Hysteroscopy and female infertility: a fresh look to a busy corner

Hysteroscopy has evolved from the traditional art of examining the uterine cavity for diagnostic purposes to an invaluable modality to concomitantly diagnose and (see and) treat a multitude of intrauterine pathologies, especially in the field and clinics specialising in female reproduction. This article reviews the literature on the most common cervical, endometrial, uterine and tubal pathologies such as chronic endometritis, endometrial polyps, adenomyosis, endometriosis, endometrial atrophy, adhesions, endometrial hyperplasia, cancer, and uterine malformations. The aim is to determine the efficiency of hysteroscopy compared with other available techniques as a diagnostic and treatment tool and its association with the success of in vitro fertilisation procedures. Although hysteroscopy requires an experienced operator for optimal results and is still an invasive procedure, it has the unique advantage of combining great diagnostic and treatment opportunities before and after ART procedures. In conclusion, hysteroscopy should be recommended as a first-line procedure in all cases with female infertility, and a special effort should be made for its implementation in the development of new high-tech procedures for identification and treatment infertility-associated conditions.

Expression Analysis of Angiogenesis-Related Genes in Bulgarian Patients with Early-Stage Non-Small Cell Lung Cancer

Aims and background

Angiogenesis is a key process in the early stages of tumor development. In this study we aimed to evaluate the expression of a panel of angiogenesis-related genes in a group of Bulgarian patients with early-stage non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Methods and study design

We analyzed the expression of 84 genes associated with the angiogenic process in 12 NSCLCs of two histological subtypes: 7 adenocarcinomas and 5 squamous cell carcinomas. Eight peripheral nontumorous tissues were used as controls. We performed real-time PCR on pathway-specific gene arrays (SABiosciences).

Results

Our pilot study identified upregulated genes in early-stage NSCLC including growth factors (TGFA and EFNA3), the adhesion molecule THBS2, cytokines and chemokines (MDK, CXCL9, CXCL10), and the serine protease PLAU. Several genes showed downregulation including one growth factor (FIGF), the receptors for growth factors TEK and S1PR1 as well as adhesion molecules (COL4A3 and CDH5), the cytokine IL6, the matrix protein LEP and the transcription factor NOTCH4. The study demonstrated deregulated genes specific for the two histological subtypes including the transcription factor HAND2, which was overexpressed in squamous cell carcinomas but not adenocarcinomas.

Conclusions

Despite the limited number of patients, our results demonstrated the potential of angiogenesis-related genes as biomarkers in the early stages of NSCLC development. Free full text available at www.tumorionline.it

Genome-wide gene expression profiles of ovarian carcinoma: Identification of molecular targets for the treatment of ovarian carcinoma

This study aimed to clarify the molecular mechanisms involved in ovarian carcinogenesis, and to identify candidate molecular targets for its diagnosis and treatment. The genome-wide gene expression profiles of 22 epithelial ovarian carcinomas were analyzed with a microarray representing 38,500 genes, in combination with laser microbeam microdissection. A total of 273 commonly up-regulated transcripts and 387 down-regulated transcripts were identified in the ovarian carcinoma samples. Of the 273 up-regulated transcripts, only 87 (31.9%) were previously reported as up-regulated in microarray studies using bulk cancer tissues and normal ovarian tissues for analysis. CHMP4C (chromatin-modifying protein 4C) was frequently overexpressed in ovarian carcinoma tissue, but not expressed in the normal human tissues used as a control. Our data should contribute to an improved understanding of tumorigenesis in ovarian cancer, and aid in the development of diagnostic tumor markers and molecular-targeting therapy for patients with the disease.

Genome-wide gene expression profiles of thyroid carcinoma: Identification of molecular targets for treatment of thyroid carcinoma

In order to clarify the molecular mechanism involved in thyroid carcinogenesis and to identify candidate molecular targets for diagnosis and treatment, we analyzed genome-wide gene expression profiles of 18 papillary thyroid carcinomas with a microarray representing 38,500 genes in combination with laser microbeam microdissection. We identified 243 transcripts that were commonly up-regulated and 138 transcripts that were down-regulated in thyroid carcinoma. Among these 243 transcripts identified, only 71 transcripts were reported as up-regulated genes in previous microarray studies, in which bulk cancer tissues and normal thyroid tissues were used for the analysis. We further selected genes that were overexpressed very commonly in thyroid carcinoma, though were not expressed in the normal human tissues examined. Among them, we focused on the regulator of G-protein signaling 4 (RGS4) and knocked-down its expression in thyroid cancer cells by small-interfering RNA. The effective down-regulation of its expression levels in thyroid cancer cells significantly attenuated viability of thyroid cancer cells, indicating the significant role of RGS4 in thyroid carcinogenesis. Our data should be helpful for a better understanding of the tumorigenesis of thyroid cancer and could contribute to the development of diagnostic tumor markers and molecular-targeting therapy for patients with thyroid cancer.