Endometrial claudin-4 and leukemia inhibitory factor are associated with assisted reproduction outcome

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Claudin-4 (CLDN4) is one of several proteins that act as molecular mediators of embryo implantation. Recently, we examined immunolabeling of leukemia inhibitory factor (LIF) in the endometrial tissue of 52 IVF patients, and found that LIF staining intensity was strongly correlated with successful pregnancy initiation. In the same set of patients, we have now examined endometrial CLDN4 expression, to see how expression intensity may vary with LIF. We examined CLDN4 in the luteal phase of the menstrual cycle, immediately preceding IVF treatment. Our aim was to compare expression of LIF and CLDN4 in the luteal phase, and document these patterns as putative biomarkers for pregnancy.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Endometrial tissue was collected from women undergoing IVF. Endometrial biopsies were obtained during the luteal phase preceding IVF, and were then used for tissue microarray (TMA) immunolabeling of CLDN4. Previously published LIF expression data were then combined with CLDN4 expression data, to determine CLDN4/LIF expression patterns. Associations between successful pregnancy after IVF and combined CLDN4/LIF expression patterns were evaluated.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Four patterns of immunolabeling were observed in the endometrial samples: 16% showed weak CLDN4 and strong LIF (CLDN4^-/LIF⁺); 20% showed strong CLDN4 and strong LIF (LIF⁺/CLDN4⁺); 28% showed strong CLDN4 and weak LIF (CLDN4⁺/LIF^-); and 36% showed weak CLDN4 and weak LIF (CLDN4^-/LIF^-). Successful implantation after IVF was associated with CLDN4^-/LIF⁺(p = 0.003). Patients showing this endometrial CLDN4^-/LIF⁺immunolabeling were also 6 times more likely to achieve pregnancy than patients with endometrial CLDN4⁺/LIF^-immunolabeling (p = 0.007).</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>The combined immunolabeling expression of CLDN4^-/LIF⁺in endometrial tissue is a potential biomarker for predicting successful pregnancy in IVF candidates.</p

O assassinato de Marielle Franco e os algoritmos racistas: dimensões aplicadas da teoria crítica da organização do conhecimento

Focusing on a critical theory of the knowledge organization (KO), unfolding the studies like those of Martínez-Ávila, Daniel; Semidao, R .; Ferreira, M. (2016) and Olson (2006), the empirical plan of the research is related to the comments produced after the murder of the deputy of Rio de Janeiro City, Marielle Franco, and the driver Anderson Gomes, in March 2018. We have tried to deepen the studies already carried out (Saldanha, Silva, Lima, Garcês, Romeiro, 2018) in the territory of the meta-discursive corpus produced on the basis of what we have been working under the notion of ordinary organization of socially oppressed knowledge about crime, with a focus on Marielle's female political presence. The research dialogues with the questioning of the power of language and the role of the KO in the contemporary production of the vocabularies of evil. Like Capurro (2019), the approach to the thinking of the philosopher Hannah Arendt (1999, 2007), within the framework of the reflection on the evil in expansion in the society and its forms (in our case, structurally originating from and oriented to the language) of trivialization. For this current stage of research, we discuss the condition of citizenship in the global digital world and the dilemma (also essentially linguistic) of the algorithms, as well as the power of a robotic ethos that interests critically the KO. The condition of the racist and ethical algorithms of robots is debated from the Ertzcheid (2017) thinking, pointing out online search engines present racist stereotypes and hate speech. From the context of the murder, we direct our scientific look at the discursive production on Marielle Franco established in electronic publications after the first news of the crime. The course allowed us to demonstrate the critical panorama of folk approaches and the need to build a look based on the constant revision of the ethical positions of language construction and its reproduction in and for the web. The corpus demonstrated the role of robots in the massive reproduction of misinformation. With this reflection, the development of critical theories in KO, falls here on the dilemma of a global digital citizenship and the evil represented by algorithms, machines of reproduction of the paths that distance us from the minimum conditions of human dignity. The Marielle case is emblematic in this sense, given that the cruelty involved in the whole process is not enough, it is perceived that its murder is long and continuous, influenced by a robotics of evil and by the continuous algorithmic manipulation. The case reveals precisely the tragic dynamics of the modes of production, organization, representation of knowledge on the web and the emergency role of the constitution of critical theories of knowledge organization

SNP assay to detect the ‘Hyuuga’ red-brown lesion resistance gene for Asian soybean rust

Asian soybean rust (ASR), caused by Phakopsora pachyrhizi Syd., has the potential to become a serious threat to soybean, Glycine max L. Merr., production in the USA. A novel rust resistance gene, Rpp?(Hyuuga), from the Japanese soybean cultivar Hyuuga has been identified and mapped to soybean chromosome 6 (Gm06). Our objectives were to fine-map the Rpp?(Hyuuga) gene and develop a high-throughput single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) assay to detect this ASR resistance gene. The integration of recombination events from two different soybean populations and the ASR reaction data indicates that the Rpp?(Hyuuga) locus is located in a region of approximately 371 kb between STS70887 and STS70923 on chromosome Gm06. A set of 32 ancestral genotypes which is predicted to contain 95% of the alleles present in current elite North American breeding populations and the sources of the previously reported ASR resistance genes (Rpp1, Rpp2, Rpp3, Rpp4, Rpp5, and rpp5) were genotyped with five SNP markers. We developed a SimpleProbe assay based on melting curve analysis for SNP06-44058 which is tighly linked to the Rpp?(Hyuuga) gene. This SNP assay can differentiate plants/lines that are homozygous/homogeneous or heterozygous/heterogeneous for the resistant and susceptible alleles at the Rpp?(Hyuuga) locus

Correlation between MMPs and their inhibitors in breast cancer tumor tissue specimens and in cell lines with different metastatic potential

Background: The metastatic disease rather than the primary tumor itself is responsible for death in most solid tumors, including breast cancer. The role of matrix metalloproteinases ( MMPs), tissue inhibitors of MMPs (TIMPs) and Reversion-inducing cysteine-rich protein with Kazal motifs ( RECK) in the metastatic process has previously been established. However, in all published studies only a limited number of MMPs/MMP inhibitors was analyzed in a limited number of cell lines. Here, we propose a more comprehensive approach by analyzing the expression levels of several MMPs (MMP-2, MMP-9 and MMP-14) and MMP inhibitors (TIMP-1, TIMP-2 and RECK) in different models ( five human breast cancer cell lines, 72 primary breast tumors and 30 adjacent normal tissues). Methods: We analyzed the expression levels of MMP-2, MMP-9 and MMP-14 and their inhibitors (TIMP-1, TIMP-2 and RECK) by quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) in five human breast cancer cell lines presenting increased invasiveness and metastatic potential, 72 primary breast tumors and 30 adjacent normal tissues. Moreover, the role of cell-extracellular matrix elements interactions in the regulation of expression and activity of MMPs and their inhibitors was analyzed by culturing these cell lines on plastic or on artificial ECM (Matrigel). Results: The results demonstrated that MMPs mRNA expression levels displayed a positive and statistically significant correlation with the transcriptional expression levels of their inhibitors both in the cell line models and in the tumor tissue samples. Furthermore, the expression of all MMP inhibitors was modulated by cell-Matrigel contact only in highly invasive and metastatic cell lines. The enzyme/inhibitor balance at the transcriptional level significantly favors the enzyme which is more evident in tumor than in adjacent non-tumor tissue samples. Conclusion: Our results suggest that the expression of MMPs and their inhibitors, at least at the transcriptional level, might be regulated by common factors and signaling pathways. Therefore, the multi-factorial analysis of these molecules could provide new and independent prognostic information contributing to the determination of more adequate therapy strategies for each patient.`Fundacao de Amparo a Pesquisa do Estado de Sao Paulo (FAPESP)Conselho Nacional de Pesquisa (CNPq)Financiadora de Estudos e Projetos (FINEP)Pro-Reitoria da Universidade de Sao Paulo (PRP-USP

Correlation between MMPs and their inhibitors in breast cancer tumor tissue specimens and in cell lines with different metastatic potential

Abstract Background The metastatic disease rather than the primary tumor itself is responsible for death in most solid tumors, including breast cancer. The role of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), tissue inhibitors of MMPs (TIMPs) and Reversion-inducing cysteine-rich protein with Kazal motifs (RECK) in the metastatic process has previously been established. However, in all published studies only a limited number of MMPs/MMP inhibitors was analyzed in a limited number of cell lines. Here, we propose a more comprehensive approach by analyzing the expression levels of several MMPs (MMP-2, MMP-9 and MMP-14) and MMP inhibitors (TIMP-1, TIMP-2 and RECK) in different models (five human breast cancer cell lines, 72 primary breast tumors and 30 adjacent normal tissues). Methods We analyzed the expression levels of MMP-2, MMP-9 and MMP-14 and their inhibitors (TIMP-1, TIMP-2 and RECK) by quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR) in five human breast cancer cell lines presenting increased invasiveness and metastatic potential, 72 primary breast tumors and 30 adjacent normal tissues. Moreover, the role of cell-extracellular matrix elements interactions in the regulation of expression and activity of MMPs and their inhibitors was analyzed by culturing these cell lines on plastic or on artificial ECM (Matrigel). Results The results demonstrated that MMPs mRNA expression levels displayed a positive and statistically significant correlation with the transcriptional expression levels of their inhibitors both in the cell line models and in the tumor tissue samples. Furthermore, the expression of all MMP inhibitors was modulated by cell-Matrigel contact only in highly invasive and metastatic cell lines. The enzyme/inhibitor balance at the transcriptional level significantly favors the enzyme which is more evident in tumor than in adjacent non-tumor tissue samples. Conclusion Our results suggest that the expression of MMPs and their inhibitors, at least at the transcriptional level, might be regulated by common factors and signaling pathways. Therefore, the multi-factorial analysis of these molecules could provide new and independent prognostic information contributing to the determination of more adequate therapy strategies for each patient.</p