Secretion of tumor necrosis factor by human leukocytes stimulated with shark cartilage

To assess the role of shark cartilage as an immune modulator, acid, salt-soluble, and phosphate-buffered saline extracts were prepared from three different commercial sources (SL, TL, FDC) of cartilage and used to stimulate human leukocytes in vitro. Duplicate leukocyte cultures were set up, each containing 50 $\mu$l of endotoxin-free extract, 200 $\mu$l of cell suspension (2.4-2.5 $\times$ 10$\sp5$ cells) and 100 $\mu$l of medium and incubated at 37$\sp\circ$C. Cultures stimulated with LPS (5 $\mu$g/ml) or medium served as the positive and negative controls, respectively. Culture supernatants were assayed for TNF$\alpha$ by ELISA. Cartilage extracts stimulated cells to release significant levels of TNF$\alpha$ (p $<$.005); the highest response was obtained with the acid extract of SL cartilage. In comparison, response to corresponding extracts of bovine cartilage was lower (p $<$.05). The stimulatory activity was reduced (85%) following proteolytic digestion, and lost when extract was heated (60$\sp\circ$C, 20 min) or treated with urea (6M), suggesting that the active component(s) is a protein. ^

Detection of antibodies directed at M. hyorhinis p37 in the serum of men with newly diagnosed prostate cancer

Background: Recent epidemiologic, genetic, and molecular studies suggest infection and inflammation initiate certain cancers, including cancers of the prostate. Over the past several years, our group has been studying how mycoplasmas could possibly initiate and propagate cancers of the prostate. Specifically, Mycoplasma hyorhinis encoded protein p37 was found to promote invasion of prostate cancer cells and cause changes in growth, morphology and gene expression of these cells to a more aggressive phenotype. Moreover, we found that chronic exposure of benign human prostate cells to M. hyorhinis resulted in significant phenotypic and karyotypic changes that ultimately resulted in the malignant transformation of the benign cells. In this study, we set out to investigate another potential link between mycoplasma and human prostate cancer. Methods: We report the incidence of men with prostate cancer and benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) being seropositive for M. hyorhinis. Antibodies to M. hyorhinis were surveyed by a novel indirect enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in serum samples collected from men presenting to an outpatient Urology clinic for BPH (N = 105) or prostate cancer (N = 114) from 2006-2009. Results: A seropositive rate of 36% in men with BPH and 52% in men with prostate cancer was reported, thus leading us to speculate a possible connection between M. hyorhinis exposure with prostate cancer. Conclusions: These results further support a potential exacerbating role for mycoplasma in the development of prostate cancer.

Factors of Inflammation in Haitian Americans and African Americans with and without Type 2 Diabetes

Chronic low-grade inflammation has been implicated in the processes leading to the development of type 2 diabetes (T2D) and its progression. Non-Hispanic Blacks bear a disproportionate burden of T2D and are highly susceptible to inflammation. This cross-sectional study assessed and compared the serum levels of established adipocytokines; interleukin-6 (IL-6), C-reactive protein (CRP), leptin, and novel adipocytokines; chemerin and omentin in Haitian and African Americans with and without T2D. The relationships of these adipocytokines with metabolic syndrome (MetS), anthropometric and HOMA2 measures by ethnicity and diabetes status were also assessed. Serum levels of IL-6, CRP, leptin, chemerin and omentin were determined by the ELISA method. HOMA2 measures were calculated for insulin sensitivity (HOMA2-IS) and insulin resistance (HOMA2-IR). Analyses of available data for 230 Haitian Americans and 241 African Americans (240 with and 231 without T2D) for the first study showed that Haitian Americans with and without MetS had lower levels of IL-6 and CRP compared to African Americans with and without MetS (P Ethnic-specific diabetes intervention and treatment programs must be designed to target Haitian Americans and African Americans as separate unique groups, in order to reduce the burden of T2D among the non-Hispanic Black community. Further research is needed to gain better understanding of the role of inflammation and T2D in this population.