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International Journal of Molecular... May 2024This research paper presents a novel approach to identifying biomarkers that can be used to prognosticate patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) eligible for...
This research paper presents a novel approach to identifying biomarkers that can be used to prognosticate patients with triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) eligible for neoadjuvant therapy. The study utilized survival and RNA sequencing data from a cohort of TNBC patients and identified 276 genes whose expression was related to survival in such patients. The gene expression data were then used to classify patients into two major groups based on the presence or absence of Wingless/Integrated-pathway (Wnt-pathway) and mesenchymal (Mes) markers (Wnt/Mes). Patients with a low expression of Wnt/Mes-related genes had a favorable outcome, with no deaths observed during follow-up, while patients with a high expression of Wnt/Mes genes had a higher mortality rate of 50% within 19 months. The identified gene list could be validated and potentially used to shape treatment options for TNBC patients eligible for neoadjuvant therapy providing valuable insights into the development of more effective treatments for TNBC. Our data also showed significant variation in gene expression profiles before and after chemotherapy, with most tumors switching to a more mesenchymal/stem cell-like profile. To verify this observation, we performed an in silico analysis to classify breast cancer tumors in Prediction Analysis of Microarray 50 (PAM50) molecular classes before treatment and after treatment using gene expression data. Our findings demonstrate that following drug intervention and metastasis, certain tumors undergo a transition to alternative subtypes, resulting in diminished therapeutic efficacy. This underscores the necessity for reevaluation of patients who have experienced relapse or metastasis post-chemotherapy, with a focus on molecular subtyping. Tailoring treatment strategies based on these refined subtypes is imperative to optimize therapeutic outcomes for affected individuals.
Topics: Humans; Female; Triple Negative Breast Neoplasms; Biomarkers, Tumor; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic; Wnt Signaling Pathway; Neoplasm, Residual; Neoadjuvant Therapy; Prognosis; Neoplasm Metastasis; Middle Aged; Gene Expression Profiling
PubMed: 38892243
DOI: 10.3390/ijms25116054 -
International Journal of Molecular... May 2024Breast cancer remains a leading cause of cancer mortality in women globally. Despite advancements in systemic therapy, the risk of distant recurrence persists even after... (Comparative Study)
Comparative Study
Breast cancer remains a leading cause of cancer mortality in women globally. Despite advancements in systemic therapy, the risk of distant recurrence persists even after such treatment and may be linked to disseminated tumor cells (DTCs). Variability in molecular characteristics between primary tumors (PTs) and distant metastases underscores the need to comprehensively understand metastatic pathways. This retrospective study investigated discrepancies between HER2 expression in PTs and DTCs and their implications for survival outcomes in 201 early breast cancer (EBC) patients. We found a significant association between HER2 expression in PTs and DTCs when classifying tumors as HER2-high/low/negative. Patients whose HER2 status was discordant between PTs and DTCs exhibited worse distant disease-free survival than those with concordant status. Multivariate analysis confirmed the HER2 status of DTCs as an independent prognostic factor for distant DFS. These findings emphasize the importance of assessing HER2 expression in DTCs and its potential implications for tailored therapy strategies in EBC. Furthermore, prospective trials are needed to validate these findings and explore targeted therapies based on the molecular characteristics of DTCs.
Topics: Humans; Receptor, ErbB-2; Female; Breast Neoplasms; Middle Aged; Retrospective Studies; Adult; Aged; Prognosis; Biomarkers, Tumor; Disease-Free Survival; Neoplastic Cells, Circulating; Neoplasm Metastasis
PubMed: 38892097
DOI: 10.3390/ijms25115910 -
International Journal of Molecular... May 2024The tyrosine kinase domain of the FMS-Like tyrosine kinase 3 (-TKD) is recurrently mutated in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Common molecular techniques used in its...
The tyrosine kinase domain of the FMS-Like tyrosine kinase 3 (-TKD) is recurrently mutated in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Common molecular techniques used in its detection include PCR and capillary electrophoresis, Sanger sequencing and next-generation sequencing with recognized sensitivity limitations. This study aims to validate the use of droplet digital PCR (ddPCR) in the detection of measurable residual disease (MRD) involving the common -TKD mutations (D835Y, D835H, D835V, D835E). Twenty-two diagnostic samples, six donor controls, and a commercial D835Y positive control were tested using a commercial Bio-rad ddPCR assay. All known variants were identified, and no false positives were detected in the wild-type control (100% specificity and sensitivity). The assays achieved a limit of detection suitable for MRD testing at 0.01% variant allelic fraction. Serial samples from seven intensively-treated patients with -TKD variants at diagnosis were tested. Five patients demonstrated clearance of -TKD clones, but two patients had -TKD persistence in the context of primary refractory disease. In conclusion, ddPCR is suitable for the detection and quantification of -TKD mutations in the MRD setting; however, the clinical significance and optimal management of MRD positivity require further exploration.
Topics: Humans; fms-Like Tyrosine Kinase 3; Neoplasm, Residual; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute; Polymerase Chain Reaction; Mutation; Female; Male; Middle Aged; Aged; Adult; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing
PubMed: 38891959
DOI: 10.3390/ijms25115771 -
Cureus May 2024Multimodality treatments, including chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery, have been evaluated to reduce the extent of resection and morbidity in patients with advanced...
Multimodality treatments, including chemotherapy, radiation, and surgery, have been evaluated to reduce the extent of resection and morbidity in patients with advanced vulvar cancer. Here, we report the case of a 55-year-old woman diagnosed with advanced vulvar cancer with inguinal and pelvic lymph node metastasis. She exhibited cancerous labia, which were entirely covered with ulcerated and exophytic lesions of squamous cell carcinoma, and underwent systemic chemotherapy consisting of combined paclitaxel-cisplatin. After eight cycles of this regimen, the tumors had nearly regressed, and we performed a wide local vulvectomy with a plastic musculocutaneous flap. Pathological examination revealed no residual carcinoma in the excised labia, indicating that the chemotherapy elicited a pathological complete response. The paclitaxel-cisplatin regimen may provide sufficient efficacy for selected patients with stage IVB vulvar cancer. In addition, surgical strategies should be tailored to avoid complications associated with extensive surgery and more emphasis should be placed on the patient's expected quality of life.
PubMed: 38882968
DOI: 10.7759/cureus.60432 -
European Journal of Medical Research Jun 2024Some previous observational studies have linked deep venous thrombosis (DVT) to thyroid diseases; however, the findings were contradictory. This study aimed to...
BACKGROUND
Some previous observational studies have linked deep venous thrombosis (DVT) to thyroid diseases; however, the findings were contradictory. This study aimed to investigate whether some common thyroid diseases can cause DVT using a two-sample Mendelian randomization (MR) approach.
METHODS
This two-sample MR study used single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) identified by the FinnGen genome-wide association studies (GWAS) to be highly associated with some common thyroid diseases, including autoimmune hyperthyroidism (962 cases and 172,976 controls), subacute thyroiditis (418 cases and 187,684 controls), hypothyroidism (26,342 cases and 59,827 controls), and malignant neoplasm of the thyroid gland (989 cases and 217,803 controls. These SNPs were used as instruments. Outcome datasets for the GWAS on DVT (6,767 cases and 330,392 controls) were selected from the UK Biobank data, which was obtained from the Integrative Epidemiology Unit (IEU) open GWAS project. The inverse variance weighted (IVW), MR-Egger and weighted median methods were used to estimate the causal association between DVT and thyroid diseases. The Cochran's Q test was used to quantify the heterogeneity of the instrumental variables (IVs). MR Pleiotropy RESidual Sum and Outlier test (MR-PRESSO) was used to detect horizontal pleiotropy. When the causal relationship was significant, bidirectional MR analysis was performed to determine any reverse causal relationships between exposures and outcomes.
RESULTS
This MR study illustrated that autoimmune hyperthyroidism slightly increased the risk of DVT according to the IVW [odds ratio (OR) = 1.0009; p = 0.024] and weighted median methods [OR = 1.001; p = 0.028]. According to Cochran's Q test, there was no evidence of heterogeneity in IVs. Additionally, MR-PRESSO did not detect horizontal pleiotropy (p = 0.972). However, no association was observed between other thyroid diseases and DVT using the IVW, weighted median, and MR-Egger regression methods.
CONCLUSIONS
This study revealed that autoimmune hyperthyroidism may cause DVT; however, more evidence and larger sample sizes are required to draw more precise conclusions.
Topics: Humans; Venous Thrombosis; Mendelian Randomization Analysis; Polymorphism, Single Nucleotide; Genome-Wide Association Study; Thyroid Diseases; Genetic Predisposition to Disease; Hyperthyroidism
PubMed: 38877527
DOI: 10.1186/s40001-024-01933-1 -
Nature Communications Jun 2024The phenomenon of mixed/heterogenous treatment responses to cancer therapies within an individual patient presents a challenging clinical scenario. Furthermore, the...
The phenomenon of mixed/heterogenous treatment responses to cancer therapies within an individual patient presents a challenging clinical scenario. Furthermore, the molecular basis of mixed intra-patient tumor responses remains unclear. Here, we show that patients with metastatic lung adenocarcinoma harbouring co-mutations of EGFR and TP53, are more likely to have mixed intra-patient tumor responses to EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibition (TKI), compared to those with an EGFR mutation alone. The combined presence of whole genome doubling (WGD) and TP53 co-mutations leads to increased genome instability and genomic copy number aberrations in genes implicated in EGFR TKI resistance. Using mouse models and an in vitro isogenic p53-mutant model system, we provide evidence that WGD provides diverse routes to drug resistance by increasing the probability of acquiring copy-number gains or losses relative to non-WGD cells. These data provide a molecular basis for mixed tumor responses to targeted therapy, within an individual patient, with implications for therapeutic strategies.
Topics: Humans; Tumor Suppressor Protein p53; Animals; Chromosomal Instability; Mice; Lung Neoplasms; ErbB Receptors; Mutation; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm; Cell Line, Tumor; Protein Kinase Inhibitors; Adenocarcinoma of Lung; Molecular Targeted Therapy; Female; DNA Copy Number Variations; Male
PubMed: 38871738
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-47606-9 -
Blood Cancer Journal Jun 2024The evaluation of measurable residual disease (MRD) in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) using comprehensive mutation analysis by next-generation sequencing (NGS) has been...
The evaluation of measurable residual disease (MRD) in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) using comprehensive mutation analysis by next-generation sequencing (NGS) has been investigated in several studies. However controversial results exist regarding the detection of persisting mutations in DNMT3A, TET2, and ASXL1 (DTA). Benchmarking of NGS-MRD taking into account other molecular MRD strategies has to be done. Here, we performed error-corrected-NGS-MRD in 189 patients homogeneously treated in the ALFA-0702 study (NCT00932412). Persistence of non-DTA mutations (HR = 2.23 for RFS and 2.26 for OS), and DTA mutations (HR = 2.16 for OS) were associated with poorer prognosis in multivariate analysis. Persistence of at least two mutations in complete remission (CR) was associated with a higher cumulative incidence of relapse (CIR) (HR = 3.71, p < 0.0001), lower RFS (HR = 3.36, p < 0.0001) and OS (HR = 3.81, p = 0.00023) whereas persistence of only one mutation was not. In 100 analyzable patients, WT1-MRD, but not NGS-MRD, was an independent factor for RFS and OS. In the subset of 67 NPM1 mutated patients, both NPM1 mutation detection (p = 0.0059) and NGS-MRD (p = 0.035) status were associated with CIR. We conclude that detectable NGS-MRD including DTA mutations correlates with unfavorable prognosis in AML. Its integration with alternative MRD strategies in AML management warrants further investigations.
Topics: Humans; Neoplasm, Residual; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute; Female; Male; Middle Aged; Nucleophosmin; Adult; Aged; Mutation; High-Throughput Nucleotide Sequencing; Young Adult; Prognosis; DNA Methyltransferase 3A; Aged, 80 and over; DNA (Cytosine-5-)-Methyltransferases; Adolescent; Repressor Proteins; DNA Mutational Analysis
PubMed: 38871702
DOI: 10.1038/s41408-024-01078-8 -
Surgical Case Reports Jun 2024Neoplasms derived from remnant appendix are rarely described, with most cases arising from the appendiceal "stump". Here, we present two surgical cases of appendiceal...
BACKGROUND
Neoplasms derived from remnant appendix are rarely described, with most cases arising from the appendiceal "stump". Here, we present two surgical cases of appendiceal neoplasms derived from appendiceal "tip" remnants.
CASE PRESENTATION
The first patient was a 71-year-old man who had undergone laparoscopic appendectomy for acute appendicitis 12 years prior. During appendectomy, the appendiceal root was ligated, but the appendix was not completely removed due to severe inflammation. At the most recent presentation, computed tomography (CT) was performed to examine choledocholithiasis, which incidentally revealed a cystic lesion of approximately 90 mm adjacent to the cecum. A retrospective review revealed that the cystic lesion had increased in size over time, and laparoscopic ileocecal resection was performed. Pathology revealed no continuity from the appendiceal orifice to the cyst, and a diagnosis of low-grade appendiceal mucinous neoplasm (LAMN) was made from the appendiceal tip remnant. The patient was discharged without complications. The second patient was a 65-year-old man who had undergone surgery for peritonitis due to severe appendicitis 21 years prior. During this operation, the appendix could not be clearly identified due to severe inflammation; consequently, cecal resection was performed. He was referred to our department with a chief complaint of general fatigue and loss of appetite and a cystic lesion of approximately 85 mm close to the cecum that had increased over time. CT showed irregular wall thickening, and malignancy could not be ruled out; therefore, laparoscopic ileocecal resection with D3 lymph node dissection was performed. The pathological diagnosis revealed mucinous adenocarcinoma (TXN0M0) arising from the remnant appendiceal tip. The patient is undergoing follow-up without postoperative adjuvant chemotherapy, with no evidence of pseudomyxoma peritonei or cancer recurrence for 32 months postoperatively.
CONCLUSIONS
If appendicitis-associated inflammation is sufficiently severe that accurate identification of the appendix is difficult, it may remain on the apical side of the appendix, even if the root of the appendix is ligated and removed. If the appendectomy is terminated incompletely, it is necessary to check for the presence of a residual appendix postoperatively and provide appropriate follow-up.
PubMed: 38867137
DOI: 10.1186/s40792-024-01936-4 -
Nature Communications Jun 2024Genetic testing is crucial for precision cancer medicine. However, detecting multiple same-site insertions or deletions (indels) is challenging. Here, we introduce CoHIT...
Genetic testing is crucial for precision cancer medicine. However, detecting multiple same-site insertions or deletions (indels) is challenging. Here, we introduce CoHIT (Cas12a-based One-for-all High-speed Isothermal Test), a one-pot CRISPR-based assay for indel detection. Leveraging an engineered AsCas12a protein variant with high mismatch tolerance and broad PAM scope, CoHIT can use a single crRNA to detect multiple NPM1 gene c.863_864 4-bp insertions in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). After optimizing multiple parameters, CoHIT achieves a detection limit of 0.01% and rapid results within 30 minutes, without wild-type cross-reactivity. It successfully identifies NPM1 mutations in 30 out of 108 AML patients and demonstrates potential in monitoring minimal residual disease (MRD) through continuous sample analysis from three patients. The CoHIT method is also competent for detecting indels of KIT, BRAF, and EGFR genes. Integration with lateral flow test strips and microfluidic chips highlights CoHIT's adaptability and multiplexing capability, promising significant advancements in clinical cancer diagnostics.
Topics: Humans; Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute; INDEL Mutation; CRISPR-Cas Systems; Nucleophosmin; Neoplasm, Residual; Nuclear Proteins; Proto-Oncogene Proteins B-raf; Genetic Testing; ErbB Receptors; Bacterial Proteins; Endodeoxyribonucleases; CRISPR-Associated Proteins
PubMed: 38866774
DOI: 10.1038/s41467-024-49414-7 -
Scientific Reports Jun 2024In recent years, the significance of detecting minimal/measurable residual disease (MRD) in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) has increased due to the availability of...
In recent years, the significance of detecting minimal/measurable residual disease (MRD) in chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) has increased due to the availability of highly effective therapeutic agents. Flow cytometry provides notable cost-effectiveness and immediacy, with an expected sensitivity level of approximately 10. The critical aspect of MRD detection via flow cytometry lies in accurately defining the region containing tumor cells. However, a subset of CLL, known as CLL with atypical immunophenotype, exhibits a distinct cell surface marker expression pattern that can make MRD detection challenging, because these markers often resemble those of normal B cells. To enhance the sensitivity of MRD detection in such atypical cases of CLL, we have capitalized on the observation that cell surface immunoglobulin (sIg) light chains tend to be expressed at a higher level in this subtype. For every four two-dimensional plots of cell surface markers, we used a plot to evaluate the expression of sIg kappa/lambda light chains and identified regions where the kappa/lambda ratio of sIg light chains deviated from a designated threshold within the putative CLL cell region. Using this method, we could detect atypical CLL cells at a level of 10. We propose this method as an effective MRD assay.
Topics: Humans; Leukemia, Lymphocytic, Chronic, B-Cell; Neoplasm, Residual; Immunophenotyping; Immunoglobulin kappa-Chains; Flow Cytometry; Immunoglobulin lambda-Chains; Female; Male; Immunoglobulin Light Chains
PubMed: 38862612
DOI: 10.1038/s41598-024-64398-6