Familial adenomatous polyposis: from bedside to bench and vice versa. A tribute to the somatic cell geneticist P. Meera Khan.

Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP) is characterized by the presence of numerous adenomatous polyps in the colorectum, as well as an autosomal dominant mode of inheritance. This syndrome will inevitably lead to colorectal cancer when left untreated, and it is estimated that 1% of all colorectal cancer cases are due to it. Over the past 20 years molecular genetic studies on FAP patients have laid down the basis for the elucidation of the genetic phenomena that ultimately result in the development of colorectal cancer. Professor P. Meera Khan was one of the leading authorities in the world of molecular genetics of colorectal cancer in general and of FAP in particular. His scientific contributions from the pre-DNA era up to the recent implementation of molecular genetic research in daily clinical practice have helped revolutionize our approach and management of FAP patients and their relatives.     

Autonomic neuropathy in Fabry disease: a prospective study using the Autonomic Symptom Profile and cardiovascular autonomic function tests

Background  

Fabry patients have symptoms and signs compatible with autonomic dysfunction. These symptoms and signs are considered to be due to impairment of the peripheral nervous system, but findings indicative of autonomic neuropathy in other diseases, such as orthostatic intolerance and male sexual dysfunction, are infrequently reported in Fabry disease. The aim of our study was to investigate autonomic symptoms and cardiovascular autonomic function in a large cohort of male and female Fabry patients.     

Simple recessive mutation in ENAM is associated with amelogenesis imperfecta in Italian Greyhounds

We report a familial enamel hypoplasia in Italian Greyhounds resembling non‐syndromic autosomal recessive amelogenesis imperfecta (AI) of humans. The condition uniformly affects deciduous and permanent teeth and is manifested by enamel roughening/thinning and brownish mottling. Affected teeth are often small and pointed with increased gaps. However, basic tooth structure is usually maintained throughout life, and fractures and dental cavities are not a serious problem as in humans. No tissues or organs other than teeth were affected by this mutation, and there was no relationship between enamel hypoplasia and either autoimmunity or periodontal disease, which also are prevalent in the breed. The enamel hypoplasia was associated with a 5‐bp deletion in exon 10 of the enamelin (ENAM) gene. The prevalence of the enamel defect in Italian Greyhounds was 14%, and 30% of dogs with normal teeth were carriers. Genome analyses suggest that the trait is under inadvertent positive selection. Based on the deletion detected in the ENAM gene, a genetic test was developed for identifying mutation carriers, which would enable breeders to manage the trait.     

Quantitative profiling of prostaglandins as oxidative stress biomarkers in vitro and in vivo by negative ion online solid phase extraction – Liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry

Free radical-mediated oxidation of arachidonic acid to prostanoids has been implicated in a variety of pathophysiological conditions such as oxidative stress. Here, we report on the development of a liquid chromatography–mass spectrometry method to measure several classes of prostaglandin derivatives based on regioisomer-specific mass transitions down to levels of 20 pg/ml applied to the measurement of prostaglandin biomarkers in primary hepatocytes. The quantitative profiling of prostaglandin derivatives in rat and human hepatocytes revealed the increase of several isomers on stress response. In addition to the well-established markers for oxidative stress such as 8-iso-prostaglandin F_2α and the prostaglandin isomers PE₂ and PD₂, this method revealed a significant increase of 15R-prostaglandin D₂ from 236.1 ± 138.0 pg/1E6 cells in untreated rat hepatocytes to 2001 ± 577.1 pg/1E6 cells on treatment with ferric NTA (an Fe³⁺ chelate with nitrilotriacetic acid causing oxidative stress in vitro as well as in vivo). Like 15R-prostaglandin D₂, an unassigned isomer that revealed a more significant increase than commonly analyzed prostaglandin derivatives was identified. Mass spectrometric detection on a high-resolution instrument enabled high-quality quantitative analysis of analytes in plasma levels from rat experiments, where increased concentrations up to 23-fold change treatment with Fe(III)NTA were observed.     

Comprehensive Analysis of Varicella-Zoster Virus Proteins Using a New Monoclonal Antibody Collection

Varicella-zoster virus (VZV) is the etiological agent of chickenpox and shingles. Due to the virus''s restricted host and cell type tropism and the lack of tools for VZV proteomics, it is one of the least-characterized human herpesviruses. We generated 251 monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) against 59 of the 71 (83%) currently known unique VZV proteins to characterize VZV protein expression in vitro and in situ. Using this new set of MAbs, 44 viral proteins were detected by Western blotting (WB) and indirect immunofluorescence (IF); 13 were detected by WB only, and 2 were detected by IF only. A large proportion of viral proteins was analyzed for the first time in the context of virus infection. Our study revealed the subcellular localization of 46 proteins, 14 of which were analyzed in detail by confocal microscopy. Seven viral proteins were analyzed in time course experiments and showed a cascade-like temporal gene expression pattern similar to those of other herpesviruses. Furthermore, selected MAbs tested positive on human skin lesions by using immunohistochemistry, demonstrating the wide applicability of the MAb collection. Finally, a significant portion of the VZV-specific antibodies reacted with orthologs of simian varicella virus (SVV), thus enabling the systematic analysis of varicella in a nonhuman primate model system. In summary, this study provides insight into the potential function of numerous VZV proteins and novel tools to systematically study VZV and SVV pathogenesis.