Neuroendocrine tumors (NENs) originate from neuroendocrine cells located in a wide variety of organ systems. Gastrointestinal-pancreatic tumors (GEP-NETs) constitute the largest group (approximately ...70%). NENs are heterogeneous in terms of location, malignancy potential, prognosis, treatment methods and functionality, which often makes their diagnosis difficult. The accumulating evidence points to the role of inflammatory factors in the GEP-NETs microenvironment. The aim of the study was to determine the concentrations of interferon gamma (IFN-γ), interleukin 6 (IL-6), monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and interleukin 10 (IL-10) in patients with GEP-NETs. The study included 63 patients of the Prof. F. Łukaszczyk Oncology Center in Bydgoszcz with a diagnosis of neuroendocrine neoplasms of the gastrointestinal tract (GT, n = 42) and pancreas (PA, n = 21). The concentration of cytokines was measured by the enzyme immunoassay method using ready-made ELISA kits. A statistical analysis was performed and p < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. The results were presented as the mean value and the standard error. The levels of IFN-γ, IL-6 and MCP-1 were statistically higher in the PA group than in the patients with GT-NENs. The concentration of IL-10, which is a factor inhibiting cytokine synthesis, did not show a significant difference between the GT and PA groups. Increased levels of inflammation in pancreatic NENs, compared to gastrointestinal NENs, have been observed. It has been noted that the disturbed balance between pro-inflammatory and anti-inflammatory factors may play a role in the development of neuroendocrine tumors.
Head and neck cancers (HNCs) are a group of neoplasms located in the area of the oral cavity, pharynx, larynx, paranasal sinuses, nasal cavity and salivary glands. HNCs are the sixth most common type ...of cancer in the Europe population. As in other neoplastic diseases, chronic inflammation occurs in HNC, affecting not only the location of the tumor, but also distant healthy tissues. In patients with HNC, changes in the levels of pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines are observed. The aim of this study was to assess the level of interleukin 3 (IL-3), IL-4, IL-13, monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1) and MCP-2 in patients with HNC depending on the tumor localization. The study group consisted of 40 HNC patients divided into two groups according to the localization of the tumor: 20 subjects with cancer located in the area of the oral cavity (OC) and 20 subjects with cancer located in the area of pharynx and larynx (PL). Blood serum samples were used to perform the analyses. A value of p < 0.05 was considered as statistically significant. In the PL group, statistically significant higher concentrations of IL-13 and MCP-1 were observed. The level of IL-13 in the OC group was 3.99 ± 0.50 pg/mL, while in the PL group it was 5.79 ± 0.64 pg/mL. The MCP-1 concentration was 68.15 ± 7.06 pg/mL and 109.01 ± 10.76 pg/mL, respectively. There were no statistically significant differences in the levels of IL-3, IL-4 and MCP-2. This experiment indicates that IL-13 and MCP-1 may be potential biomarkers differentiating tumor localization in patients with HNC.
Cardiovascular diseases play an important role in the morbidity and mortality of patients with obstructive lung diseases. Impaired vascular endothelial function seems to be a key element linking ...obstructive lung disease and cardiovascular disease. Recently developed technique named flow mediated skin fluorescence (FMSF) is a novel, non-invasive tool to study microvascular function.
Total of 69 volunteers including 26 patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), 23 patients with asthma and 20 healthy subjects underwent microvascular function assessments using FMSF. FMSF assessments were composed of measurements of reduced form of nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) fluorescence intensity signal during brachial artery occlusion – ischemic response (IRmax) and immediately after release of occlusion – hyperemic response (HRmax). Associations of microvascular function with clinical and biochemical characteristics of studied subjects were also evaluated.
The median value of IRmax was significantly lower in COPD subjects (2.4 1.0–6.7 %) compared with healthy subjects (9.6 3.7–13.5 %; p < 0.01). The mean value of HRmax was also significantly reduced in COPD subjects (9.7 (4.5) %) compared with both asthma subjects (12.1 (3.5) %; p < 0.05) and healthy control subjects (13.4 (2.9) %; p < 0.01).
The FMSF technique makes it possible to identify impairments of the microvascular function in patients with COPD, but not in asthma patients. These exploratory findings require further validation in a larger patients cohort.
•FMSF identifies impairments of the microvascular function in patients with COPD, but not in asthma patients.•FMSF appears as simple and non-invasive tool to study microcirculation and mitochondrial function.•Further studies are needed to determine the diagnostic potential of the FMSF technique.
Polyphenols are natural compounds of high structural diversity which translates into a very wide spectrum of biological activities, including chemoprevention. Here we report that a Japanese quince ...fruit flavanol preparation (JQFFP) caused favorable changes in Bax/Bcl-2 mRNA ratio, which rendered normal and cancer cells more resistant and more sensitive, respectively, to apoptosis. DU145 human prostate cancer cells were characterized by the most advantageous Bax/Bcl-2 ratio. The growth and invasiveness of MDA-MB-231 human breast cancer cells were strongly suppressed by JQFFP, which was accompanied with a decrease in MMP-9 activity and stimulation of TIMP-1 expression. Importantly, JQFFP did not decrease normal human prostate PNT1A cell number, whereas Bax/Bcl-2 ratio decreased which implies increased resistance to apoptosis. In conclusion, JQFFP exhibited a potent antiproliferative effect against cancer cells, inhibited their invasiveness, and decreased expression level of several genes involved in apoptosis, angiogenesis, and metastasis.
In this study, we assessed the influence of an evening primrose flavanol preparation (EPFP) on proliferation and invasiveness of human prostate cancer cells (DU 145) and immortalized prostate ...epithelial cells (PNT1A). We report for the first time that EPFP reduces DU 145 cell proliferation (IC50 = 97 μM GAE for 72 h incubation) and invasiveness (by 24% versus control at 75 μM GAE). EPFP strongly inhibited PNT1A invasiveness in a concentration-dependent manner (by 67% versus control at 75 μM GAE) and did not cause a reduction in their proliferation. Furthermore, EPFP inhibited the activities of MMP-2 and MMP-9 secreted to culture medium by PNT1A cells by 84% and 34% versus control at 100 μM GAE, respectively. In the case of DU 145, MMP-9 activity at 100 μM GAE was reduced by 37% versus control. Moreover, the evening primrose seed flavanols suppressed the expression of selected genes (MMP-1, MMP-9, MMP-14, c-Fos, c-Jun, and VEGF) and also caused favorable changes in Bcl-2/Bax mRNA ratio which render DU 145 cells more sensitive to apoptosis-triggering agents. An additional confirmation of the proapoptotic activity of EPFP toward DU 145 was visualization of characteristic apoptotic bodies by DAPI staining. In conclusion, this study suggests that EPFP may increase apoptosis and reduce angiogenesis of prostate cancer cells.
Introduction
Interleukin (IL)‐25, IL‐33 and thymic stromal lymphopoietin (TSLP) are epithelial alarmins involved in innate immune responses and have been shown to play an important role in chronic ...lung diseases. No data are available regarding their levels in exhaled breath condensate (EBC) in idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF).
Objectives
To examine IL‐25, IL‐33 and TSLP levels in the EBC obtained from patients with IPF and compare them to those in healthy controls, patients with asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD).
Methods
Twenty‐three patients with asthma, 25 patients with COPD, 15 patients with IPF and 16 healthy controls were studied. Concentrations of alarmins in the EBC were evaluated by means of ELISA.
Results
IL‐25 EBC levels were numerically lowest in IPF (25.33 ± 8.84 pg/ml). However, they did not differ significantly from healthy subjects (43.18 ± 5.53 pg/ml), but were significantly lower compared to asthma (72.07 ± 6.03 pg/ml; P < .001). IL‐33 EBC levels were significantly increased in IPF (3.41 ± 0.55 pg/ml) compared to healthy controls (1.20 ± 0.60 pg/ml; P < .01) but did not differ from asthma (3.68 pg/ml) and COPD levels (2.47 ± 0.34 pg/ml). There were significant correlations between IL‐33 EBC levels and lung diffusion capacity of carbon monoxide (DLco) absolute (r = .63; P < .05) and % of predicted values (r = .67; P < .01) as well as with time since diagnosis (r = −.59; P < .05) in IPF subjects. TSLP was undetectable in examined samples.
Conclusion
IL‐25 and IL‐33 are detectable in the EBC obtained from IPF subjects. Increased levels of IL‐33 compared to healthy controls indicate its possible role in the pathobiology of IPF.
Despite the absence of endogenous chitin in humans, chitinases are present in the serum of healthy subjects and their levels are increased in a variety of chronic inflammatory conditions. It has been ...shown that chitotriosidase and structurally related chitinase-like protein-YKL-40 contribute to the pathogenesis of COPD. However, details regarding the relation of their systemic and local airways levels remain unknown.
To examine peripheral blood and sputum chitotriosidase and YKL-40 expression in smokers and patients with COPD.
Forty patients with COPD, 20 healthy smokers and 10 healthy never-smokers were studied. Serum and induced sputum chitotriosidase protein and activity levels, YKL-40 concentrations, and their gene expression in sputum cells and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were evaluated.
Both chitotriosidase protein levels and activity were higher in sputum obtained from COPD subjects compared to healthy never-smokers (
<0.05 and
<0.01, respectively). A similar pattern was observed for PBMC chitotriosidase mRNA expression (
<0.001). YKL-40 serum concentrations were elevated in healthy smokers and COPD subjects compared to healthy never-smokers (
<0.001 and
<0.01, respectively). In sputum, YKL-40 levels were increased in COPD compared to healthy never-smokers (
<0.01). PBMC YKL-40 mRNA expression was increased in COPD and healthy smokers compared to healthy never-smokers (
<0.0001). No associations were found between chitotriosidase or YKL-40 peripheral blood levels and sputum levels.
Our results demonstrate that chitotriosidase and YKL-40 are overexpressed in peripheral blood and airways in both healthy smokers and COPD subjects which may indicate smoking-related activation of macrophages, neutrophils, and epithelial cells.
Im vorliegenden Artikel wird auf den Begriff der Lakune als eine ethnopsycholinguistische Forschungskategorie Bezug genommen. Es werden absolute Sprachlakunen näher charakterisiert, die im Vergleich ...der deutschen und polnischen Sprache und Kultur mit Rücksicht auf Lexik zum Vorschein gebracht werden. Ihr Vorhandensein ist sowohl ein Anzeichen, als auch eine Ursache der Äquivalenzlosigkeit. Im Prozess der Entlakunisierung, bei der Anwendung von konkreten Übersetzungsstrategien, können sie eliminiert werden. This article refers to lacuna as an ethnopsycholinguistic research category. Absolute language lacunas, which are revealed in the comparison of the German and Polish language and culture in relation to lexis, will be characterized in more detail. Their presence is both a sign and a cause of non-equivalence. They can be eliminated in the delacunisation process by applying concrete translation strategies.
There is growing interest in plant polyphenols which exhibit pleiotropic biological activities, including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, and anticancer effects. The objective of our study was to ...evaluate the influence of an evening primrose extract (EPE) from defatted seeds on viability and invasiveness of three human cell lines: PNT1A (normal prostate cells), DU145 (prostate cancer cells) and MDA-MB-231 (breast cancer cells). The results revealed that after 72 h of incubation the tested extract reduced the viability of DU 145 and MDA-MB-231 with IC50 equal to 14.5 μg/mL for both cell lines. In contrast, EPE did not inhibit the viability of normal prostate cells. Furthermore, EPE reduced PNT1A and MDA-MB-231 cell invasiveness; at the concentration of 21.75 μg/mL the suppression of invasion reached 92% and 47%, respectively (versus control). Additionally, zymographic analysis revealed that after 48 h of incubation EPE inhibited metalloproteinase-2 (MMP-2) and metalloproteinase-9 (MMP-9) activities in a dose-dependent manner. For PNT1A the activities of MMP-2 and MMP-9 decreased 4- and 2-fold, respectively, at EPE concentration of 29 μg/mL. In the case of MDA-MB-231 and DU 145 the decrease in MMP-9 activity at EPE concentration of 29 μg/mL was 5.5-fold and almost 1.9-fold, respectively. In conclusion, this study suggests that EPE may exhibit antimigratory, anti-invasive and antimetastatic potential towards prostate and breast cancer cell lines.
: The disturbances in pro‐ and antioxidant balance may play an important role in the pathomechanism of aging. The pineal hormone melatonin, which exerts effective antioxidative properties, is ...suggested to be involved in the aging process. The aim of this study was to compare the oxidative stress in erythrocytes of healthy young adults and elderly people, and to determine the influence of melatonin supplementation on measured parameters in both examined groups. The malondialdehyde (MDA) and reduced glutathione levels as well as Cu‐Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD‐1), catalase, glutathione peroxidase (GSH‐Px), glutathione S‐transferase (GST) and glutathione reductase (GR) activities in erythrocytes and morning serum melatonin concentration in 14 healthy young adults and 14 healthy elderly people at baseline and after the 30th day of melatonin (5 mg daily) supplementation were determined. A significant age effect on increasing the MDA level and decreasing SOD‐1, GSH‐Px and GR activities as well as melatonin concentration was observed. Melatonin supplementation resulted in a significant increase in melatonin concentration, SOD‐1 and GR activities and a decrease in the MDA level in both examined groups. These data indicate an age‐related augmentation of oxidative stress in erythrocytes and the improvement of erythrocytic antioxidative defense by melatonin administration. These results might suggest melatonin supplementation to prevent age‐related diseases and to prolong the lifespan and improve the quality of life of elderly people.
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