79 research outputs found
TNF receptors TR60 and TR80 can mediate apoptosis via induction of distinct signal pathways
TNF membrane receptors are usually co-expressed in many tissues but their relative contribution to cellular TNF responses is for most situations unknown. In a TNF cytotoxicity model of KYM-1, a human rhabdomyosarcoma cell line, we recently demonstrated that each of the two TNFRs is on its own capable of inducing cell death. Here we show that both receptors are able to induce apoptosis, as revealed from a similar onset of DNA fragmentation and typical morphologic criteria. To obtain additional information about the signaling pathways involved in TR60- and TR80-induced programmed cell death, we have used a series of selective inhibitors of intracellular signaling molecules. The overall pattern emerging from these experiments provides strong evidence for distinct signal pathway usage of TR60 and TR80, indicating protein kinase(s)-mediated control of TR60 signaling and a tight linkage of TR80 to arachidonate metabolism. The subsequent establishment of KYM-1·derived cell lines that display TNFR selective resistance further supports a segregation of TR60 and TR80 signaling pathways for induction of apoptotic cell death. Moreover, these results demonstrate an independent control of the distinct signaling cascades used by TR60 and TR80. This allows a highly flexible regulation of a cellular TNF response in those cases in which both receptors contribute to overall TNF responsiveness
Effect of the 3q26-coding oncogene SEC62 as a potential prognostic marker in patients with ovarian neoplasia
With approximately 220,000 newly diagnosed cases per year, ovarian cancer is
among the most frequently occurring cancers among women and the second
leading cause of death from gynecological malignancies worldwide. About 70%
of these cancers are diagnosed in advanced stages (FIGO IIBâIV), with a 5-year
survival rate of 20â30%. Due to the poor prognosis of this disease, research has
focused on its pathogenesis and the identification of prognostic factors. One
possible approach for the identification of biological markers is the
identification of tumor entity-specific genetic âdriver mutationsâ. One such
mutation is 3q26 amplification in the tumor driver SEC62, which has been
identified as relevant to the pathogenesis of ovarian cancer. This study was
conducted to investigate the role of SEC62 in ovarian malignancies. Patients
with ovarian neoplasias (borderline tumors of the ovary and ovarian cancer) who
were treated between January 2007 and April 2019 at the Department of
Gynecology and Obstetrics, Saarland University Hospital, were included in
this retrospective study. SEC62 expression in tumor tissue samples taken
during clinical treatment was assessed immunohistochemically, with the
calculation of immunoreactivity scores according to Remmele and Stegner,
Pathologe, 1987, 8, 138â140. Correlations of SEC62 expression with the TNM
stage, histological subtype, tumor entity, and oncological outcomes
(progression-free and overall survival) were examined. The sample
comprised 167 patients (123 with ovarian cancer and 44 with borderline
tumors of the ovary) with a median age of 60 (range, 15â87) years. At the
time of diagnosis, 77 (46%) cases were FIGO stage III. All tissue slides showed
SEC62 overexpression in tumor cells and no SEC62 expression in other cells.
Median immunoreactivity scores were 8 (range, 2â12) for ovarian cancer and 9
(range, 4â12) for borderline tumors of the ovary. Patients with borderline
tumors of the ovary as well as patients with ovarian cancer and an
immunoreactive score (IRS) †9 showed an improved overall survival compared to those presenting with an IRS score >9 (p = 0.03). SEC62 seems to
be a prognostic biomarker for the overall survival of patients with ovarian
malignancies
ASO Author Reflections: An Alternative to Sentinel-Node Biopsy? Preoperative Sonographic Prediction of Limited Axillary Disease in Breast Cancer Patients Meeting the Z0011 Criteria
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Preoperative Sonographic Prediction of Limited Axillary Disease in Patients with Primary Breast Cancer Meeting the Z0011 Criteria: an Alternative to Sentinel Node Biopsy?
Purpose
To assess the accuracy of preoperative sonographic staging for prediction of limited axillary disease (LAD, one or two metastatic lymph nodes) and to identify factors associated with high predictionâpathology concordance in patients with early-stage breast cancer meeting the Z0011 criteria.
Materials and Methods
Patients treated between January 2015 and January 2020 were included in this retrospective, multicentric analysis of prospectively acquired service databases. The accuracy of LAD prediction was assessed separately for patients with one and two suspicious lymph nodes on preoperative sonography. Test validity outcomes for LAD prediction were calculated for both groups, and a multivariate model was used to identify factors associated with high accuracy of LAD prediction.
Results
Of 2059 enrolled patients, 1513 underwent sentinel node biopsy, 436 primary and 110 secondary axillary dissection. For LAD prediction in patients with one suspicious lymph node on preoperative ultrasound, sensitivity was 92% (95% CI 87â95%), negative predictive value (NPV) was 92% (95% CI 87â95%), and the false-negative rate (FNR) was 8% (95% CI 5â13%). For patients with two preoperatively suspicious nodes, the sensitivity, NPV, and FNR were 89% (95% CI 84â93%), 73% (62â83%), and 11% (95% CI 7â16%), respectively. On multivariate analysis, the number of suspicious lymph nodes was associated inversely with correct LAD prediction ([OR 0.01 (95% CI 0.01â0.93), pââ€â0.01].
Conclusions
Sonographic axillary staging in patients with one metastatic lymph node predicted by preoperative ultrasound showed high accuracy and a false-negative rate comparable to sentinel node biopsy for prediction of limited axillary disease
OSBPL2 encodes a protein of inner and outer hair cell stereocilia and is mutated in autosomal dominant hearing loss (DFNA67)
Background: Early-onset hearing loss is mostly of genetic origin. The complexity of the hearing process is reflected by its extensive genetic heterogeneity, with probably many causative genes remaining to be identified. Here, we aimed at identifying the genetic basis for autosomal dominant non-syndromic hearing loss (ADNSHL) in a large German family. Methods: A panel of 66 known deafness genes was analyzed for mutations by next-generation sequencing (NGS) in the index patient. We then conducted genome-wide linkage analysis, and whole-exome sequencing was carried out with samples of two patients. Expression of Osbpl2 in the mouse cochlea was determined by immunohistochemistry. Because Osbpl2 has been proposed as a target of miR-96, we investigated homozygous Mir96 mutant mice for its upregulation. Results: Onset of hearing loss in the investigated ADNSHL family is in childhood, initially affecting the high frequencies and progressing to profound deafness in adulthood. However, there is considerable intrafamilial variability. We mapped a novel ADNSHL locus, DFNA67, to chromosome 20q13.2-q13.33, and subsequently identified a co-segregating heterozygous frameshift mutation, c.141-142delTG (p.Arg50Alafsâ103), in OSBPL2, encoding a protein known to interact with the DFNA1 protein, DIAPH1. In mice, Osbpl2 was prominently expressed in stereocilia of cochlear outer and inner hair cells. We found no significant Osbpl2 upregulation at the mRNA level in homozygous Mir96 mutant mice. Conclusion: The function of OSBPL2 in the hearing process remains to be determined. Our study and the recent description of another frameshift mutation in a Chinese ADNSHL family identify OSBPL2 as a novel gene for progressive deafness.</p
AID/APOBEC-network reconstruction identifies pathways associated with survival in ovarian cancer
Background Building up of pathway-/disease-relevant signatures provides a
persuasive tool for understanding the functional relevance of gene alterations
and gene network associations in multifactorial human diseases. Ovarian cancer
is a highly complex heterogeneous malignancy in respect of tumor anatomy,
tumor microenvironment including pro-/antitumor immunity and inflammation;
still, it is generally treated as single disease. Thus, further approaches to
investigate novel aspects of ovarian cancer pathogenesis aiming to provide a
personalized strategy to clinical decision making are of high priority. Herein
we assessed the contribution of the AID/APOBEC family and their associated
genes given the remarkable ability of AID and APOBECs to edit DNA/RNA, and as
such, providing tools for genetic and epigenetic alterations potentially
leading to reprogramming of tumor cells, stroma and immune cells. Results We
structured the study by three consecutive analytical modules, which include
the multigene-based expression profiling in a cohort of patients with primary
serous ovarian cancer using a self-created AID/APOBEC-associated gene
signature, building up of multivariable survival models with high predictive
accuracy and nomination of top-ranked candidate/target genes according to
their prognostic impact, and systems biology-based reconstruction of the AID
/APOBEC-driven disease-relevant mechanisms using transcriptomics data from
ovarian cancer samples. We demonstrated that inclusion of the AID/APOBEC
signature-based variables significantly improves the clinicopathological
variables-based survival prognostication allowing significant patient
stratification. Furthermore, several of the profiling-derived variables such
as ID3, PTPRC/CD45, AID, APOBEC3G, and ID2 exceed the prognostic impact of
some clinicopathological variables. We next extended the signature-/modeling-
based knowledge by extracting top genes co-regulated with target molecules in
ovarian cancer tissues and dissected potential networks/pathways/regulators
contributing to pathomechanisms. We thereby revealed that the AID/APOBEC-
related network in ovarian cancer is particularly associated with
remodeling/fibrotic pathways, altered immune response, and autoimmune
disorders with inflammatory background. Conclusions The herein study is, to
our knowledge, the first one linking expression of entire AID/APOBECs and
interacting genes with clinical outcome with respect to survival of cancer
patients. Overall, data propose a novel AID/APOBEC-derived survival model for
patient risk assessment and reconstitute mapping to molecular pathways. The
established study algorithm can be applied further for any biologically
relevant signature and any type of diseased tissue
Asparagine levels in the cerebrospinal fluid of children with acute lymphoblastic leukemia treated with pegylated-asparaginase in the induction phase of the AIEOP-BFM ALL 2009 study
A clinical prediction rule for the diagnosis of coronary artery disease: validation, updating, and extension
Aims The aim was to validate, update, and extend the Diamond-Forrester model for estimating the probability of obstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) in a contemporary cohort. Methods and results Prospectively collected data from 14 hospitals on patients with chest pain without a history of CAD and referred for conventional coronary angiography (CCA) were used. Primary outcome was obstructive CAD, defined as â„50% stenosis in one or more vessels on CCA. The validity of the Diamond-Forrester model was assessed using calibration plots, calibration-in-the-large, and recalibration in logistic regression. The model was subsequently updated and extended by revising the predictive value of age, sex, and type of chest pain. Diagnostic performance was assessed by calculating the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (c-statistic) and reclassification was determined. We included 2260 patients, of whom 1319 had obstructive CAD on CCA. Validation demonstrated an overestimation of the CAD probability, especially in women. The updated and extended models demonstrated a c-statistic of 0.79 (95% CI 0.77-0.81) and 0.82 (95% CI 0.80-0.84), respectively. Sixteen per cent of men and 64% of women were correctly reclassified. The predicted probability of obstructive CAD ranged from 10% for 50-year-old females with non-specific chest pain to 91% for 80-year-old males with typical chest pain. Predictions varied across hospitals due to differences in disease prevalence. Conclusion Our results suggest that the Diamond-Forrester model overestimates the probability of CAD especially in women. We updated the predictive effects of age, sex, type of chest pain, and hospital setting which improved model performance and we extended it to include patients of 70 years and olde
Centre de recherches interdisciplinaires sur lâAllemagne â CRIA
Jean-Louis Georget, maĂźtre de confĂ©rences Ă lâUniversitĂ© Paris-XIII/Nord Lâethnologie allemande de la Seconde Guerre mondiale Ă lâĂcole de TĂŒbingen Le travail a portĂ© cette annĂ©e sur lâĂ©trange oubli de contextualisation de lâĂ©mergence de la discipline des sciences de la culture quâest la Volkskunde, produit dâun long refoulement depuis la fin du XIXe siĂšcle. Bernhard Tschofen, directeur de lâinstitut Ludwig Uhland de TĂŒbingen, est venu parler, dans le cadre dâune invitation faite par le Centr..
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