Expression of nucleoside diphosphate(NDP) kinase, which is homologous to the nm23 gene product in a variety of species, has been found to be inversely associated with metastatic potential. However, the relationship remains controversial according to the tumor cell types and experimental system, with conflicting results from different research groups. In order to determine whether NDP kinase expression serves as a marker for metastatic potential in human skin cancer, we assessed the levels of NDP kinase expression in 9 keratoacanthomas (KAs), 26 squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs), and 25 basal cell carcinomas (BCCs) using immunohistochemistry. The expression of NDP kinase was intense in KA and SCC compared with BCC. However, the difference of NDP kinase expression between KA and SCC was not statistically significant. And there was no statistically significant difference in NDP kinase expression between SCC with metastasis and SCC without metastasis. Our results contradict the hypothesis concerning the possible role of nm23 gene as a metastatic suppressor gene in human skin cancer. The mechanism of overexpression in various tumor cell types and its biological significance in cutaneous carcinogenesis remain to be determined.
Antibodies, Monoclonal ; Carcinoma, Basal Cell/enzymology/secondary ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/enzymology/secondary ; Comparative Study ; Erythrocytes/enzymology ; Human ; Immunohistochemistry ; Keratoacanthoma/enzymology ; Nucleoside-Diphosphate Kinase/*analysis/blood ; Skin Diseases/enzymology ; Skin Neoplasms/*enzymology/secondary ; Transcription Factors/analysis

OBJECTIVETo explore the value of serum neuron-specific enolase (NSE) before treatment in predicting brain metastases and prognosis of advanced non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

METHODSA total of 128 hospitalized patients with advanced NSCLC from Jan 2012 to Mar 2012 were followed up, and their clinicopathological data, serum NSE, carcinoembryonic antigen, cytokeratin 21-1 (cyfra21-1) levels, albumin (ALB), white blood cell (WBC) before treatment were analyzed retrospectively to determine the factors affecting brain metastasis and prognosis of advanced NSCLC.

RESULTSAmong the 128 NSCLC patients, 90 cases were of adenocarcinoma, 30 cases were of squamous cell carcinoma, and 8 cases were of large cell carcinoma. The median levels of pre-treatment NSE, CEA and cyfra21-1 were 13.6 ng/ml, 7.8 ng/ml and 6.1 ng/ml, respectively. The average levels of ALB and WBC were (35.41 ± 5.60) g/L and (8.16 ± 2.53) × 10⁹/ml, respectively. Multi-variate logistic regression analysis showed that serum NSE before treatment was associated with brain metastasis of advanced NSCLC (P = 0.030). Pre-treatment NSE levels were (34.18 ± 28.48) ng/ml in 28 patients with brain metastasis and (13.87 ± 4.49) ng/ml in 98 patients without brain metastasis (P < 0.05). The median survival time were 3.5 months in patients with normal levels of NSE, and 10.7 months in patients with elevated levels of NSE pre-treatment (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONSA higher pre-treatment level of NSE is closely correlated with brain metastasis of advanced NSCLC, and can be used as a predictor of brain metastases in advanced NSCLC. High pre-treatment levels of NSE indicate a poor prognosis in advanced NSCLC patients.

Adenocarcinoma ; blood ; enzymology ; secondary ; Antigens, Neoplasm ; blood ; Brain Neoplasms ; secondary ; Carcinoembryonic Antigen ; blood ; Carcinoma, Large Cell ; blood ; enzymology ; secondary ; Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; blood ; enzymology ; secondary ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; blood ; enzymology ; secondary ; Humans ; Keratin-19 ; blood ; Leukocyte Count ; Lung Neoplasms ; blood ; enzymology ; pathology ; Phosphopyruvate Hydratase ; blood ; Prognosis ; Retrospective Studies ; Serum Albumin ; analysis

OBJECTIVETo explore the correlation between neck lymph node metastasis and matrix metalloproteinase-2 expression at the invasive tumor front of oral squamous cell carcinomas(OSCC).

METHODSImmunohistochemistry LsAB technique was used to observe the expression of MMP-2 at the invasive tumor front and center of OSCC, and the correlation between the expression of MMP-2 in OSCC and neck lymph node metastasis were respectively analyzed by statistics.

RESULTSThe results demonstrated that MMP-2 existed in all 71 cases, which the expression of MMP-2 at the OSCC front was more significant than that of MMP-2 at the OSCC center (P < 0.01), and related to neck lymph node metastasis (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONThe expression of MMP-2 at the OSCC front could be considered as an index of judging the present of neck lymph node metastasis of OSCC.

Adult ; Aged ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; enzymology ; secondary ; Female ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Lymph Nodes ; pathology ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Male ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 ; biosynthesis ; Middle Aged ; Mouth Neoplasms ; enzymology ; pathology ; Neoplasm Invasiveness

OBJECTIVETo study expression of MMP-2 in relation to microvessel density (MVD) in esophageal carcinoma.

METHODSForty-eight specimens of esophageal carcinoma (Ec) and 17 specimens of grade II + III epithelial dysplasia (Dy) close to the tumor and 12 specimens of normal tissue (Nt) along the incisional margin were examined by S-P immunohistochemical staining with anti-MMP-2 monoclonal antibody. An anti-CD34 monoclonal antibody was used to show MVD.

RESULTSMMP-2 expression in Ec was remarkably higher than that in Dy, which was higher than that in Nt. MMP-2 expression in Ec and Dy was significantly correlated with MVD in the tumor and nearby tissue. MMP-2 expression and MVD in Ec significantly associated with lymph node metastasis.

CONCLUSIONExpression of MMP-2 plays an important role in angiogenesis and lymph node metastasis of esophageal cancer.

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; blood supply ; enzymology ; secondary ; Esophageal Neoplasms ; blood supply ; enzymology ; pathology ; Female ; Humans ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Male ; Matrix Metalloproteinase 2 ; metabolism ; Microcirculation ; enzymology ; pathology ; Middle Aged ; Neovascularization, Pathologic ; enzymology ; pathology