Genetic mutation of Tas2r104/Tas2r105/Tas2r114 cluster leads to a loss of taste perception to denatonium benzoate and cucurbitacin B

Background:Bitter taste receptors(Tas2rs)are generally considered to sense various bitter compounds to escape the intake of toxic substances.Bitter taste receptors have been found to widely express in extraoral tissues and have important physiological functions outside the gustatory system in vivo.Methods:To investigate the physiological functions of the bitter taste receptor cluster Tas2r106/Tas2r104/Tas2r105/Tas2r114 in lingual and extraoral tissues,multiple Tas2rs mutant mice and Gnat3 were produced using CRISPR/Cas9 gene-editing technique.A mixture containing Cas9 and sgRNA mRNAs for Tas2rs and Gnat3 gene was microinjected into the cytoplasm of the zygotes.Then,T7EN1 assays and sequencing were used to screen genetic mutation at the target sites in founder mice.Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction(qRT-PCR)and immunostaining were used to study the expression level of taste signaling cascade and bitter taste receptor in taste buds.Perception to taste substance was also studied using twobottle preference tests.Results:We successfully produced several Tas2rs and Gnat3 mutant mice using the CRISPR/Cas9 technique.Immunostaining results showed that the expression of GNAT3 and PLCB2 was not altered in Tas2rs mutant mice.But qRT-PCR results revealed the changed expression profile of m Tas2rs gene in taste buds of these mutant mice.With two-bottle preference tests,these mutant mice eliminate responses to cycloheximide due to genetic mutation of Tas2r105.In addition,these mutant mice showed a loss of taste perception to quinine dihydrochloride,denatonium benzoate,and cucurbitacin B(CuB).Gnat3-mediated taste receptor and its signal pathway contribute to CuB perception.Conclusions:These findings implied that these mutant mice would be a valuable means to understand the biological functions of TAS2Rs in extraoral tissues and investigate bitter compound-induced responses mediated by these TAS2Rs in many extraoral tissues.

Genetic variants of innate immune receptors and infections after liver transplantation

Infection is the leading cause of complication after liver transplantation, causing morbidity and mortality in the first months after surgery. Allograft rejection is mediated through adaptive immunological responses, and thus immunosuppressive therapy is necessary after transplantation. In this setting, the presence of genetic variants of innate immunity receptors may increase the risk of post-transplant infection, in comparison with patients carrying wild-type alleles. Numerous studies have investigated the role of genetic variants of innate immune receptors and the risk of complication after liver transplantation, but their results are discordant. Tolllike receptors and mannose-binding lectin are arguably the most important studied molecules; however, many other receptors could increase the risk of infection after transplantation. In this article, we review the published studies analyzing the impact of genetic variants in the innate immune system on the development of infectious complications after liver transplantation.

9例儿童雄激素不敏感综合征临床特点和遗传学特点分析

目的 分析雄激素不敏感综合征(androgen insensitivity syndrome, AIS)患者的临床资料和遗传学结果。方法 收集2017—2022年在江西省儿童医院就诊的9例AIS患者临床资料,完善相关实验室检查及性腺、腹股沟彩超,并进行基因突变检测。结果 9例患者染色体均为男性核型,其中7例患者的社会性别为女性,2例为男性;所有患者就诊原因均有腹股沟斜疝(或伴有性别模糊),均发现AR基因突变,病例1为新突变(p.R608fs*18)。66.6%(6/9)的AIS患者突变位于配体结合域(ligand binding domain, LDB),80%(4/5)的完全型雄激素不敏感综合征患者突变位于LBD,50.0%(2/4)的部分型雄激素不敏感综合征患者突变位于LBD。55.5%(5/9)AIS患者突变类型为错义突变。结论 错义突变为AR基因常见突变类型,LBD是AIS的主要突变部位,外生殖器表现为女性患者,如发现腹股沟斜疝,应常规行性腺及腹股沟彩超检查以排外AIS。

吉林地区朝、满、汉3个民族KIR基因的分布频率研究

目的通过分析吉林地区汉族、满族及朝鲜族的杀伤细胞免疫球蛋白样受体(KIR)基因的频率与多态性,为探究KIR基因与疾病关联提供基础数据支持。方法采用聚合酶链反应-序列特异性引物(PCR-SSP)技术对吉林地区129名满族、198名朝鲜族及201名汉族人群的KIR基因进行分型。结果KIR3DL2、KIR3DL3、KIR3DP1及KIR2DL4在所有检测对象中均为100%检出。KIR2DL1、KIR2DL3、KIR2DS4、KIR3DL1及KIR2DP1等基因在这3个民族中的检出频率较高,介于93%~98%之间。相比之下,KIR2DL2、KIR2DL5、KIR3DS1、KIR2DS1、KIR2DS2、KIR2DS3及KIR2DS5的检出率较低,分布在13%~45%。特别是满族KIR2DL5(17.83%)与KIR2DS1(17.83%)的基因检出频率显著低于吉林地区朝鲜族(42.93%、47.47%)和汉族(33.83%、33.33%);吉林地区朝鲜族KIR2DL5(42.93%)与KIR2DS1(47.47%)的检出频率显著高于汉族(33.83%、33.33%)和满族(17.83%、17.83%);吉林地区汉族单体型KIRAA的频率在吉林3个受检民族中是最高的为61.19%,显著高于朝鲜族(42.93%),以上各组差异比较P<0.05,经Bonferroni校正后,Pc<0.05。结论吉林地区的朝鲜族、满族与汉族在KIR基因分布方面既体现了中国人群KIR基因多态性,又各自展示了独特的民族遗传特性和地域性。

CSF1R基因突变致ALSP发病研究进展

成人发病的白质脑病合并轴索球样变和色素性胶质细胞(adult-onset leukoencephalopathy with axonal spheroids and pigmented glia,ALSP)是临床罕见的常染色体显性遗传病,其具体的发病机制目前还未明确。集落刺激因子1受体(colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor,CSF1R)是一种细胞表面跨膜酪氨酸激酶受体,与其相关的编码基因突变已被证实是ALSP的潜在致病因素。然而,目前关于CSF1R基因突变致使ALSP发病的具体机制尚不清楚。本文回顾CSF1R基因在ALSP发病过程中的突变位点及致病机制研究,发现CSF1R突变可以通过显性负性效应、功能丧失、单倍体剂量不足及功能获得等机制导致小胶质细胞功能异常,进而引起ALSP的发病。对ALSP病因的深入认识有助于更好地探索潜在的治疗方法。

VDR基因多态性与宫颈病变及HPV感染转归的相关性

目的 分析维生素D受体(vitamin D receptor, VDR)基因多态性与宫颈病变的关系,并探讨其对高危型人乳头瘤病毒(high risk-human papillomavirus, HR-HPV)感染转归的影响。方法 选取2020年9月至2021年10月于山西医科大学第二医院行阴道镜检查的患者376例,将病理结果示慢性宫颈炎和宫颈上皮内瘤变Ⅰ级者设为对照组(188例),宫颈上皮内瘤变Ⅱ级及以上者(CINⅡ+)为病例组(188例)。收集患者外周静脉血行VDR基因多态性检测,包括FOKI、BsmL、Apal和Taql的单核苷酸多态性(single nucleotide polymorphisms, SNPs)位点,分析VDR基因多态性与宫颈病变的关系。对选择行宫颈锥形切除术进行治疗的142例CINⅡ-Ⅲ级患者的HPV转归情况进行6个月的随访,根据随访结果分为HPV转阴者和同一型别HPV持续感染者,即转阴组和持续感染组,分析VDR基因多态性是否影响HPV感染的转归。结果 随访结果显示,104例患者的HPV感染呈转阴状态,33例患者持续感染同一型别的HPV,而另外5例患者则感染了其他型别的HPV。VDR基因多态性检测结果表明,FOKI SNPs ff基因型及f等位基因与CINⅡ+发生显著相关(P<0.05),并且与HR-HPV持续感染相关(P<0.05);TaqI SNPs tt及Tt基因型均增加CINⅡ+发生的风险(P<0.05),t等位基因与CINⅡ+发生风险增加有关(P<0.05),但与HPV持续感染未见相关性(P>0.05)。结论 VDR基因多态性与宫颈病变及HR-HPV感染转归相关,其中FOKI SNPs ff基因型及f等位基因和TaqI SNPs tt、Tt基因型及t等位基因与宫颈病变的发生存在关联,并且FOKI SNPs ff基因型及f等位基因可能影响HR-HPV感染的转归结果。

PD-L1高表达伴EGFR与KRAS共突变晚期肺肉瘤样癌1例并文献复习

目的探讨程序性死亡配体-1(PD-L1)高表达伴表皮生长因子受体(EGFR)与Kirsten大鼠肉瘤病毒癌基因同源物(KRAS)共突变肺肉瘤样癌(PSC)的诊断和治疗。方法回顾性分析1例PD-L1高表达伴EGFR与KRAS共突变的晚期PSC病人,结合相关的文献复习,总结其诊治经过及治疗经验。结果病人经化疗、放疗、免疫治疗和靶向治疗等综合治疗,病情得到有效控制,总生存期已达29个月。结论晚期PSC具有显著的异质性,综合治疗可为病人带来更好的生存获益,而肿瘤组织的动态基因检测有助于指导治疗药物的选择。基于多重荧光免疫组织化学检测的肿瘤微环境分型对免疫治疗效果的预测作用有待进一步验证。

A Study on Exon 17 and 20 of the Insulin Receptor Gene Variations in Patients with Acanthosis Nigricans and Their Close Relatives

Objective: To explore the relationship between the insulin resistance and thedefects or mutations or mutations in insulin receptor (InsR)gene. Methods: Using the single-strandconformation polymorphism(SSCP), mutations and polymorphisms were detected in nine patients withacan-thosis nigricans (AN) and their first degree relatives in exon 17 and 20 of InsR gene. Thepolymorphisms and mutations were confirmed by DNA direct sequencing. Results: Fourteen variant SSCPpat-terns were detected. Direct sequencing revealed seven point mutations and six silentpolymorphisms. Five of the mutations appeared not to be mentioned in the previous literature. Thesemutations were all located within the domain of tyrokinase in InsR. Conclusion: It seem to us thatalmost all the AN patients with severe insulin resistance in this study have mutations in InsRtyrokinase domain.

Genomic profiling of colorectal cancer in large-scale Chinese patients:amplification and somatic mutations in ERBB2

Objectives:Human epidermal growth factor receptor 2(HER2)-targeted therapies have demonstrated potential benefits for metastatic colorectal cancer(mCRC)patients with HER2 amplification,but are not satisfactory in cases of HER2 mutant CRCs.Methods:Consequently,further elucidation of amplifications and somatic mutations in erythroblastic oncogene B-2(ERBB2)is imperative.Comprehensive genomic profiling was conducted on 2454 Chinese CRC cases to evaluate genomic alterations in 733 cancer-related genes,tumor mutational burden,microsatellite instability,and programmed death ligand 1(PD-L1)expression.Results:Among 2454 CRC patients,85 cases(3.46%)exhibited ERBB2 amplification,and 55 cases(2.24%)carried ERBB2 mutation.p.R678Q(28%),p.V8421(24%),and p.S310F/Y(12%)were the most prevalent of the 16 detected mutation sites.In comparison to the ERBB2 altered(alt)group,KRAS/BRAF mutations were more prevalent in ERBB2 wild-type(wt)samples(ERBB2wt vs.ERBB2alt,KRAS:50.9%vs.25.6%,p<0.05;BRAF:8.5%vs.2.3%,p<0.05).32.7%(18/55)of CRCs with ERBB2 mutation exhibited microsatellite instability high(MSI-H),while no cases with HER2 amplification displayed MSI-H.Mutant genes varied between ERBB2 copy number variation(CNV)and ERBB2 single nucleotide variant(SNV);TP53 alterations tended to co-occur with ERBB2 amplification(92.3%)as opposed to ERBB2 mutation(58.3%).KRAS and PIK3CA alterations were more prevalent in ERBB2 SNV cases(KRAS/PIK3CA:45.8%/31.2%)compared to ERBB2 amplification cases(KRAS/PIK3CA:14.1%/7.7%).Conclusion:Our study delineates the landscape of HER2 alterations in a large-scale cohort of CRC patients from China.These findings enhance our understanding of the molecular features of Chinese CRC patients and offer valuable implications for further investigation.

Team players in the pathogenesis of metabolic dysfunctionsassociated steatotic liver disease:The basis of development of pharmacotherapy

Nutrient metabolism is regulated by several factors.Social determinants of health with or without genetics are the primary regulator of metabolism,and an unhealthy lifestyle affects all modulators and mediators,leading to the adaptation and finally to the exhaustion of cellular functions.Hepatic steatosis is defined by presence of fat in more than 5%of hepatocytes.In hepatocytes,fat is stored as triglycerides in lipid droplet.Hepatic steatosis results from a combination of multiple intracellular processes.In a healthy individual nutrient metabolism is regulated at several steps.It ranges from the selection of nutrients in a grocery store to the last step of consumption of ATP as an energy or as a building block of a cell as structural component.Several hormones,peptides,and genes have been described that participate in nutrient metabolism.Several enzymes participate in each nutrient metabolism as described above from ingestion to generation of ATP.As of now several publications have revealed very intricate regulation of nutrient metabolism,where most of the regulatory factors are tied to each other bidirectionally,making it difficult to comprehend chronological sequence of events.Insulin hormone is the primary regulator of all nutrients’metabolism both in prandial and fasting states.Insulin exerts its effects directly and indirectly on enzymes involved in the three main cellular function processes;metabolic,inflammation and repair,and cell growth and regeneration.Final regulators that control the enzymatic functions through stimulation or suppression of a cell are nuclear receptors in especially farnesoid X receptor and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor/RXR ligands,adiponectin,leptin,and adiponutrin.Insulin hormone has direct effect on these final modulators.Whereas blood glucose level,serum lipids,incretin hormones,bile acids in conjunction with microbiota are intermediary modulators which are controlled by lifestyle.The purpose of this review is to overview the key players in the pathogenesis of metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease(MASLD)that help us understand the disease natural course,risk stratification,role of lifestyle and pharmacotherapy in each individual patient with MASLD to achieve personalized care and target the practice of precision medicine.PubMed and Google Scholar databases were used to identify publication related to metabolism of carbohydrate and fat in states of health and disease states;MASLD,cardiovascular disease and cancer.More than 1000 publications including original research and review papers were reviewed.

神经营养因子赖氨酸激酶受体1型基因突变致先天性无痛无汗症1例并文献复习

目的 报告先天性无痛无汗症(CIPA)1例并文献复习,增加其病因及临床特点的了解,减少误诊误治。方法 采集2021年12月安徽省儿童医院收治的病儿及其父母外周血进行医学全外显子组基因检测,并对候选基因变异进行Sanger测序验证。结果 基因分子遗传学分析结果提示病儿在神经营养因子赖氨酸激酶受体1型(NTRK1)中存在2个分别来自父母双方的杂合突变(c.575-19G>A和c.444C>A),结合病儿临床表现符合CIPA。结论 CIPA为单基因遗传病,临床罕见,基因分子遗传学分析有助于诊断。

Immunogenetic characteristics of patients with autoimmune gastritis

AIM:To explore whether predisposition to autoimmune gastritis (AIG) is found in human leukocyte antigen (HLA), cytokine or killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptor (KIR) gene variations.METHODS: Twelve Finnish patients with autoimmunetype severe atrophy of the gastric corpus were included. The patients' serum was analyzed for pepsinogen-interleukin (IL)-1 gene cluster, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12, interferon γ, transforming growth factor β, and tumor necrosis factor α. Variation in KIR genes was also explored. The results were compared with prevalence of the polymorphisms in Finnish or European populations.RESULTS: All patients had pepsinogen-CONCLUSION: As explored with modern DNA-based methods, HLA-DRB1*04 and DQB1*03 alleles, but not HLA-B8-DRB1*03, may predispose to AIG.

Association of Serotonin Receptors with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder： A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder （ADHD） is one of the most common mental disorders in childhood, with a high heritability about 60% to 90%. Serotonin is a monoamine neurotransmitter. Numerous studies have reported the association between the serotonin receptor family （5-HTR） gene polymorphisms and ADHD, but the results are still controversial. In this study, we conducted a meta-analysis of the association between 5-HTRIB, 5-HTR2A, and 5-HTR2C genetic variants and ADHD. The results showed that the 861G allele of 5-HTRIB SNP rs6296 could significantly increase the risk of ADHD （OR= 1.09, 95% CI： 1.01-1.18）; the 5-HTR2C gene rs518147 （OR=1.69, 95% CI： 1.38-2.07） and rs3813929 （OR = 1.57, 95% CI： 1.25-1.97） were all associated with the risk of ADHD. In addition, we also carried on a case- control study to explore the relevance between potential candidate genes 5-HTR1A, 5-HTRIE, 5-HTR3A and ADHD. The results indicated that 5-HTRIA rs6295 genotype （CC＋CG vs. GG OR=Z00, 95% CI： 1.23-3.27） and allele （OR=1.77, 95% CI： 1.16-2.72） models were statistically significantly different between case group and control group. This study is the first comprehensive exploration and summary of the association between serotonin receptor family genetic variations and ADHD, and it also provides more evidence for the etiology of ADHD.

Fibroblast growth factor receptor 4 Gly388Arg polymorphism in Chinese gastric cancer patients

AIM: To investigate the contribution of the fibroblast growth factor receptor 4 (FGFR4) Gly388Arg polymorphism as a genetic risk factor for gastric cancer (GC) and to investigate any associations between this polymorphism and clinicopathological parameters and survival. METHODS: Tumors and matched adjacent non-cancer tissues were collected from 304 GC patients, and 5 mL of venous blood was collected from 62 GC patients and 392 ageand sex-matched healthy controls without cancer history from the same ethnic population. DNA was extracted, and direct sequencing analyses were performed to genotype the FGFR4 Gly388Arg polymorphism in all the samples. Differences in the genotype frequencies of the FGFR4 Gly388Arg polymorphism between GC patients and healthy controls were estimated using the χ 2 test. Binary logistic regression was used for all analysis variables to estimate risk as the ORs with 95%CIs. The relationships between the FGFR4 genotype and clinicopathological parameters were tested with the χ 2 test. The Kaplan-Meier product-limit method, the log-rank test, and the Cox regression model were applied to evaluate the effect of the FGFR4 genotype on the overall survival of patients with GC. RESULTS: In the present GC cohort, 118 patients (38.8%) were homozygous for the Gly388 allele, 124 patients (40.8%) were heterozygous, and 62 patients (20.4%) were homozygous for the Arg388 allele. The frequencies of the Gly/Gly, Gly/Arg, and Arg/Arg genotypes in the healthy controls were 33.6%, 48.0%, and 18.4%, respectively. The distributions of genotypes (χ 2 = 3.589, P = 0.166) and alleles (χ 2 = 0.342, P = 0.559) of the FGFR4 Gly388Arg polymorphism were not different between the GC patients and the healthy controls. Although we observed no correlation between the FGFR4 Gly388Arg polymorphism and clinicopathological parameters or survival in the total cohort of GC patients, the presence of the Arg388 allele was associated with shorter survival time in patients with GC if the tumor was small (log rank χ 2 = 5.449, P = 0.020), well differentiated (log rank χ 2 = 12.798, P = 0.000), T1 or T2 stage (log rank χ 2 = 4.745, P = 0.029), without lymph node involvement (log rank χ 2 = 6.647, P = 0.010), and at an early clinical stage (log rank χ 2 = 4.615, P = 0.032). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that the FGFR4 Gly388Arg polymorphism is not a risk factor for GC cancer initiation but that it is a useful prognostic marker for GC patients when the tumor is relatively small, well differentiated, or at an early clinical stage.

Role of androgen receptor in prostate cancer

The growth of prostate cancer is sensitive to androgen, and hormonal therapy has been used for treatment of ad-vanced cancer. About 80% of prostate cancers initially respond to hormonal therapy, howerver, more than half of the re-sponders gradually become resistant to this therapy. Changes in tumors from an androgen-responsive to an androgen-unre-sponsive state have been widely discussed. Since androgen action is mediated by androgen receptor (AR), abnormalitiesof AR is believed to play an important role of the loss of androgen responsiveness in prostate cancer. This article focusedon the role of AR in the progression of prostate cancer. (Asian J Androl 1999 Sep; 1: 81-85)

Toll-like receptor 4 polymorphisms and bacterial infections in patients with cirrhosis and ascites

AIM To assess the relationship between the presence of toll-like receptor 4(TLR4) polymorphisms and bacterial infections in cirrhotic patients with ascites. METHODS We prospectively included consecutive patients with cirrhosis and ascites hospitalized during a 6-year period. Patients with human immunodeficiency virus(HIV) infection or any other immunodeficiency, patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma(beyond Milan's criteria) or any other condition determining poor short-term prognosis, and patients with a permanent urinary catheter were excluded. The presence of D299 G and/or T399 I TLR4 polymorphisms was determined by sequencing and related to the incidence and probability of bacterial infections, other complications of cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma, and mortality during follow-up. A multivariate analysis to identify predictive variables of mortality in the whole series was performed. RESULTS We included 258 patients: 28(10.8%) were carriers of D299G and/or T399I TLR4 polymorphisms(polymorphism group) and 230 patients were not(wildtype group). The probability of developing any bacterial infection at one-year follow-up was 78% in the polymorphism group and 69% in the wild-type group(P = 0.54). The one-year probability of presenting infections caused by gram-negative bacilli(51% vs 44%, P = 0.68), infections caused by gram-positive cocci(49% vs 40%, P = 0.53), and spontaneous bacterial peritonitis(29% vs 34%, respectively, P = 0.99) did not differ between the two groups. The oneyear probability of transplant-free survival was 55% in the polymorphism group and 66% in the wild-type group(P = 0.15). Multivariate analysis confirmed that age, Child-Pugh score, active alcohol intake, previous hepatic encephalopathy, hepatocellular carcinoma and serum creatinine were associated with a higher risk of death during follow-up. CONCLUSION Genetic polymorphisms D299 G and/or T399 I of TLR4 do not seem to play a relevant role in the predisposition of cirrhotic patients with ascites to bacterial infections.

Novel genetic markers in inflammatory bowel disease

Genetic factors play a significant role in determining inflammatory bowel disease(IBD)susceptibility.Epidemiologic data support genetic contribution to the pathogenesis of IBD,which include familial aggregation,twin studies,racial and ethnic differences in disease prevalence.Linkage studies have identified several susceptibility genes contained in different genomic regions named IBD1 to IBD9.Nucleotide oligomerization domain(NOD2)and human leukocyte antigen(HLA)genes are the most extensively studied genetic regions(IBD1 and IBD3 respectively)in IBD.Mutations of the NOD2 gene are associated with Crohn's disease(CD)and several HLA genes are associated with ulcerative colitis(UC)and CD.Toll like receptors(TLRs)have an important role in the innate immune response against infections by mediating recognition of pathogen-associated microbial patterns.Studying single-nucleotide polymorphisms(SNPs)in molecules involved in bacterial recognition seems to be essential to define genetic backgrounds at risk of IBD.Recently,numerous new genes have been identified to be involved in the genetic susceptibility to IBD:NOD1/Caspase-activation recruitment domains 4(CARD4),Chemokine ligand 20(CCL20),IL-11,and IL-18 among others.The characterization of these novel genes potentially will lead to the identification of therapeutic agents and clinical assessment of phenotype and prognosis in patients with IBD.

The genetic framework for development of nephrolithiasis

Over 1%-15% of the population worldwide is affected by nephrolithiasis,which remains the most common and costly disease that urologists manage today.Identification of atrisk individuals remains a theoretical and technological challenge.The search for monogenic causes of stone disease has been largely unfruitful and a technological challenge;however,several candidate genes have been implicated in the development of nephrolithiasis.In this review,we will review current data on the genetic inheritance of stone disease,as well as investigate the evolving role of genetic analysis and counseling in the management of nephrolithiasis.

Replication of interleukin 23 receptor and autophagy-related 16-like 1 association in adult-and pediatric-onset inflammatory bowel disease in Italy

AIM: To investigate gene variants in a large Italian inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) cohort, and to analyze the correlation of sub-phenotypes (including age at diagnosis) and epistatic interaction with other IBD genes. METHODS: Total of 763 patients with Crohn's disease (CD, 189 diagnosed at age < 19 years), 843 with ulcerative colitis (UC, 179 diagnosed <19 years), 749 healthy controls, and 546 healthy parents (273 trios) were included in the study. The rs2241880 [autophagy-related 16-like 1 (ATG16L1)], rs11209026 and rs7517847 [interleukin 23 receptor (IL23R)], rs2066844, rs2066845, rs2066847 (CARD15), rs1050152 (OCTN1), and rs2631367 (OCTN2) gene variants were genotyped. RESULTS: The frequency of G allele of ATG16L1 SNP (Ala197Thr) was increased in patients with CD compared with controls (59% vs 54% respectively) (OR = 1.25, CI = 1.08-1.45, P = 0.003), but not in UC (55%). The frequency of A and G (minor) alleles of Arg381Gln, rs11209026 and rs7517847 variants of IL23R were reduced significantly in CD (4%, OR = 0.62, CI = 0.45-0.87, P = 0.005; 28%, OR = 0.64, CI = 0.55-0.75, P < 0.01), compared with controls (6% and 38%, respectively). The A allele (but not G) was also reduced signifi cantly in UC (4%, OR = 0.69, CI = 0.5-0.94, P = 0.019). No association was demonstrated with sub-phenotypes and interaction with CARD15 , and OCTN1/2 genes, although both gene variants were associated with pediatric-onset disease. CONCLUSION: The present study confirms the association of IL23R polymorphisms with IBD, and ATG16L1 with CD, in both adult- and pediatric-onset subsets in our study population.

Ephrin A2 receptor targeting does not increase adenoviral pancreatic cancer transduction in vivo

AIM:To generate an adenoviral vector specifically targeting the EphA2 receptor(EphA2R) highly expressed on pancreatic cancer cells in vivo.METHODS:YSA,a small peptide ligand that binds the EphA2R with high affinity,was inserted into the HI loop of the adenovirus serotype 5 fiber knob.To further increase the specificity of this vector,binding sites for native adenoviral receptors,the coxsackie and adenovirus receptor(CAR) and integrin,were ablated from the viral capsid.The ablated retargeted adenoviral vector was produced on 293T cells.Specifi c targeting of this novel adenoviral vector to pancreatic cancer was investigated on established human pancreatic cancer cell lines.Upon demonstrating specifi c in vitro targeting,in vivo targeting to subcutaneous growing human pancreatic cancer was tested by intravenous and intraperitoneal administration of the ablated adenoviral vector.RESULTS:Ablation of native cellular binding sites reduced adenoviral transduction at least 100-fold.Insertion of the YSA peptide in the HI loop restored adenoviral transduction of EphA2R-expressing cells but not of cells lacking this receptor.YSA-mediated transduction was inhibited by addition of synthetic YSA peptide.The transduction specificity of the ablated retargeted vector towards human pancreatic cancer cells was enhanced almost 10-fold in vitro.In a subsequent in vivo study in a nude(nu/nu) mouse model however,no increased adenoviral targeting to subcutaneously growing human pancreas cancer nodules was seen upon injection into the tail vein,nor upon injection into the peritoneum.CONCLUSION:Targeting the EphA2 receptor increases specificity of adenoviral transduction of human pancreatic cancer cells in vitro but fails to enhance pancreatic cancer transduction in vivo.