Clinica chimica acta; international journal of clinical chemistry
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KRAS codons 12 and 13 mutations are commonly used to identify colorectal carcinoma (CRC) patients who are unlikely to benefit from anti-EGFR therapy. However, humans have four different homologous RAS proteins and no routine screening is performed for the other mutation sites. Non-screened mutations may still be present in a significant subset of patients without KRAS codon 12 and 13 mutations. ⋯ Limiting RAS testing to only KRAS codons 12 and 13 in companion diagnostic testing of CRC results in nearly 1/5 of patients with RAS mutations not being excluded from costly EGFR antagonist treatment, despite likely futility. Inclusion of all RAS genes in companion diagnostic screening is warranted.
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Atherosclerosis is a chronic disease characterized by the deposition of excessive cholesterol in the arterial intima. Macrophage foam cells play a critical role in the occurrence and development of atherosclerosis. The generation of these cells is associated with imbalance of cholesterol influx, esterification and efflux. ⋯ When inflow and esterification of cholesterol increase and/or its outflow decrease, the macrophages are ultimately transformed into lipid-laden foam cells, the prototypical cells in the atherosclerotic plaque. The aim of this review is to describe what is known about the mechanisms of cholesterol uptake, esterification and release in macrophages. An increased understanding of the process of macrophage foam cell formation will help to develop novel therapeutic interventions for atherosclerosis.
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Gastric cancer is one of the most common malignancies and remains the second leading cause of cancer-related death worldwide. Over 70% of new cases and deaths occur in developing countries. In the early years of the molecular biology revolution, cancer research mainly focuses on genetic alterations, including gastric cancer. ⋯ Aberrant DNA methylation in the promoter regions of gene, which leads to inactivation of tumor suppressor and other cancer-related genes in cancer cells, is the most well-defined epigenetic hallmark in gastric cancer. The advantages of gene methylation as a target for detection and diagnosis of cancer in biopsy specimens and non-invasive body fluids such as serum and gastric washes have led to many studies of application in gastric cancer. This review focuses on the most common and important phenomenon of epigenetics, DNA methylation, in gastric cancer and illustrates the impact epigenetics has had on this field.
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Plasma lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lp-PLA2) mass predicts future cardiovascular events in the non-acute setting. We tested the extent to which Lp-PLA2 is elevated in patients with acute coronary syndrome. ⋯ In the acute setting, plasma Lp-PLA2 mass is not elevated in MI patients, although Lp-PLA2 mass appears to relate to the severity of myocardial damage.
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Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was examined for bilirubin, an important indicator for diagnosis of subarachnoid hemorrhage (SAH). ⋯ The multi-wavelength spectrophotometric assay is an objective alternative to visual inspection, HPLC, and absorbance for CSF bilirubin.