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Jelen tanulmányban a nyelvi jogok elismerése mellett szóló három fő érvet vizsgálom. Ezek egyike szerint a nyelvi sokféleség fontos és megőrzendő érték, a nyelv identitásformáló tényező. Egy másik megközelítés rámutat, hogy a nyelvi különbözőség konfliktushoz vezet, amennyiben az egyes nyelvi közösségek eltérő jogokkal rendelkeznek nyelvük használatára. A harmadik érvelési irány szerint a nyelvi jogok a többi emberi joghoz való hozzáférés, a demokratikus részvétel eszközei, de önmagukban is emberi jogoknak tekinthetők. Akár egy védendő érték biztosítékának, akár hasznos konfliktuskezelési eszköznek, akár emberi jogoknak tekintjük a nyelvi jogokat, a nyelvi kérdés szabályozását nem lehet az egyes államok szabad belátására bízni: szükség van a nemzetközi közösség eddigieknél hathatósabb szerepvállalására is.

This article provides an overview of the implementation of the rights of European national, ethnic or linguistic minorities and indigenous peoples in 2020, in the fields of administration of justice, public administration, participation, citizenship and tranfrontier exchanges. Relevant legal developments are presented in the activities of the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe, the European Union, and the Council of Europe. Special attention is paid to the application of the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages and the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities, which are the most important international treaties on the rights of minorities in Europe.

Összefoglaló. A hajas sejtes leukémia (HCL) egy indolens lefolyású ritka B-sejtes lymphoma. Diagnosztikájában jellegzetes morfológiai képén túlmenően a sejtek felszínén megtalálható markerek azonosítása áramlási citometriával, valamint a betegségben előforduló specifikus fehérjék immunhisztokémiai detektálása jelenti a rutineljárást. Kiemelt szerepet tölt be a differenciáldiagnosztikában a BRAF V600E mutációjának a kimutatása, melyre ma már számos módszer áll rendelkezésre, mint például az immunhisztokémia, pyroszekvenálás, allélspecifikus PCR vagy a droplet digitalis PCR. A tumorsejtek jelátviteli rendszerében és szabályozásában azonban a BRAF mutációjának következtében kialakuló folyamatos aktivitása mellett egyéb mechanizmusok is szerepet játszhatnak, többek között növekedési faktorok, interleukinek, adhéziós fehérjék vagy éppen mikro-RNS-ek. A patomechanizmus egyre részletesebb megismerése érdekében egyéb daganatokhoz hasonlóan a HCL-ben is aktív kutatások folynak a genetikai háttér feltérképezésére új generációs szekvenálás segítségével. Leírtak már nagy százalékban előforduló mutációkat a CDKN1B-, KLF2- és KMT2C-gének esetében, továbbá egyéb génekben is alacsonyabb előfordulási aránnyal. Genetikailag, sőt klinikai manifesztáció és terápiás válasz alapján is jelentős eltérések láthatóak a klasszikus és variáns HCL-es betegek között, elkülönítésük épp ezért rendkívül fontos. Míg a klasszikus esetben első vonalban alkalmazott purin nukleozid analógok kiemelkedő válaszreakciót képesek kiváltani, a variáns HCL-es betegek gyakran refrakterek a kezelésre, és esetükben a célzott BRAF-gátlók szintén hatástalanok. Számos klinikai kutatás zajlik a jelenleg is alkalmazott terápiás szerek optimalizálása, kombinációban történő alkalmazása, valamint egyéb lymphoid daganatokban alkalmazott gyógyszerek és új támadáspontok ellen tervezett molekuláknak a HCL kezelésébe történő bevonása céljából. Summary. Hairy cell leukemia (HCL) is a rare indolent B-cell malignancy. In addition to characteristic morphology of HCL cells, the identification of the cellular surface markers and the expression of specific proteins by flow cytometry and immunohistochemistry are routine procedure in HCL diagnosis. Detection of BRAF V600E mutation plays key role in differential diagnosis of HCL which can be detected by several novel methods, such as immunohistochemistry, pyrosequencing, allele specific PCR or droplet digital PCR. Beside the BRAF mutation there can be other mechanisms causing constitutive activity in the signaling pathway and regulating the tumor cells such as growth factors, interleukins, adhesion proteins and micro-RNAs as well. Like in other malignancies, in order to clarify the pathomechanism, the genetic background of HCL is also actively investigated by next-generation sequencing. Frequent mutations were described in CDKN1B, KLF2 and KMT2C genes, moreover in other genes with lower incidence rate, as well. Genetically, and even in clinical manifestation and therapeutic response, significant differences can be found between patients with classical and variant HCL. While classical type has outstanding response for the first-line treatment with purine analogues, patients with variant HCL are often refractory to the treatment, and the BRAF inhibitors prove to be ineffective. Therefore, it is really important to distinguish these two entities. Several clinical studies are still in progress for the optimization and application of combining the currently applied therapeutic agents, furthermore other drugs that used in lymphoid malignancies are under investigation. New target molecules are also designed as novel therapeutic opportunity in HCL treatment.

The global behaviour of the compact pairwise approximation of SIS epidemic propagation on networks is studied. It is shown that the system can be reduced to two equations enabling us to carry out a detailed study of the dynamic properties of the solutions. It is proved that transcritical bifurcation occurs in the system at \begin{document}$ \tau = \tau _c = \frac{\gamma n}{\langle n^{2}\rangle-n} $\end{document} , where \begin{document}$ \tau $\end{document} and \begin{document}$ \gamma $\end{document} are infection and recovery rates, respectively, \begin{document}$ n $\end{document} is the average degree of the network and \begin{document}$ \langle n^{2}\rangle $\end{document} is the second moment of the degree distribution. For subcritical values of \begin{document}$ \tau $\end{document} the disease-free steady state is stable, while for supercritical values a unique stable endemic equilibrium appears. We also prove that for subcritical values of \begin{document}$ \tau $\end{document} the disease-free steady state is globally stable under certain assumptions on the graph that cover a wide class of networks.

The Bcl-2 inhibitor venetoclax has been recently introduced into the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia. Venetoclax is a highly effective drug, however acquired resistance may make long-term treatment challenging. In our study, we present potential novel resistance mechanisms and prognostic markers that are potentially able to predict the early appearance of the resistance.Repeated complete blood counts, flow cytometric measurements, and physical examinations were performed during the patient follow-up. Clinical and laboratory parameters showed that the patient developed clinical resistance to venetoclax on day 450 of therapy. Resistance mutation analysis (D103Y) and apoptosis arrays from samples at the time of resistance were done.We were able to identify the resistance mutations just a very low variant allele frequency level from the resistant samples. Furthermore we detected increased Bcl-2 expression in peripheral blood (PB), and XIAP overexpression in bone marrow (BM) that could lead to venetoclax resistance. We examined the immunophenotype of CLL cells and recognized that while the expression of CD86 did not change until day 270 of the treatment, since then its expression steadily increased. Moreover, we compared the expression of CD86 in the resistant PB and BM samples and did not find a notable difference between the compartments.Our results imply that CLL cells may try to avoid the apoptotic effect of venetoclax through increased CD86 expression by activating antiapoptotic mechanisms. Confirmatory experiments are still required to unequivocally prove that CD86 is a prognostic marker, however, its predictive property during the venetoclax treatment is promising.

Tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) treatment has dramatically improved the survival of chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) patients, but measurable residual disease typically persists. To more effectively eradicate leukemia cells, simultaneous targeting of BCR-ABL1 and additional CML-related survival proteins has been proposed. Notably, several highly specific myeloid cell leukemia 1 (MCL1) inhibitors have recently entered clinical trials for various hematologic malignancies, although not for CML, reflecting the insensitivity of CML cell lines to single MCL1 inhibition. Here, we show that combining TKI (imatinib, nilotinib, dasatinib, or asciminib) treatment with the small-molecule MCL1 inhibitor S63845 exerted strong synergistic antiviability and proapoptotic effects on CML lines and CD34+ stem/progenitor cells isolated from untreated CML patients in chronic phase. Using wild-type BCR-ABL1-harboring CML lines and their T315I-mutated sublines (generated by CRISPR/Cas9-mediated homologous recombination), we prove that the synergistic proapoptotic effect of the drug combination depended on TKI-mediated BCR-ABL1 inhibition, but not on TKI-related off-target mechanisms. Moreover, we demonstrate that colony formation of CML but not normal hematopoietic stem/progenitor cells became markedly reduced upon combination treatment compared to imatinib monotherapy. Our results suggest that dual targeting of MCL1 and BCR-ABL1 activity may efficiently eradicate residual CML cells without affecting normal hematopoietic stem/progenitors. Funding Agencies|Cancer Research Funds of Radiumhemmet [174283]; Thorsmans Stiftelse for Pre-leukemi Forskning; Gunnar Grimfors Gavofond for Hematologisk Forskning; Cathrine Everts Research Foundation; Lars Hierta Memorial Foundation; Emil Anderson Fund for Medical Research; Swedish Research CouncilSwedish Research CouncilEuropean Commission [2013-08807]; Karolinska Institute Foundation and Funds; Karolinska InstituteKarolinska Institutet

Water is one of the most significant and vulnerable natural resources. The aim of our study presented here was to assess the sediment and water quality of Újpest backwater and its main influencing factors. The study area is located in the north side of Budapest, a backwater of the Danube river. An industrial region of the city, also serving as recreational area for nearby residents. The average water depth is 4,5 meters and the length of the backwater is 2200 meters. The most significant economic activity is the ship-building and maintenance. In order to assess water and sediment quality, a number of physical, chemical and the microbiological measurements were carried out on both water and sediment samples. The water samples were collected at two dates, while sediments samples were taken at one date in 2015. Sediment analysis included heavy metals (Cu, Zn, Pb, Cd), TPH and PAH measurements. Water quality analysis included chemical (NH3, NH4+, NO3-, Fe, pH value, conductivity, dissolved oxygen) and microbiological parameters. The results of the study showed that the sediment contained different types of heavy metals and hydrocarbons due to the industrial activities and transportation. During the analyses, we measured high Pb, Cd, Cu, Zn, TPH and PAH concentration in the northern part of the backwater. Possible reasons of the high values include ship maintenance and repairing, ship traffic and road traffic. Measured high Pb, Cd, TPH and PAH concentrations in the sediment might carry environmental risks. Among the general water quality parameters, we found high Fe concentrations mist likely connected to railway traffic in the northern part of the sampling area, while microbial analysis showed only acceptable or lower counts.

Weakly and tightly sorbed phosphate species on chernozem and humus sand are investigated by radioactive tracer method using 32P. The comparison of the heterogeneous isotope exchange of 32P-labeled phosphate of non-radioactively incubated soils and desorption of 32P-labeled phosphate of radioactively incubated soils shows the transformation of weakly sorbed species to tightly sorbed ones. The quantity of weakly sorbed phosphorus and the steady state phosphorus exchange rate between soil and soil solution, transformation half-life of weakly to tightly sorbed phosphate are calculated.

This section overviews the 2017 situation of the language rights of European minorities in the fields of education, the administration of justice and public administration. The author presents the relevant legal developments in the activities of the major international organizations, i.e. the United Nations, the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe, the European Union, and the Council of Europe including the case law of the European Court of Human Rights, and the implementation of the European Charter for Regional and Minority Languages as well as the Framework Convention for the Protection of National Minorities. In the concluding remarks, tendencies and common patterns are emphasized.

Purpose More than half of the familial cutaneous melanomas have unknown genetic predisposition. This study aims at characterizing a novel melanoma susceptibility gene. Methods We performed exome and targeted sequencing in melanoma-prone families without any known melanoma susceptibility genes. We analyzed the expression of candidate gene DENND5A in melanoma samples in relation to pigmentation and UV signature. Functional studies were carried out using microscopic approaches and zebrafish model. Results We identified a novel DENND5A truncating variant that segregated with melanoma in a Swedish family and 2 additional rare DENND5A variants, 1 of which segregated with the disease in an American family. We found that DENND5A is significantly enriched in pigmented melanoma tissue. Our functional studies show that loss of DENND5A function leads to decrease in melanin content in vitro and pigmentation defects in vivo. Mechanistically, harboring the truncating variant or being suppressed leads to DENND5A losing its interaction with SNX1 and its ability to transport the SNX1-associated vesicles from melanosomes. Consequently, untethered SNX1-premelanosome protein and redundant tyrosinase are redirected to lysosomal degradation by default, causing decrease in melanin content. Conclusion Our findings provide evidence of a physiological role of DENND5A in the skin context and link its variants to melanoma susceptibility.

Topoisomerases are essential for the replication of herpesviruses but the mechanisms by which the viruses hijack the cellular enzymes are largely unknown. We found that topoisomerase-II (TOP2) is a substrate of the Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) ubiquitin deconjugase BPLF1. BPLF1 selectively inhibited the ubiquitination of TOP2 following treatment with topoisomerase poisons, interacted with TOP2α and TOP2β in co-immunoprecipitation and in vitro pull-down, stabilized Etoposide-trapped TOP2 cleavage complexes (TOP2cc) and promoted TOP2 SUMOylation, which halted the DNA-damage response and reduced Etoposide toxicity. Induction of the productive virus cycle promoted the accumulation of TOP2βcc, enhanced TOP2β SUMOylation, and reduced Etoposide toxicity in lymphoblastoid cell lines carrying recombinant EBV encoding the active enzyme. Attenuation of this phenotype upon expression of a catalytic mutant BPLF1-C61A impaired viral DNA synthesis and virus release. These findings highlight a previously unrecognized function of BPLF1 in promoting non-proteolytic pathways for TOP2cc debulking that favor cell survival and virus production.

The microbiological quality of milk is important not only for food safety, but it can also influence the quality of dairy products. In this study, our aim was to assess the microbiological status of the bulk milk of a milk-producing farm, and some natural and flavored (garlic, dill, onion) gomolya cheeses made from pasteurized milk produced by their own processing plant. We determined the number of coliform bacteria, Escherichia coli, Staphylococcus aureus, and molds of three milk and eight cheese samples. The tests were conducted between July and September, 2017. In bulk milk, the mean coliform count was 3.83±0.17 log10 CFU/ml; the mean E. coli count was 1.38±0.14 log10 CFU/ml; the mean mold count was 3.74±1.30 log10 CFU/ml; and the S. aureus count was

We have addressed the role of bacterial co-infection in viral oncogenesis using as model Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), a human herpesvirus that causes lymphoid malignancies and epithelial cancers. Infection of EBV carrying epithelial cells with the common oral pathogenic Gram-negative bacterium Aggregatibacter actinomycetemcomitans (Aa) triggered reactivation of the productive virus cycle. Using isogenic Aa strains that differ in the production of the cytolethal distending toxin (CDT) and purified catalytically active or inactive toxin, we found that the CDT acts via induction of DNA double strand breaks and activation of the Ataxia Telangectasia Mutated (ATM) kinase. Exposure of EBV-negative epithelial cells to the virus in the presence of sub-lethal doses of CDT was accompanied by the accumulation of latently infected cells exhibiting multiple signs of genomic instability. These findings illustrate a scenario where co-infection with certain bacterial species may favor the establishment of a microenvironment conducive to the EBV-induced malignant transformation of epithelial cells.

Four modified bentonites (La(III), Ce(III), Y(III), Fe(III)) were prepared by ion exchange process to remove arsenite (III) ions from water. The modified bentonites were examined with X-ray fluorescence spectroscopy (XRF) and X-ray diffraction (XRD). The rare earth (REE) and Fe(III) ion content in bentonite was higher than the CEC values obtained by ammonium acetate method related to trivalent ions (2.7 x 10-4 mol g-1). The kinetics, equilibrium time, sorption isotherms and desorption experiments were examined. Lanthanum, yttrium and cerium bentonite can bind similar amount of arsenite(III) ions. Iron-bentonite cannot bind significant amounts of arsenite ions. The active sites and the solubilities of the sorption complex were determined. Arsenite (III) ions sorb in the interlayer space as REEAsO3. The solubility of the arsenite complex was two orders of magnitude smaller than that of the phosphate complex. After desorption the eluted amount of arsenite (III) was 55 % related to the sorbed amount of arsenite. The d(001) basal spacing of modified bentonites and that of after sorption and desorption was measured. After the sorption of arsenite ion on lanthanum bentonite, the d(001) basal spacing of montmorillonite was decreased and after desorption an increase in d(001) basal spacing was observed again. Modified bentonites can be used for removing arsenic ions from water.

Several monoclonal antibodies and inhibitors targeting signalling pathways are being used in personalised medicine. Anti-EGFR antibodies seem to be effective, however, therapy resistance often occurs in colon carcinoma cases. mTOR inhibitors (mTORIs) could have a potential role in the breakthrough of therapy resistance. The mTOR activity related protein expression patterns and the in vitro effects of EGFR inhibitors (EGFRIs), mTORIs and their combinations were studied in different colon carcinoma cell lines (with different genetic backgrounds). Alamar Blue test and flow cytometry were used to analyse the in vitro proliferation and apoptotic effects of cetuximab, gefitinib, cisplatin, rapamycin, PP242 and NVP-BEZ235. The expressions of mTOR activity related proteins (p-70S6K, p-S6, Rictor, p-mTOR, Raptor) were studied by Western blot, immunocytochemistry and Duolink staining. The EGFRI resistance of the studied colon carcinoma cell lines related to their known mutations were confirmed, neither gefitinib nor cetuximab inhibited the proliferation or induced apoptosis in vitro. Individual differences in Rictor and Raptor expressions were detected by Western blot and immunocytochemistry beside elevated mTOR activity of these different colon carcinoma cell lines. These expression patterns correlated to the mTORIs sensitivity differences, moreover, mTORIs could enhance the effects of EGFRIs and other in vitro treatments. Our results suggest that mTORI combinations could be helpful in both EGFRI and platinum-based therapy of colon carcinomas. Moreover, we suggest determining both mTOR complex activity and mutations in Akt/mTOR signalling pathways for selecting the appropriate mTORIs and patients in potential future combination treatments.

Absztrakt: A follicularis lymphoma terapiajaban a rituximab alkalmazasanak koszonhetően a betegek varhato elettartama szamottevően megnőtt, azonban a betegseg jelenlegi tudasunk szerint tovabbra is...

Absztrakt: A kronikus limfocitas leukemia klinikailag heterogen megjelenese genetikai diverzitassal parosul. Hazankban fluoreszcens in situ hibridizacio terjedt el a betegekben előfordulo, prognosz...

Background Philadelphia negative myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPNs) are characterized by frequent mutations of driver genes including JAK2, CALR and MPL. While the influence of JAK2 V617F mutant allele burden on the clinical phenotype of MPN patients is well-described, the impact of CALR mutant allele burden on clinical features needs further investigation. Patients and methods Quantitative assessment of JAK2 and CALR mutations was performed on diagnostic DNA samples from 425 essential thrombocythemia (ET) and 227 primary myelofibrosis patients using real-time quantitative PCR and fragment length analysis. Characterization of CALR mutations and detection of MPL mutations were performed by Sanger sequencing. Results Twelve novel CALR mutations have been identified. ET patients with CALRmut load exceeding the median value exhibited lower hemoglobin values (12.0 vs. 13.6 g/dL), higher LDH levels (510 vs. 351 IU/L) and higher rate of myelofibrotic transformation (19% vs. 5%). The CALRmut load was higher among ET patients presenting with splenomegaly compared to those without splenomegaly (50.0% vs. 43.5%). Conclusion Our study confirms the clinical significance of driver mutational status and JAK2mut load in MPNs; in addition, unravels a novel clinical association between high CALRmut load and a more proliferative phenotype in ET.

The primary aim of this study was to determine mTOR-pathway activity in primary central nervous system lymphoma (PCNSL), which could be a potential target for therapy. After demonstrating that p-S6 positivity largely exceeded mTOR activity, we aimed to identify other pathways that may lead to S6 phosphorylation. We measured mTOR activity with immunohistochemistry for p-mTOR and its downstream effectors p(T389)-p70S6K1, p-S6, and p-4E-BP1 in 31 cases of PCNSL and 51 cases of systemic diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) and evaluated alternative S6 phosphorylation pathways with p-RSK, p(T229)-p70S6K1, and PASK antibodies. Finally, we examined the impact of PASK inhibition on S6 phosphorylation on BHD1 cell line. mTOR-pathway activity was significantly less frequent in PCNSL compared with DLBCL. p-S6 positivity was related to mTOR-pathway in DLBCL, but not in PCNSL. Among the other kinases potentially responsible for S6 phosphorylation, PASK proved to be positive in all cases of PCNSL and DLBCL. Inhibition of PASK resulted in reduced expression of p-S6 in BHD1-cells. This is the first study demonstrating an mTOR independent p-S6 activity in PCNSL and that PASK may contribute to the phosphorylation of S6. Our findings also suggest a potential role of PASK in the pathomechanism of PCNSL and in DLBCL.

The interaction between Lanthanides (Ln) - ions and Ca-bentonite and the structural changes accompanying were studied. Ln -exchanged bentonites were prepared from Ca-bentonite (Istenmezeje, Hungary) by ion exchange in three consecutive washings with lanthanide solutions. Scanning Eletronmicroscopy Energy Dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX) studies showed even distribution of Ln s and other components of bentonite. The natural bentonite and the lanthnide exchanged bentonites were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), which revealed the same mineral composition, and the increase of the basal spacing of montmorillonite from 1.465 (Ca 2+ ) to 1.577 nm (REE 3+ ). The d 001 basal spacing of lanthanide montmorillonite increases as the ion radius of the lanthanide cation increases. The Fe 3+ , and Ln s 3+ amount on the bentonite were determined by X-ray-fluorescence spectrometry (XRF) elemental analysis. The amount of exchanged Ln s were determined by washing the Ln -bentonite with 1 M ammonium-acetate, and measuring the amount of Ln released, using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectrometry (ICP-OES). In most Ln -bentonites, the quantity of the exchanged Ln ions was about 80–90% of the cation exchange capacity (CEC) of the bentonite. In case of some lanthanides bentonite (La 3+ , Ce 3+ , and Gd 3+ ), however, the sorbed quantity of lanthanum ions was higher than the cation exchange capacity. In case of lanthanum-bentonite, the lanthanide quantity is as high as 136% of CEC. Moreover, the iron(III) content of lanthanum bentonite is less than that of the original Ca-bentonite. Mossbauer spectra of the La-, Ce-, and Gd-exchanged samples at 78 K revealed an unexpected magnetically split component that was absent from the Ca-bentonite. This component may belong to interlayer Fe. This iron can be released from the octahedral positions crystal lattice.

Aims Tumour heterogeneity and altered activation of signalling pathways play important roles in therapy resistance. The PI3K/Akt/mTOR signalling network is a well-known regulator of several functions that contribute to tumour growth. mTOR exists in two functionally different multiprotein complexes. We aimed to determine mTOR activity-related proteins in clinically followed, conventionally treated colon carcinomas and to analyse the correlation between clinical data and mTORC1 and mTORC2 activity. Methods Immunohistochemistry was performed with different antibodies on tissue microarray blocks from 103 patients with human colorectal adenocarcinoma. mTORC1- and mTORC2-related activity were scored on different stainings including analysis of the expression of Raptor and Rictor—specific elements of mTORC1 and C2 complexes. The staining scores and clinical/survival data were compared and analysed. Results Detailed characterisation showed stage and grade independent high mTOR activity in 74% of cases. High mTOR activity was present in mTORC1 and/or mTORC2 complexes; >60% of cases had mTORC2-related high mTOR activity. Based on our analysis, high mTOR activity and Rictor overexpression could be markers of a bad prognosis. Combined phosphoprotein and Rictor/Raptor expression evaluation revealed even stronger statistical correlation with prognosis. Conclusions The presented staining panel could be appropriate and highly recommended for the accurate specification of mTORC1 and C2 activity of tumour tissues. This could help in the selection of mTOR inhibitors and can provide information about prognosis, which may guide decisions about the intensity of therapy.

Context: Follicular lymphoma (FL) is the most common type of indolent non-Hodgkin lymphomas, with an average overall survival rate of 15 years. The majority of FL patients experience disease progression or high-grade transformation to a more aggressive lymphoma, raising the need for effective treatment response monitoring, which, however, is hampered by the limited specificity and sensitivity of the most widely used, imaging-based PET-CT method. Molecular analysis of tumor-derived circulating DNA (ctDNA), frequently referred as liquid biopsy, is a promising, minimally invasive, radiation-free disease monitoring tool for patients suffering from a wide range of different tumor types. Recent studies interrogating the genomic background of FL have revealed activating mutations in the epigenetic regulator EZH2 gene in 25% of patients at diagnosis. Objective: In this feasibility study, we tested the power of detection and time-resolved monitoring of EZH2 mutations in ctDNA of FL patients receiving immunochemotherapy (ICT). Methods: Thirty-five blood plasma samples have been collected from 19 EZH2 mutant FL patients treated with ICT. After ctDNA isolation, EZH2 mutations were screened in each sample using digital droplet PCR (Bio-Rad Laboratories, USA). The acquired genetic results were compared with PET-CT-based imaging data where available. Results: EZH2 mutations were detected in plasma samples of four patients suffering from active or transformed FL. All patients with EZH2 wild type plasma samples were in complete or partial remission. In patients with EZH2 mutation-positive ctDNA, allele frequencies of the mutations correlated with the amount of metabolically active tumor sites observed on PET-CT scan images. Variant allele frequencies of EZH2 mutations rapidly declined or dropped below the detection limit upon successful treatment, while in one patient, treatment failure was associated with high EZH2 variant allele frequency. We also demonstrated spatial heterogeneity of EZH2 mutations in another case where different EZH2 mutations deriving from distinct anatomical sites could simultaneously be detected in the plasma. Conclusions: Our results suggest that liquid biopsy-based EZH2 mutation analysis with sensitive digital droplet PCR method offers a real-time, radiation-free, sensitive treatment response monitoring tool for patients with active EZH2 mutant FL.

Background Glioma is the most common highly aggressive, primary adult brain tumour. Clinical data show that therapeutic approaches cannot reach the expectations in patients, thus gliomas are mainly incurable diseases. Tumour cells can adapt rapidly to alterations during therapeutic treatments related to their metabolic rewiring and profound heterogeneity in tissue environment. Renewed interests aim to develop effective treatments targeting angiogenesis, kinase activity and/or cellular metabolism. mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin), whose hyper-activation is characteristic for many tumours, promotes metabolic alterations, macromolecule biosynthesis, cellular growth and survival. Unfortunately, mTOR inhibitors with their lower toxicity have not resulted in appreciable survival benefit. Analysing mTOR inhibitor sensitivity, other metabolism targeting treatments and their combinations could help to find potential agents and biomarkers for therapeutic development in glioma patients. Methods In vitro proliferation assays, protein expression and metabolite concentration analyses were used to study the effects of mTOR inhibitors, other metabolic treatments and their combinations in glioma cell lines. Furthermore, mTOR activity and cellular metabolism related protein expression patterns were also investigated by immunohistochemistry in human biopsies. Temozolomide and/or rapamycin treatments altered the expressions of enzymes related to lipid synthesis, glycolysis and mitochondrial functions as consequences of metabolic adaptation; therefore, other anti-metabolic drugs (chloroquine, etomoxir, doxycycline) were combined in vitro. Results Our results suggest that co-targeting metabolic pathways had tumour cell dependent additive/synergistic effects related to mTOR and metabolic protein expression patterns cell line dependently. Drug combinations, especially rapamycin + doxycycline may have promising anti-tumour effect in gliomas. Additionally, our immunohistochemistry results suggest that metabolic and mTOR activity alterations are not related to the recent glioma classification, and these protein expression profiles show individual differences in patients’ materials. Conclusions Based on these, combinations of different new/old drugs targeting cellular metabolism could be promising to inhibit high adaptation capacity of tumour cells depending on their metabolic shifts. Relating to this, such a development of current therapy needs to find special biomarkers to characterise metabolic heterogeneity of gliomas.

B-cell CLL/lymphoma 6 (BCL6) is a transcriptional master regulator that can repress more than 1200 potential target genes. It exerts oncogenic effects through the inhibition of differentiation, DNA damage sensing and apoptosis in several human hematopoietic malignancies, including multiple myeloma (MM). The multifunctional cytokine interferon γ (IFNγ) exerts pro-apoptotic and anti-proliferative effects on MM cells in vitro, at least partially through the inhibition of the effects of interleukin 6 (IL6), one of the most important growth factor of MM and a strong inducer of BCL6 expression. However, IFNγ was also reported to directly upregulate BCL6 in several cell types. These observations prompted us to analyze the effect of IFNγ on BCL6 expression in MM cells. We discovered that among several myeloma growth/survival factors tested (including IL6, oncostatin M, insulin-like growth factor 1, tumor necrosis factor α and IFNα) IFNγ was the strongest inducer of BCL6 mRNA and protein expression in MM cell lines. IFNγ induced upregulation of BCL6 was dependent on the classical STAT1 signaling pathway, and affected both major BCL6 variants. Interestingly, although IFNα induced stronger STAT1 phosphorylation than IFNγ, it only slightly upregulated BCL6 in MM lines. We proved that IFNα induced BCL6 upregulation was limited by the concomitant activation of STAT5 signaling. We assume that BCL6 upregulation may represent a potentially pro-tumorigenic effect of IFNγ signaling in MM cells.

It is shown show that the ion exchange isotherms and the law of mass action are equivalent, the c/a versus c functions can be derived from the law of mass action (c and a: the concentration of ions in ion exchanger and solution, respectively). The equations are applied for cation exchange processes of bentonite clay (cobalt, manganese, mercury ions with calcium-bentonite; strontium ions with sodium-bentonite; cesium ions with lanthanide bentonite; lutetium ion with calcium-bentonite). The linear or non-linear shape of the isotherms does not prove the heterogeneity of the ion exchanger or the interaction among the sorbed cations.

The nutrient uptake by plants is significantly influenced by the quantity of phosphate in the soil solution. Optimal fertilization rate demands the determination of water soluble phosphate quantity, the rate of desorption and phosphate exchange between the soil and soil solution at steady state. The aim of this paper was to determine the ratio of water-soluble/exchangeable to mineralized/organic phosphate after incubation of the soil with different phosphate quantities. The sorption process of phosphate on soil was studied by heterogeneous isotope exchange using a radioactive isotope of phosphorous. Using the correct mathematical analysis of the kinetics of heterogeneous isotope exchange, the rate of phosphate exchange was established under steady state condition. The distribution of radioactivity in equilibrium provided information on the reversibility or irreversibility of phosphate sorption. The results revealed that during a relatively short incubation period, the water-soluble/exchangeable phosphorous quantity, namely the portion of phosphate which can easily be taken up by plants, was proportional to the added phosphorous quantity. The tightly sorbed phosphorous quantity, however, reached a limit, suggesting that the reactants leading to tight sorption are consumed. The exchange rate of phosphorous between the soil and the solution was found to be proportional to the phosphorous quantity in the soil solution, showing that the rate-determining step of the heterogeneous isotope exchange process was the diffusion of phosphate ions.

Background Multiple studies concluded that oncometabolites (e.g. D-2-hydroxyglutarate (2-HG) related to mutant isocitrate dehydrogenase 1/2 (IDH1/2) and lactate) have tumour promoting potential. Regulatory mechanisms implicated in the maintenance of oncometabolite production have great interest. mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin) orchestrates different pathways, influences cellular growth and metabolism. Considering hyperactivation of mTOR in several malignancies, the question has been addressed whether mTOR operates through controlling of oncometabolite accumulation in metabolic reprogramming. Methods HT-1080 cells – carrying originally endogenous IDH1 mutation – were used in vitro and in vivo. Anti-tumour effects of rapamycin were studied using different assays. The main sources and productions of the oncometabolites (2-HG and lactate) were analysed by 13C-labeled substrates. Alterations at protein and metabolite levels were followed by Western blot, flow cytometry, immunohistochemistry and liquid chromatography mass spectrometry using rapamycin, PP242 and different glutaminase inhibitors, as well. Results Rapamycin (mTORC1 inhibitor) inhibited proliferation, migration and altered the metabolic activity of IDH1 mutant HT-1080 cells. Rapamycin reduced the level of 2-HG sourced mainly from glutamine and glucose derived lactate which correlated to the decreased incorporation of 13C atoms from 13C-substrates. Additionally, decreased expressions of lactate dehydrogenase A and glutaminase were also observed both in vitro and in vivo. Conclusions Considering the role of lactate and 2-HG in regulatory network and in metabolic symbiosis it could be assumed that mTOR inhibitors have additional effects besides their anti-proliferative effects in tumours with glycolytic phenotype, especially in case of IDH1 mutation (e.g. acute myeloid leukemias, gliomas, chondrosarcomas). Based on our new results, we suggest targeting mTOR activity depending on the metabolic and besides molecular genetic phenotype of tumours to increase the success of therapies. Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13046-017-0544-y) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Exosomes, nano-sized membrane vesicles, are released by various cells and are found in many human body fluids. They are active players in intercellular communication and have immune-suppressive, immune-regulatory, and immune-stimulatory functions. EBV is a ubiquitous human herpesvirus that is associated with various lymphoid and epithelial malignancies. EBV infection of B cells in vitro induces the release of exosomes that harbor the viral latent membrane protein 1 (LMP1). LMP1 per se mimics CD40 signaling and induces proliferation of B lymphocytes and T cell–independent class-switch recombination. Constitutive LMP1 signaling within B cells is blunted through the shedding of LMP1 via exosomes. In this study, we investigated the functional effect of exosomes derived from the DG75 Burkitt’s lymphoma cell line and its sublines (LMP1 transfected and EBV infected), with the hypothesis that they might mimic exosomes released during EBV-associated diseases. We show that exosomes released during primary EBV infection of B cells harbored LMP1, and similar levels were detected in exosomes from LMP1-transfected DG75 cells. DG75 exosomes efficiently bound to human B cells within PBMCs and were internalized by isolated B cells. In turn, this led to proliferation, induction of activation-induced cytidine deaminase, and the production of circle and germline transcripts for IgG1 in B cells. Finally, exosomes harboring LMP1 enhanced proliferation and drove B cell differentiation toward a plasmablast-like phenotype. In conclusion, our results suggest that exosomes released from EBV-infected B cells have a stimulatory capacity and interfere with the fate of human B cells.

Human B cells, the main target of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), can display several types of latent viral protein expression, denoted 0, I, IIa, IIb, or III. Of these, only type III expression induces proliferation of cells in vitro . These latency types are present at specific stages of infection and are also characteristic of different tumor types, but their generation is not fully understood. In this study, we analyzed the role of T cells in the regulation of EBV viral latency by using humanized NOD/SCID/IL2Rγ −/− mice. Several spleens presented macroscopic tumors 4 weeks after infection. Explanted spleen B cells from some of the EBV-infected mice proliferated in vitro , but this was usually lowered when cyclosporine was added to the cultures. This suggested that the in vitro growth of EBV-infected B cells required T cell help; thus, cells other than type III cells were also present in the spleens. Quantitative PCR analysis of promoter activities specific for the different EBV latency types confirmed that in addition to type III cells, type IIa and type I cells were present in the spleen. The relative usage of the viral promoter specific for I and IIa latency types (Q promoter) was higher in CD8 + cell-depleted mice, and it was absent from CD4 + cell-depleted mice. These results indicate that CD4 + T cells are necessary for the generation/maintenance of cells with latency I/IIa in the humanized mice. CD4 + T cells contributed to this process through their CD40L expression. IMPORTANCE At primary infection with EBV, the infected B cells are proliferating and express viral proteins that have transforming potential. However, when the acute infection is resolved, in healthy individuals EBV is carried by a small fraction of B cells that express a restricted number of viral proteins unable to induce proliferation. Understanding the details of this transition is of fundamental importance. We studied this question in humanized mice by manipulating their different T cell compartments before and during infection with EBV. Our results indicate that CD4 + T cells are responsible for the switch to a nonproliferating EBV program during primary infection with EBV.

Introduction: The irreversible Bruton tyrosine kinase (BTK) inhibitor ibrutinib is changing the paradigm of the treatment of chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) with remarkable outcomes in first line as well as in relapsed CLL, including high risk patients with TP53 aberration. While the majority of patients demonstrate durable responses, with a median follow up of 3 years, approximately 18% of them develop resistance and relapse. Mutations in the BTK and PLCG2 genes emerged as predominant mechanisms conferring secondary ibrutinib resistance with BTK and/or PLCG2 mutations detected in the majority of resistant patients, often even 10 months before the clinical relapse. Given the very poor outcome of patients discontinuing ibrutinib, comprehensive understanding of the mechanisms of ibrutinib resistance and changes in the clonal architecture induced by the selective pressure of the drug are of major clinical importance. To dissect the clonal evolution in the context of all relevant mutation targets in CLL, we performed a temporal mutation profiling of 31 genes in paired pre- and post-treatment samples of patients receiving ibrutinib therapy. Methods: Sequential samples from 18 patients treated with single-agent ibrutinib were included in this study. Pre-treatment peripheral blood samples were available in all patients, with post-treatment samples at 18 months for 6 patients, at 12 months for 7 patients, at 8 months for 3 patients and at 3 months for 2 patients, with a median follow up of 12 months. Targeted deep NGS analysis of 31 recurrently mutated target genes, including ATM, BCOR, BIRC3, BRAF, BTK, CHD2, DDX3X, EGR2, EIF2A, EP300, FBXW7, HIST1H1E, IGLL5, KLHL6, KMT2D, LRP1B, MAPK1, MED12, MGA, MYD88, NFKBIE, NOTCH1, PLCG2, POT1, RIPK1, RPS15, SAMHD1, SF3B1, TP53, XPO1 and ZMYM3 was performed using the TruSeq Custom Amplicon approach (Illumina) on genomic DNA specimens extracted from peripheral blood mononuclear cells. Variant calling was performed using the VariantStudio3.0 application (Illumina) and only variants supported with more than 100 mutant reads were considered. Our cohort represented a heavily pretreated patient group with a median of 2.5 (range: 1-5) lines of prior therapies. Results: The ultra-deep NGS analysis revealed a total of 473 somatic mutations in the 18 paired samples with a median allelic depth of 25.550x across the 31 genes analyzed. The post-treatment samples carried a considerably higher number of mutations compared to the pre-treatment samples (114 vs 359 mutations) with more than half of the variants representing subclonal alterations with variant allele frequencies (VAF) of Conclusions: The ultra-deep NGS analysis performed on paired samples of CLL patients treated with ibrutinib provided a significant insight into the mutational repertoire as well as subclonal dynamics of the leukemic compartment. Furthermore, it has revealed a profound subclonal heterogeneity that seems to be further enhanced by ibrutinib therapy, as demonstrated by a higher frequency of subclonal variants in the post-treatment samples. The clinical significance and the potential role of the novel BTK and PLCG2 variants identified in our study will require a longer follow up time, as currently all patients harboring these subclonal variants are still on ibrutinib therapy. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.

During childhood, infections with cytomegalovirus (CMV) and Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) can occur in close temporal proximity. Active, as well as latent, CMV infection is associated with enlarged subsets of differentiated natural killer (NK) and cytotoxic T cells. How EBV infection may influence CMV-driven immune differentiation is not known. We found that EBV coinfection selectively influenced the NK cell compartment of CMV-seropositive (CMV + ) children. Coinfected children had significantly higher proportions of peripheral-blood NKG2C + NK cells than CMV + EBV − children. Ex vivo NK cell degranulation after target cell stimulation and plasma IL-15 levels were significantly higher in CMV + children. EBV coinfection was related to the highest levels of plasma interleukin-15 (IL-15) and IL-12p70. Remarkably, in vitro EBV infection of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from EBV − CMV + children increased NKG2C + NK cell proportions. A similar tendency was seen in cocultures of PBMC with EBV + lymphoblastoid B-cell lines (LCL) and IL-15. After K562 challenge, NKG2C + NK cells excelled in regard to degranulation and production of gamma interferon, regardless of whether there was previous coculture with LCL. Taken together, our data suggest that dual latency with these herpesviruses during childhood could contribute to an in vivo environment supporting differentiation and maintenance of distinct NK cell populations. This viral imprint may affect subsequent immune responses through altered distributions of effector cells.

Altered DNA methylation occurs ubiquitously in human cancer from the earliest measurable stages. A cogent approach to understanding the mechanism and timing of altered DNA methylation is to analyze it in the context of carcinogenesis by a defined agent. Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) is a human oncogenic herpesvirus associated with lymphoma and nasopharyngeal carcinoma, but also used commonly in the laboratory to immortalize human B-cells in culture. Here we have performed whole-genome bisulfite sequencing of normal B-cells, activated B-cells, and EBV-immortalized B-cells from the same three individuals, in order to identify the impact of transformation on the methylome. Surprisingly, large-scale hypomethylated blocks comprising two-thirds of the genome were induced by EBV immortalization but not by B-cell activation per se. These regions largely corresponded to hypomethylated blocks that we have observed in human cancer, and they were associated with gene-expression hypervariability, similar to human cancer, and consistent with a model of epigenomic change promoting tumor cell heterogeneity. We also describe small-scale changes in DNA methylation near CpG islands. These results suggest that methylation disruption is an early and critical step in malignant transformation.

The disposal of nuclear wastes in geological formations demands the construction of engineering barriers. Bentonite clay rock is frequently used both as natural and engineering barrier. The natural bentonite rock in its original form is considered as compacted bentonite if the density is higher than 1.2 g/cm3. In this paper, the risk of the extrapolation of the laboratory experiments to field conditions and the high differences of the natural samples are emphasized: as much as 52 % standard deviation was obtained in the migration coefficients characterizing bentonite samples collected from the same site with a very small extent of sampling. Moreover, the bulk densities (1.18–1.87 g/cm3) and montmorillonite content are also rather different (45–71 m/m %).The contradictions of the effects of the swelling clay mineral (montmorillonite) content and the bulk density of bentonite are illustrated: it is shown that the migration rate of chloride anion is determined by the ratio of the different water types (interlayer water of montmorillonite to free pore water of bentonite, including the electric double layer water). The apparent migration coefficients of bentonite clay and concrete (natural and artificial engineering barrier) are compared.

We analyzed epigenetic marks at the CD23 regulatory regions in well characterized Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-carrying cell lines covering the major latency types. Bisulfite sequencing showed that DNA methylation is not a major regulator of EBV-induced CD23 transcription, although a wide hypomethylated DNA sequence in the regulatory regions is always present in the cell lines with high CD23 expression. Acetylated histone H3 levels at the CD23b promoter showed strong correlation with CD23b expression, while a weaker correlation could be observed at the CD23a core promoter. DMS in vivo footprinting at the intronic EBV-responsive enhancer and the intermediate-affinity CBF1 site at the CD23a core promoter did not reveal any significant sign of in vivo protein-DNA interactions, despite the presence of strong, characteristic footprints in the same DMS-treated DNA samples at the two CBF1 sites of the LMP2A-promoter. Our in vivo results suggest a minor role for DNA methylation, while a more important role for histone acetylation in the regulation of EBV-induced CD23 expression. Furthermore, our in vivo footprinting results support the complex model of CD23 induction by EBV, rather than a simple model with direct transactivation of CD23 by EBNA-2.

In this paper, the applications and the differences among the widely applied sorption isotherms (Langmuir isotherm for adsorption, competitive adsorption, ion exchange, Freundlich isotherm) are shown. The misleading information obtained by the formal applications of the isotherms is demonstrated using a simple mathematical model of homovalent ion exchange on homogeneous surface. This model calculation clearly reveals that when studying surface accumulation processes, the mechanism of the sorption process has to be determined. The correct thermodynamic interpretation of the data of sorption experiments is possible only if the isotherm is adapted to the sorption mechanism. It is emphasized that the regression values of the applied models themselves provide correct information neither on the surface heterogeneity nor the interactions among the sorbed species. The curved shape of an inadequate applied isotherm gives no information about the heterogeneity. In order to study the energy distribution of surface sites, the thermodynamic equations, including isotherms, has to be selected on the basis of sorption mechanism. All variable quantities involved in the given model (concentrations of the competing substances in all phases) have to be measured experimentally and included into the isotherm.

Recent developments in mouse models that harbor part of a human immune system have proved extremely valuable to study the in vivo immune response to human specific pathogens such as Epstein-Barr virus. Over the last decades, advances in immunodeficient mouse strains that can be used as recipients for human immune cells have greatly enhanced the use of these models. Here, we describe the generation of mice with reconstituted human immune system (HIS mice) using immunocompromised mice transplanted with human CD34+ hematopoietic stem cells. We will also describe how such mice, in which human immune cells are generated de novo, can be used to study EBV infection.

Lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) can be generated easily by in vitro EBV infection of B lymphocytes collected from any individual. In vitro, these EBV-infected B cell cultures yield proliferating, transformed lines referred to as lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs).