Socio-demographic predictors of high support needs in newly diagnosed breast cancer patients.

This study aimed to identify high support needs and their socio-demographic predictors to improve supportive care for newly diagnosed breast cancer patients. A cross-sectional study measured patients' needs and unsatisfied support needs by the supportive care needs survey (SCNS-34), administered after surgery, chemotherapy or radiotherapy. Socio-demographic, disease and treatment characteristics completed data collection. A total of 308 questionnaires were completed with a response rate of 88%. The most frequent support needs (73.3% of patients) related to information and the highest unsatisfied support needs to the management of emotions and daily life (36.3-39.6% of patients). Younger age predicted high and dissatisfied support needs (P < 0.05). Patients born outside Switzerland or with a lower level of education had more needs in daily living and psychological domains (P < 0.05). Being born outside Switzerland also predicted dissatisfaction with information provided. Being parent was a predictor of significant needs in the daily living domain after adjusting for disease and treatment characteristics (P= 0.01). Therefore, information, psychological and daily living support for newly diagnosed breast cancer patients should be strongly reinforced, particularly in patients being born outside Switzerland, those with children or being younger. For the latter, support in sexuality domain should also be emphasised.

[Ovarian cancer screening: recommendations for clinical pratice]. / Dépistage du cancer de l'ovaire: recommandations pour la pratique clinique.

Ovarian cancer accounts for a minority of female cancers but remains the leading cause of death from gynaecologic cancers and the fifth leading cause of all cancer-related deaths among women. More than two thirds of cases of ovarian cancer are diagnosed once the disease becomes symptomatic, i.e. at an advanced stage. Though early detection constitutes a legitimate aim, no screening approach has yet been shown to reduce ovarian cancer mortality. In particular, ovarian imagery with endovaginal ultrasonography and serum tumor markers (CA-125) dosage performed in asymptomatic individuals have not proven their efficacy. Screening of asymptomatic women is not therefore recommended because of the limited prevalence of ovarian cancer in the general population.

Plasminogen activators in tissue remodeling and invasion: mRNA localization in mouse ovaries and implanting embryos.

To assess in vivo the postulated participation of urokinase-type (u-PA) and tissue-type (t-PA) plasminogen activators in processes involving tissue remodeling and cell migration, we have studied the cellular distribution of u-PA and t-PA mRNAs during mouse oogenesis and embryo implantation. By in situ hybridizations, we detected t-PA mRNA in oocytes and u-PA mRNA in granulosa and thecal cells from preovulatory follicles. These findings are compatible with a role for plasminogen activators in oogenesis and follicular disruption. We demonstrated the presence of u-PA mRNA in the invasive and migrating trophoblast cells of 5.5- and 6.5-d-old embryos. At 7.5 days, u-PA mRNA was predominantly localized to trophoblast cells that had reached the deep layers of the uterine wall, while the peripheral trophoblast cells surrounding the presomite stage embryo were devoid of specific signal. In 8.5-d-old embryos abundant u-PA mRNA expression resumed transiently in the giant trophoblast cells at the periphery of the embryo and in the trophoblast cells of the ectoplacental cone, to become undetectable in 10.5-d-old embryos. These observations establish the in vivo expression of the u-PA gene by invading and migrating trophoblast cells in a biphasic time pattern; they are in agreement with the proposed involvement of the enzyme in the extracellular proteolysis accompanying embryo implantation.

In vitro repression of Brca1-associated RING domain gene, Bard1, induces phenotypic changes in mammary epithelial cells.

BRCA1-associated RING domain (BARD1) was identified as a protein interacting with the breast cancer gene product BRCA1. The identification of tumorigenic missense mutations within BRCA1 that impair the formation of BARD1-BRCA1 complexes, and of BARD1 mutations in breast carcinomas, sustain the view that BARD1 is involved in BRCA1-mediated tumor suppression. We have cloned the murine Bard1 gene and determined that its expression in different tissues correlates with the expression profile of Brca1. To investigate the function of Bard1, we have reduced Bard1 gene expression in TAC-2 cells, a murine mammary epithelial cell line that retains morphogenetic properties characteristic of normal breast epithelium. Partial repression of Bard1, achieved by the transfection of TAC-2 cells with plasmids constitutively expressing ribozymes or antisense RNAs, resulted in marked phenotypic changes, consisting of altered cell shape, increased cell size, high frequency of multinucleated cells, and aberrant cell cycle progression. Furthermore, Bard1-repressed cell clones overcame contact inhibition of cell proliferation when grown in monolayer cultures and lost the capacity to form luminal structures in three-dimensional collagen gels. These results demonstrate that Bard1 repression induces complex changes in mammary epithelial cell properties which are suggestive of a premalignant phenotype.

Plasminogen activator and mouse spermatozoa: urokinase synthesis in the male genital tract and binding of the enzyme to the sperm cell surface.

When ejaculated mouse spermatozoa were embedded in a plasminogen-containing insoluble protein substrate, a zone of proteolysis developed progressively, centered around the sperm head region. Lysis did not occur in absence of plasminogen or in presence of antibodies against the urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA). Zymographic and immunological analyses confirmed the presence of u-PA in extracts of ejaculated mouse spermatozoa. In contrast, the u-PA activity of sperm cells obtained from testis or from vas deferens was low, although these cells were able to bind added murine u-PA. The sites of u-PA synthesis were identified by measuring u-PA activity and u-PA mRNA content in protein extracts and in total RNA preparations of various portions of the male genital tract. The highest levels of u-PA activity and of u-PA mRNA were found in vas deferens and seminal vesicles. The cells that synthesize u-PA were localized by hybridizing frozen sections of various portions of the genital tract to a u-PA cRNA probe. In all tissues examined, u-PA mRNA was predominantly located in the epithelial layer, and the strongest signal was observed over that of the vas deferens. Hence, the u-PA associated with ejaculated sperm cells is probably acquired from genital tract secretions. Sperm-bound u-PA may participate in the proteolytic events that accompany capacitation and fertilization.

Upregulation of urokinase receptor expression on migrating endothelial cells.

One of the phenotypic hallmarks of migrating endothelial cells, both in vivo and in vitro, is expression of the urokinase-type plasminogen activator (u-PA), a key mediator of extracellular proteolysis. In the study reported here, we have used an in vitro model of endothelial cell migration to explore the mechanism of this phenomenon. We have found that wounding of an endothelial cell monolayer triggers a marked, rapid and sustained increase in expression of a specific high-affinity receptor for u-PA (u-PAr) on the surface of migrating cells. Migrating cells displayed an increase in the levels of u-PA and u-PAr mRNAs, and this increase was mediated by endogenous basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF). We also show that the increase in u-PA activity on migrating cells can be accounted for by an increase in receptor-bound u-PA, and that the increase in activity is also dependent on endogenous bFGF. These results demonstrate that the expression of plasmin-mediated proteolytic activity by migrating endothelial cells is a consequence of increased production of both u-PA and its receptor, and that this in turn is mediated by endogenous bFGF. This suggests that u-PA, produced at increased levels by migrating cells, binds to u-PAr whose expression is upregulated on the same cells. These observations are in accord with the postulated role of u-PAr in mediating efficient and spatially restricted extracellular proteolysis, particularly in the context of cell migration.

Murine clusterin: molecular cloning and mRNA localization of a gene associated with epithelial differentiation processes during embryogenesis.

Clusterin is a broadly distributed glycoprotein constitutively expressed by various tissues and cell types, that has been shown to be involved in cell-cell adhesion and expressed during cellular differentiation in vitro. To assess the suggested participation of clusterin in these processes in vivo, we have cloned the cDNA encoding murine clusterin and studied the cellular distribution of clusterin mRNA during murine embryogenesis. Sequence analysis of the cDNA encoding murine clusterin revealed 92 and 75% sequence identity with the rat and human cDNAs, respectively, and conservation of the predicted structural features which include alpha-helical regions and heparin-binding domains. From 12.5 d of development onwards, the clusterin gene is widely expressed in developing epithelia, and selectively localized within the differentiating cell layers of tissues such as the developing skin, tooth, and duodenum where proliferating and differentiating compartments are readily distinguished. In addition, transient and localized clusterin gene expression was detected in certain morphogenetically active epithelia. In the lung, abundant gene transcripts were detected in cuboidal epithelial cells of the terminal lung buds during branching morphogenesis, and in the kidney, clusterin gene expression in the epithelial cells of comma and S-shaped bodies coincided with the process of polarization. Our results demonstrate the in vivo expression of the clusterin gene by differentiating epithelial cells during murine embryogenesis, and provide novel evidence suggesting that clusterin may be involved in the differentiation and morphogenesis of certain epithelia.

[Surveillance following curative therapy for breast cancer]. / Surveillance après traitement curatif du cancer du sein.

Surveillance following curative therapy for localised breast cancer has two major aims: 1) diagnosis of recurrence or a second tumor: regular interviews and physical examinations with a frequency adapted to each case, and yearly mammography (+/- ultrasonography), are the only recommended procedure. Additional screening is not indicated in asymptomatic patient. 2) Screening for complications and side effects due to treatment: tamoxifen treatment should be stopped one week prior to any surgery or long trip to avoid thromboembolic events, and any metrorrhagia should be investigated due to the risk for endometrial cancer. Osteoporosis and arthralgia are frequently observed with aromatase inhibitors.

[Complementary medicine use in oncology patients]. / Evaluation du recours aux médecines complémentaires chez les patients en suivi oncologique.

Through an anonymized questionnaire we assessed the prevalence of complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use in a series of cancer patients treated at the Geneva University Hospitals. 152 among the 300 sollicitated patients responded and 39 (26.5%) recognized to use CAM, particularly young, and moderate to highly educated patients. Patients justify their use of CAM to maximize caring ressources, to achieve physical or psychic relief. Most of them recognize to share these therapeutic options with their doctor. Satisfaction with traditional medicine as well as ignorance of CAM are the main arguments provided by non users. The specificity of our hospital context in which results were collected and the lack of a common and popular definition of CAM remain the main limitations of our enquiry.

Distinct sites of production and deposition of the putative cell death marker clusterin in the human thymus.

Clusterin is a multifunctional protein endowed with cell-aggregating, complement-inhibitory, and lipid-binding properties. Since several studies have demonstrated highly increased clusterin gene expression in epithelial and nervous tissues regressing as a consequence of tissue involution and apoptotic cell death, clusterin is also considered as a specific marker of dying cells. To determine whether clusterin expression is also upregulated during thymocyte death occurring during the negative selection process we analyzed the cellular distribution of clusterin mRNA and protein by in situ hybridization and immunocytochemistry in the human thymus. We observed that the expression of clusterin mRNA was confined to cells present in the thymic medulla, concentrated mainly around Hassal's bodies. Immunostaining of adjacent sections with antikeratin Ab revealed that cells containing clusterin mRNA were predominantly epithelial. By contrast no clusterin mRNA was found in thymocytes by in situ hybridization and Northern blot analysis of total RNA from purified thymocyte populations. Clusterin protein colocalized with the membrane attack complex of complement and vitronectin in the center of the largest Hassal's bodies, but was not detectable by immunocytochemistry in or at the surface of epithelial cells. Our results demonstrate that clusterin gene expression does not take place in apoptotic thymocytes, and therefore that clusterin synthesis by the dying cell is probably not a prerequisite to its death. However, synthesis of clusterin by medullary epithelial cells may be related to their terminal differentiation, and, furthermore, its presence in Hassal's bodies raises the possibility that the secreted protein is involved in the disposal of cell debris resulting from thymocyte apoptosis.

Sites of synthesis of urokinase and tissue-type plasminogen activators in the murine kidney.

Kidneys have long been recognized as a major source of plasminogen activators (PAs). However, neither the sites of synthesis of the enzymes nor their role in renal function have been elucidated. By the combined use of zymographies on tissue sections and in situ hybridizations, we have explored the cellular distribution of urokinase-type (u-PA) and tissue-type (t-PA) plasminogen activators and of their mRNAs in developing and adult mouse kidneys. In 17.5-d old embryos, renal tubules synthesize u-PA, while S-shaped bodies produce t-PA. In the adult kidney, u-PA is synthesized and released in urine by the epithelial cells lining the straight parts of both proximal and distal tubules. In contrast, t-PA is produced by glomerular cells and by epithelial cells lining the distal part of collecting ducts. The precise segmental distribution of PAs suggests that both enzymes may be implicated in the maintenance of tubular patency, by catalyzing extracellular proteolysis to prevent or circumvent protein precipitation.

Plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 in acute hyperoxic mouse lung injury.

Hyperoxia-induced lung disease is associated with prominent intraalveolar fibrin deposition. Fibrin turnover is tightly regulated by the concerted action of proteases and antiproteases, and inhibition of plasmin-mediated proteolysis could account for fibrin accumulation in lung alveoli. We show here that lungs of mice exposed to hyperoxia overproduce plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1), and that PAI-1 upregulation impairs fibrinolytic activity in the alveolar compartment. To explore whether increased PAI-1 production is a causal or only a correlative event for impaired intraalveolar fibrinolysis and the development of hyaline membrane disease, we studied mice genetically deficient in PAI-1. We found that these mice fail to develop intraalveolar fibrin deposits in response to hyperoxia and that they are more resistant to the lethal effects of hyperoxic stress. These observations provide clear and novel evidence for the pathogenic contribution of PAI-1 in the development of hyaline membrane disease. They identify PAI-1 as a major deleterious mediator of hyperoxic lung injury.

Human clusterin gene expression is confined to surviving cells during in vitro programmed cell death.

Clusterin is a serum glycoprotein endowed with cell aggregating, complement inhibitory, and lipid binding properties, and is also considered as a specific marker of dying cells, its expression being increased in various tissues undergoing programmed cell death (PCD). However, no study has so far directly shown that cells expressing clusterin in these tissues are actually apoptotic as defined by morphological and biochemical criteria. We have studied cellular clusterin gene expression in vitro using three different models of PCD: (a) ultraviolet B (UV-B) irradiation of human U937, HeLa, and A431 cell lines, (b) in vitro aging of human peripheral blood neutrophils (PMNs), and (c) dexamethasone-induced cell death of the human lymphoblastoid cell line CEM-C7. In all three models, the classical morphological and biochemical features of PCD observed did not correlate with an increase, but with either a marked decrease or an absence of clusterin gene expression as assessed by Northern blot analysis. In situ hybridization of U937 and A431 cells after UV-B irradiation revealed, in addition, that only morphologically normal cells that are surviving continue to express the clusterin gene. Our results demonstrate that in the human myeloid, lymphoid, and epithelial cell types studied, clusterin gene expression is not a prerequisite to their death by apoptosis. In addition, and most interestingly, in situ hybridization of U937 and A431 cells revealed that only surviving cells express the clusterin gene after the induction of PCD, thus providing novel evidence suggesting that clusterin may be associated with cell survival within tissues regressing as a consequence of PCD.

Differential protease expression by cutaneous squamous and basal cell carcinomas.

To assess the postulated role of plasminogen activation in tumor invasion, we have investigated the cellular sites of synthesis for urokinase-type (uPA) and tissue-type (tPA) plasminogen activators and their inhibitors (PAI-1 and PAI-2) in two human cutaneous neoplasia that differ in their metastatic potential. The combined use of zymography on tissue sections and in situ hybridization demonstrates that uPA is produced by malignant cells of squamous cell carcinomas (SCC) but not by basal cell carcinomas (BCC), whereas tPA is detected exclusively in nonmalignant dermal tissue. In addition, we show that SCC neoplastic cells simultaneously produce variable amounts of PAI-1, and that PAI-1 production correlates inversely with uPA enzymatic activity. These observations establish that invasive human malignant cells in vivo can activate plasminogen through uPA production during the early phases of tumor growth; they also demonstrate that the proteolytic activity of tumor cells can be modulated by the concomitant production of PAI-1. Because SCC have a higher invasive and metastatic potential than BCC, our findings lend further support to the involvement of plasminogen activation in malignant behavior.

Extracellular proteolysis in the adult murine brain.

Plasminogen activators are important mediators of extracellular metabolism. In the nervous system, plasminogen activators are thought to be involved in the remodeling events required for cell migration during development and regeneration. We have now explored the expression of the plasminogen activator/plasmin system in the adult murine central nervous system. Tissue-type plasminogen activator is synthesized by neurons of most brain regions, while prominent tissue-type plasminogen activator-catalyzed proteolysis is restricted to discrete areas, in particular within the hippocampus and hypothalamus. Our observations indicate that tissue-type plasminogen activator-catalyzed proteolysis in neural tissues is not limited to ontogeny, but may also contribute to adult central nervous system physiology, for instance by influencing neuronal plasticity and synaptic reorganization. The identification of an extracellular proteolytic system active in the adult central nervous system may also help gain insights into the pathogeny of neurodegenerative disorders associated with extracellular protein deposition.

The kidney is a major site of alpha(2)-antiplasmin production.

The serpin alpha2-antiplasmin (alpha2-AP) is the major circulating inhibitor of plasmin; it plays a determining role in the regulation of intravascular fibrinolysis, In addition to blood plasma, plasmin formation occurs in various organs where it is thought to fulfill a spectrum of functions not restricted to clot lysis. Alpha2-AP is synthesized by hepatocytes, but other possible sites of production have not been investigated. To explore the potential extravascular contribution of alpha2-AP in the regulation of proteolysis, we have isolated the murine alpha2-AP cDNA and determined its mRNA distribution in adult tissues. In addition to liver, kidneys are major sites of alpha2-AP mRNA accumulation in the mouse. The transcript is present in epithelial cells lining the convoluted portion of proximal tubules, and its accumulation is under androgen control. Human kidneys also contain high levels of alpha2-AP mRNA. Moderate amounts Of alpha2-AP mRNA are detected in other murine tissues such as muscle, intestine, central nervous system, and placenta. Our observations indicate that alpha2-AP can be synthesized in a number of tissues, where it could function as a distal regulator of plasmin-mediated extracellular proteolysis.

Increased risk of acute myeloid leukaemia after treatment for breast cancer.

This study evaluates the risk of acute myeloid leukaemia (AML) in patients treated for breast cancer. We included all 6360 breast cancer patients that were recorded at the Geneva Cancer Registry between 1970 and 1999. Patients were followed for AML occurrence until December 2000. We calculated standardized incidence ratios of AML and identified factors modifying the risk of AML by multivariate Cox analysis. Twelve (0.2%) patients developed AML. In general, patients treated for breast cancer had a 3.5-fold (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.8-6.0) increased risk of developing AML compared with the general population. In particular, patients who were older than 70 years at breast cancer diagnosis and those treated with radiotherapy (with or without chemotherapy) had a significantly increased risk of developing AML. This population-based study confirms that radiotherapy increases the risk of AML. Due to the relatively low number of women treated with chemotherapy without radiotherapy and due to the infrequency of the disease, the question of whether chemotherapy alone increases this risk of AML cannot yet be answered.

Plasmin-catalyzed proteolysis in colorectal neoplasia.

The expression of different components of the plasminogen activator (PA)/plasmin system was explored in a series of colorectal neoplasia. We have found that urokinase (uPA) and urokinase receptor (uPA-R) gene expression is upregulated in adenomas and carcinomas, and that uPA/uPA-R production is confined to stromal cells in the proximity of epithelial proliferations. In addition, in adenomas, the focal increase in uPA mRNA is not systematically coupled to detectable enzymatic activity, whereas in carcinomas, uPA mRNA accumulation is consistently associated with detectable but variable levels of enzymatic activity. In contrast, in the tumor vasculature, tissue-type plasminogen activator-mediated proteolysis is considerably reduced when compared to normal mucosal and submucosal vessels; this reduction in plasmin formation appears to result from the highly increased production of plasminogen activator inhibitor type 1 by endothelial cells. Our observations demonstrate that colorectal neoplasia are associated with marked alterations in the extracellular proteolytic balance controlled by the PA/plasmin system. They show that contrasting disturbances in plasmin formation take place in distinct stromal compartments but not in epithelial cells, and that these disturbances are maximal during invasive neoplasia. Altogether, our results raise the possibility that alterations in plasmin formation should not be exclusively regarded as promoters of cancer cell invasiveness.

Increase of urokinase-type plasminogen activator gene expression in human lung and breast carcinomas.

To assess the postulated correlation between plasminogen activators (PAs) and malignancy, we determined the mRNA content for urokinase-type (u-PA) and tissue-type (t-PA) enzymes in a prospective series of 29 primary lung and 27 primary breast carcinomas. Dot blots of total RNAs were hybridized with appropriate cRNA probes under conditions that allow quantitative measurement of the mRNA level for each PA. Most tumors (43 of 56) had a u-PA mRNA content higher than the mean + 1 SD of nonmalignant tissue counterparts. A large, 4- to 20-fold, increase in u-PA mRNA content was demonstrated in 14 of 29 lung carcinomas and in 10 of 27 breast carcinomas. A statistically significant correlation (Fisher's test, P = 0.007) was found between elevated u-PA mRNA content in lung carcinomas and the presence of regional lymph node metastases. These results are consistent with a role for u-PA in tumor invasiveness and metastatic propensity and may have important prognostic and therapeutic implications.