Simulation, visualization and dosimetric validation of scatter radiation distribution under fluoroscopy settings

2015-2016 > Academic research: refereed > Refereed conference paperVersion of RecordPublishe

Downregulation of the Gli Transcription Factors Regulator Kif7 Facilitates Cell Survival and Migration of Choriocarcinoma Cells

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Human papillomavirus-16/18 AS04-adjuvanted cervical cancer vaccine: Immunogenicity and safety in healthy Chinese women from Hong Kong

Objective To assess the immunogenicity and safety of human papillomavirus-16/18 AS04-adjuvanted cervical cancer vaccine in Chinese women aged 18 to 35 years enrolled from Hong Kong. Design Double-blind, randomised controlled trial with vaccine and placebo groups. Setting Single-centre study in Hong Kong. Participants Three hundred women enrolled (150 per group) between March 2006 and June 2007. Interventions Subjects received three doses of human papillomavirus-16/18 vaccine or placebo (aluminium hydroxide), administered intramuscularly at 0, 1, and 6 months. Main outcome measures Human papillomavirus-16/18 seroconversion rates and geometric mean titres at month 7 (in human papillomavirus-16/18 recipients); reactogenicity and safety (in all subjects). Results A total of 294 women completed the study (148 in the vaccine group, 146 in placebo group). All initially seronegative subjects in the vaccine group had seroconverted for human papillomavirus-16/18 antibodies by month 7. Anti-human papillomavirus-16 and anti-human papillomavirus-18 antibody geometric mean titres were 10 422 (95% confidence interval, 8730-12 442) EL.U/mL and 4649 (3975-5437) EL.U/mL, respectively. High compliance (99% in both groups) was observed for the three-vaccination course. The frequencies of local injection site reactions were higher in the vaccine than placebo group; pain being the most common symptom in both groups. Regarding solicited symptoms, fatigue and myalgia were the most frequent in both groups. Five serious adverse events (four in vaccine group, one in placebo group) were reported, but all were considered unrelated to the vaccinations. Conclusion The human papillomavirus-16/18 AS04-adjuvanted vaccine was highly immunogenic, safe, and generally well tolerated in Chinese women from Hong Kong.published_or_final_versio

Barriers and facilitators to human papillomavirus vaccination among Chinese adolescent girls in Hong Kong: A qualitative-quantitative study

Objectives: To explore perceptions towards cervical cancer, human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and HPV vaccination and to identify factors affecting the acceptability of HPV vaccination among Chinese adolescent girls in Hong Kong. Methods: Six focus groups were conducted with Chinese adolescent girls (median age 16 years, age range 13-20, n = 64) in Hong Kong in April 2007. Thematic analysis was employed to identify major themes related to cervical cancer and HPV vaccination. A supplementary questionnaire was administered to all participants before and after group discussion to assess their knowledge, attitudes and intention to be vaccinated and to collect demographic information. Results: Participants' knowledge on cervical cancer was limited and HPV was largely unheard of. They had difficulty understanding the mechanism linking cervical cancer with HPV infection. Participants held a favourable attitude towards HPV vaccination but the perceived timing of vaccination varied. Barriers to vaccination include high monetary cost, uncertain length of vaccine effectiveness, low perceived risk of HPV infection, no immediate perceived need of vaccination, anticipated family disapproval and fear of the pain of injection. Factors conducive to vaccination include perceived family and peer support and medical reassurance on safety and efficacy of vaccine. The differences on knowledge, attitudes, intention to be vaccinated now and willingness to conform to significant others before and after the discussion were statistically significant, with an increased tendency towards favouring vaccination after the focus group. Conclusions: Participants favoured HPV vaccination despite not feeling an immediate need to be vaccinated. Interventions could focus on providing professional information on HPV vaccination and raising adolescents' perceived need to take preventive measures against HPV infection.published_or_final_versio

Overexpression of Hexokinase 2 (HK2) in ovarian cancer contributes to cell migration, invasion and cancer stem-like cells regulation and correlates with poor patient survival

Poster Session - Carcinogenesis 1: abstract no. 144Conference Theme: Anticancer Drug Action and Drug Resistance: From Cancer Biology to the ClinicINTRODUCTION: Altered glucose metabolism is a new hallmark for cancer. High lactate production and low glucose oxidation, regardless of the oxygen availability, known as the Warburg effect (aerobic glycolysis), are commonly found in cancers. Hexokinase 2 (HK2) converts glucose to glucose-6- phosphate, the first committed step in glycolysis. HK2 regulates glycolysis and tumorigenesis in different human cancers, yet the mechanisms remain poorly defined. In this study, we investigate the clinical significance, effects and mechanisms of HK2 on cell migration, invasion and cancer ...postprin

p21-Activated Kinases 1, 2 and 4 in Endometrial Cancers: Effects on Clinical Outcomes and Cell Proliferation

p21-activated kinases (Paks) are serine/threonine protein kinases involved in biological events linked to malignant tumor progression. In this study, expression of Pak1, p-Pak2 Ser20, Pak4, pPak4 Ser474 in 21 normal endometrium, 16 hyperplastic endometrium without atypia, 17 atypical complex hyperplasia and 67 endometrial cancers was assessed by immunohistochemistry and correlated with clinicopathological parameters. We also accessed the proliferative role and downstream targets of Pak1 in endometrial cancer. Pak1 was expressed in cytoplasm whereas Pak4 and p-Pak4 were expressed in both cytoplasm and nucleus of endometrial tissues. In normal endometrium, significantly higher Pak1 (P = 0.028) and cytoplasmic p-Pak2 (P = 0.048) expression was detected in proliferative endometrium than secretory endometrium. Pak1, cytoplasmic and nuclear Pak4 and nuclear p-Pak4 was significantly overexpressed in endometrial cancer when compared to atrophic endometrium (all P<0.05). Moreover, type I endometrioid carcinomas showed significantly higher Pak1 expression than type II non-endometrioid carcinomas (P<0.001). On the other hand, Pak1, Pak4 and p-Pak4 expression negatively correlated with histological grade (all P<0.05) while p-Pak2 and cytoplasmic Pak4 expression inversely correlated with myometrial invasion (all P<0.05). Furthermore, patients with endometrial cancers with lower cytoplasmic Pak4 expression showed poorer survival (P = 0.026). Multivariate analysis showed cytoplasmic Pak4 is an independent prognostic factor. Functionally, knockdown of Pak1, but not Pak4, in endometrial cancer cell line led to reduced cell proliferation along with reduced cyclin D1, estrogen receptor (ERα) and progestogen receptor (PR) expression. Significant correlation between Pak1 and PR expression was also detected in clinical samples. Our findings suggest that Pak1 and cytoplasmic p-Pak2 may promote cell proliferation in normal endometrium during menstral cycle. Pak1, cytoplasmic and nuclear Pak4 and nuclear p-Pak4 are involved in the pathogenesis of endometrial cancer especially in postmenopausal women. Pak1 promote endometrial cancer cell proliferation, particular in type I endometrioid carcinoma. Cytoplasmic Pak4 can be potential prognostic marker in endometrial cancer.published_or_final_versio

Stem cell transcription factor NANOG controls cell migration and invasion via dysregulation of E-cadherin and FoxJ1 and contributes to adverse clinical outcome in ovarian cancers

Ovarian cancer is the most lethal of all gynecological malignancies, and the identification of novel prognostic and therapeutic targets for ovarian cancer is crucial. It is believed that only a small subset of cancer cells are endowed with stem cell properties, which are responsible for tumor growth, metastatic progression and recurrence. NANOG is one of the key transcription factors essential for maintaining self-renewal and pluripotency in stem cells. This study investigated the role of NANOG in ovarian carcinogenesis and showed overexpression of NANOG mRNA and protein in the nucleus of ovarian cancers compared with benign ovarian lesions. Increased nuclear NANOG expression was significantly associated with high-grade cancers, serous histological subtypes, reduced chemosensitivity, and poor overall and disease-free survival. Further analysis showed NANOG is an independent prognostic factor for overall and disease-free survival. Moreover, NANOG was highly expressed in ovarian cancer cell lines with metastasis-associated property and in clinical samples of metastatic foci. Stable knockdown of NANOG impeded ovarian cancer cell proliferation, migration and invasion, which was accompanied by an increase in mRNA expression of E-cadherin, caveolin-1, FOXO1, FOXO3a, FOXJ1 and FOXB1. Conversely, ectopic NANOG overexpression enhanced ovarian cancer cell migration and invasion along with decreased E-cadherin, caveolin-1, FOXO1, FOXO3a, FOXJ1 and FOXB1 mRNA expression. Importantly, we found Nanog-mediated cell migration and invasion involved its regulation of E-cadherin and FOXJ1. This is the first report revealing the association between NANOG expression and clinical outcome of patients with ovarian cancers, suggesting NANOG to be a potential prognostic marker and therapeutic molecular target in ovarian cancer.Oncogene advance online publication, 3 September 2012; doi:10.1038/onc.2012.363.postprin

Perplexing hCG profile after evacuation of hydatidiform mole

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