of Neisseria meningitidis (the meningococcus) into human brain microvascular endothelial cells (HBMEC) is mediated by fibronectin or vitronectin bound to the surface protein Opc forming a bridge to the respective integrins. This interaction leads to cytoskeletal rearrangement and uptake of meningococci. In this study, we determined that the focal adhesion kinase (FAK), which directly associates with integrins, is involved in integrin-mediated internalization of N. meningitidis in HBMEC. Inhibition of FAK activity by the specific FAK inhibitor PF 573882 reduced Opc-mediated invasion of HBMEC more than 90%. Moreover, overexpression of FAK mutants that were either impaired in the kinase activity or were not capable of autophosphorylation or overexpression of the dominant-negative version of FAK (FRNK) blocked integrin-mediated internalization of N. meningitidis. Importantly, FAK-deficient fibroblasts were significantly less invaded by N. meningitidis. Furthermore, N. meningitidis induced tyrosine phosphorylation of several host proteins including the FAK/Src complex substrate cortactin. Inhibition of cortactin expression by siRNA silencing and mutation of critical amino acid residues within cortactin, that encompass Arp2/3 association and dynamin binding, significantly reduced meningococcal invasion into eukaryotic cells suggesting that both domains are critical for efficient uptake of N. meningitidis into eukaryotic cells. Together, these results indicate that N. meningitidis exploits the integrin signal pathway for its entry and that FAK mediates the transfer of signals from activated integrins to the cytoskeleton. A cooperative interplay between FAK, Src and cortactin then enables endocytosis of N. meningitidis into host cells

The Moraxella adhesin UspA1 binds to its human CEACAM1 receptor by a deformable trimeric coiled-coil

Moraxella catarrhalis is a ubiquitous human-specific bacterium commonly associated with upper and lower respiratory tract infections, including otitis media, sinusitis and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. The bacterium uses an autotransporter protein UspA1 to target an important human cellular receptor carcinoembryonic antigen-related cell adhesion molecule 1 (CEACAM1). Using X-ray crystallography, we show that the CEACAM1 receptor-binding region of UspA1 unusually consists of an extended, rod-like left-handed trimeric coiled-coil. Mutagenesis and binding studies of UspA1 and the N-domain of CEACAM1 have been used to delineate the interacting surfaces between ligand and receptor and guide assembly of the complex. However, solution scattering, molecular modelling and electron microscopy analyses all indicate that significant bending of the UspA1 coiled-coil stalk also occurs. This explains how UspA1 can engage CEACAM1 at a site far distant from its head group, permitting closer proximity of the respective cell surfaces during infection

Genome Wide Expression Profiling Reveals Suppression of Host Defence Responses during Colonisation by Neisseria meningitides but not N. lactamica

Both Neisseria meningitidis and the closely related bacterium Neisseria lactamica colonise human nasopharyngeal mucosal surface, but only N. meningitidis invades the bloodstream to cause potentially life-threatening meningitis and septicaemia. We have hypothesised that the two neisserial species differentially modulate host respiratory epithelial cell gene expression reflecting their disease potential. Confluent monolayers of 16HBE14 human bronchial epithelial cells were exposed to live and/or dead N. meningitidis (including capsule and pili mutants) and N. lactamica, and their transcriptomes were compared using whole genome microarrays. Changes in expression of selected genes were subsequently validated using Q-RT-PCR and ELISAs. Live N. meningitidis and N. lactamica induced genes involved in host energy production processes suggesting that both bacterial species utilise host resources. N. meningitidis infection was associated with down-regulation of host defence genes. N. lactamica, relative to N. meningitidis, initiates up-regulation of proinflammatory genes. Bacterial secreted proteins alone induced some of the changes observed. The results suggest N. meningitidis and N. lactamica differentially regulate host respiratory epithelial cell gene expression through colonisation and/or protein secretion, and that this may contribute to subsequent clinical outcomes associated with these bacteria

Domain choice in an experimental nested modeling prediction system for South America

The purposes of this paper are to evaluate the new version of the regional model, RegCM3, over South America for two test seasons, and to select a domain for use in an experimental nested prediction system, which incorporates RegCM3 and the European Community-Hamburg (ECHAM) general circulation model (GCM). To evaluate RegCM3, control experiments were completed with RegCM3 driven by both the NCEP/NCAR Reanalysis (NNRP) and ECHAM, using a small control domain (D-CTRL) and integration periods of January–March 1983 (El Niño) and January–March 1985 (La Niña). The new version of the regional model captures the primary circulation and rainfall differences between the two years over tropical and subtropical South America. Both the NNRP-driven and ECHAM-driven RegCM3 improve the simulation of the Atlantic intertropical convergence zone (ITCZ) compared to the GCM. However, there are some simulation errors. Irrespective of the driving fields, weak northeasterlies associated with reduced precipitation are observed over the Amazon. The simulation of the South Atlantic convergence zone is poor due to errors in the boundary condition forcing which appear to be amplified by the regional model. To select a domain for use in an experimental prediction system, sensitivity tests were performed for three domains, each of which includes important regional features and processes of the climate system. The domain sensitivity experiments were designed to determine how domain size and the location of the GCM boundary forcing affect the regional circulation, moisture transport, and rainfall in two years with different large scale conditions. First, the control domain was extended southward to include the exit region of the Andes low level jet (D-LLJ), then eastward to include the South Atlantic subtropical high (D-ATL), and finally westward to include the subsidence region of the South Pacific subtropical high and to permit the regional model more freedom to respond to the increased resolution of the Andes Mountains (D-PAC). In order to quantify differences between the domain experiments, measures of bias, root mean square error, and the spatial correlation pattern were calculated between the model results and the observed data for the seasonal average fields. The results show the GCM driving fields have remarkable control over the RegCM3 simulations. Although no single domain clearly outperforms the others in both seasons, the control domain, D-CTRL, compares most favorably with observations. Over the ITCZ region, the simulations were improved by including a large portion of the South Atlantic subtropical high (D-ATL). The methodology presented here provides a quantitative basis for evaluating domain choice in future studies