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Biomedical subjects

Brian Angus

Publications and source records attributed to Brian Angus.

8 recordsLinked to original sources

Micro-vessel density and the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and platelet-derived endothelial cell growth factor (PdEGF) in classical Hodgkin lymphoma (HL).

There is little information to date regarding the role of angiogenesis in Hodgkin lymphoma (HL). The present study examines micro-vessel density and the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and platelet-derived endothelial growth factor (PdEGF) in lymph node biopsies of patients with HL at presentation and relapse. Using immunohistochemistry, the degree of new blood vessel formation and the expression of VEGF and PdEGF was assessed in Hodgkin-rich tissue. The micro-vessel density (MVD) increased with disease progression in seven out of 11 cases. Expression of VEGF was observed in endothelial cells (EC) of some micro-vessels and also in follicular dendritic cells. The Hodgkin/Reed-Sternberg (H-RS) cells as well as the inflammatory lymphocytes were negative for VEGF. Cytoplasmic or cytoplasmic and nuclear expression of PdEGF by the H-RS cells was observed in five of the 11 presentation cases. The expression of PdEGF increased with disease progression in seven cases. In conclusion, Hodgkin tissue shows prominent vascularization. The increased MVD and PdEGF expression with disease progression merits further investigation.

Adolescent↗

Impact of tumor Epstein-Barr virus status on presenting features and outcome in age-defined subgroups of patients with classic Hodgkin lymphoma: a population-based study.

The association between tumor Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) status and clinical outcome in Hodgkin lymphoma (HL) is controversial. This population-based study assessed the impact of EBV status on survival in age-stratified cohorts of adults with classic HL (cHL). Data from 437 cases were analyzed with a median follow-up of 93 months. Overall survival (OS) was significantly better for EBV-negative compared with EBV-positive patients (P < .001), with 5-year survival rates of 81% and 66%, respectively; disease-specific survival (DSS) was also greater for EBV-negative patients (P = .03). The impact of EBV status varied with age at diagnosis. In patients aged 16 to 34 years, EBV-associated cases had a survival advantage compared with EBV-negative cases, but differences were not statistically significant (P = .21). Among patients 50 years or older, EBV positivity was associated with a significantly poorer outcome (P = .003). Excess deaths occurred in EBV-positive patients with both early- and advanced-stage disease. In multivariate analysis of OS in the older patients, EBV status retained statistical significance after adjusting for the effects of sex, stage, and B symptoms (P = .01). Impaired immune status may contribute to the development of EBV-positive cHL in older patients, and strategies aimed at boosting the immune response should be investigated in the treatment of these patients.

Adolescent↗

Omenn's syndrome occurring in patients without mutations in recombination activating genes.

Omenn syndrome (OS) is characterised by hepatosplenomegaly, lymphadenopathy, erythema, eosinophilia, elevated IgE, oligoclonal T cell expansions and recombinase activating gene (RAG) mutations. We investigated 9 cases of OS to correlate genotype with immunophenotype using a two-color flow cytometry with monoclonal antibodies against CD3 and TCRVB families to map TCRVB usage. T and B clonal cell populations were examined in peripheral blood lymphocytes by PCR and sequencing of TCRB/TCRG T cell and IGH FR2/FR3 B cell products. RAG and Artemis genes were sequenced from genomic DNA. All patients demonstrated absent TCRVB families; six had predominant TCRVB families, six oligoclonal TCR gene rearrangements including TCRGD rearrangements. One demonstrated functional IGH rearrangement, an observation not previously reported. In this clinically homogeneous population, with similar immunological phenotype, RAG mutations were identified in only 2/9 patients. OS is a genetically heterogeneous condition, and patients with similar immunophenotypes may have as yet unidentified gene defects.

Base Sequence↗

An epidemiologic study of index and family infectious mononucleosis and adult Hodgkin's disease (HD): evidence for a specific association with EBV+ve HD in young adults.

Infectious mononucleosis (IM) is an established risk factor for Hodgkin's disease (HD). A substantial minority (33%) of cases of HD have Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) DNA within the malignant cells (are EBV+ve). It is unclear whether risk after IM applies specifically to EBV+ve HD. We report the results of a population-based case-control study of HD in adults (n = 408 cases of classical HD, 513 controls) aged 16-74 years; the case series included 113 EBV+ve and 243 EBV+ve HD. Analyses compared total HD, EBV+ve HD and EBV-ve HD with the controls and EBV+ve HD with EBV-ve HD cases using, mainly, logistic regression. Regression analyses were adjusted for gender, age-group and socioeconomic status, and were performed for the whole age range and separately for young (< 35 years) and old adults (> or = 35 years); formal tests of effect modification by age were included. For the young adults, reported IM in index or relative was strongly and significantly associated with EBV+ve HD when compared to controls (odds ratio [OR] = 2.94, 95% confidence interval [CI]: 1.08-7.98 and OR = 5.22, 95% CI: 2.15-12.68, respectively). These results may be interpreted as indications that late first exposure to EBV increases risk of HD, especially in young adults; this applies primarily to EBV+ve HD.

Adolescent↗

Hodgkin's disease in the elderly: a population-based study.

This study evaluated the incidence and outcome of Hodgkin's disease (HD) in older patients using a population-based approach. In total, 102 patients (52 men, 50 women) aged >or= 60 years presented in the Northern Health Region of England (population of 3.09 million) between 1 January 1991 and 31 December 1998 and were studied prospectively. The age-specific incidence was 1.97/100,000 for those aged 60-69 years, and 2.18/100,000 for those aged 70 years or over. The median age of the cohort was 70 years (range 60-91) and the median follow up was 63 months (range 20-113). Out of 95 treated patients, 70 (74%) obtained complete or good partial (> 90% response) remissions. In the 60 to 69-year-old group, the disease-specific survival at 5 years was 100% for those presenting with early stage disease and 52% for those with advanced stage disease. In patients aged >70 years the 5 year disease-specific survival was 36% in patients with early stage and 14% for patients with advanced stage disease. The survival of patients with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-positive tumours was significantly poorer than that of patients with EBV-negative tumours (P = 0.007); median survival in the former group was 20 months versus undefined in the latter group. In total, 43 deaths were due to progressive HD and five were treatment-related. This study defined the incidence of HD in our population and demonstrated that the prognosis of elderly patients, particularly those with advanced stage disease, has not improved concurrently with that of patients aged < 60 years old. Novel approaches to assessment and treatment are necessary.

Aged↗

Comparative assessment expression of the inhibitor of growth 1 gene (ING1) in normal and neoplastic tissues.

Studies have indicated that the tumor suppressor p33(ING1b) (13q33-34) interact with p53. Moreover, the association of functional protein forms of each member of the p33(ING1b)/p53 complex is essential for optimum activity of p53. The present report describes the sequencing of cDNAs corresponding to the p33(ING1b) mRNAs in a series of normal and tumor cell lines, and the production of monoclonal antibodies (MAbs) reactive with p33(ING1b). These antibodies were subsequently used to analyze p33(ING1b) expression in normal and tumor cell lines and tissues. No evidence of mutation of p33(ING1b) was found in any of the 15 tumor cell lines cDNAs studied. Our investigation of a wide range of normal tissues have shown that expression of the nuclear epitope is highly ubiquitous, whereas expression of the cytoplasmic form could be detected in only 50% of tissues studied. Considering neoplastic tissues, loss of nuclear p33(ING1b) was observed in melanoma, seminoma, papillary thyroid carcinoma, ductal breast carcinoma, and acute lymphoblastic leukemia. As with normal tissue, cytoplasmic p33(ING1b) was more restricted, being observed in around 30% of neoplastic tissues, but in melanoma, papillary thyroid carcinoma, ductal breast carcinoma, there was increased detection of cytoplasmic p33(ING1b) associated with concomitant loss of nuclear expression. These results may suggest that at least in some tumors, loss of effective p33(ING1b) function may be achieved by translocation to the cytoplasm or failure of nuclear localization.

Adenoma↗