Expression of TRAIL-splice variants in gastric carcinomas: identification of TRAIL-γ as a prognostic marker

Alternative splicing regulation in tumor necrosis factor-mediated inflammation

It is generally accepted that alternative splicing has an effect on disease when it leads to conspicuous changes in relevant proteins, but that the combinatorial effect of several small modifications can have marked outcomes as well. Inflammation is a complex process involving numerous signaling pathways, among which the tumor necrosis factor (TNF) pathway is one of the most studied. Signaling pathways are commonly represented as intricate cascades of molecular interactions that eventually lead to the activation of one or several genes. Alternative splicing is a common means of controlling protein expression in time and space; therefore, it can modulate the outcome of signaling pathways through small changes in their elements. Notably, the overall process is tightly regulated, which is easily overlooked when analyzing the pathway as a whole. The present review summarizes recent studies of the alternative splicing of key players of the TNF pathway leading to inflammation, and hypothesizes on the cumulative results of those modifications and the impact on cancer development.

Assessment of concentrations of sTRAIL ligand and its receptors sTRAIL-R1 and sTRAIL-R2 - markers monitoring the course of the extrinsic pathway of apoptosis induction: potential application in ovarian cancer diagnostics

INTRODUCTION

TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) together with its receptors are involved in activation of the extrinsic pathway of apoptosis. Due to the special role of the apoptosis pathway in pathogenesis of ovarian cancers, the aim of the study was to assess concentrations of sTRAIL, sTRAIL-R1 and sTRAIL-R2 in serum of affected women.

MATERIAL AND METHODS

The study group included 85 women with diagnosed ovarian tumors: 35 women with ovarian serous cystadenoma, 15 women with ovarian teratoma and 35 women with serous cystadenocarcinoma. The control group consisted of 30 healthy women. Concentrations of studied parameters were measured by ELISA methods.

RESULTS

Serum levels of all studied parameters were higher in serum of women with ovarian tumors than in the controls, but their concentrations varied depending on the clinical diagnosis. The highest concentration of TRAIL was found in serum of women with ovarian cancer, the highest sTRAIL-R1 level in serum of women with ovarian mature teratoma, and the highest sTRAIL-R2 level in serum of women with ovarian serous cystadenoma.

CONCLUSIONS

The state of immunosuppression accompanying neoplastic disease depends on the extrinsic pathway of apoptosis induction in the TRAIL/TRAIL-R system. Determination of TRAIL-R1 and TRAIL-R2 levels may prove to be useful in ovarian tumor differential diagnostics, which requires further research.