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Biomedical subjects

W Grizzle

Publications and source records attributed to W Grizzle.

12 recordsLinked to original sources

Risk biomarker assessment for breast cancer progression: replication precision of nuclear morphometry.

Nuclear morphometry is a method for quantitative measurement of histopathologic changes in the appearance of stained cell nuclei. Numerous studies have indicated that these assessments may provide clinically relevant information related to the degree of progression and malignant potential of breast neoplasia. Nuclear features are derived from computerized analysis of digitized microscope images, and a quantitative Feulgen stain for DNA was used. Features analyzed included: (1) DNA content; (2) nuclear size and shape; and (3) texture features, describing spatial features of chromatin distribution. In this study replicated measurements are described on a series of 54 breast carcinoma specimens of differing pathologic grades. Duplicate measurements were performed using two serial sections, which were processed and analyzed separately. The value of a single feature measurement, the nuclear area profile, was shown to be the strongest indicator of progression. A quantitative nuclear grade was derived and shown to be strongly correlated with not only the pathologic nuclear grade, but also with tubule formation, mitotic grade, and with the overall histopathologic grade. Analysis of replication precision showed that the standard methods of the histopathology laboratory, if practiced in a uniform manner, are sufficient to ensure reproducibility of these assessments. We argue that nuclear morphometry provides a standardized and reproducible framework for quantitative pathologic assessments.

Algorithms↗

Protease-activated receptor 2, a receptor involved in melanosome transfer, is upregulated in human skin by ultraviolet irradiation.

Previous studies have shown that the protease-activated receptor 2 is involved in skin pigmentation through increased phagocytosis of melanosomes by keratinocytes. Ultraviolet irradiation is a potent stimulus for melanosome transfer. We show that protease-activated receptor 2 expression in human skin is upregulated by ultraviolet irradiation. Subjects with skin type I, II, or III were exposed to two or three minimal erythema doses of irradiation from a solar simulator. Biopsies were taken from nonexposed and irradiated skin 24 and 96 h after irradiation and protease-activated receptor 2 expression was detected using immunohistochemical staining. In nonirradiated skin, protease-activated receptor 2 expression was confined to keratinocytes in the lower one-third of the epidermis. After ultraviolet irradiation protease-activated receptor 2 expression was observed in keratinocytes in the upper two-thirds of the epidermis or the entire epidermis at both time points studied. Subjects with skin type I showed delayed upregulation of protease-activated receptor 2 expression, however, compared with subjects with skin types II and III. Irradiated cultured human keratinocytes showed upregulation in protease-activated receptor 2 expression as determined by immunofluorescence microscopy and Western blotting. Cell culture supernatants from irradiated keratinocytes also exhibited a dose-dependent increase in protease-activated receptor-2 cleavage activity. These results suggest an important role for protease-activated receptor-2 in pigmentation in vivo. Differences in protease-activated receptor 2 regulation in type I skin compared with skin types II and III suggest a potential mechanism for differences in tanning in subjects with different skin types.

Adult↗

Evaluation of biomarker modulation by fenretinide in prostate cancer patients.

An NCI-sponsored, phase II trial of N-(4-hydroxyphenyl)- retinamide (4-HPR) in patients with organ-confined prostate cancer in the period prior to radical prostatectomy was carried out. Thirty-seven men with the histologic diagnosis of prostate cancer planning to have radical prostatectomy entered the study after informed consent and were given 4-HPR (or matching placebo) as a single daily dose (two 100-mg capsules of 4-HPR or two capsules of placebo daily) for 3 weeks prior to surgery. Four men dropped out for unrelated reasons. Thirty-three men completed the study. At the time of surgery, repeat biopsies of the prostate were performed to study the effects of the drug on potential surrogate endpoint biomarkers (SEBs) of malignancy within the tissue. The panel of potential SEBs of malignancy include p53, cytomorphometric indices, ploidy, PNCA, erbB-2, erbB-3, EGF receptor, TGF-alpha tumor-associated glycoprotein-72, fatty acid synthetase and Lewis Y antigen. Twenty-three patients had matching pre- and posttherapy lesions and were considered informative. Results from the patients indicate significant differential expression of biomarkers in pretreatment specimens of uninvolved prostatic tissue (normal-appearing epithelia) prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) and prostate cancer. The mean erbB-2 expression was 0.58 in uninvolved vs. 1.04 in PIN (p = 0.002); while the mean erbB-2 expression was 1.35 in prostate cancer (p = 0.0007, uninvolved vs. prostate cancer). A similar pattern of increased biomarker expression between uninvolved and PIN or prostate cancer tissues can be observed for EGF receptor (mean = 1.21, 1.87 and 1.76 for uninvolved, PIN and prostate cancer, respectively) and erbB-3 (mean = 0.81, 1.59 and 1.30 for uninvolved, PIN and prostate cancer, respectively). There were no statistically significant differences in biomarkers observed in the 4-HPR-treated patients when compared with placebo-treated control patients. There was a posttreatment up-regulation of biomarkers observed in both groups of patients. This observation is most likely explained by an effect due to the diagnostic sextant biopsy equally affecting both groups of patients. Results from this study do not demonstrate a chemoprevention effect of 4-HPR on tissue-based SEBs at the dose given.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Recommended policies for uses of human tissue in research, education, and quality control. Ad Hoc Committee on Stored Tissue, College of American Pathologists.

As recipients of tissue and medical specimens, pathologists and other medical specialists regard themselves as stewards of patient tissues and consider it their duty to protect the best interests of both the individual patient and the public. The stewardship of slides, blocks, and other materials includes providing, under appropriate circumstances, patient materials for research, education, and quality control. The decision to provide human tissue for such purposes should be based on the specific (ie, direct patient care) and general (ie, furthering medical knowledge) interests of the patient and of society. The same standards of responsibility should apply to all medical professionals who receive and use specimens. This document proposes specific recommendations whereby both interests can be fostered safely, ethically, and reasonably.

Biological Specimen Banks↗

Oncogene expression cloning by retroviral transduction of adenovirus E1A-immortalized rat kidney RK3E cells: transformation of a host with epithelial features by c-MYC and the zinc finger protein GKLF.

The function of several known oncogenes is restricted to specific host cells in vitro, suggesting that new genes may be identified by using alternate hosts. RK3E cells exhibit characteristics of epithelia and are susceptible to transformation by the G protein RAS and the zinc finger protein GLI. Expression cloning identified the major transforming activities in squamous cell carcinoma cell lines as c-MYC and the zinc finger protein gut-enriched Kruppel-like factor (GKLF)/epithelial zinc finger. In oral squamous epithelium, GKLF expression was detected in the upper, differentiating cell layers. In dysplastic epithelium, expression was prominently increased and was detected diffusely throughout the entire epithelium, indicating that GKLF is misexpressed in the basal compartment early during tumor progression. The results demonstrate transformation of epithelioid cells to be a sensitive and specific assay for oncogenes activated during tumorigenesis in vivo, and identify GKLF as an oncogene that may function as a regulator of proliferation or differentiation in epithelia.

Adenovirus E1A Proteins↗

Retinoid modulation of biomarkers in oral leukoplakia/dysplasia.

Among the tissue, cellular, and molecular changes which take place during the development of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the upper aerodigestive tract, only a limited number can be used as surrogate endpoint biomarkers (SEBs) in cancer chemoprevention trials. Molecular SEBs will be genes or gene products which can be measured accurately and reliably, are altered in intraepithelial neoplasia (dysplasia), correlate strongly with the true outcome (invasive cancer), and are modulated by a chemoprevention agent(s). To identify and modulate molecular SEBs in intraepithelial neoplasia of the upper aerodigestive tract, we studied expression of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), transforming growth factor-alpha (TGF-alpha), and HER-2/neu genes in oral leukoplakia before, during, and after treatment with 13-cis-retinoic acid, a vitamin A derivative. Four of nine patients treated for 3 months with 1 mg/kg/day of 13-cis-retinoic acid had complete resolution of their leukoplakia. Biopsies were taken of leukoplakia and adjacent normal-appearing mucosa before, during, and after treatment. Immunohistochemistry was performed using the BioGenex Super Sensitive Biotin-Streptavidin horseradish peroxidase detection system. Pretreatment expression of EGFR, TGF-alpha, and HER-2/neu in leukoplakia was increased when compared to normal-appearing mucosa. TGF-alpha expression decreased during treatment in leukoplakia, but not in normal-appearing mucosa, suggesting that TGF-alpha may serve as an intermediate endpoint in cancer chemoprevention trials.

Anticarcinogenic Agents↗

The Cooperative Human Tissue Network. An update.

BACKGROUND: During the past decade, the National Cancer Institute became aware of a lack of availability of human tissues for research, especially in the fields of molecular biology, genetics, and immunology. METHODS: In 1987, the National Cancer Institute (NCI) established the Cooperative Human Tissue Network (CHTN) by funding three institutions that had extensive experience in the procurement and distribution of tissues for research. RESULTS: Since its inception, the CHTN has been expanded to five member institutions, with the addition of the Columbus Children's Hospital (the Pediatric Division for the procurement of pediatric tissues) and Case Western Reserve University. Each of the five divisions have established regional networks of institutions that supply tissues to the major divisions. From 1987 through 1991, the CHTN has distributed more than 29,000 human tissue samples and supplied approximately 500 researchers throughout the country. CONCLUSIONS: This report describes the development and current status of the CHTN, a valuable resource to the research community.

Containment of Biohazards↗

Phase I trial of the chimeric anti-GD2 monoclonal antibody ch14.18 in patients with malignant melanoma.

The chimeric monoclonal anti-GD2 antibody ch14.18 is made up of the variable region of the murine anti-GD2 antibody 14.18 (or its IgG2a switch variant 14G2a) and the constant region of human IgG1k. Ch14.18 mediates antibody dependent cytotoxicity and complement dependent lysis in vitro. In a phase I trial, 13 patients with metastatic melanoma received ch14.18 as a single dose of 5-100 mg. Therapy was associated with an infusion-related abdominal/pelvic pain syndrome, which required intravenous morphine for control. The pharmacokinetics of ch14.18 best fit a two-compartment model with a T1/2 alpha of 24 +/- 1 hr and a T1/2 beta of 181 +/- 73 hr. Eight of 13 patients developed a weak-modest antibody response directed at the variable region of ch14.18. Clinical antitumor responses were not observed at the doses employed in this study. However, patients receiving greater than 45 mg of ch14.18 had antibody detectable on tumor cells analyzed by fluorescent activated cell sorter. Further modification of the therapeutic regime employing larger doses and frequent administration of ch14.18 are planned.

Adult↗

Functional and morphological studies of long-term islet allografts in the renal subcapsular space of the BB/W rat.

Our primary objective in this study was to determine whether transplanted pancreatic islet B cells display normal glucose-stimulated insulin secretory responses. Since transplanted islets are deinnervated and are located in a potentially unfavorable hormonal environment, it is possible that transplanted islets can maintain blood glucose levels but still not be completely normal. Since immune mechanisms may alter secretory responses but fail to cause overt islet necrosis (rejection), we used the BB/W spontaneously diabetic rat as the recipient in these studies. Islets harvested from inbred Lewis rats were transplanted beneath the renal capsule with minimal ALS immunosuppression posttransplantation. The transplanted animals showed a normal response to a glucose tolerance test. After 122-155 days of normoglycemia, the islets were retrieved and subjected to 2.8 and 16.7 mM glucose. The results indicate that the islet allografts maintain their secretory response to glucose when compared to donor Lewis islets acutely isolated from the pancreas. Furthermore, the transplanted islets maintained their morphologic integrity.

Animals↗

Demonstration of the adenosine reservoirs with nitrobenzylthioinosine in liver and diaphragm by high-performance liquid chromatography.

Purine nucleotides, nucleosides, nucleobases, dinucleotides and nucleosides derivatives from acid-extracted rat liver and diaphragm were separated and quantitated by reversed-phase ion-pair high-performance liquid chromatography with a mobile phase composed of 90 mM potassium phosphate, 15 mM tetrabutylammonium hydroxide and a 1-30% methanol gradient. During 5 min of ischemia, adenine and guanine nucleotides decreased along with significant declines in NAD and increases in adenosine, inosine, hypoxanthine, xanthine, NADP and adenylosuccinate. Nitrobenzylthioinosine by gavage (5 mg/kg per day for five days) increased adenosine levels but without any alteration in nucleobase levels. Adenosine was shuttled to every available intracellular reservoir which included in declining order of magnitude GDP greater than adenosylhomocysteine greater than adenosine greater than ADP greater than AMP greater than IMP = XMP = GMP.

Adenine Nucleotides↗