ABSTRACT
PURPOSE: Microvesicles (MV) in the blood stream are associated with distant metastasis in cancer. Platelet or endothelial cell-related MV actively participate in thrombogenesis, which is an important step in cancer metastasis. This study investigated the correlations between MV levels of platelet-poor plasma and distant metastasis in lung cancer. METHODS: Platelet-poor plasma from 44 treatment-naive lung cancer (23 with distant metastasis) and 19 normal subjects was used to determine the levels of glycoprotein Iß (CD42) + platelet MV (PMV), P-selectin (CD62P) + PMV, VE-cadherin (CD144) + endothelial MV (EMV), tissue factor (CD142) + MV, thrombin-antithrombin complex and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). RESULTS: The level of CD142 + MV was significant (odds ratio 5.86, 95 % confidence interval 1.31-38.3) in predicting distant metastasis in lung cancer, and a cutoff value of 2.668 (after logarithm transformation) in the ROC curve had a specificity of 90 % and a sensitivity of 59 %. The presence of distant metastasis showed a significant correlation between CD144 + EMV and VEGF, but not between CD144 + EMV and CD42 + PMV or CD62P + PMV in lung cancer subjects. CONCLUSIONS: The finding of CD142 + MV in platelet-poor plasma may be useful for suggesting distant metastasis in lung cancer. In addition to thrombogenesis, interaction between VE-cadherin and VEGF may be needed for successful metastasis in lung cancer.
Subject(s)
Cytoplasmic Vesicles/metabolism , Lung Neoplasms/blood , Lung Neoplasms/pathology , Thromboplastin/metabolism , Aged , Case-Control Studies , Female , Flow Cytometry , Humans , Male , Neoplasm Metastasis , ROC CurveABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Binding of Toll-like receptors (TLRs) to microbial or endogenous ligands activates and triggers the associated signalling pathway, which leads to the production of inflammatory cytokines and type I interferons. The extent of TLR pathway activation may vary with the ligands present in different pleural diseases. METHODS: The relative mRNA expression levels of TLRs and their adaptors in pleural fluid were determined by PCR and gel electrophoresis in 36 transudative, 25 infectious and 39 malignant pleural effusions. RESULTS: The relative mRNA expression levels of TLR8 and myeloid differentiation factor 88 were low in infectious effusions and that of ras-related C3 botulinum toxin substrate 1 was low in malignant pleural effusions. Different cellular components correlated significantly with the relative mRNA expression of TLRs or their adaptors in pleural effusions with different aetiologies. CONCLUSIONS: The relative mRNA expression profiles of TLRs and their adaptors in pleural fluid differ among transudative, infectious and malignant pleural effusions.
Subject(s)
Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing/metabolism , Pleural Effusion, Malignant/metabolism , Pleural Effusion/metabolism , Pleural Effusion/microbiology , RNA, Messenger/metabolism , Toll-Like Receptors/metabolism , Adaptor Proteins, Signal Transducing/genetics , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Female , Humans , Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins/genetics , Intracellular Signaling Peptides and Proteins/metabolism , Lymphocytes/pathology , Male , Middle Aged , Myeloid Differentiation Factor 88/genetics , Myeloid Differentiation Factor 88/metabolism , Neutrophils/pathology , Pleural Effusion/pathology , Pleural Effusion, Malignant/pathology , Toll-Like Receptor 8/genetics , Toll-Like Receptor 8/metabolism , Toll-Like Receptor 9/genetics , Toll-Like Receptor 9/metabolism , Toll-Like Receptors/genetics , rac1 GTP-Binding Protein/genetics , rac1 GTP-Binding Protein/metabolismABSTRACT
BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: Cancer cells are larger in size and more rigid than blood cells. As the size and rigidity of cells contribute to blood viscosity, an association may exist between high pleural fluid viscosity and cancer cells in pleural effusions. The aim of this study was to determine the correlation between pleural fluid viscosity and cell constituents or laboratory data in pleural diseases with different aetiologies. METHODS: Fluid viscosities were determined in pleural effusions obtained via thoracocentesis. Pleural fluid viscosities were correlated with the laboratory data and with the percentages of different cellular constituents as assessed by cytological examination. RESULTS: Pleural fluid viscosity was highest in malignant pleural effusions with positive results on cytological examination, and was correlated with the percentages of tumour cells (Spearman's rho = 0.24, P = 0.037) and mitotic figures (rho = 0.23, P = 0.041) in the exudates. Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that pleural fluid viscosity was a significant determinant of positive results on cytological examination (odds ratio (OR) 6.26, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.32-29.8), as were the levels of protein (OR 1.48, 95% CI 1.01-2.16) and LDH (OR 1.001, 95% CI 1-1.002). CONCLUSION: High pleural fluid viscosity may suggest a potential diagnosis of malignant pleural effusion.
Subject(s)
Body Fluids/physiology , Pleural Cavity/pathology , Pleural Effusion, Malignant/diagnosis , Pleural Effusion, Malignant/pathology , Biopsy, Fine-Needle/methods , Humans , Logistic Models , Predictive Value of Tests , ViscosityABSTRACT
Long-term monitoring of plating effluent quality traditionally requires dense frequency sampling and analysis for multiple elements are needed. An effective and rapid approach was developed to monitor long-time plating effluent quality. The approach employs the placement of low-cost sorbents (chitosan, zeolite and granular activated carbon) in plating effluents followed by analysis of multiple-element X-ray fluorescence (XRF). Three plating effluents were selected in this study. Laboratory Freundlich isotherm sorption experiments were also conducted to describe the relationships of metal concentrations on sorbents and in effluents. Results indicated that chitosan was a suitable sorbent to estimate the Zn, Ni and Cr concentrations in plating effluents. Granular activated carbon was suitable for Cu concentration monitoring in effluents. The accumulation of metals onto sorbents with different sorption periods (1-3 days) was also investigated.
