Association of the number of remaining teeth with kidney function in community-dwelling healthy older adults: a cross-sectional study.

Objectives: Although a few studies have investigated the relationship between kidney and oral function (number of remaining teeth), their results remain inconclusive. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate the relationship between kidney function and oral health in community-dwelling healthy elderlies and examine the factors associated with kidney function. Materials and Methods: We used cross-sectional data from the Shimane prefecture cohort recruited by the Center for Community-Based Health Research and Education in 2019. We collected clinical data on dental status, background factors and kidney function (estimated glomerular filtration rate [eGFR], mL/min/1.73 m2 and creatinine levels, mg/dL). Results: The study enrolled 481 participants, whose mean age was 66.7±7.4 years, and 223 (46.4%) participants were men. Multivariate analysis revealed significant correlations between eGFR (B=0.17, P=0.04), creatinine (B=-0.54, P<0.01), and the number of remaining teeth. The number of remaining teeth was associated with creatinine and eGFR, which are indicators of kidney function. Conclusion: This study suggests that preserving the teeth may prevent decline in kidney function. Dental professionals should provide instructions and professional care to reduce the risk of systemic diseases such as kidney dysfunction.

Fast Eating Speed Could Be Associated with HbA1c and Salt Intake Even after Adjusting for Oral Health Status: A Cross-Sectional Study.

This study aimed to examine the relationship between eating speed and hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), considering the number of teeth, using cross-sectional health examination data from community-dwelling older individuals in Japan. We used data from the Center for Community-Based Healthcare Research and Education Study in 2019. We collected data on gender, age, body mass index, blood test results, Salt intake, bone mineral density, body fat percentage, muscle mass, basal metabolic rate, number of teeth, and lifestyle information. Eating speed was evaluated subjectively as fast, normal, or slow. Overall, 702 participants were enrolled in the study and 481 participants were analyzed. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed a significant association between fast eating speed and being a male (odds ratio [95% confidence interval]: 2.15 [1.02-4.53]), HbA1c (1.60 [1.17-2.19]), salt intake (1.11 [1.01-1.22]), muscle mass (1.05 [1.00-1.09]), and enough sleep (1.60 [1.03-2.50]). Fast eating may be associated with overall health and lifestyle. The characteristics of fast eaters, after taking oral information into consideration, tended to increase the risk of type 2 diabetes, renal dysfunction, and hypertension. Dental professionals should provide dietary and lifestyle guidance to fast eaters.

Estimating copy number to determine BRCA2 deletion status and to expect prognosis in localized prostate cancer.

BACKGROUND: The significance of BRCA alterations has been implicated in the development of metastatic castration-resistant prostate cancer (PC). The details of the frequency and significance of BRCA alterations in localized PC remain unknown. In this study, we investigated the frequency and clinical significance of BRCA alterations in localized PCs using an in-house next-generation sequencer (NGS) system. METHODS: DNA was extracted from formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues of surgical specimens from 126 patients with clinically localized PC who underwent radical prostatectomy. The mutation information of 164 cancer genes was analyzed using the PleSSision-Rapid test. Both copy number (CN) variation and loss of heterozygosity of various genes, such as BRCA1 and BRCA2, were estimated and reported. RESULTS: Next-generation sequencer analyses revealed that the BRCA2 CN was decreased in 17 patients (13.5%) and the BRCA1 CN in six (4.8%) patients. NGS-based CN values were shown to be highly correlated with droplet digital PCR-based CN values. Tissue-specific BRCA expression investigated using the Human Protein Atlas showed that the decreased CN of BRCA2, but not BRCA1, is responsible for the decreased BRCA activity in PC. Ten of the 22 patients with decreased BRCA2 CN were presumed to have somatic heterozygous deletion. There were no observed associations between the heterozygous deletion of BRCA2 and various clinicopathological parameters. Furthermore, three of 10 patients developed biochemical recurrence within 3 months after surgery. Multivariate analyses revealed that the initial prostate-specific antigen levels and BRCA2 CN were independent factors for biochemical recurrence. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that a decrease in BRCA2 CN may be used as a biomarker for predicting recurrence after surgery in localized PC. Early screening for somatic alterations in BRCA2 using NGS may help to broadly predict the risk of PC progression.

Oral Dysfunction in Patients with Oral Cancer Could Occur Before Treatment and Require Early Nutritional Improvement: A Cross-Sectional Study.

Patients with oral cancer have poor nutritional status before treatment. However, there have been no reports of the detailed evaluation of preoperative oral function in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Therefore, this study aimed to evaluate the preoperative oral function of patients with OSCC and examine the relationship with nutritional status. Oral function measurements (microorganisms, oral dryness, occlusal force, tongue pressure, masticatory function, Eating Assessment Tool, and Postoperative Oral Dysfunction Scale) and Mini Nutritional Assessment-Short Form (MNA-SF) data were collected from 51 patients with OSCC (men: 37, women: 14, mean age: 72.1 years) who visited the Shimane University Hospital, Department of Oral and Maxillofacial Surgery, from September 2019 to September 2021. The tongue was the most prevalent primary gingiva site [22 patients (43.1%)], and 36 patients (70.6%) had advanced cancer. Comparisons between nutritional status and each related factor revealed significant differences in the number of individuals in the household, cancer stage, presence of pulmonary disease, number of teeth, microorganisms (grade), and masticatory function (mg/dL) (p < 0.05). Multiple regression analysis using the total MNA-SF score as the dependent variable with adjustment for confounding factors showed significant association between oral dryness and tongue pressure (p < 0.05). No significant association was found for the Eating Assessment Tool or Postoperative Oral Dysfunction scale. Patients with OSCC may have decreased oral function because of the tumor at the time of diagnosis, which causes a decline in nutritional status. Preoperative interventions are necessary to improve nutrition based on the state of oral function.

Development of a Subjective Symptom Rating Scale for Postoperative Oral Dysfunction in Patients with Oral Cancer: Reliability and Validity of the Postoperative Oral Dysfunction Scale-10.

Currently, there is no scale to subjectively assess postoperative oral dysfunction in patients with oral cancer. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the reliability and validity of the Postoperative Oral Dysfunction Scale (POD-10) that we developed. Between September 2019 and August 2021, 62 eligible oral cancer patients (median age, 72 years; 42 men and 20 women) were enrolled in the study. The Cronbach's alpha coefficient, which indicates the internal consistency of the scale, was 0.94, and the intraclass correlation coefficient, which indicates reproducibility, was 0.85 (95% confidential interval: 0.40-0.96, p < 0.05). Concurrent validity testing showed a statistically significant correlation between POD-10 and Eating Assessment Tool (EAT-10) (r = 0.89, p < 0.05). To test discriminant validity, statistically significant differences were found between early-stage cancer (stage I and II) and advanced-stage cancer (stage III and IV) (p < 0.05). Twenty-four points were calculated as the cutoff value for POD-10 using receiver operating characteristic analysis to calculate the cutoff value. The POD-10 was shown to be a clinically reliable and valid scale that can be used to subjectively assess postoperative oral dysfunction in patients with oral cancer and is expected to be used as a simple diagnostic tool.

Relationship between Masticatory Function and Bone Mineral Density in Community-Dwelling Elderly: A Cross-Sectional Study.

The relationship between masticatory function and bone mineral density (BMD) is unclear. This cross-sectional study examined this relationship after adjusting for confounding factors. The subjects were 702 community-dwelling elderly adults (306 men, 396 women) who had been recruited for the Community-Based Healthcare Research and Education study in 2019. Objective masticatory function was assessed using the gummy jelly method. The median for each descriptive statistic was 69.0 years for age, 86.2% for the young adult mean, and 18.0 for masticatory function. Comparisons of the groups with good and poor masticatory function by sex revealed a significant difference in muscle mass and the tooth number for both sexes (p < 0.05). Men showed significant differences in age (p < 0.05) and salivary occult blood findings (p < 0.05). Multivariate analysis using propensity scores showed a significant association between masticatory function and BMD in both sexes (men: odds ratio 163.0, 95% confidence interval 1.36-19,610.55, p = 0.04; women: odds ratio 48.65, 95% confidence interval 1.52-1561.15, p = 0.03 in women). Masticatory function and BMD in the community-dwelling elderly may be related. However, other factors, including frailty and sarcopenia, may also be involved. Regular oral health care by dentists and dental hygienists may benefit this population.

Relationship between Oral Health Status and Bone Mineral Density in Community-Dwelling Elderly Individuals: A Cross-Sectional Study.

The relationship between oral health status and bone mineral density has been poorly elucidated. We conducted a cross-sectional study to examine the relationship between oral health status and bone mineral density with data from healthy community-dwelling elderly individuals in Ohnan-cho, Shimane Japan who were recruited in 2019 for the Shimane Center for Community-Based Health Research and Education (CoHRE) study. The study included 702 participants (306 men and 396 women). The median age, bone mineral density, and number of remaining teeth were 69.0 years, 86.2%, and 26.0, respectively. The two groups (Low teeth group and High teeth group) showed significant differences in age, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) level, and masticatory function in men (p < 0.05). In women, age, number of untreated teeth, and masticatory function were significantly different (p < 0.05). The odds ratio of propensity score analysis for the association between the number of remaining teeth and bone mineral density was 27.7 (95% confidence interval: 1.86-414.9, p < 0.05). The number of remaining teeth could be associated with bone mineral density in the healthy elderly women, and no significant association was observed in men. Number of remaining teeth and bone mineral density may be interrelated, and oral care by dentists/dental hygienists may play an important role in maintaining bone mineral density in elderly women.

Proposal of Dental Hygiene Diagnosis for Cancer Patients Based on Dental Hygiene Process of Care in Acute Care Hospitals: A Narrative Review.

A narrative review was conducted to propose dental hygiene diagnoses for cancer patients based on dental hygiene process of care in acute care hospitals. Six researchers, including three dental hygienists, all with expertise in oral healthcare for patients with cancer, decided the review outline. All researchers reviewed the literature and developed terminology for dental hygiene diagnoses. The team then modified the terminology and discussed its clarity and acceptability to develop an initial list of dental hygiene diagnosis names according to the dental hygiene human needs conceptual model subscales. In wholesome facial image, one new diagnosis was developed. In protection from health risks, 15 new diagnoses were developed. In biologically sound and functional dentition, 10 new diagnoses were developed. In skin and mucous membrane integrity of the head and neck, 10 new diagnoses were developed. In freedom from head and neck pain, two new diagnoses were developed. In freedom from anxiety and stress, eight new diagnoses were developed. In responsibility for oral health, five new diagnoses were developed. In conceptualization and understanding, three new diagnoses were developed. Based on this study, it is necessary for the academic community to develop a better taxonomy of dental hygiene diagnoses pertaining to dental hygienist clinical practice.

Carbonyl Stress and Microinflammation-Related Molecules as Potential Biomarkers in Schizophrenia.

This literature review primarily aims to summarize our research, comprising both cross-sectional and longitudinal studies, and discuss the possibility of using microinflammation-related biomarkers as peripheral biomarkers in the diagnosis and monitoring of patients with schizophrenia. To date, several studies have been conducted on peripheral biomarkers to recognize the potential markers for the diagnosis of schizophrenia and to determine the state and effects of therapy in patients with schizophrenia. Research has established a correlation between carbonyl stress, an environmental factor, and the pathophysiology of neuropsychiatric diseases, including schizophrenia. In addition, studies on biomarkers related to these stresses have achieved results that are either replicable or exhibit consistent increases or decreases in patients with schizophrenia. For instance, pentosidine, an advanced glycation end product (AGE), is considerably elevated in patients with schizophrenia; however, low levels of vitamin B6 [a detoxifier of reactive carbonyl compounds (RCOs)] have also been reported in some patients with schizophrenia. Another study on peripheral markers of carbonyl stress in patients with schizophrenia revealed a correlation of higher levels of glyceraldehyde-derived AGEs with higher neurotoxicity and lower levels of soluble receptors capable of diminishing the effects of AGEs. Furthermore, studies on evoked microinflammation-related biomarkers (e.g., soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor 1) have reported relatively consistent results, suggesting the involvement of microinflammation in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. We believe that our cross-sectional and longitudinal studies as well as various previous inflammation marker studies that could be interpreted from several perspectives, such as mild localized encephalitis and microvascular disturbance, highlighted the importance of early intervention as prevention and distinguished the possible exclusion of inflammations in schizophrenia.

High doses of antipsychotic polypharmacy are related to an increase in serum levels of pentosidine in patients with schizophrenia.

BACKGROUND: Carbonyl stress in patients with schizophrenia has been reported to be reflected by an increase in peripheral pentosidine levels. This cohort study tested whether the accumulation of pentosidine was related to the disease severity or the treatment (routine administration of high antipsychotic doses). METHODS: We followed up our original investigation using a new group of 137 patients with acute schizophrenia and 45 healthy subjects, and then pooled the two cohorts to conduct the following analysis on a total of 274 patients. The associations of serum pentosidine and pyridoxal levels with duration of education, estimated duration of medication, the severity of symptoms, and daily doses of antipsychotics, antiparkinsonian drugs, and anxiolytics were evaluated by multiple linear regression analysis. RESULTS: The combined cohort of 274 patients exhibited abnormally high serum levels of pentosidine, were associated with a higher daily dose of antipsychotic drugs and a longer estimated duration of medication without statistical significance of diagnosis. This was also observed in the patients treated with antipsychotic polypharmacy, but the serum pentosidine levels of patients treated with first- or second-generation antipsychotic monotherapy showed no relationship with these two variables. CONCLUSION: High levels of serum pentosidine were associated with high daily doses of antipsychotic drugs and a longer estimated duration of medication in patients treated with antipsychotic polypharmacy.

High serum soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 predicts poor treatment response in acute-stage schizophrenia.

Inflammation may be involved in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. However, few cross-sectional or longitudinal studies have examined changes in biomarker expression to evaluate diagnostic and prognostic efficacy in acute-stage schizophrenia. We compared serum inflammatory biomarker concentrations in 87 patients with acute-stage schizophrenia on admission to 105 age-, sex-, and body mass index (BMI)-matched healthy controls. The measured biomarkers were soluble tumor necrosis factor receptor 1 (sTNFR1) and adiponectin, which are associated with inflammatory responses, and pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF), which has anti-inflammatory properties. We then investigated biomarker concentrations and associations with clinical factors in 213 patients (including 42 medication-free patients) and 110 unmatched healthy controls to model conditions typical of clinical practice. Clinical symptoms were assessed using the Brief Psychiatric Rating Scale and Global Assessment of Function. In 121 patients, biomarker levels and clinical status were evaluated at both admission and discharge. Serum sTNFR1 was significantly higher in patients with acute-stage schizophrenia compared to matched controls while no significant group differences were observed for the other markers. Serum sTNFR1 was also significantly higher in the 213 patients compared to unmatched controls. The 42 unmedicated patients had significantly lower PEDF levels compared to controls. Between admission and discharge, sTNFR1 levels decreased significantly; however, biomarker changes did not correlate with clinical symptoms. The discriminant accuracy of sTNFR1 was 93.2% between controls and patients, showing no symptom improvement during care. Inflammation and a low-level anti-inflammatory state may be involved in both schizophrenia pathogenesis and acute-stage onset. High serum sTNFR1 in the acute stage could be a useful prognostic biomarker for treatment response in clinical practice.

Associations of common copy number variants in glutathione S-transferase mu 1 and D-dopachrome tautomerase-like protein genes with risk of schizophrenia in a Japanese population.

Oxidative-stress, genetic regions of interest (1p13 and 22q11), and common copy number variations (CNVs) may play roles in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. In the present study, we confirmed associations between schizophrenia and the common CNVs in the glutathione (GSH)-related genes GSTT1, DDTL, and GSTM1 using quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analyses of 620 patients with schizophrenia and in 622 controls. No significant differences in GSTT1 copy number distributions were found between patient groups. However, frequencies of characterized CNVs and assumed gain alleles of DDTL and GSTM1 were significantly higher in patients with schizophrenia. In agreement with a previous report, the present data indicate that gains in the CNV alleles DDTL and GSTM1 are genetic risk factors in Japanese patients with schizophrenia, and suggest involvement of micro-inflammation and oxidative stress in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia.

Altered serum glyceraldehyde-derived advanced glycation end product (AGE) and soluble AGE receptor levels indicate carbonyl stress in patients with schizophrenia.

Recent cross-sectional and longitudinal studies indicate that measurements of peripheral blood carbonyl stress markers such as the advanced glycation end product (AGE) pentosidine and the reactive carbonyl-detoxifying B6 vitamin pyridoxal could be used as therapeutic biological markers in subpopulations of schizophrenia patients. Glyceraldehyde-derived AGEs (Glycer-AGE) have strong neurotoxicity, and soluble receptors for AGEs (sRAGE) may ameliorate the effects of AGEs. In the present study, we measured Glycer-AGEs and sRAGE levels to determine their potential as diagnostic, therapeutic, or clinical biological markers in patients with schizophrenia. After enrollment of 61 admitted Japanese patients with acute schizophrenia and 39 healthy volunteers, 54 patients were followed up from the acute stage to remission. Serum biomarkers were measured in blood samples taken before breakfast using competitive enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, and Glycer-AGEs were significantly higher and sRAGE levels were significantly lower in patients with acute schizophrenia than in healthy controls. Glycer-AGEs/sRAGE ratios were also higher in schizophrenia patients and were stable during the clinical course. Furthermore, discriminant analyses confirmed that Glycer-AGEs and Glycer-AGEs/sRAGE ratios are significant diagnostic markers for schizophrenia, and distinguished between patients and healthy controls in 70.0% of cases. However, these markers of carbonyl stress were not correlated with clinical features, including disease severity, or with daily chlorpromazine doses. These data indicate the potential of Glycer-AGEs, RAGEs, and their relative ratios as diagnostic markers for patients with schizophrenia.

Autocrine pathways involving S100A8 and/or S100A9 that are postulated to regulate the immunological functions of macrophages in rats.

The development of ulcerative colitis (UC) is closely associated with abnormally functioning macrophages. Rat S100A8 (r-S100A8) and r-S100A9 (S100 proteins) is abundantly expressed in immune cells of myeloid origin, macrophages; however, it remains unclear why r-S100A9 is dominantly expressed in the macrophages of UC rats (UCR). The purpose of this study was to verify the immunological roles of S100 proteins in UCR. We observed the distribution of S100 protein-positive macrophages in the large colons of UCR using a fluorescent immunological staining method, so that S100 protein-positive macrophages were restricted to the rectal tissues of the UCR, and that the mRNA levels of r-S100A8 and r-S100A9 were up-regulated by stimulation with recombinant rat S100A8 (rr-S100A8) alone and rr-S100A9 alone, respectively. When the changes in the mRNA levels of r-S100A8 and r-S100A9 in macrophages were examined in in vitro study by PCR and real-time PCR, the mRNA levels of anti-inflammatory and inflammatory cytokines increased selectively after stimulation with rr-S100A8 alone and rr-S100A9 alone, respectively. These results suggest that autocrine signal transduction pathways involving S100 proteins regulate the immunological functions of macrophages to maintain homeostasis in the gastrointestinal tract. This may be depended on expression balance of S100 proteins in macrophages. It is strongly suggested that in UCR the immune functions of macrophages are regulated in a complex manner by r-S100A8 and/or r-S100A9 through undefined autocrine pathways on the cells.

Clinical usefulness of the PAXgene™ bone marrow RNA system for stabilizing total RNA.

The collection of clinical samples, such as bone marrow (BM) and peripheral blood, is an important procedure for the extraction of the cellular RNA. It is essential to preserve the extracted RNA during and after the collection of clinical samples to ensure the accurate analysis of gene expression. To date, the PAXgene™ Blood RNA System has been proven useful for stabilizing RNA extracted from peripheral blood; however, a problem concerning the stability of the total RNA stored using the system has been identified. The PAXgene™ Bone Marrow RNA System (BM system) is a newly developed system, and its clinical usefulness as a stabilizer for the cellular RNA in BM and peripheral blood was investigated with respect to the quality of RNA extracted using this system. A quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) was carried out using total RNA extracted with the BM system, which showed that total RNA was more stable in the BM system than in the conventional system, indicating that the BM system can be applied to RT-PCR. The BM system enabled us to detect Wilms' tumor suppressor gene (WT1) more effectively than the conventional system. In conclusion, the BM system is clinically valuable for extracting and stabilizing total RNA of high quality.

Significance of measurements of peripheral carbonyl stress markers in a cross-sectional and longitudinal study in patients with acute-stage schizophrenia.

Altered peripheral carbonyl stress markers, high levels of serum pentosidine, which accumulates following carbonyl stress, and low levels of pyridoxal (vitamin B6), which detoxifies reactive carbonyl compounds, have been reported in a cross-sectional study of chronic schizophrenia. However, changes in the levels of these compounds in patients with schizophrenia have not been investigated in a longitudinal study. To clarify whether these markers may be biological markers that reflect the clinical course of the disease, the serum levels of these compounds were investigated in a cross-sectional and a longitudinal study. One hundred and thirty-seven acute-stage Japanese patients were enrolled. Among these, 53 patients were followed from the acute stage to remission. A portion of patients in the acute stage (14 cases, 10.2%) showed extremely high pentosidine levels. These levels were not associated with the severity of symptoms but were associated with antipsychotic dose amounts. Pyridoxal levels were lower in schizophrenia and increased according to the clinical course of the illness. Furthermore, 18 patients with decreased pyridoxal levels according to the clinical course showed that the greater the decrease in pyridoxal levels, the lesser the improvement in symptoms. Thus, extremely high pentosidine levels in a portion of patients may be caused by higher daily antipsychotic doses, whereas pyridoxal levels were lower in schizophrenia and increased according to the clinical course. Patients with decreasing pyridoxal levels during the clinical course showed less improvement in symptoms. Carbonyl stress markers may also be therapeutic biological markers in some patients with schizophrenia.

Acquired resistance of leukemic cells to AraC is associated with the upregulation of aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 family member A2.

The elucidation of drug resistance mechanisms is important in the development of clinical therapies for the treatment of leukemia. To study the drug resistance mechanisms, protein expression profiles of 1-ß-D-arabinofuranosylcytosine (AraC)-sensitive K562 (K562S) cells and AraC-resistant K562 (K562AC) cells were compared using two-dimensional fluorescence difference gel electrophoresis. In a comparison of protein expression profiles, 2073 protein spots were found to be altered, and 15 proteins of them were remarkably altered. These proteins were identified by mass spectrometry. The most differently expressed proteins were aldehyde dehydrogenase 1 family member A2 (ALDH1A2) and vimentin. Both proteins were verified using reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction and Western blot analysis. ALDH1A2 protein was found to be effective in AraC resistance. ALDH1A2 knock-down induced sensitivity to AraC treatment in K562AC cells, and ALDH1A2 overexpressed K562S cells acquired the AraC resistance. Furthermore, the findings also suggest that ALDH1A2 expression is increased after the appearance of AraC resistance in clinical cases. These results will be helpful in understanding the mechanism of AraC resistance.

No Associations Found between PGBD1 and the Age of Onset in Japanese Patients Diagnosed with Sporadic Alzheimer's Disease.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: PiggyBac transposable element derived 1 (PGBD1) encodes a molecule involved in epigenetic mechanisms that have been implicated in Alzheimer's disease (AD), and recent genome-wide association studies and meta-analyses have indicated that a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP), rs3800324, in PGBD1 could be associated with AD and the age of onset. However, no Japanese patients were examined in these studies. The aim of the present study was to replicate the previous finding in Japanese AD cases. METHODS: We performed a case-control study (211 cases and 156 controls) to investigate the association between PGBD1 and Japanese AD using 4 tag SNPs including rs3800324. RESULTS: Single SNP and haplotype analysis showed no association between AD and age of onset, whereas genotypic and allelic frequencies of the ∊4 of apolipoprotein E (APOE) showed an association with AD as expected. CONCLUSION: In Japanese AD, we observed no influence of PGBD1, as either a risk factor or a modifier, even though APOE was associated with AD in this population.

[Current update and testing procedures for genetic diagnosis in malignant neoplasm: additional information on pathological tests].

Targeted therapy refers to anticancer treatment which specifically targets key molecules of cancer cells. The higher levels of expression of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) have also been shown to be correlated with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and colorectal cancer (CRC). Potential biomarkers should be investigated for the selection of patients with NSCLC most likely to benefit from epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs), such as gefitinib. Cetuximab is a monoclonal antibody that binds with high affinity to the EGFR, which is a prime target for new anticancer therapy. However, the predictive value of EGFR expression and mutation of the K-ras gene has been assessed in response to cetuximab. Many molecular techniques are available to assay for these biomarkers. In this review, we present the current assessments of evidence for using these methods as biomarkers for molecular target-based therapy.

[Problems of pre-analysis in genetic testing].

Genetic testing has been developed to confirm various disorders and is applied widely as a fast-growing diagnostic tool. Laboratories performing genetic testing are needed to ensure quality assurance. Accurate and precise testing using nucleic acid extracted from various samples is important as pre-analysis as the results can be affected by bias introduced by sample preparations. The assays estimate the purification and isolation of nucleic acid from samples. Pre-analytic processes such as clinical sampling affected the outcome of genetic testing. Analysis of variance of gene expression revealed small but significant differences between handling methods. Great care has to be taken to measure pre-analytic changes in gene expression. Internal quality control programs for genetic testing are also needed. Thus, well-controlled sample processing and storage conditions are critical for sensitive and potentially quantitative analysis of genetic testing.