The Prognostic Role of RASSF1A Promoter Methylation in Breast Cancer: A Meta-Analysis of Published Data

promoter methylation status and both disease free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS) in female breast cancer.Eligible studies were identified through searching the PubMed, Web of Science and Embase databases. Studies were pooled and summary hazard ratios (HR) with corresponding confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated. Funnel plots were also carried out to evaluate publication bias. promoter methylation status with OS in 1439 patients. The hazard estimates ranged from 1.21–6.90 with a combined random-effects estimates of 3.47 (95%CI 1.44–8.34). OS reported in multivariate analysis was evaluated in four series comprising 1346 cases and the summarized random-effects HR estimate was 3.35 (95%CI 1.14–9.85). Additionally, no publication bias was detected for both OS and DFS. promoter methylation

Mutations in Protein-Binding Hot-Spots on the Hub Protein Smad3 Differentially Affect Its Protein Interactions and Smad3-Regulated Gene Expression

Hub proteins are connected through binding interactions to many other proteins. Smad3, a mediator of signal transduction induced by transforming growth factor beta (TGF-β), serves as a hub protein for over 50 protein-protein interactions. Different cellular responses mediated by Smad3 are the product of cell-type and context dependent Smad3-nucleated protein complexes acting in concert. Our hypothesis is that perturbation of this spectrum of protein complexes by mutation of single protein-binding hot-spots on Smad3 will have distinct consequences on Smad3-mediated responses.We mutated 28 amino acids on the surface of the Smad3 MH2 domain and identified 22 Smad3 variants with reduced binding to subsets of 17 Smad3-binding proteins including Smad4, SARA, Ski, Smurf2 and SIP1. Mutations defective in binding to Smad4, e.g., D408H, or defective in nucleocytoplasmic shuttling, e.g., W406A, were compromised in modulating the expression levels of a Smad3-dependent reporter gene or six endogenous Smad3-responsive genes: Mmp9, IL11, Tnfaip6, Fermt1, Olfm2 and Wnt11. However, the Smad3 mutants Y226A, Y297A, W326A, K341A, and E267A had distinct differences on TGF-β signaling. For example, K341A and Y226A both reduced the Smad3-mediated activation of the reporter gene by ∼50% but K341A only reduced the TGF-β inducibilty of Olfm2 in contrast to Y226A which reduced the TGF-β inducibility of all six endogenous genes as severely as the W406A mutation. E267A had increased protein binding but reduced TGF-β inducibility because it caused higher basal levels of expression. Y297A had increased TGF-β inducibility because it caused lower Smad3-induced basal levels of gene expression.Mutations in protein binding hot-spots on Smad3 reduced the binding to different subsets of interacting proteins and caused a range of quantitative changes in the expression of genes induced by Smad3. This approach should be useful for unraveling which Smad3 protein complexes are critical for specific biological responses

Block copolymers of styrene and stearyl methacrylate. Synthesis and micellization properties in selective solvents

Block copolymers of styrene and stearyl methacrylate were prepared using anionic polymerization high-vacuum techniques by sequential addition of monomers. Narrow molecular weight distribution copolymers of different molecular weight and composition were obtained. The molecular characteristics of the copolymers were obtained by size exclusion chromatography, membrane osmometry, low-angle laser light scattering (LALLS), and differential scanning calorimetry. Comparative studies in the selective solvents for the polystyrene block, ethyl and methyl acetate, showed that mainly unimolecular micelles are formed in the former, whereas larger aggregates are observed in the latter solvent. LALLS, viscometry, and dynamic light scattering were used to characterize the micelles

Micellization behavior of diblock and triblock copolymers of poly(t-butyl methacrylate) bearing associating short polystyrene end-blocks

Anionic polymerization high vacuum techniques were employed for the synthesis of a diblock (PS-b-PtBuMA) and two triblock (PS-b-PtBuMA-b-PS) copolymers of polystyrene (PS) and poly(t-butyl methacrylate) (PtBuMA) bearing similar low molecular weight PS end-block(s). Dilute solution viscometry, as well as static and dynamic light scattering, were employed to assess whether the short PS end-blocks were able to promote association in t-amyl alcohol, a selective solvent for PtBuMA. The effect of macromolecular architecture on the association behavior of the copolymers was also examined. © 2008 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Association behavior of linear co-functionalized polybutadienes in cyclohexane

The dilute solution properties of linear polybutadienes with dimethylamine and zwitterionic end groups were studied by membrane osmometry (MO), low-angle laser light scattering (LALLS), viscometry, and dynamic light scattering (DLS) in cyclohexane. The polymers were prepared by anionic polymerization, under high vacuum conditions using [3-(dimethylamino)propyl]lithium as initiator. The dimethylamine groups were converted to zwitterions by reaction with cyclopropane sultone. No evidence of association was found for the amine-capped polymers, whereas the zwitterionic samples exhibited strong association in cyclohexane. The degrees of association increase by decreasing molecular weight of the base polymer due to the excluded volume repulsions. These aggregation numbers are of the same order as those found for ω-functionalized polyisoprenes, with the same polar groups in the same solvent. The hydrodynamic properties, measured by viscometry and dynamic light scattering, supported the conclusions drawn by LALLS and provide strong evidence that the aggregates behave hydrodynamically as star polymers. Comparison with theoretical models shows that the association behavior is best described by the linear head packing model. © 1996 John Wiley & Sons, Inc

Block copolymers of styrene and n-alkyl methacrylates with long alkyl groups. Micellization behavior in selective solvents

The micellization properties of well-defined block copolymers of styrene and decyl methacrylate (SDMA) were studied in two different solvents, methyl acetate (MAc) selective for the polystyrene (PS) block and dodecane, selective for the poly(decyl methacrylate) (PDMA) block. The results were compared with those obtained, in the same solvents, from block copolymers of styrene and stearyl methacrylate (SSMA). In MAc, SDMA copolymers with a decyl methacrylate (DMA) content of 15% or less formed unimolecular micelles, whereas those with a content of 18.5% or higher formed multi-molecular micelles. The degrees of association were lower than the corresponding SSMA samples. In dodecane, SDMA form large, monodisperse, spherical, and thermally stable micelles with degrees of association higher than the corresponding SSMA samples. The different behaviors can be attributed to the steric hindrance effect and the ability of the long alkyl groups of the polymethacrylate, MA blocks to crystallize. When the MA blocks are in the soluble corona of the micelles, the steric hindrance effect prevails, thus leading to higher degrees of association for the less bulky alkyl group. In the case where the MA block is in the insoluble core of the micelles, the higher the tendency for crystallization the higher the degree of association. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc

Statistical copolymers of styrene and 2-vinylpyridine with trimethylsilyl methacrylate and trimethylsilyloxyethyl methacrylate

Statistical copolymers of styrene with trimethylsilyl methacrylate, STMS, and trimethylsilyloxyethyl methacrylate, STME, and of 2-vinylpyridine with trimethylsilyloxyethyl methacrylate, VTME were prepared by free radical copolymerization in benzene with 2,2′-azobisisobutyronitrile, AIBN. The reactivity ratios of the different monomers were estimated using the Finemann-Ross, the inverted Finemann-Ross, and the Kelen-Tüdos or the extended Kelen-Tüdos graphical methods. Structural parameters of the copolymers were obtained by calculating the diad sequence fractions, which were derived using the monomer reactivity ratios. The results were compared with those obtained from the copolymerization of styrene and 2-vinylpyridine with methacrylic acid and 2-hydroxyethyl methacrylate. © 2004 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved

Prognostic significance of RASSF1A promoter methylation in operable breast cancer

Objectives: The aim of our study was to evaluate the prognostic significance of RASSF1A promoter methylation status in operable breast cancer. Design and methods: By using Methylation Specific PCR, we evaluated the specificity of RASSF1A promoter methylation in 10 breast tumors and matching normal tissues, 10 breast fibroadenomas and 11 normal breast tissues. The prognostic significance of RASSF1A methylation was validated in 93 formalin fixed paraffin-embedded (FFPE) tissues obtained from patients with operable breast cancer. Results: Methylation of RASSF1A promoter was observed in 1/31 (3.2%) non-cancerous breast tissues and 53/93 (57.0%) early stage breast tumors. The only positive sample in the non-cancerous breast tissues group was found in a histological normal tissue surrounding the tumor. During the follow-up period, 24/93 (25.8%) patients relapsed and 19/93 (20.4%) died. Disease-Free-Interval (DFI) was significantly associated with RASSF1A methylation (p = 0.028). Conclusions: RASSF1A promoter methylation provides important prognostic information in early stage breast cancer patients. © 2009 The Canadian Society of Clinical Chemists

Use of synchrotron radiation in plastics analysis

We demonstrate the application of synchrotron small angle X-ray scattering (SAXS) in measuring the thermodynamic properties of polymer blends. The polymers under investigation consist of poly(cyclohexyl acrylate) (PCHA) blended with the ortho and meta isomer of poly(bromostyrene) (P2BrS, P3BrS). Measurements of the absolute scattered intensity enable the determination of the second derivative of the Gibbs free energy of mixing with respect to the concentration, the location of the spinodal temperature, and the Flory-Huggins χ-parameter

Closed-loop immiscibility in a ternary mixture of homopolymers

Light scattering and calorimetric techniques were used to investigate the isothermal phase behaviour of a ternary polymer blend consisting of three pairwise miscible homopolymers. These homopolymers, polystyrene (PS), poly(2-chlorostyrene) (P2CIS) and polycyclohexylacrylate (PCHA), are apparently the first known examples of homopolymers that form a closed loop in the ternary isothermal phase diagram. The phase diagram of the ternary blend was determined by light scattering at 433 K, where all three pairs are below their respective lower critical solution temperature (LCST). The miscible compositions exhibit a single glass transition temperature (Tg) which follow a simple volume additivity relationship. Inside the immiscible closed-loop region, single Tgs are also observed, but these are shown to be consistent with the presence of two phases. Two binary interaction parameters (for the pairs PS-P2CIS and PS-PCHA) were determined from the locations of LCSTs. The interaction parameter between P2CIS-PCHA was determined by approximating the observed closed-loop region of immiscibility by the Flory-Huggins lattice model. In analogy with systems comprised of a mixture of two polymers and a solvent, the closed-loop immiscibility gap results from an asymmetry in the interaction parameters between the three pairs (a 'Δχ' effect). The following ordering was observed: χPCHA-P2CIS < χPCHA-PS ≈ χPS-P2C1S. This trend is consistent with the curvatures of the composition-dependent glass transition Tg(φ) plots. © 1994