Репозиторий Университета

© 2019 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. It is well known that Prospero homeobox 1 (PROX1) is a crucial regulator of lymphangiogenesis, that reprograms blood endothelial cells to lymphatic phenotype. However, the role of PROX1 in tumor progression, especially in angiogenesis remains controversial. Herein, we studied the role of PROX1 in angiogenesis in cell lines derived from follicular thyroid cancer (FTC: FTC-133) and squamous cell carcinoma of the thyroid gland (SCT: CGTH-W-1) upon PROX1 knockdown. The genes involved in angiogenesis were selected by RNA-seq, and the impact of PROX1 on vascularization potential was investigated using human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs) cultured in conditioned medium collected from FTC-or SCT-derived cancer cell lines after PROX1 silencing. The angiogenic phenotype was examined in connection with the analysis of focal adhesion and correlated with fibroblast growth factor 2 (FGF2) levels. Additionally, the expression of selected genes involved in angiogenesis was detected in human FTC tissues. As a result, we demonstrated that PROX1 knockdown resulted in upregulation of factors associated with vascularization, such as metalloproteinases (MMP1 and 3), FGF2, vascular endothelial growth factors C (VEGFC), BAI1 associated protein 2 (BAIAP2), nudix hydrolase 6 (NUDT6), angiopoietin 1 (ANGPT1), and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor 2 (KDR). The observed molecular changes resulted in the enhanced formation of capillary-like structures by HUVECs and upregulated focal adhesion in FTC-133 and CGTH-W-1 cells. The signature of selected angiogenic genes’ expression in a series of FTC specimens varied depending on the case. Interestingly, PROX1 and FGF2 showed opposing expression levels in FTC tissues and seven thyroid tumor-derived cell lines. In summary, our data revealed that PROX1 is involved in the spreading of thyroid cancer cells by regulation of angiogenesis.

© 2019 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Background: Emicizumab is a bispecific antibody that bridges factor IXa and factor X to restore hemostasis in patients with hemophilia A (HA). Its efficacy and safety have been proven in multicenter trials. However, real world data regarding its use in very young children are currently lacking. Ancillary test results for monitoring emicizumab's hemostatic effect and their clinical correlations are scarce. Methods: Children with HA and inhibitors treated by emicizumab were prospectively followed at our center. Laboratory follow-up included rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM) and thrombin generation (TG), prior to and during treatment. Results: Eleven children whose median age was 26 months were treated by emicizumab and followed for a median of 36 weeks. During follow-up, none experienced hemarthrosis or any other spontaneous bleeds. For 7/11 patients, emicizumab prophylaxis was sufficient to maintain hemostasis without additional supplemental therapy. Only 4/11 patients were occasionally treated with recombinant activated FVII for trauma. Two minor surgeries were safely performed without supplemental therapy while another procedure was complicated by major bleeding. TG parameters improved for all patients, correlating with their clinical status. Interestingly, the lowest TG values were obtained for patients experiencing bleeding episodes, while ROTEM parameters in all patients were close to the normal range. Conclusions: This study confirms the safety and efficacy of emicizumab in reducing bleeds in young children with HA with inhibitors, including infants. However, surgeries warrant caution as emicizumab prophylaxis may not be sufficient for some procedures. TG may more accurately reflect the hemostasis state than ROTEM in pediatric patients treated with emicizumab.

© 2019 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Background: Covalently closed circular DNA (cccDNA) of hepatitis B virus (HBV) is the major cause of viral persistence in patients with chronic HBV infection. Understanding the mechanisms underlying stability and persistence of HBV cccDNA in hepatocytes is critical for developing novel therapeutics and managing chronic hepatitis B. In this study, we observed an unexpected increase in HBV cccDNA levels upon suppression of transcription by de novo DNA methyltransferase DNMT3A and uncovered additional mechanisms potentially involved in HBV cccDNA maintenance. Methods: HBV-expressing cell lines were transfected with a DNMT3A-expressing plasmid. Real-time PCR and HBsAg assays were used to assess the HBV replication rate. Cell cycling was analyzed by fluorescent cell sorting. CRISPR/Cas9 was utilized to abrogate expression of APOBEC3A and APOBEC3B. Alterations in the expression of target genes were measured by real-time PCR. Results: Similar to previous studies, HBV replication induced DNMT3A expression, which in turn, led to reduced HBV transcription but elevated HBV cccDNA levels (4-to 6-fold increase). Increased levels of HBV cccDNA were not related to cell cycling, as DNMT3A accelerated proliferation of infected cells and could not contribute to HBV cccDNA expansion by arresting cells in a quiescent state. At the same time, DNMT3A suppressed transcription of innate immunity factors including cytidine deaminases APOBEC3A and APOBEC3B. CRISPR/Cas9-mediated silencing of APOBEC3A and APOBEC3B transcription had minor effects on HBV transcription, but significantly increased HBV cccDNA levels, similar to DNMT3A. In an attempt to further analyze the detrimental effects of HBV and DNMT3A on infected cells, we visualized γ-H2AX foci and demonstrated that HBV inflicts and DNMT3A aggravates DNA damage, possibly by downregulating DNA damage response factors. Additionally, suppression of HBV replication by DNMT3A may be related to reduced ATM/ATR expression. Conclusion: Formation and maintenance of HBV cccDNA pools may be partially suppressed by the baseline expression of host inhibitory factors including APOBEC3A and APOBEC3B. HBV inflicts DNA damage both directly and by inducing DNMT3A expression.

Here we report sequence and phylogenetic analysis of two new isolates of Leishmania RNA virus 2 (LRV2) found in Leishmania major isolated from human patients with cutaneous leishmaniasis in south Uzbekistan. These new virus-infected flagellates were isolated in the same region of Uzbekistan and the viral sequences differed by only nineteen SNPs, all except one being silent mutations. Therefore, we concluded that they belong to a single LRV2 species. New viruses are closely related to the LRV2-Lmj-ASKH documented in Turkmenistan in 1995, which is congruent with their shared host (L. major) and common geographical origin.

© Copyright © 2019 Poddubskaya, Bondarenko, Boroda, Zotova, Glusker, Sletina, Makovskaia, Kopylov, Sekacheva, Moisseev and Baranova. Non-small cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC) is the major cause of cancer-associated mortality. Identification of rearrangements in anaplastic lymphoma kinase (ALK) gene is an effective instrument for more effective targeted therapy of NSCLC using ALK inhibitors dramatically raising progression-free survival in the ALK-mutated group of patients. However, the tumors frequently develop resistance to ALK inhibitors. We describe here a case of 48 y.o. male patient with ALK-positive NSCLC who was clinically managed for 6.5 years from the diagnosis. The tumor was surgically resected, but 8 months later multiple brain metastases were discovered. The patient started receiving platinum-based chemotherapy and then was enrolled in a clinical trial of second-generation ALK inhibitor ceritinib, which resulted in a 21 months stabilization. Following disease relapse, the patient was successfully managed for 33 months with different lines of chemo- and local ablative therapies. Chemotherapy regimens, including off-label combination of crizotinib + bevacizumab + docetaxel, were selected using the cancer transcriptome data-guided bioinformatical decision support system Oncobox. These therapies led to additional stabilization for 22 months. Survival of our patient after developing resistance to ALK inhibitor was longer for 16 months than previously reported average survival for such cases. This case shows that transcriptomic-guided sequential personalized prescription of targeted therapies can be effective in terms of survival and quality of life in ALK-mutated NSCLC.

© 2019, Italian Society of Hypertension. Introduction: Population ageing in developed countries will inevitably increase the need for knee and hip replacement surgery. Over the years, direct oral anticoagulants, such as rivaroxaban, have been widely used for thromboprophylaxis in patients undergoing knee and hip replacement surgery. The study of pharmacogenetic characteristics of rivaroxaban is important for enhancing the effectiveness and safety of rivaroxaban thromboprophylaxis. Aim: Evaluation of CYP3A4, CYP3A5 and ABCB1 gene polymorphisms influence on rivaroxaban pharmacokinetics and prothrombin time dynamics in patients undergoing total hip and knee replacement surgery. Methods: The study included 78 patients undergoing total hip and knee replacement surgery. The patients received 10 mg of rivaroxaban once a day. Genotyping of polymorphisms ABCB1 rs1045642, ABCB1 rs4148738, CYP3A4 rs35599367 and CYP3A5 rs776746 was performed. Peak steady-state and trough steady-state rivaroxaban concentrations were determined. Prothrombin time was also evaluated. Results: The study revealed the following haplotypes: (1) ABCB1 rs1045642—CYP3A4 rs35599367 and (2) ABCB1 rs4148738—CYP3A4 rs35599367. The analysis of the peak steady-state rivaroxaban concentration between mutant haplotypes and wild haplotypes revealed no significant differences. However, there was a statistically significant average correlation between peak steady-state rivaroxaban concentration and prothrombin time (r = 0.421; r2 = 0.178; p < 0.001). Conclusion: No significant difference was identified in peak steady-state rivaroxaban concentration between mutant haplotypes and wild haplotypes. The revealed statistically significant average correlation between the prothrombin time and peak steady-state rivaroxaban concentration is important in clinical practice for assessing the anticoagulant activity of rivaroxaban.

© 2019 by the authors. Licensee MDPI, Basel, Switzerland. Adiponectin is encoded by the ADIPOQ gene and participates in the pathogenesis of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. The goal of the study was to assess associations of rs17300539, rs266729, rs182052, rs2241766, and rs17366743 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the ADIPOQ gene with concentrations of serum adiponectin and with coronary atherosclerosis and type 2 diabetes mellitus in 447 patients (316 men and 131 women) subjected to coronary angiography. SNPs of the ADIPOQ gene of the study participants were genotyped using real-time PCR. Multivariate linear regression adjusted for covariates revealed significant association between rs182052 SNP and serum adiponectin concentration (β= –0.11; 95% confidence interval (95%CI): – 0.19, –0.03; p = 0.016). Regression analysis revealed an increase in prevalence of unstable angina (OR (odds ratio) = 2.55; 95%CI 1.4–4.82; p = 0.018) and coronary artery disease (OR = 1.55; 95%CI 1.15– 2.09; p = 0.021) per copy of the rs182052 A allele. Prevalence of type 2 diabetes mellitus was higher in subjects with the rs182052 A allele (OR = 2.29; 95%CI 1.29-4.21; p = 0.024). Regression analysis of rs266729 showed that prevalence of unstable angina was increased (OR = 3.59; 95%CI 1.17–10.01; p = 0.045) in the subjects with the GG genotype and prevalence of coronary artery disease (CAD) was significantly increased (OR = 1.48; 95%CI 1.09–2.03; p = 0.045) per copy of the G allele. Haplotype analysis revealed that the subjects with the GCATT haplotype have lower adiponectin levels (β= – 0.15; p = 0.042) and higher prevalence of unstable angina (OR = 3.597; p = 0.007) compared with reference haplotype carriers. Thus, the results indicate that minor A allele of rs182052 of the ADIPOQ gene is significantly associated with a decrease in serum adiponectin levels, and two SNPs (rs182052 and rs266729) of the ADIPOQ gene are significantly associated with cardiovascular and metabolic diseases.

© 2019 Elsevier Inc. Over the last years, the experimental compound olesoxime, a mitochondria-targeting cholesterol derivative, has emerged as a promising drug candidate for neurodegenerative diseases. Numerous preclinical studies have successfully proved olesoxime's neuroprotective properties in cell and animal models of clinical conditions such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, Huntington disease, Parkinson disease, peripheral neuropathy and spinal muscular atrophy. The beneficial effects were attributed to olesoxime's potential impact on oxidative stress, mitochondrial permeability transition or cholesterol homoeostasis. Although no significant benefits have been demonstrated in patients of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and only the first 12 months of a phase II/III clinical trial showed an improvement in motor symptoms of spinal muscular atrophy, this orphan drug may still offer undiscovered potential in the treatment of neurological diseases. In our earlier preclinical studies, we demonstrated that administration of olesoxime in mouse and rat models of Huntington disease improved psychiatric and molecular phenotypes. Aside from stabilising mitochondrial function, the drug reduced the overactivation of calpains, a class of calcium-dependent proteases entangled in neurodegenerative conditions. This observation may be credited to olesoxime's action on calcium dyshomeostasis, a further hallmark in neurodegeneration, and linked to its targets TSPO and VDAC, two proteins of the outer mitochondrial membrane associated with mitochondrial calcium handling. Further research into the mode of action of olesoxime under pathological conditions, including its effect on neuronal calcium homeostasis, may strengthen the untapped potential of olesoxime or other similar compounds as a therapeutic for neurodegenerative diseases.

© 2019 Wolters Kluwer Health, Inc. Purpose of reviewThe current review summarizes contemporary decellularization and hydrogel manufacturing strategies in the field of tissue engineering and regenerative medicine.Recent findingsDecellularized extracellular matrix (ECM) bioscaffolds are a valuable biomaterial that can be purposed into various forms of synthetic tissues such as hydrogels. ECM-based hydrogels can be of animal or human origin. The use of human tissues as a source for ECM hydrogels in the clinical setting is still in its infancy and current literature is scant and anecdotal, resulting in inconclusive results.SummaryThus far the methods used to obtain hydrogels from human tissues remains a work in progress. Gelation, the most complex technique in obtaining hydrogels, is challenging due to remarkable heterogeneity of the tissues secondary to interindividual variability. Age, sex, ethnicity, and preexisting conditions are factors that dramatically undermine the technical feasibility of the gelation process. This is contrasted with animals whose well defined anatomical and histological characteristics have been selectively bred for the goal of manufacturing hydrogels.

© 2019, Springer-Verlag GmbH Germany, part of Springer Nature. Astrocytes, a class of morphologically and functionally diverse primary homeostatic neuroglia, are key keepers of neural tissue homeostasis and fundamental contributors to brain defence in pathological contexts. Failure of astroglial support and defence facilitate the evolution of neurological diseases, which often results in aberrant synaptic transmission, neurodegeneration and death of neurones. In Alzheimer’s disease (AD), astrocytes undergo complex and multifaceted metamorphoses ranging from atrophy with loss of function to reactive astrogliosis with hypertrophy. Astroglial asthenia underlies reduced homeostatic support and neuroprotection that may account for impaired synaptic transmission and neuronal demise. Reactive astrogliosis which mainly develops in astrocytes associated with senile plaque is prominent at the early to moderate stages of AD manifested by mild cognitive impairment; downregulation of astrogliosis (reflecting astroglial paralysis) is associated with late stages of the disease characterised by severe dementia. Cell-specific therapies aimed at boosting astroglial supportive and defensive capabilities and preventing astroglial paralysis may offer new directions in preventing, arresting, or even curing AD-linked neurodegeneration.

© 2019, Springer Science+Business Media, LLC, part of Springer Nature. Objectives. To study the expression of various neurotransmitter transporters (glutamate, aspartate, lactate, choline) in cultures of astrocytes from different part of the brain (cortex, hippocampus, and brainstem) in rats aged three and 11 days. Materials and methods. An experimental study was performed using 24 Rattus norvegicus rats aged three (n = 12) and 11 days (n = 12). High-throughput sequencing results were analyzed. Results. Expression of the glutamate and aspartate transporters in the brainstem in three-day-old rats was greater than in other areas, though the reverse pattern was seen in rats aged 11 days. Expression of the lactate transporter with age was identical to that in the cortex. Conclusions. The data obtained here demonstrated the nature of neuroastrocyte relationships and the role of astrocytes in the process of signal transmission. The results of the study, carried out using original methods of investigating neurotransmitter transporters, allow them to be recommended for monitoring the processes of neurogenesis and neurohomeostasis, including in cerebrovascular and neurodegenerative diseases.

© 2019, Pediatria Ltd. All rights reserved. Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) is an urgent problem due to the high incidence rate, reaching 3–5% in the child population. The article discusses diagnostic criteria for ADHD and manifestation peculiarities in different age periods. It also duscusses etiopathogenesis of ADHD as a multifactorial developmental disorder; reviews main groups of drugs used for the pharmacological correction of the disease, among which nootropics, in particular aminophenylbutyric acid («Anvifen»), occupy a special place. Author discusses and justifies the need for an integrated approach to ADHD treatment, which should combine pharmacotherapy, neuropsychological correction and psychotherapy with a child, parents and teachers.

© 2019, Pediatria Ltd. All rights reserved. In the article the authors present relevant information on the criteria for assessing the activity of juvenile dermatomyositis (JDM) and modern approaches to its treatment. In clinical practice, various scales are currently used to assess the overall JDM activity and severity of damage to various organs, primarily muscles and skin. The article provides modern recommendations for JDM treatment: The use of glucocorticosteroids, disease-modifying antirheumatic drugs (methotrexate, calcineurin inhibitors, cyclophosphamide, mycophenolate mofetil, azathioprine, hydroxychloroquine, intravenous immunoglobulin), genetically engineered drugs (rituximab, infliximab, adalimumab, golimumab, certolizumab, etanercept), as well as promising new drugs and methods of maintenance therapy. The modern JDM treatment algorithm is described.

© 2019, Pleiades Publishing, Ltd. Preterm birth is not only medical, but also a social problem. The global goal of medicine is prevention of preterm labor and identification of risk factors leading to preterm birth. The objective of our study was to find the association between polymorphic markers in the cytokine IL-β, TNF-α, IL-1Ra, and IL-4 genes and development of preterm labor. The prospective study was conducted in 108 pregnant women with the risk of preterm birth. The main group consisted of 66 women whose pregnancy ended with preterm delivery despite the ongoing therapy. The comparison group included 42 women with the full-term delivery. The dominant T allele of the cytokine IL-1β gene polymorphism rs1143634 (3953C→T) was 7.6 times more common in women with preterm delivery vs. the comparison group (36.4 and 4.8%, respectively; RR, 1.802; 95% CI, 1.420–2.288; p < 0.05); its homozygous form was detected only in women with preterm delivery at the very early gestation age (less than 26 weeks). The dominant proinflammatory allele 2R of the IL-1 receptor antagonist gene (IL-1Ra) was 1.5 times more common in women with preterm delivery than in the comparison group (63.6 and 42.8%, respectively; RR, 1.400; 95% CI, 1.009–1.943; p < 0.05), which makes the 2R allele the risk factor for preterm birth. The 2R/2R and 2R/4R genotypes led to a very early and early preterm delivery, respectively. The combination of three or four proinflammatory genotypes was detected only in women with a very early preterm delivery, which confirms that the combination of several proinflammatory genotypes is an extremely unfavorable factor for the full-term pregnancy. Identification of genetic polymorphisms in the interleukin genes at the periconceptional stage will help to prevent the risk of preterm delivery, which will reduce the incidence of preterm births, as well as perinatal morbidity and mortality.

© 2019 Elsevier Ltd Normal pregnancy is associated with an increasing state of activation of the haemostatic system. This activation state is excessive in women with placenta-mediated pregnancy complications (PMPCs), including preeclampsia (PE). Platelet activation plays a crucial pathophysiological role in PE. The very early activation of coagulation in the intervillous space is mandatory for placental growth and morphogenesis but its excesses and/or inadequate control may participate to the emergence of the trophoblastic phenotype of PE. Extracellular vesicles, of endothelial but also of trophoblastic origin, can favour key cellular reactions of preeclampsia, acting as proactive cofactors. The understanding of this intricate relationship between haemostasis activation and PMPCs may provide interesting keys for new pathophysiological therapeutic developments.

© 2019 Elsevier B.V. To date, laser-induced forward transfer (LIFT) is one of the most developing areas in bioprinting. It is based on a precise nozzle-free laser-assisted hydrogel microdroplet transfer. Although this technique was first mentioned in the 1980s, it started to gain popularity in biomedicine only a decade ago. While the interest in LIFT bioprinting is constantly growing, it is essential to provide a framework of its possibilities and limitations. This review aims to facilitate the search for a common language between physicists and biologists and thus become a short guide to using LIFT technology for biomedicine. Here, we compared various points such as lasers, bioinks components, collector substrate, post-treatment, and printing processes that are crucial for LIFT bioprinting and applied in published studies on it. The core of this review is the discussion of biological and physical aspects to fabricate tissues and organs and the not-known difficulties that can be encountered during the laser printing process and were not given sufficient attention earlier.

© 2019, Pediatria Ltd. All rights reserved. Brain–lung–thyroid syndrome (BLTS) is a rare genetic disease associated with mutations in the NKX2.1 gene encoding thyroid transcription factor 1. The most common manifestations of this syndrome are benign hereditary chorea, hypothyroidism and respiratory distress syndrome, however, mutations in the NKX2.1 gene can also cause other pathologies of nervous, respiratory systems and thyroid gland. The article describes 4 patients with mutations in the NKX2.1 gene observed by authors. Based on the analysis of the observations of 168 patients with BLTS presented in the world literature from 1998 to 2019, current information on the genetics, pathogenesis, clinical X-ray manifestations, outcomes and treatment of the syndrome are summarized.

© 2019, Springer Nature B.V. The objective of this study was to determine the impact of polymorphism of CYP3A subfamily isoenzymes (allelic variants of CYP3A4*22 and CYP3A5*3) on the efficacy clopidogrel in patients with an acute coronary syndrome (ACS), who have undergone percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). Platelet activity was determined on a VerifyNow P2Y12 test system in 81 patients with ACS aged 37–91 who had PCI. The activity of CYP3A4/5 was expressed as the ratio of the concentrations of cortisol and 6β-hydroxycortisol was performed by using high performance liquid chromatography. Genotyping was performed by using real-time polymerase real-time chain reaction. The frequencies for the CYP3A5 gene, rs 776746, were identified as follows: 77 (95.1%)—CC, 4 (4.9%)—CT; the allele frequencies by loci for the CYP3A4, rs rs35599367, were as follows: 78 (96.3%)—GG, 3 (3.7%)—AG. There was no statistically significant genotype-dependent difference between the presence of a minor T and G alleles and the presence of clopidogrel resistance (OR 3.53; 95% CI 0.46–26.94; p = 0.233 and p = 0.443, respectively). The average level of the metabolic relationship (6β-hydroxycortisol/cortisol) between the clopidogrel-resistant group and the normal platelet reactivity group was not statistically significantly different: 3.3 ± 2.8 versus 3.2 ± 3.2; p = 0.947. So, the activity of CYP3A4/5 was not related to platelet aggregation rates in this model. Genotyping and phenotyping CYP3A4\CYP3A5 does not predict the antiplatelet effect of clopidogrel. More extensive research is required to establish their clinical relevance.

© 2019 Elsevier Inc. Asialo-human transferrin (asialo-hTf) is a glycoform of the human serum protein transferrin characterized by the lack of the sialic acid (SA) terminal unit. It is known that glycosylation micro-heterogeneity and the presence of SA are strongly involved in protein functioning and pathophysiological activities. Some hTf glycoforms are valuable biomarkers for the detection of both genetic defects of glycosylation and/or sialoform distribution changes. The detection of the carbohydrate deficient transferrin (CDT) glycoforms is currently a widely employed method for the diagnosis of chronic alcohol abuse. The physiological significance of asialo-hTf is still unclear, despite its important biological implications. The current knowledge suggests that asialo-hTf may be involved in regulation of iron transport and release at the hepatic level, which, consequently, could strongly be affected by alcohol consumption. For these reasons, a deeper understanding of asialo-hTf structure and its physiological role is required, and an improved method of its analysis would favor the detection of both chronic abuse and other habits of alcohol intake and/or misuse. Thus, suitable analytical methods possessing higher sensitivity and specificity in comparison with the currently available techniques are certainly recommended. The present review summarizes the studies on asialo-hTf structure, roles, and detection techniques mainly in relation to its possible use as a potentially additional useful biomarker of alcohol abuse, and underlines its prospective value as a forensic and diagnostic tool.