Ocular adverse events following CAR-T cell therapy: A pharmacovigilance study and systematic review.

The rise of immuno-oncology, including the use of chimeric antigen receptor T-cell (CAR-T) therapy is bringing in a new wave of cancer treatments, particularly in hematologic malignancies. However, data on their adverse events, particularly of the eye, is under-reported. To assess the ocular adverse events associated with the six FDA-approved CAR-T cell therapies, a disproportionality analysis utilizing the FAERS database was conducted from the first quarter of 2017 to the third quarter of 2023, as well as a systematic review of case reports of ocular events following CAR-T cell therapy up to December 20, 2023. A total of 53 ocular adverse events were identified from the FDAs FAERS database. The adverse events most frequently observed were mydriasis and xerophthalmia with tisagenlecleucel (Kymriah). The systematic review resulted in 8 case reports encompassing 19 patients which included a total of 27 events. This study demonstrates the importance of anticipation of potential ocular adverse events by ophthalmologists and oncologists as they can greatly contribute to morbidity in patients with cancer.

Detection of tissue factor-positive extracellular vesicles using the ExoView R100 system.

Background: Tissue factor (TF) is essential for hemostasis. TF-expressing extracellular vesicles (TF+ EVs) are released in pathological conditions, such as trauma and cancer, and are linked to thrombosis. Detection of TF+ EV antigenically in plasma is challenging due to their low concentration but may be of clinical utility. Objectives: We hypthesised that ExoView can allow for direct measurement of TF+ EV in plasma, antigenically. Methods: We utilized the anti-TF monoclonal antibody 5G9 to capture TF EV onto specialized ExoView chips. This was combined with fluorescent TF+ EV detection using anti-TF monoclonal antibody IIID8-AF647. We measured tumor cell-derived (BxPC-3) TF+ EV and TF+ EVs from plasma derived from whole blood with or without lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulation. We used this system to analyze TF+ EVs in 2 relevant clinical cohorts: trauma and ovarian cancer. We compared ExoView results with an EV TF activity assay. Results: BxPC-3-derived TF+ EVs were identified with ExoView using 5G9 capture with IIID8-AF647 detection. 5G9 capture with IIID8-AF647 detection was significantly higher in LPS+ samples than in LPS samples and correlated with EV TF activity (R2 = 0.28). Trauma patient samples had higher levels of EV TF activity than healthy controls, but activity did not correlate with TF measurements made by ExoView (R2 = 0.15). Samples from patients with ovarian cancer have higher levels of EV TF activity than those from healthy controls, but activity did not correlate with TF measurement by ExoView (R2 = 0.0063). Conclusion: TF+ EV measurement is possible in plasma, but the threshold and potential clinical applicability of ExoView R100, in this context, remain to be established.

Clinical significance of CD8 positive tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes density and programmed-death receptor ligand 1 expression in rectal cancer after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy / 肿瘤研究与临床

Objective:To investigate the correlation of CD8 positive tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (CD8 + TIL) density and programmed-death receptor ligand 1 (PD-L1) expression in rectal cancer with clinicopathological characteristics and prognosis of patients after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy. Methods:The clinicopathological data of 166 patients with locally advanced rectal cancer (LARC) who received neoadjuvant therapy before surgery in the Beijing Chao-Yang Hospital, Capital Medical University from January 2015 to December 2018 were retrospectively analyzed. CD8 + TIL density and PD-L1 expression were detected by using immunohistochemistry. The correlation of CD8 + TIL density and PD-L1 expression with clinicopathological characteristics of patients after neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy was analyzed. Kaplan-Meier method was used to analyze the disease-free survival (DFS) and Cox regression risk model was used to make univariate and multivariate analysis of the influencing factors for DFS. Results:Among 166 LARC patients, 81 cases (48.8%) had high density of CD8 + TIL, 85 cases (51.2%) had low density of CD8 + TIL; 63 cases (38.0%) had PD-L1 expression, and 103 cases (62.0%) had non-expression of CD8 + TIL. The expression rate of PD-L1 in CD8 + TIL high density group was higher than that in CD8 + TIL low density group [50.6% (41/81) vs. 25.9%(22/85), χ2 = 10.78, P < 0.001]. According to the density of CD8 + TIL and PD-L1 expression, immunophenotype was divided among 4 groups; the 3-year DFS rate of the CD8 + TIL high density /PD-L1 expression group was 87.1%, which was higher than that of the other groups (CD8 + TIL low density /PD-L1 expression group was 72.8%, CD8 + TIL high density /PD-L1 non-expression group was 67.0%, CD8 + TIL low density /PD-L1 non-expression group was 64.3%), and the difference was statistically significant ( P < 0.05). Univariate analysis showed that tumor differentiation degree, TNM stage, CD8 + TIL density, PD-L1 expression and CD8 + TIL density /PD-L1 expression were correlated with the DFS of patients (all P < 0.05). Multivariate analysis results showed that CD8 + TIL high density /PD-L1 expression was an independent protective factor for DFS ( HR = 0.049, 95% CI 0.005-0.497, P = 0.011), while TNM stage 3 was an independent risk factor for DFS ( HR = 2.752,95% CI 1.300-5.825, P = 0.008). Conclusions:In LARC after neoadjuvant therapy, CD8 + TIL density is positively correlated with the expression of PD-L1, and the high density of CD8 + TIL/PD-L1 expression is an independent influencing factor for good prognosis, suggesting that these patients may benefit from the immunotherapy.

ImmunoPET studies of 64Cu-labeled CD30 monoclonal antibody 64Cu-NOTA-CD30 in lymphoma models / 中华核医学与分子影像杂志

Objective:To develop the anti-CD30 monoclonal antibody 64Cu-1, 4, 7-trizacyclononane-1, 4, 7-triacetic acid (NOTA)-CD30 and visualize CD30 expression in lymphoma non-invasively. Methods:The CD30 expression levels of 5 cell lines (Karpas299, Raji, Daudi, Ramos, and U266) were assessed by Western blot. Cell lines with high and low CD30 expression were selected for flow cytometry to evaluate the specific binding affinity of anti-CD30 monoclonal antibody. Thirteen NSG mice were used to established CD30 positive and negative subcutaneous xenograft models. 64Cu-NOTA-CD30 was obtained and 64Cu-NOTA-immunoglobulin (Ig)G was used as the control. ImmunoPET imaging was performed 2, 24, and 48 h after the injection of 64Cu-NOTA-CD30 or 64Cu-NOTA-IgG. Finally, the biodistribution studies were conducted. Repeated-measures analysis of variance and Bonferroni test were conducted for comparison. Results:Karpas299 showed the highest CD30 expression, while Raji showed the lowest. Flow cytometry showed specific binding affinity of the anti-CD30 monoclonal antibody to the Karpas299 cell line. The radiochemical purities of the probes were both higher than 95%. In microPET, the 64Cu-NOTA-CD30 uptake of Karpas299 xenograft tumors increased over time, with (11.46±0.58), (17.60±1.16) and (19.46±0.99) percentage activity of injection dose per gram of tissue (%ID/g) at 2, 24 and 48 h respectively. The contrast to normal tissue was good at 48 h, with the tumor/heart (blood) ratio of 2.20±0.22. The uptake of 64Cu-NOTA-CD30 in Karpas299 tumor at 48 h after injection was significantly higher than that in Raji tumor ((6.10±1.03) %ID/g) and 64Cu-NOTA-IgG in Karpas299 tumor ((5.12±0.89) %ID/g; F=290.99, t values: 19.65 and 22.25, all P<0.001). The uptake of 64Cu-NOTA-CD30 and the control probe in the heart and liver decreased over time in all groups. Ex vivo biodistribution at 48 h was mainly consistent with the results of microPET in vivo. Conclusions:64Cu-NOTA-CD30 is able to visualize the expression level and distribution of CD30 non-invasively. It is promising to be applied for screening the beneficial groups and evaluating efficacy for CD30-targeted immunotherapy.

Efficacy analysis of blinatumomab in treatment of relapsed/refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia / 白血病·淋巴瘤

Objective:To explore the efficacy and safety of blinatumomab in treatment of relapsed/refractory B-cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL).Methods:The data of 8 patients with relapsed/refractory B-ALL treated with blinatumomab in Shanghai Zhaxin Traditional Chinese and Western Medicine Hospital from September 2020 to December 2021 were retrospectively analyzed, and their clinical characteristics, overall survival, lymphocyte subsets, cytokines, tandem transplantation and adverse reactions were analyzed.Results:The median follow-up time of 8 patients was 143 d (range: 41-534 d). Five of the 8 patients were alive; among them, 4 of 6 patients assessed to be in minimal residual disease (MRD)-negative complete remission (CR) and 1 of 2 patients assessed to be in non-remission at the time of belintuzumab discontinuation were alive. The median duration of treatment with belintuzumab was 28 d (10-56 d), and it was 23 d (10-56 d) for patients with MRD-positive at baseline and 28 d (25-31 d) for the 4 non-remission patients. Six patients achieved MRD-negative CR after treatment, of which 4 were assessed as MRD-positive at baseline and 2 were assessed as non-remission at baseline. All 4 patients with MRD-positive CR achieved MRD-negative CR after treatment with belintuzumab, including 1 patient with Philadelphia chromosome-positive (Ph +) ALL bridged to autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, and 1 patient with Ph + ALL and 1 patient with Ph - ALL received sequential allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation and had persistent MRD-negative CR. Two of the 4 non-remission patients achieved MRD-negative CR after treatment with belintuzumab, including 1 patient with Ph + ALL bridged to autologous hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, and 1 patient with Ph - ALL received sequential allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation, and the 2 patients had persistent MRD-negative CR. Leukocyte counts and neutrophils decreased in both MRD-positive CR and non-remission patients after receiving belintumomab. The proportion and absolute number of CD3 + T and CD3 + CD8 + T lymphocytes in patients with MRD-positive CR were higher than those in patients without remission, and both decreased after drug administration. Median interleukin-6 (46.23, 1.42 pg/ml), interleukin-8 (17.85, 2.10 pg/ml), interleukin-10 (7.43, 1.49 pg/ml) and interferon-γ (11.82, 0.39 pg/ml) levels were elevated in MRD-positive CR and non-remission patients at week 3 of treatment. Grade 1 cytokine release syndrome occurred in 1 case with clinical manifestations of fever, which improved after drug suspension. Three cases developed infections, 2 of which were pulmonary and 1 of which was upper respiratory tract infection. No immune effector cell-associated neurotoxic syndrome was observed. Conclusions:Belintumomab is effective for MRD clearance in relapsed/refractory B-ALL with manageable adverse reactions, providing an effective therapeutic option for bridging hematopoietic stem cell transplantation to prolong the survival of patients.

Clostridioides difficile Infection in a Japanese Tertiary Children's Hospital.

Purpose: Toxins produced by Clostridioides difficile infection (CDI) can cause enteritis and diarrhea. Although the number of pediatric CDI cases is increasing, the clinical management of pediatric CDI, including patient characteristics and prognosis, remains unclear. This study aimed to elucidate the background and clinical course of patients with CDI and evaluate the reliability of diagnostic tests in a tertiary pediatric hospital in Japan. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed the clinical data of children diagnosed with CDI between 2011 and 2021 at the Saitama Children's Medical Center in Saitama, Japan. Results: During the study period, 1,252 C. difficile antigen/toxin tests were performed, and 37 patients were diagnosed with CDI. The main underlying diseases among the patients were hematological and malignant disorders and gastrointestinal diseases, including inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) (59.4%). Two patients (5.4%) had an unremarkable medical history. Among the 37 patients, 27 (73.0%) were immunocompromised, 25 (67.6%) had a history of antibiotic use within the past two months, and 6 (16.2%) were negative on the initial test but were positive on the second test. Finally, 28 patients (75.7%) required primary antibiotic therapy only, and two patients with IBD required additional antibiotic therapy as secondary treatment. Conclusion: The number of pediatric patients with CDI is increasing. Both a comprehensive interview, including underlying diseases and history of antibiotic use, and an understanding of the features of clinical examinations should be emphasized to appropriately diagnose and treat CDI.

Myoid differentiation in dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans and its fibrosarcomatous variant: 10 years' experience in a tertiary hospital.

Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) is a relatively rare, locally aggressive, and dermal-based fibroblastic tumor. There are several histological variants, in which the usual emphasis is on fibrosarcomatous DFSP, as it acquires metastatic potential. Myoid differentiation in DFSP is rare, and more often found in fibrosarcomatous DFSP. Myoid differentiation is defined as tumor cells with brightly eosinophilic cytoplasm, well-defined cytoplasmic margins, and vesicular nuclei. In this study, we aim at characterizing the immunostaining pattern regarding myoid differentiation in DFSP, and discuss the potential pitfall in making the diagnosis. A total of ten cases of DFSP were found in the past ten years in our hospital. Two of them show focal myoid differentiation, including the only case of fibrosarcomatous DFSP. Around 5% of the tumor area in the traditional DFSP case shows myoid differentiation, while around 10% of the tumor area in fibrosarcomatous DFSP shows myoid differentiation. The myoid areas show positive staining, albeit patchy to focal, for smooth muscle markers, including smooth muscle actin, muscle-specific actin, caldesmon, and calponin. Staining for CD34, in those areas, is weak or negative. This may create diagnostic difficulty with smooth muscle tumors or myofibroblastic lesions, especially in a small biopsy sample. In difficult cases, the detection of COL1A1-PDGFB fusion by fluorescence in situ hybridization is helpful, as this is a characteristic chromosomal translocation found in the large majority of DFSP.

Anti-CD20 immunotherapy in progressive multiple sclerosis: 2-year real-world follow-up of 108 patients.

BACKGROUND: Anti-CD20 monoclonal antibodies are recently introduced treatments in progressive MS and real-world data are lacking. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study is to describe a cohort of progressive MS patients treated with ocrelizumab or rituximab in a real-world setting. METHODS: This monocentric prospective cohort study at the University Hospital of Strasbourg included patients with primary progressive or secondary progressive MS that started treatment with anti-CD20 antibodies before June 2019. Every six months, patients were assessed using the following standardized clinical evaluations: Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS), Timed 25-Foot Walk (T25FW), 9-Hole Peg Test (9-HPT) and Symbol Digit Modalities Test (SDMT). The primary analysis considered EDSS progression (of at least 1.0 if EDSS ≤ 5.5 and at least 0.5 if EDSS ≥ 6.0). RESULTS: We included 108 patients, with a median age upon inclusion of 53 years [48.0-58.0]. 72% were classified as primary progressive forms. Median baseline EDSS was 6.0 [4.0-6.5]. EDSS was significantly correlated with T25FW, SDMT and 9-HPT. Following 2 years of treatment, 38.9% of patients presented EDSS progression compared to baseline. CONCLUSION: Our large cohort confirms tolerance of these treatments in a real-world setting. Standardized clinical assessments could improve detection of deteriorating patients. Further studies are needed to establish predictive factors.

Effects of miRNA-373-3p on the proliferation of nephroblastoma cells through targeted regulation of CD44 expression / 肿瘤研究与临床

Objective:To explore the effects of miRNA-373-3p (miR-373-3p) on the proliferation of nephroblastoma G401 cells through targeted regulation of CD44 expression.Methods:Bioinformatic method was used to predict the possible targeted genes of miR-373-3p based on bioinformatic databases including miRDB, miRanda, PITA and DIANA-microT. G401 cells were taken and transfected with miR-373-3p mimic, mimic negative control, miR-373-3p inhibitor or inhibitor negative control, respectively. Cell proliferation ability was detected by using CCK-8 assay. The number of clones was detected by using clone formation assay. The relative expression level of CD44 mRNA was detected by using real-time fluorescent quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR), and the expression level of CD44 protein was detected by using Western blotting. The dual luciferase gene reporter assay was carried out in HEK-293T cells to vertify the target gene of miR-373-3p.Results:Bioinformatic analysis indicated that CD44 was a targeted gene of miR-373-3p. After 24 h transfection, the proliferation activity of G401 cells in miR-373-3p mimic group was decreased compared with that in mimic negative control group (all P < 0.05). After 48 h transfection, the proliferation activity of tumor cells in miR-373-3p inhibitor group was increased compared with that inhibitor negative control group (all P < 0.05). The formed number of clones in miR-373-3p mimic group was reduced compared with that in the mimic negative control group (55.3±2.5 vs. 90.7±2.9), and the difference was statistically significant ( t = 14.57, P < 0.01). The formed number of clones in miR-373-3p inhibitor group was more than that in inhibitor negative control group (115.0±2.7 vs. 92.0±2.4), and the difference was statistically significant ( t = 8.86, P < 0.01). The dual-luciferase gene reporter assay showed that CD44 was a direct targeted gene of miR-373-3p. The relative expression levels of CD44 mRNA in miR-373-3P mimic and mimic negative control group were 0.62±0.03 and 1.00±0.01, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant ( t = 11.28, P < 0.01). The relative expression levels of CD44 mRNA in miR-373-3p inhibitor and inhibitor negative control group were 1.31±0.02 and 1.00±0.00, respectively, and the difference was statistically significant ( t = 12.65, P < 0.01). The CD44 protein expression was decreased in miR-373-3p mimic group, while increased in miR-373-3p inhibitor group. Conclusion:miR-373-3p can inhibit tumor cell proliferation by targeting CD44 in nephroblastoma.

Clinicopathological and immunophenotypic analysis of 24 cases of transformed mycosis fungoides / 中华皮肤科杂志

Objective:To investigate clinicopathological features and prognosis of transformed mycosis fungoides (TMF) .Methods:A retrospective analysis was performed on clinicopathological data collected from 24 patients with TMF, as well as on flow cytometry results of 16 peripheral blood samples obtained from 11 of the 24 patients, who visited Hospital of Dermatology, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences between 2014 and 2020.Results:Among the 24 patients, 11 were males and 13 were females. Their average age at diagnosis of TMF was 50.0 years (range: 18 - 77 years), and patients with early-stage TMF (9 cases) and tumor-stage TMF (15 cases) were aged 44.8 and 52.6 years on average, respectively. The average time interval from diagnosis of MF to large cell transformation was 3.7 years, and 8 patients were diagnosed with TMF at the initial visit. Histopathologically, large cells infiltrated in a diffuse pattern in 20 cases, as well as in a multifocal pattern in 4, and the proportion of large cells in 7 cases was greater than 75%. Immunohistochemically, 18 patients showed positive staining for CD30, and the proportion of CD30-positive large cells was greater than 75% in 9; negative staining for CD30 was observed in 6. Flow cytometry of 16 peripheral blood samples showed the presence of cell subsets expressing clonal T cell receptor (TCR) -vβ in 2 of 4 patients with early-stage TMF and 10 of 12 with tumor-stage TMF, and tumor cells with higher forward scatter than normal lymphocytes were detected in 16 samples. During the follow-up, among the patients with early-stage TMF, 3 progressed to tumor-stage TMF 3.3 years on average after large cell transformation, 1 progressed to erythrodermic MF in stage IIIA, and the other 4 still showed an indolent course; among the patients with tumor-stage TMF, 1 progressed to stage-IV TMF, and 5 died 3.3 (1.5 - 6) years after large cell transformation.Conclusion:Large cell transformation may occur in patients with MF in any stage, some patients have poor prognosis, so close follow-up is needed for patients with TMF.

Preclinical evaluation of 89Zr labeled Daratumumab for imaging diagnosis of multiple myeloma / 中华核医学与分子影像杂志

Objective:To prepare 89Zr labeled Daratumumab and evaluate its feasibility in the imaging diagnosis of multiple myeloma (MM). Methods:According to the principle of 89Y (p, n) 89Zr nuclear reaction, 89Zr was produced by cyclotron solid target system (30 μA, 1.5 h) and automatic purification module. The radionuclide purity, half-life and impurity metal ion concentration were detected. Desferrioxamine (DFO) was coupled with Daratumumab and then chelated with 89Zr to prepare 89Zr-DFO-Daratumumab. The quality control analyses of three consecutive batches were carried out. Pharmacokinetic evaluation and 89Zr-DFO-Daratumumab microPET/CT imaging were performed in normal rabbits and orthotopic myeloma mouse models, respectively. The SUV in situ myeloma and that in normal bone were compared by independent-sample t test. Results:About 560 MBq of 89Zr was obtained, and there were only two characteristic energy peaks of 89Zr (909 keV and 511 keV) by γ spectrometer. The half-life of 89Zr was 78.2 h, and the content of metal impurities was small. 89Zr-DFO-Daratumumab was prepared with pH of 7.2, radiochemical purity of more than 99%, good stability in vitro, and sterility and endotoxin tests were passed. Pharmacokinetic studies in rabbits showed that 89Zr-DFO-Daratumumab was gradually distributed from blood to liver, spleen, kidney and bone joints over time and metabolism. The results of microPET/CT imaging in orthotopic myeloma mouse models showed that the SUVs of 89Zr-DFO-daratumumab in situ myeloma were significantly higher than those in normal bone (2 h: 0.22±0.02 vs 0.06±0.00; 1 d: 0.38±0.01 vs 0.08±0.00; t values: 8.89, 21.90, both P=0.001). Conclusion:89Zr and 89Zr-DFO-daratumumab are successfully prepared, and relevant quality control and biological evaluation in vivo and in vitro are completed, which verify the feasibility of 89Zr-DFO-Daratumumab in the imaging diagnosis of MM, thus laying a foundation for clinical transformation.

Protective effects of acupuncture and LGNHFD on expressions of vascular endothelial growth factor, basic fibroblast growth factor, and cluster of differentiation 34 in rats with cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the protective effects of electroacupuncture and LGNHFD on cerebral ischemia-reperfusion injury, and their effects on the expression of cluster of differentiation 34 (CD 34), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) in the peripheral tissue of the cerebral ischemic semi-dark zone in rats. The influence and mechanism of expression. METHODS: Healthy male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly divided into the sham operation group, model group, Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) group, electroacupuncture group, and acupuncture group. The cerebral ischemia model was prepared by middle artery occlusion. The electroacupuncture and TCM groups received electroacupuncture at the ""Neiguan (PC6)"", ""Baihui (GV20)"", and ""Renzhong (GV26)"" acupoints from 4 h after modeling, once daily for 14 d. After modeling, the acupuncture and TCM groups were administered LGNHFD once daily for 14 d. After treatment, the infarct volume and regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) were measured in each group, the expression of CD34 in the surrounding ischemic penumbra was determined using immunohistochemistry, and the expression of angiogenesis-related factors in the ischemic hemisphere was detected by western blot. RESULTS: Compared with the sham operation group, rCBF was significantly decreased (P < 0.01) and cerebral infarction volume was significantly increased (P < 0.01) in the model group at four time points (5 min and 3, 7, and 14 d after modeling). At three postoperative time points (3, 7, and 14 d), the number of CD34+ cells in the model group were significantly increased (P < 0.01), and the relative expression levels of VEGF, bFGF, and CD34+ in the ischemic hemisphere were significantly increased (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). Compared with the model group, the rCBF of the acupuncture group was significantly increased at 3, 7, and 14 d after intervention (P < 0.01), while the rCBF of the electroacupuncture and TCM groups was significantly increased at 7 and 14 d after intervention (P < 0.01). After 3, 7, and 14 d of intervention, infarct volume was significantly reduced (P < 0.01), the number of CD34+ cells was significantly increased (P < 0.01, P < 0.05), and the relative expression levels of VEGF, bFGF, and CD34 in the ischemic hemisphere were significantly increased (P < 0.01, P < 0.05). Compared with the electroacupuncture and TCM groups, the rCBF of the acupuncture group was significantly increased (P < 0.01), the infarct volume was significantly reduced (P < 0.01), and the relative expression levels of VEGF, bFGF, and CD34 were significantly increased (P < 0.05, P < 0.01) after 3, 7, and 14 d of intervention. CONCLUSION: Acupuncture therapy is superior to simple drug and electroacupuncture therapy for reducing infarct volume, increasing rCBF and CD34 expression in cells, and promoting capillary regeneration in rats with cerebral ischemia. This may be related to the increased expression of VEGF, bFGF, and CD34 - which are related to cerebrovascular neovascularization - in the ischemic hemispheres of such rats.

[CAR T-cell therapy for malignant B-cell lymphoma : A new treatment paradigm]. / CAR-T-Zellen zur Behandlung von malignen B-Zell-Lymphomen : Ein neues Therapieprinzip.

Following the first demonstration of efficacy of anti-CD19-directed chimeric antigen receptor (CAR) T cells in a patient with relapsed chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) in 2011, pivotal studies for this innovative therapy were initially conducted in multiple relapsed or refractory (r/r) childhood and young adult acute B­cell leukemia and in aggressive adult B­cell lymphoma. The studies demonstrated efficacy even in chemotherapy-refractory disease, resulting in the first approval of autologous and genetically engineered T cells for the treatment of r/r B­cell acute lymphoblastic leukemia (B-ALL) in the US for the product tisagenlecleucel (Kymriah®, Novartis) back in 2018. Approval for the treatment of r/r aggressive B­cell lymphoma followed shortly thereafter for tisagenlecleucel and axicabtagene ciloleucel (Yescarta, Kite/Gilead). This review focuses on the treatment of aggressive B­cell lymphoma and other CD19 positive B­cell lymphomas by summarizing the study results of clinically tested CAR T cells, discussing possible resistance mechanisms, and providing an outlook on ongoing studies with new target antigens for the treatment of B­cell lymphomas.

Uso clínico do rituximabe em doenças autoimunes / Clinical use of rituximab for autoimmune diseases

Doenças autoimunes são doenças universais, e os diagnósticos e tratamentos primários são habitualmente iniciados por clínicos em enfermarias ou ambulatórios, antes de serem encaminhados a especialistas. Além disso, pacientes em uso de biológicos internados em hospitais gerais têm sido cada vez mais frequentes na prática clínica. Conhecer o perfil de segurança, as indicações e os efeitos colaterais dessas drogas deve ser preocupação dos clínicos. Neste trabalho, foi realizada revisão de literatura sobre terapia biológica com rituximabe no tratamento das principais doenças autoimunes sistêmicas da prática clínica: artrite reumatoide, lúpus eritematoso sistêmico, vasculites relacionadas aos anticorpos anticitoplasma de neutrófilo, púrpura trombocitopênica imune e espondilite anquilosante. (AU)

AutoimmunAutoimmune diseases are universal diseases and primary diagnosis and treatment are typically initiated by internists in wards or outpatient clinics before being referred to specialists. In addition, patients on use of biologicals hospitalized in general hospitals have been increasingly common in clinical practice. Knowing the safety profile, the indications, and the side effects of these drugs should be a concern for the internists as well. In this study, the literature review was performed on biological therapy with Rituximab for treating the main systemic autoimmune diseases of clinical practice: rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitides, immune thrombocytopenic purpura, and ankylosing spondylitis. (AU)

Involvement of tryptase-positive mast cells and angiogenesis in the growth of inflammatory odontogenic cysts

Abstract: Inflammatory periapical lesions are characterized by infiltration of different immune cell types, the functions of which depend on an effective vascular network. This study aimed to evaluate the mast cells density (MCD) in inflamatory odontogenic cysts capsules concerning microvascular density (MVD), microvascular area (MVA), and microvascular perimeter (MVP), and correlate such findings with the type of lesion, intensity of the inflammatory infiltrate, and thickness of the epithelial lining. Twenty inflamatory dentigerous cysts (IDCs), twenty radicular cysts (RCs), and twenty residual radicular cysts (RRCs) were submitted to immunohistochemical analysis using anti-tryptase and anti-CD34 antibodies. RCs exhibited the highest MCD, MVD, MVA, and MVP indexes (p = < 0.001, p = 0.008, p = 0.003 and p = < 0.001, respectively), and lesions with inflammatory infiltrate grade III showed the highest MVD (p = 0.044). Considering epithelial thickness, a higher MVP index was identified in lesions with hyperplastic epithelium (p = 0.018). In IDCs, RCs, and RRCs, a strong positive correlation was observed between MVA and MVP (r = 0.950 and p = < 0.001; r = 0.914 and p = < 0.001; r = 0.713 and p = < 0.001, respectively). In IDCs, a moderate correlation was observed between MCD and both MVA and MVP (r = 0.660 and p = 0.002; r = 0.634 and p = 0.003, respectively). These results suggest that tryptase-positive mast cells might play an important role in the angiogenic activity of IDCs, while RCs had the highest indexes. Our findings also confirmed that the intensity of the inflammatory infiltrate and epithelial thickness influence angiogenesis.

Expression of lymphocyte-activation gene 3, programmed cell death protein 1 and its ligand 1 in decidual lymphocytes of women with preeclampsia / 中华围产医学杂志

Objective:To investigate the expression of programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1), programmed cell death ligand 1(PD-L1), and lymphocyte-activation gene 3(LAG-3) in different subsets of lymphocytes and their relationship with the immunologic imbalance in preeclampsia.Methods:We enrolled 25 cases of singleton pregnant women with preeclampsia who were delivered by cesarean section in the Shandong Provincial Hospital Affiliated to Shandong First Medical University from May 2019 to January 2020 as the preeclampsia group. According to the allocation ratio of 1∶1 matched for the date of cesarean section and pregnancy week at delivery, another 25 healthy singleton pregnant women underwent elective cesarean section were selected as the normal group. The decidua tissue was obtained during cesarean section. The expression levels of PD-1, PD-L1, and LAG-3 on decidual T cells, natural killer (NK), and natural killer T (NKT) cells were measured by flow cytometry and compared between the two groups using two independent samples- t test. Results:(1) The expression of PD-1 on decidual T cells and NK cells of the preeclampsia group were lower than those of the normal group (37.84±3.82 vs 57.02±3.89, t=3.529, P<0.001; 3.28±0.48 vs 5.69±0.99, t=2.184, P=0.034), but did not differ significantly in the expression on decidual NKT cells ( P=0.461). PD-L1 expression on decidual NK cells of preeclampsia group was lower than that of the normal group (0.60±0.11 vs 1.32±0.19, t=3.319, P=0.002), but showed no significant difference in the expression level on T cells and NKT cells (both P>0.05). The preeclampsia group was noted for a lower expression of LAG-3 on decidual T cells and NKT cells compared with the normal group (2.32±0.36 vs 4.09±0.67, t=2.335, P=0.024; 35.40±4.97 vs 56.27±4.49, t=3.282, P=0.002), while showed no significant difference in the expression level of NK cells ( P=0.112). Conclusions:The decreased expression of PD-1, PD-L1, and LAG-3 in the decidual lymphocyte subsets may be involved in the immunologic imbalance of preeclampsia through the over-activation of immunocytes at the maternal-fetal interface.

Efficacy and safety of infliximab in the treatment of severe plaque psoriasis and its effect on the expression of programmed cell death-1 and programmed cell death ligand-1 / 中华皮肤科杂志

Objective:To investigate the efficacy and safety of infliximab in the treatment of severe plaque psoriasis and its effect on the expression of programmed cell death-1 (PD-1) and programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1) in psoriatic lesions.Methods:A total of 17 patients with severe plaque psoriasis were enrolled from Shanghai Skin Disease Hospital from February 2019 to April 2019, and were treated with intravenous drips of infliximab at a dose of 5 mg/kg at weeks 0, 2, 6, 14, 22, 30, 38 and 46. Efficacy was evaluated by using the psoriasis area and severity index (PASI) score at weeks 2, 6, 10, 14, 22, 30, 38, 46 and 52, and adverse events were recorded during the trial. Real-time PCR was performed to determine the expression of PD-1 and PD-L1 in skin tissues of 8 volunteer controls, as well as in skin lesions of 14 patients with plaque psoriasis before treatment and 5 patients with plaque psoriasis after 10-week treatment, and immunofluorescence assay to measure the expression of PD-1 and PD-L1 in skin tissues of 5 volunteers and 5 patients with psoriasis. The independent sample t-test was used to compare the expression of PD-1 and PD-L1 in skin tissues between the patients with plaque psoriasis and controls, and paired t-test to compare the expression of PD-1 and PD-L1 in the skin lesions of patients before and after infliximab treatment. Results:After 2, 6, 10, 14, 22, 30, 38, 46 and 52 weeks of infliximab treatment, the proportion of patients with plaque psoriasis achieving PASI75 was 1/17, 6/16, 9/16, 10/16, 15/15, 14/15, 13/14, 11/13 and 10/11, respectively. Antinuclear antibody staining turned positive in 12 patients, which was the most common adverse reaction, and 1 patient experienced an infusion reaction, which was the most severe adverse reaction. Before the treatment, the expression of PD-1 and PD-L1 (1.111 ± 0.391, 0.902 ± 0.169, respectively) was significantly higher in the skin lesions of patients with psoriasis than in the skin tissues of controls (0.620 ± 0.225, t=3.116, P=0.007; 0.474 ± 0.360, t=3.208, P=0.006, respectively) ; after infliximab treatment, the expression of PD-1 and PD-L1 (0.570 ± 0.230, 0.150 ± 0.050, respectively) in the improved skin lesions was significantly lower than that in the corresponding lesions before the treatment (1.238 ± 0.414, t=3.107, P=0.036; 0.966 ± 0.184, t=8.423, P=0.001, respectively) . Conclusions:Infliximab is effective and safe for the treatment of plaque psoriasis, but monitoring is necessary during treatment. The expression of PD-1 and PD-L1 is aberrantly upregulated in plaque psoriasis lesions, and decreased after infliximab treatment, suggesting that PD-1/PD-L1 may be involved in inflammation regulation in psoriasis.

Preparation of 68Ga labeled pre-targeted molecular probe based on bio-orthogonal Diels-Alder click chemistry and CD11b receptor targeted imaging in CT26 colon cancer mouse models / 中华核医学与分子影像杂志

Objective:To prepare a 68Ga labeled probe targeting integrin alpha M(CD11b) receptor, namely 68Ga-1, 4, 7-triazacyclononane-1, 4, 7-triacetic acid-Glycine-Arginine-Glutamate-Arginine-Glutamate-polyethylene glycol 11-1, 2, 4, 5-terazine/CD11b antibody-F(ab′) 2-trans-cyclooctene ( 68Ga-NOTA-Polypeptide-PEG 11-Tz/anti-CD11b-F(ab′) 2-TCO), and to explore its feasibility as a molecular probe for CD11b receptor through microPET imaging. Methods:Immunofluorescence was used to detect the expression of CD11b on the surface of RAW264.7 cell. CD11b specific monoclonal antibody (M1/70) was conjugated with TCO, and anti-CD11b-F(ab′) 2-TCO fragment was obtained. The ligand NOTA-Polypeptide-PEG 11-Tz was labeled with 68Ga, and its specific activity and radiochemical purity were detected. Pre-targeted cell binding experiment was conducted to evaluate the binding ability of molecular probe. CT26 colon cancer bearing mouse models were established, and then pre-targeted biodistribution and imaging experiments were performed. Immunohistochemical experiment was used to verify the expression of CD11b receptor in tumor. The one-way analysis of variance was used to compare the data. Results:The results of immunofluorescence demonstrated CD11b receptor was highly expressed on the surface of RAW264.7 cell. Anti-CD11b-F(ab′) 2-TCO fragment was verified by sodium dodecyl sulfate polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). 68Ga-NOTA-Polypeptide-PEG 11-Tz was successfully synthesized, with the labeling efficiency of 94.6%. The specific activity was 7.0-7.4 MBq/μg, and the radiochemical purity was higher than 95%. Pre-targeted cell binding experiment confirmed that the molecular probe bound to the CD11b receptor. The biodistribution and imaging experiments showed that the kidney radioactivity uptake was high at pre-targeted 4, 12 and 24 h intervals, which proved that probe was excreted through the urinary system. In addition, molecular probe had higher radioactive uptake at the tumor site, with the tumor/muscle ratios of 9.23±1.45, 12.53±1.36 and 10.74±1.11 ( F=848.8, P<0.05). When the radioligand was injected 1 h after the pre-positioned 12 h interval, the images contrast was the best, with the standardized uptake value (SUV) in tumor and muscle of 0.67±0.12, 0.09±0.04, respectively. Immunohistochemistry verified the highly expression of CD11b receptor in tumor. Conclusions:The pre-targeted molecular probe 68Ga-NOTA-Polypeptide-PEG 11-Tz/anti-CD11b-F(ab′) 2-TCO is successfully synthesized. The molecular probe has targeting ability for CD11b + colon cancer, and is expected to be used as a tracer targeting CD11b receptor in vivo.

The whole process management principles of chimeric antigen receptor T-cell therapy for lymphoma at Peking University Cancer Hospital / 白血病·淋巴瘤

Chimeric antigen receptor T (CAR-T) cell has achieved excellent efficacy in hematological tumors, especially for lymphoma. Many products have been approved to market all over the world, and 2 products targeting CD19 have been approved to treat relapsed and refractory large B-cell lymphoma in China. The current experiences of using CAR-T cells come from previous clinical studies. How to use CAR-T cells in a standardized and rationalized way is still a challenge faced by our clinicians. Based on the CAR-T cell treatment experiences from Peking University Cancer Hospital and the latest research progresses in CAR-T in China and abroad, this article will elaborate on patient screening, peripheral blood mononuclear cell collection, bridging treatment, lymphocyte depletion chemotherapy, CAR-T cell infusion, the monitoring and treatment of adverse events after infusion, and long-term follow-up after infusion, in order to guide clinicians to better use CAR-T cell and to bring maximum benefits to patients.

Expressions of CD200 and inducible costimulator in angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma and their significances / 白血病·淋巴瘤

Objective:To investigate the expressions of CD200 and inducible costimulator (ICOS) protein in angioimmunoblastic T-cell lymphoma (AITL) and the relationship with prognosis as well as their significances in the differential diagnosis of AITL.Methods:A total of 39 AITL patients in the First People's Hospital of Chenzhou, the Fourth People's Hospital of Chenzhou, Xiangnan College Affiliated Hospital and Chenzhou 3rd People's Hospital from June 2012 to December 2019, and 10 patients with classic Hodgkin lymphoma (CHL) and 10 patients with peripheral T cell lymphoma, not otherwise specified (PTCL-NOS) from August 2016 to July 2019 in the First People's Hospital of Chenzhou were selected. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect the expressions of CD200, ICOS, CD10, programmed death 1 (PD-1), bcl-6 and CXC chemokine receptor-13 (CXCL13) proteins, and the correlation of CD200 and ICOS with clinicopathological features and prognosis of AITL patients was analyzed, and the diagnostic significance of both in differentiating AITL from PTCL-NOS and CHL was also analyzed.Results:The positive rates of CD200 and ICOS in 39 AITL patients were 71.79% (28/39) and 61.54% (24/39), respectively. There were 7 cases of CD200 weak and moderate positive in 10 CHL patients, and ICOS proteins were all negative. Among 10 PTCL-NOS patients, 4 patients had CD200 positive and 1 patient had ICOS positive. The differences in positive rates of ICOS protein between AITL patients and CHL, PTCL-NOS patients were statistically significant (all P < 0.05); the differences in positive rates of CD200 protein between AITL patients and CHL, PTCL-NOS patients were not statistically significant ( χ2=0.013, P=0.911; χ2=3.551, P=0.060). The positive rate of CD200 in AITL patients with elevated lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and international prognostic index (IPI) score of 3-4 was higher than that in AITL patients with normal LDH and IPI score of 0-2 (both P < 0.05); The positive rate of ICOS in AITL patients with elevated LDH and PD-1 positive was higher than that in AITL patients with normal LDH and PD-1 negative (both P < 0.05). CD200 negative AITL patients had better 3-year overall survival (OS) rate (4.2% vs. 66.7%) and 3-year progression-free survival (PFS) rate (5.3% vs. 77.1%) compared with those in CD200 positive AITL patients, and the differences between both groups were statistically significant (both P < 0.01); there was a statistically significant difference in 3-year OS rate between ICOS positive AITL patients and ICOS negative AITL patients (15.3% vs. 38.6%, P=0.011), while there was no statistically significant difference in 3-year PFS rate of both groups (18.6% vs. 41.5%, P=0.059). Multivariate analysis showed CD200 ( HR=0.076, 95% CI 1.555-79.497, P=0.001), extranodal involvement or not ( HR=11.117, 95% CI 1.555-79.497, P=0.016) and LDH ( HR=2.147, 95% CI 0.844-5.459, P=0.109) were independent influencing factors of OS in AITL patients; CD200 ( HR=0.075, 95% CI 0.016-0.357, P=0.001) and LDH ( HR=2.335, 95% CI 0.929-5.870, P=0.071) were independent influencing factors of PFS in AITL patients. Conclusions:CD200 and ICOS can be used as immunohistochemical indicators to assist the diagnosis of AITL patients. ICOS protein helps to differentiate AITL from CHL and PTCL-NOS; CD200 can be used as indicators to judge the prognosis and deterioration of AITL patients.