Enrichment of low-molecular-weight proteins from biofluids for biomarker discovery

The dramatic progress in mass spectrometry-based methods of protein identification has triggered a new quest for disease-associated biomarkers. Matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry and its variant surface-enhanced laser desorption/ionization mass spectrometry, provide effective means to explore the less studied information slice of the human serum proteome – low-molecular-weight proteins and peptides. These low-molecular-weight proteins and peptides are promising for the detection of important biomarkers. Due to the significant experimental problems imposed by high-abundance and high-molecular-weight proteins, it is important to effectively remove these species prior to mass spectrometry analysis of the low-molecular-weight serum and plasma proteomes. In this review, the advantages afforded by recently introduced methods for prefractionation of serum, as they pertain to the detection and identification of biomarkers, will be discussed.     

Detection of Architectural Distortion in Prior Mammograms via Analysis of Oriented Patterns

We demonstrate methods for the detection of architectural distortion in prior mammograms of interval-cancer cases based on analysis of the orientation of breast tissue patterns in mammograms. We hypothesize that architectural distortion modifies the normal orientation of breast tissue patterns in mammographic images before the formation of masses or tumors. In the initial steps of our methods, the oriented structures in a given mammogram are analyzed using Gabor filters and phase portraits to detect node-like sites of radiating or intersecting tissue patterns. Each detected site is then characterized using the node value, fractal dimension, and a measure of angular dispersion specifically designed to represent spiculating patterns associated with architectural distortion.Our methods were tested with a database of 106 prior mammograms of 56 interval-cancer cases and 52 mammograms of 13 normal cases using the features developed for the characterization of architectural distortion, pattern classification via quadratic discriminant analysis, and validation with the leave-one-patient out procedure. According to the results of free-response receiver operating characteristic analysis, our methods have demonstrated the capability to detect architectural distortion in prior mammograms, taken 15 months (on the average) before clinical diagnosis of breast cancer, with a sensitivity of 80% at about five false positives per patient.     

Leveraging Metabolomics to Assess the Next Generation of Temozolomide-based Therapeutic Approaches for Glioblastomas

Glioblastoma multiforme (GBM) is the most common adult primary tumor of the central nervous system. The current standard of care for glioblastoma patients involves a combination of surgery, radiotherapy and chemotherapy with the alkylating agent temozolomide. Several mechanisms underlying the inherent and acquired temozolomide resistance have been identified and contribute to treatment failure. Early identification of temozolomide-resistant GBM patients and improvement of the therapeutic strategies available to treat this malignancy are of uttermost importance. This review initially looks at the molecular pathways underlying GBM formation and development with a particular emphasis placed on recent therapeutic advances made in the field. Our focus will next be directed toward the molecular mechanisms modulating temozolomide resistance in GBM patients and the strategies envisioned to circumvent this resistance. Finally, we highlight the diagnostic and prognostic value of metabolomics in cancers and assess its potential usefulness in improving the current standard of care for GBM patients.     

On‐target ultrasonic digestion of proteins

In the present work, we report a novel on‐target protein cleavage method. The method utilizes ultrasonic energy and allows up to 20 samples to be cleaved in 5 min for protein identification and one sample in 30 s for on‐tissue digestion. The standard proteins were spotted on a conductive glass slide in a volume of 0.5 μL followed by 5 min of ultrasonication after trypsin addition. Controls (5 min, 37°C no ultrasonication) were also assayed. After trypsin addition, digestion of the tissues was enhanced by 30 s of ultrasonication. The samples were analyzed and compared to those obtained by using conventional 3 h heating proteolysis. The low sample volume needed for the digestion and reduction in sample‐handling steps and time are the features that make this method appealing to the many laboratories working with high‐throughput sample treatment.     

羊水直接PCR法快速诊断脊肌萎缩症的实验研究

目的：建立一种快速、简便的产前诊断脊肌萎缩症的检测方法。方法：基于运动神经元生存基因SMNc和SMNt的两个同源拷贝碱基的差异,对SMNt基因第7、8外显子进行缺失分析,抽取孕妇羊水后用作者自行研制的“HpH—Buffer”,以离心后羊水沉淀中的胎儿细胞为模板直接进行PCR扩增,扩增产物进行酶切限制性片断长度多态性分析,对2例有脊肌萎缩症患儿生育史的孕妇怀有的胎儿进行产前基因诊断。同时,为考察羊水直接扩增方法的效率,对羊水样本直接扩增和对羊水样本中提取的基因组DNA扩增进行了平行实验。结果：2例胎儿均有SMNt基因第7、8外显子缺失;以羊水为模板和以基因组DNA为模板进行扩增的效率相似。结论：应用“HpHBuffer”直接对羊水样本中SMN基因上外显子7、8进行扩增,结合限制性片断长度多态性分析SMNt上是否发生缺失,可缩短诊断时间,节约诊断成本,减少检测过程中可能出现的样本交叉污染,有望成为临床上产前诊断脊肌萎缩症的新方法。     

超声检查在肛周感染性疾病中的诊断价值

目的:通过对一定样本的肛周感染患者的超声影像分析,探讨超声检查在肛周感染性疾病中诊断的价值,旨在早期为临床提供早期干预证据.方法:利用飞利浦IU22超声对我院2010年10月到2012年10月收治的60例肛周感染患者进行扫查,根据病变部位,特征及超声声像图进行分型分析并与实际手术结果对照,评价超声在肛周感染性疾病上的诊断及治疗方法选择的价值.结果:超声诊断单纯型肛周脓肿28例,肛瘘20例,复合型肛周脓肿12例;与手术所见符合率分别为单纯脓肿93.33％,肛瘘100.0％,复合型肛周脓肿90.91％.术前超声诊断和手术确诊病例数之间没有统计学差异(P＞0.05).结论:超声在肛周感染性疾病的诊断中具有快速、准确、经济等独特的优势,并可根据声像图对其作出较准确的分型,为临床治疗方法的选择提供可靠的依据.     

黄腻舌苔和薄白舌苔微生物种群差异

【背景】舌苔是指舌头上覆盖的由食物残渣、微生物、舌苔上皮角质细胞组成的物质。根据舌苔的厚度、颜色等苔质情况来鉴别病人的健康与疾病状况,是“望”诊的重要内容之一,是中医临床辨证施治的主要依据之一。但是舌苔苔质的形成和微生物菌群的关系还有待深入研究。【目的】探索黄腻舌苔和薄白舌苔菌群群落组成的差异及与舌苔苔质形成的关系。【方法】以薄白舌苔和黄腻舌苔为研究对象,用刮舌板刮取青年学生人群的舌苔表面,获得舌苔样品进行总DNA提取,PCR扩增微生物16S rRNA基因,通过高通量测序获得16S rRNA基因序列,然后通过交互序列分析软件分析样品中细菌菌群种类及差异。【结果】黄腻和薄白舌苔原核微生物群落组成具有明显差异。其中,在门水平上,Patescibacteria和蓝细菌门细菌在黄腻舌苔上明显比薄白舌苔多,具有极显著差异(P<0.01);在属和种水平上,放线菌(Actinomyces)的组成具有显著差异(P<0.05),黄腻舌苔中放线菌含量明显高于薄白舌苔;而薄白舌苔中的卟啉单胞菌属(Porphyromonas)和莫拉氏菌属(Moraxella)的含量明显高于黄腻舌苔,差异显著(P<0.05)。【结论】黄腻舌苔苔厚、色黄、有异味,有可能是放线菌含量过高导致。而且,有些放线菌可以导致侵袭性细菌性疾病,称作放线菌病。因此,健康人出现黄腻苔,可在一定程度上提示体内潜在的炎性预警。薄白舌苔正常菌群莫拉氏菌属(Moraxella)和卟啉单胞菌属(Porphyromonas)显著比黄腻舌苔上的多,说明这两种正常菌群可能在维护正常口气和舌苔功能方面具有重要的作用。     

Circulating and tissue microRNAs as a potential diagnostic biomarker in patients with thrombotic events

Venous and arterial thrombosis are conditions that have a considerable burden if left untreated. The hypoxia-induced by the occluded vessel can disrupt the circulation of any organ, the cornerstone of treating thrombosis is rapid diagnosis and appropriate treatment. Diagnosis of thrombosis may be made by using laboratory tests or imaging techniques in individuals who have clinical manifestations of a thrombotic event. The use of serum micro ribonucleic acids (RNAs) has recently been applied to the diagnosis of thrombosis. These small RNA molecules are emerging as new diagnostic markers but have had very limited applications in vascular disease. Most of the articles provided various microRNAs with different levels of accuracy. However, there remains a lack of an appropriate panel of the most specific microRNA in the literature. The purpose of the present review was to summarize the existing data on the use of microRNAs as a diagnostic biomarker for venous thrombosis.     

Expression profile of lncRNAs and miRNAs in esophageal cancer: Implications in diagnosis,prognosis, and therapeutic response

Esophageal cancer is the seventh most common cancer worldwide. Although a number of environmental and lifestyle-related risk factors have been identified for this kind of cancer, the exact molecular mechanisms of tumor evolution have not been clarified yet. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) and microRNAs (miRNAs) as important regulators of gene expression and chromatin configuration have essential roles in the pathogenesis of esophageal cancer. They have been shown to alter the function of cancer-related signaling pathways such as phosphoinositide 3-kinase/protein kinase B and Wnt pathway, thus they might modulate the response of patients to pathway-targeted therapies. Moreover, a number of lncRNAs, such as AFAP1-AS1, UCA1, HOTAIR, LOC285194, and TUSC7, are involved in conferring chemoresistant/radioresistant in esophageal cancer cells. A complex network of interaction exists between lncRNAs and miRNAs in the context of esophageal cancer. Finally, various panels of lncRNAs and miRNAs have been introduced that can predict the survival of esophageal cancer patients. In this review article, we summarize the recent findings regarding the role of miRNAs and lncRNAs in the pathogenesis of esophageal cancer with the special focus on their regulatory roles on signaling pathways, their potential as diagnostic/prognostic markers, and their relevance with therapeutic response.     

Congenital analbuminaemia: Molecular defects and biochemical and clinical aspects

Background

DNA and mRNA sequencing of the coding regions of the human albumin gene (ALB) and of its intron/exon junctions has revealed twenty-one different molecular defects causing congenital analbuminaemia (CAA).

Scope of review

To describe the mutations in molecular terms and to present the current knowledge about the most important biochemical and clinical effects of CAA.

Major conclusions

CAA is rare, but its frequency seems to be significantly higher in restricted and minimally admixed populations. The condition affects especially the lipid metabolism but apart from a possible increased risk for atherosclerotic complications, it is generally associated with mild clinical symptoms in adults. By contrast, several reports indicate that analbuminaemic individuals may be at risk during the perinatal and childhood periods, in which they seem to show increased morbidity and mortality. The twenty-one causative defects include seven nonsense mutations, seven changes affecting splicing, five frame-shift/deletions, one frame-shift/insertion and one mutation in the start codon. These results indicate that the trait is an allelic heterogeneous disorder caused by homozygous (nineteen cases) or compound heterozygous (single case) inheritance of defects. Most mutations are unique, but one, named Kayseri, is responsible for about half of the known cases.

General significance

Study of the defects in the ALB resulting in CAA allows the identification of “hot spot” regions and contributes to understanding the molecular mechanism underlying the trait. Such studies could also give molecular information about different aspects of ALB regulation and shed light on the regulatory mechanisms involved in the synthesis of the protein. This article is part of a Special Issue entitled Serum Albumin.