Detection of activated KRAS from cancer patient peripheral blood using a weighted enzymatic chip array.

Background: The KRAS oncogene was one of the earliest discoveries of genetic alterations in colorectal and lung cancers. Moreover, KRAS somatic mutations might be used for predicting the efficiency of anti-EGFR therapeutic drugs. The purpose of this research was to improve Activating KRAS Detection Chip by using a weighted enzymatic chip array (WEnCA) platform to detect activated KRAS mutations status in the peripheral blood of non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and colorectal cancer (CRC) patients in Taiwan.

Overexpression of S100B, TM4SF4, and OLFM4 genes is correlated with liver metastasis in Taiwanese colorectal cancer patients.

Distant metastasis of colorectal cancer (CRC) occurs mainly in the liver and is the major cause of death. This study explored the overexpression of liver metastasis-associated mRNAs in human CRC by using a well-established, weighted enzymatic chip array platform. Analysis of 10 CRC tissue specimens compared with their normal adjacent tissues revealed that ATP2A2, ELAVL4, hTERT, KCTD2, MUC1, OLFM4, S100B, and TM4SF4 genes were upregulated (gene expression ratio of cancer tissue to paired normal tissue was >2) by microarray and bioinformatics analysis.

Enhancing detection of circulating tumor cells with activating KRAS oncogene in patients with colorectal cancer by weighted chemiluminescent membrane array method.

Background: In 2008, the National Comprehensive Cancer Network suggested conducting a KRAS mutations test in metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC) patients prior to administering therapy that uses anti-epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) monoclonal antibody. However, tests of KRAS mutations have been limited when traditional molecular techniques, such as polymerase chain reaction (PCR) combined direct sequencing, are used to obtain and analyze patients' cancer tissues. If the primary tumor or metastatic tissues of patients with mCRC is unavailable, then such analysis will not be feasible.

Evaluation of perforated and nonperforated appendicitis with CT.

Fifty-three patients with 38 cases of perforated appendicitis and 15 cases of appendicitis without perforation were evaluated based on the computed tomography (CT) appearances of appendiceal diameter, phlegmon, abscess, extraluminal air, appendiceal wall enhancement, lateroconal fascial thickening, appendicolith, bowel wall thickening, ascites, ileal wall enhancement, peritoneal enhancement, periappendiceal fluid, omental haziness, retrocecal appendix, intraluminal air, and the combination of intraluminal air and appendicolith. The result of appendiceal diameter was compared using two-sample Student's t test, and the other CT findings were analyzed by Fisher's Exact Test. Our results showed that appendix was larger in caliber in perforated appendix (P< .

CT evaluation of gastrointestinal tract perforation.

The purpose of this study is to review the computed tomography (CT) appearance of gastrointestinal tract (GI) perforation. Forty-two patients with 10 cases of proximal GI perforation and 32 cases of distal GI perforation were evaluated based on the CT findings of extraluminal air (which was subdivided into the CT-falciform ligament sign crossing the midline and scattered pockets of air), bowel wall thickening (>8 mm in gastroduodenal wall, >3 mm in the small bowel wall, >6 mm in the caliber of the appendix and >5 mm in the colonic wall), associated abscess formation, ascites and adjacent fat stranding. The results were compared using Fisher's Exact Test.