Effects of N-ethyl maleimide on urea facilitated transport across toad gall bladder

Summary An SH reactive agent, N-ethyl maleimide (10^–3 M for 2 min in the luminal fluid) selectively inhibits the urea transpithelial flux across the toad gall bladder. Thiourea and antipyrine flux is not inhibited. The inhibitory effect on urea flux seems to be exerted on the carrier mechanism of urea transport.     

Liver function during chronic renal failure in rabbits

Summary In rabbits with chronic renal insufficiency the prothrombin index was increased by 25% and the alanine aminotransferase activity decreased by 20%; the results of other routine tests of hepatic function were not affected. The galactose elimination capacity was decreased by 12%, whereas the body clearance of antipyrine was unchanged. No change in hepatocytic structure was found.     

Liver function during chronic renal failure in rabbits

In rabbits with chronic renal insufficiency the prothrombin index was increased by 25% and the alanine aminotransferase activity decreased by 20%; the results of other routine tests of hepatic function were not affected. The galactose elimination capacity was decreased by 12%, whereas the body clearance of antipyrine was unchanged. No change in hepatocytic structure was found.     

Plasma lipid-bound sialic acid alterations in neoplastic diseases

Summary Plasma lipid-bound sialic acid (LSA) was assayed in normal volunteers, patients with non-malignant diseases, and a variety of cancer patients. Mean plasma LSA in 50 normal volunteers, 16 patients with non-malignant diseases, 54 breast cancer, 17 lung cancer, 15 colon cancer, 7 ovarian cancer, 5 prostate cancer, 4 leukemia, 4 gastrointestinal, 3 thyroid cancer, 3 pancreas cancer and 2 adrenal cancer patients were 17.7, 23.2, 58, 85, 56.7, 46.2, 56.7, 53.3, 31.1, 33.2 and 119.5 mg/dl, respectively. None of the normal volunteers had elevated plasma LSA values. Plasma LSA level was not significantly different in male and female volunteers. Two patients with rheumatic arthritis had LSA values slightly elevated over the mean + 2 SD for the normal volunteers. Two out of 114 different cancer patients had plasma LSA levels within normal range exhibiting 98.2% sensitivity of the assay. Plasma LSA, which is relatively simple to assay, may be used as a tumor marker in wide variety of neoplastic diseases.     

Plasma lipid-bound sialic acid alterations in neoplastic diseases

Plasma lipid-bound sialic acid (LSA) was assayed in normal volunteers, patients with non-malignant diseases, and a variety of cancer patients. Mean plasma LSA in 50 normal volunteers, 16 patients with non-malignant diseases, 54 breast cancer, 17 lung cancer, 15 colon cancer, 7 ovarian cancer, 5 prostate cancer, 4 leukemia, 4 gastrointestinal, 3 thyroid cancer, 3 pancreas cancer and 2 adrenal cancer patients were 17.7, 23.2, 58, 85, 56.7, 46.2, 56.7, 53.3, 31.1, 33.2 and 119.5 mg/dl, respectively. None of the normal volunteers had elevated plasma LSA values. Plasma LSA level was not significantly different in male and female volunteers. Two out of 114 different cancer patients had plasma LSA levels within normal range exhibiting 98.2% sensitivity of the assay. Plasma LSA, which is relatively simple to assay, may be used as a tumor marker in wide variety of neoplastic diseases.     

多排螺旋CT扫描对胃癌的诊断价值

目的评价多排螺旋CT扫描对胃癌的诊断价值。方法对62例胃癌病例行气体对比薄层动态增强CT扫描三维重建技术,层厚0．5mm,在此基础上进行CT仿真胃镜和VRT技术,对获取的图像进行分析。全部病例均经手术和病理证实。结果检出痛变位于胃窦部31例（50％）.胃底贲门部10例（16％）,体部9例（15．7％）,弥漫型12例（19．3％）,病变检出率为100％。多薄层动态增强cT扫描三维重建技术表现为局限性胃壁增厚50例,广泛性胃壁增厚12例;其中早期胃癌10例,进展期胃癌52倒;局部和远处淋巴结转移24例;远处转移17例;本组CT定性诊断准确率为96％。结论薄层动态增强CT扫描三维重建技术能清晰显示胃壁及腔内、外病变,并直观反映胃癌大体形态及肿瘤的范围,在胃癌的定位、定性和定量诊断中发挥其独特的优势,是一种最具潜力的检查方法。     

Liver lectins: mediators for metastases?

Development of liver metastases in 1542 cancer patients was investigated. It was found that in certain liver diseases the incidence of liver metastases was reduced compared to that in cancer patients with otherwise normal livers. We propose that this reduction may be due to a reduced function of the liver-specific lectins.     

Effect of human seminal plasma on tumour-associated immunity in prostatic cancer. A preliminary report

Summary Evidence of significant suppression of tumour-associated immunity in patients with prostatic cancer by human seminal plasma (HuSP1) has been observed. Collation of the immunosuppressive property of HuSP1 in this and previous studies, together with recent studies demonstrating experimental induction of prostatic cancer by spermatozoa and the relationship of prostatic cancer to sexual activity are suggestive of an etiologic role for SP1 in prostatic cancer.     

Immunotherapy against antigenic tumors: a game with a lot of players

Our understanding of how immune responses are generated and regulated drives the design of possible immunotherapies for cancer patients. For that reason, we first describe briefly the actual immunological theories and their common perspectives about cancer vaccine development. Second, we describe cancer vaccines that are able to induce tumor-specific immune responses in cancer patients. However, these responses are not always followed by tumor rejection. At the end of the review, we discuss two possible reasons that might explain this dichotomy of cancer immunology. First, the immune response generated, although detectable, may not be quantitatively sufficient to reject the tumor. Second, the tumor microenvironment may modulate tumor cell susceptibility to the systemic immune response induced by the immunization. Finally, we discuss what, in our opinion, might be the best way to improve cancer vaccine strategies and how the relationship between the tumor and its surroundings might be studied in more details. Received 21 June 2001; received after revision 15 August 2001; accepted 15 August 2001     

生命质量评价在结直肠癌术后患者中的应用

目的 对结直肠癌术后患者的生命质量和社会支持状况进行评价,并分析其影响因素. 方法 采用中文版EORTC QLQ-C30生命质量问卷和社会支持评价量表SSRS对结直肠癌术后患者进行问卷调查. 结果 QLQ-C30量表具有较好的信度和效度;总体生命质量主要影响因素有症状数目社会支持总分、伴有其他疾病、康复锻炼、文化程度等因素,功能总分的主要影响因素为症状数日、康复锻炼、伴有其他疾病等. 结论 实现了用生命质量量表对结直肠癌术后患者进行了评价,在临床上值得推广应用该量表.     

Do anti-stroma therapies improve extrinsic resistance to increase the efficacy of gemcitabine in pancreatic cancer?

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC) is among the most devastating human malignancies, with approximately 20–30% of PDAC patients receiving the surgical resection with curative intent. Although many studies have focused on finding ideal “drug chaperones” that facilitate and/or potentiate the effects of gemcitabine (GEM) in pancreatic cancer, a significant benefit in overall survival could not be demonstrated for any of these combination therapies in PDAC. Given that pancreatic cancer is characterized by desmoplasia and the dual biological roles of stroma in pancreatic cancer, we reassess the importance of stroma in GEM-based therapeutic approaches in light of current findings. This review is focused on understanding the role of stromal components in the extrinsic resistance to GEM and whether anti-stroma therapies have a positive effect on the GEM delivery. This work contributes to the development of novel and promising combination GEM-based regimens that have achieved significant survival benefits for the patients with pancreatic cancer.     

Biomarkers for predicting future metastasis of human gastrointestinal tumors

The recent advances in surgery and radiation therapy have significantly improved the prognosis of patients with primary cancer, and the major challenge of cancer treatment now is metastatic disease development. The 5-year survival rate of cancer patients who have distant metastasis at diagnosis is extremely low, suggesting that prediction and early detection of metastasis would definitely improve their prognosis because suitable patient therapeutic management and treatment strategy can be provided. Cancer cells from a primary site give rise to a metastatic tumor via a number of steps which require the involvement and altered expression of many regulators. These regulators may serve as biomarkers for predicting metastasis. Over the past few years, numerous regulators have been found correlating with metastasis. In this review, we summarize the findings of a number of potential biomarkers that are involved in cadherin–catenin interaction, integrin signaling, PI3K/Akt/mTOR signaling and cancer stem cell identification in gastrointestinal cancers. We will also discuss how certain biomarkers are associated with the tumor microenvironment that favors cancer metastasis.     

Overview upon miR-21 in lung cancer: focus on NSCLC

Considering the high mortality rate encountered in lung cancer, there is a strong need to explore new biomarkers for early diagnosis and also improved therapeutic targets to overcome this issue. The implementation of microRNAs as important regulators in cancer and other pathologies expanded the possibilities of lung cancer management and not only. MiR-21 represents an intensively studied microRNA in many types of cancer, including non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Its role as an oncogene is underlined in multiple studies reporting the upregulated expression of this sequence in patients diagnosed with this malignancy; moreover, several studies associated this increased expression of miR-21 with a worse outcome within NSCLC patients. The same pattern is supported by the data existent in the Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). The carcinogenic advantage generated by miR-21 in NSCLC resides in the target genes involved in multiple pathways such as cell growth and proliferation, angiogenesis, invasion and metastasis, but also chemo- and radioresistance. Therapeutic modulation of miR-21 by use of antisense sequences entrapped in different delivery systems has shown promising results in impairment of NSCLC. Hereby, we review the mechanisms of action of miR-21 in cancer and the associated changes upon tumor cells together a focused perspective on NSCLC signaling, prognosis and therapy.     

Diminution of the percentage of mononucleated phagocytes in patients with breast cancer]

Phagocytic activity of macrophages obtained directly from blisters induced by cantharide was studied in 19 normal women and 21 patients with untreated operable carcinoma of the breast. The percentage of mononuclear phagocytes from cancer patients was significantly decreased as compared to the percentage from control Women. The reasons for this phagocyte inertia in these patients remain to be determined.     

Common Molecular Mechanisms of Mammary Gland Development and Breast Cancer

Evidence is accumulating that breast cancer is not one disease but many separate diseases. DNA microarray-based gene expression profiling has demonstrated subtypes with distinct phenotypic features and clinical responses. Prominent among the new subtypes is 'basal-like' breast cancer, one of the 'intrinsic' subtypes defined by negativity for the estrogen, progesterone, and HER2/neu receptors and positivity for cytokeratins-5/6. Focusing on basal-like breast cancer, we discuss how molecular technologies provide new chemotherapy targets, optimising treatment whilst sparing patients from unnecessary toxicity. Clinical trials are needed that incorporate long-term follow-up of patients with well-characterised tumour markers. Whilst the absence of an obvious dominant oncogene driving basal-like breast cancer and the lack of specific therapeutic agents are serious stumbling blocks, this review will highlight several promising therapeutic candidates currently under evaluation. Thus, new molecular technologies should provide a fundamental foundation for better understanding breast and other cancers which may be exploited to save lives. (Part of a Multi-author Review).     

Common Molecular Mechanisms of Mammary Gland Development and Breast Cancer

Hypoxia affects many important processes in tumour progression and is a key feature in the tumour microenvironment that needs to be taken into account when evaluating prognostics and therapeutic options for cancer patients. Hypoxia-regulating proteins, i.e. hypoxia inducible factors (HIFs), and associated gene products have been linked to certain tumour behaviours and might be useful as prognostic and predictive markers. Recently, hypoxia-driven gene products have been launched as novel cancer treatment targets with the potential to increase tumour-specific effects. Breast cancer consists of a multitude of different diseases with certain common characteristics, but also clearly disparate behaviours and genetic alterations. In this review we will summarise the role of hypoxia in breast cancer and specifically outline the importance of hypoxia and HIF-1alpha regarding prognostic and treatment-specific implications. (Part of a Multi-author Review).     

循环雌二醇及代谢物与绝经后乳腺癌的相关性

目的探讨循环雌二醇（E2）、4-羟雌二醇（4-OHE2）、2-甲氧雌二醇（2-MOE2）水平及4-羟雌二醇：2-甲氧雌二醇（4-OHE2：2-MOE2）比值与绝经后乳腺癌危险性的相关性。方法采用ELISA法检测绝经后34例乳腺癌、40例乳腺良性（乳腺纤维腺瘤与乳腺囊性增生病）疾病患者和20例正常对照循环雌二醇、4-羟雌二醇、2-甲氧雌二醇水平并计算4-羟雌二醇：2-甲氧雌二醇比值。结果乳腺癌组及乳腺良性疾病组循环2-甲氧雌二醇水平差异无统计学意义（P〉0．05）,但均较正常对照组低（P〈0．05）;乳腺癌组及乳腺良性疾病组4-羟雌二醇：2、甲氧雌二醇比值差异无统计学意义（P〉0．05）,但均较正常对照组升高（P〈0．05）。乳腺癌Ⅰ期～Ⅲ期各期循环雌二醇、4．羟雌二醇、2-甲氧雌二醇、4-羟雌二醇：2-甲氧雌二醇比值差异无统计学意义（P〉0．05）。4-羟雌二醇、2．甲氧雌二醇、4．羟雌二醇：2-甲氧雌二醇比值在乳腺癌ER（-）组与ER（＋）组间差异无统计学意义（P〉005）,但ER（＋）组雌二醇水平较ER（-）组明显升高（P〈0．05）。结论2．甲氧雌二醇与绝经后乳腺疾病负相关;4-羟雌二醇：2-甲氧雌二醇比值可能预示绝经后乳腺疾病危险。     

Genomic instability in breast and ovarian cancers: translation into clinical predictive biomarkers

Breast and ovarian cancer are among the most common malignancies diagnosed in women worldwide. Together, they account for the majority of cancer-related deaths in women. These cancer types share a number of features, including their association with hereditary cancer syndromes caused by heterozygous germline mutations in BRCA1 or BRCA2. BRCA-associated breast and ovarian cancers are hallmarked by genomic instability and high sensitivity to DNA double-strand break (DSB) inducing agents due to loss of error-free DSB repair via homologous recombination (HR). Recently, poly(ADP-ribose) polymerase inhibitors, a new class of drugs that selectively target HR-deficient tumor cells, have been shown to be highly active in BRCA-associated breast and ovarian cancers. This finding has renewed interest in hallmarks of HR deficiency and the use of other DSB-inducing agents, such as platinum salts or bifunctional alkylators, in breast and ovarian cancer patients. In this review we discuss the similarities between breast and ovarian cancer, the hallmarks of genomic instability in BRCA-mutated and BRCA-like breast and ovarian cancers, and the efforts to search for predictive markers of HR deficiency in order to individualize therapy in breast and ovarian cancer.