17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 3 deficiency is a 46,XY difference of sex development (DSD) that may present in childhood with inguinal testes or at puberty following virilization. We present fo Show more
17β-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase type 3 deficiency is a 46,XY difference of sex development (DSD) that may present in childhood with inguinal testes or at puberty following virilization. We present four individuals, assigned female at birth, to highlight complexities and considerations surrounding orchiectomy. We reviewed the literature and created a "FACT sheet" to guide shared decision-making for patients, parents, and providers. "Ruth" presented at 16 months with inguinal herniae and underwent orchiectomy, based on parental preference. "Erica" presented at 13 years with voice deepening; she and her parents chose pubertal suppression and eventual orchiectomy. "Riley" presented at 18 months with inguinal herniae; after pubertal suppression and estrogen replacement, orchiectomy at age 13 years revealed germ cell neoplasia Show less
T-LGL cells arise as a consequence of chronic antigenic stimulation and inflammation and thrive because of constitutive activation of the STAT3 and ERK pathway. Notably, in 40% of patients, constituti Show more
T-LGL cells arise as a consequence of chronic antigenic stimulation and inflammation and thrive because of constitutive activation of the STAT3 and ERK pathway. Notably, in 40% of patients, constitutive STAT3 activation is due to STAT3 activating mutations, whereas in 60% this is unknown. As miRNAs are amongst the most potent regulators in health and disease, we hypothesized that aberrant miRNA expression could contribute to dysregulation of these pathways. miRNA sequencing in T-LGL leukemia cases and aged-matched healthy control TEMRA cells revealed overexpression of miR-181a. Furthermore, geneset enrichment analysis (GSEA) of downregulated targets of miR-181a implicated involvement in regulating STAT3 and ERK1/2 pathways. Flow cytometric analyses showed increased SOCS3+ and DUSP6+ T-LGL cells upon miR-181a inhibition. In addition, miR-181a-transfected human CD8+ T cells showed increased basal STAT3 and ERK1/2 phosphorylation. By using TL1, a human T-LGL cell line, we could show that miR-181a is an actor in T-LGL leukemia, driving STAT3 activation by SOCS3 inhibition and ERK1/2 phosphorylation by DUSP6 inhibition and verified this mechanism in an independent cell line. In addition, miR-181a inhibition resulted in a higher sensitivity to FAS-mediated apoptosis. Collectively, our data show that miR-181a could be the missing link to explain why STAT3-unmutated patients show hyperactive STAT3. Show less
Objective- The Wnt/β-catenin pathway orchestrates development of the blood-brain barrier, but the downstream mechanisms involved at different developmental windows and in different central nervous sys Show more
Objective- The Wnt/β-catenin pathway orchestrates development of the blood-brain barrier, but the downstream mechanisms involved at different developmental windows and in different central nervous system (CNS) tissues have remained elusive. Approach and Results- Here, we create a new mouse model allowing spatiotemporal investigations of Wnt/β-catenin signaling by induced overexpression of Axin1, an inhibitor of β-catenin signaling, specifically in endothelial cells ( Axin1 Show less