Prognostic Value of Serum Transferrin Analysis in Patients with Ovarian Cancer and Cancer-Related Functional Iron Deficiency: A Retrospective Case-Control Study.

(1) Background: There are no reliable and widely available markers of functional iron deficiency (FID) in cancer. The aim of the study was to evaluate the role of transferrin (Tf) as a marker of cancer of the ovary (CrO) and related FID. (2) Methods: The study groups consisted of 118 patients with CrO and 69 control females. Blood serum iron status was determined on a Beckman Coulter AU (USA) analyzer. Tf quantification was performed by immunoturbidimetry. The relative contents of apo- and holo-Tf (iron-free and iron-saturated Tf, respectively) were determined in eight patients and a control female by immunochromatographic analysis based on the use of monoclonal single-domain antibodies (nanobodies). (3) Results: Four groups of patients with different iron statuses were selected according to ferritin and transferrin saturation values: absolute iron deficiency (AID) (n = 42), FID (n = 70), iron overload (n = 4), normal iron status (n = 2). The groups differed significantly in Tf values (p < 0.0001). Lower values of Tf were associated with FID. Furthermore, FID is already found in the initial stages of CrO (26%). Immunosorbents based on nanobodies revealed the accumulation of apo-Tf and the decrease in holo-Tf in patients with CrO. (4) Conclusions: Tf may be a promising tool for diagnosing both CrO and associated FID.

Radiation Response of Cervical Cancer Stem Cells Is Associated with Pretreatment Proportion of These Cells and Physical Status of HPV DNA.

Radio- and chemoresistance of cancer stem cells (CSCs) is considered as one of the possible causes of adverse results of chemoradiotherapy for various malignancies, including cervical cancer. However, little is known about quantitative changes in the CSC subpopulation in the course of treatment and mechanisms for individual response of CSCs to therapy. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the association of radiation response of cervical CSCs with clinical and morphological parameters of disease and features of human papillomavirus (HPV) infection. The proportion of CD44+CD24low CSCs was determined by flow cytometry in cervical scrapings from 55 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of uterine cervix before treatment and after fractionated irradiation at a total dose of 10 Gy. Real-time PCR assay was used to evaluate molecular parameters of HPV DNA. Post-radiation increase in the CSC proportion was found in 47.3% of patients. Clinical and morphological parameters (stage, status of lymph node involvement, and histological type) were not significantly correlated with radiation changes in the CSC proportion. Single- and multifactor analyses revealed two independent indicators affecting the radiation response of CSCs: initial proportion of CSCs and physical status of HPV DNA (R = 0.86, p = 0.001 for the multiple regression model in the whole).

Association of the apolipoprotein E 2 allele with concurrent occurrence of endometrial hyperplasia and endometrial carcinoma.

Genes encoding proteins with antioxidant properties may influence susceptibility to endometrial hyperplasia (EH) and endometrial carcinoma (ECa). Patients with EH (n = 89), EH concurrent with ECa (n = 76), ECa (n = 186), and healthy controls (n = 1110) were genotyped for five polymorphic variants in the genes involved in metabolism of lipoproteins (APOE Cys112Arg and Arg158Cys), iron (HFE Cys282Tyr and His63Asp), and catecholamines (COMT Val158Met). Patients and controls were matched by ethnicity (all Caucasians), age, body mass index (BMI), and incidence of hypertension and diabetes. The frequency of the APOE E 2 allele (158Cys) was higher in patients with EH + ECa than in controls (P = 0.0012, P(Bonferroni) = 0.018, OR = 2.58, 95% CI 1.49-4.45). The APOE E 4 allele (112Arg) was more frequently found in patients with EH than in controls and HFE minor allele G (63Asp) had a protective effect in the ECa group, though these results appeared to be nonsignificant after correction for multiple comparisons. The results of the study indicate that E 2 allele might be associated with concurrent occurrence of EH and ECa.