The assessment of PTEN tumor suppressor gene in combination with Gleason scoring and serum PSA to evaluate progression of prostate carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study was to determine if the tumor suppressor gene phosphate and tensin homolog (PTEN) (mutated in multiple advanced cancers 1) in combination with Gleason scoring and serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) could be employed to better predict the progression of prostate carcinoma. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study group consisted of 43 patients with benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH), 15 with organ confined prostate carcinoma (OCPCa), and 18 with advanced prostate carcinoma (APCa). Prostate tissue samples were obtained from radical prostatectomy, transurethral resection, and TRUS guided trans-rectal needle biopsy and then evaluated for biomarker expression. The clinical stage was assessed according to tumor node metastasis classification and grade according to Gleason system. Serum PSA was measured by conventional techniques and Western blotting analysis was used to determine PTEN expression in the primary tissue. Multivariate analysis was performed to analyze whether these markers could individually predict the progression of prostate carcinoma. RESULTS: APCa patients displayed higher Gleason scores and serum PSA levels. But much lower PTEN expression was detected in prostate of APCa patients compared to patients with BPH or OCPCa. Hormone refractory (HR) and hormone sensitive (HS) APCa cases did not yield any significant differences in terms of Gleason scoring, serum PSA and PTEN expression. PSA levels were significantly higher in patients with OCPCa or APCa compared to patients with BPH. CONCLUSION: Our results suggested that both PTEN and serum PSA appeared to be useful as independent markers to depict the nature of tumor behavior as benign or malign. In addition, PTEN also appeared to be useful as an independent marker to predict the progression of prostate carcinoma.

Multidirectional and simultaneous evaluation of gastroschisis-related intestinal damage in chick embryos.

PURPOSE: In a chick model of gastroschisis, we aimed to investigate the morphological/cellular, molecular, and ultrastructural changes taking place in gastroschisis-related intestinal damage (GRID). METHODS: 13-Day fertilized eggs were divided into two groups. CONTROL GROUP: chorio-amnio-allontoic membranes opened and abdominal wall exposed. Gastroschisis group: an anterior abdominal wall defect created after opening membranes. Embryos from both groups were surgically removed on post-fertilization day 19. Intestinal samples were obtained for histopathology, immunohistochemistry, molecular biology, and electron microscopy. RESULTS: The histopathological grade of intestinal damage which primarily involved mucosal structures was significantly higher in the gastroschisis group when compared to the control group (p<0.001). Immunohistochemically, E-cadherin and synaptophysin immunoreactivity in the gastroschisis group was significantly lower than control group (p<0.05 and p<0.01, respectively), whereas there was no significant difference in laminin and type-4 collagen immunoreactivity between the groups (p>0.05). Molecular analyses indicated a significant decrease in NFκB and IκB expression in the gastroschisis group (p<0.05 and p=0.001, respectively). Electron microscopy showed that the gastroschisis group had considerable ultrastructural damage, manifested by apoptosis in all layers. CONCLUSIONS: GRID affected all layers but was more prominent in mucosa. The damage may depend on E-cadherin and synaptophysin downregulation. Increased apoptotic activity, associated with decreased NFκB and IκB expression, may be an important component of this multifactorial damaging process.

Array comparative genomic hybridization analysis of adult acute leukemia patients.

We have performed a retrospective array-based comparative hybridization (array-CGH) study on 41 acute leukemia samples [n=17 acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients only at diagnosis, n=3 ALL patients both at diagnosis and relapse; n=20 acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients only at diagnosis and n=1 AML patient both at diagnosis and relapse] using an Agilent 44K array. In addition to previously detected cytogenetic aberrations, we observed cryptic aberrations in 95% of ALL and 90.5% of AML cases. ALL-specific recurrent abnormalities were RB1 (n=3), PAX5 (n=4), and CDKN2B (n=3) deletions; AML-specific recurrent abnormalities were HOXA9 and HOXA10 (n=2) deletions and NOTCH1 duplication (n=2). Recurrent duplication of the ELK1 oncogene was observed in both ALL (n=2) and AML (n=3) cases. Our results demonstrate that oligo-array CGH (oaCGH) is an effective method for defining copy number alterations and identification of novel recurring unbalanced abnormalities. At least for now, however, the use of oaCGH for routine diagnosis still has some restrictions.

Genome profiling of chondrosarcoma using oligonucleotide array-based comparative genomic hybridization.

Chondrosarcomas of the bone are malignant hyaline cartilage-forming tumors with an annual incidence rate of 3.6% of all primary bone malignancies in the United States. Specimens of 25 chondrosarcomas (10 grade I, 9 grade II, 1 grade III, and 5 dedifferentiated) from 23 patients were collected from the Department of Pathology at the University Hospital at UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School from 1996 to 2007. Array-based comparative genomic hybridization (array-CGH) studies were performed on frozen tumor specimens. Recurrent deletions observed in at least in six tumors were 5q13.2, 5q14.2 approximately q21.3, 6q12 approximately q13, 6q16 approximately q25.3, 9p24.2 approximately q12, and 9p21.3. There was a statistically significant association between high-grade tumor (grade III and dedifferentiated) and the recurrent genetic deletions at 5q14.2 approximately q21.3, 6q16 approximately q25.3, 9p24.2 approximately q12, and 9p21.3. There is consistency between increased levels of aneuploidy and the progression of chondrosarcoma from lower to higher grades.

Lack of BCL-2 confers interferon-alpha sensitivity to B-cell lymphomas.

Hairy cell leukemia (HCL) is a chronic B-cell lymphoproliferative disorder with pathological manifestations usually including splenomegaly and pancytopenia. Interferons (IFNs), specifically of the alpha subtypes, have shown a significant anti-tumor effect in HCL patients, with improvement of hematological parameters within the first few months of treatment. However, the therapeutic effect of IFN-alpha is still rather limited. The mechanisms responsible for the beneficial action of IFN-alpha in HCL patients are unclear. A continuous line of cells (Eskol) from a patient diagnosed with HCL was established and shown to have several properties of HCL. Even though, Eskol cells are very resistant to anti-proliferative activity of IFN-alpha, Daudi cells, another human B-cell-derived cell line, are very sensitive to anti-proliferative activity of IFN-alpha and are commonly used as a model cell to test anti-proliferative effect of IFN-alpha. To understand the molecular reason(s) behind the observed obvious differences to IFN sensitivity of above cells, we have analyzed the expression levels of BCL2, caspase-1, Laminin and PARP in these cells. We found that Daudi cells do not express BCL2 at all, and probably because of that, these cells have constantly cleaved, and probably activated form of caspase-1. However, when we over-expressed BCL2 in these cells, they lost processed form of caspase-1 and became resistant to anti-proliferative activity of IFN-alpha. These results let us to suggest that IFN-alpha sensitivity of B-cell lymphomas, once again, depends on the presence or absence of BCL2.

Differential PTEN protein expression profiles in superficial versus invasive bladder cancers.

INTRODUCTION: The prognostic significance of PTEN protein loss in bladder cancer is not well established. The objective of this study was to investigate the PTEN expression profile in superficial noninvasive papillary transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) versus invasive TCC and compared the results with pathological and clinical parameters. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Bladder tumor samples were obtained from 29 patients who underwent surgery for superficial (n=11) and invasive (n=18) bladder cancers at the Akdeniz University Hospital. The patient profile including sex, age, histological grade and the stage, presence of carcinoma in situ, cystoscopy findings (tumor size, location, multiplicity) were obtained by examining the patients' medical records. No patient received anticancer agents prior to the operation. Western blotting was performed using bladder carcinoma samples in order to determine the level of PTEN protein expression for each patient. RESULTS: Only 4 (13.7%) patients with bladder carcinoma manifested a decrease in the level of PTEN expression. Regarding the correlation between tumor stage and the PTEN expression, with the exception of patient 23 all patients who displayed a reduction in PTEN expression had muscle-invasive TCC. CONCLUSION: Future studies with a clinical follow-up will be needed to determine if those superficial tumors with decreased PTEN expression are going to progress to a later stage. Based on our results PTEN by itself does not seem to be a good candidate as an independent marker to predict the behavior of bladder cancers.