Prognostic value of HMGA2, P16, and HPV in oral squamous cell carcinomas.

Purpose: Molecular markers are only occasionally used in diagnostics of oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC), even though they could influence decision making in individually designed cancer therapies. We analyzed the predictive value of the markers HPV, p16, and HMGA2 and the TNM classification in regard to survival and recurrence rates.

Material And Methods: A total of 91 OSCC cases were included in this study, with a follow up of up to 131 months.

Can EGFR mutation status be reliably determined in pre-operative needle biopsies from adenocarcinomas of the lung?

The identification of EGFR mutations in non-small-cell lung cancer is important for selecting patients, who may benefit from treatment with EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors. The analysis is usually performed on cytological aspirates and/or histological needle biopsies, representing a small fraction of the tumour volume. The aim of the present investigation was to evaluate the diagnostic performance of this molecular test.

Decrease in thyroid adenoma associated (THADA) expression is a marker of dedifferentiation of thyroid tissue.

Background: Thyroid adenoma associated (THADA) has been identified as the target gene affected by chromosome 2p21 translocations in thyroid adenomas, but the role of THADA in the thyroid is still elusive. The aim of this study was to quantify THADA gene expression in normal tissues and in thyroid hyper- and neoplasias, using real-time PCR.

Methods: For the analysis THADA and 18S rRNA gene expression assays were performed on 34 normal tissue samples, including thyroid, salivary gland, heart, endometrium, myometrium, lung, blood, and adipose tissue as well as on 85 thyroid hyper- and neoplasias, including three adenomas with a 2p21 translocation.

Upregulation of HMGA2 in thyroid carcinomas: a novel molecular marker to distinguish between benign and malignant follicular neoplasias.

The identification of molecular markers allowing to differentiate between benign and malignant thyroid tumors remains a diagnostic challenge. Herein, we have used the expression of the high mobility group protein gene HMGA2 and its protein, respectively, as a possible marker detecting malignant growth of thyroid tumors. HMGA2 belongs to the high mobility group proteins, i.

HMGA2 expression in a canine model of prostate cancer.

Prostate cancer is the most prevalent cancer in western countries, being the third leading cause of male cancer death. To check its possible significance as a prognostic marker, allowing a better prognosis of the tumor, we analyzed the high-mobility group protein-A2 gene (HMGA2) expression level because HMGA2 overexpression has been shown to correlate with the malignant potential of various neoplasias. Aside from man, the dog is the only mammalian species that shows spontaneously occurring prostate carcinoma with striking similarities to prostate cancer growth and progression in man, making it an adequate animal model for this neoplasia.

HMGA2 overexpression in non-small cell lung cancer.

Lung cancer is still the leading cause of death from cancer worldwide primarily because of the fact that most lung cancers are diagnosed at advanced stages. Overexpression of the high mobility group protein HMGA2 has been observed in a variety of malignant tumors and often correlates with poor prognosis. Herein, HMGA2 expression levels were analyzed in matching cancerous and non-cancerous lung samples of 17 patients with adenocarcinoma (AC) and 17 patients with squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) with real-time quantitative RT-PCR (qRT-PCR).

Polysomy 13 in a canine prostate carcinoma underlining its significance in the development of prostate cancer.

The dog is a well-accepted model for prostate cancer in man because of the striking similarities between both species with respect to the clinical course of the disease as well as to its similar histopathology. Cytogenetic investigations of human prostate cancers has revealed the frequent occurrence of trisomies 7, 8, and 17. In this report, we present a case of prostate carcinoma in a dog characterized by polysomy 13 as the sole cytogenetic abnormality.

Enhanced molecular analyses by combination of the HOPE-technique and laser microdissection.

As part of an investigation aimed at illuminating the possibilities and limits of the HOPE-fixation and paraffin-embedding technique we here describe a novel procedure which was developed in order to combine the benefits of the HOPE-technique with the capabilities of laser microdissection. The presented procedure avoids the need for amplification of template-RNA thus facilitating reliable and reproducible results. The excellent preservation of nucleic acids, proteins, and morphology in HOPE-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues enhances the molecular applications available to date with materials acquired by laser microdissection when compared to formalin fixed, paraffin-embedded tissues, thus substantially extending the methodological panel in tissue based research.

HMGA1 proteins in human atherosclerotic plaques.

One of the major characteristics of atherosclerosis is the migration of smooth muscle cells (SMC) from the tunica media to the intima, caused by alterations in the environment, e.g. mechanical, chemical, or immunologic injuries of the arterial walls.

The HOPE-technique permits Northern blot and microarray analyses in paraffin-embedded tissues.

There is an increasing demand for tissue samples that, after having been used for conventional histologic examination, are also suited for molecular analyses. As to formalin-fixed, paraffin embedded (FFPE) tissue, the latter applications are very limited. The HOPE (Hepes-Glutamic acid buffer mediated Organic solvent Protection Effect) technique comprises a new protection-solution with an organic buffer, with acetone as the only dehydrating agent, and pure paraffin of 52-54 degrees C melting temperature, allowing for all pathologic routine investigations.