Gene/Protein Disease Symptom Drug Enzyme Compound
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Query: UMLS:C0178874 (tumor progression)
 40,807 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

Primary germ cell neoplasms of the central nervous system (CNS) are rare tumors which generally respond to radiotherapy. Experience is limited in managing the refractory patient. We report a patient whose suprasellar dysgerminoma responded completely to 5,000 rad. Seven years later, disease recurrence was refractory to an additional 4,000 rad. Theorizing that the "blood-brain barrier" was no longer intact after extensive radiotherapy and tumor involvement of the ventricular system, the patient was treated with systemic bleomycin, cisplatin, and vinblastine. Pharmacokinetic studies revealed that the bleomycin and cisplatin entered the cerebrospinal fluid. Serial CT scans and CSF levels of beta-HCG confirmed the clinical impression of a partial remission. Subsequent tumor progression was refractory to therapy with intraventricular bleomycin. It is concluded that systemic chemotherapy may be beneficial in certain cases of CNS germ cell neoplasms.
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PMID:Treatment of a primary intracranial germ cell tumor with systemic chemotherapy. 616 45

Specimens of CSF from 76 children without neurologic disease and from 191 children with neurosurgical conditions were assayed for polyamine content. Putrescine and spermidine concentrations decreased with age. In children with intracranial tumors, polyamine concentrations in lumbar CSF were comparable with those in ventricular CSF. Putrescine level was significantly increased in children with medulloblastomas. Spermidine level was increased in children with medulloblastomas, glioblastomas, and astrocytomas. Concentrations of putrescine and spermidine were significantly increased in infants with myelomeningocele and hydrocephalus. Spermidine concentrations were significantly increased in older children with myelomeningocele, encephalocele, and hydrocephalus. Polyamines thus seem to be increased by rapid cell proliferation and by disorders affecting myelination. Since putrescine and spermidine concentrations may be of use in monitoring tumor progression, the effects of childhood growth and of hydrocephalus must be considered for children whose brain tumors are associated with hydrocephalus.
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PMID:CSF polyamines in childhood. 683 Apr 72

Upon stimulation with LPS, peritoneal-elicited macrophages (PEM) from mammary tumor-bearing mice display a diminished ability to produce nitric oxide (NO) and lyse tumor targets. In contrast, when these cells are stimulated with LPS in combination with IFN-gamma, they perform these functions at normal levels. Kinetic studies revealed that these defects became more pronounced with tumor progression and were accompanied by similar changes in inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) mRNA levels. Since this tumor is known to produce PGE2, granulocyte-macrophage CSF (GM-CSF), and phosphatidyl serine, we evaluated the effects of these products on NO production and cytolytic activity. Pretreatment of normal PEM with PGE2 or recombinant GM-CSF had negligible effects on NO production and cytolytic capacity. In contrast, phosphatidyl serine caused a concentration-dependent inhibition of these functions in response to LPS, which could be partially overcome by the addition of IFN-gamma. Moreover, iNOS mRNA levels paralleled these changes and were analogous to the alterations observed in the tumor-bearers' PEM. iNOS mRNA stability was not reduced in these cells; however, the rate of transcription was diminished relative to normal levels, suggesting that the defects causing these alterations are occurring at or before the level of iNOS transcription. These data implicate tumor-derived phosphatidyl serine in the alterations observed in tumor-bearers' macrophages and suggest that reduced iNOS transcription is responsible for the diminished capacity of these macrophages to produce NO and lyse tumor targets.
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PMID:Phosphatidyl serine is involved in the reduced rate of transcription of the inducible nitric oxide synthase gene in macrophages from tumor-bearing mice. 902 20

Using a human melanoma/Scid xenograft model with the C8161, M24-met, LD-1 and other human melanoma lines to investigate spontaneous metastasis, we made the observation of marked splenomegaly (up to five times normal weight and size) in only those xenografts exhibiting high degrees of spontaneous metastasis. Evaluation of this revealed the cause to be massive myelopoiesis due to ectopic granulocyte/ colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF) production by the melanoma cells. Because of these observations linking G-CSF expression with metastasis of human melanoma, we decided to investigate the mechanism of this ectopic production. No gross amplification or rearrangement of the G-CSF gene could be detected as the basis for the increased transcriptional activity in any of these lines. Human-human somatic cell hybridization studies carried out between the metastatic C8161 and several different nonmetastatic non-G-CSF-expressing lines revealed, in addition to metastatic dominance, 3- to 10-fold enhancement of G-CSF transcription and expression in the fusions compared with C8161 itself. The suggestion of a trans-dominant mechanism was further supported by transfection studies with a human G-CSF promoter-CAT-reporter construct, which revealed 3- to 5-fold increased reporter activity in only those melanoma lines and hybrids expressing G-CSF. Furthermore, no obvious autocrine or paracrine effects of this ectopic G-CSF expression on the melanoma lines' growth or metastasis were apparent, as all of the G-CSF-expressing lines lacked the G-CSF receptor and injections of purified recombinant G-CSF exerted no stimulatory effects on their tumorigenicity, latency, growth, or metastasis in Scid mice. Thus, we advance the hypothesis that G-CSF expression is serving as a marker of a more generalized trans-dominant pathway linked to tumor progression and metastasis. This hypothesis has direct relevance to many human cancers where ectopic hormone or growth factor production occurs with no obvious autocrine or paracrine benefit to the tumor.
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PMID:Ectopic G-CSF expression in human melanoma lines marks a trans-dominant pathway of tumor progression. 906 Aug 33

Macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) is a hematopoietin whose actions are essential for growth and survival of macrophages, placental development, ramification of microglia and tumor progression. The expression of the receptor for macrophage colony-stimulating factor (c-fms) is regulated by two distinct promoters: distal and proximal. The distal promoter is active in trophoblasts during embryogenesis and the proximal promoter directs expression to the cells of myeloid lineage. Here we report the generation of transgenic mice expressing beta-galactosidase under the control of the human proximal c-fms promoter and demonstrate the promoter activity in astrocytes, cells of neurological origin that partially take over the role of the macrophages in the central nervous system. Enzymatic activity of beta-galactosidase was detected in homogenated spleen, bone marrow and brain and in the cell extracts from peritoneal macrophages of transgenic mice. Immunohistochemical staining of brain showed the presence of beta-galactosidase in astrocytes. We hypothesize that M-CSF released by astrocytes, upon stimulation by lipopolysaccharide (LPS), tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF alpha) or interleukin-1 (IL-1), regulates the expression of its own receptor.
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PMID:The promoter of macrophage colony-stimulating factor receptor is active in astrocytes. 914 89

The clinical and neuro-endocrine data of seven young male patients with suprasellar germinomas seen between 1984 and 1992 are reported. The most common initial symptom was 'idiopathic' central diabetes insipidus (DI), which occurred in all seven patients. The time interval between the appearance of this first clinical sign and the definitive diagnosis of a suprasellar germinoma ranged from 3 to 66 months. Raised prolactin levels and growth hormone deficiency were indicators of a process located in the hypothalamic-pituitary region. An increased beta-HCG level in the serum or the CSF confirmed the diagnostic suspicion of a germinoma and was helpful as a tumor marker in follow-up. Neuro-radiologic studies (CT or MRI) were also disappointing in the early stage when patients presented only with DI. Later on, as patients developed additional symptoms or signs related to the tumor, imaging studies were positive. Given the variable rate of tumor progression, the nonspecific early signs of hypothalamic-pituitary dysfunction (DI) as well as the often negative early imaging studies, the diagnosis of suprasellar germinoma is difficult but should always be considered in the presence of so-called 'idiopathic' central DI. Repeated brain MRIs are mandatory in young patients with idiopathic DI in order not to miss an underlying suprasellar germinoma.
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PMID:Suprasellar germinomas in childhood and adolescence: diagnostic pitfalls. 982 22

Melanomas produce multiple cytokines which may influence their growth in vivo. Experimental evidence suggests that granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) can induce a potent anti-melanoma response. whereas interleukin-8 (IL-8) may act as a growth factor in human melanoma. Little is currently known regarding the production of these cytokines by human melanoma in vivo. In this study we tested the hypothesis that endogenous production of GM-CSF and IL-8 can be correlated with the depth of human malignant melanoma surgical specimens. We examined 45 melanocytic human tissue samples consisting of 27 primary cutaneous melanomas, 9 metastatic melanomas, and 9 dysplastic nevi for in vivo GM-CSF and IL-8 production using immunohistochemistry. The majority of thin melanomas (< or = 0.76 mm) stained highly positive for GM-CSF with little or no staining for IL-8 whereas the medium (>0.76- < or = 4.0 mm) and thick (>4.0 mm) melanoma specimens showed little or no staining for GM-CSF and significant amounts of IL-8 staining. Metastatic melanoma as well as dysplastic nevi specimens had little or no GM-CSF and IL-8 staining. These results support the hypothesis that endogenous melanoma cytokines such as GM-CSF and IL-8 with opposing effects on tumor progression play an important role in melanoma growth and regulation.
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PMID:In vivo human melanoma cytokine production: inverse correlation of GM-CSF production with tumor depth. 985 36

Colony stimulating factor (CSF-1) and its receptor (CSF-1R, product of c-fms proto-oncogene) were initially implicated as essential for normal monocyte development as well as for trophoblastic implantation. However, recent findings have suggested that CSF-1 and CSF-1R might have additional roles in mammary gland development during pregnancy and lactation. Studies with osteopetrotic (op-/op-) mice, which bear a specific mutation that inactivates the CSF-1 gene, demonstrated that op-/op- mothers are incapable of normal milk production due to the incomplete development of their mammary glands during pregnancy. Also, significant increases in the levels of CSF-1 and CSF-1R proteins are observed in the epithelial cells of mammary gland during pregnancy and lactation. In vitro studies investigating the effect of the three major lactogenic hormones (prolactin, insulin, and glucocorticoids) on the expression of CSF-1 and CSF-1R have demonstrated that expression of CSF-1 can be regulated by prolactin and insulin whereas CSF-1R expression is regulated by glucocorticoids. This apparent role for CSF-1/CSF-1R in normal mammary gland development is very intriguing because this receptor/ligand pair has also been found to be important in the biology of breast cancer, where they regulate tumor cell invasion by a urokinase-dependent mechanism. This review aims to summarize recent findings on the role of CSF-1 and its receptor in normal and neoplastic mammary development which may elucidate potential relationships of growth factor-induced biological changes in the breast during pregnancy and tumor progression.
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PMID:The role of CSF-1 in normal and neoplastic breast physiology. 989 62

This paper reports on a series of 101 pituitary region operations performed using image guidance technology in the Department of Neurosurgery, Frenchay hospital, Bristol, UK between 1992-1997. The cases form part of an overall series of image guided surgery of 1,112 cases performed during that time. The systems used were the ISG/Elekta Viewing Wand and the Sofamor Danek StealthStation. Thirty-five tumors had a diameter of > 2.5 cm and 12 > 5 cm. The clinical indications for surgery were: visual failure (n = 47), acromegaly (n = 22). Cushing syndrome (n = 6), hyperprolactinemia (n = 1), hyposecretion syndromes (n = 8), raised intracranial pressure/CSF leak (n = 13). Three cases were operated on because of radiological evidence of tumor progression without symptoms. Eighty-five patients had skull base procedures (56 transnasal routes, 16 transsphenoidal approaches, 13 sphenoid fenestrations), 16 underwent craniotomy. Operating times and postoperative bed stay were shortest the more minimally invasive the procedure. Sixty-eight percent of patients presenting with visual failure improved postoperatively. Surgery produced biochemical "cure" in 41% of patients with hypersecretion syndromes. Fifty percent of patients with hypopituitary syndromes improved endocrinologically postoperatively. Twenty-five complications were noted: 9 rhinorrheas, 5 diabetes insipidus, 3 postoperative epilepsies, 3 induced visual deteriorations and pituitary insufficiency. There were 2 deaths. Image guidance technology is applicable to pituitary surgery, particularly in four situations: i) orientation in difficult skull base approaches e.g. reoperations, paediatric cases, non pneumatised sphenoid, microadenomas, carotid arteries medially placed, ii) in craniotomies to customize the surgical approach, locate different parts of a tumor and identify critical anatomy related to the tumor, iii) in the planning and execution of minimally invasive approaches to the pituitary fossa (sphenoid fenestration, transnasal approach), iii) endoscopy.
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PMID:Interactive image-guided pituitary surgery. An experience of 101 procedures. 991 13

Among tumors classified as pilocytic astrocytoma (PA) in the Johns Hopkins Hospital Department of Pathology files, we identified 18 cases with a distinctive monomorphous pilomyxoid histological pattern and a higher recurrence rate than that of PA with classical histological features (classical PA). The majority of the tumors occurred in infants and young children and involved the hypothalamic/chiasmatic region. The tumors were histologically similar to PA, but they were more monomorphous and more myxoid. Rosenthal fibers were not seen and only 1 of 18 tumors had eosinophilic granular bodies. At the end of the follow-up period, 6 patients were dead and 12 were alive with evidence of disease. Progression free survival (PFS) at 1 year was 38.7%. In comparison, we identified a control group of 13 classical PAs in the same age range and location as the study group. In this group, PFS at 1 year was 69.2%, which was significantly better than that for pilomyxoid tumors (p = 0.04). There was no CSF dissemination or death due to tumor progression among patients with classical PA. Eight of these patients are alive with recurrent disease, and 4 have no evidence of disease. While the monomorphous pilomyxoid tumors have some resemblance to classical PA, our results suggest that the former is a more aggressive variant or a separate entity that needs to be recognized for prognostic purposes.
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PMID:Pediatric astrocytomas with monomorphous pilomyxoid features and a less favorable outcome. 1051 29


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