Combined detection tumor markers for diagnosis and prognosis of gallbladder cancer

AIM: To clarify the value of combined use of markers for the diagnosis of gallbladder cancer and prediction of its prognosis. METHODS: Serum cancer antigens (CA) 199, CA242, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), and CA125 levels were measured in 78 patients with gallbladder cancer (GBC), 78 patients with benign gallbladder diseases, and 78 healthy controls using electrochemiluminescence. CA199, CA242, CEA, and CA125 levels and positive rates were analyzed and evaluated pre-and post-operatively. Receiver operator characteristic curves were used to determine diagnostic sensitivity and specificity of GBC. Survival time analysis, including survival curves, and multivariate survival analysis of a Cox proportional hazards model was performed to evaluate independent prognostic factors. RESULTS: Serum CA242, CA125, and CA199 levels in the GBC group were significantly higher when compared with those in the benign gallbladder disease and healthy control groups (P < 0.01). With a single tumor marker for GBC diagnosis, the sensitivity of CA199 was the highest (71.7%), with the highest specificity being in CA242 (98.7%). Diagnostic accuracy was highest with a combination of CA199, CA242, and CA125 (69.2%). CA242 could be regarded as a tumor marker of GBC infiltration in the early stage. The sensitivity of CA199 and CA242 increased with progression of GBC and advanced lymph node metastasis (P < 0.05). The 78 GBC patients were followed up for 6-12 mo (mean: 8 mo), during which time serum CA199, CA125, and CA242 levels in the recurrence group were significantly higher than in patients without recurrence (P < 0.01). The post-operative serum CA199, CA125, and CA242 levels in the non- recurrence group were significantly lower than those in the GBC group (P < 0.01). Multivariate survival analysis using a Cox proportional hazards model showed that cancer of the gallbladder neck and CA199 expression level were independent prognostic factors. CONCLUSION: CA242 is a marker of GBC infiltration in the early stage. CA199 and cancer of the gallbladder neck are therapeutic and prognostic markers. (C) 2014 Baishideng Publishing Group Co., Limited. All rights reserved.

Berberine ameliorates chronic unpredictable mild stress induced depressive like behaviors and elevating Keap1-Nrf2 antioxidant signaling pathways

OBJECTIVE This study was designed to evaluate the effect of berberine on CUMS induced depression animal model and investigated the underlying mechanisms.METHODS We estab.lished CUMS depressant rat model and treated CUMS rats with berberine.Sucrose preference,forced swim test(FST) and tail suspension test(TST) were used to measure behaviors change.We used Q-PCR and western blot to test the levels of cytokines in the hippocampus.RESULTS We found that CUMS rats displayed obvious depressive like behaviors,moreover,berberine treatment prevented depressive behaviors in CUMS rats accompanied with suppression of oxidative stress markers.Further experi.ments showed that berberine treatment up-regulated the expression of Keap1-Nrf2 antioxidant signaling pathway and its downstream neuroprotective factors.CONCLUSION Our present results suggested that treatment of berberine significantly ameliorated depressive behaviors in CUMS rats through enhancing of Keap1-Nrf2 antioxidant signaling pathways in hippocampus.

Role of VEGF in the growth and metastasis of a murine bladder carcinoma

Bladder transitional cell carcinoma is the most common form of carcinoma in the urinary system. Although overexpression of VEGF has been identified in tissue, serum, and urine of patients with bladder cancer, the role of VEGF in transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder has not beenclearly elucidated. Here, we dissected the effect of VEGFduring bladder tumor growth and progression by modifying a BBN (N-butyl-N-(4-hydroxybutyl) nitrosamine) induced mouse bladder transitional cell carcinoma cell lineBTT-T739 by stable transfection of antisense VEGF121 cDNA. The transfection resulted in more than 80% reduction inVEGF production. The growth of the transduced tumor cells in vitro was not affected, however, these cells formed small or no tumors in vivo. Even in the tumors formed, there were mini- mal vascularization, extensive necrosis and longerlatency compared to those formed by parental cells. Thepermeability of tumor vasculature and metastatic tumor growth were also significantly suppressed in antisense VEGFcDNA trans- fected cells. In addition, the transfer ofanti-angiogenic gene in a combination of sFlk-1 and ExTekwith electroporation can suppress the tumor growthefficiently. Taken together, these results demonstrated thatVEGF plays an important role in bladder tumorangiogenesis and angiogenesis plays an important role in bladder tumor growth and metastasis.