Stromal-type Nephroblastoma with or without Anaplasia in Two Hedgehogs (Atelerix albiventris).

We describe the clinical and histological characteristics of stromal-type nephroblastomas that developed in two hedgehogs (Atelerix albiventris). In case 1, the tumour was composed of a proliferation of anaplastic stromal cells with ductal structures resembling the epithelium of nephroblastoma. In case 2, spindle-shaped cells that were somewhat larger than nephroblasts were frequently seen surrounding the cell cluster, and there was proliferation of stromal cells with collagen fibres at the periphery. Immunohistochemically, the tumour cells labelled weakly to strongly for the nephroblast marker Wilms' tumour-1 and were positive for Ki67 with rates of 5% and 10% for cases 1 and 2, respectively. Based on the above, the diagnosis was of stromal-type nephroblastoma with anaplasia in case 1 and without anaplasia in case 2. Our findings suggest that stromal-type nephroblastomas arise in adult hedgehogs and are clinically benign, and that histological anaplasia does not affect the prognosis.

Basal Cell Adenoma of the Salivary Gland and Possible Recurrence as Basal Cell Adenocarcinoma in a Black-tailed Prairie Dog (Cynomys ludovicianus).

We describe a black-tailed prairie dog (Cynomys ludovicianus) with a benign biphasic nodular tumour that recurred as a malignant biphasic tumour at the same site 2 years after resection. Both tumours were biphasic with regard to the glandular epithelium and basal cells and contained little of the mucus, cartilage or fibrous tissue that characterize pleomorphic adenoma and carcinoma ex-pleomorphic adenoma. Both the first and second tumours exhibited histopathological features similar to those exhibited by human basal cell adenoma and adenocarcinoma, respectively. Both were resected and the animal was alive with no recurrence or metastasis at the time of writing, 9 months after the second surgery.

Preliminary Study on Prevalence and Associated Factors with Sarcopenia in a Geriatric Hospitalized Rehabilitation Setting.

The reported prevalence of sarcopenia has shown a wide range, crucially based on the diagnostic criteria and setting. This cross-sectional study evaluated the prevalence of sarcopenia and sought to identify factors associated with sarcopenia on admission in a specialized geriatric rehabilitation setting based on the newly developed the Asian Working Group for Sarcopenia algorithm. Among 87 participants (mean age, 76.05 ± 7.57 years), 35 (40.2%) were classified as showing sarcopenia on admission. Prevalence was high, particularly among participants ≥80 years old, with tendencies toward lower body mass index, smoking habit, lower cognitive function, and greater functional impairment compared with the non-sarcopenic group. Identification of sarcopenia in elderly patients before rehabilitation and consideration of risk factors may prove helpful in achieving rehabilitation outcomes.

Association of NOD2 Mutations with Aggressive Periodontitis.

Aggressive periodontitis (AgP) is characterized by rapid alveolar bone destruction and tooth loss early in life, and its etiology remains unclear. To explore the genetic risk factors of AgP, we performed genome-wide single-nucleotide polymorphism genotyping for identity-by-descent mapping and identified 32 distinct candidate loci, followed by whole exome sequencing with 2 pedigrees of AgP consisting of 3 cases and 1 control in 1 family and 2 sibling cases in the other. After variant filtering procedures and validation by targeted Sanger sequencing, we identified 2 missense mutations at 16q12 in NOD2 (p.Ala110Thr and p.Arg311Trp), which encodes nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain protein 2. We further examined 94 genetically unrelated AgP patients by targeted sequencing of NOD2 and found that 2 patients among them also carried the p.Arg311Trp variant. Furthermore, we found 3 additional missense mutations in this gene (p.His370Tyr, p.Arg459Cys, and p.Ala868Thr). These mutations either had not been previously observed or are extremely rare (frequency <0.001) in Asian populations. NOD2 plays a crucial role in innate immunity as an intracellular receptor initiating nuclear factor κB-dependent and mitogen-activated protein kinase-dependent gene transcription. These results demonstrated NOD2 as a novel gene involved in AgP.

Novel reuterin-related compounds suppress odour by periodontopathic bacteria.

OBJECTIVE: Halitosis is caused by volatile sulphur compounds including methyl mercaptan (CH3 SH) in the oral cavity and is a serious problem that limits interpersonal social communication. The aim of study was to evaluate the effects of reuterin-related compounds (RRCs) on halitosis-related periodontopathic bacteria in vitro. MATERIALS AND METHODS: RRC-01, RRC-02 and RRC-03 (32 and 64 µg ml-1 ) in culture media containing Fusobacterium nucleatum JCM8523 and Porphyromonas gingivalis ATCC33277 were used. The effects of RRCs on CH3 SH production and detectable odour by F. nucleatum and P. gingivalis were examined by CH3 SH production assay and organoleptic test, respectively. The number of bacterial cells was also measured using an ATP assay. In P. gingivalis treated with RRCs, the expression of mgl gene, which is responsible for CH3 SH production, was examined by qRT-PCR. RESULTS: CH3 SH production and the score of detectable odour from F. nucleatum and P. gingivalis culture media containing RRCs were significantly lower than that without RRCs (P < 0.05). The expression of mgl gene in P. gingivalis was significantly downregulated by RRC-01 (P < 0.01), but not by RRC-02 or RRC-03. CONCLUSIONS: RRCs are potent oral care products for preventing halitosis via reducing CH3 SH production.

High-pressure synthesis of L10 MnAl with near-stoichiometric composition.

L10 MnAl, which is a nonequilibrium ferromagnetic phase, is fabricated successfully with various compositions via high-pressure synthesis. The L10 phase is observed at pressures higher than 5 GPa, indicating that the volume effect is crucial for the stabilization of this phase. The employed synthesis route does not require a Mn-rich ε-phase, which has conventionally been used as the precursor compound. This allows for the synthesis of the L10 phase with a near-stoichiometric composition. In addition to variations in the composition in terms of the Mn/Al ratio, the axial ratio (c/a) as well as the ordering parameter (S) are modified systematically, with the maximum c/a and S values corresponding to the stoichiometric composition. With this structural change, the highest coercive force is also observed at the stoichiometric composition.

Accumulation of a soluble form of human nectin-2 is required for exerting the resistance against herpes simplex virus type 2 infection in transfected cells.

Cell entry of herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) requires the interaction of viral glycoprotein D (gD) with the receptor nectin-1 and herpesvirus entry mediator (HVEM). In addition, it is known that nectin-2 is also functional as a receptor for HSV-2, although the binding to the gD is weak. To examine an antiviral potential of a soluble form of human nectin-2 (hNectin-2Ig), transfected Vero cells expressing the entire ectodomain of nectin-2 fused to the Fc portion of human IgG were established. Specific binding of hNectin-2Ig to HSV-2 gD was confirmed by ELISA. Competitive ELISA demonstrated that accumulation of hNectin-2Ig in transfected cells increased significantly in a cell culture time dependent manner. Viral growth of several HSV-2 strains was significantly inhibited in the transfected cells that were cultured for 72 hr compared with control Vero cells, but not in cells that were cultured for 24 hr. These results indicate that accumulation of a soluble form of nectin-2 is required for exerting the resistance against HSV-2 infection.

Operative Results and Clinical Features of Chronic Stanford Type B Aortic Dissection: Examination of 234 Patients Over 6 Years.

OBJECTIVE/BACKGROUND: Recently, the indications for thoracic endovascular aortic repair (TEVAR) have been expanding, and the applicability of TEVAR for acute type B aortic dissection (TBAD) is proposed with regard to the high mortality of open surgery for chronic TBAD. TEVAR in the acute phase may lead to remodeling of the false lumen (FL), but it is controversial whether it completely resolves the aortic expansion in the chronic phase. In this study, operative results and the relationship between FL status and the time before surgical intervention were retrospectively analyzed. METHODS: From January 2008 to September 2013, 234 patients underwent open surgery for chronic TBAD. Most patients were on left heart bypass. By considering Japanese aortic disease treatment guidelines and the smaller physique of Japanese patients, operative indications were aneurysm >50 mm in diameter or rapid aneurysm enlargement of >5 mm in a 6 month period. RESULTS: In 180 cases, the FL was patent. The mean interval between onset of TBAD and operation was 61 ± 54 months. There was no significant difference between patients in the patent FL group and those in the thrombosed FL group (p = .44). Mean ratio of FL diameter to maximum aortic diameter (FL/AD) was 0.64 ± 0.21. There was no correlation between FL and AD before the operation (r = .12). Descending thoracic aortic replacement (DTAR) was performed in 127 cases and thoracic ascending aortic replacement (TAAR) in 107 cases (Crawford type I, n = 9; Crawford type II, n = 65; Crawford type III and IV, n = 22, respectively; Safi type V, n = 11). The overall operative mortality was 6.8%: 3.9% (5/127) for DTAR and 10.3% (11/107) for TAAR. The three year survival was 86.7, and the freedom from re-intervention rate was 97.0%. CONCLUSION: Enlargement of uncomplicated TBAD in the chronic phase was poorly related to FL status and the results of open repair have improved. However, further prospective study is necessary.

Clinical impact of an angiotensin I-converting enzyme insertion/deletion and kinin B2 receptor +9/-9 polymorphisms in the prognosis of renal transplantation.

There is a consensus in the scientific literature that supports the importance of the kallikrein kinin and renin angiotensin systems in renal physiology, but few studies have investigated their importance after renal transplantation. The aim of this study was to investigate the clinical effects of the insertion/deletion polymorphism in the angiotensin I-converting enzyme (ACE) gene and the +9/-9 polymorphism in the kinin B2 receptor (B2R) gene in kidney-transplanted patients (n=215 ACE, n=203 B2R) compared with 443 healthy individuals. Demographic results showed that there is a higher frequency of the D allele (high plasma ACE activity) and +9 allele (lower B2R expression) in transplant patients compared with control individuals. We also observed a higher frequency of these alleles in patients who had an elevated level of plasma creatinine. At day 7 post-transplantation, we found a higher prevalence of individuals with the DD genotype with elevated plasma creatinine level. Furthermore, individuals with the DD genotype had a higher chronic allograft dysfunction and graft loss compared with the II patient genotype, which showed no loss of graft. Taken together, our data suggest that the DD genotype is an indicator of an unfavorable prognosis following renal transplantation and could be related to kinin modulation.

ITPKC and CASP3 polymorphisms and risks for IVIG unresponsiveness and coronary artery lesion formation in Kawasaki disease.

Functional single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate 3-kinase C (ITPKC) (rs28493229) and caspase-3 (CASP3) (rs113420705; formerly rs72689236) are associated with susceptibility to Kawasaki's disease (KD). To evaluate the involvement of these 2 SNPs in the risk for intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIG) unresponsiveness, we investigated 204 Japanese KD patients who received a single IVIG dose of 2 g kg(-1) (n=70) or 1 g kg(-1) daily for 2 days (n=134). The susceptibility allele of both SNPs showed a trend of overrepresentation in IVIG non-responders and, in combined analysis of these SNPs, patients with at least 1 susceptible allele at both loci had a higher risk for IVIG unresponsiveness (P=0.0014). In 335 prospectively collected KD patients who were treated with IVIG (2 g kg(-1)), this 2-locus model showed a more significant association with resistance to initial and additional IVIG (P=0.011) compared with individual SNPs. We observed a significant association when all KD patients with coronary artery lesions were analyzed with the 2-locus model (P=0.0031). Our findings strongly suggest the existence of genetic factors affecting patients' responses to treatment and the risk for cardiac complications, and provide clues toward understanding the pathophysiology of KD inflammation.

Comparison of long-term effect of thymoglobulin treatment in patients with a high risk of delayed graft function.

BACKGROUND: T-lymphocyte depletion is a strategy to reverse the impact of ischemia-reperfusion injury (IRI) in progression to chronic allograft dysfunction, especially among patients at high risk for delayed graft function (DGF). METHODS: The present work assessed the effect of thymoglobulin among a population with a high incidence of DGF. We analyzed 209 transplanted patients: 97 in the thymoglobulin and 112 in the control group. RESULTS: The main complication was DGF (59.3%), with a similar incidence in both groups (63.9% vs. 55.3%; P = .36). Acute rejection episodes (ARE) were decreased with thymoglobulin (8.2% vs. 28.5%; P < .001), but cytomegalovirus viremia was 3.4-fold more frequent (58.3% vs. 17.1%; P < .001). One-year graft function was significantly better in the thymoglobulin group (59.2 ± 17.2 vs. 51.8 ± 15.3 mL/min; P = .004), even when censored by ARE (59.7 ± 17.5 vs. 53.3 ± 14.4; P = .023). The same difference was observed at the 2-year follow-up (P = .024), even when censored for ARE (P = .045). A multivariate analysis showed thymoglobulin to be a factor strongly associated with protection of graft function (P = .039). CONCLUSION: Despite not reducing the incidence of DGF, thymoglobulin induction significantly reduced the incidence of ARE and showed a long-term profile of protection of renal graft function, independent of the reduction in ARE.

A lower starting dose of eltrombopag is efficacious in Japanese patients with previously treated chronic immune thrombocytopenia.

BACKGROUND: Eltrombopag is an oral, non-peptide thrombopoietin receptor agonist that has shown efficacy and safety in chronic immune thrombocytopenia (ITP). However, ethnic differences in eltrombopag exposure have been reported: area under the curve exposure to eltrombopag was 87% greater among ITP patients of East Asian descent than among ITP patients of non-East Asian ITP descent. OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of eltrombopag by using, in Japanese ITP patients, lower starting (12.5 mg) and maximum (50 mg) doses of eltrombopag than the standard starting (50 mg) and maximum (75 mg) doses approved in the USA and Europe. PATIENTS: We examined 23 Japanese patients with previously treated chronic ITP with a platelet count of < 30,000 µL(-1) in a multicenter study comprising a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled phase for 6-week evaluation (15 eltrombopag, and eight placebo) and an open-label phase for 6-month evaluation (23 eltrombopag). RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: The response rate (platelet count of ≥ 50,000 µL(-1) ) at week 6 of the 6-week double-blind phase was 60% in eltrombopag-treated patients and 0% in placebo-treated patients. Ten of 23 patients (43.5%) responded for ≥ 75% of predefined assessment visits during the 6-month open-label phase. Notably, 22% (5/23) of patients responded to 12.5 mg of eltrombopag, which was administered within the first 3 weeks of eltrombopag treatment. Bleeding decreased with eltrombopag treatment as compared with baseline. Eltrombopag was generally well tolerated; one patient experienced a transient ischemic attack on day 9. Eltrombopag (12.5-50 mg) is effective for the management of Japanese patients with chronic ITP (NCT00540423).

Prevalence and progression of chronic kidney disease after renal transplantation.

BACKGROUND: We studied the prevalence of chronic kidney disease (CKD) and its progression after kidney transplantation. METHODS: We retrospectively analyzed the evolution of renal graft function, as estimated by the Cockcroft-Gault equation in 567 patients. CKD was classified in accordance with the National Kidney Foundation/Kidney Disease Outcome Quality Initiative with progression estimated by calculating the slope over time. RESULTS: Creatinine clearance (CrCL) at 1 year after transplantation was 57.8 ± 15.5 mL/min with 61.9% patients presenting de novo chronic renal failure. The 1-year-CrCl provided the best correlation with the 3-year CrCl (R(2) = 0.58; P < .001). Medians of slope (MS) among all patients was -2.38 ± 5.7 mL/min/y (-11.9 mL/min over 5 years). Patients who reached a CrCl < 60 at 1 year after transplantation showed a MS of -3.92 ± 6.5, while the others, -2.03 ± 5.2 mL/min/y (P = .046). Similarly, patients who reached a CrCL < 60 at 3 years after transplantation displayed a MS of -1.49 ± 3.5 mL/min/y, while the others, 0.62 ± 3.0 mL/min/y (P < .001). CONCLUSIONS: The majority of renal transplant patients present de novo chronic renal failure already at 1 year posttransplantation. The rate of graft functional deterioration was 2.38 mL/min/y. It was worse among patients who displayed a CrCL less than 60 mL/min both at 1 and at 3 years. One-year CrCL was a good marker for 3-year CrCL.

Effects of ischemia and reperfusion injury on long-term graft function.

BACKGROUND: The clinical manifestation of ischemia/reperfusion injury in renal transplantation is delayed graft function (DGF), which is associated with an increase in acute rejection episodes (ARE), costs, and difficulties in immunosuppressive management. We sought to evaluated the DGF impact after renal transplant. METHODS: We evaluated a group of 628 patients undergoing deceased donor renal transplantation between 2002 and 2005 at 3 Brazilians institutions to define the main DGF characteristics. RESULTS: DGF incidence was 56.8%, being associated with elderly donors (P = .02), longer time on dialysis (P = .001), and greater cold ischemia time (CIT; P = .001). Upon multivariate analysis, time on dialysis >5 years increased DGF risk by 42% (P = .02) and CIT >24 hours increased it by 57% (P = .008). In contrast, DGF was associated with an higher incidence of ARE: 27.7% in DGF versus 18.4% in IGF patients (P = .047). The ARE risk was 46% higher among individuals with DGF (P = .02), 44% among patients >45 years old (P < .001), 50% among those with >5 years of dialysis time (P = .02), and 47% lower among the who were prescribed mycophenolate instead of azathioprine (P < .001). Patients with DGF showed worse 1-year graft function (54.6 ± 20.3 vs 59.6 ± 19.4 mL/min; P = .004), particularly those with ARE (55.5 ± 19.3 vs 60.7 ± 20.4; P = .009). One-year graft survival was 88.5% among DGF versus 94.0% among non-DGF patients. CONCLUSION: The high incidence of DGF was mainly associated with a prolonged CIT. There was a relationship between DGF and ARE, as well as with a negative influence on long-term graft function.

Lack of IL-21 signal attenuates graft-versus-leukemia effect in the absence of CD8 T-cells.

Previously, we have shown that IL-21R(-/-) splenocytes ameliorate GVHD as compared with wild-type splenocytes. Here, we investigated whether or not IL-21R(-/-) splenocytes diminish the graft-versus-leukemia (GVL) effect. Surprisingly, IL-21R(-/-) splenocytes efficiently eliminate leukemic cells as well as wild-type splenocytes, suggesting the retention of GVL effects in the absence of IL-21 signaling. To compare the GVL effect between IL-21R(-/-) and wild-type cells, we titrated the number of splenocytes required for the elimination of leukemic cells and found that the threshold of GVL effect was obtained between 5 × 10(5) and 5 × 10(6) with both types of splenocytes. Cotransplantation with CD8-depleted splenocytes but not with purified CD8 T-cells resulted in a significant reduction in anti-leukemic effect of IL-21R(-/-) cells compared with wild-type cells, suggesting that the lack of IL-21 signaling primarily impairs CD4 T-cell rather than CD8 T-cell function and the comparable GVL effect with IL-21R(-/-) bulk splenocytes results from cooperative compensation by CD8 T-cells.

Dental caries and caries-related periodontitis in type 2 diabetic mice.

Diabetic patients are predisposed to periodontal disease as well as dental caries; however, there are contradictory reports about the possible association between dental caries and diabetes. Thus, the authors set out to determine whether diabetes affects onset of dental caries and periodontal disease and to clarify whether dental caries and periodontal disease are associated with each other in diabetic db/db mice. Oral tissue was examined from 68 male mice (diabetic db/db and nondiabetic db/+; aged 20, 30, 40, and 50 weeks) and 20 female mice (db/db and db/+; aged 50 weeks). Macroscopically, caries were seen developing in the diabetic mice by 20 weeks of age. The number of teeth with dental lesions increased with age in the db/db mice at a significantly higher incidence than that of db/+ mice. Histologically, dental caries were detected in 30 of 120 molars in 17 of 20 db/db mice at 50 weeks of age and in 4 of 108 molars in 4 of 18 db/+ mice of the same age. The severity of dental caries in db/db mice was significantly higher than it was in db/+ mice. Dental caries were a primary change that led to bacterial gingivitis and pulpitis. These lesions spread to the dental root and periodontal connective tissue through the apical foramen. Apical periodontitis was more frequent and severe when occurring in close association with dental caries. In conclusion, there is a strong relationship between diabetes and dental caries, but in this model, it is highly probable that the onset of periodontal disease was a secondary change resulting from dental caries.

Emperipolesis-like invasion of neoplastic lymphocytes into hepatocytes in feline T-cell lymphoma.

Twelve cases of feline malignant lymphoma with emperipolesis-like invasion of neoplastic lymphocytes were examined microscopically, immunohistochemically and ultrastructurally. Intracytoplasmic invasion of neoplastic cells varied in severity between the cases, between hepatic lobules and between areas within the lobules. The number of infiltrating neoplastic cells ranged from one to several per hepatocyte. Neoplastic cells exhibited widely varying morphology from case-to-case and cell-to-cell within each case, and contained eosinophilic cytoplasmic granules in four cases. Immunohistochemical examination revealed that neoplastic cells in 11 of the 12 cases expressed one or both T-cell markers (CD3 and TIA-1). Diagnosis of T-cell lymphoma was also confirmed by assessment of clonality by polymerase chain reaction. Ultrastructural analysis revealed that the neoplastic lymphocytes were contained within an invagination of the cell membrane of the hepatocyte, rather than directly infiltrating into the cytoplasm of the cell. There was no evidence that the invasive neoplastic lymphocytes had a cytotoxic effect.

Hepatoblastoma in a cat.

Hepatoblastomas are neoplasms that originate from putative pluripotential stem cells of the liver. A hepatic mass from an 8-year-old Abyssinian cat was composed of cords and sheets of neoplastic cells, with scattered rosettes and small ductal structures. Most neoplastic cells had a pale eosinophilic cytoplasm and a round to ovoid nucleus. The tumor also had short spindle cells with an oval nucleus. Immunohistochemically, neoplastic cells were weakly positive for embryonic hepatocellular markers, such as alpha-fetoprotein and cytokeratin (CK) 8/18, but negative for the hepatocellular marker Hepatocyte Paraffin 1. The cells were also positive for CD56/neural cell adhesion molecule and for the biliary epithelial markers CK 7, CK 8/18, CK CAM5.2, and vimentin, but negative for CK 20. Some neoplastic cells expressed neuroectodermal or neuroendocrine markers, such as protein gene product 9.5 and synaptophysin, but were negative for chromogranin A and not argyrophilic by the Grimelius technique. The cat died soon after the biopsy without clinical improvement.

Reciprocal upregulation of Notch signaling molecules in hematopoietic progenitor and mesenchymal stromal cells.

Although mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) play pivotal supportive roles in hematopoiesis, how they interact with hematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) is not well understood. We investigated the interaction between HSCs and surrogate MSCs (C3H10T1/2 stromal cells), focusing on the molecular events induced by cell contact of these bipartite populations. C3H10T1/2 is a mesenchymal stromal cell line that can be induced to differentiate into preadipocytes (A54) and myoblasts (M1601). The stromal cell derivatives were cocultured with murine HSCs (Lineage(-)Sca1(+)), and gene expression profiles in stromal cells and HSCs were compared before and after the coculture. HSCs gave rise to cobblestone areas only on A54 cells, with ninefold more progenitors than on M1601 or undifferentiated C3H10T1/2 cells. Microarray-based screening and a quantitative reverse transcriptase directed-polymerase chain reaction showed that the levels of Notch ligands (Jagged1 and Delta-like 3) were increased in A54 cells upon interaction with HSCs. On the other hand, the expression of Notch1 and Hes1 was upregulated in the HSCs cocultured with A54 cells. A transwell assay revealed that the reciprocal upregulation was dependent on cell-to-cell contact. The result suggested that in the hematopoietic niche, HSCs help MSCs to produce Notch ligands, and in turn, MSCs help HSCs to express Notch receptor. Such a reciprocal upregulation would reinforce the downstream signaling to determine the fate of hematopoietic cell lineage. Clarification of the initiating events on cell contact should lead to the identification of specific molecular targets to facilitate HSC engraftment in transplantation therapy.

Proinflammatory effects of muramyldipeptide on human gingival fibroblasts.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Because human gingival fibroblasts (HGFs) are the predominant cells in periodontal tissues, we hypothesized that HGFs are contributed to receptors for components of bacteria. In this study, we focused on expression and function of nucleotide binding oligomerization domain 2 (NOD2) in HGFs, which is a mammalian cytosolic pathogen recognition molecule. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Expression of NOD2 in HGFs was examined by reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and flow cytometry. Production of interleukin (IL)-6, IL-8, cc chemokine ligand2, cxc chemokine ligand10 (CXCL10) and CXCL11 from HGFs was examined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). We used RT-PCR and immunohistochemistry to detect the NOD2 expression in human gingival tissues. RESULTS: We found clear NOD2 expression in HGFs. Upon stimulation with NOD2 agonist, muramyldipeptide (MDP), production of proinflammatory cytokines was enhanced. Moreover, MDP-induced production of proinflammatory cytokines was inhibited in a different manner by mitogen-activated protein kinase inhibitors and phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase inhibitor. Furthermore, MDP enhanced CXCL10 and CXCL11 productions by tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha)- or interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma)-stimulated HGFs, although MDP alone did not induce these chemokines. TNF-alpha and IFN-gamma increased NOD2 expression in HGFs. In addition, we detected NOD2 expression in mononuclear cells and HGFs in periodontally diseased tissues. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that MDP which induces production of cytokines and chemokines from HGFs is related to the pathogenesis of periodontal disease.