Particular distribution and expression pattern of endoglin (CD105) in the liver of patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Endoglin (CD105) has been considered a prognostic marker for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and widely used as an appropriate targeting for antiangenesis therapy in some cancers. Our aim was to evaluate the distribution and expression of CD105 in the liver of patients with HCC, and to discuss whether CD105 may be used as an appropriate targeting for antiangenesis therapy in HCC.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Three parts of liver tissues from each of 64 patients with HCC were collected: tumor tissues (TT), adjacent non-tumor (AT) liver tissues within 2 cm, and tumor free tissues (TF) 5 cm far from the tumor edge. Liver samples from 8 patients without liver diseases served as healthy controls (HC). The distribution and expression of CD105 in tissues were evaluated by immunohistochemistry, Western blotting analysis, and real-time PCR. HIF-1alpha and VEGF₁₆₅protein levels in tissues were analyzed by Immunohistochemistry and Western blotting analysis or ELISA.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>CD105 was positively stained mostly in a subset of microvessels 'endothelial sprouts' in TT of all patients while CD105 showed diffuse positive staining, predominantly on hepatic sinus endothelial cells in the surrounding of draining veins in TF and AT. The mean score of MVD-CD105 (mean ± SD/0.74 mm²) was 19.00 ± 9.08 in HC, 153.12 ± 53.26 in TF, 191.12 ± 59.17 in AT, and 85.43 ± 44.71 in TT, respectively. Using a paired <it>t </it>test, the expression of CD105 in AT and TF was higher than in TT at protein (MVD, <it>p </it>= 0.012 and <it>p </it>= 0.007, respectively) and mRNA levels (<it>p </it>< 0.001 and <it>p </it>= 0.009, respectively). Moreover, distribution and expression of CD105 protein were consistent with those of HIF-1alpha and VEGF₁₆₅protein in liver of patients with HCC. The level of <it>CD105 </it>mRNA correlated with VEGF₁₆₅level in TF (r = 0.790, <it>p </it>= 0.002), AT (r = 0.723, <it>p </it>< 0.001), and TT (r = 0.473, <it>p </it>= 0.048), respectively.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>It is demonstrated that CD105 was not only present in neovessels in tumor tissues, but also more abundant in hepatic sinus endothelium in non-tumor tissues with cirrhosis. Therefore, CD105 may not be an appropriate targeting for antiangenesis therapy in HCC, especially with cirrhosis.</p

Neutron-Diffraction and Mössbauer-Effect Studies of Pr₂(Fe₁₋ₓMnₓ)₁₄B

A neutron-diffraction investigation of a series of Pr2(Fe 1-xMnx)14B samples, with x values of 0.00, 0.11, 0.22, 0.30, and 0.35, reveals a preference for the manganese to occupy the 8j2 transition-metal site,the transition-metal site with the largest Wigner-Seitz cell volume. Similar site occupancies have been reported previously for Er2(Fe1-xMnx) 14B and Y2(Fe1-xMnx) 14B. An analysis of the 295-K Mössbauer spectrum of Pr2(Fe0.89Mn0.11)14B indicates that the internal hyperfine fields on the six iron sites are more substantially reduced from those found in Pr2Fe1 4B than would be expected from a simple magnetic dilution with manganese. The extent of the field reduction for a specific site increases with the number of manganese near neighbors for the site. Fits of the Mössbauer spectra of Pr2(Fe0.78Mn0.22)1 4B, Pr2(Fe0.70Mn0.30) 14B, and Pr2(Fe0.65Mn 0.35)14B, which are paramagnetic at room temperature, give quadrupole splittings consistent with the quadrupole interactions in Pr2Fe14B

Mössbauer and Neutron Diffraction Studies of Y₂(Fe₁₋ₓMnₓ)₁₄B

We have used Mössbauer spectroscopy and neutron diffraction to study a series of Y2(Fe1-xMnx)1 4B samples in the composition range from x=0.0 to 0.4. Y 2(Fe0.6Mn0.4)14B is paramagnetic at both room temperature and 85 K. The iron quadrupole splitting in this paramagnetic compound allows us to place an upper limit on the quadrupole shift in the magnetic Y2(Fe1-xMnx) 14B alloys. Refinement of Y2(Fe 1-xMnx)14B neutron diffraction data have been used to give the site occupancies of manganese on the transition-metal sublattice. Both neutron diffraction patterns and Mössbauer effect spectra indicate a marked preference for the manganese to occupy the 8j2 site, which is the largest volume transition-metal site. Both experimental techniques give completely consistent results for the site occupancies in Y 2(Fe1-xMnx)14B