Home  About us  Contact
 

Potential Diagnostic Marker (potential + diagnostic_marker)

Distribution by Scientific Domains
Medical Sciences50%

Selected Abstracts

Cyclooxygenase-2 expression and connection with tumor recurrence and histopathologic parameters in gastrointestinal stromal tumors

APMIS, Issue 11 2009
HÜSEYIN KEMAL TÜRKÖZ
Tissue cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) is a rate-limiting enzyme in prostaglandin synthesis and has been shown to have roles in carcinogenesis and tumor progression. Evaluation of COX-2 overexpression in malignancies has been performed mostly on tumors of epithelial origin, and little is known about its presence in mesenchymal tumors, especially gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST). COX-2 has been reported to be widely expressed in GIST and has been suggested as a potential diagnostic marker. We evaluated the overexpression and roles of COX-2 in tumorigenesis in GIST with regard to its relation to prognostic parameters and tumor recurrence. We studied the presence of COX-2 expression immunohistochemically and its relation to clinicopathologic prognostic variables in 41 cases of GIST. COX-2 was overexpressed in 21 (51%) of 41 tumors. The extent of overexpression was greater in tumors that recurred after surgical resection. COX-2 overexpression was also higher in tumors with coagulative necrosis, high mitotic index and an infiltrative pattern of growth. The observation of greater COX-2 expression levels in GIST with unfavorable histopathologic variables is contrary to previous reports and consistent with the reported roles of COX-2 in carcinogenesis of epithelial malignancies. [source]

SALL4 is a novel sensitive and specific marker for metastatic germ cell tumors, with particular utility in detection of metastatic yolk sac tumors

CANCER, Issue 12 2009
Dengfeng Cao MD
Abstract BACKGROUND: The correct diagnosis of metastatic germ cell tumors is critical, because these tumors can be effectively treated and are even cured with modern therapy. Their histopathologic diagnosis can be challenging without immunohistochemical markers, which currently have limitations. SALL4 is a novel stem cell marker essential to maintain pluripotency and self-renewal of embryonic stem cells. In the current study, the authors investigated the utility of SALL4 as a potential diagnostic marker for metastatic germ cell tumors. METHODS: Ninety metastatic germ cell tumors from testis, ovary, and extragonadal sites were stained with a monoclonal SALL4 antibody. In addition, 170 metastatic nongerm cell malignancies, including 158 carcinomas (6 head and neck, 8 thyroid, 12 lung, 8 breast, 7 hepatocellular, 3 cholangiocarcinomas, 2 ampullary, 10 pancreatic, 18 gastric, 15 esophageal, 10 renal cell, 10 urothelial, 12 prostatic, 18 ovarian, 6 uterine, and 13 colonic) and 12 melanomas, were also stained to test SALL4 specificity. RESULTS: All 22 seminomas, 7 dysgerminomas, 22 embryonal carcinomas, and 14 of 15 yolk sac tumors displayed strong and diffuse SALL positivity in >90% of tumor cells (80% of tumor cells were strongly positive in the remaining yolk sac tumor). Five of 7 choriocarcinomas and 9 of 18 teratomas were also variably positive for SALL4. In contrast, only 10 (esophageal, gastric, and colonic adenocarcinomas) of 170 metastatic somatic tumors demonstrated focally weak SALL4 reactivity (<25% tumor cells). CONCLUSIONS: SALL4 is a novel sensitive and highly specific marker for metastatic germ cell tumors, and is particularly useful for detecting metastatic yolk sac tumors. Cancer 2009. © 2009 American Cancer Society. [source]

Quantitative proteomic analysis to discover potential diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets in human renal cell carcinoma

PROTEINS: STRUCTURE, FUNCTION AND BIOINFORMATICS, Issue 15 2008
Noboru Okamura
Abstract Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is relatively resistant to chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Recent advances in drug development are providing novel agents for the treatment of RCC, but the effects are still minimal. In addition, there is an urgent need to identify diagnostic markers for RCC. In this report, to discover potential diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets, we subjected RCC samples to a quantitative proteomic analysis utilizing 2-nitrobenzenesulfenyl (NBS) reagent. Proteins were extracted from RCC and adjacent normal tissue, obtained surgically from patients, and labeled with NBS reagent containing six 12C or 13C. This was followed by trypsin digestion and the enrichment of labeled peptides. Samples were then subjected to analysis by MALDI-TOF MS. NBS-labeled peptides with a 6,Da difference were identified by MS/MS. Thirty-four proteins were upregulated in more than 60% of the patients of which some were previously known, and some were novel. The identity of a few proteins was confirmed by Western blotting and quantitative real time RT-PCR. The results suggest that NBS-based quantitative proteomic analysis is useful for discovering diagnostic markers and therapeutic targets for RCC. [source]