First application of the Automated QUantitative Analysis (AQUA) technique to quantify PTEN protein expression in ovarian cancer: A correlative study of NCIC CTG OV.16

BACKGROUND

Platinum resistance is a dominant cause of poor outcomes in advanced ovarian cancer (OC). A mechanism of platinum resistance is the inhibition of apoptosis through phosphatidylinositol 3 kinase (PI3K) pathway activation. The role of phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN), a negative regulator of this pathway, as a tumor biomarker is unclear. Quantitative analysis of PTEN expression as an alternative to immunohistochemistry has not been considered.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

In 238 patient tumors from the NCIC-CTG trial OV.16, PTEN protein expression was quantified by Automated QUantitative Analysis (AQUA). Cox model was used to study the association between PTEN expression and clinical outcomes using a minimum p-value approach in univariate analysis. Multivariate analysis was used to adjust for clinical and pathological parameters.

RESULTS

PTEN scores (range 13.9-192.3) of the 202 samples that passed quality control were analyzed. In univariate analysis, there was a trend suggesting an association between PTEN expression by AQUA as a binary variable (low ≤61 vs high >61) and progression free survival (HR=0.77, p=0.083), and in multivariate analysis, this association approached significance (HR=0.74, p=0.059). The relationship between quantitative PTEN expression and PFS differed (p=0.01 for interaction) by the extent of surgical debulking (residual disease (RD) <1cm or ≥1cm), with a numerically superior PFS in patients with high PTEN (23.5 vs 14.9m) only when RD<1cm (p=0.19). There was no association between PTEN levels and overall survival.

CONCLUSIONS

AQUA is a novel method to measure PTEN expression. Further study of PTEN as a biomarker in OC is warranted.

Outcome of patients with relapsed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma who fail second-line salvage regimens in the International CORAL study

Salvage chemotherapy followed by autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT) is the standard second-line treatment for relapsed and refractory diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL). However, the strategy is less clear in patients who require third-line treatment. Updated outcomes of 203 patients who could not proceed to scheduled ASCT in the Collaborative Trial in Relapsed Aggressive Lymphoma (CORAL) are herein reviewed. In the intent-to-treat analysis, overall response rate to third-line chemotherapy was 39%, with 27% CR or CR unconfirmed, and 12% PR. Among the 203 patients, 64 (31.5%) were eventually transplanted (ASCT 56, allogeneic SCT 8). Median overall survival (OS) of the entire population was 4.4 months. OS was significantly improved in patients with lower tertiary International Prognostic Index (IPI), patients responding to third-line treatment and patients transplanted with a 1-year OS of 41.6% compared with 16.3% for the not transplanted (P<0.0001). In multivariate analysis, IPI at relapse (hazard ratio (HR) 2.409) and transplantation (HR 0.375) independently predicted OS. Third-line salvage chemotherapy can lead to response followed by transplantation and long-term survival in DLBCL patients. However, improvement of salvage efficacy is an urgent need with new drugs.

Role of necroptosis in the pathogenesis of solid organ injury

Necroptosis is a type of regulated cell death dependent on the activity of receptor-interacting serine/threonine-protein (RIP) kinases. However, unlike apoptosis, it is caspase independent. Increasing evidence has implicated necroptosis in the pathogenesis of disease, including ischemic injury, neurodegeneration, viral infection and many others. Key players of the necroptosis signalling pathway are now widely recognized as therapeutic targets. Necrostatins may be developed as potent inhibitors of necroptosis, targeting the activity of RIPK1. Necrostatin-1, the first generation of necrostatins, has been shown to confer potent protective effects in different animal models. This review will summarize novel insights into the involvement of necroptosis in specific injury of different organs, and the therapeutic platform that it provides for treatment.

Effects of β-hydroxybutyricacid on the synthesis and assembly of very low-density lipoprotein in bovine hepatocytes in vitro

β-Hydroxybutyricacid (BHBA) is an important metabolite that involved in the development of ketosis and fatty liver in dairy cows. Dairy cows with fatty liver displayed high blood concentration of BHBA and very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) assembly. The effects of BHBA on VLDL synthesis and assembly in hepatocytes of cows were unclear. In this study, bovine hepatocytes were cultured and treated with different concentrations of BHBA. We found that BHBA treatment upregulated the mRNA and protein levels of apolipoprotein B100 (ApoB 100), apolipoprotein E (ApoE) and microsomal triglyceride transfer protein (MTTP) and showed in a firstly increased and then decreased trend. Meanwhile, the mRNA and protein levels of LDLR showed in a reverse trend. Consequently, VLDL content was significantly increased in medium-dose BHBA treatment group, while decreased in high-dose group. These results indicate that the effects of BHBA on the VLDL synthesis showed in a dose-dependent manner that low levels of BHBA increase VLDL synthesis and high levels of BHBA decrease VLDL synthesis.

Zinc fingers and homeoboxes family in human diseases

The zinc-fingers and homeoboxes (ZHX) family is a group of nuclear homodimeric transcriptional repressors that interact with a subunit of nuclear factor-Y (NF-YA) and contain two C2H2-type zinc fingers and five homeobox DNA-binding domains. The members of ZHX family form homodimers or heterodimers with other members or a subunit of NF-YA to repress transcription. ZHX family members function in hematopoietic cell development and differentiation, and neural progenitor maintenance. Dysfunction of ZHX family members correlates with the development and progression of various diseases, including hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), hematological diseases, neurological diseases and glomerular diseases. Furthermore, low expression of ZHX is associated with poor prognosis in malignancies. This review provides an update on the role of ZHX family in development and its function in cancer, with special emphasis on HCC and hematological malignant diseases.

The role of hydrogen sulfide in pathologies of the vital organs and its clinical application

Hydrogen sulfide (H(2)S) is one of the more recently recognised gaseous transmitters that have been shown to be involved in a large range of cellular functions. While H(2)S generally has pro-survival and anti-apoptotic effects, at higher concentrations, this effect is reversed and it becomes anti-proliferative and pro-apoptotic instead. H(2)S is also involved in a number of organ specific functions such as thermoregulation, modulating myocardial activity and broncho-dilation. H(2)S has organ protective effects in ischaemia, acting as a vasodilator and negative inotrope to reduce blood pressure. H(2)S generally has a protective effect in acute inflammation and oxidative stress from causes such as allergy and toxins. In chronic organ pathology, low H(2)S levels have been observed in a number of different diseases, while there is evidence that H(2)S may be beneficial in a number of chronic organ degenerations. A number of studies on human tissue and cell line conducted in the recent years shows H(2)S exerting largely similar effects in humans as those in animals. This may indicate that the pharmacological potential of H(2)S modulators could have therapeutic value in a large range of acute conditions such as ischaemia, toxin exposure as well as chronic conditions such as hypertension, lung diseases and neurodegenerative disease.

Pentacene on Ni(111): room-temperature molecular packing and temperature-activated conversion to graphene

We investigate, using scanning tunnelling microscopy, the adsorption of pentacene on Ni(111) at room temperature and the behaviour of these monolayer films with annealing up to 700 °C. We observe the conversion of pentacene into graphene, which begins from as low as 220 °C with the coalescence of pentacene molecules into large planar aggregates. Then, by annealing at 350 °C for 20 minutes, these aggregates expand into irregular domains of graphene tens of nanometers in size. On surfaces where graphene and nickel carbide coexist, pentacene shows preferential adsorption on the nickel carbide phase. The same pentacene to graphene transformation was also achieved on Cu(111), but at a higher activation temperature, producing large graphene domains that exhibit a range of moiré superlattice periodicities.

Health status, late effects and long-term survivorship of allogeneic bone marrow transplantation: a retrospective study

BACKGROUND

Survival after allogeneic haemopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT) has improved because of advancements in allo-HSCT. Allo-HSCT has been performed in Australia since the late 1970s. However, there are few published data about health problems of allo-HSCT survivors in Australia.

AIMS

Identify health issues in long-term survivors of allo-HSCT in an Australian centre to manage better and prevent long-term complications.

METHODS

The health records of all patients of allo-HSCT in a single centre from January 2000 to December 2007 and survived beyond 2 years were assessed.

RESULTS

Ninety-nine of the 200 allo-HSCT patients survived beyond 2 years, and the median time from allo-HSCT was 74 months. Twenty-eight per cent died at a median of 37 months after allo-HSCT because of relapsed malignancy (12%), stroke (1%), infection (3%), chronic graft versus host disease (9%), secondary malignancy (2%) and unknown cause (1%). Ninety-one per cent reported one or more chronic health conditions. Health issues were chronic graft versus host disease (70%); respiratory (66%), ophthalmic (40%), bone (33%), and renal (26%) problems; and malignancies (14% skin, 3% solid organ). Seventy-nine per cent resumed vocation at full or reduced capacity 2 years after allo-HSCT. Clinicians identified 40% with quality of life (QOL) issues, but survivors' self-reported QOL was comparable with the general Australian population.

CONCLUSION

This study shows that allo-HSCT patients are living with high burdens of chronic diseases that warrant lifelong surveillance and engagement with healthcare. Structured, multi-disciplinary care as recommended by published guidelines for allo-HSCT survivors may reduce long-term effects and improve their outcomes.

Impact of isoflurane on malignant capability of ovarian cancer in vitro

BACKGROUND

Metastatic recurrence of ovarian cancer is the foremost cause of postoperative mortality. With recent research indicating that inhalation of anaesthetics may influence cancer cell behaviour, this study investigated the effects of isoflurane on the expression of tumorigenic markers and proliferative capacity in ovarian cancer cells.

METHODS

Ovarian cancer (SK-OV3) cells were cultured and then exposed to 2% isoflurane for 2 h. The expression of markers involved in cell proliferation, angiogenesis, and migration were assessed up to 24 h after treatment using immunofluorescence staining, western blotting, and flow cytometry. The effects of isoflurane on in vitro angiogenesis and migration were also determined.

RESULTS

Isoflurane exposure significantly increased insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1 and IGF-1R expression, cell cycle progression, and cell proliferation in SK-OV3 cells. Increased expression of the angiogenic markers vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) by 56% (P<0.05) and angiopoietin-1 by 62% (P<0.05) was also observed 24 h after isoflurane exposure together with an enhanced in vitro angiogenesis. Cell migration was significantly increased after exposure to isoflurane together with increased production of both matrix metalloproteinases 2 and 9 (both P<0.05) by almost five-fold relative to control. These effects were abolished when IGF-1R signalling was blocked either by neutralizing antibody or by small interfering RNA.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data indicate that isoflurane increases the malignant potential of ovarian cancer cells through the up-regulation of markers associated with the cell cycle, proliferation, and angiogenesis. This study warrants further investigations.

Extracting grain-orientation-dependent data fromin situtime-of-flight neutron diffraction. I. Inverse pole figures

The problem of calculating the inverse pole figure (IPF) is analyzed from the perspective of the application of time-of flight neutron diffraction toin situmonitoring of the thermomechanical behavior of engineering materials. On the basis of a quasi-Monte Carlo (QMC) method, a consistent set of grain orientations is generated and used to compute the weighting factors for IPF normalization. The weighting factors are instrument dependent and were calculated for the engineering materials diffractometer VULCAN (Spallation Neutron Source, Oak Ridge National Laboratory). The QMC method is applied to face-centered cubic structures and can be easily extended to other crystallographic symmetries. Examples include 316LN stainless steelin situloaded in tension at room temperature and an Al–2%Mg alloy, substantially deformed by cold rolling andin situannealed up to 653 K.