Background In childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), central nervous system (CNS) involvement is rare at diagnosis (1-4%), but more frequent at relapse (~30%). Minimal residual disease diagnostics predict most bone marrow (BM) relapses, but likely cannot predict isolated CNS relapses. Consequently, CNS relapses may become relatively more important. Because of the significant late sequelae of CNS treatment, early identification of patients at risk of CNS relapse is crucial. Methods Gene expression profiles of ALL cells from cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and ALL cells from BM were compared and differences were confirmed by real-time quantitative PCR. For a selected set of overexpressed genes, protein expression levels of ALL cells in CSF at relapse and of ALL cells in diagnostic BM samples were evaluated by 8-color flow cytometry. Results CSF-derived ALL cells showed a clearly different gene expression profile than BM-derived ALL cells, with differentially-expressed genes (including SCD and OPN) involved in survival and apoptosis pathways and linked to the JAK-STAT pathway. Flowcytometric analysis showed that a subpopulation of ALL cells (>1%) with a CNS signature (SCD positivity and increased OPN expression) was already present in BM at diagnosis in ALL patients who later developed a CNS relapse, but was <1% or absent in virtually all other patients. Conclusions The presence of a subpopulation of ALL cells with a CNS signature at diagnosis may predict isolated CNS relapse. Such information can be used to design new diagnostic and treatment strategies that aim at prevention of CNS relapse with reduced toxicity.
New cellular markers at diagnosis are associated with isolated central nervous system relapse in paediatric B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukaemia.
Sex, Age, Time
View SamplesWe integrated three transplant rejection microarray studies examining gene expression in samples from pediatric renal, adult renal, and adult heart transplants. We performed one study ourselves and retrieved two others from the NCBI Gene Expression Omnibus (GEO)(GSE4470 and GSE1563). We identified 45 genes that were upregulated in common in acute rejection. Half were involved in one immune-related pathway. Among ten proteins we tested by serum ELISA, three successfully distinguished acute rejection from stable transplants. These were CXCL9, PECAM1, and CD44, with areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves of 0.844, 0.802, and 0.738, respectively. Immunohistochemistry showed that the PECAM1 protein was increased in acute rejection in renal, liver and heart transplants versus normal tissues. Our results show that integrating publicly-available gene expression data sets is a fast, powerful, and cost-effective way to identify serum-detectable diagnostic biomarkers.
Integrative urinary peptidomics in renal transplantation identifies biomarkers for acute rejection.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesBackground
A systems biology approach reveals common metastatic pathways in osteosarcoma.
Specimen part, Cell line
View SamplesThis SuperSeries is composed of the SubSeries listed below.
Cell growth in aggregates determines gene expression, proliferation, survival, chemoresistance, and sensitivity to immune effectors in follicular lymphoma.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesFollicular Lymphomas are blood tumors growing as spheres in patients. Before this study, there was no experimental model mimicking the 3D organization of these in vivo tumors. We develop such a model, called MALC, and observed a progressive enrichment in quiescent cells in these with time of culture; these cells were sorted, as their cycling counterparts, and their transcriptomes were compared. We used microarrays to detail the differential global gene expression profile between quiescent and cycling cells isolated from MALC.
Cell growth in aggregates determines gene expression, proliferation, survival, chemoresistance, and sensitivity to immune effectors in follicular lymphoma.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesFollicular Lymphomas are blood tumors growing as spheres in patients. Before this study, there was no experimental model mimicking the 3D organization of these in vivo tumors. We develop such a model, called MALC, and performed a pan-genomic comparative analysis between MALC and classical suspension cultures. We used microarrays to detail the global gene expression profile induced by aggregated growth of lymphoma cells.
Cell growth in aggregates determines gene expression, proliferation, survival, chemoresistance, and sensitivity to immune effectors in follicular lymphoma.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesSummary: Melanoma spheroids grown under neural crest cell conditions are highly plastic migratory/invasive tumor cells endowed with immunomodulator function
Melanoma spheroids grown under neural crest cell conditions are highly plastic migratory/invasive tumor cells endowed with immunomodulator function.
No sample metadata fields
View SamplesExhaustion markers are expressed by T lymphocytes in Follicular Lymphoma (FL). Through these, TIM-3 has been recently identified as a poor pronostic factor when expressed by FL CD4+ T cells.
Impaired functional responses in follicular lymphoma CD8<sup>+</sup>TIM-3<sup>+</sup> T lymphocytes following TCR engagement.
Specimen part, Subject
View SamplesLung disease causes most of the morbidity and mortality in cystic fibrosis (CF). However, understanding its pathogenesis has been hindered by lack of an animal model with characteristic features of CF. To overcome this problem, we recently generated pigs with targeted CFTR genes. We now report that within months of birth, CF pigs spontaneously develop hallmark features of CF lung disease including airway inflammation, remodeling, mucus accumulation, and infection. Their lungs contained multiple bacterial species, suggesting an equal opportunity host defense defect. In humans, the temporal and/or causal relationships between inflammation and infection have remained uncertain. To investigate these processes, we studied newborn pigs. Their lungs showed no inflammation, but were less often sterile than controls. Moreover, after intrapulmonary bacterial challenge, CF pigs failed to eradicate bacteria as effectively as wild- type pigs. These results suggest that impaired bacterial elimination is the pathogenic event that initiates a cascade of inflammation and pathology in CF lungs. Finding that CF pigs have a bacterial host defense defect within hours of birth provides an exciting opportunity to further investigate pathogenesis and to test therapeutic and preventive strategies before secondary consequences develop.
Cystic fibrosis pigs develop lung disease and exhibit defective bacterial eradication at birth.
Specimen part
View SamplesWhile identification of genes mutated in high penetrance tumor predisposition syndromes has been a success story, much less progress has been made in characterizing the genetic basis of low penetrance tumor susceptibility. Combining recently introduced chip-based technologies with traditional genealogy work we have identified inactivating germline mutations in patients with pituitary adenoma predisposition (PAP).
Pituitary adenoma predisposition caused by germline mutations in the AIP gene.
No sample metadata fields
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