Cancer research
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We conducted a case-control study to determine whether a polymorphism in the CYP17 gene was associated with risk of breast cancer. We found an increased risk of advanced breast cancer in women carrying an A2 allele. ⋯ The reduced risk of breast cancer associated with a later age of menarche was largely limited to A1/A1 women: odds ratio, 0.47 (CI, 0.22-0.98) for breast cancer and later age at menarche among A1 homozygotes compared with 0.80 (CI, 0.51-1.27) for A1/A2 and A2/A2 genotypes. These findings suggest that the CYP17 genotype may be a biomarker for the onset of ovulation and advanced breast cancer risk.
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Conventional chromosome analysis (CCA) and fluorescent in situ hybridization (FISH) studies, using a 390-kb yeast artificial chromosome probe spanning the area of multiple breakpoints of the BCL1 locus at 11q13, were performed on 57 patients fulfilling the French-American-British criteria for the diagnosis of atypical B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL). To better define the incidence of 13q deletions and trisomy 12, FISH analysis was also performed using a cosmid probe that recognized a DNA sequence between the Rb gene and the D13S25 locus at band 13q14 and a chromosome 12-specific pericentromeric probe. All patients were characterized by cytoimmunological and hematological studies. ⋯ Although 13q14 deletions were seen by means of CCA in only 5 of 14 BCL1-positive cases, hemizygous or homozygous deletions at band 13q14 were detected by FISH in 11 of 14 BCL1-positive cases, as compared with 17 of 43 BCL1-negative cases (P = 0.01). A subclone with trisomy 12 in addition to BCL1 translocation and del(13q14) was present in four BCL1-positive cases. We arrived at the following conclusions: (a) FISH with this BCL1 YAC probe is an efficient method for the detection of the t(11;14) and of the corresponding involvement of the BCL1 locus in this lymphoproliferative disorder; (b) the majority of BCL1-positive atypical CLLs by French-American-British criteria may carry 13q14 deletions; (c) the recognition of this cytogenetic subset of atypical CLL, sharing some immunological and cytogenetic features with mantle cell lymphoma, may be important, because these patients usually present isolated peripheral blood and marrow lymphocytosis, with or without mild to moderate spleen involvement, and may require early cytotoxic treatment.
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Overexpression of the c-erbB-2 gene-encoded p185 has been reported in approximately 30% of human breast cancers and has been correlated with lymph node metastasis and poor prognosis in breast cancer patients. To investigate whether overexpression of p185 can enhance the metastatic potential of human breast cancer cells, we have introduced the human c-erbB-2 gene into the very low p185-expressing MDA-MB-435 human breast cancer cells and established 435.eB transfectants that express higher levels of p185. In this study, we compared the metastatic phenotypes of the parental MDA-MB-435 cells and the 435.eB transfectants. ⋯ To investigate whether enhanced metastatic potential in the p185-overexpressing 435.eB transfectants was the result of increased cancer cell growth and transformation potential, we compared the growth rate, anchorage-independent growth ability, and tumorigenicity of the 435.eB transfectants with that of the parental cells. The transfectants and the parental cells all had similar growth rates and anchorage-independent growth abilities and demonstrated similar tumorigenic potential. These findings suggest that c-erbB-2 is a metastasis-promoting gene for breast cancers that is distinct from other tumor-promoting genes in that the c-erbB-2 gene can enhance the intrinsic metastatic potentials of MDA-MB-435 cells without increasing their transformation abilities.
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Angiogenesis is a significant prognostic factor in breast cancer, but the factors that control angiogenesis in vivo are not well defined. Multiple angiogenic polypeptides are known, and we have determined the expression of seven of these in primary human breast cancers; the relationship of expression to estrogen receptor and vascular density was also examined. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and its four isoforms (121, 165, 189, and 206 amino acids), transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta1, pleiotrophin, acidic and basic fibroblast growth factor (FGF), placental growth factor, and thymidine phosphorylase (platelet-derived endothelial cell growth factor) were quantitated by RNase protection analysis. beta-FGF was also measured by ELISA. ⋯ Basic FGF was also assessed by ELISA and was more highly expressed in tumors than normal breast tissues (median, 346 microg/ml cytosol; range, 54-1323 versus median, 149; range, 32-509; P = 0.01). Implications for therapy are that broad spectrum agents that block features common to these factors may be useful (e.g., antagonism of heparin-binding activity agents), because so many angiogenic factors are expressed. Inhibiting endothelial migration or agents directly toxic to endothelium would be of value in a combined approach to therapy.