Evaluation of Gas 6 as a Prognostic Marker in Papillary Renal Cell Carcinoma.

INTRODUCTION: Growth arrest-specific protein 6 (Gas 6) is a ligand that plays a role in proliferation and migration of cells. For several tumor entities, high levels of Gas 6 are associated with poorer survival. We examined the prognostic role of Gas 6 in renal cell carcinoma (RCC), especially in papillary RCC (pRCC), which is still unclear. METHODS: The patients' sample collection is a joint collaboration of the PANZAR consortium. Patients' medical history and tumor specimens were collected from n = 240 and n = 128 patients with type 1 and 2 pRCC, respectively. Expression of Gas 6 was determined by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: In total, Gas 6 staining was evaluable in 180 of 240 type 1 and 110 of 128 type 2 pRCC cases. Kaplan-Meier analysis disclosed no significant difference in 5-year overall survival for all pRCC nor either subtype. Also, Gas+ and Gas- groups did not significantly differ in any tumor or patient characteristics. CONCLUSION: Gas 6 was not found to be an independent prognostic marker in pRCC. Future studies are warranted to determine if Gas 6 plays a role as prognostic marker or therapeutic target in pRCC.

The Prognostic Impact of PD-L2 in Papillary Renal-Cell Carcinoma.

INTRODUCTION: Programmed death-1 ligand (PD-L1) has been often studied in different types of renal-cell carcinoma (RCC). For example, in clear-cell renal carcinoma it is well established that programmed death-1 receptor and PD-L1 are important prognostic markers. In contrast, the role of programmed death-2 ligand (PD-L2) as prognostic marker remains unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate if PD-L2 expression could play a role as a prognostic marker for papillary RCC (pRCC). METHODS: The patients' sample collection was a joint collaboration of the PANZAR consortium. Patients' medical history and tumor specimens were collected from n = 240 and n = 128 patients with type 1 and 2 pRCC, respectively. Expression of PD-L2 was determined by immunohistochemistry. In total, PD-L2 staining was evaluable in 185 of 240 type 1 and 99 of 128 type 2 pRCC cases. RESULTS: PD-L2 staining was positive in 67 (36.2%) of type 1 and in 31 (31.3%) of type 2 pRCC specimens. The prevalence of PD-L2+ cells was significantly higher in high-grade type 1 tumors (p = 0.019) and in type 2 patients with metastasis (p = 0.002). Kaplan-Meier analysis disclosed significant differences in 5-year overall survival (OS) for patients with PD-L2- compared to PD-L2+ in pRCC type 1 of 88.4% compared to 73.6% (p = 0.039) and type 2 of 78.8% compared to 39.1% % (p < 0.001). However, multivariate analysis did not identify the presence of PD-L2+ cells neither in type 1 nor type 2 pRCC as an independent predictor of poor OS. DISCUSSION/CONCLUSION: PD-L2 expression did not qualify as an independent prognostic marker in pRCC. Future studies will have to determine whether anti-PD-L2-targeted treatment may play a role in pRCC and expression can potentially serve as a predictive marker for these therapeutic approaches.

The Microphthalmia-Associated Transcription Factor p.E318K Mutation Does Not Play a Major Role in Sporadic Renal Cell Tumors from Caucasian Patients.

OBJECTIVE: The transcription factor MITF (microphthalmia-associated transcription factor) is known to induce expression of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF1-α), which is involved in renal carcinogenesis. The MITF p.E318K mutation leads to deficient SUMOylation of MITF, resulting in enhanced activation of its target genes. A case-control study on melanoma patients who coincidentally were affected by renal cell carcinoma (RCC) has revealed an elevated risk for mutation carriers to be affected by one or both of these malignancies, suggesting a possible role for MITF p.E318K in renal carcinogenesis. The same study described an MITF mutation frequency of 1.5% in a small cohort of sporadic RCC, but comprehensive data on sporadic renal cell tumors are missing. We therefore tested a large cohort of sporadic renal tumors for MITF p.E318K mutation status. METHODS: Genomic DNA was extracted from 426 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded sporadic renal tumors that had been graded according to the 2004 WHO classification of renal tumors and staged according to the 2002 TNM classification. The tumor cohort was enriched with papillary and chromophobe RCC, and also contained benign oncocytomas. DNA was tested for MITF p.E318K by pyrosequencing. RESULTS: Of 403 analyzable tumors, 402 renal tumors were wild-type ones, and only 1 case showed the MITF p.E318K mutation. This tumor was a clear-cell RCC (pT3b N0 M0 G3 according to the TNM classification 2002). The affected patient was male, 61 years old, and had no known coexisting malignancies. CONCLUSION: The MITF p.E318K mutation does not appear to play a major role in sporadic RCC carcinogenesis, but is possibly restricted to a rare subpopulation of inherited RCC.

Global histone H3K27 methylation levels are different in localized and metastatic prostate cancer.

Global histone modification patterns have been shown to be a predictive factor of recurrence in various cancers. We analyzed global histone-3-lysine-27 (H3K27) methylation in prostate cancer (PCA) tissues. H3K27 mono-, di-, and tri-methylation patterns were different in nonmalignant prostate tissue, localized PCA, metastatic PCA, and castration-resistant PCA. H3K27 mono-methylation was correlated with pT-stage, capsular penetration, seminal vesicle infiltration, and Gleason score in localized PCA and may therefore indicate adverse prognosis.

Mismatch repair proteins hMLH1 and hMSH2 are differently expressed in the three main subtypes of sporadic renal cell carcinoma.

OBJECTIVES: We studied the role of minor mismatch repair proteins (MMR) human MutL homologue 1 (hMLH1) and human MutS homologue 2 (hMSH2) in the main subtypes of renal cell carcinoma (RCC). METHODS: Expression of MMR proteins hMLH1 and hMSH2 were investigated in 166 RCC tumors, containing the main subtypes by immunohistochemistry. Furthermore, each tumor was screened for microsatellite instability (MSI) using the National Cancer Institute consensus panel for hereditary non-polyposis colon carcinoma as well as for elevated microsatellite alterations at selected tetranucleotide repeats (EMAST) by 10 additional markers. RESULTS: MSI was found only in 2.0% of analyzable cases and EMAST was detected only in 1 patient. hMLH1 and hMSH2 expression was reduced in 83.7 (118/141) and 51.2% (65/127) of cases, respectively, in a subtype-specific manner. None of the clear cell RCC tumors retained a high hMLH1 expression and 92.0% lost hMLH1 completely, while papillary and chromophobe RCC preserved the expression in 25.0 and 33.3% of cases (p < 0.001). Subtype specificity was also present in hMSH2 staining, where chromophobe RCC retained a high expression in 41.7% of cases, while clear cell and papillary tumors did not (29.9 and 23.1%; p = 0.01). CONCLUSION: MSI and EMAST are rare events in sporadic RCC, whereas diminished MMR protein expression is linked to tumor entity and might contribute to the different biological behavior of the RCC subtypes.

Alterations of global histone H4K20 methylation during prostate carcinogenesis.

BACKGROUND: Global histone modifications have been implicated in the progression of various tumour entities. Our study was designed to assess global methylation levels of histone 4 lysine 20 (H4K20me1-3) at different stages of prostate cancer (PCA) carcinogenesis. METHODS: Global H4K20 methylation levels were evaluated using a tissue microarray in patients with clinically localized PCA (n = 113), non-malignant prostate disease (n = 27), metastatic hormone-naive PCA (mPCA, n = 30) and castration-resistant PCA (CRPC, n = 34). Immunohistochemistry was performed to assess global levels of H4K20 methylation levels. RESULTS: Similar proportions of the normal, PCA, and mPCA prostate tissues showed strong H4K20me3 staining. CRPC tissue analysis showed the weakest immunostaining levels of H4K20me1 and H4K20me2, compared to other prostate tissues. H4K20me2 methylation levels indicated significant differences in examined tissues except for normal prostate versus PCA tissue. H4K20me1 differentiates CRPC from other prostate tissues. H4K20me1 was significantly correlated with lymph node metastases, and H4K20me2 showed a significant correlation with the Gleason score. However, H4K20 methylation levels failed to predict PSA recurrence after radical prostatectomy. CONCLUSIONS: H4K20 methylation levels constitute valuable markers for the dynamic process of prostate cancer carcinogenesis.

cMET: a prognostic marker in papillary renal cell carcinoma?

The tyrosine-protein kinase c-Met plays a decisive role in numerous cellular processes, as a proto-oncogene that supports aggressive tumor behavior. It is still unknown whether c-Met could be relevant for prognosis of papillary RCC (pRCC). Specimen collection was a collaboration of the PANZAR consortium. Patients' medical history and tumor specimens were collected from 197 and 110 patients with type 1 and 2 pRCC, respectively. Expression of cMET was determined by immunohistochemistry. In total, cMET staining was evaluable in of 97 of 197 type 1 and 63 of 110 type 2 pRCC cases. Five-year overall survival revealed no significant difference in dependence of cMET positivity (cMET- vs. cMET+: pRCC type 1: 84.8% vs. 80.3%, respectively [p = 0.303, log-rank]; type 2: 71.4% vs. 64.4%, respectively [p = 0.239, log-rank]). Interestingly, the subgroup analyses showed a significant difference for cMET expression in T stage and metastases of the pRCC type 2 (p = 0.014, p = 0.022, chi-square). The cMET-positive type 2 collective developed more metastases than the cMET-negative cohort (pRCC type 2 M+: cMET-: 2 [4.3%] vs. cMET+: 12 [19%]). cMET expression did not qualify as a prognostic marker in pRCC for overall survival.

The prognostic impact of Claudin 6 in papillary renal cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Claudins are promising biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis or targets for treatment. They play a major role in signal transduction and are important in nearly all aspects of tumorigenesis. Claudin 6 is a member of the claudin family and is part of the tight junction molecule. It is reactivated in several cancer types and serves as prognostic marker in, for example, gastric, breast or non small cell lung cancer. The prognostic role of Claudin 6 in renal cell carcinoma (RCC), especially in papillary RCC (pRCC), is still unclear. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The patients' sample collection was a joint collaboration of the PANZAR consortium. Patients' medical history and tumor specimens were collected from n = 240 and n = 128 patients with type 1 and 2 pRCC, respectively. Expression of Claudin 6 was determined by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: In total, Claudin 6 staining was positive in 55 of 240 type 1 and 30 of 128 type 2 pRCC cases. Kaplan-Meier analysis disclosed an overall survival of 84% for Claudin 6- compared to 78% for Claudin 6 + in pRCC type 1 tumors (p = 0.449, log-rank) and 68% for Claudin 6- compared to 65.4% for Claudin 6 + in pRCC type 2 tumors (p = 0.364, log-rank). CONCLUSION: In this study, claudin 6 expression showed no significant association regarding overall survival (OS) and therefore did not qualify as a prognostic marker in pRCC. Future studies will have to determine, whether Claudin 6 plays a prognostic role in other RCC entities. In addition, the function of Claudin 6 as a predictive marker for therapeutic approaches has to be evaluated in future studies.

Expression of Prostate-specific Membrane Antigen (PSMA) in Papillary Renal Cell Carcinoma - Overview and Report on a Large Multicenter Cohort.

Prostate specific membrane antigen (PSMA) is an emerging diagnostic and therapeutic target in prostate cancer. 68Ga-PSMA-labeled hybrid imaging is used for the detection of prostate primary tumors and metastases. Therapeutic applications such as Lutetium-177 PSMA radionuclide therapy or bispecific antibodies that target PSMA are currently under investigation within clinical trials. The expression of PSMA, however, is not specific to prostate-tissue. It has been described in the neovascular endothelium of different types of cancer such as breast cancer, and clear cell renal cell carcinoma (ccRCC). The aim of this study was to analyze PSMA expression in papillary RCC (pRCC) type 1 and type 2, the most common non-ccRCC subtypes, and to evaluate the potential of PSMA-targeted imaging and treatment in pRCC. Formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue samples of primary tumors were analyzed for PSMA expression by immunohistochemistry. Out of n=374 pRCC specimens from the multicenter PANZAR consortium, n=197 pRCC type 1 and n=110 type 2 specimens were eligible for analysis and correlated with clinical data. In pRCC type 1 PSMA staining was positive in 4 of 197 (2.0%) samples whereas none (0/110) of the pRCC type 2 samples were positive for PSMA in this large cohort of pRCC patients. No significant PSMA expression was detected in pRCC. Reflecting current clinical evaluation of PMSA expression in RCC do not encourage further analysis in papillary subtypes.

Expression of nectin-4 in papillary renal cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Nectin-4 contributes to tumor proliferation, lymphangiogenesis and angiogenesis in malignant tumors and is an emerging target in tumor therapy. In renal cell carcinoma (RCC) VEGF-directed tyrosine kinase inhibitors and checkpoint inhibitors are currently treatments of choice. Enfortumab vedotin-ejf (EV) is an antibody drug conjugate that targets Nectin-4. The aim of our study was to investigate the expression of Nectin-4 in a large cohort of papillary RCC specimens. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Specimens were derived from the PANZAR consortium (Erlangen, Heidelberg, Herne, Homburg, Mainz, Mannheim, Marburg, Muenster, LMU Munich, TU Munich, and Regensburg). Clinical data and tissue samples from n = 190 and n = 107 patients with type 1 and 2 pRCC, respectively, were available. Expression of Nectin-4 was determined by immunohistochemistry (IHC). RESULTS: In total, Nectin-4 staining was moderately or strongly positive in of 92 (48.4%) of type 1 and 39 (36.4%) type 2 of pRCC cases. No associations between Nectin-4 expression and age at diagnosis, gender, grading, and TNM stage was found. 5 year overall survival rate was not statistically different in patients with Nectin-4 negative versus Nectin-4 positive tumors for the overall cohort and the pRCC type 2 subgroup, but higher in patient with Nectin-4 positive pRCC type 1 tumors compared to Nectin-4 negative tumors (81.3% vs. 67.8%, p = 0.042). CONCLUSION: Nectin-4 could not be confirmed as a prognostic marker in pRCC in general. Due to its high abundance on pRCC specimens Nectin-4 is an interesting target for therapeutical approaches e.g. with EV. Clinical trials are warranted to elucidate its role in the pRCC treatment landscape.

Definition of the main vector of cutaneous leishmaniasis: Ecology and mapping in endemic area of Northeast Brazil.

Cutaneous leishmaniasis is endemic in Pernambuco. Aiming to determine the vector species of cutaneous leishmaniasis in an endemic area of the Northeast region of Brazil, this study aimed to use the spatial mapping of human cases of CL and correlate with ecological studies of the vectors in the municipality of Timbaúba, Pernambuco, Brazil. Individuals infected with CL were recruited through active search in their homes and clinically and serologically diagnosed during the period from 2018 to 2019. Sandflies were captured with CDC-type light traps in peridomiciliary environments and these were identified at the species level. Females were separated for DNA extraction and subsequent analysis by PCR. The points of collection of phlebotomes and the residences of individuals with lesions were marked with GPS. During the study period, 60 cases of CL were diagnosed. A higher concentration of CL cases was observed in proximity to Atlantic forest remnants confirmed by heat map. A total of 3744 sandflies was captured and five distinct species were identified, with the predominance of Nyssomyia whitmani. From the females separated for the identification of Leishmania braziliensis DNA, a rate of 0.68% of infected sandflies was obtained. It was concluded that cutaneous leishmaniasis continues to be a rural feature of the area. And from this study, it is concluded that Ny. whitmani is the carrier species of CL in the municipality of Timbaúba, Pernambuco. This is due to abundance in catching, specialization of species and PCR positivity for Leishmania braziliensis.

Warburg phenotype in renal cell carcinoma: high expression of glucose-transporter 1 (GLUT-1) correlates with low CD8(+) T-cell infiltration in the tumor.

Many tumor cells are characterized by a dysregulated glucose metabolism associated with increased glycolysis in the presence of oxygen ("Warburg Effect"). Here, we analyzed for the first time a possible link between glucose metabolism and immune cell infiltration in renal cell carcinoma (RCC). RCC specimens revealed a highly significant increase in the expression of lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA) and glucose-transporter 1 (GLUT-1) compared to the corresponding normal kidney tissue on mRNA level. Accordingly, tumor cell lines of different origin such as RCC, melanoma and hepatocellular carcinoma strongly expressed LDHA and GLUT-1 compared to their nonmalignant counterparts. In line with this finding, tumor cells secreted high amounts of lactate. High expression of GLUT-1 and LDH5, a tetramer of 4 LDHA subunits, was confirmed by tissue microarray analysis of 249 RCC specimens. Overall, 55/79 (69.6%) and 46/71 (64.7%) cases of clear cell carcinoma showed a constitutive, but heterogeneous expression of GLUT-1 and LDH5, respectively. The number of CD3(+), CD8(+) and FOXP3(+) T cells was significantly elevated in RCC lesions compared to normal kidney epithelium, but effector molecules such as granzyme B and perforin were decreased in tumor infiltrating T cells. Of interest, further analysis revealed an inverse correlation between GLUT-1 expression and the number of CD8(+) T cells in RCC lesions. Together, our data suggest that an accelerated glucose metabolism in RCC tissue is associated with a low infiltration of CD8(+) effector T cells. Targeting the glucose metabolism may represent an interesting tool to improve the efficacy of specific immunotherapeutic approaches in RCC.

Characterization of PD-1 and PD-L1 Expression in Papillary Renal Cell Carcinoma: Results of a Large Multicenter Study.

BACKGROUND: Programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1)/programmed death-ligand 1 (PD-L1) play a decisive role as prognostic markers in clear-cell renal cell carcinoma (RCC). To date, the role of PD-1/PD-L1 as a prognostic marker in papillary RCC (pRCC) remains scarce. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients' sample collection was a joint collaboration of the nationwide PANZAR consortium - a multicenter study. Medical history and tumor specimens were collected from 245 and 129 patients with pRCC types 1 and 2, respectively. Expression of PD-1 and PD-L1 was determined by immunohistochemistry in pRCC and tumor-infiltrating mononuclear cells. RESULTS: Of 374 pRCC specimens, 204 type 1 and 97 type 2 were evaluable for PD-1 and PD-L1 expression analysis. In total, PD-1 and PD-L1 expression were found in 8 (4.9%) of 162 and 12 (7.2%) of 166 evaluable pRCC type 1 specimens. Comparably, PD-1 and PD-L1 expression were found in 2 (2.4%) of 83 and 5 (6.2%) of 81 evaluable pRCC type 2 specimens. Hardly any clinically relevant associations between PD-1 and PD-L1 positivity and clinicopathologic or clinical courses were observed, neither in pRCC type 1 nor type 2. CONCLUSION: The analysis of a large pRCC cohort from a multicenter consortium revealed no impact of PD-1/PD-L1 expression on prognosis in patients with pRCC with predominantly limited disease status, neither for type 1 nor type 2. However, the impact of PD-1 and PD-L1 in more advanced pRCC disease needs further elucidation.

Global levels of histone modifications predict prostate cancer recurrence.

PURPOSE: Epigenetic alterations such as DNA methylation and histone modifications play important roles in carcinogenesis. It was reported that global histone modification patterns are predictors of cancer recurrence in various tumor entities. Our study was performed to evaluate histone lysine (H(x)K(y)) and histone acetyl (H(x)Ac) modifications in prostate tissue. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A tissue microarray with 113 prostate cancer (PCA), 23 non-malignant prostate tissues was stained with antibodies against H3K4 mono-(H3K4me1), di-(H3K4me2), tri-(H3K4me3) methylation, H3K9me1, H3K9me2, H3K9me3, H3 and H4 pan-acetylation (H3Ac, H4Ac). We also analyzed H3K4 methylation in patients with advanced PCA (hormone-refractory PCA-HRPC, n = 34; hormone-dependent PCA, n = 30). Sections were scored according the staining intensity and the proportion of epithelial cells showing nuclear staining. RESULTS: H3K4me1, H3K9me2, H3K9me3, H3Ac, and H4Ac were significantly reduced in PCA compared to non-malignant prostate tissue. H3Ac and H3K9me2 levels allowed discrimination of PCA and non-malignant prostate tissue highly specifically (>91%) and sensitively (>78%) as determined via ROC analyses (AUC >0.91). Histone lysine methylation and histone acetylation marks were correlated with clinical-pathological parameters (i.e., digital rectal examination, preoperative PSA, pT-stage, lymph node metastasis, Gleason score). In addition, H3K4me1 was a significant predictor of PSA recurrence following radical prostatectomy. H3K4me1, H3K4me2, and H3K4me3 levels were significantly increased in HRPC. CONCLUSIONS: Global histone modification levels may help to identify patients with adverse prognosis, and represent a target for the future therapy of PCA.

Prognostic factors of papillary renal cell carcinoma: results from a multi-institutional series after pathological review.

PURPOSE: We examined papillary renal cell carcinoma prognostic variables and validated the 2002 UICC TNM staging system in a multicenter analysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From 10 urological institutions in Germany followup data were collected on a total of 675 patients with papillary renal cell carcinoma. Central pathological review was done to validate external histopathological diagnoses. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to derive cumulative cancer specific and overall survival, and the log rank test was used to compare the curves of 2 or more groups. For multivariate analysis of prognostic factors Cox regression analysis was done. All proportional hazard assumptions were systemically verified using the Grambsch-Therneau test. RESULTS: Cancer specific survival was significantly related to TNM stage and histological grading on univariate and multivariate analyses. Five-year cancer specific survival in pT1b cases was significantly shorter than in pT1a cases (90.0% vs 98.3%, p = 0.017). No significant difference was found between pT1b and pT2 tumors. Patients with pT3 or greater disease were at high risk for metastasis (50.6%) while metastatic disease associated with pT2 or less tumors occurred in 7.8% (p <0.0001). After metastatic disease was present the prognosis was poor with 7.2% 5-year cancer specific survival. Age was associated with poor prognosis in the subgroup with pT3 or greater tumors on univariate analysis (p = 0.026) but not on multivariate analysis. CONCLUSIONS: In its current form the 2002 UICC TNM staging system is not applicable to papillary renal cell carcinoma. Clinical and radiological followup should be offered at frequent intervals to patients with venous thrombus and/or locally advanced disease. The role of age remains unclear but should not be underestimated in risk stratification after surgery.

High proliferation rate and TNM stage but not histomorphological subtype are independent prognostic markers for overall survival in papillary renal cell carcinoma.

Papillary renal cell carcinoma (PRCC) is currently divided in 2 subtypes. We reviewed a large cohort of PRCC and correlated subtype, morphological features and diagnostic marker expression with overall survival (OS) to uncover differences between the 2 subtypes. Three hundred seventy-six renal tumors initially diagnosed as PRCC with clinical and survival data were collected from the participating centers. Two hundred forty-six tumors were classified as PRCC1 (65.4%) and 130 as PRCC2 (34.6%) and graded according to the 2016 World Health Organization/International Society of Urological Pathology grading system. Morphological features (abundant cytoplasm, necrosis, fibrous stroma, foamy macrophages and psammoma bodies) were noted. Immunohistochemical stains (MIB1, p53, Racemase, EMA, CK7, CK20, E-Cadherin) were performed using tissue microarrays. χ2-Tests, log-rank tests and uni- and multivariate Cox regression analysis were performed. Both subtypes displayed different morphological features and immunohistochemical profiles: abundant cytoplasm was more frequent in PRCC2, while foamy macrophages were more common in PRCC1. Abundant cytoplasm and presence of psammoma bodies were associated with poorer OS. PRCC1 showed more frequent CK7 expression, PRCC2 more frequent E-Cadherin, p53 and higher MIB1 expression (>15%). Expression of Racemase and CK7 was associated with better OS, while high MIB1 (>15%) was associated with poorer OS. In multivariate analysis, the only independent predictors of OS were proliferation (MIB1), tumor stage, metastasis and age at surgery. Subtype was not an independent prognostic factor. Therefore, PRCC subtype on its own is not suitable for estimating survival. More data focusing on PRCC tumor biology is needed to define prognostic subgroups, especially in PRCC2.

Role of the STK15 Phe31Ile polymorphism in renal cell carcinoma.

The search of inherited cancer susceptibility factors is an important subject in cancer epidemiology. Analyses of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in various genes revealed a correlation between the presence of specific allelic variants and cancer predisposition in diverse malignancies. STK15 is an important protein in control of the integrity of the mitotic spindle apparatus and genomic stability. We analysed the distribution of the functionally important T91A SNP in the STK15 gene in a cohort of renal cell carcinoma (RCC) patients and compared it to the distribution in a control group without malignancies. DNA from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded healthy renal tissue (RCC patients) or peripheral blood samples (control group) was isolated according to standard protocols. Allelic variant of STK15 nucleotide 91 was determined using restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis. Overall, 156 RCC patients and 158 patients without any malignancy were analysed. The distribution of the STK15 SNP in RCC patients (T/T, 58.97%; A/T, 36.53%; A/A, 4.49%) did not significantly differ from that of the control group (T/T, 51.27%; A/T, 41.14%; A/A, 7.59%). There was also no correlation between genotype and tumour grade or stage or other histopathological characteristics of the tumours. This first analysis of the STK15 T91A SNP in RCC patients revealed no correlation between a certain allelic variant and an increased risk for RCC.

Sporadic renal cell carcinoma in young and elderly patients: are there different clinicopathological features and disease specific survival rates?

BACKGROUND: Sporadic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is rare in young adults. In the present retrospective study we reviewed clinicopathological features and disease specific survival rates in young patients (<= 45 years) with RCC and compared them to old patients (>= 75 years) with RCC. METHODS: Between 1992 and 2005 a total of 1042 patients were treated for RCC at our institution. We found 70 patients 45 years or younger (YP) and 150 patients 75 years or older (OP) at time of diagnosis. There were no differences in therapeutical approaches between both groups. Clinical and biologic parameters at diagnosis were compared and subjected to uni- and multivariate analysis to study cancer specific survival and progression rate. Mean postoperative follow-up in both groups was 50.1 months. RESULTS: Mean age was 39 years in YP and 80 years in OP, respectively. YP demonstrated significantly lower stage (pT1-pT2 N0 M0, p = 0.03), lower tumor grade (p = 0.01) and higher male-to-female ratio (p < 0.001). The rate of lymph node metastases or distant metastatic disease at presentation did not differ significantly between both groups. In multivariate analysis young age was independently associated with a higher 5-year cancer specific survival (95.2% vs. 72.3%, p = 0.009) and a lower 5-year progression rate (11.3% vs. 42.5%, p = 0.002). CONCLUSION: Sporadic RCC in young patients have lower tumor stages and grades and a better outcome compared to elderly. Age <= 45 years was an independent prognostic factor for survival and progression.

What Political Framework Is Necessary to Reduce Malnutrition? A Civil Society Perspective.

Around 800 million people worldwide are still starving. Around 2 billion are somehow able to allay their hunger yet remain malnourished because their food does not contain sufficient nutrients. There are many reasons for this: for people living in poverty and precarious conditions, the priority is to fill their stomach, and the quality of food seems less important. Since the 1960s, global food production has been focused on increasing yield, not food quality. Mass-produced convenience food with high fat and carbohydrate contents but containing few nutrients is on the rise and - as a result of price wars - often replaces healthier locally grown products. To overcome global hunger and malnutrition, civil society organizations urge governments to turn towards sustainable and human rights-based development, including sustainable agricultural and fishing policies, to contribute to the eradication of poverty. This development is first and foremost guided by the right to food. In a policy that enables farmers to produce enough food that is healthy and rich in nutrients, the following principles should be fulfilled. Governments should assume responsibility for the international impacts of their agricultural policy decisions. The food sovereignty of other countries should be respected. Policies should enable self-supply of the population with healthy food and should promote the protection of resources, the climate, biodiversity and animal welfare. Strengthening rural structures, local economies, labor rights and small-scale food producers, establishing public programs that provide locally produced food, applying stringent standards for food labeling and the regulation of unhealthy products and paying special attention to the first 1,000 days of life as the starting point of a good and healthy well-being are core elements of such a political framework.