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R Molina

Publications and source records attributed to R Molina.

At least 271 records · Page 15Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

S-100beta and MIA in advanced melanoma in relation to prognostic factors.

We compared the sensitivity and specificity of S-100 and MIA in advanced melanoma, in 96 patients with no evidence of disease (NED) and 86 patients with metastatic melanoma. Abnormal S100 (>0.2 microg/l) and MIA (>14 ng/ml) results were found in 1.1% and 3.2% of NED patients and in 59.3% and 54.6% of the patients with active melanoma (p<0.001). Using both tumor markers simultaneously, the sensitivity increased up to 69.8% with the same specificity 96.8%. S100 serum levels were not related to growth patterns. By contrast, MIA levels seemed to be related to the growth pattern, with higher levels in nodular melanoma (60.6+/-87.1 ng/ml) compared with acral-lentigous melanoma (11.9+/-5.4 ng/ml) (p=0.02). Likewise, S100 was related to the metastases site with significantly higher sensitivity and mean concentrations in patients with brain metastases (p=0.01) with the lowest in those with lung MI. MIA was related to the same metastases locations but without statistical significance. In summary, both S100 and ML4 are useful markers related to prognostic factors, being more effective when used in combination.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Tumor markers in patients with chronic renal failure.

In order to evaluate the specificity of tumor markers in chronic renal failure, we have determined serum levels of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), carbohydrate antigen 19.9 (CA 19.9), carbohydrate antigen 50 (CA 50), alphafetoprotein (AFP), neuron-specific enolase (NSE), prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP), prostatic specific antigen (PSA), squamous cell carcinoma antigen (SCC), carbohydrate antigen 15.3 (CA 15.3) and carbohydrate antigen 125 (CA 125) in 30 patients with chronic renal failure and in 36 hemodialyzed patients without clinical evidence of neoplasia. CEA, CA 50, NSE and SCC frequently show increased serum levels, suggesting a renal metabolism, while others remain, generally, within the normal levels.

Acid Phosphatase↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Significance of CA72.4 in patients with colorectal cancer. Comparison with CEA and CA19.9.

CA72.4 is a new tumor-associated antigen identified by monoclonal antibodies cc49 and B72.3. Serum levels of CA72.4 were measured in patients with benign and malignant diseases. The cut-off used was 4 U/mL. CA72.4 is a highly specific marker since only 3% of 162 patients with benign diseases had elevated levels of antigen. Forty-four percent of 89 patients with colorectal cancer had elevated CA72.4 levels. Compared with CEA and CA19.9, we have found that CEA (75%) is the most sensitive marker (p less than 0.001). The simultaneous use of two or three markers did not further contribute to the evaluation of patients with colorectal cancer.

Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate↗
PubMedDate not supplied

MCA in patients with breast cancer: correlation with CEA and CA15-3.

MCA serum levels were determined in 27 healthy subjects, 136 with benign pathology (42 breast) and in 289 patients with cancer (247 active). The last group includes 223 patients with breast cancer (96 without metastases, 89 with metastases and 38 no-evidence of disease). CEA and CA15-3 serum levels were determined in all the patients with breast diseases. The mean levels of MCA were 4.7 + 2.4 U/ml in the control group, considering less than 11 U/ml as normal. MCA values were abnormal in 15.4% of patients with benign pathology, mainly in those with liver cirrhosis (8/20) and lung diseases (4/20). In the majority of these cases, the rise was only moderate, lower than 15 U/ml in 97.5% of patients. In malignant diseases, important increments were found in breast cancer (19.8% Mo, 77.5% M1) and ovarian cancer stages III-IV (44.4%). When we compared MCA serum levels with CA15-3 and CEA in breast pathology, a similar specificity was observed: 92.3%, 92.3% and 100% in cases with benign pathology and 92.1%, 94.7%, and 97.4% in NED patients, respectively. MCA and CA15-3 sensitivity was similar in breast cancer without metastases (19.8%) and lower for CEA (16.7%). In patients with breast cancer without metastases, we found a relation between positivity of these tumor markers and prognostic factors (tumor size, nodal involvement). The disease free interval in patients with locoregional breast cancer was shorter in cases with abnormal presurgical levels of some of the tumor markers, but only the difference from MCA was significant (p less than 0.02).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Antigens, Neoplasm↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Diagnostic interest of the monoclonal antibody CA1 in malignant pleural effusion.

The Ca1 antibody was used in an immunohistochemical procedure on smears of cells from 40 patients with malignant pleural effusion. The control group consisted of 25 benign pleural effusions with a high percentage of reactive mesothelial cells. The Ca1 Mc Ab was positive in 19 (79%) of the 24 pleural effusions with positive malignant cytology. In all the benign cases the Ca1 Mc Ab was negative (100% specificity). The Ca1 Mc Ab detected malignant mesothelial cells in two cases and was negative with reactive mesothelial cells and other nucleated cells present in the pleural effusion. We conclude that the Ca1 antibody offers a useful diagnostic method for malignant pleural effusions, when the morphological interpretation is doubtful.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A new immunonephelometric method for amniotic fluid alpha-fetoprotein measurement.

We have evaluated the analytic performance of a new immunonephelometric method developed for the measurement of amniotic fluid alpha-fetoprotein (AF-AFP) and compared it with the classic immunoradiometric method used up to now. Intrassay precision, evaluated for three AF-AFP levels, was good and Interassay imprecision shows higher coefficients of variation (CVs) especially for medium and high AF-AFP levels. Linearity was demonstrated for level higher than 300,000 ng/ml and no hook effects was observed. Comparison with an IRMA method gave the following regression equation: y = 3050 + 0.52X (r = 0.76, p less than 0.001, n = 36).

Amniotic Fluid↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Alpha-fetoprotein in the early diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma.

Increased AFP levels in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma are mainly related to tumor size and in a lesser degree, to AST levels. Abnormal and/or diagnostic AFP levels will be observed in a reduced proportion of patients with small HCC (less than 5 cm). Therefore, AFP measurement is of little value in the early detection of HCC.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Prognostic value of TPS in patients with head and neck malignancies: comparison with SCC.

TPS and SCC serum levels were evaluated in 113 patients with primary tumors, 19 with relapse and 59 with no evidence of disease after radical treatment. Abnormal serum levels were found in 37% and 33% of patients with primary untreated tumors and in 53% and 59% of patients with relapse, respectively, using 100 U/L and 2.5 ng/ml as the upper limit of normality for TPS and SCC, respectively. Either tumor marker was abnormal in 57.5% of primary tumors and in 74% of patients with relapse. TPS and SCC serum levels were related to nodal involvement, with significantly higher levels in patients with nodal invasion (p < 0.02 and p 0.001, respectively). No relationship was found between tumor size, age or histological grade and SCC or TPS values. Pretreatment TPS and SCC serum levels had prognostic interest in patients with locoregional tumors, with a significantly shorter disease-free interval (DFI) in patients with abnormal values (p < 0.01 and p < 0.02, respectively). When tumor marker levels and nodes were simultaneously evaluated, a trend toward shorter DFI in patients with abnormal serum concentrations was found, with no statistical significance. By contrast, TPS and SCC were useful in prognosis in node-negative patients (p < 0.02 and p < 0.001, respectively). Likewise, using both TAAs simultaneously, it is possible to increase prognostic information. Patients with TPS and/or SCC abnormal levels had a significantly lower DFI than those patients with normal values, in both node positive and negative patients (P < 0.01). In summary, TPS and SCC are useful TAAs in patients with head and neck malignancies. Likewise, with the simultaneous use of SCC and TPS, the TAA utility in this malignancy increases in the prognosis as well as disease follow-up.

Antigens, Neoplasm↗
PubMedDate not supplied

CEA as a prognostic factor in colorectal cancer.

We have measured serum CEA levels in 207 patients with colorectal cancer. CEA sensitivity was related to tumor stage in tumors located in the right colon, but not in tumors located in the left colon or the rectum. CEA had prognostic value in patients with tumors located in the right colon (p < 0.001) but not in the left colon or the rectum. However, CEA did not have prognostic value independent of Dukes stage even in tumors in the right colon. Our results underline the different sensitivities and prognostic values for primary tumors in the left and right colorectal regions.

Carcinoembryonic Antigen↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Node-negative breast cancers with p53(-)/HER2-neu(-) status may identify women with very good prognosis.

BACKGROUND: The contribution of p53 and HER-2/neu to the management of node-negative breast cancer (NNBC) could be improved by combining their results. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We studied paraffin-embedded primary tumors for p53 (BP-53-12-1) (n=57) and HER2/neu (pAB1) (n=63) from NNBC patients. The results were grouped in a negative (p53(-)/neu(-)) versus a positive group (one or both overexpressed). The association between both groups (negative and positive) and clinicopathologic parameters, S-phase fraction and DNA ploidy, and patients' outcome, was analyzed. RESULTS: In 28% of the tumors p53 was overexpressed, and HER2/neu in 11%. Sixty-five percent (37 out of 57) were p53(-)/neu(-), and 35% overexpressed one (31.5%) or both (3.5%) oncoproteins. Significant correlations were found between p53(-)/neu(-) tumors and age greater than 50 (p=0.003), S-phase fraction lower than 7 (p=0.03), and positive estrogen receptor contents (p=0.049). Actuarial 5-year disease-free and overall survival for p53(-)/neu(-) tumors were 88% and 97%, respectively, versus 50% and 66%, for tumors overexpressing one or both oncoproteins (p=0.004).

Age Factors↗
PubMedDate not supplied

TPA prognostic value in superficial bladder cancer.

We determined the levels of TPA in 133 patients with superficial bladder cancer. 79 cases were Ta stages, and 54 cases T1 stages. 53 of the tumors were well differentiated (I), 65 moderately differentiated (II) and 15 undifferentiated (III). The average follow-up time of these patients was 8.3 months; the standard deviation being 5.2 months (median value 7 months). In 43 cases a relapse of the tumor was observed. We detected high TPA levels in 25% of the patients, without observing meaningful differences in tumor invasion or in its differentiation degree. The usefulness of the TPA, the degree of tumor invasion, and the degree of cell differentiation were evaluated by means of single-variate and multivariate analysis in order to forecast tumor relapse. Only the TPA had a prognostic value, the relative risk of developing relapse being 2.03 times higher in patients with high TPA than patients with normal TPA.

Aged↗
PubMedDate not supplied

C-erbB-2 oncoprotein in the sera and tissue of patients with breast cancer. Utility in prognosis.

C-erbB-2 serum levels were studied in the sera of 50 healthy subjects, 56 patients with benign breast diseases and 412 patients with breast cancer. Using 15 U/ml as the cut-off, no healthy subjects, patients with benign disease and only 2.4% of patients with no-evidence of disease had serum levels higher than this cut-off point. Abnormal c-erbB-2 levels were found in 9.2% of the patients with locoregional breast carcinoma and in 45.4% of those with advanced disease. C-erbB-2 serum levels in patients with locoregional breast cancer were not related to tumor size or nodal involvement. By contrast, significantly higher c-erbB-2 serum levels were found in ER- or PgR- tumors than in those ER+ or PgR+ tumors, in both locoregional or metastatic tumors. The correlation between serum and tissue levels of C-erbB-2 was studied in the tumors of 161 patients. Significantly higher c-erbB-2 serum levels were found in patients with overexpression in tissue by immunohistochemistry, in both locoregional and advanced disease (p = 0.0001). In patients with C-erbB-2 overexpression in tissue, c-erbB-2 serum levels were related to tumor size and nodes, with higher values in tumors greater than 5 cm or in those with more than 3 nodes involved. When the prognostic value of this oncoprotein was evaluated, patients with abnormally high presurgical c-erbB-2 had a worse prognosis than those patients with normal values, in both node-negative and node-positive patients. Serum concentrations in patients with advanced disease, were related to the site of recurrence with significantly higher values in patients with metastases (mainly in those with liver metastases) than in those with locoregional recurrence. In summary, c-erbB-2 serum level seem to be a useful tumor marker in the prognosis of patients with breast cancer.

Breast Neoplasms↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Multicentre clinical evaluation of the COBAS CORE CEA, CA 125 II and PSA tumor marker assays.

The aim of our study was to evaluate the clinical usefulness of the tumor markers CEA, CA 125 and PSA using the COBAS CORE system from Roche Diagnostic Systems. Our results demonstrate that determination of these markers on the COBAS CORE immunoassay analyser provides the performance required for routine use in clinical practice. The results obtained in this clinical trial validate the correlation with disease extension, a characteristic that defines and determines the clinical utility of the tumor markers. We also conclude that learning to operate the COBAS CORE system is simple, as is management of the system through the user-friendly software.

Adolescent↗