High expression of prolactin receptor is associated with cell survival in cervical cancer cells

Background: The altered expression of prolactin (PRL) and its receptor (PRLR) has been implicated in breast and other types of cancer. There are few studies that have focused on the analysis of PRL/PRLR in cervical cancer where the development of neoplastic lesions is influenced by the variation of the hormonal status. The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression of PRL/PRLR and the effect of PRL treatment on cell proliferation and apoptosis in cervical cancer cell lines. Results:High expression of multiple PRLR forms and PRLvariants of 60-80 kDa were observed in cervical cancer cell lines compared with non-tumorigenic keratinocytes evaluated by Western blot, immunofluorecence and real time PCR. Treatment with PRL (200 ng/ml) increased cell proliferation in HeLa cells determined by the MTT assay at day 3 and after 1 day a protective effect against etoposide induced apoptosis in HeLa, SiHa and C-33A cervical cancer cell lines analyzed by the TUNEL assay. Conclusions: Our data suggests that PRL/PRLR signaling could act as an important survival factor for cervical cancer. The use of an effective PRL antagonist may provide a better therapeutic intervention in cervical cancer. � 2013 Lopez-Pulido et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd

MEIS1, PREP1, and PBX4 Are Differentially Expressed in Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia: Association of MEIS1 Expression with Higher Proliferation and Chemotherapy Resistance

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The Three-amino acid-loop-extension (<it>TALE</it>) superfamily of homeodomain-containing transcription factors have been implicated in normal hematopoiesis and in leukemogenesis and are important survival, differentiation, and apoptosis pathway modulators. In this work, we determined the expression levels of <it>TALE </it>genes in leukemic-derived cell lines, in blood samples of patients with Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), and in the blood samples of healthy donors.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Here we show increased expression of <it>MEIS1, MEIS2, </it>and <it>PREP1 </it>genes in leukemia-derived cell lines compared with blood normal cells. High levels of <it>MEIS1 </it>and <it>PREP1</it>, and low levels of <it>PBX4 </it>expression were also founded in samples of patients with ALL. Importantly, silencing of <it>MEIS1 </it>decreases the proliferation of leukemia-derived cells but increases their survival after etoposide treatment. Etoposide-induced apoptosis induces down-regulation of MEIS1 expression or <it>PREP1 </it>up-regulation in chemotherapy-resistant cells.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>Our results indicate that up-regulation of <it>MEIS1 </it>is important for sustaining proliferation of leukemic cells and that down-regulation of <it>MEIS1 </it>or up-regulation of <it>PREP1 </it>and <it>PBX </it>genes could be implicated in the modulation of the cellular response to chemotherapeutic-induced apoptosis.</p

Targeted Drug-Resistance Testing Strategy for Multidrug-Resistant Tuberculosis Detection, Lima, Peru, 2005–2008

Running head: Targeted Drug-Resistance Testing Strategy for MDR T

Cross-hybridization between HPV genotypes in the Linear Array Genotyping Test confirmed by Next-Generation Sequencing

Background: Linear Array Genotyping Test (LA) is one of the gold standards used for Human Papillomavirus (HPV) genotyping, however, since its launching in 2006, new HPV genotypes are still being characterized with the use of high specificity techniques such as Next-Generation Sequencing (NGS). Derived from a previous study of the IMSS Research Network on HPV, which suggested that there might be cross-reaction of some HPV genotypes in the LA test, the aim of this study was to elucidate this point. Methods: Double stranded L1 fragments (gBlocks) from different HPVs were used to perform LA test, additionally, 14 HPV83+ and 26 HPV84+ cervical samples determined with LA, were individually genotyped by NGS. Results: From the LA HPV83+ samples, 64.3% were truly HPV83+, while 42.9% were found to be HPV102+. On the other hand, 69.2% of the LA HPV84+ samples were HPV84+, while 3.8, 11.5 and 30.8% of the samples were indeed HPV 86, 87 and 114 positive, respectively. Additionally, novel nucleotide changes in L1 gene from HPV genotypes 83, 84, 87, 102 and 114 were determined in Mexican cervical samples, some of them lead to changes in the protein sequence. Conclusions: We demonstrated that there is cross-hybridization between alpha3-HPV genotypes 86, 87 and 114 with HPV84 probe in LA strips and between HPV102 with HPV83 probe; this may be causing over or under estimation in the prevalence of these genotypes. In the upcoming years, a switch to more specific and sensitive genotyping methods that detect a broader spectrum of HPV genotypes needs to be implemented

Sensitization of U937 leukemia cells to doxorubicin by the MG132 proteasome inhibitor induces an increase in apoptosis by suppressing NF-kappa B and mitochondrial membrane potential loss

Background: The resistance of cancerous cells to chemotherapy remains the main limitation for cancer treatment at present. Doxorubicin (DOX) is a potent antitumor drug that activates the ubiquitin-proteasome system, but unfortunately it also activates the Nuclear factor kappa B (NF-k{cyrillic}B) pathway leading to the promotion of tumor cell survival. MG132 is a drug that inhibits I kappa B degradation by the proteasome-avoiding activation of NF-k{cyrillic}B. In this work, we studied the sensitizing effect of the MG132 proteasome inhibitor on the antitumor activity of DOX. Methods: U937 human leukemia cells were treated with MG132, DOX, or both drugs. We evaluated proliferation, viability, apoptosis, caspase-3, -8, and -9 activity and cleavage, cytochrome c release, mitochondrial membrane potential, the Bcl-2 and Bcl-XL antiapoptotic proteins, senescence, p65 phosphorylation, and pro- and antiapoptotic genes. Results: The greatest apoptosis percentage in U937 cells was obtained with a combination of MG132 + DOX. Likewise, employing both drugs, we observed a decrease in tumor cell proliferation and important caspase-3 activation, as well as mitochondrial membrane potential loss. Therefore, MG132 decreases senescence, p65 phosphorylation, and the DOX-induced Bcl-2 antiapoptotic protein. The MG132 + DOX treatment induced upregulation of proapoptotic genes BAX, DIABLO, NOXA, DR4, and FAS. It also induced downregulation of the antiapoptotic genes BCL-XL and SURVIVIN. Conclusion: MG132 sensitizes U937 leukemia cells to DOX-induced apoptosis, increasing its anti-leukemic effectiveness. © 2014 Ortiz-Lazareno et al.; licensee BioMed Central Ltd

Impact of HIV on mortality among patients treated for tuberculosis in Lima, Peru: a prospective cohort study

Background: Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-associated tuberculosis deaths have decreased worldwide over the past decade. We sought to evaluate the effect of HIV status on tuberculosis mortality among patients undergoing treatment for tuberculosis in Lima, Peru, a low HIV prevalence setting. Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study of patients treated for tuberculosis between 2005 and 2008 in two adjacent health regions in Lima, Peru (Lima Ciudad and Lima Este). We constructed a multivariate Cox proportional hazards model to evaluate the effect of HIV status on mortality during tuberculosis treatment. Results: Of 1701 participants treated for tuberculosis, 136 (8.0 %) died during tuberculosis treatment. HIV-positive patients constituted 11.0 % of the cohort and contributed to 34.6 % of all deaths. HIV-positive patients were significantly more likely to die (25.1 vs. 5.9 %, P < 0.001) and less likely to be cured (28.3 vs. 39.4 %, P = 0.003). On multivariate analysis, positive HIV status (hazard ratio [HR] = 6.06; 95 % confidence interval [CI], 3.96–9.27), unemployment (HR = 2.24; 95 % CI, 1.55–3.25), and sputum acid-fast bacilli smear positivity (HR = 1.91; 95 % CI, 1.10–3.31) were significantly associated with a higher hazard of death. Conclusions: We demonstrate that positive HIV status was a strong predictor of mortality among patients treated for tuberculosis in the early years after Peru started providing free antiretroviral therapy. As HIV diagnosis and antiretroviral therapy provision are more widely implemented for tuberculosis patients in Peru, future operational research should document the changing profile of HIV-associated tuberculosis mortality

Análisis de costos de los métodos rápidos para diagnóstico de Tuberculosis multidrogorresistente en diferentes grupos epidemiológicos del Perú Cost analysis of rapid methods for diagnosis of multidrug resistant Tuberculosis in different epidemiologic groups in Perú

Objetivos. Evaluar los costos de tres métodos diagnósticos para susceptibilidad a drogas antituberculosas y comparar el costo por caso de tuberculosis multidrogorresistente (TB MDR) diagnosticado con estos (MODS; GRIESS y Genotype MTBDR plus ® en cuatro grupos epidemiológicos en el Perú. Materiales y métodos. En base a cifras programáticas, se dividió a la población en cuatro grupos: pacientes nuevos de Lima/Callao; nuevos de otras provincias; los antes tratados de Lima/Callao y de otras provincias. Se calcularon los costos de cada prueba en base a la metodología estándar utilizada por el Ministerio de Salud, desde la perspectiva de los servicios de salud. Basado en ello, se calculó el costo por paciente TB MDR diagnosticado para cada grupo epidemiológico. Resultados. Los costos estimados por prueba para MODS, GRIESS, y Genotype MTBDR plus ® fueron de 14,83; 15,51 y 176,41 nuevos soles, respectivamente. El costo por paciente TB MDR diagnosticado con GRIESS y MODS fue menor a los 200 nuevos soles en tres de los cuatro grupos. El costo por TB MDR diagnosticado fue de más de 2000 nuevos soles con el Genotype MTBDR plus ® en los dos grupos de pacientes nuevos y, menores a 1000 nuevos soles en los grupos de pacientes antes tratados. Conclusiones. En grupos de alta prevalencia, como son los pacientes antes tratados, los costos por caso diagnosticado de TB MDR con las tres pruebas evaluadas fueron bajos, sin embargo, con la prueba molecular en los grupos de baja prevalencia, fueron elevados. El uso de las pruebas moleculares debe optimizarse en grupos de altas prevalencias.<br>Objectives.To evaluate the costs of three methods for the diagnosis of drug susceptibility in tuberculosis, and to compare the cost per case of Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR TB) diagnosed with these (MODS, GRIESS and Genotype MTBDR plus ® in 4 epidemiologic groups in Peru. Materials and methods.In the basis of programmatic figures, we divided the population in 4 groups: new cases from Lima/Callao, new cases from other provinces, previously treated patients from Lima/Callao and previously treated from other provinces. We calculated the costs of each test with the standard methodology of the Ministry of Health, from the perspective of the health system. Finally, we calculated the cost per patient diagnosed with MDR TB for each epidemiologic group. Results. The estimated costs per test for MODS, GRIESS, and Genotype MTBDR plus® were 14.83. 15.51 and 176.41 nuevos soles respectively (the local currency, 1 nuevos sol=0.36 US dollars for August, 2011). The cost per patient diagnosed with GRIESS and MODS was lower than 200 nuevos soles in 3 out of the 4 groups. The costs per diagnosed MDR TB were higher than 2,000 nuevos soles with Genotype MTBDR plus ® in the two groups of new patients, and lower than 1,000 nuevos soles in the group of previously treated patients. Conclusions. In high-prevalence groups, like the previously treated patients, the costs per diagnosis of MDR TB with the 3 evaluated tests were low, nevertheless, the costs with the molecular test in the low- prevalence groups were high. The use of the molecular tests must be optimized in high prevalence areas

Análisis de costos de los métodos rápidos para diagnóstico de Tuberculosis multidrogorresistente en diferentes grupos epidemiológicos del Perú

Objectives.To evaluate the costs of three methods for the diagnosis of drug susceptibility in tuberculosis, and to compare the cost per case of Multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR TB) diagnosed with these (MODS, GRIESS and Genotype MTBDR plus ®) in 4 epidemiologic groups in Peru. Materials and methods.In the basis of programmatic figures, we divided the population in 4 groups: new cases from Lima/Callao, new cases from other provinces, previously treated patients from Lima/Callao and previously treated from other provinces. We calculated the costs of each test with the standard methodology of the Ministry of Health, from the perspective of the health system. Finally, we calculated the cost per patient diagnosed with MDR TB for each epidemiologic group. Results. The estimated costs per test for MODS, GRIESS, and Genotype MTBDR plus® were 14.83. 15.51 and 176.41 nuevos soles respectively (the local currency, 1 nuevos sol=0.36 US dollars for August, 2011). The cost per patient diagnosed with GRIESS and MODS was lower than 200 nuevos soles in 3 out of the 4 groups. The costs per diagnosed MDR TB were higher than 2,000 nuevos soles with Genotype MTBDR plus ® in the two groups of new patients, and lower than 1,000 nuevos soles in the group of previously treated patients. Conclusions. In high-prevalence groups, like the previously treated patients, the costs per diagnosis of MDR TB with the 3 evaluated tests were low, nevertheless, the costs with the molecular test in the low- prevalence groups were high. The use of the molecular tests must be optimized in high prevalence areas.Objetivos. Evaluar los costos de tres métodos diagnósticos para susceptibilidad a drogas antituberculosas y comparar el costo por caso de tuberculosis multidrogorresistente (TB MDR) diagnosticado con estos (MODS; GRIESS y Genotype MTBDR plus ®) en cuatro grupos epidemiológicos en el Perú. Materiales y métodos. En base a cifras programáticas, se dividió a la población en cuatro grupos: pacientes nuevos de Lima/Callao; nuevos de otras provincias; los antes tratados de Lima/Callao y de otras provincias. Se calcularon los costos de cada prueba en base a la metodología estándar utilizada por el Ministerio de Salud, desde la perspectiva de los servicios de salud. Basado en ello, se calculó el costo por paciente TB MDR diagnosticado para cada grupo epidemiológico. Resultados. Los costos estimados por prueba para MODS, GRIESS, y Genotype MTBDR plus ® fueron de 14,83; 15,51 y 176,41 nuevos soles, respectivamente. El costo por paciente TB MDR diagnosticado con GRIESS y MODS fue menor a los 200 nuevos soles en tres de los cuatro grupos. El costo por TB MDR diagnosticado fue de más de 2000 nuevos soles con el Genotype MTBDR plus ® en los dos grupos de pacientes nuevos y, menores a 1000 nuevos soles en los grupos de pacientes antes tratados. Conclusiones. En grupos de alta prevalencia, como son los pacientes antes tratados, los costos por caso diagnosticado de TB MDR con las tres pruebas evaluadas fueron bajos, sin embargo, con la prueba molecular en los grupos de baja prevalencia, fueron elevados. El uso de las pruebas moleculares debe optimizarse en grupos de altas prevalencias