HLA class II polymorphisms as prognostic biomarkers for right and left-sided colon cancer

BACKGROUND

Colon cancer (CC) is one of the most common malignancies worldwide. Characterization of new prognostic biomarkers for right-sided CC (RCC) and left-sided CC (LCC) may contribute to improving early detection. An association of human leukocyte antigens class II (HLA-II) with the predisposition to CC was suggested.

AIM OF THE STUDY

We evaluated the association of DRB1 and DQB1 with the risk of LCC and RCC.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

Our study comprised 93 CC patients and 100 healthy controls. Genotyping of HLA class II alleles were performed by the Polymerase Chain Reaction Sequence-Specific Primers (PCR-SSP).

RESULTS

DRB1*03 was positively associated with CC. In contrast, DRB1*11, DRB1*13, DQB1*03, and DQB1*05 were negatively linked to CC. Haplotype analysis revealed that DRB1*04-DQB1*04 and DRB1*09-DQB1*02 were positive, while DRB1*01-DQB1*05, DRB1*04-DQB1*03, DRB1*07-DQB1*02, DRB1*11-DQB1*03, DRB1*11-DQB1*05, and DRB1*13-DQB1*06 were negatively associated with CC. For sigmoid CC, DRB1*13, DRB1*11, and DQB1*05 were negative, while DRB1*04-DQB1*02, and DRB1*07-DQB1*03 were positively associated. DRB1*03 and DRB1*04-DQB1*04 were positive, while DRB1*11 and DQB1*03 were negatively linked to RCC. According to the LCC, DRB1*07, DRB1*11, DQB1*03, DQB1*05, and DRB1*07-DQB1*02 were negative. In contrast, DRB1*09-DQB1*02 was positively associated with LCC. Stratified analysis revealed that DRB1*11 is associated with higher risk of metastasis in CC and sigmoid CC, and tolerance to treatment in RCC. DQB1*03 was associated with lymph-node invasion in CC.

CONCLUSION

DRB1 and DQB1 polymorphisms could be used as future biomarkers for the early detection of subjects at a higher risk of developing RCC and LCC, metastasis in sigmoid CC, and tolerance to treatment in RCC.

[A rare localization of angio-Behçet revealed by a false aneurism of a gluteal artery treated surgically]

Behçet's disease is a rare chronic systemic inflammatory disease. It is more common in Turkey, North Africa and Japan. The incidence of vascular involvement (angio-Behçet) is 7 to 38%. The gluteal localization of angio-Behçet is rarely reported and could be revealed late. Aside from aneurysmal rupture, nerve compression with pain and lower limb impotence could be the main clinical signs. Because of the deep location of the lesion, management of this disease can be difficult. The classic surgical treatment remains the gold-standard especially in case of extreme urgency, non-feasibility of endovascular treatment and especially in case of associated nerve compression. We report the case of a 45-year-old man with a history of pulmonary angio-Behcet, who underwent emergency surgery for a huge false aneurism of a collateral of the hypogastric artery treated via a double anterior and posterior approach with good outcome.

Association of TNF-α-308 Polymorphism with Susceptibility to Autoimmune Hepatitis in Tunisians

Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is a chronic hepatitis of unknown etiology and several proinflammatory cytokines are implicated in its pathogenesis. The association of TNF-α gene polymorphism with AIH onset is not fully elucidated especially in the Tunisian population. The aim of this study was to determine the association of TNF-α (-308 G > A) polymorphism with AIH susceptibility and with TNF-α expression or clinical manifestations of AIH. A total of 50 AIH patients and 150 controls were included. Evaluation of TNF-α polymorphism was performed by ARMS PCR method. A significantly higher frequence of the AA genotype was found in AIH patients compared to controls (34 vs. 8%, p = 0.00002, OR 5.88). The frequency of the A-allele was significantly higher in patients with AIH compared to controls (55 vs. 37.3%, p = 0.002, OR 2.05). The G-allele was significantly more frequent in healthy controls compared to AIH patients [43 vs. 61.3%, p = 0.001, OR 0.47 (0.3-0.75)]. There was a positive correlation between the A/A genotype and a higher serum expression of TNF-α. The TNF*A allele confer susceptibility to AIH in the Tunisian patients and is associated with increased production of TNF-α. Anti-TNF antibodies could be an alternative to the use of corticotherapy and may avoid the exacerbated immune response in AIH.

Cardiovascular changes during an isometric contraction combined to a cold pressor test

Fifteen normotensive male subjects (age, 27.9 +/- 1.3 years) performed isometric contractions (handgrip) at 15, 30 and 50% maximal voluntary contraction respectively for 7, 3 and 1 min. The contractions were sustained with or without a cold pressor test of the same duration (immersion of one foot in water of 5.2 +/- 0.1 degrees C). At rest, under the influence of a cold pressor test for 3 min, the heart rate increased from 74.3 +/- 2.2 to 83.3 +/- 2.1 beats min-1 (P < 0.001) in less than 10 s, and returned to the control value in 3 min; on the contrary, at the end of 3 min of cold pressor test, the systolic blood pressure was still above the control value (135.5 +/- 4.2 and 121.0 +/- 3.2 mmHg, P < 0.001). During the contractions, there was no significant difference between heart rate and systolic blood pressure values obtained with or without cold pressor test. Similarly, there was no significant change in the concentrations of plasma catecholamines. This absence of cardiovascular effect of cold pressor test associated with isometric contraction (for three relative force levels) is probably due to the increasing importance of sympathetic cardiac activation produced by the contraction with respect to that produced by the cold pressor test, the absence of supplementary changes in total peripheral resistance and a partial reciprocal inhibition of pain produced by the simultaneous performance of these two tests.