The Expression, Morphology, and Clinical Characteristics of Fibroblast Growth Factor-10 in Breast Cancer

Background: Fibroblast growth factor-10 (FGF-10) is a member of a superfamily with characteristics of epithelial cell proliferation and embryonic development and is assumed to have a role in a phenomenon called the epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). The previous study has revealed the critical role of FGF-10 in type III EMT in breast cancer cell lines. The mentioned finding, demonstrates the possible role of this factor in type III EMT in cancers with different origins such as breast. The present study investigated the expression of FGF-10 as a mitotic-inducing growth factor, normally has a low expression in breast tissues amongst breast cancer patients. Materials and Methods: 67 breast cancer tissues and 8 normal breast tissues were randomly selected from the Iran national tumor bank. The FGF-10 gene expression analysis was performed after the RNA expression using the real-time RTPCR, which was followed by the Student’s t-test statistical analysis. Results: The findings revealed that the relative expression of FGF-10 was elevated in tumor tissues as compared with normal breast tissues, and the higher expression had a direct correlation with the progression of clinical and pathologic staging. The expression was also significantly higher in triple-negative breast cancer and p53 null tissues. Conclusion: Taken together, it is suggested that, although in some variables it was not significant but generally the invasion and migration in tumor tissues are the same as in-vitro analysis as indicated before, and the expression has a direct relationship with the molecular presentation and clinical -pathological progression. 

Opium use and the risk of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma

Scant evidence exists to support the association of opium use with head and neck cancer, limited to the larynx and oral cavity. In a multicenter case-control study-Iran Opium and Cancer study, we recruited 633 cases of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) (254 lip and oral cavity, 54 pharynx, 327 larynx and 28 other subsites within the head and neck) and 3065 frequency-matched controls from April 2016 to April 2019. Odds ratios (ORs) for opium use and 95% confidence intervals (95% CIs) were obtained using mixed-effects logistic regression because of heterogeneity among centers. The adjusted OR (95% CI) for regular opium use was 3.76 (2.96-4.79) for all HNSCC combined. Strong dose-response effects were observed by frequency or amount of use, and duration of use. Regular opium uses significantly increased the risk of HNSCC of the pharynx, larynx and other subsites within the head and neck with OR (95% CI) of 2.90 (1.40-6.02), 6.55 (4.69-9.13) and 5.95 (2.41-14.71), respectively. The observed associations were significant even among never tobacco smokers (including cigarette and water-pipe smoking). Moreover, by the multiplicative interaction scale, the effect of opium use could be varied by cigarette smoking on HNSCC, 8.16 (6.20-10.74). For the first time, the current study showed opium users have an increased risk of several anatomic subsites of HNSCC.

The Iranian Study of Opium and Cancer (IROPICAN): Rationale, Design, and Initial Findings

BACKGROUND

The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) recently classified opium use as a Group 1 carcinogen. However, much remains to be studied on the relation between opium and cancer. We designed the Iranian Opium and Cancer (IROPICAN) study to further investigate the association of opium use and cancers of the head and neck, bladder, lung, and colon and rectum. In this paper, we describe the rationale, design, and some initial results of the IROPICAN Study.

METHODS

The IROPICAN is a multi-center case-control study conducted in 10 provinces of Iran. The cases were all histologically confirmed and the controls were selected from hospital visitors who were free of cancer, were not family members or friends of the cancer patients, and were visiting the hospital for reasons other than their own ailment. The questionnaires included detailed questions on opium use (including age at initiation, duration, frequency, typical amount, and route), and potential confounders, such as tobacco use (e.g., cigarettes, nass and water-pipe), and dietary factors. Biological samples, including blood and saliva, were also collected.

RESULTS

The validation and pilot phases showed reasonably good validity, with sensitivities of 70% and 69% for the cases and controls, respectively, in reporting opium use. The results also showed excellent reliability, with intra-class correlation coefficients of 0.96 for ever opium use and 0.88 (95% CI: 0.80, 0.92) for regular opium use. In the main phase, we recruited 3299 cancer cases (99% response rate) and 3477 hospital visitor controls (89% response rate). The proportion of ever-use of opium was 40% among cases and 18% among controls.

CONCLUSION

The IROPICAN study will serve as a major resource in studies addressing the effect of opium on risk of cancers of the head and neck, bladder, lung, and colon and rectum.

Association between mitochondrial DNA content and opium exposure

To date, not much study has been done to investigate the mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copy number as the potential biomarker for opium exposure. Here, we conducted a cross-sectional study to determine the relative mtDNA content as the potential biomarker for opium exposure. Quantitative real-time PCR was performed to investigate the mtDNA copy number variation across 205 individuals, including blood samples of 45 opium users, 41 cigarette users, 47 dual users, and 72 never users of any product. We found a significantly higher mtDNA content among the opium-only users (adjusted OR: 3.21; 95% CI: [1.34, 7.66]; P = .009) and dual users (adjusted OR: 2.64; 95% CI: [1.15, 6.1]; P = .02) compared to that in never users even after adjustment for confounding factors, age, and sex. Discordantly, analysis of mitochondrial DNA in cigarette smokers revealed an indirect association between cigarette smoking and mtDNA content although it was not statistically significant. The reason behind the increased mitochondrial DNA is unclear. The possible hypothesis is that there might be a way to compensate for the oxidative damage induced by opium consumption. Taken together, our findings indicated that the mtDNA copy number may alter during opium exposure. Since changes in the mitochondrial DNA copy number was associated with the etiology of many diseases including cancer, further investigations on the mtDNA copy number may shed light on the carcinogenicity of opium consumption and means for early detection among the populations who have been exposed to opium and its products.

Gene Panel Testing in Hereditary Breast Cancer

BACKGROUND

Breast cancer (BC) is a highly complex, heterogeneous and multifactorial disease and is the most commonly diagnosed cancer and the leading cause of cancer-related mortality in women worldwide. Family history and genetic mutations are important risk factors for BC. While studies in twins have estimated that about 10%-30% of BC are due to hereditary factors, only 4%-5% of them are due to mutations in BRCA1 or BRCA2 genes. Our aim was to investigate the role of other BC genes in familial BC among the Iranian population.

METHODS

We selected 61 BC patients who were wild-type for BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations but who met the criteria for hereditary BC based on the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics (ACMG) and the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guidelines. We performed targeted sequencing covering the exons of 130 known cancer susceptibility genes based on the Cancer Gene Census list.

RESULTS

We found seven mutations in seven known BC susceptibility genes (RAD50, PTEN, TP53, POLH, DKC1, WRN and CHEK2) in seven patients including two pathogenic frameshift variants in RAD50 and WRN genes, four pathogenic missense variants in TP53, PTEN, POLH, and DKC1 genes and a pathogenic splice donor variant in the CHEK2 gene. The presence of all these variants was confirmed by Sanger sequencing and Gap reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) for the splice variant. In silico analysis of all of these variants predicted them to be pathogenic.

CONCLUSION

Panel testing of BC patients who met the established criteria for hereditary BC but who were negative for BRCA1/2 mutations provided additional relevant clinical information for approximately 11.5% of the families. Our findings indicate that next generation sequencing (NGS) is a powerful tool to investigative putative mutagenic variants among patients who meet the criteria for hereditary BC, but with negative results on BRCA1/2 testing.

The NCCN Criterion "Young Age at Onset" Alone is Not an Indicator of Hereditary Breast Cancer in Iranian Population

Because the contribution of genetic factors to the burden of breast cancer is not well investigated in Iran, we aimed to examine the prevalence of mutations in breast cancer susceptibility genes, BRCA1/2 and PALB2, and to investigate the predictive potential of hereditary breast cancer risk criteria for genetic testing in Iranian population. Next-generation sequencing was conducted on a population consisting of 299 and 125 patients with breast cancer, with and without hereditary cancer risk criteria for genetic testing, respectively. The pathogenic mutation frequency rate was 10.7% in patients with hereditary cancer criteria versus 1.6% in no criteria group (P = 0.0017). None of the 107 tested patients with only young age at onset (<40) criterion had a pathogenic mutation. Patients who had only a single heritable risk criterion [OR, 6.15; 95% confidence interval (CI), 1.26-58.59; P = 0.009] and patients with multiple heritable risk criteria (OR, 22.5; 95% CI, 5.19-201.31; P < 0.0001) had higher probabilities of carrying a mutation compared with no criteria group. Our results showed that young age at onset alone is not an indicator of hereditary breast cancer at least in the Iranian population. This is while women with multiple hereditary breast cancer risk criteria were enriched for BRCA1/2 mutations. Given such high risk of identification of a disease-causing mutation, multiple hereditary criteria should be regarded as a strong predictor for a hereditary breast cancer syndrome. These findings are important concerning the optimization of genetic counseling and furthermore establishing criteria for BRCA1/2 testing of the Iranian population.

What Is the Best Risk-Reducing Decision for Breast Cancer Patients With BRCA1/2 Mutation?

N/A

NGS-Based BRCA1, BRCA2, and PALB2 Mutation Testing in Iranian Population With Breast Cancer

Background: Identification of individuals who have a pathogenic mutation in breast cancer susceptibility genes is an important step to take advantage of genetic counseling, screening, and potentially life-saving prevention strategies. Based on the National Comprehensive Cancer Network (NCCN) guideline, genetic testing is deemed suitable for breast cancer patients with young age at onset, positive family history of cancers, male breast cancer, or diagnosis with a multifocal or triple negative breast cancer. Aim: Since, it is not known what proportion of breast cancers in Iran is hereditary and related to mutations in BRCA1/2 and PALB2 genes, therefore, we screened these 3 genes in multiethnic Iranian population to determine the spectrum of the breast cancer susceptibility gene mutations and to further assess the predictive value of the hereditary breast cancer risk criteria for genetic testing. Methods: Next generation sequencing (NGS) was conducted on a population consisted of 299 and 125 breast cancer patients, with and without hereditary cancer risk criteria for genetic testing, respectively. Results: Pathogenic mutation rate was 10.36% in patients with hereditary criteria for breast cancer vs 1.6% in no criteria group ( P = 0.002). All the patients who only met the young age at onset (<40) criterion tested negative for a gene mutation. This is while patients who had only 1 hereditary criterion (OR: 5.48, 95% CI: 1.09, 52.90, P = 0.017) and patients with multiple hereditary criteria (OR: 22.5, 95% CI: 5.19, 201.31, P < 0.0001) had a significantly higher probability of finding a mutation compared with no risk-criteria group. Conclusion: The first application of NGS on Iranian breast cancer population added to the cumulative evidence that BRCA1/2 mutations are seen commonly among Iranian breast cancer patients especially those with hereditary breast cancer criteria and indicated that PALB2 should be concerned in hereditary breast cancer screening alongside BRCA1/2. Investigating the predictive potential of hereditary breast cancer risk criteria our results suggest that offering genetic testing to women with early age at onset of <40 with no other hereditary criteria, may not be cost effective and should be considered for optimization of genetic counseling and genetic testing of the Iranian population.

The first successful application of preimplantation genetic diagnosis for hearing loss in Iran

Hearing impairment (HI) caused by mutations in the connexin-26 gene (GJB2) accounts for the majority of cases with inherited, nonsyndromic sensorineural hearing loss. Due to the illegality of the abortion of deaf fetuses in Islamic countries, preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) is a possible solution for afflicted families to have a healthy offspring. This study describes the first use of PGD for GJB2 associated non-syndromic deafness in Iran. GJB2 donor splicing site IVS1+1G>A mutation analysis was performed using Sanger sequencing for a total of 71 Iranian families with at least 1 deaf child diagnosed with non-syndromic deafness. In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) was performed, followed by PGD for a cousin couple with a 50% chance of having an affected child. Bi-allelic pathogenic mutations were found in a total of 12 families (~17 %); of which a couple was a PGD volunteer. The deaf woman in this family was homozygous and her husband was a carrier of the IVS1+1G>A gene mutation. Among 8 biopsied embryos, two healthy embryos were implanted which resulted in a single pregnancy and subsequent birth of a healthy baby boy. This is the first report of a successful application of PGD for hearing loss in Iran. Having a baby with a severe hearing impairment often imposes families with long-term disease burden and heavy therapy costs. Today PGD has provided an opportunity for high-risk individuals to avoid the birth of a deaf child.

The first successful application of preimplantation genetic diagnosis for hearing loss in Iran

Hearing impairment (HI) caused by mutations in the connexin-26 gene (GJB2) accounts for the majority of cases with inherited, nonsyndromic sensorineural hearing loss. Due to the illegality of the abortion of deaf fetuses in Islamic countries, preimplantation genetic diagnosis (PGD) is a possible solution for afflicted families to have a healthy offspring. This study describes the first use of PGD for GJB2 associated non-syndromic deafness in Iran. GJB2 donor splicing site IVS1+1G&gt;A mutation analysis was performed using Sanger sequencing for a total of 71 Iranian families with at least 1 deaf child diagnosed with non-syndromic deafness. In Vitro Fertilization (IVF) was performed, followed by PGD for a cousin couple with a 50% chance of having an affected child. Bi-allelic pathogenic mutations were found in a total of 12 families (~17 %); of which a couple was a PGD volunteer. The deaf woman in this family was homozygous and her husband was a carrier of the IVS1+1G&gt;A gene mutation. Among 8 biopsied embryos, two healthy embryos were implanted which resulted in a single pregnancy and subsequent birth of a healthy baby boy. This is the first report of a successful application of PGD for hearing loss in Iran. Having a baby with a severe hearing impairment often imposes families with long-term disease burden and heavy therapy costs. Today PGD has provided an opportunity for high-risk individuals to avoid the birth of a deaf child.

Mitochondrial DNA copy number instability in ERBB2-amplified breast cancer tumors

Increase in the copy number of ERBB2, a Tyrosine Kinase Receptor (TKR) leads to the overexpression of oncogene product and consequently uncontrolled cell proliferation which has been reported in different aggressive cancers with mitochondrial malfunctions. Although, amplification of ERBB2 has been reported in different studies; however, the association between changes in mitochondrial DNA content and the ERBB2 gene copy number is poorly understood. The relative mitochondrial DNA content of breast cancer tumor tissues of 70 patients who were referred to Imam Khomeini Hospital Complex was determined using quantitative Real-time PCR. Multiplex ligation-dependent probe amplification (MLPA) was conducted to evaluate the ERBB2 gene copy number variation and finally, two-sample Wilcoxon rank-sum (Mann-Whitney) test was used to investigate the possible association between mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) content and the ERBB2 gene amplification. Seventeen out of 70 breast cancer tumor tissues were found with ERBB2 gene amplification. Comparison of the mitochondrial DNA content of the aforementioned samples with the rest of the cases showed a significant decrease in the mitochondrial DNA content of the ERBB2-amplified samples (P=0.01). Our data provided evidence that ERBB2 have the potential to have a regulatory role over mitochondrial activity by controlling the mtDNA content.

Optical and structural investigation on sodium borosilicate glasses doped with Cr2O3

In this work, Sodium borosilicate glasses with chemical composition of 60% SiO₂-20% B₂O₃-20%Na₂O doped with different contents of Cr₂O₃ were prepared by melting-quenching method. Physical, structural and optical properties of glasses were investigated by studying density and molar volume, Fourier Transform Infrared (FT-IR) Spectra and UV-visible absorption spectroscopy. The results showed an increase in density of glasses with the increase of Cr₂O₃ that can be due to addition of oxide with high molar mass. The optical absorption spectra of un-doped glass reveals UV absorption due to trace iron impurities with no visible band however Cr₂O₃ doped glasses shows absorption in visible range that are characteristic. Increasing of Cr³⁺ ions in the glassy microstructure of samples provides a semiconducting character to Sodium borosilicate glass by reducing the direct and indirect optical band gaps of glass samples from 3.79 to 2.59 (ev) and 3.36 to 2.09 (ev), respectively. These changes could be attributed to the role of Cr³⁺ ions as the network former which asserts improvement of semiconducting behavior in presence of Cr₂O₃.

BIRC5 Genomic Copy Number Variation in Early-Onset Breast Cancer

Background:

Baculoviral inhibitor of apoptosis repeat-containing 5 (BIRC5) gene is an inhibitor of apoptosis that expresses in human embryonic tissues but it is absent in most healthy adult tissues. The copy number of BIRC5 has been indicated to be highly increased in tumor tissues; however, its association with the age of onset in breast cancer is not well understood.

Methods:

Forty tumor tissues of breast cancer were obtained from Tumor Bank of Cancer Institute, Imam Khomeini Hospital, Tehran, Iran. BIRC5 gene copy number variation (CNV) was evaluated using Multiplex Ligation-dependent Probe Amplification (MLPA) and then compared with the age of onset for each patient.

Results:

BIRC5 amplification was seen in 17.5% of cases. Also, a significant association was observed between BIRC5 gene amplification and individuals under 40 years of age (P=0.04).

Conclusion:

BIRC5 gene has the potential to be a marker for the detection and prognosis of cancer at an early age.

Water quality assessment in an arid region using a water quality index

Water quality of the Zayandehrud River, located in an arid region of central part of Iran, was assessed using National Sanitation Foundation Water Quality Index (NSF WQI) calculated by four aggregation methods. Water samples were collected monthly (July 2006 to June 2007) from eight stations in the middle of the river. The parameters required for the NSF WQI calculations including saturation percent of dissolved oxygen, biochemical oxygen demand, fecal coliforms, pH, nitrate, total phosphate, temperature deviation, total dissolved solids and turbidity were measured. According to WQI(m) which appeared to be more adapted to environmental conditions of the Zayandehrud River, the studied section of the river was considered as "reasonable" to "polluted" water quality. All of the calculated water quality indices showed the lowest values in August. In addition to BOD(5) and fecal coliform amounts which were generally high, nitrate and total phosphate concentrations were also considerably increased due to agriculture practices in August. Generally, BOD(5) and fecal coliforms are the main water quality subindices that reflect the effect of anthropogenic activities on the water quality of this river.