Lack of mutations of G4.5 in three families from China with noncompaction of the ventricular myocardium

To find the underlying cause of noncompaction of the ventricular myocardium (NVM), three Chinese families with probands who presented this problem were studied. After the family members were evaluated by echocardiography, the gene G4.5 (taffazin) was scanned by sequencing. Although X-linked inheritance could not be ruled out, NVM were thought to have a vague rule of inheritance in our data from 8 patients and 28 family members. We also did not identify any mutations in G4.5 in all samples. Our data suggest that other genes are responsible for the familial form of this disease.

Successive magnetic phase transitions and multiferroicity in the spin-one triangular-lattice antiferromagnet Ba3NiNb2O9

We report the magnetic and electric properties of Ba3NiNb2O9, which is a quasi-two-dimensional spin-one triangular-lattice antiferromagnet with trigonal structure. At low T and with increasing magnetic field, the system evolves from a 120 degree magnetic ordering phase (A phase) to an up-up-down (uud) phase (B phase) with a change of slope at 1/3 of the saturation magnetization, and then to an "oblique" phase (C phase). Accordingly, the ferroelectricity switches on at each phase boundary with appearance of spontaneous polarization. Therefore, Ba3NiNb2O9 is a unique triangular-lattice antiferromagnet exhibiting both uud phase and multiferroicity.

Abstract P2-05-19: Pathway-based analysis of breast cancer

Objective: Although HER2 and ER pathways are predominant pathways altered in breast cancer, it is now well accepted that many other signaling pathways are also involved in the pathogenesis of breast cancer, especially in triple negative breast cancer. The understanding of these additional pathways may assist in identifying new therapeutic approaches for breast cancer.

Methods: 13 invasive ductal carcinoma tissues and 5 benign breast tissues were analyzed for the mRNA expression level of 1243 cancer pathway-related genes using SmartChip (WaferGen, CA), a real-time PCR-base method. In addition, the levels of 154 cancer pathway-related proteins and phosphoproteins were measured using our innovative Protein Pathway Array.

Results: Out of 1,243 mRNAs, 68.7% were detected in breast cancer and 73 mRNAs were statistically significant between benign and cancer tissues. Of these mRNAs, 105 only expressed in breast cancer tissues and 33 mRNAs only expressed in normal breast tissues. Out of 154 proteins and phosphoproteins, 39% were detected in cancer tissues and 50 proteins were significantly differentiated between tumor and normal tissues. Interestingly, only 3 genes (CDK6, Vimentin and SLUG) showed decrease of both protein and mRNA. Six proteins (BCL6, CCNE1, PCNA, PDK1, SRC and XIAP) showed differentially expressed between tumor and normal tissues but no differences were observed at mRNA levels. Analyses of mRNA and protein data using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis showed more 15 pathways were altered in breast cancers and 6 of them shared between mRNAs and proteins, including p53, IL17, HGF, NGF, PTEN and PI3K/AKT.

Conclusion: There is a broad dysregulation of various pathways in breast cancer both at protein levels and mRNA levels. It is important to note that mRNA expression does not correlate with protein level, suggesting that different regulation mechanisms between proteins and mRNAs.

Citation Information: Cancer Res 2012;72(24 Suppl):Abstract nr P2-05-19.

Evaluation of comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography-time-of-flight-mass spectrometry for the analysis of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in sediments

This study evaluates the feasibility of comprehensive two-dimensional gas chromatography coupled to time-of-flight mass spectrometry (GC × GC-ToF MS) for the determination of the 15+1 EU PAHs in sediments. Experimental variables affecting the injection, chromatographic separation and analytical detection of the analytes have systematically been optimised. Under finally proposed conditions, a satisfactory resolution among critical pairs/groups of PAHs, including benz[a]anthracene, cyclopenta[cd]pyrene and chrysene, the three benzofluoranthene isomers, indeno[1,2,3-cd]pyrene from dibenz[a,h]anthracene (DahA), and DahA from dibenz[a,c]anthracene, has been achieved using DB-5 × BPX-50 as column combination with a run time of 1 h. The feasibility of the method for the analysis of real-life samples has been demonstrated by accurate determination of relevant target PAHs in the certified harbour sediment BCR-535 (deviations among certified concentration values and those calculated using the proposed method lower than 3%); and by successful application to sediments sampled from a relevant protected area located in the South of Spain. The low methodological limits of detection (LODs) obtained for most of the targeted PAHs (in the 5.7-60 μg/kg range, as calculated for real samples) guarantied accurate quantification of the target compounds at the low levels expected in these types of pristine matrices. The strong retention experienced by the heaviest dibenzopyrene isomers included in the study resulted in relatively high LODs for these analytes; nevertheless, these compounds were detected at concentration levels above the corresponding LOD in some of the analysed sediments. In addition, the enhanced identification power provided by GC × GC-ToF MS for the identification of non-target analytes allowed the tentative identification of a group of polynuclear aromatic thiophenes in some of the test samples. Finally, the potential of the use of normalised bubble plots for the fast screening of the potential PAH sources has been demonstrated.

Suppressed miR-424 expression via upregulation of target gene Chk1 contributes to the progression of cervical cancer

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) act as important gene regulators in human genomes and their aberrant expression links to many malignancies. We previously identified a different characteristic miRNA expression profile in cervical cancer from that in cervical normal tissues, including the downregulated miR-424. However, the role and mechanism of miR-424 in cervical cancer still remain unknown. Here, we focused on identifying the tumor-suppressive function and clinical significance of miR-424 and exploring the mechanistic relevance by characterizing its target. We showed a significantly decreased expression of miR-424 in 147 cervical cancer tissues versus 74 cervical normal tissues by performing quantitative RT-PCR. In 147 cervical cancer tissue samples, low-level expression of miR-424 was positively correlated with poor tumor differentiation, advanced clinical stage, lymph node metastasis and other poor prognostic clinicopathological parameters. Further in vitro observations showed that enforced expression of miR-424 inhibited cell growth by both enhancing apoptosis and blocking G1/S transition, and suppressed cell migration and invasion in two human cervical cancer cell lines, SiHa and CaSki, implying that miR-424 functions as a tumor suppressor in the progression of cervical cancer. Interestingly, overexpression of miR-424 inhibited the expression of protein checkpoint kinase 1 (Chk1) and phosphorylated Chk1 (p-Chk1) at residues Ser345 and decreased the activity of luciferase-reporter containing the 3'-untranslated region (UTR) of Chk1 with predicted miR-424-binding site. Moreover, miR-424 expression levels were inversely correlated with Chk1 and p-Chk1 protein levels in both cervical cancer and normal tissues. Furthermore, RNAi-mediated knockdown of Chk1 decreased matrix metalloproteinase 9 expression and phenocopied the tumor suppressive effects of miR-424 in cell models. Taken together, our results identify a crucial tumor suppressive role of miR-424 in the progression of cervical cancer at least partly via upreglating the expression of Chk1 and p-Chk1, and suggest that miR-424 might be a candidate of prognostic predictor or an anticancer therapeutic target for cervical cancer patients.

Common crystalline and magnetic structure of superconducting A2Fe4Se5 (A=K,Rb,Cs,Tl) single crystals measured using neutron diffraction

Single-crystal neutron diffraction studies on superconductors A(2)Fe(4)Se(5), where A=Rb, Cs, (Tl, Rb), and (Tl, K) (T(c) ∼ 30 K), uncover the same Fe vacancy ordered crystal structure and the same block antiferromagnetic order as in K(2)Fe(4)Se(5). The Fe order-disorder transition occurs at T(S)=500-578 K, and the antiferromagnetic transition at T(N) = 471-559 K with an ordered magnetic moment ∼3.3μ(B)/Fe at 10 K. Thus, all recently discovered A intercalated iron selenide superconductors share the common crystalline and magnetic structure, which are very different from previous families of Fe-based superconductors, and constitute a distinct new 245 family.

An early decrease in serum HBeAg titre is a strong predictor of virological response to entecavir in HBeAg-positive patients

Quantification of HBeAg levels has been found to be useful in monitoring and predicting the outcomes of interferon and lamivudine treatment in HBeAg-positive patients. The aim of this study was to determine whether quantification of HBeAg at baseline and on treatment could predict which patients would achieve HBeAg seroconversion after 96 weeks of entecavir therapy. Sixty-five HBeAg-positive naïve chronic hepatitis B patients who were treated with entecavir at a dose of 0.5 mg once daily for 96 weeks were evaluated. Serum HBV DNA levels were assessed at baseline, week 24, 48 and 96; serum HBeAg levels were assessed at baseline, week 12, 24, 48, 72 and 96. Serum HBeAg levels were associated with a higher likelihood of HBeAg seroconversion to entecavir at weeks 96 than serum HBV DNA levels both at baseline and on treatment (at baseline: OR = 9.932, P = 0.003 vs. OR = 5.045, P = 0.036; on treatment: OR = 112.5, P < 0.0001 vs. OR = 47.782, P < 0.0001). A maintained reduction in HBeAg > 65% of pretreatment HBeAg values after 24 weeks of entecavir therapy is the strongest predictor for HBeAg seroconversion at week 96 (OR = 70.578, P < 0.0001). Quantification of HBeAg at the start and early during therapy showed a higher predictive value than that of HBV DNA for HBeAg seroconversion by entecavir. A significant decrease in serum HBeAg levels at week 24 may be a useful on-treatment measurement in the early phase for predicting HBeAg seroconversion and identifying patients who will most likely benefit from finite entecavir treatment.

Abstract S3-8: RNAi Screening Identifies the Insulin/Insulin-Like Growth Factor-I Receptor Pathway as a Mechanism of Escape from Hormone Dependence in Estrogen Receptor-Positive Breast Cancer

Estrogen receptor-positive (ER+) breast cancers are treated with strategies aimed at inducing estrogen deprivation such as aromatase inhibitors (AIs). However, many ER+ tumors adapt to hormone deprivation and acquire resistance to AIs. The purpose of this study was to identify kinases essential for the growth of endocrine-resistant ER+ breast cancer cells. To model acquired resistance to AIs, we maintained four ER+, estrogen-dependent human breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7, MDA-361, HCC-1428, and ZR75- 1) under hormone-depleted conditions for several months until hormone-independent populations emerged (termed long-term estrogen-deprived, LTED). We then performed an RNAi screen targeting 779 protein kinases to identify molecules required for growth of MCF-7/LTED cells in hormonefree conditions. Individual knockdown of 42 kinases significantly inhibited MCF-7/LTED cell growth ≥33% (p≥0.05) in at least 3/4 independent experiments. Of these 42 hits, knockdown of the insulin receptor (InsR) inhibited MCF-7/LTED growth (n=4 experiments) compared to control siRNA. Knockdown of InsR expression using independent siRNA oligonucleotides significantly inhibited growth of MCF-7/LTED, ZR75-1/LTED, and HCC-1428/LTED cells.

The InsR can heterodimerize with the highly homologous insulin-like growth factor-I receptor (IGF-IR) to potently activate the phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase (PI3K)/AKT signaling pathway. Immunoblot analysis revealed that siRNA knockdown of InsR or IGF-IR caused a compensatory upregulation of IGF-IR and InsR expression, respectively. Knockdown of InsR or IGF-IR inhibited growth of 3/4 LTED lines, but knockdown of both InsR and IGF-IR was required for maximal inhibition of PI3K/AKT. Inhibition of these receptors by treatment with the InsR/IGF-IR tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKI) OSI-906 decreased PI3K signaling and disrupted the basal association between p85 and the IGF-IR/InsR effectors IRS-1 and IRS-2 in MCF-7/LTED cells. Further, OSI-906 inhibited the hormone-independent growth of all four LTED lines and prevented the emergence of hormone-independent ER+ parental cells following estrogen deprivation. Treatment with the TKI or the neutralizing IGF-IR monoclonal antibody MK-0646 induced feedback upregulation and phosphorylation of the ErbB3/HER3 receptor tyrosine kinase (RTK). Induction of P-HER3 was blocked by the EGFR/HER2 TKI lapatinib. Combined treatment of lapatinib and OSI-906 prevented the emergence of hormone-independent (HER2+/ER+) MDA-361 cells more effectively than either drug alone. Finally, treatment of ovariectomized nude female mice with OSI-906 suppressed the growth of established MCF-7 xenografts. In addition, treatment with OSI-906 decreased PI3K signaling as measured by immunoblot analysis of tumor extracts using P-AKT antibodies. These results suggest that 1) InsR/IGF-IR signaling is required for PI3K/AKT signaling and hormone-independent growth of ER+ breast cancer cells; 2) these cells compensate for the inhibition of InsR/IGF-IR by upregulating alternative RTK pathways such as HER3; 3) combined targeting of InsR/IGF-IR and ER signaling may be effective for the treatment of endocrine-resistant breast cancer.

Citation Information: Cancer Res 2010;70(24 Suppl):Abstract nr S3-8.

Abstract P6-05-05: Signaling Pathways Activated in Her 2 and ER Negative Breast Cancers

Introduction: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women (192,370 new cases in 2009) and the second leading cause of cancer death (40,000) among women in USA. Current multimodality treatment of breast cancer is based on the level of ER expression and Her 2 gene amplification. However, no effective treatment is currently available for breast cancers with low level expression of ER and no amplification of Her 2 gene. The aim of this study is to identify protein pathways activated in the breast cancer with negative expression of ER and Her 2. Method: Protein Pathway Array was used to assess the level of protein expression and phosphorylation in 71 paired fresh frozen breast samples (tumor and adjacent benign tissue). A total 159 antibodies were evaluated which represent most important signal transduction pathways involved in proliferation, apoptosis, angiogenesis, invasion and metastasis. Several potential therapeutic kinase proteins were also assessed. Results: A total 20 proteins (PCNA, phospho-PTEN, cyclin B1 cyclin E1, CDK6, E-cadherin, NFkB, ect) were differentially expressed between normal and tumor tissues based on the statistical analysis. In Her 2 negative tumors (n=37), 3 proteins were differentially expressed and among them, 2 were up-regulated (CDK6 and HSD1) and 1 was down-regulated (IGF). In ER negative tumors (n=18), 4 proteins (HSD, SK, TDP and Slug) was up-regulated and 1 proteins were down-regulated (E-cadherin). In triple negative tumors (n=13), one protein (E-cadherin) down-regulated and 2 proteins (TDP and HSD) were up-regulated. Furthermore, based on the expression pattern of these proteins, tumors negative for both ER and Her 2 (n=15) can be clustered into 3 groups

Figure 1: Subclassification of breast cancers negative for ER and Her-2 based protein pattern.

Hierarchical clustering analysis of 20 differentially expressed proteins in

15 ER/Her-2 negative breast cancers. The cancers can be separated into 3 subtypes. Red indicates overexpression, green underexpression, black no change, and gray no expression. Each column represents a protein. Each row represents a sample.

Conclusion: Our study showed that distinct sets of signaling pathways activated in ER and Her 2 negative breast cancers. The increased expression of cell cycle progression proteins in Her 2 negative tumors suggests activation of cell proliferation via different growth promotion pathway. Similarly, different cell proliferation pathways are also activated in ER negative tumors. This finding may be used to design future clinical trial based on the activation of different signaling pathways.

Identification of cancer stem cell-like cells from human epithelial ovarian carcinoma cell line

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) play an important role in the development, invasion, and drug resistance of carcinoma, but the exact phenotype and characteristics of ovarian CSCs are still disputable. In this study, we identified cancer stem cell-like cells (CSC-LCs) and investigated their characteristics from the ovarian adenocarcinoma cell line 3AO. Our results showed that CSC-LCs were enriched in sphere-forming test and highly expressed CD44(+)CD24⁻. The spheres and CD24⁻ cells possessed strong tumorigenic ability by transplantation into nonobese diabetic/severe combined immunodeficient mice. CD44(+)CD24⁻ cells expressed stem cell markers and differentiated to CD44(+)CD24(+) cells by immunofluorescence assay and fluorescence-activated cell-sorting analysis. In vitro experiments verified that CD44(+)CD24⁻ cells were markedly resistant to carboplatin and paclitaxol. In conclusion, our study identifies the CD44(+)CD24⁻ phenotype, self-renewal, high tumorigenicity, differentiation potential, and drug resistance of ovarian CSC-LCs. Our findings may provide the evidence needed to explore a new strategy in the treatment of ovarian cancer.

Hand-assisted laparoscopic surgery versus the open approach in curative resection of rectal cancer

This prospective, randomized study compared the outcomes of hand-assisted laparoscopic surgery (HALS) with open surgery for the resection of rectal cancer. The main outcome measures were procedure time, blood loss, post-operative pain, time to oral intake, return of bowel function, length of hospital stay, morbidity and functional recovery. Patients in each group were similar with regard to general status, procedure types and the histopathological features of tumours. Procedure times were significantly longer with HALS versus open surgery. Analgesic requirements, surgical blood loss, time to first passing flatus, time to first oral fluids and post-operative hospital stay length were all significantly shorter in the HALS group. At a median follow-up of 16.3 months, local recurrence of tumour was not observed in either group. In this study, the HALS approach for curative resection of rectal cancer was safe and effective and may offer several potential advantages to patients in their post-operative recovery.

Subwavelength plasmonic lattice solitons in arrays of metallic nanowires

We predict theoretically that stable subwavelength plasmonic lattice solitons (PLSs) are formed in arrays of metallic nanowires embedded in a nonlinear medium. The tight confinement of the guiding modes of the metallic nanowires, combined with the strong nonlinearity induced by the enhanced field at the metal surface, provide the main physical mechanisms for balancing the wave diffraction and the formation of PLSs. As the conditions required for the formation of PLSs are satisfied in a variety of plasmonic systems, we expect these nonlinear modes to have important applications to subwavelength nanophotonics. In particular, we show that the subwavelength PLSs can be used to optically manipulate with nanometer accuracy the power flow in ultracompact photonic systems.

Electronic self-organization in the single-layer manganite Pr1-xCa1+xMnO4

We use neutron scattering to investigate the doping evolution of the magnetic correlations in the single-layer manganite Pr1-xCa1+xMnO4, away from the x=0.5 composition where the CE-type commensurate antiferromagnetic (AF) structure is stable. We find that short-range incommensurate spin correlations develop as the system is electron doped (x<0.5), which coexist with the CE-type AF order. This suggests that electron doping in this system induces an inhomogeneous electronic self-organization, where commensurate AF patches with x=0.5 are separated by electron-rich domain walls with short-range magnetic correlations. This behavior is strikingly different than for the perovskite Pr1-xCaxMnO3, where the long-range CE-type commensurate AF structure is stable over a wide range of electron or hole doping around x=0.5.

Gene silencing of HPV16 E6/E7 induced by promoter-targeting siRNA in SiHa cells

Background:

Recently, transcriptional gene silencing induced by small interfering RNA (siRNA) was found in mammalian and human cells. However, previous studies focused on endogenous genes.

Methods:

In this study, we designed siRNA targeting the promoter of human papillomavirus 16 E6/E7 and transfected it into the cervical cancer cell line, SiHa. E6 and E7 mRNA and protein expression were detected in cells treated by promoter-targeting siRNA. Futhermore, cellular growth, proliferation, apoptosis and senescence were detected. Thereafter, we investigated promoter DNA methylation and histone methylation status in cells treated with promoter-targeting siRNA.

Results:

We found that E6/E7 mRNA and protein were simultaneously reduced, cell growth and proliferation were inhibited and cell death, especially senescence, was remarkably increased. Meanwhile, we also found a significantly increasing histone H3-Lys9 methylation on the promoter when E6/E7 gene expression was inhibited.

Interpretation:

Our findings suggest that promoter-targeting siRNA effectively and simultaneously knocks down both extraneous HPV 16 E6 and E7 at the transcriptional level, and consequently inhibits proliferation and induces death in HPV 16-infected cells. This transcriptional repression is probably induced by histone modification rather than by alteration of DNA methylation.

Correlation of WT1 expression with tumor characteristics and clinical outcomes in mucinous breast carcinoma

e22075

Background: Wilms' tumor 1(WT1) protein expression has been evaluated by immunohistochemistry (IHC) in various histologies of series of invasive breast carcinomas. It is overexpressed predominantly in the mucinous subtype, in both pure and mixed mucinous carcinoma. The objective of this study was to correlate WT1 expression with the clinical and biological features of mucinous breast carcinoma as well as with the clinical outcomes and management. Methods: A total of 83 cases of pure and mixed mucinous breast carcinoma diagnosed between January 1999 and May 2006 were selected from the Magee-Womens Hospital, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center pathology registry. WT1 expression was examined by IHC using tissue microarrays (TMA). Only nuclear staining for WT1 was counted. Patient age, tumor features, management, and clinical outcomes were recorded, and survival was documented at the last patient followup. Results: Median follow-up was 59m (13–158m). The vast majority of patients had strong expression of hormone receptors. Only 3 patients had HER2-positive tumors. Disease free survival (DFS) was 92%. Overall survival (OS) was 88%. Sixty four cases had sufficient tissue on TMA for WT1 expression. Among them, WT1 expression was identified in 21/33 (64%) of pure mucinous carcinomas and 9/31 (29%) of mixed type tumors. Patients in both WT1-positive and WT1-negative groups had similar rates of breast conserving surgery, adjuvant radiotherapy and endocrine therapies. However, patients in the WT1-positive group were older (median age 74 vs 55 years, p=0.02) and had smaller tumor (median tumor size 1.2 vs 1.75 cm, p=0.03) as compared to those in WT1-negative group. More patients with WT1-negative tumors received adjuvant chemotherapy (40.6% vs 13.8%, p=0.02). Although all the recurrences were observed in patients with WT1-negative tumors, there was no statistical association of DFS or OS with WT1 expression. Conclusions: Overall, both pure and mixed mucinous breast carcinomas have excellent prognosis. This retrospective study demonstrated that WT1 expression may be associated with favorable outcome/pathologic features for patients with mucinous breast carcinoma. Prospective clinical studies will help to further elucidate these findings.

No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Re-entrant spiral magnetic order and ferroelectricity in Mn1−xFexWO4 (x=0.035)

We report the observation of a re-entrant spiral (noncollinear) magnetic order and ferroelectricity below 6 K in Mn0.965Fe0.035WO4 under applied magnetic fields above 3.6 T. At zero field, this compound shows a transition into the spiral magnetic and ferroelectric phase at 12 K, and it becomes paraelectric at 10.5 K with the entrance into the commensurate magnetic phase, which is the ground state at H=0. Under magnetic field above 3.6 T, however, the spiral magnetic phases with a larger FE polarization reappears below 6 K. The re-entrant magnetic/ferroelectric phase behavior is further studied by single crystal neutron scattering and the H-T phase diagram is completely resolved from neutron, dielectric constant, polarization, and magnetic measurements.

Association of 1704G/T and G82S polymorphisms in the receptor for advanced glycation end products gene with diabetic retinopathy in Chinese population

BACKGROUND

The receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) plays an important role in the pathogenesis of diabetic complications. The aim of this study is to investigate the association of the 1704 G/T and G82S polymorphisms in the RAGE gene with diabetic retinopathy (DR).

METHODS

The 1704G/T and G82S polymorphisms were genotyped in 340 Type 2 diabetes (T2DM) without DR subjects (DR- group); 166 T2DM with DR subjects (DR+ group), and 182 normal glucose tolerant subjects (NGT group). The genotypes were detected by the methods of ligase detection reaction coupled PCR.

RESULTS

There was no evident difference in the 1704G/T and G82S genotypic and allelic frequencies distribution between NGT and T2DM subjects. However, the frequences of G/A+AA genotypes (60.6%) and A allele (36.4%) of G82S were significantly higher in DR+ group than those (38.4%; 20.9%, respectively) in DR- group (p=0.01and p=0.007, respectively). Furthermore, haplotype analysis revealed that the frequency of G-A haplotype containing 1704G and 82S allele in DR+ group was significantly higher than that in DR- group (33.5% vs 19.6%, p=0.01). The multiple logistic regression analysis indicated that the G82S polymorphism [odds ratio (OR): 2.964, 95% confidence interval (CI): 1.013-5.46, p=0.029] and diabetes duration (OR: 1.013, 95% CI: 1.007-1.02, p<0.001) were independent risk factors for DR.

CONCLUSIONS

G82S polymorphism in the RAGE gene is associated with DR and G-A haplotype containing 1704G and 82S allele might be a genetic marker of DR in Chinese T2DM patients.

Adenoid cystic carcinoma of Bartholin's gland with lung metastasis: a case report

BACKGROUND

Adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC) of the Bartholin's gland is very rare. There is no agreed consensus on the optimal treatment.

CASE

In the present study we report the case of a 41-year-old Chinese woman who suffered from ACC of the Bartholin's gland with lung metastases and repeated local recurrence, and discuss the most suitable treatment for late stage ACC of the Bartholin's gland.

CONCLUSION

Our experience from this patient suggests that initial conservative surgery of a local lesion, even for later stage patients with ACC of the Bartholin's gland, could be considered.

Tyrosine kinase inhibition in diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: molecular basis for antitumor activity and drug resistance of dasatinib

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) is the most common type of non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Although some patients can be cured by current therapies, novel agents are needed to further improve outcomes. We hypothesized that Src tyrosine kinase inhibition by dasatinib may have antilymphoma effects. Here, we demonstrate that dasatinib inhibits cell growth through G(1)-S blockage in five of seven DLBCL cell lines at clinically achievable concentrations. Compared to resting B cells, DLBCL has increased tyrosine phosphorylation activities. As expected, dasatinib inhibits phosphorylation of several Src family kinase members. However, this inhibition occurs in all cell lines regardless of their proliferative response to the drug. In contrast, the activity of two downstream signaling molecules, Syk and phospholipase Cgamma2 (PLCgamma2), are well correlated with cell line sensitivity to dasatinib, suggesting that these molecules are crucial in mediating the proliferation of activated lymphoma cells. Furthermore, dasatinib inhibits B-cell receptor signaling in primary lymphoma cells. Together, our findings not only show dasatinib as a potentially useful therapy for DLBCL but also provide insights into the pathogenesis of the lymphoma. The results further suggest the possibility of using Syk and PLCgamma2 as biomarkers to predict dasatinib therapeutic response in prospective clinical trials.

Study comparing the double kissing (DK) crush with classical crush for the treatment of coronary bifurcation lesions: the DKCRUSH-1 Bifurcation Study with drug-eluting stents

BACKGROUND

Classical crush has a lower rate of final kissing balloon inflation (FKBI) immediately after percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI). The double kissing (DK) crush technique has the potential to increase the FKBI rate, and no prospective studies on the comparison of classical with DK crush techniques have been reported.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Three hundred and eleven patients with true bifurcation lesions were randomly divided into classical (n = 156) and DK crush (n = 155) groups. Clinical and angiographic details at follow-up at 8 months were indexed. The primary end point was major adverse cardiac events (MACE) including myocardial infarction, cardiac death and target lesion revascularization (TLR) at 8 months.

RESULTS

FKBI was 76% in the classical crush group and 100% in the DK group (P < 0.001). The incidence of stent thrombosis was 3.2% in the classical crush group (5.1% in without- and 1.7% in with-FKBI) and 1.3% in the DK crush group. Cumulative 8 month MACE was 24.4% in the classical crush group and 11.4% in the DK crush group (P = 0.02). The TLR-free survival rate was 75.4% in the classical crush group and 89.5% in the DK crush group (P = 0.002).

CONCLUSIONS

DK crush technique has the potential of increasing FKBI rate and reducing stent thrombosis, with a further reduction of TLR and cumulative MACE rate at 8 months.

EMA-CO chemotherapy for high-risk gestational trophoblastic neoplasia: a clinical analysis of 54 patients

This study was designed to analyze the outcomes of chemotherapy for high-risk gestational trophoblastic neoplasia (GTN) with EMA-CO regimen as primary and secondary protocol in China. Fifty-four patients with high-risk GTN received 292 EMA/CO treatment cycles between 1996 and 2005. Forty-five patients were primarily treated with EMA-CO, and nine were secondarily treated after failure to other combination chemotherapy. Adjuvant surgery and radiotherapy were used in the selected patients. Response, survival and related risk factors, as well as chemotherapy complications, were retrospectively analyzed. Thirty-five of forty-five patients (77.8%) receiving EMA-CO as first-line treatment achieved complete remission, and 77.8% (7/9) as secondary treatment. The overall survival rate was 87.0% in all high-risk GTN patients, with 93.3% (42/45) as primary therapy and 55.6% (5/9) as secondary therapy. The survival rates were significantly different between two groups (χ2= 6.434, P = 0.011). Univariate analysis showed that the metastatic site and the number of metastatic organs were significant risk factors, but binomial distribution logistic regression analysis revealed that only the number of metastatic organs was an independent risk factor for the survival rate. No life-threatening toxicity and secondary malignancy were found. EMA-EP regimen was used for ten patients who were resistant to EMA-CO and three who relapsed after EMA-CO. Of those, 11 patients (84.6%) achieved complete remission. We conclude that EMA-CO regimen is an effective and safe primary therapy for high-risk GTN, but not an appropriate second-line protocol. The number of metastatic organs is an independent prognostic factor for the patient with high-risk GTN. EMA-EP regimen is a highly effective salvage therapy for those failing to EMA-CO.

No association of the POLI Thr706Ala polymorphism with the risk of cervical carcinoma

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the association of repair gene POLI genetic polymorphisms with cervical carcinoma.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Four hundred sixty one cervical carcinoma patients and 628 normal women were randomly selected for this study. Single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (POLI Thr706Ala) were genotyped, and the epidemiological risk factor was assessed.

RESULTS

Compared with the POLI Thr706Thr genotype, neither POLI Thr706Ala nor POLI Ala706Ala elevated or decreased the risk of cervical carcinoma or cervical squamous cell carcinoma [ORs and 95% CIs 1.25(0.97-1.61), 1.11(0.67-1.83), 1.22(0.94-1.58), 1.06(0.63-1.78), respectively]. When analyzing the risk of the POLI Thr706Ala variant genotype for cervical carcinoma in different histological types or HPV infection status, very similar risk factors were observed for the squamous cell carcinoma group or the HPV positive group to the overall carcinoma. Regardless of sexual or reproductive histories, patients with the POLI Thr706Ala or POLI Ala706Ala genotype showed a significantly increased risk of cervical carcinoma.

CONCLUSION

The POLI Thr706Ala genotype was not associated with cervical carcinoma in a Chinese population, but we cannot exclude the possibility that the POLI polymorphism might be associated with sexual and reproductive history.

Coordinated evolution of co-expressed gene clusters in the Drosophila transcriptome

Background

Co-expression of genes that physically cluster together is a common characteristic of eukaryotic transcriptomes. This organization of transcriptomes suggests that coordinated evolution of gene expression for clustered genes may also be common. Clusters where expression evolution of each gene is not independent of their neighbors are important units for understanding transcriptome evolution.

Results

We used a common microarray platform to measure gene expression in seven closely related species in the Drosophila melanogaster subgroup, accounting for confounding effects of sequence divergence. To summarize the correlation structure among genes in a chromosomal region, we analyzed the fraction of variation along the first principal component of the correlation matrix. We analyzed the correlation for blocks of consecutive genes to assess patterns of correlation that may be manifest at different scales of coordinated expression. We find that expression of physically clustered genes does evolve in a coordinated manner in many locations throughout the genome. Our analysis shows that relatively few of these clusters are near heterochromatin regions and that these clusters tend to be over-dispersed relative to the rest of the genome. This suggests that these clusters are not the byproduct of local gene clustering. We also analyzed the pattern of co-expression among neighboring genes within a single Drosophila species: D. simulans. For the co-expression clusters identified within this species, we find an under-representation of genes displaying a signature of recurrent adaptive amino acid evolution consistent with previous findings. However, clusters displaying co-evolution of expression among species are enriched for adaptively evolving genes. This finding points to a tie between adaptive sequence evolution and evolution of the transcriptome.

Conclusion

Our results demonstrate that co-evolution of expression in gene clusters is relatively common among species in the D. melanogaster subgroup. We consider the possibility that local regulation of expression in gene clusters may drive the connection between adaptive sequence and coordinated gene expression evolution.

Magnetic interactions in the geometrically frustrated triangular lattice antiferromagnet CuFeO2

The spin-wave excitations of the geometrically frustrated triangular lattice antiferromagnet CuFeO2 have been measured using high resolution inelastic neutron scattering. Antiferromagnetic interactions up to third nearest neighbors in the ab plane (J1, J2, J3, with J{2}/J{1} approximately 0.44 and J{3}/J{1} approximately 0.57), as well as out-of-plane coupling (J{z}, with J{z}/J{1} approximately 0.29) are required to describe the spin-wave dispersion relations, indicating a three-dimensional character of the magnetic interactions. Two energy dips in the spin-wave dispersion occur at the incommensurate wave vectors associated with multiferroic phase and can be interpreted as dynamic precursors to the magnetoelectric behavior in this system.

Expression of differentiation associated protein Hes1 and Hes5 in cervical squamous carcinoma and its precursors

Hairy and Enhancer-of-split homologues 1 and 5 (Hes1 and Hes5) are the basic helix-loop-helix transcriptional factors that negatively regulate the cell differentiation during embryogenesis. It has been reported that they may be involved in carcinogenesis in some tumors. The roles of Hes1 and Hes5 in development and progression of cervical carcinoma are not well documented todate. In the study, the expression of Hes1 and Hes5 were detected by immunohistochemistry in 295 cases with various degrees of cervical epithelial lesions, including 78 normal cervical epithelia, 31 mild dysplasia (CIN I), 77 moderate-severe dysplasia (CIN II–III), and 109 squamous cervical carcinomas (SCCs), and their association with various clinical pathologic prognostic variables were analyzed in 73 early-stage SCC patients who underwent surgery. Hes1 and Hes5 expression were found to be significantly higher in SCC compared with CIN as well as higher in CIN than normal cervical epithelia, and positively correlated with various prognostic factors in early-stage cervical carcinoma. Our findings suggest that Hes1 and Hes5 may be involved in carcinogenesis of the cervix and progression of cervical carcinoma. Hes1 and Hes5 overexpression are probably variables to predict poor prognosis of the patients with early-stage cervical carcinoma

Involvement of cellular death in TRAIL/DR5-dependent suppression induced by CD4(+)CD25(+) regulatory T cells

CD4(+)CD25(+) regulatory T cells (Treg) are potent immunosuppressive cells active in controlling normal pathological immune responses. The mechanisms of this suppression have been investigated under various conditions. In this report, tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis inducing ligand (TRAIL)/death receptor 5 (DR5) was explored as one of the pivotal factors for the suppression and cytotoxicity induced by CD4(+)CD25(+) Treg. Cell death was involved in the suppression induced by activated CD4(+)CD25(+) Treg in vitro. The induction of CD4(+) T cell death was not mediated by the CD95/CD95L pathway, but rather depended upon the upregulation of TRAIL in the Treg. Blocking the TRAIL/DR5 pathway resulted in a significant reduction of the suppressive activity as well as the cytotoxic effects of Treg in vitro. Activated Treg displayed TRAIL-dependent cytotoxicity against CD4(+) T cells in vivo. The prolonged survival of allogeneic skin grafts induced by Treg was inhibited by DR5-blocking antibodies. Our findings suggest that the TRAIL/DR5 pathway is one of the mechanisms used by Treg to regulate immune responses both in vitro and in vivo.

Magnons in ferromagnetic metallic manganites

Ferromagnetic (FM) manganites, a group of likely half-metallic oxides, are of special interest not only because they are a testing ground for the classical double-exchange interaction mechanism for the 'colossal' magnetoresistance, but also because they exhibit an extraordinary arena of emergent phenomena. These emergent phenomena are related to the complexity associated with strong interplay between charge, spin, orbital, and lattice. In this review, we focus on the use of inelastic neutron scattering to study the spin dynamics, mainly the magnon excitations in this class of FM metallic materials. In particular, we discuss the unusual magnon softening and damping near the Brillouin zone boundary in relatively narrow-band compounds with strong Jahn-Teller lattice distortion and charge-orbital correlations. The anomalous behaviours of magnons in these compounds indicate the likelihood of cooperative excitations involving spin and lattice as well as orbital degrees of freedom.

The expression of interleukin-10 in patients with primary ovarian epithelial carcinoma and in ovarian carcinoma cell lines

This study determined interleukin-10 (IL-10) expression in patients with ovarian carcinoma and in ovarian carcinoma cell lines, and investigated its clinical significance in the development and progression of ovarian carcinoma. Expression of IL-10 in ovarian carcinoma, benign ovarian tumour, normal control tissues and ovarian carcinoma cell lines was detected by immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis. IL-10 concentrations in sera and ascites from patients with ovarian carcinoma, in sera from patients with benign ovarian tumour and normal controls, and in supernatants of ovarian carcinoma cell line cultures were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The tissue level of IL-10 in ovarian carcinoma was significantly higher than in benign ovarian tumour and normal controls. IL-10 expression was detectable in cell lysate and supernatant from ovarian carcinoma cell lines. In patients with ovarian carcinoma the IL-10 level in ascitic fluid was significantly higher than in sera, and the serum IL-10 level in ovarian carcinoma was significantly higher than in benign ovarian tumour and normal controls. Ascitic IL-10 levels in ovarian carcinoma were significantly correlated with disease stage but not cytological grade. These results suggest that ovarian carcinoma cells are able to synthesize and secrete IL-10, which probably assists in promoting the development and progression of ovarian carcinoma.

Effect of antiferromagnetic spin correlations on lattice distortion and charge ordering in Pr0.5Ca1.5MnO4

We use neutron scattering to study the lattice and magnetic structure of the layered half-doped manganite Pr(0.5)Ca(1.5)MnO(4). On cooling from high temperature, the system first becomes charge-and orbital-ordered (CO/OO) near T(CO) = 300 K and then develops checkerboard-like antiferromagnetic (AF) order below T(N) = 130 K. At temperatures above T(N) but below T(CO) (T(N) Collapse

Key Words

• ce-type af order

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MESH Headings Collapse

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Study on CXCR4/SDF-1alpha axis in lymph node metastasis of cervical squamous cell carcinoma

CXCR4/stromal-cell-derived factor-1alpha (SDF-1alpha) is involved in many cancer metastatic mechanisms. Cervical squamous cell cancer (SCC) tissues (n=35), normal cervical tissues (n=10), metastatic (n=10) and nonmetastatic lymph nodes (n=50), and Hela cells were stained immunohistochemically with CXCR4 monoclonal antibody (mAb). Meanwhile, lymph nodes were stained immunohistochemically with rabbit anti-SDF-1alpha. In vitro invasion of Hela cells was evaluated using Transwell Permeable Supports (Corning, NY), in which Hela cells with/without CXCR4 mAb preincubation were seeded in the upper chambers and medium containing 0-100 ng/mL SDF-1alpha was added to the lower compartments. For evaluating the effect of CXCR4/SDF-1alpha on proliferation of cervical cancer cells, Hela cells were cultured for 72 h exposed to SDF-1alpha with and without CXCR4 mAb. We found that CXCR4 was expressed on SCC cells in all cervical cancer, metastatic lymph node, and Hela cells but not in normal cervix. SDF-1alpha was expressed on lymph cells in all lymph nodes. SDF-1alpha induced the directed migration of Hela cells with a concentration-dependent model, which was inhibited by CXCR4 mAb (P<0.05). SDF-1alpha also stimulated the proliferation of Hela cells mediated by CXCR4 (P<0.05). CXCR4/SDF-1alpha axis probably participates in the metastasis toward lymph nodes in cervical cancer.

The nonsynonymous single nucleotide polymorphisms of DNA repair geneXRCC1and susceptibility to the development of cervical carcinoma and high-risk human papillomavirus infection

To evaluate contribution of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of X-ray repair cross-complementing group 1 (XRCC1) gene to the risk of cervical carcinoma, we conducted a case-control study of 1012 patients including 539 carcinoma and 473 cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) and 800 normal women controls and genotyped three XRCC1 SNPs (Arg194Trp, Arg280His, and Arg399Gln). We found that compared with the Arg399Gln (GG), subjects carrying the homozygous Gln399Gln (AA) genotype had a significantly 2.32-fold increased risk of cervical carcinoma (95% CI 1.47-3.65), heterozygous Arg399Gln (GA) genotype were also associated with a significantly increased risk of cervical carcinoma, with the adjusted odds ratio (OR) being 1.58 (95% CI 1.24-2.00). Similarly, compared with Arg194Arg (CC) wild-type genotype, elevated risks were associated with the Trp194Trp (TT) for carcinoma (ORs and 95% CIs being 2.09 [1.45-3.02]) but not for heterozygote Arg194Trp (CT). In addition, three common haplotypes were found to be associated with an increased risk of cervical carcinoma. Using 194Arg-280Arg-399Arg as the reference, the OR and 95% confidence interval for 194Arg-280Arg-399Gln, 194Arg-280His-399Arg, 194Trp-280Arg-399Arg were 2.30 (1.86-2.85), 1.85 (1.41-2.41), 1.98 (1.62-2.40), respectively. The significantly increased risk associated with the haplotypes was also observed in squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) for all three common haplotypes using 194Arg-280Arg-399Arg as the reference. Neither difference was found for adenocarcinoma and CIN. All three SNPs and haplotypes did not confer more risk of high-risk human papillomavirus infection in carcinoma, CIN, and normal subgroup. Our findings suggest that XRCC1 polymorphisms including genotypes and haplotypes contribute to susceptibility to the development of cervical SCC, and the increased susceptibility is probably not through increasing susceptibility to human papillomavirus infection.

Distribution of human papillomavirus genotypes in the patients with cervical carcinoma and its precursors in Zhejiang Province, China

Various evidences reveal that the human papillomavirus (HPV) is the single most important etiologic agent in cervical carcinoma (CC). To investigate the distribution of HPV genotypes in the patients with CC and its precursors in Zhejiang Province, China, a total of 631 eligible samples from patients in Zhejiang Province with CC (N = 181), cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) II-III (N = 345), and CIN I (N = 105) were detected. Age-matched samples of 217 women without cervical neoplasia were detected as control. An improved polymerase chain reaction (PCR)-restriction fragment length polymorphism assay validated by Hybrid Capture II and PCR sequencing was designed for HPV genotype. The prevalence of HPV was 95.0% in CC, 88.4% in CIN II-III, and 73.3% in CIN I, while only 41.9% in control. High-risk/low-risk HPV ratio showed a significant trend of increase with increased grade of CIN and transformation to carcinoma. A total of 24 HPV genotypes were detected in CC and its precursors. Of those, HPV 16 (65.2%), 18 (9.4%), and 58 (9.4%) were the major HPV genotypes in CC, while HPV 16 (37.6%), 58 (19.1%), 33 (10.6%), and 18 (5.4%) in CIN. In conclusion, the distribution of predominant HPV genotypes in the patients with CC and its precursors in Zhejiang Province is HPV 16, 58, and 18, probably as well as 33, which may be high-risk factors for CC.

Insulin-like growth factor binding protein-related protein 1 (IGFBP-rP1) has potential tumour-suppressive activity in human lung cancer

The expression of insulin-like growth factor binding protein-related protein 1 (IGFBP-rP1) is decreased in various tumours, but the role of IGFBP-rP1 in lung cancer is not yet clear. In this study, IGFBP-rP1 expression in lung cancer cell lines was evaluated and reduced expression of IGFBP-rP1 was found. In tissue microarrays containing 138 primary tumours and 20 normal lung tissues analysed by immunohistochemistry, 58 tumours (42%) exhibited no expression of IGFBP-rP1, while all 20 normal lung tissues showed high expression. In squamous cell lung cancer, low expression of IGFBP-rP1 was significantly linked to high-grade tumours. Treatment with 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine restored the expression of IGFBP-rP1 in three of four lung cancer cell lines. Sequencing of PCR products of sodium bisulphite-treated genomic DNA from the three lung cancer cell lines revealed a heterogeneous methylation pattern in the region of exon 1 and intron 1. Stable transfection of IGFBP-rP1 full-length cDNA into the H2170 lung cancer cell line led to increased expression of IGFBP-rP1 protein. IGFBP-rP1-positive transfectants exhibited remarkably reduced colony-forming ability in soft agar, suppression of tumour growth rate in nude mice, and increased apoptotic cell number as well as activated caspase-3 expression level. The data suggest that IGFBP-rP1 is a tumour suppressor inactivated by DNA methylation in human lung cancer.

Loss of OPCML expression and the correlation with CpG island methylation and LOH in ovarian serous carcinoma

PURPOSE

To detect the expression of OPCML in ovarian serous carcinoma and investigate the correlation with CpG island methylation and LOH of OPCML.

METHODS

20 normal tissues, 75 ovarian serous tumors, three cell lines, SKOV-3, CAOV3 and 3AO, were detected in OPCML expression by RT-PCR, CpG island methylation by methylation-sensitive restriction enzyme-PCR, and LOH analysis at four microsatellite marks (D11S4085, D11S1320, D11S874 and D11S969).

RESULTS

Loss of OPCML expression in ovarian serous carcinomas was significantly higher than in ovarian adenomas and normal tissues. OPCML expression was detectable in 3AO, but not in SKOV-3 and CAOV3. CpG island methylation was found in 53.4% of the carcinomas, while in none of the adenomas or normal tissues. Meanwhile, CpG island methylation was detectable in SKOV-3 and CAOV3, but not in 3AO. The correlation between CpG island methylation and loss of OPCML expression was found in carcinomas. The LOH rate at D11S4085 in carcinomas was significantly higher than that for adenomas and normal tissues. LOH at D11S4085 was also correlated with loss of OPCML expression.

CONCLUSIONS

These results indicate that loss of OPCML expression occurs frequently in ovarian serous carcinoma. CpG island methylation and LOH are probably two mechanisms of OPCML inactivation.

The C-terminal peptide of connective tissue growth factor blocks the full molecule binding to tubular epithelial cell

OBJECTIVES

Interstitial fibrosis is a critical pathologic change in chronic allograft nephropathy. The cytokine connective tissue growth factor (CTGF, also CCN2) plays an important role in epithelial-mesenchymal transformation (EMT) of tubular epithelial cells to renal interstitial fibrosis. The hexadeca-peptide within the C-terminal of CTGF (named P2) contains the unique binding domain of CTGF to its potential receptor, integrin alphavbeta3. This study examined whether P2 bound preferentially to the receptor and served as an inhibitor of CTGF.

METHODS

All studies used an established rat kidney tubular epithelial cell line NRK-52E. Chemically synthesized P2 was purified, and some of it labeled with FITC. The affinity of CTGF or P2 to NRK-52E cells was examined by a solid-phase cell adhesion assay. Competitive binding between P2 and CTGF to NRK-52E cells was examined with flow cytometric analysis.

RESULTS

Both P2 and CTGF bound to the NRK-52E cells, mediating cell adhesion. When the cells were incubated in the mixture of P2 and CTGF, P2 bound to the cells preferentially. Furthermore, when cells were preincubated with excessive CTGF, it became difficult for subsequent P2 binding to occur.

CONCLUSIONS

P2 and CTGF seemed to bind to cell membranes at the same binding domain. P2 competitively blocked CTGF binding, acting as a CTGF inhibitor.