Components of Signaling for Uterine Cancer Patients' Prognosis.

New molecular biomarkers that could have an independent prognostic value in endometrial cancer are currently under investigation. Recently, it was suggested that genetic changes in the Notch signaling pathway could be associated with the development of endometrial carcinoma. This study aimed to determine the expression of the Notch signaling pathway components in tumour and adjacent normal uterine tissue and to evaluate their importance for the survival of uterine cancer patients.

Oxidant/Antioxidant Status of Breast Cancer Patients in Pre- and Post-Operative Periods.

Background And Objectives: The purpose of this study is to evaluate the level of oxidative stress before and after breast cancer surgery.

Materials And Methods: Malondialdehyde (MDA) level was tested using a thiobarbituric acid (TBA) assay based on the release of a color complex due to TBA reaction with MDA. The glutathione S-transferase (GST) activity was evaluated by enzymatic conjugation of reduced glutathione (GSH) with 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene.

Changes in the expression of Notch and Wnt signalling molecules in human endometrial cancer.

Background: Endometrial cancer is the  sixth most frequent type of cancer among women worldwide. Type  I adenocarcinomas account for 80-85% of endometrial cancer cases and sometimes require more aggressive treatment than the remaining part of this group. Therefore, molecular markers to stratify adenocarcinomas are needed.

Changes of reduced glutathione and glutathione S-transferase levels in colorectal cancer patients undergoing treatment.

Purpose:: The available data concerning reduced glutathione (GSH) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) levels in colorectal cancer patients during the treatment process are contradictory and insufficient.

Methods:: Forty patients with metastatic colorectal cancer receiving FOLFOX4 chemotherapy with or without bevacizumab and 40 healthy volunteers were included in the study. Blood samples were taken before treatment, after 2 months and at the end of treatment in the patient group and once in the healthy volunteer group.

[Not Available].

The body's cell behaviour is controlled by various signalling pathways, one of which is NOTCH. It has been found that a partial loss of the NOTCH function or abnormal strengthening of NOTCH signalling are related to various human diseases and developmental disorders. PubMed was the main source of information for this paper.

Glutathione and glutathione S-transferase levels in patients with liver metastases of colorectal cancer and other hepatic disorders.

Background/aims: Glutathione and glutathione S-transferases (GST) are involved in cell defence against reactive oxygen species, which induces oxidative stress and are associated with different chronic diseases. The aim of the present study was to determine the differences in reduced glutathione (GSH) and GST levels in patients with different liver diseases.

Materials And Methods: Overall, 114 patients were enrolled in this study: 58 patients with colorectal cancer (18 without and 40 with liver metastases), 27 with liver steatosis, 29 with alcoholic cirrhosis and a group of 40 healthy volunteers.

Sodium Valproate Enhances the Urethane-Induced Lung Adenomas and Suppresses Malignization of Adenomas in Ovariectomized Female Mice.

In the present study, the possible effect of sodium valproate (NaVP) on urethane-induced lung tumors in female mice has been evaluated. BALB/c mice (n = 60; 4-6 weeks old, females) were used in the following groups: (1) urethane-treated; (2) urethane-NaVP-treated; (3) only NaVP-treated; (4) control. In the same groups, ovariectomized female mice (n = 60) were investigated.

Sodium valproate effect on the structure of rat glandule thymus: Gender-related differences.

Sodium valproate (VPA) was shown to inhibit cell growth mechanisms such as cell cycle arrest, proliferation suppression, increase of apoptosis. Many aspects of the contribution of the VPA pharmacological mechanisms and their significance in gender-related processes have not been investigated. In our study, we have tested hypothesis that the influence of VPA on thymus weight and structure might be gender-related.

The significance of reduced glutathione and glutathione S-transferase during chemoradiotherapy of locally advanced cervical cancer.

Background And Objective: To determine changes in reduced glutathione (GSH) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) during neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by concurrent chemoradiation for patients with stage IIB-IIIB cervical cancer, and to evaluate their significance to the efficacy of the treatment.

Materials And Methods: According to the prospective phase II study protocol, 36 patients with stage IIB-IIIB cervical cancer were enrolled. A short course of intensive weekly neoadjuvant cisplatin and gemcitabine chemotherapy followed by concurrent weekly cisplatin and gemcitabine-based chemoradiation was administered.

Nevomelanocytic atypia detection by in vivo reflectance confocal microscopy.

Background And Objective: In vivo reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) is a promising novel technology for non-invasive early diagnostics of cutaneous melanoma. However, the possibility to detect melanocytic atypia in nevi by means of in vivo RCM remains unknown. The aim of the study was to evaluate the significance of in vivo RCM features of melanocytic atypia for the diagnosis of melanocytic nevi, dysplastic nevi and cutaneous melanoma.

Significance of blood serum catalase activity and malondialdehyde level for survival prognosis of ovarian cancer patients.

Background And Objective: Several markers were found to be potential prognostic factors in ovarian cancer. Among markers resembling systemic changes in the host's organism are markers of the oxidative stress. In this study we attempted to analyze the oxidant and antioxidant parameters of ovarian cancer patients.

Relationship of MDA plasma concentrations to long-term survival of breast cancer patients.

Aims And Background: Malondialdehyde (MDA) is a product of polyunsaturated fatty acid oxidation. Changes in MDA concentrations have been found in patients with various types of cancer. The aim of this study was to analyze the relationship of MDA plasma concentrations to the long-term survival of patients with breast cancer.

NOTCH1, NOTCH3, NOTCH4, and JAG2 protein levels in human endometrial cancer.

Background And Objective: Notch signaling is a conserved developmental pathway, which plays an important role in the regulation of cell proliferation, differentiation and death. Deregulation of Notch pathway has been connected with the carcinogenesis in a variety of cancers. The aim of this study was to investigate the level of the Notch signaling pathway proteins (NOTCH1, 3, 4 and JAG2) in the samples from human endometrial cancer.

Sodium is not required for chloride efflux via chloride/bicarbonate exchanger from rat thymic lymphocytes.

Sodium-dependent Cl(-)/HCO3 (-) exchanger acts as a chloride (Cl(-)) efflux in lymphocytes. Its functional characterization had been described when Cl(-) efflux was measured upon substituting extracellular sodium (Na(+)) by N-methyl-D-glucamine (NMDG). For Na(+) and Cl(-) substitution, we have used D-mannitol or NMDG.

Sodium valproate enhances urethane tumorigenicity in lungs of male but not female mice.

In the study, the possible effect of sodium valproate (NaVP) on urethane-induced lung tumors in mice has been evaluated. BALB/c mice (n = 120; 4-6 weeks old, both sexes) were used in the following groups: 1) urethane-treated, 2) urethane-NaVP-treated, 3) only NaVP-treated, 4) control. In the same groups, castrated male mice (n = 48) were investigated.

Significance of MMP-9 expression and MMP-9 polymorphism in prostate cancer.

Background: The aim of the study was to assess the expression of the MMP-9 gene and -1562 C/T polymorphism in MMP-9 gene promoter in relation to clinicopathological parameters in predicting the clinical outcome of prostate cancer patients.

Methods: A total of 82 patients with histopathologically diagnosed prostate cancer were enrolled in the study. MMP-9 gene expression was assessed by reverse transcription-PCR method.

Prevalence of human papillomaviruses in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma in Lithuania and Belarus.

Overall, head and neck sqamous cell carcinoma accounts for more than 550,000 cases annually worldwide. It is well known that human papillomavirus (HPV) is the main risk factor for cervical cancer development. As the incidence and the mortality of cervical cancer are closely related to the HPV prevalence, we hypothesized that there is the same association between HPV prevalence and head and neck squamous cell carcinoma.

Down-regulated expression of Notch signaling molecules in human endometrial cancer.

Notch signaling pathway is a highly conserved developmental pathway, which plays an important role in the regulation of cellular proliferation, differentiation and apoptosis. Deregulation of Notch pathway has been connected with the carcinogenesis in a variety of cancers. In this study, we investigated the expression of Notch receptors (NOTCH1, NOTCH2, NOTCH3 and NOTCH4), ligands (JAG1, JAG2 and DLL1) and target gene HES1.

The effect of nanoparticles in rats during critical periods of pregnancy.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE. Nanotechnology works with substances at a nanometer scale, and it offers many solutions for biomedicine. Nanoparticles (NPs) have been shown as effective agents for imaging, drug delivery, pathogen detection, etc.

Transport of nanoparticles through the placental barrier.

Nanoparticles (NP) are organic or inorganic substances, the size of which ranges from 1 to 100 nm, and they possess specific properties which are different from those of the bulk materials in the macroscopic scale. In a recent decade, NP were widely applied in biomedicine as potential probes for imaging, drug-delivery systems and regenerative medicine. However, rapid development of nanotechnologies and their applications in clinical research have raised concerns about the adverse effects of NP on human health and environment.

[Microsatellite instability and loss of heterozygosity in cancer].

Literature review on genetic alterations (microsatellite instability and loss of heterozygosity) in different types of cancer is presented. Microsatellite instability and loss of heterozigosity are significant processes in carcinogenesis. The evaluation of microsatellite instability in cancer patients might be of clinical importance as a prognostic and predictive factor.

The effect of β-carotene against adriamycin toxicity on the embryo formation.

Unlabelled: Adriamycin is an anthracycline antibiotic widely used for the treatment of many types of cancer. The cytotoxic effect of Adriamycin occurs by a free radical-mediated mechanism. Thus, to prevent or reduce the toxic effect of Adriamycin, it is possible to use it in combination with antioxidants.

[Prevalence of human papillomavirus types in cervical intraepithelial lesions].

Background: Since the implementation of the cervical cancer screening program in Lithuania in 2004, cervical cancer incidence rates have stabilized during a 4-year period: in 2006 and 2007, 508 and 485 new cases, respectively, were diagnosed. Human papillomavirus (HPV) infection is one of the main risk factors for cervical cancer and development of intraepithelial lesions. However, not only HPV, but also HPV type, is a very important factor for malignant transformation.

Human papillomavirus infection in pregnant women.

Introduction: Human papillomavirus (HPV) is the most common sexually transmitted infection in the world. It has been established that about 70% of the sexually active population are exposed to this infection. The HPV prevalence rate among pregnant women ranges from 5.