Neutrophil gelatinase associated lipocalin (NGAL) is elevated in type 2 diabetics with carotid artery stenosis and reduced under metformin treatment

Abstract Background Neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), an acute phase protein released by neutrophils, has been described as biomarker of inflammatory states. Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is characterized by increased inflammation and an elevated risk for embolization of carotid artery stenosis (CAS). We aimed to explore the role of NGAL systemically and in plaques of diabetics undergoing carotid endarterectomy. Moreover, the potential anti-inflammatory effect of metformin on NGAL was addressed in diabetics. Methods Serum NGAL and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-9/NGAL levels were measured in 136 patients (67 with T2DM vs. 69 non-diabetics) by specific ELISA. Endarterectomy samples were graded histologically according to the American Heart Association´s classification. NGAL mRNA expression was detected using RealTime-PCR in carotid endarterectomy specimens. Results Serum NGAL [median 107.4 ng/ml (quartiles: 75.2–145.0) vs. 64.4 (50.4 –81.3), p < 0.0001] and MMP-9/NGAL [41.5 ng/ml (20.8–63.9) vs. 27.6 (16.0–42.4), p = 0.017] were significantly elevated in diabetics compared to non-diabetics, as were leukocytes, neutrophils, C-reactive protein and fibrinogen (all p < 0.05). In patients with symptomatic and asymptomatic CAS diabetics had higher NGAL levels compared to non-diabetics [128.8 ng/ml (100.8–195.6) vs. 64.8 (48.9–82.2] and [101.6 ng/ml (70.1–125.3) vs. 63.8 (51.0–81.3), respectively, both p < 0.0001]. Presence of T2DM and type VI plaques (with surface defect, hemorrhage or thrombus) had a profound impact on NGAL levels (both p < 0.01) in multiple linear regression analysis. NGAL mRNA was detectable in 95% of analyzed carotid artery lesions of diabetics compared to 5% of non-diabetics (p < 0.0001). Accordingly, cerebral embolization was more frequent in diabetics (52.2% vs. 29%, p = 0.006). Metformin treatment was associated with decreased NGAL [60.7 ng/ml (51.9–69.2) vs. 121.7 (103.7–169.9), p < 0.0001] and MMP-9/NGAL [20.8 ng/ml (12.1–26.5) vs. 53.7 (27.4–73.4), p = 0.007] in diabetics and reduced leukocyte infiltration in carotid lesions of diabetics. Conclusions Higher NGAL levels in serum and plaques are associated with T2DM in patients with CAS. Metformin significantly reduced the inflammatory burden including NGAL in diabetics. Early treatment of these patients may be recommended, as elevated NGAL levels were linked with vulnerable plaques prone for embolization

Mobility and season of death of the Arctic foxes killed by Gravettian hunters at Kraków Spadzista, Poland

This is the author accepted manuscript. The final version is available from Elsevier via the DOI in this recordThe Late Gravettian site of Kraków Spadzista is important for understanding human behaviour and adaptation in cold, northern and marginal landscapes approaching the coldest part of the last glacial cycle. This paper focuses on the large assemblage of Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus L.) remains found at the site, and presents new data on the mobility patterns and season of death of the animals killed by Gravettian hunters. Laser ablation strontium isotope analysis of teeth from five individuals indicates that each analysed fox was born and grew up in a different and isotopically distinct location, and had migrated tens or hundreds of kilometres into the vicinity of Kraków Spadzista before being killed by Gravettian hunters. Season of death data gathered from the dental cementum of at least 10 fox individuals demonstrate that the majority were killed in a window between late winter and late spring. Given the predictable nature of seasonal changes in Arctic fox hide quality and bodily fat reserves, we argue that the foxes were most likely killed at the start of this window, i.e. in late winter. The results are interesting for reconstructing the context to human hunting strategies in the Late Gravettian, revealing the choices made by hunters about where and when to procure these small prey.National Science Center, Polan

A Novel Protocol for Directed Differentiation of C9orf72-Associated Human Induced Pluripotent Stem Cells Into Contractile Skeletal Myotubes

Induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) offer an unlimited resource of cells to be used for the study of underlying molecular biology of disease, therapeutic drug screening, and transplant-based regenerative medicine. However, methods for the directed differentiation of skeletal muscle for these purposes remain scarce and incomplete. Here, we present a novel, small molecule-based protocol for the generation of multinucleated skeletal myotubes using eight independent iPSC lines. Through combinatorial inhibition of phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K) and glycogen synthase kinase 3beta (GSK3beta) with addition of bone morphogenic protein 4 (BMP4) and fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2), we report up to 64% conversion of iPSCs into the myogenic program by day 36 as indicated by MYOG+ cell populations. These cells began to exhibit spontaneous contractions as early as 34 days in vitro in the presence of a serum-free medium formulation. We used this protocol to obtain iPSC-derived muscle cells from frontotemporal dementia (FTD) patients harboring C9orf72 hexanucleotide repeat expansions (rGGGGCC), sporadic FTD, and unaffected controls. iPSCs derived from rGGGGCC carriers contained RNA foci but did not vary in differentiation efficiency when compared to unaffected controls nor display mislocalized TDP-43 after as many as 120 days in vitro. This study presents a rapid, efficient, and transgene-free method for generating multinucleated skeletal myotubes from iPSCs and a resource for further modeling the role of skeletal muscle in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and other motor neuron diseases. SIGNIFICANCE: Protocols to produce skeletal myotubes for disease modeling or therapy are scarce and incomplete. The present study efficiently generates functional skeletal myotubes from human induced pluripotent stem cells using a small molecule-based approach. Using this strategy, terminal myogenic induction of up to 64% in 36 days and spontaneously contractile myotubes within 34 days were achieved. Myotubes derived from patients carrying the C9orf72 repeat expansion show no change in differentiation efficiency and normal TDP-43 localization after as many as 120 days in vitro when compared to unaffected controls. This study provides an efficient, novel protocol for the generation of skeletal myotubes from human induced pluripotent stem cells that may serve as a valuable tool in drug discovery and modeling of musculoskeletal and neuromuscular diseases

Diagnostic performance and reference values of novel biomarkers of paediatric heart failure

Objective: Biomarkers play a pivotal role in heart failure (HF) management. Reference values and insights from studies in adults cannot be extrapolated to the paediatric population due to important differences in pathophysiology and compensatory reserve. We assessed the diagnostic utility of four novel biomarkers in paediatric HF. Methods: Midregional (MR) pro-atrial natriuretic peptide (proANP), soluble ST2 (sST2), growth differentiation factor-15 (GDF-15), MR-pro-adrenomedullin (proADM) and N-terminal pro-B natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) were measured in 114 patients and 89 controls. HF was defined as the presence of HF symptoms and/or abnormal systolic ventricular function. Receiver-operating characteristics were plotted, and the area under the curve (AUC) was measured. This was repeated for subgroups with cardiomyopathy and congenital heart disease (CHD). Ventricular systolic function was measured by magnetic resonance or echocardiography. Reference values were calculated according to the current guidelines. Results: The AUC for diagnosing HF was 0.76 for MR-proANP (CI 0.70 to 0.84) and 0.82 for NT-proBNP (CI 0.75 to 0.88). These parameters performed similarly in the subgroups with CHD and cardiomyopathy. By contrast, MR-proADM, GDF-15 and sST2 performed poorly. When used in conjunction with NT-proBNP, no parameter added significantly to its diagnostic accuracy. NT-proBNP, MR-proANP, GDF-15 and sST2 could accurately discriminate between patients with preserved and patients with poor functional status. In a subset of patients with dilated cardiomyopathy, NT-proBNP, MR-proANP, MR-proADM and GDF-15 were associated with poor LV function. Conclusions: MR-proANP could accurately detect HF in children and adolescents. Its diagnostic performance was comparable with that of NT-proBNP, regardless of the underlying condition. Reference values are presented

Inhibition of microRNA-494-3p activates Wnt signaling and reduces proinflammatory macrophage polarization in atherosclerosis

We have previously shown that treatment with third-generation antisense oligonucleotides against miR-494-3p (3GA-494) reduces atherosclerotic plaque progression and stabilizes lesions, both in early and established plaques, with reduced macro-phage content in established plaques. Within the plaque, different subtypes of macrophages are present. Here, we aimed to investigate whether miR-494-3p directly influences macrophage polarization and activation. Human macrophages were polarized into either proinflammatory M1 or anti-inflammatory M2 macrophages and simultaneously treated with 3GA-494 or a control antisense (3GA-ctrl). We show that 3GA-494 treatment inhibited miR-494-3p in M1 macrophages and dampened Ml polarization, while in M2 macrophages miR-494-3p expression was induced and M2 polarization enhanced. The proinflammatory marker CCR2 was reduced in 3GA-494-treated atherosclerosis-prone mice. Pathway enrichment analysis predicted an overlap between miR-494-3p target genes in macrophage polarization and Wnt signaling. We demonstrate that miR-494-3p regulates expression levels of multiple Wnt signaling components, such as LRP6 and TBL1X. Wnt signaling appears activated upon treatment with 3GA-494, both in cultured M1 macrophages and in plaques of hypercholesterolemic mice. Taken together, 3GA-494 treatment dampened M1 polarization, at least in part via activated Wnt signaling, while M2 polarization was enhanced, which is both favorable in reducing atherosclerotic plaque formation and increasing plaque stability.Vascular Surger

Genome-wide association study identifies MAPT locus influencing human plasma tau levels

OBJECTIVE: To identify genetic loci associated with plasma tau concentrations in healthy elders and individuals with Alzheimer disease. METHODS: Four hundred sixty-three non-Hispanic white individuals exceeding quality control criteria were included from the Alzheimer's Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI-1) cohort. Association of plasma tau with genetic polymorphisms was performed with a linear regression model. Significant associations were validated in an independent replication cohort consisting of 431 healthy elders or individuals with mild cognitive impairment recruited from the University of California, San Francisco Memory and Aging Center. RESULTS: The minor allele (A) of rs242557 in the microtubule-associated protein tau gene (MAPT) was associated with higher plasma tau levels at genome-wide significance (p = 4.85 × 10−9, empiric family-wise error corrected p = 0.0024) in a dose-dependent fashion. This association was also observed in the replication cohort (p = 1.0 × 10−5; joint analysis p = 1.2 × 10−12). Single nucleotide polymorphisms near PARK2 (rs2187213) (p = 6.15 × 10−6), IL2RA (rs7072793, rs7073236) (p = 7.89 × 10−6), and an intergenic locus on 9p21.3 (rs7047280) (p = 8.13 × 10−6) were identified as suggestive loci associated with plasma tau levels. CONCLUSIONS: MAPT H1c haplotype (rs242557) has previously been identified as a genetic risk factor for progressive supranuclear palsy and corticobasal degeneration. The current findings suggest that plasma tau concentration could be an endophenotype for identifying risk for 4-repeat tauopathies in older individuals

HGF-Transgenic MSCs Can Improve the Effects of Tissue Self-Repair in a Rabbit Model of Traumatic Osteonecrosis of the Femoral Head

BACKGROUND: Osteonecrosis of the femoral head (ONFH) is generally characterized as an irreversible disease and tends to cause permanent disability. Therefore, understanding the pathogenesis and molecular mechanisms of ONFH and developing effective therapeutic methods is critical for slowing the progress of the disease. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: In this study, an experimental rabbit model of early stage traumatic ONFH was established, validated, and used for an evaluation of therapy. Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging confirmed that this model represents clinical Association Research Circulation Osseous (ARCO) phase I or II ONFH, which was also confirmed by the presence of significant tissue damage in osseous tissue and vasculature. Pathological examination detected obvious self-repair of bone tissue up to 2 weeks after trauma, as indicated by revascularization (marked by CD105) and expression of collagen type I (Col I), osteocalcin, and proliferating cell nuclear antigen. Transplantation of hepatocyte growth factor (HGF)-transgenic mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) 1 week after trauma promoted recovery from ONFH, as evidenced by a reversed pattern of Col I expression compared with animals receiving no therapeutic treatment, as well as increased expression of vascular endothelial growth factor. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: These results indicate that the transplantation of HGF-transgenic MSCs is a promising method for the treatment for ONFH and suggest that appropriate interference therapy during the tissue self-repair stage contributes to the positive outcomes. This study also provides a model for the further study of the ONFH etiology and therapeutic interventions

Combined Transfer of Human VEGF165 and HGF Genes Renders Potent Angiogenic Effect in Ischemic Skeletal Muscle

Increased interest in development of combined gene therapy emerges from results of recent clinical trials that indicate good safety yet unexpected low efficacy of “single-gene” administration. Multiple studies showed that vascular endothelial growth factor 165 aminoacid form (VEGF165) and hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) can be used for induction of angiogenesis in ischemic myocardium and skeletal muscle. Gene transfer system composed of a novel cytomegalovirus-based (CMV) plasmid vector and codon-optimized human VEGF165 and HGF genes combined with intramuscular low-voltage electroporation was developed and tested in vitro and in vivo. Studies in HEK293T cell culture, murine skeletal muscle explants and ELISA of tissue homogenates showed efficacy of constructed plasmids. Functional activity of angiogenic proteins secreted by HEK293T after transfection by induction of tube formation in human umbilical vein endothelial cell (HUVEC) culture. HUVEC cells were used for in vitro experiments to assay the putative signaling pathways to be responsible for combined administration effect one of which could be the ERK1/2 pathway. In vivo tests of VEGF165 and HGF genes co-transfer were conceived in mouse model of hind limb ischemia. Intramuscular administration of plasmid encoding either VEGF165 or HGF gene resulted in increased perfusion compared to empty vector administration. Mice injected with a mixture of two plasmids (VEGF165+HGF) showed significant increase in perfusion compared to single plasmid injection. These findings were supported by increased CD31+ capillary and SMA+ vessel density in animals that received combined VEGF165 and HGF gene therapy compared to single gene therapy. Results of the study suggest that co-transfer of VEGF and HGF genes renders a robust angiogenic effect in ischemic skeletal muscle and may present interest as a potential therapeutic combination for treatment of ischemic disorders

A Multiancestral Genome-Wide Exome Array Study of Alzheimer Disease, Frontotemporal Dementia, and Progressive Supranuclear Palsy

Importance Previous studies have indicated a heritable component of the etiology of neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer disease (AD), frontotemporal dementia (FTD), and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP). However, few have examined the contribution of low-frequency coding variants on a genome-wide level. Objective To identify low-frequency coding variants that affect susceptibility to AD, FTD, and PSP. Design, Setting, and Participants We used the Illumina HumanExome BeadChip array to genotype a large number of variants (most of which are low-frequency coding variants) in a cohort of patients with neurodegenerative disease (224 with AD, 168 with FTD, and 48 with PSP) and in 224 control individuals without dementia enrolled between 2005-2012 from multiple centers participating in the Genetic Investigation in Frontotemporal Dementia and Alzheimer’s Disease (GIFT) Study. An additional multiancestral replication cohort of 240 patients with AD and 240 controls without dementia was used to validate suggestive findings. Variant-level association testing and gene-based testing were performed. Main Outcomes and Measures Statistical association of genetic variants with clinical diagnosis of AD, FTD, and PSP. Results Genetic variants typed by the exome array explained 44%, 53%, and 57% of the total phenotypic variance of AD, FTD, and PSP, respectively. An association with the known AD gene ABCA7 was replicated in several ancestries (discovery P = .0049, European P = .041, African American P = .043, and Asian P = .027), suggesting that exonic variants within this gene modify AD susceptibility. In addition, 2 suggestive candidate genes, DYSF (P = 5.53 × 10−5) and PAXIP1 (P = 2.26 × 10−4), were highlighted in patients with AD and differentially expressed in AD brain. Corroborating evidence from other exome array studies and gene expression data points toward potential involvement of these genes in the pathogenesis of AD. Conclusions and Relevance Low-frequency coding variants with intermediate effect size may account for a significant fraction of the genetic susceptibility to AD and FTD. Furthermore, we found evidence that coding variants in the known susceptibility gene ABCA7, as well as candidate genes DYSF and PAXIP1, confer risk for AD

A Novel Diagnostic and Prognostic Score for Abdominal Aortic Aneurysms Based on D-Dimer and a Comprehensive Analysis of Myeloid Cell Parameters

The pathogenesis of abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) involves a central component of chronic inflammation which is predominantly mediated by myeloid cells. We hypothesized that the local inflammatory activity may be reflected in systemic alterations of neutrophil and monocyte populations as well as in soluble factors of myeloid cell activation and recruitment. To establish their marker potential, neutrophil and monocyte sub-sets were measured by flow cytometry in peripheral blood samples of 41 AAA patients and 38 healthy controls matched for age, sex, body mass index and smoking habit. Comparably, circulating factors reflecting neutrophil and monocyte activation and recruitment were assayed in plasma. Significantly elevated levels of CD16+ monocytes, activated neutrophils and newly released neutrophils were recorded for AAA patients compared with controls. In line, the monocyte chemoattractant C-C chemokine ligand 2 and myeloperoxidase were significantly increased in patients' plasma. The diagnostic value was highest for myeloperoxidase, a mediator which is released by activated neutrophils as well as CD16+ monocytes. Multivariable regression models using myeloid activation markers and routine laboratory parameters identified myeloperoxidase and D-dimer as strong independent correlates of AAA. These two biomarkers were combined to yield a diagnostic score which was subsequently challenged for confounders and confirmed in a validation cohort matched for cardiovascular disease. Importantly, the score was also found suited to predict rapid disease progression. In conclusion, D-dimer and myeloperoxidase represent two sensitive biomarkers of AAA which reflect distinct hallmarks (thrombus formation and inflammation) of the pathomechanism and, when combined, may serve as diagnostic and prognostic AAA score warranting further evaluation