Comparison of RNA Marker Panels for Circulating Tumor Cells and Evaluation of Their Prognostic Relevance in Breast Cancer.

Liquid biopsy is a promising tool for therapy monitoring of cancer patients, but a need for further research in this field exists in order to improve sensitivity, specificity, standardization and minimize costs. In our present study, we evaluated two panels of transcripts related with the presence of circulating tumor cells (CTCs) (Panel 1: , , and Panel 2: , , , , and ) in two cohorts of breast cancer patients (metastatic and early). A blood cell fraction possibly containing CTCs was isolated with density gradient centrifugation, followed by RNA isolation and qPCR using TaqMan or RT-qPCR using hybridization probes.

First Trimester Vaginal Ureaplasma Biovar Colonization and Preterm Birth: Results of a Prospective Multicenter Study.

Background: While there is a proven association of upper genital tract Ureaplasma infection during pregnancy with adverse pregnancy outcome, the effect of vaginal Ureaplasma colonization on preterm delivery has been controversially debated.

Objectives: We hypothesized that women with isolation of vaginal U. parvum but not U.

Impact of conization type on the resected cone volume: results of a retrospective multi-center study.

Purpose: The extent of conization seems to influence the risk of preterm birth. The aim of this study was to compare the cone volume after surgical resection with large loop excision of the transformation zone (LLETZ) and cold knife conization (CKC).

Methods: The present retrospective multi-center study comprises 804 consecutive women, who underwent LLETZ (n = 412) or CKC (n = 392) between 2004 and 2009.

First trimester uterine rupture and scar pregnancy.

Uterine rupture during the first trimester of pregnancy is an extremely rare, but life-threatening cause of intraperitoneal hemorrhage. Up to the knowledge of the authors all reports of first trimester uterine ruptures are related to scar dehiscences following previous cesarean sections or occurred in unscarred uteri of multiparous women. In cases of multiparity silent ruptures cannot be precluded, so that the uterus might be scarred during the following pregnancy.

Necessity of colposcopy and biopsy prior to large loop excision of the transformation zone (LLETZ).

Background: The clinical value of colposcopy and biopsy prior to large loop excision of the cervical transformation zone (LLETZ) with respect to negative histology and positive specimen margin rates, was evaluated.

Patients And Methods: A total of 2,050 consecutive patients who had undergone LLETZ from 1997 to 2005, were included. As diagnostic workup prior to LLETZ, 290 patients underwent repeat PAP test only and 1,760 patients had undergone colposcopy/biopsy.

Inguinal sentinel lymph node dissection vs. complete inguinal lymph node dissection in patients with vulvar cancer.

Background: The aim of this retrospective study was to ascertain the postoperative morbidity in patients with vulvar cancer undergoing sentinel lymph node vs. complete inguinal lymph node dissection.

Patients And Methods: In total 29 and 46 patients with vulvar cancer, were treated by the technique of inguinal sentinel lymph node dissection or complete inguinal lymph node dissection, respectively.

C-reactive protein is a prognostic parameter in patients with cervical cancer.

Objective: To evaluate whether C-reactive protein (CRP) serum levels can be used as a prognostic parameter in patients with cervical cancer.

Methods: In the present study, CRP serum levels were measured in 215 patients with cervical cancer. CRP serum levels were measured prior to therapy for cervical cancer and were correlated to clinical data.

Surgical treatment of endometrial cancer: does closure or non-closure of the vagina affect the local recurrence rate?

Background: Laparoscopic surgery in patients with endometrial cancer has been more widely used in the last 5-10 years, and numerous reports concerning recurrence rate and the surgical technique, laparoscopic vs. open, have been published. However, no data are available concerning the surgical technique of an open or closed vaginal cuff and the vaginal recurrence rate in patients with endometrial cancer.

The prohibitin 3' untranslated region polymorphism in patients with ovarian cancer.

Objective: Prohibitin is an important antiproliferative protein inhibiting cell proliferation by blocking the G1/S transition of the cell cycle. Recent findings indicate that the presence of at least one mutant allele within a certain prohibitin gene polymorphism causes inactivation of bioactive RNA resulting in the loss of its pro-apoptotic function and a subsequent risk for malignant growth. Based on these findings we studied whether the presence of this prohibitin polymorphism increases the risk and worsens the prognosis of ovarian cancer in Caucasian women.

A polymorphism in the matrix metalloproteinase-1 gene promoter is associated with the prognosis of patients with ovarian cancer.

Objective: The enzyme matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-1 is involved in ovarian carcinogenesis. A common guanine insertion-deletion promoter polymorphism within the gene encoding MMP-1 (MMP1) has been suggested to be a candidate gene for ovarian cancer. We investigated whether this common polymorphism can also serve as independent prognostic parameter in a large series of affected women.

A common interleukin-6 promoter polymorphism in patients with vulvar cancer.

Objective: Besides its important role in immune response and inflammatory processes the cytokine interleukin-6 (IL-6) is crucially involved in carcinogenesis. A common polymorphism within the gene encoding IL-6 (IL6) is known to alter IL-6 protein expression and has been associated with patients' prognosis in various malignancies. No data are available with respect to vulvar cancer.

The cyclooxygenase-2 inhibitor rofecoxib (Vioxx) in the treatment of cervical dysplasia grade II-III A phase II trial.

Objective: To determine whether the cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 inhibitor rofecoxib increases the regression rates of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) grade II and III.

Study Design: A prospective, randomized, placebo-controlled, double-blind study with rofecoxib 25 mg daily for 6 [corrected] months as active treatment for patients with CIN II and III was started in May 2004 [corrected] and was halted after rofecoxib withdrawal in October 2004 [corrected]

Results: A total of 16 patients with CIN II (n=9) and CIN III (n=7) were included in our study. Eight and eight patients received rofecoxib and placebo, respectively.

Immunohistochemical expression of thrombospondin-1 in invasive vulvar squamous cell carcinoma.

Objectives: Thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) is a multifunctional matricellular glycoprotein involved in several mechanisms critical to the formation and progression of solid tumors including cell adhesion, proliferation, migration, invasion, and angiogenesis. The present study was designed to investigate the expression of TSP-1 in invasive vulvar squamous cell carcinoma.

Methods: A total of 75 invasive vulvar squamous cell carcinomas were evaluated for TSP-1 expression by immunohistochemistry.

Squamous cell carcinoma antigen serum levels as prognostic parameter in patients with early stage vulvar cancer.

Objective: To determine whether SCC-Ag serum levels can be used as a prognostic parameter in surgically treated early stage vulvar cancer.

Methods: SCC-Ag serum levels were measured preoperatively in 61 surgically staged patients with squamous cell vulvar cancer (UICC pT1 and pT2). Results were correlated to clinical data.

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and discrimination between abnormal intrauterine and ectopic pregnancy.

Background: This study evaluated serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels in women with abnormal intrauterine and ectopic pregnancies (EP) at 6 weeks gestation.

Methods: We conducted a prospective case-control study comparing serum VEGF concentrations among 84 women with abnormal intrauterine and EP matched for gestational age (42 women in each group). We analysed whether serum VEGF levels >200 pg/ml would discriminate between abnormal intrauterine pregnancies and EP at 6 weeks gestation, and we calculated sensitivity, specificity and positive predictive values.

Genetic alterations in endometrial hyperplasia and cancer.

Putative precursors of endometrial cancer such as complex endometrial hyperplasia with atypia have been described to be monoclonal and considered to be genetically related. In order to identify a genetic marker that could serve as a putative predictor of endometrial cancer we analyzed 14 endometrial hyperplasia and 29 endometrial cancer samples for instabilities and loss of heterozygosity (LOH) in microsatellite sequences. Deletions on the short arm of chromosome 8 were frequently detected in both endometrial hyperplasia and cancer samples, suggesting that these deletions are early events in the development of endometrial cancer.