Galectin-3, a profibrotic mediator, is linked to the development of renal fibrosis in animal models and inversely correlates with GFR in humans, but whether galectin-3 predicts incident kidney disease is unknown. Here, we assessed renal outcomes for 2450 Framingham Offspring participants who attended examination 6 (1995-1998) and had follow-up data at examination 8 (2005-2008). Renal outcomes of interest included rapid decline in renal function (≥3 ml/min per 1.73 m(2) per year decline in estimated GFR [eGFR]), CKD (eGFR < 60 ml/min per 1.73 m(2)), and albuminuria (albumin-to-creatinine ratio ≥17 mg/g in men or ≥25 mg/g in women). We used multivariable logistic regression models to evaluate associations between galectin-3 with incident renal outcomes at examination 8. During a mean follow-up of 10.1 years, GFR declined rapidly in 241 (9.2%) participants, incident CKD developed in 277 (11.3%), and albuminuria developed in 194 (10.1%). Higher plasma levels of galectin-3 were associated with rapid decline in eGFR (per 1-SD log-galectin-3; adjusted odds ratio [OR], 1.49; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.28 to 1.73]) and a higher risk of incident CKD (OR, 1.47; 95% CI, 1.27 to 1.71), but not with the risk of incident albuminuria. The addition of galectin-3 to clinical predictors improved the C-statistic (0.837-0.845; P=0.02) but did not reach predefined thresholds for clinically significant improvements to risk prediction based on reclassification indices. In conclusion, elevated levels of plasma galectin-3 are associated with increased risks of rapid GFR decline and of incident CKD in the community, which calls for further study in higher-risk groups.

Endocrine-disrupting chemicals (EDCs), including bisphenol A (BPA), are environmental ubiquitous pollutants and associated with a growing health concern. Anecdotally, molar incisor hypomineralization (MIH) is increasing concurrently with EDC-related conditions, which has led us to investigate the effect of BPA on amelogenesis. Rats were exposed daily to BPA from conception until day 30 or 100. At day 30, BPA-affected enamel exhibited hypomineralization similar to human MIH. Scanning electron microscopy and elemental analysis revealed an abnormal accumulation of organic material in erupted enamel. BPA-affected enamel had an abnormal accumulation of exogenous albumin in the maturation stage. Quantitative real-timePCR, Western blotting, and luciferase reporter assays revealed increased expression of enamelin but decreased expression of kallikrein 4 (protease essential for removing enamel proteins) via transcriptional regulation. Data suggest that BPA exerts its effects on amelogenesis by disrupting normal protein removal from the enamel matrix. Interestingly, in 100-day-old rats, erupting incisor enamel was normal, suggesting amelogenesis is only sensitive to MIH-causing agents during a specific time window during development (as reported for human MIH). The present work documents the first experimental model that replicates MIH and presents BPA as a potential causative agent of MIH. Because human enamel defects are irreversible, MIH may provide an easily accessible marker for reporting early EDC exposure in humans.

Body fluid proteome is the most informative proteome from a medical viewpoint. But the lack of accurate quantitation method for complicated body fluid limited its application in disease research and biomarker discovery. To address this problem, we introduced a novel strategy, in which SILAC-labeled mouse serum was used as internal standard for human serum and urine proteome analysis. The SILAC-labeled mouse serum was mixed with human serum and urine, and multidimensional separation coupled with tandem mass spectrometry (IEF-LC-MS/MS) analysis was performed. The shared peptides between two species were quantified by their SILAC pairs, and the human-only peptides were quantified by mouse peptides with coelution. The comparison for the results from two replicate experiments indicated the high repeatability of our strategy. Then the urine from Immunoglobulin A nephropathy patients treated and untreated was compared by this quantitation strategy. Fifty-three peptides were found to be significantly changed between two groups, including both known diagnostic markers for IgAN and novel candidates, such as Complement C3, Albumin, VDBP, ApoA,1 and IGFBP7. In conclusion, we have developed a practical and accurate quantitation strategy for comparison of complicated human body fluid proteome. The results from such strategy could provide potential disease-related biomarkers for evaluation of treatment.

In this paper, novel core-shell polymeric affinity beads based on fibrous grafting and functionalization with a salt resistance affinity ligand were developed to separate and deplete serum albumin (SA) from human serum. Poly(hydroxypropyl methacrylate/ethyleneglycole dimethacrylate), p(HPMA/EGDMA), beads were prepared via suspension polymerization, and were grafted with poly(glycidyl methacrylate) (p(GMA)) via surface-initiated atom transfer radical polymerization (SI-ATRP) method. The grafted p(GMA) fibrous chains on the beads were modified with an affinity ligand (i.e., agmatine). The binding capacity of the affinity beads to SA was determined using aqueous solution of SA in a batch system. Batch adsorption studies showed that the amount of adsorbed SA was found to be 156.7 mg/g at 25 °C. The maximum adsorption capacity for affinity beads was observed at around pH 5.5. Adsorption of SA onto affinity beads significantly increased with increasing temperature, and reached a value 177.8 mg/g beads at 35 °C. The equilibrium data were found to be well described by Langmuir model, while the kinetic data were well fitted to the pseudo-second-order kinetic. The degree of the purity of SA was determined by using HPLC. Before and after adsorption, the peak areas of SA were used in the calculation of separated SA.