Figure 4 Localization

of expression of the TβR-II, Smad2, Smad3, Smad4, Smad7 and phosphorylated Smad2 in CNE2 cells. (A) The TβR-II was located mainly in the cell membrane, and positive staining Smad2, Smad3, Smad4, was found in regions of both cytoplasm and nucleus, while the staining of Smad7 was mainly in the area of nucleus. (B) Phosphorylated Smad2 was undetectable in CNE2 cells without TGF-β1, after stimulation with TGF-β1, phosphorylated Smad2 could be detected in the cytoplasm of CNE2 cells, while Smad7 located originally in nuclear OICR-9429 without TGF-β1, and it could be detected in the cytoplasm after stimulation of TGF-β1. TGF-β1 inducing activation and translocation of Smad proteins in NPC cells To determine whether Smad is activated and translocated in response to TGF-β1 stimulation in CNE2 cells, we assessed the subcellular distribution of the phosphorylated (activated) Smad2/3 by immunocytochemistry staining. No phosphorylated Smad2/3 staining was exhibited in CNE2 cells without TGF-β1 Cobimetinib mouse stimulation, however, a very strong staining of phosphorylated Smad2/3 was found in regions of both the cytoplasm and nucleus of the CNE2 cells after TGF-β1 treatment compared to untreated cells. This result indicated that Smad2

was phosphorylated and activated after TGF-β1 stimulation. Furthermore, we investigated the inhibitory Smad-Smad 7 protein in response to TGF-β1 stimulation in CNE2 cells. The buy BIBF 1120 results indicated that the positive staining of Smad 7 initially was localized in the region of the nucleus before TGF-β1 treatment. However, positive staining of Smad 7 was observed in the cytoplasm after TGF-β1 treatment, which implied that Smad 7 translocated from the nucleus to the cytoplasm in response to the TGF-β1 stimulation (Figure 4B). Discussion TGF-β1 is a very potent inhibitor of many epithelial tumors, however, the role of TGF-β1 in nasopharyngeal Carcinoma progression is ambiguous. In the present study herein, we demonstrated for the first time that CNE2 cells have lost the sensitivity to growth suppression by TGF-β1 (Figure 1). Interestingly, rather than a defective TGF-β/Smad

signaling pathway which leads to a loss of response to the growth suppression effect of TGF-β1, our results indicate that the TGF-β/Smad signaling is functional in the CNE2 cell after Dimethyl sulfoxide treatment TGF-β1. The TβR-II is expressed normally, while Smads 2, Smads 3, Smads 4 are significantly increased at the mRNA level and the protein level compared to the levels observed in the normal nasopharyngeal epithelial cells (Figure 2, 3). The mRNA and protein expression of Smad7 remains unchanged in the CNE2 cells. Immunocytochemistry demonstrated that the transmembrane receptor TβR-II and the intracellular component Smads are also detectable (Figure 4A), where pretreatment of CNE2 cells with TGF-β1 causes activation of the Smad 2 protein, and the inhibitory Smad 7 translocates from the nucleus into the cytoplasm (Figure 4B).

The BTO thin films grown with layer-by-layer annealing method show a preferential <100> orientation. The films annealed at both 650°C and 700°C show strong diffraction peaks along the <100> and <200> directions, with no sign of Ganetespib cell line the secondary-phase silicate formation. It is evident from Figure 2b that the BTO films that are annealed after deposition of 120 nm of BTO (prepared by two to three spin coating and pyrolysis steps) show a stronger diffraction peak along the <110> direction (compared to the <100> direction). A comparison of the lattice parameters of the BTO film deposited on different buffer layers with bulk BTO crystal

is GSK1120212 in vitro mentioned in Table 1. Table 1 Comparison of the BTO thin films deposited on different buffer layers with the bulk material Phase Source Method a = b (Å) c (Å) c/a ratio Tetragonal (p4mm) Our work Sol–gel 3.994 4.038 1.011 Tetragonal On MgO buffer layer [18] MOCVD 3.990 4.04 1.012 Tetragonal BTO ceramic [19] Chemical processing 3.998 4.022 1.0058 Tetragonal BTO single crystal [20] Chemical processing 3.992 4.036 1.011 Microstructure and roughness measurements The SEM images of BTO thin films grown on silicon <100> substrates with Alpelisib different thicknesses of the lanthanum oxynitrate buffer layer are presented in Figure 3. The films annealed

at 600°C (not shown) with buffer layers of different thickness are amorphous, and no distinct crystal grains are visible from the SEM measurements. Figure 3 SEM top view and cross-section images of BTO thin films. SEM top view of BTO films annealed at 700°C, with buffer layers of (a) 6 nm and (b) 7.2 nm. Cross-section images of the BTO film deposited at 700°C (c) deposited with a buffer layer of 6 nm as shown in (a) and (d) prepared with layer-by-layer annealing for each 30-nm layer, with a

buffer layer of 8.9 nm. Figure 3a,b shows the top surface view of BTO films annealed at 700°C, with buffer layers of thickness 6 and 7.2 nm, respectively. The presence of the well-defined polygonal crystal grains is visible, and it shows the complete transformation of the amorphous films into a perovskite phase. The presence of the intercrystal Glycogen branching enzyme voids in the BTO films (approximately 150 nm) deposited with buffer layers less than 6 nm is visible in Figure 3a,c. This increases the chance of electrical short circuit between the bottom ITO and the top evaporated Cr contact as we also experienced in the electrical measurements. However, the present work shows that the density of the intercrystal voids can be decreased to a great extent by increasing the thickness of the buffer layer to 7.2 nm. The films deposited with BTO seeding layers have further improved quality and appear to have a dense structure without the presence of pin holes (Figure 3d).

Previous studies have shown thatSalmonellamutants lackingspaOfailed to assemble the needle complex, leading to its inability to secrete proteins and invade cells [41,42]. This suggests that the SpaO protein is essential for needle complex assembly and protein secretion critical for bacterial entry. However, its expressionin vivohas not been reported. Our findings of the differential expression of SpaO preferentially bySalmonellacolonizing the cecum but not spleen

raises the possibility that efficient expression of this protein may not be needed bySalmonellain the spleen, GS-4997 supplier possibly because bacteria entry can be accomplished with phagocytosis by splenic macrophages. Furthermore, selleck chemicals tissue-specific differential regulation of the expression of SpaO, a protein essential for the secretion machinery [41,42], Trichostatin A should provide another mechanismin vivofor the regulation of the amounts of effector proteins to be secreted into the host cells. Recent studies have revealed hierarchical transport of different effectors duringSalmonellaentry and extensive ordered synergistic and antagonist relationships between these effectors following

their delivery into the host cells [5,39,40]. Thus, it is conceivable that differential expression of SpaO may dictate the amounts of needle complexes available during bacterial entry. This may result in hierarchical transport of specific effectors

and specific functional interplay (synergistic or antagonist relationships) among these proteins in the host cells, leading to specific pathological consequences in different tissues. We note that some of the protein expression results in our study may not be consistent with those from the expression of the transcripts of the SPI-1 genes that have been recently published [19,20]. The expression of SPI-1 genes is tightly controlled transcriptionally and post-transcriptionally [13]. Thus, we believe that our results of the SPI-1 protein expressionin vivomay not necessarily correlate with the previous observationsin Branched chain aminotransferase vitro. Furthermore, the amounts of proteins expressed from the SPI-1 genesin vivoare in a delicate balance as there are hierarchical transports of different effectors duringSalmonellaentry and extensive ordered synergistic and antagonist relationships between these effectors following their delivery into the host cells. An imbalance of the amounts of these factors available during infection would seriously compromise the ability of the bacteria to establish successful infection. Our results complement and further extend previous findings of the expression of these SPI-1 factors, and demonstrate the importance of examining protein expressionin vivoin the context of infection.

Better Selleck ATM Kinase Inhibitor understanding the process and mechanisms of Se biofilm self-renewal in patients will help us develop more effective strategies against Se biofilm-related infection. Acknowledgement This work was supported by grants from the National Natural Science Foundation for Young Scientist of China (81101791 to Z.Q.). Z.Q. was also supported by the DANIDA fellowship during his visit at DTU. L.Y. was supported by a grant from the Danish Research Council

for Independent Research (09-073917). Electronic supplementary material Additional file 1: Figure S1. S. epidermidis 1457 agr mutation does not affect bacterial growth. Growth curves for S. epidermidis 1457 wild type and agr mutant and agr/atlE double mutant cultivated in TSB batch cultures are shown. Capmatinib in vitro Data shown represent one of 3 independent experiments. (TIFF 62 KB) Additional file 2: Figure S2. S. epidermidis isolates associated with catheter infection exhibit differential expression of genes associated with biofilm formation. The expression profiles www.selleckchem.com/products/GDC-0941.html of RNAIII, atlE and icaA were compared for 6-d biofilm cells of laboratory strain and clinical isolates using qRT-PCR as described in Methods. Error bars represent the S.E.M.

for three independent experiments. (TIFF 97 KB) Additional file 3: Figure S3. S. epidermidis agr system regulates cell autolysis through atlE. Triton X-100 induced cell autolysis assays were performed as described in Methods, and error bars represent the S.E.M. for three independent experiments. (TIFF 77 KB) Additional file 4: Figure S4. Sequence alignment analysis of agr conserved regions from ATCC 35984, Se-1, Se-2 and Se-3. The agr conserved regions Carnitine palmitoyltransferase II were amplified

and sequenced as described in Methods, then alignment analysis was performed by using Vector NTI Advance 9 software (Invitrogen). (PDF 69 KB) Additional file 5: Table S1. Primer sequences for qRT-PCR in this study. (DOCX 16 KB) References 1. Raad II, Bodey GP: Infectious complications of indwelling vascular catheters. Clin Infect Dis 1992,15(2):197–208.PubMedCrossRef 2. Rupp ME, Archer GL: Coagulase-negative staphylococci: pathogens associated with medical progress. Clin Infect Dis 1994,19(2):231–243. quiz 244–235PubMedCrossRef 3. von Eiff C, Peters G, Heilmann C: Pathogenesis of infections due to coagulase-negative staphylococci. Lancet Infect Dis 2002,2(11):677–685.PubMedCrossRef 4. Vadyvaloo V, Otto M: Molecular genetics of Staphylococcus epidermidis biofilms on indwelling medical devices. Int J Artif Organs 2005,28(11):1069–1078.PubMed 5. Gotz F: Staphylococcus and biofilms. Mol Microbiol 2002,43(6):1367–1378.PubMedCrossRef 6.

We confirmed these results using TLR2-/- DCs and TLR4-/- DCs. OmpA-sal treated TLR2-/- DCs or TLR4-/- DCs Sapanisertib datasheet and then analyzed IL-12 production by ELISA. We found that OmpA-sal-treated TLR4-/- DCs had no IL-12 production. These results suggest that OmpA-sal induced the maturation and activation of DCs via a TLR4-mediated signaling pathway. Conclusions We demonstrated that OmpA-sal is a potent antigen and initiates a specific Th1 immune response in vitro. Further understanding of the mechanism by which OmpA-sal activates DC maturation and activation may facilitate the development of effective S. enterica serovar Typhimurim vaccines and an effective immunotherapeutic

adjuvant for other infectious diseases. Methods Animals Male 6-8 week old C57BL/6 (H-2Kb and I-Ab) and BALB/c (H-2Kd and I-Ad) mice were purchased from the Korean Institute of Chemistry Technology (Daejeon, Korea). Reagents and Antibodies Recombinant mouse (rm)GM-CSF and rmIL-4 were purchased from R&D Systems. Selleckchem PF2341066 Dextran-FITC and LPS (from Escherichia coli 055:B5) were obtained from Sigma-Aldrich. An endotoxin filter (END-X) and an endotoxin removal resin (END-X

B15) were acquired from Associates of Cape Cod. Cytokine ELISA kits for PD0332991 solubility dmso murine IL-12 p70, IL-4, IL-10, and IFN-γ were purchased from BD Pharmingen. FITC- or PE-conjugated monoclonal antibodies (mAbs; BD Pharmingen) were used for flow cytometry to detect CD11c (HL3), CD80 (16-10A1), CD86 (GL1), IAb β-chain (AF-120.1), H2Kb (AF6-88.5), IL-12 p40/p70 (C15.6), and IL-10 (JESS-16E3). Anti-phospho-ERK1/2, anti-phospho-p38 MAPK, anti-phospho-JNK1/2, anti-ERK1/2, anti-JNK1, and Dimethyl sulfoxide anti-p38

MAPK mAb were purchased from Cell signaling. Isotype-matched control mAbs and biotinylated anti-CD11c (N418) mAb were purchased from BD Pharmingen. Preparation of OmpA-sal The full-length OmpA-sal gene (X02006.1) was amplified by PCR, and a chromosomal preparation of X02006.1 was used as a PCR substrate. The upstream primer, 5′-GCGGATCCCACGA AGCCGGAGAA-3′, was designed to carry the EcoRI restriction site. The downstream primer, 5′-GCAAGCTTAGAAACGATAGCC-3′, carried the HindIII restriction site. PCR products digested with EcoRI and HindIII were ligated into the pMAL™ expression vector (New England Biolabs Inc.). E. coli BL21 (DE3)/pMAL™ harboring a ompA-Sal gene was grown in Luria-Bertani (LB) medium at 37°C. Recombinant proteins were over-expressed by a bacteria protein expression system [27]. The quantity of OmpA endotoxin was ≤0.01 ng/mg. Generation and culture of DCs DCs were generated from murine whole bone marrow (BM) cells. Briefly, the BM was flushed from the tibiae and femurs of BALB/c mice and depleted of red blood cells with ammonium chloride.

aeruginosa isolates were collected from three Italian hospitals, located in Rovereto, Trento, and Verona. All strains were typed with the ArrayTube (AT), a DNA-based multimarker microarray. The AT array design and array experiments are available in the ArrayExpress database AZD1390 mouse (http://​www.​ebi.​ac.​uk/​arrayexpress) under accession numbers E_MTAB_1108 and A-MEXP-2179, respectively. Excluding all isolates with identical AT-profile collected from individual patients, although from different body sites, 124 independent-strains could be selected.

Besides AT-typing, PFGE and MLST were performed on up to 105 strains of our collection, for comparison purposes. The LXH254 in vitro AT-genotypes and virulence markers profiles, PFGE-clone types and MLST genotypes are provided as supplementary material (Additional file 1). Concerning the AT-dataset, the AT-genotype was derived from the 13 SNPs markers plus the fliCa/b multiallelic locus and the exoS/exoU markers, as described by Wielhmann and collaborators [7]. Isolates with identical AT-genotype (i.e. identical

hexadecimal code) and also identical pattern of AT virulence markers were defined as AT-clones, since they are genetically indistinguishable according to the AT approach. Isolates with identical AT-genotype but different pattern of virulence markers were referred to as isolates belonging to the Trichostatin A in vitro same AT-clonal complex. Finally, isolates with different AT-genotypes but related, according to eBURST analysis, were defined as isolates belonging to the same AT-cluster of clones [7]. The AT-genotyping analysis revealed that the 182 collected strains belonged to 41 different AT-genotypes. The relative low genomic variation observed in strain-specific regions within the core genome was concordant Inositol oxygenase with the high genetic conservation previously found by genomic sequencing for P. aeruginosa strains [19]. Each clonal complex, i.e. group of isolates with identical AT-genotype, comprised 3.0 +/− 5.1 isolates. A set of strains of our collection was analyzed also with two genotyping techniques commonly used in microbiology, which are renowned as high resolution reference methods,

i.e. pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and multi-locus sequence typing (MLST) [1]. Comparison with these techniques was performed to gain insights into differences/similarities between approaches and to verify results of previous research groups underlining the feasibility of the AT approach for epidemic strains [18]. The PFGE/SpeI typing was performed on 105 independent strains of our collection, and resolved 77 different fingerprints, defined as different PFGE clones or pulsotypes (Additional file 2), against the 32 AT-genotypes identified by microarray typing within the same set of isolates. Only 24.0% PFGE/SpeI clones appeared to be clonal complexes, according to the phylogenetic analysis, whereas AT-typing identified 15 multi-isolates AT-genotypes out of 32 (42.9%).

meliloti GR4 was determined in the presence of different concentrations of glucosamine or N-acetyl glucosamine. The results in Figure 4 show that at the lowest concentration (50 μM) whereas glucosamine has no effect, N-acetyl glucosamine improves nodulation. It is known that N-acetyl glucosamines function as MM-102 supplier adhesins in some bacteria and that core Nod factor plays a role in biofilm formation in S. meliloti, facts that could explain the positive

effect of the aminosugar on nodulation [20]. Surprisingly, the addition of 5 mM of glucosamine VX-680 clinical trial or N-acetyl glucosamine to the plant mineral solution, abolished or severely affected nodulation, respectively. As far as we know this is the first time that it has been shown that glucosamine or N-acetyl glucosamine inhibits nodulation by S. meliloti. The reason why these sugars at millimolar concentrations inhibit nodulation in alfalfa is not known but worth further investigation. We speculate that at high concentrations these compounds bind to and collapse plant lectins and/or Nod factor receptors interfering with the recognition of symbiotic bacterial signals. On the other hand, it is noteworthy that the effects of high concentrations of these Nod factor precursors on nod gene expression and nodulation are consistent with the effects observed in the tep1 mutant. Therefore, SB431542 cell line as a first attempt to correlate the presence of these compounds

with Tep1 activity, we decided to investigate the effect of these aminosugars on tep1 transcription. Figure 4 Nodulation efficiency upon addition of different concentrations of Nod factor precursors. Just before inoculation with S. meliloti GR4, alfalfa plants were supplemented with 50 μM glucosamine (GA) (open squares), 5 mM glucosamine (filled squares), 50 μM N-acetyl glucosamine (NAGA) (open triangles), 5 mM N-acetyl glucosamine (closed triangles) or without the addition of Nod factor precursors (filled circles). A representative example from 3 independent MRIP experiments is shown. Glucosamine and N-acetyl glucosamine activate tep1 transcription Synthesis of

transporters is often induced by the presence of their cognate substrates [21]. The expression of the tep1 gene was tested in S. meliloti GR4 harbouring pMPTR4 (tep1::lacZ transcriptional fusion) grown in different conditions. The results shown in Table 4 demonstrate that tep1 expression is higher in complex medium compared to defined minimal medium. Interestingly, the addition of glucosamine and N-acetyl glucosamine to the minimal medium increased transcription of tep1, suggesting that these aminosugars could be natural substrates of this putative transporter. Table 4 tep1 gene expression in S. meliloti GR4 under different growth conditions. Growth medium β-galactosidase activity (Miller U) TY 1523 ± 140 MM 449 ± 16 MM+GA 652 ± 33 MM+NAGA 792 ± 29 Expression of a tep1::lacZ fusion was measured in S.

It was concluded that bacterial concentrations and species in the colon were not reliably predictive

of the bacterial concentrations or species in the rumen [24]. The rumen contained an average of 1.66 × 1012 copies of 16S rRNA/g (± 7.27 × 1011 SEM). This is comparable to other ruminants: 5.17 × 1011 cells/g (± 3.49 × 1011) for Norwegian reindeer [25], 1.86 × 1011 cells/g (± 9.68 × 1010) and 5.38 x 1011 cells/g (± 2.62 x 1011) for Svalbard reindeer [26] in April and October, respectively, and 1.60 × 1011 cells/g (± 1.35 x 1011) for Canadian dairy cattle [27]. The dominant phylum in the moose rumen was Firmicutes with 192 OTUs, followed by Proteobacteria with 142 OTUs and learn more Bacteroidetes with 66 OTUs. Firmicutes is often the dominant phylum in gut microbiomes,

and many of those found in the moose were of the class Clostridia, containing sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB), which can be pathogenic, endospore forming, and found in soil. Sundset et al. [28] reported that Ganetespib solubility dmso in rumen samples taken from reindeer in Svalbard, the bacteria cultivated were selleck products mainly from the class Clostridia. It was noted that Fibrobacter succinogenes, Ruminococcus albus, and R. flavefaciens were not found in the rumen of the reindeer [28], although this may simply be a bias of the cultivation approach. Fibrobacter and Ruminococcus are both cellulolytic and have previously been found in the rumen of reindeer [25, 29]. However, in the present study, F. succinogenes and R. albus were not found, despite both species being present on the chip with multiple strains. Ruminococcus flavefaciens was detected in several samples, but only a few of its 11 probes matched, making the result insignificant. Ruminococcus obeum was detected in the present study. In a recent paper studying rumen bacteria in dairy cattle,

Firmicutes was the dominant phylum in four cattle rumen samples when using full length 16S rRNA clone libraries, but was only dominant in three samples with Proteobacteria being dominant in one sample when using partial 16S rRNA clone libraries or environmental gene tags [30]. Gamma- and alpha-Proteobacteria have been Osimertinib shown to be type I and type II methanotrophs, respectively, meaning they utilize methane as their source of carbon. In the present study, the species Enterobacter cloacae, of the class gamma-Proteobacteria, was found in the moose, and in a non-lactating Holstein cow based on PCR of the 16S rRNA gene to target methanotrophs [31]. In a comparison between the moose rumen data and a study using the PhyloChip and samples from the crop of the wild folivorous bird, the hoatzin [21], similarities arise. Godoy-Vitorino et al. [17] showed that bacteria from the crop of the hoatzin clustered into distinct groups by age: chicks (n = 3), juveniles (n = 3) and adults (n = 3).

Another possibility that remains to be explored is whether the hfq mutant’s sensitivity to oxidative PND-1186 stress is due to altered function of superoxide dismutase (sodB – So_2881) and/or one or more of the four genes predicted click here to encode proteins with catalase activity katB (So_1070), So_1771.2, katG2 (So_4405), and katG1 (So_0725)] [12]. Finally, it will be of interest to determine whether S. oneidensis contains an hfq-dependent OxyR-OxyS system that is involved

in response to oxidative stress as in other systems [20, 31]. We are currently investigating the mechanisms by which S. oneidensis Hfq promotes growth, terminal culture density, and stationary phase survival. However, given that Hfq has been broadly implicated in the function of many sRNAs in other systems [32], the S. oneidensis hfq mutant generated in this study will facilitate analysis of the roles of Hfq and sRNAs in adaptation to a wide range of environmental conditions. This is of particular interest since a previous study demonstrated that S. oneidensis sRNAs do not always have completely overlapping functions with their homologs in other systems [33]. Acknowledgements We thank Aixia Zhang for supplying the anti-Hfq antibody. Thanks to Fr. Nicanor Austriaco, O.P. and Jennifer Gervais for thoughtful discussions and critical reading of the manuscript. Research reported in this publication was supported by an Institutional Development Award (IDeA) from the

National Institute of General Medical Sciences of Tanespimycin the National Institutes of Health under grant number 8 P20 GM103430-12. Additional

funding was provided by a Providence College Undergraduate Research Grant to CMB and an American Society for Microbiology (ASM) Summer Research Fellowship to MTG. References 1. Geissmann TA, Touati D: Hfq, a new chaperoning role: binding to messenger RNA determines access for small RNA regulator. EMBO J 2004,23(2):396–405.PubMedCrossRef 2. Gottesman S: The small RNA regulators of Escherichia coli : roles and mechanisms. Annu Rev Microbiol 2004, 58:303–328.PubMedCrossRef 3. Moller T, Franch T, Hojrup P, Keene DR, Bachinger HP, Brennan RG, Valentin-Hansen P: Hfq: a bacterial Sm-like protein that mediates RNA-RNA interaction. Mol why Cell 2002,9(1):23–30.PubMedCrossRef 4. Panja S, Woodson SA: Hexamer to monomer equilibrium of E. coli Hfq in solution and its impact on RNA annealing. J Mol Biol 2012,417(5):406–412.PubMedCrossRef 5. Tsui HC, Leung HC, Winkler ME: Characterization of broadly pleiotropic phenotypes caused by an hfq insertion mutation in Escherichia coli K-12. Mol Microbiol 1994,13(1):35–49.PubMedCrossRef 6. Sittka A, Pfeiffer V, Tedin K, Vogel J: The RNA chaperone Hfq is essential for the virulence of Salmonella typhimurium. Mol Microbiol 2007,63(1):193–217.PubMedCrossRef 7. Ding Y, Davis BM, Waldor MK: Hfq is essential for Vibrio cholerae virulence and downregulates sigma expression. Mol Microbiol 2004,53(1):345–354.PubMedCrossRef 8.

In addition, Fu XS. et al. and Koukourakis MI. et al. showed that HIF-1a gene polymorphisms, such as rs11549465 and rs11549467, affect its expression [30, 31]. These SNPs seem to be also related with FDG uptake as learn more described by Kim SJ. and co-workers [15]. Hypoxia-inducible factor 2 alpha (HIF-2a), also known as endothelial PAS domain protein 1 (EPAS1), is another LY3009104 in vitro member of the hypoxia-inducible factor family and shares many similarities with HIF-1a [32, 33].

However several molecular, biochemical, and physiological studies have established that HIF-1a and HIF-2a are not redundant but have distinct functions [34]. To understand the possible relationship of EPAS1 and the abovementioned HIF-1a SNPs to FDG uptake, we analyzed the only two EPAS1 missense mutations (rs137853037 and rs137853036) with probable pathogenicity as described in the dbSNP Short Genetic Variations database and in the Human Gene Mutation Database

where a collection of known gene lesions responsible for human inherited diseases is found. APEX1, a DNA base excision repair enzyme, has also a role in transcriptional activation of HIF-1 and the hypoxia inducible factor-like factor (HLF). APEX1 polymorphisms have been the object of studies about in several types of cancer including colorectal, breast and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) in order to evaluate their role in cancer susceptibility, development and response to radiotherapy [15, 35]. Interestingly, in KU-60019 concentration NSCLC patients with the APEX1 rs1130409 TT genotype an association, not fully clarified yet, between the abovementioned rs710218 GLUT1 SNP and FDG uptake was shown [15]. Overall, all previous studies have investigated SNPs of a limited number of genes. Furthermore, the type of cancer tissue varies, rendering Edoxaban difficult the evaluation of their real impact on FDG PET uptake in specific cancer types. To our knowledge, no studies have examined the simultaneous presence and role of these specific polymorphisms in BC patients. Therefore, the purpose of this

preliminary research was to highlight possible associations between the abovementioned SNPs of the GLUT1, HIF-1a, EPAS1, APEX1 and VEGFA genes and the FDG uptake, in order to identify a large panel of SNPs, for imaging analysis that will allow a more personalized treatment program. Methods Patients Thirty-three caucasian individuals with primary BC were enrolled for a multidisciplinary project named “Tissue characterization in primary BC: correlation with FDG-PET uptake and with choline peak by proton nuclear MR spectroscopy”. Inclusion criteria for genotyping analysis were: patients candidated for surgery of invasive BC with a tumour size of at least 2 cm, as measured by mammography and breast ultrasonography and not treated with primary chemotherapy. Twenty-six BC patients were finally selected for genotyping analysis using the abovementioned inclusion criteria.