Colon cancer is the third leading class of cancer causing increased mortality in developed countries. A polyp is one type of lesion observed in a majority of colon cancer patients. Here, we report a microscopic Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) study of normal, adenomatous polyp and malignant cells from biopsies of 24 patients. The goal of our study was to differentiate an adenomatous polyp from a malignant cell using FTIR microspectroscopy and artificial neural network (ANN) analysis. FTIR spectra and biological markers such as phosphate, RNA/DNA derived from spectra, were useful in identifying normal cells from abnormal ones that consisted of adenomatous polyp and malignant cells. However, the biological markers failed to differentiate between adenomatous polyp and malignant cases. By employing a combination of wavelet features and an ANN based classifier, we were able to classify the different cells as normal, adenomatous polyp and cancerous in a given tissue sample. The percentage of success of classification was 89%, 81%, and 83% for normal, adenomatous polyp, and malignant cells, respectively. A comparison of the method proposed with the pathological method is also discussed.

Purpose To assess p53 gene expression in pterygia with and without recurrence. The pathogenesis of pterygium has not yet been determined. The most widely recognized etiologic factor is ultraviolet radiation, which leads to degeneration of the conjunctiva. However, pterygium was recently found to have several tumor-like characteristics. The p53 gene is a common marker for neoplasia, and is known to control cell cycle, cell differentiation and apoptosis. In this study we examined the expression of the p53 gene in primary pterygia with and without recurrence, searching for the pathogenesis of this very common lesion and for a prognostic factor for recurrence. Methods Immunohistochemical staining using a monoclonal antibody to human p53 (DO-7) was performed on 13 consecutive patients with primary pterygia, four pterygia without recurrence and nine pterygia which recurred during a 12-month follow-up. As a control we used two specimens of normal conjunctiva. Results Seven of the 13 pterygia specimens (54%) were positive for abnormal p53 expression. There was no difference between the groups with and without recurrence. Two out of four pterygia (50%) without recurrence and five out of nine (55.5%) pterygia with recurrence were positive. No pathological staining was observed in the control specimens. Conclusions In this study, abnormal p53 expression was found in pterygial epithelium, suggesting that pterygium could be a result of uncontrolled cell proliferation, and not as a degenerative lesion. There seems to be no connection between abnormal p53 expression and recurrence.

SummaryDetection of malignancy at early stages is crucial in cancer prevention and management. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectroscopy has shown promise as a non-invasive method with diagnostic potential in cancer detection. Studies were conducted with formalin-fixed biopsies of melanoma and cervical cancer by FTIR microspectroscopy (FTIR-MSP) to detect common biomarkers, which occurred in both types of cancer distinguishing them from the respective non-malignant tissues. Both types of cancer are diagnosed on skin surfaces. The spectra were analysed for changes in levels of biomolecules such as RNA, DNA, phosphates and carbohydrate (glycogen). Whereas carbohydrate levels showed a good diagnostic potential for detection of cervical cancer, this was not the case for melanoma. However, variation of the RNA/DNA ratio as measured at I(1121)/ I(1020) showed similar trends between non-malignant and malignant tissues in both types of cancer. The ratio was higher for malignant tissues in both types of cancer.

Constitutive expression of cell-associated, but not secreted, interleukin-1alpha (IL-1alpha) by oncogene-transformed fibrosarcoma cells induced regressing tumors in mice, a phenomenon that was abrogated by the IL-1 inhibitor, the IL-1 receptor antagonist (IL-1Ra). On the contrary, non-IL-1alpha-expressing tumor cells induce progressive tumors in mice. In vivo and ex vivo experiments have shown that regression of IL-1alpha-positive fibrosarcoma cells depends on CD8(+) T cells, which can also be activated in CD4(+) T cell-depleted mice, with some contribution of natural killer cells. In spleens of mice bearing the non-IL-1alpha-expressing fibrosarcoma cells, some early and transient manifestations of antitumor-specific immunity, such as activation of specific proliferating T cells, are evident; however, no development of cytolytic T lymphocytes or other antitumor protective cells could be detected. In spleens of mice bearing the non-IL-1alpha-expressing fibrosarcoma cells, the development of early tumor-mediated suppression was observed, and in spleens of mice injected with IL-1alpha-positive fibrosarcoma cells, protective immunity developed in parallel to tumor regression. Treatment of mice bearing violent fibrosarcoma tumors with syngeneic-inactivated, IL-1alpha-positive fibrosarcoma cells, at a critical interval after injection of the malignant cells (Days 5-12), induced tumor regression, possibly by potentiating and amplifying transient antitumor cell immune responses or by ablation of tumor-mediated suppression. Membrane-associated IL-1alpha may thus serve as an adhesion molecule, which allows efficient cell-to-cell interactions between the malignant and immune effector cells that bear IL-1Rs and function as a focused cytokine with adjuvant activities at nontoxic, low levels of expression. Our results also point to the potential of using antitumor immunotherapeutic approaches using cell-associated IL-1alpha.