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P Koivisto

Publications and source records attributed to P Koivisto.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1998

Androgen receptor gene and hormonal therapy failure of prostate cancer.

Androgen receptor (AR) is a nuclear transcription factor that binds male sex steroids and mediates the biological effects of these hormones to the target cells, such as the epithelial cells of the prostate gland, by activating transcription of androgen-dependent genes. Withdrawal of androgens or the peripheral blockade of androgen action remain the critical therapeutic options for the treatment of advanced prostate cancer. However, after initial regression, many prostate cancers become hormone refractory and progress further with eventual fatal outcome. Understanding the mechanisms of tumor progression and endocrine therapy failure is an important goal. A large number of different molecular mechanisms may be responsible for development of hormone-refractory recurrent tumors. Many of these involve the AR gene and its complex downstream signaling pathways. The role of AR mutations and altered transactivational properties of the receptor have received the most attention as causative factors for progression. However, other mechanisms, such as AR gene amplification and overexpression or increased local bioconversion of androgens, may contribute to the development of progression by mechanisms that involve androgen-dependent cell growth. Here we review the role of the AR gene and its putative downstream effector pathways during human prostate cancer progression and endocrine therapy failure.

Genetic Therapy↗
PubMed1997

Haemoglobin adducts of epoxybutanediol from exposure to 1,3-butadiene or butadiene epoxides.

Epoxybutanediol is one of the reactive metabolites of butadiene. It is formed via hydrolysis followed by oxidation of the primary metabolite of butadiene, epoxybutene, or via hydrolysis of diepoxybutane, a secondary metabolite of butadiene. Groups of male Sprague Dawley rats were treated by intraperitoneal injection of epoxybutene, epoxybutanediol or diepoxybutane. N-(2,3,4-Trihydroxybutyl)valine adducts in haemoglobin, formed from epoxybutanediol in its reaction with N-terminal valine, were measured using the N-alkyl Edman method followed by acetylation of the Edman derivatives and analysis by gas chromatography mass spectrometry. The same adducts were also measured in male Wistar rats exposed to butadiene by inhalation and in a few workers with occupational exposure to butadiene. Haemoglobin binding indexes, HBI, (pmol adduct/g per mumol of alkylating agent, or, for butadiene, per ppm x h), were calculated. The HBI for epoxybutanediol (about 10) is comparable to that of ethylene oxide in the rat demonstrating a similar capacity of the two compounds to alkylate nucleophilic sites in vivo. The HBI of diepoxybutane (about 8) for epoxybutanediol adduct formation is approximately the same as that of epoxybutanediol itself. Epoxybutanediol adduct formation was nonlinearly related to exposure in butadiene exposed rats. The epoxybutanediol-haemoglobin adduct levels were substantially higher than those of epoxybutene in both butadiene-exposed rats and humans suggesting an important role of epoxybutanediol in the toxicity of butadiene. Adducts of epoxybutanediol are probably useful for biomonitoring of human exposure to butadiene.

Air Pollutants, Occupational↗
PubMed1997

Androgen receptor gene amplification: a possible molecular mechanism for androgen deprivation therapy failure in prostate cancer.

Progression of prostate cancer during endocrine therapy is a major clinical problem, the molecular mechanisms of which remain poorly understood. Amplification of the androgen receptor (AR) gene was recently described in recurrent prostate carcinomas from patients who had failed androgen deprivation therapy. To evaluate the hypothesis that amplification of the AR gene is a cause for the failure of androgen deprivation therapy in prostate cancer, we studied whether AR amplification leads to gene overexpression, whether the amplified AR gene is structurally intact, and whether tumors with AR amplification have distinct biological and clinical characteristics. Tumor specimens were collected from 54 prostate cancer patients at the time of a local recurrence following therapy failure. In 26 cases, paired primary tumor specimens from the same patients prior to therapy were also available. Fifteen (28%) of the recurrent therapy-resistant tumors, but none of the untreated primary tumors, contained AR gene amplification as determined by fluorescence in situ hybridization. According to single-stranded conformation polymorphism analysis, the AR gene was wild type in all but one of the 13 AR amplified cases studied. In one tumor, a presumed mutation in the hormone-binding domain at codon 674 leading to a Gly --> Ala substitution was found, but functional studies indicated that this mutation did not change the transactivational properties of the receptor. AR amplification was associated with a substantially increased level of mRNA expression of the gene by in situ hybridization. Clinicopathological correlations indicated that AR amplification was most likely to occur in tumors that had initially responded well to endocrine therapy and whose response duration was more than 12 months. Tumors that recurred earlier or those that showed no initial therapy response did not contain AR amplification. The median survival time after recurrence was two times longer for patients with AR amplification in comparison to those with no amplification (P = 0.03, Willcoxon-Breslow test). In conclusion, failure of conventional androgen deprivation therapy in prostate cancer may be caused by a clonal expansion of tumor cells that are able to continue androgen-dependent growth despite of the low concentrations of serum androgens. Amplification and the increased expression of a wild-type AR gene may play a key role in this process.

Aged↗
PubMed1997

Increased cell proliferation activity and decreased cell death are associated with the emergence of hormone-refractory recurrent prostate cancer.

The tumour growth kinetics (cell proliferation and apoptosis) of ten hormone-refractory locally recurrent prostate cancers were compared with their matched untreated primary tumour specimens. All recurrent tumours had a higher cell proliferation activity, as defined by Ki-67 immunohistochemistry, than corresponding primary tumours from the same patients. The mean cell proliferation activity in recurrences (13.5 +/- 3.8 per cent) was over two times higher (P < 0.0001) than that in primary tumours (5.5 +/- 2.4 per cent), suggesting that cell clones which progress during androgen withdrawal are actively stimulated to proliferate. The mean percentage of apoptotic cells, as estimated by the in situ end-labelling technique, was 5.4 +/- 4.7 per cent in untreated primary tumours, whereas it was 2.3 +/- 1.5 per cent in locally recurrent tumours (P = 0.05). In all but two cases, the apoptotic index was lower in recurrent than in corresponding primary tumours, suggesting that recurrent prostate carcinomas are able to avoid apoptosis in the androgen-deprived environment. In conclusion, the clinical progression of prostate cancer during androgen withdrawal is associated with increased cell proliferation and decreased apoptosis.

Antineoplastic Agents, Hormonal↗
PubMed1997

Prognostic significance of p53 expression in ovarian granulosa cell tumors.

OBJECTIVE: The purpose of the study was to investigate the significance of p53 expression for the prognosis in patients with ovarian granulosa cell tumors (GCT). METHODS: The records of 30 patients operated on for GCT at Tampere University Hospital, Finland, were reviewed. The mean age at the time of the diagnosis was 55 years. Twenty-one of the tumors were of FIGO stage I, three were of stage II, three were of stage III, and three were of stage IV. Paraffin-embedded tumor specimens were analyzed by immunohistochemistry for expression of mutated p53 protein and by flow cytometry. RESULTS: Eleven tumors were positive for p53 and 19 were negative. The median crude survival of p53-negative patients was 10 times that of p53-positive ones (210 months vs 21 months, P = 0.037, log-rank test). The association between p53 immunoreactivity and stage was statistically significant (P = 0.026 Pearson chi2 test), while there was no association between p53 expression and DNA ploidy or S-phase fraction. CONCLUSION: Although the results should be considered as preliminary, expression of mutated p53 in ovarian granulosa cell tumors seems to be associated with unfavorable prognosis.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Aneuploidy and rapid cell proliferation in recurrent prostate cancers with androgen receptor gene amplification.

Mechanisms of prostate cancer recurrence during androgen deprivation are poorly understood. We recently described androgen receptor (AR) gene amplification in 28% of recurrent prostate carcinomas from hormone-refractory prostate cancer patients. To investigate the hypothesis that amplification of the AR gene promotes the growth of hormone-refractory prostate carcinomas, DNA flow cytometric (FCM) studies were carried out to compare matched, primary and hormone-refractory recurrent samples from 31 prostate cancer patients. Recurrent tumours had a higher (P=0.05) S-phase fraction (SPF) (10.6+/-4.6) than corresponding primary tumours from the same patients (7.0+/-4.1) and the frequency of aneuploidy also increased from 8-55%. Recurrent tumours with AR gene amplification had a significantly higher (P=0.02) SPF (14.0+/-6.5) than those with no amplification (9.0+/-2.9). The results suggest that clinical progression of prostate cancer during androgen withdrawal therapy is often associated with increased cell proliferation rate and formation of DNA aneuploidy. AR amplification may be an important molecular mechanism underlying the increase in proliferation rate of some recurrent tumours.

Journal Article↗
PubMed1997

32P-postlabelling/HPLC assay reveals an enantioselective adduct formation in N7 guanine residues in vivo after 1,3-butadiene inhalation exposure.

We have established a protocol that allows qualitative and quantitative determination of butadiene monoepoxide-DNA adducts formed as a result of inhalation exposure to 1,3-butadiene. We observed that in this particular case in vivo samples required extensive sample purification to facilitate a low background. Sample preparation included a solid phase extraction carried out with a strong anion exchange column and one-dimensional ion exchange TLC. The ultimate analysis is based on reverse phase HPLC with on-line radioactivity and UV detectors. The qualitative identification and quantitation is based on characterized markers, which are used as external and internal standards. Modified 3'-dGMP markers were used to control labelling efficiency, which varies, and modified 5'-dGMP markers were used as an optical standard to qualitatively assign the products and to determine recovery of the sample preparation. Using this method we were able to demonstrate, for the first time, specific enantio- and regioisomeric adduct formation at the N7 position of guanine residues in liver DNA of rats inhalation-exposed to 1,3-butadiene. The major adduct formed was the C-2 isomer derived from the R enantiomer of butadiene monoepoxide, contributing 47% of all adducts formed at the N7 position of guanine. The relative proportions of the remaining three other adducts detected were 22 (R C-1), 18 (S C-2) and 14% (S C-1) respectively. Inhalation exposure to 200 p.p.m. for 5 days resulted in an alkylation level of 7.2 fmol/10 microg DNA or 2.4 adducts/10(-7) normal nucleotides.

Administration, Inhalation↗
PubMed1997

Androgen receptor gene amplification in a recurrent prostate cancer after monotherapy with the nonsteroidal potent antiandrogen Casodex (bicalutamide) with a subsequent favorable response to maximal androgen blockade.

OBJECTIVE: We recently found amplification of the androgen receptor (AR) gene in approximately 30% of locally recurrent prostate carcinomas from patients treated by conventional androgen deprivation (castration) therapy, whereas none of the untreated primary prostate tumors showed this amplification. This suggests that AR gene amplification was selected during androgen deprivation therapy. The present case study represents our initial approach to evaluate the role that AR amplification may play in therapy resistance after other forms of endocrine therapy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Specimens from both a primary and a subsequent locally recurrent tumor were studied for amplification of the AR gene by fluorescence in situ hybridization from a prostate cancer patient who experienced tumor progression after monotherapy with the potent antiandrogen bicalutamide (Casodex, a trade mark, the property of Zeneca Ltd). RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: High-level amplification of the AR gene was found in the recurrent tumor, whereas no evidence of amplification was found in the primary tumor. After recurrence, the patient first received chemotherapy (ifosfamide) for 15 weeks with no response, followed by maximal androgen blockade (MAB). The latter therapy resulted in a favorable short-term response. This case study has the following implications which warrant further research: (1) AR amplification may be selected not only by castration but also by therapy with a competitive peripheral androgen-receptor-blocking agent, and (2) recurrent tumors with AR amplification may be particularly likely to benefit from MAB as a second-line therapy.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1996

32P-postlabelling of diastereomeric 7-alkylguanine adducts of butadiene monoepoxide.

The reaction of 3,4-epoxy-1-butene (BMO) with deoxyguanosine-3'-monophosphate (3'-dGMP) resulted in the formation of two pairs of diastereomeric 7-alkyl-3'-dGMP derivatives corresponding to two isomers C¿-1 and C¿-2. The T4 polynucleotide kinase-mediated phosphorylation with [gamma-32P]-ATP showed preferential labelling of diastereo- mers of the C¿-1 isomer. The diastereomers 1 and 2 of the C¿-1 isomer had labelling efficiencies of 42%. However, the labelling efficiencies of diastereomers 3 and 4 of the C¿-2 isomer were 11 and 10%, respectively. The 32P-postlabelling of BMO-modified DNA yielded four isomers in the ratio of 4:4:1:1 with overall recoveries being 14%. The two isomers had a half-life of 270 min (C¿-1 isomer) and 300 min (C¿-2 isomer) which is in accordance with the stability predicted by other similar adduct experiments. The molecular modelling experiments showed more pronounced restricted rotation of butadiene residue in C¿-2 isomers due to steric interaction between butadiene residue at N-7 and O(6) atom of guanine than in C¿-1 isomer. The butadiene residue also leads to steric overcrowding at 3'-phosphate in C¿-2 isomer which probably restricts the access to the active site of T4 polynucleotide kinase.

Animals↗
PubMed1996

Inhalation exposure of rats and mice to 1,3-butadiene induces N6-adenine adducts of epoxybutene detected by 32P-postlabeling and HPLC.

In this paper we report DNA binding of butadiene monoepoxide, a first metabolite of 1,3-butadiene catalyzed by monooxygenases. We prepared alkylated purines as marker compounds for 32-P-postlabeling and electrochemical analysis and developed methods to measure the corresponding products. The traditional postlabeling assay was modified by incorporating a solid phase extraction column and high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) enrichment steps to the assay prior to labeling. The final analysis of adducted N6 adenines is based on two dimensional thin-layer chromatography (TLC) and an on-line HPLC/radioactivity analysis. The qualitative and quantitative results are based on positively identified marker compounds. Alkylated N7 guanines were released from DNA by neutral thermal hydrolysis, prepurified by HPLC, and analyzed by HPLC with a sensitive electrochemical detection procedure. By using these methods, we found alkylation of calf thymus DNA exposed to butadiene monoepoxide in vitro at adenine N6 and guanine N7 sites. Analysis of lung DNA samples from mice and rats exposed to butadiene through inhalation showed that adenine N6 adducts were formed in vivo in a dose responsive manner.

Adenine↗
PubMed1996

Androgen receptor gene amplification: a novel molecular mechanism for endocrine therapy resistance in human prostate cancer.

Since the development and growth of the prostate cancer is highly dependent on androgens, androgen deprivation therapy continues to be the treatment of choice for patients with advanced prostate cancer. The therapy is very effective, but responses are often short-lived. We describe here a novel molecular mechanism that may explain why prostate cancer cells become resistant to hormonal therapy. Amplification of the androgen receptor (AR) gene was found to be selected for during androgen deprivation therapy in 23% of prostate cancer patients who experienced local tumor recurrence. Amplification leads to increased expression of the AR gene, which enables the cancer cells to more effectively utilize the residual low levels of androgens for sustaining cell growth. Discovery of AR amplification as a possible molecular mechanism of therapy resistance in prostate cancer should prove useful for development of more effective endocrine therapy regimens as well as diagnostic and predictive tests for therapy failure.

Androgen Antagonists↗
PubMed1995

In vivo amplification of the androgen receptor gene and progression of human prostate cancer.

Overexpression of amplified genes is often associated with the acquisition of resistance to cancer therapeutic agents in vitro. We have identified a similar molecular mechanism in vivo for endocrine treatment failure in human prostate cancer which involves amplification of the androgen receptor (AR) gene. Comparative genomic hybridization shows that amplification of the Xq11-q13 region (the location), is common in tumours recurring during androgen deprivation therapy. We found high-level AR amplification in seven of 23 (30%) recurrent tumours, but in none of the specimens taken from the same patients prior to therapy. Our results suggest that AR amplification emerges during androgen deprivation therapy by facilitating tumour cell growth in low androgen concentrations.

Aged↗
PubMed1995

Preparation, characterization and 32P-postlabeling of butadiene monoepoxide N6-adenine adducts.

Butadiene monoepoxide, an active metabolite of 1,3-butadiene, was reacted with deoxyadenosine, deoxyadenosine 3'-monophosphate and DNA. The nucleoside reaction products were isolated and using various spectroscopic techniques were determined to be the N6-substituted deoxyadenosine adducts. Deoxyadenosine 3'-monophosphate products were identified by treating the modified nucleotide products with alkaline phosphatase, resulting in nucleoside adducts with HPLC retention times similar to those of the deoxyadenosine adducts. Monophosphate products were also identified through MS/MS techniques by comparing the daughter ions derived from the base moieties of N6-alkylated nucleosides and nucleotides. The reaction mechanism in aqueous solution was studied using optically active butadiene monoepoxides. Using the alkylated monophosphate standards and an HPLC/32P postlabeling assay the N6-alkylated adenine adducts were detected in calf thymus DNA exposed to butadiene monoepoxide.

Adenine↗
PubMed1995

Butadiene monoxide and deoxyguanosine alkylation products at the N7-position.

3,4-Epoxy-1-butene, an active metabolite of 1,3-butadiene, was reacted with guanosine, deoxyguanosine and calf thymus DNA. The products were isolated and positively identified using various spectroscopic techniques. Treatment of calf thymus-DNA with 3,4-epoxy-1-butene yielded two N7-guanine adducts of equal stability. Depurination by neutral hydrolysis showed that 7-(2-hydroxy-3-buten-1-yl)guanine (compound I) was formed in greater quantities compared to its regioisomer 7-(1-hydroxy-3-buten-2-yl)guanine (compound II); spontaneous depurination experiments showed that compound I was released in the highest proportion. The circular dichroism spectral studies with R and S 3,4-epoxy-1-butene revealed that the reaction mechanism at aqueous neutral pH media is more similar to SN2-type rather than SN1-type. The HPLC-electrochemical detection method used to carry out the DNA alkylation study provides a rapid and sensitive quantitation of N7 guanine adducts in biological fluids. This serves as a useful tool for further human biomonitoring experiments.

Alkylation↗
PubMed1995

Analysis of genetic changes underlying local recurrence of prostate carcinoma during androgen deprivation therapy.

The molecular mechanisms and genetic changes that lead to the progression of prostate cancer during endocrine therapy are poorly characterized. Here, paired specimens from both untreated primary tumors and from local recurrences were collected from 10 prostate cancer patients treated by conventional androgen deprivation therapy. The genetic progression of the tumors was studied by using interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization and chromosome-specific probes. Six primary tumors (60%) and all ten recurrent tumors were aneuploid by fluorescence in situ hybridization. The recurrent tumors also showed a high degree of chromosome copy number variability from one cell to another. Increased copy number of chromosome X was particularly common in the recurrent tumors. In addition, specific high level amplification of the androgen receptor (AR) gene (Xq12) was detected in three highly aneuploid recurrent tumors. Our findings suggest that hormone-refractory prostate cancers are genetically very complex and show intratumor genetic heterogeneity. Increased copy number of chromosome X and the amplification of the androgen receptor (AR) gene may confer proliferative advantage during androgen deprivation and thus contribute to the development of recurrence.

Androgen Antagonists↗
PubMed1992

Molecular genetics of familial hypercholesterolaemia: common and rare mutations of the low density lipoprotein receptor gene.

Mutations of the low density lipoprotein (LDL) receptor gene give rise to familial hypercholesterolaemia (FH), one of the most common single-gene diseases in the world. Approximately 150 different LDL receptor gene mutations have been reported until now and the list seems to be continuously growing. Although hampering molecular genetic diagnosis of FH, this wide variability at the DNA level provides a useful tool to population genetics and may ultimately lead to better understanding of the variation in disease manifestations from family to family. The Finns are among the few populations in which one or two mutant LDL receptor genes explain the majority of FH cases. Either of the two 'Finnish-type' LDL receptor gene deletions, FH-Helsinki or FH-North Karelia, is present in more than 60% of the Finnish FH patients; there are no reports on their existence in other ethnic groups. Assays for these mutations were shown to markedly complement clinical diagnosis of FH in Finland.

Adolescent↗