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Biomedical subjects

A Batistatou

Publications and source records attributed to A Batistatou.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Selenium in serum and neoplastic tissue in breast cancer: correlation with CEA.

Trace element selenium (Se) is regarded to be a breast cancer preventive factor involved in multiple protective pathways. In all, 80 women with breast cancer who underwent a radical mastectomy were enrolled in the study. Serum Se and carcinoembryonic antigen levels were measured using a fluorometric and IRMA assay, respectively. Se tissue concentration was determined by a tissue extracting fluorometric assay. For statistical analysis purposes t-test was used and P-values <0.001 were regarded as statistically significant. Serum Se was 42.5+/-7.5 microg l(-1) in breast cancer patients and 67.6+/-5.36 microg l(-1) in the age-matched control group of healthy individuals. Serum carcinoembryonic antigen in patients was 10+/-1.7 U ml(-1) (normal <2.5 U ml(-1) in nonsmokers/<3.5 U ml(-1) in smokers). A statistically significant difference was found for both serum Se and CEA between two groups studied (P<0.001). Neoplastic tissue Se concentration was 2,660+/-210 mg g(-1) tissue; its concentration in the adjacent non-neoplastic tissue was 680+/-110 mg g(-1) tissue (P<0.001). An inverse relationship between Se and CEA serum levels was found in the two groups studied (r=-0.794). There was no correlation between serum/tissue Se concentration and stage of the disease. The decrease in serum Se concentration as well as its increased concentration in the neoplastic breast tissue is of great significance. These alterations may reflect part of the defence mechanisms against the carcinogenetic process.

Breast Neoplasms↗
PubMed2006

Skin-deep love.

Histological findings in biopsies from skin and non-keratinising squamous epithelium of two patients with nevus and fibrous epulis, respectively, are presented.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Correlation of mammographic appearance and molecular prognostic factors in high-grade breast carcinomas.

The aim of our study was to evaluate the association between the mammographic appearance and the biologic characteristics of high-grade breast carcinomas. Three hundred and twenty patients with breast carcinomas were studied. Histological examination showed 83 (26%) high-grade ductal carcinomas. Immunohistochemistry was carried out by using antibodies against estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), HER-2/neu, p53 and cathepsin D. In 60/83 high-grade carcinomas we studied the mammographic appearance. Asymmetric density with poorly defined margins without microcalcifications was the major mammographic finding in 49/60 (approximately 82%) high-grade ductal carcinomas. HER-2/neu positivity (68.7%) and p53 positivity (48.2%) were statistically correlated with asymmetric density with poorly defined margins without microcalcifications in high-grade carcinomas. We observed loss of ER and PR receptors in 50%, whereas loss of PR receptors was observed in 65% of high-grade breast carcinomas. Cathepsin D (> 20%) was detected in 38.5% of high-grade carcinomas. Our findings suggest a significant relationship between mammographic appearance and biologic markers in high-grade breast carcinomas.

Adult↗
PubMed2006

Role and expression patterns of E-cadherin in head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC).

E- cadherin is a member of the cadherin superfamily known as the main mediator of the cell- cell calcium dependent adhesion interactions. Research evidence also yields to this adhesion molecule an important role in carcinogenesis and tumor progression. This review focuses on the differential expression of E- cadherin in the various anatomic sites of the human body where HNSCC arises. Controversies in the results of various studies are discussed and possible prospects for application of all this developing knowledge to prognosis and therapy of the disease are briefly mentioned.

Animals↗
PubMed2006

The role of CD44 adhesion molecule in oral cavity cancer.

CD44 is an adhesion molecule, member of the transmembrane glucoprotein family, with large number of isoforms identified in many human tissues, with particularly high expression in proliferating cells and squamous cell epithelium. This review is focused on the role of CD44 in the carcinogenesis of the oral cavity with special emphasis on its potential use for diagnosis and prognosis of cancer of oral cavity.

Biomarkers, Tumor↗
PubMed2006

The role of cadherin/catenin complex in malignant melanoma.

In the present review article the role of cadherin/catenin complex in cases of malignant melanoma is discussed in some detail. Cadherins represent the most important superfamily of adhesion molecules with epithelial E-cadherin being the most studied. Its role in normal state as well as in cancer invasion and metastasis and some other pathologies is crucial. E-cadherin expression is altered in malignant melanomas and its downregulation or absence is associated with melanoma invasion and metastasis potential. A shift from E-cadherin expression to neural N-cadherin expression in melanocytes is also detected in malignant melanomas formation. In addition, a discussion regarding the role of placental P-cadherin and vascular endothelial VE-cadherin as well as the recently identified molecule of dysadherin, is attempted in brief.

Cadherins↗
PubMed2005

Involvement of dysadherin and E-cadherin in the development of testicular tumours.

Testicular neoplasms are comprised of a variety of histologically different forms, and their pathogenesis has not been elucidated. Dysadherin is a recently described cell membrane glycoprotein, which has an anticell-cell adhesion function and downregulates E-cadherin. In this study, we examined immunohistochemically the expression of E-cadherin and dysadherin in 120 testicular neoplasms (37 seminomas-26 classic, five spermatocytic and six anaplastic-, 45 embryonal carcinomas, 10 mixed germ cell tumours, two yolk sac tumours, 10 mature and eight immature teratomas and eight non-Hodgkin B-cell lymphomas), clinical stage I. The intensity, the expression pattern and the percentage of neoplastic cell staining was recorded and correlated with the histologic type and vascular/lymphatic invasion. Dysadherin was not expressed in non-neoplastic germ cells, neither in CIS/ITGCNU, but it was highly expressed in all types of germ cell tumours, that demonstrated either embryonic phenotype or somatic differentiation, in most terminally differentiated neoplasms, and in all lymphomas. Dysadherin expression did not correlate with vascular invasion. Increased dysadherin expression was correlated with aberrant E-cadherin expression in most tumours. In 17% of embryonal carcinomas colocalisation of dysadherin and membranous E-cadherin staining was noted. This is the first report on dysadherin expression and its association with E-cadherin in testicular tumours. Since dysadherin is not normally expressed in non-neoplastic testis, it is conceivable that it plays a role in the neoplastic transformation of germ cells. In testicular tumours, as in other neoplasms, dysadherin downregulates E-cadherin expression, at least in part.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2005

Solitary fibrous tumour of the epididymis: MRI features.

We present a case of a solitary fibrous tumour, located at the epididymis, in a 65-year-old man, presented with a scrotal mass. Ultrasound and MRI of the scrotum revealed a paratesticular mass, with rich vascularity, arising in the left epididymis. Radiological findings were non-specific and the patient underwent surgery.

Aged↗
PubMed2005

The role of E-cadherin/catenin complex in laryngeal cancer.

In this review the role of the epithelial E-cadherin/catenin complex in cases of laryngeal cancer is discussed. Cancer of the larynx remains the second most common head and neck malignancy. The E-cadherin/catenin complex expression is abnormal in laryngeal squamous cell carcinomas. Loss or reduction of E-cadherin expression is especially observed in supraglottic larynx cancer in relation with poor histological differentiation and/or lymph nodes metastases. Controversial results in some studies regarding the role of the E-cadherin/catenin complex in various anatomical parts of the larynx have been reported. Further studies are needed to establish the importance of the E-cadherin/catenin complex as a potential biomarker in laryngeal cancer diagnosis and prognosis.

Animals↗
PubMed2005

Genetic models of human cancer as a multistep process. Paradigm models of colorectal cancer, breast cancer, and chronic myelogenous and acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.

Tumour formations arise as a consequence of alterations in the control of cell proliferation as well as with disorders in interactions between cells and their environment that result in invasion and metastasis. Recent advances in understanding the genetic basis of malignant diseases have been dominated by research in colorectal cancer. Genetic alterations of several proto-oncogenes and tumor-suppressor genes (e.g. APC/MCC, RAS, DCC, p53 mutations and/or allelic losses, hyperexpression of c-MYC and RB genes), as well as other genomic alterations, appear at characteristic stages of tumor development and are observed in most neoplasms. Generally, the normal cell has multiple independent mechanisms that regulate its growth and differentiation potential, and several separate events would, therefore, be needed to override these control mechanisms, as well as induce the other aspects of the transformed phenotype, like metastasis. These signals may be either positive or negative, and the acquisition of tumorigenicity results from genetic changes that affect these control points following a multistep mode. Statistics of the frequency of cancer incidence with age in humans indicate that for the genesis of e.g. lung carcinoma, five or six steps are required. Other types of cancers, such as leukemias and sarcomas, probably require quite a different number of rate-limiting changes. One of the best characterized tumours to provide a genetic model is colorectal tumorigenesis. Mutations implicated in breast cancer tumorigenicity are also studied and used as a genetic model in the literature worldwide. Finally, activation of c-abl in chronic myelogenous leukaemia (CML) and acute lymphoblastic leukaemia could also be presented as an example, which provides probably the strongest evidence for the role of proto-oncogenes in human malignancy process.

Breast Neoplasms↗
PubMed2004

Expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and association with microvessel density in small-cell and non-small-cell lung carcinomas.

Recent studies have demonstrated that tumor angiogenesis is a prognostic factor for various malignant neoplasms. Specifically, in non-small-cell lung carcinomas (NSCLCs) most reports show an association between neovascularization and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression as well as the presence of metastases and survival, although a few reports do not agree with these findings. Angiogenesis is not clearly characterized in small-cell lung carcinomas (SCLCs), since they are rarely treated by surgery, and thus the available tissue for biological characterization is sparse. The aim of the present study was to investigate angiogenesis and the expression of VEGF in lung tumors. We examined 88 non-small-cell and 39 small-cell lung carcinomas. Angiogenesis was estimated by determining microvessel counts, with the use of anti-CD31 and anti-factor VIII antibodies and expression of VEGF was also evaluated immunohistochemically. Our data showed that in NSCLCs angiogenesis was more prominent in poorly-differentiated neoplasms and correlated with VEGF expression, therefore it is at least in part mediated by the latter. Interestingly, in SCLCs a higher vascularization was noted. However, there was no strong association with VEGF expression. Thus, small-cell lung carcinoma may represent a suitable neoplasm for testing antiangiogenic drugs in combination with chemotherapy. Nevertheless, antiangiogenic therapy should not be targeted specifically to the VEGF pathway, since in SCLCs other mediators of angiogenesis may be important as well.

Aged↗
PubMed2004

p63 expression in benign and malignant breast lesions.

The p63 gene encodes six protein isoforms. The transactivating isoforms have similar actions with p53, while the N-isoforms inhibit transcription activation by p53 and transactivating isoforms. p63 is expressed in stratified epithelia and in basal cells of the prostate and salivary glands. In mammary epithelium p63 has been shown to be expressed only in the myoepithelial layer. In the present study we investigated the immunohistochemical expression of p63, in benign and malignant breast lesions, and compared it with known myoepithelial cell markers. Our material consisted of 140 benign and 126 malignant breast lesions. We used the antibodies anti-p63, anti-alpha-smooth muscle actin, anti-S-100 protein and anti-cytokeratin 14. In all benign lesions, p63 immunoreactivity was noted in the myoepithelial cell layer surrounding the luminal epithelial cells. A less continuous peripheral rim of myoepithelial cells was also highlighted with p63-staining in all situ carcinomas. All invasive breast carcinomas were devoided of peripheral p63 staining. Interestingly, strong nuclear p63 immunoreactivity was noted in a small fraction (5-15%) of epithelial cells in all cases of papillomatosis, in 62.5% of in situ ductal papillary-type carcinomas and in 33.3% of invasive papillary carcinomas. Comparable staining was observed with S-100. The stromal cells were unreactive to p63. Our findings suggest that p63 is a sensitive and specific myoepithelial marker, and may be included in immunohistochemical panels aiming to identify myoepithelial cells in problematic breast lesions. Regarding papillary neoplasms, it is possible that tumor cells acquire and exhibit at least in part a myoepithelial differentiation program.

Actins↗
PubMed2004

Estrogen receptor beta (ERbeta) expression in breast carcinomas is not correlated with estrogen receptor alpha (ERalpha) and prognosis: the Greek experience.

Estrogen receptors (ER) are members of the nuclear receptor superfamily of ligand-activated transcription factors and mediate the effects of estrogen on target tissues. ERalpha was the first estrogen receptor to be characterized, and ERbeta was identified ten years later. The role of ERbeta in breast cancer pathobiology is largely unknown because specific antibodies have not been available until recently. The purpose of this study was to explore the expression of ERbeta in breast neoplasms and to correlate it with ERalpha and prognosis. ERa and ERbeta expression was monitored immunohistochemically in 59 breast carcinomas. We found no correlation between ERalpha and ERbeta expression, between ERbeta expression and the known prognostic indicators such as tumor size, grade or lymph node status, or between ERbeta expression and survival. Our findings contribute to the better understanding of the role of ERbeta in breast cancer.

Adult↗