Insights into the Middle Eastern paternal genetic pool in Tunisia: high prevalence of T-M70 haplogroup in an Arab population.

To obtain refreshed insights into the paternal lineages of Tunisian populations, Y-chromosome diversity was assessed in two populations belonging to an Arab genealogical lineage, Kairouan and Wesletia, as well as in four Tunisian Andalusian populations, Testour, Slouguia, Qalaat-El-Andalous and El Alia. The Arabs from Kairouan revealed 73.47% of E-M81 and close affinities with Berber groups, indicating they are likely arabized Berbers, clearly differentiated from the Arabs from Wesletia, who harbored the highest frequency (71.

PTEN Loss and Cyclin A2 Upregulation Define a PI3K/AKT Pathway Activation in Helicobacter pylori-induced MALT and DLBCL Gastric Lymphoma With Features of MALT.

Helicobacter pylori infection is strongly associated with primary gastric diseases, such as extranodal mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT) lymphoma, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma (DLBCL) with histologic evidence of MALT origin, and gastric carcinoma. The cytotoxin-associated gene A (CagA) protein behaves as a bacterial oncoprotein, promoting tumorigenesis via dysregulation of the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase/AKT pathway (PI3K/AKT). We investigated the molecular mechanisms of PI3K/AKT pathway dysregulation in H.

MICA-129 Met/Val polymorphism could be a genetic biomarker for Familial Breast Cancer in the Tunisian population.

Identification of candidate genes associated with susceptibility of breast cancer can have a significant impact at a cancer management national healthcare systems level, making genetic testing more affordable and cost-effective. We have previously shown that the major histocompatibility complex class I-related chain A (MICA) was related to breast cancer and plays an important role in modulating immune response mechanisms through NKG2D receptor activation. Compared to our previous study, in this work, we recruited a new cohort composed of 354 unrelated Tunisian women affected by breast cancer and 380 age-matched women as controls, all genotyped for MICA-129 Met/Val (rs 1051792).

Discrimination by RT-Nested PCR of Alpha-Lactalbumin Transcript Expression in Mammary Tumors.

Alpha-lactalbumin is a protein of milk expressed by mammary epithelial cells and by some breast tumors. The alpha-lactalbumin gene has two transcripts. The expression of transcript 2 has not yet been studied.

A genome wide SNP genotyping study in the Tunisian population: specific reporting on a subset of common breast cancer risk loci.

Background: Breast cancer is the most common cancer in women worldwide. Around 50% of breast cancer familial risk has been so far explained by known susceptibility alleles with variable levels of risk and prevalence. The vast majority of these breast cancer associated variations reported to date are from populations of European ancestry.

Expression and polymorphism of micro-RNA according to body mass index and breast cancer presentation in Tunisian patients.

Micro-RNAs (miRs) constitute a class of small noncoding RNAs implicated in the regulation of gene expression by binding to target mRNAs. A miR can target several mRNAs, being involved in different biologic processes and pathologies. This pleiotropic function might explain the link between diseases co-occurrence.

Induction of epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) and Gli1 expression in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) spheroid cultures.

Tumor microenvironment provides a specialized niche in which a population of stem-like cells is enriched and contributes to cancer progression. Moreover, cancer stem cell (CSC) phenotype has been associated with epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). Here we investigated the effect of tumor microenvironment on the phenotypic characteristics of head and neck cancer cells and expression of CSC markers using a three-dimensional (3D), spheroid, culture system of CAL33 cell line from human tongue squamous cell carcinoma.

Targeting Tumor Metabolism: A New Challenge to Improve Immunotherapy.

Currently, a marked number of clinical trials on cancer treatment have revealed the success of immunomodulatory therapies based on immune checkpoint inhibitors that activate tumor-specific T cells. However, the therapeutic efficacy of cancer immunotherapies is only restricted to a small fraction of patients. A deeper understanding of key mechanisms generating an immunosuppressive tumor microenvironment (TME) remains a major challenge for more effective antitumor immunity.

Ancient and recent Middle Eastern maternal genetic contribution to North Africa as viewed by mtDNA diversity in Tunisian Arab populations.

Objectives: Through previous mitochondrial DNA studies, the Middle Eastern maternal genetic contribution to Tunisian populations appears limited. In fact, most of the studied communities were cosmopolitan, or of Berber or Andalusian origin. To provide genetic evidence for the actual contribution of Middle Eastern mtDNA lineages to Tunisia, we focused on two Arab speaking populations from Kairouan and Wesletia known to belong to an Arab genealogical lineage.

Impact of Metabolism on T-Cell Differentiation and Function and Cross Talk with Tumor Microenvironment.

The immune system and metabolism are highly integrated and multilevel interactions between metabolic system and T lymphocyte signaling and fate exist. Accumulating evidence indicates that the regulation of nutrient uptake and utilization in T cells is critically important for the control of their differentiation and manipulating metabolic pathways in these cells can shape their function and survival. This review will discuss some potential cell metabolism pathways involved in shaping T lymphocyte function and differentiation.

Modulation of the Type I Interferon Response Defines the Sensitivity of Human Melanoma Cells to Oncolytic Measles Virus.

Background: Oncolytic viruses such as live-attenuated, vaccine strains of measles virus (MV) have recently emerged as promising cancer treatments, having shown significant antitumor activity against a large variety of human tumors.

Objective: Our study aims at determining which parameters define the sensitivity of human melanoma cells to oncolytic MV infection.

Methods: We analyzed both in vitro and in vivo the oncolytic activity of MV against a panel of human melanoma cell established in our laboratory.

Involvement of genetic factors and lifestyle on the occurrence of colorectal and gastric cancer.

Gastrointestinal cancers are diseases due to genetic and environmental factors. In this present work we are interested in the influence of environmental factors on the occurrence of gastrointestinal cancers in Tunisian population. We found that the MTHFR C677T polymorphism was associated with colorectal cancer (P<0.

The Orientalisation of North Africa: New hints from the study of autosomal STRs in an Arab population.

Background: Recent genomic analyses suggest that the current North African gene pool was mainly influenced by population flow coming from the East that altered the genetic structure of autochthonous Berber populations. Such genetic flow has not been extensively addressed yet using North African populations of Middle-eastern origin as reference.

Aim: To discern the Middle-eastern component in the genetic background of Tunisian Arabs and evaluate the extent of gene flow from the Middle East into North African autochthonous Berber populations.

Incidence Trend for Non-Hodgkin Lymphoma in the North Tunisian Population, 1998-2009.

Background: In 2008, non-Hodgkin lymphoma ranked tenth among other malignancies worldwide with an incidence of around 5 cases per 100,000 in both genders. The latest available rates in Tunisia are from 2006.

Materials And Methods: This study aimed to provide an update about NHL incidence for 2009 and its trend between 1998 and 2009 as well as a projection until 2024, using data from the Salah Azaiz Institute hospital registry and the Noth Tunisia cancer registry.

Intrinsic and Tumor Microenvironment-Induced Metabolism Adaptations of T Cells and Impact on Their Differentiation and Function.

It is well recognized that the immune system and metabolism are highly integrated. In this context, multilevel interactions between metabolic system and T lymphocyte signaling and fate exist. This review will discuss different potential cell metabolism pathways involved in shaping T lymphocyte function and differentiation.

Computer-Assisted Classification Patterns in Autoimmune Diagnostics: The AIDA Project.

Antinuclear antibodies (ANAs) are significant biomarkers in the diagnosis of autoimmune diseases in humans, done by mean of Indirect ImmunoFluorescence (IIF) method, and performed by analyzing patterns and fluorescence intensity. This paper introduces the AIDA Project (autoimmunity: diagnosis assisted by computer) developed in the framework of an Italy-Tunisia cross-border cooperation and its preliminary results. A database of interpreted IIF images is being collected through the exchange of images and double reporting and a Gold Standard database, containing around 1000 double reported images, has been settled.

Involvement of IL17A, IL17F and IL23R Polymorphisms in Colorectal Cancer Therapy.

IL23/IL17 pathway plays an important role in the development of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). In general, the genes encoding the cytokines are genetically polymorphic and polymorphisms in genes IL23R and IL17 have been proved to be associated with its susceptibility to inflammatory diseases as well as cancer including colorectal cancer. Moreover, it has been shown that these interleukins are involved in anti-tumor or pro-tumor effects of various cancers.

Consanguinity Protecting Effect Against Breast Cancer among Tunisian Women: Analysis of BRCA1 Haplotypes.

The purpose of this study is to assess the effect of consanguinity on breast cancer incidence in Tunisia. We conducted a case-control study to evaluate the involvement of heterozygote and homozygote haplotypes of BRCA1 gene SNPs according to consanguinity among 40 cases of familial breast cancer, 46 cases with sporadic breast cancer and 34 healthy controls. We showed significant difference in consanguinity rate between breast cancer patients versus healthy controls P = 0.

The immune microenvironment of the colorectal tumor: Involvement of immunity genes and microRNAs belonging to the TH17 pathway.

Colorectal cancer is a complex and multifactorial disease. Various factors such as genetic, immunological, epigenetic and environmental constitute minor risk factors with their additive effects contributing to the advent of colorectal cancer. In order to evaluate the role of innate and adaptive immunity in the susceptibility, the presentation and the development of colorectal cancer, we considered an immunogenetic approach on polymorphisms in the TLR4 gene and NOD2/CARD15 gene (receptors of innate immunity) as well as in cytokine genes of the TH17 pathway IL17A, IL17F and cytokine receptor IL23R.

Sousse: extreme genetic heterogeneity in North Africa.

The male genetic landscape of the territory currently known as Tunisia is hampered by the scarcity of data, especially from cosmopolitan areas such as the coastal city of Sousse. In order to alleviate this lacuna, 220 males from Sousse were examined, for the first time, for more than 50 Y-chromosome single-nucleotide polymorphisms (Y-SNPs) markers and compared with 3099 individuals from key geographically targeted locations in North Africa, Europe and the Near East. The paternal lineages observed belong to a common set of Y haplogroups previously described in North Africa.