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The neuropsychological diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease.

Neuropsychological assessment potentially subserves several functions in subjects in whom Alzheimer's disease (AD) is suspected. Such assessment can detect the presence of brain disease once significant neuronal disruption has occurred. Analysis of the pattern and evolution of cognitive deficits allows inferences to be drawn regarding the likely underlying pathology. Neuropsychological assessment enables delineation of the particular cognitive strengths and weaknesses of individual patients, facilitating the construction of individual management programs. Lastly, cognitive testing provides a cost-effective means of monitoring disease progression and the effects of treatment. This review describes the typical pattern and evolution of cognitive deficits in AD, outlines a number of variant presentations, discusses the differential diagnosis from other dementias, and addresses the issue of progression to clinically probable AD in the cognitively impaired, non-demented elderly. It is anticipated that biomarkers for AD will complement neuropsychological assessment by enabling disease detection before unequivocal cognitive deterioration has ensued, and by improving the accuracy of clinical diagnosis of dementia type. The development of reliable biomarkers will also enable improvements in the sensitivity and accuracy of neuropsychological assessment in AD to be made, more quickly and efficiently than is currently possible using longitudinal studies.

Journal Article↗

Genomic medicine: bringing biomarkers to clinical medicine.

An important by-product of sequencing the human genome has been the development of a novel 'toolbox' for biomarker discovery and development. Genomic medicine is an emerging discipline in the genome sciences that integrates these tools to interrogate genomic variation in well-defined populations in order to develop predictors of disease susceptibility, progression and drug response. Several important classes of biomarkers result from these analyses which, when translated to clinical medicine and drug development, will have an important impact on human health and disease. This review highlights both the opportunities and challenges in bringing biomarkers into clinical medicine.

Clinical Medicine↗

Epidemiology and molecular biology of Barrett esophagus.

Over the past three decades, there has been a marked change in the epidemiology of esophageal malignancy, with an increasing incidence of esophageal adenocarcinoma. The reasons for this are largely unknown and remain controversial, but several lifestyle risk factors have been proposed, including gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD). It is hypothesized that chronic GERD results in acute mucosal injury, promotes cellular proliferation, and induces specialized columnar metaplasia (Barrett esophagus). Progression of Barrett esophagus to invasive adenocarcinoma is reflected histologically by the metaplasia-dysplasia-carcinoma sequence. Dysplasia is widely regarded as the precursor of invasive cancer, and high-grade dysplasia in Barrett epithelium is frequently associated with esophageal adenocarcinoma. Although several molecular alterations have been described in Barrett esophagus, it is anticipated that relatively few will prove to be clinically useful. To date, biomarkers which currently appear to predict the progression of Barrett esophagus to invasive malignancy include aneuploidy, loss of heterozygosity of 17p (implicating the p53 tumor suppressor gene), and cyclin D1 protein overexpression, and with further validation, will most likely be incorporated into routine clinical practice. It is anticipated that models incorporating objective scores of sociodemographic and lifestyle risk factors (ie, age, gender, body mass index), severity of reflux symptoms, endoscopic and histologic findings, and an assessment of a panel of biomarkers will be developed to further define subsets of patients with Barrett esophagus at increased risk for malignant progression, thereby permitting the development of more rational endoscopic surveillance and screening programs.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Biomarkers predictive of lymph node metastases in oral squamous cell carcinoma.

PURPOSE: The ability of oral squamous cell carcinoma to metastasize to lymph nodes does not always show a relationship with clinical staging. The aim of this study was to attempt to define a trend for predictive histopathologic and/or molecular biomarkers in the development of nodal metastasis by analyzing 2 clinically extreme groups. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with small primary tumors (T1, T2) with lymph node metastasis and patients with large primary tumors (T3, T4) without metastatic disease were identified among 315 consecutive cases of primary oral squamous cell carcinoma. Group comparisons were made with use of a Mann-Whitney test, and associations among the variables were assessed with nonparametric and parametric correlational analyses. RESULTS: The degree of keratinization was significantly less in primary tumors with lymph node metastasis (P < or = .01). The degree of keratinization was significantly associated with nuclear pleomorphism (P =.02), number of mitoses (P =.02), stage of invasion (P =.002), and p53 expression (P =.04), independent of clinical stage of the tumor. Other microscopic features and immunohistochemical markers did not differ significantly between the groups (P >.05). CONCLUSION: These data indicate that there still is no single predictive parameter superior to the degree of keratinization to identify patients at risk for the development of regional metastasis.

Adult↗

A biomarker for the assessment of niacin nutriture as a potential preventive factor in carcinogenesis.

The study of protective cellular responses to DNA damage has led to the working hypothesis that optimal niacin nutriture is a preventive factor in cancer. Described here is the development of a biomarker for determining niacin status termed Niacin Number. The combination of this biomarker with diet and cancer epidemiology will allow evaluation of the possible role of this nutrient in cancer risk.

Adenosine Diphosphate Ribose↗

Serial plasma fibronectin levels in pre-eclamptic and normotensive women.

OBJECTIVE: Endothelial cell damage has been put forward as an underlying factor for development of pre-eclampsia. This study was carried out to see if fibronectin, which is a marker of endothelial damage, could be used as a marker of pre-eclampsia. METHODS: A longitudinal study was conducted on 100 normotensive primigravidae registered before 20 weeks of gestation. These subjects were followed until delivery and three blood samples were collected, first at registration, i.e. before 20 weeks, second around 28 weeks and third at 36 weeks or later till delivery. Fibronectin levels were assayed by ELISA and women observed for any signs of pre-eclampsia. RESULTS: Fourteen subjects developed pre-eclampsia. Fibronectin levels were observed to rise as pregnancy advanced but the rise was significantly higher in subjects who developed pre-eclampsia. The fibronectin levels were also significantly higher in these 14 subjects even in the first sample, i.e. before 20 weeks of gestation when compared with normotensive subjects (P < 0.01). CONCLUSIONS: Fibronectin levels could be used as an early valuable biomarker for the development of pre-eclampsia.

Biomarkers↗

Identification of hydroxyl radical-induced lesions in DNA base structure: biomarkers with a putative link to cancer development.

Hydroxyl radical-induced DNA base lesions of guanine and adenine were originally found in neoplastic and microscopically normal livers of fish exposed to environmental carcinogens. They were later identified in a mammalian tissue--the cancerous female breast. This evidence suggested that the base lesions are broadly present in the cancerous and microscopically normal tissues of a variety of eukaryotic organisms. The base lesion concentrations in both neoplastic tissues frequently exceeded 1 modified base in 1000 normal bases. By contrast, the base lesion:normal base ratios in healthy tissues were generally 10-100 times less. A greater variety of base lesions was found subsequently in the cancerous lung, brain, and other human tissues, although information relating to their biological significance is largely confined to the originally found purine derivatives. The biochemistry of the base lesions and the relationship of ring-opening (Fapy) derivatives to OH adducts in the DNA of normal and cancerous tissues is discussed with regard to the etiology of cancer and the potential use of the lesions as biomarkers for cancer risk assessment.

Adenine↗

The differential proteome profile of stomach cancer: identification of the biomarker candidates.

By comparative proteome analysis we searched for characteristic alterations of human stomach adenocarcinoma tissue and paired surrounding normal tissue. Selected differential protein spots were identified with peptide mass fingerprinting based on matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization time-of-flight mass spectrometry (MALDI-TOF) and database searching. We identified protein alterations in 18 stomach cancer tissues compared with normal controls, comprising elevated levels of eight proteins, including 14-3-3 zeta, calcyclin, keratin, apolipoprotein A-1 precursor, proteasome activator complex subunit, nucleoside diphosphate kinase, nicotinamide N-methyltransferase, and pyridoxal kinase. Five proteins (CA11, prohibitin, peroxiredoxin 4, serum amyloid P component, and NADH-ubiquinone oxidoreductase 23 kDa subunit) were decreased. These data are valuable for identification of differentially expressed proteins involved in stomach cancer carcinogenesis, providing biomarker candidates to develop diagnostic and therapeutic tools.

Adult↗

Skin ulcers in fish: Pfiesteria and other etiologies.

Skin ulcers on fish are one of the most well-recognized indicators of polluted or otherwise stressed aquatic environments. In recent years, skin ulcer epidemics have been either experimentally or epidemiologically linked to exposure to a number of xenobiotic chemicals as well as to biotoxins. Some of these agents, such as toxins produced by the dinoflagellate alga Pfiesteria, have led to serious concerns about the health of aquatic ecosystems, such as estuaries along the east coast of the United States. However, a number of other risk factors besides Pfiesteria have been shown to damage epithelium and may also play important roles in skin ulcer pathogenesis. In addition, increasing evidence indicates that not only may skin damage occur via direct contact with toxins, but it may also be induced indirectly from physiological changes that result from exposure not only to toxins but also to other environmental stressors, such as pH and temperature extremes. The multifactorial pathways that operate at both the ecological and the organismal levels as well as the nonspecific response of the skin to insults make it very challenging to link epidemic skin ulcers to any single cause in natural aquatic populations. Consequently, using pathology to unequivocally identify the specific cause of a lesion (eg. Pfiesteria exposure) is not a valid approach. Only with an increased understanding of the basic mechanisms leading to skin damage (including development of specific biomarkers for specific toxins), along with a better understanding of ecological processes operating in these environments, will we be able to discern the relative importance of various risk factors in skin ulcer development.

Animals↗

Real-time telomerase assay of less-invasively collected esophageal cell samples.

Genomic and proteomic efforts have discovered a complex list of biomarkers that identify human disease, stratify risk of disease within populations, and monitor drug or therapy responses for treatment. Attention is needed to characterize these biomarkers and to develop high-throughput technologies to evaluate their accuracy and precision. Telomerase activity is correlated with tumor progression, indicating cells that express telomerase possess aggressive clinical behavior and that telomerase activity could be a clinically important cancer biomarker. Traditionally, the detection of cancer has involved invasive procedures to procure samples. There is a need for less invasive approaches suitable for population- and clinic-based assays for cancer early detection. Esophageal balloon cytology (EBC) is a low-invasive screening technique, which samples superficial epithelial cells from the esophagus. Since telomerase activity is absent in superficial cells of normal esophageal squamous epithelium but is often present in superficial cells from dysplastic lesions and ESCCs, measuring telomerase activity in EBC samples may be a good way to screen for these lesions. The development of rapid real-time telomerase activity assays raises the possibility of extending such screening to high-risk populations. In this study, we evaluate the feasibility of using rapid Real-Time Telomerase Repeat Amplification Protocol (RTTRAP) for the analysis of NIST telomerase candidate reference material and esophageal clinical samples. The telomerase activity of eight EBC samples was also measured by capillary electrophoresis of RTTRAP products, RApidTRAP, and hTERT mRNA RT-PCR assays. These findings demonstrate the feasibility of using the RTTRAP assay in EBC samples and suggest that individuals from high-risk populations can be screened for telomerase activity.

Biomarkers, Tumor↗

Urea as a passive transport marker for arthritis biomarker studies.

OBJECTIVE: To develop a method to correct for the unknown dilution of synovial fluid that occurs during lavage of a joint, we evaluated the utility of urea, a molecule that is neither synthesized nor metabolized by joint tissues, as a means of correcting for the dilutional effects of lavage procedures and effusions. METHODS: Joint fluids were obtained from normal canine joints by direct aspiration (n = 41) and lavage (n = 10). Acute joint injury was induced in 4 joints by intraarticular injection of chymopapain. Serum and joint fluid levels of urea and joint fluid concentrations of glucose, lactate, cartilage oligomeric matrix protein (COMP), and keratan sulfate (KS) were measured in these 55 joints. RESULTS: Urea concentrations in joint fluid were directly proportional to those in serum throughout a wide range of concentrations in normal joints. From this relationship, the dilution factor introduced by joint lavage was determined. This method was applied to quantify biomarker concentrations in synovial lavage fluid and was found to successfully correct for lavage-induced dilution of glucose, lactate, COMP, and KS to levels equivalent to those in samples aspirated directly. In the context of chymopapain-induced joint effusion, urea concentrations continued to be proportional to serum concentrations, but were much lower, enabling an estimation of the change in the volume of distribution (V(d)) of a marker due to a change in joint water content in the setting of inflammation characterized by effusion. Lactate and KS levels rose markedly in response to chymopapain. After adjustment for the V(d), the glucose concentration in the chymopapain-injected joints did not change. CONCLUSION: Urea provides a robust method of quantifying and correcting for the dilution of synovial fluid due to joint lavage or inflammation. This method is potentially applicable to surrogate marker studies in human arthritis.

Animals↗

Effects of 4-nonylphenol on gene expression of pituitary hormones in juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar).

Alkylphenols such as 4-nonylphenol (NP) are one of the wide variety of environmental chemicals reported to have estrogenic effects in both in vitro and in vivo studies. Induction of eggshell zona radiata proteins (Zrp) and vitellogenin (Vtg) mRNA and protein synthesis in the liver are widely used biomarkers for xenoestrogen exposure in fish. However, little work has been done to characterize the molecular effects of xenoestrogens on other potential target organs such as the pituitary. To evaluate pituitary effects and develop new potential biomarkers for xenoestrogens, the influences of NP and 17beta-estradiol (E2) on the mRNA levels of pituitary gonadotropic hormone (GTH) beta subunits [leutinizing hormone beta (LH beta or GTH II beta) and follicle stimulating hormone beta (FSH beta or GTH I beta)], prolactin (PRL), growth hormone (GH) and the pituitary specific transcription factor (Pit-1) were investigated in individual male and female juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), 3 days after a single intraperitoneal (i.p.) injection. In one experiment, fish were injected with NP (125 mg/kg body weight (BW)) or E2 (5 mg/kg BW) and a semi-quantitative reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) method was used to analyze LH beta and FSH beta mRNA levels. In the second experiment, fish were injected with three doses of NP (10, 50, 125 mg/kg BW) or a single dose of E2 (5 mg/kg BW) and Northern blot analysis was used to quantify LH beta, FSH beta, PRL, GH and Pit-1 mRNAs. Both NP (50 and 125 mg/kg BW) and E2 significantly induced LH beta mRNA levels (P<0.01), but only in females. The highest dose of NP (125 mg/kg BW) significantly induced Pit-1 mRNA in males (P<0.01). NP did not have significant effects on any of the other pituitary transcripts. NP induced LH beta mRNA synthesis in females by up to 6-fold and the changes appeared to correlate with the increases in hepatic Vtg and Zrp mRNA levels. The results show that LH beta mRNA assay in female juvenile salmonids may be used as a marker for pituitary effects of xenoestrogens. The data also suggest that NP may have the potential to perturb the regulation of LH beta gene expression by mimicking E2.

Actins↗

Biomarkers and mechanistic approaches in environmental epidemiology.

Environmental epidemiological research involves the identification of relationships between previous exposures to putative causative agents and subsequent biological effects with study populations. Such relationships are often hard to fully characterize because of difficulties in accurately quantifying exposure, dose, and effect. Biomarkers are indicators, residing in biological systems or samples, of exposure, dose, effect, or susceptibility. Biomarkers of exposure indicate the presence of previous exposure to an environmental agent; a biomarker of dose bears a quantitative relationship to previous exposure or dose; these include exogenous substances, interactive products, or interactions that change the status of the target molecule. Biomarkers of effect indicate the presence and magnitude of a biological response to exposure to an environmental agent; these include endogenous components, or measures of the functional capacity or state of the system. Biomarkers of susceptibility indicate an elevated sensitivity to the effects of an environmental agent; these include the presence or absence of an endogenous component, or abnormal functional responses to an administered challenge. The development of molecular biomarkers for environmental agents is based upon specific knowledge of metabolism, interactive product formation, and general mechanisms of action. The validation of any biomarker-effect link requires parallel experimental animal and human epidemiological studies.

Biomarkers↗

Biological monitoring for occupational exposures to o-toluidine and aniline.

Epidemiological evidence that occupational exposure to o-toluidine and aniline is associated with an increased risk of bladder cancer led to efforts to identify biomarkers of workplace exposures to these aromatic amines. For the determination of o-toluidine and aniline in worker urine specimens, a method using high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) followed by electrochemical detection was developed. The limits of detection were 0.6 microgram/l and 1.4 micrograms/l for o-toluidine and aniline, respectively. Recovery of o-toluidine and aniline from spiked urine averaged 86% and 93%, respectively, over a range of 4-100 micrograms/l. Reproducibility in the range 2-100 micrograms/l for analyses of split field samples was 13% (average RSD) for o-toluidine and 16% (average RSD) for aniline. Application of this method to pre- and post-shift samples collected from potentially exposed and unexposed workers indicated elevated concentrations of o-toluidine and aniline in urine from exposed workers. To develop methods for biomarkers of internal dose, o-toluidine binding to the blood proteins hemoglobin and albumin was investigated utilizing in-vivo (rodent) and in-vitro (hemoglobin and albumin) studies. Base-hydrolyzable protein adducts were analyzed by HPLC (fluorescence) and/or GC/electron capture (EC). The methods were compared for sample preparation requirements, selectivity and sensitivity. While the GC/EC method was more sensitive than HPLC, the presence of interfering peaks limited the utility of this approach. Results from these studies suggested that the HPLC method could be useful for determination of o-toluidine exposures in individuals acutely or chronically exposed to high levels.

Aniline Compounds↗

Biomarkers of apoptosis: release of cytochrome c, activation of caspase-3, induction of 8-hydroxy-2'-deoxyguanosine, increased 3-nitrotyrosine, and alteration of p53 gene.

Biomarkers rely on biochemical, histological, morphological, and physiological changes in whole organisms. Their use is becoming an important tool to examine changes at cellular and molecular levels, especially in nucleic acids and proteins. Biomarkers are used to measure exposure to a toxic agent, to detect severity of any toxic response, and to predict the possible outcome. Information on the mechanisms of action of toxicants can allow the development of potential biomarkers of effect and thus improvement of the risk assessment processes. Use of biomarkers as a tool to predict induction of apoptosis allows identification of biological signs that may indicate increased risk for disease. In cells undergoing apoptosis, the release of cytochrome c from the mitochondria to the cytoplasm and the activation of caspase-3, a key enzyme to execution stage of apoptotic pathway, have been studied as biomarkers of cell death (apoptosis). Products of DNA fragmentation that either accumulate in the cellular tissues or are excreted in the urine are useful markers of DNA damage. The induction level of urinary or cellular level of 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine and 3-nitrotyrosine has been used as a marker to measure extent of DNA oxidative damage. Furthermore, alteration or overexpression of the p53 gene was considered an indication of apoptosis. This article reviews some of the aspects of biomarkers of apoptosis, indicating relevance of their uses to predict apoptosis following exposure to environmental toxicants.

8-Hydroxy-2'-Deoxyguanosine↗

Metabolomic and proteomic biomarkers for III-V semiconductors: chemical-specific porphyrinurias and proteinurias.

A pressing need exists to develop and validate molecular biomarkers to assess the early effects of chemical agents, both individually and in mixtures. This is particularly true for new and chemically intensive industries such as the semiconductor industry. Previous studies from this laboratory and others have demonstrated element-specific alterations of the heme biosynthetic pathway for the III-V semiconductors gallium arsenide (GaAs) and indium arsenide (InAs) with attendant increased urinary excretion of specific heme precursors. These data represent an example of a metabolomic biomarker to assess chemical effects early, before clinical disease develops. Previous studies have demonstrated that the intratracheal or subcutaneous administration of GaAs and InAs particles to hamsters produces the induction of the major stress protein gene families in renal proximal tubule cells. This was monitored by 35-S methionine labeling of gene products followed by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis after exposure to InAs particles. The present studies examined whether these effects were associated with the development of compound-specific proteinuria after 10 or 30 days following subcutaneous injection of GaAs or InAs particles in hamsters. The results of these studies demonstrated the development of GaAs- and InAs-specific alterations in renal tubule cell protein expression patterns that varied at 10 and 30 days. At the 30-day point, cells in hamsters that received InAs particles showed marked attenuation of protein expression, suggesting inhibition of the stress protein response. These changes were associated with GaAs and InAs proteinuria patterns as monitored by two-dimensional gel electrophoresis and silver staining. The intensity of the protein excretion patterns increased between the 10- and 30-day points and was most pronounced for animals in the 30-day InAs treatment group. No overt morphologic signs of cell death were seen in renal tubule cells of these animals. Western blot analyses of the urines with antibodies to the 32-, 70-, and 90-kDa stress protein families did not show the presence of these molecules, indicating that these proteins were not excreted in the urine samples. These data suggest that the observed proteinuria patterns were not a result of cell death and that the observed chemical-specific proteinurias were produced before marked cellular toxicity. These findings suggest a hypothesis involving GaAs and InAs interference with stress protein chaperoning of reabsorbed proteins for proteosomic degradation and the probable chaperoning of damaged intracellular proteins from renal proximal tubule cells into the urinary filtrate. Overall, the results of these studies provide further information on the nephrotoxicity of these semiconductor compounds. They also suggest the use of two-dimensional gel electrophoresis with silver staining of urinary protein patterns as a potentially useful proteomic approach to renal damage early in relation to intracellular proteotoxicity in kidney tubule cells.

Animals↗

Towards characterization of the human urinary peptidome.

Biomarker discovery in human urine has become an evolving and potentially valuable topic in relation to renal function and diseases of the urinary tract. In order to deliver on the promises and to facilitate the development of validated biomarkers or biomarker panels, protein and peptide profiling techniques need high sample throughput, speed of analysis, and reproducibility of results. Here, we outline the performance characteristics of the liquid chromatography/MALDI-TOF-MS based differential peptide display (DPD(1)) approach for separating, detecting, abundance profiling and identification of native peptides derived from human urine. The typical complexity of peptides in human urine (resolution of the technique with respect to detectable number of peptides), the reproducibility (coefficient of variation for abundance profiles of all peptides detected in biological samples) and dynamic range of the technique as well as the lower limit of detection were characterized. A substantial number of peptides present in normal human urine were identified and compared to findings in four published proteome studies. In an explorative approach, pathological urines from patients suffering from post-renal-filtration diseases were qualitatively compared to normal urine. In conclusion, the peptidomics technology as shown here has a great potential for high throughput and high resolution urine peptide profiling analyses. It is a promising tool to study not only renal physiology and pathophysiology and to determine new biomarkers of renal diseases; it also has the potential to study remotely localized or systemic aberrations within human biology.

Adult↗

Air toxics regulatory issues facing urban settings.

Biomarker research does not exist in isolation. Its usefulness can only be realized when it is translated into prevention strategies to protect public health. In the context of air toxics, these prevention strategies begin with the development of regulatory standards derived from risk assessment schemes. The Clean Air Act Amendments of 1990 list 189 air toxics, including many volatile organics, metals, and pesticides. The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS), through its affiliation with the National Toxicology Program, has generated toxicity and carcinogenicity data on more than 100 of these air toxics. The NIEHS extramural and intramural research portfolios support a variety of projects that develop and validate biomarkers for use in environmental health science and risk assessment. Biomarkers have a tremendous potential in the areas of regulating air toxics and protecting public health. Risk assessors need data provided by biomarkers of exposure, biomarkers of dose/pharmacokinetics, biomarkers of susceptibility or individual variability, and biomarkers of effects. The greatest benefit would be realized if biomarkers could be employed in four areas of primary and secondary prevention. The first is the use of biomarkers to enhance extrapolation of animal data to human exposure situations in establishing risk standards. The second is the use of biomarkers that assess noncancer, as well as cancer, end points. Important health end points include pulmonary dysfunction, immunotoxicity, and neurotoxicity. Third, biomarkers that serve as early waming signs to detect intermediate effects would enhance our ability to design timely and cost-effective intervention strategies. Finally, biomarkers used to evaluate the effectiveness of intervention strategies, both in clinical and regulatory settings, would enable us to ensure that programs designed to protect public health do, in fact, achieve the desired outcome.

Air Pollutants↗