Importance of Metalloproteinase 8 (MMP-8) in the Diagnosis of Periodontitis.

Periodontitis is a complex condition. Left untreated, it leads to tooth loss and the need for prosthetic treatment. The incidence of periodontitis is steadily increasing, so new methods are being sought to aid in the diagnosis of the disease. Among the methods postulated is the determination of concentrations of bioactive compounds which include extracellular matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs). These enzymes are present in various structural elements of the stomatognathic system. The most promising enzyme of this group appears to be metalloproteinase 8 (MMP-8). MMP-8 assays are performed in gingival fluid or saliva, and MMP-8 levels have been shown to be higher in patients with periodontitis compared to healthy subjects and correlated with some clinical parameters of the condition and the severity of the disease. In addition, the preliminary usefulness of this enzyme in evaluating the effectiveness of periodontal treatment and doxycycline therapy has been demonstrated. Determination of the active form of MMP-8 (aMMP-8) in oral rinse fluid using off-the-shelf assays shows the highest potential. Despite reports about aMMP-8 and promising data on the role of MMP-8 in periodontal diagnosis, a clear determination of the usefulness of this enzyme requires further research.

Importance of Metalloproteinase Enzyme Group in Selected Skeletal System Diseases.

Bone tissue is a dynamic structure that is involved in maintaining the homeostasis of the body due to its multidirectional functions, such as its protective, endocrine, or immunological role. Specialized cells and the extracellular matrix (ECM) are responsible for the remodeling of specific bone structures, which alters the biomechanical properties of the tissue. Imbalances in bone-forming elements lead to the formation and progression of bone diseases. The most important family of enzymes responsible for bone ECM remodeling are matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs)-enzymes physiologically present in the body's tissues and cells. The activity of MMPs is maintained in a state of balance; disruption of their activity is associated with the progression of many groups of diseases, including those of the skeletal system. This review summarizes the current understanding of the role of MMPs in bone physiology and the pathophysiology of bone tissue and describes their role in specific skeletal disorders. Additionally, this work collects data on the potential of MMPs as bio-markers for specific skeletal diseases.

Enhanced Pain Relief and Function Improvement in Children with Osgood-Schlatter Disease: Leukocyte-Rich Platelet-Rich Plasma (LR-PRP) as a Complementary Treatment to Standard Conservative Therapy.

BACKGROUND Osgood-Schlatter disease (OSD) causes pain and loss of function of the knee in growing children. This study aimed to evaluate pain and function of the knee joint in 152 growing children with chronic OSD before and after treatment with LR-PRP when used with standard conservative treatment. MATERIAL AND METHODS Treatment efficacy was evaluated using the VAS, Tegner, Lyshom, and KOOS scales. Patient satisfaction, post-surgery athletic performance, and X-ray assessment were also used to determine the success of the procedure. RESULTS We found that 75% of the subjects were satisfied with the results of the treatment, and 72% of the subjects returned to full physical activity. The analysis showed a significant decrease in the median VAS score after treatment compared to the pre-treatment score (P<0.05), and an increase in the median scores of the Tegner, Lysholm, and KOOS scales compared to the pre-treatment score (P<0.05; P<0.05; P<0.05, respectively). The results showed that the shorter the duration of the disease, the better the treatment results were received. Return to activity and patient satisfaction were highest in the study group previously rehabilitated. CONCLUSIONS LR-PRP injection of the tibial tuberosity in patients with chronic OSD with open growth cartilage is an effective and uncomplicated method. We did not observe any adverse effects, which suggests the relatively high safety of the procedure. The use of PRP in the earlier phase of the disease and additional rehabilitation before treatment significantly increases the effectiveness of treatment.

CXCL12 and CXCR4 as Potential Early Biomarkers for Luminal A and Luminal B Subtypes of Breast Cancer.

Purpose: Breast cancer is the most common type of malignancy in women. Factors that increase the risk of occurrence include chronic inflammation, with chemokines as its mediators. Therefore, the purpose of the present study was to determine the diagnostic utility of CXCL12 and CXCR4 as modern tumor markers in patients with early-stage luminal A and luminal B subtype of breast cancer and also to compare the results with the routinely used marker - CA 15-3. Patients and Methods: The study included 100 patients with early breast cancer of luminal A and B subtypes, 50 women with benign breast lesion and 50 healthy women. The levels of CXCL12 and CXCR4 concentrations were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), comparative marker CA 15-3 - by electrochemiluminescence method (ECLIA). Results: Concentrations of CXCL12 were significantly lower, while CXCR4 and CA 15-3 - significantly higher among patients with early-stage breast cancer than healthy women. CXCL12 also showed lower concentrations among fibroadenoma patients in comparison to healthy women, while CXCR4 - lower concentrations among fibroadenoma patients than cancer group. CXCL12 showed significantly higher values of sensitivity (79%), specificity (82%), positive predictive value (89.72%), negative predictive value (80%), diagnostic accuracy (80%) and diagnostic power (AUC = 0.8196) in the whole breast cancer group compared to the CA 15-3 marker (58%; 72%; 80.56%; 46.15%, 62.67%, 0.6434, resp.). Analysis of combined parameters resulted in increased sensitivity, negative predictive value and power of the test with a slight decrease in positive predictive value and a more significant decrease in specificity, reaching the best values for the three-parameter test CXCL12+CXCR4+CA15-3 (96%; 85.71%; AUC = 0.8812; 78.69%; 48%, resp.). Conclusion: The results indicate the preliminary usefulness of CXCL12 and CXCR4 as early biomarkers in the diagnosis of breast cancer, especially in the combined panel with CA 15-3.

CXC ELR-Positive Chemokines as Diagnostic and Prognostic Markers for Breast Cancer Patients.

As the most common type of malignant lesison, breast cancer is a leading challenge for clinicians. Currently, diagnosis is based on self-examination and imaging studies that require confirmation by tissue biopsy. However, there are no easily accessible diagnostic tools that can serve as diagnostic and prognostic markers for breast cancer patients. One of the possible candidates for such markers is a group of chemokines that are closely implicated in each stage of tumorigenesis. Many researchers have noted the potential of this molecule group to become tumor markers and have tried to establish their clinical utility. In this work, we summarize the results obtained by scientists on the usefulness of the ELR-positive CXC group of chemokines in ancillary diagnosis of breast cancer.

Plasma Levels of Metalloproteinase 3 (MMP-3) and Metalloproteinase 7 (MMP-7) as New Candidates for Tumor Biomarkers in Diagnostic of Breast Cancer Patients.

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are a group of enzymes that mediate both physiological and pathological processes such as carcinogenesis. The role of matrix metalloproteinase-3 (MMP-3) and (MMP-7) in the pathogenesis of breast cancer (BC) has been demonstrated, suggesting that they may be considered as potential markers of this condition. The aim of this study was to assess plasma concentrations and diagnostic utility of MMP-3 and MMP-7 in 100 patients with early-stage breast cancer with Luminal A subtype or Luminal B HER-negative subtype, before and after surgical treatment, and in the following control groups: patients with a benign tumor (fibroadenoma) and healthy subjects. The concentrations of MMP-3 and MMP-7 were referenced to the levels of the widely recognized marker for BC diagnosis CA 15-3. MMP-3 and MMP-7 was measured by ELISA method and CA 15-3 by CMIA. Plasma levels of MMP-7 were significantly higher in Luminal A and Luminal B HER2-negative subtype breast cancer patients as compared to the healthy group. MMP-7 demonstrated comparable but mostly higher to CA 15-3 or MMP-3 values of diagnostic sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values and AUC (0.6888 for Luminal A subtype; 0.7612 for Luminal B HER2-negative; 0.7250 for BC total group, respectively) in the groups tested. The combined use of the tested parameters resulted in a further increase in diagnostic criteria and AUC. These results suggest the usefulness of combining MMP-7 with CA 15-3 in the diagnostics of breast cancer, especially in Luminal B HER2-negative subtypes patients, as a new candidate for tumor markers.

Utility of Matrix Metalloproteinases in the Diagnosis, Monitoring and Prognosis of Ovarian Cancer Patients.

Ovarian cancer is one of the most common gynecologic malignancies. It is characterized by a high mortality rate, which is mainly due to the asymptomatic course of the disease. In light of the high mortality rate and increasing morbidity, new diagnostic methods are being explored to enable earlier detection, better monitoring, and improved prognosis. Such diagnostic methods include the assessment of tumor markers in various biological samples. Among the markers currently being investigated, extracellular matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are of particular interest. The objective of this article was to compile the existing knowledge of MMPs in ovarian cancer patients and to describe their potential diagnostic utility. Additionally, this article provides an overview of the symptoms, complications, and risk factors associated with ovarian cancer and the role of MMPs in physiology and pathology. Preliminary results indicate that tissue expression and blood and body fluid levels of MMPs may be different in ovarian cancer patients than in healthy women. The expression and concentration of individual MMPs have been shown to be correlated with cancer stage and disease severity. In addition, the preliminary value of some of these enzymes in predicting prognosis is discussed. However, as the amount of data is limited, more studies are needed to fully evaluate the potential function of individual MMPs in ovarian cancer patients. Based on the knowledge gathered for this article, it seems that MMP-2, MMP-3, MMP-7, MMP-8, MMP-9, MMP-13, are tentatively the most useful. A thorough evaluation of their utility as modern biomarkers in ovarian cancer requires further investigation.

Plasma Levels of CXC Motif Chemokine 1 (CXCL1) and Chemokine 8 (CXCL8) as Diagnostic Biomarkers in Luminal A and B Breast Cancer.

Chemokines are involved in the regulation of immune balance and in triggering an immune response. CXCL1 and CXCL8 belong to the ELR-motif-containing group of CXC chemokines, which, in breast cancer (BC), stimulate angiogenesis and increase migration and invasiveness of tumor cells. The aim of this study was to evaluate CXCL1, CXCL8 and comparative marker CA 15-3 plasma concentrations in BC patients with luminal subtypes A and B. The study group consisted of 100 patients with BC, and the control group of 50 subjects with benign breast lesions and 50 healthy women. Chemokines concentrations were determined by ELISA method; CA15-3-by CMIA. Concentrations of CXCL8 and CA15-3 were significantly higher in BC total group and luminal B (for CA15-3 also in luminal A) subtype of BC than in healthy controls and subjects with benign lesions. In the total BC group, the highest SE, PPV and NPV were observed for CXCL8 (70%, 77.78%, 50%, resp.). A combined analysis of tested chemokines with CA 15-3 increased SE and NPV values (96%, 69.23%, resp.). The diagnostic power of the test (measured by area under ROC curve (AUC)) showed the highest value for CXCL8 in the total BC group (0.6410), luminal A (0.6120) and B subgroup of BC (0.6700). For the combined parameter, the AUC was increasing and reached the highest value for CXCL1 + CXCL8 + CA15-3 combination (0.7024). In light of these results, we suggest that CXCL8 could be used as an additional diagnostic marker that would positively influence the diagnostic utility of CA 15-3, especially in luminal B subtype of BC.

Plasma Levels and Diagnostic Utility of VEGF in a Three-Year Follow-Up of Patients with Breast Cancer.

Breast cancer is the most common malignancy in women globally. The increasing worldwide incidence of this type of cancer illustrates the challenge it represents for healthcare providers. Therefore, new tumor markers are constantly being sought. The aim of this study was to assess plasma concentrations and the diagnostic power of VEGF in 100 patients with early-stage breast cancer, both before and after surgical treatment and during a three-year follow-up. The control groups included 50 subjects with benign breast tumors (fibroadenoma) and 50 healthy women. The VEGF concentration was determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and the CA 15-3 concentration was determined by chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay (CMIA). We observed significantly higher preoperative plasma concentrations of VEGF and CA 15-3 in patients with breast cancer. VEGF, similar to CA 15-3, demonstrated high diagnostic utility in the assessment of the long-term efficacy of surgical removal of the tumor. Determinations of VEGF had the highest diagnostic usefulness in the detection of breast cancer recurrence (SE 40%, SP 92%, PPV 67%, NPV 79%). Additionally, the highest values of SE, NPV and AUC were observed during the combined analysis with CA 15-3 (60%; 84%; 0.7074, respectively). Our study suggests a promising diagnostic utility of VEGF in the early stages of breast cancer and in the evaluation of the efficacy of the surgical treatment of breast cancer as well as the detection of breast cancer recurrence, particularly in a combined analysis with CA 15-3 as a new diagnostic panel.

Novel Approaches to an Integrated Route for Trisomy 21 Evaluation.

Trisomy 21 (T21) is one of the most commonly occurring genetic disorders, caused by the partial or complete triplication of chromosome 21. Despite the significant progress in the diagnostic tools applied for prenatal screening, commonly used methods are still imprecise and involve invasive diagnostic procedures that are related to a maternal risk of miscarriage. In this case, novel prenatal biomarkers are still being evaluated using highly specialized techniques, which could increase the diagnostic usefulness of biochemical prenatal screening for T21. From the other hand, the T21's pathogenesis, caused by the improper division of genetic material, disrupting many metabolic pathways, could be further evaluated with the use of omics methods, which could result in bringing relevant insights for the evaluation of potential medical targets. Accordingly, a literature search was undertaken to collect novel information about prenatal screening for Down syndrome with the use of advanced technology, with a particular emphasis on the evaluation of novel screening biomarkers and the discovery of potential medical targets. These meta-analyses are focused on novel approaches designed with the use of omics techniques, representing the most rapidly developing and promising field in research today. Considering the limitations and progress of these methods, the use of omics techniques in evaluating T21 pathogenesis could bring beneficial results in prenatal screening, simultaneously uncovering novel potential medical targets.

Serum Chemerin Concentration Is Associated with Proinflammatory Status in Chronic Coronary Syndrome.

BACKGROUND: Chemerin is an adipokine and a chemoattractant for leukocytes. Increased chemerin levels were observed in patients with coronary artery disease (CAD). We investigated associations between chemerin and biochemical measurements or body composition in CAD patients. METHODS: In the study, we included patients with stable CAD who had undergone percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI) in the past. All patients had routine blood tests, and their insulin and chemerin serum levels were routinely measured. Body composition was assessed with the DEXA method. RESULTS: The study group comprised 163 patients (mean age 59.8 ± years, 26% of females, n = 43). There was no significant difference in serum chemerin concentrations between patients with diabetes and the remaining ones: 306.8 ± 121 vs. 274.15 ± 109 pg/mL, p = 0.1. Chemerin correlated positively with the white blood cell (WBC) count, the neutrophil to lymphocyte ratio, hsCRP, all fractions of cholesterol, triglycerides, platelet count, fasting insulin, and c-peptide. Chemerin levels were also correlated with total fat mass but only in a subgroup with normal glucose metabolism. CONCLUSION: In patients with CAD, serum chemerin levels are correlated with inflammation markers, insulin resistance, and an unfavorable lipid profile. Correlation with fat mass is dependent on glucose metabolism status. Depending on the presence of diabetes/prediabetes, the mechanisms regulating chemerin secretion may be different.

Prenatal Screening of Trisomy 21: Could Oxidative Stress Markers Play a Role?

Despite significant progress in trisomy 21 (T21) diagnostic tools, amniocentesis is still used for the confirmation of an abnormal fetal karyotype. Invasive tests carry the potential risk of miscarriage; thus, screening biomarkers are commonly used before undergoing invasive procedures. In our study, we investigated the possible application of oxidative stress markers in the prenatal screening of trisomy 21. The DNA/RNA oxidative stress damage products (OSDPs), advanced glycation end (AGE) products, ischemia-modified albumin (IMA), alfa-1-antitrypsin (A1AT), asprosin, and vitamin D concentrations were measured in both maternal plasma and amniotic fluid in trisomy 21 (T21) and euploid pregnancies. The obtained results indicated increased levels of DNA/RNA OSDPs and asprosin with simultaneous decreased levels of vitamin D and A1AT in the study group. The diagnostic utility of the plasma measurement based on the area under the received operative characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) calculation of asprosin (AUC = 0.965), IMA (AUC = 0.880), AGE (AUC = 0.846) and DNA/RNA OSDPs (AUC = 0.506) in T21 screening was demonstrated. The obtained results indicate a potential role for the application of oxidative stress markers in the prenatal screening of T21 with the highest screening utility of plasma asprosin.

Plasma Concentrations of Matrilysins MMP-7 and MMP-26 as Diagnostic Biomarkers in Breast Cancer.

Metalloproteinases (MMPs) are a group of proteolytic enzymes involved in the maintenance of a proper structure of extracellular matrix (ECM). Matrilysins (MMP-7 and MMP-26) are members of the MMPs group that show promise as potential breast cancer (BC) markers. The aim of the study was to evaluate plasma levels of MMP-7, MMP-26 and CA 15-3 individually and in combination and assess the diagnostic utility of studied matrilysins in patients with BC. The study group consisted of 120 patients with BC, and the control group consisted of 40 subjects with benign breast cancer and 40 healthy women. Concentrations of MMP-7 and MMP-26 were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and CA 15-3 by chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay. Plasma levels of MMP-7 were significantly higher in the BC group than in the control group. Concentrations of MMP-26 and CA 15-3 were highest in stages II and IV of the disease. The highest diagnostic sensitivity was observed in stages III and IV BC for the combination of all tested markers (92.5%). The highest diagnostic specificity was noted for all tested parameters combined in the BC group (95.0%). The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve (AUC) for the combination of markers (MMP-7+MMP-26+CA 15-3) was the largest (0.9138) in stages III and IV. Individual marker analysis showed that MMP-7 had the highest AUC (0.8894) in advanced stages of the disease. Study results indicate that MMP-7 could be used as an additional marker that would improve the diagnostic utility of CA 15-3 in early stages of BC. Therefore, the combined assessment of MMP-7 and MMP-26 with CA 15-3 might be useful in determining disease progression. Further studies are needed to evaluate whether matrilysins show promise as potential markers for improving the diagnosis of BC.

The Significance of Apolipoprotein E Measurement in the Screening of Fetal Down Syndrome.

Prenatal screening for Down syndrome (DS) is based on both noninvasive and invasive methods. Noninvasive, cell-free fetal DNA genetic tests are expensive, whereas biochemical methods remain imprecise. Amniocentesis is the most frequently used invasive diagnosis procedure, characterized by 99.8% diagnostic efficiency and less than 1% risk of miscarriage. The aim of this study was to evaluate the screening value of apolipoprotein E (ApoE) as a potential noninvasive biomarker for prenatal DS assessment. This study was conducted on a group of female patients who decided to undergo routine amniocentesis between the 15th and 18th week of pregnancy at the Department of Reproduction and Gynecological Endocrinology of the Medical University of Bialystok, Poland. For the purpose of this study, 20 women with DS fetuses were selected as the study group, and 20 healthy pregnant women with euploid fetus karyotypes as the control group. The plasma levels of ApoE were significantly higher in the study group compared to healthy subjects (p < 0.05). The area under the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve was 0.978 (p < 0.001), with the cut-off set to 1.37 mg/mL, which was characterized by 80% of sensitivity and 100% of specificity. The high sensitivity and specificity demonstrate the screening utility of maternal ApoE concentration in prenatal fetal DS screening.

Plasma Level of MMP-10 May Be a Prognostic Marker in Early Stages of Breast Cancer.

BACKGROUND: Stromelysins are potential breast cancer biomarkers. The aim of the study was to evaluate if plasma levels of selected metalloproteinases (MMPs) (stromelysin-1 (MMP-3) and stromelysin-10 (MMP-10)) and cancer antigen 15-3 (CA 15-3) used separately and in combination demonstrated diagnostic usefulness in breast cancer (BC). METHODS: The study group consisted of 120 patients with BC, while the control group included 40 patients with benign breast cancer and 40 healthy individuals. Concentrations of MMP-3 and MMP-10 were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay; CA 15-3 was determined by chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay. RESULTS: In the group of patients with BC, the area under the curve (AUC) was significantly higher for all markers (except MMP-3) and all sets of markers. At the earliest disease stage, only MMP-10 had a significantly higher AUC (AUC = 0.8692, p < 0.001). Moreover, MMP-10 had the highest AUC (0.9166) among parameters tested separately. The highest AUC was observed for the combination of MMP-10 + CA 15-3 and MMP-3 + MMP-10 + CA 15-3 in line with disease progression (stage I 0.8884 and 0.8906, stage II 0.9244 and 0.9308, stages III + IV 0.9919 and 0.9944, respectively, p < 0.001 in all cases). CONCLUSIONS: The results suggest that MMP-10 could be a potential marker in early stages of BC. Moreover, plasma concentration of MMP-10 and MMP-3 in combination with CA 15-3 may improve diagnosis of this type of cancer.

C-C motif chemokine ligand 5 and C-C chemokine receptor type 5: possible diagnostic application in breast cancer patients.

The chemokine CCL5 and its receptor CCR5 play important roles in cancer invasion and metastasis. Based on our knowledge, our results were the first that presented the diagnostic usefulness of CCL5 and CCR5 in breast cancer (BC) patients, based on receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis. We wished to examine further if CCL5 and CCR5 are appropriate to be applied as BC markers for early screening. Values of tested parameters in patients' plasma were determined by CMIA method (Chemiluminescent Microparticle Immunoassay, CA 15-3) as well as by ELISA method (Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay, CCL5 and CCR5). Levels of CCL5 in the plasma were markedly increased, while those of CCR5 were remarkably lower in BC patients when compared to the control groups. Moreover, higher levels of CCL5 in BC corresponded to advanced tumor stage, while the levels of CCR5 decreased with increasing the disease stage. CCL5 concentration was characterized by high sensitivity (SE) (68.04%) and high specificity (SP) (100.00%) in the BC patients. Results indicated that area under the curve (AUC) corresponding to CCL5 (0.8116) had a higher value than this corresponding to CA 15-3. The AUC value of CCL5 was significantly increased in the early phase of BC (stage I - 0.7089; stage II - 0.8313). The maximum range in the BC patients was observed for the combined analysis of the tested measurands with CA 15-3 (0.8335). In conclusion, our research indicates that examination of plasma CCL5 and CCR5 may be useful in BC diagnosis at the early stage of the disorder, especially when combined with CA 15-3.

Matrilysins and Stromelysins in Pathogenesis and Diagnostics of Cancers.

Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are endopeptidases which are widely studied in terms of their role in the physiological and pathological processes in the organism. In this article, we consider usefulness of matrilysins and stromelysins in pathogenesis and diagnostic of the most common malignancies in the world, e.g., lung, breast, prostate, and colorectal cancers. In all of the mentioned cancers, matrilysins and stromelysins have a pivotal role in their development and also may have diagnostic utility. Influence to the cancerous process is connected with specific dependencies between these enzymes and components of the extracellular matrix (ECM), non-matrix components like cell surface components. All the information provided below allows to take a closer look at matrilysins and stromelysins and their functions in the cancer development.

Possible Diagnostic Application of CXCL12 and CXCR4 as Tumor Markers in Breast Cancer Patients.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Chemokines are cytokines involved not only in inflammatory but also in inappropriate response of the immune system in breast cancer (BC) progression. We examined the diagnostic usefulness of CXCL12, CXCR4 and CA 15-3 in BC patients, based on ROC curve analysis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The study group consisted of 100 patients with BC; the control group consisted of 35 women with benign breast disease and 35 healthy patients. The median concentration of chemokines was measured by ELISA and that of CA 15-3 by chemiluminescent microparticle immunoassay. RESULTS: The concentrations of CXCL12 and CXCR4 in the BC group were significantly higher than those in the control groups. The AUC value of CXCL12 (0.7502) was the highest of all the chemokines measured in the BC patients. CONCLUSION: There may be a link between CXCL12, CXCR4 and BC that can assist in the diagnosis, markedly when combined with CA 15-3.

Search of reference biomarkers reflecting orbital tissue remodeling in the course of Graves' orbitopathy.

INTRODUCTION: Graves' orbitopathy (GO) is a complication in Graves' disease (GD) that causes disfigurement and sometimes blindness. The pathogenesis of GO remains unknown, while its symptoms demonstrate dependence between the thyroid gland and the orbit. The ongoing inflammatory process in retrobulbar tissue results in its remodeling characterized by increased volume of the orbital contents involving adipose tissue, with fibrosis and adipogenesis as predominant features. This study was aimed at the immunohistochemical verification of potential contribution and correlation between orbital expressions of IGF-1R, CD34, Foxp-3, PPAR-γ and CD4, CD68, TGF-ß, FGF-ß in severe and mild (long-lasting) GO. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Forty-one orbital tissue specimens - 22 patients with severe GO, 9 patients with mild GO and 10 patients undergoing blepharoplasty as a control group - were processed by routine immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Increased IGF-1R, CD34 and Foxp-3 expression was found in both severe and mild GO, yet a significant correlation between CD34 and CD4, CD68, TGF-ß, FGF-ß expressions was observed in long-lasting GO. CONCLUSIONS: CD34 expression is proposed to be the marker of orbital tissue remodeling in the course of mild GO.

Can VEGFR-3 be a better tumor marker for breast cancer than CA 15-3?

Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor 3 (VEGFR-3) is a very important factor which promotes lymphangiogenesis not only in physiological but also in pathological processes in which we can include neoplasia. The aim of this study was to analyze the plasma concentrations and diagnostic utility of this parameter in comparison and in combination with CA 15-3 in breast cancer (BC) patients and in relation to the control groups. The study included 120 breast cancer and 60 control patients (28 with benign breast tumors and 32 healthy women). Plasma levels of VEGFR-3 were determined by an Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA), and those of CA 15-3 by a Chemiluminescent Microparticle Immuno Assay (CMIA). Differences in concentrations of both of the tested parameters were statistically significant when breast cancer patients were compared to the control groups. VEGFR-3 had higher values of sensitivity (SE), specificity (SP), predictive value of a positive (PPV) and negative test result (NPV) in the whole BC group (90%; 98.33%; 99.08%; 83.10%, respectively) and, more importantly, in the early stages of BC, than CA 15-3. VEGFR-3 was also a better parameter in terms of statistically significant Area Under Curve (0.9656) in the whole group and at all BC stages (I-IV), but a maximum range was obtained for the combination of VEGFR-3 and CA 15-3 (0.9710). The combined analysis of VEGFR-3 and CA 15-3 provides hope that a new BC diagnostic panel may be developed in the future.