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Ovarian cancer survival is poor, in part, because there are no specific biomarkers for early diagnosis. C-Mannosyl tryptophan (CMW) is a structurally unique glycosylated amino acid recently identified as a novel biomarker of renal dysfunction. The present study investigated whether blood CMW is altered in patients with ovarian cancer and whether differences in blood CMW can distinguish benign from malignant ovarian tumors. Plasma samples were obtained from 49 patients with malignant, borderline or benign ovarian tumors as well as from seven age-matched healthy women. CMW was identified and quantified in these samples using ultra-performance liquid chromatography with fluorometry. Plasma CMW was significantly higher in the malignant tumor group than in the borderline and benign tumor groups, and higher in the combined tumor group (malignant, borderline or benign) compared with healthy controls. Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis of plasma CMW distinguished malignant tumors from borderline/benign tumors [area under the curve (AUC)=0.905]. Discrimination performance was greater than that of cancer antigen (CA) 125 (AUC=0.835), and CMW + CA125 combined achieved even greater discrimination (AUC=0.913, 81.8% sensitivity, 87.5% specificity, 93.1% positive predictive value and 70.0% negative predictive value). Plasma CMW differentiates malignant ovarian cancer from borderline or benign ovarian tumors with high accuracy, and performance is further improved by combined CMW and CA125 measurement. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Presents information on a study which attempted to synthesize propellane derivatives. Methodology of the study; Result of the attempted purification of 2a olefin with silica gel chromatography.

Atomic force microscopy (AFM) combined with unroofing techniques enabled clear imaging of the intracellular cytoskeleton and the cytoplasmic surface of the cell membrane under aqueous condition. Many actin filaments were found to form a complex meshwork on the cytoplasmic surface of the membrane, as observed in freeze-etching electron microscopy. Characteristic periodic striations of about 5 nm formed by the assembly of G-actin were detected along actin filaments at higher magnification. Actin filaments aggregated and dispersed at several points, thereby dividing the cytoplasmic surface of the membrane into several large domains. Microtubules were also easily detected and were often tethered to the membrane surface by fine filaments. Furthermore, clathrin coats on the membrane were clearly visualized for the first time in water by AFM. Although the resolution of these images is lower than electron micrographs of freeze-etched samples processed similarly, the measurement capabilities of the AFM in a more biologically relevant conditions demonstrate that it is an important tool for imaging intracellular structures and cell surfaces in the native, aqueous state.