Enhanced Antitumor Immunity in Mice Deficient in CD69

We investigated the in vivo role of CD69 by analyzing the susceptibility of CD69−/− mice to tumors. CD69−/− mice challenged with MHC class I− tumors (RMA-S and RM-1) showed greatly reduced tumor growth and prolonged survival compared with wild-type (WT) mice. The enhanced anti–tumor response was NK cell and T lymphocyte–mediated, and was due, at least in part, to an increase in local lymphocytes. Resistance of CD69−/− mice to MHC class I− tumor growth was also associated with increased production of the chemokine MCP-1, diminished TGF-β production, and decreased lymphocyte apoptosis. Moreover, the in vivo blockade of TGF-β in WT mice resulted in enhanced anti–tumor response. In addition, CD69 engagement induced NK and T cell production of TGF-β, directly linking CD69 signaling to TGF-β regulation. Furthermore, anti-CD69 antibody treatment in WT mice induced a specific down-regulation in CD69 expression that resulted in augmented anti–tumor response. These data unmask a novel role for CD69 as a negative regulator of anti–tumor responses and show the possibility of a novel approach for the therapy of tumors

Anti-RANKL treatment inhibits erosive joint destruction and lowers inflammation but has no effect on bone formation in the delayed-type hypersensitivity arthritis (DTHA) model

BACKGROUND: The aims of the present study were to determine the relationship between bone destruction and bone formation in the delayed-type hypersensitivity arthritis (DTHA) model and to evaluate the effect of receptor activator of nuclear factor κB ligand (RANKL) blockade on severity of arthritis, bone destruction, and bone formation. METHODS: DTHA was induced in C57BL/6 mice. Inflammation, erosive joint damage, and new bone formation were semiquantitatively scored by histology. Osteoclast activity was assessed in vivo, and messenger RNA (mRNA) expression of mediators of bone destruction and bone formation were analyzed by mRNA deep sequencing. Serum concentrations of tartrate-resistant acid phosphatase 5b, carboxy-terminal telopeptide I (CTX-I), matrix metalloproteinase 3 (MMP3), and serum amyloid P component (SAP) were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Anti-RANKL monoclonal antibody treatment was initiated at the time of immunization. RESULTS: Bone destruction (MMP3 serum levels, cathepsin B activity, and RANKL mRNA) peaked at day 3 after arthritis induction, followed by a peak in cartilage destruction and bone erosion on day 5 after arthritis induction. Periarticular bone formation was observed from day 10. Induction of new bone formation indicated by enhanced Runx2, collagen X, osteocalcin, MMP2, MMP9, and MMP13 mRNA expression was observed only between days 8 and 11. Anti-RANKL treatment resulted in a modest reduction in paw and ankle swelling and a reduction of serum levels of SAP, MMP3, and CTX-I. Destruction of the subchondral bone was significantly reduced, while no effect on bone formation was seen. CONCLUSIONS: Anti-RANKL treatment prevents joint destruction but does not prevent new bone formation in the DTHA model. Thus, although occurring sequentially during the course of DTHA, bone destruction and bone formation are apparently not linked in this model

Attenuated expression of tenascin-c in ovalbumin-challenged STAT4-/- mice

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Asthma leads to structural changes in the airways, including the modification of extracellular matrix proteins such as tenascin-C. The role of tenascin-C is unclear, but it might act as an early initiator of airway wall remodelling, as its expression is increased in the mouse and human airways during allergic inflammation. In this study, we examined whether Th1 or Th2 cells are important regulators of tenascin-C in experimental allergic asthma utilizing mice with impaired Th1 (STAT4-/-) or Th2 (STAT6-/-) immunity.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Balb/c wildtype (WT), STAT4-/- and STAT6-/- mice were sensitized with intraperitoneally injected ovalbumin (OVA) followed by OVA or PBS airway challenge. Airway hyperreactivity (AHR) was measured and samples were collected. Real time PCR and immunohistochemistry were used to study cytokines and differences in the expression of tenascin-C. Tenascin-C expression was measured in human fibroblasts after treatment with TNF-α and IFN-γ <it>in vitro</it>.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>OVA-challenged WT mice showed allergic inflammation and AHR in the airways along with increased expression of TNF-α, IFN-γ, IL-4 and tenascin-C in the lungs. OVA-challenged STAT4-/- mice exhibited elevated AHR and pulmonary eosinophilia. The mRNA expression of TNF-α and IFN-γ was low, but the expression of IL-4 was significantly elevated in these mice. OVA-challenged STAT6-/- mice had neither AHR nor pulmonary eosinophilia, but had increased expression of mRNA for TNF-α, IFN-γ and IL-4. The expression of tenascin-C in the lungs of OVA-challenged STAT4-/- mice was weaker than in those of OVA-challenged WT and STAT6-/- mice suggesting that TNF-α and IFN-γ may regulate tenascin-C expression <it>in vivo</it>. The stimulation of human fibroblasts with TNF-α and IFN-γ induced the expression of tenascin-C confirming our <it>in vivo </it>findings.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Expression of tenascin-C is significantly attenuated in the airways of STAT4-/- mice, which may be due to the impaired secretion of TNF-α and IFN-γ in these mice.</p

Homozygous loss-of-function variants in FILIP1 cause autosomal recessive arthrogryposis multiplex congenita with microcephaly

Arthrogryposis multiplex congenita forms a broad group of clinically and etiologically heterogeneous disorders characterized by congenital joint contractures that involve at least two different parts of the body. Neurological and muscular disorders are commonly underlying arthrogryposis. Here, we report five affected individuals from three independent families sharing an overlapping phenotype with congenital contractures affecting shoulder, elbow, hand, hip, knee and foot as well as scoliosis, reduced palmar and plantar skin folds, microcephaly and facial dysmorphism. Using exome sequencing, we identified homozygous truncating variants in FILIP1 in all patients. FILIP1 is a regulator of filamin homeostasis required for the initiation of cortical cell migration in the developing neocortex and essential for the differentiation process of cross-striated muscle cells during myogenesis. In summary, our data indicate that bi-allelic truncating variants in FILIP1 are causative of a novel autosomal recessive disorder and expand the spectrum of genetic factors causative of arthrogryposis multiplex congenita

Clinical, Neuroimaging, and Metabolic Footprint of the Neurodevelopmental Disorder Caused by Monoallelic HK1 Variants

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Hexokinase 1 (encoded by HK1) catalyzes the first step of glycolysis, the adenosine triphosphate-dependent phosphorylation of glucose to glucose-6-phosphate. Monoallelic HK1 variants causing a neurodevelopmental disorder (NDD) have been reported in 12 individuals. METHODS We investigated clinical phenotypes, brain MRIs, and the CSF of 15 previously unpublished individuals with monoallelic HK1 variants and an NDD phenotype. RESULTS All individuals had recurrent variants likely causing gain-of-function, representing mutational hot spots. Eight individuals (c.1370C>T) had a developmental and epileptic encephalopathy with infantile onset and virtually no development. Of the other 7 individuals (n = 6: c.1334C>T; n = 1: c.1240G>A), 3 adults showed a biphasic course of disease with a mild static encephalopathy since early childhood and an unanticipated progressive deterioration with, e.g., movement disorder, psychiatric disease, and stroke-like episodes, epilepsy, starting in adulthood. Individuals who clinically presented in the first months of life had (near)-normal initial neuroimaging and severe cerebral atrophy during follow-up. In older children and adults, we noted progressive involvement of basal ganglia including Leigh-like MRI patterns and cerebellar atrophy, with remarkable intraindividual variability. The CSF glucose and the CSF/blood glucose ratio were below the 5th percentile of normal in almost all CSF samples, while blood glucose was unremarkable. This biomarker profile resembles glucose transporter type 1 deficiency syndrome; however, in HK1-related NDD, CSF lactate was significantly increased in all patients resulting in a substantially different biomarker profile. DISCUSSION Genotype-phenotype correlations appear to exist for HK1 variants and can aid in counseling. A CSF biomarker profile with low glucose, low CSF/blood glucose, and high CSF lactate may point toward monoallelic HK1 variants causing an NDD. This can help in variant interpretation and may aid in understanding the pathomechanism. We hypothesize that progressive intoxication and/or ongoing energy deficiency lead to the clinical phenotypes and progressive neuroimaging findings

Evolutional and clinical implications of the epigenetic regulation of protein glycosylation

Protein N glycosylation is an ancient posttranslational modification that enriches protein structure and function. The addition of one or more complex oligosaccharides (glycans) to the backbones of the majority of eukaryotic proteins makes the glycoproteome several orders of magnitude more complex than the proteome itself. Contrary to polypeptides, which are defined by a sequence of nucleotides in the corresponding genes, glycan parts of glycoproteins are synthesized by the activity of hundreds of factors forming a complex dynamic network. These are defined by both the DNA sequence and the modes of regulating gene expression levels of all the genes involved in N glycosylation. Due to the absence of a direct genetic template, glycans are particularly versatile and apparently a large part of human variation derives from differences in protein glycosylation. However, composition of the individual glycome is temporally very constant, indicating the existence of stable regulatory mechanisms. Studies of epigenetic mechanisms involved in protein glycosylation are still scarce, but the results suggest that they might not only be important for the maintenance of a particular glycophenotype through cell division and potentially across generations but also for the introduction of changes during the adaptive evolution

Trends in pediatric epilepsy surgery in Europe between 2008 and 2015: Country‐, center‐, and age‐specific variation

OBJECTIVE: To profile European trends in pediatric epilepsy surgery (<16 years of age) between 2008 and 2015. METHODS: We collected information on volumes and types of surgery, pathology, and seizure outcome from 20 recognized epilepsy surgery reference centers in 10 European countries. RESULTS: We analyzed retrospective aggregate data on 1859 operations. The proportion of surgeries significantly increased over time (P < .0001). Engel class I outcome was achieved in 69.3% of children, with no significant improvement between 2008 and 2015. The proportion of histopathological findings consistent with glial scars significantly increased between the ages of 7 and 16 years (P for trend = .0033), whereas that of the remaining pathologies did not vary across ages. A significant increase in unilobar extratemporal surgeries (P for trend = .0047) and a significant decrease in unilobar temporal surgeries (P for trend = .0030) were observed between 2008 and 2015. Conversely, the proportion of multilobar surgeries and unrevealing magnetic resonance imaging cases remained unchanged. Invasive investigations significantly increased, especially stereo‐electroencephalography. We found different trends comparing centers starting their activity in the 1990s to those whose programs were developed in the past decade. Multivariate analysis revealed a significant variability of the proportion of the different pathologies and surgical approaches across countries, centers, and age groups between 2008 and 2015. SIGNIFICANCE: Between 2008 and 2015, we observed a significant increase in the volume of pediatric epilepsy surgeries, stability in the proportion of Engel class I outcomes, and a modest increment in complexity of the procedures

Mutations in GABRB3

Objective: To examine the role of mutations in GABRB3 encoding the b3 subunit of the GABAA receptor in individual patients with epilepsy with regard to causality, the spectrum of genetic variants, their pathophysiology, and associated phenotypes. Methods: We performed massive parallel sequencing of GABRB3 in 416 patients with a range of epileptic encephalopathies and childhood-onset epilepsies and recruited additional patients with epilepsy with GABRB3 mutations from other research and diagnostic programs. Results: We identified 22 patients with heterozygous mutations in GABRB3, including 3 probands frommultiplex families. The phenotypic spectrum of the mutation carriers ranged from simple febrile seizures, genetic epilepsies with febrile seizures plus, and epilepsy withmyoclonic-atonic seizures to West syndrome and other types of severe, early-onset epileptic encephalopathies. Electrophysiologic analysis of 7 mutations in Xenopus laevis oocytes, using coexpression of wild-type or mutant beta(3), together with alpha(5) and gamma(2s) subunits and an automated 2-microelectrode voltage-clamp system, revealed reduced GABA-induced current amplitudes or GABA sensitivity for 5 of 7 mutations. Conclusions: Our results indicate that GABRB3 mutations are associated with a broad phenotypic spectrum of epilepsies and that reduced receptor function causing GABAergic disinhibition represents the relevant disease mechanism

Clinical Characterization and Long-Term Outcome in Children and Adults With Anti-AMPA Receptor Encephalitis.

Anti-alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole-propionic acid receptor (anti-AMPAR) encephalitis manifests as limbic encephalitis in adults and is often associated with cancer. Although some reports suggest that it may occur in children, the clinical features in this population, as well as the prognostic factors and long-term outcomes in children and adults, are unknown. We performed a retrospective, international collaborative study of patients with anti-AMPAR encephalitis. Clinical information was reviewed, together with data from published pediatric patients. Clinical features of children and adults were compared with nonparametric tests. Survival rates (Kaplan-Meier curves) were compared using log-rank tests. Prognostic factors of poor outcome (modified Rankin Scale score &gt;2) were identified using logistic regression models. A total of 115 patients were included, of whom 84 (71 adults, 13 children) had only AMPAR antibodies and 31 (27 adults, 4 children) had additional concurrent neural antibodies. Among patients with AMPAR antibodies alone, tumors were identified in 37 adults (56%) and none of the children (p &lt; 0.0001). Children were more likely than adults to have behavioral/psychiatric symptoms (5/13, 39%, vs 8/71, 11%, p = 0.026) at onset, cerebellar dysfunction (6/13, 46%, vs 7/68, 10% p = 0.005) or movement disorders (5/13, 39%, vs 8/67, 12%, p = 0.032) during the disease course, and extratemporal brain MRI lesions (4/9, 44%, vs 5/44, 11%, p = 0.035). Among 34 patients with prolonged follow-up (&gt;24 months), long-term neurocognitive sequelae were reported in 23 (68%), all adults. Failure to respond to first-line immunotherapy at multivariable analysis predicted a poor outcome (OR 8.0, 95% CI 1.1-59.2, p = 0.043). Among the 31 patients with concurrent neural autoantibodies, 22 (79%) had a tumor; those with high-risk antibodies had lower survival rates (p = 0.008). Children and adults with anti-AMPAR encephalitis show distinct clinical-radiologic features. At long-term follow-up, 68% of patients, all adults, have neurologic sequelae, with failure to respond to first-line immunotherapy being associated with worse outcomes

IL-17 Produced during Trypanosoma cruzi Infection Plays a Central Role in Regulating Parasite-Induced Myocarditis

Chagas disease is caused by the intracellular parasite Trypanosoma cruzi. This infection has been considered one of the most neglected diseases and affects several million people in the Central and South America. Around 30% of the infected patients develop digestive and cardiac forms of the disease. Most patients are diagnosed during the chronic phase, when the treatment is not effective. Here, we showed by the first time that IL-17 is produced during experimental T. cruzi infection and that it plays a significant role in host defense, modulating parasite-induced myocarditis. Applying this analysis to humans could be of great value in unraveling the elements involved in the pathogenesis of chagasic cardiopathy and could be used in the development of alternative therapies to reduce morbidity during the chronic phase of the disease, as well as clinical markers of disease progression. The understanding of these aspects of disease may be helpful in reducing the disability-adjusted life years (DALYs) and costs to the public health service in developing countries