Vitamin D deficiency in healthy neonates is associated with increased risk of RSV LRTI in the first year of life. Intensified routine vitamin D supplementation during pregnancy may be a useful strategy to prevent RSV LRTI during infancy.

BackgroundChromosome instability leads to aneuploidy, a state in which cells have abnormal numbers of chromosomes, and is found in two out of three cancers. In a chromosomal instable p53 deficient mouse model with accelerated lymphomagenesis, we previously observed whole chromosome copy number changes affecting all lymphoma cells. This suggests that chromosome instability is somehow suppressed in the aneuploid lymphomas or that selection for frequently lost/gained chromosomes out-competes the CIN-imposed mis-segregation.ResultsTo distinguish between these explanations and to examine karyotype dynamics in chromosome instable lymphoma, we use a newly developed single-cell whole genome sequencing (scWGS) platform that provides a complete and unbiased overview of copy number variations (CNV) in individual cells. To analyse these scWGS data, we develop AneuFinder, which allows annotation of copy number changes in a fully automated fashion and quantification of CNV heterogeneity between cells. Single-cell sequencing and AneuFinder analysis reveals high levels of copy number heterogeneity in chromosome instability-driven murine T-cell lymphoma samples, indicating ongoing chromosome instability. Application of this technology to human B cell leukaemias reveals different levels of karyotype heterogeneity in these cancers.ConclusionOur data show that even though aneuploid tumours select for particular and recurring chromosome combinations, single-cell analysis using AneuFinder reveals copy number heterogeneity. This suggests ongoing chromosome instability that other platforms fail to detect. As chromosome instability might drive tumour evolution, karyotype analysis using single-cell sequencing technology could become an essential tool for cancer treatment stratification.Electronic supplementary materialThe online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13059-016-0971-7) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Newborns are highly susceptible to infectious diseases, which may be due to impaired immune responses. This study aims to characterize the ontogeny of neonatal TLR-based innate immunity during the first month of life.Cellularity and Toll-like receptor (TLR) agonist-induced cytokine production were compared between cord blood obtained from healthy neonates born after uncomplicated gestation and delivery (n=18), neonatal venous blood obtained at the age of one month (n=96), and adult venous blood (n=17). Cord blood TLR agonist-induced production of the Th1-polarizing cytokines IL-12p70 and IFN-α was generally impaired, but for TLR3, 7 and 9 agonists, rapidly increased to adult levels during the first month of life. In contrast, TLR4 demonstrated a slower maturation, with low LPS-induced IL-12p70 production and high IL-10 production up until the age of one month. Polarization in neonatal cytokine responses to LPS could contribute to neonatal susceptibility to severe bacterial infection.

Respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) is a major cause of respiratory tract infections in infants, with remarkable variability in disease severity. Factors determining severity of disease in previously healthy infants are still unclear. It was hypothesized that disease severity is correlated with viral load in primary RSV infection. Infants of a healthy birth cohort were included at signs of their first respiratory tract infection. Nasopharyngeal aspirate was obtained within 48-96 hr and disease severity was assessed with a previously published severity scoring model. PCR was applied to test the aspirates in a semi-quantitative way for the presence of 10 respiratory pathogens. In case of multiple infection, the pathogen with the highest load was defined as the primary pathogen. The correlation between disease severity and viral load was analyzed. A total of 82 infants were included over a period of 2 years. Median age at first respiratory tract infection was 3 months. Pathogens were detected in 77 (94%) infants; more than one pathogen was detected in 35 (43%) infants. RSV was present in aspirates of 30 infants; in 16 aspirates RSV was the primary pathogen. A negative correlation between RSV CT-value and disease severity was found in all RSV cases (rho = -0.52, P = 0.003) and in cases with RSV as the primary pathogen (rho = -0.54, P = 0.03). In conclusion, this is the first report on viral loads in previously healthy infants with RSV infection in the community. Disease severity correlated positively with viral load during primary RSV infection.

Background: Newborns have elevated plasma adenosine levels, which may influence their immunological function.Results: Compared with adults, newborns have elevated plasma 5′-NT and alkaline phosphatase activities and lower adenosine deaminase activity.Conclusion: Soluble enzymes significantly influence extracellular purine metabolism in blood, and the levels of these enzymes in newborns promote elevated adenosine.Significance: Higher adenosine generation in newborn blood may promote an anti-inflammatory immunological status.

Activation of the Wnt signaling pathway initiates the transformation of colorectal epithelial cells, although the transition to metastatic cancer requires angiogenesis. We have investigated the expression of the von Hippel-Lindau (VHL) tumor suppressor in the intestines from humans and mice. Here, we show that VHL expression is regulated by TCF4 and is restricted to the proliferative compartment at the bottom of intestinal crypts. Accordingly, VHL is completely absent from the proliferative intestinal pockets of Tcf4 À/À perinatal mice. We observed complementary staining of the hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF) 1a to VHL in normal intestinal epithelium as well as in all stages of colorectal cancer (CRC). To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report demonstrating the presence of nuclear HIF1a in normoxic healthy adult tissue. Although we observed upregulated levels of VHL in very early CRC lesions from sporadic and familial adenomatous polyposis patients -presumably due to activated Wnt signaling -a clear reduction of VHL expression is observed in later stages of CRC progression, coinciding with stabilization of HIF1a. As loss of VHL in later stages of CRC progression results in stabilization of HIF, these data provide evidence that selection for VHL downregulation provides a proangiogenic impulse for CRC progression.

Key Points Patient-derived leukemia xenografts are highly polyclonal and show stochastic and clone-size–driven selection. Leukemia clones are asymmetrically distributed in xenografts and preferentially localize to the bone marrow or to extramedullary sites.

A simple clinical prediction rule identifies healthy newborns at risk of RSV LRTI. Physicians can differentiate between children with high and low risks of RSV LRTI and subsequently can target preventive and monitoring strategies toward children at high risk.