TNFAIP3 F127C Coding Variation in Greek Primary Sjogren's Syndrome Patients.

Tumor necrosis factor, alpha-induced protein 3 () gene encodes the A20 protein, an important negative feedback regulator of the nuclear factor kappa-light-chain-enhancer of activated B cell (NF-B) pathway. A coding variant, namely rs2230926, has been previously linked to B cell non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) development in patients with Sjogren's syndrome (SS) of French and UK origin. Herein, we aimed to determine the prevalence of rs2230926 in a Greek primary SS cohort and explore possible associations with disease characteristics.

Review: The Role of Insulin-like Growth Factor-1 Signaling Pathways in Uterine Leiomyoma.

A growing body of evidence suggests the association of the IGF-I bio-regulatory system with leiomyoma occurrence and growth. The complex interplay between IGF-I/IGF-IR and hormonal and other growth factors is, thus, now receiving significant attention. Elucidation of the molecular mechanisms driving the disease may allow for development of novel targeted-therapeutic strategies for the treatment of leiomyomas.

Detection of circulating tumor cells in bladder cancer using multiplex PCR assays.

Aim: The aim of this study was to develop multiplex-PCR assays for the detection of circulating tumor cells in peripheral blood and urine samples of patients with bladder cancer.

Materials And Methods: Peripheral blood and urine samples were collected from 208 patients (169 patients and 39 healthy volunteers). After RNA extraction and cDNA synthesis, the samples were analyzed for the expression of cytokeratin 19 (CK19), CK20 and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mRNA in blood and for SURVIVIN, human telomerase reverse transcriptase (hTERT), cytokeratin 20 (CK20) mRNA in urine, using multiplex-PCR assays.

Detection of circulating tumor cells in breast cancer patients using multiplex reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction and specific primers for MGB, PTHRP and KRT19 correlation with clinicopathological features.

Aim: The aim of this study was to correlate the clinicopathological features of breast cancer patients with the positive detection of parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHRP), cytokeratin protein 19 (KRT19) and mammaglobin (MGB) using a multiplex reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay developed to detect circulating tumor cells (CTCs) in peripheral blood of patients with breast cancer.

Patients And Methods: Peripheral blood samples were collected from 54 breast cancer patients and 20 healthy blood donors. Subsequently, the samples were processed for RNA extraction and analyzed for the expression of PTHRP, KRT19 and MGB using specific primers and multiplex RT-PCR.

Detection of circulating tumor cells in colorectal and gastric cancer using a multiplex PCR assay.

Aim: The aim of this study was the development of a multiplex-PCR assay for the detection of circulating tumor cells in patients with colorectal and gastric cancer.

Patients And Methods: Peripheral blood samples were collected from 81 patients with colorectal cancer, 16 with gastric cancer and 38 healthy blood donors, as controls. The samples were processed for RNA extraction and cDNA synthesis and were subsequently analyzed for the expression of cytokeratin 19 (CK19), cytokeratin 20(CK20) and epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) with multiplex PCR.

Osteoprotegerin expression during the micro- and macrometastatic phases of the osteoblastic metastasis in prostate cancer: therapeutic implications.

Introduction: Osteoprotegerin (OPG) acts as a soluble decoy receptor for the bone marrow stroma cell-derived and osteoblast-derived receptor activator of nuclear factor-kB ligand (RANKL), thus regulating the RANK-mediated osteoclastogenesis and osteoclast-mediated bone resorption at the metastatic niche of cancer in skeleton.

Areas Covered: This article discusses the 'key' role of OPG expression during the early events of cancer cell invasion into the bone matrix and the subsequent events underlying the formation of osteoblastic metastasis, a unique event observed in human prostate cancer biology.

Expert Opinion: Understanding the cellular and molecular events implicated in bone metastasis can facilitate designing new therapeutic strategies for targeting early and/or late events in the metastasis processes.