Ki-67 and CD100 immunohistochemical expression is associated with local recurrence and poor prognosis in soft tissue sarcomas, respectively

Soft tissue sarcomas (STSs) are a heterogeneous group of mesenchymal tumors of >50 subtypes. However, STSs represent <1% of types of cancer. Despite this low frequency, the disease is aggressive and treatment, when possible, is based on traditional chemotherapies. A number of cases of resistance to adjuvant therapies have been reported. Metastases are commonly identified in STS patients during diagnosis and the development of effective clinical parameters is crucial for correct management of the disease. The use of biological markers in cancer is a useful tool to determine patient prognosis. Ki--67 is a protein marker for proliferation of somatic cells and is widely used in prognostic studies of various types of tumor, including STSs. Cluster of differentiation 100 (CD100) is a member of the semaphorin family. The family was initially described as axon guidance molecules important for angiogenesis, organogenesis, apoptosis and neoplasia. CD100 was previously utilized as a prognostic factor in tumors and also in STSs. In the present study, protein expression of Ki--67 and CD100 was analyzed by immunohistochemistry in samples of STS patients of the Barretos Cancer Hospital (Barretos, Brazil) to establish prognostic criteria of the disease. Results demonstrate a correlation between CD100 expression and poor prognosis, consistent with a previous study. Moreover, the expression of Ki-67 was identified to correlate with presence of local or locoregional recurrence. To the best of our knowledge, no large casuistic study has revealed this correlation between Ki--67 and local recurrence in STSs. The use of Ki--67 and CD100 as markers in clinical pathological analysis may be suitable as a prognostic criterion in disease progression.

Phage display identification of CD100 in human atherosclerotic plaque macrophages and foam cells

Atherosclerosis is a complex disease in which vessels develop plaques comprising dysfunctional endothelium, monocyte derived lipid laden foam cells and activated lymphocytes. Considering that humans and animal models of the disease develop quite distinct plaques, we used human plaques to search for proteins that could be used as markers of human atheromas. Phage display peptide libraries were probed to fresh human carotid plaques, and a bound phage homologous to plexin B1, a high affinity receptor for CD100, was identified. CD100 is a member of the semaphorin family expressed by most hematopoietic cells and particularly by activated T cells. CD100 expression was analyzed in human plaques and normal samples. CD100 mRNA and protein were analyzed in cultured monocytes, macrophages and foam cells. The effects of CD100 in oxLDL-induced foam cell formation and in CD36 mRNA abundance were evaluated. Human atherosclerotic plaques showed strong labeling of CD100/SEMA4D. CD100 expression was further demonstrated in peripheral blood monocytes and in in vitro differentiated macrophages and foam cells, with diminished CD100 transcript along the differentiation of these cells. Incubation of macrophages with CD100 led to a reduction in oxLDL-induced foam cell formation probably through a decrease of CD36 expression, suggesting for the first time an atheroprotective role for CD100 in the human disease. Given its differential expression in the numerous foam cells and macrophages of the plaques and its capacity to decrease oxLDL engulfment by macrophages we propose that CD100 may have a role in atherosclerotic plaque development, and may possibly be employed in targeted treatments of these atheromas.

Human CD100, a novel leukocyte semaphorin that promotes B-cell aggregation and differentiation.

Herein we describe the molecular characterization of the human leukocyte activation antigen CD100 and identify it as the first semaphorin, to our knowledge, in the immune system. Semaphorins have recently been described as neuronal chemorepellants that direct pioneering neurons during nervous system development. In this study we demonstrate that CD100 induces B cells to aggregate and improves their viability in vitro. We show that CD100 modifies CD40-CD40L B-cell signaling by augmenting B-cell aggregation and survival and down-regulating CD23 expression. Thus, these results suggest that semaphorins as exemplified by CD100 also play a functional role in the immune system.

重金属污染土壤的自养菌和异养菌淋滤修复研究

本文以冶炼厂和张士灌区土壤为修复对象，以镉、铅、锌、铜为目标污染物，在室内模拟实验条件下，利用自养菌-嗜酸性氧化亚铁硫杆菌和异养菌-黑曲霉淋滤技术修复重金属污染土壤。在考察自养菌和异养菌对重金属污染土壤修复效果的基础上，重点研究了溶解性有机质和耐酸性异养菌对淋滤修复的影响和机制，同时筛选确定替代蔗糖黑曲霉发酵产酸的廉价碳源。结果发现： 自养菌-氧化亚铁硫杆菌淋滤修复过程中，筛选鉴定嗜酸性氧化亚铁硫杆菌R2对甲酸、乙酸、丙酸、草酸、苹果酸和柠檬酸的耐受浓度分别为0.1、0.4、0.4、2.0、20和40 mmol/L，而高效液相色谱测定沈阳冶炼厂土壤和张士灌区土壤中低分子量有机酸浓度很低，其中草酸含量最高，分别仅为0.04mmol/L和0.149mmol/L，远低于氧化亚铁硫杆菌能耐受的有机酸浓度。同时土壤中溶解性有机质对氧化亚铁硫杆菌R2氧化Fe2+未产生抑制作用，而耐酸性异养微生物H1（红酵母菌）和H2（头孢霉）的加入对氧化亚铁硫杆菌R2淋滤去除重金属效果未产生明显促进作用，本研究中分离筛选的嗜酸性氧化亚铁硫杆菌R2可直接应用于污染土壤的生物淋滤修复。经过5d的生物淋滤，冶炼厂土壤中Cu、Zn和Cd的最高去除率分别为30.6%、58.4%和72%。 在一步黑曲霉生物淋滤过程中，当固液比5%（w/v）、接种量3%（v/v）和淋滤修复7d时，对冶炼厂土壤来说，Cu、Cd、Pb和Zn去除率分别为75.8%，100%，30.6%和26.1%；张士灌区土壤中分别为54%，71.8%，9.5%，18.7%。在二步黑曲霉生物淋滤过程中，当固液比10%（w/v）、接种量为2%（v/v）和黑曲霉发酵时间7d，淋滤2d时，冶炼厂土壤中四种重金属去除率分别为Cu 84%，Cd 75.5%，Pb30.5%和Zn10%；张士灌区土壤中Cu、Cd、Pb和Zn的去除率分别达到57%，94.8%，20.4%和17.5%。 异养菌-黑曲霉淋滤修复重金属污染土壤效果优于有机酸淋滤。与黑曲霉淋滤相比，在直接添加有机酸淋滤修复中，冶炼厂土壤中重金属去除率分别为Cu 46.4%，Cd 61.8%，Pb 30.2%和Zn 43.3%，张士灌区土壤中重金属去除率分别为Cu 44%，Cd 0%，Pb 0%和Zn 26.2%。 淋滤前后土壤中重金属形态分级结果表明，黑曲霉一步和二步淋滤修复能有效去除污染土壤中交换态、碳酸盐结合态部分重金属，并能显著降低氧化物结合态部分重金属，但对有机态和残余态部分重金属离子去除效果并不明显。 以树木落叶和农作物副产品作为廉价碳源实施黑曲霉淋滤实验表明：杨树叶、桃树叶、土豆皮和玉米芯产酸和去除重金属效果较好。杨树叶对冶炼厂土壤中重金属去除率分别为63.5% Cu、100% Cd、16.8% Pb和Zn 27%；桃树叶去除效果分别为Cu61.8%、Cd100%、14.6%Pb和28.5%Zn；土豆皮去除效果分别为61%Cu、100%Cd、10.6%Pb和34%Zn。这些廉价碳源的利用可降低污染土壤生物淋滤修复成本。 研究生物淋滤修复技术为重金属污染土壤处理与处置开辟了新途径。

土壤重金属生物淋滤修复过程中廉价碳源的筛选研究

在室内模拟实验条件下,重点研究了一步和二步生物淋滤过程中黑曲霉利用各种廉价碳源替代蔗糖产酸修复重金属污染土壤的效果。结果发现,杨树叶、桃树叶、土豆皮去除重金属效果较好。其中杨树叶对冶炼厂土壤中重金属去除率分别为Cu63.5%、Cd100%、Pb16.8%和Zn27%;桃树叶去除效果分别为Cu61.8%、Cd100%、Pb14.6%和Zn28.5%;土豆皮去除效果分别为Cu61%、Cd100%、Pb10.6%和Zn34%。廉价碳源的使用可降低污染土壤生物淋滤修复成本。

Identification of semaphorin E as a non-MDR drug resistance gene of human cancers

To improve cancer chemotherapy, a better understanding of the molecular mechanisms of drug resistance is essential. To identify the molecules responsible for drug resistance that is unrelated to MDR1 or MRP gene products, a eukaryotic expression cDNA library of cis-diamminedichloroplatinum(II) (CDDP)-resistant ovarian cancer TYKnuR cells was introduced into Cos-7 cells. After repeated CDDP selection, cDNA homologous to murine semaphorin E was isolated from surviving cells. Human semaphorin E (H-sema E) was overexpressed in CDDP-resistant cell lines and was readily induced not only by diverse chemotherapeutic drugs but also by x-ray and UV irradiation. Transfection of H-sema E conferred a drug-resistant phenotype to CDDP-sensitive cells. In addition, the aberrant expression of H-sema E protein was detected immunohistochemically in 14 of 42 (33.3%) recurrent squamous cell carcinomas removed at autopsy after extensive radiochemotherapy. Recently, another member of the semaphorin family, CD100, was shown to significantly improve the viability of B lymphocytes. These results suggest the involvement of semaphorins in diverse cell survival mechanisms.