Two Cases of Hand-Foot Syndrome Induced by Sunitinib / 대한피부과학회지

Sunitinib (SU11248) is a novel orally administered small molecule that inhibits multiple receptor tyrosine kinases so that can block tumor growth and angiogenesis. It was approved on 2006, for the treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma and gastrointestinal stromal tumor. Various cutaneous adverse reactions induced by sunitinib have been reported, including hand-foot syndrome. We report two cases of hand-foot syndrome induced by sunitinib for treatment of advanced renal cell carcinoma.

The Effects of p21 on Bladder Cancers / 대한비뇨기과학회지

Purpose: p21 protein is an inhibitor of cyclin-dependent kinases, which may be able to arrest the cell cycle at the G1 phase by inhibiting DNA replication through the interaction with proliferating cell nuclear antigen. From experimental studies, p21 has been considered a tumor suppressor gene. Herein, the effects of p21 on the development, stage, grade, recurrence, progression and patient's survival in human bladder cancers were evaluated. Materials and Methods: The mRNA expression levels of p21 were examined in 149 tumor specimens obtained from patients with primary bladder cancer and in 18 normal bladder mucosae using real-time polymerase chain reaction (PCR). Results: p21 was significantly expressed in human bladder tumor tissues at high levels (7.11+/-0.69pg/ml), but was not expressed in the normal bladder mucosae. Compared with invasive bladder cancer (5.03+/-0.95), the p21 expression levels were significantly enhanced in superficial bladder cancer (7.96+/-0.88pg/ml) (p=0.0250); whereas, the grade was not related to the expression of p21. The levels of p21 expression were enhanced in non-recurred (9.33+/-1.38) and non-progressed (8.13+/-0.86) compared with recurred (6.03+/-0.75) and progressed (3.67+/-0.52) patients (each p<0.05). The level of p21 expression was significantly correlated with the disease free survival in patients the bladder cancers. Conclusions: The enhanced expression of p21 is strongly associated with the development of bladder cancer. Moreover, increased expressions of p21 are also positively associated with the low rate of recurrence and progression of bladder cancer. Conversely, an enhanced expression of p21 provides a survival benefit for patients with bladder cancer. These results suggest that p21 might be useful as a marker in assessing tumor diagnosis, recurrence, progression and the survival in human bladder cancer patients.

Current Trend in Molecular Aspects of Bladder Cancer / 대한비뇨기과학회지

A transitional cell carcinoma of the urinary bladder has a diverse collection of biological and functional characteristics, which is reflected in its differing clinical courses. The diagnosis of bladder cancer is based on information provided by cystoscopy, the gold standard, in combination with urinary cytology findings. Many tumor markers have been evaluated for detecting and monitoring the disease in serum, bladder washes and urinary specimens. However, none of the biomarkers reported to date has shown sufficient sensitivity and specificity for the detection of the whole spectrum of bladder cancer diseases found in routine clinical practice. Due to the limited value of established prognostic markers, the analyses of new molecular parameters have gained interest in predicting the prognosis of bladder cancer patients; in particular, patient groups at high risk of progression and recurrence. Over the past decade, there has been major progress in the elucidation of the molecular genetic and epigenetic changes leading to the development of transitional cell carcinomas. This review focuses on the recent advances in the genetic and epigenetic aspects of bladder cancer, and emphasizes the ways in which molecular biology is likely to affect the development of future therapies.

Genotypes of TNF-alpha, VEGF, TGF-beta1, hOGG1, GSTM1 and GSTT1: Useful Determinants for the Clinical Outcome of Bladder Cancer / 대한비뇨기과학회지

PURPOSE: Detoxification enzymes, cytokines and the gene repair systems are involved in carcinogenesis, cancer recurrence and the progression of human urinary bladder cancer. This study was designed to evaluate the clinical influences of genetic polymorphism of the TNF-alpha, VEGF, TGF-beta1, hOGG1, GSTM1 and GSTT1 genes on bladder cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: To determine whether the polymorphisms of TNF-alpha, VEGF, TGF-beta1, hOGG1, GSTM1 and GSTT1 are risk factors for bladder cancer among Koreans, PCR-based restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and multiplex PCR were performed on genomic blood DNA. RESULTS: Multiple logistic analyses revealed that the GSTM1 (negative) and hOGG1 (Ser326Ser and Ser326Cys) genotypes were risk factors for the development of bladder cancer (p=0.030, AOR=1.690, 95% CI=1.052-2.714 and p=0.020, AOR=1.988, 95% CI=1.112-3.546, respectively). In patients with superficial bladder cancer, the hOGG1 (Ser326Ser and Ser326Cys versus Cys326Cys) and TGF-beta1 (CC versus CT and TT) genotypes were significantly correlated with a recurrence (p=0.031, AOR=6.034, 95% CI= 1.185-30.733, and p=0.031, AOR=0.163, 95% CI=0.031-0.851, respectively). Disease progression in patients with bladder cancer was associated with the GSTM1 genotype (positive versus negative) (p=0.018, AOR=0.325, 95% CI=0.128-0.827). CONCLUSIONS: Our data collectively suggest that the hOGG1, TGF-beta1 and GSTM1 genotypes are closely correlated with the recurrence and progression of bladder cancer, and may, therefore, be useful as prognostic markers for bladder cancer in a clinical setting.

Cognitive Function in Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetic Patients : P300 Event-related Potentials and Neuropsychological Tests

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Several recent studies have demonstrated that cognitive function is impaired in non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) patients compared with age-matched non-diabetic controls. However, the underlying pathophysiological mechanism of this diabetic central nervous involvement remains obscure. The present study was designed to explore further whether cognitive deficits are present in NIIDDM patients who do not show apparent symptoms and signs of central nervous system damage and to evaluate the influence of clinical parameters and diabetic complications on cognitive function. METHODS: Thirty patients over 50 years of age with NIDDM and 30 age-, sex- and education-matched normal controls were recruited for the study. P300 event-related potential test and neuropsychological tests (Mini-Mental State Examination, MMSE; Benton Visual Retention test; Digit Span Forward and Backward) were perfomed. P300 latencies were recorded according to the conventional technique using Counterpointer MK2. RESULTS: Compared with controls, NIDDM patients showed significant impairment in MMSE (P<0.05), Benton Visual Retention (P<0.05), and Digit Span Backward (P