Investigation of GHSR and GHRL methylation in colorectal cancer.

Aim: To investigate GHSR and GHRL methylation in 73 pairs of colorectal cancer (CRC) tissues and healthy adjacent mucosa.

Methods: Methylation was assessed with methylation-sensitive high-resolution melting.

Results: GHSR was significantly hypermethylated in CRC tissues than in healthy mucosa (p < 1 × 10), but no significant changes of GHRL methylation were observed.

Selective use of vandetanib in the treatment of thyroid cancer.

Vandetanib is a once-daily orally available tyrosine kinase inhibitor that works by blocking RET (REarranged during Transfection), vascular endothelial growth factor receptor (VEGFR-2, VEGFR-3), and epidermal growth factor receptor and to a lesser extent VEGFR-1, which are important targets in thyroid cancer (TC). It is emerging as a potentially effective option in the treatment of advanced medullary thyroid cancer (MTC) and in dedifferentiated papillary thyroid cancer not responsive to radioiodine. The most important effect of vandetanib in aggressive MTC is a prolongation of progression-free survival and a stabilization of the disease.

Sorafenib in the treatment of thyroid cancer.

Sorafenib has been evaluated in several Phase II and III studies in patients with locally advanced/metastatic radioactive iodine-refractory differentiated thyroid carcinomas (DTCs), reporting partial responses, stabilization of the disease and improvement of progression-free survival. Best responses were observed in lung metastases and minimal responses in bone lesions. On the basis of these studies, sorafenib was approved for the treatment of metastatic DTC in November 2013.

Application of artificial neural networks to link genetic and environmental factors to DNA methylation in colorectal cancer.

Aims: We applied artificial neural networks (ANNs) to understand the connections among polymorphisms of genes involved in folate metabolism, clinico-pathological features and promoter methylation levels of MLH1, APC, CDKN2A(INK4A), MGMT and RASSF1A in 83 sporadic colorectal cancer (CRC) tissues, and to link dietary and lifestyle factors with gene promoter methylation.

Materials & Methods: Promoter methylation was assessed by means of methylation-sensitive high-resolution melting and genotyping by PCR-RFLP technique. Data were analyzed with the Auto Contractive Map, a special kind of ANN able to define the strength of the association of each variable with all the others and to visually show the map of the main connections.

Dendritic cell defects in the colorectal cancer.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) results from the accumulation of both genetic and epigenetic alterations of the genome. However, also the formation of an inflammatory milieu plays a pivotal role in tumor development and progression. Dendritic cells (DCs) play a relevant role in tumor by exerting differential pro-tumorigenic and anti-tumorigenic functions, depending on the local milieu.

Genetic and epigenetic biomarkers for diagnosis, prognosis and treatment of colorectal cancer.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common cancer worldwide and results from the accumulation of mutations and epimutations in colonic mucosa cells ultimately leading to cell proliferation and metastasis. Unfortunately, CRC prognosis is still poor and the search of novel diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers is highly desired to prevent CRC-related deaths. The present article aims to summarize the most recent findings concerning the use of either genetic or epigenetic (mainly related to DNA methylation) biomarkers for CRC diagnosis, prognosis, and response to treatment.

Sentinel node radioguided biopsy in surgical management of the medullary thyroid carcinoma A case report.

Introduction: Medullary thyroid cancer is a rare carcinoma. Surgery is the only curative treatment and since cervical lymphnodes metastases are frequent and can occur at an early stage, a standardized central lymphnode dissection is associated to total thyroidectomy. However, the extent of lymphadenectomy to the lateral neck lynphnodes remains debated.

Gene promoter methylation in colorectal cancer and healthy adjacent mucosa specimens: correlation with physiological and pathological characteristics, and with biomarkers of one-carbon metabolism.

We evaluated the promoter methylation levels of the APC, MGMT, hMLH1, RASSF1A and CDKN2A genes in 107 colorectal cancer (CRC) samples and 80 healthy adjacent tissues. We searched for correlation with both physical and pathological features, polymorphisms of folate metabolism pathway genes (MTHFR, MTRR, MTR, RFC1, TYMS, and DNMT3B), and data on circulating folate, vitamin B12 and homocysteine, which were available in a subgroup of the CRC patients. An increased number of methylated samples were found in CRC respect to adjacent healthy tissues, with the exception of APC, which was also frequently methylated in healthy colonic mucosa.

Efficacy and feasibility of the epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM) immunomagnetic cell sorter for studies of DNA methylation in colorectal cancer.

The aim of this work was to assess the impact on measurements of methylation of a panel of four cancer gene promoters of purifying tumor cells from colorectal tissue samples using the epithelial cell adhesion molecule (EpCAM)-immunomagnetic cell enrichment approach. We observed that, on average, methylation levels were higher in enriched cell fractions than in the whole tissue, but the difference was significant only for one out of four studied genes. In addition, there were strong correlations between methylation values for individual samples of whole tissue and the corresponding enriched cell fractions.

Defective generation and maturation of dendritic cells from monocytes in colorectal cancer patients during the course of disease.

Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the second-leading cause of cancer-related deaths in Western countries. Today, the role of the host's immune system in controlling the progression and spread of solid tumors is broadly established. Tumor immunosurveillance escape mechanisms, such as those involving dendritic cells (DCs), the most important antigen-presenting cells, are likewise recognized processes involved in cancer.

Quantification of blood dendritic cells in colorectal cancer patients during the course of disease.

Colorectal cancer is a malignancy with poor prognosis that might be associated with defective immune function. The aim of the present study was to investigate circulating dendritic cells in colorectal cancer patients, in order to contribute to elucidate tumor-escape mechanisms and to point out a possible correlation with the clinical condition of the disease. Therefore, we enumerated ex vivo myeloid and plasmacytoid dendritic cells, through multicolor flow cytometry, in 26 colorectal patients and 33 healthy controls.

Comparison study of MS-HRM and pyrosequencing techniques for quantification of APC and CDKN2A gene methylation.

There is increasing interest in the development of cost-effective techniques for the quantification of DNA methylation biomarkers. We analyzed 90 samples of surgically resected colorectal cancer tissues for APC and CDKN2A promoter methylation using methylation sensitive-high resolution melting (MS-HRM) and pyrosequencing. MS-HRM is a less expensive technique compared with pyrosequencing but is usually more limited because it gives a range of methylation estimates rather than a single value.

Radioguided localization of occult colonic lesions during open or laparoscopic surgery: an update.

The applications of radioguided surgery, an approach to oncologic surgery involving a multidisciplinary team, are expanding at a rapid pace. The technique of radioguided occult lesion localization (ROLL) was originally introduced in the mid- 90s for applications in breast surgery, and later adapted also to other tumor lesions such as solitary pulmonary nodules (during either open or laparoscopic surgery) and colonic lesions. Concerning the latter, in particular, the technique called radioguided occult colonic lesion identification (ROCLI) consists of identifying, with the aid of intraoperative gammaprobe counts, small lesions that may escape colic intraoperative palpation, after prior tagging of the lesions performed endoscopically through peri- or intra-lesional injection of Technetium-99m-labeled human albumin macroaggregates (99mTc- MAA), a particulate radiopharmaceutical (25-100 μm) that does not migrate from the site of interstitial administration.

Colorectal carcinoma and folate.

More than a million people a year worldwide develops colorectal cancer (CRC), with a mortality rate close to 33%. Most of the CRC cases are sporadic, only 25% of the patients have a family history of the disease, and major genes causing syndromes predisposing to CRC only account for 5-6% of the total cases. The following subtypes can be recognized: MIN (microsatellite instability), CIN (chromosomal instability), and CIMP (CpG island methylator phenotype).

Genetics, cytogenetics, and epigenetics of colorectal cancer.

Most of the colorectal cancer (CRC) cases are sporadic, only 25% of the patients have a family history of the disease, and major genes causing syndromes predisposing to CRC only account for 5-6% of the total cases. The following subtypes can be recognized: MIN (microsatellite instability), CIN (chromosomal instability), and CIMP (CpG island methylator phenotype). CIN occurs in 80-85% of CRC.

[Colorectal cancer: tissutal explantation and primary cell culture].

Background: Setting of cellular cultures extracted from colorectal cancer tissue represents a valid model for in vitro study of biological and molecular characteristics of each single tumor finalized to obtain a tailored chemiotherapy. The end point of this study is to create primary cellular cultures from "fresh" cancer tissue in different stages of evolution.

Methods: Cancer tissue samples are obtained by means of surgical excisional biopsy or by means of semi-automatic biopsy instrument (Sprig-Cut).

The challenge of culturing human colorectal tumor cells: establishment of a cell culture model by the comparison of different methodological approaches.

Background: Because colorectal cancer is a significant cause of morbidity and mortality in the Western population, knowledge of the molecular and biological alterations associated with its development is important. Since primary human colon cancer cultures from fresh tumor tissue are technically difficult to obtain, experiments in most laboratories are performed on colon epithelial cell lines, but these represent just one stage of tumor progression. Only primary cultures of neoplastic colonocytes may reflect the actual responsiveness of tumors at certain developmental stages to antitumor agents.

Duodenal Crohn's disease.

The Authors report on an uncommon case of duodenal Crohn's disease in an adult man. The patient was admitted for a history of epigastric pain, recurrent vomiting, weight loss and low grade fever. He was evaluated with esophagogastroduodenoscopy and with radiological double-contrast technique.

Use of virtual reality simulator in the training of postgraduated surgical residents.

Aim Of The Study: The purpose of this research project, granted by the Italian University and Scientific Research Ministry (MIUR) and carried on among four Surgical Departments in Padua, Verona, Pisa and Rome-Tor Vergata Universities, is to study the effectiveness of a virtual reality simulator as a tool for surgical residents training and as a method for measuring the surgical skills.

Materials And Methods: The residents performances on the computer were compared with those obtained by other training groups: medical students with no surgical background, senior surgeons with experience in the laparoscopy field and non medical students with referred ability in videogames. The residents were also sent to a well certified live animal laboratory where they could perform a cholecystectomy in a pig.