Biomarker dynamics affecting neoadjuvant therapy response and outcome of HER2-positive breast cancer subtype.

HER2+ breast cancer (BC) is an aggressive subtype genetically and biologically heterogeneous. We evaluate the predictive and prognostic role of HER2 protein/gene expression levels combined with clinico-pathologic features in 154 HER2+ BCs patients who received trastuzumab-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT). The tumoral pathological complete response (pCR) rate was 40.

Deciphering clinical significance of BCL11A isoforms and protein expression roles in triple-negative breast cancer subtype.

Purpose: Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is an aggressive clinical tumor, accounting for about 25% of breast cancer (BC) related deaths. Chemotherapy is the only therapeutic option to treat TNBC, hence a detailed understanding of the biology and its categorization is required. To investigate the clinical relevance of BCL11A in TNBC subtype, we focused on gene and protein expression and its mutational status in a large cohort of this molecular subtype.

Interleukin-3-Receptor-α in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC): An Additional Novel Biomarker of TNBC Aggressiveness and a Therapeutic Target.

Tumour molecular annotation is mandatory for biomarker discovery and personalised approaches, particularly in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) lacking effective treatment options. In this study, the interleukin-3 receptor α (IL-3Rα) was investigated as a prognostic biomarker and therapeutic target in TNBC. IL-3Rα expression and patients' clinical and pathological features were retrospectively analysed in 421 TNBC patients.

Metaproteomic Profile of the Colonic Luminal Microbiota From Patients With Colon Cancer.

Recent studies have provided evidence of interactions among the gut microbiota (GM), local host immune cells, and intestinal tissues in colon carcinogenesis. However, little is known regarding the functions exerted by the GM in colon cancer (CC), particularly with respect to tumor clinical classification and lymphocyte infiltration. In addition, stool, usually employed as a proxy of the GM, cannot fully represent the original complexity of CC microenvironment.

Gastric duplication cyst: a challenging EUS differential diagnosis between subepithelial gastric lesion and exophytic pancreatic cystic neoplasm-a case report and a literature review.

Gastric duplication cysts are rare congenital malformation with a potential neoplastic progression and they may represent a challenge in differential diagnosis with exophytic pancreatic cyst neoplasm. We describe a case of a 38-year old man, complaining of recurrent epigastric pain due to a large abdominal mass, referred to our Hospital for EUS evaluation. Differential diagnosis was between gastric duplication cyst and exophytic pancreatic cyst because of FNA pointed out amylase 1280 UI/L and CEA 593.

Prognostic Role of Androgen Receptor Expression in HER2+ Breast Carcinoma Subtypes.

HER2+ breast cancer (BC) is an aggressive subtype representing a genetically and biologically heterogeneous group of tumors resulting in variable prognosis and treatment response to HER2-targeted therapies according to estrogen (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) expression. The relationship with androgen receptors (AR), a member of the steroid hormone's family, is unwell known in BC. The present study aims to evaluate the prognostic impact of AR expression in HER2+ BC subtypes.

A Portrait of Intratumoral Genomic and Transcriptomic Heterogeneity at Single-Cell Level in Colorectal Cancer.

In the study of cancer, omics technologies are supporting the transition from traditional clinical approaches to precision medicine. Intra-tumoral heterogeneity (ITH) is detectable within a single tumor in which cancer cell subpopulations with different genome features coexist in a patient in different tumor areas or may evolve/differ over time. Colorectal carcinoma (CRC) is characterized by heterogeneous features involving genomic, epigenomic, and transcriptomic alterations.

Prognostic Impact of Membranous/Nuclear Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor Localization in Clear Cell Renal Cell Carcinoma.

EGFR is overexpressed in the majority of clear cell renal cell carcinomas (CCRCCs). Although EGFR deregulation was found to be of great significance in CCRCC biology, the EGFR overexpression is not associated with EGFR-targeted therapy responsiveness. Moreover, the prognostic role of EGFR expression remains controversial.

Portrait of Cancer Stem Cells on Colorectal Cancer: Molecular Biomarkers, Signaling Pathways and miRNAome.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of cancer death worldwide, and about 20% is metastatic at diagnosis and untreatable. Increasing evidence suggests that the heterogeneous nature of CRC is related to colorectal cancer stem cells (CCSCs), a small cells population with stemness behaviors and responsible for tumor progression, recurrence, and therapy resistance. Growing knowledge of stem cells (SCs) biology has rapidly improved uncovering the molecular mechanisms and possible crosstalk/feedback loops between signaling pathways that directly influence intestinal homeostasis and tumorigenesis.

Modulatory Role of microRNAs in Triple Negative Breast Cancer with Basal-Like Phenotype.

Development of new research, classification, and therapeutic options are urgently required due to the fact that TNBC is a heterogeneous malignancy. The expression of high molecular weight cytokeratins identifies a biologically and clinically distinct subgroup of TNBCs with a basal-like phenotype, representing about 75% of TNBCs, while the remaining 25% includes all other intrinsic subtypes. The triple negative phenotype in basal-like breast cancer (BLBC) makes it unresponsive to endocrine therapy, i.

Histologic subtyping affecting outcome of triple negative breast cancer: a large Sardinian population-based analysis.

Background: Triple Negative breast cancer (TNBC) includes a heterogeneous group of tumors with different clinico-pathological features, molecular alterations and treatment responsivity. Our aim was to evaluate the clinico-pathological heterogeneity and prognostic significance of TNBC histologic variants, comparing "special types" to high-grade invasive breast carcinomas of no special type (IBC-NST).

Methods: This study was performed on data obtained from TNBC Database, including pathological features and clinical records of 1009 TNBCs patients diagnosed between 1994 and 2015 in the four most important Oncology Units located in different hospitals in Sardinia, Italy.

MicroRNA-425-5p Expression Affects BRAF/RAS/MAPK Pathways In Colorectal Cancers.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of cancer death worldwide and about 20% is metastatic at diagnosis and untreatable. The anti-EGFR therapy in metastatic patients is led by the presence of KRAS-mutations in tumor tissue. KRAS-wild-type CRC patients showed a positive response rate of about 70% to cetuximab or panitumumab combined with chemotherapy.

miRNA-135b Contributes to Molecular Heterogeneity: Different Expression Profile in Versus Phenotypes.

The clinical and genetic heterogeneity of Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) and the lack of unambiguous molecular targets contribute to the inadequacy of current therapeutic options for these variants. MicroRNAs (miRNA) are a class of small highly conserved regulatory endogenous non-coding RNA, which can alter the expression of genes encoding proteins and may play a role in the dysregulation of cellular pathways. Our goal was to improve the knowledge of the molecular pathogenesis of TNBC subgroups analyzing the miRNA expression profile, and to identify new prognostic and predictive biomarkers.

EGFR kinase-dependent and kinase-independent roles in clear cell renal cell carcinoma.

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) is associated with progression of many epithelial malignancies and represents a significant therapeutic target. Although clear cell renal cell carcinoma (CCRCC) has been widely investigated for EGFR molecular alterations, genetic evidences of EGFR gene activating mutations and/or gene amplification have been rarely confirmed in the literature. Therefore, until now EGFR-targeted therapies in clinical trials have been demonstrated unsuccessful.

Atypical carcinoid and large cell neuroendocrine carcinoma of the lung: a proteomic dataset from formalin-fixed archival samples.

Here we present a dataset generated using formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded archival samples from two rare lung neuroendocrine tumor subtypes (namely, two atypical carcinoids, ACs, and two large-cell neuroendocrine carcinomas, LCNECs). Samples were subjected to a shotgun proteomics pipeline, comprising full-length protein extraction, SDS removal through spin columns, in solution trypsin digestion, long gradient liquid chromatography peptide separation and LTQ-Orbitrap mass spectrometry analysis. A total of 1260 and 2436 proteins were identified in the AC and LCNEC samples, respectively, with FDR <1%.

Perivascular Epithelioid Cell Tumour with Intraorbital Location: Report of a Case and Review of the Literature.

The Perivascular Epithelioid Cell tumours (PEComas) are rare mesenchymal neoplasms recognized as entity by the World Health Organization. The tumour cells have an uncertain origin and are characterized by distinctive histological and immunohistochemical features. We report a case of PEComa occurring as intraorbital lesion in a 47-year-old man.

Analysis of PIK3CA Mutations and Activation Pathways in Triple Negative Breast Cancer.

Background: Triple Negative Breast Cancer (TNBC) accounts for 12-24% of all breast carcinomas, and shows worse prognosis compared to other breast cancer subtypes. Molecular studies demonstrated that TNBCs are a heterogeneous group of tumors with different clinical and pathologic features, prognosis, genetic-molecular alterations and treatment responsivity. The PI3K/AKT is a major pathway involved in the regulation of cell survival and proliferation, and is the most frequently altered pathway in breast cancer, apparently with different biologic impact on specific cancer subtypes.

HPV infection and triple-negative breast cancers: an Italian case-control study.

Background: Breast cancer is one of the most important neoplasia among women. To reduce its incidence and mortality impact it would be desirable to early identify risk factors associated with its development. It was recently suggested that biological agents could be the etiological cause, particularly Human Papilloma Virus (HPV).

Management of breast lobular carcinoma in situ: radio-pathological correlation, clinical implications, and follow-up.

Purpose Of Investigation: To show management of patients with breast lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS).

Materials And Methods: This study is the retrospective review of 65 patients, between 1996 and 2012, with isolated LCIS of the breast, evaluated through clinical examination, ultrasound, and mammography at the first examination and follow-up.

Results: In 53 patients (81.

Proteomic characterization of hepatitis C eradication: enzyme switch in the healing liver.

Lipid pathway impairment, decrease in the antioxidant pool and downregulation in amino-acid metabolism are just some of the metabolic variations attributed to chronic HCV infection. All of them have been studied separately, mainly in animal models. Thanks to proteomic analysis we managed to describe (for the fist time to the best of our knowledge), in vivo and in humans, the metabolic alterations caused by HCV, and the recovery of the same alterations during HCV treatment.

Chest tuberculosis with mediastinal asymptomatic lymphadenitis without lung involvement in an immunocompetent patient.

Tuberculosis remains the major cause of morbidity and mortality by a single infectious agent, particularly in developing countries. In recent years, we have witnessed the emergence of uncommon radiographic patterns of chest tuberculosis. Lymphadenitis is the most common extrapulmonary tuberculosis (TB) manifestation which, in developed countries, occurs more frequently in childhood, but also among adult immigrants from endemic countries and in HIV-infected people.

Analysis of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) status in endometrial stromal sarcoma.

Purpose: Endometrial stromal sarcomas (ESSs) are rare neoplasms, which are currently treated by surgery, whereas effective adjuvant therapies have not yet been established. Recently, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) expression has been described in ESS, and a potential role of EGFR-targeted adjuvant therapies has been proposed. The aim of this study was to analyze EGFR status in an ESS series and to evaluate their potential role as molecular targets.

Application of 2D-DIGE to formalin-fixed diseased tissue samples from hospital repositories: results from four case studies.

Purpose: In the recent past, the potential suitability of fixed samples to 2D-DIGE studies has been demonstrated on model tissues, but not on "real-world" archival tissues. Therefore, this study was aimed to assess the quality of the results delivered by 2D-DIGE on samples retrieved from hospital tissue repositories.

Experimental Design: Diseased and normal tissue samples (namely, human gastric adenocarcinoma and normal gastric tissue, human lung neuroendocrine tumors, canine mammary tubulo-papillary carcinoma and normal mammary tissue, sheep liver with cloudy swelling degeneration and normal liver tissue) were retrieved from human and veterinary biorepositories and subjected to full-length protein extraction, cyanine labeling, 2D-DIGE separation, image analysis, MS analysis, and protein identification.

Tyrosine kinase receptor status in endometrial stromal sarcoma: an immunohistochemical and genetic-molecular analysis.

Endometrial stromal sarcomas (ESS) are rare uterine malignant mesenchymal neoplasms, which are currently treated by surgery, as effective adjuvant therapies have not yet been established. Tyrosine kinase inhibitors have rarely been applied in ESS therapy, with few reports describing imatinib responsivity. The aim of this study was to analyze the status of different tyrosine kinase receptors in an ESS series, in order to evaluate their potential role as molecular targets.

Canine ovarian tumors: an immunohistochemical study with HBME-1 antibody.

The morphology of ovarian tumors is characterized by a variety of histological features causing diagnostic difficulties. In human medicine, HBME-1 (Hector Battifora mesothelial epitope)-1 is one of the immunohistochemical markers employed in the diagnosis of ovarian epithelial tumors. The aim of the current study was to investigate the reliability of the marker HBME-1 in canine ovaries, granulosa cell tumors, and epithelial ovarian neoplasms to determine whether this marker could be included in an immunohistochemical panel for differential diagnoses of canine ovarian tumors.