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PubMed1989

The UV problem: have the rules changed?

In summary, the increase in numbers and longevity of the population is clearly demonstrated by the census records. The facts that human behavioral patterns have drastically changed to permit ever-increasing exposure to sunlight is a matter of history. The changes in the environment will have a profound effect on the world in which we live. Our food supply could be severely disrupted, the incidence of skin cancer is likely to increase substantially, and ocular radiation trauma to the cornea, lens and retina will be expected to increase in prevalence. This alarming information has been acknowledged by the national press in the newspapers and magazines, and by the radio and TV networks. The attention has resulted in a striking awareness of the public to the UVR hazard. Likewise, the scientific community has devoted considerable attention to the harmful nature of UVR exposure to the skin and the eye. The brief survey of UV research presented in this paper consistently demonstrates that the cornea, lens and retina are all vulnerable to permanent UVR damage. Our survey of available facts indicates that the "rules have changed dramatically on all counts." Ocular protection against UVR exposure must be provided to our patients in the form of contact, ophthalmic or intraocular lenses. The additional cost of UV protection is insignificant when compared to the cost in visual loss over a lifetime. We are truly talking about trivial costs when UV protection is contrasted to what people spend on getting extra UV exposure at the solarium, spa, ski slopes, beach, mountains, etc.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Contact Lenses↗
PubMed2000

The influence of weather on human mortality in Hong Kong.

This study is the first attempt to investigate mortality seasonality and weather-mortality relationships in Hong Kong from 1980 to 1994. Monthly mortality data from all causes of death, neoplasm, circulatory and respiratory diseases were obtained from the Census and Statistics Department and the weather data were obtained from the Hong Kong Observatory. Regression analyses and ANOVA were employed. Significant winter peaks in sex specific and total deaths from all causes, circulatory and respiratory diseases were ascertained. Cancer mortality, however, was not seasonal. Mortality seasonality only existed in age groups 45-64 and > or =65. For the impact of weather on mortality, no significant relationship between weather variables and cancer mortality was observed. A significant negative association between minimum temperature and a positive relationship between cloud and deaths were found. This suggests that colder and cloudy conditions may heighten mortality. Wind was discovered to have a negative association with mortality. This finding revealed that the stressful effect of wind on mortality was negligible. There was no apparent sex difference. Deaths from the younger age groups (0-24 yr old) were not weather related. Weak weather connection with mortality for age group 25-44 was discovered, with Adj r2 values ranging from 0.05 to 0.07. The elderly (age > or =65) were more vulnerable to weather stress and strong weather-mortality relationship was uncovered, with Adj r2 values from 0.36 to 0.66. These results are important information for formulating public health policies.

Age Distribution↗
PubMed2005

The experiences of and the nursing care for breast cancer patients undergoing immediate breast reconstruction.

This study explores the experiences of and the nursing care for nine women with breast cancer undergoing immediate breast reconstruction (IBR) with a TRAM-flap. The study was prospective and descriptive and source and method triangulation was used. Source triangulation consisted of the patients' and nurses' perspectives, whilst method triangulation combined interviews, questionnaires and medical records. One result is that the meaning of IBR for the women operated is related to feelings of hope, normality and 'wholeness'. Another result is that not all the needs of the patients are assessed and met; the nursing care during admission is mainly focused on the physical care and after dismissal the patients are left in a situation characterized by vulnerability and a sense of emptiness. The study points to some implications in the means of quality development and rehabilitation.

Adaptation, Psychological↗
PubMed2006

Breast cancer disparities and decision-making among U.S. women.

OBJECTIVE: The impact of breast cancer is immense for all women, but the literature reveals an even greater impact on women of color and among socially and economically disadvantaged populations. Persistent differences in incidence and outcome are undoubtedly due to multiple factors, but one element in poor outcome may be treatment choice. Those treatments shown to be related to best outcomes are less likely to be chosen by certain groups of women. The effects of economic and cultural factors on breast cancer treatment choice have not been thoroughly explored; these factors must be understood if health care professionals are to intervene effectively to address disparities and improve breast cancer outcomes for all women. METHODS: A review of the breast cancer literature was conducted in order to: (1) describe breast cancer disparities in the United States; (2) delineate factors that might contribute to those disparities; (3) assess possible mitigating factors for predominant causes; (4) begin to decide how health care interventions might allay the factors that contribute to disparities in breast cancer incidence and mortality. RESULTS: Breast cancer incidence and outcome disparities in the United States are due to multiple interacting factors. These include information about treatment, different types of treatment, the emotional context of decision-making, and patient preference for level of involvement. Treatment decision-making is complex. CONCLUSION: Health literacy and level of decision-making involvement, both embedded in social and economic reality, are key components in breast cancer treatment decision-making and may contribute to breast cancer disparities in the United States. Current models of shared decision-making may not be generalizable to all breast cancer patients. PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS: Optimal breast cancer outcomes for all women depend on culturally and ethnically appropriate professional support.

Attitude to Health↗
PubMed1998

Lymph node status assessment for gastric carcinoma: is the number of metastatic lymph nodes really practical as a parameter for N categories in the TNM Classification? Tumor Node Metastasis.

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES: The anatomical extent of nodal metastasis has been replaced by the number of metastatic nodes as a key indicator of prognosis (pN categories) in the fifth edition of Tumor Node Metastasis Classification for gastric carcinoma by the International Union Against Cancer. The rate of metastatic nodes among all the nodes harvested is also a good prognostic factor. The object of this study is to evaluate which of the three parameters for the assessment of nodal status is the most appropriate for use in the stage classification. METHODS: Retrospective survival analyses were performed in 656 consecutive patients with advanced gastric carcinoma who underwent D2 lymphadenectomy and for whom histopathologic data of more than 20 lymph nodes were available. RESULTS: Although all three systems served well to classify the patients into distinct groups in terms of survival curves, stratification by the number of metastatic nodes was vulnerable to stage migration because of differences in the number of lymph nodes harvested. Such stage migration was not evident for the other two parameters. CONCLUSIONS: Lymph node metastatic rate can be recommended as an internationally applicable parameter for lymph node involvement of gastric carcinoma.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Residential area deprivation predicts fruit and vegetable consumption independently of individual educational level and occupational social class: a cross sectional population study in the Norfolk cohort of the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer (EPIC-Norfolk).

STUDY OBJECTIVE: To investigate the independent association between individual and area based socioeconomic measures and fruit and vegetable consumption. DESIGN: Cross sectional population based study. SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS: 22,562 men and women aged 39-79 years living in the general community in Norfolk, United Kingdom, recruited using general practice age-sex registers. OUTCOME MEASURES: Fruit and vegetable intake assessed using a food frequency questionnaire. MAIN RESULTS: Being in a manual occupational social class, having no educational qualifications, and living in a deprived area all independently predicted significantly lower consumption of fruit and vegetables. The effect of residential area deprivation was predominantly in those in manual occupational social class and no educational qualifications. CONCLUSIONS: Understanding some of the community level barriers to changing health related behaviours may lead to more effective interventions to improving health in the whole community, particularly those who are most vulnerable.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Emotional stress, psychosocial variables and coping associated with hepatitis C virus and human immunodeficiency virus infections in intravenous drug users.

BACKGROUND: The increasing health problem of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection has only recently attracted the attention of psychosocial research, especially among subjects at higher risk (e.g. intravenous drug users; IDUs). The aim of the present study was to compare emotional stress symptoms, psychosocial variables (i.e. social support, external locus of control and emotional repression) and coping strategies in HCV-seropositive, human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-seropositive and HCV/HIV-noninfected IDUs. METHODS: IDUs followed by the Infectious Diseases Outpatient clinic were enrolled in the study over a period of 1 year. HCV-positive (n = 62) and HIV-positive (n = 76) IDUs and HCV/HIV-seronegative IDUs (n = 152) completed the Brief Symptom Inventory, the Social Provision Scale, the Locus of Control scale and the affective inhibition scale of the Illness Behavior Questionnaire. Coping with illness among HCV-positive and HIV-positive subjects was assessed through a modified version of the Mental Adjustment to Cancer Scale. RESULTS: No significant differences were found between the samples with respect to individual and interpersonal variables. HCV-positive subjects showed higher scores on several psychological stress dimensions (i.e. obsessive-compulsive, phobic anxiety, paranoid ideation, psychoticism) and lower scores on fighting spirit, hopelessness and anxious preoccupation towards illness than HIV-positive patients. HCV-positive and HCV/HIV-seronegative IDUs reported comparable scores on most of the psychological measures. CONCLUSIONS: The findings indicate that routine assessment of psychosocial variables and coping mechanisms should be integrated into all HCV and HIV services, especially those dedicated to treatment of patients with substance abuse, as a vulnerable segment of the population at risk for life-threatening physical illness such as HCV and HIV infections.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗
PubMed1991

Effect of morphine on growth of metastatic colon cancer in vivo.

Control of colon cancer depends, in part, on intact immune defense mechanisms. Since opiates are known to affect some components of immune function, this study was conducted to determine the effect of high-dose subcutaneous morphine sulfate and of low-dose intrathecal morphine on the postoperative growth of metastatic colon cancer. Five groups of 15 Fischer 344 rats were given intraportal injections of colon cancer cells as follows: group 1, control; group 2, daily subcutaneous injections of 20-mg/kg morphine the day before and for 2 days after colon cancer cell inoculation; group 3, daily subcutaneous injections of saline; group 4, daily intrathecal injections of 20 micrograms of morphine; and group 5, daily intrathecal injections of saline. There was a significant decrease in the hepatic tumor burden in group 2 compared with groups 1 and 3 and a significant increase in the hepatic tumor burden in groups 4 and 5 compared with group 1. This study demonstrates that intermittent injections of a narcotic may decrease the growth of tumor cells that gain access to the circulation during a surgical procedure. In addition, the results support the concept that tumor cells entering the circulation during a vulnerable period of postoperative immunosuppression are more likely to survive as metastatic tumor.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1993

Recent trends in sex mortality ratios for adults in developed countries.

This paper analyzes changes in sex mortality ratios between 1979 and 1987 for adults in 23 developed countries. (A sex mortality ratio is the ratio of male to female death rates.) Previous analyses have shown that during the mid-twentieth century sex mortality ratios increased for all adult age groups. During the 1980s sex mortality ratios continued to increase for 25-34 year olds, but showed mixed trends for other adult age groups. For example, for older adults aged 55-64, sex mortality ratios increased in Southern and Eastern European countries and Japan, but sex mortality ratios decreased in Northern European and Anglophone countries. Trends in several causes of death contributed to these trends in sex mortality ratios. For example, for 25-34 year olds, increases in men's suicide rates and HIV or AIDS mortality contributed to the increases in sex mortality ratios. For older adults, it was hypothesized that decreasing sex differences in cigarette smoking in recent decades would result in decreasing sex differences in lung cancer and ischemic heart disease mortality during the 1980s. The predicted decrease in sex differences in lung cancer mortality was observed in many countries; women had more unfavorable lung cancer mortality trends than men in the Anglophone countries and Northern and Central Western European countries. In contrast, very little evidence was found for the predicted decrease in sex differences in ischemic heart disease. The paper presents additional data concerning the contributions of trends in specific causes of death to changes in sex mortality ratios and briefly reviews evidence concerning probable causes of the observed mortality trends. It appears that recent trends in sex mortality ratios have been influenced by changing sex differences in smoking and a variety of additional factors, such as the effects of improvements in health care interacting with inherent sex differences in vulnerability to ischemic heart disease.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Field change and oral cancer: new evidence for widespread carcinogenesis?

Patients with oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) are at risk of developing second or multiple primary cancers as a result of field cancerization in the upper aerodigestive tract. In order to quantify the incidence of field change observable in oral mucosa, 26 consecutive new (untreated) patients presenting with a unilateral OSCC (18) or a premaligant lesion (eight) underwent 'mirror image' biopsies from clinically normal-looking mucosa at corresponding anatomical sites. A total of 15 patients (58%) demonstrated histologically abnormal tissue upon microscopic examination: six showed reactive change/cellular atypia associated with chronic irritation, seven exhibited frank dysplasia, whilst two displayed carcinoma-in-situ (CIS) or microinvasive SCC. Although not statistically significant, there was an observable trend for the lateral/ventral tongue and floor of mouth to display increased vulnerability to dysplastic change.

Aged↗
PubMed2001

Combined effect of radiation and other agents: is there a synergism trap?

Most assessments of possible deleterious outcomes from environmental and occupational exposures concentrate on single agents and neglect the potential for combined effects--that is, synergisms or antagonisms. Biomechanistic considerations based on multistep processes, such as carcinogenesis, indicate the potential for highly detrimental interactions if two or more consecutive rate-limiting steps are specifically effected by different agents. However, low specificity toward molecular structure or DNA sequence--and, therefore, exchangeability--of many genotoxic agents indicate little functional specificity and, hence, little vulnerability toward synergism in most occupational and environmental exposure situations. It is also evident that a low potential exists for the combined effects of common low-exposure situations wherein nongenotoxic agents with highly nonlinear dose-effect relationships and apparent thresholds are involved. A quantitative assessment of the contribution of synergistic interactions to the total detriment from natural and man-made toxicants based on experimental data is far away. There are important examples of combined exposures shown to lead to health effect risks that differ from those expected from simple addition-for example, the influence of smoking on radon- or asbestos-induced lung cancer and on ethanol-induced esophageal cancer. The existing data on combined effects is rudimentary, mainly descriptive, and rarely covers exposure ranges large enough to make direct inferences to present-day low-dose exposure situations. In view of the multitude of possible interactions among the large number of potentially harmful agents in the human environment, descriptive approaches will have to be supplemented by the use of mechanistic models for critical health endpoints, such as cancer. Finally, considering the shape of dose-effect relationships for ionizing radiation, an important question arises from the unresolved question of whether real or apparent thresholds may be used for any genotoxic agent, separately or one time, for an exposed genome.

Age Factors↗
PubMed2000

Postlarval chromatophores as an adaptation to ultraviolet radiation.

It is now well established that ultraviolet radiation (UVR) may have detrimental, even lethal effects on zooplankters. Unlike copepods and other holoplankters, which may avoid UVR by undergoing diel vertical migration, larvae of many decapod crustaceans and fishes recruit to adult populations by remaining in near-surface waters during the daytime. Consequently, they are exposed to biologically damaging UVR. A possible adaptation in these larvae is chromatophores, which may absorb UVR by expanding in high light environments. The supposition is that expanded chromatophores more effectively absorb UVR, but there is some fitness cost to having expanded chromatophores in low light environments. Since the ratio of visible light to UVR in the water column changes as result of season, latitude, dissolved organic carbon, and a host of other factors, the benefits of chromatophores would be maximized if they responded specifically to UVR. The purpose of this study was to determine whether the chromatophores of crab postlarvae (megalopae) could expand in response to UVR. Megalopae of two species of crabs (Cancer oregonensis, Telmessus cheiragonus) were collected from large surface-swarms during mid-day as they recruited onshore in early May 1998 at Friday Harbor, Washington, USA. Dark-adapted megalopae (held in the dark for 8 h before experiments) were exposed to UVR (UVBR+UVAR, 280-400 nm), UVAR (320-400 nm), and light (400-1700 nm) in the laboratory. Chromatophores expanded after only minutes of exposure to UVR, UVAR, and light for both species. Two alternative hypotheses may explain why both harmful and comparatively benign wavelengths stimulated chromatophores to rapidly expand. First, larvae may not distinguish among different wavelengths, which, if true, would increase the vulnerability of these larvae to intensifying UVBR due to ozone depletion. Second, chromatophores have functions other than blocking UVR, such as crypsis and thermoregulation, and must respond to light for these other functions to operate.

Journal Article↗
PubMed2026

GSTT1 promotes stemness and FGFR inhibitor sensitivity in pancreatic cancer through regulation of CD133 (PROM1).

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) is among the deadliest malignancies, driven by metastatic progression and profound cellular heterogeneity. We previously identified glutathione S-transferase theta 1 (GSTT1) as a regulator of a slow-cycling, highly metastatic tumor cell population, suggesting that GSTT1High cells may possess stem-like properties. Here, we define the functional and molecular features of this subpopulation in metastatic PDA. Using a mCherry-tagged Gstt1 reporter system in metastatic murine PDAC cells, we enriched for Gstt1High cells and observed increased tumor sphere formation, accompanied by upregulation of stemness-associated genes including PROM1 (CD133) and activation of Wnt and FGF signaling pathways. In human PDA models, CD133HighGSTT1High cells exhibited enhanced tumor sphere initiation and expansion compared to other populations, defining a maximal stem-like state. Notably, sensitivity to FGFR inhibitors was observed only under tumor sphere conditions, highlighting a context-dependent therapeutic vulnerability. Mechanistically, FGFR3 expression correlated with GSTT1 and CD133 levels, and FGF signaling was required to sustain this state. GSTT1 knockdown reduced CD133 protein levels, impaired tumor sphere formation, and altered sensitivity to FGFR inhibition. These findings were largely recapitulated in patient-derived PDA organoids, where GSTT1 and PROM1 co-expression predicted increased tumor sphere formation and enhanced response to the multi-kinase inhibitor Nintedanib. Together, these results identify a GSTT1HighCD133High stem-like subpopulation in metastatic PDA and identify an FGFR-dependent signaling axis that sustains this state, representing a potential therapeutic vulnerability.

AC133 Antigen↗
PubMed2026

Cyclin-dependent kinase 4 and 6 inhibitors and the breast cancer immune ecosystem: immune remodeling, resistance, and therapeutic reprogramming.

Cyclin-dependent kinase 4 and 6 inhibitors (CDK4/6 inhibitors) combined with endocrine therapy have become a therapeutic backbone for hormone receptor-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative breast cancer, yet durable disease control is frequently limited by intrinsic and acquired resistance. Canonical tumor-cell mechanisms, including retinoblastoma-pathway escape, cyclin E-cyclin-dependent kinase 2 (CDK2) activation, endocrine adaptation, and phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)-AKT-mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) signaling, explain only part of this failure because they do not fully capture dynamic immune and stromal remodeling. Preclinical and translational studies indicate that early CDK4/6 inhibition can enhance antigen presentation, activate interferon-related programs, restrain regulatory T cells, and promote a T-cell-inflamed state. These effects are conditional and may not persist during prolonged treatment. Sustained therapy can instead drive heterogeneous resistant niches characterized by stromal remodeling, myeloid recruitment, checkpoint adaptation, and T-cell dysfunction. This immune-state dependence provides a rationale for immune checkpoint blockade, although clinical combinations have shown mixed efficacy and clinically relevant hepatic, pulmonary, and hematologic toxicities. Sequential or lead-in strategies therefore warrant prospective evaluation. Oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS) and redox adaptation may sustain selected resistant states and expose context-dependent ferroptotic vulnerabilities. Ferroptosis may connect tumor-cell killing with immune regulation, whereas nanomedicine may improve tumor-selective delivery. Both strategies remain largely preclinical and require further evaluation of pharmacokinetics, biodistribution, toxicity, manufacturability, and immune-cell safety. This Review distinguishes intrinsic from acquired resistance across interpatient, intratumoral, spatial, and temporal dimensions. It integrates tumor-cell escape with cytokine, immune, stromal, vascular, and metabolic remodeling and summarizes emerging therapeutic strategies. We further propose a candidate biomarker-informed framework that integrates genomic profiling, spatial immune architecture, circulating biomarkers, T-cell receptor (TCR) dynamics, transcriptomic and single-cell analyses, artificial intelligence (AI)-assisted multimodal integration, and longitudinal sampling. This framework is intended to support biomarker development and prospective trial design rather than current clinical decision-making, providing a translational basis for testing state-informed and sequence-aware therapeutic strategies.

Humans↗
PubMed2026

Commensal Dysbiosis Alters Primary Bile Acid Signaling to Drive Mammary Gland Inflammation and Breast Tumor Dissemination.

UNLABELLED: Breast cancer is the most commonly diagnosed malignancy and a leading cause of cancer-related mortality. Hormone receptor-positive (HR+) tumors represent the most prevalent metastatic subtype, and early dissemination remains a major clinical challenge. Commensal dysbiosis, defined as an inflammatory gut microbiome with low biodiversity, promotes metastasis by inducing mammary gland inflammation. In this study, we investigated systemic mechanisms governing dysbiosis-induced metastasis. Metabolomic profiling revealed elevated primary bile acids (BA) in the dysbiotic fecal microbiome. Sequestration and supplementation approaches demonstrated that beyond driving metabolic disease and mammary gland inflammation, primary BAs orchestrated enhanced HR+ tumor dissemination via a prostaglandin E2 (PGE2)-dependent pathway. Analysis of The Cancer Genome Atlas showed that BA, insulin resistance, and PGE2 gene signatures are associated with reduced survival in patients with HR+ tumors. In complementary analyses using the Epic Cosmos electronic health record database, BA sequestrant use was associated with longer restricted mean survival time among patients with metastatic disease. Together, these findings reveal that commensal dysbiosis-associated loss of microbial BA metabolism elevates primary BAs and promotes HR+ metastatic progression through PGE2 signaling. SIGNIFICANCE: Dysbiosis-induced bile acids drive systemic and mammary tissue-specific inflammation that promotes HR+ breast tumor metastasis, supporting the development of strategies targeting microbiome-derived metabolites to reduce metastatic risk in vulnerable populations.

Female↗
PubMed1994

The role of nucleotides in adult nutrition.

Dietary nucleotides, found in normal diets, have been recently determined to be required for normal immune defenses. Rejection of cardiac transplants, graft-vs.-host disease, and delayed cutaneous hypersensitivity in animal models are all suppressed by a diet deficient in nucleotides. T lymphocytes seem to require dietary nucleotides for normal maturation and function. Host resistance to bacterial and fungal infections is decreased in mice on nucleotide free diets; addition of RNA or uracil prevents this vulnerability to infection. Dietary RNA is required to restore lost immune function after protein deprivation. Adequate calories and protein alone do not return immune function to normal. Dietary nucleotides can restore lost immune function even during protein starvation and weight loss. Because all parenteral and most enteral nutrient solutions are nucleotide free, clinical studies were undertaken comparing a new nucleotide containing diet (Impact) to a standard high protein enteral feeding. In two separate double blind clinical studies the patients fed the enteral diet containing nucleotides had improved immune function compared with patients receiving a nucleotide free diet. In addition, infectious complications and length of hospital stay were reduced in postoperative cancer patients fed Impact compared with a control group.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

Dietary supplement use in the context of health disparities: cultural, ethnic and demographic determinants of use.

Women of African American, Hispanic, Asian, Pacific Islander, Native American and Alaskan descent constitute 29% of the female population in the United States but they experience health problems disproportionately. Compared with white women as a group, they are in poorer health and use fewer health services. We know from recent studies that the daily use of multivitamins has been associated with lower risk of coronary disease, colon cancer and breast cancer, particularly for alcohol drinkers. In addition, daily multivitamin and multimineral usage by the elderly can reduce the number of days of illness due to infections by 50%. However, supplement use among women tends to be more prevalent among the middle and older age categories; white, well-educated and higher income women; and those residing in the western part of the United States. This examination of the current health disparities and usage patterns indicates that the women who could benefit most from supplements are not typical users. Qualitative data collected on iron and folic acid supplementation programs in developing countries indicate that diverse cultural practices, attitudes and beliefs among vulnerable populations may influence supplement use. However, data in the U.S literature that describe these factors by culture or ethnicity are sparse. If we are to promote dietary supplements to women who are most vulnerable, more research is warranted in the area of health beliefs, attitudes and sociodemographic determinants of supplement use by culture and or ethnicity, particularly among underprivileged groups.

Cultural Characteristics↗
PubMed2005

Dinucleotide microsatellite repeats are essential for the diagnosis of microsatellite instability in colorectal cancer in Asian patients.

AIM: The molecular diagnosis of microsatellite instability (MSI) in colorectal cancer (CRC) is based on the analysis of five microsatellite markers. Among them, the two mononucleotide microsatellite repeats are considered more informative for this analysis than the three dinucleotide ones. The aim of this study is to establish the most relevant markers for MSI analysis in colorectal cancers from Asian patients. METHODS: The MSI analysis of 143 CRC cases in a routine molecular diagnostic laboratory was reviewed. Analysis by fluorescence-based PCR of the five recommended microsatellites was performed, followed by data interpretation according to internationally accepted guidelines. The results were analyzed to address (1) the rate of success in the analysis of histopathological samples not specifically prepared for molecular analysis; (2) the relative importance of individual markers in the diagnosis of high-MSI (H-MSI). RESULTS: MSI analysis was unsuccessful in 34 cases (24%), but for tissues archived in recent years the unsuccessful rate was 5%. We found the D2S123 marker the most vulnerable to inadequate tissue preservation, failing to amplify in 58 instances. Approximately 30% (32/109) of the cases were H-MSI, while 7/109 (6%) were low-MSI. A detailed analysis of the H-MSI cases revealed that the dinucleotide repeats (and D5S346 in particular) were more relevant than the mononucleotide repeats in assigning the correct MSI status. CONCLUSION: The analysis of dinucleotide repeats is essential for the establishment of MSI status in Asian CRC patients.

Asian People↗