Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; genetics ; metabolism ; Head and Neck Neoplasms ; genetics ; metabolism ; Humans ; MicroRNAs ; genetics ; metabolism

Lung cancer is the leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide. Targeted therapy is beneficial in most cases, but the development of drug resistance stands as an obstacle to good prognosis. Multiple mechanisms were explored such as genetic alterations, activation of bypass signaling, and phenotypic transition. These intrinsic and/or extrinsic dynamic regulations facilitate tumor cell survival in meeting the demands of signaling under different stimulus. This review introduces lung cancer plasticity and heterogeneity and their correlation with drug resistance. While cancer plasticity and heterogeneity play an essential role in the development of drug resistance, the manipulation of them may bring some inspirations to cancer prognosis and treatment. That is to say, lung cancer plasticity and heterogeneity present us with not only challenges but also opportunities.
Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung ; genetics ; metabolism ; Drug Resistance, Neoplasm ; genetics ; Humans ; Lung Neoplasms ; genetics ; metabolism

OBJECTIVE: To observe expression of stathmin gene in laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC) and relation between expression of stathmin gene and occurrence and development of LSCC. METHOD: The expression of the stathmin gene was determined in 35 LSCC of specimens and 18 normal laryngeal tissues (NLT) of specimens by in situ hybridization with Digoxigenin labeled probe of stathmin mRNA. RESULT: Expression of stathmin gene was observed in 35 cases of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma tissue (positive rate, 69%) and positive signal was observed in both cytoplasm and nuclear. Among 18 cases of normal tissue, only 6 showed weak positive signal. There was significant difference in expression of stathmin gene between laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma tissue and normal tissue. CONCLUSION Expression of stathmin gene may play a key role in the pathogenesis and development of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma. It may be a very important biotherapy target in the treatment of laryngeal squamous cell carcinoma.
Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Gene Expression ; Humans ; Laryngeal Neoplasms ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics ; Stathmin ; genetics ; metabolism

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; metabolism ; pathology ; DNA-Binding Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Humans ; Liver Neoplasms ; metabolism ; pathology ; Phosphoproteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; genetics

OBJECTIVETo study the expression of prostate stem cell antigen (PSCA) at protein and mRNA levels in invasive micropapillary carcinoma of the breast (IMPC) and to analyze the relationship between PSCA expression and clinicopathologic features.

METHODSThe expression of PSCA protein was analyzed by immunohistochemistry (LSAB) in 66 cases of IMPC and 67 cases of invasive ductal carcinoma, not otherwise specified (IDC-NOS). The association between PSCA expression and clinicopathologic features was also analyzed in IMPC. Furthermore, RT-PCR was used to detect PSCA mRNA in 10 cases of primary IMPC and 10 cases of primary IDC-NOS with paired normal breast tissues, each from the same subject.

RESULTSImmunohistochemical analysis revealed the overexpression of PSCA in 47 of 66 (71.2%) cases of IMPC and 35 of 67 (52.2%) IDC-NOS. Statistical analysis showed a significant difference of PSCA expression between IMPC and IDC-NOS (P = 0.024). In IMPC, the expression of PSCA was correlated with lymph nodes metastasis (P = 0.039). RT-PCR showed the mRNA level of PSCA was significantly higher in primary IMPC and IDC-NOS tissue than that in paired normal breast tissue (7/10 and 5/10, respectively), and it was also significantly higher in primary IMPC tissue than that in IDC-NOS tissue.

CONCLUSIONPSCA might play an important role in lymph node metastasis in IMPC.

Antigens, Neoplasm ; genetics ; metabolism ; Breast Neoplasms ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Carcinoma, Papillary ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Female ; GPI-Linked Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Humans ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; Neoplasm Invasiveness ; Neoplasm Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Neoplasm Staging ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the expression and significance of miRNA-324-3p and its target gene WNT2B in tissue specimens of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) specimens. METHOD: qRT-PCR was used to detect the expression of miRNA-324-3p and WNT2B mRNA, and Western blot was applied to assay the expression of WNT2B protein in 39 cases of NPC specimens and 21 cases of non-carcinoma epithelium. The relationship between their expression levels and clinicopathological characteristics and their correlation with clinical pathological parameters was analyzed. RESULT: The expression of miRNA-324-3p was significantly down-regulated decreased but WNT2B mRNA/protein increased obviously in NPC specimens (P < 0.01). A negative correlation between miRNA-324-3p and WNT2B was spotted (P < 0.05). The expression levels of these markers were closely correlated with T stage, clinic stage and cervical lymph node metastasis (P < 0.05). CONCLUSION The loss of miRNA-324-3p and ectopic WNT2B might co-induce the initiation and progression of NPC.
Carcinoma ; Glycoproteins ; genetics ; metabolism ; Humans ; Lymphatic Metastasis ; MicroRNAs ; metabolism ; Nasopharyngeal Carcinoma ; Nasopharyngeal Neoplasms ; metabolism ; Neoplasm Proteins ; metabolism ; RNA, Messenger ; metabolism ; Wnt Proteins ; genetics ; metabolism

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVEHuman achaete-scute homolog 1 (hASH1) gene plays a critical role in development of the central nervous system, automatic nervous system, adrenal medullary chromaffin cells, thyroid C cells and pulmonary neuroendocrine cells. The aim of this study is to determine hASH1 gene expression in the normal lung tissue and various types of lung tumors, to analyze whether its expression correlated with pulmonary neuroendocrine markers, and to explore the possibility of hASH1 as clinical pathological markers in the neuroendocrine tumors compared with previous neuroendocrine tumor markers.

METHODShASH1, Chromogranin A, Synaptophysin and CD56 expression were examined in lung tumor specimens (lung inflammatory pseudotumor, squamous cell carcinoma, adenocarcinomas, large cell carcinoma, typical carcinoids, atypical carcinoids, large cell neuroendocrine carcinomas and small cell lung carcinoma and corresponding normal lung specimens) using immunohistochemistry (S-P method). Western blot and reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay were applied to detect the expressions of hASH1 protein and mRNA in lung cancer tissues.

RESULTShASH1 expression was positive in 2/16 (12.5%) typical carcinoids, 15/20 (75%) atypical carcinoids, 6/10 (60%) large cell neuroendocrine carcinomas and 31/40 (77.5%) small cell lung carcinoma, respectively, but not in any normal lung tissue (0/10), lung inflammatory pseudotumor (0/49), squamous cell carcinoma (0/30), adenocarcinomas (0/30) or large cell carcinoma (0/20). There was a significant difference in hASH1 expression between typical carcinoids and atypical carcinoids (P < 0.01), but not in large cell neuroendocrine carcinomas and small cell lung carcinoma (P > 0.05). hASH1 expression highly closely correlated with Chromogranin A, Synaptophysin and CD56 expression (P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONhASH1 is a new kind of highly specific markers of pulmonary neuroendocrine tumours, and may be applied to clinical pathology diagnosis of the pulmonary neuroendocrine tumors.

Adenocarcinoma ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Basic Helix-Loop-Helix Transcription Factors ; genetics ; metabolism ; Carcinoma, Large Cell ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Carcinoma, Neuroendocrine ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic ; genetics ; physiology ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Lung Neoplasms ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Neuroendocrine Tumors ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction ; Small Cell Lung Carcinoma ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology

OBJECTIVETo evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of chromogenic in-situ hybridization (CISH) in detecting HER2 gene amplification in breast carcinomas.

METHODSHER2 oncogene amplification and its protein expression in 165 cases of breast carcinoma were investigated by immunohistochemistry (IHC) and CISH.

RESULTS(1) CISH did not detect HER2 gene amplification in 107 cases of IHC negative tumors and 24 cases of IHC 1+ tumors. (2) CISH identified high copy numbers of HER2 gene amplification in 21/22 (95.5%) cases with IHC 3+. (3) In 12 HIC 2+ cases, CISH identified 3 cases of high copy number amplification, 6 cases of low copy number amplification and 3 cases without amplification.

CONCLUSIONSHER2 gene amplification detection by CISH is highly sensitive and has a high concordance with IHC detection of the protein expression. It is concluded that CISH is a tool to evaluate HER2 gene status in breast cancer and can be an implement in conventional pathology laboratories.

Breast Neoplasms ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Carcinoma, Ductal, Breast ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Carcinoma, Intraductal, Noninfiltrating ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Carcinoma, Lobular ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Chromogenic Compounds ; Female ; Gene Amplification ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; methods ; In Situ Hybridization ; methods ; Receptor, ErbB-2 ; genetics ; metabolism

Adenocarcinoma, Follicular ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Carcinoma, Papillary ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Carcinoma, Renal Cell ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Diagnosis, Differential ; Humans ; Immunohistochemistry ; Kidney Diseases, Cystic ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Kidney Neoplasms ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Thyroid Neoplasms ; genetics ; metabolism ; pathology ; Translocation, Genetic

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular ; metabolism ; Glycoproteins ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Humans ; Hyaluronan Receptors ; biosynthesis ; genetics ; Liver ; metabolism ; Liver Neoplasms ; metabolism ; Osteopontin ; biosynthesis ; genetics