Multidirectional and simultaneous evaluation of gastroschisis-related intestinal damage in chick embryos

PURPOSE

In a chick model of gastroschisis, we aimed to investigate the morphological/cellular, molecular, and ultrastructural changes taking place in gastroschisis-related intestinal damage (GRID).

METHODS

13-Day fertilized eggs were divided into two groups.

CONTROL GROUP

chorio-amnio-allontoic membranes opened and abdominal wall exposed. Gastroschisis group: an anterior abdominal wall defect created after opening membranes. Embryos from both groups were surgically removed on post-fertilization day 19. Intestinal samples were obtained for histopathology, immunohistochemistry, molecular biology, and electron microscopy.

RESULTS

The histopathological grade of intestinal damage which primarily involved mucosal structures was significantly higher in the gastroschisis group when compared to the control group (p<0.001). Immunohistochemically, E-cadherin and synaptophysin immunoreactivity in the gastroschisis group was significantly lower than control group (p<0.05 and p<0.01, respectively), whereas there was no significant difference in laminin and type-4 collagen immunoreactivity between the groups (p>0.05). Molecular analyses indicated a significant decrease in NFκB and IκB expression in the gastroschisis group (p<0.05 and p=0.001, respectively). Electron microscopy showed that the gastroschisis group had considerable ultrastructural damage, manifested by apoptosis in all layers.

CONCLUSIONS

GRID affected all layers but was more prominent in mucosa. The damage may depend on E-cadherin and synaptophysin downregulation. Increased apoptotic activity, associated with decreased NFκB and IκB expression, may be an important component of this multifactorial damaging process.

Genome profiling of chondrosarcoma using oligonucleotide array-based comparative genomic hybridization

Chondrosarcomas of the bone are malignant hyaline cartilage-forming tumors with an annual incidence rate of 3.6% of all primary bone malignancies in the United States. Specimens of 25 chondrosarcomas (10 grade I, 9 grade II, 1 grade III, and 5 dedifferentiated) from 23 patients were collected from the Department of Pathology at the University Hospital at UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School from 1996 to 2007. Array-based comparative genomic hybridization (array-CGH) studies were performed on frozen tumor specimens. Recurrent deletions observed in at least in six tumors were 5q13.2, 5q14.2 approximately q21.3, 6q12 approximately q13, 6q16 approximately q25.3, 9p24.2 approximately q12, and 9p21.3. There was a statistically significant association between high-grade tumor (grade III and dedifferentiated) and the recurrent genetic deletions at 5q14.2 approximately q21.3, 6q16 approximately q25.3, 9p24.2 approximately q12, and 9p21.3. There is consistency between increased levels of aneuploidy and the progression of chondrosarcoma from lower to higher grades.

Lack of BCL-2 confers interferon-alpha sensitivity to B-cell lymphomas

Hairy cell leukemia (HCL) is a chronic B-cell lymphoproliferative disorder with pathological manifestations usually including splenomegaly and pancytopenia. Interferons (IFNs), specifically of the alpha subtypes, have shown a significant anti-tumor effect in HCL patients, with improvement of hematological parameters within the first few months of treatment. However, the therapeutic effect of IFN-alpha is still rather limited. The mechanisms responsible for the beneficial action of IFN-alpha in HCL patients are unclear. A continuous line of cells (Eskol) from a patient diagnosed with HCL was established and shown to have several properties of HCL. Even though, Eskol cells are very resistant to anti-proliferative activity of IFN-alpha, Daudi cells, another human B-cell-derived cell line, are very sensitive to anti-proliferative activity of IFN-alpha and are commonly used as a model cell to test anti-proliferative effect of IFN-alpha. To understand the molecular reason(s) behind the observed obvious differences to IFN sensitivity of above cells, we have analyzed the expression levels of BCL2, caspase-1, Laminin and PARP in these cells. We found that Daudi cells do not express BCL2 at all, and probably because of that, these cells have constantly cleaved, and probably activated form of caspase-1. However, when we over-expressed BCL2 in these cells, they lost processed form of caspase-1 and became resistant to anti-proliferative activity of IFN-alpha. These results let us to suggest that IFN-alpha sensitivity of B-cell lymphomas, once again, depends on the presence or absence of BCL2.

Differential PTEN protein expression profiles in superficial versus invasive bladder cancers

INTRODUCTION

The prognostic significance of PTEN protein loss in bladder cancer is not well established. The objective of this study was to investigate the PTEN expression profile in superficial noninvasive papillary transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) versus invasive TCC and compared the results with pathological and clinical parameters.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Bladder tumor samples were obtained from 29 patients who underwent surgery for superficial (n=11) and invasive (n=18) bladder cancers at the Akdeniz University Hospital. The patient profile including sex, age, histological grade and the stage, presence of carcinoma in situ, cystoscopy findings (tumor size, location, multiplicity) were obtained by examining the patients' medical records. No patient received anticancer agents prior to the operation. Western blotting was performed using bladder carcinoma samples in order to determine the level of PTEN protein expression for each patient.

RESULTS

Only 4 (13.7%) patients with bladder carcinoma manifested a decrease in the level of PTEN expression. Regarding the correlation between tumor stage and the PTEN expression, with the exception of patient 23 all patients who displayed a reduction in PTEN expression had muscle-invasive TCC.

CONCLUSION

Future studies with a clinical follow-up will be needed to determine if those superficial tumors with decreased PTEN expression are going to progress to a later stage. Based on our results PTEN by itself does not seem to be a good candidate as an independent marker to predict the behavior of bladder cancers.

The assessment of PTEN tumor suppressor gene in combination with Gleason scoring and serum PSA to evaluate progression of prostate carcinoma

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of the study was to determine if the tumor suppressor gene phosphate and tensin homolog (PTEN) (mutated in multiple advanced cancers 1) in combination with Gleason scoring and serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) could be employed to better predict the progression of prostate carcinoma.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The study group consisted of 43 patients with benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH), 15 with organ confined prostate carcinoma (OCPCa), and 18 with advanced prostate carcinoma (APCa). Prostate tissue samples were obtained from radical prostatectomy, transurethral resection, and TRUS guided trans-rectal needle biopsy and then evaluated for biomarker expression. The clinical stage was assessed according to tumor node metastasis classification and grade according to Gleason system. Serum PSA was measured by conventional techniques and Western blotting analysis was used to determine PTEN expression in the primary tissue. Multivariate analysis was performed to analyze whether these markers could individually predict the progression of prostate carcinoma.

RESULTS

APCa patients displayed higher Gleason scores and serum PSA levels. But much lower PTEN expression was detected in prostate of APCa patients compared to patients with BPH or OCPCa. Hormone refractory (HR) and hormone sensitive (HS) APCa cases did not yield any significant differences in terms of Gleason scoring, serum PSA and PTEN expression. PSA levels were significantly higher in patients with OCPCa or APCa compared to patients with BPH.

CONCLUSION

Our results suggested that both PTEN and serum PSA appeared to be useful as independent markers to depict the nature of tumor behavior as benign or malign. In addition, PTEN also appeared to be useful as an independent marker to predict the progression of prostate carcinoma.

Quantification of absorbed doses to urine bladder depending on drinking water during radioiodine therapy to thyroid cancer patients: a clinical study using MIRDOSE3

The object of the study was to quantify the absorbed doses to urinary bladder using MIRDOSE3 (medical internal radiation dose package program) depending on drinking water after giving radioiodine dose to thyroid cancer patients. Twenty-nine female thyroid cancer patients (aged 40-60 years, mean 50 years) were selected. The therapeutic doses ranged from 3700 to 7400 MBq of 131I. The radioiodine uptake was measured at 1 cm distance from three organs (previously marked), the thyroid, thigh and stomach, by using a calibrated Eberline ESP-2 GM counter, with a special arrangement of each patient. Urine samples were collected every 12 h for first 72 h, and then every 24 h for the next 96 h. The individual biological half-life of excreted urine was calculated using individual effective half-life. Absorbed doses were calculated for an adult female phantom using the dynamic bladder model of MIRDOSE3 program in two phases: firstly, for different voiding intervals; and secondly, depending on individual drinking water. An average of 85% of the total dose passed through the urinary tract within the first 72 h, with a biological half-life of 28.5+/-0.747 h, and 9% for the next 96 h with a biological half life of 118.43+/-0.645 h. The voiding interval shows great impact on total absorbed dose to bladder and water supplementation needs to be intensified to reduce absorbed doses to bladder wall for the first 3 days.