Ecosystem carbon dioxide exchange and water use efficiency in a triple-cropping rice paddy in Southern India: A two-year field observation

The lowland tropical triple-cropping rice system has unique characteristics that affect the hydrological, nutrient, and atmospheric environments. To better understand the ecosystem carbon and water dynamics of a triple-cropping rice paddy from the perspective of sustainability, ecosystem-level CO2 flux and ecosystem water use efficiency (eWUE) were observed using eddy covariance over 2 years (2016-2018) at an experimental field site in southern India, and gross primary production (GPP) and ecosystem respiration (RE) were derived using the flux partitioning technique. Results showed that among the three crop seasons per year, GPP and RE were higher (887.2 and 570.2 g C m-2, respectively) in Thaladi (October-January: wet season) than in Kuruvai (June-September: dry season; 773.4 and 568.9 g C m-2, respectively) and summer rice (February-May; 694.0 and 499.7 g C m-2, respectively) owing to the longer growing season. Triple-cropping meant that the quasi-annual GPP of 2598 g C m-2 (i.e., the total value for the three consecutive seasons, including the corresponding fallow periods) was much greater than the quasi-annual RE of 1974 g C m-2. Consequently, the net ecosystem production value was positive (624 g C m-2). Evapotranspiration was also high on the annual scale (1681 mm); that is, 48 % greater than mean annual precipitation (1139 mm). Analysis revealed that Thaladi had higher eWUE (2.21 g C (kg H2O)-1) than that of Kuruvai (1.46 g C (kg H2O)-1) and summer rice (1.57 g C (kg H2O)-1) owing to decreased water loss in cloudy weather. Intense solar radiation is generally recognized as advantageous for crop growth in most regions, but not for Kuruvai and summer rice, when too strong solar radiation increases loss of water unused for photosynthesis. The findings indicate that water-saving techniques should be targeted on the Kuruvai and summer rice seasons.

Dissection of the role of microRNAs in cardiac fibrosis through functional genomics screenings

Funding Acknowledgements

Type of funding sources: Public grant(s) – National budget only. Main funding source(s): FCT, Portuguese Foundation for Science and Technology

Cardiac fibrosis is a maladaptive remodelling process of the myocardium, which results from an over-activation of cardiac fibroblasts into myofibroblasts, excessive deposition of ECM proteins (particularly collagen) and scar formation, ultimately leading to stiffening of the heart wall and greatly compromising heart function.

A deeper knowledge of the molecular and cellular fibrogenic processes is crucial to identify novel targets for therapeutic interventions aimed at diminishing cardiac fibrosis and preventing/reversing cardiac remodelling.

Recent studies have shown that microRNAs control several features of cardiovascular diseases, including cardiac fibrosis. To systematically identify microRNAs that modulate cardiac fibrosis, we performed a series of high-content microscopy functional screenings using a genome-wide library of microRNA mimics (2,588 mature microRNAs). We focused on key phenotypes relevant to cardiac fibrosis, specifically human primary cardiac fibroblast proliferation, myofibroblast differentiation, and deposition of fibrillary collagen under unstimulated and stimulated conditions.

Using this approach, we identified 134 microRNAs that strongly modulate myofibroblast differentiation (4-fold change), as well as a high number of microRNAs that completely block cardiac fibroblast proliferation (166 microRNAs) or that strongly modulate collagen deposition (4-fold change; 227 and 96 microRNAs in unstimulated and stimulated conditions, respectively). Of note, we observed that myofibroblast differentiation is not a pre-requisite for collagen deposition, and that specific microRNAs can modulate these phenotypes independently.

Clustering performed on the global analysis of the phenotypes elicited by each microRNA led to the selection of 92 microRNAs. We confirmed that the phenotypes could be reproduced in human cardiac fibroblasts from different donors and that some of the phenotypes were conserved in fibroblasts isolated from different tissues, including aorta, skin, and lung. Additionally, we performed high-throughput qPCR analysis to identify molecular signatures associated with the effects of these microRNAs on 92 genes implicated in fibrosis-related processes. Based on these data, we selected 8 microRNAs for detailed mechanistic characterization. Seven of these microRNAs strongly block collagen deposition in stimulated conditions, while exhibiting differential effects on cardiac fibroblast differentiation and/or tissue-specific activities, and 1 microRNA increases collagen deposition. Mechanistic studies showed that 3 of these microRNAs target the CDS or 3’UTR of collagen (Col1a1), while the others act through alternative mechanisms.

Overall, our work establishes microRNAs as powerful modulators of multiple processes critical to cardiac fibrosis and offers a unique opportunity for testing different anti-fibrotic approaches based on the differential modulation of these processes by microRNAs.

The association between 11C-methionine uptake, IDH gene mutation, and MGMT promoter methylation in patients with grade II and III gliomas

AIM

To evaluate the association between ¹¹C-methionine positron-emission tomography (¹¹C-methionine PET) findings, isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) gene mutation, and O⁶-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) promoter methylation in patients with grade II and III gliomas.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

Data were collected from 40 patients with grade II and III gliomas who underwent both magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and ¹¹C-methionine PET as part of their pre-surgical examination. IDH mutation was examined via DNA sequencing, and MGMT promoter methylation via quantitative methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR).

RESULTS

A threshold of MGMT promoter methylation of 1% was significantly associated with tumour/normal tissue (T/N) ratio. The T/N ratio in samples with MGMT promoter methylation ≥1% was higher than that in samples with MGMT promoter methylation <1%, and the difference was statistically significant (p=0.011). Reliable prediction of MGMT promoter methylation (<1% versus ≥1%) was possible using the T/N ratio under the receiver operator characteristic (ROC) curve with a sensitivity and specificity of 75% each (cut-off value=1.6: p=0.0226, area under the ROC curve [AUC]=0.76172). Conversely, the T/N ratio had no association with IDH mutation (p=0.6). The ROC curve revealed no reliable prediction of IDH mutation using the T/N ratio (p=0.606, AUC=0.60577).

CONCLUSION

¹¹C-methionine PET parameters can predict MGMT promoter methylation but not IDH mutation status. ¹¹C-methionine uptake may have limited potential to reflect DNA methylation processes in grade II and III gliomas.

Abstract P1-08-27: Advanced stage at diagnosis and worse clinicopathologic features in young woman with breast cancer. A sub-analysis of Brazilian population through the AMAZONA III study (GBECAM 0115)

BACKGROUND: Breast cancer (BC) in young women is uncommon and often more aggressive. There are disparities in terms of screening coverage, diagnostic features and access to optimal treatment among young BC patients worldwide. To better understand this scenario through real world data we performed a sub-analysis of AMAZONA III study. METHODS: The AMAZONA III study (GBECAM 0115) is a prospective registry that included 2950 women newly diagnosed with invasive BC in Brazil during the period of January 2016 to March 2018 within 22 sites. Of them, 2888 patients had valid data regarding age at diagnosis and complete baseline information. For the purpose of comparisons of epidemiologic and clinicopathologic features at the time of diagnosis of BC, patients were divided in two groups: women aged ≤40 years (Group 1) and &gt;40 years (Group 2). Quantitative variables were expressed with mean, while categorical variables were described as their count and percentage and compared using the chi-square test. RESULTS: Of 2888 women, 486 (17%) were ≤40 years of age. No differences were found between ethnicity, performance status, body mass index, personal income, health insurance and family history of cancer between the two groups. Young women had higher educational level (p&lt;0.001), were more involved into a labor activity (p&lt;0.001) and were more frequently married (p&lt;0.001). There were also significant differences regarding nulliparity (p&lt;0.001) and previous use of oral contraceptives (p&lt;0.001). Mode of detection of BC was symptomatic in 73.4% of young group versus 64.5% in older group and screen-detected was only 26.6% vs. 35.5% respectively (p&lt;0.001). Table 1 describes clinicopathological characteristics of the two groups. Young women presented more frequently with stage III,T3/T4, Grade 3 tumors and HER-2 positive, Luminal B and triple negative subtypes. Women older than 40 years had more stage I, Luminal A and Grade 1/2 tumors. CONCLUSION: Brazilian women under the age of 40 have unfavorable clinicopathological features of BC at diagnosis with more aggressive subtypes and advanced stage compared with older women. No differences in socioeconomic and ethnical aspects were found but a higher percentage of young women had symptomatic detection of BC which could explain the later stage of disease at diagnosis. Young women were economically active and the majority married which highlights the socioeconomic impact of this disease in Brazil.

Breast cancer features by age groups at diagnosis in Brazilian women.InformationGroup 1 (≤40 years)Group 2 (&gt; 40 years)p-valueN: 2888486 (16.83%)2402 (83.17%) Stage at diagnosis  p&lt; 0.001I76 (19.2%)541 (27.8%) II156 (39.4%)816 (41.9%) III146 (36.8%)489 (25.1%) IV19 (4.6%)101 (5.2%) Tumor size  p&lt; 0.001T1114 (27.1%)749 (36.9%) T2141 (33.6%)764 (37.6%) T3101 (24.1%)282 (13.9%) T464 (15.2%)235 (11.6%) Tumor grade  p &lt; 0.001Grade 146 (10.7%)381 (17.9%) Grade 2198 (46.2%)1150 (52.0%) Grade 3185 (43.1%)641 (30.1%) Molecular Subtype  p &lt; 0.001Luminal A106 (30.6%)957 (51.3%) Luminal B - HER 2 negative55 (15.8%)212 (11.4%) Luminal B- HER 2 positive79 (22.8%)298 (16.0%) HER 2 positive27 (7.8%)135 (7.2%) Triple negative80 (23.0%)264 (14.1%) 

Citation Format: Franzoi MA, Rosa D, Barrios C, Bines J, Cronemberger E, Queiroz G, Cordeiro de Lima VC, Junior R, Couto J, Emerenciano K, Resende H, Crocamo S, Reinert T, Van Evyl B, Neron Y, Dybal V, Lazaretti N, Costamilan RdC, de Andrade D, Mathias C, Zerwes Vacaro G, Borges G, Silva K, Werutsky G, Morelle A, Sampaio Filho CA, Mano M, Zaffaroni F, Simon S, Liedke PE. Advanced stage at diagnosis and worse clinicopathologic features in young woman with breast cancer. A sub-analysis of Brazilian population through the AMAZONA III study (GBECAM 0115) [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2018 Dec 4-8; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P1-08-27.

Abstract P1-08-29: Current status of clinical and pathological characteristics of breast cancer patients in Brazil: Results of the AMAZONA III study (GBECAM 0115)

BACKGROUND

Breast cancer (BC) is the most common tumor in women in Brazil with about 60 thousand new cases estimated per year. In low and middle-income countries, patients with BC are diagnosed with more advanced stages as compared with high-income countries. In Brazil, disparities in access to new therapies are recognized; previous data suggests worse survival of BC patients treated in the public system. The aim of AMAZONA III study (GBECAM 0115) is to describe the current status of BC care in Brazil. Here we report patients data at baseline.

METHODS

The AMAZONA III is a prospective BC registry that included women 18 years or older with newly diagnosed stage I to IV BC from 22 sites in Brazil in the period of January 2016 to March 2018. All patients provided written informed consent; data was collected from interview and medical charts, comprising clinical-demographic variables, initial treatment and a planned follow-up for 5 years. BC subtypes were defined by hormone receptor (HR) expression, HER2 status and grade according to von Minckwitz G. et al 2012. Here we present a descriptive analysis of the patients' baseline characteristics. Continuous variables are shown as mean (standard-deviation) and categorical variables by its absolute and relative frequencies. The study is registered in clinicaltrials.gov NCT02663973.

RESULTS

A total of 2950 patients were included in the study. Median age at diagnosis was 53 years old (8.4% &lt;= 35 years, 34.8% 36-50 years, 56.8% &gt; 50 years), 58.6% were white, 34.4% had brown skin-color, 83% had children before BC diagnosis (median of 1 child/patient) and 63.1% had public health insurance. In terms of method of detection 34% were screen-detected whereas 66% were symptomatic, the last was even higher (70%) in patients in younger than 50 years. The distribution of BC stage at diagnosis was I (26.4%), II (41.6%), III (27%) and IV (5%). The most common histologies were ductal (80.9%) and lobular carcinoma (6.9%). The pathological characteristics were HR positive in 78.0%, HER-2 positive in 23.4% and grade 2 in 51%. BC subtypes were as follows: Luminal A 48%, Luminal B 12%, Luminal HER2 positive 17%, Non-luminal HER2 positive 7.3% and Triple negative 15.5%.

DISCUSSION

Breast cancer is diagnosed at an earlier age among Brazilian patients. The majority of patients were detected through symptomatic BC and therefore a significant proportion is still diagnosed in stages III and IV. Among other factors, these findings could have a significant impact in treatment outcomes. Further analysis of this large cohort of patients will help to identify other important elements and direct future strategies for breast cancer control.

TRIAL REGISTRY: NCT02663973

KEYWORDS: Breast Cancer; Epidemiology; Treatment; Brazil

Citation Format: Rosa D, Barrios C, Bines J, Werustky G, Cronemberger E, Queiroz GS, Lima VC, Freitas-Júnior R, Couto J, Emerenciano K, Resende H, Crocamo S, Reinert T, Van Eyil B, Néron Y, Dybal V, Lazaretti N, Costamilan RC, Andrade DA, Mathias C, Vacaro GZ, Borges G, Torres KL, Morelle A, Sampaio Filho CA, Mano M, Zaffaroni F, Simon S. Current status of clinical and pathological characteristics of breast cancer patients in Brazil: Results of the AMAZONA III study (GBECAM 0115) [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2018 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2018 Dec 4-8; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2019;79(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P1-08-29.

A Nondestructive Method to Estimate Plant Height, Stem Diameter and Biomass of Rice under Field Conditions Using Digital Image Analysis

Plant phenotyping intends measuring complex plant traits, and is important in agricultural research for enhancing yield improvement. Manual plant phenotyping is laborious and destructive, and hence a less-laborious and non-destructive method is required. Here, we proposed a nondestructive method to estimate continuous data of plant traits such as height, stem diameter and biomass using a low cost time-lapse camera. The camera was installed at a rice field in Japan, and captured images for four target plants every three hour. The plant height and stem diameter were determined from the images by referencing scale bars that were placed next to the target plants and above the ground surface. Both the height and the diameter were compared to directly measured ones, and the relationships between those were in good agreement. Plant volumes were estimated from the height and stem diameter assuming a shape of rice plant is cylindrical. Above ground biomass without panicles was determined by rice plants sampled from the field. The determined biomass increased in proportion to the plant volume, and its relationship used to produce continuous data of the rice biomass. The results suggest that the proposed method can be considered as a useful tool of the plant phenotyping.J. Environ. Sci. & Natural Resources, 10(1): 1-7 2017

Exploring disparities in incidence and mortality rates of breast and gynecologic cancers according to the Human Development Index in the Pan-American region

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate whether a country's Human Development Index (HDI) can help explain the differences in the country's breast cancer and gynecological cancer incidence and mortality rates in the Pan-American region.

STUDY DESIGN

Ecological analysis.

METHODS

Pan-American region countries with publicly available data both in GLOBOCAN 2012 and the United Nations Development Report 2012 were included (n = 28). Incidence and mortality rates age-standardized per 100,000 were natural log-transformed for breast cancer, ovarian cancer, corpus uteri cancer, and cervical cancer. The mortality-to-incidence ratio (MIR) was calculated for each site. Pearson's correlation test and a simple linear regression were performed.

RESULTS

The HDI showed a positive correlation with breast cancer and ovarian cancer incidence and mortality rates, respectively, and a negative correlation with cervical cancer incidence and mortality rates. The HDI and corpus uteri cancer showed no association. MIR and the HDI showed a negative correlation for all tumor types except ovarian cancer. An increment in 1 HDI unit leads to changes in cancer rates: in breast cancer incidence β = 4.03 (95% confidence interval [CI] 2.61; 5.45) P < 0.001, breast cancer mortality β = 1.76 (95% CI 0.32; 3.21) P = 0.019, and breast cancer-MIR β = -0.705 (95% CI 0.704; 0.706) P < 0.001; in cervical cancer incidence β = -3.28 (95% CI -4.78; -1.78) P < 0.001, cervical cancer mortality β = -4.63 (95% CI -6.10; -3.17) P < 0.001, and cervical cancer-MIR β = -1.35 (95% CI -1.83; -0.87) P < 0.001; in ovarian cancer incidence β = 3.26 (95% CI 1.78; 4.75) P < 0.001, ovarian cancer mortality β = 1.82 (95% CI 0.44; 3.20) P = 0.012, and ovarian cancer-MIR β = 5.10 (95% CI 3.22; 6.97) P < 0.001; in corpus uteri cancer incidence β = 2.37 (95% CI -0.33; 5.06) P = 0.83, corpus uteri cancer mortality β = 0.68 (95% CI -2.68; 2.82) P = 0.96, and corpus uteri cancer-MIR β = -2.30 (95% CI -3.19; -1.40) P < 0.001.

CONCLUSIONS

A country's HDI should be considered to understand disparities in breast cancer and gynecological cancer in the Pan-American region.

Abstract P6-16-04: Real World data and patterns of care of metastatic breast cancer (MBC) in Brazil: First results of LACOG 0312 retrospective study

Background

Randomised clinical trials (RCT) are considered a gold standard generating efficacy and safety data supporting drug approval. However, real world data (RWD) reflecting health care delivery is becoming increasingly important. RWD on patient profiles and patterns of care in MBC are scarce in developing countries. As an example, observational studies suggest that despite guideline recommendations clearly indicating ET for hormone receptor positive MBC, a considerable proportion of patients in clinical practice begin chemotherapy in early lines of therapy. This pragmatic information addresses the uptake and applicability of the RCT results and should be able to help informing health care planning complementing RCT generated data. The objective of this study is to describe patient characteristics and evaluate actual physician-reported treatments for MBC in Brazil.

Methods

This analysis addresses the first 362 patients included in LACOG-0312, a retrospective study planning to recruit over 700 patients (cut-off date April 30th 2016) with recurrent locally advanced or MBC diagnosed in 2012 in 18 institutions across Brazil. Patient characteristics, type of health insurance coverage, treatment and survival outcome were analysed.

Results

Median age at BC diagnosis was 53 years and 37% were premenopausal. Regarding the educational level, 63.2% had completed elementary (primary) schooling, 75.7% were covered by the public health system while 24.3% had some form of private coverage. 70% of patients had hormone receptor positive (HR+) and 18% had HER2 positive tumors. Median disease free survival time from surgery was 29 months. Interestingly, 30% of patients underwent a biopsy of a metastatic site. Of the 362 patients, 349 (96.9%) received some form of palliative systemic therapy. Median time from diagnosis of metastatic disease to first-line therapy initiation was 46 days but a significant difference was noted between patients with public versus private health insurance (50 vs. 33 days p=0.012). Half of the patients received at least 3 lines of therapy (chemo or endocrine) to a maximum of 9 lines. In patients with HR+ tumors, endocrine therapy was administered in 47% in first, 65% in second and 61% in third-line, respectively. Median overall survival (OS) from diagnosis of metastatic disease was 34 months (CI 95%: 25.7-44.3) and no differences in OS were observed between patients with public or private coverage (34 months vs. 35 months p=0.808). Causes of death were cancer in 85.2% of patients and treatment toxicity in 3.6%.

Conclusion

Our study included a population with predominantly low educational level and mostly public health insurance. This likely corresponds to the majority of cases and reflects cancer care patterns in Brazil and many developing countries. A considerable proportion of patients were premenopausal at MBC diagnosis. More than half of HR+ patients received at least 3 lines of endocrine therapy although 54% of them had chemotherapy as the first systemic treatment. Patients from the public health system experienced a delay in starting first-line therapy but this didn't seem to jeopardize cancer outcomes in this setting.

Citation Format: Barrios CH, Uema D, Cronenberger E, Lima V, Bines J, de Sant'ana RO, Batista ML, Dybal V, Liedke P, Beato C, Nerón YV, Giacomazzi J, dos Santos L, Ismael G, Azambuja A, Andrade D, Rosa DD, Borges G, Mano M, Martinez-Mesa J, Zaffaroni F, Werutsky G. Real World data and patterns of care of metastatic breast cancer (MBC) in Brazil: First results of LACOG 0312 retrospective study [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 2016 San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium; 2016 Dec 6-10; San Antonio, TX. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2017;77(4 Suppl):Abstract nr P6-16-04.

Abstract P4-12-26: A phase II randomized study of lapatinib in combination with capecitabine, vinorelbine or gemcitabine as first or second line-therapy in patients with HER2 positive metastatic breast cancer progressing after taxane (LACOG 0801)

Background:

Lapatinib-Capecitabine (LC) is approved for the treatment of advanced or metastatic breast cancer (MBC) whose tumors overexpress HER2 and who have received prior therapy including an anthracycline, a taxane (T), and trastuzumab (H). LACOG 0801 evaluated different L-based chemotherapies as first and second-line treatments in MBC.

Methods:

This is a randomized, open label, multicenter, phase II trial of L 1250 mg BID given continuously in combination with C 2000 mg/m2 d1-14 (LC), or Vinorelbine (V) 25mg/m2 d1 and 8 (LV) or Gemcitabine (G) 1000 mg/m2 d1 and 8 (LG), in 21 days cycles. Primary endpoint was ORR (RECIST). Secondary endpoints included progression free survival (PFS), overall survival, tolerability and safety. Patients with HER2 positive MBC who had failed a T-based treatment and who had ≤1 chemotherapy regimen in the metastatic setting were included. Prior therapy with H was not mandatory. Patients were stratified by the presence of liver metastasis, previous use of H, and T administered in the neo/adjuvant or the metastatic setting. With an expected ORR of 23% in the control arm (LC), we hypothesized an absolute increase of 12% in the experimental arms using Simon's design.

Results:

A total of 142 pts from Argentina, Brazil and Peru were included from 2009-2012. Patient baseline characteristics were well balanced between the three arms. Median age was 51y, 58% postmenopausal, 65% ECOG 1, 49% had visceral disease (32% liver metastasis), 57% hormone receptor negative and only 47% had received prior H. Median number of administered cycles was 6 (LC = 5; LV = 7; LG = 6). ORR was 47.1% (95%CI 38.5; 67.1), 55.6% (95%CI 29.6; 60.0) and 41.3% (95%CI 43.2; 73.0) in LC, LV and LG, respectively. Median PFS was 9.1m (95%CI 6.1; 14.7), 7.0m (95%CI 5.0; 9.9) and 6.8m (95%CI 5.8; 9.9) in LC, LV and LG arms respectively. Survival data will be updated. The proportion of patients with at least one adverse event (AE) was 96% in all arms. Most common all grade AE were diarrhea (76%), hand-foot syndrome (HFS) (45%) and vomiting (39%) in LC; diarrhea (71%), neutropenia (68%) and nausea (43%) in LV; diarrhea (64%), neutropenia (60%), anemia and increased ALT both 44% in LG. The most frequent grade 3 and 4 AEs were HFS (18%), diarrhea (6%) and increased ALT/AST (4%) in LC; neutropenia (36%), diarrhea (9%) and febrile neutropenia (6%) in LV; and neutropenia (47%), ALT/AST elevation (13%) and rash (4%) in LG. Discontinuation due to toxicity occurred in 16%, 7% and 20% of patients in arms LC, LV and LG respectively.

Conclusion:

LV and LG seems to be active combinations in patients with HER2 positive MBC after T failure. The high ORR observed in this study might be explained, among other factors, by the inclusion of patients with less prior treatment exposure. No new safety signals where reported with these two novel Lapatinib/chemotherapy combinations. The different side effect profile may help in selecting the most appropriate regimen for a particular patient.

Sponsor: Latin American Cooperative Oncology Group (LACOG) with support from GlaxoSmithKline.

ClinicalTrials.gov number NCT01050322.

Citation Information: Cancer Res 2013;73(24 Suppl): Abstract nr P4-12-26.

Canopy-scale relationships between stomatal conductance and photosynthesis in irrigated rice

Modeling stomatal behavior is critical in research on land-atmosphere interactions and climate change. The most common model uses an existing relationship between photosynthesis and stomatal conductance. However, its parameters have been determined using infrequent and leaf-scale gas-exchange measurements and may not be representative of the whole canopy in time and space. In this study, we used a top-down approach based on a double-source canopy model and eddy flux measurements throughout the growing season. Using this approach, we quantified the canopy-scale relationship between gross photosynthesis and stomatal conductance for 3 years and their relationships with leaf nitrogen content throughout each growing season above a paddy rice canopy in Japan. The canopy-averaged stomatal conductance (gsc ) increased with increasing gross photosynthesis per unit green leaf area (Ag ), as was the case with leaf-scale measurements, and 41-90% of its variation was explained by variations in Ag adjusted to account for the leaf-to-air vapor-pressure deficit and CO2 concentration using the Leuning model. The slope (m) in this model (gsc versus the adjusted Ag ) was almost constant within a 15-day period, but changed seasonally. The m values determined using an ensemble dataset for two mid-growing-season 15-day periods were 30.8 (SE = 0.5), 29.9 (SE = 0.7), and 29.9 (SE = 0.6) in 2004, 2005, and 2006, respectively; the overall mid-season value was 30.3 and did not greatly differ among the 3 years. However, m appeared to be higher during the early and late growing seasons. The ontogenic changes in leaf nitrogen content strongly affected Ag and thus gsc . In addition, we have discussed the agronomic impacts of the interactions between leaf nitrogen content and gsc . Despite limitations in the observations and modeling, our canopy-scale results emphasize the importance of continuous, season-long estimates of stomatal model parameters for crops using top-down approaches.

Production of in vivo-biotinylated rotavirus particles

Although inserting exogenous viral genome segments into rotavirus particles remains a hard challenge, this study describes the in vivo incorporation of a recombinant viral capsid protein (VP6) into newly assembled rotavirus particles. In vivo biotinylation technology was exploited to biotinylate a recombinant VP6 protein fused to a 15 aa biotin-acceptor peptide (BAP) by the bacterial biotin ligase BirA contextually co-expressed in mammalian cells. To avoid toxicity of VP6 overexpression, a stable HEK293 cell line was constructed with tetracycline-inducible expression of VP6–BAP and constitutive expression of BirA. Following tetracycline induction and rotavirus infection, VP6–BAP was biotinylated, recruited into viroplasms and incorporated into newly assembled virions. The biotin molecules in the capsid allowed the use of streptavidin-coated magnetic beads as a purification technique instead of CsCl gradient ultracentrifugation. Following transfection, double-layered particles attached to beads were able to induce viroplasm formation and to generate infective viral progeny.

New drugs in medical oncology: new difficulties to distinguish drug-induced side effects from cancer complications: a case-report

We report the case of a woman with a metastatic breast cancer, who started a third-line treatment with dasatinib, a new oral tyrosine kinase inhibitor, and who developed, one week later, a progressive breathless sensation. Workup demonstrated pleuropericardial effusion that turned out to be a side effect of this new investigational drug. Although this dasatinib-induced side effect is well known, this case clearly illustrates the importance of an accurate diagnosis and adequate treatment of complications of new agents which are easy to use since most of them are orally taken, and the difficulty to clearly separate drug origin and cancer morbidities. The patient recovered completely one month after discontinuation of dasatinib. In this report, we will review the differential diagnosis and management of pleuropericardial effusion.

Phase I trial of zalutumumab and irinotecan in metastatic colorectal cancer patients who have failed irinotecan- and cetuximab-based therapy

e15028

Background: Zalutumumab is a novel human IgG1 anti-EGFR mAb. We investigated the safety of zalutumumab and irinotecan in heavily pretreated mCRC patients. Methods: Metastatic CRC patients with documented progression (PD) during or within 6 months of stopping cetuximab and irinotecan based therapy were eligible. No prior treatment with anti-EGFR antibodies other than cetuximab was allowed. Patients received weekly doses of zalutumumab 8mg/kg and 16 mg/kg respectively in combination with irinotecan (180 mg/m2) every second week until PD or unacceptable toxicity. Results: The maximum tolerated dose was not reached and no patients experienced any dose limiting toxicity. At data cut-off (18-Dec-08) 4 patients had died (no cases of death were considered related to zalutumumab), 4 were off study due to PD and 1 was still ongoing ( Table 1 ). In total, 6 patients experienced one or more grade 3/4 toxicities (diarrhea 2; neutropenia 2; leucopenia 1; abdominal pain 1; pulmonary embolism 1; alopecia 1). Conclusions: Zalutumumab can be safely administrated in doses up to 16mg/kg in combination with irinotecan in mCRC patients failing cetuximab and irinotecan based therapy. Zalutumumab and irinotecan resulted in durable stable disease warranting further investigation of this regimen.

[Table: see text]

[Table: see text]

AMPK and ACC phosphorylation: effect of leptin, muscle fibre type and obesity

Leptin stimulates fatty acid oxidation via the phosphorylation of AMPK (AMP-activated protein kinase) and ACC (acetyl-CoA carboxylase). Obesity is associated with resistance to the effects of leptin. We determined the action of leptin on AMPKalpha and ACCbeta phosphorylation and lipid metabolism in soleus (SOL) and extensor digitorum longus (EDL) muscles from lean and obese Wistar rats after 1 and 100 nM leptin. Both leptin doses stimulated phosphorylation of AMPKalpha and ACCbeta (P<or=0.05) only in EDL muscles from lean animals. Malonyl-CoA levels were decreased in EDL muscles from lean animals after 1 and 100 nM leptin and significantly after 100 nM leptin in obese animals (P<or=0.05). Long-chain fatty acyl-CoA concentrations were decreased in EDL muscles from both phenotypes after 100 nM leptin. AMPK activation by leptin occurred independently of energy-related metabolites. These data demonstrate that the leptin effect on AMPKalpha and ACCbeta is muscle fibre type dependent and fails in diet-induced obesity.

Natural cadmium loading and balance in a non-polluted rice paddy field in Japan

We determined the natural Cd balance in a cultivated rice paddy field in Japan. The main sources of Cd in the non-polluted paddy field were phosphorus fertilizer and precipitation (annual input of Cd, 2,000 mg ha(-1) and 1,020 mg ha(-1), respectively). These sources account for 95% of the total input of Cd (3,192 mg ha(-1)). The actual increase of Cd in the soil was 0.0016 mg kg(-1), we thus consider Cd in soil increases only slightly as a result of rice culture. This study indicates that it is difficult to reduce Cd loading by irrigation water treatment in a non-polluted paddy field. This further indicates that once a field is polluted by Cd it is difficult to decrease the accumulated Cd by the ordinary cultivation of rice plants.

Dose-response effects of different plant sterol sources in fat spreads on serum lipids and C-reactive protein and on the kinetic behavior of serum plant sterols

OBJECTIVE

To test the dose-response effect on low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-c) of plant sterols (PS) from different sources in a low-fat spread.

METHODS

Dose responses of soybean oil (BO), tall oil (TO) and a mix of tall oil and rapeseed oil (TO/RP) as fatty acid esters were tested in a parallel design in free-living subjects recruited from the general community who had elevated cholesterol concentrations. Subjects received either control for 6 weeks or 1.6 g PS per day for 3 weeks, then 3.0 g/day for 3 weeks.

RESULTS

LDL-c was lowered significantly by consumption of 1.6 g/day of PS (-10.4%, range -7.3 to -11.4%). Increasing the dose to 3.0 g/day modestly reduced LDL-c concentrations further to -14.7%. TO, containing 78% sitosterol, produced an increase in serum sitosterol of 6.5 nmol/ml, while BO, containing only 27% campesterol, produced an increase in serum campesterol of 9.5 nmol/ml in 6 weeks. After PS withdrawal, serum sterols declined by 50% within 2 weeks.

CONCLUSION

Different PS sources were equally effective in lowering serum LDL-c concentrations. The decrease in absolute concentrations of LDL-c was dependent on the baseline concentrations.

Phase I safety and pharmacokinetics of BAY 43-9006 administered for 21 days on/7 days off in patients with advanced, refractory solid tumours

BAY 43-9006 is a novel dual-action Raf kinase and vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR) inhibitor that targets tumour cell proliferation and tumour angiogenesis. This Phase I study was undertaken to determine the safety profile, maximum tolerated dose (MTD), dose-limiting toxicities (DLTs), pharmacokinetics, and tumour response profile of oral BAY 43-9006 in patients with advanced, refractory solid tumours. BAY 43-9006 was administered daily for repeated cycles of 21 days on/7 days off. A total of 44 patients were enrolled at doses from 50 to 800 mg b.i.d. Pharmacokinetic profiles of BAY 43-9006 in plasma were determined during the first treatment cycle. The most frequently reported adverse events over multiple cycles were gastrointestinal (75%), dermatologic (71%), constitutional (68%), pain (64%), or hepatic (61%) related. A MTD of 400 mg b.i.d. BAY 43-9006 was defined. BAY 43-9006 was absorbed rapidly; steady-state conditions were reached within 7 days. BAY 43-9006 exposure increased nonproportionally with increasing dose. In all, 32 patients were evaluated for tumour response: 15 patients showed tumour progression, 16 patients experienced stable disease (>6 months in eight patients), and one patient with renal cell carcinoma achieved a partial response. BAY 43-9006 given for 21 days with 7 days off treatment was safe, well tolerated, and showed antitumour activity.

Electrochemical sensing of the behaviour of oligonucleotide lipoplexes at charged interfaces

Complexes between short oligodeoxynucleotides (ODN) with a variable dG(x)dC(y) base composition and liposomes composed of the cationic lipid DOTAP (ODN lipoplexes) were studied by differential pulse voltammetry at a glassy carbon electrode. Since lipoplexes are spontaneously formed by electrostatic interactions, the objective of the voltammetric study was to investigate their behaviour at the electrode surface/solution interface. It was verified that the peak current in the voltammograms for ODN lipoplexes was due to guanosine oxidation and that it was influenced both by the applied adsorption potential and the lipoplex (+/-) charge ratio used. It was found that for low ODN lipoplexes (+/-) charge ratios the peak current obtained was enhanced when compared to that registered with free ODN for the same concentration. This allowed a higher sensitivity in the determination of ODN by differential pulse voltammetry and a limit of detection of 5.5 ng/mL was achieved. A model that explains the organisation of ODN lipoplexes at the electrode surface/solution interface is proposed. The electrochemical results presented account for a better physicochemical characterisation of lipoplexes at charged interfaces, which can be important for the understanding and development of gene therapy vectors based on ODN lipoplexes.

Correlation between topoisomerase-IIalpha gene amplification and protein expression in HER-2 amplified breast cancer

Topoisomerase-IIalpha (topo-II) is a molecular target for topo-II inhibitors, which makes it a potential predictive marker of responsiveness to these agents. We aim to correlate topo-II gene and protein status on 103 HER-2 amplified breast cancer samples. Paraffin-embedded blocks were screened by FISH for topo-II gene amplification (topo-II: CEP17 ratio >/=1.5; triple probe by Vysis inc.) and analyzed by IHC for topo-II protein expression (continuous variable; clone KiS1) and Ki-67 (positive if >25% of stained cells; clone MIB-1). Topo-II gene amplification was observed in 36.9% (38/103) of the HER-2 amplified study population. HER-2 amplification level (e.g. copy number) was not shown to be predictive for topo-II amplification. The median percentage of topo-II positively stained cells by IHC for topo-II non-amplified and amplified cases were 5% and 10%, respectively. A weak but significant correlation was observed between topo-II gene amplification level and percentage of positively stained cells (Spearman's ranks correlation coefficient of 0.23, p=0.02), the observed correlation being higher in patients with positive staining for Ki-67. Contrary to HER-2, where gene amplification is almost always correlated with protein overexpression in breast cancer, topo-II gene amplification apparently does not always lead to protein overexpression, at least when the latter is evaluated by IHC. Other factors, specifically the tumor proliferation status, may interfere with the topo-II protein status. Although the great majority of topo-II gene aberrations occur in HER-2 positive tumors, the level of HER-2 amplification does not predict for topo-II amplification.

The pipeline of new anticancer agents for breast cancer treatment in 2003

In recent years, strategy in cancer therapy in general, and breast cancer in particular, has been the use of maximum tolerated doses of toxic non-specific agents as well as the investigation of a range of new agents that specifically target tumor-related molecules, in a variety of biological pathways. The trial of chemotherapy (CT) versus chemotherapy+trastuzumab (Herceptin) in HER-2-overexpressing metastatic breast cancer (MBC) was one of the first to use a biological agent in combination with chemotherapy with success and, together with some trials of taxanes in anthracycline-resistance patients one of the few to demonstrate an overall survival (OS) advantage in MBC. Five main molecular pathways are of particular interest in terms of new drug development in breast cancer: the estrogen receptor (ER) pathway, the tyrosine kinase signal transduction pathway, the cell cycle regulation pathway, the apoptosis pathway and the angiogenesis pathway. This review will focus on new agents, cytotoxic, hormonal and molecular-targeted, which are in advanced clinical stages of development for the treatment of MBC.

Second malignancies following adjuvant chemotherapy: 6-year results from a Belgian randomized study comparing cyclophosphamide, methotrexate and 5-fluorouracil (CMF) with an anthracycline-based regimen in adjuvant treatment of node-positive breast cancer patients

BACKGROUND

Alkylating agents and topoisomerase-II inhibitors have been associated with the occurrence of secondary leukemias and myelodysplastic syndromes in breast cancer patients treated with adjuvant chemotherapy. Conversely, data on the occurrence of second solid malignancies in this setting are scarce.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

This study retrospectively evaluates the occurrence of second hematological and solid malignancies in the context of a prospective multicenter phase III trial comparing epirubicin-cyclophosphamide at intermediate doses (EC), or at full doses (HEC), with classical cyclophosphamide, methotrexate and 5-fluorouracil (CMF) in 777 patients with early breast cancer.

RESULTS

At a median follow-up of 73 months, the following 8-year actuarial rates of second solid primaries were observed: CMF 5.5% [95% confidence interval (CI) 1.5% to 9.5%], EC 4.1% (95% CI 0.1% to 8.1%), and HEC 7.2% (95% CI 3.2% to 11.2%) (P = 0.79 by log rank test). Three secondary acute myeloid leukemias (AML) were reported, all in the HEC arm (incidence = 1.2%, 95% CI 0.0% to 2.5%), which by a three arm comparison allows us to conclude that HEC is statistically different (borderline significance) from CMF and EC (P = 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

HEC, as delivered in this trial, cannot be recommended in clinical practice because of the lack of superiority over classic CMF and because of the increased risk of AML observed in this arm. Prolongation of conventional anthracycline-based treatment beyond the current standard of four to six cycles is not recommended in clinical practice.

Frequent expression of smooth muscle markers in malignant fibrous histiocytoma of bone

BACKGROUND/AIMS

Malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH) of bone, a relatively rare primary malignant bone tumour, is a distinct clinicopathological entity as opposed to MFH derived from soft tissue. Although the true histogenesis of this condition is still controversial, a considerable number of cases of MFH in soft tissue show positive immunohistochemical reactivity for muscle markers such as desmin, common muscle actin (HHF35), and alpha smooth muscle actin (SMA), suggesting that MFH cells are myofibroblastic in nature.

METHODS

This study investigated immunoreactivity for several different muscle markers in 19 cases of MFH of bone together with reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) analysis on frozen tissue samples that were available in four cases, and compared the data with those found in 11 cases of osteosarcoma and 11 cases of soft tissue MFH treated over the same period.

RESULTS

Immunohistochemistry revealed that MFH of bone showed relatively frequent expression of smooth muscle markers, including calponin (nine cases), alpha-SMA (nine cases), and SM22alpha (18 cases), and this was confirmed by RT-PCR analysis. However, only one, two, and three cases of MFH of bone showed positive staining for desmin, MyoD1, and HHF35, respectively. Similarly, 11 osteosarcoma cases were relatively frequently positive for alpha-SMA (five cases), calponin (four cases), and SM22alpha (seven cases), and less frequently positive for desmin (one case), MyoD1 (none), and HHF35 (none). In contrast, very few MFH of soft tissue cases (n = 11) showed positive reactivity for all of these muscle markers. It has recently been reported that human bone marrow stromal cells also express various kinds of smooth muscle markers including alpha-SMA and calponin.

CONCLUSIONS

These results suggested that MFH of bone may derive from mesenchymal stromal cells in bone marrow and has a more myofibroblastic differentiation than soft tissue MFH.

Pancreatitis induced by valproic acid: report of a case

A 22-year-old woman with intellectual impairment, who had been taking valproic acid continuously for 19 years since being diagnosed with epiloia at the age of 3 years, presented to our hospital following the sudden development of epigastric pain. An abdominal computed tomography scan revealed acute exacerbation of chronic pancreatitis. Conservative treatment was initiated, despite which the pancreatitis became exacerbated, necessitating resection of the pancreatic head and duodenum. Histological examination of the resected specimens revealed a large number of pancreatic calculi in the main pancreatic duct, suggesting chronic pancreatitis with fibrosis at the periphery. The incidence of pancreatitis developing in association with valproic acid is unclear; however, only 40 such cases have been reported in the English literature. Most of the patients previously described presented with acute pancreatitis in the initial stage. However, the clinical course of our patient, with acute exacerbation following a relatively chronic course, was different from those previously described, suggesting the presence of chronic pancreatitis related to valproic acid.

Malignant mesenchymoma of the lower leg

A 24 year old man had a two year history of a painless mass on his right popliteal region. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated a 6 x 8 cm tumour mass in the lateral gastrocnemius. Histological examination of the tumour resected by radical surgery revealed that it consisted of myoblastic sarcoma and chondrosarcoma. Immunohistochemical studies were positive for Ki-67 and p53 throughout the area and for S-100 protein in the chondrosarcomatous area; in addition, they showed partial positivity for muscle common actin (HHF-35), smooth muscle actin, and myoglobin in the spindle cells. The percentages of Ki-67, p53, and p21/WAF1 positive cells in the spindle cell component were 34%, 65.7%, and < 0.1%, respectively. In addition, staining was negative for pancytokeratin, desmin, and glial fibrillary acidic protein. The SYT-SSX, TLS-CHOP, and EWS-FLI1 fusion genes were not detected using the reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Given the results, the definitive histological diagnosis is malignant mesenchymoma. This is the first report of malignant mesenchymoma of the lower leg with immunohistochemical and molecular studies.

Primary subclavian venous thrombosis which developed after sleeping with the arm in an outstretched position: report of a case

Primary subclavian venous thrombosis is more rare than secondary thrombosis. This type of thrombosis is called "effort thrombosis" or Paget-Schroetter syndrome, and develops after a strenuous effort of the superior limb. A day after a 55-year-old man got drunk and slept in the left lateral position in combination with an abducted and elevated position of the left superior limb, he became aware of swelling and an oppressive feeling in his left superior limb and was admitted 9 days later. Thrombus of the left axillary-subclavian vein was confirmed by venography, and thrombolytic therapy with urokinase was performed immediately. The left arm symptoms improved for the most part. Venography after the therapy revealed thrombolysis at the site of the axillary vein, while the subclavian vein enhanced the collateral vessel pathway. The patient was discharged on the seventh hospital day, and anticoagulant therapy with oral warfarin sodium has since been continued. This is considered to be a rare case of subclavian venous thrombosis caused by sleeping in an abnormal position with the arm outstretched.

Prognostic value of ground-glass opacity found in small lung adenocarcinoma on high-resolution CT scanning

OBJECTIVE

This study was undertaken to investigate the value of the ground-glass opacity (GGO) area found on high-resolution computed tomography (HRCT) scanning as a preoperative prognostic indicator.

PATIENTS AND METHODS

We studied 104 patients with small-sized lung adenocarcinoma, 20 mm or less in diameter, between 1995 and 1999. Three independent radiologists semi-quantitatively scored the extent of GGO on HRCT as greater than or less than 50%. Three independent pathologists semi-quantitatively scored the extent of the bronchioloalveolar carcinoma (BAC) component of the tumor on histologic examination as greater than or less than 50%. As no relapse occurred in patients with GGO greater than 50%, multivariate analysis of this prognostic factor was not possible.

RESULTS

Fifty patients were scored as having both BAC and GGO greater than 50%, 36 as both BAC and GGO less than 50%, and 16 as BAC greater than 50% and GGO less than 50%. In only two patients (1.9%), BAC less than 50% was overestimated on HRCT as GGO greater than 50%. The sensitivity and specificity of GGO to BAC were 76 and 95%, respectively. The 3 year-relapse-free survival rates in each group of 52 patients with GGO greater than and less than 50% were 100 and 72%, respectively, after a median follow-up of 24 months. Univariate analysis indicated that both GGO and BAC areas were significantly correlated with cancer relapse (P=0.005 and P=0.002). The multivariate analysis revealed an independent prognostic influence of the BAC area on relapse-free survival (P=0.015, relative risk=0.07).

CONCLUSIONS

To date there has been no relapse among the 52 patients with GGO greater than 50%. This novel classification based on the semiquantitative analysis of GGO area on HRCT should become an useful independent preoperative indicator when deciding on operative procedure, and to predict the potential of relapse in patients with small adenocarcinoma arising from the peripheral lung.

Second nation-wide study of atherosclerosis in infants, children and young adults in Japan

This paper reports the results of the second nation-wide cooperative study of atherosclerosis in young Japanese, aged from 1 month to 39 years, who were autopsied between 1991 and 1995. Atherosclerotic lesions in 1066 aortas and 974 coronary arteries were classified into fatty streaks, fibrous plaques and complicated lesions and quantificated with the point-counting method. The results of this study were compared with those of the former study, which was conducted 13 years earlier in almost the same fashion as this study. Atherosclerosis of aorta, which was determined by surface involvement (SI) of atherosclerotic lesions and atherosclerotic index (AI), increased with age in both sexes of the former and the present studies and their tendency for the progression of the extent of atherosclerotic lesions appeared to be similar. In the coronary arteries, the mean values of SI and AI in the males of the present study were greater significantly than those in the male of the former studies and in the female of the both studies in the third and fourth decades. This difference suggests that atherosclerotic lesions are increasing in young Japanese males. It also suggests that these subjects may be increasingly susceptible to atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease with increasing age.

Early detection of lung cancer with laser-induced fluorescence endoscopy and spectrofluorometry

STUDY OBJECTIVES

We performed a clinical trial of laser-induced fluorescence endoscopy (LIFE) for detection of precancerous lesions and cancer including carcinoma in situ (CIS), which are difficult to detect by white-light bronchoscopy.

DESIGN

Results with LIFE were compared with the criterion standard, white-light bronchoscopy. The evaluation of these endoscopic results spectrofluorometrically was examined, and pixels of LIFE images composed of digital signals for the intensities of red and green were analyzed.

SETTING

Tertiary-level hospital treating referrals and subjects with suspicious results in mass screening.

PATIENTS

We examined 65 subjects with suspected lung cancer by both methods, and performed biopsy on 216 lesions.

RESULTS

The accuracy of diagnosis by white-light bronchoscopy, with histopathologic results as the standard, was 48.6%. The accuracy by LIFE was 72.7%. The sensitivity of conventional bronchoscopy for detection of severe dysplasia (21 biopsy specimens) or cancer (28 biopsy specimens) was 61.2% and specificity was 85.0%. With results by LIFE added, these values were 89.8% and 78.4%, respectively. Of nine patients with CIS, only LIFE showed one lesion, and only LIFE showed the extent of seven of the lesions. The autofluorescence of eight lesions was measured spectrofluorometrically; normal bronchial tissue, severe dysplasia, and cancerous tissue had spectral differences. The red/green intensity of cancers on histograms of LIFE images generally was greater than the ratios for metaplasia or normal bronchial wall.

CONCLUSIONS

Use of both methods should facilitate early detection. Evaluation by spectrofluorometry and analysis of digital signal intensity of results by LIFE make results more objective.

Cellular zinc status regulates cytomegalovirus major immediate-early promoter

Diethylenetriaminepenta-acetic acid (DTPA) inhibits human cytomegalovirus (CMV) replication in vitro, although the mechanism has remained unclear. The present study shows that DTPA inhibits CMV major immediate-early (MIE) promoter activity in a luciferase reporter assay, whereas its enhancer-less promoter was not affected. The inhibitory effect of DTPA on CMV MIE promoter activity was abrogated by stoichiometric amounts of cations in the following (decreasing) order, Zn(2+)>Co(2+)>Ni(2+)>Cu(2+)>Fe(3+)>Fe(2+), but not by Mn(2+). These cations bind to DTPA and may limit the zinc-chelating capability. In the absence of DTPA, exogenous zinc activated CMV MIE promoter activity in a dose-dependent manner, but not its enhancer-less promoter. The intracellular metallothionein content of DTPA- and cation-treated cultures was significantly correlated with CMV MIE promoter activity. DTPA may inhibit CMV replication by regulating CMV MIE promoter activity through controlling the availability of cellular zinc. Since the CMV MIE promoter has no consensus sequence for a metal responsive element, a novel mechanism for metal-regulated transcription may be involved in this process.

Prostaglandin E2 directly inhibits bone-resorbing activity of isolated mature osteoclasts mainly through the EP4 receptor

Prostaglandins (PGs) are well known to be important local factors in regulating bone formation and resorption. PGE2 is a potent stimulator of bone resorption because of enhancing osteoclast formation by its indirect action through stromal cells. However, the direct action of PGE2 on functionally mature osteoclasts is still controversial. In this study using highly purified rabbit mature osteoclasts, we examined the direct effect of PGE2 on osteoclastic bone-resorbing activity and its mechanism. PGE2 inhibited resorption pit formation on a dentine slice by the purified osteoclasts in a dose- and time-dependent manner. The inhibitory effect appeared as early as 4 hours after the PGE2 addition. Forskolin and 12-0-tetradecanoyl phorbol-13-acetate (TPA), respective activators of adenylate cyclase and protein kinase C, also decreased the osteoclastic bone-resorbing activity. PGE2 increased the content of intracellular cAMP in a dose range effective for the inhibition of bone resorption, whereas the prostanoid did not alter the intracellular level of inositol triphosphate. The inhibition of osteoclastic bone resorption by PGE2 was amplified and diminished by a cAMP phosphodiesterase inhibitor (isobutyl methylxanthine) and a protein kinase A inhibitor (Rp-cAMP), respectively. Of four different subtypes of PGE2 receptors (EPs), EP4 mRNA was predominantly expressed in isolated osteoclasts, whereas the other types of EP mRNA were detected in only small amounts. These results suggest that the PGE2 inhibitory effect was mediated by an adenylate cyclase system coupled with EP4. This possible association of PGE2 with EP4 in mature osteoclasts was supported by the finding that a specific agonist of EP4 (AE-604) inhibited the bone-resorbing activity and elevated the intracellular cAMP content. However, butaprost, a selective EP2 agonist, also mimicked the PGE2 effects on isolated osteoclasts although EP2 mRNA expression was minimal. In conclusion, PGE2 directly inhibits bone-resorbing activity of functionally mature osteoclasts by activation of the adenylate cyclase system, perhaps mainly through EP4.

[Diagnosis and treatment of small peripheral lung cancer]

Recently, routine clinical use of CT scan has enabled the detection of many small pulmonary nodules. Concurrently, high-resolution CT(HRCT) has made great advances in the diagnosis of small peripheral lung cancer. In the tumor of adenocarcinoma, non-invasive bronchioloalveolar carcinoma(BAC) component having a replacement growth pattern of alveolar lining cells shows ground-glass opacity(GGO) on HRCT. On the basis of analysis of small peripheral adenocarcinoma (= < 2 cm), patients with tumors showing > = 50% GGO had no metastatic tendency. Therefore, simple wedge resection may be acceptable as a radical operation. On the other hand, since patients with tumors < 50% GGO had slight metastatic tendency depending upon the tumor size, segmentectomy with mediastinal lymph node sampling should be considered only for tumors = < 15 mm.

Methylcobalamin decreases mRNA levels of androgen-induced growth factor in androgen-dependent Shionogi carcinoma 115 cells

Methylcobalamin (MeCbl) is an important enzyme cofactor required for methionine synthase activity. It also inhibits, in a dose-dependent manner, the proliferation of an androgen-dependent cell line, SC-3, derived from an androgen-dependent mouse mammary tumor (Shionogi carcinoma 115). In SC-3 cells, androgen induces the production of androgen-induced growth factor (AIGF), an autocrine growth factor increasing the proliferation of SC-3 cells. MeCbl treatment suppressed the androgen-induced, AIGF-mediated growth of SC-3 cells, as well as the androgen-induced increase of AIGF mRNA. In SC-3 cells, androgen receptors linked with androgen form complexes that tightly bind DNA and act as transcription factors in the nucleus to regulate the expression of specific genes such as AIGF. The number and dissociation constants of androgen receptors in control and MeCbl-treated SC-3 cells were the same. Similarly, the extent of binding of normal androgen receptors in nuclei from control and MeCbl-treated cells was virtually identical. The androgen receptors from control and MeCbl-treated cells showed similar capacities for conversion to a form that tightly binds to DNA on heat activation. These results suggest that the reduction of AIGF mRNA, subsequent to the nuclear binding of androgen receptors, may be a partial cause of the growth-inhibitory activity of MeCbl in SC-3 cells.

Primary primitive neuroectodermal tumor of the lung: report of two cases

Two cases of primitive neuroectodermal tumor of the lung are reported. The first case is a 41-year-old man with a tumor in the left upper lung, and the second case is a 30-year-old woman with a tumor in the right lower lung. In both cases, the tumors originated in the lung but not in the chest wall. No distant metastasis was detected. In case 1, transcutaneous fine-needle biopsy (TCNB) revealed small round cell proliferation, although bronchoscopic examination showed no abnormal findings. Both the expression of Mic2 protein and t(11;22)(q24;q12) translocation were proved in the tumor cells. The tumor cells were positive for periodic acid-Schiff (PAS), neuron-specific enolase (NSE), and vimentin, but negative for Leu7, chromogranin A, and pro-gastrin-releasing peptide (ProGRP). In case 2, bronchoscopic examination showed only compressive change in right lower lobe bronchi. TCNB revealed small round tumor cells expressing Mic2 protein. The tumor cells were negative for leukocyte common antigen, S100 protein, pankeratin, chromogranin A, and desmin, but weakly positive for NSE and moderately positive for Ki-67 (MIB1). Both patients were successfully treated by the combination of surgical resection and chemotherapy, and are alive with no sign of recurrence for approximately 22 months in case 1 and 16 months in case 2.

Incidence rate of satellite tumors in renal cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND

Nephron-sparing surgery for incidentally detected small renal tumors has been performed. The main objection to such surgery concerns the incidence rate of satellite renal tumors. In this study, the authors analyzed the rate of incidence and proliferative potential of satellite renal tumors.

METHODS

The tumors of 124 renal cell carcinoma patients with a clinically identified unilateral and single tumor measuring </=90 mm who were examined between November 1991 and May 1997 were analyzed prospectively. The authors determined whether these specimens obtained by radical nephrectomy had satellite tumors, and whether the satellite tumors were reactive with a monoclonal antibody (MoAb), MIB-1, to assess their proliferative potential.

RESULTS

Satellite renal cell carcinomas were detected in 8 of the 124 patients (6.5%). None of the pathologic variables examined (tumor grade, tumor stage, main tumor size, cell pattern, and vascular invasion) were found to be predictive of the presence of satellite tumors. Of these eight tumors, two main tumor specimens and three satellite tumor specimens reacted with the MIB-1 MoAb. The reactivity of MIB-1 correlated with the tumor grade. The satellite tumors were observed to have a proliferative potential compared with the main tumors. Among 86 kidney specimens from patients with urothelial tumors after total nephroureterectomy, 2 (2.3%) contained small renal cell carcinoma but did not show positive staining with the MoAb MIB-1.

CONCLUSIONS

The incidence rate of satellite tumors among 124 renal cell carcinoma patients was 6.5% and the presence of satellite tumors was not predictable. Some of these satellite tumors showed positive staining with the MIB-1 MoAb, but small renal tumors detected in kidney specimens with urothelial tumors did not.

Prognostic value of bronchiolo-alveolar carcinoma component of small lung adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND

Bronchiolo-alveolar carcinoma (BAC) is often observed in lung adenocarcinoma, but its clinicopathological and prognostic significance, especially in small peripheral lung adenocarcinoma, remains undetermined.

METHODS

We assessed 206 consecutive cases of surgically resected small peripheral lung adenocarcinoma (less than 2 cm in diameter) recorded between 1973 and 1997. According to the component area of well differentiated BAC within maximally cut surface specimens of tumor tissue, we semiquantitatively classified the tumors into four types: those in which the BAC component comprised 0% (type I), 1% to 49% (type II), 50% to 99% (type III), and 100% (type IV) of the tumor tissue.

RESULTS

Forty tumors were classified as type I, 75 as type II, 74 as type III, and 17 as type IV. The tumors with less BAC, especially type I and II, showed a significantly more aggressive nodal involvement and tumor stage, and consequently a worse prognosis, while type IV tumors had no nodal involvement and the most favorable prognosis. The patients with type III showed clinicopathological characteristics somewhere between those of type II and type IV patients. Among stage I patients, however, those with type II had the worst prognosis, while those with type I showed as good a prognosis as the other two groups.

CONCLUSIONS

This novel classification based on the degree of BAC involvement in small peripheral lung adenocarcinoma may reflect clinicopathological and prognostic characteristics. This classification may prove practical for planning therapeutic strategies, in particular surgical treatment.

Chromosome rearrangement at 17q25 and xp11.2 in alveolar soft-part sarcoma: A case report and review of the literature

BACKGROUND

Despite the characteristic histopathologic appearance of alveolar soft-part sarcoma (ASPS), its histogenesis remains unclear, and cytogenetic analysis of ASPS is limited to eight cases so far because of the extreme rarity of this disease.

METHODS

The authors document a cytogenetic study of a primary case of ASPS in which a modern spectral karyotyping technique was used.

RESULTS

A standard cytogenetic analysis of the primary tumor cells with G-banding revealed 46,XY, add(17)(q25) in 23 of 25 metaphases analyzed. This structural rearrangement of chromosome 17, involving band q25, was also present in 5 of 8 ASPS cases in the literature. Moreover, with the spectral karyotyping technique, the additional part of the long arm of chromosome 17 in the current case was found to originate from chromosome X, resulting in a final tumor karyotype of 46, XY, add(17)(q25).ish der(17)t(X;17) (p11.2;q25)(wcpX+).

CONCLUSIONS

This case report documents a clonal chromosome abnormality of der(17)t(X;17)(p11.2;q25) in ASPS. The results of the current study indicate that further molecular analyses focused on 17q25 and Xp11.2 are of interest and could help to elucidate the pathogenesis of ASPS.

Induction of apoptosis by hinokitiol, a potent iron chelator, in teratocarcinoma F9 cells is mediated through the activation of caspase-3

Hinokitiol, a potent iron chelator, has been reported to induce differentiation in teratocarcinoma F9 cells with a reduction of viable cells. In this study, we examined the steps leading to eventual cell death by hinokitiol during differentiation. Hinokitiol induced DNA fragmentation of F9 cells in a concentration- and time-dependent manner. This effect was also observed in a cell-free system using the nuclei from intact cells and the cytosols from hinokitiol-treated cells. In contrast, hinokitiol methyl ether and hinokitiol-Fe (III) complex, which are deficient in iron-chelating activity, showed no DNA fragmentation activity in both cell culture and cell-free systems. These results suggest that iron deprivation by hinokitiol may be involved in the induction of apoptosis of F9 cells. Caspase-3, one of the key enzymes in the apoptotic cascade, was specifically activated by hinokitiol treatment, but not by the other two derivatives. In addition, its specific inhibitor, benzyloxycarbonyl-Val-Ala-Asp-fluoromethyl ketone, strongly blocked hinokitiol-induced DNA fragmentation. These results indicate that iron deprivation by hinokitiol can induce apoptosis of F9 cells through the activation of caspase-3.