Survival of patients with ruptured gastrointestinal stromal tumour treated with adjuvant imatinib in a randomised trial.

BACKGROUND: Patients with ruptured gastrointestinal stromal tumour (GIST) have poor prognosis. Little information is available about how adjuvant imatinib influences survival. METHODS: We explored recurrence-free survival (RFS) and overall survival (OS) of patients with ruptured GIST who participated in a randomised trial (SSG XVIII/AIO), where 400 patients with high-risk GIST were allocated to adjuvant imatinib for either 1 year or 3 years after surgery. Of the 358 patients with confirmed localised GIST, 73 (20%) had rupture reported. The ruptures were classified retrospectively using the Oslo criteria. RESULTS: Most ruptures were major, four reported ruptures were reclassified unruptured. The 69 patients with rupture had inferior RFS and OS compared with 289 patients with unruptured GIST (10-year RFS 21% vs. 55%, OS 59% vs. 78%, respectively). Three-year adjuvant imatinib did not significantly improve RFS or OS of the patients with rupture compared with 1-year treatment, but in the largest mutational subset with KIT exon 11 deletion/indel mutation OS was higher in the 3-year group than in the 1-year group (10-year OS 94% vs. 54%). CONCLUSIONS: About one-fifth of ruptured GISTs treated with adjuvant imatinib did not recur during the first decade of follow-up. Relatively high OS rates were achieved despite rupture. CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION: NCT00116935.

KIT and PDGFRA Mutations and Survival of Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor Patients Treated with Adjuvant Imatinib in a Randomized Trial.

PURPOSE: Limited data are available about the influence of KIT and PDGFRA mutations on overall survival (OS) of patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST) treated with adjuvant imatinib. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The Scandinavian Sarcoma Group XVIII/AIO multicenter trial accrued 400 patients with a high risk for GIST recurrence after macroscopically complete surgery between February 4, 2004, and September 29, 2008. The patients received adjuvant imatinib 400 mg/day for either 1 year or 3 years based on random allocation. We analyzed using conventional sequencing KIT and PDGFRA mutations centrally from 341 (85%) patients who had localized, centrally confirmed GIST, and correlated the results with recurrence-free survival (RFS) and OS in exploratory analyses. RESULTS: During a median follow-up time of 10 years, 164 RFS events and 76 deaths occurred. Most patients were re-treated with imatinib when GIST recurred. Patients with KIT exon 11 deletion or indel mutation treated with 3 years of adjuvant imatinib survived longer than patients treated for 1 year [10-year OS 86% versus 64%, respectively; HR, 0.34; 95% confidence interval (CI), 0.15-0.72; P = 0.007], and also had longer RFS (10-year RFS 47% versus 29%; HR, 0.48; 95% CI, 0.31-0.74; P < 0.001). Patients with KIT exon 9 mutation had unfavorable OS regardless of the duration of adjuvant imatinib. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with 1 year of imatinib, 3 years of adjuvant imatinib led to 66% reduction in the estimated risk of death and a high 10-year OS rate in the subset of patients with a KIT exon 11 deletion/indel mutation.

Axon guidance receptor ROBO3 modulates subtype identity and prognosis via AXL-associated inflammatory network in pancreatic cancer.

Metastatic pancreatic cancer (PDAC) has a poor clinical outcome with a 5-year survival rate below 3%. Recent transcriptome profiling of PDAC biopsies has identified 2 clinically distinct subtypes - the "basal-like" (BL) subtype with poor prognosis and therapy resistance compared with the less aggressive and drug-susceptible "classical" (CLA) subtype. However, the mechanistic events and environmental factors that promote the BL subtype identity are not very clear. Using preclinical models, patient-derived xenografts, and FACS-sorted PDAC patient biopsies, we report here that the axon guidance receptor, roundabout guidance receptor 3 (ROBO3), promotes the BL metastatic program via a potentially unique AXL/IL-6/phosphorylated STAT3 (p-STAT3) regulatory axis. RNA-Seq identified a ROBO3-mediated BL-specific gene program, while tyrosine kinase profiling revealed AXL as the key mediator of the p-STAT3 activation. CRISPR/dCas9-based ROBO3 silencing disrupted the AXL/p-STAT3 signaling axis, thereby halting metastasis and enhancing therapy sensitivity. Transcriptome analysis of resected patient tumors revealed that AXLhi neoplastic cells associated with the inflammatory stromal program. Combining AXL inhibitor and chemotherapy substantially restored a CLA phenotypic state and reduced disease aggressiveness. Thus, we conclude that a ROBO3-driven hierarchical network determines the inflammatory and prometastatic programs in a specific PDAC subtype.

Kampo medicines for supportive care of patients with cancer: A brief review.

BACKGROUND: Kampo medicines, which are standardized traditional Japanese herbal medicines, have been tried to support patients with cancer. METHODS: Randomized controlled trials on the use of Kampo medicines for cancer supportive care and the descriptions of Kampo medicines in clinical practice guidelines were reviewed. RESULTS: Kampo medicines potentially ameliorate refractory symptoms in cancer patients. For example, hochuekkito, juzentaihoto, and ninjin'yoeito seem to be efficacious for fatigue/general malaise. Potential use of rikkunshito for anorexia/cancer cachexia and goshajinkigan for peripheral neuropathy is proposed from small numbers of randomized controlled trials in addition to basic research. The number of clinical practice guidelines which contain descriptions of Kampo medicines is increasing in general, but only a few in the area of cancer supportive care. CONCLUSION: Kampo medicines potentially play some roles in preventing or ameliorating side effects of anticancer agents. Supportive care with Kampo medicines for patients with cancer might lead to physical, mental, and nutritional improvement.

Evolutionary patterns of chromosomal instability and mismatch repair deficiency in proximal and distal colorectal cancer.

AIM: Colorectal carcinomas (CRCs) progress through heterogeneous pathways. The aim of this study was to analyse whether or not the cytogenetic evolution of CRC is linked to tumour site, level of chromosomal imbalance and metastasis. METHOD: A set of therapy-naïve pT3 CRCs comprising 26 proximal and 49 distal pT3 CRCs was studied by combining immunohistochemistry of mismatch repair (MMR) proteins, microsatellite analyses and molecular karyotyping as well as clinical parameters. RESULTS: A MMR deficient/microsatellite-unstable (dMMR/MSI-H) status was associated with location of the primary tumour proximal to the splenic flexure, and dMMR/MSI-H tumours presented with significantly lower levels of chromosomal imbalances compared with MMR proficient/microsatellite-stable (pMMR/MSS) tumours. Oncogenetic tree modelling suggested two evolutionary clusters characterized by dMMR/MSI-H and chromosomal instability (CIN), respectively, for both proximal and distal CRCs. In CIN cases, +13q, -18q and +20q were predicted as preferentially early events, and -1p, -4 -and -5q as late events. Separate oncogenetic tree models of proximal and distal cases indicated similar early events independent of tumour site. However, in cases with high CIN defined by more than 10 copy number aberrations, loss of 17p occurred earlier in cytogenetic evolution than in cases showing low to moderate CIN. Differences in the oncogenetic trees were observed for CRCs with lymph node and distant metastasis. Loss of 8p was modelled as an early event in node-positive CRC, while +7p and +8q comprised early events in CRC with distant metastasis. CONCLUSION: CRCs characterized by CIN follow multiple, interconnected genetic pathways in line with the basic 'Vogelgram' concept proposed for the progression of CRC that places the accumulation of genetic changes at centre of tumour evolution. However, the timing of specific genetic events may favour metastatic potential.

Phytotherapy for Cachexia: Where Do We Stand?

BACKGROUND: In contrast to Western medicine which currently offers no approved pharmacotherapy options for cachexia, in Japan multi-component extracts of medicinal plants are used with coverage by the national health insurance. This so called "Kampo" medicine is an example of the modern concept of multi-component/multi-target therapy. For the three traditional preparations Hochuekkito (), Juzentaihoto (), and Rikkunshito (), a multitude of clinical research data relating to cachexia has been published. These preparations are also referred to as "Hozai" (). A similar concept is found in Russian herbal medicine, where the term "Adaptogen" was coined for pharmacologically active substances which enhance adaptive stress repose. METHODS: Scientific literature-including original Japanese articles-was reviewed regarding the effects of these herbal preparations on cachexia. Cachexia is a complex set of symptoms including muscle atrophy with loss of weight, fatigue, and weakness. RESULTS: In a 1985 study by Kuroda et al., Hochuekkito showed efficacy in involuntary weight loss and fatigue in 63% of 162 patients with genitourinary cancer. For cancer-related fatigue, a significant improvement was reported within 2 weeks by Jeong et al. in 2010. In patients with chronic fatigue syndrome, Hochuekkito showed an overall improvement with 8-12 weeks of therapy in a 1997 study by Kuratsune et al. In a 2005 randomized placebo-controlled trial by Satoh et al. on 13 geriatric Q1 patients in a 16-week treatment protocol, Hochuekkito showed significant improvement of general health, physical functioning and the Profile of Mood States (POMS). In 71 geriatric COPD patients in a 2009 placebo-controlled randomized study, Tatsumi et al. found a significant body weight increase and a CRP, TNF-α, IL-6 decrease over 6 months of therapy. For Juzentaihoto in 48 hepatocellular carcinoma patients, Tsuchiya et al. 2008 documented a significantly longer recurrence-free survival (49 vs. 24 months) as compared to the control group (p=0.023). For the much simpler Rikkunshito prescription, a 2011 retrospective study by Fujitsuka et al. on 39 Stage III/IV pancreatic cancer patients treated with Gemcitabine (n=33) or Gemcitabine/Rikkunshito (n=6) showed a significantly prolonged median survival with 224 vs. 378.5 days (p < 0.05). In a 2011 open-label clinical study by Utumi et al. on geriatric cachexia in 6 dementia patients, treatment with Rikkunshito for 4 weeks resulted in a significant body weight increase. In all the above studies, the standardized dosage of 3x2.5 g/d extract granules for most Japanese health insurance-covered Kampo extract-preparations was applied. CONCLUSION: As there is currently no accepted pharmacotherapy option for cachexia available in the West, a transfer of these East Asian gold standard prescriptions into the European market would be desirable. We were further able to demonstrate that the mTOR, interleucin, and melatonin pathways are modified by herbal compounds which thus counteract cachexia. More research in this field is urgently needed in order to provide new, effective treatments for cachexia patients.

Survival Outcomes Associated With 3 Years vs 1 Year of Adjuvant Imatinib for Patients With High-Risk Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors: An Analysis of a Randomized Clinical Trial After 10-Year Follow-up.

Importance: Adjuvant imatinib is associated with improved recurrence-free survival (RFS) when administered after surgery to patients with operable gastrointestinal stromal tumor (GIST), but its influence on overall survival (OS) has remained uncertain. Objective: To evaluate the effect of adjuvant imatinib on OS of patients who have a high estimated risk for GIST recurrence after macroscopically complete surgery. Design, Setting, and Participants: In this open-label, randomized (1:1), multicenter phase 3 clinical trial conducted in Finland, Germany, Norway, and Sweden, 400 patients who had undergone macroscopically complete surgery for GIST with a high estimated risk for recurrence according to the modified National Institutes of Health Consensus Criteria were enrolled between February 2004 and September 2008. Data for this follow-up analysis were analyzed from September to November, 2019. Interventions: Imatinib 400 mg/d administered orally for either 12 months or 36 months after surgery. Main Outcomes And Measures: The primary end point was RFS; the secondary objectives included OS and treatment safety. Results: The intention-to-treat cohort consisted of 397 patients (12-month group, 199; 36-month group, 198; 201 men and 196 women; median [IQR] age, 62 (51-69) years and 60 (51-67) years, during a median follow-up time of 119 months after the date of randomization, 194 RFS events and 96 OS events were recorded in the intention-to-treat population. Five-year and 10-year RFS was 71.4% and 52.5%, respectively, in the 36-month group and 53.0% and 41.8% in the 12-month group (hazard ratio [HR], 0.66; 95% CI, 0.49-0.87; P = .003). In the 36-month group, 5-year OS and 10-year OS rates were 92.0% and 79.0%, respectively, and in the 12-month group 85.5% and 65.3% (HR, 0.55; 95% CI, 0.37-0.83; P = .004). The results were similar in the efficacy population, from which 15 patients who did not have GIST in central pathology review and 24 patients who had intra-abdominal metastases removed at surgery were excluded (36-month group, 10-year OS 81.6%; 12-month group, 66.8%; HR, 0.50; 95% CI, 0.32-0.80; P = .003). No new safety signals were detected. Conclusions and Relevance: Three years of adjuvant imatinib is superior in efficacy compared with 1 year of imatinib. Approximately 50% of deaths may be avoided during the first 10 years of follow-up after surgery with longer adjuvant imatinib treatment. Trial Registration: ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00116935.

Distinct Association of Serum Vitamin D Concentration with Disease Activity and Trough Levels of Infliximab and Adalimumab during Inflammatory Bowel Disease Treatment.

BACKGROUND: Studies of serum vitamin D (Vit-D) levels in patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) treated with anti-tumor necrosis factor-alpha (anti-TNF-α) agents are scarce. The conjunction of Vit-D as well as zinc levels and anti-TNF-α-trough concentrations (TC) has not yet been explored. OBJECTIVES: To determine the association of serum Vit-D, zinc and C-reactive protein (CRP) levels with clinical and biochemical remission and a possible correlation with serum TC and antibody levels of anti-TNF-α. METHODS: Serum Vit-D and zinc levels as well as Infliximab (IFX) and Adalimumab (ADA) TC during the maintenance phase of treatment were measured in 112 IBD patients. Statistical analysis were performed for clinical and biochemical remission. RESULTS: Vit-D and zinc deficiency were detected in 58 and 4.5% of the patients respectively. In IFX-treated patients, IFX-TC, Vit-D and CRP levels were associated independently with clinical remission with an OR of 20 (95% CI 1.3-333, p = 0.03), 1.3 (95% CI 1.1-1.7, p = 0.02) and 0.4 (95% CI 0.2-0.8, p = 0.01) respectively. Serum IFX-TC and Vit-D levels correlated positively (r = 0.39, p = 0.001), while serum IFX-TC and CRP levels showed an inverse correlation (r = -0.43, p < 0.001). Only -IFX-TC associated independently with biochemical remission with a threshold of 3.1 µg/mL. In ADA-treated patients, ADA-TC associated independently with clinical and biochemical remission with an OR of 2.5 (95% CI 1.1-5.0, p = 0.04) and 1.3 (95% CI 1.1-1.4, p = 0.03) respectively. The serum zinc level was associated neither with clinical nor with biochemical remission in either cohort. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that serum Vit-D level may be a predictive marker in addition to drug trough levels in IBD patients treated with IFX. Furthermore, due to the correlation between serum IFX and Vit-D levels, Vit-D substitution should be conducted in patients with low Vit-D levels.

Optimal thresholds of risk parameters for gastrointestinal stromal tumors.

BACKGROUND: Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) are the most frequent mesenchymal neoplasms of the gastrointestinal tract with highly variable potential for relapse. Tumor size and mitotic index (MI) are major risk factors that predict the outcome of GIST patients. Recent risk stratification schemes include some or all of the empirical size thresholds of 2 cm, 5 cm, and 10 cm and MI thresholds of 5 per 50 high-power fields (hpf) and 10 per 50 hpf. However, data that verify these numbers are sparse. METHODS: By exhaustive regression tree analysis, maximally selected rank statistics and survival difference analysis with bootstrap sampling on a naive GIST population of 161 patients with a mean follow-up of 44 months, current stratification schemes using tumor size and MI were analyzed herein. RESULTS: /Conclusions: Thresholds that optimally stratify the risk of recurrence are observed at tumor sizes of 4-5 cm and 10-11 cm and at mitotic indices of about 5 per 50 hpf and 10 per 50 hpf, respectively. While these data validate the canonical thresholds for size and MI used in risk stratification of GIST, transition regions as well as differences in the implementation of these thresholds between the different classification schemes proposed in the recent years should be considered when classifying GIST.

Small bowel capsule endoscopy: Indications, results, and clinical benefit in a University environment.

Capsule endoscopy (CE) opened a new method for visualization of the small intestine. We here further explore its clinical implications.We retrospectively analyzed the clinical benefit of CE in view of medical history, diagnostics, and therapy. Our patient collective consisted of 203 patients. CE was investigated in the context of bleeding, anemia, abdominal pain, diarrhea, Crohn's disease, and suspected tumors.The study collective consisted of 118 male and 85 female patients with a mean age of 58 years (range 8-90 years). Complete bowel transit took place in 82% of the patients. The diagnostic yield in the detection of obscure gastrointestinal bleeding was 80% and for anemia 78%. Mucosal lesions were the most common finding (43%). Unclear abdominal pain had the lowest diagnostic yield (41%). Ensuing therapeutic interventions were mostly medical (66%), and to a minor extent surgical (4.4%) as well as endoscopic (4%).In conclusion, small intestinal CE is a secure method to clarify small intestinal diseases, especially obscure gastrointestinal bleeding, even in pre-operated patients without stenosis symptoms. Our study emphasizes in a collective of patients with extensive prior diagnostics that due to CE therapeutic measures resulted in 73%.

The expression of hematopoietic progenitor cell antigen CD34 is regulated by DNA methylation in a site-dependent manner in gastrointestinal stromal tumours.

The anatomic site-dependent expression of hematopoietic progenitor cell antigen CD34 is a feature of gastrointestinal stromal tumours (GISTs). The basis for the differential CD34 expression is only incompletely understood. This study aimed at understanding the regulation of CD34 in GISTs and clarification of its site-dependent expression. Two sample sets of primary GISTs were interrogated including 52 fresh-frozen and 134 paraffin-embedded and formalin-fixed specimens. DNA methylation analysis was performed by HumanMethylation450 BeadChip array in three cell lines derived from gastric and intestinal GISTs, and differentially methylated CpG sites were established upstream of CD34. The methylation degree was further quantified by pyrosequencing, and inverse correlation with CD34 mRNA and protein abundance was revealed. The gene's expression could be activated upon induction of DNA hypomethylation with 5-aza-2'-deoxycytidine in GIST-T1 cells. In patient samples, a strong inverse correlation of DNA methylation degree with immunohistochemically evaluated CD34 expression was documented. Both CD34 expression and DNA methylation levels were specific to the tumours' anatomic location and mutation status. A constant decrease in methylation levels was observed ranging from almost 100% hypermethylation in intestinal GISTs from duodenum to hypomethylation in rectum. CD34 was heavily methylated in gastric PDGFRA-mutant GISTs in comparison to hypomethylated KIT-mutant counterparts. Next to CD34 hypermethylation, miR-665 was predicted and experimentally confirmed to target CD34 mRNA in GIST-T1 cells. Our results suggest that CD34 expression in GISTs may undergo a complex control by DNA methylation and miR-665. Differential methylation and expression of CD34 in GISTs along the gastrointestinal tract axis and in tumours that harbour different gain-of-function mutations suggest the origin from different cell populations in the gastrointestinal tract.

Current Standard and Future Perspectives in the Treatment of Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors.

The origin of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST) from interstitial cells of Cajal or their precursor cells has been understood since the early 1990s. The first mutations within the KIT-gene have been described in the late 1990s. Even though these mutations were the breakthrough of small molecular therapy, we still do not know the factors responsible for their malignant transformation. Until then, we can only speak of recurrence risk. This review gives an introduction on the current understanding of GIST and highlights the remaining questions for diagnosis, tumor progression, and treatment in progressive disease.

Effect of KIT and PDGFRA Mutations on Survival in Patients With Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors Treated With Adjuvant Imatinib: An Exploratory Analysis of a Randomized Clinical Trial.

IMPORTANCE: Little is known about whether the duration of adjuvant imatinib influences the prognostic significance of KIT proto-oncogene receptor tyrosine kinase (KIT) and platelet-derived growth factor receptor α (PDGFRA) mutations. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the effect of KIT and PDGFRA mutations on recurrence-free survival (RFS) in patients with gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) treated with surgery and adjuvant imatinib. DESIGN, SETTING, AND PARTICIPANTS: This exploratory study is based on the Scandinavian Sarcoma Group VIII/Arbeitsgemeinschaft Internistische Onkologie (SSGXVIII/AIO) multicenter clinical trial. Between February 4, 2004, and September 29, 2008, 400 patients who had undergone surgery for GISTs with a high risk of recurrence were randomized to receive adjuvant imatinib for 1 or 3 years. Of the 397 patients who provided consent, 341 (85.9%) had centrally confirmed, localized GISTs with mutation analysis for KIT and PDGFRA performed centrally using conventional sequencing. During a median follow-up of 88 months (completed December 31, 2013), 142 patients had GIST recurrence. Data of the evaluable population were analyzed February 4, 2004, through December 31, 2013. MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES: The main outcome was RFS. Mutations were grouped by the gene and exon. KIT exon 11 mutations were further grouped as deletion or insertion-deletion mutations, substitution mutations, insertion or duplication mutations, and mutations that involved codons 557 and/or 558. RESULTS: Of the 341 patients (175 men and 166 women; median age at study entry, 62 years) in the 1-year group and 60 years in the 3-year group), 274 (80.4%) had GISTs with a KIT mutation, 43 (12.6%) had GISTs that harbored a PDGFRA mutation, and 24 (7.0%) had GISTs that were wild type for these genes. PDGFRA mutations and KIT exon 11 insertion or duplication mutations were associated with favorable RFS, whereas KIT exon 9 mutations were associated with unfavorable outcome. Patients with KIT exon 11 deletion or insertion-deletion mutation had better RFS when allocated to the 3-year group compared with the 1-year group (5-year RFS, 71.0% vs 41.3%; P < .001), whereas no significant benefit from the 3-year treatment was found in the other mutational subgroups examined. KIT exon 11 deletion mutations, deletions that involved codons 557 and/or 558, and deletions that led to pTrp557_Lys558del were associated with poor RFS in the 1-year group but not in the 3-year group. Similarly, in the subset with KIT exon 11 deletion mutations, higher-than-the-median mitotic counts were associated with unfavorable RFS in the 1-year group but not in the 3-year group. CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE: Patients with KIT exon 11 deletion mutations benefit most from the longer duration of adjuvant imatinib. The duration of adjuvant imatinib modifies the risk of GIST recurrence associated with some KIT mutations, including deletions that affect exon 11 codons 557 and/or 558. TRIAL REGISTRATION: clinicaltrials.gov Identifier: NCT00116935.

Inactivating Mutations of RB1 and TP53 Correlate With Sarcomatous Histomorphology and Metastasis/Recurrence in Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumors.

OBJECTIVES: Loss-of-function mutations in TP53 and CDKN2A have been found at varying frequencies in gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs), while no mutations of RB1 have been reported to date. The aim of the current study was to determine the mutation frequency of TP53, RB1, and CDKN2A in GISTs. METHODS: A cohort of 83 primary untreated GISTs was analyzed for mutations in TP53, RB1, and CDKN2A by massive parallel sequencing. Tumors with mutations in TP53 and RB1 were analyzed by fluorescence in situ hybridization for the corresponding gene loci. RESULTS: Two GISTs harbored inactivating mutations in RB1, and two other GISTs displayed inactivating mutations in TP53 All four tumors were KIT mutant high-risk tumors with highly cellular sarcomatous histomorphology and variable combinations of plump spindle cells to epithelioid highly atypical cells and high mitotic activity. Three of these patients developed recurrent or metastatic disease, while the fourth patient showed tumor rupture intraoperatively. The combined overall frequency of TP53 and RB1 mutations was 13% considering high-risk or malignant GISTs. CONCLUSIONS: TP53 and RB1 mutations seem to be restricted to high-risk/malignant GISTs and occur at an equal although relatively low frequency.

Induction of Lipocalin2 in a Rat Model of Lung Irradiation.

Previously, we showed that lipocalin2 (LCN2) serum levels increased after liver irradiation and during acute-phase conditions. Here, we evaluate LCN2 expression and serum levels after single-dose lung irradiation with 25 Gy, percutaneously administered to the lung of randomly-paired male Wistar rats. Due to the concave anatomy of the lung recesses, the irradiation field included the upper part of the liver. No rat died due to irradiation. In control tissue, lung immunohistochemistry showed a high constitutive expression of LCN2+ granulocytes. LCN2 mRNA levels in lung tissue increased up to 24 h (9 ± 2.3-fold) after irradiation. However, serum LCN2 levels remained undetectable after lung irradiation. LCN2 expression in the upper part of the liver increased up to 4.2-fold after lung irradiation, but the lower liver showed an early decrease. Acute-phase cytokines (IL-1ß and TNF-α) showed a significant increase on transcript level in both lung and upper liver, whilst the lower liver did not show any considerable increase. In conclusion, constitutive expression of LCN2 in local immune cells demonstrates its local role during stress conditions in the lung. The absence of LCN2 in the serum strengthens our previous findings that the liver is the key player in secreting LCN2 during stress conditions with liver involvement.

Needle biopsy through the abdominal wall for the diagnosis of gastrointestinal stromal tumour - Does it increase the risk for tumour cell seeding and recurrence?

PURPOSE: Preoperative percutaneous transabdominal wall biopsy may be considered to diagnose gastrointestinal stromal tumour (GIST) and plan preoperative treatment with tyrosine kinase inhibitors when an endoscopic biopsy is not possible. Hypothetically, a transabdominal wall biopsy might lead to cell seeding and conversion of a local GIST to a disseminated one. We investigated the influence of preoperative needle biopsy on survival outcomes. METHODS: We collected the clinical data from hospital case records of the 397 patients who participated in the Scandinavian Sarcoma Group (SSG) XVIII/Arbeitsgemeinschaft Internistische Onkologie (AIO) randomised trial and who had a transabdominal fine needle and/or core needle biopsy carried out prior to study entry. The SSG XVIII/AIO trial compared 1 and 3 years of adjuvant imatinib in a patient population with a high risk of GIST recurrence after macroscopically radical surgery. The primary end-point was recurrence-free survival (RFS), and the secondary end-points included overall survival (OS). RESULTS: A total of 47 (12.0%) out of the 393 patients with data available underwent a percutaneous biopsy. No significant difference in RFS or OS was found between the patients who underwent or did not undergo a percutaneous biopsy either in the entire series or in subpopulation analyses, except for a statistically significant RFS advantage for patients who had a percutaneous biopsy and a tumour ≥10 cm in diameter. CONCLUSION: A preoperative diagnostic percutaneous biopsy of a suspected GIST may not increase the risk for GIST recurrence in a patient population who receive adjuvant imatinib after the biopsy.

Role of PECAM-1 in radiation-induced liver inflammation.

Platelet endothelial cell adhesion molecule-1 (PECAM-1, CD31) is known to play an important role in hepatic inflammation. Therefore, we investigated the role of PECAM-1 in wild-type (WT) and knock-out (KO)-mice after single-dose liver irradiation (25 Gy). Both, at mRNA and protein level, a time-dependent decrease in hepatic PECAM-1, corresponding to an increase in intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) (6 hrs) was detected in WT-mice after irradiation. Immunohistologically, an increased number of neutrophil granulocytes (NG) (but not of mononuclear phagocytes) was observed in the liver of WT and PECAM-1-KO mice at 6 hrs after irradiation. The number of recruited NG was higher and prolonged until 24 hrs in KO compared to WT-mice. Correspondingly, a significant induction of hepatic tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α and CXC-chemokines (KC/CXCL1 interleukin-8/CXCL8) was detected together with an elevation of serum liver transaminases (6-24 hrs) in WT and KO-mice. Likewise, phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription-3 (STAT-3) was observed in both animal groups after irradiation. The level of all investigated proteins as well as of the liver transaminases was significantly higher in KO than WT-mice. In the cell-line U937, irradiation led to a reduction in PECAM-1 in parallel to an increased ICAM-1 expression. TNF-α-blockage by anti-TNF-α prevented this change in both proteins in cell culture. Radiation-induced stress conditions induce a transient accumulation of granulocytes within the liver by down-regulation/absence of PECAM-1. It suggests that reduction/lack in PECAM-1 may lead to greater and prolonged inflammation which can be prevented by anti-TNFα.

The anti-TNF-α antibody infliximab inhibits the expression of fat-transporter-protein FAT/CD36 in a selective hepatic-radiation mouse model.

Previously, we reported a radiation-induced inflammation triggering fat-accumulation through fatty-acid-translocase/cluster of differentiation protein 36 (FAT/CD36) in rat liver. Furthermore, inhibition of radiation-induced FAT/CD36-expression by anti-tumor necrosis factor-α (anti-TNF-α) (infliximab) was shown in vitro. The current study investigates fat-accumulation in a mouse-model of single-dose liver-irradiation (25-Gray) and the effect of anti-TNF-α-therapy on FAT/CD36 gene-expression. Mice livers were selectively irradiated in vivo in presence or absence of infliximab. Serum- and hepatic-triglycerides, mRNA, and protein were analyzed by colorimetric assays, RT-PCR, Immunofluorescence and Western-Blot, respectively. Sudan-staining was used demonstrating fat-accumulation in tissue. In mice livers, early (1-3 h) induction of TNF-α-expression, a pro-inflammatory cytokine, was observed. It was followed by elevated hepatic-triglyceride level (6-12 h), compared to sham-irradiated controls. In contrast, serum-triglyceride level was decreased at these time points. Similar to triglyceride level in mice livers, Sudan staining of liver cryosections showed a quick (6-12 h) increase of fat-droplets after irradiation. Furthermore, expression of fat-transporter-protein FAT/CD36 was increased at protein level caused by radiation or TNF-α. TNF-α-blockage by anti-TNF-α showed an early inhibition of radiation-induced FAT/CD36 expression in mice livers. Immunohistochemistry showed basolateral and cytoplasmic expression of FAT/CD36 in hepatocytes. Moreover, co-localization of FAT/CD36 was detected with α-smooth muscle actin (α-SMA+) cells and F4/80+ macrophages. In summary, hepatic-radiation triggers fat-accumulation in mice livers, involving acute-phase-processes. Accordingly, anti-TNF-α-therapy prevented early radiation-induced expression of FAT/CD36 in vivo.