Biomedical subjects

B J Folz

Publications and source records attributed to B J Folz.

14 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1998

[Re-amplification of differentially expressed mRNA fragments of head-neck cancers without cloning].

BACKGROUND: mRNA expression of healthy and malignant cells can be compared to each other by employing the "differential display" (DD) technique. Most studies describe sequence analysis of differentially expressed fragments after reamplification by a second round of PCR and subsequent molecular cloning to gain a sufficient amount of DNA for sequencing. The aim of this study was to show whether a sufficient amount of differentially expressed mRNA of squamous cell carcinoma cells of the head and neck region can be generated by PCR alone without cloning steps. MATERIAL AND METHODS: mRNA isolated from cultivated keratinocytes and squamous cell carcinoma cells was reverse transcribed into cDNA which was amplified with PCR. Differentially expressed fragments detected after gel electrophoresis were isolated from the gel and reamplified in a second PCR. The resulting cDNA amounts of the second PCR were suitable for cloning but not for direct sequencing. A third round of PCR with the undiluted final product of the second PCR as template regularly failed. Dilutions of the second PCR products between 1:10 and 1:10(10) were prepared. The third round of PCR was carried out with these various template concentrations. RESULTS: A sufficient amount of differentially expressed fragments for sequencing procedures resulted when dilutions of the second PCR products ranging from 1:10(2) to 1:10(7) were used as templates in the third round of PCR. CONCLUSION: Modifications of PCR parameters provide high DNA copy numbers of differentially expressed mRNA fragments from squamous cell carcinoma cells of the upper aerodigestive tract in amounts that are needed for sequence analysis. This may make it possible to avoid labor-intensive cloning procedures requiring high safety standards.

Base Sequence↗

PubMed1998

[Primary mucous membrane melanoma of the base of the tongue].

BACKGROUND: Primary mucosal melanoma of the tongue is an absolute rarity. A review of the literature revealed only 28 cases. PATIENT: The following report deals with an 87-year-old male patient who developed a primary melanoma of the left base of his tongue. The melanoma was excised with the CO2 laser. The patient refused surgical removal of the lymph nodes as well as radiation therapy. RESULTS: The laser resection of the melanoma led to a local control of the tumor at its primary site until the patient died from a stroke 30 months after the initial diagnosis. CONCLUSION: Limited melanoma of the mucosa of the tongue can be excised with the CO2 laser, if the resection can be performed with margins of healthy tissue as large as those in conventional surgery. Surgical therapy with primary palliative intention seems also to be adequate as relief of local symptoms can be achieved even for a longer period of time.

Aged↗

PubMed1998

Ultrasound-guided interstitial Nd: YAG laser treatment of voluminous hemangiomas and vascular malformations in 92 patients.

In many cases voluminous vascular anomalies of the head and neck region are still treated with conventional surgery, although neodymium:yttrium-aluminum-garnet (Nd:YAG) laser therapy offers a valuable treatment alternative. Ninety-two patients with voluminous hemangiomas and vascular malformations were treated with interstitial Nd:YAG laser therapy (power density, 1300 to 3300 W/cm2), partly complemented by a noncontact-mode Nd:YAG laser light application (energy density, 1000 to 2500 J/cm2). The vascular tumors had a diameter of more than 3 cm in at least two dimensions. Treatment was carried out under ultrasound and manual control. Nearly 60% of the patients (n = 55) showed a complete clinical regression. Thirty-three patients (35.8%) had a partial regression and were satisfied with the treatment outcome. Four patients were treated unsuccessfully with the laser, and three of them subsequently underwent conventional surgery. Only nine of the 92 patients (9.8%) showed cosmetic or functional impairments. The results of this first consecutive series study with a retrospective clinical evaluation of the interstitial Nd:YAG laser therapy of voluminous hemangiomas and vascular malformations in a large patient group demonstrate a high effectiveness of this novel therapy modality.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1998

Differentially expressed genes in head and neck cancer.

Carcinogenesis is considered a multistep process. To further elucidate involved genetic changes, the differential display method was applied to compare gene expression of head and neck carcinoma cells and normal keratinocytes from the upper aerodigestive tract. Total RNA was extracted from cultured squamous carcinoma cells and keratinocytes. mRNA was reverse transcribed into cDNA, amplified by PCR, and separated on a gel. Currently three DNA transcripts were identified with a length of 191 to 336 base pairs (bp) that were either expressed only by the keratinocytes or by the malignant cells. Differentially expressed DNA fragments of the carcinoma cells and the keratinocytes were cloned and sequenced. A gene bank database search identified one fragment expressed by the carcinoma cells as an unknown gene, another one found in the keratinocytes as probably a part of the human cell attachment domain, and the third one with homology to the mRNA of the human epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). Northern blot analysis confirmed the differential expression in the malignant cells or the keratinocytes. Differential display seems to confirm the well-known overexpression and up-regulation of the EGFR, the differential expression of the cell attachment domain may play a role as a cofactor in carcinogenesis of head and neck cancer, and the third unknown fragment is still under investigation to elucidate the role in carcinogenesis.

Base Sequence↗

PubMed1997

Microendoscopic treatment of the hypopharyngeal diverticulum with the CO2 laser.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE: The hypopharyngeal (Zenker's) diverticulum is a herniation of mucosa and submucosa on the posterior wall of the pharynx. The only treatment is surgical. STUDY DESIGN/MATERIAL AND METHODS: Between 1976 and 1993, 109 patients with a hypopharyngeal diverticulum were operated on at the Department of Otorhinolaryngology, Head and Neck Surgery, University of Kiel, either transcutaneously combined with a cricopharyngeal myotomy (n = 76), or microendoscopically (n = 37) using the CO2 laser. Results and complications of both techniques were evaluated and compared. RESULTS: With both surgical procedures, > 90% of the patients were treated successfully. The rate of postoperative complications was generally low. In comparison to the microendoscopic procedure, serious complications were found to be more frequent in patients treated with the conventional transcutaneous diverticulectomy. CONCLUSION: The laser surgical tissue bridge dissection is a less invasive, quick, relatively safe, and effective procedure requiring only short hospitalisation. Therefore, the laser surgical tissue bridge dissection can be considered as the method of choice for the treatment of the hypopharyngeal diverticulum.

Adult↗

PubMed1997

p53 serum antibodies as prognostic indicator in head and neck cancer.

p53 antibodies are a new serological parameter of unknown potential in patients with malignancies. Their occurrence has been described in various types of cancer patients. The mechanism underlying the immunization process is still unclear. We investigated the incidence of p53 serum antibodies in 143 head and neck cancer patients with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The posttherapy course of two matched study groups (n = 38 each), one p53-antibody-seropositive and one p53-antibody-seronegative, was followed up for 24 months. Thirty-nine head and neck cancer patients (27.3%) were seropositive for p53 antibodies. During the follow-up, the p53-antibody-seropositive patients accounted for more local tumor recurrences (n = 12 versus n = 8) and more tumor-related deaths (n = 11 versus n = 5) than did seronegative patients, and second primary tumors (n = 9 versus n = 0) occurred exclusively in seropositive patients. In total, therapy failures (recurrences, tumor-related deaths, second primaries) were observed in 17/38 cases (44.7%) in the p53-antibody-seropositive group and in 8/38 cases (21.1%) in the p53-antibody-seronegative group. These results, after a follow-up of 2 years, seem to indicate a prognostic value of p53 serum antibodies for therapy failure in patients with head and neck cancer.

Adult↗

PubMed1997

[Reproducibility of nonradioactive DDRT-PCR method for detection of gene expression in squamous epithelial carcinoma cells of the upper aerodigestive tract].

BACKGROUND: The analysis of the gene spectrum in tumor and normal cells may provide information about genes involved in the differentiation or in the genesis of tumors. Differential Display Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction (DDRT-PCR) is an innovative method that enables quick analysis of almost all mRNA molecules expressed in the cells. METHODS: In the trials, the mRNAs of keratinocytes and tumor cells were amplified by a number of oligonucleotide pairs after reverse transcription and resolved on polyacrylamide gel. A modified protocol for the amplification of cDNA probes was devised for detecting PCR products with silver nitrate. RESULTS: After reverse transcription of mRNAs, all cDNA samples were successfully amplified using the protocol devised for the silver nitrate DDRT-PCR, and the differentially expressed fragments were reproducibly demonstrated. CONCLUSIONS: The high reproducibility and feasibility of silver nitrate DDRT-PCR expand the alternatives for analyzing gene expression and detecting selectively expressed genes in different kinds of cells.

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell↗

PubMed1997

[Mucous membrane melanomas of the upper aerodigestive tract. An analysis of 34 cases].

BACKGROUND: Malignant mucosal melanoma of the upper aerodigestive tract is a rare disease. The prognosis is expected to be significantly worse than the prognosis of cutaneous melanoma and so far no uniform therapeutic concept exists. Publications about mucosal melanoma are scarce and reported patient groups are usually small. PATIENTS: Thirty-four patients have been registered at the ENT Department of the University of Kiel Medical Center with the diagnosis mentioned above. Clinical data were obtained from the patient's charts, the minimum follow-up was three years. RESULTS: Most common site of the tumor was the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses with 28 of 34 patients. Less frequently affected was the nasopharynx (three cases), oropharynx, larynx, and middle ear (one case each). All patients were caucasians and most of them were of an advanced age (66.9 years +/- 12.3). Treatment of choice was surgical resection in 27 cases, in four cases it was combined with radiation therapy, in one case with radiation therapy and chemotherapy, and in three cases with chemotherapy. Six patients received solely radiation therapy, one patient was only treated by chemotherapy. Patients who were treated by a combined approach had a more favourable outcome than patients who were treated by a monotherapy of surgery, radiation therapy, or chemotherapy. A high number of recurrences were observed, which occurred on an average of 16.6 months after the diagnosis of the primary tumor. Overall 5-year survival was 45.8%, the 10-year survival rate was 22.3%. CONCLUSIONS: Optimized combined therapeutical approaches might possibly improve the prognosis of mucosal melanoma of the upper aerodigestive tract. Intervals between follow-ups should be short to render detection of relapses at an early stage. Repeated therapy of recurrent disease might lengthen survival.

Combined Modality Therapy↗

PubMed1997

[Detection of differentially expressed genes in head-neck carcinomas].

BACKGROUND: Carcinogenesis is generally considered a multistage process based on many alterations of the genetic substance. These alterations lead to many qualitative and quantitative changes in gene expression with subsequent malignant transformation of the cell. Only a few of these genetic alterations are identified yet. METHODS: The differential display reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction was employed to detect differentially expressed genes in head and neck cancer. The mRNA expression of cultivated keratinocytes of the upper aerodigestive tract was compared to the one of cultivated squamous cell carcinoma cells of the larynx, hypopharynx, and floor of the mouth. RESULTS: A total of 116 differentially expressed gene fragments were identified. They were either solely expressed by the malignant cells or the keratinocytes or in just one carcinoma cell entity. Forty-three of the 116 DNA fragments were sequenced successfully. In four cases the specific differential expression was confirmed by Northern blot hybridisation in comparison to keratinocytes, normal mucosa, and 3 benign tumors from the head and neck region. A gene bank search revealed in three cases a homology of less than 20% to already known human, animal, bacterial or viral gene sequences and in one case a homology of 98% with a human gene sequence. CONCLUSIONS: The detected for squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck specific genes or gene fragments are the basis for further investigations to better understand carcinogenesis.

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell↗

PubMed1997

[Detection of serum soluble fragments of cytokeratins 8 and 18 in patients with squamous epithelial carcinomas of the upper aerodigestive tract].

BACKGROUND: During the development of squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck (SCCHN), cytokeratin (CK) 18 and 19, which are typical for simple epithelia, show an elevated expression in tumor tissues. CK 8 was found to be overexpressed in cell lines of SCCHN. Epithelial tumors like normal epithelia express characteristic "pairs" of CK. The smallest of these pairs comprises CK 8 and 18. Therefore, the aim of this study was to serologically detect fragments of CK 8 and 18 (cyfra 8/18) in SCCHN patients. METHODS: Sera of 151 patients with SCCHN were tested for cyfra 8/18 (cyfra 8/18 ELISA medac, Hamburg) before treatment. Thirty sera of healthy volunteers and 43 sera of patients with benign diseases of the head and neck region served as control and reference group, respectively. Thirteen patients were followed-up clinically and serologically after surgery. The serum cyfra 8/18 concentrations of those 13 patients were compared to their clinical run. RESULTS: The cut-off value for cyfra 8/18 was determined with a 95% specificity of the reference group and was fixed at 1.1 ng/ml. The sensitivity was 7%. No correlation was found between cyfra 8/18 and clinical parameters like tumor stage, grading, and tumor location. Cyfra 8/18 concentrations could be correlated to the clinical run of 5 of 13 followed-up patients. CONCLUSIONS: Because of its low sensitivity, the serological detection of cyfra 8/18 must not be seen as a sufficient tumor marker for SCCHN. Its clinical applicability for regular post-surgical controls seems to be restricted and appears inferior to the clinical usefulness of cyfra 21-1.

Biomarkers, Tumor↗

PubMed1997

Expression of a novel mRNA in human head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cells.

AIMS: The differential display reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (DDRT-PCR) technique was used to search for differences between the mRNA expression profiles of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) cell lines established from head and neck tumours and normal keratinocytes from the mucosa of the upper aerodigestive tract. METHODS: Total RNA prepared from both cell types was reverse transcribed into cDNA then amplified in a PCR mixture. To compare the electrophoretic patterns, mRNAs were amplified by nested PCR using specific oligonucleotides. Additionally, using labelled cDNA probes, northern hybridisation was carried out on three cancer cell lines of different origin, a biopsy from a parotid gland pleomorphic adenoma, healthy mucosa, and keratinocytes. RESULTS: Comparison of the separated bands revealed a fragment with a differential expression pattern in the SCC cells. This cloned sequence of a 336 base pair mRNA fragment exhibited no significant homology with known transcripts. Additionally, after amplification and sequencing of the 3' end of the fragment no homology with a known human gene sequence was found. However, low homology with a genomic sequence of a nematode was found. Northern hybridisation confirmed the selective expression of this fragment in SCC cells versus the cancer cell lines of different origin, the biopsy of the pleomorphic adenoma, keratinocytes, and healthy mucosa. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first differentially expressed human genome transcript of squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck identified by DDRT-PCR. It may prove useful, in the future, to characterise this tumour type.

Base Sequence↗

PubMed1997

Optimized differential display and reamplification parameters for silver staining.

Differential display (DD) is a powerful instrument to detect differences in gene expression of malignant and normal cells. An optimized silver staining protocol was used to compare mRNA expression of keratinocytes and squamous cell carcinoma cells of the head and neck. Optimal concentration for upstream and downstream primer was 0.2 microM. Best primer concentrations for reamplification were between 40 and 60 pM. With this optimized protocol nearly 50 differentially expressed transcripts have been identified and differential display can be applied safer, easier, and faster, than by radioactive labeling.

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell↗

PubMed1996

[Monoclonal antibodies against squamous epithelial carcinomas of the upper aerodigestive tract].

BACKGROUND: Squamous cell carcinoma is the most common cancer of the head and neck. The application of monoclonal hybridoma technology to the identification and characterization of molecules preferentially expressed in carcinoma cells may provide potentially important diagnostic and therapeutic tools. METHODS: After immunization of mice with viable squamous cell carcinoma cells derived from human tumors of the upper aerodigestive tract hybridomas were selectively grown for production of monoclonal antibodies. Monoclonal antibodies produced by 690 hybridoma clones were tested on immunoreactions with frozen sections of human squamous cell carcinoma and reactive tonsils. RESULTS: Immunohistochemical trials showed that monoclonal antibodies produced by hybridoma clone K-640 are strongly accumulated at the plasma membrane whereas no immunoreaction in squamous epithelium of the tonsil could be detected. By means of ELISA it could be shown that these antibodies belong to the class of IgM. Immunoblotting revealed that the antibodies recognize antigenes with approximate molecular weights of 52 and 54 kD. CONCLUSIONS: The experiments suggest that the hybridoma clone K-640 produces antibodies which bind to the plasmamembrane of the tumor cells. Further recloning steps of this hybridoma clone could possibly enhance the specificity of these antibodies for squamous cell carcinoma.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

The soluble interleukin-2 receptor--a marker for squamous cell carcinoma of the upper aerodigestive tract.

Various studies indicate that the soluble interleukin-2 receptor (sIL-2R) is of value as marker in chronic and malignant disorders. No data are available on sIL-2R levels in head and neck cancer. The serum of 86 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) prior to any therapy and of 25 healthy controls was taken. Six month later the serum of 49 patients was taken again. sIL-2R levels were determined with ELISA. Patients with SCCHN prior to therapy had significantly elevated sIL-2R serum levels (895 U/ml) compared to controls (437 U/ml). After an eight month follow up 78.4% of the SCCHN patients with tumor recurrence had increased and 80% of the carcinoma patients without recurrence had decreased sIL-2R levels compared to prior to therapy. sIL-2R seems to be an unspecific marker for SCCHN and may be of prognostic value.

Biomarkers, Tumor↗