Citations

Purpose. Diagnosis of WNV (WNV) relies upon serologic testing which may take several days after the onset of clinical symptoms to turn positive. Anecdotal reports suggest the presence of plasma cells or plasmacytoid lymphocytes in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) may be an early indicator of WNV infection.Methods. The CSFs of 89 patients (12 with WNV, 12 with other viral illness{OVI}, and 65 with nonviral illness{NVI}) were compared for the presence of either plasma cells or plasmacytoid lymphocytes.Results. Plasma cells were rarely seen in any of the patients. Plasmacytoid lymphocytes were more commonly seen in WNV (58%) and OVI (50%) than NVI (11%). The differences were significant for WNV versus NVI, but not WNV versus OVI (P<0.001andP=0.58,resp.).Conclusions. A CSF pleocytosis with plasma cells or plasmacytoid lymphocytes was neither sensitive nor specific for the diagnosis of WNV infection.

Hyperandrogenism and chronic low-grade inflammation are related in polycystic ovary syndrome (PCOS), but it is unknown whether hyperandrogenemia can activate inflammation. We determined the effect of oral androgen administration on fasting and glucose-stimulated nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) activation and expression and related markers of inflammation in mononuclear cells (MNC) of lean reproductive-age women. Sixteen lean, ovulatory reproductive-age women were treated with 130 mg of DHEA or placebo ( n = 8 each) for 5 days in a randomized, controlled, double-blind fashion. Nuclear activation of NF-κB, p65 and p105 NF-κB subunit RNA, TNFα and IL-1β mRNA, and NF-κB p65 and inhibitory-κB (IκB) protein were quantified from MNC obtained while fasting and 2 h after glucose ingestion, before and after DHEA or placebo administration. Before treatment, subjects receiving DHEA or placebo exhibited no differences in androgens or any inflammatory markers while fasting and after glucose ingestion. Compared with placebo, DHEA administration raised levels of testosterone, androstenedione, and DHEA-S, increased the percent change in fasting and glucose-challenged activated NF-κB, p65, p105, TNFα, and IL-1β RNA and p65 protein, and decreased the percent change in fasting and glucose-challenged IκB protein. We conclude that elevation of circulating androgens to the range observed in PCOS upregulates the NF-κB inflammation pathway in lean reproductive-age women. Thus, hyperandrogenemia activates and sensitizes MNC to glucose in this population.

Abstract Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is a strong risk factor for lung cancer. Published studies about variations of genes encoding glutathione metabolism, DNA repair, and inflammatory response pathways in susceptibility to COPD were inconclusive. We evaluated 470 single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) from 56 genes of these three pathways in 620 cases and 893 controls to identify susceptibility markers for COPD risk, using existing resources. We assessed SNP- and gene-level effects adjusting for sex, age, and smoking status. Differential genetic effects on disease risk with and without lung cancer were also assessed; cumulative risk models were established. Twenty-one SNPs were found to be significantly associated with risk of COPD (P &lt; 0.01); gene-based analyses confirmed two genes (GCLC and GSS) and identified three additional genes (GSTO2, ERCC1, and RRM1). Carrying 12 high-risk alleles may increase risk by 2.7-fold; eight SNPs altered COPD risk without lung cancer by 3.1-fold and 4 SNPs altered the risk with lung cancer by 2.3-fold. Our findings indicate that multiple genetic variations in the three selected pathways contribute to COPD risk through GCLC, GSS, GSTO2, ERCC1, and RRM1 genes. Functional studies are needed to elucidate the mechanisms of these genes in the development of COPD, lung cancer, or both. Cancer Prev Res; 5(3); 365–73. ©2011 AACR.

Abstract Primary vitreoretinal lymphoma (PVRL), also known as primary intraocular lymphoma, is a rare malignancy typically classified as a diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and most frequently develops in elderly populations. PVRL commonly masquerades as posterior uveitis and has a unique tropism for the retina and central nervous system (CNS). Over 15% of primary CNS lymphoma patients develop intraocular lymphoma, usually occurring in the retina and/or vitreous. Conversely, 65%–90% of PVRL patients develop CNS lymphoma. Consequently, PVRL is often fatal because of ultimate CNS association. Current PVRL animal models are limited and require further development. Typical clinical findings include vitreous cellular infiltration (lymphoma and inflammatory cells) and subretinal tumor infiltration as determined using dilated fundoscopy, fluorescent angiography, and optical coherent tomography. Currently, PVRL is most often diagnosed using both histology to identify lymphoma cells in the vitreous or retina and immunohistochemistry to indicate monoclonality. Additional adjuncts in diagnosing PVRL exist, including elevation of interleukin-10 levels in ocular fluids and detection of IgH or T-cell receptor gene rearrangements in malignant cells. The optimal therapy for PVRL is not defined and requires the combined effort of oncologists and ophthalmologists. PVRL is sensitive to radiation therapy and exhibits high responsiveness to intravitreal methotrexate or rituximab. Although systemic chemotherapy alone can result in high response rates in patients with PVRL, there is a high relapse rate. Because of the disease rarity, international, multicenter, collaborative efforts are required to better understand the biology and pathogenesis of PVRL as well as to define both diagnostic markers and optimal therapies.

Genetic variation in the 6p21 chromosomal region, including human leukocyte antigen (HLA) genes and tumor necrosis factor (TNF), has been linked to both etiology and clinical outcomes of lymphomas. We estimated the effects ofHLAclass I (A, B, and C), class IIDRB1alleles, and the ancestral haplotype (AH) 8.1 (HLAA*01-B*08-DRB1*03-TNF-308A) on overall survival (OS) among patients with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and follicular lymphoma (FL) in a population-based study of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. During a median followup of 89 months, 31% (52 of 166) DLBCL and 28% (46 of 165) FL patients died. Using multivariate Cox regression models, we observed statistically significant associations between genetic variants and survival:HLA-Cw*07:01was associated with poorer OS among DLBCL patients (Hazard ratio [HR] = 1.76, 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.01–3.05);HLA-A*01:01was associated with poorer OS (HR = 2.23, 95% CI = 1.24–4.01), andHLA-DRB1*13(HR = 0.12, 95% CI = 0.02–0.90) andHLA-B Bw4(HR = 0.36, 95% CI = 0.20–0.63) with better OS among FL patients. These results support a role forHLAin the prognosis of DLBCL and FL and represent a promising class of prognostic factors that warrants further evaluation.

Abstract Recent population-based studies demonstrate an increased fracture risk with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS). The etiology of this increased risk remains unclear, however, because areal bone mineral density (aBMD) measurements by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry cannot assess bone microstructural properties critical to determining bone quality and strength. To better define the skeletal effects of MGUS, we performed aBMD and high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography volumetric bone mineral density (vBMD) measurements in 50 MGUS patients (20 females, 30 males; mean ± SEM age, 70.5 ± 1.4 years) and 100 matched control subjects. Relative to controls, MGUS patients had decreased aBMD at the femoral neck (P = .05) and total femur (P < .05) but no differences at other sites. In contrast, high-resolution peripheral quantitative computed tomography showed markedly diminished cortical thickness (P < .05) and increased endocortical area (P < .01). Average vBMD (P < .01), cortical vBMD (P < .001), and trabecular thickness (P < .01) were all significantly decreased in MGUS patients, suggestive of impaired bone formation. Serum levels of the Wnt pathway inhibitor Dickkopf-related protein 1 (P < .001) and osteoclast-activating factor MIP-1α (P < .05) also were significantly elevated in MGUS patients. Our data provide the first evidence of altered bone microstructure in MGUS and suggest that cytokines elevated in osteolytic myeloma also may be associated with bone loss in MGUS.