A targeted glycoproteomic approach identifies cadherin-5 as a novel biomarker of metastatic breast cancer.

Aberrant glycosylation has long been recognised as a hallmark of cancer, and is increasingly being exploited in biomarker discovery studies. Helix pomatia agglutinin (HPA) is known to bind aberrant glycans associated with metastatic breast cancer, and was used here to isolate glycoproteins from pooled breast cancer serum samples of (i) patients with recurrent breast cancer and (ii) patients with no sign of recurrence 5years after diagnosis of their primary tumour. Pregnancy zone protein, the polymeric immunoglobulin receptor and cadherin-5 emerged as potential markers of metastasis following proteomic identification of HPA binding glycoproteins.

Lectin microarray profiling of metastatic breast cancers.

Altered protein glycosylation compared with the disease-free state is a universal feature of cancer cells. It has long been established that distinct glycan structures are associated with specific forms of cancer, but far less is known about the complete array of glycans associated with certain tumors. The cancer glycome has great potential as a source of biomarkers, but progress in this field has been hindered by a lack of available techniques for the elucidation of disease-associated glycosylation.

Significant changes in dietary intake and supplement use after breast cancer diagnosis in a UK multicentre study.

The diagnosis of cancer can motivate survivors to alter their lifestyle habits. Healthcare providers need to be aware of what changes patients are likely to make in order to derive more pertinent recommendations; however, few studies have reported pre- and post-diagnostic lifestyle behaviours. Semi-quantitative food frequency questionnaires (FFQs) completed approximately 1 year after diagnosis were used to evaluate dietary intake and supplement use before and after diagnosis in a cohort of 1,560 breast cancer patients participating in the UK, prospective DietCompLyf study.

A sensitive assay to measure biomarker glycosylation demonstrates increased fucosylation of prostate specific antigen (PSA) in patients with prostate cancer compared with benign prostatic hyperplasia.

Background: Prostate specific antigen (PSA) measurement is used for the diagnosis of prostate cancer (PCa) but the test lacks specificity due to the number of false positive readings. The glycosylation of PSA is altered in PCa but studies in this area have been limited to few clinical samples and/or require advanced laboratory facilities. An assay to assess PSA glycosylation was established using equipment available in most routine biomedical testing laboratories.

Do phytoestrogens reduce the risk of breast cancer and breast cancer recurrence? What clinicians need to know.

Oestrogen is an important determinant of breast cancer risk. Oestrogen-mimicking plant compounds called phytoestrogens can bind to oestrogen receptors and exert weak oestrogenic effects. Despite this activity, epidemiological studies suggest that the incidence of breast cancer is lower in countries where the intake of phytoestrogens is high, implying that these compounds may reduce breast cancer risk, and possibly have an impact on survival.

High throughput quantification of phytoestrogens in human urine and serum using liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS).

Phytoestrogens are currently the subject of intense study owing to their potential protective effects against a number of complex diseases. However, in order to investigate the interactions between phytoestrogens and disease state effectively, it is necessary to have analytical methods which are sensitive, reproducible, and require low sample volumes. We report an assay for three isoflavones (daidzein, genistein, and glycitein), two metabolites of daidzein (equol and O-desmethylangolensin), three lignans (secoisolariciresinol, enterodiol, and enterolactone), and one flavanone (naringenin) in human urine and serum.

Cancer-associated glycoforms of gelatinase B exhibit a decreased level of binding to galectin-3.

Gelatinase B (MMP-9) and galectin-3 are widely known to participate in tumor cell invasion and metastasis. Glycans derived from MMP-9 expressed in MCF-7 breast cancer and THP-1 myeloid leukemia cells were compared with those from MMP-9 expressed in natural neutrophils. The many O-linked glycans of neutrophil gelatinase B presented a cluster of mainly galactosylated core II structures, 46% of which were ligands for galectin-3; 11% contained two to three N-acetyllactosamine repeating units that are high-affinity ligands for the lectin.

Short-term phytoestrogen supplementation alters insulin-like growth factor profile but not lipid or antioxidant status.

Phytoestrogens are plant compounds that have been proposed to have a variety of health benefits. The aim of this study was to assess the effects of these compounds on a number of physiological endpoints. Subjects were given a single intake of a phytoestrogen-rich (80 mg total phytoestrogens) supplement containing soy, rye and linseed (Phase 1), followed by a week-long intervention using the same supplement (Phase 2) (80 mg total phytoestrogens daily).

The influence of dietary lectins on the cell proliferation of human breast cancer cell lines in vitro.

Background: Lectins, carbohydrate proteins, bind non-covalently to glycoconjugate of normal and malignant cells. If used in cell culture, they can influence cellular proliferation. In this study the in vitro effects of six dietary lectins on the cell proliferation of human breast cancer cell lines were investigated.