Gene expression of maspin and multidrug resistance MRNAs in Egyptian breast cancer

Objective: to evaluate the expression of C-erbB-2, TGF-beta1 in serum samples of breast cancer patients as compared to benign and control groups. Also to evaluate the expression of MDR-1 and maspin genes in breast cancer tissues as well as in benign breast diseases using PCR techniques

Settings: Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Unit, Faculty of Medicine, Cairo University, Biochemistry Department, Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University, and Surgery Department, National Cancer Institute, Cairo University

Subjects and Methods: in the present study, the expression of MDR-1 [multidrug resistance] gene and maspin [mammary serine protease inhibitor] gene were detected in breast cancer tissue as well as in benign breast diseases using PCR techniques. Serum C-erbB-2 and TGF-beta1 levels were also measured by ELISA techniques. Study groups comprised 19 healthy women; 20 benign breast disease patients and 41 breast cancer patients. Relation between different prognostic association and correlation between different studied parameters were assessed

Results: in the present work, the mean serum level of C-erbB-2 was significantly elevated while that of TGF-beta1 was significantly decreased in breast cancer patients as compared to normal healthy and benign groups. Significant negative correlation between serum C-erbB-2 and serum TGF-beta1 has been observed in the breast cancer patients. Statistical analysis by the Chi-square test showed that MDR-1gene was present more frequently in breast cancer group [51.2%] than in benign group [11%], while maspin gene was present more frequently in benign group [77.8%] than in breast cancer group [26.88]. Moreover, maspin gene expression showed an inverse relationship to histological grades and clinical stages of breast cancer. This indicates that the expression of maspin in breast tumor cells limits their growth and metastasis

Conclusions: our results showed that serum levels of C-erbB-2 were significantly higher in MDR-1 positive and maspin-negative tumors while serum levels of TGF-beta1 were significantly higher in maspin positive tumors only. In addition, we have found that the possibility of maspin positive tumors was more significantly frequent in MDR-1 negative tumors in breast cancer patients. Evaluation of these factors may improve the ability to identify and select breast cancer patients at high risk for poor prognosis and aggressive treatment and also it may have important implication concerning the overall biology of the breast

Biochemical assessment of liver cell regeneration in normal versus bilharzial livers after partial hepatectomy

The liver exhibits a remarkable regenerative capacity after major resection provided it is normal. It is commonly assumed that a normal liver tolerates 70-80% resection safely. On the other hand, the capacity for regeneration after partial hepatectomy in chronic liver disease such as produced by schistosomiasis mansoni, is still unknown. The aim of this work is to assess DNA, thymidine kinase activity and liver function tests after partial hepatectomy in normal hamsters compared to those infected with schistosoma mansoni, this is to show the effect of schistosomal infestation on the regenerative ability of the liver. In the bilharzial groups there was a significant increase in the liver DNA level [P<0.005]. In the nonbilharzial group there was a highly significant increase in the liver DNA level [P<0.005]. In the bilharzial groups there was a significant increase in the liver thymidine kinase activity [P<0.005], in the non-bilharzial group there was a highly significant increase in the liver thymidine kinase activity [P<0.005]. In the bilharzial group there was a marked rise in the serum enzyme during the first three days after partial hepatectomy [P<0.005] and still high even after three weeks. In the non-bilharzial group there was a significant rise in time AST observed during the first three days after surgery [P<0.005] and returned to the preoperative mean value by the second post-operative week. .in the bilharzial group, total proteins showed a significant decrease [P<0.05] in relation to the pre-operative baseline value, and still after three weeks post-heptectomy [P<0.005] didn't recover to the pre-operative mean value. In the bilirarzial group there was a significant rise in sermon total bilirubin during the first three days after partial hepatectomy [P<0.005] which continued up to the third week post hepatectomy. In th non-bilirarzial group there was a significant increase observed up to three days after the operation [P<0.005] and started to drop after the first week posthepatectomy. The bilharzial group showed a significant rise in Serun Alkaline Phosphatase [P<0.05] during the first three days after the operation and returned to the baseline value after the first week after the operation. The non bilharzial group didn't show any changes throughout the whole periods after the operation

Prevalence of hepatitis C virus RNA in patients with chronic renal diseases

The prevalence of hepatitis C virus [HCV] RNA in 80 patients with chronic renal diseases was determined. Two sets of primers from the non-coding region of the hepatitis C virus were used. The products [188 bp] amplified by polymerase chain reaction were visualized by 2% agarose gel electrophoresis stained with ethidium bromide. The patients were classified into four groups. Group I comprised 40 adult patients with end-stage renal disease, 31 of whom were positive for HCV-RNA [77.5%]; group II, 22 children with glomerulopathies, 15 of whom were positive [68.2%]; group III, 9 children with chronic renal failure of unverified etiology, 6 of whom were positive [66.6%]; group IV, 9 children with chronic renal failure due to obstructive uropathy of whom 3 [33.3%] were positive. We conclude that HCV may infect a high percentage of patients with chronic renal failure or renal parenchymatous disease