Malignant Mesotheliomas and Diagnostic Tools
One interesting study is called, "Translation of Microarray Data into Clinically
Relevant Cancer Diagnostic Tests Using Gene Expression Ratios in Lung Cancer and Mesothelioma" by Gavin J. Gordon, Roderick V. Jensen, Li-Li Hsiao, Steven R. Gullans, Joshua E. Blumenstock, Sridhar Ramaswamy, William G. Richards, David J. Sugarbaker, and Raphael Bueno - Cancer Res September 1, 2002 62. Here is an excerpt: "Abstract - The pathological distinction between malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM)and adenocarcinoma (ADCA) of the lung can be cumbersome using established methods. We propose that a simple technique, based on the expression levels of a small number of genes, can be useful in the early and accurate diagnosis of MPM and lung cancer. This method is designed to accurately distinguish between genetically disparate tissues using gene expression ratios and rationally chosen thresholds. Here we have tested the fidelity of ratio-based diagnosis in differentiating between MPM and lung cancer in 181 tissue samples (31 MPM and 150 ADCA). A training set of 32 samples (16 MPM and 16 ADCA) was used to identify pairs of genes with highly significant, inversely correlated expression levels to form a total of 15 diagnostic ratios using expression profiling data. Any single ratio of the 15 examined was at least 90% accurate in predicting diagnosis for the remaining 149 samples (e.g., test set). We then examined (in the test set) the accuracy of multiple ratios combined to form a simple diagnostic tool. Using two and three expression ratios, we found that the differential diagnoses of MPM and lung ADCA were 95% and 99% accurate, respectively. We propose that using gene expression ratios is an accurate and inexpensive technique with direct clinical applicability for distinguishing between MPM and lung cancer. Furthermore, we provide evidence suggesting that this technique can be equally accurate in other clinical scenarios."
Another interesting stud is called, "Calretinin: A Novel Immunocytochemical Marker for Mesothelioma" by Doglioni, Claudio M.D.; Dei, Angelo P. M.D.; Laurino, Licia M.D.; Iuzzolino, Paolo M.D.; Chiarelli, Concetta M.D.; Celio, Marco R. M.D.; Viale, Giuseppe M.D., M.R.C.Path - American Journal of Surgical Pathology: September 1996 - Volume 20 - Issue 9 - pp 1037-1046. Here is an excerpt: "Abstract - Immunohistochemistry is a powerful diagnostic adjunct in the differential diagnosis between malignant mesothelioma (especially of the epithelial type) and adenocarcinoma metastatic to the serous membranes. Most of the immunological probes commonly used, however, recognize antigens expressed by the epithelial malignancies and absent from mesothelial cells and mesotheliomas. Probes suitable for the positive identification of mesotheliomas are comparatively scarce and much less commonly used because of their reduced sensitivity and specificity, their unsuitability for staining routinely fixed and embedded tissues, or their lack of commercial availability. We now document that two different polyclonal antisera to calretinin consistently immunostain mesothelial cells and malignant mesotheliomas both in routinely fixed and embedded tissue sections and in cytological preparations of serous effusions. The diagnostic sensitivity of this novel immunocytochemical approach reached 100%, allowing immunostaining of all 44 mesotheliomas investigated, which included five biphasic and three sarcomatoid types. The specificity of calretinin immunoreactivity was checked against 294 adenocarcinomas of different origin (19 serosal metastases and 275 primary tumors potentially able to metastatize to serosal membranes) relevant for the discussion of the differential diagnosis with malignant mesothelioma: only 28 cases showed focal immunoreactivity for calretinin. We conclude that calretinin is a most useful marker for the positive identification of malignant mesotheliomas.
We all owe a debt of gratitude to these fine researchers. If you found any of these excerpts interesting, please read the studies in their entirety.
Malignant Mesotheliomas and Diagnostic Tools
By: Montwrobleski77
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