At the moment, positive sentinel lymph node dissection (SLND) of the axilla is followed by axillary lymph node dissection (ALND) as standard of care. Recent data proves that omitting ALND after positive SLND in clinically lymph node-negative early stage breast cancer patients is feasible with low recurrence rates. The well known effect of radiotherapy to destroy occult tumor cells highly contributes to these results as a large extent of level I and II lymph nodes are unavoidably included in standard tangential radiation treatment fields. Reviewing the up to date published data on axillary lymph node treatment with radiotherapy, we hypothesize that full dosage coverage of level I and II of the axilla in early stage breast cancer will improve outcome and should be further evaluated.

OBJECTIVE

Class II alleles define the main HLA effect on type 1 diabetes, but there is an independent effect of certain class I alleles. Class II and class I molecules are differently involved in the initiation and effector phases of the immune response, suggesting that class I alleles would be important determinants in the rate of β-cell destruction. To test this hypothesis we analyzed the role of HLA class I and class II gene polymorphisms in the progression from diabetes-associated autoimmunity to clinical disease.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

The effect of HLA-DR-DQ haplotypes and a panel of class I HLA-A and -B alleles on the progression from autoantibody seroconversion to clinical diabetes was studied in 249 children persistently positive for at least one biochemical diabetes-associated autoantibody in addition to islet cell autoantibody.

RESULTS

The progression to clinical disease was separately analyzed after the appearance of the first and the second persistent biochemical autoantibody using Cox regression. Multivariate analysis demonstrated a significant protective effect of the A*03 allele (odds ratio [OR] 0.61, P = 0.042 after the first and OR 0.55, P = 0.027 after the second autoantibody), whereas the B*39 allele had a promoting effect after seroconversion for the second autoantibody (OR 2.4, P = 0.014). When children with the DR3/DR4 genotype were separately analyzed, HLA-B*39 had a strong effect (OR 6.6, P = 0.004 and OR 7.5, P = 0.007, after the appearance of the first and the second autoantibody, respectively). The protective effect of A*03 was seen only among children without the DR3/DR4 combination.

CONCLUSIONS

These results confirm that class I alleles affect the progression of diabetes-associated autoimmunity and demonstrate interactions between class I and class II alleles.

OBJECTIVE

To evaluate the psychological burden of parents facing increasing risk of type 1 diabetes in their children.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS

In the population-based Type 1 Diabetes Prediction and Prevention (DIPP) Study, newborn infants with HLA-DQB1–conferred diabetes risk were enrolled in sequential analyses of diabetes-associated autoantibodies. Those persistently positive for at least two autoantibodies were recruited to a randomized double-blinded intervention trial. The experience of stress in parents of 664 children was measured using Parenting Stress Index self-report inventory.

RESULTS

While diagnosis of diabetes increased parental stress, the appearance of autoantibodies or participation in the intervention trial did not. Mothers had higher stress levels than fathers. Single parenthood and chronically ill family members increased parental stress.

CONCLUSIONS

Parental stress was not increased by notification of autoantibody positivity or by participation in an intervention trial. Other demanding family conditions contributed to the experience of stress.

Background

Transcriptional co-repressors of the Groucho/transducin-like Enhancer of split (Gro/TLE) family regulate the expression of a variety of genes and are involved in numerous developmental processes in both invertebrate and vertebrate species. More specifically, Gro/TLE1 participates in mechanisms that inhibit/delay the differentiation of cerebral cortex neural progenitor cells into neurons during mammalian forebrain development. The anti-neurogenic function of Gro/TLE1 depends on the formation of protein complexes with specific DNA-binding transcription factors that engage Gro/TLE1 through WRP(W/Y) sequences. Interaction with those transcription partners results in Gro/TLE1 recruitment to selected DNA sites and causes increased Gro/TLE1 phosphorylation. The physiological significance of the latter event, termed “cofactor-activated phosphorylation,” had not been determined. Therefore, this study aimed at clarifying the role of cofactor-activated phosphorylation in the anti-neurogenic function of Gro/TLE1.

Methods and Principal Findings

A combination of site-directed mutagenesis, mass spectrometry, biochemistry, primary cell culture, and immunocytochemical assays was utilized to characterize point mutations of Ser-286, a residue that is phosphorylated in vivo and is located within the serine/proline-rich (SP) domain of Gro/TLE1. Mutation of Ser-286 to alanine or glutamic acid does not perturb the interaction of Gro/TLE1 with DNA-binding partners, including the basic helix-loop-helix transcription factor Hes1, a prototypical anti-neurogenic WRP(W/Y) motif protein. Ser-286 mutations do not prevent the recruitment of Gro/TLE1 to DNA, but they impair cofactor-activated phosphorylation and weaken the interaction of Gro/TLE1 with chromatin. These effects are correlated with an impairment of the anti-neurogenic activity of Gro/TLE1. Similar results were obtained when mutations of Ser-289 and Ser-298, which are also located within the SP domain of Gro/TLE1, were analyzed.

Conclusion

Based on the positive correlation between Gro/TLE1 cofactor-activated phosphorylation and ability to inhibit cortical neuron differentiation, we propose that hyperphosphorylation induced by cofactor binding plays a positive role in the regulation of Gro/TLE1 anti-neurogenic activity.

Purpose

To evaluate toxicity of radiochemotherapy schedule using daily-low-dose-cisplatin in radiochemotherapy of locally-advanced head-and-neck-cancer (HNSCC).

Methods and patients

From October 2003 to October 2006, 50 patients with HNSCC (stage III/IVA/IVB) were treated. In 32 patients, surgery and adjuvant radiotherapy(64 Gy), in 18 patients definitive radiotherapy(70 Gy) was performed. Low-dose-cisplatin was applied concomitantly (6 mg/m2/every radiotherapy-day).

Results

Acute toxicity ≥grade 3 was observed in 22 patients (11 patients mucositis/dysphagia, 7 hematologic toxicity, 4 mucositis/dysphagia/hematologic toxicity). 90% of our patients received >80% of the planned cumulative chemotherapy dose, 94% the intended dose of radiotherapy. After median follow-up of 24.2 months, 3-year overall survival and loco-regional control rates were 67.1 and 78%. During follow-up, chronic toxicity ≥grade 3 (xerostomia, subcutaneous fibrosis, or lymphedema) was observed in nine patients.

Conclusion

We found chemoradiation with daily-low-dose-cisplatin to be feasible with advantage of low acute and chronic toxicity. Therefore, use of low-dose-cisplatin should be evaluated in future clinical trials.

Background

As the majority of prostate cancers (PC) express estrogen receptors, we evaluated the combination of radiation and estrogenic stimulation (estrogen and genistein) on the radiosensitivity of PC cells in vitro.

Methods

PC cells LNCaP (androgen-sensitive) and PC-3 (androgen-independent) were evaluated. Estrogen receptor (ER) expression was analyzed by means of immunostaining. Cells were incubated in FCS-free media with genistein 10 μM and estradiol 10 μM 24 h before irradiation and up to 24 h after irradiation. Clonogenic survival, cell cycle changes, and expression of p21 were assessed.

Results

LNCaP expressed both ER-α and ER-β, PC-3 did not. Incubation of LNCaP and PC-3 with genistein resulted in a significant reduction of clonogenic survival. Incubation with estradiol exhibited in low concentrations (0.01 μM) stimulatory effects, while higher concentrations did not influence survival. Both genistein 10 μM and estradiol 10 μM increased low-dose hyper-radiosensitivity [HRS] in LNCaP, while hormonal incubation abolished HRS in PC-3. In LNCaP cells hormonal stimulation inhibited p21 induction after irradiation with 4 Gy. In PC-3 cells, the proportion of cells in G2/M was increased after irradiation with 4 Gy.

Conclusion

We found an increased HRS to low irradiation doses after incubation with estradiol or genistein in ER-α and ER-β positive LNCaP cells. This is of high clinical interest, as this tumor model reflects a locally advanced, androgen dependent PC. In contrast, in ER-α and ER-β negative PC-3 cells we observed an abolishing of the HRS to low irradiation doses by hormonal stimulation. The effects of both tested compounds on survival were ER and p53 independent. Since genistein and estradiol effects in both cell lines were comparable, neither ER- nor p53-expression seemed to play a role in the linked signalling. Nevertheless both compounds targeted the same molecular switch. To identify the underlying molecular mechanisms, further studies are needed.

Background

Oncological results of radiotherapy for locally advanced prostate cancer (PC) are significantly improved by simultaneous application of LHRH analoga (e.g. goserelin). As 85% of PC express LHRH receptors, we investigated the interaction of goserelin incubation with radiotherapy under androgen-deprived conditions in vitro.

Methods

LNCaP and PC-3 cells were stained for LHRH receptors. Downstream the LHRH receptor, changes in protein expression of c-fos, phosphorylated p38 and phosphorylated ERK1/2 were analyzed by means of Western blotting after incubation with goserelin and irradiation with 4 Gy. Both cell lines were incubated with different concentrations of goserelin in hormone-free medium. 12 h later cells were irradiated (0 – 4 Gy) and after 12 h goserelin was withdrawn. Endpoints were clonogenic survival and cell viability (12 h, 36 h and 60 h after irradiation).

Results

Both tested cell lines expressed LHRH-receptors. Changes in protein expression demonstrated the functional activity of goserelin in the tested cell lines. Neither in LNCaP nor in PC-3 any significant effects of additional goserelin incubation on clonogenic survival or cell viability for all tested concentrations in comparison to radiation alone were seen.

Conclusion

The clinically observed increase in tumor control after combination of goserelin with radiotherapy in PC cannot be attributed to an increase in radiosensitivity of PC cells by goserelin in vitro.

Miniaturized growth systems for heterogeneous culture collections are not only attractive in reducing demands for incubation space and medium but also in making the parallel handling of large numbers of strains more practicable. We report here on the optimization of oxygen transfer rates in deep-well microtiter plates and the development of a replication system allowing the simultaneous and reproducible sampling of 96 frozen glycerol stock cultures while the remaining culture volume remains frozen. Oxygen transfer rates were derived from growth curves of Pseudomonas putida and from rates of oxygen disappearance due to the cobalt-catalyzed oxidation of sulfite. Maximum oxygen transfer rates (38 mmol liter−1 h−1, corresponding to a mass transfer coefficient of 188 h−1) were measured during orbital shaking at 300 rpm at a shaking diameter of 5 cm and a culture volume of 0.5 ml. A shaking diameter of 2.5 cm resulted in threefold-lower values. These high oxygen transfer rates allowed P. putida to reach a cell density of approximately 9 g (dry weight) liter−1 during growth on a glucose mineral medium at culture volumes of up to 1 ml. The growth-and-replication system was evaluated for a culture collection consisting of aerobic strains, mainly from the genera Pseudomonas, Rhodococcus, and Alcaligenes, using mineral media and rich media. Cross-contamination and excessive evaporation during vigorous aeration were adequately prevented by the use of a sandwich cover of spongy silicone and cotton wool on top of the microtiter plates.