Associations between epidermal growth factor receptor gene mutation and serum tumor markers in advanced lung adenocarcinomas: a retrospective study / 中国医学科学杂志(英文版)

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the associations between epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) gene mutations and serum tumor markers in advanced lung adenocarcinomas.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>We investigated the association between EGFR gene mutations and clinical features, including serum tumor marker levels, in 97 advanced lung adenocarcinomas patients who did not undergo the treatment of EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors. EGFR gene mutation was detected by real-time PCR at exons 18, 19, 20, and 21. Serum tumor marker concentrations were analyzed by chemiluminescence assay kit at the same time.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>EGFR gene mutations were detected in 42 (43%) advanced lung adenocarcinoma patients. Gender (P=0.003), smoking status (P=0.001), and abnormal serum status of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA, P=0.028) were significantly associated with EGFR gene mutation incidence. Multivariate analysis showed the abnormal CEA level in serum was independently associated with the incidence of EGFR gene mutation (P=0.046) with an odds ratio of 2.613 (95% CI: 1.018-6.710). However, receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis revealed CEA was not an ideal predictive marker for EGFR gene mutation status in advanced lung adenocarcinoma (the area under the ROC curve was 0.608, P=0.069).</p><p><b>CONCLUSIONS</b>EGFR gene mutation status is significantly associated with serum CEA status in advanced lung adenocarcinmoas. However, serum CEA is not an ideal predictor for EGFR mutation.</p>

The correlation study of PTEN gene expression and Akt phosphorylation in myelodysplastic syndrome / 中华血液学杂志

<p><b>OBJECTIVE</b>To investigate the relationship between PTEN gene expression and Akt phosphorylation (p-Akt) in myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) and to explore the progression of MDS and the mechanism of high risk transformation to acute myeloid leukemia.</p><p><b>METHODS</b>RT-PCR was used to detect the PTEN mRNA expression in leukemia cell lines K562 (as negative control) and Jurkat (as positive control) and 65 MDS and MDS/AML patients. Flow cytometry was used to detect p-Akt in HL-60 and Jurkat cells and 30 MDS patients.</p><p><b>RESULTS</b>(1) K562 cells present PTEN gene expression while Jurkat cells did not. Of 65 MDS and MDS/AML patients, 27 (41.5%) expressed PTEN mRNA, being significantly lower than that in normal group (85.7%) (P < 0.01). (2) Jurkat cell showed high expression (86.9%) of p-Akt, while HL-60 cell as negative control did not express. P-Akt levels of 30 MDS patients were increased (1.35% - 58.23%), being much higher as compared with that of the normal contrast group (0.54% - 2.34%) (P < 0.01). Moreover, with the rate of blast cells increasing, the p-Akt level was rising up. There is a positive correlation (r = 0.93, P < 0.01) between the low expression rate of PTEN and the positive rate of p-Akt.</p><p><b>CONCLUSION</b>The loss of PTEN gene expression is one of the important factors of p-Akt high expression in MDS patients, moreover, it may speed up the progress of the MDS or transformation to acute myeloid leukemia.</p>