Evaluation of cathepsin D immunostaining in colorectal adenocarcinoma

Background and Objectives: Cathepsin D (CD), an estrogen-regulated lysosomal protease, has been detected in a variety of tissues, Cn expression has been correlated with the invasive potential of breast cancer, acting as an autocrine mitogen or as a protease that degrades the extracellular matrix, The role of CD expression in predicting prognosis or invasive potential in colorectal carcinomas is mostly unknown. Methods: CD immunohistochemical expression was studied in 60 surgical specimens of colon adenocarcinomas, A three-step avidin biotinylated, horseradish immuno-peroxidase (ABC-HRP) staining technique was performed on 4 mu m paraffin-embedded tissue sections with a polyclonal antibody to CD. Results: Carcinoma cells showed positive CD immunostaining in 41.6% of adenocarcinomas (50%, 43.7%, 37.5%, and 25% of Dukes’ Stage A, B, C, and D, respectively). Nonneoplastic stromal cells demonstrated positive staining in 68.3% of the adenocarcinoma specimens (37.5%, 62.5%, 91.6%, and 75% of Stage A, B, C, and D, respectively). Patients with coloreclal carcinomas exhibiting simultaneously negative and positive CD expression in malignant and stromal cells, respectively, had a worse 5-year overall survival (P < 0.05). The mean 5-year survival of the 16 patients overexpressing CD in nonneoplastic stromal cells (>15% of stromal cells positive for CD) was significantly worse in comparison with the rest of the adenocarcinomas (n = 44) (27.6 +/- 4.6 vs. 46 +/- 2.7 months, respectively, P < 0.01). Conclusions: Expression of CD immunoreactivity by the stromal cells may be associated with a more invasive phenotype. Therefore, CD expression in tumor and stromal cells may serve as an important indicator of progression and guide postoperative treatment. (C) 1997 Wiley-Liss, Inc

Coalescence and breakage processes

We extend a model for coalescence and breakage of liquid–liquid dispersions proposed by Fasano/Rosso. The main feature is that the experimentally observed fact of a maximal droplet mass is taken into account. Our model includes spontaneous breakage as well as collisional fragmentation. Existence and uniqueness of solutions is proved and the long-time behaviour is investigated. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd

SIGNIFICANCE OF ESTROGEN-RECEPTORS AND CATHEPSIN-D TISSUE DETECTION IN GASTRIC ADENOCARCINOMA

Estrogen receptors (ERs) have recently been reported to be present in carcinomas of stomach, an organ that has so far been considered as nontarget for sex hormones. Cathepsin D is an estrogen-regulated lysosomal protease that has been overexpressed in breast cancer. ER and cathepsin D immunohistochemical expression were studied in this research in order to estimate their association to known histopathological and clinical parameters and their possible prognostic significance as well. Sixty-two patients with gastric adenocarcinomas were included in this study. The cancers were studied immunohistochemically concerning ER positivity in tumor cell nuclei and cathepsin D cytoplasmic expression. Nuclear ER staining was detected in tumor cells of 25% of male and 27% of female patients. ER positivity was demonstrated mainly in the well and moderately differentiated carcinomas; 87.5% of ER(+) tumors were also characterized as cathepsin D positive and a significant correlation between ER and cathepsin D positive expression was demonstrated (P < 0.05). Cytoplasmic cathepsin D expression was observed in carcinomatous cells of 70.9% of gastric tumors. Early tumor stage and good differentiation were significantly associated with increased cathepsin D expression (P < 0.05, P < 0.001). Histologic type, degree of differentiation and tumor stage were significantly correlated to survival (P < 0.05, P < 0.001 and P < 0.001). The patients who were cathepsin D(+) had a significant prognostic advantage over the cathepsin D(-) patients (P < 0.001). The presence of ER and estrogen-regulated cathepsin D indicates the involvement of sex hormonal factors in these tumors and cathepsin D positive expression in tumor cells seems to be related to better prognosis. Their biological, clinical, and prognostic roles remain to be further elucidated. (C) 1995 Wiley-Liss, Inc

Effects of caspase-9 and survivin gene polymorphisms in pancreatic cancer risk and tumor characteristics

Objectives: This case-control study was performed to evaluate the association between a specific caspase-9 polymorphism as well as the genetic polymorphism -31G/C located in the cycle-dependent elements/cell cycle homology regions repressor element of the human survivin promoter and the risk of pancreatic cancer. Methods: Eighty patients with pancreatic cancer and 160 healthy controls were investigated for genotype and allelic frequencies of caspase-9 1263A/G and survivin -31G/C polymorphisms by Polymerase Chain Reaction-Restriction Fragment Length Polymorphism. Results: The G carrier group of patients and the G allele of caspase-9 1263A/G were overrepresented among the pancreatic cancer cases. With regard to tumor characteristics, a statistically significant association was detected between the survivin C carrier group of patients and the advanced T stage as well as the presence of lymph node metastasis. Conclusions: The caspase-9 G allele confers increased susceptibility to pancreatic cancer development, and the survivin C carriage status may be related to aggressive features of this malignancy. Copyright © 2010 by Lippincott Williams & Wilkins