Amplification of genes within the chromosome 11q13 region is indicative of poor prognosis in patients with operable breast cancer.

Amplification of the chromosome 11q13 region, which harbors the BCL1 region and the PRAD1, EMS1, HSTF1, and INT2 genes, was found in 36 (16%) of a series of 226 breast carcinomas. In the 153 patients with stage I-IIIa disease who had received no therapy prior to surgery and who were treated with curative intent, 11q13 amplification was associated with the presence of lymph node metastases (P less than 0.002). The presence of an 11q13 amplification was associated with a significantly shorter relapse-free survival (P less than 0.002) and a higher breast cancer-specific mortality (P less than 0.003). Stepwise multivariate analysis showed that, in addition to lymph node status, 11q13 amplification was the best predictor for short survival. Stratified log-rank analysis indicated that, within the group of lymph node-positive breast cancer patients, 11q13 amplification identifies a subgroup at high risk.

The duration of fixation influences the yield of HCV cDNA-PCR products from formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded liver tissue.

The extent of hepatitis C virus (HCV) RNA loss during increasing periods of fixation of liver tissue in formalin was examined. For this purpose human liver tissue, known to be HCV RNA positive and stored at -70 degrees C until use, was cut into small slices (n = 9), which were fixed in phosphate-buffered formalin for increasing periods of time before embedding in paraffin. Nucleic acids were extracted from each slice of formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded liver tissue and HCV RNA loss during fixation was semi-quantified by testing 10-fold dilutions of each extract in an HCV cDNA-PCR assay. The endpoint dilution for HCV RNA detection by cDNA-PCR in liver slices fixed in buffered formalin for 8-24 h was comparable to the endpoint dilutions found for 'fresh', non-fixed liver slices. After fixation for 2-3 days the endpoint dilution for HCV RNA detection was 10(2) to 10(3)-fold less. After 2-4 weeks of formalin-fixation, HCV RNA was detectable from undiluted nucleic acid extracts only. It is concluded that formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded liver biopsies can be used for HCV RNA detection by cDNA-PCR, on condition that the liver tissue has been embedded in paraffin within 24 h of formalin-fixation.

Stability of HIV-1 RNA in blood during specimen handling and storage prior to amplification by NASBA-QT.

The influence of different storage temperatures and anticoagulation conditions on the HIV-1 RNA load as measured by NASBA-QT was examined. Blood specimens from 14 HIV-1 infected individuals were processed within 2 h after collection. The HIV-1 RNA load remained stable for at least 6 months when samples were frozen directly at -70 degrees C in lysis buffer. This lysis buffer fully inactivated the virus. When whole EDTA blood was stored, the HIV-1 RNA load was stable for 72 h at 25 degrees C, but it declined within 24 h at 4 degrees C. The HIV-1 RNA load in whole heparinized blood declined significantly after 24 h at both 4 and 25 degrees C. It was slightly lower (average of 0.18 log ml-1) than in whole EDTA blood. At 4 degrees C, the HIV-RNA load in serum and EDTA-plasma stored with lysis buffer did not decline up to 14 days. At + 30 degrees C, however, the load declined significantly after 2 days. Of clinical significance, the mean load in EDTA plasma was 0.5 log ml-1 higher than in serum. This difference was patient dependent (range 0.1-0.7 log ml-1). We thus recommend, for quantifying HIV-1 RNA by NASBA, to use preferably EDTA blood which is kept at room temperature until plasma separation. When using heparinized blood, the plasma should be stored frozen within 8 h.

Cytopathic effects of non-syncytium-inducing and syncytium-inducing human immunodeficiency virus type 1 variants on different CD4(+)-T-cell subsets are determined only by coreceptor expression.

In peripheral blood mononuclear cells, syncytium-inducing (SI) human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infected and depleted all CD4(+) T cells, including naive T cells. Non-SI HIV-1 infected and depleted only the CCR5-expressing T-cell subset. This may explain the accelerated CD4 cell loss after SI conversion in vivo.

Detection of hepatitis C viral RNA sequences in fresh and paraffin-embedded liver biopsy specimens of non-A, non-B hepatitis patients.

In this study methods of HCV-RNA detection in fresh frozen and formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded liver biopsies are described. Of 22 untreated chronic non-A, non-B hepatitis patients and 6 control patients, a plasma sample and part of a liver biopsy were freshly frozen for hepatitis C virus (HCV) cDNA-PCR. From 16 of the same non-A, non-B hepatitis patients and from 5 of the same control patients formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded liver tissue from the same biopsy was available also for HCV cDNA-PCR. In 13 of 22 non-A, non-B hepatitis patients HCV-RNA could be detected in plasma as well as in liver tissue. In the other 9 non-A, non-B hepatitis patients and in 6 control patients, no HCV-RNA was detectable in either plasma or liver tissue. The comparison between HCV cDNA-PCR results in fresh frozen versus formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded liver biopsies showed that although detection of HCV-RNA in both correlated 100% the quantity of HCV-RNA was lower in the formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded liver biopsies of 5 of 8 patients for whom end-point dilution titration of liver RNA was performed. We conclude that using the procedures described HCV-RNA can be reliably detected in both fresh-frozen and formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded liver biopsies and that HCV cDNA-PCR in liver tissue may become an important assay, especially for monitoring anti-viral therapy.