Decreased LRIG1 in fulvestrant-treated luminal breast cancer cells permits ErbB3 upregulation and increased growth.

ErbB3, a member of the ErbB family of receptor tyrosine kinases, is a potent activator of phosphatidyl inositol-3 kinase (PI3K) and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling, driving tumor cell survival and therapeutic resistance in breast cancers. In luminal breast cancers, ErbB3 upregulation following treatment with the antiestrogen fulvestrant enhances PI3K/mTOR-mediated cell survival. However, the mechanism by which ErbB3 is upregulated in fulvestrant-treated cells is unknown. We found that ErbB3 protein levels and cell surface presentation were increased following fulvestrant treatment, focusing our attention on proteins that regulate ErbB3 at the cell surface, including Nrdp1, NEDD4 and LRIG1. Among these, only LRIG1 correlated positively with ERα, but inversely with ErbB3 in clinical breast cancer data sets. LRIG1, an estrogen-inducible ErbB downregulator, was decreased in a panel of fulvestrant-treated luminal breast cancer cells. Ectopic LRIG1 expression from an estrogen-independent promoter uncoupled LRIG1 from estrogen regulation, thus sustaining LRIG1 and maintaining low ErbB3 levels in fulvestrant-treated cells. An LRIG1 mutant lacking the ErbB3 interaction motif was insufficient to downregulate ErbB3. Importantly, LRIG1 overexpression improved fulvestrant-mediated growth inhibition, whereas cells expressing the LRIG1 mutant were poorly sensitive to fulvestrant, despite effective ERα downregulation. Consistent with these results, LRIG1 expression correlated positively with increased disease-free survival in antiestrogen-treated breast cancer patients. These data suggest that ERα-dependent expression of LRIG1 dampens ErbB3 signaling in luminal breast cancer cells, and by blocking ERα activity with fulvestrant, LRIG1 is decreased thus permitting ErbB3 accumulation, enhanced ErbB3 signaling to cell survival pathways and blunting therapeutic response to fulvestrant.

Computerized diagnostic decision support system for the classification of preinvasive cervical squamous lesions.

Previous studies have revealed considerable interobserver and intraobserver variation in the histological classification of preinvasive cervical squamous lesions. The aim of the present study was to develop a decision support system (DSS) for the histological interpretation of these lesions. Knowledge and uncertainty were represented in the form of a Bayesian belief network that permitted the storage of diagnostic knowledge and, for a given case, the collection of evidence in a cumulative manner that provided a final probability for the possible diagnostic outcomes. The network comprised 8 diagnostic histological features (evidence nodes) that were each independently linked to the diagnosis (decision node) by a conditional probability matrix. Diagnostic outcomes comprised normal; koilocytosis; and cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) I, CIN II, and CIN III. For each evidence feature, a set of images was recorded that represented the full spectrum of change for that feature. The system was designed to be interactive in that the histopathologist was prompted to enter evidence into the network via a specifically designed graphical user interface (i-Path Diagnostics, Belfast, Northern Ireland). Membership functions were used to derive the relative likelihoods for the alternative feature outcomes, the likelihood vector was entered into the network, and the updated diagnostic belief was computed for the diagnostic outcomes and displayed. A cumulative probability graph was generated throughout the diagnostic process and presented on screen. The network was tested on 50 cervical colposcopic biopsy specimens, comprising 10 cases each of normal, koilocytosis, CIN I, CIN II, and CIN III. These had been preselected by a consultant gynecological pathologist. Using conventional morphological assessment, the cases were classified on 2 separate occasions by 2 consultant and 2 junior pathologists. The cases were also then classified using the DSS on 2 occasions by the 4 pathologists and by 2 medical students with no experience in cervical histology. Interobserver and intraobserver agreement using morphology and using the DSS was calculated with kappa statistics. Intraobserver reproducibility using conventional unaided diagnosis was reasonably good (kappa range, 0.688 to 0.861), but interobserver agreement was poor (kappa range, 0.347 to 0.747). Using the DSS improved overall reproducibility between individuals. Using the DSS, however, did not enhance the diagnostic performance of junior pathologists when comparing their DSS-based diagnosis against an experienced consultant. However, the generation of a cumulative probability graph also allowed a comparison of individual performance, how individual features were assessed in the same case, and how this contributed to diagnostic disagreement between individuals. Diagnostic features such as nuclear pleomorphism were shown to be particularly problematic and poorly reproducible. DSSs such as this therefore not only have a role to play in enhancing decision making but also in the study of diagnostic protocol, education, self-assessment, and quality control.

Prevalence of modifiable risk factors for sudden infant death syndrome in British Forces Germany.

A questionnaire survey was conducted amongst parents in the military community in British Forces Germany to investigate the prevalence of known and suspected risk factors for Sudden Infant Death Syndrome. Over a thousand questionnaires were returned (response rate 58%) and these showed that the prevalence of babies being placed in the prone position to sleep is now extremely low and the use of room thermometers to help control ambient temperature is widespread. However 29% of the mothers had smoked in pregnancy and 44% of households with a new-born baby had at least one parent who smoked. Additional health promotion activity aimed at reducing the prevalence of smoking in pregnancy and amongst the parents of new-born babies is recommended.

The interaction of a Huntington disease factor with receptors for the neurotoxin kainic acid.

A factor from mammalian and human brain, which inhibits the rate of migration of leukocytes obtained from sufferers from Huntington disease (Walls and Ruwoldt, 1984), inhibited the specific binding of the neurotoxin [3H]kainic acid to rat brain synaptic membranes. The factor was present in sucrose-particulate but not in soluble fractions from rat sub-cortical tissue, and was destroyed by tryptic digestion. Whereas an ammonium sulfate fraction of direct saline extracts of brain (Walls and Ruwoldt, 1984) gave poor chromatography on HPLC, prior separation of a sucrose-particulate fraction resulted in much improved chromatography. There was a good concordance between leukocyte migration inhibitory activity and [3H]kainic acid binding inhibitory activity. The factor may be an endogenous modulator of the kainic acid subset of receptors for the excitatory neurotransmitter glutamic acid.

Uptake of gamma-aminobutyric acid and L-glutamic acid by synaptosomes from postmortem human cerebral cortex: multiple sites, sodium dependence and effect of tissue preparation.

The uptake of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) and L-glutamic acid by synaptosomes prepared from frozen postmortem human brain was shown to be effected via distinct high and low affinity sites. At approximately 17 h postmortem delay, the kinetic parameters for GABA uptake were: high affinity site, Km 7.1 +/- 2.5 microM, Vmax 18.7 +/- 4.8 nmol.min-1 per 100 mg protein; low affinity site, Km 2 +/- 1 mM, Vmax 425 +/- 250 nmol.min-1 per 100 mg protein (means +/- S.E.M., n = 13). Kinetic parameters for L-glutamate uptake were: high affinity site, Km 7.5 +/- 1.0 microM, Vmax 85 +/- 8 nmol.min-1 per 100 mg protein; low affinity site, Km 1.8 +/- 1.2 mM. Vmax 780 +/- 175 nmol.min-1 per 100 mg protein (n = 11). A detailed kinetic analysis of high affinity GABA uptake was performed over a range of sodium ion concentrations. The results were consistent with a coupling ratio of one Na+ ion to one GABA molecule; a similar result was found with rat brain synaptosomes. However, rat and human synaptosomes differed in the degree to which the substrate affinity of the high affinity GABA uptake site varied with decreasing Na+ ion concentration. High affinity GABA uptake was markedly affected by the method used to freeze and divide the tissue, but did not vary greatly in different cortical regions. There was some decline of high affinity GABA uptake activity with postmortem delay, apparently due to a loss of sites rather than a change in site affinity.

The apical and basal plasma membranes of the human placental syncytiotrophoblast contain different erythrocyte membrane protein isoforms. Evidence for placental forms of band 3 and spectrin.

Using immunochemical techniques, we identified forms of erythrocyte membrane proteins in apical and basal plasma membranes of human placental trophoblast. A wheat germ agglutinin-binding intrinsic protein was present in the microvillous (maternal facing) but not the basal (fetal facing) membrane of the syncytiotrophoblast epithelium. Conversely, erythrocyte-related proteins of the basal membrane included two intrinsic membrane proteins, a 95,000 Mr band 3 isoform and a form of spectrin. These four proteins were all absent from the microvillous membrane. The basal membrane spectrin isoform was also present in basal membrane skeletons. A 70,000 Mr polypeptide which reacted with antibodies to band 3 was present in both microvillous and basal plasma membranes. Therefore, certain isoforms of red cell membrane proteins are polarized between the two surfaces of the human placental syncytiotrophoblast. We propose that the localization of spectrin to the basal membrane is related to the less bundled organization of microfilaments at this membrane compared with that of the microvillous membrane. The band 3 isoforms are candidates for participation in maternofetal anion transport.

Substituent effects on the redox reactions of tetraphenylporphyrins.

The effect of substituents on pi radical reactions of para-substituted tetraphenylporphyrins was investigated by cyclic voltammetry in methylene chloride. In all cases electron donating substituents produced a more difficult reduction and an easier oxidation. Plots of E1/2 vs. a yielded Hammett linear free energy relationships for cation radical and dication formation and anion radical and dianion formation. An average reaction constant of p=0.07+/-0.01 V was obtained. This was true for tetraphenylporphyrins containing the central metals VO, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, and Zn, as well as the free base H2 (p-X)TPP. The value of p appears not to be directly affected by the central metal oxidation state or the overall charge on the complex.

Characterization of the binding of 125-I-labeled epidermal growth factor to human fibroblasts.

Epidermal growth factor (EGF) was labeled with 125-I by a lactoperoxidase technique. The unlabeled, monoiodinated and diiodinated species were separated by DEAE-cellulose chromatography and found to possess equivalent biological activities. The binding of monoiodinated epidermal growth factor to human fibroblasts was specific in that unrelated polypeptides did not affect the binding reaction. The binding reaction was a saturable process and was time- and temperature-dependent. A Scatchard analysis of the binding data indicated that each cell was capable of binding approximately 100, 000 molecules of 125-I-EGF. The apparent dissociation constant for the binding reaction was calculated to be 2.7 to 4.3 times 10-minus 10 M. Subsequent to the binding of 125-I-EGF to the fibroblasts, the growth factor was degraded by a cell-mediated proteolysis and [125-I]monoiodotyrosine appeared in the medium. The extent of degradation was reduced by the protease inhibitors, tosyl-L-lysine chloromethyl ketone and the benzyl ester of guanidobenzoic acid. Active binding sites of 125-I-egf appeared to be present in some but not all cell types. These results demonstrated that cells derived from a number of species (human, mouse, rat, and chick) possessed receptors that interacted with this mouse-derived growth factor.