Prognostic significance of specific anti-WT1 IgG antibody level in plasma in patients with ovarian carcinoma.

Ovarian carcinoma (OC) has a poor prognosis and lack early effective screening markers. Wilm's tumor gene 1 (WT1) is overexpressed in OCs. Therefore, it is of great interest to investigate whether WT1-specific antibody (Ab) measurements in plasma can serve as a biomarker of anti-OC response, and is of importance in relation to patient prognosis.

Circulating prolactin levels and risk of epithelial ovarian cancer.

Purpose: Indirect evidence from experimental and epidemiological studies suggests that prolactin may be involved in ovarian cancer development. However, the relationship between circulating prolactin levels and risk of ovarian cancer is unknown.

Methods: We conducted a nested case-control study of 230 cases and 432 individually matched controls within three prospective cohorts to evaluate whether pre-diagnostic circulating prolactin is associated with subsequent risk of ovarian cancer.

Selected polymorphisms in sex hormone-related genes, circulating sex hormones and risk of endometrial cancer.

Background: The role of estrogen and progesterone in the development of endometrial cancer is well documented. Few studies have examined the association of genetic variants in sex hormone-related genes with endometrial cancer risk.

Methods: We conducted a case-control study nested within three cohorts to examine the association of endometrial cancer risk with polymorphisms in hormone-related genes among 391 cases (92% postmenopausal at diagnosis) and 712 individually-matched controls.

Multiple miscarriages are associated with the risk of ovarian cancer: results from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition.

While the risk of ovarian cancer clearly reduces with each full-term pregnancy, the effect of incomplete pregnancies is unclear. We investigated whether incomplete pregnancies (miscarriages and induced abortions) are associated with risk of epithelial ovarian cancer. This observational study was carried out in female participants of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC).

Coffee and tea consumption and the risk of ovarian cancer: a prospective cohort study and updated meta-analysis.

Background: In 2007 the World Cancer Research Fund Report concluded that there was limited and inconsistent evidence for an effect of coffee and tea consumption on the risk of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC).

Objective: In the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC), we aimed to investigate whether coffee intakes, tea intakes, or both are associated with the risk of EOC.

Design: All women participating in the EPIC (n = 330,849) were included in this study.

Factors associated with inflammation markers, a cross-sectional analysis.

Epidemiological studies have reported associations between circulating inflammation markers and risk of chronic diseases. It is of interest to examine whether risk factors for these diseases are associated with inflammation. We conducted a cross-sectional analysis to evaluate whether reproductive and lifestyle factors and circulating vitamin D were associated with inflammation markers, including C-reactive protein, cytokines (IL-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12p40, IL-12p70, IL-13, TNFα), and cytokine modulators (IL-1RA, sIL-1RII, sIL-2Ra, sIL-4R, sIL-6R, sTNF-R1/R2), among 616 healthy women.

Chlamydia trachomatis and Mycoplasma genitalium plasma antibodies in relation to epithelial ovarian tumors.

Objective: To assess associations of Chlamydia trachomatis and Mycoplasma genitalium antibodies with epithelial ovarian tumors.

Methods: Plasma samples from 291 women, undergoing surgery due to suspected ovarian pathology, were analyzed with respect to C. trachomatis IgG and IgA, chlamydial Heat Shock Protein 60-1 (cHSP60-1) IgG and M.

Circulating inflammation markers and risk of epithelial ovarian cancer.

Background: Factors contributing to chronic inflammation appear to be associated with increased risk of ovarian cancer. The purpose of this study was to assess the association between circulating levels of inflammation mediators and subsequent risk of ovarian cancer.

Methods: We conducted a case-control study of 230 cases and 432 individually matched controls nested within three prospective cohorts to evaluate the association of prediagnostic circulating levels of inflammation-related biomarkers (IL-1β, IL-2, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, IL-10, IL-12p40, IL-12p70, IL-13, TNFα, IL-1Ra, sIL-1RII, sIL-2Ra, sIL-4R, sIL-6R, sTNF-R1, and sTNF-R2) measured using Luminex xMap technology with risk of ovarian cancer.

Temporal reliability of cytokines and growth factors in EDTA plasma.

Background: Cytokines are involved in the development of chronic diseases, including cancer. It is important to evaluate the temporal reproducibility of cytokines in plasma prior to conducting epidemiologic studies utilizing these markers.

Findings: We assessed the temporal reliability of CRP, 22 cytokines and their soluble receptors (IL-1α, IL-1β, IL-1RA, IL-2, sIL-2R, IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, sIL-6R, IL-7, IL-8, IL-10, IL-12p40, IL-12p70, IL-13, IL-15, IL-17, TNFα, sTNF-R1, sTNF-R2, IFNα, IFNγ) and eight growth factors (GM-CSF, EGF, bFGF, G-CSF, HGF, VEGF, EGFR, ErbB2) in repeated EDTA plasma samples collected an average of two years apart from 18 healthy women (age range: 42-62) enrolled in a prospective cohort study.

Nuclear androgen receptors recur in the epithelial and stromal compartments of malignant and non-malignant human prostate tissue several months after castration therapy.

Background: As changed paracrine support from androgen receptor (AR)-positive cells in the prostate stroma contribute to castration-induced glandular involution, we examined if the subsequent relapse to androgen-independent epithelial cell growth could be related to reactivation of AR signaling in the stroma.

Materials And Methods: Human prostate tissue taken before, within 14 days, and at suspected local tumor relapse after surgical castration therapy was immunostained for AR.

Results: Castration initially decreased nuclear AR staining in epithelial and stroma cells, in both tumor and non-malignant tissue, but after some months, it reappeared.

Castration-induced epithelial cell death in human prostate tissue is related to locally reduced IGF-1 levels.

Background: Castration rapidly reduces stroma insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-1 synthesis and action in mouse prostate epithelium. We explore if similar changes are of importance for castration-induced prostate regression in humans.

Methods: Epithelial and surrounding stroma cells were micro-dissected from patient biopsies obtained before and shortly after castration.

Castration rapidly decreases local insulin-like growth factor-1 levels and inhibits its effects in the ventral prostate in mice.

Background: The mechanisms by which castration induces prostate involution are largely unknown.

Methods: Early responses to castration in mouse ventral prostate (VP) were explored by quantitative microscopy, cDNA array expression, quantitative RT-PCR, and Western blot analysis. As several changes occurred in the insulin-like growth factor (IGF) system this was studied in more detail.

The magnitude of early castration-induced primary tumour regression in prostate cancer does not predict clinical outcome.

Introduction: This study was designed to test whether early castration-induced short-term cellular changes in primary prostate tumours could predict clinical outcome in advanced disease.

Patients And Methods: Biopsies from 83 patients obtained before and within two weeks after surgical castration were investigated. Tumour epithelial cell apoptosis, proliferation, and prostate specific antigen (PSA) levels were quantified using immunohistochemistry, laser capture micro-dissection, and real time RT-PCR.

Cell proliferation and apoptosis in prostate tumors and adjacent non-malignant prostate tissue in patients at different time-points after castration treatment.

Background: Androgen ablation is the standard treatment for advanced prostate cancer but the short-term cellular effects are largely unknown.

Methods: Sextant prostate biopsies were taken from 77 prostate cancer patients before and 1-10 days after castration treatment. Apoptosis, cell proliferation, and morphology were studied in malignant and non-malignant tissue, using stereological and immunohistochemical methods.