A novel mitochondrial ATP8 gene mutation in a patient with apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and neuropathy.

Purpose: To identify the biochemical and molecular genetic defect in a 16-year-old patient presenting with apical hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and neuropathy suspected for a mitochondrial disorder.

Methods: Measurement of the mitochondrial energy-generating system (MEGS) capacity in muscle and enzyme analysis in muscle and fibroblasts were performed. Relevant parts of the mitochondrial DNA were analysed by sequencing.

Analysis of differential gene expression in human melanocytic tumour lesions by custom made oligonucleotide arrays.

Melanoma is one of the most aggressive types of cancer and resection of the tumour prior to dissemination of tumour cells is still the most effective treatment. Therefore, early diagnosis of melanocytic lesions is important and identification of novel (molecular) markers would be helpful to improve diagnosis. Moreover, better understanding of molecular targets involved in melanocytic tumorigenesis could possibly lead to development of novel interventions.

The MMA1 gene family of cancer-testis antigens has multiple alternative splice variants: characterization of their expression profile, the genomic organization, and transcript properties.

Previously, we reported the identification of MMA1A by screening for differential gene expression in two human melanoma cell lines displaying diverse metastatic behavior after subcutaneous inoculation into nude mice. Splice variant MMA1B, which also was identified through database homology searches, showed a high degree of similarity with the MMA1A for exons 1, 2, and 4, but was missing exon 3. Through extensive expression profiling among normal and tumor samples, both MMA1A and -1B were found to belong to the family of cancer-testis antigens.

Presence and localization of T-cell subsets in relation to melanocyte differentiation antigen expression and tumour regression as assessed by immunohistochemistry and molecular analysis of microdissected T cells.

Melanoma-associated antigens may be the driving force behind the lymphocytic infiltrates in melanomas and the occurrence of melanoma regression. To investigate the clinical relevance of melanoma differentiation antigens (MDAs) as T-cell targets, the relationship between the presence and localization of T-cell subsets and the expression of MDAs was studied by immunohistochemistry and the diversity of CD8+ T cells in regressive melanomas was assessed using laser-assisted microdissection. While MDA expression as well as T-cell subset distribution, as assessed by immunohistochemical analysis, was heterogeneous within and between lesions, they were histologically independent phenomena.

Detection of disseminated tumour cells in blood and bone marrow samples of patients undergoing hepatic resection for metastasis of colorectal cancer.

Background: In 50-60 per cent of patients who undergo hepatic resection for metastasis of colorectal cancer the first site of tumour recurrence is extrahepatic, indicating the presence of more extensive disease at the time of resection. The aim of this study was to evaluate whether the presence of disseminated tumour cells in blood and bone marrow could predict extrahepatic tumour recurrence.

Methods: Cytokeratin 20 (CK20) reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction was used to study the presence of tumour cells in preoperative peripheral blood and bone marrow samples from 41 patients with liver metastasis scheduled for surgical resection.