non-invasive blood sampling Dotaz Zobrazit nápovědu
Invasive fungal disease (IFD) presents a life-threatening condition in immunocompromised patients, thus often prompting empirical administration of antifungal treatment, without adequate mycological evidence. Over the past years, wide use of antifungal prophylaxis resulted in decreased occurrence of IFD but has contributed to changes in the spectrum of fungal pathogens, revealing the occurrence of previously rare fungal genera causing breakthrough infections. The expanding spectrum of clinically relevant fungal pathogens required the implementation of screening approaches permitting broad rather than targeted fungus detection to support timely onset of pre-emptive antifungal treatment. To address this diagnostically important aspect in a prospective setting, we analyzed 935 serial peripheral blood (PB) samples from 195 pediatric and adult patients at high risk for IFD, involving individuals displaying febrile neutropenia during treatment of hematological malignancies or following allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Two different panfungal-PCR-screening methods combined with ensuing fungal genus identification by Sanger sequencing were employed. In the great majority of PB-specimens displaying fungal DNAemia, the findings were transient and revealed fungi commonly regarded as non-pathogenic or rarely pathogenic even in the highly immunocompromised patient setting. Hence, to adequately exploit the diagnostic potential of panfungal-PCR approaches for detecting IFD, particularly if caused by hitherto rarely observed fungal pathogens, it is necessary to confirm the findings by repeated testing and to identify the fungal genus present by ensuing analysis. If applied appropriately, panfungal-PCR-screening can help prevent unnecessary empirical therapy, and conversely, contribute to timely employment of effective pre-emptive antifungal treatment strategies.
- MeSH
- antifungální látky terapeutické užití MeSH
- dítě MeSH
- DNA fungální * analýza MeSH
- dospělí MeSH
- febrilní neutropenie * mikrobiologie MeSH
- hematologické nádory komplikace MeSH
- houby izolace a purifikace genetika MeSH
- imunokompromitovaný pacient * MeSH
- invazivní mykotické infekce epidemiologie prevence a kontrola etiologie mikrobiologie MeSH
- lidé středního věku MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- mladiství MeSH
- mladý dospělý MeSH
- předškolní dítě MeSH
- prevalence MeSH
- prospektivní studie MeSH
- senioři MeSH
- transplantace hematopoetických kmenových buněk škodlivé účinky MeSH
- Check Tag
- dítě MeSH
- dospělí MeSH
- lidé středního věku MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- mladiství MeSH
- mladý dospělý MeSH
- mužské pohlaví MeSH
- předškolní dítě MeSH
- senioři MeSH
- ženské pohlaví MeSH
- Publikační typ
- dopisy MeSH
Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second most prevalent cancer type worldwide, which highlights the urgent need for non-invasive biomarkers for its early detection and improved prognosis. We aimed to investigate the patterns of long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in small extracellular vesicles (sEVs) collected from low-volume blood serum specimens of CRC patients, focusing on their potential as diagnostic biomarkers. Our research comprised two phases: an initial exploratory phase involving RNA sequencing of sEVs from 76 CRC patients and 29 healthy controls, and a subsequent validation phase with a larger cohort of 159 CRC patients and 138 healthy controls. Techniques such as dynamic light scattering, transmission electron microscopy, and Western blotting were utilized for sEV characterization. Optimized protocol for sEV purification, RNA isolation and preamplification was applied to successfully sequence the RNA content of sEVs and validate the results by RT-qPCR. We successfully isolated sEVs from blood serum and prepared sequencing libraries from a low amount of RNA. High-throughput sequencing identified differential levels of 460 transcripts between CRC patients and healthy controls, including mRNAs, lncRNAs, and pseudogenes, with approximately 20% being lncRNAs, highlighting several tumor-specific lncRNAs that have not been associated with CRC development and progression. The validation phase confirmed the upregulation of three lncRNAs (NALT1, AL096828, and LINC01637) in blood serum of CRC patients. This study not only identified lncRNA profiles in a population of sEVs from low-volume blood serum specimens of CRC patients but also highlights the value of innovative techniques in biomolecular research, particularly for the detection and analysis of low-abundance biomolecules in clinical samples. The identification of specific lncRNAs associated with CRC provides a foundation for future research into their functional roles in cancer development and potential clinical applications.
Závěrečná zpráva o řešení grantu Agentury pro zdravotnický výzkum MZ ČR
nestr.
Although the adducts with globin have been widely used in preventive medicine as biomarkers of long-term exposures to reactive chemicals, we were the first to explore their subsequent fate in the organism. We found in rats that hydrolytic cleavage of the globin adducts produces amino acid or dipeptide adducts that are excreted in urine. In our current project we will investigate urinary excretion of these cleavage products in humans. First, we plan to develop and implement into public health practice new strategies of biomonitoring of industrial toxicants ethylene oxide and N,N-dimethylformamide, based on analysis of urine instead of blood. Obtained data will be used to create a general statistical model allowing to interpret urinary levels of cleavage products from other chemicals including carcinogens. Implementation of a novel promising category of biomarkers that combine specificity for the parent xenobiotic, monitoring of long-term exposures, and non-invasive sampling will significantly contribute to prevention of health damage due to exposures to chemicals.
Přestože adukty s globinem jsou v preventivní medicíně široce využívány jako biomarkery dlouhodobé expozice reaktivním látkám, jejich další osud v organismu byl poprvé prozkoumán až v našem předchozím projektu. Prokázali jsme, že hydrolytickým štěpením globinových aduktů u potkanů vznikají adukty s aminokyselinami nebo s dipeptidy, vylučované močí. Nyní bude studováno vylučování těchto štěpných produktů u člověka. Budou vypracovány a do hygienické praxe v ČR zavedeny nové strategie biologického monitorování expozice průmyslovým škodlivinám ethylenoxidu a N,N-dimethylformamidu, kdy dosavadní odběry krve budou nahrazeny analýzou moče. Ze získaných údajů bude odvozen obecný matematicko-statistický model umožňující interpretovat nálezy štěpných produktů odvozených od dalších látek včetně karcinogenů, na něž se v projektu též zaměříme. Zavedení zcela nové kategorie biomarkerů specifických pro výchozí látky a vhodných pro hodnocení dlouhodobých expozic pomocí neinvazivního odběru vzorků bude významným přínosem pro prevenci poškození zdraví účinkem chemických látek v mezinárodním měřítku.
This paper focuses on non-invasive blood glucose determination using photoplethysmographic (PPG) signals, which is crucial for managing diabetes. Diabetes stands as one of the world’s major chronic diseases. Untreated diabetes frequently leads to fatalities. Current self-monitoring techniques for measuring diabetes require invasive procedures such as blood or bodily fluid sampling, which may be very uncomfortable. Hence, there is an opportunity for non-invasive blood glucose monitoring through smart devices capable of measuring PPG signals. The primary goal of this research was to propose methods for glycemic classification into two groups (low and high glycemia) and to predict specific glycemia values using machine learning techniques. Two datasets were created by measuring PPG signals from 16 individuals using two different smart devices – a smart wristband and a smartphone. Simultaneously, the reference blood glucose levels were invasively measured using a glucometer. The PPG signals were preprocessed, and 27 different features were extracted. With the use of feature selection, only 10 relevant features were chosen. Numerous machine learning models were developed. Random Forest (RF) and Support Vector Machine (SVM) with the radial basis function (RBF) kernel performed best in classifying PPG signals into two groups. These models achieved an accuracy of 76% (SVM) and 75% (RF) on the smart wristband test dataset. The functionality of the proposed models was then verified on the smartphone test dataset, where both models achieved similar accuracy: 74% (SVM) and 75% (RF). For predicting specific glycemia values, RF performed best. Mean Absolute Error (MAE) was 1.25 mmol/l on the smart wristband test dataset and 1.37 mmol/l on the smartphone test dataset.
Biomonitoring of human exposure to reactive electrophilic chemicals such as ethylene oxide (EO) has been commonly based on the determination of adducts with N-terminal valine in blood protein globin, but a systematic search has also been undertaken to find surrogate markers enabling non-invasive sampling. Recently, N-(2-hydroxyethyl)-L-valyl-L-leucine (HEVL) has been identified as an ultimate cleavage product of EO-adducted globin in the urine of occupationally exposed workers. Herein, full validation of the analytical procedure consisting of solid-phase extraction of HEVL from urine samples (2 mL) followed by high-performance liquid chromatography-electrospray ionization-high-resolution mass spectrometry determination using deuterium-labeled HEVL as an internal standard (IS) is described. Method limit of quantitation is 0.25 ng/mL, and its selectivity is excellent as demonstrated by the invariable ratio of the qualifier and quantifier ion intensities across diverse urine samples and synthetic standard. The linear calibration model was applicable over the whole concentration range tested (0.25-10 ng/mL). The method accuracy assessed as a recovery of HEVL using a spiking experiment was 98-100%. Within-day precision of the method ranged from 1.8% to 3.0%, while the results from consecutive analytical runs conducted within 1 week or within 10-150 weeks differed in the range of 2.2-9.7%. The stability study on urine samples (-20°C up to 3 years, freeze-and-thaw up to 10 cycles) as well as on aqueous solutions (5°C up to 4 months) indicated no relevant changes in HEVL concentration (≤4%) over the time tested. Analytical responses of both HEVL and IS correlated with urinary creatinine as an index of matrix composition, but this matrix effect was mostly eliminated using the HEVL/IS peak area ratio, attaining the IS-normalized relative matrix effect <3%. In conclusion, the method complied successfully with the bioanalytical method validation criteria, making it a reliable tool for HEVL determination in human biomonitoring.
- MeSH
- dipeptidy * MeSH
- ethylenoxid * MeSH
- globiny MeSH
- leucin MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- reprodukovatelnost výsledků MeSH
- vysokoúčinná kapalinová chromatografie MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
BACKGROUND/AIM: Non-invasive circulating tumor biomarkers in liquid biopsy, such as microRNAs (miRNA), provide for better personalization of treatment strategies. The aim of our study was to assess the prognosis of patients with melanoma undergoing tumor resection with curative intent based on analysis of selected circulating miRNAs. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A total of 22 patients with stage I to III melanoma were enrolled into this prospective study. Plasma samples were obtained pre-surgery and early post-surgery from peripheral blood draws. A panel of 23 candidate miRNAs was designed and expression of miRNAs were analyzed by reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction with exogenous reference control cel-miR-39-3p. RESULTS: Higher preoperative expression levels of miR-99a (p=0.008), miR-320 (p=0.009), miR-1908 (p=0.001), miR-494 (p=0.018) and miR-4487 (p=0.048) were associated with a shorter disease-free interval. Similarly, higher preoperative plasma levels of miR-99a (p=0.017), miR-221 (p=0.026), miR-320 (p=0.016), miR-494 (p=0.009), miR-1260 (p=0.026) and miR-1908 (p=0.024) were associated with worse overall survival. No significant differences between pre- and postoperative plasma miRNA levels were observed. CONCLUSION: Liquid biopsy is a minimally-invasive approach which can lead to a better understanding of cancer behavior and offers the possibility of precise patient prognosis, allowing selection of the most appropriate treatment. Our study showed that preoperative plasma levels of miR-99a, miR-221, miR-320, miR-494, miR-1908 and miR-4487 were associated with disease-free interval and overall survival of patients with early-stage melanoma. This approach may help in decision-making about the appropriateness of modern adjuvant treatment administration in patients with resectable melanoma.
Analysis of dried urine spots (DUSs) is becoming an emerging technique in clinical, toxicological, and forensic chemistry due to the fully non-invasive collection, facile transportation, and simple storage of DUS samples. Correct DUS collection and elution is of the utmost importance because inadequate DUS sampling/processing may have direct consequences on quantitative DUS analyses and these aspects were, for the first time, comprehensively investigated in this contribution. Various groups of endogenous and exogenous species were selected as model analytes and their concentrations were monitored in DUSs collected on standard cellulose-based sampling cards. Strong chromatographic effects were observed for most analytes having a crucial impact on their distribution within the DUSs during sampling. Concentrations of target analytes were up to 3.75-fold higher in the central DUS sub-punch in comparison to the liquid urine. Consequently, substantially reduced concentrations of these analytes were determined in peripheral DUS sub-punches demonstrating that sub-punching, often applied to dried material spots, is not acceptable for quantitative DUS analyses. Hence, a simple, rapid, and user-friendly procedure was suggested, which employed an in-vial collection of a known urine volume on a pre-punched sampling disc (using a low-cost micropipette designed for patient-centric clinical sampling) and in-vial processing of the whole DUS. Excellent accuracy (0.20%) and precision (0.89%) of liquid transfers were achieved by the micropipette, which was also applied to remote DUS collection by laic and expert users. The resulting DUS eluates were analysed by capillary electrophoresis (CE) for the determination of endogenous urine species. The CE results demonstrated no significant differences between the two user groups, elution efficiencies of 88-100% (in comparison to the liquid urine), and precision better than 5.5%.
- MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- odběr biologického vzorku * MeSH
- tělesné tekutiny * MeSH
- test suché kapky krve metody MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
AIMS: Patients with obesity frequently present with dyspnoea. Biomarkers that reflect wall stress are often used to evaluate circulatory congestion and help determine whether dyspnoea is of cardiac causes. Patients with obesity display greater external restraint on the heart, which may alter relationships between intravascular pressures and stress markers. METHODS AND RESULTS: Subjects with unexplained dyspnoea (n = 212) underwent cardiac catheterization with simultaneous echocardiography. Blood sampling was performed in a subset (n = 58). Relationships between echocardiographic and blood biomarkers of circulatory congestion and directly-measured haemodynamics were compared between participants with severe obesity [body mass index (BMI) ≥35 kg/m2 , Group B) and those without (BMI <35 kg/m2 , Group A). Circulatory congestion was assessed by pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP), and vascular distending pressure was assessed by left ventricular transmural pressure (LVTMP). As compared to Group A, participants in Group B displayed higher PCWP relative to N-terminal pro-B-type natriuretic peptide, mid-regional pro-atrial natriuretic peptide, troponin T, and growth differentiation factor-15 (all p < 0.01). In contrast, the relationships between LVTMP and the biomarkers were superimposable. Echocardiographic biomarkers revealed the same pattern: PCWP was higher for any E/e' ratio in Group B compared to Group A, but the relationship between LVTMP and E/e' was similar. In contrast, levels of C-terminal pro-endothelin-1 and mid-regional pro-adrenomedullin were more robustly correlated with PCWP (r = 0.67 and r = 0.62, both p < 0.0001), with no differential relationship based upon BMI. CONCLUSIONS: Non-invasive haemodynamic markers underestimate circulatory congestion in patients with obesity, an effect that appears related to uncoupling between cardiac wall stress and intravascular pressures. This may lead to systematic under-recognition of congestion in patients with obesity.
- MeSH
- echokardiografie MeSH
- funkce levé komory srdeční MeSH
- hemodynamika MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- obezita komplikace MeSH
- plicní tlak v zaklínění MeSH
- srdeční selhání * diagnóza etiologie MeSH
- tepový objem MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
- Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural MeSH
Východiska: Prognóza pacientů s karcinomem kolorekta (colorectal cancer – CRC) závisí především na rozsahu onemocnění v době diagnózy, proto je brzký záchyt jedním z hlavních předpokladů úspěšné léčby. Současný výzkum ukazuje, že exozomální dlouhé nekódující RNA (lncRNA) jsou spojeny s rozvojem nádorových onemocnění. Jelikož jsou lncRNA často tkáňově specifické, jejich kvantifikace v exozomech se nabízí jako neinvazivní metoda pro včasnou detekci CRC. V naší práci jsme se zaměřili na optimalizaci protokolu pro analýzu exozomálních lncRNA z krevního séra pacientů s CRC jako potenciálních diagnostických biomarkerů. Materiál a metody: Exozomy byly izolovány pomocí gelové chromatografie ze 150 μl séra pacientů s CRC a zdravých dárců. Jejich kvalita a kvantita byla potvrzena elektronovou mikroskopií a analýzou dynamického rozptylu světla (dynamic light scattering – DLS) a proteinové markery byly detekovány metodou Western blot. Po izolaci RNA byly ze vzorků připraveny cDNA knihovny, které byly sekvenovány pomocí NextSeq 550. Výsledky: Úspěšně jsme izolovali exozomy a ověřili jsme jejich vlastnosti několika různými metodami. Knihovny byly připraveny ze všech vzorků i přes velmi nízký objem výchozího materiálu. Sekvenační data potvrzují přítomnost protein kódující (50 %) i nekódující RNA, kterou tvoří především lncRNA (28,2 %), pseudogeny (15,2 %) a další typy RNA (6,5 %). Výsledky dále ukázaly významně změněné hladiny některých lncRNA, na základě jejichž exprese bylo možné odlišit vzorky od pacientů s CRC od vzorků zdravých kontrol. Pomocí analýzy obohacení genové sady (gene set enrichment analysis – GSEA) jsme pozorovali významně obohacené třídy genů, které souvisejí s opravami DNA nebo regulací buněčného cyklu. Závěr: Naše pilotní data naznačují, že lncRNA představují významnou část RNA přítomné v exozomech a jejich rozdílné hladiny mají schopnost odlišit CRC pacienty od zdravých kontrol. Analýza obohacených genů zároveň prokázala významné zastoupení lncRNA podílejících se na regulaci buněčného cyklu a oprav DNA, což naznačuje jejich možné zapojení do procesů kancerogeneze. Výsledky je však třeba ověřit na větším souboru pacientů.
Background: The prognosis of patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) depends mainly on the extent of the disease at the time of diagnosis; therefore, early detection is one of the main prerequisites for successful treatment. Current research shows that exosomal long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) are associated with cancer development. As lncRNAs are often tissue specific, their quantification in exosomes is proposed as a non-invasive method for early detection of CRC. In this study, we aimed to optimize a protocol for analyzing exosomal lncRNAs from blood serum of CRC patients as potential diagnostic biomarkers. Material and methods: Exosomes were isolated by gel chromatography from 150 μl of serum of CRC patients and healthy donors. Their quality and quantity were confirmed by electron microscopy and dynamic light scattering (DLS) analysis; protein markers were detected by Western blot. After RNA isolation, cDNA libraries were prepared and sequenced using NextSeq 550. Results: We successfully isolated exosomes and verified them by several methods. Libraries were prepared from all samples despite very low volume of starting material. The sequencing data confirmed the presence of both protein-coding (50%) and non-coding RNAs, which consisted mainly of lncRNAs (28.2%), pseudogenes (15.2%) and other RNA types (6.5%). The results also showed significantly altered levels of some lncRNAs that could distinguish samples from CRC patients and healthy controls. Using gene set enrichment analysis (GSEA), we observed significantly enriched classes of genes related to DNA repair or cell cycle regulation. Conclusion: Our preliminary data suggest that lncRNAs represent a significant fraction of the RNA present in exosomes and that their distinct levels can separate CRC patients from healthy controls. The analysis of enriched genes also showed a significant representation of lncRNAs involved in cell cycle regulation and DNA repair, suggesting their possible involvement in cancerogenesis. However, the results need to be verified in a larger cohort of patients.
In a cell-based non-invasive prenatal test (cbNIPT), intact circulating trophoblasts (CTs) are isolated from maternal blood for subsequent genetic analysis. Enrichment of these CTs from maternal blood is the most challenging step in the cbNIPT workflow. This study aims to assess the suitability of the filtration-based Metacell® technology to enrich CTs from maternal blood at week 10 to 13 of gestation. The Metacell® technology is a novel size-based enrichment technology that combines blood filtration through 8 μm pores with an in vitro culture method. Three protocols were evaluated. First, 8 mL or 16 mL of maternal blood was filtered and subsequently cultured in vitro on the separation membrane for 3 days in RPMI 1640. In addition, 16 mL of maternal blood was filtered, and immediately processed without further culturing. Y-chromosome-specific qPCR or STR analysis was performed to evaluate the enrichment of CTs. A total of 44 samples from pregnant women, out of which 26 were carrying a male fetus, were processed. Although five enriched male fetus samples show detectable male DNA quantities, it cannot be excluded that the obtained positive signal is caused by cell-free fetal DNA sticking to the Metacell® separation membrane. In conclusion, the Metacell® technology, tested as described, is not suitable for consistent enrichment of CTs.
- MeSH
- DNA MeSH
- lidé MeSH
- plod MeSH
- prenatální diagnóza * metody MeSH
- technologie MeSH
- těhotenství MeSH
- trofoblasty * MeSH
- Check Tag
- lidé MeSH
- mužské pohlaví MeSH
- těhotenství MeSH
- ženské pohlaví MeSH
- Publikační typ
- časopisecké články MeSH
- práce podpořená grantem MeSH
