Association between P53 expression or TP53 codon 72 polymorphism and prognosis in patients with operated invasive breast cancer

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Background: The present study analyzed the impact of p53 expression and TP53 codon 72 polymorphism on the prognosis in patients with operated invasive breast cancer. Methods: Two hundred thirty-four patients with ductal breast cancer who underwent surgery with curative intent were enrolled in the present study. The tumor expressions of p53, ER, PR, and HER2 were graded immunohistochemically and TP53 codon 72 polymorphism was determined by a PCR-RFLP assay using genomic DNA extracted from paraffin-embedded tissue. Results: The median age was 49 (range, 24–82) years, and 134 (57.3%) patients were premenopause at the time of diagnosis. Pathologic stages after surgery were as follows: stage I (n=77, 32.9%), stage II (n=110, 47.0%), and stage III (n=47, 20.1%). Tumor overexpression of p53 protein was observed in 59 (25.2%) patients and was associated with an unfavorable relapse-free survival (RFS) in an univariate analysis adjusted to age, stage, and menstrual status. In a multivariate analysis, p53 overexpression was an independent prognostic factor for RFS (HR=2.36; 95% CI=1.09–5.13; p=0.030). However, no associations were observed between the genotype of TP53 codon 72 polymorphism and survival or clinicopathologic characteristics. Conclusions: Overexpression of p53 protein can be considered as a prognostic factor for RFS in the breast cancer patients after surgery.

No significant financial relationships to disclose.

-93G>A polymorphism of hMLH1 associated with prognosis for patients with colorectal cancer

4039

Background: Polymorphisms in the DNA repair genes may contribute to variation in DNA repair capacity, thereby affecting the risk of carcinogenesis and prognosis of colorectal cancer. Accordingly, the present study analyzed polymorphisms of DNA repair genes and their impact on the prognosis for patients with colorectal cancer. Methods: Three hundred and ninety- seven consecutive patients with curatively resected colorectal adenocarcinoma were enrolled in the present study. The genomic DNA was extracted from fresh colorectal tissue and 14 polymorphisms of DNA repair genes (XRCC1, hMLH1, ERCC2, ERCC4, VARS2[rs2074511, rs2249459], XPA, XPC, POLR2A, POLR2B, RFC1, RFC4, XAB2, DNMT3B) determined using a PCR-RFLP assay. Results: The median age of the patients was 63 years (range, 21–85), and 218 (54.9%) patients had colon cancer and 179 (45.1%) patients rectal cancer. Pathologic stages after surgery were as follows: stage 0/I (n=86, 21.7%), stage II (n=146, 36.8%), stage III (n=145, 36.5%), and stage IV (n=20, 5.0%). Multivariate survival analysis including stage, differentiation, age, and CEA level showed that the survival for the patients with the -93AA genotype of hMLH1 was worse than for the patients with the combined -93GG and GA genotype (overall survival: hazard ratio [HR]=2.953, 95% Confidential Interval [CI], 1.273–6.850, P=0.012; disease-free survival: HR=2.299, 95% CI, 1.417–3.730, P=0.001), whereas the other polymorphisms were not associated with survival. Conclusions: The -93G>A polymorphism of hMLH1 was found to be an independent prognostic marker for patients with colorectal cancer. Accordingly, in addition to the pathologic stage, the analysis of -93G>A polymorphism of hMLH1 can help identify patient subgroups at high risk of a poor disease outcome.

No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Prognostic impact of polymorphisms of caspase genes on survival in patients with operated invasive ductal breast cancer

e22020

Background: Since the apoptosis induced by caspases may play a role in the prognosis of breast cancer, the present study analyzed the polymorphisms of caspase genes and their impact on the survival in patients with operated invasive ductal breast cancer. Methods: Two hundred eighty patients with breast cancer who underwent surgery with curative intent were enrolled in the present study. The genomic DNA was extracted from paraffin-embedded tissue, and 7 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of 6 caspase genes were determined using a PCR-RFLP assay. Results: The median age was 49 (range, 24–82) years, and 157 (56.1%) patients were premenopause at the time of diagnosis. Thirty-six (12.9%) patients underwent breast-conserving surgery. Pathologic stages after surgery were as follows: stage I (n=86, 30.7%), stage II (n=129, 46.1%), and stage III (n=63, 22.5%). Among the target SNPs, CASP6 (rs2301717, +5095G>T) and CASP7 (rs11593766, +11G>T) were found to correlate with relapse-free survival (RFS) after curative surgery in an univariate analysis adjusted to age, stage, histological grade, and the immunohistochemical expression of estrogen receptor and HER2. Meanwhile, multivariate analysis showed that the combined GT and TT genotype of CASP6 (rs2301717) was associated with a better RFS than the GG genotype (HR=0.39; 95% CI=0.19–0.79; p=0.009). However, there was no significant association with overall survival. Conclusions: The CASP6 (rs2301717) polymorphism may be considered as a possible prognostic factor for survival in patients with operated invasive breast cancer.

No significant financial relationships to disclose.

RIPK1 gene polymorphism as a prognostic marker for survival in patients with colorectal cancer

e15078

Background: Since apoptosis plays a key role in cancer progression, we hypothesized that single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of apoptosis-related gene can affect survival after curative resection in patients with colorectal cancer. Patients and Methods: Three hundred and ninety seven patients with colorectal cancer who underwent surgery with curative intent were enrolled in the present study. The genomic DNA was extracted from fresh colorectal mucosal tissue, and the 19 SNPs of 15 apoptosis-related genes (CASP3, CASP6–10, FAS, FAS ligand [FASLG], TNSFR1A, TNSFR10B, RIPK1, BCL2, BCL2 ligand [BCL2L], TP53, and PTGS2) were determined using a PCR-RFLP assay. Results: The median age of the patients was 63 years (range, 21–85), and 218 (54.9%) patients had colon cancer and 179 (45.1%) patients rectal cancer. Pathologic stages after surgery were as follows: stage 0/I (n=86, 21.7%), stage II (n=146, 36.8%), stage III (n=145, 36.5%), and stage IV (n=20, 5.0%). Multivariate survival analysis including pathologic stage, differentiation, age, and CEA level showed that relapse-free survival for the patients with the GA+AA genotype of RIPK1 (Receptor interacting serine/threonine kinase 1) +83G>A (rs2272990) was worse than for the patients with the GG genotype (hazard ratio [HR]=1.66, 95% confidence interval [CI]=1.03–2.68, p=0.038). However, no associations were observed between the polymorphisms and overall survival (OS) in a multivariate analysis. Conclusions: RIPK1 gene polymorphism can be considered as a possible prognostic marker for survival after curative resection in patient with colorectal cancer.

No significant financial relationships to disclose.

The clinical significance of oophorectomy in gastric patients

e15646

Background: The oophorectomy in isolated metastasis of ovary can lead to long term survival in patients with gastric cancer, but the clinical significance of oophorectomy in stage IV gastric cancer patients is not known well in this time. Methods: We reviewed the medical record of the 55 gastric cancer patients who were metastasis or recurrent in ovary at Dongsan Medical Center, Kimyung University School of Medicine, Daegu, Korea from 1985 to 2008. Results: Twenty-one patients were metastasis to ovary at the time of diagnosis of gastric cancer, and 34 patients were recurrent in ovary after the gastric resection. The mean age was 45.3 ± 11.6 years in metastatic cancer and 46.8 ±12.6 years in recurrent cancer patients. The stage at the time of gastric resection in 34 recurrent patients were I in 3, II in 1, III in 18, and IV in 10. Adjuvant chemotherapy were performed in 26 (76.5%) patients. Oophorectomy were performed in 33 (97.1%) of recurrent cancer, and 17 (81.0%) of metastatic cancer. The 1-year and 2-year survival rate of metastatic cancer were 14.7%, and 0%, and 1-year, 2-year, and 3-year survival rate of recurrent cancer were 47.2%, 18.1%, and 0%, respectively. The median survival duration of metastatic cancer were 8.9 ±1.0 months, and recurrent cancer were 11.4 ±2.3 months. Recurrent cancer were better survival than metastatic cancer patients (p=0.014). The long-term survival (over 2 years) was noted in 5 patients of recurrent cancer patients. The stage of gastric cancer was correlated to overall survival time in total patients (p=0.028). But, the relapse-free survival time after gastrectomy is the only factor to predict survival duration after oophorectomy in recurrent cancer patients (p=0.029). Age, stage of gastric cancer, extent of involvement of ovary, and systemic chemotherapy were not related to survival time of recurrent cancer patients. Conclusions: The survival time in patients with oophorectomy in recurrent gastric cancer was correlated to relapse-free survival time after gastric resection.

No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Prognostic impact of the NFKB1 insertion/deletion promoter polymorphism on survival in patients with surgically resected gastric cancer

e15638

Background: The present study analyzed the functional insertion/deletion polymorphism in the promoter region of NKFB1 gene and their impact on the prognosis for patients with gastric adenocarcinoma. Methods: Five hundred and three consecutive patients with surgically resected gastric adenocarcinoma were enrolled in the present study. The genomic DNA was extracted from paraffin-embedded tissue and the -94 insertion/deletion ATTG polymorphism of NFKB1 determined using a PCR- RFLP assay. Results: The NFKB1 promoter gene polymorphism was successfully amplified in 97.8% of the cases. There were no sexual differences in relation to the genotype and allele. No correlation was observed between the frequency of the genotype or allele and the T, N, or M stage. The multivariate survival analysis showed no association between the NFKB1 -94 insertion/deletion promoter polymorphism and the disease-free survival or overall survival of the patients with gastric cancer. Conclusions: The functional NFKB1 promoter polymorphism was not found to be a prognostic marker for Korean patients with surgically resected gastric adenocarcinoma.

No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Effects of irradiation on cytokine production in a mouse model of Behçet's disease

OBJECTIVE

Low-dose whole-body irradiation is known to have anti-inflammatory effects. The objectives of this study were to verify that cytokine augmentation is induced by irradiation in vivo, and to assess the effectiveness of radiation in treating Behçet's disease (BD).

METHODS

Whole-body and half-body irradiation with single doses of 10cGy, 2Gy and 10Gy were delivered to normal mice, and cytokine and chemokine levels were analyzed in PBMC and sera. BD-like mice were treated with low-dose, half-body 10cGy irradiation.

RESULTS

In normal mice, PBMC cytokine mRNA levels peaked four days after irradiation. Of the cytokines and chemokines examined, the levels of IL-4, IL-6, IL-12p40, TNF-alpha, TGF-b, MIP-1alpha and IL-18 were all influenced by radiation treatment. Of these, IL-4, an ameliorating factor for BD, was the most elevated following low-dose irradiation (10cGy group). FACS analysis showed intracellular IL-4-staining of 7.24+/-0.92% of PBMC from irradiated mice compared to 1.3+/-0.1% from non-irradiated, normal mice (p<0.005). Serum IL-4 levels were also significantly increased (6.08+/-1.7 pg/ml) relative to control (1.83+/-0.8; p<0.005).

CONCLUSION

Augmentation of cytokine production may contribute to the anti-inflammatory effects of low dose irradiation and amelioration of BD symptoms in this mouse model.

[Overall burden to society caused by hyperkinetic syndrome (HKS) and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)]

OBJECTIVE

The purpose of this work was to provide an analysis of medical costs for HKS/ADHD on the basis of a cost-of-illness study.

METHODS

A systematic literature review concerning the direct and indirect costs of HKS/ADHD and its related implications was complemented by a special analysis of the German Federal Office of Statistics on ICD-10 F 90.

RESULTS

An analysis of overall medical costs by the Federal Office of Statistics results in expenses of 142 million euro in 2002 corresponding to ca. 630 euro per patient per year. These values are considerably below the values calculated for the USA. Increased indirect costs related to different implications of the indication were stated in international studies.

CONCLUSION

A first estimate of the direct costs for HKS/ADHS in Germany has been conducted. A reduction of the difference between the German and the US direct cost values may be expected. An increased level of the indirect costs related to HKS/ADHD may be assumed for Germany and requires further research.

Right ventricular outflow patch reconstruction for repair of double-outlet left ventricle

Double-outlet left ventricle (DOLV) is conventionally repaired with an extracardiac conduit when pulmonary stenosis is present. We report a case of surgical repair for DOLV with severe pulmonary stenosis where the right ventricular outflow tract was established using a vascular graft patch anteriorly after constructing the posterior wall with autologous tissue. This approach provides excellent hemodynamic repair without the use of an extracardiac conduit and has the major advantage of growth potential.

Association of CD94/NKG2A, CD94/NKG2C, and its ligand HLA-E polymorphisms with Behcet's disease

Inhibitory CD94/NKG2A and activating CD94/NKG2C receptors are expressed on natural killer, CD4, and CD8 T cells and recognize human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-E, resulting in the modulation of cytotoxic activity and cytokine production. An imbalance in cytotoxic activity and cytokine production has been implicated in Behcet's disease (BD). The results of this study showed that the NKG2A c.-4258*C, c.338-90*G, and CD94 c.-134*T alleles (P= 0.015, OR = 0.8; P < 0.0001, OR = 0.5; and P= 0.034, OR = 0.8, respectively) were associated with decreased risk and that NKG2A c.284-67_-62del, c.1077*C, and the activating receptor, NKG2C c.305*T were not associated with 345 patients with BD. But a significant difference in NKG2C c.305*T was detected among BD patients with ocular lesions and arthritis (P < 0.0001, OR = 2.1 and P= 0.0001, OR = 1.8, respectively). We already showed in our previous research that HLA-E*0101 also appears to contribute to a reduction in risk through the inhibitory CD94/NKG2A-mediated immune response. This result led us to the analyses of the combined risk of the HLA-E and the NKG2A for BD. Individuals harboring HLA-E*0101, NKG2A c.-4258*C, and c.338-90*G evidenced a reduced risk of BD compared with healthy controls (21.1% vs 40.1%, P < 0.0001, OR = 0.4). By way of contrast, individuals without the HLA-E*0101, NKG2A c.-4258*C, and c.338-90*G alleles evidenced a twofold increased risk of BD (P= 0.014, OR = 2.0). Individuals without HLA-E*0101, NKG2A c.-4258*G/*G, and c.338-90*G evidenced a 4.8-fold increase in BD risk (P= 0.0002, OR = 4.8). Although the effects of these single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) remain unclear, our results indicate that the SNPs of the inhibitory receptor CD94/NKG2A and its haplotypes, as well as its ligand HLA-E, are associated with BD immune systems.

Alemtuzumab plus CHOP as front-line chemotherapy for patients with peripheral T-cell lymphomas

8069

Background: The present study was conducted to evaluate the safety and efficacy of alemtuzumab plus CHOP chemotherapy for patients with peripheral T-cell lymphomas (PTCLs). Methods: Twenty patients with newly diagnosed PTCLs were enrolled. The treatment consisted of classical CHOP plus alemtuzumab (10 mg/m2 i.v on day 1 and 20 mg/m2 i.v on day 2 in the first cycle, then 30 mg/m2 i.v on day 1 in the subsequent cycles) based on 3-week intervals. Results: Thirteen complete responses (65.0%) and 3 partial responses (15.0%) were confirmed, giving an overall response rate of 80.0 %. The estimated event-free survival at 1 year was 43.3%. The most severe hematologic adverse event was neutropenia, which occurred with a grade 4 intensity in 18 patients (90.0%). Plus, febrile neutropenia was observed in 11 patients (55.0%). Five patients (25%) experienced CMV (cytomegalovirus) reactivation, while 3 patients developed CMV diseases, such as pneumonitis or retinitis. There were 2 treatment-related deaths. Conclusions: The alemtuzumab plus CHOP chemotherapy seemed to produce active antitumor activity in terms of the complete response rates in patients with PTCLs. However, since high infectious and hematologic toxicities were observed, careful monitoring and early treatment to prevent treatment-related mortality are needed.

No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) gene polymorphisms associated with prognosis for patients with colorectal cancer

4125

Background: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) or its family may be considered to play an important role in lymphangiogenesis and lymphatic tumor spread, thereby affecting prognosis of colorectal cancer. Accordingly, the present study analyzed VEGF gene polymorphisms and their impact on the prognosis for patients with colorectal cancer. Patients and Methods: Four hundred and sixty-five consecutive patients with surgically treated colorectal adenocarcinoma were enrolled in the present study. The genomic DNA was extracted from fresh colorectal tumor tissue and 3 VEGF (-2578C > A, -634G > C, and +936C > T) gene polymorphisms determined using a PCR/DHPLC (Polymerase chain reaction/Denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography) assay. Results: The median age of the patients was 64 years (range, 21–89), and 264 (56.7%) patients had colon cancer and 201 (48.2%) patients rectal cancer. Pathologic stages evaluable (n=464) after surgery were as follows: stage I (n=79, 17.0%), stage II (n=157, 33.8%), stage III (n=157, 33.8%), and stage IV (n=71, 15.3%). Multivariate survival analysis including stage, differentiation, and CEA level showed that survival for patients with the -634CC (overall survival [OS]: hazard ratio [HR]=0.175, P<0.001; progression-free survival [PFS]: HR=0.554, P=0.040) or GC genotype (OS: HR=0.158, P<0.001; PFS: HR=0.630, P=0.044) were better than for patients with the -634GG genotype, whereas the +936TT (OS: HR=65.959, P<0.001; PFS: HR=2.823, P=0.016) or CT genotype (OS: HR=16.116, P<0.001; PFS: HR=3.507, P<0.001) were associated with a worse survival compared to the CC genotype. In haplotype analysis, the -2578A/-634G/+936T haplotype exhibited a significantly worse survival when compared to the wild -2578C/-634G/+936C haplotype (OS: HR=4.670, P<0.001; PFS: HR=3.624, P<0.001). Conclusions: VEGF gene polymorphisms were found to be an independent prognostic marker for patients with colorectal cancer. Accordingly, the analysis of VEGF gene polymorphisms can help identify patient subgroups at high risk of a poor disease outcome.

No significant financial relationships to disclose.

HLA-E*0101 and HLA-G*010101 reduce the risk of Behcet's disease

The nonclassical human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-E and -G molecules have previously been shown to inhibit natural killer- and cytotoxic T-lymphocyte-mediated cell lysis and have also been shown to prevent the proliferation of CD4 T cells and secrete cytokines that appear to be important in the modulation of the Behcet's disease (BD) immune systems. Polymorphisms in the HLA-E and HLA-G genes have been associated with differential expression and function. Thus, we conducted an analysis of the HLA-E and HLA-G alleles using Amplification Refractory Mutation System-polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and PCR-restriction fragment length polymorphism techniques in a study comprising 312 patients with BD and 486 controls. The HLA-E*0101 and HLA-G*010101 alleles were associated with a reduced risk of BD (P = 0.0002, odds ratio (OR) = 0.7 and P = 0.002, OR = 0.7, respectively). By way of contrast, the variants HLA-E*010302, HLA-G*010102, G*0105N alleles and 3741_3754ins14bp were all associated with an increased risk of BD (P < 0.0001, OR = 1.6; P = 0.002, OR = 1.8; P = 0.024, OR = 2.0 and P = 0.003, OR = 1.4, respectively). Individuals carrying both the HLA-E*0101 and the HLA-G*010101 alleles evidenced significantly lower frequency in the patients than in the controls (35.6% vs 49.6%; P < 0.0001, OR = 0.6). These results indicate that variant HLA-E and HLA-G molecules appear to function independently and synergistically, increasing the risk of BD, and may result in an imbalance of lymphocytic functions, which may culminate in the development of BD.

Pilot remission induction therapy with idarubicin, plus intensified dose of Ara-C and priming with granulocyte colony-stimulating factor for acute myeloid leukemia

16516

Background: The sensitization of leukemic cells with hematopoietic growth factors can enhance the cytotoxicity of chemotherapy in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Intensified remission induction (RI) therapy can also improve the treatment results for AML. Therefore, the current trial attempted to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) priming and a dose intensification of Ara-C in RI chemotherapy for AML. Methods: A total of 29 patients with newly diagnosed AML received G-CSF-priming RI chemotherapy consisting of idarubicin (12 mg/m2, D1–3), G-CSF (150 ug/m2, D3–8), and Ara-C (500 mg/m2, bid, D4–8), and the outcomes were compared with those for a historical group treated with a standard regimen consisting of idarubicin (12 mg/m2, D1–3) and Ara-C (100 mg/m2, D1–7). Results: There was no difference in the sex, age, subtype, and cytogenetic risk between the two groups. The complete remission (CR) rate and treatment-related mortality (TRM) were 72% and 17% for G-CSF-primed group and 71% and 10% for the historical group, respectively (p = 0.89 and p = 0.32). The time to neutrophil and platelet recovery did not differ significantly between the two groups (25 days vs. 24 days, p=0.17; 24 days vs. 23 days, p = 0.23, respectively). Similarly, the duration of fever was also not significantly different (5 days vs. 7 days, p = 0.58). Thirteen patients (45%) experienced fever and 5 patients (17%) manifested skin rashes during the G-CSF priming. After a median follow-up of 336 days, the 1-year overall survival (OS), disease-free survival (DFS), and event-free survival (EFS) rates were 72% vs. 63% (p = 0.83), 74% vs. 56% (p = 0.059), and 53% vs. 38% (p = 0.32), respectively. Conclusion: The G-CSF-priming RI regimen with an intensified dose of Ara-C did not show a superior efficacy when compared with a standard regimen, yet did produce a slightly longer DFS. Therefore, the sensitization of leukemic cells with growth factors and dose intensification would only seem to be a clinically applicable means to enhance the efficacy of RI chemotherapy in selected patients with AML, thereby warranting further studies focusing on specific subgroups of AML patients.

No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Phase II study of capecitabine and irinotecan combination chemotherapy in patients with advanced gastric cancer

14037

Background: Several studies have shown the efficacy of capecitabine and irinotecan combination chemotherapy for advanced colorectal cancer, while no results have yet been reported for advanced gastric cancer. Accordingly, the current study evaluated the efficacy and safety of a combination regimen of capecitabine plus irinotecan in patients with advanced gastric cancer. Methods: Patients with previously untreated metastatic or recurrent, measurable gastric cancer received oral capecitabine 1000 mg/m2 twice daily from day 1 to 14 and intravenous irinotecan 100 mg/m2 on days 1 and 8, based on a 3-week cycle. Results: Forty-one patients were enrolled in the current study, among whom 38 were assessable for efficacy and 40 assessable for toxicity. Three complete responses and 16 partial responses were confirmed, giving an overall response rate of 46.3%. At a median follow-up of 269 days, the median time to progression and overall survival were 5.1 months and 8.6 months, respectively. Grade 3/4 neutropenia occurred in 4 patients and grade 3 febrile neutropenia was observed in 2 patients. Grade 3 diarrhea and grade 2 hand-foot syndrome occurred in 6 patients and 8 patients, respectively. Conclusions: The combination of capecitabine and irinotecan was found to be well tolerated and effective in patients with advanced gastric cancer. Accordingly, this regimen can be regarded as an important first-line treatment option for advanced gastric cancer.

No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) polymorphism is associated with prognosis of patients with gastric cancer

4019

Background: Recent studies demonstrated that the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) family had a prognostic significance in patients with gastric cancer. The present study analyzed VEGF polymorphism and its impact on prognosis in patients with gastric cancer. Methods: Five hundred three consecutive patients with surgically resected gastric adenocarcinoma at a single institution between January 2000 and December 2001 were enrolled into the study. Genomic DNA was extracted from paraffin-embedded tumor tissue and four VEGF (-460T > C, +405C > G, 936C> T, and -1154G > A) genotypes were determined using a PCR-RFLP assay. Results: The median age of patients was 60.0 years (range, 25–83 years), and 337 (67.0%) patients were male. Pathologic stages after resection were as follows: stage 0 (n=6, 1.2%), stage I (n=277, 55.1%), stage II (n=105, 20.9%), stage III (n=74, 14.7%), and stage IV (n=41, 8.2%). The estimated 5-year disease-free survival (DFS) rates according to stage were significantly different (p < 0.0001). Three VEGF polymorphisms (+405C > G, 936C, and -1154G > A > T) were not associated with survival of patients, while -460T > C polymorphism had a prognostic significance. In patients with early stage gastric cancer (stage 0 or 1, n=283), the estimated 5-year DFS and carcinoma-specific survival (CSS) for patients with homozygous genotype (CC or TT) of -460T > C were superior to those for heterozygous genotype (CT) (98.1% versus 90.3%, p=0.0047; 98.1% versus 92.5%, p=0.0284). In Cox multivariate regression, stage and VEGF -460T > C genotype were an independent prognostic factors for both DFS (p=0.007; p=0.010) and CSS (p=0.013; p=0.038). Conclusions: VEGF -460T > C polymorphism was found to be an independent prognostic marker for patients with curatively resected early stage gastric adenocarcinoma. Accordingly, VEGF -460T > C polymorphism can help to identify patients with unfavorable clinical outcome and thereby may be useful to refine therapeutic decisions in early stage gastric cancer.

No significant financial relationships to disclose.

Cost of Moderate to Severe Plaque Psoriasis in Germany: A Multicenter Cost-of-Illness Study

BACKGROUND

There is little information concerning the costs of psoriasis and patients' quality of life (QoL) in Germany.

OBJECTIVE

To obtain data on the annual costs and QoL(to follow in a further publication) of patients with moderate to severe plaque psoriasis.

METHODS

Between October 2003 and February 2004, six office-based dermatologists and eight dermatology outpatient departments retrospectively documented cost-of-illness data from a societal cost perspective in 184 patients over a 12-month period. Patients were stratified into three subgroups according to their treatment scheme.

RESULTS

Mean total costs amounted to euro 6,709 per patient and year. The mean PASI score was 18.2 and PBSA 28.9%. Annual costs were highest with euro 8,831 in high-need patients. They also showed the highest PASI score (22.2).

CONCLUSION

Moderate to severe plaque psoriasis is associated with tremendous costs, particularly in patients not adequately controlled by conventional therapies, while the outcomes of patients were unsatisfactory.

Differential responses of the growth hormone axis in two rat models of streptozotocin-induced insulinopenic diabetes

The impact of streptozotocin (STZ)-induced, insulinopenic diabetes on the GH axis of rats and mice differs from study to study, where this variation may be related to the induction scheme, severity of the diabetes and/or the genetic background of the animal model used. In order to begin differentiate between these possibilities, we compared the effects of two different STZ induction schemes on the GH axis of male Sprague-Dawley rats: (1) a single high-dose injection of STZ (HI STZ, 80 mg/kg, i.p.), which results in rapid chemical destruction of the pancreatic beta-cells, and (2) multiple low-dose injections of STZ (LO STZ, 20 mg/kg for 5 consecutive days, i.p.), which results in a gradual, autoimmune destruction of beta-cells. STZ-treated animals were killed after 3 weeks of hyperglycemia (>400 mg/dl), and in both paradigms circulating insulin levels were reduced to <40% of vehicle-treated controls. HI STZ-treated rats lost weight, while body weights of LO STZ-treated animals gradually increased over time, similar to vehicle-treated controls. As previously reported, HI STZ resulted in a decrease in circulating GH and IGF-I levels which was associated with a rise in hypothalamic neuropeptide Y (NPY) mRNA (355% of vehicle-treated controls) and a fall in GH-releasing hormone (GHRH) mRNA (45% of vehicle-treated controls) levels. Changes in hypothalamic neuropeptide expression were reflected by an increase in immunoreactive NPY within the arcuate and paraventricular nuclei and a decrease in GHRH immunoreactivity in the arcuate nucleus, as assessed by immunohistochemistry. Consistent with the decline in circulating GH and hypothalamic GHRH, pituitary GH mRNA levels of HI STZ-treated rats were 58% of controls. However, pituitary receptor mRNA levels for GHRH and ghrelin increased and those for somatostatin (sst2, sst3 and sst5) decreased following HI STZ treatment. The impact of LO STZ treatment on the GH axis differed from that observed following HI STZ treatment, despite comparable changes in circulating glucose and insulin. Specifically, LO STZ treatment did suppress circulating IGF-I levels to the same extent as HI STZ treatment; however, the impact on hypothalamic NPY mRNA levels was less dramatic (158% of vehicle-treated controls) where NPY immunoreactivity was increased only within the paraventricular nucleus. Also, there were no changes in circulating GH, hypothalamic GHRH or pituitary receptor expression following LO STZ treatment, with the exception that pituitary sst3 mRNA levels were suppressed compared with vehicle-treated controls. Taken together these results clearly demonstrate that insulinopenia, hyperglycemia and reduced circulating IGF-I levels are not the primary mediators of hypothalamic and pituitary changes in the GH axis of rats following HI STZ treatment. Changes in the GH axis of HI STZ-treated rats were accompanied by weight loss, and these changes are strikingly similar to those observed in the fasted rat, which suggests that factors associated with the catabolic state are critical in modifying the GH axis following STZ-induced diabetes.

Cytopathic changes and pro-inflammatory cytokines induced by Naegleria fowleri trophozoites in rat microglial cells and protective effects of an anti-Nfa1 antibody

Naegleria fowleri, a free-living amoeba, causes fatal primary amoebic meningoencephalitis in experimental animals and humans. The nfa1 gene (360 bp) was previously cloned from a cDNA library of pathogenic N. fowleri by immunoscreening, and produced a 13.1-kDa recombinant protein that showed pseudopodia-specific localization by immunocytochemistry. On the basis of an idea that the pseudopodia-specific Nfa1 protein seems to be involved in the pathogenicity of N. fowleri, the cytopathic activity of N. fowleri trophozoites co-cultured with rat microglial cells was observed, and the effects of an anti-Nfa1 antibody in a co-culture system were elucidated. Using light, scanning and transmission electron microscopy, it was seen that N. fowleri trophozoites in contact with microglial cells produced vigorous pseudopodia and a food-cup structure. Microglial cells were destroyed by N. fowleri trophozoites as seen from necrotic cell death in a time-dependent manner. In a(51)Cr release assay, N. fowleri showed 17.8%, 24.9%, 54.6% and 98% cytotoxicity against microglial cells at 3, 6, 12 and 24 h post-incubation, respectively. However, when anti-Nfa1 antibody was added in a coculture system, N. fowleri cytotoxicity was reduced to 15.5%, 20.3%, 46.7% and 66.9%, respectively. Moreover, microglial cells co-cultured with N. fowleri trophozoites secreted the pro-inflammatory cytokines, TNF-alpha, IL-1beta and IL-6. In the presence of anti-Nfa1 antibody, the secretion of TNF-alpha was slightly, but not significantly, decreased.