Prognostic significance of Notch ligands in patients with non-small cell lung cancer.

The Notch signaling pathway is deregulated in numerous solid types of cancer including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, the profile of Notch ligand expression remains unclear. Therefore, the present study aimed to determine the profile of Notch ligands in NSCLC patients and to investigate whether quantitative assessment of Notch ligand expression may have prognostic significance in NSCLC patients. The study was performed in 61 pairs of tumor and matched unaffected lung tissue specimens obtained from patients with various stages of NSCLC, which were analyzed by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction. The marked expression levels of certain analyzed genes were detected in NSCLC samples and in noncancerous lung samples. Of the five Notch ligands, jagged 1 (Jag1), jagged 2, delta-like protein 1 and delta-like protein 4 were expressed in the majority of tissues, but their expression levels were reduced in NSCLC when compared with noncancerous lung tissue (P<0.001). Delta-like protein 3 expression was consistently low and was observed only in 21/61 tumor tissue samples. Taken together, Notch ligands are expressed in NSCLC. However, the expression level is reduced when compared to noncancerous tissue. Furthermore, the present study revealed that quantitative assessment of Jag1 expression in NSCLC may improve prognostication of patient survival.

Oxidative Modification in the Salivary Glands of High Fat-Diet Induced Insulin Resistant Rats.

Still little is known about the role of oxidative stress (OS) in the pathogenesis of the salivary gland dysfunction in the course of insulin resistance (IR). To induce IR rats was fed with a high fat diet (HFD) during 8 weeks. Stimulated and non-stimulated salivary flow rate, total protein, as well as oxidative damage markers: 4-HNE protein adduct, 8-isoprostanes (8-isoP), 8-hydroxy-D-guanosine (8-OHdG), advanced oxidation protein product (AOPP), and protein carbonyls (PC) were determined in the plasma and submandibular and parotid glands of IR and control rats. We have shown a significant decrease (45%) of the stimulated salivary flow rate, and in the total protein concentration in the parotid (35%) and submandibular (10%) glands of HFD IR as compared to the control rats. The level of 4-HNE protein adduct (15%) and 8-isoP (20%) in the submandibular glands of IR rats as well as total level of 4-HNE protein adduct (39%), 8-isoP (27%), AOPP (25%), PC (32%), and 8-OHdG (18%) in the parotid glands of IR rats were significantly higher as compared to the control group. We showed no correlation between the assessed OS parameters in the plasma and salivary glands. However, the redox balance in both glands shifted toward the oxidative status, parotid glands of IR rats are exposed to greater intensity OS. Stimulated secretory ability and mechanisms involved in the synthesis/secretion of proteins in the salivary glands are depressed in the course of IR. Oxidative damage in the salivary glands arises independently from the general OS in the course of insulin resistance induced by a high fat diet.

[Verrucous carcinoma--histological and molecular analysis]. / Rak brodawczakowaty krtani--analiza histologiczna i molekularna.

Carcinoma verrucosum is a histologic variant of a well differentiated squamous cell carcinoma, applied to 1-4% of all cases of laryngeal cancer. These lesions rarely cause deep invasion or metastasis to cervical lymph nodes and distant metastases. Among etiologic factors are smoking and purely oral hygiene. Last studies suggest HPV infection etiology in laryngeal cancer, mainly HPV 16 and and HPV 18. The aim of the study was to determine morphologic assessment of verruous carcinoma and the presence of HPV infection in patients suffered from verrucous carcinoma of laeynxd in the Department of Otolaryngology Medical Academy of Bialystok in years 2000-2002. The primers pU-1M/pU-2R were used to detect the high risk HPV which are HPV 16,18,31,33,35. The pair of pU-31B/pU-2R were used to detect low risk HPV which are HPV 6,11. In 2 cases (40%) HPV of high risk was determined. The histological assessment as well as molecular may play an important role in the clinical and diagnostic estimation in order to make a proper tumor classification and decide on the most effective treatment.