Tumor-Specific Growth Factor (TSGF): A Futuristic Tumor Biomarker in Early Diagnosis of Cancer

Despite the significant improvement in the treatment modalities, cancer is one of the fastest-growing chronic disease conditions all over the world. Genetic and Epigenetic alterations in the normal physiology of the cell are the key factor for tumor development. These changes can trigger the production of abnormal protein expressions through stimulation of different signaling pathways and can deeply affect normal cell growth and proliferation. Any altered protein expression, genetic variation, micro-RNA or post-translational protein modifications that indicate tumorigenesis can act as an early signal termed as biomarker. Cancer, being a multistep process with accumulating genetic and epigenetic alterations, could be detected early with suitable biomarkers. There are several proteins such as AFP, CA-125, PSA, troponin, CEA, osteopontin, CA 19-9 that act as biomarkers which help in early detection, prognosis, and monitoring of disease progression, a hunt for newer biomarkers with higher specificity and sensitivity is still ongoing. Tumor-specific growth factor (TSGF) is one such budding and prevailing tumor biomarker used for the early-stage detection of several types of carcinomas. TSGF is a gene that helps in tumor angiogenesis and gets released during the preliminary stages from cancer cells that ensure the vascular proliferation of the same. In this review, the clinical investigations of TSGF in different kinds of malignancy is discussed in detail and suggests the possibility of using TSGF as a biomarker in early diagnosis of cancer.

Heritability estimates of atrial fibrillation in Thoroughbred racehorses in Hong Kong and Australia

INTRODUCTION

Atrial fibrillation (AF) is the most common performance-limiting arrhythmia of racehorses. A genetic contribution has been suggested in Standardbred racehorses but has not been investigated in Thoroughbreds. The objective of this study was to determine the heritability of AF in Thoroughbred racehorses.

ANIMALS, MATERIALS AND METHODS

Horses racing between 2007 and 2019 in Hong Kong and Australia that had AF detected postrace via auscultation (n = 463 cases) were compared with five randomly selected racing contemporaries (n = 2,315 controls). The ASReml-R programme was used to fit an animal model to the AF data to estimate heritability using the entire data set and a subset of horses (n = 106 cases) that had electrocardiographic confirmation of AF. Variance components were estimated assuming AF was normally distributed and on the logit-transformed scale. The risk of producing AF-affected offspring was calculated using Fisher's exact test for stallions that sired ≥10 individuals in the case-control population.

RESULTS

Heritability on the underlying scale was 0.064 ± 0.04 (logit animal) and 0.071 ± 0.04 (normal animal) for the entire population and 0.065 ± 0.097 (logit animal) and 0.058 ± 0.11 (normal animal) for electrocardiographic-confirmed AF cases. Of 71 stallions that sired ≥10 individuals, three were more likely to produce affected offspring (odds ratio: 4.05-7.57; p < 0.01). Age (p = 0.991), sex (p = 0.830), and year of birth (p = 0.547) did not contribute to expression.

CONCLUSIONS

Although some stallions were overrepresented amongst affected horses, the heritability of AF in this population of Thoroughbreds was low. Environmental and individual factors contributing to AF development require further investigation.

Plasma HMGB-1 and Nucleosome Concentrations in Horses with Colic and Healthy Horses

Background

Acute gastrointestinal disease occurs commonly in horses. Novel biomarkers might improve the understanding of SIRS and aid diagnosis and determination of prognosis.

Hypotheses

Increased plasma concentrations of the biomarkers HMGB‐1 and nucleosomes are associated with severity of gastrointestinal lesions in horses; concentrations of these biomarkers will be greater in horses with lesions more likely to cause SIRS; and will provide additional information compared with standard biomarkers fibrinogen and SAA.

Animals

Thirty horses with gastrointestinal disease, 22 healthy horses.

Methods

Prospective study. Plasma samples taken on admission were used for measurement of HMGB‐1, nucleosomes, fibrinogen, and SAA. Values were compared between healthy horses and those with gastrointestinal disease, and between horses with gastrointestinal disease grouped by lesion type (inflammatory, strangulating, and nonstrangulating). Correlations between biomarkers were assessed.

Results

Plasma concentrations of all biomarkers were significantly higher in horses with gastrointestinal disease compared to healthy horses (P ≤ .001). HMGB‐1 and nucleosomes were significantly higher in inflammatory and strangulating groups compared to healthy horses (3.5‐fold and 5.4‐fold increases, respectively, for HMGB‐1 (P < .05) and 4.8‐fold and 5.6‐fold increases for nucleosomes (P < .05)), but concentrations in the group with nonstrangulating disease did not differ from healthy horses. There was significant correlation between HMGB‐1 and nucleosomes (Spearman's r = 0.623; P < .001), and fibrinogen and SAA (Spearman's r = 0.801; P < .001) but not between other biomarkers.

Conclusions and Clinical Importance

High mobility group box‐1 and nucleosomes might have use as biomarkers for horses with gastrointestinal disease. Further studies are required to determine kinetics and prognostic value of serial measurements of these biomarkers in horses.

Practical issues in cognitive screening of elderly illiterate populations in developing countries. The Indo-US Cross-National Dementia Epidemiology Study

The study of the epidemiology of dementia, specifically Alzheimer's disease, in developing countries requires specialized instruments and personnel. Cultural and sub-cultural differences among populations are highly relevant to the design of such instruments. Over and above the cultural issues, it is widely recognized that low education and illiteracy pose considerable challenges to reliable and valid cognitive screening. The overall objectives of the Indo-US Cross-National Dementia Epidemiology Study were: a) to determine the prevalence and incidence of, and risk factors for, Alzheimer's and other dementias in a defined Indian community; and b) to compare these results with those found in a defined American community. To achieve these epidemiological objectives, our first task was to develop, systematically and empirically, suitable cognitive and activities assessment screening instruments for use in India, which would 1) be culturally fair, psychometrically sound, and valid for a population with little or no education; 2) be optimally sensitive and specific for dementia; and 3) allow not only the identification but also the more detailed characterization of dementia, and of normal and abnormal cognitive aging. In this paper we address the practical issues involved in the development and administration of the modified cognitive screening battery in our rural Indian context.