Predictive role of midtreatment changes in survivin, GSTP1, and topoisomerase 2α expressions for pathologic complete response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy in patients with locally advanced breast cancer.

Introduction: The primary aim of this study is to investigate the effect of change in the expression levels of survivin, glutathione-S-transferase P1 (GSTP1), and topoisomerase 2α (TOP2A) on the response to antracyclin-based and taxane-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Methods: This study included 32 locally advanced breast cancer patients. Tumoral expressions of survivin, TOP2A, and GSTP1 in serial biopsy specimens obtained before treatment, after sequential 4 cycles of doxorubicin+cyclophosphomide, and 4 cycles of docetaxel were analyzed by real-time polymerase chain reaction.

Investigation of the miR16-1 (C > T) + 7 Substitution in Seven Different Types of Cancer from Three Ethnic Groups.

Background. MicroRNAs are a type of small noncoding RNA molecules that have been shown to control gene expression in eukaryotes. Aberrant expression and alteration of miRNAs may be responsible for human diseases including cancer.

Effect of adjuvant chemotherapy on integrity of free serum DNA in patients with breast cancer.

It is not known how chemotherapy-induced cell death influences the size distribution of circulating free DNA (cf-DNA) in serum or plasma of cancer patients. In the present study, we investigated the integrity of cf-DNA during adjuvant systemic therapy in patients (n= 41) with invasive breast cancer. Sera taken at the beginning and the end of the adjuvant chemotherapy were comparatively analyzed for the integrity of cf-DNA.

Sequence-specific histone methylation is detectable on circulating nucleosomes in plasma.

Background: alterations in DNA methylation and histone modifications have been implicated in carcinogenesis. Although tumor-specific alterations in DNA methylation can be detected in the serum and plasma of cancer patients, no data are available on the presence of histone modifications in circulating blood. We investigated whether histone methylation, as a model of histone modifications, is detectable in plasma.

Size distribution of circulating cell-free DNA in sera of breast cancer patients in the course of adjuvant chemotherapy.

Background: The integrity of circulating cell-free DNA (cf-DNA) in serum or plasma appears to be of diagnostic and prognostic value in cancer. Here, we investigated the dynamics of serum DNA levels and the size distribution of cf-DNA during adjuvant chemotherapy of patients with breast cancer (n=73).

Methods: By evaluating sera taken at the beginning and the end of the adjuvant chemotherapy, variations of serum DNA levels and the size distribution were analyzed, based on quantification of shorter apoptotic and longer non-apoptotic fragments from abundant genomic ALU fragments amplified by quantitative real-time PCR.

Lack of association of XRCC1 codon 399Gln polymorphism with chronic myelogenous leukemia.

Background: Recent studies suggest that single nucleotide polymorphisms in different genes may modulate the susceptibility to chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML). Here, the association of the common XRCC1 gene polymorphism Arg399Gln at codon 399 in CML was investigated.

Patients And Methods: Genotyping was performed by melting curve analysis in samples from peripheral blood or bone marrow.

MTHFR C677 T gene polymorphism in lymphoproliferative diseases.

Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR), a key enzyme in folate metabolism, has been implicated in cancer risk. In the present study we used a melting curve analysis to investigate the association of the common MTHFR C677 T polymorphism with lymphoproliferative diseases. Patients (n=117) were compared with age- and sex-matched control subjects (n=154).

Methylation of the INK4A/ARF locus in blood mononuclear cells.

In the detection of DNA hypermethylation as a tumor-specific epigenetic change in blood mononuclear cell fraction in patients with lymphoid and hematopoetic disorders, circulating tumor cells originating from the lymph nodes or bone marrow can be identified. However, it is still not clear whether methylation in mononuclear cells is disease specific. In the present study, we investigated whether methylation of the inhibitor of cyclin-dependent kinase (INK) 4A/alternative reading frame (ARF) locus is present in a disease-specific manner in the blood mononuclear cell fraction of patients with lymphoma, multiple myeloma, or leukemia.

Homozygosity at the C677T of the MTHFR gene is associated with increased breast cancer risk in the Turkish population.

Background: Folate deficiency is implicated in cancer development. Single nucleotide polymorphisms in the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) gene can modulate the effect of folate. In this case-controlled study, a possible effect of the common MTHFR C677T (ala-->val) polymorphism on breast cancer susceptibility in Turkish patients was investigated.

Circulating fragmented nucleosomal DNA and caspase-3 mRNA in patients with lymphoma and myeloma.

Elevated amounts of cell-free nucleic acids are detected in the circulation of cancer patients. The type and pattern of these may vary depending on the origin. Recently, we described the presence of circulating fragmented nucleosomal DNA.

Gender- and age-related distinctions for the in vivo prooxidant state in Fanconi anaemia patients.

Some selected oxidative stress parameters were measured in 56 Fanconi anaemia (FA) patients (42 untransplanted and 14 transplanted), 54 FA heterozygotes (parents) and 173 controls. Untransplanted FA patients showed a highly significant increase in leukocyte 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine (8-OHdG) (P = 0.00003) and a borderline increase (P = 0.

Genotyping of the MTHFR gene polymorphism, C677T in patients with leukemia by melting curve analysis.

Background: Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) plays a critical role in folate metabolism and displays common genetic polymorphisms affecting the enzyme activity. The MTHFR genetic polymorphisms have been associated with a decrease in the risk of developing the lymphoid but not myeloid form of pediatric and adult leukemias.

Aim: In this study we describe the genotyping of the MTHFR C677T polymorphism by melting curve analysis with the LightCycler in a case-controlled study of patients with acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL), myelogenous leukemia (AML), and chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML), and assess the effect of this common polymorphism on the leukemia risk in adult patients in Turkey.