Bioactive peptides from microalgae: Focus on anti-cancer and immunomodulating activity.

In addition to the rapidly expanding field of using microalgae for food and feed, microalgae represent a tremendous potential for new bioactive compounds with health-promoting effects. One field where new therapeutics is needed is cancer therapy. As cancer therapy often cause severe side effects and loose effect due to development of drug resistance, new therapeutic agents are needed.

Antibiotic Application and Resistance in Swine Production in China: Current Situation and Future Perspectives.

To meet increasing demand for animal protein, swine have been raised in large Chinese farms widely, using antibiotics as growth promoter. However, improper use of antibiotics has caused serious environmental and health risks, in particular Antimicrobial resistance (AMR). This paper reviews the consumption of antibiotics in swine production as well as AMR and the development of novel antibiotics or alternatives in China.

A novel chimeric Hepatitis B virus S/preS1 antigen produced in mammalian and plant cells elicits stronger humoral and cellular immune response than the standard vaccine-constituent, S protein.

Chronic Hepatitis B Virus (HBV) infection leads to severe liver pathogenesis associated with significant morbidity and mortality. As no curable medication is yet available, vaccination remains the most cost-effective approach to limit HBV spreading and control the infection. Although safe and efficient, the standard vaccine based on production of the small (S) envelope protein in yeast fails to elicit an effective immune response in about 10% of vaccinated individuals, which are at risk of infection.

Analytical performance of RNA isolated from BD SurePath™ cervical cytology specimens by the PreTect™ HPV-Proofer assay.

Several commercial HPV ancillary tests are available for detection of E6/E7 RNA. It is not clear how storage of a cervical Pap affects the analytical and clinical performance of the PreTect™ HPV-Proofer assay. To investigate the qualitative performance of RNA extracted from BD SurePath™ liquid-based cytology (LBC) specimens for the detection of human papillomavirus (HPV) E6/E7 mRNA using the PreTect™ HPV-Proofer assay, studies including stability, reproducibility, residual specimen analysis, and storage medium comparison assays were performed.

High-risk human papillomavirus (hrHPV) E6/E7 mRNA testing by PreTect HPV-Proofer for detection of cervical high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia and cancer among hrHPV DNA-positive women with normal cytology.

Our aim was to investigate whether high-risk HPV (hrHPV) mRNA detection by PreTect HPV-Proofer can be used to stratify hrHPV DNA-positive women of different cytology classes for risk of high-grade cervical intraepithelial neoplasia or worse (cervical precancer or cancer, i.e., cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade 2 or higher [≥ CIN2]).

E6/E7 mRNA expression analysis: a test for the objective assessment of cervical adenocarcinoma in clinical prognostic procedure.

Detection of E6/E7 mRNA expression using the real-time nucleic acid sequence-based amplification assay (NASBA) PreTect HPV-Proofer was compared with results of human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA detection in 98 paraffin-embedded samples from patients with cervical adenocarcinoma. HR-HPV DNA was detected in 61 (62%), while HR-HPV E6/E7 mRNA was detected in 63 (64%) of the samples. Correlation between results from DNA analyses and the E6/E7 mRNA assay showed consistent results in 87% of samples (47 of 54).

A comprehensive evaluation of the accuracy of cervical pre-cancer detection methods in a high-risk area in East Congo.

Background: Given the high burden of cervical cancer in low-income settings, there is a need for a convenient and affordable method for detecting and treating pre-cancerous lesions.

Methods: Samples for comparing the accuracy of cytology, virology and histology were collected. Identification of HPV E6/E7 mRNA was performed using PreTect HPV-Proofer.

Isolation of RNA from residual BD SurePath liquid-based cytology specimens and detection of HPV E6/E7 mRNA using the PreTectt HPV-Proofer assay.

Infection with high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) is known to be associated directly with the development of cervical cancer. Recent data suggests that the detection of E6/E7 mRNA from high-risk HPV types may serve as a better diagnostic method for detecting the presence of cervical pre-cancer than HPV DNA testing. This report details a commercially available nucleic acid isolation protocol which can be used to isolate reproducibly RNA from residual BD SurePath liquid-based cytology specimens stored for up to 28 days, and have demonstrated the quality and quantity of mRNA is sufficient for detection with the NorChip PreTect HPV-Proofer assay.

Human papillomavirus DNA and e6/e7 mRNA status in relation to survival of patients treated for cervical squamous cell carcinoma.

The prognostic significance of human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA and E6/E7 mRNA, the presence of specific types, and the physical state of HPV DNA, were studied in 202 cervical squamous cell carcinomas. Absence or non-detectable levels of high-risk (types 16, 18, 31, 33, 35, 45, 52 and 58) E6/E7 mRNA, using the real-time nucleic acid sequence based amplification (NASBA) assay, and absence of HPV high-risk/HPV 6, 26, 66, 69, 73 (all methods collectively) were associated with poor overall survival in univariate analysis (P = 0.04 and P = 0.

PreTect HPV-Proofer: real-time detection and typing of E6/E7 mRNA from carcinogenic human papillomaviruses.

Monitoring human papillomavirus (HPV) E6/E7 mRNA expression may provide an accurate and informative diagnostic approach for detection of oncogene activity related to the development of severe dysplasia or cervical carcinoma. A multiplex nucleic acid sequence based amplification (NASBA) assay, utilizing molecular beacon probes for real-time detection was developed for the identification of E6/E7 mRNA from HPV types 16, 18, 31, 33 and 45. The assay is called PreTect HPV-Proofer and this report describes the development and the analytical performance of the assay.

High-throughput detection of human papillomavirus-18 L1 gene methylation, a candidate biomarker for the progression of cervical neoplasia.

The L1 gene of human papillomavirus-18 (HPV-18) is consistently hypermethylated in cervical carcinomas, but frequently hypo- or unmethylated in exfoliated cells from asymptomatic patients. In precancerous lesions, L1 is sporadically hypermethylated, correlating with the severity of the neoplasia. In order to explore the potential of using L1 methylation as a workable biomarker for carcinogenic progression of HPV-18 infections in routinely taken samples, our aim was to develop methylation-detection techniques that were sensitive and rapid without being overly complex technically.

Presence of E6 and E7 mRNA from human papillomavirus types 16, 18, 31, 33, and 45 in the majority of cervical carcinomas.

The oncogenic potential of the human papillomavirus (HPV) early genes E6 and E7 is well established and a source of interest with regard to HPV testing for cervical carcinoma. Here we present a study performed with 204 histologically confirmed invasive cervical squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) in which we evaluated the HPV E6 and E7 mRNA detection assay PreTect HPV-Proofer for detection of high-risk HPV types 16, 18, 31, 33, and 45. For further evaluation, detection of E6 and E7 mRNA from HPV types 35, 52, and 58 by real-time multiplex nucleic acid sequence-based amplification was also included.

Methylation of the human papillomavirus-18 L1 gene: a biomarker of neoplastic progression?

Epigenetic transcriptional regulation plays an important role in the life cycle of human papillomaviruses (HPVs) and the carcinogenic progression of anogenital HPV associated lesions. We performed a study designed to assess the methylation status of the HPV-18 genome, specifically of the late L1 gene, the adjacent long control region (LCR), and part of the E6 oncogene in cervical specimens with a range of pathological diagnoses. In asymptomatic infections and infections with precancerous (precursor) lesions, HPV-18 DNA was mostly unmethylated, with the exception of four samples where hypermethylation of L1 was detected.

Human papillomavirus E6/E7 mRNA expression in women younger than 30 years of age.

Objective: The prevalence of human papillomavirus (HPV) is high in women younger than 30 years of age, most infections being transient. It is not clear, however, to what extent the E6/E7 transcripts are being expressed. This may be of prognostic importance.

Comparison of human papillomavirus messenger RNA and DNA detection: a cross-sectional study of 4,136 women >30 years of age with a 2-year follow-up of high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion.

The purpose of this study was to compare the detection of human papillomavirus (HPV) DNA with detection of mRNA. The study included 4,136 women >30 years of age. E6/E7 mRNA expression from the carcinogenic HPV types 16, 18, 31, 33, and 45 was detected by the PreTect HPV-Proofer assay, whereas the presence of HPV DNA was detected by Gp5+/6+ consensus PCR followed by type-specific PCR.

Predicting CIN2+ when detecting HPV mRNA and DNA by PreTect HPV-proofer and consensus PCR: A 2-year follow-up of women with ASCUS or LSIL Pap smear.

It has been suggested that human papillomavirus (HPV) testing improves follow-up of atypical cells of undetermined significance (ASCUS) and low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion (LSIL) in cervical cancer screening programs. To evaluate the prognostic value of including HPV testing as an adjunct to cytology, we carried out a 2-year follow-up study of 77 women with ASCUS or LSIL Papanicolaou (Pap) smear in the Norwegian Cervical Cancer Screening Program (NCCSP) for detection of histological cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) 2+. The study includes a comparison between viral mRNA and DNA detection.

Effect of the codon 72 polymorphism (c.215G>C, p.Arg72Pro) in combination with somatic sequence variants in the TP53 gene on survival in patients with advanced ovarian carcinoma.

This study was conducted to evaluate the frequency and prognostic impact of TP53 alterations stratified for the TP53 codon 72 polymorphism (c.215G>C, p.Arg72Pro) in a cohort of 109 patients with advanced ovarian carcinomas.

Human papillomavirus oncogenic expression in the dysplastic portio; an investigation of biopsies from 190 cervical cones.

In this study, we investigated the presence of E6/E7 transcripts of seven common high-risk human papillomavirus (HPV) types in 190 cervical biopsies. The RNA-based real-time nucleic acid sequence-based amplification assay (NASBA) and type-specific PCR, both detecting HPV 16, 18, 31, 33, 45, 52, and 58, as well as consensus PCR, were performed on all 190 biopsies. High accordance between type-specific and consensus PCR confirms that the HPV types included in this study are the most common types present in cervical dysplasia.

TP53 mutations in early-stage ovarian carcinoma, relation to long-term survival.

We conducted the present study to evaluate the frequency and prognostic importance on long-term survival of TP53 mutations and TP53 protein accumulation in a cohort of 178 patients with early-stage ovarian carcinomas. TP53 mutations scored as aberrant temporal temperature gradient gel electrophoresis pattern from all exons were observed in 39.9% of the tumours.

Deregulation of D-type cyclins in uterine cancers. Cyclin D1/D3 is differentially expressed in cervical cancer.

Background: We have previously found cyclin D1 to be overexpressed in 45% of corpus cancers, but in only 3% of cervical cancers. To see whether and how D-type cyclins contribute to the neoplastic phenotype in uterine cancers, aberrant expression and association between cyclins D1 and D3 proteins were studied.

Materials And Methods: Expression of cyclin D3 was investigated by immunohistochemistry in 51 patients with primary cancer of the corpus and 73 cases of primary cervical carcinomas.

TP53 and p21WAF1/CIP1 behave differently in euploid versus aneuploid bladder tumours treated with radiotherapy.

The aim of this study was to examine any relation between DNA ploidy and previously detected TP53 (p53) or p21WAF1/CIP1 expression in 94 patients with muscle-invasive transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder and to associate these factors with survival. DNA ploidy was determined by image cytometry. In a subgroup of patients, the mutational status of the TP53 gene was assessed by temporal temperature gradient electrophoresis (TTGE) or perpendicular denaturant gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE) and subsequent sequencing.

Reduced expression of p21WAF1 is an indicator of malignant behaviour in anal carcinomas.

Aims: p21 and p27 protein expression were examined in a comparatively large series of patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the anal canal and compared with clinical and histopathological data (tumour stage, nodal status and differentiation).

Methods And Results: We analysed the expression of p21 and p27 protein in 94 anal carcinomas by immunohistochemistry. Nuclear p21 and p27 staining were detected in 71% (67/94) and 75% (71/94) of the cases, respectively.

Allelic imbalance at chromosome region 11q23 in cervical carcinomas.

The long arm of chromosome 11 has received much scrutiny as a high frequency of deletions of various sites has been observed in different tumour types, indicating the presence of putative tumour suppressor genes. In the present study, 81 primary cervical carcinomas were examined for allelic imbalance (AI) using nine microsatellite markers, mapping to the chromosomal region 11q23.1 where the ATM gene is located.