Apolipoprotein E polymorphisms and ischaemic stroke: a two-center Greek study.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Apolipropotein E(apoE) is a plasma protein exhibiting three common isoforms (E2, E3, E4). Its involvement in lipoprotein metabolism may have an impact on stroke occurrence. As results in the literature are inconclusive further studies are needed to elucidate its role. Our objective was to study the role of apoE isoforms and the interplay with environmental risk factors in patients with first ischaemic stroke occurrence in the Greek population. METHODS: Three hundred and twenty-nine patients with first-ever ischaemic stroke were included in our study. Strokes of cardioembolic origin and patients with autoimmune or prothrombotic syndromes were excluded. A control group of 361 subjects with no stroke history were also included in our study. Risk factors (hyperlipidemia, hypertension, diabetes mellitus and smoking) were assessed. ApoE alleles were determined in all subjects participating in the study. RESULTS: Genotype ε3/ε3 was found to have a protective role against stroke occurrence compared with other genotypes (odds ratio 0.674, 95% confidence interval 0.480-0.946) especially in the female patient subgroup. In multivariate analysis after adjustment for age, body mass index (BMI), hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus and smoking, the role of genotype was limited and outweighed by risk factors in both genders. No association between apoE alleles and BMI, cholesterol, triglycerides or high-density lipoprotein plasma levels was noted. CONCLUSIONS: Our study was indicative of a protective role of the ε3/ε3 genotype, especially in female patients. However, risk factors such as age, BMI, hypertension, dyslipidemia, diabetes mellitus and smoking have a strong impact on stroke occurrence and outweigh the protective role of the ε3/ε3 genotype.

A twisted kiss: in vitro and in vivo evidence of genetic variation and suppressed transcription of the metastasis-suppressor gene KiSS1 in early breast cancer.

UNLABELLED: KiSS-1 is ametastasis suppressor gene, its inactivation linked to advanced tumor stage and dismal prognosis. We studied its mutational status ,transcription and protein expression in human cancer cell lines and patients with early breast cancer.
Tumor tissue DNA and messenger RNA (mRNA) of KiSS1 exons III and IV from the human cancer cell lines Hela, Jurkat, A549, W138t, MCF-7 and from formalin-fixed resected breast adenocarcinomas from 50 women were analysed by means of PCR-SSCP, RT-PCR and sequencing. Tumor tissue was stained for KiSS1 protein expression by means of the streptavidin-biotin complex immunoperoxidase assay. Presence of KiSS1 mutation, mRNA levels and protein staining were examined for correlations with patient/tumor characteristics.
A transversion in exon IVa replacing cytosine with guanine was identified 242 base pairs from the translation start site (242C>G) in the cell lines MCF-7, A549 and in 5/50 tumors (10%), resulting in substitution of proline by arginine (P81R) and alteration of the protein tertiary structure. As the substitution was present in germ-line DNA in 3/5 breast cancer patients harbouring the polymorphism in their tumor, the incidence of tumour-specific somatic mutation was 4% among the 50 patiens with early breast cancer. Although the P81R substitution was associated with reduced KiSS1 protein immunoreactivity (56% in wild-type tumors versus 20% in KiSS1-variant tumours) and with axillary nodal involvement (55% in wild-type versus 80% in KiSS1-variant tumors), the correlations did not reach statistical significance. KiSS1 mRNA was detected in only 15/48 tumours (31%) and showed no correlation with mutation or protein expression. Twenty-six tumors stained for KiSS1 protein, in contrast to the universal strong staining seen in normal breast parenchyma and placental tissues. At amedian follow-up of 38 months, relapses occurred in 20% of women with non wild-type tumors versus 13% of women with wild-type KiSS1 tumors (p=0.7). Presence of KiSS1 mutation, mRNA levels and protein expression did not have prognostic significance for relapse-free survival.
In conclusion, altered nucleotide sequence and repression of transcription are two potential mechanisms of suppression of the anti-metastatic effects of KiSS1 in early breast cancer: Confirmation in larger cohorts and study of functional effects of the 242C>G exon IVa mutation are warranted. KEYWORDS: KiSS1, metastasis-suppressor gene, breast cancer, mutation, transcription.

Targeting c-KIT, PDGFR in cancer of unknown primary: a screening study for molecular markers of benefit.

AIMS: In view of available targeted therapies, we investigated the presence of c-kit, PDGFR gene mutations and protein expression in cancer of unknown primary (CUP) in order to study their contribution in pathogenesis, their prognostic value and potential as therapeutic targets. METHODS: Mutations in hot spots c-kit exon 11 and PDGFR exons 12 and 18 were studied in paraffin-embedded tumour samples from 50 patients with CUP by means of PCR-based single-strand conformational polymorphism and protein expression by means of streptavidin-biotin immunoperoxidase assays. Molecular markers were screened for possible correlations with patient outcome. RESULTS: No shifted band was detected in any of the polyacrylamide gel electrophoreses, indicating absence of c-kit exon 11 and PDGFR exon 12, 18 mutations. Immunohistochemical analysis in 37 tumours revealed positive membranous CD117 expression in 30 samples (81%) of which five exhibited strong (+3), four moderate (+2) and 21 weak (+1) staining. PDGFRa protein staining was seen in 15 out of 30 (50%) cases, mostly weak (13) and rarely moderate (1) or strong (1). The expression of KIT or PDGFRa protein did not correlate with the clinical outcome of the patients in our cohort. CONCLUSIONS: In a moderate-sized CUP patient cohort, KIT or PDGFRa protein overexpression is rare, does not have gross prognostic significance for survival and is not associated with presence of activating mutations.

Systemic dissemination in cancer of unknown primary is independent of mutational inactivation of the KiSS-1 metastasis-suppressor gene.

Cancer of unknown primary represents a heterogeneous group of malignancies characterised by early systemic dissemination and lack of primary site. KiSS1 is a member of the metastasis-suppressor gene family whose functional role is being investigated in human malignancies. We extracted DNA from 50 paraffin-embedded unknown primary tumors and screened KiSS1 exons III and IV for presence of mutations by means of Single Strand Conformational Polymorphism and direct sequencing. Only one tumor specimen harboured a cytosine to guanine point substitution in base 242 of exon IVa, resulting in a proline to arginine switch at codon 81 of the KiSS1 protein (P81R). The remaining 49 tumors harbored wild-type KiSS1 alleles, indistinguishable from those of peripheral blood lymphocytes of 50 healthy controls. Consequently, the propensity for systemic spread of unknown primary tumors may by due to mutations in genes other than KiSS1 or aberrant epigenetic regulation.

Role of Liver Transplantation in Bilio-Vascular Liver Injury After Cholecystectomy.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to report 2 cases of liver transplantation (LT) for iatrogenic bile-vascular injury (BVI) sustained during cholecystectomy and to review the literature for LT after cholecystectomy. METHODS: Between March 2001 and July 2013, within our institution, 12 patients were treated after cholecystectomy, 3 of 12 received LT, 1 for acute de-compensation in a cirrhotic patient and 2 after iatrogenic lesions. RESULTS: The majority of iatrogenic injury occurred during video-laparocholecystectomy (63,6%; 7/11). Three patients of 12 (25%) received LT: the first patient developed acute de-compensation in chronic and after liver failure. The second patient developed recurrent cholangitis and secondary biliary cirrhosis. The third patient had undergone emergency hepatectomy because of bleeding and subsequent total hepatectomy with porto-caval shunt. Five of 12 (42%) patients were treated with bilio-digestive anastomosis: 1 patient with direct repair on T-tube; 2 patients (17%) with arterial vascular lesion requiring surgical treatment; and 1 patient treated with medical therapy. No deaths occurred. The post-operative morbidity included 1 re-intervention, 3 recurrent cholangitis, 1 anastomotic biliary stricture, 1 anastomotic bile leak, and cholestasis in 3 patients. The overall hospital stays were higher after LT. Median follow-up was 8.25 years (range, 2-14). CONCLUSIONS: The management of iatrogenic injury during cholecystectomy depends on the time of recognition, extent of injury, experience of the surgeon, and the patient's general condition. If safe repair is possible, BVI should be treated promptly, otherwise all patients should be treated in an experienced center.

T-cell receptor gammadelta-large granular lymphocytic leukemia associated with an aberrant phenotype and TCR-Vbeta20 clonality.

Large granular lymphocytic (LGL) leukemia is a rare heterogenous disorder of mature lymphocytes with a characteristic morphology, multiple autoimmune disorders and indolent clinical course. Most cases exhibit a T-cell phenotype of CD3, CD8 and CD57 positivity, while the minority exhibit a CD2, CD56, and CD16 positive NK-cell phenotype. We report a case of a 71-year-old female suffering from a TCRgammadelta positive T-cell leukemia with a morphology compatible to LGL leukemia. She referred to the hospital for investigation of mild anemia, lymphocytosis, neutropenia and hyperglobulinemia. Peripheral blood and bone marrow were occupied by mature large granular lymphocytes with abundant azurophilic granules. The immunophenotype was CD3+, CD2+, CD5+, CD7+, CD4-, CD8-, CD16-, CD56-, CD57- and the Vbeta repertoire analysis showed clonal reactivity with Vbeta20 mAb. The patient was diagnosed as having T-LGL and was treated with G-CSF. So far, she experiences an indolent clinical course. To our knowledge, this is a rare case of TCRgammadelta positive T-LGL leukemia with the aberrant immunophenotype of CD3+, CD4-, CD8-, CD16-, CD56-, CD57-.