The role of liver surgery in simultaneous synchronous colorectal liver metastases and colorectal cancer resections: a literature review of 1730 patients underwent open and minimally invasive surgery.

Introduction: Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third most common malignant neoplastic disease in the world. Approximately 25-35% of patients affected by CRC will develop liver metastasis, and a percentage of 15-25% occurred in synchronous liver metastases (SCRLM) at the moment of CRC diagnosis or previously. Our aim is to investigate through an extensive literature review the effectiveness and safety of simultaneous SCRLM and CRC in open, laparoscopic and robotic surgery analyzing pre-, intra- and post-operative surgical outcomes and 1-, 3- and 5- years overall survival and disease-free survival.

Post-translational modulation of CD133 expression during sodium butyrate-induced differentiation of HT29 human colon cancer cells: implications for its detection.

The CD133 molecule has been proposed as a surface marker of cancer stem cells in several human malignancies, including colon cancers. The function and the mechanisms regulating CD133 expression remain unknown. The HT29 human colon cancer cells undergo differentiation following treatment with various agents and represent a useful in vitro model of colon differentiation.

Identification of Sp1 and GC-boxes as transcriptional regulators of mouse Dag1 gene promoter.

Dystroglycan is a widely expressed adhesion complex that anchors cells to the basement membrane and is involved in embryonic development and differentiation. Dystroglycan expression is frequently reduced in human dystrophies and malignancies, and its molecular functions are not completely understood. Several posttranslational mechanisms have been identified that regulate dystroglycan expression and/or function, while little is known about how expression of the corresponding Dag1 gene is regulated.

Isolation and characterization of CD133+ cell population within human primary and metastatic colon cancer.

Background: "Cancer stem cells" (CSC) have been identified as a minority of cancer cells responsible for tumor initiation, maintenance and spreading. Although a universal marker for CSC has not yet been identified, CD133 has been proposed as the hallmark of CSC in colon cancer. The aim of our study was to assess the presence of a CD133+ cell fraction in samples of colon cancer and liver metastasis from colon cancer and evaluate their potential as tumor-initiating cells.

Influence of Ggamma-158C --> and beta- (AT)x(T)y globin gene polymorphisms on HbF levels in Italian beta-thalassemia carriers and wild-type subjects.

Clinical manifestations of beta-thalassemia (beta-thal) intermedia phenotypes are influenced by the persistence of fetal hemoglobin (HbF) and by several polymorphisms located in the promoters of A- and beta-globin genes. The aim of this study was to evaluate the distribution of the -158Ggamma (C-->T) polymorphism and of the (AT)x(T)y configuration, as well as their eventual association with elevated levels of HbF in 188 beta-thal carriers and 229 wild-type individuals of Italian descent. The -158GgammaT and the (AT)9(T)5alleles were found to be associated with increased levels of HbF in beta-thal carriers, but not in wild-type subjects.