Germination Study of Some Protein-Based Gels Obtained from By-Products from the Leather Industry on Tomato and Pepper Seeds.

This study aimed to evaluate the biostimulant effects of three protein-based gels, GHC 1-B (20% gelatin (GPU-B) obtained by thermal hydrolysis from residual untanned leather and 80% collagen hydrolysates (HCE-B) obtained by alkaline-enzymatic hydrolysis from residual bovine-tanned leather), GHC 2-B (40% keratin hydrolysate (HKU-B) obtained by alkaline-enzymatic hydrolysis from sheep wool + 40% HCE-B + 20% GPU-B), and GHC 3-B (20% GPU-B + 80% hydrolyzed collagen (HPU-B) obtained by thermal and enzymatic hydrolysis from residual untanned leather). A germination study was carried out on pepper and tomato seeds at concentrations of 1%, 3%, and 10%. As a result of the study, it was found that all three protein-based gels showed a stimulatory effect on the tomato seeds at a 1% concentration, where the Gi (germination index) was ˂100%. The GHC 2-B variant had the highest stimulatory effect (Gi-190.23%). Pepper seeds have proven to be more sensitive to the gel's composition. The concentration at which it proved to be non-inhibitory (Gi-88.29%) was 1% in the case of GHC 2-B. It was found that the presence of hydrolyzed keratin in the composition can be a plus compared to the other two protein gels tested due to its composition, which is richer in phytonutrient compounds (e.g., sulfur molecules).

Assessing Putative Markers of Colorectal Cancer Stem Cells: From Colonoscopy to Gene Expression Profiling.

Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are proposed to be involved in colorectal cancer (CRC) initiation, growth, and metastasis. The aim of our pilot study was to assess possible correlations between the clinicopathological characteristics of CRC patients and CSCs gene expression patterns, in order to provide insight into new methods for patient stratification and targeted therapeutic strategies. Our study involved 60 CRC patients, and the following three specific CSC genes were targeted: PROM1/CD133, ALCAM/CD166 and HCAM /CD44. Data are presented as relative mRNA expression of target genes to GAPDH. The expression of total CD133 and CD166 was assessed in paired samples of CRC tumors and adjacent tissue, while CD44 was assessed in similar samples. The qRT-PCR analysis detected all three targeted genes to different extents, in both normal and tumor tissue. In nine cases (15.69%), total CD133 had a higher expression in tumor tissue, whilst in 28 cases (47.06%) the expression was higher in non-malignant peritumor tissue. The total CD166 expression was increased in tumor tissue compared with paired non-invaded peritumor samples in eight cases (13.73%), whilst in eight cases (13.73%) the expression was higher in non-malignant peritumor tissue. Total CD44 expression was higher in tumor tissue compared with paired non-invaded peritumor samples in 47 cases (78.95%). In the remaining cases the difference between paired samples was biologically insignificant. In conclusion, our study suggests that qRT-PCR is feasible in assessing the gene expression profiles of CSCs from CRC, and a promising pathway to be followed for determining how often a person needs screening by colonoscopy and at which age to start. This could improve CRC diagnosis and early patient stratification, and open the way for new oncologic treatment development.

An unusual onset of Crohn's disease with oral aphthosis, giant esophageal ulcers and serological markers of cytomegalovirus and herpes virus infection: a case report and review of the literature.

Isolated esophageal ulcerations in Crohn's disease pose a great challenge in diagnosing and providing the correct treatment. We present the case of a 23-year-old woman with recurrent episodes of oral aphthosis, dysphagia, odynophagia and heartburn. Upper digestive endoscopy revealed an irregular mucosa with multiple ulcerations with irregular margins within the mid-esophagus. Immunoglobulin G (IgG) for cytomegalovirus and herpes virus were both positive. Four years after, she presented with the same symptoms and the involvement of ileo-colonic lesions, with pathological findings helped establish the Crohn's disease diagnosis. Crohn's disease represents an idiopathic chronic inflammatory gut disease, which can affect any part of the digestive tract. The onset by esophageal disease and no intestinal involvement is rare and challenging for a proper diagnosis.

EFSUMB Recommendations for Gastrointestinal Ultrasound Part 3: Endorectal, Endoanal and Perineal Ultrasound.

This article represents part 3 of the EFSUMB Recommendations and Guidelines for Gastrointestinal Ultrasound (GIUS). It provides an overview of the examination techniques recommended by experts in the field of endorectal/endoanal ultrasound (ERUS/EAUS), as well as perineal ultrasound (PNUS). The most important indications are rectal tumors and inflammatory diseases like fistula and abscesses in patients with or without inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). PNUS sometimes is more flexible and convenient compared to ERUS. However, the technique of ERUS is quite well established, especially for the staging of rectal cancer. EAUS also gained ground in the evaluation of perianal diseases like fistulas, abscesses and incontinence. For the staging of perirectal tumors, the use of PNUS in addition to conventional ERUS could be recommended. For the staging of anal carcinomas, PNUS can be a good option because of the higher resolution. Both ERUS and PNUS are considered excellent guidance methods for invasive interventions, such as the drainage of fluids or targeted biopsy of tissue lesions. For abscess detection and evaluation, contrast-enhanced ultrasound (CEUS) also helps in therapy planning.

Unusual triple combination of prostate, lung and skin cancer.

Multiple malignancies are an increasing combination in the recent years in cancer patients, due to prolonged survival rate and to the advances in diagnostic techniques and therapeutic management. We present the case of a patient diagnosed with prostate cancer and metachronous in one year with basal cell carcinoma of the skin and small lung cell carcinoma with lymph nodes and pararectal metastasis. To our best knowledge, this is the only case presented in the medical literature with these three different types of primary malignancy. In conclusion, multiple malignancies in the same patients are a real challenge to the physician, because an early diagnosis and specific treatment modalities are essential for successful patient management and increasing life expectancy.

Interleukin-8 mRNA Expression in Locally Advanced Colorectal Cancer Patients.

PURPOSE: Interleukin-8 (IL-8) has been proven to promote progression of malignant tumours and control angiogenesis processes. We aim to determine and compare interleukin-8 (IL-8) gene expression level in colorectal tumors (CCR) and peritumoral samples obtained through endoscopic biopsy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Total mRNA was obtained from both tumoral and peritumoral tissue samples collected from patients diagnosed with colorectal cancer. Through Quantitative Real Time PCR, IL-8 gene expression was assessed in both pathologic tissue and adjacent normal mucosa. RESULTS: In our cohort, IL8 expression was higher in adjacent normal mucosa than in tumoral tissue, in all the samples. Further studies on larger groups are required to validate our results.

Narrow band imaging endoscopy for detection of precancerous lesions of upper gastrointestinal tract.

Gastric cancer (GC) is an important health problem despite the advances in surgery and chemotherapy and although the incidence is decreasing, GC is still considered the second most common cause of deceases produced by cancer. Survival rates in gastric cancer are low, mainly because most patients are often diagnosed in late stages. The current interest in the diagnostic of GC is the detection of early gastric cancer. Advances in high-resolution endoscopic techniques such as narrow band imaging (NBI) allow the detection of early precancerous lesions like polyps or metaplastic mucosa. Performing only white light imaging endoscopy in order to detect gastric cancer can lead to omission or misdiagnose of a considerable number of early gastric cancers. NBI endoscopy associated with other high-resolution examinations is viable in detecting early gastric cancer, though few studies also indicate that the endoscopist's expertise plays an important factor as well.

Spontaneous Regression of Refractory Diffuse Large B-Cell Lymphoma with Improvement in Immune Status with ART in a Patient with HIV: A Case Report and Literature Review.

BACKGROUND: Diffuse large B-cell lymphoma accounts for the large majority of AIDS-related non-Hodgkin lymphoma. Traditionally, this lymphoma has been treated with CHOP-like regimens with the recent addition of rituximab. We report a unique case where an HIV-infected patient with diffuse large B-cell lymphoma had complete regression of the lymphoma with continued antiretroviral therapy (ART) after chemotherapy was stopped. CASE REPORT: A 55-year-old man who presented with fatigue and weight loss had initial CT findings of bilateral renal masses during his workup. Biopsy revealed diffuse large B-cell lymphoma and subsequently he was also diagnosed with HIV. He completed 6 cycles of CHOP-like (4 cycles of EPOCH-R and 2 cycles of R-CHOP) first-line therapy with significant dose delays and dose reductions due to severe adverse effects. Chemotherapy was stopped due to physical deconditioning and intolerable adverse effects. He had a FDG-PET/CT showing progression of his disease 8 weeks after completing chemotherapy. He was maintained only on ART after finishing 6 cycles of chemotherapy. With this therapy alone and with improvement in his immune status, his lymphoma regressed completely. CONCLUSIONS: There are very few reported cases in which lymphoma has regressed with treatment of HIV alone, as is regression of diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. This case emphasizes that ART can lead to immune reconstitution of HIV-infected patients and can establish the anti-tumor effect, causing regression of the lymphoma.

Expression of immune inhibitory receptor ILT3 in acute myeloid leukemia with monocytic differentiation.

BACKGROUND: The diagnosis of AML with monocytic differentiation is limited by the lack of highly sensitive and specific monocytic markers. Immunoglobulin-like transcript 3 (ILT3) is an immune inhibitory receptor expressed by myelomonocytic cells and at high levels by tolerogenic dendritic cells. METHODS: Using flow cytometry, we analyzed the expression of ILT3 in 37 patients with AML and 20 patients with no detectable disease. RESULTS: We showed that ILT3 was expressed in all cases of AML displaying monocytic differentiation (FAB M4/M5; N = 18), but not in AML M1/M2 and M3 (N = 19; P < 0.0001). Co-expression of ILT3 and immature cell markers, such as CD34 and CD117, was observed in monoblastic leukemia. ILT3 expression was preserved after treatment in M4/M5 patients with refractory or relapsed disease. ILT3 expression was associated with the presence of cytogenetic abnormalities linked to an intermediate prognosis (P = 0.001). Rare CD45dimCD34+CD117+ILT3+ cells were identified in noninvolved bone marrow, suggesting that ILT3 expression is acquired at an early stage by normal myelomonocytic precursors. CONCLUSIONS: ILT3 is a highly sensitive and specific marker which distinguishes AML with monocytic differentiation from other types of AML. Testing of ILT3 expression should be incorporated into the initial diagnostic work-up and monitoring of patients with AML.

PAR, a protein involved in the cell cycle, is functionally related to chromosomal passenger proteins.

Prostate androgen regulated (PAR) protein is a 148 amino acid polypeptide ubiquitously expressed in normal cells and overexpressed in many malignancies. Manipulation of PAR mRNA in DU145 and NIH3T3 cells indicated that its expression level is an important determinant of cell in vitro proliferation, clonogenicity in soft agar and in vivo tumorigenicity. In this study, we showed that PAR is a short-lived protein with a peak in G2/M phase. Using immunofluorescent antibodies we showed that PAR moves from centrosomes in prophase and metaphase to spindle midzone in anaphase, and concentrates to midbody in telophase and cytokinesis. During mitosis a fraction of PAR can also be detected in the cytoplasm. PAR pattern of expression and its dynamic localization suggested a functional relationship to chromosomal passenger proteins (CPP). This protein colocalized with Aurora A at centrosomes in metaphase, and with survivin at midbody in telophase and cytokinesis. It also formed complexes with Aurora A, and with survivin, Aurora B and INCENP. In addition, PAR increased Aurora B kinase activity on histone H3. The decreased PAR levels in DU145 cells resulted in defects in centrosome segregation, in failed cytokinesis and chromosome alignment, and in increased number of apoptotic cells, polyploidy and aberrant mitosis. It is known that such defects could lead to genomic instability and tumorigenesis. In this study we also confirm our earlier findings that PAR is overexpressed in many tumors. Due to its involvement in cell cycle and its overexpression in several human cancers PAR could represent an attractive target for therapeutic intervention.

Human Fc receptors: critical targets in the treatment of autoimmune diseases and transplant rejections.

The receptors for the Fc region of immunoglobulins (FcR) are members of the immunoglobulin superfamily. They are expressed on various hematopoietic cells and constitute a link between humoral and cell-mediated immunity. The activation and downmodulation of immune responses are controlled by signals from activating and inhibitory FcR, expressed on the surface of immune cells. The signaling regions, defined as immunoreceptor-tyrosine-based activation motif and immunoreceptor-tyrosine-based inhibitory motif, are contained within the cytoplasmic domain of FcR or of the adaptor proteins associated with FcR. Activating and inhibitory FcR are usually coexpressed on the surface of the same cell and coengaged by the same ligand, functioning in concert to keep a balanced immune response. Impairment of the functional balance between activating and inhibitory FcR leads either to hyperactivity to foreign and self antigens or to unresponsiveness as seen in many autoimmune diseases and infections. Pathologic conditions in which immunoglobulin-FcR interactions play a major role, as well as the outcome of treatment with intravenous immunoglobulin and monoclonal antibodies, may be influenced by targeting FcR.

A pituitary gene encodes a protein that produces differentiation of breast and prostate cancer cells.

A cDNA clone of 1.1 kb encoding a 108-aa polypeptide was isolated from a human pituitary cDNA library by expression cloning. This protein was named tumor differentiation factor (TDF). The recombinant TDF protein and a 20-aa peptide, P1, selected from the ORF of the gene, induced morphological and biochemical changes consistent with differentiation of human breast and prostate cancer cells. Fibroblast, kidney, hepatoma, and leukemic lymphocytic cell lines were unaffected. Breast and prostate cancer cells aggregated in spheroid-like structures within 24 h of exposure to TDF. This effect was abrogated by a specific affinity-purified rabbit polyclonal anti-P1 Ab. E-cadherin expression was increased in a dose-dependent manner by TDF. Treatment of MCF7 cells with TDF led to production of a lactalbumin-related protein. Peptide P1 significantly decreased the growth of androgen-independent DU145 prostate cancer in severe combined immunodeficient mice. The presence of TDF protein in human sera was detected by the anti-P1 Ab, suggesting a role of TDF in endocrine metabolism. The fact that all activities of TDF can be mimicked by a peptide derived from the encoding TDF sequence opens the possibility of therapeutic applications.

Transformation of NIH 3T3 cells by enhanced PAR expression.

Prostate androgen regulated (PAR) is a 1038bp novel gene located on chromosome 1 in epidermal differentiation complex. The gene is ubiquitously expressed in normal tissues and is overexpressed in most of their malignant counterparts. PAR cellular function is unknown. Here we report the effect of increased PAR expression induced by transfection of PAR cDNA on NIH3T3 cell phenotype. PAR-NIH3T3 transfectants expressing 3- to 4-fold higher PAR levels compared to controls grew faster in tissue cultures, formed colonies in soft agar, and exhibited a shortening of G1 and S phases of cell cycle and formed tumors in SCID mice. Transfection of NIH3T3 cells with increased ectopic PAR expression with a 22 mer oligonucleotide in antisense orientation with PAR mRNA abrogated their ability to form colonies in soft agar. The data presented here along with our previously reported results on DU145 cells transfected with antisense PAR cDNA suggest that PAR gene behaves like a proto-oncogene.