Molecular and Genetic Determinants of Glioma Cell Invasion.

A diffusely invasive nature is a major obstacle in treating a malignant brain tumor, "diffuse glioma", which prevents neurooncologists from surgically removing the tumor cells even in combination with chemotherapy and radiation. Recently updated classification of diffuse gliomas based on distinct genetic and epigenetic features has culminated in a multilayered diagnostic approach to combine histologic phenotypes and molecular genotypes in an integrated diagnosis. However, it is still a work in progress to decipher how the genetic aberrations contribute to the aggressive nature of gliomas including their highly invasive capacity. Here we depict a set of recent discoveries involving molecular genetic determinants of the infiltrating nature of glioma cells, especially focusing on genetic mutations in receptor tyrosine kinase pathways and metabolic reprogramming downstream of common cancer mutations. The specific biology of glioma cell invasion provides an opportunity to explore the genotype-phenotype correlation in cancer and develop novel glioma-specific therapeutic strategies for this devastating disease

Ocular Pathology of Fukuyama Congenital Muscular Dystrophy

Fukuyama congenital muscular dystrophy (FCMD) is one of the congenital muscular dystrophies, showing central nervous system (CNS) and ocular lesions, in addition to muscular dystrophy. It is included in α-dystroglycanopathy, an entity of muscular dystrophies caused by reduced glycosylation of α-dystroglycan (α-DG). Studies of ocular lesions are not so many, compared with those of the muscle and CNS. Clinical ocular manifestations are myopia, strabismus, retinal detachment, and so on. Since the retina has a structure partly resembling the cerebral cortex, pathological findings similar to those found in the brain have been reported. The major observation considered to be involved in the pathogenesis of retinal lesions is abnormalities in the internal limiting membrane formed by Müller cells, which is corresponding to the glia limitans formed by astrocytes in the brain. Fukutin, responsible for FCMD, and α-DG are expressed in Müller cells. Moreover, fukutin may be involved in synaptic functions of retinal neurons through the glycosylation of α-DG. In this chapter, ocular lesions of fetal and child FCMD patients are presented, especially focusing on pathological findings of the retina, and functions of fukutin are discussed

Are Dysregulated Inflammatory Responses to Commensal Bacteria Involved in the Pathogenesis of Hepatobiliary-Pancreatic Autoimmune Disease? An Analysis Using Mice Models of Primary Biliary Cirrhosis and Autoimmune Pancreatitis

The etiopathogenesis of many autoimmune disorders has not been identified. The aim of this paper is to focus on the involvement of bacterial exposure in the pathogenesis of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) and autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP), both of which are broadly categorized as autoimmune disorders involving hepatobiliary-pancreatic lesions. Avirulent and/or commensal bacteria, which may have important role(s) as initiating factors in the pathogenesis of autoimmune disorders such as PBC and AIP, will be emphasized

Potential Involvement of the Stem Cell Factor Receptor c-kit in Alopecia Areata and Androgenetic Alopecia: Histopathological, Immunohistochemical, and Semiquantitative Investigations

Alopecia areata (AAR) and androgenetic alopecia (AGA) are two major forms of alopecia based on altered hair growth condition. In general, the cell cycle is regulated by several mechanisms including the stem cell factor/c-kit signaling. To assess a role for stem cell activity in alopecia, we performed histopathological, immunohistochemical, and semiquantitative analyses of c-kit as well as Ki-67 in scalp biopsy specimens obtained from 14 patients with AAR, 18 patients with AGA, and 6 age-matched control subjects, using the specific antibodies. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded skin sections were examined. Immunoreactivities for Ki-67 and c-kit were localized in keratinocytes and melanocytes in the outermost layer of hair follicles. The mean length of hair follicles was significantly shorter in the AAR and AGA groups than in the control group. The mean number of Ki-67-immunoreactive cells per follicle was significantly reduced in the AAR and AGA groups as compared with the control group. The mean number of c-kit-immunoreactive cells per follicle was significantly increased in the AAR and AGA groups as compared with the control group. Our results indicate that c-kit is upregulated in the hair follicle cells in these forms of alopecia, and suggest that the upregulation reflects a negative feedback mechanism in response to possible downregulation of the ligand stem cell factor

Pentosidine Accumulation in Human Oocytes and Their Correlation to Age-Related Apoptosis

Age-related atresia of ovarian follicles is characterized by apoptosis of the constituent cells. Recent studies have indicated that dysfunction of the proteasome and endoplasmic reticulum and subsequent apoptosis in the presence of oxidative stress have relevance to aging. The aim of this study was to assess the involvement of these processes in age-related follicular atresia. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded sections of ovaries obtained at surgery from 74 women (age: 21–54 y) were examined with the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated, dUTP-biotin nick-end labeling (TUNEL) method and an immunohistochemical technique. Primary antibodies used in immunohistochemistry were against pentosidine, ubiquitin and caspase 12. Histological localization of these substances in oocytes was observed by light microscopy, and labeling indices of these cells were evaluated by regression analysis. Positive signals for pentosidine, ubiquitin, caspase 12, and TUNEL were detectable in oocytes of the primordial, primary and their atretic follicles. Regression analysis revealed an age-related increase in the labeling indices for pentosidine, ubiquitin, caspase 12, and TUNEL. These results suggest that pentosidine accumulation in human oocytes is related to apoptosis and increases with age. Further studies will be necessary to clarify the involvement of pentosidine accumulation, proteasome inhibition, and endoplasmic reticulum stress in age-related apoptosis of oocytes in human ovaries

Roles of Fukutin, the Gene Responsible for Fukuyama-Type Congenital Muscular Dystrophy, in Neurons: Possible Involvement in Synaptic Function and Neuronal Migration

Fukutin is a gene responsible for Fukuyama-type congenital muscular dystrophy (FCMD), accompanying ocular and brain malformations represented by cobblestone lissencephaly. Fukutin is related to basement membrane formation via the glycosylation of α-dystoglycan (α-DG), and astrocytes play a crucial role in the pathogenesis of the brain lesion. On the other hand, its precise function in neurons is unknown. In this experiment, the roles of fukutin in mature and immature neurons were examined using brains from control subjects and FCMD patients and cultured neuronal cell lines. In quantitative PCR, the expression level of fukutin looked different depending on the region of the brain examined. A similar tendency in DG expression appears to indicate a relation between fukutin and α-DG in mature neurons. An increase of DG mRNA and core α-DG in the FCMD cerebrum also supports the relation. In immunohistochemistry, dot-like positive reactions for VIA4-1, one of the antibodies detecting the glycosylated α-DG, in Purkinje cells suggest that fukutin is related to at least a post-synaptic function via the glycosylation of α-DG. As for immature neurons, VIA4-1 was predominantly positive in cells before and during migration with expression of fukutin, which suggest a participation of fukutin in neuronal migration via the glycosylation of α-DG. Moreover, fukutin may prevent neuronal differentiation, because its expression was significantly lower in the adult cerebrum and in differentiated cultured cells. A knockdown of fukutin was considered to induce differentiation in cultured cells. Fukutin seems to be necessary to keep migrating neurons immature during migration, and also to support migration via α-DG

Immunohistochemical Demonstration of Membrane-bound Prostaglandin E2 Synthase-1 in Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma

Microsomal prostaglandin E2 synthase-1 (mPGES-1) is an inducible enzyme that catalyzes the conversion of prostaglandin (PG) H2 to PGE2 in downstream of cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2). Recent studies have obtained in vitro evidence that PGE2 participates in carcinogenesis, angiogenesis, and induction of matrix metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9), which plays a crucial role in cancer invasion. However, implications for mPGES-1 in thyroid carcinomas remain to be determined. To address this issue, we performed an immunohistochemical analysis for mPGES-1, COX-2 and MMP-9 in 20 papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC) patients. mPGES-1 immunoreactivity was localized in the cytoplasm of carcinoma cells in 19 cases, with an intensity that tended to be distinct at the interface between the tumor and the surrounding non-neoplastic tissue. Staining was more intense in regions with papillary arrangement, while it was less intense in regions with trabecular or solid arrangement. In many cases, immunohistochemical localization of COX-2 and MMP-9 resemble that of mPGES-1. Taken together, our results suggest the involvement of mPGES-1 in proliferation and differentiation of PTC as well as local invasion of PTC

Plasma adiponectin as a predictive factor of survival after a bypass operation for peripheral arterial disease

ObjectiveWe investigated an association between adiponectin and long-term survival in patients requiring an arterial bypass operation for peripheral arterial disease.MethodsAn enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay kit was used to measure plasma adiponectin levels in 49 patients (38 men, 11 women) before they underwent an arterial bypass operation. Median patient age was 70 years (range, 49-90 years). The study excluded patients with hemodialysis requirement, heart failure, malignant neoplasm, or collagen disease. The symptoms at the first visit were severe intermittent claudication in 27 patients (55%) and critical limb ischemia with rest pain or ulcer, or both, in 22 (45%).ResultsPlasma adiponectin levels were a mean 7.8 ± 5.3 μg/mL (range, 1.0-25.2 μg/mL). Multiple regression analyses revealed that plasma adiponectin was positively correlated with age (r = 0.49, P = .0003) and negatively correlated with body mass index (r = −0.51, P = .0002) and systolic blood pressure (r = −0.41, P = .0059). The Cox proportional hazards model revealed that plasma adiponectin (hazard ratio, 1.30; P = .03) and critical limb ischemia (hazard ratio, 16.67; P = .047) were significant independent predictors of patient survival after a bypass operation.ConclusionPlasma adiponectin could be indicative of mortality after a bypass operation for patients with advanced peripheral arterial disease