Insulin-like growth factors (IGF), IGF-binding proteins (IGFBP), and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in blood serum of patients with colorectal cancer.

Serum levels of insulin-like growth factors (IGF-1 and IGF-2), IGF-binding proteins (IGFBP-1, IGFBP-2, and IGFBP-3) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) were measured by standard ELISA technique in 95 primary colorectal cancer patients and 48 healthy individuals. Significant increase in serum levels of IGF-1, IGFBP-2, and VEGF and decrease in IGFBP-3 level were demonstrated in patients in comparison with the control group; in male patients, serum level of IGF-2 was also increased. Sensitivity of IGF-1 as the prospective diagnostic marker of colorectal cancer was 80% and specificity was 75% at the threshold level of 140 ng/ml. Serum levels of IGF-1 significantly decreased with age in both patients and healthy donors, but in patients, this correlation was much weaker. These parameters did not correlate with the main clinical and morphological indices, such as dissemination, localization, and histological structure of colorectal cancer.

Matrix metalloproteinases 2, 7, and 9 in tumors and sera of patients with breast cancer.

Enzyme immunoassay showed that the content of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) 2 and 7 in tumors was higher than in the adjacent histologically intact tissue in 91 and 76% patients with breast cancer, respectively, while MMP-9 levels in the tumor and intact tissue were virtually the same. Serum concentrations of MMP-2 and MMP-7 did not correlate with their levels in the tumors, were within the normal range, and virtually did not decrease after removal of the primary tumor. Serum levels of MMP-9 in patients were significantly lower than in the control and increased after surgery in 85% patients. No clear-cut relationship between the studied parameters and clinical morphological prognostic factors of breast cancer was detected.

Expression of matrix metalloproteinases 1, 2, 9 and their tissue inhibitor-1 in cartilage-forming osteal tumors.

The expression of MMP-1, -2, -9 and TIMP-1 was studied in 10 benign cartilage-forming osteal tumors (5 osteochondromas and 5 chondromas) and 39 chondrosarcomas (14 central, 4 periosteal, 7 dedifferentiated, and 14 secondary tumors). No expression of MMP and TIMP-1 was detected in benign cartilage-forming osteal tumors. In chondrosarcomas, the expression of MMP-1 was detected in 84.6%, of MMP-2 in 71.8, of MMP-9 in 97.4, and of TIMP-1 in 82.4% cases, the levels of expression of these markers varied from 10 to 60%. The expression of MMP-1 was not associated with patient gender, maximum size and degree of differentiation of the tumor, but was linked with age. The expression of MMP-1 was more often detected in central and dedifferentiated chondrosarcomas; the expression of MMP-1(+) was significantly associated with 3-year relapse-free and 5-year overall survival of the patients. The expression of MMP-1 in the tumor was associated with unfavorable course of the disease. The values of MMP-2 expression in chondrosarcomas did not reflect the main clinical morphological characteristics of the disease and its prognosis. The level of MMP-9 protein expression in chondrosarcomas ≥40% is prognostically unfavorable, while <40% is a favorable factor for 3-year relapse-free survival. The risk of disease relapse within 1 year after the beginning of therapy was maximum in T3 tumors with expression of MMP-9 protein ≥40%. No relationships between the parameters of TIMP-1 expression in chondrosarcomas and the main clinical morphological characteristics of the disease and its prognosis were detected.

Vascular endothelial growth factor in the serum of breast cancer patients.

Here we present the results of comparative immunoenzyme assay of the initial serum levels of VEGF in breast cancer patients (stages T1N0M0 and T2N0M0) and apparently healthy women (controls). It was found that VEGF concentrations in the serum of patients with breast cancer stages T1N0M0 and T2N0M0 significantly surpassed the control levels. Increased levels of VEGF surpassing the threshold values were more often observed in patients with T2N0M0 breast cancer compared to patients with T1N0M0 tumor. At the same time, this marker cannot be used in the diagnostics of this disease because in only 21.4% patients serum level of VEGF surpassed the upper boundary for this growth factor observed in the serum of control women. Serum concentration of VEGF in patients with stages T1N0M0 and T2N0M0 breast cancer did not depend on patient's age and reproductive function and receptor status of the primary tumor (estrogen and progesterone receptors), but was closely associated with tumor histogenesis and differentiation degree. Significantly higher levels of VEGF were observed in patients with lobular infiltrative breast carcinoma compared to patients with ductal tumors and in patients with low-differentiated tumors compared to highly and moderately differentiated tumors. High initial concentrations of VEGF (>300 pg/ml) were more often detected in patients with T2N0M0 breast cancer developing relapses within the first 3 years of follow-up compared to patients without relapses during the corresponding period (p=0.001). These findings suggest that serum level of VEGF in patients with T2N0M0 breast cancer before treatment can be used as an additional marker in parallel with standard clinical and morphological signs of the disease for more precise prognosis of early relapse (during the first 3 years of follow-up).

Comparative enzyme immunoassay of matrix metalloproteinases-2, -7, -9 and their tissue inhibitor-2 in tumors and plasma of patients with gastric cancer.

The content of matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) -2, -7, and -9 was significantly higher in tumors in comparison with the adjacent histologically intact gastric mucosa in 80, 70, and 72% patients with gastric cancer, respectively, the increase in the level of MMP tissue inhibitor-2 (TIMP-2) detected in 61% tumors was insignificant. Only plasma level of MMP-7 was elevated in primary patients in comparison with the control and positively correlated with the expression of this protein in the tumor. The concentration of MMP-7 was maximum in the blood of patients with tumor invasion in lymph vessels. These data suggest MMP-7 as a possible serological marker of gastric cancer.

[The specificity of expression of molecular biological markers in tumors of the mammary gland]. / Osobennosti ékspressii molekuliarno-biologicheskikh markerov v opukholiakh molochnoi zhelezy.

Data are described on a retrospective immunohistochemical study of the Ki-67, PCNA, Bcl-2, BAX, BclX and VEGF expression in tumors of two groups of patients with breast cancer (BC) and with the favorable and unfavorable clinical courses. A reliably high level of VEGF expression was detected in tumors of patients with an early BC relapse. Apart from VEGF, higher levels of the Ki-67 and PCNA expression were registered in tumors of the discussed patient's category. It can be suggested that the expression parameters of VEGF, Ki-67 and PCNA in the primary tumor can be made use of in evaluating the BD prognostications or describing the features of high-risk groups with a high probability of early disease relapses.

Expression of biomolecular markers (Ki-67, PCNA, Bcl-2, BAX, BclX, VEGF) in breast tumors.

We carried out a retrospective immunohistochemical study of Ki-67, PCNA, Bcl-2, BAX, BclX, and VEGF expression in tumors of two groups of breast cancer patients with favorable and unfavorable course of the disease. Considerably enhanced VEGF expression was detected in tumors of patients with early relapses of breast cancer. High VEGF expression was paralleled by high level of Ki-67 and PCNA expression in tumors. It can be hypothesized that expression of VEGF, Ki-67, and PCNA in primary tumor can be used for predicting the course of breast cancer or detecting the patients at a high risk of early relapses.

[Multifactorial analysis in the prognostication of the incidence of recurrences, metastases and survival of patients with squamous cell cancer of the skin]. / Mnogofaktornyi analiz v prognozirovanii chastoty poiavleniia retsidivov, metastazov i vyzhivaemosti bol'nykh ploskokletochnym rakom kozhi.

A retrospective analysis of the data on 116 cases of squamous cell carcinoma of the skin of the body and extremities was undertaken. Eight parameters were found to influence metastasis formation and five-year survival: extent of involvement according to TNM classification, background conditions of tumor development, duration of disease, rate of tumor growth, gross appearance of tumor, site, contour and histologic pattern of malignancy. Recurrence development was influenced by nine parameters including those mentioned above plus extent of surgery. Tables for calculating likelihood of metastasis and recurrence development and five-year survival are provided. Credibility assured by these tables is as high as 75.0% in prognosing relapse, 96.4% in prognosing metastases and 93.6% in determining five-year survival.

[Prognosis in fibrosarcoma of bone]. / Prognoz pri fibrosarkome kosti.

A retrospective study of 42 patients with bone fibrosarcoma was carried out. A new highly informative index--tumor growth rate--is suggested. It is a ratio of tumor maximum diameter to case history length (Rtg = L, CM/t, month). Three histologically-identified grades of fibrosarcoma malignity are discussed. They are based on the variation in metastasis development and survival rates. As a result of mathematical treatment of the findings, 8 characteristics of bone fibrosarcoma were identified which influenced prognosis. A multi-factorial analysis of the data was undertaken using said characteristics. Indexes were calculated for each characteristic and tabulated to prognosticate 3-year survival of patients with fibrosarcoma of the bone.

[Prognosis in patients with malignant fibrous histiocytoma of the soft tissues]. / Prognoz u bol'nykh so zlokachestvennoi fibroznoi gistotsitomoi miagkikh tkanei.

The paper deals with a retrospective clinico-anatomical study in 108 cases of malignant fibrous histiocytoma which identified 18 factors influencing the development of recurrences and metastases as well as survival. Computed data were used to form groups suitable for establishing individual prognosis. The latter was done by summing up the relevant specifically-numbered factors. Credibility for prognosis of recurrence development was 85.7%, metastatic development--82.9, three-year survival--71.4 and five-year survival--95.8%.

[Prognostic significance of the clinical x-ray and morphological signs in malignant fibrous histiocytoma of bone]. / Prognosticheskoe znachenie kliniko-rentgenologicheskikh i morfologicheskikh priznakov pri zlokachestvennoi fibroznoi gistiotsitome kosti.

Forty-four cases of malignant fibrous histiocytoma were studied. A new index for patients' survival prognosis was developed and defined as a tumor growth rate. It is a ratio of maximal tumor size and duration of disease. Eight clinical x-ray and morphological factors of prognosis were identified: duration of disease, clinical manifestations, size and roentgenologic type of tumor, pattern of tumor contours, status of the cortical layer in bone lesions, tumor growth rate and morphologic grade of malignancy. A multifactorial analysis was carried out and data were presented in tables. Values of each parameter were calculated.