Individualized neoantigen peptide immunization of a metastatic pancreatic cancer patient: a case report of combined tumor and liquid biopsy.

This report details a case of pancreatic cancer with liver metastasis that exhibited a positive immune response to personalized immunization therapy. Our study involved the identification of neoantigens and their corresponding immunogenic peptides using an in-house bioinformatic pipeline. This process included the identification of somatic mutations through DNA/RNA sequencing of solid tumor tissue and blood liquid biopsy. Computational prediction techniques were then employed to identify novel epitopes, followed by the design and manufacture of patient-specific immunization peptides. In combination with standard-of-care chemotherapy, the patient received a sequence of 5 biweekly prime injections followed by 2 boost injections 2 and 5 months later. The peptides were emulsified in Montanide and the injection-site was conditioned with nivolumab and imiquimod. The combined regimen of peptide immunization and chemotherapy resulted in a notable decline in CA19-9 tumor marker levels following both prime and boost applications. Subsequent MRI assessments revealed a reduction in the size of liver metastases several months post-immunization initiation. Importantly, the patient showed and improved overall survival and reported an improved quality of life without experiencing significant treatment-related adverse effects. This case underscores the potential benefits of personalized peptide-based immunization as an adjunctive therapy in the treatment of advanced pancreatic cancer, showcasing promising outcomes in tumor marker reduction, tumor shrinkage, and enhanced patient well-being.

DNA-methylation signature accurately differentiates pancreatic cancer from chronic pancreatitis in tissue and plasma.

OBJECTIVE: Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is a lethal malignancy. Differentiation from chronic pancreatitis (CP) is currently inaccurate in about one-third of cases. Misdiagnoses in both directions, however, have severe consequences for patients. We set out to identify molecular markers for a clear distinction between PDAC and CP. DESIGN: Genome-wide variations of DNA-methylation, messenger RNA and microRNA level as well as combinations thereof were analysed in 345 tissue samples for marker identification. To improve diagnostic performance, we established a random-forest machine-learning approach. Results were validated on another 48 samples and further corroborated in 16 liquid biopsy samples. RESULTS: Machine-learning succeeded in defining markers to differentiate between patients with PDAC and CP, while low-dimensional embedding and cluster analysis failed to do so. DNA-methylation yielded the best diagnostic accuracy by far, dwarfing the importance of transcript levels. Identified changes were confirmed with data taken from public repositories and validated in independent sample sets. A signature of six DNA-methylation sites in a CpG-island of the protein kinase C beta type gene achieved a validated diagnostic accuracy of 100% in tissue and in circulating free DNA isolated from patient plasma. CONCLUSION: The success of machine-learning to identify an effective marker signature documents the power of this approach. The high diagnostic accuracy of discriminating PDAC from CP could have tremendous consequences for treatment success, once the result from still a limited number of liquid biopsy samples would be confirmed in a larger cohort of patients with suspected pancreatic cancer.

Improved Survival of a HER2-Positive Metastatic Breast Cancer Patient Following a Personalized Peptide Immunization.

Cancer neoantigens that arise from somatic mutations have emerged as important targets for personalized immunization. Here, we report an improved overall survival of a HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer patient using a bioinformatic-based personalized peptide immunization called BITAP (BioInformatic Tumor Address Peptides). The epitopes were predicted using our in-house bioinformatic pipeline, and the immunogenicity was tested by IFN-γ ELISPOT and intracellular cytokine staining assays. In total, a significant peptide-specific T-cell response was detected against 18 out of the 76 (≈24%) tested peptides. The patient's follow-up by measuring serologic markers showed a significant reduction in the tumor marker levels following BITAP immunization. Along with standard treatment, the patient treated with the BITAP showed stable disease with a remarkably improved overall survival, and no serious treatment-related adverse effects. In conclusion, our findings suggest that BITAP immunization is feasible, and safe, and may induce tumor regressions in patients with HER2-positive subsets of breast cancer.

Identification of two early blood biomarkers ACHE and CLEC12A for improved risk stratification of critically ill COVID-19 patients.

In order to identify biomarkers for earlier prediction of COVID-19 outcome, we collected blood samples from patients with fatal outcomes (non-survivors) and with positive clinical outcomes (survivors) at ICU admission and after seven days. COVID-19 survivors and non-survivors showed significantly different transcript levels for 93 genes in whole blood already at ICU admission as revealed by RNA-Seq. These differences became even more pronounced at day 7, resulting in 290 differentially expressed genes. Many identified genes play a role in the differentiation of hematopoietic cells. For validation, we designed an RT-qPCR assay for C-type lectin domain family 12 member A (CLEC12A) and acetylcholinesterase (ACHE), two transcripts that showed highest potential to discriminate between survivors and non-survivors at both time points. Using our combined RT-qPCR assay we examined 33 samples to accurately predict patient survival with an AUROC curve of 0.931 (95% CI = 0.814-1.000) already at ICU admission. CLEC12A and ACHE showed improved prediction of patient outcomes compared to standard clinical biomarkers including CRP and PCT in combination (AUROC = 0.403, 95% CI = 0.108-0.697) or SOFA score (AUROC = 0.701 95% CI = 0.451-0.951) at day 0. Therefore, analyzing CLEC12A and ACHE gene expression from blood may provide a promising approach for early risk stratification of severely ill COVID-19 patients.

DNA methylation biomarkers for noninvasive detection of triple-negative breast cancer using liquid biopsy.

Noninvasive detection of aberrant DNA methylation could provide invaluable biomarkers for earlier detection of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) which could help clinicians with easier and more efficient treatment options. We evaluated genome-wide DNA methylation data derived from TNBC and normal breast tissues, peripheral blood of TNBC cases and controls and reference samples of sorted blood and mammary cells. Differentially methylated regions (DMRs) between TNBC and normal breast tissues were stringently selected, verified and externally validated. A machine-learning algorithm was applied to select the top DMRs, which then were evaluated on plasma-derived circulating cell-free DNA (cfDNA) samples of TNBC patients and healthy controls. We identified 23 DMRs accounting for the methylation profile of blood cells and reference mammary cells and then selected six top DMRs for cfDNA analysis. We quantified un-/methylated copies of these DMRs by droplet digital PCR analysis in a plasma test set from TNBC patients and healthy controls and confirmed our findings obtained on tissues. Differential cfDNA methylation was confirmed in an independent validation set of plasma samples. A methylation score combining signatures of the top three DMRs overlapping with the SPAG6, LINC10606 and TBCD/ZNF750 genes had the best capability to discriminate TNBC patients from controls (AUC = 0.78 in the test set and AUC = 0.74 in validation set). Our findings demonstrate the usefulness of cfDNA-based methylation signatures as noninvasive liquid biopsy markers for the diagnosis of TNBC.

Epigenetic quantification of circulating immune cells in peripheral blood of triple-negative breast cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: A shift in the proportions of blood immune cells is a hallmark of cancer development. Here, we investigated whether methylation-derived immune cell type ratios and methylation-derived neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratios (mdNLRs) are associated with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC). METHODS: Leukocyte subtype-specific unmethylated/methylated CpG sites were selected, and methylation levels at these sites were used as proxies for immune cell type proportions and mdNLR estimation in 231 TNBC cases and 231 age-matched controls. Data were validated using the Houseman deconvolution method. Additionally, the natural killer (NK) cell ratio was measured in a prospective sample set of 146 TNBC cases and 146 age-matched controls. RESULTS: The mdNLRs were higher in TNBC cases compared with controls and associated with TNBC (odds ratio (OR) range (2.66-4.29), all Padj. < 1e-04). A higher neutrophil ratio and lower ratios of NK cells, CD4 + T cells, CD8 + T cells, monocytes, and B cells were associated with TNBC. The strongest association was observed with decreased NK cell ratio (OR range (1.28-1.42), all Padj. < 1e-04). The NK cell ratio was also significantly lower in pre-diagnostic samples of TNBC cases compared with controls (P = 0.019). CONCLUSION: This immunomethylomic study shows that a shift in the ratios/proportions of leukocyte subtypes is associated with TNBC, with decreased NK cell showing the strongest association. These findings improve our knowledge of the role of the immune system in TNBC and point to the possibility of using NK cell level as a non-invasive molecular marker for TNBC risk assessment, early detection, and prevention.

DNA methylation of the long intergenic noncoding RNA 299 gene in triple-negative breast cancer: results from a prospective study.

Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive breast cancer subtype associated with a high rate of recurrence and poor prognosis. Recently we identified a hypermethylation in the long noncoding RNA 299 (LINC00299) gene in blood-derived DNA from TNBC patients compared with healthy controls implying that LINC00299 hypermethylation may serve as a circulating biomarker for TNBC. In the present study, we investigated whether LINC00299 methylation is associated with TNBC in a prospective nested breast cancer case-control study within the Generations Study. Methylation at cg06588802 in LINC00299 was measured in 154 TNBC cases and 159 breast cancer-free matched controls using MethyLight droplet digital PCR. To assess the association between methylation level and TNBC risk, logistic regression was used to calculate odd ratios and 95% confidence intervals, adjusted for smoking status. We found no evidence for association between methylation levels and TNBC overall (P = 0.062). Subgroup analysis according to age at diagnosis and age at blood draw revealed increased methylation levels in TNBC cases compared with controls in the young age groups [age 26-52 (P = 0.0025) and age 22-46 (P = 0.001), respectively]. Our results suggest a potential association of LINC00299 hypermethylation with TNBC in young women.

SST gene hypermethylation acts as a pan-cancer marker for pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and multiple other tumors: toward its use for blood-based diagnosis.

Aberrant DNA methylation is often involved in carcinogenesis. Our initial goal was to identify DNA methylation biomarkers associated with pancreatic cancer. A genomewide methylation study was performed on DNA from pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) and endocrine pancreas tumors. Validation of DNA methylation patterns and concomitant alterations in expression of gene candidates was performed on patient samples and pancreatic cancer cell lines. Furthermore, validation was done on independent data from The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) and Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO). Finally, droplet digital PCR was employed to detect DNA methylation marks in cell-free (cf) DNA isolated from plasma samples of PDAC patients and cancer-free blood donors. Hypermethylation of the SST gene (encoding somatostatin) and concomitant downregulation of its expression were discovered in PDAC and endocrine tumor tissues while not being present in chronic pancreatitis (inflamed) tissues and normal pancreas. Fittingly, treatment with a somatostatin agonist (octreotide) reduced cell proliferation and migration of pancreatic cancer cells. Diagnostic performance of SST methylation in a receiver operating characteristic curve analysis was 100% and 89% for tissue and plasma samples, respectively. A large body of TCGA and GEO data confirmed SST hypermethylation and downregulation in PDAC and showed a similar effect in a broad spectrum of other tumor entities. SST promoter methylation represents a sensitive and promising molecular, pan-cancer biomarker detectable in tumor tissue, and liquid biopsy samples.

Prediction of contralateral breast cancer: external validation of risk calculators in 20 international cohorts.

BACKGROUND: Three tools are currently available to predict the risk of contralateral breast cancer (CBC). We aimed to compare the performance of the Manchester formula, CBCrisk, and PredictCBC in patients with invasive breast cancer (BC). METHODS: We analyzed data of 132,756 patients (4682 CBC) from 20 international studies with a median follow-up of 8.8 years. Prediction performance included discrimination, quantified as a time-dependent Area-Under-the-Curve (AUC) at 5 and 10 years after diagnosis of primary BC, and calibration, quantified as the expected-observed (E/O) ratio at 5 and 10 years and the calibration slope. RESULTS: The AUC at 10 years was: 0.58 (95% confidence intervals [CI] 0.57-0.59) for CBCrisk; 0.60 (95% CI 0.59-0.61) for the Manchester formula; 0.63 (95% CI 0.59-0.66) and 0.59 (95% CI 0.56-0.62) for PredictCBC-1A (for settings where BRCA1/2 mutation status is available) and PredictCBC-1B (for the general population), respectively. The E/O at 10 years: 0.82 (95% CI 0.51-1.32) for CBCrisk; 1.53 (95% CI 0.63-3.73) for the Manchester formula; 1.28 (95% CI 0.63-2.58) for PredictCBC-1A and 1.35 (95% CI 0.65-2.77) for PredictCBC-1B. The calibration slope was 1.26 (95% CI 1.01-1.50) for CBCrisk; 0.90 (95% CI 0.79-1.02) for PredictCBC-1A; 0.81 (95% CI 0.63-0.99) for PredictCBC-1B, and 0.39 (95% CI 0.34-0.43) for the Manchester formula. CONCLUSIONS: Current CBC risk prediction tools provide only moderate discrimination and the Manchester formula was poorly calibrated. Better predictors and re-calibration are needed to improve CBC prediction and to identify low- and high-CBC risk patients for clinical decision-making.

Prediction and clinical utility of a contralateral breast cancer risk model.

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer survivors are at risk for contralateral breast cancer (CBC), with the consequent burden of further treatment and potentially less favorable prognosis. We aimed to develop and validate a CBC risk prediction model and evaluate its applicability for clinical decision-making. METHODS: We included data of 132,756 invasive non-metastatic breast cancer patients from 20 studies with 4682 CBC events and a median follow-up of 8.8 years. We developed a multivariable Fine and Gray prediction model (PredictCBC-1A) including patient, primary tumor, and treatment characteristics and BRCA1/2 germline mutation status, accounting for the competing risks of death and distant metastasis. We also developed a model without BRCA1/2 mutation status (PredictCBC-1B) since this information was available for only 6% of patients and is routinely unavailable in the general breast cancer population. Prediction performance was evaluated using calibration and discrimination, calculated by a time-dependent area under the curve (AUC) at 5 and 10 years after diagnosis of primary breast cancer, and an internal-external cross-validation procedure. Decision curve analysis was performed to evaluate the net benefit of the model to quantify clinical utility. RESULTS: In the multivariable model, BRCA1/2 germline mutation status, family history, and systemic adjuvant treatment showed the strongest associations with CBC risk. The AUC of PredictCBC-1A was 0.63 (95% prediction interval (PI) at 5 years, 0.52-0.74; at 10 years, 0.53-0.72). Calibration-in-the-large was -0.13 (95% PI: -1.62-1.37), and the calibration slope was 0.90 (95% PI: 0.73-1.08). The AUC of Predict-1B at 10 years was 0.59 (95% PI: 0.52-0.66); calibration was slightly lower. Decision curve analysis for preventive contralateral mastectomy showed potential clinical utility of PredictCBC-1A between thresholds of 4-10% 10-year CBC risk for BRCA1/2 mutation carriers and non-carriers. CONCLUSIONS: We developed a reasonably calibrated model to predict the risk of CBC in women of European-descent; however, prediction accuracy was moderate. Our model shows potential for improved risk counseling, but decision-making regarding contralateral preventive mastectomy, especially in the general breast cancer population where limited information of the mutation status in BRCA1/2 is available, remains challenging.

GHSR DNA hypermethylation is a new epigenetic biomarker for gastric adenocarcinoma and beyond.

Aberrations of DNA methylation are early events in the development of tumors. In this study, we investigated the DNA methylation status of growth hormone secretagogue receptor (GHSR), a promising pan-cancer biomarker, in gastric cancer (GC). Initially, data sets from DNA methylation and gene expression studies available at Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) were analyzed. Confirmation was done on primary tumor specimens and adjacent normal stomach tissue samples. Both analyses showed significant hypermethylation of GHSR. For further validation, The Cancer Genome Atlas data on stomach cancer was used. A receiver operating characteristic curve analysis yielded an area under the curve value of 0.85, corroborating its usefulness as a diagnostic marker. A genome-wide comethylation analysis revealed several correlated genes. CREB1 was found to act as an upstream regulator of this gene network. Furthermore, GHSR methylation was found to be a biomarker in several other tumor entities, namely cancers of the bladder, endometrium, esophagus, head and neck, liver, thyroid, kidney, and ovary. Our findings along with previous reports on other types of cancer suggest a high potential of GHSR gene methylation as a pan-cancer biomarker, which could be considered for liquid biopsy applications.

Long intergenic noncoding RNA 299 methylation in peripheral blood is a biomarker for triple-negative breast cancer.

AIM: To identify DNA methylation biomarkers in peripheral blood samples from triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) patients. MATERIALS & METHODS: We conducted an epigenome-wide association study (EWAS): the most promising markers were identified in 233 TNBC case-control pairs (discovery set) and subsequently validated in an independent validation set (57 TNBC patients and 124 controls). RESULTS: cg06588802 (LINC00299/ID2) showed a higher methylation in TNBC patients compared with controls (discovery set: 3% increase, p-value = 0.0009; validation set: 2% increase, p-value = 0.01). Consistent results at four neighboring methylation probes and the strong negative correlation (rho = -0.93) with LINC00299 expression add plausibility to this result. CONCLUSION: Hypermethylation of LINC00299 in peripheral blood may constitute a useful circulating biomarker for TNBC.

Tissue-Specific Down-Regulation of the Long Non-Coding RNAs PCAT18 and LINC01133 in Gastric Cancer Development.

Gastric cancer (GC) is the fifth most common cancer and the third most frequent cause of cancer deaths worldwide. The high death rate associated with GC, and lack of appropriate biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment emphasize the need for identification of novel molecules. Given the emerging roles for long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) in cancer development, we studied novel lncRNA candidates involved in gastric carcinogenesis. LncRNA candidate discovery was performed using analyses of available datasets and literature. Validation was done using an internal sample set of GC/normal tissues, and external independent datasets. Network analysis and functional annotation of co-expressed protein coding genes were performed using the weighted gene correlation network analysis (WGCNA) and ingenuity pathway analysis. Two novel lncRNAs, PCAT18 and LINC01133, associated with GC development were identified by analysis of the discovery Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO) datasets. The down-regulation of these genes in GC tissues was successfully validated internally and externally. The results showed a tissue-specific down-regulation of PCAT18 and LINC01133 in gastrointestinal tissues. WGCNA and ingenuity pathway analyses revealed that the genes co-expressed with the two lncRNAs were mostly involved in metabolic pathways and networks of gastrointestinal disease and function. Our findings of a tissue-specific down-regulation of PCAT18 and LINC01133 in gastric and other gastrointestinal cancers imply that these lncRNAs may have a tumor suppressive function in the development of these tumor entities. The two lncRNA biomarkers may contribute to a better understanding of the complex mechanisms of gastric carcinogenesis.

Neuroprotective effects of astaxanthin in a rat model of spinal cord injury.

Spinal cord injury (SCI) often leads to constant neurological deficits and long-term unalterable disability. Apoptosis plays an important role in the initiation of the secondary injury cascades leading to progressive tissue damage and severely functional deficits after SCI. Although the primary mechanical destructive events cannot be reversed, a therapeutic intervention could be carried out in order to moderate the secondary injury damage several hours to weeks after injury. Astaxanthin (AST) is a strong antioxidant and anti-inflammatory agents with the potential to render anti-apoptotic and neuroprotective effects. In the current study, we examined the therapeutic potential of AST on adult rats after severe SCI contusion. Results of BBB scores showed that AST improved motor function after SCI compared to control groups. Western blot analysis showed reduced expression of Bax and Cleaved-caspase-3 proteins and increased expression of the Bcl-2 protein in response to AST treatment (p<0.05). The histology results also showed that AST considerably preserved myelinated white matter and the number of motor neurons. This study is the first to report that AST reduces neuronal apoptosis, diminishes pathological tissue damage and improves functional recovery after SCI. The observed prominent neuroprotective effects, introduces AST as a promising therapy for SCI.

Promoter hypermethylation and downregulation of the FAS gene may be involved in colorectal carcinogenesis.

Aberrant DNA methylation has been investigated in carcinogenesis and as biomarker for the early detection of colorectal cancer (CRC). The present study aimed to define the methylation status in the regulatory elements of two proapoptotic genes, Fas cell surface death receptor (FAS) and BCL2-associated X protein (BAX). DNA methylation analysis was performed in tumor and adjacent normal tissue using HpaII/MspI restriction digestion and methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR). The results observed downregulation of the FAS and BAX genes in the CRC tissues compared with the adjacent normal samples. Furthermore, demethylation using 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine treatment followed by reverse-transcription quantitative PCR were performed on the HT-29 cell line to measure BAX and FAS mRNA expression following demethylation. The 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine treatment resulted in significant FAS gene upregulation in the HT-29 cell line, but no significant difference in BAX expression. Furthermore, analysis of CpG islands in the FAS gene promoter revealed that the FAS promoter was significantly hypermethylated in 53.3% of tumor tissues compared with adjacent normal samples. Taken together, the results indicate that decreased expression of the FAS gene due to hypermethylation of its promoter may lead to apoptotic resistance, and acts as an important step during colorectal carcinogenesis.

Downregulation of external death receptor genes FAS and DR5 in colorectal cancer samples positive for human papillomavirus infection.

AIM: Human papillomaviruses (HPV) have frequently been detected in colorectal cancer tumor samples, and may play a role in the pathogenesis of colorectal cancer. This study was designed to investigate the presence of DNA and RNA for the high-risk HPV genotypes 16 and 18 in samples of colorectal cancer tumors and adjacent normal tissues. We also investigated the expression of proapoptotic genes in HPV-positive colorectal tumors compared to normal tissue samples. METHODS: Samples of tumoral and adjacent normal tissues were fresh-frozen, and HPV DNA was identified by nested and semiquantitative PCR. Real time PCR was used to quantitatively compare the expression of HPV-18 E6 and nine proapoptotic genes in HPV-positive tumors and samples of adjacent normal tissue. RESULTS: HPV-16 DNA was found in 10.5% of the tumor samples, and HPV-18 DNA was found in 23.6% of the samples. Real time PCR results showed lower expression of the E6 gene in HPV-positive tumors than in adjacent normal tissue. The expression of two proapoptotic genes, FAS and DR5, was significantly lower in tumor samples than in adjacent normal tissues. CONCLUSIONS: HPV infection, especially HPV-18, may play a role in colorectal cancer tumorigenesis by downregulating death receptor genes and interfering with the extrinsic pathway of apoptosis.

GHSR DNA hypermethylation is a common epigenetic alteration of high diagnostic value in a broad spectrum of cancers.

Identification of a single molecular trait that is determinant of common malignancies may serve as a powerful diagnostic supplement to cancer type-specific markers. Here, we report a DNA methylation mark that is characteristic of seven studied malignancies, namely cancers of lung, breast, prostate, pancreas, colorectum, glioblastoma and B cell chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (CLL) (n = 137). This mark was defined by substantial hypermethylation at the promoter and first exon of growth hormone secretagouge receptor (GHSR) through bisulfite pyrosequencing. The degree of aberrant methylation was capable of accurate discrimination between cancer and control samples. The highest sensitivity and specificity of cancer detection was achieved for cancers of pancreas, lung, breast and CLL yielding the area under the curve (AUC) values of 1.0000, 0.9952, 0.9800 and 0.9400, respectively. Narrowing to a single CpG site within the gene's promoter or four consecutive CpG units of the highest methylation levels within the first exon improved the detection power. GHSR hypermethylation was detected already at the early stage tumors. The accurate performance of this marker was further replicated in an independent set of pancreatic cancer and control samples (n = 78). These findings support the candidature of GHSR methylation as a highly accurate pan-cancer marker.

New single nucleotide variation in the promoter region of androgen receptor (AR) gene in hypospadic patients.

BACKGROUND: Hypospadias is one of the most common congenital abnormalities in the male which is characterized by altered development of urethra, foreskin and ventral surface of the penis. Androgen receptor gene plays a critical role in the development of the male genital system by mediating the androgens effects. OBJECTIVE: In present study, we looked for new variations in androgen receptor promoter and screened its exon 1 for five single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in healthy and hypospadias Iranian men. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In our study, at first DNA was extracted from patients (n=100) and controls (n=100) blood samples. Desired fragments of promoter and exon 1 were amplified using polymerase chain reaction. The promoter region was sequenced for the new variation and exone 1 screened for five SNPs (rs139767835, rs78686797, rs62636528, rs62636529, rs145326748) using restriction fragment length polymorphism technique. RESULTS: The results showed a new single nucleotide variation (C→T) at -480 of two patients' promoter region (2%). None of the mentioned SNPs were detected in patients and controls groups (0%). CONCLUSION: This finding indicates that new single nucleotide polymorphism in androgen receptor promoter may have role in etiology of hypospadias and development of this anomaly. This article extracted from Ph.D. thesis. (Nasim Borhani).

Down-regulation of BAX gene during carcinogenesis and acquisition of resistance to 5-FU in colorectal cancer.

Carcinogenesis and resistance to chemotherapy could be as results of expression variations in apoptosis regulating genes. Changes in the expression of apoptosis interfering genes may contribute to colorectal carcinogenesis and resistance to 5-Flourouracil (5-FU) during treatment schedule period. The present study aimed to evaluate the expression of pro-apoptotic and anti-apoptotic genes in colorectal cancer tumor tissues, normal adjacent tissues, and tumor colorectal cancer cell line during acquiring resistance to 5-FU in HT-29 based on Bolus treatment protocol. The normal and tumor tissues were obtained from hospital after surgery and total RNA was extracted for expression analysis. The HT-29 colorectal cancer cell line was cultured and exposed with 5-FU in three stages based on Bolus protocol. The MTT assay and Real Time PCR were carried out to determine the sensitivity to the drug and expression of desired genes, respectively. The obtained data showed that Proapoptotic genes, BAX and BID, were down-regulated in resistant derivate cells compared to wild type HT-29 cells. On the other hand Antiapoptotic genes, CIAP1 and XIAP, showed upregulation in resistant cells compared to wild type ones. Furthermore, BAX and FAS genes showed down-regulation in tumor samples in comparison to normal adjacent tissues. In conclusion, the results of our study suggest that BAX down-regulation could contribute as an important factor during both colorectal carcinogenesis and cell resistance to 5-FU.

Ccr2-64i and Ccr5 Δ32 Polymorphisms in Patients with Late-Onset Alzheimer's disease; A Study from Iran (Ccr2-64i And Ccr5 Δ32 Polymorphisms in Alzheimer's disease).

OBJECTIVE(S): Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a complex disease with multifactorial etiology. Inflammation has been proven to have an important role in the pathogenesis of AD. Both CCR2 and CCR5 genes expression increase in AD patients comparing to control subjects. CCR5 gene encodes a protein which is a member of the beta chemokine receptors family of integral membrane proteins. CCR5-Δ32 is a genetic variant of CCR5 and is characterized by the presence of a 32-bp deletion in the coding region of the gene, which leads to the expression of a nonfunctional receptor, and the CCR2-64I has a change of valine to isoleucine at codon 64, in the first transmembrane domain. It has been proved that both genes have important roles in different stages of inflammation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The frequencies of CCR5∆32 and CCR2-64I variations were determined in 156 AD patients and 161 control subjects using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) methods, and the results were compared among AD and healthy controls. Results :Statistical analysis showed no significant difference in the distributions of CCR5∆32 and CCR2-64I between the AD patients and healthy controls (P> 0.05). Stratifying the samples by gender, genetic background and presence of ApoEε4 allele showed no significant effect on the distributions of CCR5∆32 and CCR2-64I (P> 0.05). CONCLUSION: Our study did not show an association between CCR5∆32 and CCR2-64I variations and AD in the Iranian population. Further confirmatory studies with bigger number of samples are recommended.