Suction blister fluid as potential body fluid for biomarker proteins

Early diagnosis is important for effective disease management. Measurement of biomarkers present at the local level of the skin could be advantageous in facilitating the diagnostic process. The analysis of the proteome of suction blister fluid, representative for the interstitial fluid of the skin, is therefore a desirable first step in the search for potential biomarkers involved in biological pathways of particular diseases. Here, we describe a global analysis of the suction blister fluid proteome as potential body fluid for biomarker proteins. The suction blister fluid proteome was compared with a serum proteome analyzed using identical protocols. By using stringent criteria allowing less than 1% false positive identifications, we were able to detect, using identical experimental conditions and amount of starting material, 401 proteins in suction blister fluid and 240 proteins in serum. As a major result of our analysis we construct a prejudiced list of 34 proteins, relatively highly and uniquely detected in suction blister fluid as compared to serum, with established and putative characteristics as biomarkers. We conclude that suction blister fluid might potentially serve as a good alternative biomarker body fluid for diseases that involve the skin.     

淀粉样蛋白A、D-二聚体、肌酸激酶同工酶联合检测对川崎病患儿冠状动脉损伤的诊断价值分析

摘要 目的：探讨血清淀粉样蛋白A(SAA)、D-二聚体(D-D)、肌酸激酶同工酶(CK-MB)联合检测对川崎病患儿冠状动脉损伤(CAL)的诊断价值。方法：选取2018年9月～2021年5月我院收治的80例川崎病患儿,根据是否合并CAL分为CAL组(n=34)和NCAL组(n=46)。收集患儿基础资料,并检测SAA、D-D、CK-MB水平。多因素Logistic回归分析川崎病患儿CAL影响因素,受试者工作特征（ROC）曲线分析血清SAA、D-D、CK-MB水平对川崎病患儿CAL的诊断价值。结果：与NCAL组比较,CAL组C反应蛋白(CRP)、红细胞沉降率(ESR)、SAA、D-D、CK-MB水平升高(P＜0.05)。多因素Logistic回归分析显示,CRP、ESR、SAA、D-D、CK-MB为川崎病患儿CAL独立影响因素(P＜0.05)。SAA、D-D、CK-MB、三项联合诊断川崎病患儿CAL的曲线下面积（AUC）分别为0.661、0.687、0.746、0.799,联合应用的诊断效能最高。结论：血清SAA、D-D、CK-MB是川崎病患儿CAL独立影响因素,且联合检测以上指标可辅助诊断川崎病患儿CAL。     

Expression of inflammatory cytokines in mesenchymal stromal cells is sensitive to culture conditions and simple cell manipulations

Background

Mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs) can be used in several clinical applications. While MSCs are frequently cultured in fetal bovine serum for in vitro experimentation, human serum supplements are required for cells to be used in patients. Here we show how different human serum supplements and in vitro manipulations used during the cell culture impact on MSC proliferation rate and expression of inflammatory molecules.

Anti-cancer study and whey protein complexation of new lanthanum(III) complex with the aim of achieving bioactive anticancer metal-based drugs

In this study, a new lanthanum (III)-amino acid complex utilizing cysteine has been synthesized and characterized. The anticancer activities of the prepared La(III) complex against MCF-7 cell lines were studied. Results of MTT assay showed that at all three incubation times, the cytotoxic effect of prepared La(III) complex on MCF-7 breast cancer cell lines displays a time- and dose-dependent inhibitory effects. The interactions of the La(III) complex with two whey proteins (bovine serum albumin, BSA, and Bovine β-lactoglobulin, βLG) have been explored by using spectroscopic and molecular dicking methods. The obtained results indicated that La(III) complex strongly quenched the fluorescence of two carrier proteins in static quenching mode and also, BSA hah stronger binding affinity toward studied complex than βLG whit binding constant values of K_{BSA-La?Complex}?～?0.11?×?10⁴ M^?1 and K_{βLG-La?Complex}?～?0.63?×?10³ M^?1 at 300 K. The thermodynamic parameters revealed the contribution of hydrogen bond and Vander Waals interactions in both systems. The distances of the La(III) complex whit whey proteins were calculated using Förster energy transfer theory and proved existence of the energy transfer between two proteins and prepared La(III) complex with a high probability. FT-IR and UV–Vis absorption measurements indicated that the binding of the La(III) to BSA and βLG may induce conformational and micro-environmental changes of the proteins. The docking results indicate that the La(III) complex bind to residues located in the site II of BSA and second site of βLG.

Communicated by Ramaswamy H. Sarma     

Contribution of serum albumin to the transport of orally administered L-tryptophan into liver of rats with L-tryptophan depletion

Summary The role of serum albumin in the transport of orally administered L-tryptophan (Trp) into rat tissues was examined using analbuminemic and Sprague-Dawley (SD) rats with and without a-methyl-DL-tryptophan (AMT)-induced Trp depletion. Trp was orally administered to rats 16h after AMT or 0.85% NaCl administration, when liver tryptophan 2,3-dioxygenase and protein synthetic activities in AMT-treated rats were similar to those of 0.85% NaCl-treated rats. After oral Trp administration, regardless of the presence or absence of Trp depletion, free serum Trp concentrations were similar in the analbuminemic and SD rats, while total serum Trp concentrations were lower in analbuminemic rats than in SD rats. Although liver, brain, and muscle Trp concentrations after oral Trp administration under Trp depletion were lower in analbuminemic rats than in SD rats, the ratio of the liver Trp concentration in analbuminemic rats to that in SD rats was smaller than that of the brain or muscle Trp concentration. These results suggest that variations in serum albumin levels could affect the transport of orally administered Trp into the liver of rats with Trp depletion.     

Recombinant human serum amyloid P component from Pichia pastoris: production and characterization

Human serum amyloid P component (SAP) was expressed in the methylotrophic yeast Pichia pastoris. SAP cDNA was placed under control of regulatory sequences derived from the alcohol oxidase gene (AOX1), and its protein product was secreted using the Saccharomyces cerevisiae alpha-mating factor signal sequence. Recombinant SAP (r-SAP) was produced in a bioreactor with computer controlled fed-batch mode and purified by use of a C-terminal histidine tag. The yield of purified r-SAP was 3-4mg from 1L supernatant and 5-6mg from 1L cell paste, indicating that the majority of the produced SAP was not secreted. Treatment of the cell paste with EDTA increased the yield further by about 30%. The N-terminal of r-SAP purified from the supernatant showed non-complete cleavage of the alpha-mating factor signal sequence. Purified r-SAP, analyzed under native conditions, was shown to be a decamer, like purified human SAP (h-SAP), with monomers of 27kDa. Each monomer had one N-glycosylation site, positioned at the same site as for h-SAP. r-SAP bound to antibodies produced against h-SAP. Furthermore, r-SAP bound to ds DNA and influenza A virus subunits in a Ca(2+)-dependent manner and inhibited influenza A virus hemagglutination. These results indicate that r-SAP produced in P. pastoris has the same biological activity as purified h-SAP.     

Tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase 5B circulates in human serum in complex with alpha2-macroglobulin and calcium

Tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase (TRACP) is an enzyme with unknown biological function. In addition to its acid phosphatase activity, TRACP is capable of generating reactive oxygen species (ROS) at neutral pH. Two forms of TRACP circulate in human serum, macrophage-derived TRACP 5a and osteoclast-derived TRACP 5b. Here we have studied the circulating forms of the osteoclast-derived TRACP 5b in rat and human serum. In human serum, TRACP 5b circulates in a large complex that contained α₂M and calcium. On the contrary, rat serum TRACP 5b circulates as a free molecule. Formation of the TRACP 5b complex in vitro decreased significantly the ROS generating activity of TRACP 5b without affecting its phosphatase activity. These results suggest that the complex formation may be necessary to eliminate the formation of the harmful ROS in the neutral pH of serum.     

Modified carbon paste electrodes for flow injection amperometric determination of isocitrate dehydrogenase activity in serum

A carbon paste electrode modified with the adsorbed products of the electrochemical oxidation of adenosine triphosphate is described. The electrode was applied to the amperometric electrocatalytic detection of the reduced form of both nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate. The catalytic oxidation current shows a linear dependence on the concentration of the reduced form of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide up to 1x10(-4)M, with a detection limit of 5x10(-9)M. Modified carbon paste electrodes were coated with an electrogenerated film of nonconducting poly(o-phenylenediamine) to obtain a stable amperometric response for at least 150h. In addition to static measurements, determination of both reduced cofactors was carried out in a flow injection analysis system with a thin-layer amperometric detection cell. The electrocatalytic monitoring of reduced nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate was applied to flow injection measurement of isocitrate dehydrogenase activity in serum. The results were in good agreement with those for the standard spectrophotometric test kit. The proposed method consumed less time and reagents and provided better precision than the standard method.     

Dielectric behavior and atomic structure of serum albumin

After 1946, serum albumin was available for studies. Its residue sequence and internal disulfide bonding was developed by 1976. We began to make dielectric dispersion studies and apply Perrin's equations for rotational relaxation times around the two axes of revolution in 1938. These data indicated that albumin should have an elongated shape. In 1992 atomic structure data indicated the molecule was heart-shaped. A similar 1998 study of albumin complexed with fatty acid showed that the molecule was substantially rearranged. We found that the dielectric constant of albumin solutions was sensitive to fatty acid content, making this property an attractive probe in stop–flow kinetic studies. Such studies show that the fatty acid reaction is a two-step process. The fatty acid first binds to exterior sites in a diffusion-limited second order reaction complete in 1 ms. Then a first order rearrangement reaction with 400 ms half-life follows. Thus the highly specialized serum albumin sequence of amino acid residues determines not only the structure of the unligated molecule, but also the distinctive structures of the numerous multiligated molecules.     

Ornithine-containing lipids stimulate CD14-dependent TNF-alpha production from murine macrophage-like J774.1 and RAW 264.7 cells

The ornithine-containing lipids (OL)-induced cytokine production pattern in macrophage-like J774.1 and RAW 264.7 cells was different from that in the peritoneal macrophages previously reported. OLs, as well as lipopolysaccharide (LPS) of Escherichia coli, strongly induced tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alpha but not interleukin (IL)-1beta in J774.1 cells. In the RAW cells, IL-1beta, TNF-alpha and prostaglandin E(2) were strongly induced by the OLs and LPS. OL- and serine-glycine-containing lipid (SGL)-induced TNF-alpha production in J774.1 and RAW 264.7 cells required serum. However, in CD14-deficient LR-9 cells, TNF-alpha was not induced by the OLs in the presence or absence of serum. OLs and a SGL almost completely inhibited the binding of (125)I-LPS to J774.1 cells. These results suggested that OLs and SGL activate macrophages via the CD14-dependent pathway.