Publications by authors named "Ercan C"

Purpose: The spatial variability and clinical relevance of the tumor immune microenvironment (TIME) are still poorly understood for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). In this study, we aim to develop a deep learning (DL)-based image analysis model for the spatial analysis of immune cell biomarkers and microscopically evaluate the distribution of immune infiltration.

Experimental Design: Ninety-two HCC surgical liver resections and 51 matched needle biopsies were histologically classified according to their immunophenotypes: inflamed, immune-excluded, and immune-desert.

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Prolidase is a manganese (Mn)-dependent cytosolic exopeptidase that degrades imidodipeptides with C-terminal proline or hydroxyproline. Prolidase recycling from imidodipeptides plays a critical role in collagen resynthesis and extracellular matrix (ECM) remodelling. Following an increase in gonadotropins, ovarian and follicular collagen undergo substantial degradation.

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Article Synopsis
  • Histological assessment of autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is difficult, particularly with nonclassical features like bile-duct injury being understudied.
  • Researchers developed an AI tool, called AI(H), to analyze liver biopsy slides from patients with AIH, using 123 pre-treatment biopsies for training.
  • The AI models demonstrated high accuracy in detecting various features related to AIH, including tissue structures and immune cells, offering a more detailed and reproducible assessment compared to manual analysis.
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Histological subtyping of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is challenging in the presence of histological heterogeneity, where distinctly different morphological patterns are present within the same tumor. Current approaches rely on percent cut-offs. We hypothesized that morphologic intratumor heterogeneity is a non-random biological feature and that incorporating recurrent patterns would improve histological subtyping of HCC.

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Introduction: Pulmonary pleomorphic carcinoma (PPC) is an aggressive and highly heterogeneous NSCLC whose underlying biology is still poorly understood.

Methods: A total of 42 tumor areas from 20 patients with PPC were microdissected, including 39 primary tumors and three metastases, and the histologically distinct components were subjected to whole exome sequencing separately. We further performed in silico analysis of microdissected bulk RNA sequencing and methylation data of 28 samples from 14 patients with PPC.

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Several data sets have been collected and various artificial intelligence models have been developed for COVID-19 classification and detection from both chest radiography (CXR) and thorax computed tomography (CTX) images. However, the pitfalls and shortcomings of these systems significantly limit their clinical use. In this respect, improving the weaknesses of advanced models can be very effective besides developing new ones.

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  • Ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) can lead to invasive breast cancer, but many cases are harmless and may be overtreated, leading to a need for better identification of low-risk patients.
  • Researchers created an AI-based tool called AIDmap to analyze the morphology of DCIS cells in tissue samples to assess the risk of developing invasive breast cancer.
  • The study found that specific morphological features, such as smaller duct sizes and lower cell counts, are associated with a reduced risk of invasive breast cancer, suggesting AIDmap could help identify women with harmless DCIS who might avoid unnecessary treatment.
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Recent studies have shown that miRNAs are associated with the pathological process involved in age-related macular degeneration (AMD). However, the microRNA-mediated post-transcriptional regulation in human retinal pigment epithelium (RPE) cells has not been adequately investigated. We investigated how miR-626 inhibits mTOR activity pathways and pathway-related genes in retinal pigment epithelial cells by targeting the solute carrier family seven-member 5 (SLC7A5) in ARPE19 cells.

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HOXB13 is a key lineage homeobox transcription factor that plays a critical role in the differentiation of the prostate gland. Several studies have suggested that HOXB13 alterations may be involved in prostate cancer development and progression. Despite its potential biological relevance, little is known about the expression of HOXB13 across the disease spectrum of prostate cancer.

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Metabolic reprogramming is a hallmark of cancer. However, mechanisms underlying metabolic reprogramming and how altered metabolism in turn enhances tumorigenicity are poorly understood. Here, we report that arginine levels are elevated in murine and patient hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), despite reduced expression of arginine synthesis genes.

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Endothelial dysfunction (ED) plays a prominent role in the pathogenesis of preeclampsia (PE). There is a need for non-invasive methods to assess endothelial function in preeclamptic patients. In the present study, adropin, autotaxin (ATX), and lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) were evaluated as indicators of ED.

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Colorectal cancer (CRC) is a leading cause of cancer-associated death. In the tumor site, the interplay between effector immune cells and cancer cells determines the balance between tumor elimination or outgrowth. We discovered that the protein TMEM123 is over-expressed in tumour-infiltrating CD4 and CD8 T lymphocytes and it contributes to their effector phenotype.

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Pseudococcid mealybugs (Hemiptera: Coccomorpha: Pseudococcidae) include economically important insect pests worldwide; however, little is known about the species present in Indonesia. Samples were collected and identified from wild and cultivated plants in several regions of southern Sumatra, Indonesia between 2018 and 2020. Eighteen species of Pseudococcidae in 8 genera were identified, including one undescribed species and new host plants.

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Background & Aims: AXL and MERTK expression on circulating monocytes modulated immune responses in patients with cirrhosis (CD14HLA-DRAXL) and acute-on-chronic liver failure (CD14MERTK). AXL expression involved enhanced efferocytosis, sustained phagocytosis, but reduced tumor necrosis factor-α/interleukin-6 production and T-cell activation, suggesting a homeostatic function. Axl was expressed on murine airway in tissues contacting the external environment, but not interstitial lung- and tissue-resident synovial lining macrophages.

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Following severe liver injury, when hepatocyte-mediated regeneration is impaired, biliary epithelial cells (BECs) can transdifferentiate into functional hepatocytes. However, the subset of BECs with such facultative tissue stem cell potential, as well as the mechanisms enabling transdifferentiation, remains elusive. Here we identify a transitional liver progenitor cell (TLPC), which originates from BECs and differentiates into hepatocytes during regeneration from severe liver injury.

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Background: Obesity and fatty-liver disease are increasingly common in children. Hepatic steatosis is becoming the most common cause of chronic liver disease during childhood. There is a need for noninvasive imaging methods that are easily accessible, safe and do not require sedation in the diagnosis and follow-up of the disease.

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Biobanking of surplus human healthy and disease-derived tissues is essential for diagnostics and translational research. An enormous amount of formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded (FFPE), Tissue-Tek OCT embedded or snap-frozen tissues are preserved in many biobanks worldwide and have been the basis of translational studies. However, their usage is limited to assays that do not require viable cells.

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The treatment of colorectal cancer (CRC) is an unmet medical need in absence of early diagnosis. Here, upon characterizing cancer-specific transposable element-driven transpochimeric gene transcripts (TcGTs) produced by this tumor in the SYSCOL cohort, we find that expression of the hominid-restricted retrogene POU5F1B through aberrant activation of a primate-specific endogenous retroviral promoter is a strong negative prognostic biomarker. Correlating this observation, we demonstrate that POU5F1B fosters the proliferation and metastatic potential of CRC cells.

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Prostate cancer (PCa), one of the most common malignancies in men, typically responds to initial treatment, but resistance to therapy often leads to metastases and death. The dehydrogenase/reductase 7 (DHRS7, SDR34C1) is an "orphan" enzyme without known physiological function. DHRS7 was previously found to be decreased in higher-stage PCa, and siRNA-mediated knockdown increased the aggressiveness of LNCaP cells.

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Background: Hepatocellular carcinoma with neuroendocrine differentiation (HCC-NED) is a very rare subtype of primary liver cancer. Treatment allocation in these patients therefore remains a challenge.

Methods: We report the case of a 74-year-old man with a HCC-NED.

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Article Synopsis
  • Focal nodular hyperplasia (FNH) is usually a benign liver tumor, but this study explores its rare co-occurrence with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC).
  • A 74-year-old woman's liver tumor containing both FNH and HCC was analyzed using histology and whole exome sequencing to understand their relationship.
  • The results indicate that the FNH is genetically related to the HCC, suggesting that FNH can potentially transform into HCC due to genetic changes and selection, challenging the belief of FNH's benignity.
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