Loss of heterozygosis on chromosome 18q21-23 and muscle-invasive bladder cancer natural history.

Loss of heterozygosis (LOH) on chromosome (Chr) 18q21-23 was reported to be one of the most common genetic alterations identified in bladder cancer. The current study aimed to determine the prognostic role of LOH on Chr 18q21-23 in patients diagnosed with muscle-invasive urothelial bladder carcinoma (MIBC). A total of 34 consecutive patients were enrolled in the present prospective study.

High resolution melting analysis of deletion/insertion polymorphisms: A new method for the detection and quantification of mixed chimerism in allogeneic stem cell transplantation.

Increasing mixed chimerism after allogeneic stem cell transplantation has been associated with a high risk of relapse and probable graft failure in patient with hematological malignancies as well as non-malignant conditions. We evaluated a new method for chimerism detection, based on the quantitative High Resolution Melting Analysis (HRMA) of deletion/insertion polymorphisms (DIPs). The study consisted in the selection of a panel of DIPs, all generating genotype-specific melting curves, and in the use of samples containing opposite molecular species (homozygous INS/INS and DEL/DEL) mixed in different percentages to create a standard curve for each polymorphism.

Loss of heterozygosis on IFN-alpha locus is a prognostic indicator of bacillus Calmette-Guerin response for nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer.

Purpose: We evaluated the role of loss of heterozygosity on the interferon-alpha locus to predict the response to bacillus Calmette-Guerin therapy in patients with nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer.

Materials And Methods: A total of 117 consecutive patients were selected, including 77 with nonmuscle invasive bladder cancer and 40 controls. Loss of heterozygosity on the interferon-alpha locus (chromosome 9p21) was assessed in blood and urine samples before transurethral resection.

Prognostic role of loss of heterozygosity on chromosome 18 in patients with low-risk nonmuscle-invasive bladder cancer: results from a prospective study.

Background: Somatic alterations on chromosome (Chr) 18q21-23, such as loss of heterozygosity (LOH), have been indicated as a critical step in bladder carcinogenesis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the prognostic role of LOH on Chr 18q21-23 in patients affected by low-grade, nonmuscle-invasive bladder cancer (NMIBC).

Materials And Methods: A group of 108 consecutive subjects (65 affected by low-risk NMIBC and 43 controls) were selected for this prospective study.

Loss of P16 expression and chromosome 9p21 LOH in predicting outcome of patients affected by superficial bladder cancer.

Objectives: To evaluate the prognostic role of p16 expression and loss of heterozygosity (LOH) on chromosome 9p21 in patients affected by low-grade (G1-G2) urothelial bladder cancer.

Methods: Fifty-six consecutive patients with diagnosis of urothelial bladder cancer were enrolled in this prospective study. LOH analysis was performed on a blood/tumor pair sample of each patient, by using polymerase chain reaction analysis.

E-cadherin mRNA expression analysis in evaluating the natural history of urothelial bladder cell carcinoma: results from a long-term follow-up study.

Many studies have indicated that the E-cadherin (E-CAD) expression loss is associated with the loss of cellular differentiation and increased cellular invasiveness and can be correlated with poor prognosis in urothelial carcinoma (UC) of the urinary bladder. The aim of this study was to define the role of E-CAD mRNA expression on recurrence, progression and survival in UC of the urinary bladder over a long follow-up period. From 30 patients with bladder UC, enrolled in our previous study, 27 were selected for this study.

Prognostic role of the tumor-associated tissue inflammatory reaction in transitional bladder cell carcinoma.

Many authors have indicated that the presence of an inflammatory response within the tumor may predict not only recurrence and progression but also survival in several tumors, including transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the urinary bladder. Several studies have been performed with a mean follow-up period that is often too limited for predicting patient outcome. The aim of the present study was to define the influence of inflammatory cell infiltrate on recurrence, progression and survival in TCC of the bladder over a long follow-up period.

Pre and postoperative quantitative detection of fragments of cytokeratins 8 and 18 (UBC IRMA) as markers of early recurrence of superficial bladder tumor.

Objectives: The Urinary Bladder Cancer (UBC) test is a marker that detects urinary fragments of cytokeratin 8 and 18. The aim of this study is to evaluate the usefulness of the pre and post operative UBC test to detect early recurrences of a bladder tumor in the first year after the transurethral resection of a bladder tumor.

Materials And Methods: A multicentric perspective study on 36 patients with superficial bladder cancer (pTa-pT1) treated with transurethral resection (TUR) was performed.

Multiplex polymerase chain reaction for microsatellite analysis of urine sediment cells: a rapid and inexpensive method for diagnosing and monitoring superficial transitional bladder cell carcinoma.

Purpose: Several urinary markers have been recently introduced in clinical practice for improving the noninvasive diagnosis of transitional cell carcinoma. Although microsatellite analysis must be considered the best method in terms of results, its cost and method time are unacceptable for daily use. We validated a more rapid and inexpensive method of determination using rapid DNA extraction and automatic multiplex polymerase chain reaction amplification.

Early diagnosis and monitoring of superficial transitional cell carcinoma by microsatellite analysis on urine sediment.

It has recently been shown that allelic abnormalities, detected by microsatellite analysis of the DNA extracted from urine sediment, can be successfully used for the detection of transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) of the bladder. The diagnostic accuracy of urinary cytology, urinary bladder cancer (UBC) marker, bladder tumor antigen (BTA) and microsatellite sequence alterations was compared in 42 patients who were recruited for the study. Of them, 30 had been diagnosed with TCC at cystoscopy plus biopsy (group A).

Molecular urinary sediment analysis in patients with transitional cell bladder carcinoma.

Background: Nowadays urinary cytology methods in early diagnosis of superficial bladder transitional carcinoma (TCC) allow the identification of about 35-50% of tumors. Cytoscopy and biopsy are reliable but invasive. It has been recently shown that allelic abnormalities detected by microsatellite analysis of DNA extracted from urine sediment can be successfully used in TCC.