Prognostic significance of miR-23b in combination with P-gp, MRP and LRP/MVP expression in non-small cell lung cancer

Recently, miR-23b has emerged as a promising new cancer biomarker but its role in lung cancer has not been established yet. Patients still do not respond well to available treatments, probably due to expression of multidrug resistance (MDR) proteins, such as P-gp, MRP and LRP/MVP. The aim of this study was to determine the role of miR-23b in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and its relationship to the patient outcome together with MDR transporter proteins. We immunohistochemically evaluated expression of P-gp, MRP and LRP/MVP and quantified the relative levels of miR-23b in 62 NSCLC patients´ samples. The prognostic significance of miR-23b and MDR proteins was tested by Kaplan-Meier and Cox-regression analysis. Our results showed that miR-23b is mostly downregulated in NSCLC samples (57/62) and that its upregulation in tumors is connected with longer progression-free survival (PFS; P = 0.065) and overall survival (OS; P = 0.048). The Cox proportional hazard model revealed that the risk of death or relapse in NSCLC patients with miR-23b downregulation increases together with LRP/MVP expression and both risks decrease with miR-23b upregulation (HRPFS = 4.342, PPFS = 0.022; HROS = 4.408, POS = 0.015). Our findings indicate that miR-23b, especially in combination with LRP/MVP expression, might serve as a suitable prognostic biomarker for NSCLC patients.

Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma: the history, current view and new perspectives

The basic principles of lymphoma classification(s) in general have been widely evolving in a course of decades of years wiht the use of contemporary resources and recent cutting edges in hematooncology on a clinical, morphological and molecular level bring new possibilities not only in improvements of diagnostic and prognostic algorithms and also bear new opportunities in so called targeted and tailored strategies of lymphoma therapy. The pathogenesis and biologic behavior of lymphoproliferations and even lymphomas should be studied in a context of lymphocytic and (neoplastic) lymphoid stage and chronologic development. In a current more complex insight into lymphoproliferations we would like to describe huge heterogeneity of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma in relationship to mandatory WHO classification since 2008 and the next development of knowledge in this field with potential new influence on an advancement of both classification and therapy.

Detailed analysis of therapy-driven clonal evolution of TP53 mutations in chronic lymphocytic leukemia

In chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL), the worst prognosis is associated with TP53 defects with the affected patients being potentially directed to alternative treatment. Therapy administration was shown to drive the selection of new TP53 mutations in CLL. Using ultra-deep next-generation sequencing (NGS), we performed a detailed analysis of TP53 mutations' clonal evolution. We retrospectively analyzed samples that were assessed as TP53-wild-type (wt) by FASAY from 20 patients with a new TP53 mutation detected in relapse and 40 patients remaining TP53-wt in relapse. Minor TP53-mutated subclones were disclosed in 18/20 patients experiencing later mutation selection, while only one minor-clone mutation was observed in those patients remaining TP53-wt (n=40). We documented that (i) minor TP53 mutations may be present before therapy and may occur in any relapse; (ii) the majority of TP53-mutated minor clones expand to dominant clone under the selective pressure of chemotherapy, while persistence of minor-clone mutations is rare; (iii) multiple minor-clone TP53 mutations are common and may simultaneously expand. In conclusion, patients with minor-clone TP53 mutations carry a high risk of mutation selection by therapy. Deep sequencing can shift TP53 mutation identification to a period before therapy administration, which might be of particular importance for clinical trials.

Increased lipid peroxidation and abnormal fatty acid profiles in seminal and blood plasma of normozoospermic males from infertile couples

BACKGROUND

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are essential for sperm function. However, excessive ROS production can impair sperm function and might be a factor contributing to male infertility.

METHODS

We investigated the levels of arachidonic acid (AA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) as well as lipid peroxidation, as represented by thiobarbituric acid reactive species (TBARS), in blood and seminal plasma of 38 normozoospermic males from infertile couples (NSI-males), compared with that of 17 fertile volunteers (FV-males).

RESULTS

TBARS levels in blood and seminal plasma were higher in NSI-males than in FV-males (P < 0.0002, P < 0.0003, respectively), as were AA levels (P < 0.0003, P < 0.00004, respectively). On the contrary, the blood and seminal plasma levels of DHA were lower in NSI-males than in FV-males (P < 0.02 and P < 0.05, respectively). The AA/DHA ratios in blood and seminal plasma were higher in NSI-males than in FV-males (P < 0.003, P < 0.0007, respectively). Significant correlations between seminal and blood plasma levels of TBARS (P < 0.0001, r = 0.548), AA (P < 0.0001, r = 0.571) and DHA (P < 0.0001, r = 0.506) were found.

CONCLUSIONS

Our data provide new insight into lipid metabolism in male infertility and indicate that systemic oxidative stress resulting in increased lipid peroxidation and an altered fatty acid profile may be, at least in part, responsible for infertility even in normozoospermic males.

Tumor phenotype and characteristics of metastatic brain involvement in breast cancer patients: Potential clinical consequences

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Background: Central nervous system metastases (CNS) occur in about 20% of patients with breast cancer. Despite the fact that most of these patients die within a few months, substantial subgroup may survive a year or more. Methods: We performed this study on cohort of 187 breast cancer patients who developed CNS metastases to identify relations between the tumor phenotype and the incidence and characteristics of CNS dissemination, response to the local therapy and overall survival since the development of metastases in brain (OScns). Results: The incidence of monitored phenotypes and other data are included in the table. An unambiguous dependence between the tumor's phenotype and the following attributes has been proven: a) interval between the disease diagnosis and the 1st metastatic event (DFS); b) interval between the 1st metastatic event and the metastases in the CNS (TTPcns); c) characteristics of CNS dissemination. The CNS dissemination was the most extensive in patients with HER-2+ tumors in comparison with HER-2 negat. carcinomas. Surprisingly, patients with triple-negative tumors had the minimal metastatic involvement of CNS defined by size and number of lesions. Phenotype did not correlate with local response to therapy and OScns. The OScns has been significantly prolonged by neurosurgery (median 13,8 vs 2,4 months, p<0.0001) and when the effective local treatment was followed by system treatment (6,1 vs 1,9 months, p<0.0001). Conclusions: Our study has confirmed the dependence between primary tumor phenotype and the time of incidence of metastatic brain affection and character of their spread. Our results encourage the inclusion of CNS imaging examination (CT or MRI) into the regular restaging of patients with HER2 positive and triple-negative primary breast cancer, who are at high risk for early development of CNS dissemination. Especially in case of triple-negative tumors, there is higher probability for early detection of limited CNS metastatic involvement.

[Table: see text]

No significant financial relationships to disclose.