The role of thyroid transcription factor-1 in differentiating lung adenocarcinomas from non-pulmonary adenocarcinoma effusions.

Effusions, characterized by abnormal fluid accumulations in body cavities, present difficulties in identifying the primary organs of metastatic tumors through cytopathologic investigation, particularly in cancer-related complications. This retrospective cross-sectional laboratory study aimed to investigate the role of thyroid transcription factor-1 (TTF-1) in distinguishing lung adenocarcinomas from non-pulmonary adenocarcinomas in effusions. The study was conducted at Almobarak Cytopathology Laboratory, a private cytopathology laboratory. H&E was used to confirm the histological diagnosis of 58 archived cell blocks. TTF-1 immunostaining patterns were then correlated with the histological diagnosis. Statistical analysis, including numerical and graphical data summaries, was conducted using the Chi-square test in SPSS 23. TTF-1 expression was observed in 20 (34.4%) cases, while 38 (65.5%) cases showed no TTF-1 reaction. Positive TTF-1 was found in pleural fluid in 61.1 % of lung adenocarcinomas, while negative TTF-1 was found in only 3.4%. TTF-1 was not detected in the majority of peritoneal fluid samples. There was a highly significant relationship between pleural fluid, TTF-1, and lung adenocarcinoma (p=0.000). The data provided further evidence that TTF-1 is a useful marker for distinguishing pulmonary adenocarcinomas from non-pulmonary adenocarcinoma tumors.

Targeting Wnt/ß-Catenin Pathway by Flavonoids: Implication for Cancer Therapeutics.

The Wnt pathway has been recognized for its crucial role in human development and homeostasis, but its dysregulation has also been linked to several disorders, including cancer. Wnt signaling is crucial for the development and metastasis of several kinds of cancer. Moreover, members of the Wnt pathway have been proven to be effective biomarkers and promising cancer therapeutic targets. Abnormal stimulation of the Wnt signaling pathway has been linked to the initiation and advancement of cancer in both clinical research and in vitro investigations. A reduction in cancer incidence rate and an improvement in survival may result from targeting the Wnt/ß-catenin pathway. As a result, blocking this pathway has been the focus of cancer research, and several candidates that can be targeted are currently being developed. Flavonoids derived from plants exhibit growth inhibitory, apoptotic, anti-angiogenic, and anti-migratory effects against various malignancies. Moreover, flavonoids influence different signaling pathways, including Wnt, to exert their anticancer effects. In this review, we comprehensively evaluate the influence of flavonoids on cancer development and metastasis by focusing on the Wnt/ß-catenin signaling pathway, and we provide evidence of their impact on a number of molecular targets. Overall, this review will enhance our understanding of these natural products as Wnt pathway modulators.