Abstract Automated quantitative computer-assisted morphometric analysis of immunohistochemical expression of markers of neoplastic development and progression in experimentally induced and in human neoplasms showed very high sensitivity and reproducibility, allowing analysis of large numbers of cell and tissue components. Totals of 26 million pixels, 25,000 cells and 1500 vessels were examined, with a sensitivity exceeding 99% and reproducibility exceeding 99%. The total expression of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and p53 increased consistently during 7H-dibenz[c, g] carbazole (DBC)-induced formation of dysplasias and squamous cell carcinomas (SCC:s) in hamster lung. In dysplasia, nuclear size and PCNA staining intensity increased; in SCC:s nuclear size decreased. In a retrospective study on archival material of human laryngeal squamous cell carcinomas, the occurrence and location of PCNA-positive cells were specifically related to the degree of differentiation. In SCC:s nuclear size decreased, while shape alterations and PCNA staining intensity increased in relation to degree of malignancy. In DBC-induced respiratory carcinogenesis increased collagen matrix synthesis occurred prior to neoplasm development. Among squamous cell carcinomas, in well-differentiated tumors, collagen deposition increased, as did fiber size, in moderately differentiated tumors collagen synthesis and the deposition of new collagen decreased. The increase in transforming growth factor beta expression in differentiated cells and in the matrix was isoform-specific. Increased angiogenesis in laryngeal tumor development occurred in preneoplastic states and in SCC: s, inversely related to the degree of differentiation. In well-differentiated neoplasms the vessels were lying in the direction of the BM, in moderately differentiated neoplasms vessels were lying in the direction of tumor invasion and in poorly differentiated neoplasms irregular, partly abnormal vessels intermixed with tumor cells. Small regular vessels predominated in benign conditions and large, irregular vessels in malignant conditions. Experimental models provided the advantage of examining homogenous, well-characterized neoplasm progression without interfering with the process. Morphometric methods provided detailed information on large numbers of cells, useful for studies of tumor behavior and with potential clinical applications.

Oral human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and its association with head and neck cancers (HNCs) have been established by many studies. The characteristics of HPV-associated HNCs are distinguishable from those of non HPV-associated HNCs. HPV-associated HNCs are related to sexual behaviour, particularly the lifetime number of oral sex partners. The oral and oropharyngeal HPV epidemiology in South African men has not yet been researched. The objective of this study was to determine the oral and oropharyngeal HPV strain prevalence and associated factors in a selected male population in Pretoria, South Africa. Male factory workers were recruited on a voluntary basis to be part of this study. Oral rinse and gargle samples were tested for 37 HPV types using the HPV linear array genotyping kit (Roche Molecular System). A questionnaire was utilised to obtain information regarding age, medical conditions, substance and alcohol use and sexual behaviour. HIV testing was optional. The HPV prevalence was 5.6% among the men (n=125) aged 17-64 years. High risk HPV (hrHPV) types 16 and 68 were found in two men. Amongst the majority of the participants oral sex seemed to be an uncommon practice however, those participants with hrHPV did practice oral sex. A statistically significant association between HPV infection and an increased number of sexual partners (p=0.027) was seen but not between substance use, HIVstatus or clinical mucosal pathology. Considering the oral and oropharyngeal HPV prevalence found in this study compared to those reported in other countries. It is therefore proposed that a larger nationwide study be conducted to give a more representative view of the burden of oral and oropharyngeal HPV infection in South Africa. / Dissertation (MSc)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / lk2014 / Community Dentistry / MSc / Unrestricted

>Magister Scientiae - MSc / Aim: The aim of this study was to report on the frequency of and radiographic features of non-odontogenic malignancies of the jaws as seen on panoramic images, stored in the radiological achieves over an eleven year period.

The ErbB family of receptors are key regulators of growth, differentiation, migration and survival of epithelial cells. CI-1033 is an irreversible pan-ErbB tyrosine kinase inhibitor that has the ability to inhibit EGFR function but has shown limited therapeutic efficacy. Lovastatin targets the activity of HMG-CoA reductase, the rate-limiting step in the mevalonate pathway. In this study, the ability of lovastatin to potentiate the cytotoxic effects of CI-1033 was evaluated. The combination of lovastatin and CI-1033 exhibited some cooperative cytotoxic activity in a squamous cell carcinoma–derived cell line. This combination resulted in enhanced cell death by induction of a potent apoptotic response. Furthermore, this drug combination inhibited EGF-induced EGFR autophosphorylation and activation of the downstream signaling effectors, ERK and AKT. These findings suggest that combining lovastatin and tyrosine kinase inhibitors may represent a novel combinational therapeutic approach in squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.

Intermittent blood flow in tumour microvasculature is believed to contribute to heterogeneity in tumour oxygen delivery; transient vessel nonperfusion is thought to result in acutely hypoxic cells resistant to conventional radiotherapy. This thesis describes three main areas of work: (1) the development of a histologic method capable of detecting intermittent blood flow in experimental tumours at the single vessel level; (2) the quantification and characterization of tumour blood flow fluctuations in the murine SCCVII carcinoma; and (3) the modification of tumour blood flow and the reduction of flow heterogeneity using vasoactive drugs. A double staining technique involving the sequential intravenous injection of two fluorescent vascular markers was used to detect transient episodes of tumour vessel nonperfusion. The stains employed were Hoechst 33342 and the carbocyanine dye, DiOC₇(3), both of which have short (< 3 minutes) circulation half-lives and preferentially stain cells adjacent to perfused blood vessels. When injections of the vascular markers are separated by some interval, each stain defines only those tumour vessels which were perfused during the few minutes immediately post-injection; thus, two "pictures" of tumour microvascular flow are obtained and tumour vessels subject to periods of nonperfusion can be easily visualized in frozen sections since they are outlined by one stain but not the other. Using the double staining technique, in which Hoechst 33342 and then DiOC₇(3) are administered intravenously 20 minutes apart to unrestrained C3H/He mice, staining mismatch (indicative of transient vessel nonperfusion) is regularly observed in subcutaneous SCCVII carcinoma. Vessels stained with DiOC₇(3) only (reperfusion of previously nonperfused vessels) or with H33342 only (nonperfusion of previously perfused vessels) are observed in approximately equal numbers. The percentage of tumour vessels subject to intermittent flow is a function of SCCVII tumour size: tumours ≤100 mg do not exhibit statistically significant amounts of mismatch. At sizes > 100 mg, overall staining mismatch is significantly increased over background levels and maximum mismatch is observed at tumour sizes >400 mg (8.6 ±2.9%). In most tumours, transient vessel nonperfusion is more pronounced in central tumour regions. In addition to mismatch observed in individual vessels, large "patches" of unequal staining are also seen. Anaesthesia or restraint do not significantly influence intermittent blood flow. The above information suggests that transient episodes of tumour vessel nonperfusion occur as a consequence of flow reduction in a feeding vessel; vessels in central regions of large tumours may be susceptible to collapse as a result of elevated tumour interstitial pressure. In the SCCVII tumour, a small number of peripheral vessels possess vascular smooth muscle and thus may be capable of vasomotor activity. The importance of perfusion pressure in the control of tumour microcirculatory flow was examined using vasoactive drugs. Hydralazine, a vasodilator which lowers blood pressure, causes a profound reduction in tumour RBC flow to 8.7 + 6.4% of pretreatment values in unanaesthetized mice. The drug causes collapse of central tumour vessels: following a dose of 10mg/kg intravenously, 36±16% of vessels are completely nonperfused, as detected using the double staining technique. Conversely, elevation of blood pressure using the vasoconstrictor angiotensin II results in a 2-3x increase in tumour blood flow. In addition, angiotensin II infusion significantly reduces the number of tumour vessels subject to transient nonperfusion from 8.1 % to 2.0%. However, intermittent blood flow in the SCCVII carcinoma can also be influenced by nonvasoactive drugs: nicotinamide, the amide form of vitamin B3, reduces episodes of transient nonperfusion. In summary, intermittent blood flow has been characterized in a transplanted murine squamous cell carcinoma using a novel fluorescent double staining method which allows the detection of flow fluctuations in solid tumours at the microvascular level. If transient episodes of nonperfusion occur in human tumours and result in impaired oxygen or drug delivery, then such flow fluctuations may be an important factor limiting tumour cure or local control by radiotherapy or chemotherapy. / Medicine, Faculty of / Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, Department of / Graduate

O carcinoma de células renais (CCR) é o tumor mais agressivo que afeta o rim de pessoas adultas. O CCR é uma doença heterogênea, com diferentes alterações moleculares e variados patrões histológicos e clínicos que apresentam evolução diferente. Atualmente apenas variáveis anatomopatológicas clássicas são utilizadas para determinar o prognóstico dos pacientes. Utilizando uma plataforma de microarranjos de DNA, nosso grupo identificou em um trabalho anterior um conjunto de genes que se encontram diferencialmente expressos em tumores de rim. Neste estudo, nove candidatos foram selecionados para avaliação como marcadores de prognóstico no CCR. Foi confirmada a alteração na expressão dos genes ARNTL, ACTN4 e EPAS1 (p < 0,05) em amostras tumorais de CCR através de PCR em tempo real. Adicionalmente, foi observada a alteração da expressão dos genes ARNTL, EPAS1 e CASP7 em linhagens celulares imortalizadas derivadas de tumores renais, recapitulando por tanto, as alterações observadas nos tumores obtidos de pacientes. Posteriormente investigamos o padrão de expressão proteica destes candidatos por imunohistoquímica utilizando microarranjos de tecidos. Foi detectada a diminuição significativa (p < 0,05) da expressão das proteínas ACTN4, ARNTL, CASP7 e EPAS1 em tumores de pacientes com CCR relativamente ao tecido renal não tumoral. Além disso, foi possível determinar valores de imunomarcação capazes de estratificar pacientes com CCR em diferentes grupos de risco quanto à sobrevida câncer-específica, que adicionalmente apresentaram associação significativa com parâmetros anatomopatológicos utilizados na clínica. As imunomarcações de ACTN4, ARNTL, e EPAS1 se mostraram parâmetros independentes de prognóstico de sobrevida dos pacientes. A imunomarcação de CASP7 foi capaz de identificar subgrupos de pacientes com pior prognóstico dentro de um conjunto de pacientes de baixo risco em função do estadio clinico, além de identificar pacientes com menor risco de morte pelo câncer entre aqueles apresentaram recorrência em até 5 após a cirurgia. O conjunto de resultados obtidos aponta para um novo conjunto de biomarcadores moleculares com potencial relevância para auxiliar no prognóstico de pacientes com carcinoma de células renais. / The renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most aggressive tumor that affects the kidney in adult people. The RCC is a heterogeneous disease, with many different molecular alterations and varied histological and clinical patterns with different outcome. Currently, only classic anatomopathological variables are used to determine patients\' prognosis. Using a DNA microarray platform, our group identified in a previous work a set of genes differentially expressed in renal tumors. In this study, nine candidates were selected for evaluation as prognostic biomarkers in RCC. Alteration of the gene expression in RCC tumor samples was confirmed for ARNTL, ACTN4 and EPAS1 (p < 0.05) by real time PCR. Additionally, gene expression changes of ARNTL, EPAS1 and CASP7 were also observed in immortalized cell lines derived from renal tumors, recapitulating the expression changes detected in the patients\' tumors. Next, we used tissue microarrays to investigate the protein expression of the selected candidates by immunohistochemistry. Expression of the proteins ACTN4, ARNTL, CASP7 and EPAS1 was detected as significantly downregulated (p < 0.05) in patients´ tumors relative to non-tumor renal tissue. Furthermore, immunostaining patterns of the selected candidates were able to stratify patients with RCC in different risk groups according to cancer-specific survival, which also showed significant associations with anatomopathological parameters used in the clinics. ACTN4, ARNTL and EPAS1 immunostaining resulted as independent prognostic parameters of patient survival. CASP7 immunostaining was able to identify subgroups of patients with worse prognosis in a set of low risk patients as determined by their clinical stage, and also identified patients with lower risk of death from cancer amongst patients that relapsed within 5 years after surgery. Overall, these results point to a new set of molecular biomarkers with potential relevance to help in the prognosis of patients with renal cell carcinoma.

京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・論文博士 / 博士(医学) / 乙第12803号 / 論医博第2075号 / 新制||医||1001(附属図書館) / 80847 / (主査)教授 伊達 洋至, 教授 武藤 学, 教授 川上 浩司 / 学位規則第4条第2項該当 / Doctor of Medical Science / Kyoto University / DFAM

京都大学 / 0048 / 新制・課程博士 / 博士(医学) / 甲第18869号 / 医博第3980号 / 新制||医||1008(附属図書館) / 31820 / 京都大学大学院医学研究科医学専攻 / (主査)教授 武田 俊一, 教授 小西 郁生, 教授 小松 賢志 / 学位規則第4条第1項該当 / Doctor of Medical Science / Kyoto University / DFAM

京都大学 / 新制・論文博士 / 博士(医学) / 乙第13442号 / 論医博第2241号 / 新制||医||1054(附属図書館) / 京都大学大学院医学研究科医学専攻 / (主査)教授 羽賀 博典, 教授 藤田 恭之, 教授 伊藤 貴浩 / 学位規則第4条第2項該当 / Doctor of Medical Science / Kyoto University / DFAM

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