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Biomedical subjects

Sina Dorudi

Publications and source records attributed to Sina Dorudi.

12 recordsLinked to original sources

The immunogenicity of colorectal cancers with high-degree microsatellite instability.

BACKGROUND: High-degree microsatellite instability (MSI-H) is a feature of approximately 15% of sporadic colorectal cancers. Patients with MSI-H cancers have been reported to have a better prognosis than those with non-MSI-H cancers. The MSI-H subset is also characterised by a dense infiltrate of intra-epithelial lymphocytes and the hypothesis that the latter represents an efficacious immune response contributing to improved outcome is very attractive. METHODS: Data for this review were identified by searches of MEDLINE, PubMed, and cross references from relevant articles using the search terms 'microsatellite instability', 'colorectal cancer' and 'immunology', 'immune response' or 'immunogenicity'. RESULTS: A total of 38 articles were identified by the search criteria and a further 95 articles by cross-referencing. The relevance of the articles to be interviewed was established by hand searching. Out of a total of 133 articles identified, 47 articles were rejected due to lack of relevance. A total of 86 articles were included in the review, pertaining to microsatellite instability in colorectal cancer, and immune mechanisms in colorectal cancer. CONCLUSION: It is suggested that this distinct group of colorectal cancers may have inherent immunogenic properties and that further elucidation of these may be invaluable to the development of successful immunotherapy.

Journal Article↗

Immunogenic hsp-70 is overexpressed in colorectal cancers with high-degree microsatellite instability.

PURPOSE: Colorectal cancers that display high-degree mi-crosatellite instability are associated with an improved prognosis and evidence of an activated host immune response. Molecular analyses have suggested that heat shock proteins, a family of proteins that have key immunologic functions, are upregulated in these cancers. We aimed to explore the expression of heat shock proteins 70 and 110 and their relationship to microsatellite instability, survival, and other clinicopathologic parameters. METHODS: Twenty-six colorectal cancers that displayed microsatellite instability were matched by age, stage, and site in the colorectum to 26 microsatellite-stable cancers. Immunohistochemistry was used to detect expression of both markers. RESULTS: The microsatellite-unstable group showed significantly higher expression of heat shock protein 70 than the microsatellite-stable group (P = 0.006), and patients undergoing curative resections for unstable cancers had improved prognosis compared with their stable counterparts (P = 0.026). Significantly, in a multivariate survival analysis, low or absent heat shock protein 70 expression was independently associated with a poor outcome (P = 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Heat shock protein 70 has known functions that promote antitumor immune responses. Its overexpression in colorectal cancers with microsatellite instability may be pivotal to explaining these tumors' enhanced immunogenicity and improved prognosis.

Age Factors↗

Colorectal cancers with microsatellite instability display mRNA expression signatures characteristic of increased immunogenicity.

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancers displaying high-degree microsatellite instability (MSI-H) have an improved prognosis compared to microsatellite stable (MSS) cancers. The observation of pronounced lymphocytic infiltrates suggests that MSI-H cancers are inherently more immunogenic. We aimed to compare the gene expression profiles of MSI-H and MSS cancers to provide evidence for an activated immune response in the former. RESULTS: We analysed tissue from 133 colorectal cancer patients with full consent and Local Ethics Committee approval. Genomic DNA was analysed for microsatellite instability in BAT-26. High-quality RNA was used for microarray analysis on the Affymetrix HG-U133A chip. Data was analysed on GeneSpring software version 6.0. Confirmatory real-time RT-PCR was performed on 28 MSI-H and 26 MSS cancers. A comparison of 29 MSI-H and 104 MSS cancers identified 2070 genes that were differentially expressed between the two groups [P < 0.005]. Significantly, many key immunomodulatory genes were up-regulated in MSI-H cancers. These included antigen chaperone molecules (HSP-70, HSP-110, Calreticulin, gp96), pro-inflammatory cytokines (Interleukin (IL)-18, IL-15, IL-8, IL-24, IL-7) and cytotoxic mediators (Granulysin, Granzyme A). Quantitative RT-PCR confirmed up-regulation of HSP-70 [P = 0.016], HSP-110 [P = 0.002], IL-18 [P = 0.004], IL-8 [0.002] and Granulysin [P < 0.0001]. CONCLUSIONS: The upregulation of a large number of genes implicated in immune response supports the theory that MSI-H cancers are immunogenic. The novel observation of Heat Shock Protein up-regulation in MSI-H cancer is highly significant in light of the recognised roles of these proteins in innate and antigen-specific immunogenicity. Increased mRNA levels of pro-inflammatory cytokines and cytotoxic mediators also indicate an activated anti-tumour immune response.

Colorectal Neoplasms↗

Quantification of cytokeratin 20, carcinoembryonic antigen and guanylyl cyclase C mRNA levels in lymph nodes may not predict treatment failure in colorectal cancer patients.

Conventional histopathologic staging of primary colorectal cancers does not allow accurate prognostic stratification within a given tumour stage. Therefore, PCR-based assays are increasingly used to try to predict more accurately the likelihood of disease progression for the individual patient. Real-time reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) assays were used to detect and quantitate cytokeratin 20 (ck20), carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and guanylyl cyclase C (GCC) mRNA in 149 lymph nodes (LN) from 17 patients with benign disease and 302 LN from 42 patients with colorectal cancer who had curative (R0) resections. None of the markers were specific, with ck20, CEA and GCC mRNA detected in 47%, 89% and 13% of 149 LN, respectively, from patients with benign disease. The sensitivity of all 3 markers was very high, with mRNA detected in 93%, 100% and 97% of 30 histologically involved LN, respectively. There was significant overlap in the mRNA levels of all 3 markers between histologically involved and uninvolved LN. There was no association between mRNA levels and distant recurrence (median follow-up: 3.94 years, range 3.35-5.12). We conclude that the use of molecular techniques to detect occult disease in LN may suffer from the same limitations as conventional methods. Instead, accurate prognostic stratification requires careful assessment of the likely metastatic potential of the primary cancer.

Adult↗

Gene expression profiling for molecular staging and prognosis prediction in colorectal cancer.

A key issue for patients undergoing surgery for colorectal cancer is the accurate prediction of treatment outcome. Currently, classification of a tumor by histopathologic stage is the most accurate prognostic factor for the risk assessment of treatment failure. However, despite improved histologic techniques and the application of novel immunohistochemical and molecular techniques, it is still not possible to delineate the underlying biochemical and genetic events that predict clinical outcome for individual cancer patients. One reason for this lack of progress is that the factors which determine the metastatic potential of a primary tumor are still unknown. This reality, coupled to dramatic technological developments in the field of expression profiling, has started a paradigm shift in the staging of colorectal cancers. It has raised expectations that genetic and/or transcriptome profiling of the primary tumor will result in the identification of prognostic determinants relevant to the individual patient. In turn, this may allow a clinically relevant definition of patient subgroups based on individual molecular parameters for rational decision making regarding choice of therapy.

Biomarkers, Tumor↗

The value of microarray techniques for quantitative gene profiling in molecular diagnostics.

There has been an explosion of interest in microarray technologies that allow the quantification of whole-genome RNA expression data. The apparent correlation of expression profiles with clinically relevant parameters such as disease outcome has raised expectations with respect to the clinical usefulness of the data generated. Yet the accuracy and biological relevance of these data remain contentious, even in basic research applications. Therefore, numerous issues related to format, quality, validation and interpretation remain to be resolved before microarray profiling can become a diagnostic tool of clinical relevance for routine work.

Gene Expression Profiling↗

Surgery for colorectal cancer.

Colorectal cancer remains the second commonest cause of cancer death in North America and Western Europe. Surgery remains the mainstay of treatment. The aim of surgery should be to achieve cure and to avoid locoregional recurrence. The fixity of the primary tumour determines resectability, and the extent of spread determines ultimate survival. Patients with rectal cancer present a particular problem. There is good evidence that lower local recurrence rates may be achieved both by improvements in surgical technique and the use of adjuvant radiotherapy. The importance of adequate treatment of the circumferential tumour margin cannot be over-emphasised; meticulous attention is required to ensure an adequate circumferential excision. The lowest incidences of locoregional recurrence are reported by surgeons who perform total mesorectal excision. Anorectal function, sexual and urinary dysfunction may occur after rectal excision. Both postoperative and pre-operative radiotherapy can reduce the incidence of local recurrence. However, in view of the low recurrence rates obtained with TME alone, the role of adjuvant radiotherapy requires further evaluation. Several aspects of the surgical management of colorectal cancer, for example, the role of transanal local excision of selected rectal cancers and laparoscopic surgery, the management of obstructed cases and the role of follow-up remain to be defined clearly.

Aged↗

Local expression of insulin-like growth factor-I affects angiogenesis in colorectal cancer.

Insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) has potent mitogenic and anti-apoptotic effects that give it a critical role in the regulation of rapidly renewing epithelial cell populations such as those found in the colon. Recent evidence has implicated circulating IGF-I levels as an important determinant of colorectal cancer risk, but the role, if any, of its autocrine/paracrine expression remains unexplored. Therefore, we investigated the local expression of IGF-I and IGF-I type I receptor (IGF-IR) in 50 paired normal colon and carcinoma samples. IGF-IR mRNA was present in all samples, whereas IGF-I mRNA was detected in only 30 normal (60%) and 27 tumour (54%) biopsies. Samples that did not express IGF-I mRNA had no IGF-I peptide detectable by immunocytochemistry. The absence of local IGF-1 expression was associated with significantly reduced mRNA levels specifying the proliferating cell nuclear antigen and c-myc, as well as Cox-2, and vascular endothelial growth factor - gene products that regulate angiogenesis. The biological relevance of this finding is suggested by the significant association between local IGF-I mRNA levels and microvessel density in the colorectal cancers.

Biopsy↗

Identification of differentially expressed genes associated with colorectal cancer liver metastasis.

The molecular mechanisms underlying successful metastasis of primary colorectal tumour to the liver remain unknown. We have used suppression subtractive hybridisation (SSH) and reverse Northern dot blot analysis to profile the mRNA expression patterns of a primary colorectal cancer and its liver metastasis. After SSH and reverse Northern dot blot analysis, differential expression was confirmed in 17 clones from the forward, and 13 clones from the reverse subtracted cDNA library. Four clones showed no significant sequence identities with any known sequences in the GenBank data base and likely to represent novel genes whose up- or down-regulation is associated with colorectal liver metastasis. Interestingly, one of the 13 down-regulated clones displayed 99% sequence identity with the BRCA1 tumour suppressor gene. Since promoter methylation is a direct cause of transcription silencing of the BRCA1 gene in approximately 10-20% of human breast cancer we further investigated its promoter methylation status in ten primary colorectal tumour samples, but revealed no evidence of promoter methylation.

Adult↗

Differential expression patterns of the insulin-like growth factor 2 gene in human colorectal cancer.

Tumour development and metastasis are associated with altered gene expression profiles. The aim of this study was to identify the transcriptional differences in normal, tumour and metastatic tissue. We used oligonucleotide arrays to identify differential expression patterns of insulin-like growth factor 2 (IGF 2) between 139 primary colorectal tumour specimens and 42 tumour-adjacent mucosa specimens from colorectal cancer (CRC) patients. The expression levels of the IGF 2 gene were significantly increased in primary tumours compared with adjacent mucosae. This was concordant with our real-time RT-PCR quantification of 48 matched tumour mucosa samples. IGF 2 expression levels were also measured by RT-PCR quantitative analysis in 18 liver metastases and 10 normal tissues from patients without cancer. The mRNA levels were significantly under-expressed in liver metastases compared with either colorectal tumours or adjacent normal mucosae. The non- malignant normal tissue expressed significantly lower IGF 2 levels than adjacent normal tissue, and this was not due to a field effect originating from the tumour. In addition, our microarray data demonstrated that IGF 2 expression was down-regulated in sporadic microsatellite instability (MSI-H) CRC and parallels under-expression of hMLH1 and IGF 2 receptor genes in these patients. We conclude that IGF 2 plays an important role in CRC development. Also, individuals with loss of genomic imprinting (LOI) causing over-expression of IGF 2 may be at greater risk of developing CRC. However, this LOI may be reversed in MSI-H patients.

Colorectal Neoplasms↗