Search

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most frequent cancers in humans, characterised by a high resistance to conventional chemotherapy, late diagnosis, and a high mortality rate. It is necessary to elucidate the molecular mechanisms involved in hepatocarcinogenesis to improve diagnosis and treatment outcomes. The Runt-related (RUNX) family of transcription factors (RUNX1, RUNX2, and RUNX3) participates in cardinal biological processes and plays paramount roles in the pathogenesis of numerous human malignancies. Their role is often controversial as they can act as oncogenes or tumour suppressors and depends on cellular context. Evidence shows that deregulated RUNX genes may be involved in hepatocarcinogenesis from the earliest to the latest stages. In this review, we summarise the topical evidence on the roles of RUNX gene family members in HCC. We discuss their possible application as non-invasive molecular markers for early diagnosis, prognosis, and development of novel treatment strategies in HCC patients.

Prevention of chronic hepatitis C (CHC) and its complications is based on antiviral therapy and early detection of reliable molecular markers in persons under risk. We investigated whether the methylation status of RASSF1A and p16 genes, alone or in combination with host and viral factors, affects the response to therapy with pegylated interferon/ribavirin (PEG-IFN/RBV). Methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (MSP) was used to determine the methylation status of the target promoter sequences of RASSF1A and p16 in circulating-free DNA from the peripheral blood of 49 patients with CHC genotype 1b. The methylation status of the examined genes did not affect the response to therapy. However, the simultaneous presence of either RASSF1A or p16 methylation and the CC genotype of IL28B was significantly related to a sustained virologic response (P=0.009 and P=0.032, respectively). After Bonferroni correction, only the result concerning the RASSF1A gene remained significant (P<0.0125). Methylation of RASSF1A was associated with the CC genotype of the IL28B gene (P=0.024) and a higher viral load (≥400 000 IU/mL, P=0.009). Our results suggest that combined analysis of RASSF1A gene methylation and IL28B rs12979860 polymorphism could potentially help in the prediction of therapy response in CHC genotype 1b patients.

Paper description:Patient responses to standard treatment of advanced stages of rectal carcinoma are variable, which emphasizes the need to define reliable predictive and prognostic molecular parameters.We propose a model of simultaneous analysis of KRAS gene mutation status and p16INK4a and p14ARF gene promoter methylation status in pre-treatment tumor biopsies.The simultaneous presence of p14ARF methylation and KRAS mutation was associated with more aggressive tumor behavior. The concurrent presence of alterations in all three examined genes was associated with shorter overall survival.Combined analysis of examined gene alterations revealed patient subgroups with a distinct pattern of tumor response and disease outcome.Abstract: Current management of locally advanced rectal carcinoma (LARC) involves preoperative chemoradiotherapy (preCRT) before surgery. Despite improved local control rate, the response to preCRT of individual patients is variable and may reflect heterogeneous biological properties among tumors of the same clinical stage. Identifying novel molecular parameters with predictive and/or prognostic value is of great clinical importance for a personalized therapeutic approach. In this study, KRAS mutation status was analyzed by direct sequencing, while methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (MSP) was used to examine p16INK4a and p14ARF gene methylation status in pretreatment tumor biopsies of 60 patients with LARC. The examined molecular changes of KRAS, p16INK4a and p14ARF genes were mutually independent (p16INK4a/KRAS, P=0.272; p14ARF/KRAS, P=0.923; p16INK4a/p14ARF, P=0.715). However, the simultaneous presence of p14ARF methylation and KRAS mutation was associated with a more frequent appearance of local recurrences and distant metastasis (P=0.027). Moreover, patients with the simultaneous presence of p16INK4a and p14ARF methylation and KRAS mutation had significantly shorter overall survival (P=0.011). The obtained results strongly suggest th

The discovery of the Estrogen Receptor Beta (ERβ) in 1996 opened new perspectives in the diagnostics and therapy of different types of cancer. Here, we present a review of the present research knowledge about its role in endocrine-related cancers: breast, prostate, and thyroid, and colorectal cancers. We also discuss the reasons for the controversy of its role in carcinogenesis and why it is still not in use as a biomarker in clinical practice. Given that the diagnostics and therapy would benefit from the introduction of new biomarkers, we suggest ways to overcome the contradictions in elucidating the role of ERβ.

The use of targeted inhibitors has shown promise as an effective approach in cancer therapy. However, targeted therapies based only on one drug, such as 17-allylamino-17-demethoxygeldanamycin (17-AAG), have limited success, partly because cancer cells engage alternate pathways for survival and proliferation. In the present study, we evaluated whether dehydroxymethylepoxyquinomicin (DHMEQ), a nuclear factor ?B (NF-?B) inhibitor, can enhance the antitumor activities of 17-AAG, a 90 kDa heat shock protein (Hsp90) inhibitor, in the anaplastic thyroid cancer cell line KTC2. We examined the effect of combined drug treatment vs single drug treatment on cell survival. Isobologram analysis was performed to distinguish the additive vs synergistic effects of the drug combination. Western blotting was performed to investigate apoptosis markers: caspase 3, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase-one (PARP-1), B-cell lymphoma-extra large (Bcl-XL), X-linked inhibitor of apoptosis (XIAP) and cellular inhibitor of apoptosis 2 (cIAP-2). Compared to monotherapy, the combined treatment enhanced growth-inhibitory effects in a synergistic manner and strongly potentiated apoptosis. These results demonstrate the first in vitro evidence that a combination of Hsp90 and NF-?B inhibitors is a more effective modality for inhibiting cell proliferation and survival in anaplastic thyroid carcinoma cells than either agent alone, warranting further investigations.

X-chromosome instability has been a long established feature in Alzheimers disease ( AD). Premature centromere division and aneuploidy of the X-chromosome has been found in peripheral blood lymphocytes and neuronal tissue in female AD patients. Interestingly, only one chromosome of the X pair has been affected. These results raised a question, Is the X-chromosome inactivation pattern altered in peripheral blood lymphocytes ofwomen affected by AD? To address this question, we analyzed the methylation status of androgen receptor promoter which may show us any deviation from the 50 : 50% X inactivation status in peripheral blood lymphocytes ofwomen with AD. Our results showed skewed inactivation patterns ( GT 90%). These findings suggest that an epigenetic alteration on the inactivation centers of the X-chromosome (or skewing) relates not only to aging, by might be a novel property that could account for the higher incidence of AD in women.

Hepatitis C virus infection is the most common chronic blood-borne infection and one of the most important causes of chronic liver disease. Knowing the predictors associated with pegylated interferon/ribavirin (PEG-IFN/RBV) combination therapy response is important for evidence-based treatment recommendations. The goal of this study was to identify host and viral factors of response to PEG-IFN/RBV treatment in chronic hepatitis C genotype 1b patients. We have examined the relationship between gender, age, level of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), viral load and liver fibrosis progression on therapy response. ALT level and viral load were evaluated before starting treatment with combination therapy. The elevated levels of ALT and route of HCV transmission were found to be significantly associated with the response to therapy in HCV-infected patients. Our findings may be useful for estimating a patients likelihood Of achieving sustained viral response.

Invazivni karcinom dojke je najčešći kancer kod žena. Pored genetičkih i epigenetički faktori imaju važnu ulogu u njegovoj inicijaciji i progresiji. Cilj ove studije bio je ispitati da li metilacija promotora ON, gena za ERβ protein (ESR2) utiče na njegovu ekspresiju (na nivou iRNK i proteina) i utvrditi povezanost metilacionog indeksa promotora ON sa nivoima ERβ1-iRNK i ERβ1 proteina, kao i sa kliničkim i patohistološkim parametrima. U ovoj studiji analiziran je 131 arhivski uzorak kancera dojke. Pomoću posebno dizajniranog PCR testa iz dva koraka, amplifikovan je i kvantifikovan specifični region promotora ON ESR2 gena. Za kvantifikaciju ERβ1-iRNK korišćena je metoda kvantitativnog RT-PCR u realnom vremenu. Metoda „Western Blot“ je korišćena za relativnu kvantifikaciju ERβ1 proteinske izoforme. Dobijeni podaci, metilacioni indeks promotora ON, nivoi iRNK i ERβ1 proteina, analizirani su i korelisani sa kliničkopatološkim parametrima neparametrijskim statističkim testovima. Nađeno je da je metilacioni indeks promotora ON ERβ gena značajno veći u grupi pacijentkinja sa pozitivnim, u odnosu na grupu sa negativnim statusom aksilarnih limfnih čvorova. Takođe, pronađena je značajna pozitivna korelacija metilacionog indeksa promotora ON ERβ gena sa nivoom estrogenskog receptora α. Na osnovu dobijenih rezultata pokazano je da metilacioni indeks promotora ON, ERβ gena može biti pouzdaniji marker prognoze kancera dojke nego ekspresija ERβ1-iRNK ili proteina ERβ1., Breast cancer is the most common invasive cancer in women. Beside genetic, epigenetic factors influence its initiation and progression. The purpose of this study was to test whether methylation of the promoter ON of the gene for ERβ protein (ESR2) influences its expression (on mRNA and protein level) and to correlate the methylation index of the ON promoter, ERβ1-mRNA and ERβ1 protein levels with clinicopathological parameters. In this study, 131 archival samples of breast cancer tissue were used. Custom designed two step PCR method, was done for amplification and relative quantification of the specific region of the ON promoter of the ESR2 gene. Measuring of ERβ1-mRNA was done by quantitative real time RT-PCR, and relative quantification of ERβ1 protein isoform was done by Western blot. Statistical analysis was performed and results for methylation index of ON promoter, mRNA and ERβ1 protein levels were correlated with clinicopathological parameters. The methylation index of ERβ-ON promoter was significantly higher in a group of patients with positive axillary lymph node status, than in a group with negative one. A significant positive correlation between methylation index of ON promoter and ERα protein levels was obtained. It can be concluded that methylation index of the ERβ-ON promoter could be more confident parameter for prediction and/or prognosis of breast cancer, than measuring of ERβ1-mRNA or ERβ1 protein levels.

The aim of the study was to assess how hypermethylation of the ON promoter of the estrogen receptor beta (ER beta) gene affects its expression (at the mRNA and protein level) and to correlate these with some clinical and histopathological parameters. A total of 131 samples of frozen breast cancer tissue was analyzed. A custom-designed, two-step PCR method was used to measure the methylation index of the ER beta gene ON promoter region. Quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was performed to quantify mRNA of the ER beta 1 isoform, while ER beta 1 protein was determined using the Western blot method. There was a significant difference in the methylation index of the ER beta gene ON promoter between the groups of patients with negative and positive axillary lymph node status (P = 0.03). In addition, the methylation index of the ON promoter was positively correlated with estrogen receptor alfa (ER alpha) protein levels (q = 0.31, P = 0.02). There was a significant difference in the methylation index of the ON promoter between the progesterone receptor (PR)-negative and PR-positive groups of patients (P = 0.01). ER beta 1 protein levels were negatively correlated with ER alpha protein (q = -0.27, P LT 0.01). The methylation index of the ON promoter could be a more reliable additional parameter for prediction and/or prognosis in breast cancer than ER beta 1-mRNA and/or protein levels.

It is well known that breast tumors which are estrogen positive ER(+) are more likely to respond to hormone therapy. However, a certain percentage of ER(+)/PR(+) tumors do not respond to this therapy. Identification of the second estrogen receptor, named estrogen receptor beta (ER), as well as the existence of numerous isoforms/splice variants of both ER alpha and ER beta, suggests that a complex regulation of estrogen action exists. In this study, we analyzed the expression ratio of ER beta 1 isoform and ER beta Delta 5 splice variant mRNAs, and its correlation with ER/PR status by quantitative RT-PCR and clinical and histopathological parameters. We found that the relative proportion of ER beta Delta 5 in the total ER beta 1 transcript pool inversely correlates with the PR level (rho = -0,359, p LT 0,003, Spearman). It may be that the ER beta Delta 5 variant modulates the ERa activity of downstream targets. In addition, we suggest that the determination of the expression profiles of ER alpha and ER beta isoforms and splice variants in the defined groups of patients are necessary for elucidating their involvement in endocrine resistance.