Nonendoscopic Screening for Barrett's Esophagus and Esophageal Adenocarcinoma in At-Risk Veterans.

Introduction: Although rates of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) in the United States continue to rise, many patients at risk of disease are not screened. EsoCheck (EC), a nonendoscopic esophageal balloon sampling device coupled with EsoGuard (EG), a DNA-based screening assay, is an US Food and Drug Administration-approved minimally invasive alternative to the traditional screening method of upper endoscopy. The objective of this study was to prospectively determine the diagnostic accuracy, tolerance, and acceptability of the EC/EG test in a screening population.

The Ephrin B2 Receptor Tyrosine Kinase Is a Regulator of Proto-oncogene MYC and Molecular Programs Central to Barrett's Neoplasia.

Background & Aims: Mechanisms contributing to the onset and progression of Barrett's (BE)-associated esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) remain elusive. Here, we interrogated the major signaling pathways deregulated early in the development of Barrett's neoplasia.

Methods: Whole-transcriptome RNA sequencing analysis was performed in primary BE, EAC, normal esophageal squamous, and gastric biopsy tissues (n = 89).

Age of diagnosis in familial Barrett's associated neoplasia.

The identification of hereditary cancer genes for esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) and its precursor, Barrett's esophagus (BE), may prove critical for the development of novel prevention and treatment strategies. Specifically, efforts for detecting BE and EAC susceptibility genes have focused on families with three or more affected members, since these individuals have an earlier age onset compared to non-familial individuals. Given that the use of BE may overestimate the likelihood of disease heritability, we evaluated the age of diagnosis in kindreds with a restricted definition including only confirmed high-grade dysplasia (HGD) or EAC.

Systems Biology Analyses Show Hyperactivation of Transforming Growth Factor-β and JNK Signaling Pathways in Esophageal Cancer.

Background & Aims: Esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) is resistant to standard chemoradiation treatments, and few targeted therapies are available. We used large-scale tissue profiling and pharmacogenetic analyses to identify deregulated signaling pathways in EAC tissues that might be targeted to slow tumor growth or progression.

Methods: We collected 397 biopsy specimens from patients with EAC and nonmalignant Barrett's esophagus (BE), with or without dysplasia.

RNA Sequencing Identifies Transcriptionally Viable Gene Fusions in Esophageal Adenocarcinomas.

Esophageal adenocarcinoma is a deadly cancer with increasing incidence in the United States, but mechanisms underlying pathogenesis are still mostly elusive. In addressing this question, we assessed gene fusion landscapes by comprehensive RNA sequencing (RNAseq) of 55 pretreatment esophageal adenocarcinoma and 49 nonmalignant biopsy tissues from patients undergoing endoscopy for Barrett's esophagus. In this cohort, we identified 21 novel candidate esophageal adenocarcinoma-associated fusions occurring in 3.

Extracellular osmolarity modulates G protein-coupled receptor-dependent ATP release from 1321N1 astrocytoma cells.

We previously reported that ATP release from 1321N1 human astrocytoma cells could be stimulated either by activation of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR) or by hypotonic stress. Cheema et al. (Cheema TA, Ward CE, Fisher SK.

Rho-family GTPases modulate Ca(2+) -dependent ATP release from astrocytes.

Previously, we reported that activation of G protein-coupled receptors (GPCR) in 1321N1 human astrocytoma cells elicits a rapid release of ATP that is partially dependent on a G(q)/phophospholipase C (PLC)/Ca(2+) mobilization signaling cascade. In this study we assessed the role of Rho-family GTPase signaling as an additional pathway for the regulation of ATP release in response to activation of protease-activated receptor-1 (PAR1), lysophosphatidic acid receptor (LPAR), and M3-muscarinic (M3R) GPCRs. Thrombin (or other PAR1 peptide agonists), LPA, and carbachol triggered quantitatively similar Ca(2+) mobilization responses, but only thrombin and LPA caused rapid accumulation of active GTP-bound Rho.

Serotonin receptors represent highly favorable molecular targets for cognitive enhancement in schizophrenia and other disorders.

Rationale: Current treatments for schizophrenia adequately treat the positive symptoms of schizophrenia but only modestly improve cognitive deficits. This review provides evidence for and against the use of selective 5-HT receptor drugs as cognition enhancing agents for schizophrenia and other disorders.

Methods: Pre-clinical and clinical literature concerned with the role of the serotonergic system in cognition and memory as it relates to schizophrenia is reviewed.

Detection and quantitation of fatty acid acyl conjugates of triamcinolone acetonide via gas chromatography-electron-capture negative-ion mass spectrometry.

The inherent electron-capture properties of triamcinolone acetonide (TAA) fatty acid conjugates were exploited for development of a GC-MS technique for quantitation of C21 long-chain fatty esters of TAA synthesized in BEAS-2B cells, an immortalized airway epithelium cell line. TAA esters extracted from BEAS-2B cells were purified and detected via selected ion monitoring of the molecular anions generated from the TAA esters under electron-capture negative-ion mass spectrometric conditions. Standard curves were linear over a range of 0.