RESUMEN
The anticarcinogenic potential of vitamin D is attributed to antiproliferative and prodifferentiative effects on cells for a wide variety of carcinomas. The biological effects of 1,25(OH)(2)D (calcitriol) are mediated through a soluble receptor protein termed vitamin D receptor (VDR). However, thus far there have been no studies evaluating the association between VDR expression and vulvar cancer. Using immunohistochemical analysis, VDR expression was evaluated separately in the nucleus, cytoplasm and membrane, in vulvar cancer samples and adjacent non-pathological vulvar tissue from 48 squamous cell carcinoma patients with no prior therapy, and the association between VDR and overall survival was investigated. Overall, among the 48 vulvar cancer cases, nuclear and cytoplasmic VDR expression was present in 47 (97.9%) and 23 (47.9%) cases respectively. The median nuclear VDR expression was significantly higher as compared to the cytoplasmic VDR in the vulvar cancer tissue. No significant correlation between VDR values and the age of the patients was detected. Nuclear and cytoplasmatic VDR in the vulvar cancer tissue were also compared according to the tumor size, and no significant association between mean tumor VDR and tumor size was detected. There was no association between cytoplasmatic VDR expression and OS, but better OS was observed in patients with reduced nuclear VDR expression as compared to those with high VDR expression. VDR may be considered as a useful pathological marker.
Asunto(s)
Carcinoma de Células Escamosas/metabolismo , Núcleo Celular/metabolismo , Citoplasma/metabolismo , Receptores de Calcitriol/metabolismo , Neoplasias de la Vulva/metabolismo , Adulto , Anciano , Anciano de 80 o más Años , Carcinoma de Células Escamosas/mortalidad , Carcinoma de Células Escamosas/patología , Estudios de Casos y Controles , Femenino , Humanos , Técnicas para Inmunoenzimas , Persona de Mediana Edad , Pronóstico , Tasa de Supervivencia , Neoplasias de la Vulva/mortalidad , Neoplasias de la Vulva/patologíaRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: The anticarcinogenic potential of vitamin D 25(OH)D has been attributed to the inhibition of proliferation of cells from different carcinomas. Reduced serum levels of 25(OH)D are associated with an increased incidence of various types of cancer. The influence of serum 25(OH)D on the incidence and outcome of patients with vulvar cancer is unknown. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The serum 25(OH)D levels in 24 patients with vulvar cancer and 24 age-matched cancer-free patients was investigated. The blood samples were collected between October 2009 and September 2010 and time of blood collection of each patient and control was matched to avoid seasonal variations between the pairs. RESULTS: The median 25(OH)D serum levels in the under 50 year old group of patients were significantly lower in the vulvar cancer group than the controls. The younger cancer group also had an age-related trend of lower median serum level than the older population. In the control population the trend was vice versa, yet this finding was not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: Serum 25(OH)D has a possible role in the pathogenesis and progression of vulvar cancer, but further investigations of the association of vitamin D and vulvar cancer as well as regarding its influence on patient survival and quality of life are warranted in the future.
Asunto(s)
Vitamina D/análogos & derivados , Neoplasias de la Vulva/epidemiología , Neoplasias de la Vulva/mortalidad , Adulto , Factores de Edad , Anciano , Anciano de 80 o más Años , Carcinoma in Situ/sangre , Carcinoma in Situ/epidemiología , Carcinoma in Situ/mortalidad , Carcinoma de Células Escamosas/sangre , Carcinoma de Células Escamosas/epidemiología , Carcinoma de Células Escamosas/mortalidad , Estudios de Casos y Controles , Femenino , Humanos , Incidencia , Persona de Mediana Edad , Factores de Riesgo , Estaciones del Año , Tasa de Supervivencia , Vitamina D/sangre , Neoplasias de la Vulva/sangreRESUMEN
BACKGROUND: Calpains (CAPN) are intracellular, non-lysosomal cytoplasmic cysteine endopeptidases and they are expressed ubiquitously. Their endogenous specific inhibitor is calpastatin. When calcium is present, calpastatin and calpain attach to each other, inhibiting the protease. The calpain system plays an important role in many processes including apoptosis, necrosis, ischaemia and exocytosis. The role of calpains in pathogenesis or further tumour progression has been proved in related studies. This study focused on the expression of the enzymes calpain 1, calpain 2 and the inhibitor calpastatin in normal and malignant endometrial tissue. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Immunohistochemical stainings were performed on paraffin slices and staining intensity, percentage of positive cells and international ratio score were evaluated. RESULTS AND CONCLUSION: The endometrial carcinoma showed a higher expression of calpastatin than benign endometrial tissue.