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Prelaj A, Miskovic V, Zanitti M, Trovo F, Genova C, Viscardi G, Rebuzzi SE, Mazzeo L, Provenzano L, Kosta S, Favali M, Spagnoletti A, Castelo-Branco L, Dolezal J, Pearson AT, Lo Russo G, Proto C, Ganzinelli M, Giani C, Ambrosini E, Turajlic S, Au L, Koopman M, Delaloge S, Kather JN, de Braud F, Garassino MC, Pentheroudakis G, Spencer C, Pedrocchi ALG. Artificial intelligence for predictive biomarker discovery in immuno-oncology: a systematic review. Ann Oncol 2024; 35:29-65. [PMID: 37879443 DOI: 10.1016/j.annonc.2023.10.125] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/05/2023] [Revised: 08/31/2023] [Accepted: 10/08/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The widespread use of immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICIs) has revolutionised treatment of multiple cancer types. However, selecting patients who may benefit from ICI remains challenging. Artificial intelligence (AI) approaches allow exploitation of high-dimension oncological data in research and development of precision immuno-oncology. MATERIALS AND METHODS We conducted a systematic literature review of peer-reviewed original articles studying the ICI efficacy prediction in cancer patients across five data modalities: genomics (including genomics, transcriptomics, and epigenomics), radiomics, digital pathology (pathomics), and real-world and multimodality data. RESULTS A total of 90 studies were included in this systematic review, with 80% published in 2021-2022. Among them, 37 studies included genomic, 20 radiomic, 8 pathomic, 20 real-world, and 5 multimodal data. Standard machine learning (ML) methods were used in 72% of studies, deep learning (DL) methods in 22%, and both in 6%. The most frequently studied cancer type was non-small-cell lung cancer (36%), followed by melanoma (16%), while 25% included pan-cancer studies. No prospective study design incorporated AI-based methodologies from the outset; rather, all implemented AI as a post hoc analysis. Novel biomarkers for ICI in radiomics and pathomics were identified using AI approaches, and molecular biomarkers have expanded past genomics into transcriptomics and epigenomics. Finally, complex algorithms and new types of AI-based markers, such as meta-biomarkers, are emerging by integrating multimodal/multi-omics data. CONCLUSION AI-based methods have expanded the horizon for biomarker discovery, demonstrating the power of integrating multimodal data from existing datasets to discover new meta-biomarkers. While most of the included studies showed promise for AI-based prediction of benefit from immunotherapy, none provided high-level evidence for immediate practice change. A priori planned prospective trial designs are needed to cover all lifecycle steps of these software biomarkers, from development and validation to integration into clinical practice.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Prelaj
- Medical Oncology Department, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Milan; Nearlab, Department of Electronics, Information, and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy; ESMO Real World Data and Digital Health Working Group, ESMO, Lugano, Switzerland.
| | - V Miskovic
- Medical Oncology Department, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Milan; Nearlab, Department of Electronics, Information, and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - M Zanitti
- Department of Electronic Systems, Aalborg University Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - F Trovo
- Nearlab, Department of Electronics, Information, and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - C Genova
- UO Clinica di Oncologia Medica, IRCCS Ospedale Policlinico San Martino, Genoa; Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties (Di.M.I.), University of Genoa, Genoa
| | - G Viscardi
- Precision Medicine Department, Università degli Studi della Campania Luigi Vanvitelli, Naples
| | - S E Rebuzzi
- Department of Internal Medicine and Medical Specialties (Di.M.I.), University of Genoa, Genoa; Medical Oncology Unit, Ospedale San Paolo, Savona, Italy
| | - L Mazzeo
- Medical Oncology Department, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Milan; Nearlab, Department of Electronics, Information, and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - L Provenzano
- Medical Oncology Department, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Milan
| | - S Kosta
- Department of Electronic Systems, Aalborg University Copenhagen, Denmark
| | - M Favali
- Nearlab, Department of Electronics, Information, and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - A Spagnoletti
- Medical Oncology Department, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Milan
| | - L Castelo-Branco
- ESMO European Society for Medical Oncology, Lugano, Switzerland; NOVA National School of Public Health, Lisboa, Portugal
| | - J Dolezal
- Section of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, USA
| | - A T Pearson
- Section of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, USA
| | - G Lo Russo
- Medical Oncology Department, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Milan
| | - C Proto
- Medical Oncology Department, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Milan
| | - M Ganzinelli
- Medical Oncology Department, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Milan
| | - C Giani
- Medical Oncology Department, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Milan
| | - E Ambrosini
- Nearlab, Department of Electronics, Information, and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy
| | - S Turajlic
- Cancer Dynamics Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London
| | - L Au
- Renal and Skin Unit, The Royal Marsden NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK; Department of Medical Oncology, Peter MacCallum Cancer Centre, Melbourne; Sir Peter MacCallum Department of Medical Oncology, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
| | - M Koopman
- Department of Research and Development, Netherlands Comprehensive Cancer Organisation, Utrecht, The Netherlands; ESMO Real World Data and Digital Health Working Group, ESMO, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - S Delaloge
- Department of Cancer Medicine, Gustave Roussy, Villejuif, France; ESMO Real World Data and Digital Health Working Group, ESMO, Lugano, Switzerland
| | - J N Kather
- Else Kroener Fresenius Center for Digital Health, Medical Faculty Carl Gustav Carus, Technical University Dresden, Dresden, Germany
| | - F de Braud
- Medical Oncology Department, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Milan
| | - M C Garassino
- Section of Hematology/Oncology, Department of Medicine, University of Chicago, Chicago, USA
| | | | - C Spencer
- Cancer Dynamics Laboratory, The Francis Crick Institute, London.
| | - A L G Pedrocchi
- Nearlab, Department of Electronics, Information, and Bioengineering, Politecnico di Milano, Milano, Italy
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Lorusso L, Minaldi E, Esposito G, Piaggi P, Bottici V, Brogioni S, Giani C, Valerio L, Molinaro E, Elisei R, Agate L. Radio-iodine refractory thyroid cancer patients: a tailored follow-up based on clinicopathological features. J Endocrinol Invest 2023; 46:2165-2173. [PMID: 37084131 PMCID: PMC10514097 DOI: 10.1007/s40618-023-02076-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/11/2023] [Accepted: 03/21/2023] [Indexed: 04/22/2023]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To report the experience of a single center for the selection of radioiodine-refractory (RAIR) thyroid cancer patients (RAIR-TC) who needed tyrosine kinase inhibitor (TKIs) treatment. PATIENTS AND METHODS We evaluated all features of 279 RAIR-TC patients both at the time of diagnosis and at the RAIR diagnosis. RESULTS Ninety-nine patients received indication to TKIs (Group A), while 180 remained under active surveillance (Group B). Group A had greater tumor size, more aggressive histotype, more frequent macroscopic extrathyroidal extension, distant metastases, advanced AJCC stage, and higher ATA risk of recurrence. After RAIR diagnosis, 93.9% of Group A had progression of disease (PD) after which TKIs' therapy was started. The remaining 6.1% of patients had a so severe disease at the time of RAIR diagnosis that TKIs' therapy was immediately started. Among Group B, 42.7% had up to 5 PD, but the majority underwent local treatments. The mean time from RAIR diagnosis to the first PD was shorter in Group A, and the evidence of PD within 25 months from RAIR diagnosis was associated with the decision to start TKIs. CONCLUSIONS According to our results, a more tailored follow-up should be applied to RAIR-TC patients. A too strict monitoring and too many imaging evaluations might be avoided in those with less-aggressive features and low rate of progression. Conversely, RAIR-TC with an advanced stage at diagnosis and a first PD occurring within 25 months from RAIR diagnosis would require a more stringent follow-up to avoid a late start of TKIs.
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Affiliation(s)
- L. Lorusso
- Endocrinology Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Via Paradisa 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - E. Minaldi
- Endocrinology Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Via Paradisa 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - G. Esposito
- Endocrinology Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Via Paradisa 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - P. Piaggi
- Endocrinology Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Via Paradisa 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - V. Bottici
- Endocrinology Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Via Paradisa 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - S. Brogioni
- Endocrinology Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Via Paradisa 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - C. Giani
- Endocrinology Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Via Paradisa 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - L. Valerio
- Endocrinology Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Via Paradisa 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - E. Molinaro
- Endocrinology Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Via Paradisa 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - R. Elisei
- Endocrinology Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Via Paradisa 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy
| | - L. Agate
- Endocrinology Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University of Pisa, Via Paradisa 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy
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Valerio L, Giani C, Matrone A, Pontillo-Contillo B, Minaldi E, Agate L, Molinaro E, Elisei R. Adrenal insufficiency in thyroid cancer patients treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors and detected by ACTH stimulation test. J Endocrinol Invest 2023:10.1007/s40618-023-02025-3. [PMID: 36809657 DOI: 10.1007/s40618-023-02025-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/09/2022] [Accepted: 01/25/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE Advanced thyroid cancer patients treated with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI) can develop several adverse events (AEs), including adrenal insufficiency (AI). METHODS We studied 55 patients treated with TKI for radioiodine-refractory or medullary thyroid cancer. The adrenal function was evaluated during follow-up by performing serum basal ACTH, and basal and ACTH-stimulated cortisol. RESULTS Twenty-nine/55 (52.7%) patients developed subclinical AI during TKI treatment as demonstrated by a blunted cortisol response to ACTH stimulation. All cases showed normal values of serum sodium, potassium and blood pressure. All patients were immediately treated, and none showed an overt AI. Cases with AI were all negative for adrenal antibodies and did not show any adrenal gland alteration. Other causes of AI were excluded. The onset time of the AI, as measured in the subgroup with a first negative ACTH test, was < 12 months in 5/9 (55.6%), between 12 and 36 months in 2/9 (22.2%) and > 36 months in 2/9 (22.2%) cases. In our series, the only prognostic factor of AI was the elevated, although moderate, basal level of ACTH when the basal and stimulated cortisol were still normal. The glucocorticoid therapy improved fatigue in most patients. CONCLUSIONS Subclinical AI can be developed in > 50% of advanced thyroid cancer patients treated with TKI. This AE can develop in a wide period ranging from < 12 to > 36 months. For this reason, AI must be looked for throughout the follow-up to be early recognized and treated. A periodic ACTH stimulation test, every 6-8 months, can be helpful.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Valerio
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Unit of Endocrinology, University of Pisa, Via Paradisa 2, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - C Giani
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Unit of Endocrinology, University of Pisa, Via Paradisa 2, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - A Matrone
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Unit of Endocrinology, University of Pisa, Via Paradisa 2, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - B Pontillo-Contillo
- Diagnostic and Interventional Radiology Department of Translational Research and New Technologies in Medicine and Surgery, University of Pisa, Via Paradisa 2, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - E Minaldi
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Unit of Endocrinology, University of Pisa, Via Paradisa 2, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - L Agate
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Unit of Endocrinology, University of Pisa, Via Paradisa 2, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - E Molinaro
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Unit of Endocrinology, University of Pisa, Via Paradisa 2, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - R Elisei
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Unit of Endocrinology, University of Pisa, Via Paradisa 2, 56124, Pisa, Italy.
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Provenzano L, Bottiglieri A, Spagnoletti A, Di Guida G, Filosa J, Mazzeo L, Giani C, Miskovic V, Della Corte C, Viscardi G, Prelaj A. 72P Treatments response in non-small cell lung cancer patients according to BRCA status on liquid biopsy: A retrospective analysis. Immuno-Oncology and Technology 2022. [DOI: 10.1016/j.iotech.2022.100176] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/13/2022]
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Smrke A, Frezza AM, Giani C, Somaiah N, Brahmi M, Czarnecka AM, Rutkowski P, Van der Graaf W, Baldi GG, Connolly E, Duffaud F, Huang PH, Gelderblom H, Bhadri V, Grimison P, Mahar A, Stacchiotti S, Jones RL. Systemic treatment of advanced clear cell sarcoma: results from a retrospective international series from the World Sarcoma Network. ESMO Open 2022; 7:100522. [PMID: 35717681 PMCID: PMC9271493 DOI: 10.1016/j.esmoop.2022.100522] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/21/2022] [Revised: 05/19/2022] [Accepted: 05/19/2022] [Indexed: 11/23/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Clear cell sarcoma (CCS) is a translocated aggressive malignancy with a high incidence of metastases and poor prognosis. There are few studies describing the activity of systemic therapy in CCS. We report a multi-institutional retrospective study of the outcomes of patients with advanced CCS treated with systemic therapy within the World Sarcoma Network (WSN). Materials and methods Patients with molecularly confirmed locally advanced or metastatic CCS treated with systemic therapy from June 1985 to May 2021 were included. Baseline demographic and treatment information, including response by Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumours (RECIST) 1.1, was retrospectively collected by local investigators. Descriptive statistics were carried out. Results Fifty-five patients from 10 institutions were included. At diagnosis, the median age was 30 (15-73) years and 24% (n = 13/55) had metastatic disease. The median age at diagnosis was 30 (15-73) years. Most primary tumours were at aponeurosis (n = 9/55, 16%) or non-aponeurosis limb sites (n = 17/55, 31%). The most common fusion was EWSR1–ATF1 (n = 24/55, 44%). The median number of systemic therapies was 1 (range 1-7). The best response rate was seen for patients treated with sunitinib (30%, n = 3/10), with a median progression-free survival of 4 [95% confidence interval (CI) 1-7] months. The median overall survival for patients with advanced/metastatic disease was 15 months (95% CI 3-27 months). Conclusions Soft tissue sarcoma-type systemic therapies have limited benefit in advanced CCS and response rate was poor. International, multicentre prospective translational studies are required to identify new treatments for this ultra-rare subtype, and access to early clinical trial enrolment remains key for patients with CCS. This is the largest reported series of advanced CCS patients treated with systemic therapy. The activity of sarcoma-type systemic therapy is poor and modest responses were seen only with sunitinib. Effective therapies are needed to improve outcomes for patients with this ultra-rare sarcoma type.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Smrke
- The Royal Marsden Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK; BC Cancer, Vancouver, Canada
| | - A M Frezza
- Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Milan, Italy
| | - C Giani
- Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Milan, Italy
| | - N Somaiah
- The University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center, Houston, USA
| | - M Brahmi
- Centre Leon Berard, Lyon, France
| | - A M Czarnecka
- Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology, Warszawa, Poland
| | - P Rutkowski
- Maria Sklodowska-Curie National Research Institute of Oncology, Warszawa, Poland
| | | | - G G Baldi
- Medical Oncology Department, Hospital of Prato, Prato, Italy
| | - E Connolly
- Chris O'Brien Lifehouse, Camperdown, Australia
| | - F Duffaud
- La Timone Hospital and Aix-Marseille University (AMU), Marseilles, France
| | - P H Huang
- Institute of Cancer Research, London, UK
| | - H Gelderblom
- Leiden University Medical Center, Leiden, The Netherlands
| | - V Bhadri
- Chris O'Brien Lifehouse, Camperdown, Australia
| | - P Grimison
- Chris O'Brien Lifehouse, Camperdown, Australia
| | - A Mahar
- Royal Prince Alfred Hospital, Camperdown, Australia
| | - S Stacchiotti
- Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Milan, Italy
| | - R L Jones
- The Royal Marsden Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, London, UK.
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Matrone A, Prete A, Nervo A, Ragni A, Agate L, Molinaro E, Giani C, Valerio L, Minaldi E, Piovesan A, Elisei R. Correction to: Lenvatinib as a salvage therapy for advanced metastatic medullary thyroid cancer. J Endocrinol Invest 2021; 44:2859. [PMID: 34089498 DOI: 10.1007/s40618-021-01592-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- A Matrone
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Unit of Endocrinology, Pisa University Hospital, Via Paradisa 2, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - A Prete
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Unit of Endocrinology, Pisa University Hospital, Via Paradisa 2, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - A Nervo
- Department of Oncology, Oncological Endocrinology Unit, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Città Della Salute E Della Scienza Di Torino, Corso Bramante, 88, 10126, Turin, Italy
| | - A Ragni
- Department of Oncology, Oncological Endocrinology Unit, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Città Della Salute E Della Scienza Di Torino, Corso Bramante, 88, 10126, Turin, Italy
| | - L Agate
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Unit of Endocrinology, Pisa University Hospital, Via Paradisa 2, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - E Molinaro
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Unit of Endocrinology, Pisa University Hospital, Via Paradisa 2, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - C Giani
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Unit of Endocrinology, Pisa University Hospital, Via Paradisa 2, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - L Valerio
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Unit of Endocrinology, Pisa University Hospital, Via Paradisa 2, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - E Minaldi
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Unit of Endocrinology, Pisa University Hospital, Via Paradisa 2, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - A Piovesan
- Department of Oncology, Oncological Endocrinology Unit, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Città Della Salute E Della Scienza Di Torino, Corso Bramante, 88, 10126, Turin, Italy
| | - R Elisei
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Unit of Endocrinology, Pisa University Hospital, Via Paradisa 2, 56124, Pisa, Italy.
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Matrone A, Prete A, Nervo A, Ragni A, Agate L, Molinaro E, Giani C, Valerio L, Minaldi E, Piovesan A, Elisei R. Lenvatinib as a salvage therapy for advanced metastatic medullary thyroid cancer. J Endocrinol Invest 2021; 44:2139-2151. [PMID: 33594641 DOI: 10.1007/s40618-020-01491-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/16/2020] [Accepted: 12/19/2020] [Indexed: 12/30/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Patients with advanced progressive metastatic medullary thyroid cancer (MTC), show poor prognosis and few available systemic therapeutic options. After the loss of clinical benefit with other tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKI), we evaluated the use of lenvatinib as salvage therapy. METHODS Ten patients who experienced the loss of clinical benefit after treatment with at least one previous TKI, were treated with lenvatinib. We assessed patient's response immediately before, at the first (first-EV) and last (last-EV) evaluation, after the beginning of treatment. RESULTS At first-EV, one patient died, while all the remaining 9 showed a stable disease (SD) in the target lesions. At last-EV, SD was still observed in seven patients, while partial response (PR) and progressive disease (PD), in one patient each. Conversely, analyzing all target and non-target lesions, at first-EV, we observed PR in one patient and SD in eight patients. At last-EV, PR was shown in two patients and SD was shown in seven. Bone metastases showed stable disease control at both first-EV and last-EV in only approximately 60% of cases. Tumor markers (CTN and CEA) decreased at first-EV, while they increased at last-EV. Seven patients experienced at least one dose reduction during treatment with lenvatinib. CONCLUSIONS In this real-life clinical experience, lenvatinib showed interesting results as salvage therapy in patients with advanced progressive metastatic MTC patients. Its usefulness could be effective in patients without any other available treatment, because previously used or unsuitable, especially with negative RET status with no access to the new highly selective targeted therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Matrone
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Unit of Endocrinology, Pisa University Hospital, Via Paradisa 2, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - A Prete
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Unit of Endocrinology, Pisa University Hospital, Via Paradisa 2, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - A Nervo
- Department of Oncology, Oncological Endocrinology Unit, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Città Della Salute E Della Scienza Di Torino, Corso Bramante, 88, 10126, Turin, Italy
| | - A Ragni
- Department of Oncology, Oncological Endocrinology Unit, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Città Della Salute E Della Scienza Di Torino, Corso Bramante, 88, 10126, Turin, Italy
| | - L Agate
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Unit of Endocrinology, Pisa University Hospital, Via Paradisa 2, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - E Molinaro
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Unit of Endocrinology, Pisa University Hospital, Via Paradisa 2, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - C Giani
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Unit of Endocrinology, Pisa University Hospital, Via Paradisa 2, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - L Valerio
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Unit of Endocrinology, Pisa University Hospital, Via Paradisa 2, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - E Minaldi
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Unit of Endocrinology, Pisa University Hospital, Via Paradisa 2, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - A Piovesan
- Department of Oncology, Oncological Endocrinology Unit, Azienda Ospedaliero Universitaria Città Della Salute E Della Scienza Di Torino, Corso Bramante, 88, 10126, Turin, Italy
| | - R Elisei
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Unit of Endocrinology, Pisa University Hospital, Via Paradisa 2, 56124, Pisa, Italy.
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8
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Giani C, Torregrossa L, Piaggi P, Matrone A, Viola D, Molinaro E, Agate L, Romei C, Ugolini C, De Napoli L, Materazzi G, Basolo F, Elisei R. Outcome of classical (CVPTC) and follicular (FVPTC) variants of papillary thyroid cancer: 15 years of follow-up. Endocrine 2020; 68:607-616. [PMID: 32124258 DOI: 10.1007/s12020-020-02229-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/07/2020] [Accepted: 02/12/2020] [Indexed: 12/20/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE To compare the epidemiological, clinical, and pathological features of follicular (FVPTC) and classical (CVPTC) variants of papillary thyroid cancer and to correlate their outcomes according to different features. METHODS Retrospective analysis of FVPTC and CVPTC patients selected at the moment of surgical treatment from 1999 to 2004, with a median follow-up of 15 years. RESULTS Several significant differences were found between FVPTC and CVPTC such as the mean age at diagnosis, the presence of tumor capsule, the presence of thyroid capsule invasion, the presence of perithyroid soft tissue invasion, the lymph node metastases, the multifocality and bilaterality. At the end of follow-up only 9% (77/879) patients were not cured. However, a statistically significant lower percentage of persistent disease was found in the FVPTC than in the CVPTC group (3% vs. 14.5%, respectively, p < 0.0001). In multivariate analysis, the absence of the tumor capsule (OR = 6.75) or its invasion (OR = 7.89), the tumor size ≥4 cm (OR = 4.29), the variant CVPTC (OR = 3.35), and the presence of lymph node metastases (OR = 3.16) were all independent risk factors for the persistence of the disease. CONCLUSIONS Despite an overall excellent prognosis of both variants, a higher percentage of CVPTC than FVPTC patients had a persistent disease. The absence of tumor capsule or its invasion, the tumor size ≥4 cm and the presence of lymph node metastases are other prognostic factors for the persistence of the disease. In contrast, the presence of an intact tumor capsule is the only good prognostic factor for their outcome.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Giani
- Endocrine Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University Hospital of Pisa, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - L Torregrossa
- Pathology Unit, Department of Surgical, Medical, Molecular Pathology and Critical Area, University Hospital of Pisa, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - P Piaggi
- Department of Information Engineering, University of Pisa, 56122, Pisa, Italy
| | - A Matrone
- Endocrine Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University Hospital of Pisa, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - D Viola
- Endocrine Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University Hospital of Pisa, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - E Molinaro
- Endocrine Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University Hospital of Pisa, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - L Agate
- Endocrine Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University Hospital of Pisa, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - C Romei
- Endocrine Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University Hospital of Pisa, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - C Ugolini
- Pathology Unit, Department of Surgical, Medical, Molecular Pathology and Critical Area, University Hospital of Pisa, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - L De Napoli
- Surgery Unit, Department of Surgical, Medical, Molecular Pathology and Critical Area, University Hospital of Pisa, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - G Materazzi
- Surgery Unit, Department of Surgical, Medical, Molecular Pathology and Critical Area, University Hospital of Pisa, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - F Basolo
- Pathology Unit, Department of Surgical, Medical, Molecular Pathology and Critical Area, University Hospital of Pisa, 56124, Pisa, Italy
| | - R Elisei
- Endocrine Unit, Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, University Hospital of Pisa, 56124, Pisa, Italy.
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9
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Giani C, Campani D, De Negri F, Perpoli F, Capotorti E, Squartini F, Pinchera A. Value of ER-D5 Immunocytochemical Determination in Routine Tissue Sections of Human Breast Cancer. Int J Biol Markers 2018; 4:1-7. [PMID: 2545793 DOI: 10.1177/172460088900400101] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
ER-D5 is a recently identified protein related to estrogen receptors (ER). Generally ER measurement requires fresh frozen tissue and for ER-D5 assay ethanol (E) fixation of the specimen is recommended. We evaluated the possibility of immunocytochemical detection of ER-D5 in routine formalin-fixed (F) sections in 51 breast cancers comparing the results with those obtained in the same specimens using E as fixative. The results of ER-D5 assay were expressed by the staining index (SI) taking values ≥5 as positive. In all tumors ER was also assayed by a biochemical method (DCCA). The sensitivity of ER-D5 detection in F was only 33.3%, while the specificity was 94.4%. A lower cut-off value of SI for F sections (≥2) increased the sensitivity to 66.6%, leaving the specificity unchanged. A strong correlation was found between the SI of ER-D5 in E and F (p<0.001). The SI of ER-D5 in F sections was also well correlated with ER concentrations (p<0.001). These results suggest that immunocytochemical determination of ER-D5 in routine sections may be useful in retrospective studies of hormone dependence in breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Giani
- Institute of Endocrinology, University of Pisa, Italy
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10
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Campani D, De Negri F, Fabbri R, Martini L, Giani C, Squartini F, Sarnelli R. Estrogen, Progesterone Receptors and Proliferating Activity Evaluated by Immunocytochemistry in Breast Cancer. Int J Biol Markers 2018; 6:144-50. [PMID: 1791308 DOI: 10.1177/172460089100600302] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Abstract
The correlation of the most important prognostic indicators was evaluated in 75 breast cancer cases. Estrogen-progesterone receptors and proliferating activity were analyzed by immunocytochemical methods (ER-ICA, PR-ICA, Ki-67). Both steroid receptors were inversely correlated with the proliferating activity (ER-ICA vs Ki-67, p < 0.003; PR-ICA vs. Ki-67, p < 0.0001). No correlation was found between steroid receptors or cell kinetics and tumor size or lymph node status. These findings confirm the relevance of biochemical and kinetic parameters as independent markers in breast cancer and suggest a routine use of the simple immunocytochemical methods in assessing the biological behavior of tumors.
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Affiliation(s)
- D Campani
- Istituto di Anatomia Patologica, Università di Pisa, Italy
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11
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Giani C, Campani D, Rasmussen A, Fierabracci P, Miccoli P, Bevilacqua G, Pinchera A, Cullen KJ. Insulin-Like Growth Factor II (IGF-II) Immunohistochemistry in Breast Cancer: Relationship with the Most Important Morphological and Biochemical Prognostic Parameters. Int J Biol Markers 2018; 17:90-5. [PMID: 12113587 DOI: 10.1177/172460080201700203] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/10/2023]
Abstract
Recent in situ hybridization experiments have shown a high content of IGF-II mRNA in breast cancer stroma. The aim of this study was to examine the relationship between IGF-II protein expression and several prognostic parameters in 75 infiltrating ductal carcinomas (IDC) of the breast. Tissue sections were evaluated for proliferative activity, IGF-II protein, ER, PgR, p53, and p21 expression using immunohistochemical procedures. The degree of stromal proliferation was assessed. Menopausal status, axillary lymph node involvement and nuclear grade were known. Thirty-five patients (44.3%) were premenopausal and 47 (62.6%) had lymph node metastases. Marked stromal proliferation was found in 34 (45.3%) specimens and high nuclear grade in 20 (26.5%). Eighteen tumors (24%) showed no IGF-II immunostaining. In the positive cases, IGF-II was detected both in the tumor stroma and in the cytoplasm of epithelial cancer cells: a high IGF-II content was found in 12 specimens (16.0%), a low content in 14 (18.7%) and a moderate content in 31 (41.3%). Twenty-four tumors (32.0%) showed high proliferative activity. Both ER and PgR were expressed in the nucleus of cancer cells: 49 tumors (65.3%) were ER positive (ER+) and 34 (45.3%) PgR positive (PgR+). p21 protein was detected in 37 tumors (49.6%) and p53 in 12 (16%). IGF-II protein was not correlated with menopausal status, lymph node metastases, nuclear grade, proliferative activity, ER or p53. In contrast, IGF-II correlated strongly with stromal proliferation (p=0.008), PgR (p=0.03) and p21 (p=0.01). This study demonstrates that in IDC of the breast IGF-II protein is expressed in the epithelium and stroma of the majority of tumors and is correlated with stromal amount, PgR and p21 expression. These preliminary results indicate that IGF-II expression in breast cancer is connected with two important regulators of breast cancer growth and differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Giani
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, University of Pisa, Italy.
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12
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Valerio L, Pieruzzi L, Giani C, Agate L, Bottici V, Lorusso L, Cappagli V, Puleo L, Matrone A, Viola D, Romei C, Ciampi R, Molinaro E, Elisei R. Targeted Therapy in Thyroid Cancer: State of the Art. Clin Oncol (R Coll Radiol) 2017; 29:316-324. [PMID: 28318881 DOI: 10.1016/j.clon.2017.02.009] [Citation(s) in RCA: 84] [Impact Index Per Article: 12.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2017] [Accepted: 02/07/2017] [Indexed: 01/31/2023]
Abstract
Thyroid cancer typically has a good outcome following standard treatments, which include surgery, radioactive iodine ablation for differentiated tumours and treatment with thyrotropine hormone-suppressive levothyroxine. Thyroid cancers that persist or recur following these therapies have a poorer prognosis. Cytotoxic chemotherapy or external beam radiotherapy has a low efficacy in these patients. 'Target therapy' with tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) represent an important therapeutic option for the treatment of advanced cases of radioiodine refractory (RAI-R) differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC), medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) and possibly for cases of poorly differentiated (PDTC) and anaplastic thyroid cancer (ATC). In the last few years, several TKIs have been tested for the treatment of advanced, progressive and RAI-R thyroid cancers and some of them have been recently approved for use in clinical practice: sorafenib and lenvatinib for DTC and PDTC; vandetanib and cabozantinib for MTC. The objective of this overview is to present the current status of the treatment of advanced DTC, MTC, PDTC and ATC with the use of TKIs by describing the benefits and the limits of their use. A comprehensive analysis and description of the molecular basis of these drugs and the new therapeutic perspectives are also reported. Some practical suggestions are also given for the management to the potential side-effects of these drugs.
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Affiliation(s)
- L Valerio
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Endocrine Unit, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - L Pieruzzi
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Endocrine Unit, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - C Giani
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Endocrine Unit, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - L Agate
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Endocrine Unit, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - V Bottici
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Endocrine Unit, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - L Lorusso
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Endocrine Unit, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - V Cappagli
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Endocrine Unit, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - L Puleo
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Endocrine Unit, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - A Matrone
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Endocrine Unit, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - D Viola
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Endocrine Unit, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - C Romei
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Endocrine Unit, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - R Ciampi
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Endocrine Unit, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - E Molinaro
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Endocrine Unit, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
| | - R Elisei
- Department of Clinical and Experimental Medicine, Endocrine Unit, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
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13
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Muller I, Zhang L, Giani C, Dayan CM, Ludgate ME, Grennan-Jones F. The sodium iodide symporter is unlikely to be a thyroid/breast shared antigen. J Endocrinol Invest 2016; 39:323-31. [PMID: 26253711 DOI: 10.1007/s40618-015-0368-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/10/2015] [Accepted: 07/21/2015] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
PURPOSE Anti-thyroid peroxidase (TPO) autoantibodies (TPOAb) seem to be protective for patients with breast cancer (BC). Thyroid and breast tissues both express the sodium iodide symporter (NIS), similarly both have a peroxidase activity, TPO and lactoperoxidase (LPO) respectively. We hypothesize a common immune response to a thyroid/breast shared antigen suggesting three putative mechanisms: (1) TPOAb react to both TPO and LPO, (2) TPO could be expressed in BC and (3) patients with TPOAb could have autoantibodies to NIS (NISAb). Previous studies excluded NISAb that block NIS activity in sera of patients with thyroid autoimmunity (TA) and/or BC. This study investigates neutral NISAb (binding without affecting function). METHODS Clones of CHO cells stably expressing human NIS (hNIS; CHO-NIS) were isolated following transfection of hNIS in pcDNA3 vector. Expression of hNIS mRNA and surface protein was confirmed by PCR and flow cytometry respectively using a hNIS-mouse-monoclonal-antibody. CHO-NIS and controls transfected with the empty pcDNA3 vector (CHO-Empty) were incubated with 42 heat-inactivated human sera followed by an anti-human-IgG-AlexaFluor488-conjugate: 12 with BC, 11 with TA, 10 with both BC and TA and 9 with non-autoimmune thyroid diseases. The Kolmogorov-Smirnov Test was used to compare the fluorescence intensity obtained with CHO-NIS and CHO-Empty, using sera from six young males as a negative control population. RESULTS None of the 42 sera were positive for NISAb. CONCLUSIONS NISAb are rare and NIS is unlikely to be a common thyroid/BC shared antigen. We have recently demonstrated TPO expression in BC tissue and are currently investigating TPOAb cross-reactivity with TPO/LPO.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Muller
- Thyroid Research Group, Institute of Molecular and Experimental Medicine, Cardiff University, School of Medicine, University Hospital of Wales, Main Building block C, 2nd floor, Room 256 Heath Park, Cardiff, CF 14 4XN, UK.
| | - L Zhang
- Thyroid Research Group, Institute of Molecular and Experimental Medicine, Cardiff University, School of Medicine, University Hospital of Wales, Main Building block C, 2nd floor, Room 256 Heath Park, Cardiff, CF 14 4XN, UK.
| | - C Giani
- Department of Endocrinology, School of Medicine, University of Pisa, Via Paradisa 2, 56124, Pisa, Italy.
| | - C M Dayan
- Thyroid Research Group, Institute of Molecular and Experimental Medicine, Cardiff University, School of Medicine, University Hospital of Wales, Main Building block C, 2nd floor, Room 256 Heath Park, Cardiff, CF 14 4XN, UK.
| | - M E Ludgate
- Thyroid Research Group, Institute of Molecular and Experimental Medicine, Cardiff University, School of Medicine, University Hospital of Wales, Main Building block C, 2nd floor, Room 256 Heath Park, Cardiff, CF 14 4XN, UK.
| | - F Grennan-Jones
- Thyroid Research Group, Institute of Molecular and Experimental Medicine, Cardiff University, School of Medicine, University Hospital of Wales, Main Building block C, 2nd floor, Room 256 Heath Park, Cardiff, CF 14 4XN, UK.
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14
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Muller I, Giani C, Zhang L, Grennan-Jones FA, Fiore E, Belardi V, Rosellini V, Funel N, Campani D, Giustarini E, Lewis MD, Bakhsh AD, Roncella M, Ghilli M, Vitti P, Dayan CM, Ludgate ME. Does thyroid peroxidase provide an antigenic link between thyroid autoimmunity and breast cancer? Int J Cancer 2013; 134:1706-14. [PMID: 24114667 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.28493] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/06/2013] [Revised: 07/11/2013] [Accepted: 08/28/2013] [Indexed: 11/05/2022]
Abstract
Women with breast cancer (BC) and antithyroid peroxidase (TPO) autoantibodies (TPOAb) have a better prognosis than women lacking TPOAb. Sera from women with TPOAb displayed immunoreactivity to BC tissue by immunofluorescence that was not apparent in women without TPOAb. We hypothesize a BC/thyroid shared antigen that provides a target for humoral or cell-mediated immune activity; candidates include the sodium/iodide symporter (expressed in thyroid and BC), cross-reacting epitopes in TPO and lactoperoxidase (LPO) or TPO itself. As the association is with TPOAb, we investigated TPO expression in BC, breast peritumoral tissue (PT), other tissues (tumoral and not) and thyroid as positive control. Transcripts for known and novel TPO isoforms were detected in BC (n = 8) and PT (n = 8) but at approximately 10(4) -fold lower than in thyroid while in non-BC tumors (n = 5) they were at the limit of detection. TPO was expressed also in adipose tissue (n = 17), 10(3) -fold lower than in thyroid. Full length TPO (Mr 105-110 kDa) was detected in Western blots in the majority of examined tissues; preabsorption of the TPO antibody with recombinant TPO (but not LPO) reduced the signal, indicating specificity. The same occurred with some lower molecular weight bands, which could correspond to smaller TPO transcript isoforms, present in all samples. In conclusion, TPO is weakly expressed in BC and other tissues; this could partly explain the high frequency and protective role of TPOAb in BC patients. Further studies will investigate tissue specificity, function and immunogenicity of the novel TPO variants (some BC-specific) identified.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Muller
- Thyroid Research Group Institute of Molecular & Experimental Medicine School of Medicine, Cardiff University, Cardiff, Wales, United Kingdom; Department of Endocrinology, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy
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15
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Belardi V, Fiore E, Giustarini E, Muller I, Sabatini S, Rosellini V, Seregni E, Agresti R, Marcocci C, Vitti P, Giani C. Is the risk of primary hyperparathyroidism increased in patients with untreated breast cancer? J Endocrinol Invest 2013; 36:321-5. [PMID: 22931931 DOI: 10.3275/8580] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/22/2023]
Abstract
BACKGROUND An increased frequency of primary hyperparathyroidism (PHP) has been reported in patients with treated breast cancer (BC). PHP has been found in about 7% of BC patients after surgery and radio-, chemio- or hormonal therapy. AIM To evaluate the frequency of PHP in untreated BC patients. SUBJECTS AND METHODS We evaluated 186 women with BC and 233 women with thyroid cancer (TC, no.=122) or benign thyroid diseases (BTD, no.=111). In all patients, serum calcium, albumin, PTH, and 25-hydroxyvitamin D (25-OH vitD) were measured before any treatment. RESULTS Serum calcium concentrations were significantly higher in BC than in TC and BTD groups (median values 9.5 mg/dl, 9.3 mg/dl and 9.3 mg/dl, respectively) but, according to a logistic regression model, calcium was not significantly different between the 3 groups when age was taken into account. In all patients, serum calcium was in the normal range, indicating that no case of overt PHP was present. Five patients (1 in BC, 2 in TC, and 2 in BDT groups) had serum calcium close to the upper limit of normal range, high PTH and low 25-OH vitD, indicating a possible PHP with hypercalcemia masked by concomitant 25-OH vitD deficiency. CONCLUSIONS In untreated BC group, no patient had overt PHP and 1/186 (0.5%) presented a possible PHP masked by 25-OH vitD deficiency, a PHP frequency much lower than that observed in treated BC patients. These data suggest that the treatments of BC may be responsible for the increased frequency of PHP reported in previous studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- V Belardi
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, University of Pisa, Via Paradisa 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy.
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16
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Muller I, Pinchera A, Fiore E, Belardi V, Rosellini V, Giustarini E, Giani C. High prevalence of breast cancer in patients with benign thyroid diseases. J Endocrinol Invest 2011; 34:349-52. [PMID: 20595798 DOI: 10.1007/bf03347458] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND In patients with breast cancer (BC) a high prevalence of benign thyroid diseases (BTD) has been described, Hashimoto's thyroiditis accounting to a large extent for this association. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of BC in a large group of patients with BTD. PATIENTS Clinical records of 622 consecutive patients with BTD were examined. BC prevalence in BTD patients was compared with BC frequency in general population living in the same country. RESULTS BC prevalence in patients with BTD (38/622; 6.11%) was significantly higher (p=0.0002) compared to BC frequency in general population (2.07%). When patients were divided according to the age of menopause, in females older than 49 yr BC frequency in BTD was significantly higher than in age-matched population (7.6 vs 3.3%; p=0.006), while in females aged 30-49 yr BC frequency in BTD was higher, but not statistically significantly, than in agematched population (3.7 vs 0.5%; p=0.06). No significant difference in BC prevalence was found when patients were grouped according to the diagnosis of thyroid disorders: Graves' disease, Hashimoto's thyroiditis, nodular goiter associated or not associated with serum thyroid autoantibodies (TAb). No significant difference in BC frequency was observed between TAb+ (26/377; 6.9%) and TAb- (12/245; 4.9%) patients. The distribution of known risk factors for breast malignancies was similar in patients with or without BC. CONCLUSION In patients with BTD the prevalence of BC is significantly higher than the expected, showing the usefulness of screening for breast malignancy of patients with BTD.
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Affiliation(s)
- I Muller
- Department of Endocrinology, University of Pisa, Via Paradisa 2, 56100 Pisa, Italy.
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17
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Giustarini E, Muller I, Campani D, Cullen K, Lippman M, Giani C. IGF II EXPRESSION IN BREAST CANCER (BC): RELATIONSHIP WITH EPITHELIAL PROGESTERONE RECEPTOR. Maturitas 2009. [DOI: 10.1016/s0378-5122(09)70182-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
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18
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Muller I, Fiore E, Giustarini E, Pinchera A, Giani C. INCREASED PREVALENCE OF BREAST CANCER (BC) IN BENIGN THYROID DISORDERS (BTD). Maturitas 2009. [DOI: 10.1016/s0378-5122(09)70096-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
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Giustarini E, Fiore E, Mammoli C, Muller I, Pinchera A, Giani C. SERUM ANTI-THYROID ANTIBODIES (TAB) REPRESENTS A POSSIBLE PREDICTIVE PARAMETER IN HIGH AGGRESSIVE BREAST CANCER (BC). Maturitas 2009. [DOI: 10.1016/s0378-5122(09)70183-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/20/2022]
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20
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Fiore E, Giustarini E, Mammoli C, Fragomeni F, Campani D, Muller I, Pinchera A, Giani C. Favorable predictive value of thyroid autoimmunity in high aggressive breast cancer. J Endocrinol Invest 2007; 30:734-8. [PMID: 17993764 DOI: 10.1007/bf03350810] [Citation(s) in RCA: 31] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 10/25/2022]
Abstract
A high incidence of anti-thyroid antibodies (TAb) has been found in patients with breast cancer (BC). The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of TAb in a group of 47 women submitted to mastectomy for high malignancy degree BC. All patients were evaluated for thyroid disorders after breast surgery and before any anti-tumoral adjuvant therapy. Five yr after BC diagnosis 31/47 (65.9%) patients were alive (survivors group: SG) and 16/47 (34.1%) were dead (deaths group: DG). The overall prevalence of TAb was 15/47 (31.9%): 14/31 (45.1%) in SG and 1/16 (6.2%) in DG (p=0.008). Five-yr mortality was 15/32 (46.9%) in TAb- and 1/15 (6.7%) in TAb+ patients (p=0.01). Eight out of 47 (17.0%) patients had Hashimoto's thyroiditis and 7 of them (87.5%) were in SG. Estrogen receptor (ER) was measured in 43/47 (91.5%) BC specimens. ER was detected in 19/30 (63.0%) patients in SG and 3/13 (23.1%) in DG (p=0.01). Five-yr mortality was 10/21 (47.6%) in ER- and 3/22 (13.6%) in ER+ patients (p=0.008). Absence of ER expression [odds ratio (OR) 6.54; p=0.006] and absence of TAb (OR 9.37; p=0.03) were related to a higher mortality rate. TAb were detected in 8/21 (38.1%) ER- and in 7/22 (31.8%) ER+ patients; no relation was found between ER expression and TAb positivity (p=ns). Patients with ER+ and TAb+ have a better prognosis and the absence of a significant relationship between these two parameters suggests an independent prognostic role in high malignancy degree BC women.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Fiore
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, University of Pisa, 56124 Pisa, Italy.
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21
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Giustarini E, Pinchera A, Fierabracci P, Roncella M, Fustaino L, Mammoli C, Giani C. Thyroid autoimmunity in patients with malignant and benign breast diseases before surgery. Eur J Endocrinol 2006; 154:645-9. [PMID: 16645010 DOI: 10.1530/eje.1.02108] [Citation(s) in RCA: 54] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
BACKGROUND Previous studies have demonstrated a high prevalence of thyroperoxidase antibodies (TPOAb) and autoimmune hypothyroidism in breast cancer (BC). These studies have been performed in BC patients generally 20-30 days after mastectomy. It is known that stress may have an influence on the immune system and a relation between stressful events and the onset or worsening of autoimmune thyroid disorders has been reported by several authors. The aim of the study was to evaluate the prevalence of autoimmune thyroid disease in patients with nodular breast disease selected for surgery before any treatment. Our hypothesis was that the high prevalence of thyroid autoimmune disorders in BC is independent of stressful events represented by surgery and/or anaesthetic procedures. METHODS Our series included 61 consecutive women aged 52.8 +/- 10.2 yrs (mean age +/- s.d.) with nodular breast disease selected for breast surgery: 36 out of 61 of them (59%) had BC and 25 out of 61 had benign breast disease (BBD). Controls included 100 healthy age-matched women. All patients and control subjects were submitted to clinical, ultrasound thyroid evaluation and serum-free thyroxine (FT4), serum-free tri-iodothyronine (FT3), TSH, TPOAb and thyroglobulin antibodies (TgAb) determination. RESULTS Mean FT3, FT4 and TSH concentration showed no differences between BC patients, BBD patients and controls. The prevalence of TPOAb in BC patients (12/36: 33.33%) was significantly higher than in BBD patients (5/25: 20%) (P < 0.01) and in controls (8/100: 8%) (P < 0.01). Similarly, the prevalence of TgAb in BC patients was 12 out of 36 (33.33%) significantly higher than that detected in BBD patients (4/25: 16%) (P < 0.01) and in controls (12/100: 12%) (P < 0.01). Of the 36 BC patients, 20 showed a diffuse hypoechogenicity of the thyroid gland to ultrasound evaluation, significantly higher than in BBD (7/25: 28%) (P = 0.03). Of the 20 BC patients who showed a hypoechogenic pattern of thyroid gland, 10 (50%) were associated with antithyroid antibodies positivity (TAb). This finding was present in two of seven BBD (28.57%) (P < 0.0001). Only two controls showed focal hypoechogenicity of the thyroid gland. Generally, 24 out of 36 (66.7%) of BC and 9 out of 25 (36%) of BBD (P = 0.02) had signs of thyroid autoimmunity consistent with the hypoechogenic pattern of thyroid gland associated or not with TAb; 2 out of 36 (5.55%) of BC and 1 out of 25 (4%) of BBD patients had autoimmune hypothyroidism and no hypothyroidism was found in controls. CONCLUSIONS The results of this study confirm the strong relation between thyroid autoimmunity and BC. This finding is independent of stressful events represented by surgery or anaesthetic procedures. The present data call attention to the usefulness of screening for autoimmune thyroid disorders in patients with nodular breast disease selected for surgery.
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Affiliation(s)
- E Giustarini
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
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Fierabracci P, Pinchera A, Campani D, Pollina LE, Giustarini E, Giani C. Association between breast cancer and autoimmune thyroid disorders: no increase of lymphocytic infiltrates in breast malignant tissues. J Endocrinol Invest 2006; 29:248-51. [PMID: 16682839 DOI: 10.1007/bf03345548] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/20/2023]
Abstract
An association between thyroid autoimmunity and breast cancer (BC) has been consistently reported, but the cause of this association is still unknown. The role of lymphocytic infiltration (LI) in breast tumorigenesis is controversial and several data suggest that in BC an increase of lymphoid cell infiltrates or a dysfunctional local immune response may be detected very early during tumor development. Chronic autoimmune thyroiditis is characterized by different degrees of LI in thyroid gland and BC cells share some antigenic properties similar to those detected in thyroid tissue, such as sodium iodide symporter (NIS) and peroxidase activity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the frequency and amount of LI in malignant and in normal peritumoral breast tissues, as expression of autoimmune morphological changes, in a group of BC patients with thyroid autoimmunity. We suppose that an increased LI in breast tissues of this group of patients may help explain the association between BC and thyroid autoimmunity. The study group included 26 BC patients with thyroperoxidase antibodies positivity (TPOAb+), 14 of them (53.8%) with Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT), and 30 BC patients with no evidence of thyroid autoimmune disorders. Malignant and surrounding normal breast tissues were assessed for LI. The amount of LI was scored as very scanty or scanty (LI S) and moderate or marked (LI M), independently by two expert pathologists. LI S was detected in 19/26 (73.1%) BC tissues from patients with TPOAb positivity and LI M in 7 (26.9%). All BC patients with HT had LI S. LI S was detected in 25/30 (83%) and LI M in 5/30 (17%) of BC tissue from patients with no thyroid autoimmunity. The difference in the amount of LI of BC tissues in patient with or without autoimmune thyroid disorders was not significant. The LI was generally absent or very scanty in remote breast tissue in all cases. In conclusion, in breast malignancies the presence of humoral and/or clinical evidence of thyroid autoimmunity is not associated to autoimmune morphological changes of cancer and peritumoral normal tissue. The LI does not seem to have any role in tumorigenesis in patients with BC and thyroid autoimmunity.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Fierabracci
- Department of Endocrinology, University of Pisa, Via Paradisa 2, 56124 Pisa, Italy.
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23
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Fierabracci P, Pinchera A, Tonacchera M, Agretti P, De Marco G, Albertini S, Conforti G, Seregni E, Agresti R, Grasso L, Giani C. Absence of interference of serum IgGs from patients with breast cancer and thyroid autoimmunity on the function of human iodide symporter gene stably transfected in CHO cells. J Endocrinol Invest 2004; 27:862-5. [PMID: 15648551 DOI: 10.1007/bf03346281] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The cause of the association between breast cancer (BC) and thyroid autoimmunity is still unknown. Na+/I- symporter (NIS) is highly expressed in BC cells, and previous studies demonstrated that iodine content in BC is lower than in remote normal breast tissue, suggesting a disorder of iodide uptake in BC. In this study, we evaluated the presence of putative serum autoantibodies able to block the function of NIS in BC patients with thyroid autoimmunity. IgGs were obtained from: a) 11 patients with BC and high antithyroglobulin (TgAb) and antithyroperoxidase (TPOAb) autoantibodies serum concentration; b) 34 patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) (1 was euthyroid, 4 had subclinical hypothyroidism and 29 were overtly hypothyroid); c) 15 control subjects. The biological activity of NIS was studied using a chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cell line stably expressing NIS (NIS-CHO). The course of iodide accumulation in NIS-CHO was studied after addition of Na125 I in culture medium. The accumulation of iodide linearly increased between 2 and 10 min, reaching a plateau at 45 min. The preincubation of NIS-CHO with IgGs purified from sera of BC with the highest levels of TPOAb and TgAb caused an inhibition of iodine uptake of no more than 5%. Similar results were obtained using IgGs purified from patients with HT and control subjects. Our data showed no interference of autoantibodies on iodine uptake in patients with BC and thyroid autoimmunity and the very low percentage of inhibition of iodine uptake cannot explain the lower content of iodine in BC tissue.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Fierabracci
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, University of Pisa, Pisa, Italy.
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24
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Eichenberger U, Giani C, Petersen-Felix S, Graven-Nielsen T, Arendt-Nielsen L, Curatolo M. Lumbar epidural fentanyl: segmental spread and effect on temporal summation and muscle pain. Br J Anaesth 2003; 90:467-73. [PMID: 12644419 DOI: 10.1093/bja/aeg100] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/13/2022] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Despite extensive use, different aspects of the pharmacological action of epidural fentanyl have not been clarified. We applied a multi-modal sensory test procedure to investigate the effect of epidural fentanyl on segmental spread, temporal summation (as a measure for short-lasting central hyperexcitability) and muscle pain. METHODS Thirty patients received either placebo, 50 or 100 micro g single dose of fentanyl epidurally (L2-3), in a randomized, double-blind fashion. Heat pain tolerance thresholds at eight dermatomes from S1 to fifth cranial nerve (assessment of segmental spread), pain threshold to transcutaneous repeated electrical stimulation of the sural nerve (assessment of temporal summation) and pain intensity after injection of hypertonic saline into the tibialis anterior muscle (assessment of muscle pain) were recorded. RESULTS Fentanyl 100 micro g, but not 50 micro g, produced analgesia to heat stimulation only at L2. Surprisingly, no effect at S1 was detected. Both fentanyl doses significantly increased temporal summation threshold and decreased muscle pain intensity. CONCLUSIONS The findings suggest that a single lumbar epidural dose of fentanyl should be injected at the spinal interspace corresponding to the dermatomal site of pain. Increased effect on L2 compared with S1 suggests that drug effect on spinal nerve roots and binding to opioid receptors on the dorsal root ganglia may be more important than traditionally believed for the segmental effect of epidurally injected fentanyl. Epidural fentanyl increases temporal summation threshold and could therefore contribute to prevention and treatment of central hypersensitivity states. I.M. injection of hypertonic saline is a sensitive technique for detecting the analgesic action of epidural opioids.
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Affiliation(s)
- U Eichenberger
- Department of Anaesthesiology, Division of Pain Therapy, University of Bern, Inselspital, CH-3010 Bern, Switzerland.
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25
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Abstract
OBJECTIVE The mechanisms underlying chronic pain after whiplash injury are usually unclear. Injuries may cause sensitization of spinal cord neurons in animals (central hypersensitivity), which results in increased responsiveness to peripheral stimuli. In humans, the responsiveness of the central nervous system to peripheral stimulation may be explored by applying sensory tests to healthy tissues. The hypotheses of this study were: (1) chronic whiplash pain is associated with central hypersensitivity; (2) central hypersensitivity is maintained by nociception arising from the painful or tender muscles in the neck. DESIGN Comparison of patients with healthy controls. SETTING Pain clinic and laboratory for pain research, university hospital. PATIENTS Fourteen patients with chronic neck pain after whiplash injury (car accident) and 14 healthy volunteers. OUTCOME MEASURES Pain thresholds to: single electrical stimulus (intramuscular), repeated electrical stimulation (intramuscular and transcutaneous), and heat (transcutaneous). Each threshold was measured at neck and lower limb, before and after local anesthesia of the painful and tender muscles of the neck. RESULTS The whiplash group had significantly lower pain thresholds for all tests. except heat, at both neck and lower limb. Local anesthesia of the painful and tender points affected neither intensity of neck pain nor pain thresholds. CONCLUSIONS The authors found a hypersensitivity to peripheral stimulation in whiplash patients. Hypersensitivity was observed after cutaneous and muscular stimulation, at both neck and lower limb. Because hypersensitivity was observed in healthy tissues, it resulted from alterations in the central processing of sensory stimuli (central hypersensitivity). Central hypersensitivity was not dependent on a nociceptive input arising from the painful and tender muscles.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Curatolo
- Department of Anesthesiology, University Hospital of Bern, Inselspital, Switzerland.
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26
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Fierabracci P, Pinchera A, Miccoli P, Conte PF, Vignali E, Zaccagnini M, Marcocci C, Giani C. Increased prevalence of primary hyperparathyroidism in treated breast cancer. J Endocrinol Invest 2001; 24:315-20. [PMID: 11407650 DOI: 10.1007/bf03343867] [Citation(s) in RCA: 29] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
UNLABELLED Hypercalcemia occurring in patients with advanced breast cancer (BC) is generally due to osteolytic metastases or to the activity of circulating tumor-derived products. In these conditions, the production of endogenous PTH is reduced. The frequency of hypercalcemia due to primary hyperparathyroidism in breast cancer is unknown. We examined the occurrence of primary hyperparathyroidism in a large group of women with treated BC. A total of 100 consecutive women aged 28-80 years with treated breast cancer were enrolled. One hundred and two healthy age-matched women and 60 age-matched female patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma examined before thyroidectomy were used as controls. Intact serum PTH and serum calcium were measured in all patients and controls. Hypercalcemia associated with elevated serum PTH concentration indicating primary hyperparathyroidism was found in 7 BC patients (7%) and in none of healthy women or patients with thyroid cancer. The pre-operative staging of BC patients with primary hyperparathyroidism was I in six and II in one of them, and no patient had evidence of distant metastases. A parathyroid adenoma was found in all 6 BC patients submitted to neck exploration, one patient refused surgery. Serum calcium and PTH concentrations returned to normal levels after surgery. Two BC patients had increased serum PTH and normal calcium concentrations. One of them had low serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D]. One patient with spread bone metastases had neoplastic hypercalcemia with undetectable serum PTH concentration. All remaining 90 BC patients had serum calcium and PTH concentrations within normal limits, but their mean (+/-SD) values (9.6+/-0.5 mg/dl for serum calcium, 38.0+/-16.4 mg/dl for serum PTH ) were slightly but significantly greater than in normal controls (9.3+/-0.5 mg/dl, p=0.003 and 27.9+/-10.6 pg/ml, p=0.0001, respectively) and in patients with thyroid cancer (9.2+/-0.6 mg/dl, p=0.001 and 26.2+/-11.0 pg/ml, p=0.001), with no relationship with clinical staging or anti-tumor therapy. IN CONCLUSION 1) an increased frequency of parathyroid adenoma was found in BC patients with mildly aggressive neoplastic disease; 2) in BC patients with no evidence of primary hyperparathyroidism mean serum PTH and calcium concentrations were significantly greater than in healthy controls and in patients with thyroid carcinoma; and 3) this finding was unrelated to clinical staging or anti-tumor therapy. Thus, primary hyperparathyroidism should be considered as a possible cause of hypercalcemia in patients with non-aggressive breast cancer. We suggest that serum PTH should be determined in all BC patients with increased serum calcium concentration, especially in those with no evidence of metastatic disease.
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Affiliation(s)
- P Fierabracci
- Department of Endocrinology and Metabolism, University of Pisa, Italy
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27
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Pupa SM, Howard CM, Invernizzi AM, De Vecchi R, Giani C, Claudio PP, Colnaghi MI, Giordano A, Ménard S. Ectopic expression of pRb2/p130 suppresses the tumorigenicity of the c-erbB-2-overexpressing SKOV3 tumor cell line. Oncogene 1999; 18:651-6. [PMID: 9989815 DOI: 10.1038/sj.onc.1202363] [Citation(s) in RCA: 12] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/08/2022]
Abstract
We investigated the in vitro and in vivo effects of the ectopic expression of the pRb2/p130 cell cycle regulator on c-erbB-2-associated tumorigenicity. SKOV3 ovarian cancer cells, which display c-erbB-2 gene amplification and oncoprotein (p185HER2) overexpression, were stably transfected with a plasmid containing the coding sequence for human wild-type pRb2/p130 (wtRb2), or with pcDNA3 empty vector. Three wtRb2-transfected clones (cl. 24, ci. 49, cl. 100) and one empty vector-transfected clone (cl. mock) were randomly picked and further analysed. Western blot analysis revealed high levels of pRb2/p130 in the three clones compared to mock cells. Levels of p185HER2 and the extent of its tyrosine phosphorylation were similar in all transfectant clones, as were levels of pRb1 and p107. In anchorage-independent growth assays, the number of colonies from wtRb2 clone-transfectants was about 90% less than that arising from mock cells (P<0.001). Tumor take rates of the three wtRb2-transfected clones xenografted in nu/nu mice were much lower than those of mock cells, and tumor volume was decreased by 80% (P<0.001). A mutant version of pRb2/p130 deleted of the pocket region (mut-Rb2) was also transfected into SKOV3 cells and studied in parallel with the wtRb2-transfected and pcDNA empty vector-transfected bulk populations. mut-Rb2 transfected cells showed no inhibition of in vitro colony formation and were fully tumorigenic. Together, these findings indicate that Rb2 acts as a tumor suppressor gene in vivo and in vitro in SKOV3 cells and that the intact pocket region is required for the suppressor activity.
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Affiliation(s)
- S M Pupa
- Division of Experimental Oncology E, Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Milan, Italy
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28
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Giani C, Casalini P, Pupa SM, De Vecchi R, Ardini E, Colnaghi MI, Giordano A, Ménard S. Increased expression of c-erbB-2 in hormone-dependent breast cancer cells inhibits cell growth and induces differentiation. Oncogene 1998; 17:425-32. [PMID: 9696035 DOI: 10.1038/sj.onc.1201954] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/08/2023]
Abstract
c-erbB-2, a member of the tyrosine kinase oncogene family, is overexpressed in about 30% of human breast tumors where it correlates with poor prognosis. In vitro studies have suggested that increased expression of the receptor plays an important role in malignant progression. To better understand the direct effects of p185HER2 overexpression, a human c-erbB-2 expression vector was transfected into the hormone-dependent MCF-7 human breast carcinoma cell line and cell growth was analysed. Unexpectedly, colony formation assay revealed a reduction in the number and size of colonies as compared with mock-transfected cells. In hormone-deprived medium, c-erbB-2 transfected cells acquired growth capability, consistent with previous reports. By contrast, two c-erbB-2-transfected clones grown in complete medium showed a reduced proliferation rate despite the activation of a fully functional oncoprotein capable of autophosphorylation and induction of the MAPK pathway. The number of c-erbB-2-overexpressing cells in the S phase of the cell cycle was about one-half the number of control and mock-transfected cells. Also, overexpression of c-erbB-2 induced overexpression of p21WAF1, pRB hypophosphorylation and a mature differentiated cell phenotype with production of lipid droplets. Functional inactivation of p185HER2 by means of a specific single chain antibody indicated the c-erbB-2-dependence of the observed alterations. These data show that the exogenous overexpression of the c-erbB-2 gene in hormone-dependent breast cancer cells inhibits proliferation and induces differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Giani
- Division of Experimental Oncology E, Istituto Nazionale Tumori, Milan, Italy
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29
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Giani C, Pinchera A, Rasmussen A, Fierabracci P, Bonacci R, Campini D, Bevilacqua G, Trock B, Lippman ME, Cullen KJ. Stromal IGF-II messenger RNA in breast cancer: relationship with progesterone receptor expressed by malignant epithelial cells. J Endocrinol Invest 1998; 21:160-5. [PMID: 9591211 DOI: 10.1007/bf03347295] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/07/2023]
Abstract
In breast cancer, insulin-like growth factor II (IGF-II) is stromal in origin and is considered an important regulator of tumour epithelium growth. The presence of progesterone receptor (PR) is expression of an intact oestrogen regulatory pathway of breast malignant epithelial cells and represents a parameter of cell differentiation in breast cancer. In this study we have examined the relationship between IGF-II mRNA expression and ER, PR content in 75 breast cancer. Formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue sections were used to preserve histological details. IGF-II mRNA was evaluated by in situ hybridisation method and ER, PR by immunohistochemistry. IGF-II mRNA was scored semi-quantitatively: 2.6% breast tumour specimen expressed no IGF-II mRNA, 46.7% had low levels of expression (IGF-II-) and 50.7% had moderate or high IGF-II mRNA content (IGF-II+). IGF-II mRNA was found in the stroma fibroblasts surrounding malignant lesions and no signal was detected in malignant epithelial cells. In contrast, ER and PR were expressed only by neoplastic epithelial cells and no immunoreactivity was found in the stroma: 50/75 (66.6%) breast cancer specimens were positive for ER (ER+) and 35 (46.6%) for PR (PR+). Both, IGF-II mRNA and PR were directly correlated with the stromal proliferation (p < 0.05 and p < 0.001, respectively). No relationship was found between IGF-II RNA and ER. In contrast 24/35 (73.5%) PR breast cancer tissues were IGF-II+ (p < 0.01) and a strong correlation was found between epithelial PR immunostaining and stromal IGF-II mRNA content (p < 0.003). Our data indicate that in breast cancer IGF-II mRNA is generally expressed by stromal cells and ER and PR by epithelial cancer cells, and that IGF-II mRNA expression is strongly related with both percentage and staining intensity of PR+ epithelial cancer cells. These data support the hypothesis that IGF-II produced by the fibroblasts may exert a paracrin effect on malignant epithelium regulating its differentiation.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Giani
- Dipartimento di Endocrinologia e Metabolismo, University of Pisa, Italy
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30
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Albarosa R, Colombo BM, Roz L, Magnani I, Pollo B, Cirenei N, Giani C, Conti AM, DiDonato S, Finocchiaro G. Deletion mapping of gliomas suggest the presence of two small regions for candidate tumor-suppressor genes in a 17-cM interval on chromosome 10q. Am J Hum Genet 1996; 58:1260-7. [PMID: 8651304 PMCID: PMC1915052] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
Abstract
The loss of genetic material on chromosome 10q is frequent in different tumors and particularly in malignant gliomas. We analyzed 90 of these tumors and found loss of heterozygosity (LOH) in >90% of the informative loci in glioblastoma multiforme (GBM). Initial studies restricted the common LOH region to 10q24-qter. Subsequently, the study of a pediatric GBM suggested D10S221 and D10S209, respectively, as centromeric and telomeric markers of a 4-cM LOH region. It is interesting to note that, in one subset of cells from this tumor, locus D10S209 seems involved in the allelic imbalance of a larger region, with D10S214 as telomeric marker. This 17-cM region contains the D10S587-D10S216 interval of common deletion recently defined on another set of gliomas.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Albarosa
- Department of Biochemistry, Istituto Nazionale Neurologico C. Besta, Milan, Italy
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31
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Bonacci R, Pinchera A, Fierabracci P, Gigliotti A, Grasso L, Giani C. Relevance of estrogen and progesterone receptors enzyme immunoassay in malignant, benign and surrounding normal thyroid tissue. J Endocrinol Invest 1996; 19:159-64. [PMID: 8743281 DOI: 10.1007/bf03349859] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/01/2023]
Abstract
Several authors have demonstrated the presence of estrogen receptors (ER) and progesterone receptors (PR) in thyroid tissue, generally using dextran coated charcoal method (DCCA). The aim of the study was to measure ER and PR in thyroid specimens using an immunoenzymatic method, and to evaluate the meaning of different prevalence of ER and PR in malignant and benign thyroid disease, as compared with normal thyroid tissue. We have measured ER and PR in thyroid tissue from 28 benign and 20 malignant thyroid lesions, and in 38 samples of surrounding normal thyroid tissues. The sensitivity of ER-EIA and PR-EIA was 1.0 and 1.5 fmol/mg protein, respectively. In thyroid carcinoma the frequency of ER positivity (ER+) was 7/20 (35%); it was significantly higher in the surrounding normal tissue (15/20; 71%) (p = 0.03). In benign thyroid disease, the prevalence of ER+ was 11/28 (39%) and in the surrounding normal tissue it was 11/18 (61%) (p = not significant). PR+ was detected in 7/20 (35%) thyroid cancers and in 15/28 (53%) benign lesions without significant difference with the frequency detected in the surrounding normal tissues. ER and PR concentrations (mean +/- SD) in thyroid cancer was 2.2 +/- 2.2 and 2.2 +/- 2.9 respectively, similarly to that detected in benign thyroid disease and in normal tissue. The simultaneous presence of ER and PR (ER+PR+) was also evaluated. We have found that the frequency of ER+ PR+ was significantly higher in benign lesions (8/28; 28.6%) as compared with malignant samples (1/20; 5%) (p < 0.05); the frequency of ER+PR+ was significantly higher in normal tissue surrounding the malignant lesions (9/20; 45) (p = 0.003). Our data indicate i) EIA method is appropriate to detect ER and PR in thyroid tissue. ii) The frequency of ER+ and ER+PR+ specimens is significantly higher in normal thyroid tissue than in pathologic tissues. This indicates that ER and PR immunoassays may be useful tools to evaluate the normal biological activity of thyroid cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- R Bonacci
- Istituto di Endocrinologia, University of Pisa, Italy
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32
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Giani C, Fierabracci P, Bonacci R, Gigliotti A, Campani D, De Negri F, Cecchetti D, Martino E, Pinchera A. Relationship between breast cancer and thyroid disease: relevance of autoimmune thyroid disorders in breast malignancy. J Clin Endocrinol Metab 1996; 81:990-4. [PMID: 8772562 DOI: 10.1210/jcem.81.3.8772562] [Citation(s) in RCA: 46] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/02/2023]
Abstract
The relationship between thyroid dysfunction and breast cancer (BC) is debated. To clarify this controversial issue, a prospective study on thyroid function in BC was performed. The prevalence of thyroid disease was examined in 102 consecutive BC patients with ductal infiltrating carcinoma after surgery and before starting any chemohormonal or x-ray therapy and in 100 age-matched control healthy women living in the same borderline iodine-sufficient geographic area. All subjects were submitted to clinical ultrasound thyroid evaluation and serum free T4, free T3, TSH, thyroperoxidase antibody, and thyroglobulin antibody determination. Fine needle aspiration was performed in all thyroid nodules. Estrogen and progesterone receptors (ER and PR, respectively) were assayed in 92 and 55 BC specimens, respectively. The overall prevalence of thyroid disease was 47 in 102 (46%) in BC patients and 14 in 100 (14%) in controls (P < 0.0001). The prevalence of nontoxic goiter was 27.4% in BC patients and 11% in controls (P = 0.003). Hashimoto's thyroiditis was found in 13.7% of BC patients and in only 2% of the controls (P < 0.005). Other thyroid disorders found in the BC group included 2 cases of Graves' disease, 2 of thyroid carcinoma, and 1 of subacute thyroiditis, whereas in the control group only 1 case of Graves' disease and none of the other disorders were found. Mean free T3, free T4, and TSH concentrations showed no difference between BC patients and controls. The prevalence of thyroperoxidase antibody was higher in BC patients than in controls (23.5% vs. 8%; P < 0.005), whereas the prevalence of thyroglobulin antibody was not different. In BC patients the presence of thyroid antibodies was more frequently associated with clinically detectable autoimmune thyroiditis (14 of 26, 51.8%; P = 0.03) and was more common in the younger group. The positivity of ER was found in 51 of 92 (55.43%) and that of PR was found in 26 of 55 (47.27%) BC specimens. No relationship was found among ER, PR status, and the presence of serum thyroid antibodies. In conclusion, 1) the present study provides evidence that the overall prevalence of thyroid disorders is increased in patients with breast cancer, and 2) thyroid autoimmune disorders, especially Hashimoto's thyroiditis, account to a large extent for the increased prevalence of thyroid disease in patients with breast cancer. This feature is independent from the ER and PR status of the primary tumor. The present findings call attention to the usefulness of screening for thyroid disease in any patient with breast cancer.
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MESH Headings
- Adult
- Aged
- Aged, 80 and over
- Autoimmune Diseases/complications
- Breast Neoplasms/complications
- Breast Neoplasms/metabolism
- Breast Neoplasms/surgery
- Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast/complications
- Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast/metabolism
- Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast/surgery
- Female
- Humans
- Middle Aged
- Postoperative Period
- Prevalence
- Receptors, Estrogen/metabolism
- Receptors, Progesterone/metabolism
- Reference Values
- Thyroid Diseases/complications
- Thyroid Diseases/epidemiology
- Thyroiditis, Autoimmune/complications
- Thyroiditis, Autoimmune/epidemiology
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Affiliation(s)
- C Giani
- Institute of Endocrinology, University of Pisa, Italy
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33
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Giani C, Cullen KJ, Campani D, Rasmussen A. IGF-II mRNA and protein are expressed in the stroma of invasive breast cancers: an in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry study. Breast Cancer Res Treat 1996; 41:43-50. [PMID: 8932875 DOI: 10.1007/bf01807035] [Citation(s) in RCA: 49] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/03/2023]
Abstract
Insulin-like growth factor-II (IGF-II) is a potent mitogen for a variety of cell types and is considered an important regulator of breast cancer growth. In this study, we analyzed IGF-II mRNA and protein expression in a series of 80 cases of invasive breast cancer. Seventy-five cases produced informative results for IGF-II mRNA expression, and were scored on an arbitrary scale. Two cases (2.6%) had no significant IGF-II mRNA expression. 35 cases (46.7%) expressed low levels of IGF-II mRNA, 20 cases (26.7%) moderate IGF-II mRNA, while 18 (24%) expressed high levels of IGF-II message. Generally, IGF-II mRNA was expressed in the smooth muscle walls of blood vessels and ducts, as well as in the stroma tightly adjacent to and surrounding tumor epithelium. IGF-II mRNA content was also directly related to the amount of the stroma within the tumor (p < 0.05). In 10 cases (13.3%) IGF-II mRNA was detected in the stroma of normal lobules. Fifty-six out of 75 were positive for IGF-II immunostaining. Again, protein staining was generally observed in the smooth muscle of both blood vessels and ducts, as well as in the stroma surrounding tumor epithelium. In normal lobules and ducts the IGF-II protein was detected in the myoepithelium. Unequivocal IGF-II protein staining was seen in tumor epithelium in only three cases. The results of our study demonstrate that, in breast cancer, IGF-II mRNA is expressed in the smooth muscle and stromal components in the majority of invasive breast cancers. IGF-II expression correlates positively with the amount of stromal tissue present within a tumor. This suggests that IGF-II may have an important growth regulatory effect on breast tumor epithelium through paracrine pathways.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Giani
- Institute of Endocrinology, University of Pisa, Italy
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34
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Giani C, Finocchiaro G. Mutation rate of the CDKN2 gene in malignant gliomas. Cancer Res 1994; 54:6338-9. [PMID: 7987825] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/28/2023]
Abstract
The CDKN2 gene encodes p16, a protein controlling the cell cycle. CDKN2 is deleted in a relevant number of tumor cell lines, but results of the studies in primary tumors are contradictory. We have investigated by using quantitative polymerase chain reaction and single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis the structure of exon 2 of CDKN2 in 32 malignant gliomas. In 11 tumors the amount of amplified material was 21% of that of controls and in 8 tumors it was 42.3%, suggesting the presence of homozygous and hemizygous deletions of the CDKN2 gene, respectively. However, no abnormality could be detected by single-strand conformation polymorphism analysis. The data confirm in primary gliomas that homozygous deletions are a mechanism of CDKN2 inactivation and suggest that another gene in the vicinity could be targeted by mutations.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Giani
- Istituto Nazionale Neruologico C. Besta, Divisione di Biochimica e Genetica, Milan, Italy
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Giani C, Campani D, De Negri F, Gigliotti A, Fabbri R, Bonacci R, Fierabracci P, Mammoli C, Squartini F, Pinchera A. Evidence of epithelial expression of progesterone receptor in breast cancers with marked fibrosis and limited metastatic node diffusion. Ann N Y Acad Sci 1993; 698:148-52. [PMID: 8279753 DOI: 10.1111/j.1749-6632.1993.tb17202.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/29/2023]
MESH Headings
- Adult
- Aged
- Aged, 80 and over
- Breast/pathology
- Breast Neoplasms/metabolism
- Breast Neoplasms/pathology
- Breast Neoplasms/surgery
- Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast/metabolism
- Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast/pathology
- Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast/surgery
- Cells, Cultured
- Epithelium/metabolism
- Epithelium/pathology
- Female
- Fibrosis
- Humans
- Lymphatic Metastasis
- Mastectomy, Radical
- Middle Aged
- Postmenopause
- Premenopause
- Receptors, Estrogen/analysis
- Receptors, Estrogen/biosynthesis
- Receptors, Progesterone/analysis
- Receptors, Progesterone/biosynthesis
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Affiliation(s)
- C Giani
- Istituto di Endocrinologia, University of Pisa, Italy
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Giani C, Campani D, De Negri F, Martini L, Fabbri R, Bonacci R, Ciancia EM, Gigliotti A, Fierabracci P, Pinchera A. Interference of thyroperoxidase on immuno-cytochemical determination of steroid receptors in thyroid tissue. J Endocrinol Invest 1993; 16:37-43. [PMID: 8445155 DOI: 10.1007/bf03345827] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/30/2023]
Abstract
The presence of sexual steroid receptor proteins in thyroid tissue has been previously demonstrated by biochemical means. The aim of this study was to determine the estrogen (ER) and progesterone (PR) receptors in malignant (12 papillary and 1 follicular carcinoma) and nonmalignant (19 multinodular goiters, 1 Graves' disease, 1 Hashimoto's thyroiditis) thyroid diseases using immunocytochemical assay employing monoclonal anti-ER and anti-PR antibodies and the peroxidase-antiperoxidase technique. Positive results were obtained in 24/34 (70%) for ER (ER-ICA+) and 22/34 (64%) for PR (PR-ICA+). To evaluate the possible interference of thyroperoxidase in the immunostaining, in consecutive sections of a positive specimen, primary antibody or primary antibody plus bridging antibody or PAP complex was omitted. Using these modified procedures, staining distribution was similar to that obtained by the standard procedure: in contrast, no staining was found in the positive control, i.e. a breast cancer specimen. The inhibition of the endogenous peroxidase caused a loss of staining in both the standard and modified procedures on thyroid specimens; no staining modification was obtained in the positive control. These results suggest that the staining observed in thyroid tissue is not specific and related to the activity of thyroperoxidase on chromogen solution. The complete loss of staining after peroxidase inhibition appears to be in contrast with the results obtained by biochemical method, and different antigenicity of thyroid receptors in comparison with breast receptors may explain this discrepancy.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Giani
- Istituto di Endocrinologica, Università di Pisa, Italy
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De Negri F, Campani D, Sarnelli R, Martini L, Gigliotti A, Bonacci R, Fabbri R, Squartini F, Pinchera A, Giani C. Comparison of monoclonal immunocytochemical and immunoenzymatic methods for steroid receptor evaluation in breast cancer. Am J Clin Pathol 1991; 96:53-8. [PMID: 2069136 DOI: 10.1093/ajcp/96.1.53] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/30/2022] Open
Abstract
The production of monoclonal antibodies against estrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) has permitted the development of the enzyme immunoassay (EIA) and immunocytochemical assay (ICA) for steroid receptor determination. The results obtained with these two techniques, using the same monoclonal antibodies, were compared in a large series of breast carcinomas (187 for ER and 100 for PR). The correlation between these methods was significant for ER (rs = 0.54) and PR (rs = 0.55) (P less than 0.001) but was lost when the receptor concentrations determined by EIA were less than or equal to 15 and less than or equal to 30 fmol/mg protein for ER and PR, respectively. When these values are considered as cutoffs, the concordance between the two methods was 84.5% for ER and 73% for PR. An analysis of discordant results revealed that low epithelial cellularity generally was present in ICA-positive, EIA-negative specimens, whereas only focal positivity with ICA, or positivity of only normal peripheral mammary ducts and lobules, frequently was found in ICA-negative, EIA-positive tumors. In conclusion, there is good correlation between the results obtained by EIA and ICA methods for detection of ER and PR. The authors suggest that biochemical and histochemical methods for steroid receptors could be considered complementary and used together for the analysis of breast cancer.
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Affiliation(s)
- F De Negri
- Cattedra di Clinica Medica II, University of Pisa S. Anna, Italy
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38
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Giani C, Pinchera A, Breccia M, Campani D, De Negri F, Benigni G, Evangelista G, Miccoli P, Savarese MR, Incensati R. Relationship between Progesterone Receptor and Productive Fibrosis as an Index of Tumor Differentiation in Breast Cancer. Tumori 1988; 74:287-93. [PMID: 2840763 DOI: 10.1177/030089168807400308] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
We studied the relationship between steroid receptors (SR) and various stromal parameters in 100 breast cancers. Each specimen was submitted to SR determination by the dextran-coated charcoal assay and to histologic examination. No relationship was found between the presence of SR and necrosis or fibroblastic cell content. There was an inverse correlation between SR positivity and the extent of lymphocyte infiltration (p < 0.05). ER + PR + status was strongly correlated with marked productive fibrosis (PF) (p < 0.005). When SR were separately assayed, only the presence of PR was correlated with PF (p < 0.005); similar results were obtained for PR levels (p < 0.01). PF was also associated with a higher nuclear grade (p < 0.001). In conclusion, in this study a strong correlation between PR positivity or concentration and extent of PF was demonstrated in breast cancer. Since PR synthesis is an expression of an intact regulatory pathway, our data suggest that stromal production in breast cancer is related to the degree of differentiation of malignant epithelial cells.
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Affiliation(s)
- C Giani
- Istituto di Metodologia Clinica, University of Pisa, Italia
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39
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Fenzi GF, Giani C, Ceccarelli P, Bartalena L, Macchia E, Aghini-Lombardi F, Vitti P, Lari R, Ceccarelli C, Baschieri L. Role of autoimmune and familial factors in goiter prevalence. Studies performed in a moderately endemic area. J Endocrinol Invest 1986; 9:161-4. [PMID: 3711602 DOI: 10.1007/bf03348088] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/07/2023]
Abstract
The goitrogenic role of autoimmune phenomena in endemic goiter is still uncertain. Scanty and discrepant results have been reported in different areas of the world. This prompted us to evaluate the prevalence of circulating thyroid antibodies in an area of North-Western Tuscany during a survey for endemic goiter. The survey was carried out according to the P.A.H.O. criteria in a stable community. In all schoolchildren (n = 142, age range 7-15 yr) and in most of their parents (n = 159), thyroid size was evaluated and urine was collected for iodine determination. Blood was drawn for determination of circulating thyroid microsomal (MAb) and thyroglobulin antibodies (TgAb), TT3, TT4 and TSH. Prevalence of goiter in schoolchildren was 77.9% and 94.8% in their parents. Mean (+/- SD) urinary iodine excretion was 55.0 +/- 2.1 micrograms/24 h. The overall frequency of TgAb and MAb in the adult population was 14.4%, statistically higher than that of control subjects matched for sex and age. The frequency in schoolchildren was 4.3%. The presence of goiter in children was unrelated to the presence of thyroid antibodies in parents, whether goitrous or nongoitrous. A higher prevalence of goiter was found in children with goitrous parents as compared to children with nongoitrous parents (p less than 0.005). In conclusion, the frequency of thyroid autoantibodies in the adult population of the endemic area studied was increased, but showed no relation with the presence of goiter. The prevalence of goiter in children was associated with the presence of goiter but not of thyroid autoantibodies in parents. These data suggest that autoimmune phenomena are of limited importance in the development of endemic goiter.
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Fenzi GF, Bartalena L, Lombardi A, Chiovato L, Macchia E, Giani C, Pinchera A. Thyroid autoimmunity and endemic goiter. Endocrinol Exp 1986; 20:49-56. [PMID: 3486111] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/06/2023]
Abstract
The goitrogenic role of autoimmune phenomena in endemic goiter is still uncertain. Scanty and discrepant results have been reported in different areas of the world. This prompted us to evaluate the prevalence of circulating thyroid antibodies in an area of northwestern Tuscany during a survey for endemic goiter. The survey was carried out according to the P.A.H.O. criteria in a stable community. In all schoolchildren (n = 142; age range 7-15 years) and in most of their parents (n = 159), thyroid size was evaluated and urine was collected for iodine determination. Blood was drawn for determination of circulating thyroid microsomal (MAb) and thyroglobulin antibodies (TgAb). TSH binding-inhibiting (TBIAb) and thyroid growth-stimulating antibodies (TGSAb), TT3, TT4 and TSH. Prevalence of goiter in schoolchildren was 77.9% and 94.8% in their parents. Mean (+/- S.D.) urinary iodine excretion was 55.0 +/- 2.1 micrograms/24 h. The overall frequency of TgAB and MAB in the adult population was 14.4, statistically higher than of control subjects matched for sex and age. The frequency in schoolchildren was 4.3%. TBIAb and TGSAb were undetectable in all tested cases. The presence of goiter in children was unrelated with the presence of thyroid antibodies in parents, whether goitrous or non-goitrois. A higher prevalence of goiter was found in children with goitrous parents as compared to children with non-goitrous parents (P less than less than 0.005). In conclusion, the frequency of thyroid autoantibodies in the adult population of the endemic area studies was increased, but showed no relation with the presence of goiter.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
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Giani C, D'Amore E, Delarue JC, Mouriesse H, May-Levin F, Sancho-Garnier H, Breccia M, Contesso G. Estrogen and progesterone receptors in benign breast tumors and lesions: relationship with histological and cytological features. Int J Cancer 1986; 37:7-10. [PMID: 3000957 DOI: 10.1002/ijc.2910370103] [Citation(s) in RCA: 28] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
The pattern of estrogen (ER) and progesterone receptors (PR) and their relationship to histo- and cyto-pathological parameters has been studied in 97 cases of benign breast disease and benign phyllode tumors (95 women, of whom 76 were premenopausal, and 2 men). Total (cytosolic + nuclear) ER and PR were assayed by a single-saturating dose method using a tris-KCl buffer. The cut-off between positive and negative ER and PR assay was 100 femtomoles/g tissue. All specimens were processed for histological examination: epithelial and fibroblastic proliferation, epithelial/stromal ratio and presence of focal or diffuse hyalinosis. In 33% of the 46 cases of fibrocystic disease one receptor at least was present (13% ER+, 31% PR+). All the 8 cases in which infiltrating epitheliosis was present were PR+ and 4 of them were also ER+. In 72% of the 31 fibroadenomas one receptor at least was present (19% ER+, 71% PR+). In all these cases levels of receptors were lower than in malignant tumors. An inverse correlation between PR + prevalence and fibrohyalinosis was observed; on the other hand a positive relationship between PR + and fibroblastic (p less than 0.001) or epithelial (p less than 0.01) proliferation was found. In all 5 benign phyllode tumors examined PR + were present at a very high level, almost as high as in malignant tumors. Of the 15 other benign breast lesions, all but one (1 hamartoma) were ER- and PR-.
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Fenzi GF, Ceccarelli C, Macchia E, Monzani F, Bartalena L, Giani C, Ceccarelli P, Lippi F, Baschieri L, Pinchera A. Reciprocal changes of serum thyroglobulin and TSH in residents of a moderate endemic goitre area. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf) 1985; 23:115-22. [PMID: 4053410 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2265.1985.tb00205.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 38] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/08/2023]
Abstract
Subjects living in iodine deficient areas were reported to have elevated serum thyroglobulin (Tg) concentrations. This finding was interpreted as related to thyroid stimulation. Discrepant results, however, were found when serum Tg concentrations were correlated either with serum TSH or with goitre size. In this study we investigated the relationships between goitre size, serum Tg and serum TSH in 488 unselected adult subjects living in an endemic area of North-Western Tuscany (Garfagnana district). The control group comprised 352 subjects residing in a non-endemic area. In the endemic area a high prevalence of goitre was found (80.1%), thyroid enlargement being slight to moderate in the majority of cases and very large only in six subjects. Serum Tg concentrations increased and serum TSH levels decreased with the size of goitre. Statistical analysis by the chi-square cross correlation test showed that the converse changes of serum Tg and serum TSH in relation to goitre size were highly significant. These findings indicate that the increase of serum Tg occurring in endemic goitrous subjects may be related to factors other than TSH stimulation. Functional autonomy of the thyroid may account for the finding of low serum TSH and elevated serum Tg values in patients with large goitres. The present data do not exclude the possibility that the release of Tg is influenced by TSH stimulation, but indicate that other factors may be responsible for the increased levels of Tg found in endemic goitre.
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Mariotti S, Cupini C, Giani C, Lari R, Rolleri E, Falco A, Marchisio M, Pinchera A. Evaluation of a solid-phase immunoradiometric assay (IRMA) for serum thyroglobulin: effect of anti-thyroglobulin autoantibody. Clin Chim Acta 1982; 123:347-55. [PMID: 7116651 DOI: 10.1016/0009-8981(82)90181-4] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
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Mariotti S, Martino E, Cupini C, Lari R, Giani C, Baschieri L, Pinchera A. Low serum thyroglobulin as a clue to the diagnosis of thyrotoxicosis factitia. N Engl J Med 1982; 307:410-2. [PMID: 7088115 DOI: 10.1056/nejm198208123070705] [Citation(s) in RCA: 65] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
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Bongiovanni G, Giani C, Innocenti F, Maccari M, Pogliano L. Microencapsulated acetylsalicylic acid. An automatic spectrophotometric method for release determination. Boll Chim Farm 1982; 121:106-16. [PMID: 7126349] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/23/2023]
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Abstract
Measurements of serum thyroglobulin (hTg) were performed using a specific radioimmunoassay. Sera with detectable anti-thyroglobulin (anti-Tg) antibody titers (> or = 1:10) as assessed by passive hemagglutination were discarded. Assays were carried out under conditions in which anti-Tg titers less than 1:10 produced no interference. The assay sensitivity was 1.25 ng/ml and the mean +/- SE concentration of serum hTg in 58 control subjects was 9.5 +/- 0.9 ng/ml (range < 1.25-27 ng/ml). A slight but significant (p < 0.025) increase in the mean hTg level was observed in 12 pregnant women at delivery (25.7 +/- 5.2 ng/ml). Moderate to marked elevations of serum hTg were observed in patients with nontoxic goiter (61.4 +/- 15 ng/ml; n = 23), subacute thyroiditis (138 +/- 67 ng/ml; n = 5), toxic adenoma (129 +/- 47 ng/ml; n = 13), untreated (424 +/- 101 ng/ml; n = 35) or treated (328 +/- 222 ng/ml; n = 14) toxic diffuse goiter. 88 patients with thyroid carcinoma and 10 with nonthyroidal malignancies were studied. The mean level of serum hTg was increased in untreated differentiated thyroid carcinoma (89.5 +/- 19 ng/ml; n = 13) but not in undifferentiated (10 +/- 2.9 ng/ml; n = 6) or medullary (0.8 +/- 0.2 ng/ml; = 3) carcinoma. In treated differentiated thyroid carcinoma the mean hTg levels were normal (8.2 +/- 0.2 ng/ml) in patients (n = 24) with no evidence of either a thyroid residue or metastatic disease, moderately increased (56.6 +/- 16 ng/ml) in patients (n = 27) with residual thyroid tissue, markedly elevated in patients with lymph node metastases (199 +/- 50 ng/ml; n = 5) and extremely elevated in those with bone (4004 +/- 982 ng/ml; n = 8) or lung (2520 +/- 620 ng/ml; n = 5) metastases. There was no significant difference in serum hTg between functioning (n = 23) and nonfunctioning (n = 5) metastases as assessed by 131I whole body scan. A slight but significant (p < 0.0005) increase in the mean concentration of hTg was observed in nonthyroidal malignancies (21.7 +/- 4.5 ng/ml; n = 10). Serial measurements showed a transient increase of serum hTg after 131I therapy of differentiated thyroid carcinoma, toxic diffuse goiter or toxic adenoma, with peak values usually occurring within the first three days. A fall of serum hTg after administration of suppressive doses of thyroid hormone to patients with nontoxic goiter and a rise after discontinuation of thyroid suppressive therapy in patients with metastatic differentiated thyroid carcinoma was observed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)
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Affiliation(s)
- F Pacini
- Cattedra di Patologia Medica II, Università di Pisa, Italy
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Pacini F, Pinchera A, Giani C, Grasso L, Baschieri L. Serum thyroglobulin concentrations and 131I whole body scans in the diagnosis of metastases from differentiated thyroid carcinoma (after thyroidectomy). Clin Endocrinol (Oxf) 1980; 13:107-10. [PMID: 7438460 DOI: 10.1111/j.1365-2265.1980.tb01030.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 58] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/05/2023]
Abstract
Measurements of circulating thyroglobulin (hTg) and 131I whole body scan were performed in 101 patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma who had been subjected to surgical thyroidectomy and 131I ablation of remaining thyroid tissue. All 45 patients with positive scans (i.e. functioning metastases) had elevated hTg concentrations. Of fifty-six patients with negative scans forty-two had undetectable or very low hTg levels and were considered to be free of metastatic thyroid tissue, whereas fourteen showed the presence of non-functioning metastases in the clinical and/or radiological examination. In this group of patients, eleven had elevated serum hTg levels while the other three patients had detectable hTg concentrations within the normal range. These results indicate that serum hTg measurements correlate very well with scan findings and have the added advantage of detecting non-functioning metastases which would not be detected by scanning. We concluded that measurement of serum hTg may be used together with scanning, as the first step in the follow-up of thyroidectomized patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma.
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Ceschel GC, Duncan S, Dall'Olio G, Lupo C, Giani C. [In vitro evaluation of biologic availability of solid peroral dosages]. Boll Chim Farm 1973; 112:645-64. [PMID: 4782260] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/12/2023]
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49
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Chiaramonti D, Giani C, Innocenti F, Segre AD. [Proposed method for analysis of sustained-release drugs]. Farmaco Prat 1970; 25:257-62. [PMID: 5419464] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [MESH Headings] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/15/2023]
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