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Abstract Diagnosis of malignant pleural effusion (MPE) is made by cytological examination of pleural fluid or histological examination of pleural tissue from biopsy. Unfortunately, detection of malignancy using cytology has an overall sensitivity of 50%, and is dependent upon tumor load, volume of fluid assessed, and cytopathologist experience. The diagnostic yield of pleural fluid cytology is also compromised by low abundance of tumor cells or when morphology is obscured by inflammation or reactive mesothelial cells. A reliable molecular marker that may complement fluid cytology for the diagnosis of malignant pleural effusion is needed. The purpose of this study was to establish a molecular diagnostic approach based on pleural effusion cell-free DNA methylation analysis for the differential diagnosis of malignant pleural effusion and benign pleural effusion. This was a blind, prospective case–control biomarker study. We recruited 104 patients with pleural effusion for the study. We collected pleural fluid from patients with: MPE (n = 48), indeterminate pleural effusion in subjects with known malignancy or IPE (n = 28), and benign PE (n = 28), and performed the Sentinel-MPE liquid biopsy assay. The methylation level of Sentinel-MPE was markedly higher in the MPE samples compared to BPE control samples (p

Identification of cancer-specific methylation of DNA released by tumours can be used for non-invasive diagnostics and monitoring. We previously reported in silico identification of DNA methylation loci specifically hypermethylated in common human cancers that could be used as epigenetic biomarkers. Using DNA methylation specific qPCR we now clinically tested a group of these cancer-specific loci on cell-free DNA (cfDNA) extracted from the plasma fraction of blood samples from healthy controls and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) patients. These DNA methylation biomarkers distinguish lung cancer cases from controls with high sensitivity and specificity (AUC = 0.956), and furthermore, the signal from the markers correlates with tumour size and decreases after surgical resection of lung tumours. Presented observations suggest the clinical value of these DNA methylation biomarkers for NSCLC diagnostics and monitoring. Since we successfully validated the biomarkers using independent DNA methylation data from multiple additional common carcinoma cohorts (bladder, breast, colorectal, oesophageal, head and neck, pancreatic or prostate cancer) we predict that these DNA methylation biomarkers will detect additional carcinoma types from plasma samples as well.

The TATA-box binding protein associated factor 1 (TAF1) is part of the TFIID complex that plays a key role during the initiation of transcription. Variants of TAF1 are associated with neurodevelopmental disorders. Previously, we found that CRISPR/Cas9 based editing of the TAF1 gene disrupts the morphology of the cerebral cortex and blunts the expression as well as the function of the CaV3.1 (T-type) voltage gated calcium channel. Here, we tested the efficacy of SAK3 (ethyl 8′-methyl-2′, 4-dioxo-2-(piperidin-1-yl)-2′H-spiro [cyclopentane-1, 3′-imidazo [1, 2-a] pyridine]-2-ene-3-carboxylate), a T-type calcium channel enhancer, in an animal model of TAF1 intellectual disability (ID) syndrome. At post-natal day 3, rat pups were subjected to intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection of either gRNA-control or gRNA-TAF1 CRISPR/Cas9 viruses. At post-natal day 21, the rat pups were given SAK3 (0.25 mg/kg, p.o.) or vehicle for 14 days (i.e. till post-natal day 35) and then subjected to behavioral, morphological, and molecular studies. Oral administration of SAK3 (0.25 mg/kg, p.o.) significantly rescued locomotion abnormalities associated with TAF1 gene editing. SAK3 treatment prevented the loss of cortical neurons and GFAP-positive astrocytes observed after TAF1 gene editing. In addition, SAK3 protected cells from apoptosis. SAK3 also restored the Brain-derived neurotrophic factor/protein kinase B/Glycogen Synthase Kinase 3 Beta (BDNF/AKT/GSK3β) signaling axis in TAF1 edited animals. Finally, SAK3 normalized the levels of three GSK3β substrates - CaV3.1, FOXP2, and CRMP2. We conclude that the T-type calcium channel enhancer SAK3 is beneficial against the deleterious effects of TAF1 gene-editing, in part, by stimulating the BDNF/AKT/GSK3β signaling pathway.

T-type calcium channels, in the central nervous system, are involved in the pathogenesis of many neurodegenerative diseases, including TAF1 intellectual disability syndrome (TAF1 ID syndrome). Here, we evaluated the efficacy of a novel T-type Ca2+ channel enhancer, SAK3 (ethyl 8′-methyl-2′, 4-dioxo-2-(piperidin-1-yl)-2′H-spiro [cyclopentane-1, 3′-imidazo [1, 2-a] pyridine]-2-ene-3-carboxylate) in an animal model of TAF1 ID syndrome. At post-natal day 3, rat pups were subjected to intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection of either gRNA-control or gRNA-TAF1 CRISPR/Cas9 viruses. At post-natal day 21 animals were given SAK3 (0.25 mg/kg, p.o.) or vehicle up to post-natal day 35 (i.e. 14 days). Rats were subjected to behavioral, morphological, electrophysiological, and molecular studies. Oral administration of SAK3 (0.25 mg/kg, p.o.) significantly rescued the behavior abnormalities in beam walking test and open field test caused by TAF1 gene editing. We observed an increase in calbindin-positive Purkinje cells and GFAP-positive astrocytes as well as a decrease in IBA1-positive microglia cells in SAK3-treated animals. In addition, SAK3 protected the Purkinje and granule cells from apoptosis induced by TAF-1 gene editing. SAK3 also restored the excitatory post synaptic current (sEPSCs) in TAF1 edited Purkinje cells. Finally, SAK3 normalized the BDNF/AKT signaling axis in TAF1 edited animals. Altogether, these observations suggest that SAK3 could be a novel therapeutic agent for TAF1 ID syndrome.

TAF1/MRSX33 intellectual disability syndrome is an X-linked disorder caused by loss-of-function mutations in the TAF1 gene. How these mutations cause dysmorphology, hypotonia, intellectual and motor defects is unknown. Mouse models which have embryonically targeted TAF1 have failed, possibly due to TAF1 being essential for viability, preferentially expressed in early brain development, and intolerant of mutation. Novel animal models are valuable tools for understanding neuronal pathology. Here, we report the development and characterization of a novel animal model for TAF1 ID syndrome in which the TAF1 gene is deleted in embryonic rats using clustered regularly interspaced short palindromic repeats (CRISPR) associated protein 9 (Cas9) technology and somatic brain transgenesis mediated by lentiviral transduction. Rat pups, post-natal day 3, were subjected to intracerebroventricular (ICV) injection of either gRNA-control or gRNA-TAF1 vectors. Rats were subjected to a battery of behavioral tests followed by histopathological analyses of brains at post-natal day 14 and day 35. TAF1-edited rats exhibited behavioral deficits at both the neonatal and juvenile stages of development. Deletion of TAF1 lead to a hypoplasia and loss of the Purkinje cells. We also observed a decreased in GFAP positive astrocytes and an increase in Iba1 positive microglia within the granular layer of the cerebellum in TAF1-edited animals. Immunostaining revealed a reduction in the expression of the CaV3.1 T-type calcium channel. Abnormal motor symptoms in TAF1-edited rats were associated with irregular cerebellar output caused by changes in the intrinsic activity of the Purkinje cells due to loss of pre-synaptic CaV3.1. This animal model provides a powerful new tool for studies of neuronal dysfunction in conditions associated with TAF1 abnormalities and should prove useful for developing therapeutic strategies to treat TAF1 ID syndrome.

Faculty members from the Department of Pathology at The University of Arizona College of Medicine-Tucson have offered a 4-credit course on enhanced general pathology for graduate students since 1996. The course is titled, “Mechanisms of Human Disease.” Between 1997 and 2016, 270 graduate students completed Mechanisms of Human Disease. The students came from 21 programs of study. Analysis of Variance, using course grade as the dependent and degree, program, gender, and year (1997-2016) as independent variables, indicated that there was no significant difference in final grade (F = 0.112; P = .8856) as a function of degree (doctorate: mean = 89.60, standard deviation = 5.75; master’s: mean = 89.34, standard deviation = 6.00; certificate program: mean = 88.64, standard deviation = 8.25), specific type of degree program (F = 2.066, P = .1316; life sciences: mean = 89.95, standard deviation = 6.40; pharmaceutical sciences: mean = 90.71, standard deviation = 4.57; physical sciences: mean = 87.79, standard deviation = 5.17), or as a function of gender (F = 2.96, P = .0865; males: mean = 88.09, standard deviation = 8.36; females: mean = 89.58, standard deviation = 5.82). Students in the physical and life sciences performed equally well. Mechanisms of Human Disease is a popular course that provides students enrolled in a variety of graduate programs with a medical school-based course on mechanisms of diseases. The addition of 2 new medically oriented Master of Science degree programs has nearly tripled enrollment. This graduate level course also potentially expands the interdisciplinary diversity of participants in our interprofessional education and collaborative practice exercises.

Human skin is continually subjected to UV-irradiation with the p53 gene playing a pivotal role in repair of UV-induced DNA damage and apoptosis. Consequently, p53 alterations are early events in human UV-induced skin carcinogenesis. We studied 13 squamous cell carcinomas (SCC), 16 actinic keratoses (AK), 13 samples adjacent to an AK (chronically sun-damaged), and 14 normal-appearing skin samples for p53 mutation, p53 immunostaining (IHC), apoptosis (in situ TUNEL and morphology), and proliferation (PCNA). The frequency of p53 mutation increased from 14% in normal skin, to 38.5% in sun-damaged skin, 63% in AK, and 54% in SCC. p53 IHC increased similarly. Apoptosis (TUNEL) increased from 0.06 ± 0.02%, to 0.1 ± 0.2, 0.3 ± 0.3, and 0.4 ± 0.3 in normal skin, sun-damaged skin, AK, and SCC, respectively. Apoptosis was strongly correlated with proliferation (i.e., TUNEL and PCNA, r = 0.7, P < 0.0001), and proliferation was significantly increased in the progression from normal skin to SCC. Bax was significantly increased in SCC compared to AK. These data imply that apoptosis in samples with a high frequency of p53 mutation may not necessarily be p53-dependent. We suggest that there is a mechanism for apoptosis in response to increased cellular proliferation that is p53-independent.

Multimodal magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has accelerated human neuroscience by fostering the analysis of brain microstructure, geometry, function, and connectivity across multiple scales and in living brains. The richness and complexity of multimodal neuroimaging, however, demands processing methods to integrate information across modalities and to consolidate findings across different spatial scales. Here, we present micapipe, an open processing pipeline for multimodal MRI datasets. Based on BIDS-conform input data, micapipe can generate i) structural connectomes derived from diffusion tractography, ii) functional connectomes derived from resting-state signal correlations, iii) geodesic distance matrices that quantify cortico-cortical proximity, and iv) microstructural profile covariance matrices that assess inter-regional similarity in cortical myelin proxies. The above matrices can be automatically generated across established 18 cortical parcellations (100–1000 parcels), in addition to subcortical and cerebellar parcellations, allowing researchers to replicate findings easily across different spatial scales. Results are represented on three different surface spaces (native, conte69, fsaverage5), and outputs are BIDS-conform. Processed outputs can be quality controlled at the individual and group level. micapipe was tested on several datasets and is available at https://github.com/MICA-MNI/micapipe, documented at https://micapipe.readthedocs.io/, and containerized as a BIDS App http://bids-apps.neuroimaging.io/apps/. We hope that micapipe will foster robust and integrative studies of human brain microstructure, morphology, function, cand connectivity.

Background Blood pressure variability (BPV) in midlife increases risk of late‐life dementia, but the impact of BPV on the cognition of adults who have already reached older ages free of major cognitive deficits is unknown. We examined the risk of incident dementia and cognitive decline associated with long‐term, visit‐to‐visit BPV in a post hoc analysis of the ASPREE (Aspirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly) trial. Methods and Results ASPREE participants (N=19 114) were free of dementia and significant cognitive impairment at enrollment. Measurement of BP and administration of a standardized cognitive battery evaluating global cognition, delayed episodic memory, verbal fluency, and processing speed and attention occurred at baseline and follow‐up visits. Time‐to‐event analysis using Cox proportional hazards regression models were used to calculate hazard ratios (HR) and corresponding 95% CI for incident dementia and cognitive decline, according to tertile of SD of systolic BPV. Individuals in the highest BPV tertile compared with the lowest had an increased risk of incident dementia and cognitive decline, independent of average BP and use of antihypertensive drugs. There was evidence that sex modified the association with incident dementia (interaction P=0.02), with increased risk in men (HR, 1.68; 95% CI, 1.19–2.39) but not women (HR, 1.01; 95% CI, 0.72–1.42). For cognitive decline, similar increased risks were observed for men and women (interaction P=0.15; men: HR, 1.36; 95% CI, 1.16–1.59; women: HR, 1.14; 95% CI, 0.98–1.32). Conclusions High BPV in older adults without major cognitive impairment, particularly men, is associated with increased risks of dementia and cognitive decline. Registration URL: https://www.clinicaltrials.gov; Unique identifier: NCT01038583; isrctn.com. Identifier: ISRCTN83772183.

Respiratory chemoreceptors regulate breathing in response to changes in tissue CO2/H+. Blood flow is a fundamental determinant of tissue CO2/H+, yet little is known regarding how regulation of vascular tone in chemoreceptor regions contributes to respiratory behavior. Previously, we showed in rat that CO2/H+-vasoconstriction in the retrotrapezoid nucleus (RTN) supports chemoreception by a purinergic-dependent mechanism (Hawkins et al., 2017). Here, we show in mice that CO2/H+ dilates arterioles in other chemoreceptor regions, thus demonstrating CO2/H+ vascular reactivity in the RTN is unique. We also identify P2Y2 receptors in RTN smooth muscle cells as the substrate responsible for this response. Specifically, pharmacological blockade or genetic deletion of P2Y2 from smooth muscle cells blunted the ventilatory response to CO2, and re-expression of P2Y2 receptors only in RTN smooth muscle cells fully rescued the CO2/H+ chemoreflex. These results identify P2Y2 receptors in RTN smooth muscle cells as requisite determinants of respiratory chemoreception.

Background: Bleeding is the major risk of aspirin treatment, especially in the elderly. A consensus definition for clinically significant bleeding (CSB) in aspirin primary prevention trials is lacking in the literature. Methods: This paper details the development, modification, application, and quality control of a definition for clinically significant bleeding in the ASPirin in Reducing Events in the Elderly (ASPREE) trial, a primary prevention trial of aspirin in 19,114 community-dwelling elderly men and women. In ASPREE a confirmed bleeding event needed to meet criteria both for substantiated bleeding and clinical significance. Substantiated bleeding was defined as: 1) observed bleeding, 2) a reasonable report of symptoms of bleeding, 3) medical, nursing or paramedical report, or 4) imaging evidence. Bleeding was defined as clinically significant if it: 1) required transfusion of red blood cells, 2) required admission to the hospital for >24 h, or prolonged a hospitalization, with bleeding as the principal reason, 3) required surgery to stop the bleeding, or 4) resulted in death. Bleeding sites were subclassified as upper gastrointestinal, lower gastrointestinal, intracranial (hemorrhagic stroke, subarachnoid hemorrhage, subdural hematoma, extradural hematoma, or other), or other sites. Potential events were retrieved from medical records, self-report or notification from treating doctors. Two reviewers adjudicated each event using electronic adjudication software, and discordant cases were reviewed by a third reviewer. Adjudication rules evolved to become more strictly defined as the trial progressed and decision rules were added to assist with frequent scenarios such as post-operative bleeding. Conclusions: This paper provides a detailed methodologic description of the development of a standardized definition for clinically significant bleeding and provides a benchmark for development of a consensus definition for future aspirin primary prevention trials. Trial registration: ASPREE is registered on the International Standard Randomized Controlled Trial Number Register (ISRCTN83772183) and on clinicaltrials.gov (NCT01038583). Keywords: Aspirin, Primary prevention, Methods, Hemorrhage, Bleeding

Despite documented benefits, many Total Joint Replacement (TJR) patients find it difficult to access rehabilitation following discharge from hospital. One solution to improve access for TJR patients is telerehabilitation. This study aimed to assess the feasibility of introducing a telerehabilitation program for TJR patients. TJR patients at QEII Jubilee Hospital were invited to complete a questionnaire regarding their access, feelings towards and preferences in using technology. Seventy-five patients were recruited. Most patients had computer access (72%) and internet (69%) at home. Sixty-five percent of participants were willing to participate in telerehabilitation. A significant difference was found between older and younger patients. Watching videos on an electronic device was the preferred method for a technology-based home exercise program and phone call the preferred method of communication. Results indicate telerehabilitation in the TJR population is feasible from the perspective of access to, feelings toward, and preferences for technology. Keywords: Hip replacement, Knee replacement, Telerehabilitation, Telemedicine, Total joint replacement

Background Information is scarce regarding effects of antihypertensive medication on blood pressure variability (BPV) and associated clinical outcomes. We examined whether antihypertensive treatment changes BPV over time and whether such change (decline or increase) has any association with long‐term mortality in an elderly hypertensive population. Methods and Results We used data from a subset of participants in the Second Australian National Blood Pressure study (n=496) aged ≥65 years who had 24‐hour ambulatory blood pressure recordings at study entry (baseline) and then after a median of 2 years while on treatment (follow‐up). Weighted day‐night systolic BPV was calculated for both baseline and follow‐up as a weighted mean of daytime and nighttime blood pressure standard deviations. The annual rate of change in BPV over time was calculated from these BPV estimates. Furthermore, we classified both BPV estimates as high and low based on the baseline median BPV value and then classified BPV changes into stable: low BPV, stable: high BPV, decline: high to low, and increase: low to high. We observed an annual decline (mean±SD: −0.37±1.95; 95% CI, −0.54 to −0.19; P

Background Hypertension is the major risk factor for cardiovascular disease, the most common cause of death worldwide. Resistance arteries are capable of adapting their diameter independently in response to pressure and flow‐associated shear stress. Ryanodine receptors (RyRs) are major Ca2+‐release channels in the sarcoplasmic reticulum membrane of myocytes that contribute to the regulation of contractility. Vascular smooth muscle cells exhibit 3 different RyR isoforms (RyR1, RyR2, and RyR3), but the impact of individual RyR isoforms on adaptive vascular responses is largely unknown. Herein, we generated tamoxifen‐inducible smooth muscle cell–specific RyR2‐deficient mice and tested the hypothesis that vascular smooth muscle cell RyR2s play a specific role in elementary Ca2+ signaling and adaptive vascular responses to vascular pressure and/or flow. Methods and Results Targeted deletion of the Ryr2 gene resulted in a complete loss of sarcoplasmic reticulum–mediated Ca2+‐release events and associated Ca2+‐activated, large‐conductance K+ channel currents in peripheral arteries, leading to increased myogenic tone and systemic blood pressure. In the absence of RyR2, the pulmonary artery pressure response to sustained hypoxia was enhanced, but flow‐dependent effects, including blood flow recovery in ischemic hind limbs, were unaffected. Conclusions Our results establish that RyR2‐mediated Ca2+‐release events in VSCMs specifically regulate myogenic tone (systemic circulation) and arterial adaptation in response to changes in pressure (hypoxic lung model), but not flow. They further suggest that vascular smooth muscle cell–expressed RyR2 deserves scrutiny as a therapeutic target for the treatment of vascular responses in hypertension and chronic vascular diseases.