• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.14 no.11
• /
• pp.6557-6562
• /
• 2013

Objective: Specific promoters could improve efficiency and ensure the safety of gene therapy. The aim of our study was to screen examples for lung cancer. Methods: The firefly luciferase gene was used as a reporter, and promoters based on serum markers of lung cancer were cloned. The activity and specificity of seven promoters, comprising CEACAM5 (carcinoembryonic antigen, CEA), GRP (Gastrin-Releasing Peptide), KRT19 (cytokeratin 19, KRT), SFTPB (surfactant protein B, SP-B), SERPINB3 (Squamous Cell Carcinoma Antigen, SCCA), SELP (Selectin P, Granule Membrane Protein 140kDa, Antigen CD62, GMP) and DKK1 (Dickkopf-1) promoters were compared in lung cancer cells to obtain cancer-specific examples with strong activity. Results: The CEACAM5, DKK1, GRP, SELP, KRT19, SERPINB3 and SFTPB promoters were cloned. Furthermore, we successfully constructed recombinant vector pGL-CEACAM5 (DKK1, GRP, SELP, KRT19, SERPINB3 and SFTPB) contained the target gene. After cells were transfectedwith recombinant plasmids, we found that the order of promoter activity from high to low was SERPINB3, DKK1, SFTPB, KRT19, CEACAM5, SELP and GRP and the order for promoters regarding specificity and high potential were SERPINB3, DKK1, SELP, SFTPB, CEACAM5, KRT19 and GRP. Conclusion: The approach adopted is feasible to screen for new tumour specific promoters with biomarkers. In addition, the screened lung-specific promoters might have potential for use in lung cancer targeted gene therapy research.

• IMMUNE NETWORK
• /
• v.1 no.2
• /
• pp.143-150
• /
• 2001

Background : Many investigators have found transforming growth factor-${\beta}1$ (TGF-${\beta}1$) to be elevated in tumors. Changes in responsiveness to TGF-${\beta}1$ have been linked to malignant transformation, tumor progression and tumor regression. Many malignant cell lines of epithelial or hematopoietic origin are refractory to the antiproliferative effects of TGF-${\beta}1$. However, a little is known about the association of TGF-${\beta}1$ with progression of malignant tumor. Methods : In this study, we measured the plasma level of TGF-${\beta}1$ in various cancer patients and evaluated the utility of plasma TGF-${\beta}1$ as a possible tumor marker. Plasma TGF-${\beta}1$ levels were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in cancer patients and normal controls. Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) as tumor marker were compared with TGF-${\beta}1$ in the aspects of sensitivity and specificity. Results : The mean of plasma TGF-${\beta}1$ levels was $1.219{\pm}0.834ng/ml$ in normal controls, $5.491{\pm}3.598ng/ml$ in breast cancer, $12.670{\pm}10.386ng/ml$ in lung cancer, $5.747{\pm}3.228ng/ml$ in hepatocellular carcinoma and $10.854{\pm}7.996ng/ml$ in cervical cancer. In comparison with CEA and AFP, TGF-${\beta}1$ is more sensitive. Conclusion : We conclude that the high levels of TGF-${\beta}1$ are common in the plasma of cancer patients. These results suggest that the plasma TGF-${\beta}1$ level can be a potent tumor marker in various cancer patients.

• Journal of Korean Neurosurgical Society
• /
• v.48 no.2
• /
• pp.173-176
• /
• 2010

In this report, we introduce an undetermined fibrous tumor with calcification occurring in the cerebellopontine angle (CPA). A 51-year-old woman was admitted with a short history of dizziness. Computed tomography and magnetic resonance images revealed a $2{\times}2{\times}2\;cm$ sized mass at the left CPA which was round and calcified. There was no dura or internal auditory canal involvement. At surgery, the tumor was located at the exit of 7th and 8th cranial nerve complex. It was very firm, bright yellow and well encapsulated. Histologic findings revealed that the tumor was predominantly composed of fibrous component, scant spindle cells and dystrophic calcification. Immunohistochemical staining demonstrated positive for vimentin and negative for epithelial membrane antigen (EMA), S-100 protein, CD34, factor XIIIa and smooth muscle actin. The diagnosis was not compatible with meningioma, schwannoma, metastatic brain tumors, and other fibrous tumors. Although the tumor was resected in total, long term follow-up monitoring is necessary due to the possibility of recurrence.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.13 no.7
• /
• pp.3265-3270
• /
• 2012

Clinically, elevated cancer antigen 125 (CA-125) in blood predicts tumor burden in a woman's body, especially in the ovary, but cannot differentiate between malignant or benign. We here used intensive modern proteomic approaches to identify predictive proteins in the serum of women with elevated CA-125 to differentiate malignant from benign ovarian tumors. We identified differentially expressed proteins in serum samples of ovarian cancer (OC) patients, benign ovarian tumor (BT) patients, and healthy control women using mass spectrometry-based quantitative proteomics. Both the OC and BT patients had elevated CA-125. Quantitation was achieved using isobaric tags for relative and absolute quantitation. We obtained 124 quantified differential serum proteins in OC compared with BT. Two proteins, apolipoprotein A-4 (APOA4) and natural resistance-associated macrophage 1, were verified using Western blotting. Proteome profiling applied to OC cases identified several differential serum proteins in the serum of women with elevated CA-125. A novel protein, APOA4, has the potential to be a marker for malignant tumor differentiation in the serum of women with elevated CA-125.

• Korean Journal of Bronchoesophagology
• /
• v.11 no.1
• /
• pp.28-31
• /
• 2005

Granular cell tumors are relatively uncommon benign laryngeal lesions thought to originate form Schwann cells. The granular cell tumor occurs everywhere in the body, especially in the head and neck. The larynx is relatively an uncommon location, accounting for approximately 3 to $10\%$ of all reported cases. Typically the most common presenting symptom is hoarseness, with some patients also presenting stridor, hemoptysis, dysphagia, and otlagia. But the tumor may be asymptomatic and discovered only incidentally during a routine examination. The diagnosis of granular cell honor can be confirmed by histopathologically and immunocytochemical staining fer S-100 antigen. Treatment of a granular cell tumor consists of a wide local excision by the endoscopic, transoral or laryngofissure methods. Recently, CO2 laser has been used to remove granular cell tumor with clear resection margin. This article describes one such case in a 62-year-old man, followed by a brief review of the literature on this subject.

• Journal of Life Science
• /
• v.19 no.7
• /
• pp.886-891
• /
• 2009

Cancer/testis (CT) antigens are immunogenic in cancer patients, exhibit highly tissue-restricted expression, and are considered promising target molecules for cancer vaccines. We investigated the expression of 13 CT genes in 29 Korean patients with primary breast carcinoma. The most frequently expressed CT genes were MAGE-3 (66%) and MAGE-1 (57%), followed by LAGE-1 (55%), NY-SAR-35 (49%), MAGE-4 (41%), NY-ESO-1 (38%), CT-7 (24%) and SSX-4 (24%), whereas SSX-1, SSX-2, MAGE-10 and NY-TLU-57 were found to be expressed significantly less often (3-7%) and SCP-l not all. Expression of at least one antigen was observed in 28 breast cancer samples. Immunohistochemistry was performed for NY-ESO-l and MAGE-3 protein expression in breast tumor samples. NY-ESO-l and MAGE-3 proteins were expressed in 11 of 29 (38%) and 12 of 29 (41 %) breast tumors. Our results suggest that CT antigens may be potential candidates for polyvalent immunotherapy in Korean breast cancer patients.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.15 no.9
• /
• pp.3911-3914
• /
• 2014

Background: To determine the potential clinical utility of tumor markers CEA, TPA, and SCC-Ag for early detection of cervical precancerous lesions. Materials and Methods: A case-control study was carried out on 120 women (46 patients with histologically confirmed cervical precancerous lesions and 74 healthy controls). The significance of serum selected tumor markers in early detection of cervical intraepithelial neoplasia (CIN) were assessed. Results: Of the case group, the rates of CIN I, II, III, was 69.6%, 23.9%, and 6.5%, respectively. According to the manufacturer's cut-off values of 2ng/ml, 5ng/ml, and 70 U/ml for SCC-Ag, CEA and TPA tests, in that order, SCC-Ag test had a sensitivity of 13%, but CEA and TPA tests could not distinguish between case and control groups. The diagnostic sensitivities were highest at cut-off values of 0.55 ng/ml for SCC-Ag, 2.6ng/ml for CEA, and 25.5 U/ml for TPA which were 93%, 61%, and 50%, respectively. However, the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve was the largest for SCC-Ag (0.95 vs. 0.61 and 0.60 for CEA and TPA, respectively). Moreover, there was a highly significant direct correlation between SCC-Ag concentration and the degree of cervical precancerous lesions (r=0.847, p<0.001). Conclusions: The new cutoff of 0.5 for SCC-Ag test might be useful as a tumor marker in Iranian patients with CIN and it needs to be more evaluated by studies with larger populationa.

• Journal of Chest Surgery
• /
• v.46 no.3
• /
• pp.192-196
• /
• 2013

Background: This study focused on the association between preoperative serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and cytokeratin 19 fragment (Cyfra 21-1) levels and pathologic parameters in patients with resected non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Materials and Methods: The records of 527 patients who underwent pulmonary resection of NSCLC were reviewed. The association between preoperative serum CEA and Cyfra 21-1 levels and variables that had p-values of less than 0.05 in a t-test or one-way analyses of variance was analyzed by multiple linear regression. Results: The mean serum CEA and Cyfra 21-1 levels prior to surgery were $6.8{\pm}23.1$ mg/dL (range, 0.01 to 390.8 mg/dL) and $5.4{\pm}12.3$ mg/dL (range, 0.65 to 140.2 mg/dL). The serum CEA levels were associated with tumor (T) and lymph node (N) stage and histology. The serum Cyfra 21-1 levels were associated with T stage, tumor size, and histology. Multiple linear regression indicated that serum CEA levels were associated with T (T3/4 vs. T1: ${\beta}$=8.463, p=0.010) and N stage (N2/3 vs. N0: ${\beta}$=9.208, p<0.001) and histology (adenocarcinoma vs. squamous cell: ${\beta}$=6.838, p=0.001), and serum Cyfra 21-1 levels were associated with tumor size (${\beta}$=2.579, p<0.001) and histology (squamous cell vs. adenocarcinoma: ${\beta}$=4.420, p=0.020). Conclusion: Serum CEA level was correlated with T and N stage, and Cyfra 21-1 with tumor size. CEA and Cyfra 21-1 showed histologic correlation. CEA is mainly elevated in adenocarcinoma and Cyfra 21-1 in squamous cell carcinoma. These results might be helpful for predicting pathologic status in preoperative NSCLC.

• Asian Pacific Journal of Cancer Prevention
• /
• v.15 no.15
• /
• pp.6295-6300
• /
• 2014

Our aim was to investigate the value of combined detection of serum carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), carbohydrate antigen (CA) 19-9, CA 242 and CA 50 in diagnosis and assessment of prognosis in consecutive gastric cancer patients. Clinical data including preoperative serum CEA, CA 19-9, CA 242, and CA 50 values and information on clinical pathological factors were collected and analyzed retrospectively. Univariate and multivariate survival analyses were used to explore the relationship between tumor markers and survival. Positive rates of tumor markers CEA, CA 19-9, CA 242 and CA 50 in the diagnosis of gastric cancer were 17.7, 17.1, 20.4 and 13.8%, respectively, and the positive rate for all four markers combined was 36.6%. Patients with elevated preoperative serum concentrations of CEA, CA 19-9, CA 242 and CA 50, had late clinical tumor stage and significantly poorer overall survival. Five-year survival rates in patients with elevated CEA, CA 19-9, CA 242 and CA 50 were 28.1, 25.8, 27.0 and 24.1%, respectively, compared with 55.0, 55.4, 56.4 and 54.5% in patients with these markers at normal levels (p<0.01). In multivariate Cox proportional hazards analyses, an elevated CA 242 level was determined to be an independent prognostic marker in gastric cancer patients. Combined detection of four tumor markers increased the positive rate for gastric cancer diagnosis. CA 242 showed higher diagnostic value and CA 50 showed lower diagnostic value. In resectable gastric carcinoma, preoperative CA 242 level was associated with disease stage, and was found to be a significant independent prognostic marker in gastric cancer patients.

• The Korean Journal of Nuclear Medicine
• /
• v.17 no.1
• /
• pp.1-10
• /
• 1983

Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels were measured in the serum of 35 normal control subjects and 179 cases of various benign and malignant gastrointestinal diseases. Malignant gastrointestinal tumors include 69 cases of stomach cancer, 24 cases of hepatoma and 33 cases of colorectal cancer. Benign gastrointestinal diseases include 29 cases of peptic ulcer and 24 cases of liver cirrhosis. The results were as followings: 1) Mean serum CEA level in normal control subjects was $6.9{\pm}3.3ng/ml$ and there was; no difference in mean serum CEA level between age and sex difference. 2) In malignant gastrointestinal tumors, mean serum CEA level in colorectal cancer, hepatoma and stomach cancer, were $54.3{\pm}88.9ng/ml,\;62.1{\pm}99.7ng/ml$ respectively. Serum CEA level showed positive rate of 67% in colorectal cancer, 63% in hepatoma and 62% in stomach cancer. There was no difference in mean levels and positivity of serum CEA between these 3 malignant tumor groups. 3) Positivity of serum CEA was 61% in malignant gastrointestinal tumor group in spite of 37% in benign gastrointestinal disease group. In both mean level and positivity of serum CEA, stomach cancer was much higher than peptic ulcer. But there was no difference in mean level and positivity of serum CEA level between hepatoma and liver cirrhosis. 4) In hepatoma serum CEA level showed positive rate of 62.5% and alpha-feto protein showed a rate of 58.3%. 5) Mean serum CEA levels in patients with cancer in rectal, cecal, sigmoid colon, ascending: colon and descending colon were $73.7{\pm}106.7ng/ml,\;69{\pm}84.8ng/ml$, $15.7{\pm}9.1ng/ml,\;7.5{\pm}10.6ng/ml$ and 4.0ng/ml respectively. Positive rate of serum CEA showed 86% in sigmoid. colon cancer, 68% in rectal cancer and 66% in cecal cancer. 6) In considering of histological background, there was no correlation between the degree of differentiation of tumor cell and the serum CEA level in colorectal cancer. According to Duke's classification, the mean serum levels of CEA were $8.8{\pm}11.4ng/ml$ in group A, $15.3{\pm}16.0ng/ml$ in group B and $68.5{\pm}101.5ng/ml$ in group C respectively. Positivity-of serum CEA in group A, Band C were 40%, 50% & 69% respectively. So there was significant correlation between the degree of elevation of serum CEA and tumor extension.