Circulating biomarker tissue kallikrein-related peptidase KLK5 impacts ovarian cancer patients' survival.

Background: Effective cancer biomarkers for early detection, prognosis, or therapy response prediction are urgently needed in ovarian cancer. Kallikrein-related peptidases, including KLK5, have been reported to play an important role in the course of the disease.

Patients And Methods: KLK5 antigen content was determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in ovarian cancer patients' [FIGO (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics) stages I-IV, n = 52] serum as well as ascitic fluid and compared with KLK5 content in serum of patients with benign ovarian tumors (n = 45).

Significance of serum CA125 and TPS antigen levels for determination of overall survival after three chemotherapy courses in ovarian cancer patients during long-term follow-up.

Purpose Of Investigation: To evaluate the prognostic significance for overall survival rate for the marker combination TPS and CA125 in ovarian cancer patients after three chemotherapy courses during long-term clinical follow-up.

Methods: The overall survival of 212 (out of 213) ovarian cancer patients (FIGO Stages I-IV) was analyzed in a prospective multicenter study during a 10-year clinical follow-up by univariate and multivariate analysis.

Results: In patients with ovarian cancer FIGO Stage I (34 patients) or FIGO Stage II (30 patients) disease, the univariate and multivariate analysis of the 10-year overall survival data showed that CA125 and TPS serum levels were not independent prognostic factors.

Growth inhibition and apoptosis induction in ovarian cancer cells.

Standard therapy for the treatment of ovarian cancer is radical surgery followed by radiation and/or chemotherapy using cisplatin and paclitaxel. Unfortunately, some patients relapse after this first line chemotherapy and some patients become platinum-refractory. Therefore, we analyzed two different ovarian carcinoma cell lines for their sensitivity for gamma-irradiation and treatment with cisplatin, irinotecan, paclitaxel and gemcitabine.

Progress in molecular mechanisms of tumor metastasis and angiogenesis.

The development of metastases is the major cause of death for cancer patients, however, the mechanisms of tumor invasion and acquisition of capability to metastasize remain unclear. During the past decade, knowledge regarding the molecular and cellular processes involved in the regulation of tumor metastases has dramatically increased and has been focussed on cross-talk between selected cancer cells and the specific organ microenvironment. The three-step development of the invasive phenotype of cancer cells is described: cell attachment, local proteolysis and cell migration.

Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) concentration in sera and tumor effusions from patients with ovarian carcinoma.

VEGF is an important angiogenic cytokine with a critical role in tumor angiogenesis. VEGF concentrations were measured using an ELISA assay, detecting VEGF165 isoform, in tumor cyst and/or ascitic fluids and in sera of 86 patients with malignant neoplasms and in 53 patients with benign ovarian neoplasms. VEGF levels were significantly elevated in the sera and cyst fluids of carcinoma patients compared with patients who had benign neoplasms.

Comparative analysis of CA125, tissue polypeptide specific antigen, and soluble interleukin-2 receptor alpha levels in sera, cyst, and ascitic fluids from patients with ovarian carcinoma.

Background: The serum markers CA125, tissue polypeptide specific antigen (TPS), and soluble interleukin-2 receptor alpha (sIL-2Ralpha) concentrations were determined in sera, cyst, and ascitic fluids from patients with malignant and benign ovarian neoplasms.

Methods: CA125, TPS, and sIL-2Ralpha concentrations were measured in sera, cyst, and ascitic fluids by immunoassays in 67 patients with carcinoma and in 32 patients with benign ovarian neoplasms.

Results: CA125, TPS, and sIL-2Ralpha levels were elevated significantly in sera from patients who had ovarian carcinoma compared with patients who had benign neoplasms (P < 0.

Relations between immunologically different p53 forms, p21(WAF1) and PCNA expression in ovarian carcinomas.

The role of tumor suppressor p21WAF1 expression in epithelial ovarian cancer has not been definitely explained and the clarification of mutual p53 and p21WAF1 relations considering proliferative activity seems to be very important for understanding of a functional link between p53 and cell-cycle control. Therefore the expression of p53 and p21WAF1 was assessed immunohistochemically in a series of 50 ovarian carcinomas considering clinicopathological variables. The reactivity of three anti-p53 monoclonal antibodies (DO-7, PAb240, PAb1620) recognizing immunologically distinct forms of p53 were analysed in relation to p21WAF1 level in individual patients.

Temperature-sensitive ovarian carcinoma cell line (OvBH-1).

OvBH-1 cells from a patient with ovarian clear cell carcinoma were established and their biochemical status was analyzed. Cells grown at 37 degrees C exhibited normal cell cycle distribution, whereas the cells shifted to 31 degrees C were arrested in the G(2) / M phase of the cell cycle. Immunochemical analysis using anti-p53 antibodies (DO-1, PAb240, PAb421, and PAb1620) revealed that only the DO-1 antibody reacted with p53 with a high and similar percentage at both temperatures.

Relations between the expression of p53, c-erbB-2, Ki-67 and HPV infection in cervical carcinomas and cervical dysplasias.

Background: The analysis of mutual relations between HPV infection and the expression of cancer gene products and proliferative activity in cervical carcinomas and dysplasias.

Materials And Methods: The expression of p53, c-erbB-2 oncoproteins and proliferative activity (Ki-67) was evaluated immunohistochemically in 41 cervical carcinomas and 29 dysplasias. HPV infection (type 16, 18) was assessed by in situ hybridization technique.

Serum levels of CA 125 and TPS during treatment of ovarian cancer.

Two hundred and sixty ovarian cancer patients (including all FIGO stages) were enrolled in a prospective multicentre study. In this interim study we analyzed 206 patients receiving combined chemotherapy for at least 3 courses for two-year overall survival (OS). CA 125 and TPS were applied for monitoring treatment and the relationship between marker levels, marker changes and clinical assessments was established.

Expression and mutation of p53 in tumor effusion cells of patients with ovarian carcinoma: response to cisplatin-based chemotherapy.

p53 alterations are considered as one of the most important factors responsible for drug resistance in ovarian carcinomas, although the relationship between p53 gene status and response to cisplatin-based chemotherapy in ovarian cancer patients remains unclear. The aim of the study was to evaluate the relationship between p53 protein accumulation, p53 gene mutation and response to cisplatin-based chemotherapy in patients with ovarian carcinoma considering conventional clinicopathological parameters. Tissue sections and corresponding cyst and/or ascitic fluid cells from 79 patients with epithelial ovarian cancer were analyzed immunohistochemically for p53 expression.

Prognostic significance of CA 125 and TPS levels after 3 chemotherapy courses in ovarian cancer patients.

Objective: To evaluate the prognostic significance of and predictive value for survival of CA 125 and TPS levels after three chemotherapy courses in ovarian cancer patients.

Methods: We analyzed in a prospective multicenter study the 1- and 2-year overall survival (OS) in ovarian carcinoma patients. The prognostic significance of CA 125 and TPS levels above the discrimination value (25 kU/L and 100 U/L, respectively) was examined by univariate and multivariate analyses.

Morphological and phenotypic characterization of a new established ovarian carcinoma cell line (OvBH-1).

Background: A limited number of permanent ovarian carcinoma cell lines have been described so far and the majority of them have been derived from ovarian ascitic fluid cells taken from patients with serous ovarian carcinoma usually after chemotherapy treatment.

Materials And Methods: The cells for culture were obtained from ascitic fluid cells of a patient with ovarian clear cell carcinoma. Cytomorphological analysis of cultured cells at early and late passages was performed by hematoxylin-eosin staining.

Analysis of the immunoreactivity of three anti-p53 antibodies and estimation of the relations between p53 status and MDM2 protein expression in ovarian carcinomas.

Background: The p53 growth suppressor is inactivated in human tumors by several distinct mechanisms, such as point mutations, binding to viral proteins and association with the MDM2 protein. Little is known about the expression of different immunologically distinct forms of p53 and MDM2 protein in human tumors and especially in ovarian carcinomas.

Materials And Methods: The overexpression of p53 and MDM2 oncoproteins was examined in a series of 46 ovarian carcinomas, taking into account the conventional pathological variables.

Expression of the tyrosine kinase activity growth factor receptors (EGFR, ERB B2, ERB B3) in colorectal adenocarcinomas and adenomas.

The overexpression of three growth factor receptors: epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), ERB B2 and ERB B3 was evaluated immunohistochemically in 77 malignant and 15 benign colorectal neoplasms considering clinicopathological variables (histological structure, grade of differentiation, tumor localization, clinical stage of the disease). The relationship between the coexpression of EGFR-related proteins in individual patients was also evaluated. EGFR expression was revealed in comparable percentages of colorectal adenoma and in adenocarcinoma cases (80% and 70%) while ERB B2 expression was detectable more frequently in adenoma than in adenocarcinoma cases (87% and 54%).

Prognostic significance of CA 125 and TPS levels after chemotherapy in ovarian cancer patients.

The analysis of survival data of patients with epithelial ovarian cancer proved that both CA 125 and TPS were good markers for clinical outcome prediction. Patients receiving chemotherapy were analyzed for 2-year overall survival (OS). Kaplan-Meier survival analysis showed highly significant differences in OS between patients with stage I+II (survival for 2 years 68%) and stage III+IV (survival for 2 years 33%; p = 0.

Expression of epidermal growth factor receptor family proteins (EGFR, c-erbB-2 and c-erbB-3) in gastric cancer and chronic gastritis.

The expression and coexpression of EGFR, c-erbB-2 and c-erbB-3 in 21 gastric cancers and 20 chronic gastritis was examined using immunohistochemistry on fresh frozen tissues considering clinicopathological variables. Generally, gastric cancer patients showed a higher incidence of EGFR, c-erbB-2 and d-erbB-3 overexpression than the group with chronic gastritis (81% and 43%; 38% and 45%; 35% and 20%, respectively), however, statistically significant differences were found only for EGFR expression (p = 0.01).

Epidermal growth factor receptor and c-erbB-2 oncoproteins in tissue and tumor effusion cells of histopathologically different ovarian neoplasms.

The overexpression of two growth factor receptors - epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and c-erbB-2 - was evaluated immunohistochemically in malignant and benign ovarian neoplasms, considering the stage of the disease and histology of tumors. The comparison of EGFR and c-erbB-2 reactivity in tissue sections and respective cyst and/or ascitic fluid cells was also performed. c-erbB-2 expression was detected in 44.

p53 autoantibodies in the sera, cyst and ascitic fluids of patients with ovarian cancer.

The presence of p53 autoantibodies and p53 protein overexpression in ovarian carcinoma patients were determined and compared. p53 antibodies were detected in sera samples, cyst and/or ascitic fluids of individual patients by two separate techniques (ELISA assay and immunoblot). p53 protein accumulation was assessed immunohistochemically in tissue sections and corresponding tumor effusion cells.

Prospective studies of p53 and c-erbB-2 expression in relation to clinicopathological parameters of human ductal breast cancer in the second stage of clinical advancement.

Background: The association between p53 and c-erbB-2 overexpression relation to ER status in ductal breast carcinoma is still unclear. Our aim was investigate the prognostic importance of the overexpression of c-erbB-2, p-53 factor, and ER status in stage II of human ductal breast cancer.

Materials And Methods: Th.

TPS and CA 125 levels in serum, cyst fluid and ascites of patients with epithelial ovarian neoplasms.

The serum markers TPS and CA 125 were determined in serum, cyst fluid and ascites in ovarian carcinoma patients and in patients with benign ovarian neoplasms. The levels of TPS and CA 125 were significantly higher in malignant and benign tumor cysts and ascitic fluids than in corresponding patients sera (p < 0.005 for TPS, p < 0.

p53, c-erbB-2 and p21ras expression in tumor effusion cells of patients with histopathologically different ovarian neoplasms.

The overexpression of p53, c-erbB-2 and p21ras gene products was evaluated immunohistochemically in ovarian carcinomas, borderline, and benign neoplasms. All studies were performed on cytospin preparations of cyst and/or ascitic fluid cells and mutual relations between oncoproteins were analysed. p53 and c-erbB-2 immunostaining was observed in 50% and 48.

nm23 expression in tissue sections and tumor effusion cells of ovarian neoplasms.

The genetic changes involved in the metastatic process of ovarian epithelial cancer remain undetermined. The expression of nm23, a putative metastasis-suppressor gene product, was assessed immunohistochemically in malignant and benign ovarian neoplasms, considering histology of tumors and clinical advancement of disease. Comparison of nm23 protein content in tissue sections and respective cyst and/or ascitic fluid cells was also performed.

[Studies of human papillomavirus infection (HPV) and expression of oncoprotein p 21 in cervix neoplasms].

Frequencies of HPV type 16 and 18, evaluated by in situ hybridization technique in uterine cervix carcinomas of the IIIrd stage of clinical advancement, were 54% and 36.5% respectively. Presence of p 21 protein was detected in 85.

Relationship between c-erbB-2 oncoprotein, epidermal growth factor receptor, and estrogen receptor expression in patients with ductal breast carcinoma. Association with tumor phenotypes.

The expression of c-erbB-2 oncoprotein, epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and estrogen receptor (ER) was evaluated by the immunoperoxidase technique (PAP) in ductal breast carcinomas. The relationship between these cell growth regulatory factors was considered and compared with tumor grading, tumor size, lymph node involvement and age of patients. Stratifying of patients on the basis of c-erbB-2, EGFR and ER status indicated that the combination of c-erbB-2 overexpression accompanied by high EGFR value and undetectable ER, identified poorly differentiated tumors and patients with high incidence of axillary lymph node metastases, while high EGFR expression and negative c-erbB-2 staining was connected only with poor tumor grade.