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Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common cancers of the gastrointestinal tract and the fourth cause of cancers death in the world. Soluble adhesion molecules (CAMs) are thought to have an important role in host defense against carcinogenesis. They are biomarkers of inflammation and indicators of the immune response to tumors. The study included 40 CRC patients without remote metastases and 24 control subjects. Serum concentrations of sE-selectin, sICAM and sVCAM in patients with CRC were investigated by ELISA method. The level of the sCAMs decreased significantly after radical tumor resection. Preoperative serum concentrations of sICAM and sVCAM in CRC patients were significantly higher compared to the control group, whereas there were no differences regarding serum sE-selectin. Serum levels of sE-selectin, sICAM and sVCAM correlated significantly with each other. There was a significant correlation of serum levels of sICAM-1 and sVCAM-1, but not sE-selectin, with TNM stage and lymph node involvement. No significant relationship was found between serum concentrations of sICAM-1, sVCAM-1 and sE-selectin in CRC patients and patients' age or gender. Our findings suggest that an improved understanding of the mechanisms of membrane shedding of sICAM, sVCAM and sE-selectin is required to delineate their role in tumor progression. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Matthew T Basel1, Sivasai Balivada1, Hongwang Wang2, Tej B Shrestha1, Gwi Moon Seo1, Marla Pyle1, Gayani Abayaweera2, Raj Dani2, Olga B Koper2, Masaaki Tamura1, Viktor Chikan2, Stefan H Bossmann2, Deryl L Troyer11Department of Anatomy and Physiology, College of Veterinary Medicine, 2Department of Chemistry, Kansas State University, Manhattan, KS, USAAbstract: Using magnetic nanoparticles to absorb alternating magnetic field energy as a method of generating localized hyperthermia has been shown to be a potential cancer treatment. This report demonstrates a system that uses tumor homing cells to actively carry iron/iron oxide nanoparticles into tumor tissue for alternating magnetic field treatment. Paramagnetic iron/iron oxide nanoparticles were synthesized and loaded into RAW264.7 cells (mouse monocyte/macrophage-like cells), which have been shown to be tumor homing cells. A murine model of disseminated peritoneal pancreatic cancer was then generated by intraperitoneal injection of Pan02 cells. After tumor development, monocyte/macrophage-like cells loaded with iron/iron oxide nanoparticles were injected intraperitoneally and allowed to migrate into the tumor. Three days after injection, mice were exposed to an alternating magnetic field for 20 minutes to cause the cell-delivered nanoparticles to generate heat. This treatment regimen was repeated three times. A survival study demonstrated that this system can significantly increase survival in a murine pancreatic cancer model, with an average post-tumor insertion life expectancy increase of 31%. This system has the potential to become a useful method for specifically and actively delivering nanoparticles for local hyperthermia treatment of cancer.Keywords: cytotherapy, pancreatic cancer, disseminated peritoneal carcinomatosis, targeted magnetic hyperthermia, nanoparticles

Abstract Background There is renewed interest in magnetic hyperthermia as a treatment modality for cancer, especially when it is combined with other more traditional therapeutic approaches, such as the co-delivery of anticancer drugs or photodynamic therapy. Methods The influence of bimagnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) combined with short external alternating magnetic field (AMF) exposure on the growth of subcutaneous mouse melanomas (B16-F10) was evaluated. Bimagnetic Fe/Fe3O4 core/shell nanoparticles were designed for cancer targeting after intratumoral or intravenous administration. Their inorganic center was protected against rapid biocorrosion by organic dopamine-oligoethylene glycol ligands. TCPP (4-tetracarboxyphenyl porphyrin) units were attached to the dopamine-oligoethylene glycol ligands. Results The magnetic hyperthermia results obtained after intratumoral injection indicated that micromolar concentrations of iron given within the modified core-shell Fe/Fe3O4 nanoparticles caused a significant anti-tumor effect on murine B16-F10 melanoma with three short 10-minute AMF exposures. We also observed a decrease in tumor size after intravenous administration of the MNPs followed by three consecutive days of AMF exposure 24 hrs after the MNPs injection. Conclusions These results indicate that intratumoral administration of surface modified MNPs can attenuate mouse melanoma after AMF exposure. Moreover, we have found that after intravenous administration of micromolar concentrations, these MNPs are capable of causing an anti-tumor effect in a mouse melanoma model after only a short AMF exposure time. This is a clear improvement to state of the art.

Unlabelled: Diabetic nephropathy is one of the most common complications of diabetes. Symptom of nephropathy is albuminuria, in which the mechanism of formation may participates CRP and IL-6. The aim of the study was to evaluate the concentrations of CRP and IL-6 depending on the irregularity of metabolic patients with type 2 diabetes and their impact on the occurrence of albuminuria., Material and Methods: The study was conducted among 68 patients with type 2 diabetes with albuminuria. Patients were divided into groups: group I - patients with type 2 diabetes with HbA1c > or = 6.1 - < or = 6.5%, group II - patients with type 2 diabetes with HbA1c > 6.5 - < or = 10.0%, K - control group, 21 patients with essential hypertension with albuminuria. The material was consisted of venal extracted for clot drawn from the basilic vain. IL 6 concentration was assessed using the ELISA method. The percentage of hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), CRP, the extent of albuminuria was determined by immunoturbidimetric method., Results: The mean urinary albumin excretion was highest in the second study group, lowerin the test group, the lowest in the control group. The average concentration of IL-6 and CRP was highest in group I, lower in group II, the lowest in the control group (p > 0.05). It has been shown a positive correlation between serum CRP and the magnitude of albuminuria in the test group of patients with type 2 diabetes with HbA1c > or = 6.1 - < or = 6.5% (p < 0.037). The relationship between serum CRP and the magnitude of albuminuria in the control group of patients with essential hypertension were at the border of statistical significance (p < 0.057). Not shown a positive correlation between these parameters in the second group of patients with type 2 diabetes with HbA1c >6.5 - < or = 10.0%., Conclusions: In patients with type 2 diabetes with better metabolic control, protein CRP is a sensitive marker of albuminuria.

Introduction: Platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) and P-selectin, the low-molecular weight proteins located mainly in the platelet alpha-granules, are considered to be biologically active markers of platelet (PLT) activation., Objectives: The study objective was to assess levels of PDGF-AB and sP-selectin in relation to PLT blood count in patients with colorectal cancer (CRC) who were examined before and after radical surgical treatment of the cancer., Patients and Methods: The study involved 38 CRC patients including B1 - 20 patients (T(2-3)N(1)M(0)), B2 -18 patients (T(2-3)N2M0) and 24 age and sex-matched healthy subjects (the control group). Blood samples were collected from the antecubital vein prior to and 3 months after the radical surgery. PDGF-AB and souble (s)P-selectin, the markers of PLT activation, were determined by the immunoenzymatic methods., Results: In CRC patients, the levels of PDGF-AB and sP-selectin were a few times higher, whereas the PLT count was lower as compared to the control group. Moreover, these levels were statistically much higher before, compared to those after the surgery, in patients with a higher grade of clinical and histological differentiation (p <0.05) as well. However, no positive correlation was found between the PLT count and the PDGF-AB and sP-selectin levels., Conclusions: High levels of PDGF-AB and sP-selectin, the sensitive markers of PLT activation prior to surgical treatment seem to indicate cancer tissue as the source of both PDGF and sP-selectin. For this reason, PDGF-AB and sP-selectin determination may help in early non-invasive CRC evaluation in the future.

CONSTRUCTION: The platelet- derived growth factor (PDGF) is a small protein which is produced by many cells. PDGF was originally identified in platelets and in serum. It is a dimeric molecule consisting of disulfide- bonded, structurally similar A- and B- polypeptide chains. There are four isoforms of PDGF: PDGF A, PDGF B, PDFG C and PDGF D. There are purified from the alpha-granules of the platelets. ROLE: PDGF is a critical regulator of mesenchymal cell migration and proliferation. It is essential for angiogenesis, embryogenesis and cancer development and progression. Clinical studies reveal that aberrant expression of PDGF and its receptors is often associated with a variety of disorders including atherosclerosis, fibroproliferative diseases of lungs and kidneys. RECEPTORS: There are two structurally related PDGF- receptors, each with its own variation in signaling mechanism. Each subunit of PDGF binds one receptor subunit, leading to receptor dimerization. The receptors are tyrosine kinases. PDGFR alpha binds all types of isoforms. PDGFR beta can bind only polypeptide B.

Nanocrystals of magnesium oxide react with organophosphorus compounds at room temperature by dissociative chemisorption, which we term "destructive adsorption". This process involves cleavage of P-O and P-F bonds (but not P-C bonds) and immobilization of the resultant molecular fragments. These ultrafine powders have unusual crystalline shapes and possess high surface concentrations of reactive edge/corner and defect sites, and thereby display higher surface reactivity, normalized for surface area, than typical polycrystalline material. This high surface reactivity coupled with high surface area allows their use for effective decontamination of chemical warfare agents and related toxic substances. Herein data is presented for paraoxon, diisopropylfluorophosphate (DFP), and (CH3CH2O)2P(O)CH2-SC6H5 (DEPTMP). Solid-state NMR and IR spectroscopy indicate that all OR and F groups dissociate; this leaves bound -PO4, -F, and -OR groups for paraoxon, DFP, and DEPTMP, respectively. For paraoxon, it was shown that one monolayer reacts. For DEPTMP, the OR groups dissociate, but not the P-CH2SC6H5 group. The nanocrystalline MgO reacts much faster and in higher capacity than typical activated carbon samples, which physisorb but do not destructively adsorb these phosphorous compounds.

The potential for highly reactive nanoparticles (RNP) to absorb destructively, i.e. to neutralize highly toxic substances such as the warfare agents GA, GB, HD and VX, has been demonstrated in the laboratory. Reactive nanoparticles represent a new class of nanoscale particles of metals and metal oxides that differ from other nanoparticles in reactivity and crystalline morphology. The potential for incorporating RNP into a protective barrier skin cream also has been demonstrated. Preliminary studies indicate that RNP are physically and chemically compatible with a base cream provided by the Army Medical Research Office and, importantly, remain reactive with chemical agents while promising to be compatible with skin contact., (Copyright 1999 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.)