Clinical and genetic features of Japanese cases of MDS associated with VEXAS syndrome.

VEXAS (vacuoles, E1 enzyme, X-linked, autoinflammatory, somatic) syndrome is a new disease entity with autoinflammatory disorders (AID) driven by somatic variants in UBA1 that frequently co-exists with myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS). Clinicopathological and molecular features of Japanese cases with VEXAS-associated MDS remain elusive. We previously reported high prevalence of UBA1 variants in Japanese patients with relapsing polychondritis, in which 5 cases co-occurred with MDS. Here, we report clinicopathological and variant profiles of these 5 cases and 2 additional cases of MDS associated with VEXAS syndrome. Clinical characteristics of these cases included high prevalence of macrocytic anemia with marked cytoplasmic vacuoles in myeloid/erythroid precursors and low bone marrow (BM) blast percentages. All cases were classified as low or very low risk by the revised international prognostic scoring system (IPSS-R). Notably, 4 out of 7 cases showed significant improvement of anemia by treatment with prednisolone (PSL) or cyclosporin A (CsA), suggesting that an underlying inflammatory milieu induced by VEXAS syndrome may aggravate macrocytic anemia in VEXAS-associated MDS. Targeted deep sequencing of blood samples suggested that MDS associated with VEXAS syndrome tends to involve a smaller number of genes and lower risk genetic lesions than classical MDS.

Protection of nuclear DNA by lifespan-extending compounds in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae.

DNA damage has been hypothesized to be a driving force of the aging process. At the same time, there exists multiple compounds that can extend lifespan in model organisms, such as yeast, worms, flies, and mice. One possible mechanism of action for these compounds is a protective effect against DNA damage. We investigated whether five of these lifespan-extending compounds, dinitrophenol, metformin, rapamycin, resveratrol, and spermidine, could protect nuclear DNA in the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae at the same doses under which they confer lifespan extension. We found that rapamycin and spermidine were able to decrease the spontaneous mutation rate at the CAN1 locus, whereas dinitrophenol, metformin, and resveratrol were able to protect yeast against CAN1 mutations induced by ethyl methanesulfonate (EMS). We also tested whether these compounds could enhance survival against EMS, ultraviolet (UV) light, or hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) insult. All five compounds conferred a protective effect against EMS, while metformin and spermidine protected yeast against UV light. Somewhat surprisingly, none of the compounds were able to afford a significant protection against H2O2, with spermidine dramatically sensitizing cells. We also examined the ability of these compounds to increase lifespan when growth-arrested by hydroxyurea; only spermidine was found to have a positive effect. Overall, our results suggest that lifespan-extending compounds may act in part by protecting nuclear DNA.

[Glossitis by mixed infection of cytomegalovirus and herpes simplex virus during therapy for pure red cell aplasia complicated with Good syndrome].

A 64-year-old man with a 10-year history of Good syndrome had been treated with periodic replacement of γ-globulin. He also had a 6-year history of lichen planus of the tongue. In 2009, the patient was diagnosed as having pure red cell aplasia (PRCA) based on bone marrow aspiration. Thymectomy was not effective. Then, immunosuppressive therapy with PSL and cyclosporine was initiated. Twenty days after treatment painful ulcer appeared on the left side of the tongue. Biopsy specimen of the ulcer demonstrated cells infected with cytomegalovirus and herpes simplex virus. Cytomegalovirus antigenemia was also positive. The tongue ulcer promptly improved after gancyclovir administration for a few weeks. Viral glossitis should be considered as part of the differential diagnoses of oral lesions not only in patients with HIV infection but also in those under immunosuppressive therapy.

Significance of PGP9.5 expression in cancer-associated fibroblasts for prognosis of colorectal carcinoma.

To assess the expression of a cancer-associated fibroblasts (CAFs) marker as an indicator of prognosis, we raised anti-protein gene product 9.5 (PGP9.5) monoclonal antibody against cultured fibroblasts. PGP9.5 expression in cultured normal fibroblasts was increased by transforming growth factor beta stimulation, indicating the phenotypic alteration to activated fibroblast. We immunohistochemically evaluated PGP9.5 expression with the CAFs of 110 colorectal cancer cases under T3 stage. PGP9.5 immunoreactivity in 30% or more of CAFs was defined as high PGP9.5 expression, and the other cases were considered as having low PGP9.5 expression. Patients with high PGP9.5 expression (42.7%) had significantly shorter survival and a higher incidence of recurrence than the low PGP9.5 expression group (P = .002 and P < .001, respectively). Multivariate analysis indicated PGP9.5 expression as an independent prognostic factor for overall and recurrence-free survival partly as well as lymph node metastasis. These results indicate that PGP9.5 expression in CAFs is a helpful finding to represent the overall biologic behavior of advanced colorectal cancer.

Dysadherin: expression and clinical significance in thyroid carcinoma.

Dysadherin is a cancer-associated cell membrane glycoprotein. Its cDNA encodes 178 amino acids, including a putative signal sequence, a potential O-glycosylated extracellular domain, a single transmembrane domain, and a short cytoplasmic tail. Dysadherin is believed to down-regulate the expression of E-cadherin, the prime mediator of cell-cell adhesion in epithelial cells, by a posttranscriptional mechanism and promote the metastasis of carcinoma cells. To evaluate the association between dysadherin expression and E-cadherin expression in thyroid carcinoma, immunostaining for dysadherin and E-cadherin was performed in 51 papillary, 10 follicular, and 31 undifferentiated carcinomas. Immunoreactivity for dysadherin, localized at cell-cell boundaries, was detected in 39 of the 51 papillary carcinomas and all 31 undifferentiated carcinomas but not in the follicular carcinomas or normal thyroid tissue controls. Dysadherin expression was significantly higher in undifferentiated carcinoma than in papillary carcinoma and follicular carcinoma and showed significant negative correlation with E-cadherin expression. The degree of dysadherin expression was significantly associated with the prognosis, occurrence of secondary undifferentiated carcinomas, size of the primary tumor, and metastasis to the regional lymph nodes and lungs. In conclusion, a process involving increased dysadherin expression may lead to an adverse clinical outcome.