Maspin differential expression patterns as a potential marker for targeted screening of esophageal adenocarcinoma/gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma.

Barrett's esophagus (BE) is a predisposing factor of esophageal adenocarcinoma/gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma (ECA/GEJ Aca). BE patients are stratified and subsequently monitored according to the risk of malignant progression by the combination of endoscopy and biopsy. This study is to evaluate the maspin expression patterns as early diagnostic markers of malignancy in BE patients. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) staining was performed on 62 archival core biopsies from 35 patients, including BE without dysplasia (intestinal metaplasia, IM), BE with low grade dysplasia, BE with high grade dysplasia, carcinoma in situ, and well to poorly differentiated ECA/GEJ Aca (PD-ECA/GEJ Aca). The intensity and the subcellular distribution of immunoreactivity were evaluated microscopically. Statistical analysis was performed using the χ2 and Fisher exact tests. The level of epithelial-specific tumor suppressor maspin protein inversely correlated with the progression from IM to PD-ECA/GEJ Aca. Lesions of each pathological grade could be divided into subtypes that exhibited distinct maspin subcellular distribution patterns, including nuclear only (Nuc), combined nuclear and cytoplasmic (Nuc+Cyt), cytoplasmic only (Cyt) and overall negligible (Neg). The Cyt subtype, which was minor in both IM and dysplasia (approximately 10%), was predominant in ECA/GEJ Aca as early as well-differentiated lesions (more than 50%: p = 0.0092). In comparison, nuclear staining of the tumor suppressor TP53 was heterogeneous in dysplasia, and did not correlate with the differentiation grades of ECA/GEJ Aca. The Cyt subtype of maspin expression pattern in core biopsies of BE patients may serve as a molecular marker for early diagnosis of ECA/GEJ Aca.This work was supported by the NIH grant P30CA022453 (to the Karmanos Cancer Institute with Sheng, S. as a program leader), the Ruth Sager Memorial Fund (to Sheng, S.), the Karmanos Cancer Institute Pilot Project Grant 25S5Z (to Sheng, S.), and the Karmanos Cancer Institute Prostate Cancer Research Pilot Project Grant (to Sheng, S.)

On the banks of the Red Cedar: toward socio-ecologically robust riparian management in an iconic Michigan river

Land use is continually evolving in river watersheds and riparian zones, particularly in areas containing dense human populations requiring infrastructure development. Land use planners in south-central Michigan, USA, are challenged to balance infrastructure needs with the ecological integrity of the iconic Red Cedar River, which flows through the Michigan state capital (Lansing) and surrounding suburban and rural areas and supports freshwater diatoms, mussels, fishes, and other organisms. Although land use goals in the Red Cedar River watershed include protecting riverine biodiversity, decision-makers need a systematic method for predicting and mitigating effects of land use change on the river ecosystem. We developed a framework for evaluating habitat associations of diatoms and native unionid mussels in the Red Cedar River using field collections and mixed-effects modeling to facilitate socio-ecologically informed riparian management. Diatoms were significantly more abundant and genus-rich in riffles and pools than runs, whereas mussels were more abundant in riffles than pools, with intermediate run abundance. Diatom relative abundance was most affected by pH (+ effect), depth (+), and water temperature (+), similar to diatom genus richness (pH and depth +). Mussel relative abundance was best explained by depth (–), pH (+), and percent forest cover (+), similar to mussel length (depth +, pH –). Results from this study underscore riparian management strategies for optimizing forest cover, depth, and pH to promote ecologically favorable conditions for diatoms and mussels in the Red Cedar River (e.g. stable, near-neutral pH; diverse tree species with ≥60% forest cover). Advancing understanding of aquatic biota and their habitats, this research provides a foundation for socio-ecologically balanced land use planning in the Red Cedar River and other riverine ecosystems