Serum tumor markers (carcinoembryonic antigen, carbohydrate antigen 19-9, carbohydrate antigen 72-4, carbohydrate antigen 24-2, ferritin) and gastric cancer prognosis correlation

BACKGROUND Gastric cancer is a kind of malignant tumor which is prevalent all over the world.Although some progress has been made in the treatment of gastric cancer,its prognosis is still not optimistic,so it is of great significance to find reliable prog-nostic indicators to guide the treatment and management of patients with gastric cancer.AIM To explore the relationship between serum levels of five biomarkers[carcinoem-bryonic antigen(CEA),carbohydrate antigen(CA)19-9,CA72-4,CA24-2,and ferritin]and prognosis in patients with gastric cancer.METHODS This study included 200 patients with gastric adenocarcinoma,and conducted an in-depth analysis of their baseline characteristics,relationship between tumor markers and staging,and prognosis.The study found that CA19-9 has a signi-ficant correlation with tumor stage,the average levels of CA24-2,CEA,CA72-4 and ferritin were slightly increased disregarding the stage of tumor.Survival analysis showed that increases in CEA,CA19-9,CA24-2,and ferritin were all associated with shortened overall survival of patients.Further multivariate ana-lysis revealed that elevated serum CA72-4 levels were an inde-pendent adverse prognostic factor.RESULTS This study reveals that there is a significant correlation between the expression levels of serum tumor markers CEA,CA19-9,CA72-4,CA24-2 and ferritin in patients with gastric cancer and prognosis,and can be used as important indicators for prognostic evaluation of gastric cancer.In particular,markers that appear abnormally elevated initially may help identify gastric cancer patients with poor prognosis.CONCLUSION Serum CEA and CA19-9 play an important role in the prognosis assessment of gastric cancer,and are effective tools to guide clinical practice and optimize individualized treatment strategies for gastric cancer patients.

Combining prognostic value of serum carbohydrate antigen 19-9 and tumor size reduction ratio in pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma

BACKGROUND Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma(PDAC)is a common cancer with increasing morbidity and mortality due to changes of social environment.AIM To evaluate the significance of serum carbohydrate antigen 19-9(CA19-9)and tumor size changes pre-and post-neoadjuvant therapy(NAT).METHODS This retrospective study was conducted at the Chongqing Key Laboratory of Translational Research for Cancer Metastasis and Individualized Treatment,Chongqing University Cancer Hospital.This study specifically assessed CA19-9 levels and tumor size before and after NAT.RESULTS A total of 156 patients who completed NAT and subsequently underwent tumor resection were included in this study.The average age was 65.4±10.6 years and 72(46.2%)patients were female.Before survival analysis,we defined the post-NAT serum CA19-9 level/pre-NAT serum CA19-9 level as the CA19-9 ratio(CR).The patients were divided into three groups:CR<0.5,CR>0.5 and<1 and CR>1.With regard to tumor size measured by both computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging,we defined the post-NAT tumor size/pre-NAT tumor size as the tumor size ratio(TR).The patients were then divided into three groups:TR<0.5,TR>0.5 and<1 and TR>1.Based on these groups divided according to CR and TR,we performed both overall survival(OS)and disease-free survival(DFS)analyses.Log-rank tests showed that both OS and DFS were significantly different among the groups according to CR and TR(P<0.05).CR and TR after NAT were associated with increased odds of achieving a complete or near-complete pathologic response.Moreover,CR(hazard ratio:1.721,95%CI:1.373-3.762;P=0.006),and TR(hazard ratio:1.435,95%CI:1.275-4.363;P=0.014)were identified as independent factors associated with OS.CONCLUSION This study demonstrated that post-NAT serum CA19-9 level/pre-NAT serum CA19-9 level and post-NAT tumor size/pre-NAT tumor size were independent factors associated with OS in patients with PDAC who received NAT and subsequent surgical resection.

Identification of tumor antigens and immune subtypes of hepatocellular carcinoma for mRNA vaccine development

BACKGROUND mRNA vaccines have been investigated in multiple tumors,but limited studies have been conducted on their use for hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC).AIM To identify candidate mRNA vaccine antigens for HCC and suitable subpopu-lations for mRNA vaccination.METHODS Gene expression profiles and clinical information of HCC datasets were obtained from International Cancer Genome Consortium and The Cancer Genome Atlas.Genes with somatic mutations and copy number variations were identified by cBioPortal analysis.The differentially expressed genes with significant prognostic value were identified by Gene Expression Profiling Interactive Analysis 2 website analysis.The Tumor Immune Estimation Resource database was used to assess the correlation between candidate antigens and the abundance of antigen-presenting cells(APCs).Tumor-associated antigens were overexpressed in tumors and associated with prognosis,genomic alterations,and APC infiltration.A consensus cluster analysis was performed with the Consensus Cluster Plus package to identify the immune subtypes.The weighted gene coexpression network analysis(WGCNA)was used to determine the candidate biomarker molecules for appropriate populations for mRNA vaccines.immune subtypes showed distinct cellular and clinical characteristics.The IS1 and IS3 immune subtypes were immunologically“cold”.The IS2 and IS4 immune subtypes were immunologically“hot”,and the immune checkpoint genes and immunogenic cell death genes were upregulated in these subtypes.IS1-related modules were identified with the WGCNA algorithm.Ultimately,five hub genes(RBP4,KNG1,METTL7A,F12,and ABAT)were identified,and they might be potential biomarkers for mRNA vaccines.CONCLUSION AURKA,CCNB1,CDC25C,CDK1,TRIP13,PES1,MCM3,PPM1G,NEK2,KIF2C,PTTG1,KPNA2,and PRC1 have been identified as candidate HCC antigens for mRNA vaccine development.The IS1 and IS3 immune subtypes are suitable populations for mRNA vaccination.RBP4,KNG1,METTL7A,F12,and ABAT are potential biomarkers for mRNA vaccines.

Challenges and interventions of chimeric antigen receptor-T cell therapy in solid tumors

Adoptive cellular therapy is rapidly improving immunotherapy in hematologic malignancies and several solid tumors.Remarkable clinical success has been achieved in chimeric antigen receptor(CAR)-T cell therapy which represents a paradigm-shifting strategy for the treatment of hematological malignancies.However,many challenges such as resistance,antigen heterogeneity,poor immune cell infiltration,immunosuppressive microenvironment,metabolic obstructive microenvironment,and T cell exhaustion remain as barriers to broader application especially in solid tumors.Encouragingly,the development of new approaches such as multidimensional omics and biomaterials technologies was aided to overcome these barriers.Here,in this perspective,we focus on the most recent clinical advancements,challenges,and strategies of immune cellular therapy in solid tumor treatment represented by CAR-T cell therapy,to provide new ideas to further overcome the bottleneck of immune cell therapy and anticipate future clinical advances.

Colorectal cancer vaccines: Tumor-associated antigens vs neoantigens

Therapeutic options for the treatment of colorectal cancer(CRC) are diverse but still not always satisfying. Recent success of immune checkpoint inhibition treatment for the subgroup of CRC patients suffering from hypermutated tumors suggests a permanent role of immune therapy in the clinical management of CRC. Substantial improvement in treatment outcome could be achieved by development of efficient patient-individual CRC vaccination strategies. This mini-review summarizes the current knowledge on the two general classes of targets: tumor-associated antigens(TAAs) and tumorspecific antigens. TAAs like carcinoembryonic antigen and melanoma associated antigen are present in and shared by a subgroup of patients and a variety of clinical studies examined the efficacy of different TAA-derived peptide vaccines. Combinations of several TAAs as the next step and the development of personalized TAA-based peptide vaccines are discussed. Improvements of peptidebased vaccines achievable by adjuvants and immunestimulatory chemotherapeutics are highlighted. Finally, we sum up clinical studies using tumor-specific antigens-in CRC almost exclusively neoantigens-which revealed promising results; particularly no severe adverse events were reported so far. Critical progress for clinical outcomes can be expected by individualizing neoantigen-based peptide vaccines and combining them with immunestimulatory chemotherapeutics and immune checkpoint inhibitors. In light of these data and latest developments, truly personalized neoantigen-based peptide vaccines can be expected to fulfill modern precision medicine's requirements and will manifest as treatment pillar for routine clinical management of CRC.

Comparisons of voided urine cytology, nuclear matrix protein-22 and bladder tumor associated antigen tests for bladder cancer of geriatric male patients in Taiwan, China

Aim： To compare the results of bladder tumor associated antigen （BTA TRAK）, nuclear matrix protein 22 （NMP 22） and voided urine cytology （VUC） in detecting bladder cancer. Methods： A total of 135 elderly male and 50 healthy volunteers enrolled in this study were classified into three groups： （i） 93 patients with bladder cancer; （ii） 42 patients with urinary benign conditions; and （iii） 50 healthy volunteers. BTA TRAK and NMP 22 kits were used to detect bladder cancer. Voided urine cytology was used to compare the sensitivity and specificity of the screening tests. Results： The sensitivity and specificity of cytology, BTA TRAK and NMP 22 were 24% and 97%, 51% and 73%, 78% and 73%, respectively. The level of NMP 22 increased with tumor grading. The BTA TRAK kit has the lowest sensitivity among the screening tests. The NMP 22 with the best sensitivity can be an adjunct to cytology for evaluating bladder cancer. Conclusion： The NMP 22 test has a better correlation with the grading of the bladder cancer than BTA TRAK. As cytology units are typically not available in hospitals or in outpatient clinics, NMP 22 might be a promising tool for screening bladder cancer.

SIGNIFICANCE OF EXPRESS OF SOME NONHORMONAL ANTIGENS IN PANCREATIC ENDOCRINE TUMORS

Objective: To study the express of some nonhormonal antigens in pancreatic endocrine tumors. Methods: The nonhormonal antigens including Alpha subunit of human chorionic gonadotropin (α HCG), progesterone receptors (PR), 7B2, HISL 19, in normal pancreatic islets and in 52 cases of pancreatic endocrine tumors (PET) were investigated by immunohistochemistry. Results: It was found that HCG can be detected in PET but not in normal islet cells. HCG immunoreactivity was expressed by 3 of 28 (10.7%) benign PET and by 14 of 24 (58.3%) malignant PET.PR was found by 20 of 28(71.4%) benign PET and by 7 of 24 (29%) malignant PET. 7B2 was detected by 23 of 28 (82.1%) benign PET and by 13 of 24 (54.2%) malignant PET. HISL 19 was appeared by 23 of 28 benign PET and by 11 of 24 (46%) malignant PET. Golgitype persisted in 87.5% malignant tumors. Conclusion: The assay of nonhormonal antigens may be well defined the clinico pathological characteristics of PET.

TCR-mimic antibody-drug conjugates targeting intracellular tumor-specific mutant antigen KRAS G12V mutation

Limited clinical application of antibody-drug conjugates(ADCs)targeting tumor associated antigens(TAAs)is usually caused by on-target off-tumor side effect.Tumor-specific mutant antigens(TSMAs)only expressed in tumor cells which are ideal targets for ADCs.In addition,intracellular somatic mutant proteins can be presented on the cell surface by human leukocyte antigen class I(HLA I)molecules forming tumor-specific peptide/HLA I complexes.KRAS G12 V mutation frequently occurred in varied cancer and was verified as a promising target for cancer therapy.In this study,we generated two TCR-mimic antibodydrug conjugates(TCRm-ADCs),2E8-MMAE and 2 A5-MMAE,targeting KRAS G12 V/HLAA*0201 complex,which mediated specific antitumor activity in vitro and in vivo without obvious toxicity.Our findings are the first time validate the strategy of TCRm-ADCs targeting intracellular TSMAs,which improves the safety of antibody-based drugs and provides novel strategy for precision medicine in cancer therapy.

Proliferating cell nuclear antigen clamp associated factor,a potential proto-oncogene with increased expression in malignant gastrointestinal tumors

Gastrointestinal(GI)cancers,including malignancies in the gastrointestinal tract and accessory organs of digestion,represent the leading cause of death worldwide due to the poor prognosis of most GI cancers.An investigation into the potential molecular targets of prediction,diagnosis,prognosis,and therapy in GI cancers is urgently required.Proliferating cell nuclear antigen(PCNA)clamp associated factor(PCLAF),which plays an essential role in cell proliferation,apoptosis,and cell cycle regulation by binding to PCNA,is a potential molecular target of GI cancers as it contributes to a series of malignant properties,including tumorigenesis,epithelial-mesenchymal transition,migration,and invasion.Furthermore,PCLAF is an underlying plasma prediction target in colorectal cancer and liver cancer.In addition to GI cancers,PCLAF is also involved in other types of cancers and autoimmune diseases.Several pivotal pathways,including the Rb/E2F pathway,NF-κB pathway,and p53-p21 cascade,are implicated in PCLAF-mediated diseases.PCLAF also contributes to some diseases through dysregulation of the p53 pathway,WNT signal pathway,MEK/ERK pathway,and PI3K/AKT/mTOR signal cascade.This review mainly describes in detail the role of PCLAF in physiological status and GI cancers.The signaling pathways involved in PCLAF are also summarized.Suppression of the interaction of PCLAF/PCNA or the expression of PCLAF might be potential biological therapeutic strategies for GI cancers.

Chimeric antigen receptor-immune cells against solid tumors:Structures,mechanisms,recent advances,and future developments

The advent of chimeric antigen receptor(CAR)-T cell immunotherapies has led to breakthroughs in the treatment of hematological malignancies.However,their success in treating solid tumors has been limited.CAR-natural killer(NK)cells have several advantages over CAR-T cells because NK cells can be made from pre-existing cell lines or allogeneic NK cells with a mismatched major histocompatibility complex(MHC),which means they are more likely to become an"off-the-shelf"product.Moreover,they can kill cancer cells via CAR-dependent/independent pathways and have limited toxicity.Macrophages are the most malleable immune cells in the body.These cells can efficiently infiltrate into tumors and are present in large numbers in tumor microenvironments(TMEs).Importantly,CAR-macrophages(CAR-Ms)have recently yielded exciting preclinical results in several solid tumors.Nevertheless,CAR-T,CAR-NK,and CAR-M all have their own advantages and limitations.In this review,we systematically discuss the current status,progress,and the major hurdles of CAR-T cells,CAR-NK cells,and CAR-M as they relate to five aspects:CAR structure,therapeutic mechanisms,the latest research progress,current challenges and solutions,and comparison according to the existing research in order to provide a reasonable option for treating solid tumors in the future.

Isolation and Characterization of Exosomes Derived from Tumor Cells Genetically Expressing Model Antigen

Tumor cell-derived exosomes have been proposed as non-cellular nanomeric vaccine which could induce potent anti- tumor immune response in mice. In order to develop the protocols to prepare tumor cell-derived exosomes for basic research and clinical trail, we isolated exosomes from ovalbumin (OVA)-expressing thymoma cells EG.7-OVA by various preparation methods. We demonstrate the non-sedimentation method is simple, rapid, efficient with higher yield and purity of exosomes. EG.7-OVA-derived exosomes are 40-100 nm in diameter sequestered by lipid bi-layer, and contain rich heat shock protein (HSP) and OVA. The result of the size distribution determination is consistent with the calculation by the visual microscopic inspection, with 90.4% particles at the range of 50-90 nm. Moreover, as a model antigen of the EG.7 cells, OVA concentra- tion in EG.7-derived exosomes can be regarded as a good quality control parameter. Therefore, we have established a platform to efficiently prepare exosomes for tumor immunotherapy.

Effect and Mechanism of Superantigen Staphylococcal Enterotoxin Therapy for Mouse Gastric Tumor

The anti-tumor effect and mechanism of the staphylococcal enterotoxin A (SEA) were studied. The mouse gastric tumor model was produced by subcutaneously inoculating gastric tumor ceils (MGC80-3). The experimental group was treated with SEA, and the control group was treated with normal saline. The percentage of tumor generation and tumor mass was measured. The results showed that the percentage of the tumor generation in the SEA-treated mice was lower than in the control group, but there was no significant difference (P>0. 05). However, the tumor mass in the experimental group was significantly lighter than in the control group, with the difference being very significant (P<0. 001). There were more CD4+ T cells and CD8+ T cells in the tumor of the mice treated with SEA than those of the control group. SEA has an obvious anti-tumor effect on mice gastric tumor. The mechanism might be that SEA induces the effect of superantigen-dependent cell mediated cytotoxicity to the tumor cells.

Extragastrointestinal stromal tumors with diffuse membranous distribution with bleeding:A case report

BACKGROUND Extragastrointestinal stromal tumors(EGIST)and gastrointestinal stromal tumors are of similar pathological type and form.Here we report a rare case of EGIST diffusely distributed in membranous tissue in abdominal cavity,the feature of which included diffuse tumors at membranous tissue in entire abdominal cavity and spontaneous bleeding of the tumors.CASE SUMMARY The patient was a 71-year man and hospitalized due to continuous pain at lower abdomen for more than 10 days.Upon physical examination,the patient had flat and tough abdomen with mild pressing pain at lower abdomen,no obvious abdominal mass was touchable,and shifting dullness was positive.Positron emission tomography-computed tomography(CT)showed that in his peritoneal cavity,there were multiple nodules of various sizes,seroperitoneum,multiple enlarged lymph nodes in abdominal/pelvic cavity and right external ilium as well as pulmonary nodules.Plain CT scanning at epigastrium/hypogastrium/pelvic cavity+enhanced three-dimensional reconstruction revealed multiple soft tissue nodules in abdominal/pelvic cavity,peritoneum and right groin.Tumor marker of carbohydrate antigen 125 was 808 U/mL,diffuse tuberous tumor was seen in abdominal/pelvic cavity during operation with hematocelia,and postoperative pathological examination confirmed EGIST.Imatinib was administered with better therapeutic effect.CONCLUSION Gene testing showed breast cancer susceptibility gene 1 interacting protein C-terminal helicase 1 and KIT genovariation,and the patient was treated with imatinib follow-up visit found that his clinical symptoms disappeared and the tumor load alleviated obviously via imageological examination.

Autoantibodies against tumor-associated antigens for detection of hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma(HCC) is one of the most common tumors worldwide. The survival rate after the onset of symptoms is generally less than one year for the late presentation of HCC, and reliable tools for early diagnosis are lacking. Therefore, novel biomarkers for the early detection of HCC are urgently required. Recent studies show that the abnormal release of proteins by tumor cells can elicit humoral immune responses to self-antigens called tumor-associated antigens(TAAs). The corresponding autoantibodies can be detected before the clinical diagnosis of cancer. Therefore, there is growing interest in using serum autoantibodies as cancer biomarkers. In this review, we focus on the advances in research on autoantibodies against TAAs as serum biomarker for detection of HCC, the mechanism of the production of TAAs, and the association of autoantibodies with patients' clinical characteristics.

A biomimetic antitumor nanovaccine based on biocompatible calcium pyrophosphate and tumor cell membrane antigens

Currently,the cancer immunotherapy has made great progress while antitumor vaccine attracts substantial attention.Still,the selection of adjuvants as well as antigens are always the most crucial issues for better vaccination.In this study,we proposed a biomimetic antitumor nanovaccine based on biocompatible nanocarriers and tumor cell membrane antigens.Briefly,endogenous calcium pyrophosphate nanogranules with possible immune potentiating effect are designed and engineered,both as delivery vehicles and adjuvants.Then,these nanocarriers are coated with lipids and B16-OVA tumor cell membranes,so the biomembrane proteins can serve as tumor-specific antigens.It was found that calcium pyrophosphate nanogranules themselves were compatible and possessed adjuvant effect,while membrane proteins including tumor associated antigen were transferred onto the nanocarriers.It was demonstrated that such a biomimetic nanovaccine could be well endocytosed by dendritic cells,promote their maturation and antigen-presentation,facilitate lymph retention,and trigger obvious immune response.It was confirmed that the biomimetic vaccine could induce strong T-cell response,exhibit excellent tumor therapy and prophylactic effects,and simultaneously possess nice biocompatibility.In general,the present investigation might provide insights for the further design and application of antitumor vaccines.

Carbohydrate antigen 19-9 — tumor marker: Past, present, andfuture

Carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9) is a cell surface glycoprotein complex mostcommonly associated with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDAC). Koprowskifirst described it in 1979 using a mouse monoclonal antibody in a colorectalcarcinoma cell line. Historically, it is one of the most commonly used tumormarkers for diagnosing, managing, and prognosticating PDAC. Additionally,elevated CA 19-9 levels are used as an indication for surgery in suspected benignpancreatic conditions. Another common application of CA 19-9 in the biliary tractincludes its use as an adjunct in diagnosing cholangiocarcinoma. However, itsclinical value is not limited to the hepatopancreatobiliary system. The reality isthat the advancing literature has broadened the clinical value of CA 19-9. Thepotential value of CA 19-9 in patients' workup extends its reach to gastrointestinalcancers – such as colorectal and oesophageal cancer – and further beyond thegastrointestinal tract - including urological, gynecological, pulmonary, andthyroid pathologies. Apart from its role in investigations, CA 19-9 presents apotential therapeutic target in PDAC and acute pancreatitis. In a bid toconsolidate its broad utility, we appraised and reviewed the biomarker’s currentutility and limitations in investigations and management, while discussing thepotential applications for CA 19-9 in the works for the future.

New tumor-associated antigen SC6 in pancreatic cancer

AIM: To examine the concentration of a new antigen SC6 (SC6-Ag) recognized by monoclonal antibody (MAb)in patients with pancreatic cancer and other malignant or benign diseases and to understand whether SC6-Ag has any clinical significance in distinguishing pancreatic cancer from other gastrointestinal diseases.METHODS: Six hundred and ninety-five serum specimens obtained from 115 patients with pancreatic cancer, 154 patients with digestive cancer and 95patients with non-digestive cancer were used and classified in this study. Serum specimens obtained from 140 patients with benign digestive disease and 89 patients with non-benign digestive disease served as controls. Ascites was tapped from 16 pancreatic cancer patients, 19 hepatic cancer patients, 16 colonic cancer patients, 10 gastric cancer and 6 severe necrotic pancreatitis patients. The samples were quantitated by solid-phase radioimmunoassay. The cut-off values (CV)of 41, 80, and 118 U/mL were used.RESULTS: The average intra- and interassay CV detected by immunoradiometric assay of SC6-Ag was 5.4% and 8.7%, respectively. The sensitivity and specificity were 73.0% and 90.9% respectively. The levels in most malignant and benign cases were within the normal upper limit. Among the 16 pancreatic cancer cases, the concentration of SC6-Ag in ascites was over the normal range in 93.8% patients. There was no significant difference in the concentration of SC6-Ag.Decreased expression of SC6-Ag in sera was significantly related to tumor differentiation. The concentration of SC6-Ag was higher in patients before surgery than after surgery. The specificity of SC6-Ag and CA19-9 was significantly higher than that of ultrasound and computer tomography (CT) in pancreatic cancer patients. Higher positive predictive values were indicated in 92.3% SC6-Ag and 88.5% CA19-9, but lower in 73.8% ultrasound and 76.2% CT.CONCLUSION: The combined test of SC6-Ag and CA19-9 may improve the diagnostic rate of primary cancer. The detection of SC6-Ag is valuable in the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer before and after surgery.

Serum tumor markers expression(CA199,CA242,and CEA)and its clinical implications in type 2 diabetes mellitus

BACKGROUND Glucose and lipid metabolic disorder in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus(T2DM)is associated with the levels of serum tumor markers of the digestive tract,such as cancer antigen(CA)199.Therefore,tumor markers in T2DM are important.AIM To evaluate the expression of serum tumor markers[CA199,CA242,and carcinoembryonic antigen(CEA)]and the clinical implications of the expression in T2DM.METHODS For this observational study conducted at Hefei BOE Hospital,China,we enrolled 82 patients with first-onset T2DM and 51 controls between April 2019 and December 2020.Levels of fasting blood glucose(FBG),tumor markers(CA199,CEA,and CA242),glycosylated hemoglobin(HbA1c),etc.were measured and group index levels were compared.Moreover,FBG and HbA1c levels were correlated with tumor marker levels.Tumor markers were tested for diagnostic accuracy in patients with>9%HbA1c using the receiver operating curve(ROC)curve.RESULTS The T2DM group had high serum FBG,HbA1c,CA199,and CEA levels(P<0.05).A comparative analysis of the two groups based on HbA1c levels(Group A:HbA1c≤9%;Group B:HbA1c>9%)revealed significant differences in CEA and CA199 levels(P<0.05).The areas under the ROC curve for CEA and CA199 were 0.853 and 0.809,respectively.CA199,CEA,and CA242 levels positively correlated with HbA1c(r=0.308,0.426,and 0.551,respectively)and FBG levels(r=0.236,0.231,and 0.298,respectively).CONCLUSION As compared to controls,serum CEA and CA199 levels were higher in patients with T2DM.HbA1c and FBG levels correlated with CA199,CEA,and CA242 levels.Patients with poorly controlled blood sugar must be screened for tumor markers.

Establishment of a Tumor-bearing Mouse Model Stably Expressing Human Tumor Antigens Survivin and MUC1 VNTRs

The eukaryotic vectors VR1012 expressing survivin or 33 tandem repeats of human mucin 1（MUC1）（VNTRs）,namely,VR1012-S and VR1012-VNTR（VNTR=variable number of tandem repeat）,were constructed by cloning survivin and VNTR genes into VR1012,respectively.The eukaryotic vector pEGFP expressing survivin and MUC1 VNTRs fusion gene pEGFP-MS was also constructed.Mouse melanoma cell line（B16） stably expressing survivin and MUC1 VNTRs（MS ＋ B16） was established by Lipofectamine-mediated transfection of pEGFP-MS into B16 cells.EGFP expression in MS ＋ B16 cells was observed using a fluorescent microscope and survivin and MUC1 VNTRs（MS） expression was confirmed by means of Western blot analysis.A syngenic graft tumor model was generated by subcutaneous injection of MS ＋ B16 cells into C57/BL6 mice and tumor size increased rapidly with time in a cell number dependent manner.After the third immunization,mice were challenged subcutaneously with 5×l0 5 MS ＋ B16 cells.Compared with that of the negative control immunized with phosphate-buffered saline（PBS）,a significant reduction of tumor growth was observed in groups immunized with survivin plasmid DNA and MUC1 VNTRs plasmid DNA.Thus,the suppression of subcutaneous tumor was antigen-specific.This model is useful for the development of tumor vaccines targeting survivin and MUCI VNTRs.

An experimental study on the expression of SV40 large tumor antigen in human brain tumors

Objective: To study the role of SV40 early region gene coding product large tumor antigen(Tag) expression and the interaction between Tag and tumor suppressors p53 and pRb in human brain tumorigenesis. Methods: Tag was investigated by immunoprecipitation followed by silver staining and Western blot in 65 cases of human brain tumors and 8 cases of normal brain tissues. Tag-p53 and Tag-pRb complexes were screened by immunoprecipitation and Western blot in 18 and 15 Tag positive tumor tissues respectively. Results: SV40 Tag was expressed generally in human brain tumors, its positive rate was 66. 2% (43 /65). However, Eight normal brain tissues were all negative for Tag, there was significant difference between them(P < 0. 05). Tag-p53 complex was detected in all of 18 Tag positive tumors as well as Tag-pRb complex in all of 15 Tag positive tumors. Conclnsion: SV40 Tag expression is associated with human brain tumorigenesis. The inactivation of p53 and pRh due to the formation of Tag-p53 and Tag-pRb complexes is possibly an important mechanism in the etiopathogenesis of human brain tumors.