Beta-hydroxybutyrate (3-OHB) can influence the energetic phenotype of breast cancer cells, but does not impact their proliferation and the response to chemotherapy or radiation.

Background: Ketogenic diets (KDs) or short-term fasting are popular trends amongst supportive approaches for cancer patients. Beta-hydroxybutyrate (3-OHB) is the main physiological ketone body, whose concentration can reach plasma levels of 2-6 mM during KDs or fasting. The impact of 3-OHB on the biology of tumor cells described so far is contradictory.

Quantification of the predominant immune cell populations in decidua throughout human pregnancy.

Problem: To date, a multiplicity of factors contributing to the establishment and progression of a successful pregnancy have been postulated. There is emerging evidence that decidual leukocytes could be decisive factors during pregnancy. Despite numerous investigations on immune cells in human early pregnancy decidua, little is known about the physiological composition and proportion of the various immune cell populations during the different phases of pregnancy.

Mechanisms of tumor immune escape in triple-negative breast cancers (TNBC) with and without mutated BRCA 1.

Purpose: Triple negative breast cancers (TNBC) are associated with an adverse outcome, although these tumors are sensitive to chemotherapy. In part, this phenomenon could be caused by tumor immune escape. The current study investigates immunogenicity of TNBC cells in vitro and the presence of immunosuppressive factors in the tumor microenvironment (pAKT and B7H1 expression, infiltration with regulatory T cells, [Tregs]).

Household pesticide contamination from indoor pest control applications in urban low-income public housing dwellings: a community-based participatory research.

We designed this community-based participatory research (CBPR) project aiming to generate evidence-based research results to encourage residents living in urban low-income public housing dwellings engaging in a community-wide integrated pest management (IPM) program with the intention to improve their health and quality of life, as well as household conditions. We enrolled 20 families and their children in this study in which we utilized environmental exposure assessment (surface wipe and indoor air) tools to quantitatively assessing residential pesticide exposure in young children before the implementation of an IPM program. We analyzed those samples for 19 organophosphate (OP) and pyrethroid pesticides.

Natural resistance to ascorbic acid induced oxidative stress is mainly mediated by catalase activity in human cancer cells and catalase-silencing sensitizes to oxidative stress.

Background: Ascorbic acid demonstrates a cytotoxic effect by generating hydrogen peroxide, a reactive oxygen species (ROS) involved in oxidative cell stress. A panel of eleven human cancer cell lines, glioblastoma and carcinoma, were exposed to serial dilutions of ascorbic acid (5-100 mmol/L). The purpose of this study was to analyse the impact of catalase, an important hydrogen peroxide-detoxifying enzyme, on the resistance of cancer cells to ascorbic acid mediated oxidative stress.

Human decidua and invasive trophoblasts are rich sources of nearly all human matrix metalloproteinases.

Trophoblast cell (CTB) invasion into the maternal endometrium plays a crucial role during human embryo implantation and placentation. As for all invasive cell types, the ability of CTB to infiltrate the uterine wall is facilitated by the activity of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs), which is regulated by tissue inhibitors of MMPs (TIMPs). There is evidence for the expression of several MMPs and TIMPs in decidua.

Expression pattern of matrix metalloproteinases in human gynecological cancer cell lines.

Background: Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are involved in the degradation of protein components of the extracellular matrix and thus play an important role in tumor invasion and metastasis. Their expression is related to the progression of gynecological cancers (e.g.

The clinicopathological and prognostic relevance of pyruvate kinase M2 and pAkt expression in breast cancer.

Background: Cancer cell growth has been described to depend on glucose utilization. Activation of Akt and up-regulation of pyruvate kinase M2 (M2-PK) are attributes of tumour glycolysis.

Patients And Methods: In order to evaluate the prognostic relevance of glycolytic markers in breast cancer, the expression of pAkt and M2PK was analysed in 160 tissue samples.

The expression of galectin-1 in vulvar neoplasia.

Vulvar cancer contributes to about 5% of all gynaecological cancers. Galectin-1, a member of an ubiquitous expressed beta-galactoside-binding family that comprises over 140 members to date, has been shown to be involved in many physiological and pathological processes, such as tumour progression, by promoting cancer cell invasion and metastasis, in apoptosis, embryogenesis and immunobiology. As the result of these findings, galectin-1 has been described as a potential marker for tumour progression in some malignancies.

Antigen-presenting cells in pregnant and non-pregnant human myometrium.

Problem: Inflammatory cells play a crucial role in human parturition. Different populations of leucocytes invade the reproductive tract. Numerous studies have described the decidual immune cell population in pregnant and non-pregnant endometrium.

Specific subsets of immune cells in human decidua differ between normal pregnancy and preeclampsia--a prospective observational study.

Background: Changes in the balance of decidual leucocyte populations may lead to an unfavourable uterine microenvironment which may be associated with the development of preeclampsia (PE). In this study, we therefore investigated the leucocyte subpopulations in decidual tissues of 33 women with preeclampsia and 66 control patients.

Methods: Decidua was either obtained via curettage during cesarean section or dissected from the surface of the basal plate of the placenta after spontaneous delivery.

Impact of female sex hormones on the maturation and function of human dendritic cells.

Problem: During pregnancy, the immune and the endocrine system cooperate to ensure that the fetal allograft develops without eliciting a maternal immune response. This is presumably in part achieved by dendritic cells (DCs) that play a dominant role in maintaining peripheral tolerance. In this study, we investigated whether female sex hormones, such as human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG), progesterone (Prog), and estradiol (E2), which are highly elevated during pregnancy, induce the differentiation of DCs into a tolerance-inducing phenotype.

Glycolytic phenotype in breast cancer: activation of Akt, up-regulation of GLUT1, TKTL1 and down-regulation of M2PK.

Purpose: Metabolic dependence on glucose utilisation has been described for different tumours characterised by activation of Akt, upregulation of GLUT1, M2PK and TKTL1. To date, however, little is known about glucose metabolism in breast cancer tissue.

Methods: We analysed 55 breast cancer specimens, 26 adjacent ductal carcinomas in situ (DCIS) and 23 adjacent normal breast tissues for expression of glycolytic markers by immunohistochemistry.

Expression of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in primary human breast cancer and breast cancer cell lines: New findings and review of the literature.

Background: Matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) are a family of structural and functional related endopeptidases. They play a crucial role in tumor invasion and building of metastatic formations because of their ability to degrade extracellular matrix proteins. Under physiological conditions their activity is precisely regulated in order to prevent tissue disruption.

Upregulation of chemokine and cytokine production during pregnancy.

Background: Following implantation, endometrial stroma is transformed into decidual tissue via a complex remodeling process. In parallel with that process, a significant increase in immune cells can be detected. Several studies suggest that chemokines and cytokines orchestrate the transformation of decidual tissue and the infiltration of leukocytes.

Expression of transketolase-like 1 (TKTL1) and p-Akt correlates with the progression of cervical neoplasia.

Aim: It is supposed that increased glycolysis is crucial for the energy supply during tumor progression. Unfortunately, the relevance of glycolysis in cervical neoplasia is unknown, but what is certain is the fact that cervical cancer shows a high expression of glucose membrane transporters, which are necessary for glucose uptake as an energy source. Transketolase-like enzyme 1 (TKTL1) and the oncogene p-Akt have been described to play an important role in glycolysis during tumorigenesis.

Expression of VEGFR-1 (Flt-1) in breast cancer is associated with VEGF expression and with node-negative tumour stage.

Background: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) promotes breast cancer progression by inducing angiogenesis via VEGF receptors on endothelial cells but also signals directly through receptors such as VEGFR-1 (Flt-1) expressed on tumour cells. The impact of autocrine signalling loops on treatment with VEGF inhibitors is still unclear.

Materials And Methods: Six breast cancer cell lines were tested for expression of VEGFR-1 by RT-PCR and Western blot.

The glycoprotein-hormones activin A and inhibin A interfere with dendritic cell maturation.

Background: Pregnancy represents an exclusive situation in which the immune and the endocrine system cooperate to prevent rejection of the embryo by the maternal immune system. While immature dendritic cells (iDC) in the early pregnancy decidua presumably contribute to the establishment of peripheral tolerance, glycoprotein-hormones of the transforming growth factor beta (TGF-beta) family including activin A (ActA) and inhibin A (InA) are candidates that could direct the differentiation of DCs into a tolerance-inducing phenotype.

Methods: To test this hypothesis we generated iDCs from peripheral-blood-monocytes and exposed them to TGF-beta1, ActA, as well as InA and Dexamethasone (Dex) as controls.

Nuclear localization and cytosolic overexpression of LASP-1 correlates with tumor size and nodal-positivity of human breast carcinoma.

Background: LIM and SH3 protein 1 (LASP-1), initially identified from human breast cancer, is a specific focal adhesion protein involved in cell proliferation and migration, which was reported to be overexpressed in 8-12 % of human breast cancers and thought to be exclusively located in cytoplasm.

Methods: In the present work we analyzed the cellular and histological expression pattern of LASP-1 and its involvement in biological behavior of human breast cancer through correlation with standard clinicopathological parameters and expression of c-erbB2 (HER-2/neu), estrogen- (ER) and progesterone-receptors (PR). For this purpose immunohistochemical staining intensity and percentage of stained cells were semi-quantitatively rated to define a LASP-1 immunoreactive score (LASP-1-IRS).

Profiling chemokines, cytokines and growth factors in human early pregnancy decidua by protein array.

Problem: In human decidua, a significant increase of leukocytes including CD56(++)CD16(-) uterine natural killer (uNK) cells and CD14(+) monocytes has been observed with the onset of pregnancy. The mechanisms required for the recruitment of those cells to the uterus are still under debate. Cytokines and chemokines have been suggested as key factors for the regulation of these complex cellular migration and interaction processes.

Decreased expression of angiogenic factors in placentas with chorioamnionitis after preterm birth.

Chorioamnionitis and funisitis are associated with neonatal morbidity and mortality. We hypothesized that chorioamnionitis may stress fetal endothelium, activate proinflammatory gene transcription. and affect angiogenic homeostasis in fetal capillaries.

Immunohistochemistry in human placental tissue--pitfalls of antigen detection.

Because incongruous controversial staining results are a common phenomenon in the placenta, methodical investigations are important to prevent researchers from obtaining misleading results. While investigating dendritic cells (DC) at the human fetomaternal interface, we observed staining of endothelial cells (EC) in chorionic villi for CD83. Given the high specificity of this antigen for DC, this did not seem credible.

Indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) expression in invasive extravillous trophoblast supports role of the enzyme for materno-fetal tolerance.

It is still not understood how the fetus escapes from being attacked by the maternal immune system. Recent reports based on mouse and in vitro models have suggested that the enzyme indoleamine 2,3-dioxygenase (IDO) is important for materno-fetal tolerance. IDO activity in the human placenta is known to be high and might lead to inhibition of T-cell proliferation, thus preventing fetal tissue from rejection by the maternal immune system.

Expression of tumor markers on breast and ovarian cancer cell lines.

Background: Breast and ovarian tumor cell lines with defined tumor-associated antigens could serve as allogeneic antigen-sources for the biological therapy of cancer.

Materials And Methods: Eight breast and 3 ovarian cancer cell lines were stained for the antigens in question by immunohistochemistry. Antigen-expression was graded in 5 steps by light microscopic examination.

Unique appearance of proliferating antigen-presenting cells expressing DC-SIGN (CD209) in the decidua of early human pregnancy.

Intact human pregnancy can be regarded as an immunological paradox in that the maternal immune system accepts the allogeneic embryo without general immunosuppression. Because dendritic cell (DC) subsets could be involved in peripheral tolerance, the uterine mucosa (decidua) was investigated for DC populations. Here we describe the detailed immunohistochemical and functional characterization of HLA-DR-positive antigen-presenting cells (APCs) in early pregnancy decidua.