Evaluation of circulating PD-1 and PD-L1 as diagnostic biomarkers in dogs with tumors

BackgroundProgrammed cell death protein-1 (PD-1) and programmed cell death ligand-1 (PD-L1) have important roles in tumor evasion of the immune system.ObjectivesThis study aimed to assess the diagnostic utility of circulating PD-1 and PD-L1 levels in healthy dogs and dogs with tumors.MethodsCirculating PD-1 and PD-L1 levels in the serum of 71 dogs with tumors were compared with those of 52 healthy dogs by performing enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).ResultsThe ELISA results revealed higher circulating PD-1 and PD-L1 levels in dogs with tumors (2.9 [2.2–3.7] ng/mL; median [IQR] and 2.4 [1.4–4.4] ng/mL, respectively) than in healthy dogs (2.4 [1.9–3.0] ng/mL; p = 0.012 and 1.4 [0.9–2.1] ng/mL; p < 0.001, respectively). Especially, there was a significant difference in circulating PD-1 levels between healthy dogs and dogs with malignant epithelial tumors (2.4 [1.9–3.0] ng/mL and 3.1 [2.6–4.4] ng/mL, respectively; p < 0.01). In addition, there was a significant difference in circulating PD-L1 levels between healthy dogs and dogs with lymphomas (1.4 [0.9–2.1] ng/mL and 2.7 [1.6–5.8] ng/mL, respectively; p < 0.001).ConclusionThis study indicates that circulating PD-1 and PD-L1 have potential as tumor diagnostic biomarkers in dogs with tumors.     

Retrospective evaluation of blood copper stable isotopes ratio 65Cu/63Cu as a biomarker of cancer in dogs

Previous studies in humans with breast, colorectal or liver cancer showed that neoplasia was associated with a modification of the blood ratio between ⁶⁵Cu and ⁶³Cu (?Cu). The aim of the present study was to compare the blood ?Cu of dogs with cancer to healthy controls or dogs with non‐oncologic disease. One hundred and seventeen dogs were included in the study (35 dogs with cancer, 33 dogs with non‐neoplastic disease, and 49 healthy controls). The ?Cu of dogs with cancer was significantly lower than the ratio of healthy controls (P < 0.0001) but not significantly different from dogs with non‐oncologic disease. Six dogs with lymphoma were also evaluated after they achieved clinical remission and five out of six had an increase of ?Cu. Further studies are warranted but these results suggest that ?Cu could help in the diagnosis of cancer in a controlled clinical context, and may be a potential biomarker for the follow‐up of cancer.     

生物标记物在DNA氧化损伤及辐射损伤检测中的应用

生物标记物是近年来提出的一群与 细胞生长增殖有关的标记物。随着分子生物 学理论和技术的迅速发展,生物标记物的研 究作为一个崭新的领域逐渐引起了国内外环 境医学界的共同关注。关于自由基攻击 DNA所引起氧化损伤,以及电离辐射造成的 DNA辐射损伤所诱发的一些生物学后果,存 在着由于DNA结构微小,直接检测过于复杂 和困难的问题,而利用生物标记物进行DNA 损伤修复检测是最灵敏可行的方法,也是危 险性评价的重要方法。因此,文章就DNA氧 化损伤、辐射损伤以及生物标记物在DNA氧 化损伤与辐射损伤检测中的具体应用进行了 全面而系统的阐述。     

Repeated freeze–thaw cycles changed organic matter quality in a temperate forest soil

Under temperate climate, the frequency of extreme weather events such as intensive freezing or frequent thawing periods during winter might increase in the future. It was shown that frost and subsequent thawing may affect the fluxes of C and N in soils. In a laboratory study, we investigated the effect of frost intensity and repeated freeze–thaw cycles on the quality and quantity of soil organic matter (SOM) in a Haplic Podzol from a Norway spruce forest. Undisturbed soil columns comprising O layer and top mineral soil were treated as followed: control (+5°C), frost at –3°C, –8°C, and –13°C. After a 2‐week freezing period, frozen soils were thawed at +5°C and irrigated with 80 mm water at a rate of 4 mm d^–1. Lignin contents were not significantly affected by repeated freeze–thaw cycles. Phospholipid fatty acid (PLFA) contents decreased in the mineral soil, and PLFA patterns indicate that fungi are more susceptible to soil frost than bacteria. Amounts of both plant and microbial sugars generally decreased with increasing frost intensity. These changes cannot be explained by increased mineralization of sugars or by leaching with DOM nor by a decreased microbial activity and, thus, sugar production with increasing frost intensity. Also physical stabilization of sugars due to frost‐induced changes in soil structure can be ruled out as sugar extraction was carried out on ground bulk soil. Therefore, the only possible explanation for the disappearance of plant and microbial sugars upon soil freezing are chemical alterations of sugar molecules leading to SOM stabilization.     

运用脂肪酸标志法分析刺参食物来源的季节变化

运用脂肪酸标志法分析了刺参的食物组成及季节变化。刺参饵料中含有硅藻、褐藻、多种异养细菌、大型绿藻、鞭毛藻或原生动物等,其中硅藻、褐藻和细菌在全年的食物贡献比较大,各种饵料来源比例具有显著的季节变化。实验期间,刺参体壁的硅藻脂肪酸标志22:5(n-3)相对含量很高(7.24%～14.45%),且16:1(n-7)/16:0比值全年在0.73～1.82之间(平均1.10),表现出典型的硅藻脂肪酸特征,表明硅藻是刺参主要的食物来源。褐藻脂肪酸标志20:4(n-6)在刺参体壁脂肪酸组成中相对含量较高(4.88%～8.16%),且在秋冬季节达到较高水平,表明秋冬季节褐藻类对刺参的食物贡献可能较大。噬纤维菌—黄杆菌类的脂肪酸标志奇数碳及支链脂肪酸(Odd&brFAs,5.31%～8.29%)和变形细菌的脂肪酸标志[18:1(n-7),5.85%～6.86%]相对含量比较高,表明细菌在全年都是刺参重要的食物来源。主成分分析发现,1月份刺参的主要食物来源是硅藻、鞭毛藻或原生动物、褐藻及细菌;3月份硅藻、鞭毛藻或原生动物、大型绿藻的食物贡献较大;6月份大型绿藻在刺参的食物来源中占较大比重;7月份细菌和大型绿藻的食物贡献较大,细...     

玉米氮状况相关生物标记物的筛选和应用

[背景]RNA表达丰度作为一种生物标记物已广泛应用于临床诊断阶段,但在农业栽培中诊断作物营养状况的应用较少.[目的]挖掘和验证转录水平上可以作为生物标记物精确指示玉米氮营养状况的基因,指导精准施用氮肥.[方法]基于不同氮素处理的基因芯片和RNA-Seq数据,通过生物信息学和统计学方法初步筛选出基因表达丰度高度响应氮素处...     

Assessment of the measurement of canine and feline serum fibroblast growth factor-23 concentrations by automated chemiluminescence immunoassay

This study compared canine and feline fibroblast growth factor (FGF)-23 concentration measurements between automated chemiluminescence assay (CLEIA) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Seventy serum samples each from dogs and cats were evaluated. FGF-23 measurements by CLEIA significantly correlated with those of ELISA in both dogs and cats. The Bland–Altman test showed that FGF-23 between CLEIA and ELISA had fixed and proportional biases, respectively, in both dogs and cats. Measurements by CLEIA were lower than those of ELISA, especially in higher serum FGF-23 concentrations. This study showed that FGF-23 concentrations in dogs and cats can be evaluated by automated CLEIA. However, FGF-23 cannot be directly compared between CLEIA and ELISA.     

苯多羧酸分子标志物对生物炭吸附磷行为的表征

生物炭因其具有多孔、比表面积较大、含氧官能团较为丰富且芳香性较强等优点而在农业面源污染控制方面具有良好的应用前景。然而,生物炭应用于土壤后难以从土壤颗粒中分离出来,从而制约了其对农业面源污染物吸附行为的预测。分子标志物技术在表征有机碳行为领域做出了重要的贡献,苯多羧酸（Benzene polycarboxylic acids,BPCAs）分子标志物方法的引入,可为表征生物炭与磷之间相互作用提供新的视角。因此,本研究采用批量吸附实验,考察了烟秆和松木及其制备的生物炭对磷的吸附行为。结果表明,随热解温度的升高,生物质及其生物炭中各BPCAs含量及苯六甲酸（Benzene hexacarboxylic acid,B6CA）对BPCA的贡献率随热解温度的升高而增加,生物炭的芳香缩合度不断增强;两类生物炭对磷的吸附量均随热解温度的升高而降低,其中400℃烟秆生物炭和200℃松木生物炭对磷的吸附量最大。表面含氧官能团的减少和静电排斥作用降低了生物炭对磷的吸附,而较大的比表面积使烟秆生物炭的吸附量高于松木生物炭。烟秆生物炭中B6CA含量高于松木生物炭,因此其对磷的吸附量较松木生物炭高。