Establishment of a scoring system for predicting the positive rate of prostatic biopsy for prostate cancer / 中华男科学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To identify the predictors of the positive results of transrectal ultrasound (TRUS)-guided biopsy for prostate cancer.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We performed univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses on the relevant data on 385 male patients that underwent TRUS-guided biopsy for prostate cancer, including such potential predictors as age, body mass index (BMI), symptoms, results of digital rectal examination (DRE), tPSA, fPSA, free/total PSA ratio (f/tPSA), prostate volume (PV), and PSA density (PSAD) for identification of the risk factors related to the positive rate of biopsy. Then we constructed a scoring system as a tool for predicting prostate cancer in repeat biopsies and determined the sensitivity of the system by calculating the false positive rate using the receiver operating characteristic curve.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Among the 385 patients, 139 (36.1%) were diagnosed with prostate cancer. On multivariate analysis, age (P < 0.01), DRE (P < 0.01), tPSA (P < 0.01), fPSA (P < 0.01), f/tPSA (P < 0.01), PV (P < 0.01), and PSAD (P < 0.01) were all significant predictors of prostate cancer. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed age, tPSA, f/tPSA, PV, and PSAD to be independent predictors, with ORs and 95% CIs of 1.07 (1.05-1.16), 1.05 (1.02-1.15), 0.97 (0.86-0.99), 0.98 (0.87-0.96), and 1.79 (1.48-2.06), respectively. Moreover, patients with the risk score of 3-5 had a significantly higher rate of prostate cancer than those with 0-2 (64% vs 11%, P < 0.001).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The scoring system on the key predictors of prostate cancer can help urologists to identify the men in need of prostatic biopsy.</p>

Correlation between androgen receptor expression and hepatitis B virus X protein and its clinical significance in hepatocellular carcinoma / 中华肿瘤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the expression of androgen receptor (AR) and hepatitis B virus X protein (HBx) in hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and analyze the relationship between AR and HBx expressions.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Tumor tissues and peritumoral tissues of 83 HBV-associated HCC cases were investigated in this study. Fourteen cases of HBV-negative HCC and 13 cases of hemangioma peritumoral tissues were considered as control. AR and HBx mRNA levels were determined by quantitative fluorescence real-time RT-PCR and their protein levels were assayed by Western blot. The expression of AR and HBx proteins in tissues were examined with EnVision immunohistochemical staining. The methylation status of AR promoter was determined using methylation-specific PCR (MSP).</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Both expression levels of AR mRNA and protein of the peritumoral tissues were significantly higher (0.17) than that of tumor tissues (0.09) in HBV-associated HCC (P < 0.01), but such a difference was not found in HBV-negative HCC (0.06 vs. 0.07, P > 0.05). The level of AR expression in peritumoral tissues was associated with tumor differentiation in HBV-associated HCC. AR mRNA and protein levels of peritumoral tissues in HBV-associated HCC were significantly higher than that in HBV-negative HCC and hemangioma (all P < 0.05). In the tumor tissues, HBV-associated HCC had significantly higher AR expression than HBV-negative HCC at mRNA level (P < 0.05), but not at protein level. Spearman rank correlation analysis showed that the AR mRNA or AR protein levels were positively correlated with HBx in both tumor and peritumoral tissues in HBV-associated HCC, but the expressions of AR and HBx were not associated with AR promoter methylation status. The relative expression levels of AR mRNA and protein in the HBV-associated peritumoral tissues were negatively correlated with tumor differentiation (r = -0.213, P < 0.05; r = -0.313, P < 0.05), the higher the AR expression, the poorer differentiation. But this correlation of AR mRNA and protein was not shown in the hepatocellular carcinoma tissues.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>HBx may enhance AR expression in HBV-associated HCC, but AR promoter demethylation maybe not been involved in its main mechanism. An increased AR expression is probably an early event during the development and progression of HBV-associated HCC, and AR expression in the peritumoral tissue is correlated with HBV-associated HCC differentiation. AR may play different roles in HBV-associated HCC and HBV-negative HCC.</p>

Effects of caveolin-1 on biologic behavior of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma HEp2 cell line GU / 中华肿瘤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the effects of caveolin-1 on the biologic behavior of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma HEp2 cell line in vitro.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Eukaryotic expression vector of human caveolin-1 gene was constructed and transfected into HEp2 cells by Lipofectamine. The clones stably overexpressing caveolin-1 were identified by real-time PCR and Western blotting. Cell proliferation viability was tested by MTT assay. Anchorage-independent growth was determined by assaying colony formation in soft agar. Flow cytometry was used to assess the cell cycle and apoptosis. The relative phosphorylation level of EGFR and ERK1/2 were detected by Western blotting. Localization of caveolin-1 and EGFR were studied by laser confocal laser scanning microscopy.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>The expression vector of caveolin-1 was constructed and three clones stably overexpressing caveolin-1 were obtained. Comparing with the parental HEp2 cells, the transfected cells exhibited a slower growth rate and formed fewer colonies in soft agar. The results of FACS analysis revealed that overexpression of caveolin-1 resulted in the cell cycle arrest at G0/G1 phase and increased the apoptotic cell fraction. EGFR was found to colocalize with caveolin-1 in transfected cells by confocal laser scanning microscopy and Western blotting results showed that overexpression of caveolin-1 reduced the phosphorylation of EGFR and Erkl/2.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>Overexpression of caveolin-1 suppresses the growth of HEp2 cells and induces apoptosis and inhibition of EGFR-MAPK signaling pathway may be involved in its mechanism.</p>

Inhibited effects of exogenous caveolin-1 on the growth of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma cell line Hep-2, experiments in vitro and in vivo / 中华耳鼻咽喉头颈外科杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To study the effect of exogenous caveolin-1 on the growth of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma and its mechanisms.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>Eukaryotic expression vectors containing human caveolin-1 gene were transfected into Hep-2 cell line, the positive clones with high expression of caveolin-1 were identified by fluorescence quantitative real time reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction and Western Blot. Cell proliferation viability was tested by methyl thiazolyl tetrazolium assay, the protein expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), P-EGFR, extracellular signal-regulated kinase 1, 2 (Erk1, 2), P-Erkl, 2 and caveolin-1 were detected by Western Blot. The combination of caveolin-1 and EGFR were studied by immunoprecipitation and Western Blot. The in vivo antitumor activity of caveolin-1 was tested in Hep-2 xenograft tumor models in athymic nude mice, and the protein expressions of P-EGFR, P-Erk1, 2 and caveolin-1 were examined by immunohistochemistry.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>Three of caveolin-1 stably transfected Hep-2 cell clones were established. MTT assay showed that the proliferation of caveolin-1 overexpression Hep-2 cell clones decreased significantly comparing with the control. Immunoprecipitation and western Blot showed that caveolin-1 and EGFR were combined in Hep-2 cell line. Comparing with the parental cell line and cells transfected with control vector, there were the lower phosphorylation of EGFR and Erk1, 2 in the caveolin-1 overexpression Hep-2 cell clones. In the xenograft tumor models in nude mice, caveolin-1 overexpression Hep-2 cell clones showed the slower growth, smaller tumor size and the lower phosphorylation of EGFR and Erk1, 2.</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>Overexpression of caveolin-1 inhibits growth of Hep-2 cell line in vitro and in vivo, arresting EGFR-MAPK signal pathway may involve in its mechanism.</p>

Expression and significance of hTERT mRNA in breast carcinoma and its relation to p53 / 中华肿瘤杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>This study was designed to investigate the significance of hTERT mRNA in breast carcinogenesis and to explore the diagnostic efficacy, and to study the effect of tumor suppressor gene p53 on the expression of hTERT mRNA.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>The expression of hTERT mRNA was examined by in situ hybridization in 12 cases of normal breast tissue nearby cancer, 7 of simple ductal hyperplasia, 20 of atypical hyperplasia, 18 of ductal carcinoma in situ and 25 with invasive ductal carcinoma. The expression of p53 protein were examined by immunohistochemistry in 43 carcinomas.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>hTERT was not detected in normal breast tissue nearby cancer and simple ductal hyperplasia. The positive rate of hTERT mRNA in atypical hyperplasia, ductal carcinoma in situ and invasive ductal carcinoma were 25.0%, 83.3% and 88.0%, respectively. The prevalence and intensity of hTERT mRNA expression were much greater in carcinoma than those in simple or atypical hyperplasia and normal breast tissue nearby cancer (P < 0.05). The expression of hTERT was not correlated with tumor size and lymph node metastasis (P > 0.05). The positive correlation between hTERT mRNA and p53 was found in breast carcinoma (r = 0.5540, P < 0.01).</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>hTERT mRNA expression is closely related to the malignant transformation of breast tissue. Semi-quantitative detection of hTERT mRNA expression in situ is helpful in differentiated diagnosis of carcinoma in situ and atypical hyperplasia. Inactivation of p53 may play a role in the transcriptive activation of hTERT gene in breast carcinoma.</p>