Determination of c-myc amplification and overexpression in breast cancer patients: evaluation of its prognostic value against c-erbB-2, cathepsin-D and clinicopathological characteristics using univariate and multivariate analysis

C-myc and c-erbB-2 amplification and/or overexpression as well as total cathepsin-D (CD) concentration have been reported to be associated with poor prognosis in breast cancer. The prognostic significance, however, remains somewhat controversial, partly because of discrepancies among the different methodologies used. We determined the amplification and overexpression of c-myc oncogene in 152 breast cancer patients and examined its prognostic value in relation to c-erbB-2 amplification and overexpression, high concentration of CD (≥ 60 pmol mg–1 protein) and standard clinicopathological prognostic factors of the disease. High CD concentration, as well as c-myc amplification and overexpression, proved to be the best of the new variables examined for prediction of early relapse (ER; before 3 years). After multivariate analysis only CD remained significant, which suggests that the prognostic power of these variables is similar. Using univariate analysis we proved that c-myc amplification and overexpression were highly significant for disease-free survival (DFS) (P = 0.0016 and P = 0.0001 respectively) and overall survival (OS) (P < 0.0001 and P = 0.0095 respectively), although by multivariate analysis c-myc overexpression was statistically significant only for DFS (P = 0.0001) and c-myc amplification only for OS (P = 0.0006). With regard to c-erbB-2, only its overexpression appeared to be significant for DFS and OS, although after multivariate analysis its prognostic power was weaker (P = 0.030 and P = 0.024 respectively). c-myc amplification and overexpression exhibited a tendency for locoregional recurrence (LRR) (P = 0.0024 and P = 0.0075 respectively), however, their prognostic value was lower after multivariate analysis and only CD remained significant. © 1999 Cancer Research Campaig

HIV, Gender, Race, Sexual Orientation, and Sex Work: A Qualitative Study of Intersectional Stigma Experienced by HIV-Positive Women in Ontario, Canada

Mona Loutfy and colleagues used focus groups to examine experiences of stigma and coping strategies among HIV-positive women in Ontario, Canada

The LHCb upgrade I

The LHCb upgrade represents a major change of the experiment. The detectors have been almost completely renewed to allow running at an instantaneous luminosity five times larger than that of the previous running periods. Readout of all detectors into an all-software trigger is central to the new design, facilitating the reconstruction of events at the maximum LHC interaction rate, and their selection in real time. The experiment's tracking system has been completely upgraded with a new pixel vertex detector, a silicon tracker upstream of the dipole magnet and three scintillating fibre tracking stations downstream of the magnet. The whole photon detection system of the RICH detectors has been renewed and the readout electronics of the calorimeter and muon systems have been fully overhauled. The first stage of the all-software trigger is implemented on a GPU farm. The output of the trigger provides a combination of totally reconstructed physics objects, such as tracks and vertices, ready for final analysis, and of entire events which need further offline reprocessing. This scheme required a complete revision of the computing model and rewriting of the experiment's software

The Neuropeptide Y Y1 receptor: a diagnostic marker? Expression in MCF-7 breast cancer cells is down-regulated by antiestrogens in vitro and in xenografts

The neuropeptide Y (NPY) Y1 receptor (Y1R) has been suggested as a tumor marker for in vivo imaging and as a therapeutic target. In view of the assumed link between estrogen receptor (ER) and Y1R in mammary carcinoma and with respect to the development of new diagnostic tools we investigated the Y1R protein expression in human MCF-7 cell variants differing in ER content and sensitivity against antiestrogens. ER and Y1R expression were quantified by radioligand binding using [3H]-17beta-estradiol and the Y1R selective antagonist [3H]-UR-MK114, respectively. The latter was used for cellular binding studies and for autoradiography of MCF-7 xenografts. The fluorescent ligands Cy5-pNPY (universal Y1R, Y2R and Y5R agonist) and UR-MK22 (selective Y1R antagonist), as well as the selective antagonists BIBP3226 (Y1R), BIIE0246 (Y2R) and CGP71683 (Y5R) were used to identify the NPY receptor subtype(s) by confocal microscopy. Y1R functionality was determined by mobilization of intracellular Ca2+. Sensitivity of MCF-7 cells against antiestrogen 4-hydroxytamoxifen correlated directly with the ER content. The exclusive expression of Y1Rs was confirmed by confocal microscopy. The Y1R protein was up-regulated (100 %) by 17beta-estradiol (EC50 20 pM) and the predominant role of ERalpha was demonstrated by using the ERalpha-selective agonist “propylpyrazole triol”. 17beta-Estradiol-induced over-expression of functional Y1R protein was reverted by the antiestrogen fulvestrant (IC50 5 nM) in vitro. Furthermore, tamoxifen treatment of nude mice resulted in an almost total loss of Y1Rs in MCF-7 xenografts. In conclusion, the value of the Y1R as a target for therapy and imaging in breast cancer patients may be compromised due to Y1R down-regulation induced by hormonal (antiestrogen) treatment