Survival analysis of local excision vs total mesorectal excision for middle and low rectal cancer in pT1/pT2 stage and intermediate pathological risk.

Background: Local excision (LE) is a feasible treatment approach for rectal cancers in stage pT1 and presents low pathological risk, whereas total mesorectal excision (TME) is a reasonable treatment for more advanced cancers. On the basis of the pathology findings, surgeons may suggest TME for patients receiving LE. This study compared the survival outcomes between LE with/without chemoradiation and TME in mid and low rectal cancer patients in stage pT1/pT2, with highly selective intermediate pathological risk.

Primary tumor location in stage III colon cancer has prognostic impact on subsequent liver metastasis.

Background And Objectives: We aim to investigate whether a difference exists between right-sided and left-sided colon cancer at the same disease stage and subsequent liver metastasis and identify whether tumor location can independently influence survival.

Methods: Right-sided colon cancer was defined as malignancy arising from the cecum to the transverse colon; left-sided colon cancer was defined as malignancy arising from the splenic flexure to the sigmoid colon. Clinicopathological features and survival data were collected for analysis.

Various clinicopathological features of patients with metachronous colorectal cancer in relation to different diagnostic intervals.

Backgrounds: Clinicopathologic factors relating to developing metachronous colorectal cancer (CRC) have been reported. However, the effects of different diagnostic intervals on these risk factors required further analysis.

Patients And Methods: This retrospective study comprised 14,481 patients diagnosed from January 1995 to December 2012.

The kinetic expression of lipopolysaccharide-binding protein and CD14 gene in obstructive jaundice.

Background: Binding lipopolysaccharide (LPS) with high-affinity, lipopolysaccharide-binding protein (LBP) and CD14 lower the threshold stimulatory concentrations of LPS dramatically and enhance the rate of cytokine production markedly. This study aimed to investigate the kinetic expression of LBP/CD14 and its possible relationship with tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-α) to better understand the pathophysiology of obstructive jaundice.

Materials And Methods: The tissues (liver, spleen, intestine, and lung) of male Sprague-Dawley rats were harvested at pre-bile duct ligation in controls and at specific time points (24, 48, 72, 96, and 120 hr) after bile duct ligation.

An evaluation of fatty acid-CoA ligase 4 in breast cancer.

Background: Fatty acid-CoA ligase 4 (FACL4) has been detected in various types of tumors. However, there is still very limited information about the role of FACL4 in breast cancer. Tissue microarray (TMA) technique analyzes thousands of specimens in a parallel fashion with minimal damage to the original blocks.

Overexpression of Lgr5 correlates with resistance to 5-FU-based chemotherapy in colorectal cancer.

Background: The leucine-rich repeat-containing G protein-coupled receptor 5 (Lgr5) is an adult intestinal stem cell marker frequently detected in human colorectal cancers (CRCs). However, the value of Lgr5 level in CRC prognosis and treatment prediction has not been well characterized.

Methods: We examined Lgr5 expression in 384 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded CRC specimens from 296 CRC patients, including 64 patients treated with 5-fluorouracil (5-FU)-based chemotherapy.

An evaluation of focal adhesion kinase in breast cancer by tissue microarrays.

Background: Many studies have shown that focal adhesion kinase (FAK) is a positive regulator of tumor progression and invasion. However, there is still very limited information about the role of FAK in breast cancer. Tissue microarrays (TMA) can analyze thousands of tissue samples in a parallel fashion with minimal damage to the origin block.

Yes-associated protein is not an independent prognostic marker in breast cancer.

Background: The development of tissue microarray (TMA) technology has provided the opportunity to perform analyses of tissue samples on a large scale in an uniform fashion. This study was designed with the use of TMA to explore the Yes-associated protein (YAP) status in breast cancer.

Patients And Methods: YAP expression in tumor and tumor-free samples from 94 patients with primary breast cancer was analyzed by TMA.

Identification of secretory gelsolin as a plasma biomarker associated with distant organ metastasis of colorectal cancer.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide. More than half of all CRC patients will develop metastases, which represents the major cause of death for CRC patients. CRC metastases confined in other organs are potentially resectable, and patients who receive curative resections appear to have better outcomes.

An evaluation of prognostic value of death-associated protein kinase 1 in breast cancer.

Background: The benefit of tissue microarray (TMA) is its capability to analyse large numbers of tissue samples in a uniform fashion. This study was designed to evaluate the capability of TMA for analyzing the status of death-associated protein kinase 1 (DAPK1) in breast cancer patient and to explore its potential in the management of breast cancer.

Patients And Methods: Over a 60-month period, tissue specimens of 99 patients with primary invasive breast cancer were selected.

Cortactin in breast cancer: analysis with tissue microarray.

Background: Tissue microarray (TMA) allows the rapid immunohistochemical analysis of thousands of tissue samples in a parallel fashion. This study was designed to analyze the cortactin status in breast cancer using TMA and to investigate the relationship of cortactin status to breast cancer biology.

Patients And Methods: Archival tissue specimens from 99 patients with primary invasive breast cancer were selected.

Cellular changes in hepatocytes and intestinal endothelium after hepatoduodenal ligament occlusion and protective effects of caspase inhibition.

Introduction: Hepatic vascular control is used by many surgeons to prevent massive hemorrhage during hepatectomy. However, this may carry a risk of ischemic damage to the hepatocytes. Another major drawback of intraoperative occlusion of the hepatoduodenal ligament is portal stasis with resultant intestinal congestion which may cause adverse effects on the intestinal functions.

Lack of prognostic value of topoisomerase II alpha in patients with breast cancer: analysis with tissue microarray.

Background: The creation of a tissue microarray (TMA) allows for the rapid immunohistochemical analysis of thousands of tissue samples in a parallel fashion. This study applied TMA in order to analyse the topoisomerase II alpha status in breast cancer and to elucidate its relationship in breast cancer biology.

Patients And Methods: Archived tissue specimens from 94 patients with primary invasive breast cancer were selected and the topoisomerase II alpha expression was analysed by TMA.

Antithrombin-III attenuates hepatocyte apoptosis in bile duct ligated rat: a striking cellular change.

Background And Purpose: Retention and accumulation of toxic hydrophobic bile salts within hepatocyte may cause hepatocyte toxicity by inducing apoptosis. This study was designed with the purpose of evaluating the possible effect of antithrombin-III on hepatocyte apoptosis in bile duct ligated rat.

Materials And Methods: The rats were randomized to 3 groups: group 1 (control, C) underwent sham operation; group 2 (obstructive jaundice, OB) underwent common bile duct ligation; and group 3 (obstructive jaundice with antithrombin-III, OBAT-III) underwent common bile duct ligation and simultaneously were treated with antithrombin-III.

Analysis of the effect of serum interleukin-6 (IL-6) and soluble IL-6 receptor levels on survival of patients with colorectal cancer.

Objective: The correlations of serum interleukin-6 and soluble interleukin-6 receptor concentrations with clinicopathological features and survival of patients with colorectal cancer were studied.

Methods: We measured the serum levels of interleukin-6 and soluble interleukin-6 receptor in 99 colorectal cancer patients at the Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Taiwan. The interleukin-6 and soluble interleukin-6 receptor levels were tested for their association with each other, and with the clinical parameters and outcomes.

The -174 G/C polymorphism in interleukin-6 (IL-6) promoter region is associated with serum IL-6 and carcinoembryonic antigen levels in patients with colorectal cancers in Taiwan.

Introduction: We investigated the associations between -174 G/C polymorphism of interleukin-6 (IL-6) gene promoter and serum IL-6 and carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels in Taiwanese patients with colorectal cancer (CRC).

Results And Discussion: The frequency of the G allele was only 0.043, which is significantly lower compared to Western analogs.

Insulin-like growth factor-binding protein-3 in breast cancer: analysis with tissue microarray.

Background: IGFBP-3 has been reported to be growth-stimulatory. The creation of tissue microarray (TMA) allows for the rapid immunohistochemical analysis of thousands of tissue samples in a parallel fashion. This study was designed with the application of TMA to analyze the IGFBP-3 status in breast cancer with the hope to elucidate the possible relationship between IGFBP-3 expression and breast cancer biology.

Interleukin-6 (IL-6) released by macrophages induces IL-6 secretion in the human colon cancer HT-29 cell line.

The level of interleukin-6 (IL-6) is correlated with prognosis and liver metastasis in colon cancer. However, the relationship between macrophage-derived and tumor-derived IL-6 in colon cancer remains unclear. We harvested the macrophage supernatant and studied the IL-6-inducing ability of the macrophage supernatant on the colon cancer cell line HT-29.

Macrophage-derived interleukin-6 up-regulates MUC1, but down-regulates MUC2 expression in the human colon cancer HT-29 cell line.

Little is known regarding the effects of IL-6 released by tumor-infiltrating macrophages on the mucin expression of colon cancer cells. We isolated macrophages from healthy donors and harvested the supernatant after 48-h cultures. Using flow cytometry and intracellular staining methods, we found that macrophage supernatant effectively induced MUC1 up-regulation and MUC2 down-regulation of colon cancer cells in vitro.

Overexpression and elevated plasma level of tumor-associated antigen 90K/Mac-2 binding protein in colorectal carcinoma.

The cancer cell secretome may contain potentially useful biomarkers. Previously, we have analyzed the colorectal carcinoma (CRC) cell secretome. In this study, tumor-associated antigen 90K (TAA90K)/Mac-2 binding protein (Mac-2BP), one of the CRC cell secreted proteins, was chosen for evaluation as a potential CRC biomarker because its mRNA level was also found to be significantly elevated in CRC tissues and in a more metastatic CRC cell line from the analysis of two public domain array-based datasets.

Prognostic value of signal transducers and activators of transcription 3 in breast cancer.

Introduction: Constitutively activated signal transducers and activators of transcription (STAT) proteins are found in various types of tumors. However, there is still very limited information about the role of STATs in breast cancer. The power of tissue microarray technique is the capability of doing a series of analyses of thousands specimens in a parallel fashion with minimal damage to the origin blocks.

Lack of prognostic value of insulin-like growth factor-1 in patients with breast cancer: analysis with tissue microarray.

Background: Recent reports on the risk of prostate, breast, colorectal and lung cancer suggested that high circulating insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) concentrations are associated with an increased risk of cancer. The power of the tissue microarray (TMA) technique is the ability to perform a series of analyses of thousands of specimens in a parallel fashion with minimal damage to the original blocks.

Materials And Methods: Archival tissue specimens from 106 patients with primary invasive breast cancer were selected and IGF-1 expression was analyzed by immunohistochemical staining of tissue microarrays.

Signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 in breast cancer: analysis with tissue microarray.

Background: Constitutively activated signal transducer and activator of transcription (STAT) proteins are found in various types of tumors. However, there is still very limited information about the role of STATs in breast cancer. The power of the tissue microarray analysis (TMA) technique is the capability of performing a series of analyses of thousands of specimens in a parallel fashion with minimal damage to the original blocks.