Cryopreservation, semen use and the likelihood of fatherhood in male Hodgkin lymphoma survivors: an EORTC-GELA Lymphoma Group cohort study.

STUDY QUESTION: How does the successful cryopreservation of semen affect the odds of post-treatment fatherhood among Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) survivors? SUMMARY ANSWER: Among 334 survivors who wanted to have children, the availability of cryopreserved semen doubled the odds of post-treatment fatherhood. WHAT IS KNOWN ALREADY: Cryopreservation of semen is the easiest, safest and most accessible way to safeguard fertility in male patients facing cancer treatment. Little is known about what proportion of patients achieve successful semen cryopreservation. To our knowledge, neither the factors which influence the occurrence of semen cryopreservation nor the rates of fatherhood after semen has been cryopreserved have been analysed before. STUDY DESIGN, SIZE, DURATION: This is a cohort study with nested case-control analyses of consecutive Hodgkin survivors treated between 1974 and 2004 in multi-centre randomized controlled trials. A written questionnaire was developed and sent to 1849 male survivors. PARTICIPANTS/MATERIALS, SETTING, METHODS: Nine hundred and two survivors provided analysable answers. The median age at treatment was 31 years. The median follow-up after cryopreservation was 13 years (range 5-36). MAIN RESULTS AND THE ROLE OF CHANCE: Three hundred and sixty-three out of 902 men (40%) cryopreserved semen before the start of potentially gonadotoxic treatment. The likelihood of semen cryopreservation was influenced by age, treatment period, disease stage, treatment modality and education level. Seventy eight of 363 men (21%) used their cryopreserved semen. Men treated between 1994 and 2004 had significantly lower odds of cryopreserved semen use compared with those treated earlier, whereas alkylating or second-line (chemo)therapy significantly increased the odds of use; no other influencing factors were identified. We found an adjusted odds ratio of 2.03 (95% confidence interval 1.11-3.73, P = 0.02) for post-treatment fatherhood if semen cryopreservation was performed. Forty-eight out of 258 men (19%) who had children after HL treatment became a father using cryopreserved semen. LIMITATIONS, REASONS FOR CAUTION: Data came from questionnaires and so this study potentially suffers from response bias. We could not perform an analysis with correction for duration of follow-up or provide an actuarial use rate due to lack of dates of semen utilization. We do not have detailed information on either the techniques used in cryopreserved semen utilization or the number of cycles needed. STUDY FUNDING/COMPETING INTERESTS: Lance Armstrong Foundation, Dutch Cancer Foundation, René Vogels Stichting, no competing interests.

Sagopilone (ZK-EPO, ZK 219477) for recurrent glioblastoma. A phase II multicenter trial by the European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) Brain Tumor Group.

BACKGROUND: Sagopilone (ZK 219477), a lipophylic and synthetic analog of epothilone B, that crosses the blood-brain barrier has demonstrated preclinical activity in glioma models. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with first recurrence/progression of glioblastoma were eligible for this early phase II and pharmacokinetic study exploring single-agent sagopilone (16 mg/m(2) over 3 h every 21 days). Primary end point was a composite of either tumor response or being alive and progression free at 6 months. Overall survival, toxicity and safety and pharmacokinetics were secondary end points. RESULTS: Thirty-eight (evaluable 37) patients were included. Treatment was well tolerated, and neuropathy occurred in 46% patients [mild (grade 1) : 32%]. No objective responses were seen. The progression-free survival (PFS) rate at 6 months was 6.7% [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.3-18.7], the median PFS was just over 6 weeks, and the median overall survival was 7.6 months (95% CI 5.3-12.3), with a 1-year survival rate of 31.6% (95% CI 17.7-46.4). Maximum plasma concentrations were reached at the end of the 3-h infusion, with rapid declines within 30 min after termination. CONCLUSIONS: No evidence of relevant clinical antitumor activity against recurrent glioblastoma could be detected. Sagopilone was well tolerated, and moderate-to-severe peripheral neuropathy was observed in despite prolonged administration.

Salvage PCV chemotherapy for temozolomide-resistant oligodendrogliomas.

The authors investigated the results of PCV chemotherapy within a cohort of 24 patients treated within the EORTC study 26971 on temozolomide chemotherapy in recurrent oligodendroglioma. The genotype of the tumors was assessed with fluorescent in situ hybridization with locus specific probes for the region 1p36. Four of the 24 patients responded (17%). Fifty percent of patients were still free from progression at 6 months and 21% were free from progression at 12 months. Although a clear relation existed between loss of 1p and response to temozolomide chemotherapy, this relation was absent in salvage PCV chemotherapy.

Phase II study of first-line chemotherapy with temozolomide in recurrent oligodendroglial tumors: the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Brain Tumor Group Study 26971.

PURPOSE: Oligodendroglial tumors are chemotherapy-sensitive tumors, with two thirds of patients responding to combination chemotherapy with procarbazine, lomustine, and vincristine (PCV). Temozolomide (TMZ), a new alkylating and methylating agent, has demonstrated high response rates in patients with recurrent anaplastic astrocytoma. We investigated TMZ as first-line chemotherapy in recurrent oligodendroglial tumors (OD) and mixed oligoastrocytomas (OA) after surgery and radiation therapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In a prospective, nonrandomized, multicenter, phase II trial, patients were treated with 200 mg/m2 of TMZ on days 1 through 5 in 28-day cycles for 12 cycles. Patients with a recurrence after prior surgery and radiotherapy, and with measurable and enhancing disease on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) were eligible for this study. Patients with large lesions and mass effect or with new clinical deficits were not eligible. Pathology and the MRI scans of all responding patients were centrally reviewed. RESULTS: Thirty-eight eligible patients were included. In three patients, pathology review did not confirm the presence of an OD or OA. TMZ was generally well tolerated. The most frequent side effects were hematologic; only one patient discontinued treatment for toxicity. In 20 (52.6%) of 38 patients (95% exact confidence interval, 35.8% to 69.0%), a complete (n = 10) or partial response to TMZ was observed. The median time to progression was 10.4 months for all patients and 13.2 months for responding patients. At 12 months from the start of treatment, 40% of patients were still free from progression. CONCLUSION: TMZ provides an excellent response rate with good tolerability in chemotherapy-naive patients with recurrent OD. A randomized phase III study comparing PCV with TMZ is warranted.

Mutation analysis of the Epac--Rap1 signaling pathway in cold thyroid follicular adenomas.

OBJECTIVE: The cyclic AMP (cAMP) cascade is the main regulatory pathway in thyrocytes. Whilst activating mutations in the TSH receptor or in the Gs alpha-subunit, which increase cAMP levels, have been shown to be responsible for 80% of the autonomous adenomas, no such mutations have been observed in the other types of thyroid tumors, suggesting that other mechanisms exist. The discovery of Epac ('exchange nucleotide protein directly activated by cAMP'), a novel cAMP-binding protein, which is strongly expressed in the thyroid, raised the possibility of a role for this protein in the generation of the unexplained cold thyroid follicular adenomas. Thus, we investigated whether activating mutations in either Epac or Rap (the downstream target of Epac) could be responsible for the generation of these thyroid nodules. DESIGN: Epac and Rap1 (Rap1A and Rap1B) cDNAs were sequenced in 10 patients. The sequencing of the cDNAs was realized on both strands in the cold nodule and the juxtanodular tissue of each patient. RESULTS: No mutations in either Epac or Rap1 cDNAs were found. For five patients, a polymorphism in Epac at codon 332 (Gly--Ser) was observed. CONCLUSIONS: In this report, we show that the cAMP--Epac--Rap1 signaling pathway in the thyroid gland does not play a major role in the generation of cold thyroid follicular adenomas, since no mutations in either Epac or Rap1 could be observed in the 10 nodules studied.

Expression of multiple adenylyl cyclase isoforms in human and dog thyroid.

Although the TSH receptor and Galpha(s), which activate the cAMP cascade in the thyroid gland have been much studied, nothing is known about the adenylyl cyclase (AC) isoforms which are actually involved in this pathway. To characterize the cAMP generation in the dog and human thyroid gland, resulting from the presence of distinct adenylyl cyclase families, the responses to various agents (Ca2+, calmodulin (CaM), phorbol esters (TPA) and thapsigargin (Tg)) were studied. These experiments suggest a role of at least two families of cyclases: cyclases negatively modulated by Ca2+ (ACV or ACVI) and cyclases positively modulated by PKC (ACII, ACIII or ACVII). To further analyze by other experimental procedures the expression pattern of the cyclase isoforms in the thyroid gland, Northern blotting, Western blotting and RT-PCR experiments were performed. The results clearly suggest that in both species, three different adenylyl cyclases ACIII, ACVI and ACIX are mainly expressed in thyrocytes.

Multiple G-protein coupling of the dog thyrotropin receptor.

We investigated, in dog thyroid membranes, the ability of the dog thyrotropin (TSH) receptor to interact with the endogenous G proteins expressed in this tissue. Activation of the receptor led to increased incorporation of the photoreactive GTP analog [alpha-(32)P]GTP azidoanilide into immunoprecipitated alpha subunits of three G protein families: G(s), G(q/11), G(i/o). This effect was not due to a general loss of receptor G protein specificity since carbamylcholine, in the same membrane preparations, only stimulated the binding of the GTP analog to the alpha subunits of G(q/11) proteins. To investigate the multiple coupling of the dog TSH receptor in intact cells, cyclic AMP accumulation, IP(3) formation and (45)Ca2+ efflux experiments were performed. When thyrocytes were pretreated with pertussis toxin (PTX), the TSH receptor-mediated accumulation of cAMP increased by approximately 45% with TSH at 1 mU/ml, suggesting that the TSH receptor coupled to both G(s) and G(i) in vivo. On the other hand, no increase in IP(3) accumulation nor Ca2+ efflux was observed in the presence of thyrotropin. These data in intact cells are thus in contradiction with those obtained in membranes, suggesting that receptor-mediated transmembrane signalling may implicate a specificity which itself may reflect a localization and organization of the different components (receptors, G proteins, ...) in the plasma membrane of intact cells. As in some cells, G(i) activates mitogenesis by hormone activated G-protein-coupled receptors, we tested its role in the stimulation by TSH of the proliferation of thyrocytes. This was not affected by PTX, suggesting that the mitogenic effect of TSH does not involve G(i)-proteins.

Specific activation of the thyrotropin receptor by trypsin.

The identification of 16 different activating mutations in the TSH receptor, found in patients suffering from toxic autonomous adenomas or congenital hyperthyroidism, leads to the concept that this receptor is in a constrained conformation in its wild-type form. We used mild trypsin treatment of CHO-K1 cells or COS-7 cells, stably or transiently transfected with the human TSH receptor, respectively, and measured its consequences on the TSH receptor coupled cascades, i.e. cyclic AMP and inositol-phosphates accumulation. A 2-min, 0.01% trypsin treatment increased stably cyclic AMP but not inositol-phosphates formation. This was not observed after chymotrypsin, thrombin and endoproteinase glu C treatment. The TSH action on cyclic AMP was decreased by only 25%. The effect was also observed in cells expressing the dog TSH receptor. It was not observed in MSH receptor, LH receptor expressing or mock transfected cells (vector alone). It is therefore specific for the TSH receptor, for its action on the Gs/adenylate cyclase cascade, and for the proteolytic cleavage caused by trypsin. Using monoclonal (A. Johnstone and P. Shepherd, personal communication) and polyclonal antibodies directed against the extracellular domain of the TSH receptor, it was shown that treatment by trypsin removes or destroys a VFFEEQ epitope (residues 354-359) from the receptor. The effect mimics the action of TSH as it activates Gs alpha and enhances the action of forskolin. It is not reversible in 1 h. The results support the concept that activation of the receptor (by hormone, autoantibodies, mutations or mild proteolysis) might involve the relief of a built-in negative constrain. They suggest that the C-terminal portion of the large extracellular domain plays a role in the maintenance of this constrain.

The human thyrotropin receptor: a heptahelical receptor capable of stimulating members of all four G protein families.

Thyrotropin is the primary hormone that, via one heptahelical receptor, regulates thyroid cell functions such as secretion, specific gene expression, and growth. In human thyroid, thyrotropin receptor activation leads to stimulation of the adenylyl cyclase and phospholipase C cascades. However, the G proteins involved in thyrotropin receptor action have been only partially defined. In membranes of human thyroid gland, we immunologically identified alpha subunits of the G proteins Gs short, Gs long, Gi1, Gi2, Gi3, G(o) (Go2 and another form of Go, presumably Go1), Gq, G11, G12, and G13. Activation of the thyrotropin (TSH) receptor by bovine TSH led to increased incorporation of the photoreactive GTP analogue [alpha-32P]GTP azidoanilide into immunoprecipitated alpha subunits of all G proteins detected in thyroid membranes. This effect was receptor-dependent and not due to direct G protein stimulation because it was mimicked by TSH receptor-stimulating antibodies of patients suffering from Grave disease and was abolished by a receptor-blocking antiserum from a patient with autoimmune hypothyroidism. The TSH-induced activation of individual G proteins occurred with EC50 values of 5-50 milliunits/ml, indicating that the activated TSH receptor coupled with similar potency to different G proteins. When human thyroid slices were pretreated with pertussis toxin, the TSH receptor-mediated accumulation of cAMP increased by approximately 35% with TSH at 1 milliunits/ml, indicating that the TSH receptor coupled to Gs and G(i). Taken together, these findings show that, at least in human thyroid membranes, in which the protein is expressed at its physiological levels, the TSH receptor resembles a naturally occurring example of a general G protein-activating receptor.

In Chinese hamster ovary K1 cells dog and human thyrotropin receptors activate both the cyclic AMP and the phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate cascades in the presence of thyrotropin and the cyclic AMP cascade in its absence.

Thyrotropic hormone, through its human thyrotropin receptor, activates both the cyclic AMP and the phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate-phospholipase-C cascades in human thyroid cells and in Chinese hamster ovary cells (CHO-K1) expressing this receptor. However, thyrotropin only activates the cyclic-AMP cascade in dog thyroid cells. In order to establish whether this different pattern of responses reflects a different structure of the human and dog thyrotropin receptors, CHO-K1 cells were permanently transfected with a plasmid coding for one or the other receptor. For various levels of receptor expression, CHO-K1 cells expressing either receptor presented qualitatively similar cyclic AMP and inositol phosphates responses to thyrotropin. This suggests that the difference in the response of the dog and human thyroid to thyrotropin involves elements of the phosphatidylinositol 4,5-bisphosphate cascade downstream of the receptor. In CHO-K1 cells overexpressing the thyrotropin receptor, the basal level of cyclic AMP was raised, suggesting a constitutive activity of the wild-type receptor. This was confirmed in COS-7 cells transiently expressing the human or dog thyrotropin receptors, the basal cyclic AMP levels of these cells increased in parallel with thyrotropin binding. This spontaneous activity of the thyrotropin receptor may have physiological and pathological consequences.

Germline mutations in the thyrotropin receptor gene cause non-autoimmune autosomal dominant hyperthyroidism.

The thyrotropin receptor (TSHR), a member of the large family of G protein-coupled receptors, controls both the function and growth of thyroid cells via stimulation of adenylyl cyclase. We report two different mutations in the TSHR gene of affected members of two large pedigrees with non-autoimmune autosomal dominant hyperthyroidism (toxic thyroid hyperplasia), that involve residues in the third (Val509Ala) and seventh (Cys672Tyr) transmembrane segments. When expressed by transfection in COS-7 cells, the mutated receptors display a higher constitutive activation of adenylyl cyclase than wild type. This new disease entity is the germline counterpart of hyperfunctioning thyroid adenomas, in which different somatic mutations with similar functional characteristics have been demonstrated.

The human thyrotropin receptor activates G-proteins Gs and Gq/11.

The human thyrotropin receptor leads upon activation to the stimulation of phospholipase C and adenylyl cyclase. It is presently not known whether this bifurcating signaling occurs via two different G-proteins (Gq/11 and Gs) or via one G-protein (Gs). Receptor-activated Gs releases beta gamma subunits and alpha s, which then could regulate phospholipase C and adenylyl cyclase, respectively. In order to elucidate the signaling pathways induced by the activated thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) receptor, we studied the coupling of the TSH receptor to Gs and Gq/11 in human thyroid membranes. TSH concentration dependently led to the activation of two forms of Gs (Gs short and Gs long) as well as of Gq and G11, demonstrating that signaling pathways induced by TSH already bifurcate in the course of the receptor-G-protein interaction. These data strongly suggest the concept that phospholipase C and adenylyl cyclase activation through the TSH receptor are mediated by Gq/11 and Gs, respectively.

The human and dog 5-HT1D receptors can both activate and inhibit adenylate cyclase in transfected cells.

The cloned human serotonin 1D (5-HT1D) receptor has been shown to inhibit adenylate cyclase while the corresponding cloned dog receptor has been characterized by its enhancement of cAMP accumulation. To resolve this apparent discrepancy, the human 5-HT1D receptor has been cloned and expressed in Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells and the corresponding dog receptor expressed in mutant Y1 adrenal (Y1 Kin-8) cells. It is shown that both receptors when activated by sumatriptan depress forskolin induced adenosine 3'5'-cyclic monophosphate (cAMP) accumulation by a pertussis toxin sensitive mechanism, presumably involving Gi (the adenylate cyclase inhibitory GTP transducing protein). In the absence of forskolin, the dog receptor enhances cAMP accumulation, thus activating Gs (the adenylate cyclase stimulatory GTP transducing protein). When its overriding action on Gi is blocked by pertussis toxin pretreatment, the human receptor also enhances cAMP accumulation. Thus both 5-HT1D receptors activate markedly Gi and to a lesser extent Gs and can exert opposite effects on the same effector system, adenylate cyclase.

Orientations toward abortion: guilty or knowledge?

Students (N = 118) were classified as pro-choice, anti-abortion, or mixed on the basis of their responses to ten fictitious case histories of females who requested abortion. The distribution of participants on the abortion issue was quite similar to the results of a 1979 national survey. As expected, these groups differed on attitudes toward abortion as murder, the legalization of abortion, and the morality of premarital sex. The groups differed significantly in levels of sex guilt, but did not exhibit significant differences in levels of sexual knowledge. The results were discussed within the context of the public controversy over abortion. It was suggested that the affective messages accompanying the sexual socialization of children and adolescents may be more predictive of orientations toward abortion than the weight of intellectual arguments regarding the rights of the fetus, the point at which a fetus becomes viable, or a woman's right to have control over her own body.

PIP: 118 university students were classified as prochoice, antiabortion, or mixed on the basis of their responses to 10 fictitious case histories of females who requested abortion. The distribution of participants on the abortion issue was quite similar to the results of a 1979 national survey. As expected, these groups differed on attitudes toward abortion as murder, the legalization of abortion, and the morality of premarital sex. The groups differed significantly in levels of sex guilt but not in levels of sex knowledge. In the context of the public controversy over abortion, it is suggested that the affective messages accompanying the sexual socialization of children and adolescents may be more predictive of orientations toward abortion than the weight of intellectual arguments regarding the rights of the fetus, the point at which a fetus becomes viable, or a woman's right to have control over her own body.