ABSTRACT
AIMS: The proteases PAI-1 and uPA play a major role in extracellular matrix degradation, which facilitates tumour progression. Tumour budding is a histomorphological expression of enhanced tumour cell migration. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To investigate their prognostic value for and correlation with colon cancer, a prospective study was performed. We analysed tissue levels of uPA and PAI-1 of 55 colon cancer tumours employing a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Tumour budding was analysed on cytokeratin-stained slides. RESULTS: There was a strong correlation between uPA and tumour budding (R = 0.440; P < 0.001). uPA levels were increased in high grade tumours, whereas PAI-1 was elevated in cases with venous invasion (P = 0.004 and P = 0.028). PAI-1 values and tumour budding are associated significantly with the occurrence of distant metastases (P < 0.001 and P = 0.034, respectively). Tumour budding was significantly associated with lymph node metastases (P = 0.034). Multivariate analysis revealed PAI-1 and lymph node metastases to be independently predictive of distant metastases (P = 0.007 and P = 0.004, respectively). CONCLUSIONS: The results of our study show that tumour budding and the plasmin/plasminogen system are related. PAI-1 was independently predictive for the occurrence of distant metastasis.
Subject(s)
Colonic Neoplasms/pathology , Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1/analysis , Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator/analysis , Aged , Cell Movement , Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay , Female , Humans , Lymphatic Metastasis , Male , Middle Aged , Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1/physiology , Prospective Studies , ROC Curve , Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator/physiologyABSTRACT
Results are reported of quantitative adrenal scintigraphy with 131I-cholesterol in 8 patients with normal adrenal function before and after ACTH-stimulation and cortisol-suppression respectively, in one case with an adrenal metastasis from a pulmonary cancer, in two cases with Cushing's disease and in 7 cases with Conn's disease. In normal cases and in patients with M. Cushing a diagnosis of adrenal cortical function is possible with this method but can usually be replaced by more specific biochemical studies of serum and urine. The scintigraphic method is in addition of value in localization studies and can in unequivocal cases replace the selective adrenal phlebography. In patients with M. Conn increased uptake values (bilateral adrenal cortex hyperplasia) as well as reduced or non-detectable uptakes were observed, one of these cases suffering from a cortex carcinoma with M. Conn.
Subject(s)
Adrenal Gland Diseases/diagnosis , Cholesterol , Radionuclide Imaging , Adrenal Cortex Function Tests , Cushing Syndrome/diagnosis , Humans , Hyperaldosteronism/diagnosis , Iodine RadioisotopesABSTRACT
The method and results of the 14C exhalation test for metabolic studies are presented. In patients under radiotherapy for malignant diseases (we consider radiotherapy to be a well defined metabolic disturbance), studies with 14C-carboxyl triglycerides, with 14C-glycincholate, with 14C-histidine and with 14C-uridyl reveal the extent of the metabolic changes and also how long it would take to return to the normal state. It is not yet well understood why a disturbace of glycincholate absorption persists for years after radiotherapy of the pelvis. The method can also be employed in gastroenterology (absorption of bile salts) and in assessing an anabolic or catabolic state as af function of thyroid hormone. Further metabolic tests for radiobiologic evaluations are in progress.
Subject(s)
Metabolic Diseases/diagnosis , Radiotherapy/adverse effects , Bile Acids and Salts/metabolism , Carbon Radioisotopes , Citric Acid Cycle , Fatty Acids/metabolism , Histidine/metabolism , Humans , Metabolic Diseases/etiology , Triglycerides/metabolism , Uridine Monophosphate/metabolismABSTRACT
Myocardial blood flow, left ventricular performance, regional myocardial metabolites (ATP, CrP, lactate) and a-v differences of oxygen, lactate and pyruvate were determined in 6 open chest dogs with cannulated left coronary artery. A mean flow reduction from 92 to 43 ml/min/100 g heart weight resulted in marked heart failure accompanied by extensive flow reduction to the endocard with nearly 10 fold increase of lactate and a decrease of CrP content to 50% of control. In contrast, flow and metabolic parameters of the epicardial part changed only slightly. Furthermore, the DPTI/SPTI-ratio showed a good correlation with the subendocardial CrP content (r = 0.93, p less than 0.01).