Low serum interleukin-6 levels as a predictive marker of recurrence in patients with hepatitis B virus related hepatocellular carcinoma who underwent curative treatment

BackgroundWe aimed to investigate the use of novel serum biomarkers for predicting the recurrence and survival of patients with hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related early hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) after hepatic resection or radiofrequency ablation (RFA).MethodsOne hundred and five patients with HBV-related HCC, who fulfilled the Milan criteria without vascular invasion and underwent hepatic resection or RFA, were followed-up for a median duration of 52 months. Pretreatment serum concentrations of 16 cytokines including interleukin-6 (IL-6) were measured by using a Luminex 200 system. The measured serum cytokines and several clinical factors were analyzed retrospectively.ResultsUnivariate analysis showed that patients with lower pretreatment serum levels of IL-10, IL-6, monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, and tumor necrosis factor-α had significantly shorter disease-free survival (DFS) than those with higher levels. Multivariate analysis revealed that a low serum IL-6 level (⩽33.00 pg/mL; hazard ratio [HR] = 5.39; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.27–22.93; P = 0.022), low platelet count (<100 × 10⁹/L; HR = 2.23; 95% CI = 1.28–3.89; P = 0.005), and low serum albumin level (⩽3.5 g/L; HR = 2.26; 95% CI = 1.28–3.97; P = 0.005) had a negative prognostic impact on DFS. In the analysis for overall survival, a low serum platelet level (<100 × 10⁹/L; HR = 2.80; 95% CI = 1.31–5.99; P = 0.008) and multiple tumor (⩾2; HR = 4.05; 95% CI = 1.56–10.48; P = 0.004) showed a negative prognostic impact on the overall survival.ConclusionA low serum IL-6 level is, in addition to low platelet count and low serum albumin level, an independent prognostic factor for DFS in patients with HBV-related early HCC who underwent hepatic resection or RFA with curative intention.     

Hydrogen evolution by co-immobilized Chlorella vulgaris and Clostridium butyricum cells

Whole cells of Chlorella vulgaris and Clostridium butyricum were co-immobilized in 2% agar gel. NADP was suitable as an electron carrier. The rate of hydrogen evolution increased with increasing NADP concentration. The optimum conditions for hydrogen evolution were pH 7.0 and 37°C. The immobilized C. vulgaris-NADP-immobilized Cl. butyricum system continuously evolved hydrogen at a rate of 0.29–1.34 μmol/h per mg Chl for 6 days. On the other hand, the system without NADP evolved only a trace amount of hydrogen.     

The differential effects of the carcinogen dimethylnitrosamine on isocitrate and 6-phosphogluconate metabolism in single intact cells

A microspectrofluorimetric study is made of the influence of dimethylnitrosamine on NADP reduction, following sequential microinjections into the same L cell, of two substrates: (1) isocitrate, with activity of isocitrate dehydrogenase both in the extramitochondrial and intramitochondrial compartments, (2) 6-phosphogluconate, with activity of the dehydrogenase in the extramitochondrial compartment. In control L cells a two-step reduction of NAD(P) is obtained followed by relatively slow reoxidation. In the minutes which follow addition of carcinogen, e.g., dimethylnitrosamine, to the cell medium the isocitrate and 6-phosphogluconate-induced transient NADP reoxidation is decreased in magnitude compared to control, while the rate constant of NADPH reoxidation is considerably accelerated, possibly due to requirements at the level of the microsomal metabolizing system. Observations within the first hour of carcinogen addition suggest an interesting system for evaluating the immediate actions of carcinogens at extranuclear sites: i.e., a comparative study of NADP reduction-reoxidation rate constants via injection of substrates for extra- vs. intramitochondrial pathways.     

Thermographic visualization of cell death in tobacco and Arabidopsis

Pending cell death was visualized by thermographic imaging in bacterio‐opsin transgenic tobacco plants. Cell death in these plants was characterized by a complex lesion phenotype. Isolated cell death lesions were preceded by a colocalized thermal effect, as previously observed at sites infected by tobacco mosaic virus (TMV) ( Chaerle et al. 1999 Nature Biotechnology 17, 813–816). However, in most cases, a coherent front of higher temperature, trailed by cell death, initiated at the leaf base and expanded over the leaf lamina. In contrast to the homogenous thermal front, cell death was first visible close to the veins, and subsequently appeared as discrete spots on the interveinal tissue, as cell death spread along the veins. Regions with visible cell death had a lower temperature because of water evaporation from damaged cells. In analogy with previous observations on the localized tobacco–TMV interaction ( Chaerle et al. 1999 ), the kinetics of thermographic and continuous gas exchange measurements indicated that stomatal closure preceded tissue collapse. Localized spontaneous cell death could also be presymptomatically visualized in the Arabidopsis lsd2 mutant.     

Early Inhibition of Acetylcholinesterase and Choline Acetyltransferase Activity in Herpes simplex Virus Type 1 Infection of PC12 Cells

Abstract: Early in the course of productive Herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) infection of PC12 cells, activities of both acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and choline acetyltransferase (CAT) fell. Studies using metabolic inhibitors and a temperature-sensitive mutant of the virus suggested that the decline in activities of both enzymes was associated with events occurring early in the replicative cycle related to expression of the immediate-early (α) group of viral polypeptides. HSV-1 gene products thus may alter specialized cell functions well before the production of viral progeny and initiation of cell lysis. The early clinical manifestations of nervous system viral infection may reflect focal metabolic disturbance rather than, or in addition to, simple cell death.     

Analytical characterization and purification of plasma membrane from cultured hepatoma cells (HTC cells)

The plasma membrane of the hepatoma cell line, HTC cells, has been characterized and purified by cell fractionation techniques. In the absence of true 5′-nucleotidase in HTC cells, alkaline phosphodiesterase I has been used as a marker enzyme, following conclusions gained from differential and isopycnic centrifugation studies (Lopez Saura, P., Trouet A. and Tulkens P. (1978) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 543, 430–449). To confirm this localization, HTC cells were exposed to anti-plasma membrane IgG at 4°C and fractionated. Alkaline phosphodiesterase I and IgG showed super imposable distribution patterns in linear sucrose gradients. Alkaline phosphodiesterase I is, however, only poorly resolved from enzyme markers of other organelles, especially NADPH-cytochrome $\text{c}$ reductase (endoplasmic reticulum) and galactosyltransferase (Golgi complex). Maximal purification from the homogenate is only 13-fold, on a protein basis, even when using a microsomal fraction (67 and 13% of alkaline phosphodiesterase I and protein, respectively) as the starting material. Improved resolution can be obtained after the addition of small quantities of digitonin (equimolar with respect to the cholesterol content). Digitonin increases the buoyant density of alkaline phosphodiesterase I by approx. 0.05 g/cm³, whereas the buoyant densities of galactosyltransferase and NADPH-cytochrome $\text{c}$ reductase are increased only by 0.03 and 0.015 g/cm³, respectively. Accordingly, a procedure has been designed which yields a fraction containing 22.8% of alkaline phosphodiesterase I with a purification of 21-fold on a protein basis. The content of NADPH-cytochrome $\text{c}$ reductase and galactosyltransferase is 1.2 and 2.1%, respectively. Electron microscopy shows smooth surface membrane elements and vesicles, with only occasional other recognizable elements.     

In vivo and in vitro sugar transport in frog intestine

In the frog intestine, both in vitro and in vivo, experiments were carried out in order to increase knowledge of the mechanism of sugar exit across the basolateral membrane of the enterocyte. The frog intestine was chosen because it lacks crypt cells and, consequently, any external fluid circuit mechanism during sugar transport can be avoided. Therefore, the sugar concentration in the absorbate collected on the serosal side is likely to be similar to that present underneath the basolateral membrane of the enterocyte. Under this condition, cell and absorbate sugar concentrations are similar; yet there is a concomitant net transintestinal sugar transport. Moreover, in in vivo experiments a net transintestinal sugar transport takes place even against a concentration difference. These results suggest that sugar exit across the basolateral membrane is not simply due to a chemically facilitated diffusion.     

Ultrastructural studies of endocrine-like cells in the fundic gastric mucosa of the bullfrog,Rana catesbeiana

Summary This study is concerned with electron-microscopic observations on endocrine or paracrine cells in the fundic gastric mucosa of the bullfrog. Also, an attempt was made to identify the histamine-releasing cells involved in the secretagogue response. At least three distinct endocrine-like cell types were found. The classification is based on the appearance of secretory granules and other organelles, and the relationship of endocrine-like cells with other cells in the tissue. The amphibian endocrine-like cells resemble the ECL, D and EC cells of mammals. Type-I (ECL) cells showed degranulation after repeated stimulation with tetragastrin (TG), acetylcholine (ACh) and K⁺ depolarizing solution, all of which release histamine.     

Intracellular calcium release mediated by two muscarinic receptor subtypes

Four subtypes of muscarinic acetylcholine receptor (mAChR) were stably expressed in neuroblastoma-glioma hybrid cells (NG108-15). By combining fluorescent indicator dye (fura-2) studies with electrophysiological measurements it is shown that stimulation of mAChR I and mAChR III readily leads to release of calcium from intracellular stores and to associated conductance changes, whereas stimulation of mAChR II and mAChR IV exerts no such effect. Dose-response curves describing the amplitude or the delay of the calcium rise induced by acetylcholine suggest that the apparent affinity of mAChR III for its agonist is higher by about one order of magnitude than that of mAChR I. Ionic substitution experiments and current fluctuation analysis indicate that calcium activates a K⁺-specific conductance of ‘small’ single-channel amplitude similar to the SK type [1]. Furthermore, an outward current (M current) suppressed by activation of mAChR I and mAChR III has a single-channel amplitude corresponding to a conductance of approximately 3 pS.