Model building and quantitative analysis of a tandem immuno-capturing assay as a screening tool for breast cancer.

The onset of breast cancer appears to occur, on average, a decade earlier in Mexican women in comparison to American or European women. Early detection and prevention of breast cancer are of crucial importance to increase survival and improve quality of life. Based on the molecular elucidation of critical events leading to breast carcinogenesis, a tandem immuno-capturing blood test was developed as a quantitative population screening assay in view of providing a cost-effective and non-invasive alternative to population screening. Clinical analysis of 63 Mexican women within an age group of 35-70, revealed that Interstron activity increases from 800+/-65 IUJPA (Interstron Units) in the asymptomatic normal women to 994+/-100 IUJPA in the symptomatic/benign group, reaching 1289+/-81 IUJPA in the cancerous group. Accordingly, activity thresholds were established at 800 and 1200 IUJPA respectively, encompassing three risk groups: (i) Healthy Otherwise Normal (<800 IUJPA); (ii) Grey Risk Area (>800 and <1200 IUJPA), and (iii) At Risk group (>1200 IUJPA). Taking into account both baseline and clinical case reports, the Healthy Otherwise Normal group and the At Risk group were mostly homogeneous in nature, comprising a population of normal and cancer patients respectively. The Grey Risk group is heterogeneous, likely reflecting a transitional nature towards a potential early stage of breast disease development. Based on these results, a screening algorithm was developed as the underlining principle for population surveillance encompassing over 30,000 Mexican women. The current screening results have enabled us to objectively prioritize medical attention to approximately 1 in 8 women out of the general population mapped within the At Risk group. Overall, our findings suggest that monitoring Interstron activity units provides a valuable quantitative screening analysis as to selectively streamline the population of women in need of early medical counseling and/or mammography, thereby enhancing both the quality and cost-effectiveness of preventative population surveillance programs targeting breast cancer.

Bestatin-mediated inhibition of leucine aminopeptidase may hinder HIV infection.

Bestatin, an inhibitor of leucine aminopeptidase (LAPase), significantly decreased HIV infection as reflected by a reduced number of positive immunofluorescent cells, p24 levels, reverse transcriptase activity and the number of proviral copies found in Bestatin-treated cells. Cellular and extracellular LAPase activity in infected cells was higher than the LAPase activity found in uninfected cells. However, cellular and extracellular LAPase activity as well as total protein kinase C activity was lower in Bestatin-treated cells. Conversely, the incubation of human lymphocytic HUT78 cells with LAPase promotes HIV infectivity. The possible role of LAPase in the pathophysiology of HIV was assessed by determining LAPase serum levels in HIV infected patients. LAPase activity levels were three orders of magnitude greater in sera obtained from HIV patients than those detected in sera of uninfected individuals. Although Bestatin reduced HIV infection, a moderate decrease in the reverse transcriptase activity of chronically-infected H9 human T-lymphocytic cells was observed. Based on the higher levels of LAPase present in the serum of HIV patients and on the combined inhibitory effect of Bestatin on LAPase and on protein kinase C activities, we suggest that LAPase may play an important role in the early events of HIV infection such as viral entry.

Effect of retinoic acid on Nm/23 nucleoside diphosphate kinase and components of cyclic adenosine monophosphate-dependent signalling in human neuroblastoma cell lines.

The effects of retinoic acid on components of the cAMP-dependent signalling system were examined in two related human neuroblastoma cell lines SK-N-SH-F (SHF) and SK-N-SH-N (SHN). Retinoid treatment for a week significantly increased the concentration of intracellular cAMP and the levels of activity of protein kinase A and adenylate cyclase in both cell lines. Retinoic acid treatment also caused a very marked translocation of nucleoside diphosphate kinase from the cytosol to the membrane fraction. The increases in cyclic nucleotide and protein kinase A activity were observed to occur as early as within 1 and 2 days respectively and preceded or were concurrent with the onset of observable morphological differentiation. Results also indicated that agents which elevated intracellular cAMP caused neuronal differentiation and blunted retinoic acid-induced melanocytic differentiation in SHF cells. However, increases in cAMP brought about by treatment of SHF cells with retinoic acid alone were several-fold smaller and thus insufficient to induce neuritogenesis in these cells. The results as a whole indicate that one overall effect of retinoic acid treatment is to upgrade the activity of components of the cAMP-dependent signalling system in both neuroblastoma cell lines. However, retinoic acid causes the SH-F and SH-N cell lines to differentiate along different routes which means that the upgrading responses may be related to more general aspects of differentiation rather than to specific phenotype expression.

Measurement of nucleoside diphosphate kinase-Nm23 activity by anion-exchange high-performance liquid chromatography.

A first-order assay to detect the activity of nucleoside diphosphate kinase (NDP-kinase; EC 2.7.4.6) was developed. In this assay, the activity of NDP-kinase is measured using various deoxy- and ribonucleotide triphosphates as phosphate donors and dADP as phosphate acceptor. The enzyme activity is determined by quantifying, after anion-exchange HPLC, the amount of newly synthesized dATP. Contrary to the most common coupled enzymic assays or isotopic assays the use of different donor-acceptor pairs is not restricted. The resolution of the procedure described is limited only by the chromatographic separation of substrate and product pairs participating in the reaction.

Mechanism of formation of human IgE-binding factors (soluble CD23): III. Evidence for a receptor (Fc epsilon RII)-associated proteolytic activity.

There is mounting evidence that Fc epsilon RII (CD23) and its soluble fragments (IgE-binding factors [BFs] or soluble CD23) have pleiotropic activities. IgE-BFs are formed mainly by the proteolytic cleavage of surface Fc epsilon RII; they are first released as 37- and 33-kD unstable molecules that are subsequently transformed into 25-kD IgE-BFs. In this study, purified and radioiodinated 37-kD IgE-BFs as well as 45-kD Fc epsilon RII were used as substrates to identify the proteases leading to the formation of 25-kD IgE-BFs. These substrates generate 25-kD IgE-BFs when incubated with several Fc epsilon RII-bearing cells, including CHO1-7 cells (transfected with Fc epsilon RII cDNA); by contrast Fc epsilon RII- cells, including CHO control cells, have no effect. Highly purified unlabeled native 37-kD and recombinant 29-kD IgE-BFs also cleave labeled 45-kD Fc epsilon RII into 25-kD IgE-BFs. The proteolytic activity of these purified IgE-BFs is specifically removed by immunoprecipitation with an antibody against IgE-BFs. These data strongly suggest that Fc epsilon RII and some of its soluble fragments play an active role in the proteolytic mechanism generating IgE-BFs. They are supported by the observation that IgE-BFs released by CHO1-7 cells are cleaved exactly at the same sites as B cell-derived IgE-BFs. Taken collectively, the results are compatible with an autoproteolytic process.