Brn3a/Pou4f1 Functions as a Tumor Suppressor by Targeting c-MET/STAT3 Signaling in Thyroid Cancer.

Background: Brn3a/Pou4f1 is a class IV POU domain-containing transcription factor and has been found to be expressed in a variety of cancers. However, the mechanism and action of Brn3a in thyroid cancer has not been investigated.

Purpose: To investigate the role of Brn3a in thyroid cancer progression and its clinical implication.

Clinical implications of the extent of BRAF alleles in patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma.

Objective: There are many conflicting reports about the clinical implications of BRAF in papillary thyroid cancer (PTC). We investigated the associations between the extent of BRAF alleles and both clinico-pathological features and recurrence of PTC.

Materials And Methods: Carcinoma tissues from 60 patients with PTC were genotyped for BRAF using pyrosequencing, and the clinico-pathological factors and disease outcomes of the patients were examined.

PACAP inhibits tumor growth and interferes with clusterin in cervical carcinomas.

Secretory clusterin (sCLU), an anti-apoptotic protein, is overexpressed in many tumors and enhances tumorigenesis and chemo-resistance. However, the regulation mechanism controlling the sCLU maturation process or activity remains undetermined. In this study, we found PACAP as a negative regulator of CLU.

Genome-wide identification and validation of a novel methylation biomarker, SDC2, for blood-based detection of colorectal cancer.

Aberrant DNA methylation has shown promise as a biomarker for the early detection of cancer. To discover novel genes frequently methylated at an early stage in colorectal cancer (CRC), DNA microarray analysis coupled with enriched methylated DNA was performed in primary tumors and compared with adjacent nontumor tissues of 12 patients with CRC at stages I to IV. Stepwise filtering for candidate selection in microarray data analysis yielded a set of genes that are highly methylated across all CRC tumors and that can be used as a composite biomarker for CRC detection.

A novel method for multiplex genotyping in a single reactor using GTPlex-PyroSeq: genotyping HPV as a prototype.

Herein, we describe a novel multiplex genotyping method, GTPlex-PyroSeq. This method consists of two phases: multiplex PCR followed by a single reaction of pyrosequencing. This study demonstrates how GTPlex-PyroSeq can be adapted for the determination of multiple human papillomavirus (HPV) genotypes.

Differential gene expression profile in PBMCs from subjects with AERD and ATA: a gene marker for AERD.

Aspirin-exacerbated respiratory disease (AERD) is associated with severe asthma and aspirin can cause asthma to worsen, often in the form of a severe and sudden attack. The oral aspirin challenge is the gold standard to confirm the diagnosis of AERD, but it is time consuming and produces serious complications in some cases. Therefore, more efficient and practical method is needed to predict AERD patients.

Genome-wide identification of OTP gene as a novel methylation marker of breast cancer.

Aberrant DNA methylation occurs early and frequently in tumorigenesis. Identification of DNA methylation biomarkers is a field that provides potential for improving the clinical process of breast cancer diagnosis. We utilized a genome-wide technique, methylated DNA isolation assay (MeDIA), in combination with high-resolution CpG microarray analysis to identify hypermethylated genes in breast cancer.

Identification of GABRA1 and LAMA2 as new DNA methylation markers in colorectal cancer.

Aberrant methylation of CpG islands in the promoter region of genes is a common epigenetic phenomenon found in early cancers. Therefore conducting genome-scale methylation studies will enhance our understanding of the epigenetic etiology behind carcinogenesis by providing reliable biomarkers for early detection of cancer. To discover novel hypermethylated genes in colorectal cancer by genome-wide search, we first defined a subset of genes epigenetically reactivated in colon cancer cells after treatment with a demethylating agent.

Pyrosequencing cut-off value identifying BRAFV600E mutation in fine needle aspiration samples of thyroid nodules.

Context: Recently, tremendous efforts have been made towards the development of sensitive techniques to detect the BRAF(V600E) mutation in fine needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) samples. However, newly developed quantitative and semi-quantitative methods, such as dual-priming oligonucleotide (DPO)-based multiplex polymerase chain reaction (PCR), have the potential to generate false-positive (FP) results.

Objectives: To eliminate the possibility of FP results, we generated a receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve to investigate the diagnostic accuracy of pyrosequencing using quantitative data.

The role of vimentin as a methylation biomarker for early diagnosis of cervical cancer.

Multiple cytosine guanine dinucleotides (CpG island) are found in the VIM promoter region. The levels of VIM promoter methylation and VIM gene expression were investigated in 7 cervical cancer cell lines and 50 human tissue samples with a distinctive degree of malignant trans-formation. While multiple CpG sites in the VIM promoter were highly methylated in CIN III and invasive carcinoma cells, they were rarely methylated in normal cells.

Detection of HOXA9 gene methylation in tumor tissues and induced sputum samples from primary lung cancer patients.

Background: Lung cancer is a leading cause of cancer deaths. Unfortunately, no effective early screening modality exists for lung cancer. We aimed to evaluate the prevalence of HOXA9 promoter methylation in tissue and induced sputum samples from Korean patients with lung cancer.

The role of ADCYAP1, adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide 1, as a methylation biomarker for the early detection of cervical cancer.

The ADCYAP1 gene encodes an adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide 1. ADCYAP1 has been known to be involved in various biological processes. Multiple cytosine guanine dinucleotides (CpG island) are found in the ADCYAP1 promoter region.

Comparative analysis of growth-phase-dependent gene expression in virulent and avirulent Streptococcus pneumoniae using a high-density DNA microarray.

The global pattern of growth-dependent gene expres-sion in Streptococcus pneumoniae strains was evalu-ated using a high-density DNA microarray. Total RNAs obtained from an avirulent S. pneumoniae strain R6 and a virulent strain AMC96-6 were used to compare the expression patterns at seven time points (2.