Overexpression of Cripto and its prognostic significance in breast cancer: a study with long-term survival.

INTRODUCTION: Cripto is a founding member of the EGF-CFC family, and plays an important role in tumourigenesis, tumour cell proliferation and migration. We aimed to determine the significance of Cripto expression on the survival of patients with breast cancer. METHODS: Immunohistochemical detection of Cripto was performed by using mAb C13 on 120 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded breast tumour specimens in tissue microarrays. This cohort comprises a series of 120 patients with primary operable breast cancer diagnosed between 1989 and 1995, retrieved from the Concord Repatriation General Hospital breast carcinoma database. RESULTS: Using a cutoff value of 80%, Cripto overexpressed in 57 of the 120 (47.5%) patients. We found significant associations between overexpression of Cripto and the Nottingham Prognostic Index (NPI, p<0.01), histological grade (p<0.01), pathological tumour type (p=0.04), PR (p=0.02) as well as Ki-67 (p=0.02). Univariate analysis reveals that there is a significant correlation between overexpression of Cripto and survival (p=0.0003). Cox regression analysis indicates that the overexpression of Cripto is an independent prognostic factor in breast cancer (HR 2.79, 95%CI 1.20-6.50). CONCLUSION: The unique epitope recognized by mAb C13 is overexpressed on breast tumour tissues. In this series of invasive breast cancers, overexpression of Cripto was more often found in high grade and poor prognosis tumours compared to low grade and good prognosis breast cancers. Moreover, overexpression of Cripto was significantly associated with decreased patient survival.

Stimulation of phospholipase C in cultured microvascular endothelial cells from human frontal lobe by histamine, endothelin and purinoceptor agonists.

1. Cultures of endothelial cells derived from the microvasculature of human frontal lobe have been investigated for phospholipase C (PLC) responses to histamine, endothelins and purinoceptor agonists. 2. Using cells prelabelled with [3H]-inositol and measuring total [3H]-inositol (poly)phosphates, histamine acting at H1 receptors stimulated a substantial response with an EC50 of about 10 microM. 3. Endothelin-1 also gave a clear stimulation of phosphoinositide-specific phospholipase C. Both concentration-response curves and binding curves showed effective responses and binding in the rank order of endothelin-1 > sarafotoxin S6b > endothelin-3, suggesting an ETA receptor. 4. Assay of total [3H]-inositol (poly)phosphates showed no response to the purinoceptor agonists, 2-methylthioadenosine 5'-trisphosphate (2MeSATP), adenosine 5'-O-(3-thiotrisphosphate) (ATP gamma S) or beta,gamma-methylene ATP. Both ATP and UTP gave a small PLC response. 5. Similarly, when formation of [32P]-phosphatidic acid from cells prelabelled with 32Pi was used as an index of both PLC and phospholipase D, a small response to ATP and UTP was seen but there was no response to the other purinoceptor agonists tested. 6. Study by mass assay of stimulation by ATP of inositol (1,4,5) trisphosphate accumulation revealed a transient response in the first few seconds, a decline to basal, followed by a small sustained response. 7. These results show that human brain endothelial cells in culture are responsive to histamine and endothelins in a manner which may regulate brain capillary permeability. Purines exert a lesser influence.

Confocal and conventional immunofluorescent and immunogold electron microscopic localization of collagen types III and IV in human placenta.

Confocal and conventional indirect immunofluorescence and immunogold electron microscopic methods were applied to examine the distribution of extracellular matrix constituents (collagens types III and IV) in the villi of immature and term human placentae. The immunofluorescence study revealed that collagen type III is more distinct in the villous stroma of term placenta as compared with that of the first trimester. Collagen type IV was detected mainly in endothelial and epithelial basement membranes and interestingly also to a certain extent in the stroma. Results obtained using immunoelectron microscopy support the proposal that collagen types III and IV are characteristic of stromal and basement membranes, respectively. Stromal collagen type IV is apparently localized in association with the interstitial types of collagen (I and III), in the villous stroma of term placenta.