Myeloid marker S100A8/A9 and lymphocyte marker, soluble interleukin 2 receptor: biomarkers of hidradenitis suppurativa disease activity?

Background: Hidradenitis suppurativa (HS) is a chronic inflammatory and debilitating disease of the skin. No biomarkers for this disease exist.

Objectives: We set out to test whether angiotensin-converting enzyme (ACE), lysozyme, soluble interleukin 2 receptor (sIL-2R) and S100A8/A9 (calprotectin) are elevated in patients with HS.

Urokinase-receptor/integrin complexes are functionally involved in adhesion and progression of human breast cancer in vivo.

Interactions between specific cell-surface molecules, which include the urokinase receptor (uPAR) and integrins, are crucial to processes of tumor invasion and metastasis. Here we demonstrate that uPAR and beta1-integrins may cluster at distinct sites at the cell surface of metastatic MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells and form functional complexes. Attachment assays performed in the presence of a synthetic peptide (p25), which interferes with the formation of uPAR-integrin complexes, reveal that uPAR is able to regulate the adhesive function of integrins in breast cancer cells.

Monitoring metastatic behavior of human tumor cells in mice with species-specific polymerase chain reaction: elevated expression of angiogenesis and bone resorption stimulators by breast cancer in bone metastases.

Tumor-stroma interactions are of primary importance in determining the pathogenesis of metastasis. Here, we describe the application of sensitive competitive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques for detection and quantitation of human breast cancer cells (MDA-MB-231) in an in vivo mouse model of experimental metastasis. Human-specific oligonucleotide primers in competitive PCR reactions were used to quantify the amount of MDA-MB-231 cells per tissue per organ.

Role of integrins in the attachment of metastatic follicular thyroid carcinoma cell lines to bone.

One of the principle targets for metastasis of follicular thyroid carcinoma (FTC) is the skeleton. Because no data are available on the role of the integrin adhesion molecule family in the attachment of FTC to bone, we studied the attachment characteristics of three FTC cell lines to bone and the role of integrins. Three cell lines were used from the same patient, one (FTC-133) from the primary tumor and two (FTC-236 and FTC-238) from metastases.