Syndecan-1, Epithelial-Mesenchymal Transition Markers (E-cadherin/β-catenin) and Neoangiogenesis-related Proteins (PCAM-1 and Endoglin) in Colorectal Cancer.

The Syndecan-1 protein plays a crucial role in cell proliferation, cell adhesion, cell migration and angiogenesis and, at the same time, its co-expression with E-cadherin is regulated during epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT). In colorectal cancer (CRC), the expression of syndecan-1, E-cadherin/β-catenin complex is frequently disturbed. Angiogenesis is critical for the growth and metastatic spread of tumors.

Biomarkers of head and neck cancer, tools or a gordian knot?

Head and neck tumors comprise a wide spectrum of heterogeneous neoplasms for which biomarkers are needed to aid in earlier diagnosis, risk assessment and therapy response. Personalized medicine based on predictive markers linked to drug response, it is hoped, will lead to improvements in outcomes and avoidance of unnecessary treatment in carcinoma of the head and neck. Because of the heterogeneity of head and neck tumors, the integration of multiple selected markers in association with the histopathologic features is advocated for risk assessment.

Pleomorphic hepatocellular carcinoma following consumption of hypericum perforatum in alcoholic cirrhosis.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) often develops in patients with underlying liver disease, yet HCC with syncytial giant cells (SGCs) is extremely rare. Herein, we report a 55-year-old man with a 6-year history of alcoholic cirrhosis who during his regular checkup presented with marked elevation of alpha-fetoprotein. Clinical examination and imaging analyses revealed a tumor-like lesion in segment 4 of the liver, which was removed by limited wedge resection.

Spinal cord early ischemic preconditioning activates the stabilized fraction of β-catenin after thoracoabdominal aortic occlusion in pigs.

Background: Paraplegia after thoracoabdominal aortic surgery is a devastating complication attributed to motor neurons loss and dysfunction, due to spinal cord ischemia. β-Catenin is a protein that has been associated with cell survival and healing and many studies have correlated this protein with late ischemic preconditioning (IPC). Herein we investigate the potential contribution of β-catenin in an early IPC animal model, and its relationship with heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70), suggesting a possible role of this protein as a first window of protection.

Predictive role of thymidine phosphorylase expression in patients with colorectal cancer and its association with angiogenesis-related proteins and extracellular matrix components.

Background: Thymidine phosphorylase (TYMP) is an angiogenic factor that has potent chemotactic activity for endothelial cells and is involved in 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) metabolism. In colorectal cancer (CRC), previous studies evaluating the relationship between TYMP expression and clinicopathological features have yielded inconsistent results. The aim of this study was to investigate the prognostic value of TYMP, its association with other angiogenic factors, proliferation markers and, to our knowledge, for the first time its relationship with extracellular matrix components.

A pregnant patient with adrenocortical carcinoma: case report.

Background: Coexistence of an adrenocortical carcinoma and pregnancy is extremely rare with only 25 described cases so far, and has a poor prognosis.

Case Report: We report the case of a 28-year-old patient with adrenocortical carcinoma initially presenting with Cushing's syndrome and pre-eclampsia in the 22nd week of gestation, treated in our department. She underwent adrenalectomy, but eventually died from metastatic disease.

Association of syndecan-1 with angiogenesis-related markers, extracellular matrix components, and clinicopathological features in colorectal carcinoma.

Syndecan-1 is a transmembrane heparansulfate proteoglycan, which regulates cell proliferation, migration, angiogenesis, cell-to-cell and cell-to-extracellular matrix adhesion and may influence malignant cell behavior. We investigated the alterations of syndecan-1 expression in colorectal cancer and analyzed the relationship between clinicopathological parameters, proliferation indices, angiogenic markers, and extracellular matrix components. Syndecan-1 protein expression observed in the tumorous epithelium was high in 52/97 (53.

Prostate cancer epidemiology in a rural area of North Western Greece.

Epirus is a rural area of North-Western Greece. We reviewed data from 4 hospitals for 4.975 patients who underwent prostate biopsy in Epirus in the twelve year period from 1999 to 2010.

Immunohistochemical study of the epithelial-mesenchymal transition phenotype in cancer of unknown primary: incidence, correlations and prognostic utility.

Background: The epithelial to mesenchymal transition (EMT) has been associated with metastatic dissemination and poor outcome in several solid tumour types. Our aim was to study its incidence and its prognostic significance in cancer of unknown primary (CUP).

Patients And Methods: One hundred tumour samples of CUP were loaded in tissue microarrays and were studied for immunohistochemical (IHC) expression of E-cadherin, N-cadherin, vimentin, the EMT transcription factor (SNAIL) and the stem cell marker octamer-binding transcription marker 4(OCT4).

Early ischaemic preconditioning of spinal cord enhanced the binding profile of heat shock protein 70 with neurofilaments and promoted its nuclear translocation after thoraco-abdominal aortic occlusion in pigs.

Objective(s): Heat shock protein 70 (Hsp70) is detected in substantial amounts in normal neurons and this basal content may protect a cell against harmful conditions without the need for additional synthesis. Herein, we investigate the potential protective role of these basal levels of Hsp70, in an early ischaemic preconditioning (IPC) experimental model, suggesting a possible role of this protein as a first window of protection.

Design, Material And Methods: Forty-two pigs were used in an experimental thoraco-abdominal aortic occlusion model.

Thrombospondin-1 expression in breast cancer: prognostic significance and association with p53 alterations, tumour angiogenesis and extracellular matrix components.

Thrombospondin (TSP-1) is a 450-kd adhesive glycoprotein that was initially discovered in platelets and subsequently in a variety of cell types. Several reports suggest that TSP-1 possesses tumour suppressor function, through its ability to inhibit tumour neovascularization. In this study we investigated tissue sections from 124 breast carcinomas for the immuno-histochemical expression of TSP-1 protein and its relationship to several clinicopathological parameters.

Expression of organic anion-transporting polypeptides 1B3, 1B1, and 1A2 in human pancreatic cancer reveals a new class of potential therapeutic targets.

Background: Organic anion-transporting polypeptides (OATPs) are influx transporters that mediate intracellular uptake of selective endogenous and xenobiotic compounds. Identification of new molecular targets and discovery of novel targeted therapies is top priority for pancreatic cancer, which lacks any effective therapy.

Materials And Methods: We studied expression of OATP 1A2, 1B1, and 1B3 in pancreatic cancer tissue and in cell lines.

Findings of an experimental study in a rabbit model on posterior capsule opacification after implantation of hydrophobic acrylic and hydrophilic acrylic intraocular lenses.

Purpose: Study on cell growth on the posterior capsule after implantation of hydrophobic acrylic (Acrysof SA 60 AT) and hydrophilic acrylic (Akreos Disc) intraocular lenses (IOL) in a rabbit model and comparison of posterior capsule opacification (PCO).

Methods: Phacoemulsification was performed in 22 rabbit eyes, and two different IOL types (Acrysof SA60 AT and Akreos Disc) were implanted. These IOLs had the same optic geometry (square edged) but different material and design.

Expression patterns of cyclins D1, E and cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitors p21waf1/cip1, p27kip1 in colorectal carcinoma: correlation with other cell cycle regulators (pRb, p53 and Ki-67 and PCNA) and clinicopathological features.

Aberrations in the cell cycle regulators are common features of many tumours and several have been shown to have prognostic significant in colorectal cancer. The expression patterns of cyclins D1 and E as well as cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) inhibitors p21waf1/cip1 and p27kip1 and their interrelationship with other cell cycle checkpoint proteins [p53, pRb, Ki-67 and proliferative cell nuclear antigen (PCNA)] were investigated in colorectal cancer in order to ascertain coregulation and influence on tumour behaviour or survival. These molecular markers were localisated immunohistochemically using the monoclonal antibodies anticyclin D1 (DCS-6), anticyclin E (13A3), anti-p21 (4D10), anti-p27 (1B4), anti-p53 (DO7), anti-Rb (AB-5), MIB1 and PC10 in colorectal cancer tissue from 97 patients.

Thymidine phoshorylase expression in breast cancer: the prognostic significance and its association with other angiogenesis related proteins and extracellular matrix components.

Thymidine phosphorylase (TP)/platelet-derived endothelial cell growth factor, stimulates chemataxis of endothelial cells and is involved in the angiogenesis of human solid tumours. In this study we investigated tissue sections from 93 breast carcinomas for the immunohistochemical expression of thymidine phosphorylase protein and in relationship to several clinicopathological parameters. The possible relationship to tumour neovascularization, VEGF expression, extracellular matrix components (tenascin, fibronectin, collagen type IV and laminin) and cathepsin D was also estimated.

Immunohistochemical prognostic markers in bladder cancer.

The management of superficial bladder cancer is characterized by early recognition of recurrence and the prevention of progression. Biological markers must provide additional information to that provided by multiplicity, size and grade. So, the identification of new prognostic biomarkers for bladder cancer could be used to divide patients into risk groups determining treatment and follow-up schemes.

E-cadherin adhesion molecule and syndecan-1 expression in various thyroid pathologies.

Unlabelled: Cadherins and syndecans are transmembrane glycoproteins implicated in cell-cell and cell-matrix adhesion. Impairment of cadherin and syndecan mediated adhesion is likely to constitute one of the main factors leading to the reduced cell-cell and cell-matrix adhesion characteristics of tumor cells and play a pivotal role in the acquisition of invasive and metastatic proprieties by neoplastic epithelial cells.

Aim: To elucidate the role and alterations of syndecan-1 expression in comparison with those of E-cadherin in normal and pathological thyroid glands (TG).

Hypoxia-inducible factors HIF-1alpha and HIF-2alpha expression in bladder cancer and their associations with other angiogenesis-related proteins.

Hypoxia-inducible factors (HIF-1alpha and HIF-2alpha) are closely related protein complexes that activate transcription of target genes in response to hypoxia. The immunohistochemical expression of these two proteins was investigated in 144 bladder cancer tissue samples and correlated with standard clinicopathological features, in order to elucidate their prognostic significance. We also evaluated their possible associations with other angiogenesis related markers such as microvessel density (MVD), vascular endothelial growth factor, thymidine phosphorylase, tenascin, fibronectin, p53 and bcl-2 to further clarify their implication in tumor stroma vascularization.

Angiogenesis in pterygium: study of microvessel density, vascular endothelial growth factor, and thrombospondin-1.

Purpose: This retrospective study aims to elucidate the role of angiogenesis in the pathogenesis of pterygium. We evaluated microvessel density (MVD), and expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1).

Methods: Fifty-two surgically excised pterygia and seven normal conjunctivae were immunohistochemically studied applying the streptavidin-biotin method in paraffin-embedded tissue sections.

Thrombospondin-1 expression in urothelial carcinoma: prognostic significance and association with p53 alterations, tumour angiogenesis and extracellular matrix components.

Background: Thrombospondin-1 (TSP-1) is an extracellular matrix component glycoprotein, which is known to be a potent inhibitor of angiogenesis and may be important in cancer invasiveness. We examined the TSP-1 expression in correlation with conventional clinicopathological parameters to clarify its prognostic significance in bladder cancer. In addition, the possible correlation of TSP-1 expression with microvessel count, VEGF expression, p53 expression as well as with the expression of the extracellular matrix components was studied to explore its implication in vascularization and tumour stroma remodeling.

The lipophilic extract of Hypericum perforatum exerts significant cytotoxic activity against T24 and NBT-II urinary bladder tumor cells.

Hypericum perforatum L. (St. John's wort) is a medicinal plant used for many pathologies, especially for the treatment of mild to moderate depression.

Immunohistochemical study of angiogenesis and proliferative activity in epiretinal membranes.

Formation of epiretinal membranes (ERMs) is a serious complication of retinal diseases, the most important being proliferative diabetic retinopathy (PDR) and proliferative vitreoretinopathy (PVR). In this study, our goal was to (i) calculate the microvessel density (MVD), (ii) evaluate vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression and (iii) correlate angiogenesis with the proliferative activity as expressed by the expression of Ki67 marker, in both membrane types. We performed immunohistochemistry in 14 PVR and eight PDR membranes, using antibodies against CD34, VEGF, Ki67 and glial fibrillary acidic protein.

Prognostic significance of thymidine phosphorylase in superficial bladder carcinoma.

Objective: We investigated the expression of thymidine phosphorylase (TP) in bladder carcinomas and assessed its prognostic significance in superficial bladder cancer samples.

Patients And Methods: We studied 142 primary bladder cancer samples immunohistochemically for nuclear thymidine phosphorylase (TPN), cytoplasmic (TPC) and stromal (TPSTR) expression. We correlated them with standard clinicopathological features (grade, stage, concurrent in situ, multiplicity, primary or recurrent status), as well with recurrence and progression.