MR1 overexpression correlates with poor clinical prognosis in glioma patients.

BACKGROUND: Glioblastoma is the most common adult primary brain tumor with near-universal fatality. Major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules are important mediators of CD8 activation and can be downregulated by cancer cells to escape immune surveillance. MR1 is a nonclassical MHC-I-like molecule responsible for the activation of a subset of T cells. Although high levels of MR1 expression should enhance cancer cell recognition, various tumors demonstrate MR1 overexpression with unknown implications. Here, we study the role of MR1 in glioma. METHODS: Using multi-omics data from the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA), we studied MR1 expression patterns and its impact on survival for various solid tumors. In glioma specifically, we validated MR1 expression by histology, elucidate transcriptomic profiles of MR1 high versus low gliomas. To understand MR1 expression, we analyzed the methylation status of the MR1 gene and MR1 gene-related transcription factor (TF) expression. RESULTS: MR1 is overexpressed in all grades of glioma and many other solid cancers. However, only in glioma, MR1 overexpression correlated with poor overall survival and demonstrated global dysregulation of many immune-related genes in an MR1-dependent manner. MR1 overexpression correlated with decreased MR1 gene methylation and upregulation of predicted MR1 promoter binding TFs, implying MR1 gene methylation might regulate MR1 expression in glioma. CONCLUSIONS: Our in silico analysis shows that MR1 expression is a predictor of clinical outcome in glioma patients and is potentially regulated at the epigenetic level, resulting in immune-related genes dysregulation. These findings need to be validated using independent in vitro and in vivo functional studies.

Genome wide DNA methylation landscape reveals glioblastoma's influence on epigenetic changes in tumor infiltrating CD4+ T cells.

CD4+ helper T (Th) cells play a critical role in shaping anti-tumor immunity by virtue of their ability to differentiate into multiple lineages in response to environmental cues. Various CD4+ lineages can orchestrate a broad range of effector activities during the initiation, expansion, and memory phase of endogenous anti-tumor immune response. In this clinical corelative study, we found that Glioblastoma (GBM) induces multi- and mixed-lineage immune response in the tumor microenvironment. Whole-genome bisulfite sequencing of tumor infiltrating and blood CD4+ T-cell from GBM patients showed 13571 differentially methylated regions and a distinct methylation pattern of methylation of tumor infiltrating CD4+ T-cells with significant inter-patient variability. The methylation changes also resulted in transcriptomic changes with 341 differentially expressed genes in CD4+ tumor infiltrating T-cells compared to blood. Analysis of specific genes involved in CD4+ differentiation and function revealed differential methylation status of TBX21, GATA3, RORC, FOXP3, IL10 and IFNG in tumor CD4+ T-cells. Analysis of lineage specific genes revealed differential methylation and gene expression in tumor CD4+ T-cells. Interestingly, we observed dysregulation of several ligands of T cell function genes in GBM tissue corresponding to the T-cell receptors that were dysregulated in tumor infiltrating CD4+ T-cells. Our results suggest that GBM might induce epigenetic alterations in tumor infiltrating CD4+ T-cells there by influencing anti-tumor immune response by manipulating differentiation and function of tumor infiltrating CD4+ T-cells. Thus, further research is warranted to understand the role of tumor induced epigenetic modification of tumor infiltrating T-cells to develop effective anti-GBM immunotherapy.

An overview of normal pressure hydrocephalus and its importance: how much do we really know?

Normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH) is a clinical triad of gait disturbance, dementia, and urinary incontinence combined with radiographic findings of ventriculomegaly and laboratory findings of normal cerebrospinal fluid pressures. Although it was first described by Hakim and Adams in 1965, there is no formal definition of NPH, causing discrepancy in its incidence in various studies. This ranges from 2 to 20 per million per year. It is estimated to be the cause of about 5% of cases of dementia and is one of the few reversible causes of dementia. Early diagnosis increases the rate of success to treatment. This makes accurate diagnosis and identification of responders to treatment important. There have been various studies on NPH in the general population, but not much has been said about it in long-term care facilities and the question arises on how many cases are missed. If a screening tool is in place to identify possible cases then further workup could be done to confirm the diagnosis and determine the need for shunting.

Male infertility associated with hereditary leiomyomatosis and renal cell carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: To report a novel association between a cancer predisposition syndrome (hereditary leiomyomatosis and renal cell carcinoma [HLRCC]) and male infertility. DESIGN: Case report. SETTING: University medical center adult genetics clinic. PATIENT(S): A 31-year-old male of Chinese ancestry referred for evaluation of immotile sperm. INTERVENTION(S): Physical examination, family history assessment, genetic testing, and cancer screening. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE(S): Genetic testing results. RESULT(S): Physical exam: cutaneous leiomyomata on the upper back and left arm. Family history: the patient has a sister with uterine leiomyomata. Genetic testing revealed a mutation in the fumarate hydratase gene, which codes for an enzyme (fumarase) that has previously been implicated in sperm number and motility. More recently, heterozygous mutations in this gene have been associated with HLRCC. However, male infertility is not a recognized manifestation of this condition. CONCLUSION(S): A comprehensive medical (including family) history and physical examination are important when evaluating male infertility. Genetics consultation enabled our patient and his family to begin appropriate cancer screening and provided reproductive options, including prenatal/preimplantation diagnosis. Further studies of the relationship between fumarase, HLRCC, and male infertility are needed to provide accurate counseling to families and to better understand genotype-phenotype correlations.