Abstract Cancer progression is a multistep process dependent on tumour-stroma interactions. Various cell types, such as fibroblasts, endothelial, inflammatory and stem cells, as well as extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins, such as collagens, contribute to the tumour outcome. Tumour growth and invasion is accompanied by the proteolysis of ECM components mediated by various enzymes, such as matrix metalloproteases (MMPs). Proteolytic fragments released into the circulation may reflect cancer progression. The aim of this study was to develop novel in vitro methods for investigating cell invasion and for measuring cancer-associated collagen degradation. Human carcinoma cell invasion studies in vitro are often performed in organotypic cell culture models, mainly composed of rat or mouse ECM proteins. To create a human microenvironment for invasion studies, a novel organotypic model based on human uterine myoma (benign tumour) tissue was developed. Compared to the conventional collagen-based organotypic model, in the myoma model the carcinoma cell invasion depth was about eightfold and the invasion resembled, to a greater degree, the invasion pattern of dissected tissue samples of cancer patients. In addition, the invasion was easily quantified with a novel radioimmunoassay measuring type III collagen degradation products from the organotypic culture media. As human mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) are one of the stromal cell types that may affect tumour progression, the mechanisms of stem cell invasion were also studied. On the surface of MSCs, Toll-like receptor 9 (TLR9) functions in immune defence against microbes. The activation of TLR9 with microbial DNA-resembling molecules induced human MSC invasion into the myoma tissue in a MMP-13-mediated fashion. To analyse cancer-associated soft tissue degradation, a novel enzyme immunoassay was developed. This novel assay enabled, for the first time, the measurement of type III collagen degradation products from human serum samples. In head and neck cancer patient sera, high levels of type III and type I collagen degradation products were shown to predict poor survival. In conclusion, the novel myoma model showed that the tumour microenvironment crucially affects carcinoma cell invasion. In addition, cancer-associated type III collagen degradation was successfully measured in cell cultures and in human sera by novel immunoassays. / Tiivistelmä Syövän eteneminen on monivaiheinen tapahtuma, jossa syöpäsolut ovat vuorovaikutuksessa lähiympäristönsä kanssa. Ympäristön eri solutyypit, kuten kantasolut ja sidekudoksen fibroblastit sekä soluväliaineen proteiinit kuten kollageenit, vaikuttavat syöpäsolujen invaasioon eli tunkeutumiseen ympäröivään kudokseen. Syövän invaasiossa useat entsyymit, mm. matriksin metalloproteaasit (MMP:t), hajottavat soluväliainetta. Kasvaimen kehittymisen aikana verenkiertoon vapautuu soluväliaineen hajoamistuotteita, joiden määrä voi kuvastaa sairauden etenemistä. Väitöstutkimuksen tarkoituksena oli kehittää uusia menetelmiä solujen invaasion ja syöpään liittyvän kollageenin hajoamisen tutkimiseen. Ihmisen karsinoomasolujen invaasion tutkimuksessa on perinteisesti käytetty kolmiulotteisia soluviljelymalleja, jotka koostuvat pääasiassa rotan tai hiiren soluväliaineproteiineista. Työssä kehitettiin uusi viljelymalli, jossa soluja kasvatettiin ihmisen hyvälaatuisen kohtukasvainkudospalan eli myooman päällä. Perinteiseen kollageenimalliin verrattuna myoomamallissa karsinoomasolut tunkeutuivat noin kahdeksan kertaa syvemmälle, ja solujen kasvu muistutti enemmän potilaiden syöpäkudosnäytteissä havaittua kasvutapaa. Invaasion voimakkuuden määrittämiseen kehitettiin vasta-aineisiin perustuva menetelmä, jolla mitattiin soluviljelmän kasvatusliuokseen myoomakudoksesta vapautuneiden tyypin III kollageenin hajoamistuotteiden määrää. Koska kantasolujen tiedetään voivan vaikuttaa syöpäkasvaimen leviämiseen, tutkimme myös ihmisen luuytimen kantasolujen invaasiota. Kantasolujen pinnalla TLR9-reseptori osallistuu immuunipuolustukseen mikrobeja vastaan. Kun reseptoria aktivoitiin mikrobi-DNA:ta muistuttavilla molekyyleillä, kantasolut alkoivat invasoitua myoomakudokseen ja MMP-13:n aktiivisuus soluissa lisääntyi. Syöpään liittyvän pehmytkudoksen hajoamisen tutkimiseksi kehitettiin vasta-ainemenetelmä, jolla onnistuttiin ensi kertaa mittaamaan potilaiden seeruminäytteistä tyypin III kollageenin hajoamistuotteita. Pään ja kaulan alueen syöpäpotilailla korkean tyypin III kollageenin hajoamistuotepitoisuuden todettiin liittyvän huonoon ennusteeseen. Tutkimus osoitti, että kasvaimen ympäristö vaikuttaa olennaisesti syöpäsolujen leviämiseen. Syöpään liittyvää tyypin III kollageenin hajoamista pystyttiin työssä kehitetyillä menetelmillä mittaamaan sekä soluviljelmistä että potilaiden seeruminäytteistä.

<p>Oralni karcinom je po učestalosti &scaron;esta najče&scaron;ća maligna bolest u svetu čija incidenca varira u različitim geografskim područjima. Predstavlja 5% svih novootkrivenih malignih tumora godi&scaron;nje i čini 14% svih malignih tumora glave i vrata. Pod oralnim karcinom podrazumevamo planocelularni karcinom obzirom na činjenicu da on čini preko 90% malignih tumora oralne lokalizacije, dok se u manjem procentu javljaju drugi tumori (maligni tumori malih pljuvačnih žlezda, limfomi, mezenhimni tumori). Oralni karcinom podrazumeva karcinome koji se javljaju u sledećim anatomskim regijama: sluznici prednje 2/3 jezika, poda usta, obraza, gingivi gornje i donje vilice, retromolarnom trouglu, kao i sluznici mekog i tvrdog nepca. Najče&scaron;ća lokalizacija oralnog planocelularnog karcinoma je sluznica pokretnog dela jezika i poda usta. Oralni karcinom se če&scaron;će javlja kod mu&scaron;karaca (odnos mu&scaron;karci:žene je 3:1) verovatno zbog većeg procenta rizičnog pona&scaron;anja kod mu&scaron;karaca. Najče&scaron;će se javlja u &scaron;estoj i sedmoj deceniji života (medijana je 62 godine) iako se poslednjih godina sve če&scaron;će javlja kod mlađih od 45 godina. Faktori rizika za oboljevanje su dobro poznati. Na prvom mestu se izdvaja pu&scaron;enje duvana (značajna je dužina pu&scaron;enja, da li pacijent pu&scaron;i lulu ili cigaretu, da li žvaće duvan, kao i dužina trajanja apstinencije). Smatra se da je smrtnost kod oralnog karcinoma direktno povezana sa brojem popu&scaron;enih cigareta na dan. Preko 75% pacijenata sa oralnim karcinomom anamnestički daje podatak o prekomernoj upotrebi alkohola. Postoji sinergističko dejstvo alkohola i cigareta, dugotrajna ekspozicija ovim faktorima rizika dovodi do pojave &ldquo;polja kancerizacije&ldquo;, pojave genetske nestabilnosti i razvoja tumora. Kod oralnog planocelulranog karcinoma primećene su hromozomske abnormalnosti koje su rezultat o&scaron;tećenja DNK i uključuju promene genetskog materijala na hromozomima.Jedna od najče&scaron;ćih genetskih abnormalnosti kod oralnog planocelularnog karcinoma je mutacija r53 gena koji se nalazi na kratkom kraku hromozoma 17 i predstavlja tumor supresor gen. Planocelularni karcinom nije te&scaron;ko dijagnostikovati kada postane simptomatski. Pacijent se žali na bol, krvavljenje, otalgiju, otežano gutanje, smanjenje pokretljivosti jezika. Neretko je prvi simptom metastatski uvećan limfni čvor na vratu jer bolesnici ne primećuju ili ignori&scaron;u oralnu patologiju. Dijagnoza oralnog karcinoma se postavlja na osnovu detaljno uzete anamneze, kliničkog pregleda i patohistolo&scaron;ke verifikacije. Oralni planocelularni karcinom se javlja u tri klinike forme: egzofitična, endofitična i infiltrativna. Zlatni standard za dijagnozu oralnog karcinoma je biopsija i patohistolo&scaron;ka verifikacija, pri čemu se može primeniti &bdquo;punch&ldquo; biopsija, inciziona biopsija ili eksciziona biopsija kod manjih promena. TNM &bdquo;staging&ldquo; sistem AJCC (American Joint Committee on Cancer) se danas standardno koristi za klinički &bdquo;staging&ldquo; oralnog karcinoma i bazira se na podacima dobijenim kliničkim pregledom i &bdquo;imaging&ldquo; metodama. Sam &bdquo;staging&ldquo; je bitan kako zbog komunikacije među lekarima koji učestvuju u lečenju bolesnika tako i zbog standardizacije prognoze. T stadijum označava veličinu primarnog tumora, N stadijum označava regionalnu nodalnu zahvaćenost dok M stadijum prikazuje prisustvo udaljenih metastaza. Terapija patohistolo&scaron;ki dokazanog oralnog karcinoma zahteva multidisciplinarni pristup. Osnova terapije oralnog planocelularnog karcinoma je hirur&scaron;ko lečenje koje podrazumeva ablativno i rekonstruktivno hirur&scaron;ko lečenje. Osnovni princip ablativne hirurgije kod oralnog karcinoma je resekcija primarnog tumora sa najmanje 1cm negativnim hirur&scaron;kim marginama. Pored ablacije tumora hirur&scaron;ko lečenje podrazumeva i uklanjanje regionalnih limfnih čvorova vrata. Cilj disekcije vrata je da se kod klinički evidentnih metastaza iste uklone (terapijska disekcija) ili da se uklone okultne metastaze koje su klinički neevidentne (elektivna disekcija). Oralni planocelularni karcinom spada u tumore sa visokom stopom smrtnosti, većom nego &scaron;to je kod limfoma, laringealnog karcinoma, karcinoma testisa i endokrinih karcinoma. Stopa petogodi&scaron;njeg preživljavanja je direktno povezana sa veličinom tumora, prisustvom metastaza u regionalnim limfnim čvorovima i prisutvom udaljenih metastaza. Prosečno trogodi&scaron;nje preživljavanje bolesnika sa oralnim karcinomom je 52% dok je prosečno petogodi&scaron;nje preživljavanje oko 39% i ove stope se nisu mnogo menjale tokom godina bez obzira na nova saznanja i nove pristupe lečenju oralnog planocelulanog karcinoma. Ciljevi istraživanja su da se utvrdi da li postoji korelacija debljine OPK izmerene kompjuterizovanom tomografijom i svetlosnim mikroskopom, da li dubina invazije OPK i volume tumora mogu biti prediktivni faktor za razvoj regionalnih cervikalnih metastaza kod oralnog planocelularnog karcinoma. Istraživanje je uključilo 65 konsekutivnih bolesnika oba pola lečenih od oralnog karcinoma na Klinici za maksilofacijalnu hirurgiju Kliničkog centra Vojvodine. Dijagnoza oralnog karcinoma je postavljena na osnovu anamneze, kliničkog pregleda i biopsije. U sklopu TNM &bdquo;staging&ldquo;-a bolesnika načinjen je pregled glave i vrata i grudnog ko&scaron;a kompjuterizovanom tomografijom (CT) na osnovu kog smo dobili podatak o dimenzijama tumora. Na osnovu kliničkog nalaza i analize CT nalaza planiralo se operativno lečenje u skladu sa bolesnikovim TNM statusom. Postoperatativni patohisto&scaron;ki preparati je pregledan od strane istog patologa. Parametri koji će su određivani su sledeći: 1. Veličina tumora (2 dimenzije) izmerene na osnovu CT pregleda izražene u cm 2. Debljina tumora izmerena na osnovu CT pregleda izražena u cm 3. Veličina tumora (2 dijametra) na makroskopskom preparatu izražena u cm 4. Debljina tumora na mikroskopskom preparatu izmerena svetlosnim mikroskopom izražena u cm 5. Dubina invazije tumora na mikroskopskom preparatu izmerena svetlosnim mikroskopom izražena u mm 6. Volumen tumora koji se izračunavao prema formuli: VT=&pi;/6 x maksimalni dijametar tumora A x minimalni dijametar tumora B x dubina invazije tumora i izražava se u cm&sup3; 7. Broj metastatski izmenjenih limfnih čvorova u disekatu vrata 8. Ukupan broj patohistolo&scaron;ki ispitanih limfnih čvorova u disekatu vrata Nakon prikupljanja planiranog materijala urađena je statistička obrada podataka. Statistička analiza podataka je uključila metode deskriptivne statistike (srednja vrednost, standardna devijacija, učestalost), kao i standardne parametrijske i neparametrijske testove za komparacije dve grupe (Studentov T test, Mann&ndash;Whitney U test, hikvadrat test). U fazi statističke analize međusobnih uticaja i povezanosti prikupljenih podataka kori&scaron;ćen je Pearsonov test korelacije. Sva testiranja sprovedena su na nivou statističke značajnosti p&lt;0,05. REZULTATI: Istraživanje je obuhvatilo 65 bolesnika, od kojih je 82% bilo mu&scaron;kog pola prosečne starosti 59 godina. 83% bolesnika su se izja&scaron;njavali kao pu&scaron;ači, dok je 69% bolesnika navelo da redovno koristi alkohol. Svim pacijentima je tokom hirur&scaron;kog lečenja OPK rađena disekcija vrata i to najče&scaron;čće selektivna disekcija vrata (91%). Kod 30 bolesnika je utvrđeno postojanje cervikalnih regionalnih metastaza na operativnom preparatu te su bolesnici podeljeni u dve grupe: sa prisustvom i bez prisustva metastaza u limfnim čvorovima vrata. Utvrđeno je da se ove dve grupe statistički značajno razlikuju u dubini invazije tumora i volumenu tumora. Utvrđeno je takođe da postoji statistički značajna korelacija između debljine tumora izmerene CT pregledom i debljine tumora izmerene svetlosnim mikroskopom. Dokazano je da dubina invazije tumora veća od 7mm i zapremina tumora veća od 4cm&sup3; predstavljaju prediktivni faktor za pojavu regionalnih cervikalnih metastaza. ZAKLjUČAK: Na osnovu istraživanja izvedeni su zaključci koji ukazuju na to da postoji statistički značajna korelacija između debljine tumora OPK izmerene CTpregledom i svetlosnim mikroskopom te se debljina tumora izmerena CT pregledom može koristiti za planiranje operativnog zahvata prilikom lečenja OPK. Dubina invazije tumora veća od 7mm i volumen tumora veći od 4 cm&sup3; predstavljaju prediktivni faktor za pojavu nodalnih cervikalnih metastaza te su značajni za određivanje stadijuma bolesti.</p> / <p>Oral cancer is the sixth most common malignant disease in the world which incidence varies based on geographic area. It represents 5% of all newly discovered malignant tumors annually and constitutes 14 % of all malignant tumors of head and neck. Squamous cell carcinoma is considered to be a type of oral cancer because more than 90 % of malignant tumors that occur in oral cavity are squamous cell carcinomas while other tumors (malignant tumor of minor salivary gland, lymphoma, sarcoma) rarely occur. Oral cancer is the cancer found in the following anatomic regions: mucosa of front two-thirds of the tongue, the floor of the mouth, cheeks, upper and lower gingiva, retromolar trigone as well as&nbsp; mucosa of soft and hard palates. Oral squamous cell carcinoma is most commonly localized in mucous membrane of the movable part of the tongue and floor of the mouth. Men are more affected than women (male to female ratio is 3:1) probably because of men&rsquo;s riskier behavior. It is most commonly diagnosed in the sixth and seventh decade of life (the median is 62 years old) although it has been diagnosed in patents younger than 45 in recent years. Risk factors of oral squamous cell carcinoma are well known. The major factor is tobacco smoking (the period of smoking is significant, it is also important to consider whether a patient smokes a pipe or cigarette, whether he/she chews tobacco as well as the period of abstinence). The mortality rate is believed to be directly related to the number of cigarettes smoked a day. An excessive use of alcohol has been reported in over 75% of patients with oral cancer. There is a synergistic effect of alcohol and cigarette consumption and long-term exposure to these risk factors results in &lsquo;field of cancerization&rsquo;, genetic instability and tumor development. Chromosome abnormalities, which are caused by DNA damage and include the change in genetic material of chromosomes, have been reported in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma. One of the most common genetic abnormalities in patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma is a mutation of р53 gene which is located on a short arm of chromosome 17 and represents a tumor suppressor gene. Oral squamous cell carcinoma is not difficult to diagnose when it becomes symptomatic. The patient complains of pain, bleeding, otalgia, swallowing difficulties, decreased tongue mobility. The first symptom is rarely metastatic lymph node on the neck because patients either do not notice or ignore oral pathology. The oral cancer is diagnosed based on the detailed anamnesis, physical examination and pathohistological verification. The oral squamous cell carcinoma occurs in three clinical forms: exophytic, endophytic and infiltrative form. The gold standard for diagnosis of oral cancer is biopsy and pathohistological verification. However, in case of smaller changes, punch biopsy, incisional and excisional biopsies can also be applied. ТNМ staging system of AJCC (American Joint Committee on Cancer) is nowadays used for clinical staging of oral cancer and it is based on the data acquired by clinical examination and imaging methods. Not only is the staging itself important for communication between the doctors involved in treatment, but it is also important for standardization of prognosis. Т describes the size of primary tumor, N describes regional nodal spread and М describes distant metastasis. The treatment of histopathologically proven oral cancer requires multidisciplinary approach. The main treatment of oral squamous cell carcinoma is surgical treatment which involves ablative and reconstructive surgical treatment. The basic principle of ablative surgery for oral cancer is the resection of primary tumor with at least 1 cm negative surgical margins. Apart from tumor ablation surgical treatment also involves removal of regional lymph nodes on the neck. The aim of neck dissection is to remove clinically evident metastasis (therapeutic dissection) or to remove occult metastasis that are not clinically evident (elective dissection). The oral squamous cell carcinoma is the cancer with high mortality rate. The mortality rate is higher than the mortality rate for lymphoma, laryngeal cancer, testicular cancer and endocrine cancer. The five-year survival rate is directly related to the size of the tumor, presence of metastasis in regional lymph nodes and distant metastasis. The average three-year survival rate of the patients with oral cancer is 52% and the average five-year survival rate is 39%. These rates have not changed a lot over the years regardless of new knowledge and approaches in treatment of oral squamous cell carcinoma. The aims of the study are to determine whether there is a correlation between the depth of invasion of oral squamous cell carcinoma determined by computed tomography and light microscope and whether the invasion depth of OSCC and tumor volume can be predictive factors of development of regional cervical metastases in case of oral squamous cell carcinoma. The study covered 65 consecutive patients of both sexes who received treatment for oral cancer at the Clinic for Maxillofacial Surgery of the Clinical Center of Vojvodina. The diagnosis of oral cancer was established based on the anamnesis, physical examination and biopsies. The TNM &lsquo;staging&rsquo; of the cancer involved the examination of the patient&rsquo;s head and thorax by computed tomography (CT) which enabled us to obtain reliable data about the tumor size. After obtaining clinical findings and CT results, the patients&rsquo; treatment was planned based on their TNM status. A postoperative histopathological examination was performed by the same pathologist and the following parameters were determined: 1. Tumor size (2 dimensions) measured by CT and expressed in cm 2. Tumor thickness measured by CT and expressed in cm 3. Tumor size (2 diameters) on microscopic device and expressed in cm 4. Tumor thickness on microscopic device measured by light microscope and expressed in cm 5. Depth of tumor invasion on microscopic device measured by light microscope and expressed in cm 6. Tumor volume calculated based on the following formula: VT=&pi;/6 x maximum tumor diameter А x minimum tumor diameter B x depth of tumor invasion and expressed in cm&sup3; 7. The number of metastatic lymph nodes in the neck dissection 8. Total number of pathohistologically tested lymph nodes in the neck dissection. Upon collecting the planned material, statistical analysis of all data was carried out. The statistical analysis included the methods of descriptive statistics (mean value, standard deviation, frequency) and standard parametric and nonparametric tests for comparison of two groups (Student&rsquo;s T test, Whitney U test, chi-square test). The Pearson&rsquo;s Test of Correlation was used in the phase of statistical analysis of interaction effects and correlation of obtained data. All tests were performed at the level of statistical significance of p&lt;0.05. RESULTS: The study covered 65 patients, out of which 82% were male patients aged 59. 83% of patients said they smoked and 69% of patients stated that they consumed alcohol regularly. A neck dissection was performed in all patients during surgical treatment of OSCC and it was selective neck dissection (91%). Cervical regional metastasis was found in 30 patients so they were divided into two groups: the group of patients who had metastasis in the lymph nodes and the group of patients with no metastasis in lymph nodes of the neck. It was determined that there was a statistically significant difference in depth of invasion and tumor volume between these two groups. The statistically significant difference was also determined between the thickness of tumor measured by CT and thickness of tumor measured by light microscope. Moreover, the depth of invasion of tumor greater than 7mm and volume of tumor greater than 4cm&sup3; were proven to represent a predictive factor of development of regional cervical metastasis. The study results show that there is a statistically significant correlation between the thickness of OSCC tumor measured by CT and the thickness measured by light microscope, so the thickness of tumor measured by CT can be used for planning the surgery during the treatment of OSCC. The depth of tumor invasion greater than 7 mm and tumor volume greater than 4 cm&sup3; represent a predictive factor of development of cervical metastasis, which means that they are significant for determining the stage of disease.</p>

Breast cancer is one of the most prevalent cancers in the world. Each year, over 400,000 women die from breast cancer world wide and metastasis is the main cause of their mortality. Tumor cell invasion into the adjacent tissue is the first step in the multistep process of cancer metastasis and it involves multiple protein changes. The α6β4 integrin, a transmembrane heterodimeric laminin receptor is associated with poor prognosis in many tumor types, including breast cancer. Src family kinase (SFK) activity is elevated in many cancers and this activity also correlates with invasive tumor behavior. The α6β4 integrin can stimulate SFK activation and promote cancer invasion, however the mechanism by which it does so is not known. In the current study, I provide novel mechanistic insight into how the α6β4 integrin selectively activates the Src family kinase member Fyn in response to receptor engagement. Specifically, the tyrosine phosphatase SHP2 is recruited to α6β4 and its catalytic activity is stimulated through a specific interaction of its N-terminal SH2 domain with pY1494 in the β4 subunit. Importantly, both catalytic and non-catalytic functions of SHP2 are required for Fyn activation by α6β4. Fyn is recruited to the α6β4/SHP2 complex through an interaction with phospho-Y580 in the C-terminus of SHP2. In addition to activating Fyn, this interaction with Y580-SHP2 localizes Fyn to sites of receptor engagement, which is required for α6β4-dependent invasion. Moreover, the selective activation of Fyn, but not Src, requires the palmitoylation modification of Fyn on its N-terminus. Of clinical relevance, phospho-Y580-SHP2 and phospho-Y418-SFK could be used as potential biomarkers of invasive breast cancer because their expression are elevated in high-grade breast tumors.

Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) / Cancer stem cells (CSCs) are proposed to play a major role in tumor progression, metastasis, and recurrence. The Human Epidermal growth factor Receptor 2 (HER2) gene is amplified and/or its protein product overexpressed in approximately 20% of breast cancers. HER2 overexpression is associated with increased CSCs, which may explain the aggressive phenotype and increased likelihood of recurrence for HER2+ breast cancers. Telomerase is reactivated in tumor cells, including CSCs, but has limited activity in normal tissues, providing support for the use of telomerase inhibition in anti-cancer therapy. Telomerase inhibition via an antagonistic oligonucleotide, imetelstat (GRN163L), has been shown to be effective in limiting cell growth in vitro and limiting tumor growth. Moreover, we have previously shown imetelstat can decrease metastases to the lungs, leading us to question if this is due to imetelstat targeting the CSC population. In this thesis, we investigated the effects of imetelstat on CSC and non-CSC populations of HER2+ breast cancer cell lines, as well as a triple negative breast cancer cell line, which lacks HER2 overexpression. Imetelstat inhibited telomerase activity in both CSC and non-CSC subpopulations. Moreover, imetelstat treatment alone and in combination with trastuzumab significantly reduced the CSC fraction and inhibited CSC functional ability, as shown by a significant decrease in mammosphere counts and invasive potential. Tumor growth rate was slower in combination treated mice compared to either drug alone. Additionally, there was a trend toward decreased CSC marker expression in imetelstat treated xenograft cells compared to vehicle control. The decrease in CSC marker expression we observed occurred prior to and after telomere shortening, suggesting imetelstat acts on the CSC subpopulation in telomere length dependent and independent mechanisms. Our study suggests addition of imetelstat to trastuzumab may enhance the effects of HER2 inhibition therapy.

No description available.

L’inclusion récente de la profondeur d’invasion (PI) dans la classification des carcinomes épidermoïdes de la cavité orale de l’American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) a des répercussions cliniques majeures. Plusieurs études ont récemment évalué la fiabilité de diverses modalités d’imagerie et techniques de biopsie pour mesurer la PI en préopératoire. L’objectif premier de ce mémoire est de réviser systématiquement la littérature et comparer les différentes méthodes décrites de mesure de PI en préopératoire pour les carcinomes épidermoïdes de la langue mobile. Le second objectif est d’étudier la précision et la fiabilité de la mesure de PI sur une biopsie au poinçon dans les carcinomes épidermoïdes de stade in situ (Tis)-T1-T2, N0 de la langue mobile. Une revue systématique a été effectuée en suivant le guide PRISMA[1]. Les études évaluant la fiabilité de la PI mesurée sur la biopsie ou l’imagerie médicale, en les comparant à la PI histopathologique finale, ont été inclues dans une méta-analyse afin d’obtenir des coefficients de corrélation combinés pour chaque modalité d’imagerie. L’imagerie par résonnance magnétique (IRM) s’est avérée être la modalité d’imagerie la mieux étudiée et présente une bonne fiabilité. Le computed tomography (CT) scan est peu étudié, mais semble moins fiable. L’échographie linguale ne peut être comparée à ces deux modalités d’imagerie car elle est plus fréquemment utilisée pour mesurer l’épaisseur tumorale que la PI. La seconde étude est une preuve de concept prospective. Un poinçon profond a été utilisé pour échantillonner la portion la plus profonde de carcinomes épidermoïdes de la langue mobile de stade Tis-T1-2, N0 chez 27 patients. Des coefficients de corrélation de Spearman ont été calculés entre la PI estimée à la palpation manuelle, mesurée à la biopsie, et à l’histopathologie. La sensibilité et la spécificité de la biopsie au poinçon pour distinguer le Tis du carcinome épidermoïde invasif ont été calculées. Bien que la PI mesurée à la biopsie ne corrèle pas fortement avec la PI histopathologique, cette preuve de concept est limitée par la taille d’échantillon. La biopsie au poinçon semble toutefois être un outil fiable pour distinguer le Tis de l’invasif. D’autres études sont nécessaires avant de pouvoir recommander l’utilisation systématique de la biopsie pour décider en préopératoire si un évidement cervical électif est nécessaire. / The inclusion of depth of invasion (DOI) in the American Joint Committee on Cancer’s staging system for oral cavity squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) has major clinical impacts. Recent studies have evaluated the reliability of imaging modalities and biopsy techniques to measure DOI preoperatively. The first objective of this master’s thesis is to systematically review and compare the preoperative DOI measurement methods that have been studied so far in oral tongue SCC (OTSCC). The second objective is to prospectively study the precision and reliability of punch biopsy to measure DOI preoperatively in early (in situ (Tis)-T1-T2, N0) OTSCC, and its ability to distinguish Tis from invasive carcinoma. A systematic review was conducted according to the PRISMA guidelines. Studies that evaluated the reliability of DOI measured on biopsy or imaging (rDOI) by comparing it to DOI on histopathology (pDOI) were included in a meta-analysis to obtain pooled correlation coefficients for each imaging modality. Overall, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is the better studied modality. It has a good reliability to measure preoperative rDOI in OTSCC. CT is less studied but appears to be less reliable. Ultrasound (US) cannot be compared to these imaging modality as it has been used more often to measure tumor thickness (TT) than DOI. The second study is a prospective proof-of-concept. A deep punch biopsy was used to sample tumors preoperatively in the deepest part of the tumor in 27 patients with early (Tis-T12, N0) oral tongue squamous cell carcinoma. Spearman’s correlations were calculated between DOI measured on digital palpation (cDOI), biopsy (bDOI) and final pDOI. The sensitivity and specificity of punch biopsy to distinguish Tis from invasive carcinoma was also calculated. Although bDOI does not seem to correlate strongly with pDOI, this proof-of-concept was limited by a small sample size. Punch biopsy appears to be a reliable tool to distinguish Tis from invasive carcinoma. Further studies on punch biopsy are needed to recommend its use to evaluate pDOI preoperatively and determine whether elective neck dissection is necessary in early OTSCC.

Biometric technology, leveraging distinctive physiological or behavioral traits for identification, has transformed authentication methods. This thesis explores biometric data sensitivity from theoretical and human perspectives. Theoretical analysis examines factors like uniqueness, permanence, and potential misuse, while empirical research surveys societal attitudes towards biometric sensitivity. Discrepancies between theoretical constructs and real-world perceptions underscore the complexity of this issue. Privacy, security, and trust emerge as central concerns, emphasizing the need for comprehensive approaches in biometric technology development and policy-making. The discussion interprets survey findings, highlighting implications for stakeholders. Future research could explore cultural influences on biometric perceptions, conduct longitudinal studies, and investigate innovative solutions to privacy and security concerns. Collaboration between academia, industry, and policymakers is crucial for advancing biometric technology ethically and responsibly in an increasingly digital world.

Introdução: A incidência de tumores adrenocorticais em crianças é particularmente elevada nas regiões sudeste e sul do Brasil, correlacionandose com a ocorrência da mutação germinativa p.R337H do supressor tumoral p53, entretanto, o carcinoma adrenocortical é uma neoplasia endócrina maligna rara em todo o mundo com uma incidência aproximada de 0,5 - 2 casos por milhão por ano. Esta condição é uma doença heterogênea, apresentando frequentemente comportamento clínico agressivo e letal. A cascata de sinalização Wnt é uma via importante de transdução de sinal em cânceres humanos e tem sido implicada na tumorigênese adrenocortical. A atividade desta via de sinalização é dependente da quantidade de beta-catenina citoplasmática e nuclear. Mutações ativadoras no gene da beta-catenina (CTNNB1) foram relatadas em diversas neoplasias humanas. Estudos demonstraram que mutações no gene CTNNB1 são os defeitos genéticos mais frequentemente encontrados em adenomas e em carcinomas adrenocorticais. O estudo destas mutações demonstrou que as alterações no gene CTNNB1 localizam-se principalmente exon 3, que codifica a porção amino terminal da beta- catenina. Objetivos: determinar a ocorrência e a frequência das mutações somáticas no exon 3 do gene CTNNB1. Adicionalmente, determinar a imunorreatividade de beta-catenina e de p53 em tumores adrenocorticais benignos e malignos de crianças e adultos. Correlacionar os resultados da análise de mutações gênicas e os dados de imunorreatividade com as características hormonais, a mutação p.R337H do p53, o diagnóstico histológico e a evolução dos tumores adrenocorticais de crianças e adultos. Métodos: Neste estudo, a análise de imunohistoquímica para beta-catenina e p53 foi realizada em 103 tumores adrenocorticais benignos e malignos (40 crianças e 63 adultos), estando as amostras histológicas alocadas em micromatriz tecidual (TMA). A pesquisa de mutações no exon 3 do gene CTNNB1 foi determinada por seqüenciamento automático em 64 tumores adrenocorticais. Resultados: a imunorreatividade para beta-catenina em citoplasma e/ou núcleo foi evidenciada de maneira similar nos tumores adrenocorticais benignos e malignos de crianças e de adultos (15% e 23,8%, respectivamente). O percentual das células neoplásicas imunorreativas para beta-catenina em citoplasma e/ou núcleo não foi significativamente diferente entre os tumores clinicamente benignos e malignos pediátricos (15,6% vs. 12,5%, respectivamente; p=0,93) e entre adenomas e carcinomas adrenocorticais de adultos (28,5% vs. 17,8%, respectivamente; p=0,38). A síndrome endócrina causada pelo perfil de secreção hormonal foi similar entre os tumores adrenocorticais com presença ou ausência de acúmulo citoplasmático e/ou nuclear de beta-catenina em crianças e adultos. A associação entre acúmulo anormal de beta-catenina e diminuição de sobrevida foi avaliada nos pacientes adultos portadores de carcinomas adrenocorticais isoladamente (n=25), sendo observada na curva de Kaplan- Meier uma tendência de significância (log-rank p=0,07). A análise do gene CTNNB1 revelou mutações somáticas em heterozigose em 10 tumores adrenocorticais (4 crianças e 6 adultos). As mutações encontradas no gene CTNNB1 foram, sobretudo do tipo missense (p.Ser45Pro, p.Ser45Phe, p.Asp32Asn, p.Pro44Ala_Ser45Pro; p.His36Gln_Ser37Lys). Outras mutações encontradas compreenderam: a inserção de um único nucleotídeo (p.E9GfsX14), dando origem a uma desvio de leitura do exon 3; além da deleção dos três nucleotídeos do códon 45 (p.Ser45del). Todos os tumores com mutações somáticas no gene CTNNB1 mostraram acúmulo anormal para ?-catenina, com exceção de um caso. A presença de alterações no gene CTNNB1 não se associou ao tamanho do tumor (Teste de Mann-Whitney: p=0,75), desfecho desfavorável tanto no grupo pediátrico (log-rank p=0,29) como no grupo de pacientes adultos (log-rank p=0,77). Todos os pacientes portadores da mutação germinativa do gene TP53 apresentaram imunorreatividade nuclear de p53 nas células tumorais. Não foi encontrada correlação entre a presença de acúmulo anormal de beta-catenina e imunorreatividade nuclear de p53, considerando os grupos de crianças e de adultos portadores de tumores adrenocorticais. Adicionalmente, não foi observada correlação entre mutações no gene CTNNB1, bem como acúmulo anormal de beta-catenina, com a imunorreatividade nuclear de p53 no grupo de tumores adrenocorticais de pacientes adultos, porém, interessantemente, avaliando isoladamente o grupo de tumores adrenocorticais pediátricos, foi observada relação entre a presença de mutações no gene CTNNB1 e a presença de acúmulo nuclear de p53 (X2: p=0,009). Conclusões: Estes dados confirmam a participação da via Wnt na tumorigênese adrenocortical de crianças e de adultos, que apresenta uma prevalência de ativação semelhante entre crianças e adultos. O acúmulo citoplasmático e/ou nuclear de beta-catenina provavelmente é um marcador biológico de mau prognóstico do carcinoma de adrenocortical de adultos. Adicionalmente, observamos evidências de uma correlação positiva entre mutações no gene CTNNB1 e acúmulo nuclear de p53 em tumores adrenocorticais pediátricos, confirmando uma possível relação destas duas vias na tumorigênese do córtex da glândula suprarrenal / Introduction: The incidence of adrenocortical tumors in children is particularly high in the southeastern and southern regions of Brazil, correlating with the occurrence of p.R337H p53 tumor suppressor germline mutation. However, adrenocortical carcinoma is a worldwide rare endocrine malignancy with an approximate incidence of 0.5 to 2 cases per million per year. This condition is a heterogeneous disease and is often lethal. The Wnt signaling pathway is an important signal transduction pathway in human cancers and has been implicated in adrenocortical tumorigenesis. The activity of this signaling pathway is dependent on the amount of nuclear and cytoplasmic beta-catenin. Activating mutations of ?-catenin (CTNNB1) gene have been reported in several human malignancies. Studies have shown that CTNNB1 mutations are the most common genetic defect found in adrenocortical adenomas and carcinomas. The study of these mutations demonstrated that the changes in CTNNB1 gene are mainly located in exon 3, which encodes the amino terminal portion of the beta- catenin. Objectives: to determine the occurrence and frequency of CTNNB1 somatic mutations and the abnormal beta-catenin and p53 accumulation in benign and malignant adrenocortical tumors in both children and adults. We also evaluated the correlation of the gene mutations analysis and immunohistochemistry data with the hormonal characteristics, the p.R337H germline mutation, the histological diagnosis and the prognosis of adrenocortical tumors in children and adults. Methods: In this study, immunohistochemistry for beta-catenin and p53 was performed in 103 benign and malignant (40 children and 63 adults) adrenocortical tumors. The histological samples were allocated in a tissue microarray (TMA). The study of the CTNNB1 gene was performed by direct sequencing of 64 adrenocortical tumors. Results: The beta-catenin abnormal accumulation was similar in benign and malignant adrenocortical tumors of children and adults (15 % and 23.8 %, respectively). The percentage of cells with beta-catenin abnormal accumulation was not significantly different between benign and malignant pediatric adrenocortical tumors (15.6% vs. 12.5 %, respectively; P=0.93) and between adrenocortical adenomas and carcinomas in adults (28.5% vs 17.8 %, respectively; p=0.38). The endocrine syndrome caused by hormonal tumor secretion was similar in patients with and without beta-catenin abnormal accumulation both in pediatric and adult patients. The association between beta-catenin abnormal accumulation and decreased survival was evaluated in adult patients with adrenocortical carcinomas (n=25) and a trend toward significance was observed (log-rank p=0,07). The analysis of the CTNNB1 gene revealed heterozygous somatic mutations in 10 adrenocortical tumors (6 adults and 4 children). The mutations found in CTNNB1 gene were mainly missense (p.Ser45Pro, p.Ser45Phe, p.Asp32Asn, p.Pro44Ala_Ser45Pro; p.His36Gln_Ser37Lys). Other mutations found included: a single nucleotide insertion (p.E9GfsX14) and a deletion within codon 45 of exon 3 of CTNNB1 gene, (p.Ser45del). All tumors with somatic mutations in the CTNNB1 gene showed abnormal beta -catenin accumulation, except for one case. The mutations in CTNNB1 gene was not associated with tumor size (Mann - Whitney: p=0.75), unfavorable outcome in both pediatric (log -rank p=0.29) and adult group of patients (log-rank p=0.77). All patients with TP53 germline mutation showed p53 nuclear accumulation in the tumor cells. No correlation was found between the presence of beta-catenin abnormal accumulation and p53 nuclear accumulation in adrenocortical tumor cells of children and adults. In addition, no correlation was observed between CTNNB1 mutations, as well as beta-catenin abnormal accumulation, with p53 nuclear accumulation in adults adrenocortical tumors. Interestingly, the evaluation of pediatric adrenocortical tumors revealed a relationship between the occurrence of CTNNB1 mutations and the presence of p53 nuclear accumulation (X2: p=0.009). Conclusions: These data confirm the involvement of the Wnt pathway in adrenocortical tumorigenesis of children and adults, which has a prevalence similar activation between children and adults. We observed that abnormal beta-catenin accumulation in adults adrenocortical carcinoma is probably associated with a dismal prognosis. Additionally, we found evidence of a positive relationship between CTNNB1 mutations and p53 nuclear accumulation in pediatric adrenocortical tumors, confirming a possible connection of these two pathways in the pediatric adrenocortical tumorigenesis

Introdução: A incidência de tumores adrenocorticais em crianças é particularmente elevada nas regiões sudeste e sul do Brasil, correlacionandose com a ocorrência da mutação germinativa p.R337H do supressor tumoral p53, entretanto, o carcinoma adrenocortical é uma neoplasia endócrina maligna rara em todo o mundo com uma incidência aproximada de 0,5 - 2 casos por milhão por ano. Esta condição é uma doença heterogênea, apresentando frequentemente comportamento clínico agressivo e letal. A cascata de sinalização Wnt é uma via importante de transdução de sinal em cânceres humanos e tem sido implicada na tumorigênese adrenocortical. A atividade desta via de sinalização é dependente da quantidade de beta-catenina citoplasmática e nuclear. Mutações ativadoras no gene da beta-catenina (CTNNB1) foram relatadas em diversas neoplasias humanas. Estudos demonstraram que mutações no gene CTNNB1 são os defeitos genéticos mais frequentemente encontrados em adenomas e em carcinomas adrenocorticais. O estudo destas mutações demonstrou que as alterações no gene CTNNB1 localizam-se principalmente exon 3, que codifica a porção amino terminal da beta- catenina. Objetivos: determinar a ocorrência e a frequência das mutações somáticas no exon 3 do gene CTNNB1. Adicionalmente, determinar a imunorreatividade de beta-catenina e de p53 em tumores adrenocorticais benignos e malignos de crianças e adultos. Correlacionar os resultados da análise de mutações gênicas e os dados de imunorreatividade com as características hormonais, a mutação p.R337H do p53, o diagnóstico histológico e a evolução dos tumores adrenocorticais de crianças e adultos. Métodos: Neste estudo, a análise de imunohistoquímica para beta-catenina e p53 foi realizada em 103 tumores adrenocorticais benignos e malignos (40 crianças e 63 adultos), estando as amostras histológicas alocadas em micromatriz tecidual (TMA). A pesquisa de mutações no exon 3 do gene CTNNB1 foi determinada por seqüenciamento automático em 64 tumores adrenocorticais. Resultados: a imunorreatividade para beta-catenina em citoplasma e/ou núcleo foi evidenciada de maneira similar nos tumores adrenocorticais benignos e malignos de crianças e de adultos (15% e 23,8%, respectivamente). O percentual das células neoplásicas imunorreativas para beta-catenina em citoplasma e/ou núcleo não foi significativamente diferente entre os tumores clinicamente benignos e malignos pediátricos (15,6% vs. 12,5%, respectivamente; p=0,93) e entre adenomas e carcinomas adrenocorticais de adultos (28,5% vs. 17,8%, respectivamente; p=0,38). A síndrome endócrina causada pelo perfil de secreção hormonal foi similar entre os tumores adrenocorticais com presença ou ausência de acúmulo citoplasmático e/ou nuclear de beta-catenina em crianças e adultos. A associação entre acúmulo anormal de beta-catenina e diminuição de sobrevida foi avaliada nos pacientes adultos portadores de carcinomas adrenocorticais isoladamente (n=25), sendo observada na curva de Kaplan- Meier uma tendência de significância (log-rank p=0,07). A análise do gene CTNNB1 revelou mutações somáticas em heterozigose em 10 tumores adrenocorticais (4 crianças e 6 adultos). As mutações encontradas no gene CTNNB1 foram, sobretudo do tipo missense (p.Ser45Pro, p.Ser45Phe, p.Asp32Asn, p.Pro44Ala_Ser45Pro; p.His36Gln_Ser37Lys). Outras mutações encontradas compreenderam: a inserção de um único nucleotídeo (p.E9GfsX14), dando origem a uma desvio de leitura do exon 3; além da deleção dos três nucleotídeos do códon 45 (p.Ser45del). Todos os tumores com mutações somáticas no gene CTNNB1 mostraram acúmulo anormal para ?-catenina, com exceção de um caso. A presença de alterações no gene CTNNB1 não se associou ao tamanho do tumor (Teste de Mann-Whitney: p=0,75), desfecho desfavorável tanto no grupo pediátrico (log-rank p=0,29) como no grupo de pacientes adultos (log-rank p=0,77). Todos os pacientes portadores da mutação germinativa do gene TP53 apresentaram imunorreatividade nuclear de p53 nas células tumorais. Não foi encontrada correlação entre a presença de acúmulo anormal de beta-catenina e imunorreatividade nuclear de p53, considerando os grupos de crianças e de adultos portadores de tumores adrenocorticais. Adicionalmente, não foi observada correlação entre mutações no gene CTNNB1, bem como acúmulo anormal de beta-catenina, com a imunorreatividade nuclear de p53 no grupo de tumores adrenocorticais de pacientes adultos, porém, interessantemente, avaliando isoladamente o grupo de tumores adrenocorticais pediátricos, foi observada relação entre a presença de mutações no gene CTNNB1 e a presença de acúmulo nuclear de p53 (X2: p=0,009). Conclusões: Estes dados confirmam a participação da via Wnt na tumorigênese adrenocortical de crianças e de adultos, que apresenta uma prevalência de ativação semelhante entre crianças e adultos. O acúmulo citoplasmático e/ou nuclear de beta-catenina provavelmente é um marcador biológico de mau prognóstico do carcinoma de adrenocortical de adultos. Adicionalmente, observamos evidências de uma correlação positiva entre mutações no gene CTNNB1 e acúmulo nuclear de p53 em tumores adrenocorticais pediátricos, confirmando uma possível relação destas duas vias na tumorigênese do córtex da glândula suprarrenal / Introduction: The incidence of adrenocortical tumors in children is particularly high in the southeastern and southern regions of Brazil, correlating with the occurrence of p.R337H p53 tumor suppressor germline mutation. However, adrenocortical carcinoma is a worldwide rare endocrine malignancy with an approximate incidence of 0.5 to 2 cases per million per year. This condition is a heterogeneous disease and is often lethal. The Wnt signaling pathway is an important signal transduction pathway in human cancers and has been implicated in adrenocortical tumorigenesis. The activity of this signaling pathway is dependent on the amount of nuclear and cytoplasmic beta-catenin. Activating mutations of ?-catenin (CTNNB1) gene have been reported in several human malignancies. Studies have shown that CTNNB1 mutations are the most common genetic defect found in adrenocortical adenomas and carcinomas. The study of these mutations demonstrated that the changes in CTNNB1 gene are mainly located in exon 3, which encodes the amino terminal portion of the beta- catenin. Objectives: to determine the occurrence and frequency of CTNNB1 somatic mutations and the abnormal beta-catenin and p53 accumulation in benign and malignant adrenocortical tumors in both children and adults. We also evaluated the correlation of the gene mutations analysis and immunohistochemistry data with the hormonal characteristics, the p.R337H germline mutation, the histological diagnosis and the prognosis of adrenocortical tumors in children and adults. Methods: In this study, immunohistochemistry for beta-catenin and p53 was performed in 103 benign and malignant (40 children and 63 adults) adrenocortical tumors. The histological samples were allocated in a tissue microarray (TMA). The study of the CTNNB1 gene was performed by direct sequencing of 64 adrenocortical tumors. Results: The beta-catenin abnormal accumulation was similar in benign and malignant adrenocortical tumors of children and adults (15 % and 23.8 %, respectively). The percentage of cells with beta-catenin abnormal accumulation was not significantly different between benign and malignant pediatric adrenocortical tumors (15.6% vs. 12.5 %, respectively; P=0.93) and between adrenocortical adenomas and carcinomas in adults (28.5% vs 17.8 %, respectively; p=0.38). The endocrine syndrome caused by hormonal tumor secretion was similar in patients with and without beta-catenin abnormal accumulation both in pediatric and adult patients. The association between beta-catenin abnormal accumulation and decreased survival was evaluated in adult patients with adrenocortical carcinomas (n=25) and a trend toward significance was observed (log-rank p=0,07). The analysis of the CTNNB1 gene revealed heterozygous somatic mutations in 10 adrenocortical tumors (6 adults and 4 children). The mutations found in CTNNB1 gene were mainly missense (p.Ser45Pro, p.Ser45Phe, p.Asp32Asn, p.Pro44Ala_Ser45Pro; p.His36Gln_Ser37Lys). Other mutations found included: a single nucleotide insertion (p.E9GfsX14) and a deletion within codon 45 of exon 3 of CTNNB1 gene, (p.Ser45del). All tumors with somatic mutations in the CTNNB1 gene showed abnormal beta -catenin accumulation, except for one case. The mutations in CTNNB1 gene was not associated with tumor size (Mann - Whitney: p=0.75), unfavorable outcome in both pediatric (log -rank p=0.29) and adult group of patients (log-rank p=0.77). All patients with TP53 germline mutation showed p53 nuclear accumulation in the tumor cells. No correlation was found between the presence of beta-catenin abnormal accumulation and p53 nuclear accumulation in adrenocortical tumor cells of children and adults. In addition, no correlation was observed between CTNNB1 mutations, as well as beta-catenin abnormal accumulation, with p53 nuclear accumulation in adults adrenocortical tumors. Interestingly, the evaluation of pediatric adrenocortical tumors revealed a relationship between the occurrence of CTNNB1 mutations and the presence of p53 nuclear accumulation (X2: p=0.009). Conclusions: These data confirm the involvement of the Wnt pathway in adrenocortical tumorigenesis of children and adults, which has a prevalence similar activation between children and adults. We observed that abnormal beta-catenin accumulation in adults adrenocortical carcinoma is probably associated with a dismal prognosis. Additionally, we found evidence of a positive relationship between CTNNB1 mutations and p53 nuclear accumulation in pediatric adrenocortical tumors, confirming a possible connection of these two pathways in the pediatric adrenocortical tumorigenesis

Abstract Endometrial carcinoma is the most common gynegologic malignancy in developed countries. Due to early symptoms, including abnormal uterine bleeding, endometrial cancer is often diagnosed at an early stage and in that case usually has a good prognosis and high cure rates. However, the nature of the disease is heterogeneous. During the last decades, the improvement in survival rates among endometrial cancer patients has not been significant, suggesting that the traditional clinicopathological factors may be inadequate to identify patients with high-risk disease. Furthermore, aggressive adjuvant treatments can be costly and very toxic. Therefore, better prognostic markers associated with biological aggressiveness of endometrial carcinoma are needed to identify the patients with high-risk disease, and to be able to select the treatment more individually. Gelatinases (MMP-2 and MMP-9) and their tissue inhibitors (TIMP-1 and TIMP-2) have been found to play a role in tumor progression. In the present work, the expression and prognostic value of MMP-2, MMP-9, TIMP-1 and TIMP-2 were assessed in endometrial carcinoma. The patient material consisted of a total of 266 women diagnosed with primary endometrial carcinoma. The tissue expression of immunoreactive proteins was examined in paraffin-embedded tumor sections by immunohistochemical staining using specific antibodies, and the pretreatment serum levels of the proteins were quantitatively measured by ELISA. Tissue MMP-2 expression associated with a worsened prognosis, whereas tissue TIMP-2 overexpression was an indicator of a favorable outcome. Furthermore, we observed a combination of strong MMP-2 and weak TIMP-2 tissue expression to identify a group of women at high risk of adverse outcome in endometrial carcinoma. Patients with negative MMP-2 immunostaining had the best prognosis, regardless of TIMP-2 staining result. In serum measurements, high preoperative TIMP-1 concentration was a prognostic indicator of unfavorable outcome. These results indicate that tissue MMP-2 and TIMP-2 as well as circulating TIMP-1 may be prognostic markers in endometrial carcinoma. Of these, tissue MMP-2 seems to be the most potent prognostic marker. Studies with larger patient materials are needed to further explore the value of these enzymes in clinical practice in endometrial cancer. / Tiivistelmä Kohdunrungon syöpä on yleisin gynekologinen maligniteetti kehittyneissä maissa. Varhaisten oireiden, kuten poikkeavan verisen vuodon, vuoksi kohdunrungon syöpä havaitaan usein varhaisessa vaiheessa, jolloin sen ennuste on hyvä. Taudin käyttäytyminen voi kuitenkin olla moninaista. Viime vuosikymmenten aikana kohdunrungon syöpään sairastuneiden ennuste ei ole merkittävästi parantunut. Vaikuttaisi siltä, että perinteiset ennustetekijät eivät ole riittävän tarkkoja ennustamaan syövän taudinkulkua. Lisäksi liitännäishoidot voivat olla kalliita, ja niihin voi liittyä vakavia haittavaikutuksia. Uusien biologisten ennustetekijöiden löytäminen olisi tärkeää, jotta aggressiivista syöpätyyppiä sairastavat potilaat pystyttäisiin tunnistamaan entistä paremmin, ja hoito kyettäisiin räätälöimään yksilöllisemmin taudinkuvaa vastaavasti. Gelatinaasien (MMP-2 ja MMP-9) sekä niiden kudosinhibiittoreiden (TIMP-1 ja TIMP-2) on havaittu osallistuvan syövän etenemiseen. Tässä tutkimuksessa tarkasteltiin MMP-2:n ja MMP-9:n sekä niiden kudosinhibiittoreiden TIMP-1:n ja TIMP-2:n ilmentymistä ja ennusteellista merkitystä kohdunrungon syövässä. Aineisto käsitti yhteensä 266 primaariseen kohdunrungon syöpään sairastunutta naista. Määritysmenetelminä käytettiin sekä immunohistokemiallista värjäystä parafiiniin valettujen kudosnäytteiden osalta että ELISA-määrityksiä ennen hoitoa otettujen seeruminäytteiden osalta. Syöpäkudoksen runsas MMP-2 -proteiinin ilmentyminen liittyi epäsuotuisaan ennusteeseen, kun taas kasvainkudoksen voimakas TIMP-2 -proteiinin ilmentyminen oli hyvän ennusteen merkki. Lisäksi kasvainkudoksen voimakkaan MMP-2- ja heikon TIMP-2 -proteiinien ilmentymisen yhdistelmän havaittiin liittyvän suurempaan syövästä johtuvaan kuolleisuuteen. MMP-2 -negatiivisten potilaiden eloonjäämisennuste oli paras, TIMP-2 -värjäystuloksesta riippumatta. Seerumin korkea TIMP-1 -pitoisuus oli merkittävä huonontuneen ennusteen merkki. Tutkimuksen tulokset viittaavat siihen, että kasvainkudoksessa esiintyvät MMP-2- ja TIMP-2 -proteiinit samoin kuin seerumin TIMP-1 -pitoisuus voivat ennustaa kohdunrungon syövän kliinistä käyttäytymistä. Kasvainkudoksessa esiintyvä MMP-2 -proteiini vaikuttaisi olevan merkittävin ennusteellinen tekijä, mutta tulosten varmistamiseksi tarvitaan lisää tutkimuksia suuremmilla potilasaineistoilla.