Involvement of E-cadherin and beta-catenin in germ cell tumours and in normal male fetal germ cell development

Intercellular contacts, mediated by E-cadherin, are essential for germ cell migration and maturation. Furthermore, it has been suggested that decrease or loss of E-cadherin correlates with tumour progression and invasive behaviour. beta-catenin is involved in a number of different processes, including cell--cell interaction when bound to cadherins, and determination of cell fate in pluripotent cells when activated via the Wnt signal-transduction pathway. To shed more light on the role of these factors in normal fetal germ cell development and the pathogenesis of germ cell tumours (GCTs), the present study investigated the presence and localization of E-cadherin and beta-catenin by immunohistochemistry. E-cadherin was only weakly expressed in or absent from fetal germ cells of the second and third trimesters, and was not expressed in carcinoma in situ/intratubular germ cell neoplasia unclassified (CIS/ITGCNU) and gonadoblastoma, the precursor of an invasive GCT in dysgenetic gonads. In GCTs, it was generally not expressed in seminoma and dysgerminoma, but was found in the vast majority of non-seminoma cells. beta-catenin was found in the cytoplasm of fetal germ cells at all gestational ages and in spermatogenesis in post-pubertal testes. It was also present in CIS/ITGCNU and gonadoblastoma. Whereas seminomas and dysgerminoma were negative, non-seminoma cells were frequently found to express beta-catenin. Expression of both factors therefore reflects the degree of differentiation of these tumours. No differences for either E-cadherin or beta-catenin were observed between samples of tumours resistant or sensitive to chemotherapy, and E-cadherin expression did not correlate with vascular invasion. E-cadherin and beta-catenin therefore play a role in both normal and malignant germ cell development and differentiation that warrants further investigation, but they seem to be of limited value as predictive or prognostic factors in GCTs.     

主要常见病甲襞微循环改变重复性的研究

在目前不能直接观测病人内部器官微循环改变的条件下，应用模糊聚类的理论和方法，对主要常见病有意义的的甲襞微循环改变进行聚类，同时参考国内外相关文献的结果，提出了主要常见病有意义的甲襞微循环改变群。在改变群中任意提出3、4、5、6、7、8项改变指标，形成改变组合，一种组合重复出现二次以上的重复率，随组合改变指标数的增多而减少（70．36％～4．36％）。将改变群分成重要指标和参考指标二类，从每类中提出三项形成组合，重复率仅为0．34％。说明组合方式的影响十分巨大。经过反复探索、大量实践，有可能找出对疾病的符合率较高、漏诊率较低、误诊率较小的最佳组合方式。     

Evidence for Classically Conditioned Fatigue Responses in Patients Receiving Chemotherapy Treatment for Breast Cancer

Fatigue is the most common side effect of chemotherapy for cancer. Not yet explored is the possibility that patients may develop conditioned fatigue responses to clinic cues as a result of the repeated pairing of the clinic environment (conditioned stimulus) with infusions of chemotherapy (unconditioned stimulus) that cause fatigue (unconditioned response). As a first critical test of this possibility, breast cancer patients (N = 82) were studied across their first four cycles of chemotherapy. Consistent with conditioning: (1) fatigue levels in the clinic environment significantly increased with repeated pairings of the clinic environment and chemotherapy administration; (2) fatigue responses in the clinic environment prior to the fourth infusion (CR) were predicted by patients’ previous experiences of post-infusion fatigue (UR) above and beyond effects of concurrent emotional distress. These results provide the first evidence in the literature that fatigue can be conditioned. Additional research is warranted to determine the clinical importance of this source of fatigue in chemotherapy patients.     

顺铂和替加氟联合放疗治疗中晚期食管癌疗效观察

目的观察顺铂和替加氟联合放疗治疗食管癌的临床疗效及其毒副反应。方法2003年1月至2006年2月对60例食管癌患者采取顺铂20mg·m-2·d,替加氟750mg·m-2·d,连用5天,序贯放疗60~70Gy/6~7周。结果60例患者中,CR24例,PR18例,SD9例,PD9例,RR(CR+PR)为70·0%,主要毒副作用为骨髓抑制、恶心呕吐。肝肾功损害及口腔炎、静脉炎等较轻。结论顺铂和替加氟联合放疗治疗食管癌疗效好,耐受性好值得推广应用。     

紫杉醇联合草酸铂、卡培他滨三药方案治疗晚期转移性鼻咽癌的临床研究

目的探讨紫杉醇联合草酸铂、卡培他滨三药方案治疗晚期转移性鼻咽癌的疗效及不良反应。方法2002年1月至2005年1月，110例晚期转移性鼻咽癌病人入组：试验组55例患者．第1天应用紫杉醇135mg／m^2、草酸铂130mg／m。静脉滴注，口服卡培他滨1650mg／m^2／d，连服l-14d，每3周为一个周期，连用2-4个周期；对照组55例患者，第1-5天应用DDP 20mg／m^2、5-Fu 0．5g／m^2静脉注射，3周为一个周期，连用2-4个周期；治疗结束2-4周后评价疗效。结果试验组疗效可评价55例，对照组疗效可评价53例。试验组与对照组有效率分别为（CR＋PR）50．9％（28例）和32．1％（17例），两者差异有统计学意义（P〈0．05）。试验组和对照组中位生存时间为10．6个月和8．6个月，两者差异有统计学意义（t〈0．05）。安全性方面：试验组Ⅳ反应主要为手足综合征8例（14．5％）、骨髓抑制2例（3．6％）和消化道毒性4例（7.3％）；对照组Ⅳ反应主要为消化道毒性8例（15.1％）、骨髓抑制2例（3.8％）。结论紫杉醇联合草酸铂、卡培他滨三药方案对晚期转移性鼻咽癌的疗效较DDP＋5-Fu有优势，且不良反应可以耐受。     

Increased aneuploidy in spermatozoa from testicular tumour patients after chemotherapy with cisplatin, etoposide and bleomycin

Testicular cancer is the most common neoplasia occurring in the young male population. The PEB (cisplatin, etoposide and bleomycin) adjuvant chemotherapy usually proposed after orchidectomy in non seminomatous tumours, and in metastatic seminomas, has improved the long-term survival of these patients. Following an azoospermic period, sperm cell recovery is generally observed after treatment delivery, but little is known about the genetic consequences on these new spermatozoa. To estimate the chromosomal consequences of this chemotherapy on sperm cells during the period of recovery of spermatogenesis, sperm cell aneuploidy was studied in testicular cancer patients, at 6-18 months after PEB adjuvant chemotherapy delivery, using fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH) of chromosomes 7, 16, 18, X and Y with specific DNA probes. A significant increase in the frequency of diploidy and disomy for chromosomes 16, 18 and XY was observed in treated patients compared with a healthy control group. Spermatozoa aneuploidy occurring during the spermatogenesis recovery period might be a possible side effect of the PEB regimen. Thus, practitioners should be advised to provide counselling about the need for an appropriate duration of contraception. Moreover, genetic counselling should be offered in cases of pregnancy occurring soon after the end of chemotherapy.     

After chemotherapy,functional humoral response capacity is restored before complete restoration of lymphoid compartments

Chemotherapy has, besides the beneficial effects, several adverse effects. Suppression of the immune system is one of the most important problems. Infections caused by encapsulated bacteria like Streptococcus pneumoniae are responsible for a major part of infectious problems during and after treatment. The splenic marginal zone is essential in the initiation of an immune response to encapsulated bacteria. In this study, we analysed the effects of three different cytostatic agents on humoral immune responses. We found a reduced, but detectable immune response capacity at two days after treatment although the marginal zone B cell population is severely reduced at this time point. Twenty-four days after cessation of treatment, the immune response capacity was largely restored although lymphoid compartments were still not completely restored at that time point. Apparently, the presence of only few marginal zone B cells is sufficient to evoke a rise in antibody titres and although antibody titre increases are low, even small rises are most likely clinically relevant.     

Fluoropyrimidine chemotherapy in a rat model: comparison of fluorouracil metabolite profiles determined by high-field 19F-NMR spectroscopy of tissues ex vivo with therapy response and toxicity for locoregional vs systemic infusion protocols

A Sprague-Dawley rat model with DS sarcoma transplanted in the thigh was used to compare transcatheter locoregional i.a. and systemic i.v. administration of 5-fluorouracil (FU) at 12 dose-rate schedules: 25, 50 and 100 mg/kg; bolus, 1, 5 and 24 h infusions. In experiment A tumor (62/67 animals) as well as liver and kidney (56/67 animals) were excised 1 h after a single bolus or 1 h infusion or at the end of 5 and 24 h infusions. (19)F-NMR spectroscopy at 11.7 T was used to quantitate FU and its metabolites in ca. 1 g of tissue at 4 degrees C. In experiment B analogous FU treatments were repeated for 5 days (rats 80+11 controls). Tumor volumes vs time, various blood parameters and survival times were recorded, and a log growth rate parameter log GR, a response index RI, and a toxicity index TI were calculated. The i.a. vs i.v. ratios for tumor concentrations of FU and total anabolites (F-Nucl) were >1 for nearly all treatments and increased with infusion time at the higher doses. F-Nucl in tumor correlated linearly with total fluorine concentration (Tot. F range 30-1100 nmol/g) over all treatments (r=0.92, slope=0.45, p<0.0001). For non-bolus i.v. treatments [FU+F-Nucl] decreased linearly with decreasing FU dose rate (r(2)=0.74, zero intercept), while i.a. treatments showed non-linear behavior. For non-bolus treatments the mean log GR per treatment group showed a negative correlation (r=-0.87) with log[F-Nucl]. The most effective non-toxic treatments were 25 mg/kg over 5 or 24 h; the i.a. route was superior to i.v. on the basis of [FU+F-Nucl], RI, the reduction in log GR, and Kaplan-Meier survival statistics. For liver and kidney Tot. F (>83% FU catabolites) reached ca. 3-4 and 6-7 micromol/g, respectively, at the highest dose rates for either route; F-Nucl were detected only for Tot. F>500 nmol/g and increased exponentially as Tot. F increased (toxic treatments). The concentrations of the main catabolite (alpha-fluoro-beta-alanine, FBAL) in tumor did not correlate with Tot. F but rather with FBAL levels in kidney (r=0.90, all treatments), indicating that uptake of liver-derived FBAL from the circulation is the major source of FBAL in tumor.