Expression of interleukin-32 in bone marrow of patients with myeloma and its prognostic significance.

BACKGROUND: The guiding effect of prognostic stratification in multiple myeloma (MM) for treatment has been increasingly emphasized in recent years. The stratification of risk factors based on the International Staging System (ISS), Durie-Salmon (DS) staging and related indicators is affected by the renal function of patients, resulting in poor performance. This study assesses the relationship between interleukin-32 (IL-32) and related risk factors in 67 patients with MM and their clinical outcomes. AIM: To investigate the feasibility of IL-32 in evaluating prognosis in patients with MM and the factors influencing prognosis. METHODS: This was a pragmatic, prospective observational study of patients with MM at a single center. According to IL-32 level, patients were divided into two groups. The variables under consideration included age, blood ß2-microglobulin, albumin, C-reactive protein, serum calcium, serum creatinine, lactate dehydrogenase, M protein type, ISS stage, DS stage, and IL-32 levels and minimal residual disease (MRD) after induction treatment. The main outcomes were progression-free survival (PFS) and overall survival (OS). RESULTS: IL-32 was an important factor affecting PFS and OS in patients with MM. Compared with patients with IL-32 levels ≥ 856.4 pg/mL, patients with IL-32 levels < 856.4 pg/mL had longer PFS (P = 0.0387) and OS (P = 0.0379); Univariate analysis showed that IL-32 level and MRD were significantly associated with OS and PFS (P < 0.05). Multivariate analysis showed that IL-32 levels ≥ 856.4 pg/mL and MRD positive were still independent risk factors for OS and PFS (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: IL-32 is valuable for assessing the prognosis of MM patients. IL-32 level combined with MRD may be a useful routine evaluation index for MM patients after treatment.

Urinary nucleosides as biological markers for patients with colorectal cancer.

AIM: Fourteen urinary nucleosides, primary degradation products of tRNA, were evaluated to know the potential as biological markers for patients with colorectal cancer. METHODS: The concentrations of 14 kinds of urinary nucleosides from 52 patients with colorectal cancer, 10 patients with intestinal villous adenoma and 60 healthy adults were determined by column switching high performance liquid chromatography method. RESULTS: The mean levels of 12 kinds of urinary nucleosides (except uridine and guanosine) in the patients with colorectal cancer were significantly higher than those in patients with intestinal villous adenoma or the healthy adults. Using the levels of 14 kinds of urinary nucleosides as the data vectors for principal component analysis, 71% (37/52) patients with colorectal cancer were correctly classified from healthy adults, in which the identification rate was much higher than that of CEA method (29%). Only 10% (1/10) of patients with intestinal villous adenoma were indistinguishable from patients with colorectal cancer. The levels of m1G, Pseu and m1A were positively related with tumor size and Duke's stages of colorectal cancer. When monitoring the changes in urinary nucleoside concentrations of patients with colorectal cancer associated with surgery, it was found that the overall correlations with clinical assessment were 84% (27/32) and 91% (10/11) in response group and progressive group, respectively. CONCLUSION: These findings indicate that urinary nucleosides determined by column switching high performance liquid chromatography method may be useful as biological markers for colorectal cancer.

Clinical significance and prognostic value of urinary nucleosides in breast cancer patients.

OBJECTIVE: Thirteen urinary nucleosides, primarily degradation products of tRNA, were evaluated as potential tumor markers for breast cancer patients. DESIGN AND METHODS: The micellar electrokinetic chromatography (MEKC) method has been used to analyze the urinary nucleosides in 41 healthy controls, 20 patients with benign breast tumors, and 26 breast cancer patients. RESULTS: Urinary nucleoside concentrations of breast cancer patients were found to increase significantly compared to those of patients with benign breast tumors and healthy controls. By using 13 nucleoside concentrations as data vectors for principal component analysis (PCA), 73% (19/26) of breast cancer patients were correctly identified from healthy controls, while only 20% (4/20) of patients with benign breast tumors were indistinguishable from breast cancer patients. The mean level of all forms of urinary nucleosides in patients with metastatic breast cancer was higher than that in patients with primary breast cancer. The levels of modified nucleosides tended to decrease and return to normal after surgery. CONCLUSION: The results indicate that urinary nucleosides may be useful as tumor markers for breast cancer.

[Investigation of urinary nucleosides excretion of intestinal cancer patients by reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography].

A method for the determination of urinary nucleosides with reversed-phase high performance liquid chromatography is described. After nucleosides were extracted from urine on phenyl boronic acid affinity chromatography, the analysis was performed on a column (4.6 mm i.d. x 250 mm, 5 microns) at 22 degrees C using a linear gradient elution comprising 25 mmol/L KH2PO4 solution (pH 4.55) and 60% methanol in water with UV detection at 260 nm. This method was used for the determination of 15 urinary nucleosides of 41 intestinal cancer patients and 52 normal adults. The results showed that the average concentrations of 12 urinary nucleosides from intestinal cancer patients were much higher than those of normal adults with P < 0.001. Using the concentrations of 15 nucleosides as the data vectors, principal component analysis was applied to classify intestinal cancer patients and normal adults and 76% (31/41) of the cancer patients were correctly classified. It is concluded that the method is sensitive, reliable and suitable for basic research and clinical applications to malignant tumours.