Warburg phenotype in renal cell carcinoma: high expression of glucose-transporter 1 (GLUT-1) correlates with low CD8(+) T-cell infiltration in the tumor.

Many tumor cells are characterized by a dysregulated glucose metabolism associated with increased glycolysis in the presence of oxygen ("Warburg Effect"). Here, we analyzed for the first time a possible link between glucose metabolism and immune cell infiltration in renal cell carcinoma (RCC). RCC specimens revealed a highly significant increase in the expression of lactate dehydrogenase A (LDHA) and glucose-transporter 1 (GLUT-1) compared to the corresponding normal kidney tissue on mRNA level.

Prognostic factors of papillary renal cell carcinoma: results from a multi-institutional series after pathological review.

Purpose: We examined papillary renal cell carcinoma prognostic variables and validated the 2002 UICC TNM staging system in a multicenter analysis.

Materials And Methods: From 10 urological institutions in Germany followup data were collected on a total of 675 patients with papillary renal cell carcinoma. Central pathological review was done to validate external histopathological diagnoses.

Pax-5 protein expression in bladder cancer: a preliminary study that shows no correlation to grade, stage or clinical outcome.

Aims: Pax (paired box) genes comprise a gene family crucial for cell differentiation that encodes a set of transcription factors. Recently, Pax-5 mRNA expression was suggested as a prognostic marker in bladder cancer (BC). However, a functional role of Pax-5 in BC is questionable because the protein expression was not determined in these studies.

Sporadic renal cell carcinoma in young and elderly patients: are there different clinicopathological features and disease specific survival rates?

Background: Sporadic renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is rare in young adults. In the present retrospective study we reviewed clinicopathological features and disease specific survival rates in young patients (<= 45 years) with RCC and compared them to old patients (>= 75 years) with RCC.

Methods: Between 1992 and 2005 a total of 1042 patients were treated for RCC at our institution.

Role of the STK15 Phe31Ile polymorphism in renal cell carcinoma.

The search of inherited cancer susceptibility factors is an important subject in cancer epidemiology. Analyses of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) in various genes revealed a correlation between the presence of specific allelic variants and cancer predisposition in diverse malignancies. STK15 is an important protein in control of the integrity of the mitotic spindle apparatus and genomic stability.

Elevated microsatellite alterations at selected tetranucleotides (EMAST) and mismatch repair gene expression in prostate cancer.

Elevated microsatellite alterations at selected tetranucleotides (EMAST), a new form of microsatellite instability (MSI) affecting tetranucleotide repeats, was recently described to be frequent in several tumor types (e.g., bladder, lung, ovarian, and skin cancers).

Mitogen-activated protein kinase signaling is activated in prostate tumors but not mediated by B-RAF mutations.

Objectives: A dysregulated mitogen-activated protein kinase (MAPK) pathway plays an important role in various malignancies and is often mediated by mutations in several oncogenes (eg, RAF, RAS). B-RAF mutations, predominantly the specific V600E mutation and additional alterations in exons 11 and 15, were frequently detected in malignant melanomas, papillary thyroid tumors, and colorectal cancers with microsatellite instability (MSI). The present study investigated B-RAF mutations, MSI status, and activation of MAPK signaling in prostate tumors.

Deletions of chromosomes 9 and 8p in histologically normal urothelium of patients with bladder cancer.

Objectives: Multifocality and frequent recurrence of urothelial carcinoma of the urinary bladder indicate a disease of the entire "urothelial field", but little is known about chromosomal alterations in histologically normal urothelium. Histopathologically normal urothelium from patients with and without concurrent urothelial carcinoma was analyzed for loss of heterozygosity (LOH) on chromosomes 8p, 9 and 17p, regions that are known to play an important role in urothelial carcinogenesis.

Materials And Methods: Histologically inconspicuous urothelial mucosa samples (n = 160) from cystectomy specimens of patients with urothelial carcinoma (n = 15, max.

The neurodegeneration mutant löchrig interferes with cholesterol homeostasis and Appl processing.

The novel Drosophila mutant löchrig (loe) shows progressive neurodegeneration and neuronal cell death, in addition to a low level of cholesterol ester. loe affects a specific isoform of the gamma-subunit of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK), a negative regulator of hydroxymethylglutaryl (HMG)-CoA reductase and cholesterol synthesis in vertebrates. Although Drosophila cannot synthesize cholesterol de novo, the regulatory role of fly AMPK on HMG-CoA reductase is conserved.