Biomedical subjects

Kin-Mang Lau

Publications and source records attributed to Kin-Mang Lau.

12 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

Endothelin-1 expression correlates with atypical histological features in mammary phyllodes tumours.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Endothelin-1 expression is increased in infiltrating duct carcinoma and is associated with larger tumour size, higher histological grade and lymphovascular permeation. This has not been evaluated in phyllodes tumours, which are uncommon fibroepithelial lesions with potential for local recurrences or distant metastasis. While the grading of phyllodes tumours depends on a combination of histological parameters, prediction of their behaviour remains difficult. METHOD: A large series of 461 phyllodes tumours (291 benign, 115 borderline malignant and 55 frankly malignant) were evaluated for endothelin-1 expression in both the epithelial cells and stromal cells by immunohistochemistry; results were correlated with the tumour grade. RESULTS: For benign phyllodes tumours, the epithelial staining of endothelin was negative, weak, moderate and strong in 6%, 26%, 15% and 53% of cases respectively; results were 4%, 18%, 19% and 59% respectively for borderline and 6%, 18%, 6% and 70% respectively for frankly malignant tumours. For the stromal staining, the negative, weak, moderate and strong staining was 32%, 19%, 18% and 31% respectively for benign phyllodes, 24%, 13%, 10% and 53% respectively for borderline and 8%, 16%, 17% and 59% respectively for frankly malignant tumours. There was correlation between epithelial and stromal staining, and the stromal staining correlated with histological features of stromal cellularity, stromal cell nuclear pleomorphism, margin status and stromal overgrowth. CONCLUSION: These observations suggest a close relationship between the epithelial and stromal elements in phyllodes tumours; endothelin may play a significant role in the malignant progression of phyllodes tumours.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

Clonal evolution of 8p11 stem cell syndrome in a 14-year-old Chinese boy: a review of literature of t(8;13) associated myeloproliferative diseases.

We describe a case of coexisting BCR-ABL negative myeloproliferative disorder and precursor T-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma associated with t(8;13) involving FGFR1 at 8p11 in a 14-year-old boy who presented with generalized lymphadenopathy and an abdominal mass. JAK2 mutation and FIP1L1-PDGFRalpha were not detected. RT-PCR revealed the ZNF198-FGFR1 fusion transcript in both the bone marrow (BM) and lymph node (LN) of the patient at diagnosis. Of interest, reciprocal FGFR1-ZNF198 fusion transcript was demonstrated in the BM but not LN. Also differential clonal TcRgamma gene rearrangements in the BM and LN samples were observed. These findings provide novel insights into the genetic pathogenesis.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2006

ICI 182,780-regulated gene expression in DU145 prostate cancer cells is mediated by estrogen receptor-beta/NFkappaB crosstalk.

Estrogen receptor (ER)-beta is the predominant ER subtype in prostate cancer (PCa). We previously demonstrated that ICI 182,780 (ICI), but not estrogens, exerted dose-dependent growth inhibition on DU145 PCa cells by an ER-beta-mediated pathway. Transcriptional profiling detected a greater than three-fold upregulation of seven genes after a 12-hour exposure to 1 microM ICI. Semiquantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction confirmed the upregulation of four genes by ICI: interleukin-12alpha chain, interleukin-8, embryonic growth/differentiation factor, and RYK tyrosine kinase. Treatment with an ER-beta antisense oligonucleotide reduced cellular ER-beta mRNA and induced loss of expression of these genes. Sequence analysis revealed the presence of consensus NFkappaB sites, but not estrogen-responsive elements, in promoters of all four genes. Reporter assay and chromatin immunoprecipitation experiments demonstrated that ICI-induced gene expression could be mediated by crosstalk between ER-beta and the NFkappaB signaling pathway, denoting a novel mechanism of ER-beta-mediated ICI action. Therefore, combined therapies targeting ER-beta and NFkappaB signaling may be synergistic as treatment for PCa.

Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal↗

PubMed2005

Profiling estrogen-regulated gene expression changes in normal and malignant human ovarian surface epithelial cells.

Estrogens regulate normal ovarian surface epithelium (OSE) cell functions but also affect epithelial ovarian cancer (OCa) development. Little is known about how estrogens play such opposing roles. Transcriptional profiling using a cDNA microarray containing 2400 named genes identified 155 genes whose expression was altered by estradiol-17beta (E2) in three immortalized normal human ovarian surface epithelial (HOSE) cell lines and 315 genes whose expression was affected by the hormone in three established OCa (OVCA) cell lines. All but 19 of the genes in these two sets were different. Among the 19 overlapping genes, five were found to show discordant responses between HOSE and OVCA cell lines. The five genes are those that encode clone 5.1 RNA-binding protein (RNPS1), erythrocyte adducin alpha subunit (ADD1), plexin A3 (PLXNA3 or the SEX gene), nuclear protein SkiP (SKIIP), and Rap-2 (rap-2). RNPS1, ADD1, rap-2, and SKIIP were upregulated by E2 in HOSE cells but downregulated by estrogen in OVCA cells, whereas PLXNA3 showed the reverse pattern of regulation. The estrogen effects was observed within 6-18 h of treatment. In silicon analyses revealed presence of estrogen response elements in the proximal promoters of all five genes. RNPS1, ADD1, and PLXNA3 were underexpressed in OVCA cell lines compared to HOSE cell lines, while the opposite was true for rap-2 and SKIIP. Functional studies showed that RNPS1 and ADD1 exerted multiple antitumor actions in OVCA cells, while PLXNA3 only inhibited cell invasiveness. In contrast, rap-2 was found to cause significant oncogenic effects in OVCA cells, while SKIIP promotes only anchorage-independent growth. In sum, gene profiling data reveal that (1) E2 exerts different actions on HOSE cells than on OVCA cells by affecting two distinct transcriptomes with few overlapping genes and (2) among the overlapping genes, a set of putative oncogenes/tumor suppressors have been identified due to their differential responses to E2 between the two cell types. These findings may explain the paradoxical roles of estrogens in regulating normal and malignant OSE cell functions.

Cell Line↗

PubMed2005

Overexpression of cytochrome P450 1A1 and its novel spliced variant in ovarian cancer cells: alternative subcellular enzyme compartmentation may contribute to carcinogenesis.

Epithelial ovarian cancer derived from the human ovarian surface epithelium (HOSE) is the leading cause of death from gynecologic malignancies among American women. Metabolic activation of endogenous and exogenous chemicals by cytochrome P450 (CYP) class I enzymes has been implicated in its etiology. In this study, we showed overexpression of CYP1A1 mRNA, but not CYP1B1 transcripts, in ovarian cancer cell lines when compared with primary cultures or immortalized HOSE cell lines. Importantly, we identified a novel, enzymatically active, spliced variant of CYP1A1 (CYP1A1v) formed by excision of an 84-bp cryptic intron in exon 2. CYP1A1v is overexpressed in ovarian cancer cell lines and exhibits a unique subcellular distribution restricted to the nucleus and mitochondria, contrary to the endoplasmic reticulum localization of the wild-type enzyme. In concordance, total CYP1A1 activity, as measured by the ethoxyresorufin O-deethylase assay, was detected in mitochondrial, nuclear, and microsomal fractions of ovarian cancer cells but was notably absent in all subcellular fractions of HOSE cells. Immunocytochemistry studies in 30 clinical specimens revealed overexpression of CYP1A1 in various types of ovarian cancers compared with benign epithelia and frequent localization of the enzyme to cancer cell nuclei. Forced expression of CYP1A1wt or CYP1A1v in HOSE cells resulted in nuclear localization of the enzyme and acquisition of anchorage-independent growth, which was further exacerbated following exposure to benzo(a)pyrene or 17beta-estradiol. Collectively, these data provided the first evidence that CYP1A1 overexpression and alternative splicing could contribute to ovarian cancer initiation and progression.

Alternative Splicing↗

PubMed2005

Identification of ATF-3, caveolin-1, DLC-1, and NM23-H2 as putative antitumorigenic, progesterone-regulated genes for ovarian cancer cells by gene profiling.

Although progesterone (P4) has been implicated to offer protection against ovarian cancer (OCa), little is known of its mechanism of action. The goal of this study was to identify P4-regulated genes that have anti-OCa action. Three immortalized nontumorigenic human ovarian surface epithelial (HOSE) cell lines and three OCa (OVCA) cell lines were subjected to 5 days of P4 treatment. Transcriptional profiling with a cDNA microarray containing approximately 2400 known genes was used to identify genes (1) whose expression was consistently downregulated in OVCA cell lines compared to HOSE cell lines, and (2) whose expression was restored in OCa cell lines by P4 treatment. From the candidates selected, activating transcription factor-3 (ATF-3), caveolin-1, deleted in liver cancer-1 (DLC-1), and nonmetastatic clone 23 (NM23-H2) were chosen for post hoc functional studies based on their previously reported action as tumor suppressors or apoptosis inducers. Semiquantitative RT-PCR analyses confirmed loss of or reduced transcription of these genes in OVCA cells when compared to HOSE cells and their upregulation following P4 treatment. Hormonal specificity was demonstrated by blockade experiments with a progestin antagonist RU 38486. Ectopic expression of caveolin-1, DLC-1, and NM23-H2 caused growth inhibition in OVCA cell cultures, but not in HOSE cell cultures, while forced expression of ATF-3 suppressed growth in both. Overexpression of AFT-3 also enhanced caspase-3 activity in both HOSE and OVCA cells, whereas ectopic expression of caveolin-1 and DLC-1 only activated this enzyme in OCa cells. In contrast, NM23-H2 overexpression was ineffective in activating caspase-3. Overexpression of any of the four genes in OCa cells reduced soft-agar colony formation and cell invasiveness. Taken together, we have identified four new P4-regulated, antitumor genes for OCa. However, their modes of action differ significantly; ATF-3 primarily functions as an apoptosis inducer, NM23-H2 as a suppressor of cell motility, and caveolin-1 and DLC-1 exhibiting features of classical tumor suppressors. To the best of our knowledge, except for NM23-H2, this is the first report linking P4 to the regulation of these tumor suppressor/proapoptotic genes, which could serve as future therapeutic targets.

Activating Transcription Factor 3↗

PubMed2004

Association of human-leukocyte-antigen class I (B0703) and class II (DRB10301) genotypes with susceptibility and resistance to the development of severe acute respiratory syndrome.

Severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) is a public health concern worldwide. By studying the human leukocyte antigen (HLA) types A, B, DR, and DQ alleles in 90 Chinese patients with serologically confirmed SARS infections, we identified a strong association between HLA-B*0703 (OR, 4.08; 95% CI, 2.03-8.18; P=.00072 [Bonferroni-corrected P value, P(c) <.0022]) and -DRB1*0301 (OR, 0.06; 95%, 0.01-0.47; P=.00008 [after Bonferroni correction, P<.0042]) and the development of SARS. Moreover, the frequency of B*0703 and B60 coinheritance (9.6%; 95% CI, 4.6%-19.0%) in our SARS group was significantly higher (P=3x10(-9)) than that expected in the general population (0.4%). These genetic data will critically affect both the study of the pathogenesis of SARS and the design of vaccination programs.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Estrogen receptor-beta expression in human testicular germ cell tumors.

PURPOSE: Estrogen exposure has been linked to a risk for the development of testicular germ cell cancers. The effects of estrogen are now known to be mediated by estrogen receptor (ER)-alpha and -beta receptor subtypes, but only ER-beta has been found in human normal testis. The goal of the present study was to compare the localization and expression levels of these ER subtypes in testicular germ cell cancers (seminomas and nonseminomatous germ cell tumors) with normal testis. For completeness, expression of androgen and progesterone receptors was also investigated. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: Immunohistochemistry was used to localize the expression of steroid receptors in 39 archival testicular germ cell cancers and 5 morphologically normal testes. Expression of the steroid receptors at the transcript level was semiquantified by reverse transcription-PCR in 5 paired fresh-frozen specimens of normal and neoplastic testes. RESULTS: ER-alpha was not expressed in the human normal testis. It was also absent in all of the testicular germ cell cancers studied. In contrast, ER-beta was strongly expressed in various germ cells of the normal testis. However, its expression was markedly diminished in seminomas, embryonal cell carcinomas, and in mixed germ cell tumors, at both transcriptional and translational levels. In contrast, ER-beta remained highly expressed in endodermal sinus tumors and teratomas. Progesterone receptor, an estrogen-regulated gene, was localized to spermatagonia of the normal testis, but its expression dramatically reduced in seminomas. With the exception of spermatagonia, androgen receptor was found in all of the germ cells of the normal testis, but, aside from trace staining in 3 of 5 endodermal sinus tumor cells, it was not detected immunohistochemically in any other germ cell cancer. CONCLUSIONS: We confirm expression of ER-beta, but not ER-alpha, in normal testicular cells, suggesting that only the former ER subtype mediates the action of estrogen in the human male gonad. Our results provide the first evidence that only ER-beta is expressed in testicular germ cell tumors. Its expression is down-regulated in seminomas and embryonal cell carcinomas but remains high in endodermal sinus tumors and in teratomas. The observed differences in ER-beta expression levels among different testicular germ cell tumors may reflect divergent pathways of differentiation/dedifferentiation of these neoplasms from a common precursor. Collectively, these findings provide a possible mechanistic link between estrogen exposure and testicular cancer risk.

Adult↗

PubMed2003

Profiling follicle stimulating hormone-induced gene expression changes in normal and malignant human ovarian surface epithelial cells.

Epidemiological data have implicated the pituitary gonadotropin follicle stimulating hormone (FSH) as both a risk factor for and a protective agent against epithelial ovarian cancer. Yet, little is known about how this hormone could play such opposing roles in ovarian carcinogenesis. Complementary DNA microarrays containing 2400 named genes were used to examine FSH-induced gene expression changes in ovarian cancer (OC) and immortalized normal human ovarian surface epithelial (HOSE) cell lines. Two-way t-statistics analyses of array data identified two distinct sets of FSH-regulated genes in HOSE and in established OC cell lines established from patients (OVCA cell lines). Among the HOSE cell lines, FSH increased expression of 57% of the 312 genes and downregulated 43%. In contrast, FSH diminished expression of 92% of the 177 genes in the OVCA cell lines. All but 18 of the genes affected by FSH in HOSE cell lines were different from those altered in OVCA cell lines. Among the 18 overlapping genes, nine genes exhibited the same direction of change following FSH challenge, while the other nine showed discordance in response between HOSE and OVCA cell lines. The FSH-induced differential expression of seven out of nine genes was confirmed by real-time RT-PCR. Gene-specific antisense oligonuleotides (ODNs) were used to inhibit the expression of genes encoding GTPase activating protein (rap1GAP), neogenin, and restin in HOSE and OVCA cells. Antisense ODNs to neogenin and restin, but not an antisense ODN to rap1GAP, were effective in inhibiting OVCA cell growth, diminishing proliferating cell nuclear antigen expression, and increasing caspase 3 activities. Furthermore, the ODN to rap1GAP was further shown to be ineffective in altering migration properties of OVCA cell lines. HOSE cell proliferation was not affected by treatment with any of the antisense ODNs. In summary, gene profiling data reveal for the first time that FSH may exert different biological actions on OVCA cells than on HOSE cells, by differential regulation of a set of putative oncogenes/tumor suppressors. Specifically, neogenin and restin were found to exhibit proproliferation/survival action on OC cells.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

PubMed2003

Age-associated changes in histology and gene-expression profile in the rat ventral prostate.

The incidence of prostate diseases rises dramatically with age in men, yet little is understood of the mechanisms underlying prostatic senescence and its contribution to disease development in the gland. In Noble rats, aging of the ventral prostate (VP) is characterized morphologically by widespread atrophy of acini, increased accumulation of concretions in glandular lumen, infiltration of inflammatory cells, and focal epithelial atypia. We used a cDNA microarray containing 2388 known transcripts, together with the Tyramide Amplification System and t statistics, to identify differentially expressed genes in the VPs of young (3 months old) and old (16 months old) rats. A total of 78 VP genes were found to be differentially expressed by the two groups; in old rats, 65 VP genes (83%) showed reduced expression and 13 genes (17%) showed increased expression compared with young animals. The age-dependent underexpressed genes fell into several functional clusters: those involved in amino-acid metabolism, protein synthesis, protein secretion and degradation, vesicle/membrane trafficking, energy metabolism, signal transduction, spermidine and spermine syntheses, and cellular defense against stress. The overexpressed genes included iduronate 2-sulfatase, HLA class I locus C heavy chain, membrane cofactor protein of the complement system, TRPM-2, cadherin-associated protein-related, and X-CGD. Post hoc analyses confirmed a progressive decline in the expression of ribophorin II and BiP and a gradual increase in the expression of TRPM-2 in rat VPs as animals aged from 3 to 19 months old. In conclusion, the observed widespread declines in expression of genes involved in protein synthesis, protein fidelity maintenance, anabolism, growth inhibition, and energy metabolism, together with increased expression of genes implicated in cell survival in the VPs of senescent rats, may help explain the susceptibility of the prostates of elderly men to development of disease.

Age Factors↗

PubMed2002

Expression of estrogen receptor beta in the fetal, neonatal, and prepubertal human prostate.

BACKGROUND: Although androgens have long been implicated in the development, regulation, and pathophysiology of the prostate, evidence suggests that estrogens may also affect these processes. Specifically, estrogens have been shown to influence the development of the fetal and neonatal rodent prostate and to induce a pathognomonic change, termed squamous metaplasia, in the developing and adult prostate. Studies have been inconclusive, however, as to whether estrogens enhance or restrain the growth of the gland. Although the fetal rodent prostate has been reported to contain both estrogen receptor alpha (ER-alpha) and beta (ER-beta), there have been no reports as to whether either of the ER subtypes is expressed in the developing human prostate. METHODS: In the present study, we used a novel antibody, directed against a unique sequence in the F domain of ER-beta, and laser capture microdissection/reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction to study the expression of the receptor in the fetal, neonatal, and prepubertal human prostate. Results were compared with the expression of ER-alpha, androgen receptor (AR), prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP), prostate specific antigen (PSA), high molecular weight cytokeratin (HMCK), and the proliferative marker Ki67. RESULTS: For the first time, we report that ER-beta is the only estrogen receptor detected at the protein level in the morphologically normal developing human fetal prostate. By midgestation, strong immunostaining for ER-beta was detected in the nuclei of nearly 100% of epithelial and in the majority of stromal cells. This pattern of expression was evident in the fetal, neonatal, and early prepubertal prostate. However, by 11 years postnatal, staining for the receptor became restricted primarily to the basal epithelial and stromal compartments, a pattern analogous to that observed in the normal adult gland. ER-alpha mRNA was present in microdissected stroma of the fetal gland. Although ER-alpha was not immunodetected in any morphologically normal fetal epithelial or stromal cells, weak staining for the receptor, however, was found in some examples of squamous metaplasia, suggesting the role of alpha-subtype in this lesion. ER-alpha was clearly visualized immunohistochemically at 1 month of postnatal development where it was then localized exclusively in periacinar stromal nuclei, which suggests that it may exert paracrine influences on further prostatic glandular development. Interestingly, the expression of ER-beta early in prostatic development occurred coincident with both the increasing rate of epithelial cell proliferation, observed in the first half of gestation, and the reported high levels of estrogen in the gland from midgestation until term. Paradoxically, however, staining for the receptor remained intense, despite the dramatic decrease in Ki67 labeling observed in the second half of gestation. CONCLUSION: Our results indicate that the effects of estrogens on the growth of the human fetal prostate are mediated primarily by ER-beta but that ER-alpha contributes to postnatal glandular development. Furthermore, these results suggest that ER-beta, possibly in concert with androgens, may mediate diverse effects on prostate epithelial proliferation by first promoting cell expansion early in gestation, and then acting to limit growth later in prostatic development.

Acid Phosphatase↗

PubMed2002

DNA microarrays in prostate cancer.

DNA microarray technology provides a means to examine large numbers of molecular changes related to a biological process in a high throughput manner. This review discusses plausible utilities of this technology in prostate cancer research, including definition of prostate cancer predisposition, global profiling of gene expression patterns associated with cancer initiation and progression, identification of new diagnostic and prognostic markers, and discovery of novel patient classification schemes. The technology, at present, has only been explored in a limited fashion in prostate cancer research. Some hurdles to be overcome are the high cost of the technology, insufficient sample size and repeated experiments, and the inadequate use of bioinformatics. With the completion of the Human Genome Project and the advance of several highly complementary technologies, such as laser capture microdissection, unbiased RNA amplification, customized functional arrays (eg, single-nucleotide polymorphism chips), and amenable bioinformatics software, this technology will become widely used by investigators in the field. The large amount of novel, unbiased hypotheses and insights generated by this technology is expected to have a significant impact on the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of prostate cancer. Finally, this review emphasizes existing, but currently underutilized, data-mining tools, such as multivariate statistical analyses, neural networking, and machine learning techniques, to stimulate wider usage.

Algorithms↗