Proteases and their inhibitors as prognostic factors for high-grade serous ovarian cancer

Ovarian carcinoma is one of the most lethal malignancies, but only very few prognostic biomarkers are known. The degradome, comprising proteases, protease non-proteolytic homologues and inhibitors, have been involved in the prognosis of many cancer types, including ovarian carcinoma. The prognostic significance of the whole degradome family has not been specifically studied in high-grade serous ovarian cancer. A targeted DNA microarray known as the CLIP-CHIP microarray was used to identify potential prognostic factors in ten high-grade serous ovarian cancer women who had early recurrence (<1.6 years) or late/no recurrence after first line surgery and chemotherapy. In women with early recurrence, we identified seven upregulated genes (TMPRSS4, MASP1/3, SPC18, PSMB1, IGFBP2, CFI – encoding Complement Factor I – and MMP9) and one down-regulated gene (ADAM-10). Using immunohistochemistry, we evaluated the prognostic effect of these 8 candidate genes in an independent cohort of 112 high-grade serous ovarian cancer women. Outcomes were progression, defined according to CA-125 criteria, and death. Multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression models were done to estimate the associations between each protein and each outcome. High ADAM-10 expression (intensity of 2–3) was associated with a lower risk of progression (adjusted hazard ratio (HR): 0.51; 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.29-0.87). High complement factor I expression (intensity 2–3) was associated with a higher risk of progression (adjusted HR: 2.30, 95% CI: 1.17–4.53) and death (adjusted HR: 3.42; 95% CI: 1.72–6.79). Overall, we identified the prognostic value of two proteases, ADAM-10 and complement factor I, for high-grade serous ovarian cancer which could have clinical significance.     

应用激光显微分离技术在骨肉瘤组织原位筛选噬菌体肽库

目的将激光显微分离(laser capture microdissection, LCM) 技术应用于噬菌体表面呈现肽库的筛选过程,建立一种可以直接在天然组织中筛选肽库的方法。方法将新鲜人骨肉瘤组织块在噬菌体肽库溶液振荡孵育后制成组织冰冻切片,免疫组化染色检测噬菌体在组织中的浸润扩散。改进常规LCM切片处理方法,以冻干法替代酒精/二甲苯法脱水,以期在LCM操作过程中提高切片上噬菌体的存活率。LCM法分离摄取骨肉瘤切片上的肿瘤靶细胞,转染回收这些细胞上特异结合的噬菌体。滴定法检测所筛选的噬菌体对特异性细胞的亲和力。结果利用LCM技术,可以由肿瘤冰冻切片上收集到足够的与特异性噬菌体短肽,应用于噬菌体表面呈现肽库筛选。经过3轮筛选后所获得的噬菌体与人骨肉瘤组织的特异性亲和力提高16倍。结论本研究首次将LCM技术应用于噬菌体表面呈现肽库的筛选,可以使我们直接在新鲜人肿瘤组织中筛选与特定细胞群甚至单个细胞亲合的短肽;同时又避免了天然组织中其他杂质细胞的污染,为研制细胞特异性导向载体提供了一个新的途径。     

Triploid origin of the gibel carp as revealed by 5S rDNA localization and chromosome painting

5S ribosomal DNA (rDNA) was isolated and sequenced from the gibel carp Carassius auratus gibelio with 162 chromosomes and crucian carp Carassius auratus with 100 chromosomes, and fluorescent probes for chromosome localization were prepared to ascertain the ploidy origin and evolutionary relationship between the two species. Using fluorescence in-situ hybridization (FISH), major 5S rDNA signals were localized to the short arms of three subtelocentric chromosomes in the gibel carp and to the short arms of two subtelocentrics in the crucian carp. In addition, some minor signals were detected on other chromosomes of both species. Simultaneously, six chromosomes were microdissected from the gibel carp metaphase spreads using glass needles, and the isolated chromosomes were amplified in vitro by degenerate oligonucleotide primed-polymerase chain reaction (DOP-PCR). Significantly, when the DOP-PCR-generated probes prepared from each single chromosome were hybridized, three same-sized chromosomes were painted in each gibel carp metaphase, whereas only two painted chromosomes were observed in each crucian carp metaphase spread. The data indicate that gibel carp is of triploid origin in comparison with diploid crucian carp.     

前列腺上皮内瘤变的基因微阵列分析

目的:通过基因微阵列分析,研究经显微切割后的前列腺上皮内瘤变(PIN)的基因表达谱,并将其与前列腺良性增生(BPH)及前列腺癌的mRNA基因表达谱进行对比,探讨前列腺癌的发生、发展,检测PIN及前列腺癌的肿瘤标志物。方法:采用美国Affymetrix公司的HG-U133A基因芯片,检测了16例人的前列腺组织标本,包括5例良性标本,6例PIN以及5例前列腺癌标本,均为新鲜冰冻组织。为了精确获得上皮细胞基因表达谱,避免周围间质细胞及单核细胞的RNA 对结果的影响,我们采用了激光捕获显微切割技术,分别得到了3组纯的上皮细胞群进行研究。结果:有些基因的表达强度在从良性增生到PIN到癌的转化过程中,呈逐渐改变的趋势,但笔者发现3组间基因表达谱存在非常显著的差异。与BPH及前列腺癌相比,PIN有其独特的基因表达谱。结论:基因表达谱中显著上调及下调的特异性基因,可以将PIN 和BPH及前列腺癌中区分开来;基因微阵列分析也有助于揭示代谢通路及信号转导途径的变化,有利于靶基因治疗。     

Expression of inhibin alpha, glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor and stem cell factor in Sertoli cell-only syndrome: relation to successful sperm retrieval by microdissection testicular sperm extraction

BACKGROUND: Microdissection testicular sperm extraction (TESE) has provided new hope for successful sperm retrieval to patients with Sertoli cell-only syndrome (SCO). We determined expression of the inhibin alpha subunit, glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) and stem cell factor (SCF) in Sertoli cells obtained from patients with SCO immunohistochemically and compared expression rates with rates of microdissection TESE sperm retrieval. METHODS: Testicular biopsy specimens were obtained from 52 men with non-obstructive azoospermia who underwent microdissection TESE and were diagnosed with SCO by histological analysis. RESULTS: All specimens showed intense staining for the inhibin alpha subunit. Moderate or intense staining for GDNF was observed in 65.8% of specimens. All but one showed moderate or intense staining for SCF. Among specimens negative for GDNF, the sperm retrieval rate was significantly higher (100%) for specimens with intense staining for SCF than for specimens with no or moderate staining (30.7%) (P<0.05) for SCF. CONCLUSION: GDNF expression differs among patients with SCO. The sperm retrieval rate was high in cases of no staining for GDNF and intense staining for SCF.     

Isolation of DNA from the centromere of human chromosome 7 by microdissection

Centromeres remain the least characterized regions of human chromosomes because they have a very high content of repetitive DNA. Here, we describe a micro-dissection library from the centromeric region of human chromosome 7 and its use for generating sequence tagged sites (STSs). The library contains about 1500 clones with an average insert size of 150 bp and only about 15% of the clones harbour repetitive human DNA. Seven clones hybridizing to alphoid DNA were found to correspond to a fragment of the D7Z2 alphoid array on chromosome 7, thus confirming the origin of the library. A number of clones not containing known repetitive DNA were used to generate STSs that identified yeast artificial chromosomes (YACs) and in turn allowed the STSs to be placed on the physical map. One STS is located between the two Genethon genetic markers closest to the centromere on the q side. Another STS was located 3–4 cM away in 7q11.2, while a third identified YACs containing both low-copy and alphoid sequences that are not yet mapped but are clearly centromeric. The library therefore comprises a collection of sequences from the centromeric region of chromosome 7 that can be used to generate STSs and to map the entire centromeric region.This revised version was published online in November 2005 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

The origin of human chromosome 2 analyzed by comparative chromosome mapping with a DNA microlibrary

Fluorescencein situ hybridization (FISH) of microlibraries established from distinct chromosome subregions can test the evolutionary conservation of chromosome bands as well as chromosomal rearrangements that occurred during primate evolution and will help to clarify phylogenetic relationships. We used a DNA library established by microdissection and microcloning from the entire long arm of human chromosome 2 for fluorescencein situ hybridization and comparative mapping of the chromosomes of human, great apes (Pan troglodytes, Pan paniscus, Gorilla gorilla, Pongo pygmaeus) and Old World monkeys (Macaca fuscata andCercopithecus aethiops). Inversions were found in the pericentric region of the primate chromosome 2p homologs in great apes, and the hybridization pattern demonstrates the known phylogenetically derived telomere fusion in the line that leads to human chromosome 2. The hybridization of the 2q microlibrary to chromosomes of Old World monkeys gave a different pattern from that in the gorilla and the orang-utan, but a pattern similar to that of chimpanzees. This suggests convergence of chromosomal rearrangements in different phylogenetic lines.     

Thrombopoietin receptor (Mpl) expression by megakaryocytes in myeloproliferative disorders

The thrombopoietin receptor (Mpl) is involved in the pathogenesis of chronic myeloproliferative disorders (CMPD). In this study, we determined Mpl expression by bone marrow cells and megakaryocytes in CMPD by applying laser microdissection, real-time RT-PCR, and immunohistochemistry. Mpl mRNA expression was significantly increased up to 9-fold in total bone marrow cells (p < 0.001) and up to 4-fold in megakaryocytes in chronic myeloproliferative disorders (n = 73) compared to normal controls (n = 26, p = 0.01). Immunohistochemistry revealed heterogeneous Mpl expression by megakaryocytes in CMPD with a stronger accentuation in idiopathic myelofibrosis (IMF) in comparison to polycythaemia vera (PV) and essential thrombocythemia (ET). In addition to megakaryocytes, the erythropoietic lineage was prominently labelled by Mpl antiserum, with considerably stronger staining in polycythaemia vera. We conclude that, in CMPD, megakaryocytes and erythroid cells exhibit increased Mpl expression levels which may contribute to the sustained proliferation of both cell lineages in CMPD.