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Biomedical subjects

C Roeder

Publications and source records attributed to C Roeder.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Condition-specific outcome measures for low back pain. Part I: validation.

A literature review of the nine most widely used, condition-specific, self-administered assessment questionnaires for low back pain has been undertaken. General and historic aspects, reliability, responsiveness and minimum clinically important difference, external validity, floor and ceiling effects and available languages were analysed for the nine most-used outcome tools. When considering which condition-specific measure to employ, the present overview on assessment tools should provide the necessary information to define the technical aspects of the nine questionnaires. These criteria, however, are only part of the consideration. In part II the construction of these scales in relationship to the measurement domains will be evaluated.

Disability Evaluation↗

Condition-specific outcome measures for low back pain. Part II: scale construction.

A literature review of the most widely used, condition-specific, self-administered assessment questionnaires for low back pain has been undertaken. In part I, technical issues such as validity, reliability, availability and comparability were analyzed for the nine most widely used outcome tools. This second part focuses on the content and wording of questions and answers in each of the nine questionnaires, and an analysis of the different score results is performed. The issue of score bias is discussed and suggestions are given in order to increase the construct validity in the practical use of the individual questionnaires.

Disability Evaluation↗

The relationship between cup design and the radiological signs of aseptic loosening in total hip arthroplasty.

We assessed differences in the incidence and appearance of the radiological signs of loosening of the cup for various types of design. This was an observational study based on hip registry data of 15,340 patients with 17,951 total hip arthroplasties collected over a period of 33 years in 49 hospitals in Central Europe. The threaded and the press-fit titanium cups showed significantly less aseptic loosening than the other systems. The direction of migration and the frequency of the radiological signs of loosening differed between the cup systems and were time-dependent. Our findings indicate the superiority of uncemented threaded cups and press-fit titanium cups over other designs of cup.

Acetabulum↗

Differential RNA accumulation of two beta-tubulin genes in arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi.

RNA was isolated from spores of different arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungi and used for RT-PCR with degenerate primers for beta-tubulin genes. PCR products were cloned and the sequence of several clones was analysed for each fragment. Comparison of sequences identified two loci for beta-tubulin genes with different GC content and codon usage. Btub1 sequences were most similar to beta-tubulin genes from the Oomycota, while Btub2 sequences showed highest similarity to sequences from the Zygomycota. RT-PCR experiments were carried out to monitor RNA accumulation patterns of Btub1 and Btub2 in asymbiotic germinating spores and in symbiotic extraradical hyphae of three different AM fungi. This indicated that Btub1 is constitutively expressed in Gigaspora rosea, but down-regulated during symbiosis in Glomus mosseae and Glomus intraradices. In contrast, Btub2 showed constitutive expression in the two Glomus species, but down-regulation in G. rosea. Further analysis of different fungi indicated that Btub2 primers could be used to specifically monitor RNA accumulation of AM fungi in environmental samples.

Founder Effect↗

FAP-1 in pancreatic cancer cells: functional and mechanistic studies on its inhibitory role in CD95-mediated apoptosis.

In this study we investigated the functional role of FAP-1 as a potential inhibitor of CD95 (Fas, APO-1)-mediated apoptosis in pancreatic cancer cells. Stable transfection of the CD95-sensitive, FAP-1-negative cell line Capan-1 with an FAP-1 cDNA resulted in a strongly decreased sensitivity to CD95-induced apoptosis, as measured by DNA fragmentation and caspase-3 activity. Inhibition of cellular protein tyrosine phosphatases with orthovanadate dose-dependently increased CD95-induced apoptosis in CD95-resistant FAP-1-positive Panc89 and Capan-1-FAP-1 cells almost to the level seen in wild-type Capan-1 cells. Blocking the CD95/FAP-1 interaction in Panc89 cells by cytoplasmic microinjection of a synthetic tripeptide mimicking the C terminus of CD95 resulted in a mean 5.5-fold increase in apoptosis compared to cells that received a control peptide. Using confocal laser scanning microscopy we show that in Panc89 cells FAP-1 is mainly associated with the Golgi complex and with peripheral vesicles. FAP-1 displayed enhanced colocalization with CD95 upon CD95 stimulation in the Golgi complex but not in surface-associated vesicles. This correlated with a decrease in plasma membrane staining for CD95 as determined by FACS analysis. Inhibition of Golgi anterograde transport by brefeldin A abolished the anti-CD95-induced colocalization of FAP-1 and CD95 as well as the decrease in cell-surface-associated CD95. Finally, we demonstrate by immunohistochemistry that FAP-1 is strongly expressed in tumor cells from pancreatic carcinoma tissues. Taken together, these results show that FAP-1 can protect pancreatic carcinoma cells from CD95-mediated apoptosis, probably by preventing anti-CD95-induced translocation of CD95 from intracellular stores to the cell surface.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Human pancreatic adenocarcinomas express Fas and Fas ligand yet are resistant to Fas-mediated apoptosis.

The Fas system, comprising the Fas receptor (Fas, CD95, APO-1) and its ligand, Fas ligand (FasL), is a central mediator of programmed cell death in various physiological and pathological processes. Recent evidence indicated that tumor cells can exploit this system to their benefit in the dialogue with the host immune system. We have shown that all human pancreatic adenocarcinoma cell lines tested by fluorescence-activated cell sorting analysis (6 of 6) and immunocytochemistry (12 of 12) were positive for Fas expression, as were normal and malignant duct cells in pancreatic tissue sections. However, despite Fas expression, pancreatic tumor cells have become largely resistant toward recombinant FasL- or anti-APO-1 agonistic antibody-induced apoptosis. This resistance correlated with high levels in pancreatic tumor cells of mRNA for FAP-1, a Fas-associated phosphatase that can block the apoptotic function of Fas. Using a variety of methodological approaches, we also present evidence for the production of FasL by pancreatic tumor cells because 6 of 6 pancreatic tumor cell lines were found to contain FasL mRNA as well as the Mr 40,000 and Mr 26,000 forms of the FasL protein. Likewise, pancreatic tissue revealed FasL-specific immunostaining in pancreatic tumor cells but not in the surrounding stroma. In coculture experiments, pancreatic tumor cells displayed a cytotoxic effect toward the Fas-sensitive Jurkat T-cell line, which could be inhibited by a FasL-specific neutralizing antibody. Together, these results support the recently proposed "counterattack model" for local deletion of tumor-reactive T-cells by tumor cell-derived FasL.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Lovastatin inhibits proliferation of pancreatic cancer cell lines with mutant as well as with wild-type K-ras oncogene but has different effects on protein phosphorylation and induction of apoptosis.

Besides its pharmacological effect on cholesterol biosynthesis, lovastatin inhibits p21ras proteins by substrate depletion for post-translational protein farnesylation and geranylation. This inhibition has previously been used to reverse cell proliferation after cellular transformation by the mutant p21ras oncogene. We investigated the biological effects of lovastatin on two pancreatic carcinoma cell lines. The SW-850 cell line contained the k-ras wild-type gene and the A818-4 cell line contained the mutant gene with a point mutation at codon 12 (GGTZCGT; glyZarg). Lovastatin inhibited the proliferation of pancreatic carcinoma cells dose-dependently showing an IC20-30 at 5 microM and IC40-50 at 10 microM. Proliferation of both cancer cell lines, A818-4 (p21ras-M) and SW-850 (p21ras-WT) were inhibited to a very similar extent. After 24 h of drug exposure, cell cycle arrest in G1 and G2/M-phase occurred in a large proportion of cells. At this time, neither cell line showed alteration of protein phosphorylation and did not undergo apoptosis. However, after 72 h of drug exposure, lovastatin significantly decreased protein phosphorylation on tyrosine, serine and threonine residues in A818-4 (p21ras-M) cells. Only a minute reduction of protein phosphorylation was detected in SW-850 (p21ras-WT) cells. Apoptosis occurred in both cell lines, but the SW-850 (p21ras-WT) showed a higher percentage of apoptotic cells than the A818-4 (p21ras-M). In conclusion, there is further evidence for a growth inhibitory effect on cancer cells regardless of the ras mutation status. However, as the effects on protein phosphorylation and induction of apoptosis differed between the mutant and wild-type cell lines, the mechanism of action of lovastatin may depend on partially different mechanisms.

Amino Acid Substitution↗

Cytokine-mediated enhancement of epidermal growth factor receptor expression provides an immunological approach to the therapy of pancreatic cancer.

The increased expression of epidermal growth factor receptor induced by tumor necrosis factor alpha renders pancreatic cancer cells more susceptible to antibody-dependent cellular cytotoxicity by a mAb specific for this receptor. Laboratory studies with athymic mice bearing xenografts of human pancreatic cancer cells demonstrated a cytokine-induced ability of the mAb to cause significant tumor regression. In a phase I/II clinical trial, 26 patients with unresectable pancreatic cancer were enrolled into three cohorts receiving variable amounts of the antibody together with a constant amount of tumor necrosis factor alpha. With increasing doses of antibody, the growth of the primary tumor was significantly inhibited. This was reflected by a longer median survival, with one complete remission lasting for 3 years obtained with the highest dose of antibody employed. Thus, a combination of the cytokine, tumor necrosis factor alpha, with a mAb to the epidermal growth factor receptor offers a potentially useful approach for the treatment of pancreatic cancer.

Animals↗

Overexpression of p53 protein during pancreatitis.

Overexpression of p53 correlates with neoplasia in many cytological specimens. To test the specificity of overexpressed p53 as a tumour marker for the detection of pancreatic cancer, we analysed cytological specimens of pancreatic juice samples from patients with pancreatitis or pancreatic carcinoma (n = 42) for p53 protein overexpression. p53 protein overexpression was found in 59% of patients with pancreatitis and 67% of patients with pancreatic carcinoma. Thus, the assessment of p53 protein overexpression is not useful in the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. Overexpressed p53 during pancreatitis appears to be wild-type p53. Overexpression of p53 may result from DNA damage occurring during chronic inflammation. It is well established that p53 can induce apoptosis upon DNA damage. Consequently, we found apoptotic cell death in five out of five tested cytological preparations from patients with pancreatitis as well as in one out of one pancreatic carcinoma specimen.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Inverse regulation of human ERBB2 and epidermal growth factor receptors by tumor necrosis factor alpha.

Recombinant human tumor necrosis factor (TNF) alpha decreased the expression of ERBB2 mRNA by stimulating p55 TNF receptors of pancreatic tumor cells. This decrease contrasts with an increase in epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mRNA. Both effects were selectively achieved by TNF-alpha or -beta, whereas interferon alpha or gamma or transforming growth factor beta showed no such effects. The inverse regulatory effects of TNF on ERBB2 and EGFR mRNA levels were evoked by different signaling pathways of p55 TNF receptors. The TNF-mediated ERBB2 mRNA decrease was followed by a reduction in protein. Four of five pancreatic tumor cell lines exhibited this down-regulation. This decrease of ERBB2 is a singular example of a modulation of this growth factor receptor by TNF. Overexpression of ERBB2 has been reported to cause resistance to TNF and other cytotoxic cytokines. In our study we show that the TNF-mediated down-regulation of ERBB2 in pancreatic tumor cells is accompanied by an increase in growth inhibition at low doses of TNF. The simultaneous alteration of the ERBB2/EGFR balance by TNF represents a striking model of cytokine receptor transregulation in the growth control of malignant pancreatic epithelial cells.

Down-Regulation↗

Tumor necrosis factor (TNF) up-regulates the expression of p75 but not p55 TNF receptors, and both receptors mediate, independently of each other, up-regulation of transforming growth factor alpha and epidermal growth factor receptor mRNA.

The expression and cytokine-mediated regulation of the two different receptors for tumor necrosis factor, TNF-R-75 and TNF-R-55, was investigated in human malignant epithelial cell lines. Here we show that cells treated with TNF-alpha up-regulate the TNF-R-75 mRNA and protein levels. No changes were seen regarding the level of TNF-R-55 transcripts. Phospholipase and protein kinase C inhibitors abrogated the signal transduction pathway of TNF-mediated TNF-R-75 mRNA up-regulation which proceeded in the absence of transcriptional activation. This process was also elicited by an agonistic antibody binding specifically to TNF-R-55. Ligand binding assays using specific inhibitory antibodies showed a marked shift in active binding sites from p55 to p75 without significant changes in the total binding for TNF-alpha after up-regulation of p75 TNF-R. This ligand-induced regulation of one of the corresponding receptors has so far only been detected in malignant epithelial cells and not in hematopoietic cell lines. In our search for a specific function we were able to show that p75 is the specific receptor for TNF-mediated up-regulation of transforming growth factor alpha mRNA, whereas p55 is the signal transducer for TNF-induced up-regulation of epidermal growth factor receptor mRNA. This is the first demonstration of an exclusive function of TNF-R-75 in cells of epithelial origin.

ErbB Receptors↗

Tumor necrosis factor alpha induces the expression of transforming growth factor alpha and the epidermal growth factor receptor in human pancreatic cancer cells.

Recombinant human tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha increased the expression of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) mRNA and protein in all of six human pancreatic carcinoma cell lines tested. In addition, TNF-alpha increased the expression of an EGFR ligand, transforming growth factor (TGF)-alpha, at the mRNA and protein level in all cell lines. Increased expression of EGFR protein was associated with elevated steady-state EGFR mRNA levels. Nuclear run-on analysis showed that increase in EGFR mRNA was due to an increased rate of transcription. Induction of EGFR mRNA expression by TNF-alpha was abrogated by cycloheximide but occurred independently of TNF-alpha-induced production of TGF-alpha protein. Protein kinase A or Gi-type guanine nucleotide-binding proteins were not involved in this process as assessed by using appropriate stimulators and inhibitors of these signal transduction pathways. By contrast, staurosporine, an inhibitor of protein kinase C, partially inhibited, and 4-bromophenacyl bromide, a phospholipase inhibitor, completely inhibited TNF-alpha-dependent EGFR mRNA expression. The phospholipase C-specific inhibitor tricyclodecan-9-yl xanthogenate did not alter TNF-alpha-dependent EGFR mRNA expression, suggesting that phospholipase A2 is involved in the modulation of EGFR expression by TNF-alpha. The simultaneous induction of a ligand/receptor system by TNF-alpha suggests that this cytokine modulates autocrine growth-regulatory pathways in pancreatic cancer cells.

ErbB Receptors↗

p53 and K-RAS alterations in pancreatic epithelial cell lesions.

We have analysed the expression of p53 at the mRNA level, and extensively at the protein level by immunostaining, Western blotting, and ELISA measurements revealing a p53 increase in 8 out of 14 cell lines established from human pancreatic carcinomas. The mRNA levels closely paralleled the protein levels in most of the cell lines. Overexpression of p53 in tumor cells correlated with mutations in the p53 gene. Immunocytochemistry was also performed with tissue cryosections showing a nuclear p53 staining in 8 out of 12 exocrine, and 2 out of 2 endocrine tumors. In addition, nonmalignant peri-tumoral tissue specimens and cells derived from pancreatic juice of acute pancreatic patients were also positively stained. These findings may suggest functions of p53 in stress situations induced by acute inflammation or tissue regeneration. Genomic mutations in the tumor suppressor gene were associated with point mutations in either codon 12, 13 or 61 in the c-K-RAS oncogene in about two-thirds of cell lines. The frequent activations of a RAS oncogene in combination with mutations of a tumor suppressor gene are likely to contribute to the malignant phenotype of pancreatic adenocarcinomas.

Base Sequence↗

Modulation of platelet-derived growth factor A- and B-chain/c-sis mRNA by tumor necrosis factor and other agents in adenocarcinoma cells.

Human Platelet Derived Growth Factors (PDGF) are potent mitogens for mesenchymal cells and encoded by two related genes, the A- (or 1-) and B- (or 2-) chain. The latter is known as the human homolog (c-sis) of the v-sis oncogene. We investigated the expression and cytokine-mediated regulation of PDGF A- and B-chain mRNA in endoderm-derived cells, i.e. cultured human pancreatic adenocarcinoma cells. Northern blot analysis revealed that out of 14 cells lines 11 were positive for the A-chain and 10 for the B-chain. Tumor Necrosis Factor (TNF) -alpha and -beta, but not Interferon (IFN) -gamma, drastically upregulate the mRNA levels for PDGF B-chain and for the A-chain in a dose-dependent manner in nearly every pancreatic tumor cell line investigated (n = 6). With respect to the signal pathway stimulated by TNF, no evidence emerged for an activation of protein kinase A. The inhibition of protein kinase C by staurosporine (in the absence or presence of TNF) as well as its stimulation by PMA resulted in an increased mRNA level for the B-chain, indicating a functional role of PKC in this system. Furthermore, time course experiments and Cycloheximide treatment showed that the A- and B-chain mRNA are regulated by different mechanisms in transformed epithelial cells. Irrespective of these differences, the sum of their biological functions may contribute to the phenomenon of desmoplasia in pancreatic tumors by epithelial/mesenchymal interactions.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Immunochemical characterization and quantitative distribution of pancreatic stone protein in sera and pancreatic secretions in pancreatic disorders.

A fluorometric immunoassay has been established to quantitate pancreatic stone protein providing a sensitivity for concentrations from 0.015 to 0.5 micrograms/mL. When concentrations of pancreatic stone protein were determined from pancreatic secretions obtained either from patients suffering from chronic pancreatitis (n = 31) [including the calcifying forms (n = 10)], pancreatic cancer (n = 22), or nonpancreatic diseases (n = 17), no significant differences were found. In contrast, increased concentrations were found in serum samples from patients with chronic (39/66) and acute pancreatitis (16/20) compared with control patients. The differences between these diagnostic groups and controls were highly significant (P less than 0.0001) and independent of pancreatic enzyme activity. Immunochemical analyses of serum pancreatic stone protein showed an isoelectric point (pH 9) similar to that reported for the pancreatic thread protein. With respect to recent communications, these data do not support the etiopathogenic role postulated for pancreatic stone protein in chronic pancreatitis and chronic calcifying pancreatitis by other investigators.

Adult↗