Selenium-Binding Protein 1 (SBP1) autoantibodies in ovarian disorders and ovarian cancer

Serum anti-CFL1, anti-EZR, and anti-CYPA autoantibody as diagnostic markers in ovarian cancer

The purpose of this study was to identify novel autoantibodies against tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) and explore a diagnostic panel for Ovarian cancer (OC). Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay was used to detect the expression of five anti-TAA autoantibodies in the discovery (70 OC and 70 normal controls) and validation cohorts (128 OC and 128 normal controls). Machine learning methods were used to construct a diagnostic panel. Serum samples from 81 patients with benign ovarian disease were used to identify the specificity of anti-TAA autoantibodies for OC. In both the discovery and validation cohorts, the expression of anti-CFL1, anti-EZR, anti-CYPA, and anti-PFN1 was higher in patients with OC than that in normal controls. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve, sensitivity, and specificity of the panel containing anti-CFL1, anti-EZR, and anti-CYPA were 0.762, 55.56%, and 81.31%. The panel identified 53.06%, 53.33%, and 51.11% of CA125 negative, HE4 negative and the Risk of Ovarian Malignancy Algorithm negative OC patients, respectively. The combination of the three anti-TAA autoantibodies can serve as a favorable diagnostic tool for OC and has the potential to be a complementary biomarker for CA125 and HE4 in the diagnosis of ovarian cancer.

Mixed connective tissue and ovarian cancer: a case report

Background

Mixed connective tissue disease (MCTD) is characterized by high titres of distinct antibodies: U1 ribonucleoprotein with variable clinical features seen in rheumatoid arthritis, systemic lupus erythematosus, scleroderma, polymyositis, and dermatomyositis. Limited case reports revealed the association between MCTD and cancer, like lymphoma, lung cancers, and others.

Case presentation

A 22-year-old female presented with enlargement of the abdomen and oedema of the lower extremities, gradually started 25 days The patient had been diagnosed to have rheumatoid arthritis. She was treated with 7.5 mg/week MTX for 6 months. Physical examination revealed: pallor, lower limb oedema, with synovitis and deformities of hands. The laboratory tests showed anaemia, elevated levels of creatine phosphokinase ESR, positivity of antinuclear antibody, anti-ds DNA, and antinuclear ribonucleoprotein. Urinary protein excretion was 1625 mg/24 h. Chest X-ray showed bilateral pleural effusion. Echocardiography revealed pericardial effusion Thoracic-abdominal and pelvic tomography showed a heterogeneous mass with a diameter of 5 × 6 cm at the expense of the right ovary. The mass was removed surgically, and a biopsy was taken, and was compatible with ovarian high-grade serous adenocarcinoma. A course of solumedrol 1 g/IV/3 days was applied, and then continue with 60 mg/day oral predlone. Later on discharge, she was taken 25 mg/day predlone, and methotrexate 10 mg.

Conclusions

Our case showed that the patient had no risk factors for developing ovary cancer. On the contrary, our patient was a young, non-smoker, without any previous treatment before the RA diagnosis was taken, and finally, she had 3 children with full-term pregnancy, and well health. This case highlights the importance of maintaining a high index of suspicion for malignancy in MCTD patients. However, further investigation on the role of the immune system in the development of ovarian cancer in women with autoimmune diseases including MCTD remains necessary.

State-of-the-art and future perspectives in infertility diagnosis: Conventional versus nanotechnology-based assays

According to the latest World Health Organization statistics, around 50 to 80 million people worldwide suffer from infertility, amongst which male factors are responsible for around 20 to 30 % of all infertility cases while 50 % were attributed to the female ones. As it is becoming a recurrent health problem worldwide, clinicians require more accurate methods for the improvement of both diagnosis and treatment schemes. By emphasizing the potential use of innovative methods for the rapid identification of the infertility causes, this review presents the news from this dynamic domain and highlights the benefits brought by emerging research fields. A systematic description of the standard techniques used in clinical protocols for diagnosing infertility in both genders is firstly provided, followed by the presentation of more accurate and comprehensive nanotechnology-related analysis methods such as nanoscopic-resolution imaging, biosensing approaches and assays that employ nanomaterials in their design. Consequently, the implementation of nanotechnology related tools in clinical practice, as recently demonstrated in the selection of spermatozoa, the detection of key proteins in the fertilization process or the testing of DNA integrity or the evaluation of oocyte quality, might confer excellent advantages both for improving the assessment of infertility, and for the success of the fertilization process.

The Role of Selenium and Manganese in the Formation, Diagnosis and Treatment of Cervical, Endometrial and Ovarian Cancer

Selenium (Se) and manganese (Mn) are essential micronutrients that are important elements of cell metabolism. They are involved in the composition of enzyme systems and regulate enzyme activity. Disturbances in the homeostasis of these micronutrients affect the development of many diseases and carcinogenesis, which can be linked to increased levels of oxidative stress and impaired antioxidant properties of many enzymes. Selenium has a very important function in maintaining immune-endocrine, metabolic and cellular homeostasis. Manganese, on the other hand, is important in development, digestion, reproduction, antioxidant defense, energy production, immune response and regulation of neuronal activity. We review the role of selenium and manganese and their effects on tumor growth, metastasis potential and remodeling of the microenvironment. We also describe their role as potential biomarkers in the diagnosis and the potential for the use of Se- and Mn-containing compounds in composition for the treatment of cancer of the reproductive organs.

The role of SELENBP1 and its epigenetic regulation in carcinogenic progression

The initiation and progression of cancer is modulated through diverse genetic and epigenetic modifications. The epigenetic machinery regulates gene expression through intertwined DNA methylation, histone modifications, and miRNAs without affecting their genome sequences. SELENBP1 belongs to selenium-binding proteins and functions as a tumor suppressor. Its expression is significantly downregulated and correlates with carcinogenic progression and poor survival in various cancers. The role of SELENBP1 in carcinogenesis has not been fully elucidated, and its epigenetic regulation remains poorly understood. In this review, we summarize recent findings on the function and regulatory mechanisms of SELENBP1 during carcinogenic progression, with an emphasis on epigenetic mechanisms. We also discuss the potential cancer treatment targeting epigenetic modification of SELENBP1, either alone or in combination with selenium-containing compounds or dietary selenium.

Antibodies as biomarkers for cancer risk: a systematic review

Increasing evidence has linked the humoral immune response with the development of various cancers. Therefore, there is growing interest in investigating the predictive value of antibodies to assess overall and tissue site-specific cancer risk. Given the large amount of antibody types and the broad scope of the search (i.e. cancer risk), the primary aim of this systematic review was to present an overview of the most researched antibodies (i.e. immunoglobulin (Ig) isotypes (IgG, IgM, IgA, and IgE), tumour and self-antigen-reactive antibodies, infection-related antibodies) in relation to overall and site-specific cancer risk. We identified various antibody types that have been associated with the risk of cancer. While no significant associations were found for IgM serum levels, studies found an inconsistent association among IgE, IgA, and IgG serum levels in relation to cancer risk. When evaluating antibodies against infectious agents, most studies reported a positive link with specific cancers known to be associated with the specific agent recognized by serum antibodies (i.e. helicobacter pylori and gastric cancer, hepatitis B virus and hepatocellular carcinoma, and human papillomavirus and cervical cancer). Several reports identified autoantibodies, as single biomarkers (e.g. anti-p53, anti-MUC1, and anti-CA125) but especially in panels of multiple autoantibodies, to have potential as diagnostic biomarkers for specific cancer types. Overall, there is emerging evidence associating certain antibodies to cancer risk, especially immunoglobulin isotypes, tumour-associated antigen-specific, and self-reactive antibodies. Further experimental studies are necessary to assess the efficacy of specific antibodies as markers for the early diagnosis of cancer.

General infertility workup in times of high assisted reproductive technology efficacy

The assessments of oocyte quality and quantity and endocrine profile have traditionally been the cornerstone of the general workup of couples with infertility. Over the years, several clinical, hormonal, and functional biomarkers have been adopted to assess ovarian function and identify endocrine disorders before assisted reproductive technology. Furthermore, the genetic workup of patients has drastically changed, introducing novel markers. This not only allowed the prediction of response to ovarian stimulation but also contributed toward the development of a safer and more efficient management of women undergoing assisted reproductive technology. The scope of this review is to provide an overview of the current and novel strategies adopted for the assessment of ovarian function and ovulatory and endocrine disorders in women planning to conceive. Furthermore, it aims to provide an insight in the role of novel genetic biomarkers and use of expanded carrier screening as part of preliminary workup of women with infertility.

The need to identify novel biomarkers for prediction of premature ovarian insufficiency (POI)

Background

Premature ovarian failure (POF)/premature ovarian insufficiency (POI) is characterized by disrupting ovarian function under 40 years old. A major health problem of this disorder is female infertility. There are no proven treatments to increase the rate of pregnancy with autologous oocytes in these patients. This review aims to summarize our present knowledge about POI-induced infertility treatments and to highlight the importance of future researches in the discovery of diagnostic biomarkers and treatment of patients with this disorder.

Methods

A literature review was carried out using PubMed and Google Scholar databases by relevant keywords, such as POI, POF, premature ovarian failure, premature ovarian insufficiency, and biomarkers.

Results

Two hundred three studies were included in the study following the search for the keywords. Titles and abstracts of the identified articles were evaluated for detecting relevant full-length articles.

Conclusion

Anti-Mullerian hormone (AMH) level appears to have considerable value as a diagnostic test for POI, but it is not reliable enough to be able to predict accurately the timing of onset of impending POI. Using an accurate biomarker, POI can be diagnosed early and infertility treatment that is concerned about can be done on time. Biomarkers in combination with other diagnostic tests could result in prediction of POI before the development of complete ovarian failure.

Serum Anti-PDLIM1 Autoantibody as Diagnostic Marker in Ovarian Cancer

Background

Serum autoantibodies (AAbs) against tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) could be useful biomarkers for cancer detection. This study aims to evaluate the diagnostic value of autoantibody against PDLIM1 for improving the detection of ovarian cancer (OC).

Methods

Immunohistochemistry (IHC) test in tissue array containing 280 OC tissues, 20 adjacent tissues, and 8 normal ovarian tissues was performed to analyze the expression of PDLIM1 in tissues. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was employed to measure the autoantibody to PDLIM1 in 545 sera samples from 182 patients with OC, 181 patients with ovarian benign diseases, and 182 healthy controls.

Results

The results of IHC indicated that 84.3% (236/280) OC tissues were positively stained with PDLIM1, while no positive staining was found in adjacent or normal ovarian tissues. The frequency of anti-PDLIM1 autoantibody was significantly higher in OC patients than that in healthy and ovarian benign controls in both training (n=122) and validation (n=423) sets. The area under the curves (AUCs) of anti-PDLIM1 autoantibody for discriminating OC from healthy controls were 0.765 in training set and 0.740 in validation set, and the AUC of anti-PDLIM1 autoantibody for discriminating OC from ovarian benign controls was 0.757 in validation set. Overall, it was able to distinguish 35.7% of OC, 40.6% of patients with early-stage, and 39.5% of patients with late-stage. When combined with CA125, the AUC increased to 0.846, and 79.2% of OC were detected, which is statistically higher than CA125 (61.7%) or anti-PDLIM1(35.7%) alone (p<0.001). Also, anti-PDLIM1 autoantibody could identify 15% (18/120) of patients that were negative with CA125 (CA125 <35 U/ml).

Conclusions

The anti-PDLIM1 autoantibody response in OC patients was positively correlated with PDLIM1 high expression in OC tissues, suggesting that the autoantibody against PDLIM1 might have the potential to be a novel serological biomarker of OC, serving as a complementary measure of CA125, which could improve the power of OC detection.

Evidence for a manifold role of selenium in infertility

This review aimed to assess the evidence from observational and interventional studies in humans and animals regarding the role of selenium (Se) in male and female infertility. As oxidative stress can seriously impair male, and possibly also female, reproductive functions, it can be speculated that the antioxidant properties of Se could constitute one of the pathways by which this element is involved in fertility. Specifically, there are strong indications that Se influences the growth, maturation, and replication of oocytes, though the precise mechanisms have not as yet been fully elucidated. Given that it is not clear at present which tissue sample (blood, serum, seminal plasma, sperm, or follicular fluid) renders the most accurate picture of Se concentration in terms of its role in reproduction, the data are still insufficient to recommend routine assessment of Se status in men and women seeking fertility. Nevertheless, the existing evidence, despite being of limited quantity and somewhat low quality, suggests that Se supplementation (< 200 μg/d) is possibly beneficial in men through its improvement of sperm motility. Well-designed, randomized control studies are needed to reveal the seemingly diverse protective/positive role of Se supplementation in men and women seeking fertility treatment.

The Increase of Circulating PD-1- and PD-L1-Expressing Lymphocytes in Endometriosis: Correlation with Clinical and Laboratory Parameters

The cause of endometriosis remains unknown. However, studies investigating the link between this condition and the immune system revealed several immunological abnormalities focused on cell-mediated immunity. As a major immune checkpoint, programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) displays an important inhibitory function in the maintenance of peripheral tolerance. The expression of PD-1 and its ligand (PD-L1) may contribute to continuous T cell activation and development of inflammation and injury of the tissue. To our knowledge, this is the first study evaluating frequencies of PD-1-positive T CD3⁺ cells (CD4⁺ and CD8⁺) and B cells (CD19⁺) in patients with endometriosis. Peripheral blood (PB) samples from 25 female patients and 20 healthy age and sex-matched subjects serving as controls were used in the study. Using flow cytometric analysis, we assessed the differences in the frequencies of PD-1-positive T and B lymphocytes in the study group and healthy individuals. Alteration of the PD-1/PD-L1 axis may contribute to the pathogenesis of endometriosis, as patients with advanced disease are characterized by higher frequencies of PD-1-positive T and B cells. Expression of PD-1 and PD-L1 on T and B cells could represent the hallmark of immune system reaction to chronic antigenic exposition in patients with endometriosis.