Úvod: Cílem práce je posoudit význam CEA, EGFR a hTERT jako markerů okultních nádorových buněk v břišní laváži v predikci léčebných výsledků u adenokarcinomu pankreatu, včetně stanovení jejich cut-off hodnot. Metoda: Práce porovnává skupinu 87 pacientů operovaných pro duktální adenokarcinom pankreatu ve stadiu III - IV (UICC) u nichž byl proveden paliativní výkon (biliodigestivní spojka, odběr biologického materiálu pro následnou onkologickou léčbu) s kontrolní skupinou 24 pacientů. U všech pacientů byly odebrány vzorky peritoneální laváže za použití 100 ml fyziologického roztoku (phosphate buffered saline, pH=7,2) do transportních lahví obsahujících 1,5 ml 0,5M EDTA a 10 ml fetálního bovinního séra. Celková RNA všech vzorků byla purifikována a zpracována procesem reverzní transkripce. Okultní nádorové buňky v peritoneální laváži byly detekovány RT-PCR metodou využitím CEA, EGFR a hTERT. Sekundárním cílem studie bylo stanovení cut-off hodnot exprese těchto markerů. Pro statistické analýzy byly použity softwary R (www.r-project.org) a Statistica (StatSoft, Inc., USA). Výsledky: Průměrná exprese CEA, EGFR a hTERT v peritoneální laváži kontrolní skupiny byla 2501, 716749, resp. 104 kopií mRNA/?g RNA. Prahové, cut-off hodnoty, byly stanoveny jako „průměr + 2x směrodatná odchylka“. Hodnoty absolutní exprese byly dále normalizovány na expresi house-keepingového genu glyceraldehdyd-3-fosfát dehydrogenázy (GAPDH). Cut-off hodnoty testovaných markerů po normalizaci byly 4,89; 115,88 resp. 0,02 kopií mRNA genu/kopií mRNA GAPDH. V případě absolutní exprese testovaných markerů, pouze hTERT dokáže statisticky významně (p <0,001) odlišit obě analyzované skupiny, kdy pacienti s pokročilým adenokarcinomem pankreatu mají vyšší hodnotu exprese hTERT. Absolutní exprese CEA ani EGFR nevykazovala statisticky signifikantní rozdíly mezi skupinou s pokročilým karcinomem pankreatu a kontrolní skupinou. Použitím přesnějších - normalizovaných hodnot exprese testovaných markerů byla prokázána statisticky významně vyšší exprese CEA a hTERT (p<0,005, resp. p<0,001) u pacientů s pokročilým adenokarcinomem pankreatu v porovnání s kontrolní skupinou. Závěr: Absolutní exprese hTERT v peritoneální laváži pacientů s pokročilým adenokarcinomem pankreatu byla signifikantně vyšší v porovnání s kontrolní skupinou. Naopak absolutní exprese CEA a EGFR nebyla signifikantně rozdílná., Introduction: The aim of this study is to assess the significance of CEA, EGFR and hTERT as markers of occult tumor cells for predicting treatment outcomes in pancreatic cancers, as well as determining the cut-off values of these markers individually in peritoneal lavage. Method: The study compared 87 patients undergoing palliative operations (bypass surgery, biological sampling for subsequent oncological treatment) for either stage III or IV (UICC) pancreatic ductal adenocarcinomas with a control group of 24 healthy patients. Abdominal cavity lavage was performed at the beginning of the surgery in both groups, using 100 ml of physiological solution (phosphate buffered saline, pH 7.2). The samples were transported in bottles containing 1.5 ml 0.5 M EDTA and 10 ml of fetal bovine serum. Total RNA samples were all processed and purified by reverse transcription. Occult tumor cells in the peritoneal lavage were detected by the real-time RT-PCR method using CEA, EGFR and hTERT as markers of tumor cells. Another aim was to calculate the cut-off values of these markers. Statistical analysis was done using software R (www.r-project.org) and Statistica (StatSoft, Inc. USA). Results: Mean expression of CEA, EGFR and hTERT in peritoneal lavage in the control group was 2501, 716749 and 104 copies of mRNA / mg RNA. Threshold, cut-off values were determined as the “mean + 2 times standard deviation”. Absolute expression values were further normalized to expression of the house-keeping gene glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH). After normalization, cut-off values of the tested markers were 4.89, 115.88 and 0.02 copies of mRNA/GAPDH mRNA. As regards absolute expression of the markers tested, only hTERT was able to statistically significantly (p<0.001) distinguish the analysed groups, where patients with advanced pancreatic adenocarcinoma had a higher expression of hTERT. Absolute expression of CEA or EGFR was not able to discriminate between the two groups. The more accurate normalized expression values of the test markers demonstrated a statistically significantly higher expression of hTERT (p<0.005) and CEA (p<0.001) in patients with advanced adenocarcinoma compared to the control group. Conclusion: Absolute hTERT expression in peritoneal lavage of patients with advanced pancreatic cancer was significantly higher compared to the control group., and M. Ghothim, J. Srovnal, L. Bébarová, J. Tesaříková, P. Skalický, D. Klos, A. Prokopová, M. Vahalíková, H. Slavík, J. Vrbková, Č. Neoral, R. Havlík, M. Hajdúch, M. Loveček
Trastuzumab is a humanized monoclonal antibody directed against the HER-2 receptor. Trastuzumab-based therapy significantly improves response rate (RR), time to progression (TTP) and overall survival (OS) for women with HER-2 positive metastatic breast cancer. Despite its initial efficacy, acquired resistance to trastuzumab develops in a majority of patients with MBC, and a large subset never responds, demonstrating primary resistance. The purpose of this retrospective study was to determine prognostic factors applicable to clinical practice. METHODS: We enrolled 112 women with metastatic breast cancer, who started the trastuzumab-based therapy at Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute until January 2007. Clinical and laboratory factors, such as: patients conditions, character ofmetastatic spread, histology, estrogen, progesterone and Her-2 receptor status, Her-2/neu gene amplification, and serum tumor markers CEA, CA 15-3 and extracellular domain of Her-2 receptor (S-HER-2 ECD) were monitored. The association of all factors to response to therapy, time to progression (TTP) and overall survival (OS) was assessed. RESULTS: In 95% patients, the trastuzumab was combined with cytostatics (83% taxanes), 88,4% of patients started the trastuzumab as the first or second-line anticancer treatment. The median TTP was 284 days (9,3 months) and the median OS was 612 days (20,1 months) for all patients, RR was 54,5%. The highest RR was associated with the first-line treatment (p<0.0001) and with HER-2 gene/Chromosome 17 ratio > 2,2 (p=0,0092). Eleven patients (9,8%) discontinued the treatment because of toxicity, 7 patients did it as a result of cardiotoxicity (6,2%). CNS metastases occurred in 31 patients (27,7%). The S-HER-2 ECD was the most frequently elevated serum marker at the time of the treatment initialization (72,5%) and at the time of the progression (55,9%). Cox regression analysis identified S-HER-2 ECD levels at the beginning and between day 90 and 130 of the trastuzumab therapy as the best predictors of TTP. On the other hand the best predictor of OS was level of CEA before the treatment started and level of S-HER-2 ECD between day 90 and 130 of the trastuzumab therapy. CONCLUSIONS: We confirmed that the only one predictive marker for response to trastuzumab therapy is a proof of HER-2 tumor positivity.The highest prevalence of S-HER-2 ECD positivity among serum tumor markers and the strong association between initial and subsequent S-HER-2 ECD serum concentrations and time to progression and overall survival make the S-HER-2 ECD the most significant prognostic marker., Svoboda Marek, Grell Peter, Šimíčková Marta, Fabian Pavel, Petráková Katarína, Palácpvá Markéta, Macková Dagmar, Trojanec Radek, Hajdúch Marián, Pavlík Tomáš, Nenutil Rudolf, Vyzula Rostislav, and Lit.: 37