Protein-bound polysaccharide K is an immunotherapeutic agent that promotes apoptosis by inhibiting nuclear factor-kappaB activation in cancer cells. We previously showed that oncogenic β-catenin ...activates nuclear factor-kappaB and inhibits apoptosis by up-regulating β-transducin repeat-containing protein. We investigated whether the activation state of β-catenin in the primary tumor is associated with differences in survival rates of patients with colon cancer undergoing immunochemotherapy with 5-fluorouracil plus polysaccharide K vs. chemotherapy with 5-fluorouracil alone. We assessed the activation states of β-catenin and nuclear factor-kappaB in the primary tumors of 202 colon cancer patients, and analyzed the data in terms of the clinicopathologic characteristics and survival of patients undergoing the two forms of adjuvant therapy. We found two distinct patterns of nuclear accumulation of activated β-catenin in the tumor cells: diffuse nuclear accumulation in 89 cases (44 percent) and selective nuclear accumulation at the tumor invasion front in 18 cases (9 percent). Nuclear factor-kappaB activation was found in 64 cases (32 percent). In patients with diffuse nuclear accumulation-type β-catenin activation, immunochemotherapy significantly improved recurrence-free survival, cancer death survival, and overall survival rates compared with patients receiving chemotherapy alone. No survival benefit was found in cases with nuclear accumulation at the tumor invasion front-type β-catenin activation or no activation. Similarly, immunochemotherapy favored the survival of patients with nuclear factor-kappaB activation. Multivariate analysis established the TNM stage and administration of polysaccharide K as independent prognostic factors in the patients with diffuse nuclear accumulation-type β-catenin activation. The presence of diffuse nuclear accumulation-type β-catenin activation identifies patients with colon cancer who respond better to immunotherapy with polysaccharide K. PUBLICATION ABSTRACT
Full text
Available for:
KISLJ, NUK, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, UL, UM, UPUK
Primary mediastinal non-seminomatous germ cell tumors (PMNSGCTs) are occasionally complicated by a hematologic malignancy, as with somatic-type malignant tumors called germ cell tumors with ...somatic-type malignancy (GCTSTM) and are known to have a poor prognosis.
Data obtained between September 1997 and February 2020 for patients with mediastinal germ cell tumor at our institution were retrospectively analyzed. Key outcome measures included survival rates and the clinical features of non-seminoma cases.
Of 16 patients, 9 had pure seminoma, and 7 had non-seminoma. At the median follow-up of 56.2 months, the 5-year survival rate was significantly higher in patients with seminoma (100%) than in those with non-seminoma (37%) (log-rank test, p=0.0153). Regarding PMNSGCT, two patients evolved into GCTSTM and three had concomitant hematological malignancies.
Patients with PMNSGCTs, GCTSTM complications, and hematologic malignancies showed poor survival, suggesting the need for the development of treatment strategies.
Matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) consisting of at least 16 different molecules are thought to be involved in the degradation of extracellular matrix (ECM) macromolecules under various pathologic ...conditions. Among them, MMP-7 (matrilysin) is unique in that it has high specific activity against various ECM components such as cartilage proteoglycan. In the present study, we examined the expression and tissue localization of MMP-7 in articular cartilages of human osteoarthritis (OA). Immunohistochemistry using a monoclonal antibody specific to MMP-7 demonstrated that the proteinase is localized to the OA chondrocytes mainly in the superficial and transitional zones in 92% of the OA cases examined (36 of 39 cases). On average, approximately 30% of the total chondrocytes (29.1%+/-30.2%) were immunostained in the positive OA cartilage samples. In contrast, MMP-7 staining was found in 8% of the normal cartilage cases (1 of 12 cases), and only a few chondrocytes (0.15%+/-0.67%) in the superficial zone were immunostained. There was a linear correlation between degree (%) of the immunostained chondrocytes and Mankin scores (rho rho = 0.84). Immunoblot analysis of the culture media from the cartilage explants demonstrated MMP-7 in 65% of the OA cases (15 of 23 cases) and 8% of the normal specimens (1 of 12 cases). Reverse transcription-PCR demonstrated the specific amplicon in 68% of the OA cartilage cases (17 of 25 cases), whereas only 18% of the control (2 of 11 cases) amplified the product. In situ hybridization revealed that the chondrocytes in OA cartilage express MMP-7 mRNA. MMP-7 gene expression in cultured OA chondrocytes was enhanced by the treatment with interleukin-1alpha and/or tumor necrosis factor-alpha. These data demonstrate for the first time that MMP-7 is overexpressed in human OA cartilage and suggest that cytokine-induced MMP-7 may play an important role in the degradation of ECM macromolecules in the OA cartilage.
We measured the production levels of seven different matrix metalloproteinases (MMP-1, 2, 3, 7, 8, 9 and 13) and two tissue inhibitors of metalloproteinases (TIMP-1 and 2) in the homogenates of human ...oral squamous cell carcinomas and control normal squamous epithelia by the corresponding sandwich enzyme immunoassay systems. The levels of MMP-1, 2, 3, 8, 9, 13 and TIMP-1 were significantly higher in the carcinoma samples than in the control. Among them, only the production level of MMP-2 was significantly higher in the carcinomas with cervical lymph node metastasis than in those without metastasis (P < 0.05). Gelatin zymography demonstrated that activation ratio of the zymogen of MMP-2 (proMMP-2) is significantly higher in the carcinomas with lymph node metastasis than in those without metastasis (P < 0.05) or normal control (P < 0.01). Quantitative RT-PCR for membrane-types 1, 2 and 3 MMPs (MT1, 2 and 3-MMPs), which activate proMMP-2 in vitro, demonstrated that MT1-MMP is predominantly expressed in the carcinoma tissues, and the expression level is significantly higher in the carcinomas with lymph node metastasis than in those without metastasis (P < 0.05) or the control samples (P < 0.05). Although MT2-MMP and MT3-MMP were detected in approximately 30% of the carcinoma cases, their expression levels were extremely lower compared with that of MT1-MMP. There was a direct correlation between the MT1-MMP expression level and proMMP-2 activation ratio (r = 0.62, P < 0.01). In situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry indicated that carcinoma cells and stromal cells adjacent to carcinoma cell nests express MT1-MMP transcripts and protein. MMP-2 and TIMP-2 were also immunolocalized to the carcinoma cells in the carcinoma samples. By in situ zymography, gelatinolytic activity was demonstrated in the carcinoma cell nests and abolished by the treatment with an MMP inhibitor, BB94. These results suggest that among seven different MMPs, the production of proMMP-2 and its activation mediated by MT1-MMP play an important role in the cervical lymph node metastasis of the human oral squamous cell carcinomas.
Full text
Available for:
EMUNI, FIS, FZAB, GEOZS, GIS, IJS, IMTLJ, KILJ, KISLJ, MFDPS, NLZOH, NUK, OBVAL, OILJ, PNG, SAZU, SBCE, SBJE, SBMB, SBNM, UKNU, UL, UM, UPUK, VKSCE, ZAGLJ
BACKGROUND: The ubiquitin-proteasome pathway is important in regulating protein signaling pathways that are involved in tumorigenesis. beta-transducin repeat-containing proteins (beta-TrCP) are ...components of the ubiquitin ligase complex targeting beta-catenin and IkappaBalpha for proteasomal degradation and are thus a negative regulator of Wnt/beta-catenin signaling and a positive regulator of NF-kappaB signaling. We analyzed expression of beta-TrCP in colorectal cancers and its association with types of beta-catenin subcellular localization, an indirect measure of activation. METHODS: Levels of beta-TrCP1 mRNA and protein were measured by quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and immunoblotting, respectively, in samples of tumor and normal tissues from 45 patients with colorectal cancer. Types of beta-catenin activation (diffuse or invasion edge) and NF-kappaB activation were examined by immunohistochemistry. Apoptosis was determined by the terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated deoxyuridine triphosphate-biotin nick-end labeling (TUNEL) assay. All statistical tests were two-sided. RESULTS: Compared with the beta-TrCP1 levels in normal tissues, 25 (56%) of 45 tumors had increased beta-TrCP1 mRNA and protein levels. Of the 22 (49%) tumors with beta-catenin activation, 12 had the diffuse type (i.e., nuclear accumulation throughout the tumor) and 10 had the invasion edge type (i.e., nuclear accumulation predominantly in the tumor cells that formed the invasion edge). Increased beta-TrCP1 levels were statistically significantly associated with beta-catenin activation (P =.023) and decreased apoptosis (P =.035). beta-TrCP accumulated in the nuclei of tumor cells that contained increased levels of beta-TrCP1 mRNA and the active form of NF-kappaB. Higher levels of beta-TrCP1 mRNA were detected in primary tumors of patients who had metastases (0.960 arbitrary units, 95% confidence interval = 0.878 to 1.042) than in the tumors of patients who did not (0.722 arbitrary units, 95% confidence interval = 0.600 to 0.844; P =.016). CONCLUSION: In colorectal cancer, increased expression of beta-TrCP1 is associated with activation of both beta-catenin and NF-kappaB, suggesting that the integration of these signaling pathways by increased beta-TrCP expression may contribute to an inhibition of apoptosis and tumor metastasis.
We previously reported the usefulness of aberrant methylation of tumor suppressive miRNAs in bile to discriminate pancreaticobiliary cancers (PBCs) from benign pancreaticobiliary diseases (BD). Here ...we performed a methylation analysis of plasma miRNAs to identify miRNAs specific for PBCs.
Plasma was collected from 80 patients with pancreatic cancer (PC); 18 with biliary tract cancer (BTC) and 28 with BD. Sequences encoding 3 tumor suppressive miRNAs (miR-200a, -200b, and -1247) were PCR amplified and sequenced, and their methylation rates were determined.
The methylation rate of miR-1247 was significantly higher in patients with BTC than in those with BD, and tended to be higher in patients with PC than in those with BD. Furthermore, it was significantly higher in three patients with stages I/II BTC than in those with BD.
Methylation of miR-1247 in plasma may be useful to distinguish BTC from BD.
Purpose and Study Design: Recent studies have shown that β-catenin translocated into the cell nucleus functions like an oncogene. Accumulating evidence
suggests that activation of the β-catenin ...oncogenic signaling cascade along with its twin, the K- ras cascade, may exert syngeneic or synergistic effects on tumor development and progression. In the study reported here, we
analyzed oncogenic β-catenin activation on the basis of its nuclear accumulation (NA) and compared the results with those
of mutational activation of K- ras in 74 patients with colorectal cancer to determine whether the two oncogene-mediated signaling cascades interact.
Results: We found two distinct patterns of β-catenin activation, i.e. , diffuse NA in 20 cases (27%) and selective NA at the tumor invasion front (NAinv) in 19 cases (26%). The presence of the
NAinv pattern was significantly correlated with advanced Dukes’ stage tumor ( P = 0.0005) and the presence of distant metastases ( P = 0.0064). K- ras proto-oncogene was mutated in the tumors of 31 cases (42%). Activated β-catenin or K- ras was detected in most (78%) colorectal cancers analyzed, although a weak inverse correlation was found between the activities
of the two oncogenes in the tumors. Importantly, most (7 of 8) patients with tumor showing both K- ras activation and the NAinv pattern of β-catenin activation were in Dukes’ stage C at surgery, and half of them developed distant
metastases to the liver and lungs.
Conclusion : The results suggest that although oncogenic activation of β-catenin and K- ras is independent in the process of clinical cancer development, combined analysis of the two major oncogenes can detect most
colorectal cancers and identify a subset of patients with poorer outcomes. Consequently, activation of either or both of these
oncogenes may serve as a genetic marker for molecular diagnosis.
PDF
