Asymptomatic Tissue Research Articles

Raman spectroscopy as an early detection tool for rose rosette infection.

Hand-held Raman spectroscopy is a potential tool for a confirmatory, non-invasive, and non-destructive detection and identification of rose rosette disease. Using this spectroscopic approach, structural changes in roses that are associated with this viral infection can be revealed. The commercial rose shrub industry in the United States is one of the largest of its kind. All commercial rose varieties are susceptible to rose rosette disease (RRD), a deadly viral disease vectored by eriophyid mites. This disease is typically diagnosed visually and/or by PCR-based detection assays. The present work demonstrates that Raman spectroscopy can detect RRD in intact leaf tissue. It is shown that chemometric analysis can distinguish between spectra collected from symptomatic and asymptomatic tissue, as well as between healthy and asymptomatic tissue. This method will be useful as an initial screen for RRD prior to PCR analysis to help conserve reagents and save time.

Persistence of Fusarium oxysporum f. sp. fragariae in Soil Through Asymptomatic Colonization of Rotation Crops.

Asymptomatic plant colonization is hypothesized to enhance persistence of pathogenic forms of Fusarium oxysporum. However, a correlation between pathogen populations on living, asymptomatic plant tissues and soilborne populations after tillage has not been demonstrated. Living and dead tissues of broccoli, lettuce, spinach, wheat, cilantro, raspberry, and strawberry plants grown in soil infested with F. oxysporum f. sp. fragariae (the cause of Fusarium wilt of strawberry) were assayed to quantify the incidence of infection and extent of colonization by this pathogen. All crops could be infected by F. oxysporum f. sp. fragariae but the extent of colonization varied between plant species. Pathogen population densities on nonliving crown tissues incorporated into the soil matrix were typically greater than those observed on living tissues. Crop-dependent differences in the inoculum density of F. oxysporum f. sp. fragariae in soil were only observed after decomposition of crop residue. Forty-four weeks after plants were incorporated into the soil, F. oxysporum f. sp. fragariae soil population densities were positively correlated with population densities on plant tissue fragments recovered at the same time point. Results indicate that asymptomatic colonization can have a significant, long-term impact on soilborne populations of Fusarium wilt pathogens. Cultural practices such as crop rotation should be leveraged to favor pathogen population decline by planting hosts that do not support extensive population growth on living or decomposing tissues.

Diplodia Tip Blight on Its Way to the North: Drivers of Disease Emergence in Northern Europe.

Disease emergence in northern and boreal forests has been mostly due to tree-pathogen encounters lacking a co-evolutionary past. However, outbreaks involving novel interactions of the host or the pathogen with the environment have been less well documented. Following an increase of records in Northern Europe, the first large outbreak of Diplodia sapinea on Pinus sylvestris was discovered in Sweden in 2016. By reconstructing the development of the epidemic, we found that the attacks started approx. 10 years back from several isolated trees in the stand and ended up affecting almost 90% of the trees in 2016. Limited damage was observed in other plantations in the surroundings of the affected stand, pointing to a new introduced pathogen as the cause of the outbreak. Nevertheless, no genetic differences based on SSR markers were found between isolates of the outbreak area and other Swedish isolates predating the outbreak or from other populations in Europe and Asia Minor. On a temporal scale, we saw that warm May and June temperatures were associated with higher damage and low tree growth, while cold and rainy conditions seemed to favor growth and deter disease. At a spatial scale, we saw that spread occurred predominantly in the SW aspect-area of the stand. Within that area and based on tree-ring and isotope (δ13C) analyses, we saw that disease occurred on trees that over the years had shown a lower water-use efficiency (WUE). Spore traps showed that highly infected trees were those producing the largest amount of inoculum. D. sapinea impaired latewood growth and reduced C reserves in needles and branches. D. sapinea attacks can cause serious economic damage by killing new shoots, disrupting the crown, and affecting the quality of stems. Our results show that D. sapinea has no limitations in becoming a serious pathogen in Northern Europe. Management should focus on reducing inoculum, especially since climate change may bring more favorable conditions for this pathogen. Seedlings for planting should be carefully inspected as D. sapinea may be present in a latent stage in asymptomatic tissues.

Phytoplasma cultivation: lights and shadows

The possibility to grow phytoplasmas in complex media was first demonstrated using micropropagated infected periwinkle shoots and then carried out employing naturally infected field collected plant samples. Phytoplasmas belonging to diverse ribosomal groups were isolated from infected grapevine and coconut palm tissues and in some cases also from asymptomatic tissues, especially from trees or plants growing in severely infected areas. In particular aster yellows and “stolbur” phytoplasmas, group 16SrI and 16SrXII respectively, were consistently grown among other phytoplasmas from the different plant sources employed and the first biochemical and biological characterization of some of these isolates was obtained.

Local confinement of disease-related microbiome facilitates recovery of gorgonian sea fans from necrotic-patch disease

Microbiome disruptions triggering disease outbreaks are increasingly threatening corals worldwide. In the Tropical Eastern Pacific, a necrotic-patch disease affecting gorgonian corals (sea fans, Pacifigorgia spp.) has been observed in recent years. However, the composition of the microbiome and its disease-related disruptions remain unknown in these gorgonian corals. Therefore, we analysed 16S rRNA gene amplicons from tissues of healthy colonies (n = 19) and from symptomatic-asymptomatic tissues of diseased colonies (n = 19) of Pacifigorgia cairnsi (Gorgoniidae: Octocorallia) in order to test for disease-related changes in the bacterial microbiome. We found that potential endosymbionts (mostly Endozoicomonas spp.) dominate the core microbiome in healthy colonies. Moreover, healthy tissues differed in community composition and functional profile from those of the symptomatic tissues but did not show differences to asymptomatic tissues of the diseased colonies. A more diverse set of bacteria was observed in symptomatic tissues, together with the decline in abundance of the potential endosymbionts from the healthy core microbiome. Furthermore, according to a comparative taxonomy-based functional profiling, these symptomatic tissues were characterized by the increase in heterotrophic, ammonia oxidizer and dehalogenating bacteria and by the depletion of nitrite and sulphate reducers. Overall, our results suggest that the bacterial microbiome associated with the disease behaves opportunistically and is likely in a state of microbial dysbiosis. We also conclude that the confinement of the disease-related consortium to symptomatic tissues may facilitate colony recovery.

Pleomorphic clinical spectrum of metallosis in total hip arthroplasty.

To summarize the biological effects of metal debris from hip arthroplasties which characterize a polymorphic clinical spectrum of local and remote manifestation. Retrospective study. Patient, implant, and surgical characteristics were collected, including implant survival, clinical manifestations, cause of arthroplasty revision or implant failure, and peri- and intra-operative complications. The primary endpoint was implant survivorship. Hip revision arthroplasty was decided considering clinical signs and symptoms, abnormal imaging (XR, MR, TC, echotomography, scintigraphy), and blood metal ion level. An ad hoc electronic form was used to collect demographic, epidemiological, and clinical variables. In-between group comparisons of quantitative variables were performed with the Student t test and the Mann-Whitney for parametric and non-parametric variables, respectively. Logistic regression analyses were carried out to assess the relationship between clinical and radiographic characteristics and stem and cup revision. Radiographic measurements of implant positioning validity and reliability were assessed using Krippendorff's alpha reliability coefficient. The statistical software STATA version 15 (StatsCorp, TX) was used to perform statistical computations. In this MoM THA series, the most incident cause of implant failure was ARMD in 11 out of 14 (78.6%) patients. All clinical failure manifestations, revision surgery highlights, and intra-operative findings are reported. The local adverse reactions include lesions of different clinical relevance from small asymptomatic soft tissue lesions to dramatic osteolysis, necrosis, effusion, and growing masses which can cause secondary pathological effects. Symptoms of systemic toxicity are rarely described but may have been largely unreported in literature. Despite the extensive literature on the topic, the patient's management is still uncertain and challenging. Every metallic implant (e.g., screws, plates, spinal instrumentations) has a potential local or systemic adverse effect. Organizing a national registry of arthroplasty should be mandatory, in order to collect data about the patients, the surgery, the implanted device (with a careful post-marketing tracking), and the follow-up for all the procedures performed at a national level. The data collected in the registry will allow to analyze the implant survival and to better recognize the undesirable and sometimes unexpected effects of different biomaterials on the whole body.

Discovery of Plant Viruses From Tea Plant (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze) by Metagenomic Sequencing.

The tea plant (Camellia sinensis (L.) O. Kuntze) is an economically important woody species. In this study, we collected 26 tea plant samples with typical discoloration symptoms from different tea gardens and performed metagenomic analysis based on next-generation sequencing. Homology annotation and PCR sequencing validation finally identified seven kinds of plant viruses from tea plant. Based on abundance distribution analysis, the two most abundant plant viruses were highlighted. Genetic characterization suggested that they are two novel virus species with relatively high homology to Blueberry necrotic ring blotch virus and American plum line pattern virus. We named the newly discovered viruses tea plant necrotic ring blotch virus (TPNRBV) and tea plant line pattern virus (TPLPV). Evolutionary relationship analysis indicated that TPNRBV and TPLPV should be grouped into the Blunervirus and the Ilarvirus genera, respectively. TPLPV might have same genome activation process with known ilarviruses based on sequence analysis. Moreover, specific primers for both viruses detection were designed and validated. The symptoms and ultrastructure of TPNRBV infected leaves were first recorded. Virus detections in the symptomatic and asymptomatic tissues from field plants showing tea plant necrotic ring blotch disease suggest that TPNRBV has a systemic movement feature. In summary, we first identified seven kinds of putative plant viruses by metagenomic analysis and report two novel viruses being latent pathogens to tea plant. The results will advance our understanding of tea plant virology and have significance for the genetic breeding of tea plants in the future.

Expression of interleukin-18 in muscle tissue of patients with polymyositis or dermatomyositis and effects of conventional immunosuppressive treatment.

To investigate the expression of IL-18 in symptomatic and asymptomatic muscle tissues of patients with PM and DM and the effects of conventional immunosuppressive treatment on such expression. Two cohorts of patients were included in this study. The first cohort consisted of 10 new-onset myositis patients. IL-18 expression was compared between symptomatic and asymptomatic muscle biopsies that were taken prior to treatment. The second cohort consisted of another 10 patients with repeated muscle biopsies before and after 8 months with conventional immunosuppressive treatment. Using immunohistochemistry, IL-18 expression in muscle tissues was compared before and after treatment. Biopsies from seven healthy individuals were included as controls. IL-18 expression was predominantly localized to inflammatory cells and capillaries in patients and mostly to capillaries in healthy controls. Total IL-18 expression in muscle tissues from the new-onset patients, at both symptomatic and asymptomatic sites, was significantly higher compared with healthy controls (P = 0.007 and P = 0.002) with no statistical difference in appearances between symptomatic and asymptomatic sites. The number of IL-18 positive capillaries was not different among symptomatic, asymptomatic and healthy muscles. Total IL-18 expression appeared lower in biopsies from patients receiving and improving with immunosuppressive treatment, particularly the number of IL-18 positive inflammatory cells but not the number of IL-18 positive capillaries, which was consistent with significantly decreased expression of CD68+ macrophages (P = 0.04). IL-18 is highly expressed in muscle tissue in the context of inflammatory myopathies and based on its plausible effector functions could provide a novel therapeutic target in future.

Head and dental injuries or other dental problems in alpine sports.

In the hectic daily life, spending our leisure time outdoor in the mountains becomes more and more popular. Although information describing dental injuries in various sports is available, data specifically on dental trauma and other dental problems in alpine sports are lacking. Data of 1,128 alpinists were generated by using a standardized questionnaire. The questions focused on the frequency of head and dental injuries and other dental problems. The participating alpinists have been recruited through the network of alpine clubs and an outdoor equipment supplier.Injuries were most frequently caused by a fall while doing alpine sports (14.7%, = 154). Of the participants, 8.2% (n = 93) suffered from a facial injury: 16% (n = 15) of these had a dental trauma. Other dental problems such as barodontalgia were more common than dental traumas. A sensation of pressure or pain was noticed in 13% (n = 135) of the participants at least once. Of all the participants who suffered pain, 54.1% reported one or several previous restorations. Pain medication was beneficial in 92.1%.Dental traumas are rare while doing alpine sports but not negligible because of its requirement of lifelong therapy and incurs substantial treatment costs. An intraoral pain of a usually asymptomatic tissue occurred, in this sample of participants, nearly as often as in pilots and divers. Pain killer is an efficient tool for the alpinists to reduce the pain until they reach a lower altitude.

Characterization of local muscle fiber anisotropy using shear wave elastography in patients with chronic myofascial pain

Myofascial trigger points (MTrPs) are common in soft tissue musculoskeletal pain conditions. It is believed that MTrPs are local contractures within the extrafusal fibers of skeletal muscles. Further characterizing muscle pathophysiology is desirable to design effective treatments. This study was designed to measure muscle fiber architecture in the neighbourhood of MTrPs using ultrasound Shear Wave Elastography (SWE), a novel approach for quantitatively assessing muscle fiber. We hypothesized that muscle containing active (symptomatic) MTrPs has disorganized fiber architecture. Twenty-four participants (14 women, ages 20–60 years) met criteria for chronic myofascial pain affecting the neck region. All underwent a clinical history and physical examination of the neck and upper trapezius to identify MTrPs and pain self-report. A Supersonic Aixplorer ultrasound imaging system with an L10-4 ultrasound transducer was used to image the upper trapezius muscle. A custom transducer holder ( Fig. 1 ) enabled imaging through a 20 mm diameter window placed over the palpable MTrP or normal tissue, and rotation of the imaging plane to precise angles from 0° (along fibers) to 90° (perpendicular to fibers). Peak shear wave velocity (SWV) is observed longitudinally along muscle fibers (0°), and is minimum across fibers (90°). Muscle fiber anisotropy (a measure of fiber alignment and organization) was quantified as the asymmetry (degrees) in the shear-wave velocity profile around the peak SWV. Muscles with active (symptomatic) MTrPs ( n = 24) exhibited greater anisotropy (14.25 ± 11.01°), compared to normal, asymptomatic muscle tissue ( n = 12), which is more isotropic (7.16 ± 6.70°) ( P < 0.05) ( Fig. 2 ). A positive correlation was found between the maximum anisotropy and average pain (Pearson's r = 0.54). Muscle containing active MTrPs is anisotropic compared to normal muscle tissue, suggesting muscle contractures are in regions of anisotropy. The degree of anisotropy correlates with pain levels.

Modern approaches for early detection of forest pathogens are sorely needed in the United States

AbstractCurrent plant regulatory protocols rely on lists of known pathogens, but many forest pathogens are unknown. Live plants are inspected at port of entry for disease symptoms, but many plant pathogens can persist asymptomatically. Current efforts should be expanded by including random sampling of both symptomatic and asymptomatic plant tissues. Molecular probes and standardized protocols could be developed for invasive forest pathogens of most concern to the United States. High‐throughput sequencing (also known as next‐generation sequencing, or NGS) and bioinformatics could be used to identify potential pathogens in plant and soil samples collected at ports of entry from sentinel trees planted abroad, or in biosurveillance efforts. If potentially invasive forest pathogens were to be identified at ports of entry, sentinel trees, or with biosurveillance, this information must be shared with agencies that conduct forest health monitoring surveys beyond ports of entry.

The sentinel tree nursery as an early warning system for pathway risk assessment: Fungal pathogens associated with Chinese woody plants commonly shipped to Europe.

Introduction of and invasion by alien plant pathogens represents the main cause of emerging infectious diseases affecting domesticated and wild plant species worldwide. The trade in living plants is the most common pathway of introduction. Many of the alien tree pathogens recently introduced into Europe were not previously included on any quarantine lists. To help determine the potential risk of pest introduction through trading of ornamental plants, a sentinel nursery was established in Beijing, China in 2008. The sentinel nursery planting included four of the most common ornamental woody species shipped to Europe including Ilex cornuta var. fortunae, Zelkova schneideriana, Fraxinus chinensis and Buxus microphylla. Symptoms developing on these species within the sentinel nursery were detected in 2013 and consisted of necrotic spots on leaves, canker and stem necrosis, shoot blight and shoot necrosis. Fungi associated with the trees and their symptoms included Alternaria alternata detected from all hosts; Diaporthe liquidambaris and Diaporthe capsici from bark and leaf necrosis of Zelkova schneideriana; Botryosphaeria dothidea and Nothophoma quercina from stem cankers on Fraxinus chinensis and leaf necrosis on Ilex cornuta; and Pseudonectria foliicola from leaf necrosis on Buxus microphylla. Next generation sequencing analysis from asymptomatic tissues detected eighteen OTU’s at species level among which some taxa had not been previously recorded in Europe. These results clearly demonstrate that looking at trees of internationally traded species in the region of origin can reveal the presence of potentially harmful organisms of major forestry, landscape or crop trees. Results of this study also provide an indication as to how some disease agents can be introduced using pathways other than the co-generic hosts. Hence, sentinel nurseries represent one potential mechanism to address the current lack of knowledge about pests in the countries from where live plants are shipped and the threats they represent to native flora and crops in importing countries.

MOLECULAR DIAGNOSIS OF Guignardia citricarpa IN ASYMPTOMATIC SWEET ORANGE TISSUE

ABSTRACT Citrus black spot, a fungal disease caused by the quarantine fungus Guignardia citricarpa, restricts the exportation of fresh fruit to countries in the European Union. The occurrence of latent infections and the time required for diagnosis using conventional methods have brought about the need to validate fast, efficient and reproducible molecular techniques to detect the pathogen in asymptomatic tissue. As such, this study aims to detect G. citricarpa in the symptomatic fruit and asymptomatic leaf tissue of sweet oranges by conventional and real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Specificity and limit of detection (LOD) were assessed in tissue samples of fruit lesions and asymptomatic leaves. Low concentrations of the fungus were found in asymptomatic leaves. Under these conditions, real-time PCR proved to be viable, reproducible and highly sensitive to detection of the pathogen.

Characterization and pathogenicity assessment of Plectosphaerella species associated with stunting disease on tomato and pepper crops in Italy

This study follows a survey carried out in 2012 and 2013 on tomato and pepper crops in the Foggia province (southern Italy), for morphological, molecular and pathogenicity analyses of Plectosphaerella fungi. The Plectosphaerella genus includes several species that are pathogens of horticultural plants. The survey identified tomato and pepper crops that showed abundant wilt, leaf yellowing, and discolouration and necrosis of roots, plus collar and stem symptoms. Different fungi including Plectosphaerella spp. were isolated from tissues with and without symptoms. Subsequent molecular and morphological studies identified first records of P. citrulli infecting tomato and pepper, and P. pauciseptata and P. ramiseptata infecting pepper. Pathogenicity testing confirmed that most isolated species of Plectosphaerella caused symptoms on tomato and pepper, with P. ramiseptata the most aggressive. On the basis of these data, it is considered that Plectosphaerella species may cause stunting disease in tomato and pepper.

Ectopic Thyroid: The Great Mimicker

Ectopic thyroid tissue is very rare, but its prevalence increases in those with thyroid pathology. It typically occurs due to aberrant development of the thyroid gland during its migration to the pretracheal region. In this report, there are two cases of mediastinal ectopic thyroid tissue discussed, which were initially considered to be malignancies. The hospital course, diagnostic workup, including the use of computed tomography and positron emission tomography scans, and the characteristic features of the tissue are examined here. Due to the imaging characteristics, it is important to consider ectopic thyroid tissue as a differential diagnosis for mediastinal masses as encountered in these cases. Asymptomatic ectopic thyroid tissue is usually treated medically; however, patients in both of our cases opted for surgical resection of the masses even after confirmation of the origin of the tissues.

Alpha-glucosidase and alpha-amylase inhibiting thiodiketopiperazines from the endophytic fungus Setosphaeria rostrata isolated from the medicinal plant Costus speciosus in Sri Lanka

Three new thiodiketopiperazine derivatives, rostratazine A (1), rostratazine B (2) and rostratazine C (3) along with exserohilone (4) and boydine A (5) were isolated and identified from the laboratory culture of Setosphaeria rostrata, an endophytic fungus obtained from the fresh asymptomatic leaf tissues of the medicinal plant Costus speciosus from Sri Lanka. The structures of compounds 1–3 were elucidated on the basis of detailed interpretation of 1D- and 2D- NMR data and comparison to known compounds. Compounds 1–5 were subjected to α-glucosidase inhibitory and porcine pancreatic alpha amylase inhibitory assays and 4 showed alpha–glucosidase inhibitory activity while 2 showed porcine pancreatic alpha amylase inhibitory activity.

Influence of storage temperature and cultivars on T‐2 toxin and neosolaniol accumulation in apples inoculated with Trichothecium roseum

Trichothecium roseum is one of the most dreadful postharvest pathogens responsible for core rot of apples. Besides causing economic loss, the disease is also associated with mycotoxins contamination. The effects of storage temperature and lesion diameter on T-2 toxin and neosolaniol (NEO) accumulation were evaluated in genetically diverse apple cultivars. The results showed T-2 concentration was much higher in Fuji than that in Ralls, while NEO was only detected in Red Delicious. The room temperature is favorable for T-2 and NEO accumulation compared with low temperature. We also noticed the positive relationship between the size of lesion diameter and the concentrations of NEO and T-2. NEO and T-2 were found not only in the rotten part, but in the adjacent asymptomatic tissue, indicating that the spread of the trichothecenes to non-infected of the fruits, and trichothecenes concentration showed a trend of decline with increase in distance from the rotten parts. Practical application Trichothecium roseum is one of the most important postharvest pathogens, and can cause core rot of apples. The disease not only causes economic loss, but also results in trichothecene contamination. Storage temperature and the size of lesion diameter significantly affected T-2 and neosolaniol accumulation in genetically diverse apple. The results showed T-2 toxin concentration was much higher in Fuji than that in Ralls, while neosolaniol was only detected in Red Delicious. The room temperature was favorable for T-2 toxin and neosolaniol accumulation compared with low temperature. In addition, the positive relationship between the size of lesion diameter and the concentrations of neosolaniol and T-2 toxin was observed. T-2 toxin and neosolaniol were found not only in the rotten part, but also in the adjacent asymptomatic tissue, and the concentration showed a trend of decline with increase in distance from the rotten parts. The study will be useful not only for apple post-harvest storage and reduce the health risk of exposure to the trichothecenes of T-2 toxin and neosolaniol, but also provide baseline information for the introduction of EU-limits for T-2 toxin and neosolaniol.

A Patient with Asymptomatic Connective Tissue Disease Coursing with Angioedema

A Patient with Asymptomatic Connective Tissue Disease Coursing with Angioedema

An unusual case of interstitial lung disease in a patient with cardiopulmonary syndrome as the initial presentation of Erdheim-Chester disease

Erdheim-Chester disease (ECD) is a very rare disorder with only approximately 600 cases reported in the literature. ECD has been recently reclassified as a histiocytic dendritic cell neoplasm. The clinical...

Abstract 4446: Molecular profiling and threshold expression of microRNAs in mammary tissue of asymptomatic women

Abstract Night shift-work and circadian dysfunction have been linked to increased incidence of breast cancer. Circadian modulation of gene expression is often mediated by microRNAs (miRNAs), small 18-25 nucleotide noncoding RNA molecules that regulate posttranscriptional gene expression via mRNA inactivation. Although miRNA dysregulation has been implicated in breast cancer development, the relationship between breast cancer incidence in women exposed to chronic circadian disruption and their miRNA profiles has not been examined due to the lack of existing normal profiles of expression. We first identified miRNA expressed in asymptomatic breast tissue and defined their baseline profiles in women exposed to a regular work schedule compared to those who experienced chronic circadian disruption by night shift work. Normal mammary tissue was obtained from women undergoing therapeutic breast reductions. Clinical metadata on work, stress, sleep, pregnancy, medical, medication, family, and surgical history were obtained through survey and chart review. We selected night shift work starting from 0700 to 0300 as a marker of circadian disruption. Our studies focused on two major comparisons. First, we determined qualitative oscillatory differences in miRNA variants expressed during day and night. Second, we determined statistically significant expression levels of those day and night miRNAs in shift workers. Mammary miRNA reads were mapped against the reference human genome and mature miRNA set. One-way ANOVA was used to compare miRNA expression levels between night shift and non-night shift workers, as well as miRNA expression between other clinical metadata. At present, twelve samples have undergone experimental and statistical analyses. Three out of the twelve samples were from night shift workers. One-way ANOVA was run on the top one hundred expressed miRNAs including hsa-miR-143-3p, hsa-miR-99a-5p, hsa-miR-21-5p, hsa-miR-10b-5p, and hsa-miR-148a-3p to exclude miRNAs with zero or extremely low counts. Analysis showed no significant difference in miRNA expression of normal samples between night shift and non-night-shift workers (p 0.06099), pregnant and nulliparous (p 0.2658), and women who breastfed and those who did not (p 0.111). There was significant difference in miRNA expression of normal samples between patients who had breast cancer in the opposite breast compared to those who did not (p 0.03269) and patients with sleep problems and those who did not (p 0.003448). It is interesting to note that night shift work and sleep problems both represent forms of circadian disruption, yet only the latter showed significant difference in miRNA expression between controls. It is expected that patients with cancer in the other breast may exhibit significantly different reads from patients who have never had breast cancer. Future analyses will be performed using additional samples to build on these findings. Citation Format: Andrew Y. Li, Kristin Knight, Margaret Kneifel, Mark Feldmann, Kurtis Moyer, Allan Dickerman, Carla Finkielstein. Molecular profiling and threshold expression of microRNAs in mammary tissue of asymptomatic women [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the American Association for Cancer Research Annual Meeting 2017; 2017 Apr 1-5; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(13 Suppl):Abstract nr 4446. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2017-4446