Expression of vascular endothelial growth factor in malignant mesothelioma.

Malignant mesothelioma is the most common primary pleural neoplasm. Angiogenesis is an important component of a variety of pathological processes, including carcinogenesis and tumor metastases. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is the most potent known endothelial, cell specific mitogen.

Mutation profile of EGFR gene detected by denaturing high-performance liquid chromatography in Japanese lung cancer patients.

Purpose: EGFR mutations in lung cancer increase sensitivity to an EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitor, gefitinib. Mutation analysis of EGFR is essential for prediction of gefitinib response and avoidance of the coincidental severe side effects for the unresponsive population. The purpose of the present study is to apply DHPLC as a screening system of detection of EGFR mutations for large scaled population.

Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein B1 expression in malignant mesothelioma.

Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein B1, an RNA-binding protein required for mRNA maturation, reportedly is overexpressed in early lung cancer and in several other tumors, including precancerous lesions. Expression of the protein was assessed immunohistochemically in 39 specimens of malignant mesothelioma and five of non-neoplastic pleura, and by flow cytometry in a human epithelioid mesothelioma cell line. No tumor showed overexpression, but 29 of 39 cases showed modest expression.

Clinico-pathological characteristics of p63 expression in B-cell lymphoma.

A member of the family of p53-related genes, p63 plays a role in regulating epithelial proliferation and differentiation programs, but the pathological and clinical meaning of p63 in B-cell lymphoma has not been elucidated. We investigated the expression pattern of p63 in B-cell malignancies, and evaluated the correlation between the expression of p63 and other germinal center markers. Ninety-eight B-cell lymphomas (28 FCL, 5 MCL, and 65 DLBCL) were analyzed by immunohistochemical examination for p63, bcl-6, CD10 and MUM-1 proteins, and for rearrangement of bcl-2/IgH.

Pulmonary infarction as the initial manifestation of Takayasu's arteritis.

A 50-year-old woman reporting sudden-onset chest pain was diagnosed as having pulmonary infarction associated with Takayasus arteritis. She had experienced moderate malaise and cough for 3 months. Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed wedge-shaped infiltrative shadows typical of pulmonary infarction in the right lung.

Infrequent existence of simian virus 40 large T antigen DNA in malignant mesothelioma in Japan.

Malignant mesothelioma is the most common primary pleural neoplasm. Association of simian virus 40 (SV40) with malignant mesothelioma has been reported, suggesting that SV40 plays an important role in the origin of a subset of these tumors. However, significant geographic variation is present as to how often this association occurs.

Hsp90 inhibitors cause G2/M arrest associated with the reduction of Cdc25C and Cdc2 in lung cancer cell lines.

Purpose: Hsp90, a molecular chaperone, is involved in folding, assembly, maturation, and stabilization of the client proteins which regulate survival of cancer cells, and thus Hsp90 inhibitors may be potential molecular targeting agents for cancer treatment. We investigated whether Hsp90 inhibitors have therapeutic value in lung cancer.

Methods: First, expression levels of Hsp90 in lung cancer cells were examined by western blotting and immunohistochemical analyses.

Clinical significance of the expression of tumor-associated antigen, RCAS1, and its soluble protein in pleural fluid in malignant mesothelioma.

RCAS1 is a type II membrane protein which is also secreted as a soluble protein. RCAS1 may play a role in evading immune surveillance by tumor cells and be responsible for the aggressive behavior of tumors. We examined the usefulness of RCAS1 in the follow-up of malignant mesothelioma.

Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein B1 protein impairs DNA repair mediated through the inhibition of DNA-dependent protein kinase activity.

Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein B1, an RNA binding protein, is overexpressed from the early stage of lung cancers; it is evident even in bronchial dysplasia, a premalignant lesion. We evaluated the proteins bound with hnRNP B1 and found that hnRNP B1 interacted with DNA-dependent protein kinase (DNA-PK) complex, and recombinant hnRNP B1 protein dose-dependently inhibited DNA-PK activity in vitro. To test the effect of hnRNP B1 on DNA repair, we performed comet assay after irradiation, using normal human bronchial epithelial (HBE) cells treated with siRNA for hnRNP A2/B1: reduction of hnRNP B1 treated with siRNA for hnRNP A2/B1 induced faster DNA repair in normal HBE cells.

Detection of plasma hnRNP B1 mRNA, a new cancer biomarker, in lung cancer patients by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction.

Circulating cell-free nucleic acids are noninvasive diagnostic tools for cancer detection. Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein (hnRNP) B1, an RNA binding protein, has been found overexpressed in the early stage of lung cancer, including bronchial dysplasia, a premalignant lesion of lung squamous cell carcinoma. To determine the utility of plasma hnRNP B1 RNA and as cancer detection markers for lung cancer, we analyzed plasma hnRNP B1 mRNA of lung cancer patients by real-time RT-PCR.

Autoantibodies against heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein B1 in CSF of MS patients.

Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoproteins (hnRNPs) play an important role as the autoantigens in certain autoimmune disorders including neurological diseases such as HTLV-1-associated myelopathy/tropical spastic paraparesis and paraneoplastic neurological syndromes. To clarify their implication in multiple sclerosis (MS), we assayed antibodies (Abs) against hnRNP A and B proteins in sera and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) of MS patients and compared the results with 25 patients with other neurological diseases (ONDs). Using recombinant hnRNP A1, A2, and B1 proteins and Western blotting for the assay, we found Abs against hnRNP B1 in CSF from 32 of 35 MS patients (91.

Alteration of expression or phosphorylation status of tob, a novel tumor suppressor gene product, is an early event in lung cancer.

Tob is a member of the Tob/BTG family, a novel class of anti-proliferative proteins. To investigate the involvement of tob as a tumor suppressor gene in human lung cancer, we analyzed the expression of tob mRNA and protein in lung cancer tissue and adjacent normal lung tissue. Immunohistochemical analysis using anti-Tob antibody showed decreased expression of Tob in 72% (31/43) of lung cancer tissues.

Detection and discrimination of preneoplastic and early stages of lung adenocarcinoma using hnRNP B1 combined with the cell cycle-related markers p16, cyclin D1, and Ki-67.

Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein B1 (hnRNP B1), an RNA binding protein, is a useful marker for early detection of lung squamous cell carcinoma because it is overexpressed in the early stages of lung cancer, including bronchial dysplasia, a premalignant lesion of lung squamous cell carcinoma. In the case of adenocarcinoma, we investigated the utility of hnRNP B1 for both detection of early adenocarcinoma and discrimination of non-invasive lesion, atypical adenomatous hyperplasia (AAH) from adenocarcinoma. hnRNP B1, cyclin D1, p16, and Ki-67 were analyzed in lung adenocarcinoma tissues and divided into early and overt adenocarcinoma and AAH, using immunohistochemistry.

Lung cancer prevention with (-)-epigallocatechin gallate using monitoring by heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein B1.

Considering the problems involved in prevention of human lung cancer, growth inhibition of human lung cancer cell line A549 was studied with emphasis on two parameters: green tea polyphenols, such as (-)-epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) and (-)-epicatechin gallate (ECG); and heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein B1 (hnRNP B1), a new biomarker of human lung cancer which is highly expressed in the very early stages of human lung cancer. The inhibitory potencies of green tea polyphenols were compared with those of genistein as a control. EGCG or ECG and genistein as a control dose-dependently inhibited the growth of A549 cells, which strongly elevated hnRNP B1 protein, and increased G2/M phase cells associated with induction of apoptotic cells.