Successful Treatment of Plaque Psoriasis with Allogeneic Gingival Mesenchymal Stem Cells: A Case Study.

Plaque psoriasis is the most common type of psoriasis that manifests as red scaly patches with white scales affecting body areas including scalp, elbows, knees, trunk, and buttocks. Although many treatment options are available including novel biologics, no cure is available. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) have been safely used to treat a variety of human diseases.

Efficacy and toxicity of pegylated liposomal doxorubicin-based chemotherapy in early-stage breast cancer: a multicenter retrospective case-control study.

Aim: PEGylated liposomal doxorubicin (PLD) has comparable efficacy and differing toxicity from conventional anthracyclines used to treat advanced breast cancer. This study compared disease-free survival and toxicity between PLD-based and conventional anthracycline-based regimens as adjuvant treatments for early-stage breast cancer.

Methods: We analyzed disease-free survival (DFS) rates, and adverse events in 102 women with early-stage (I-IIIa) breast cancer who received adjuvant PLD-based chemotherapy from 2002 to 2008.

Breast cancer quality of care in Taiwan in relation to hospital volume: a population-based cohort study.

Aim: To evaluate, compare and improve quality of care for patients with breast cancer at the institution and population level requires a standard set of core measures. We performed a population-based cohort study to examine the association between hospital volume and breast cancer core measures compliance in Taiwan.

Methods: Data were obtained from the Health Promotion Administration, Ministry of Health and Welfare, Taiwan.

Overexpression of autophagy-related 16-like 1 in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Dyregulation of autophagy has been reported in various human cancers including oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). The objective of this study was to link expression of autophagy-related 16-like 1 (ATG16L1), a protein essential for autophagosome formation, to clinical outcome in a cohort of 90 OSCC patients. Expression level of ATG16L1 was assessed by immunohistochemistry and an immunoreactivity score (IRS), ranging from 0 to 9, was assigned to each case.

Immunopositivity of Beclin-1 and ATG5 as indicators of survival and disease recurrence in oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Aim: To evaluate the expression and prognostic value of two autophagy-related (Atg) proteins, Beclin-1 and Atg5, in human oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) and to correlate findings with clinical outcomes.

Patients And Methods: Immunohistochemistry for Beclin-1 and Atg5 was assessed in tumor specimens from 90 patients with OSCC. Immunopositivity was semi-quantitatively scored and receiver-operating characteristic curve analysis was used to determine the cut-off positivity score.

High chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan 4 expression correlates with poor outcome in patients with breast cancer.

Chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan 4 (CSPG4), a transmembrane proteoglycan originally identified in melanoma cells, has been reported to be expressed in breast cancer cells. This study was performed to examine the expression and significance of CSPG4 in a cohort of breast cancer patients. Immunohistochemical analysis of CSPG4 was performed on tissue microarrays constructed from tissue specimens from 240 breast cancer patients.

ATG9A overexpression is associated with disease recurrence and poor survival in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma.

ATG9A is an integral membrane protein required for autophagosome formation and a membrane carrier in the autophagy pathways. The present study was designed to investigate the expression of ATG9A in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Clinically annotated tumor specimens from 90 patients with OSCC were subjected to immunohistochemistry using an antibody against ATG9A and immunoreactivity was scored using an immunoreactivity score (IRS).

High LC3 expression correlates with poor survival in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) is a destructive disease with very poor prognosis and no effective treatment. Autophagy is a dynamic cellular process involved in various physiological processes and diseases including cancer that degrades cytoplasmic proteins and organelles. The role of autophagy in the pathogenesis of OSCC is not yet understood.

Methylation of BRCA1 promoter region is associated with unfavorable prognosis in women with early-stage breast cancer.

BRCA1-associated breast cancers are associated with particular features such as early onset, poor histological differentiation, and hormone receptor negativity. Previous studies conducted in Taiwanese population showed that the mutation of BRCA1 gene does not play a significant role in the occurrence of breast cancer. The present study explored methylation of BRCA1 promoter and its relationship to clinical features and outcome in Taiwanese breast cancer patients.

High nuclear protein kinase CβII expression is a marker of disease recurrence in oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Background: Protein kinase C beta II (PKCβII) is a member of the family of serine/threonine kinases which are involved in tumor formation and progression. This study investigated the significance of PKCβII in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC).

Patients And Methods: The expression of PKCβII was determined in tumors from 59 patients with OSCC using immunohistochemistry and was correlated with patients' clinical characteristics and outcomes.

Expression of Eps8 correlates with poor survival in oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Aims: Epidermal growth factor receptor pathway substrate 8 (Eps8) is a signaling protein implicated in the development of many human cancers including oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). This study examined the expression of Eps8 and assessed its significance in patients with OSCC.

Methods: Immunohistochemical staining for Eps8 was conducted in 205 cases of OSCC collected over 7 years.

Overexpression of α-enolase correlates with poor survival in canine mammary carcinoma.

Background: α-Enolase (ENO1) is a key glycolytic enzyme implicated in the development of many human cancers including breast cancer. Increased expression of ENO1 has recently been reported in estrogen (ER)-positive human breast cancer patients. The present study examined the expression of ENO1 and assessed its significance in canine mammary carcinoma.

Elevated Krüppel-like factor 4 transcription factor in canine mammary carcinoma.

Background: Krüppel-like factors (KLFs) are critical regulators of biological and physiological systems and have been extensively studied for their roles in cell proliferation, differentiation and survival in the context of cancer. Among the KLFs, KLF4 is highly expressed in human breast cancers and plays an oncogenic role. The present study examined the expression of KLF4 and assessed its significance in canine mammary carcinoma.

High nuclear protein kinase Cθ expression may correlate with disease recurrence and poor survival in oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Protein kinase Cs play important roles in many biological processes and tumorigenesis. This study examined the expression of protein kinase Cθ and assessed its significance in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma. Immunohistochemical staining was carried out to investigate the expression of protein kinase Cθ in 59 cases of oral squamous cell carcinoma.

Efficacy and safety of tramadol/acetaminophen in the treatment of breakthrough pain in cancer patients.

Objective: We evaluated the analgesic efficacy and safety of tramadol 37.5 mg/acetaminophen 325 mg combination tablet, for the treatment of breakthrough pain in cancer patients.

Methods: This study was conducted at Changhua Christian Hospital, Changhua, Taiwan from January 2006 to February 2007.

Epigenetic alteration of the SOCS1 gene in hepatocellular carcinoma.

Principles: It has been postulated that the induced suppressor of cytokine signalling (SOCS) protein inhibits the signalling pathway through the association with a variety of tyrosine kinase proteins, and decelerates or inhibits the progression of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The purpose of this study was to investigate the expression of SOCS1 gene in HCC and explore the potential molecular mechanisms.

Methods: We investigated CpG island methylation status at the promoter region and the expression of the SOCS1 gene in 46 HCC tumour and paired non-tumour samples.

Rapid detection of epidermal growth factor receptor mutations with multiplex PCR and primer extension in lung cancer.

Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) kinase domain mutations hyperactivate the kinase and confer kinase addiction of the non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tumor cells. Almost all of these mutations are located within exons 18-21. The -216 single nucleotide polymorphism in the promoter region is associated with increased EGFR production.

Analysing the expression of protein kinase C eta in human hepatocellular carcinoma.

Aims: Protein kinase Cs (PKCs) play important roles in cell proliferation, differentiation, apoptosis, migration and tumorigenesis. In this report, we investigated the expression of PKCeta in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissues and explored its role in the development of HCC.

Methods: We used real-time quantitative RT-PCR, mutation analysis, and immunohistochemical staining to analyse the expression of PKCeta in 50 pairs of human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissues.

Expression of protein kinase C family in human hepatocellular carcinoma.

Protein kinase Cs (PKCs) play important roles in signal transduction, cell regulation, and tumor formation. In the present study, we analyzed the expression of PKCs in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) tissues and explored their roles in the development of HCC. Real-time quantitative PCR and immunohistochemistry showed that PKCbeta and PKCtheta were down-regulated in HCC tissues.

Fast simultaneous detection of K-RAS mutations in colorectal cancer.

Background: RAS genes acquire the most common somatic gain-of-function mutations in human cancer, and almost all of these mutations are located at codons 12, 13, 61, and 146.

Methods: We present a method for detecting these K-RAS hotspot mutations in 228 cases of colorectal cancer. The protocol is based on the multiplex amplification of exons 2, 3 and 4 in a single tube, followed by primer extension of the PCR products using various sizes of primers to detect base changes at codons 12, 13, 61 and 146.

Disturbance of circadian gene expression in breast cancer.

To explore the mechanism of the disruption of circadian rhythm in breast cancer, we examined the expression of nine circadian genes in 53 newly diagnosed breast cancers by immunohistochemical staining, mutational analysis, and methylation analysis of the promoter of circadian genes. Our results showed that 37 of the 53 breast cancer tissues had hypermethylation on the promoters of PER1, PER2, CRY1, or BMAL1. Twenty-five out of 53 paired noncancerous (normal) tissues had methylation on the promoter of PER1 or CRY1.

Expression of CD80 and CD86 costimulatory molecules are potential markers for better survival in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Background: B7 Costimulatory signal is essential to trigger T-cell activation upon the recognition of tumor antigens. This study examined the expression of B7-1 (CD80) and B7-2 (CD86) costimulatory molecules along with HLA-DR and the presence of infiltrating lymphocytes and dendritic cells to assess their significance in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

Methods: Expression of CD80, CD86, HLA-DR, S-100 protein and the presence of infiltrating lymphocytes and follicular dendritic reticulum cells were immunohistochemically examined on the paraffin-embedded tissue blocks from newly diagnosed NPC patients (n = 50).

Corticosteroid administration depresses circulating dendritic cells in ITP patients.

Idiopathic or immune thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) is an autoimmune disorder characterized by low platelet count resulting from antibody-mediated destruction of platelets. The production of these IgG anti-platelet autoantibodies is critically governed by T-lymphocytes which can be activated by antigen-presenting cells (APC) such as dendritic cells. We hypothesized that one of the mechanisms by which corticosteroid administration can suppress the immune system is to depress the number of circulating dendritic cells production in ITP patients.

Expression of c-kit protooncogene in human hepatocellular carcinoma.

The expression of the c-kit protooncogene in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) was investigated. Immunohistochemical staining (IHC) and RT-PCR were employed to examine the protein and mRNA expression of c-kit protooncogene, respectively. IHC results demonstrated that 22 of 86 (25.