Project description:summary Ovarian cancer is the leading cause of death among gynecologic malignancies. This is partly due to a non-durable response to chemotherapy. Prediction of resistance to chemotherapy could be a key role in more personalized treatment. In the current study we aimed to examine if microRNA based predictors could predict resistance to chemotherapy in ovarian cancer, and to investigate if the predictors could be prognostic factors for progression free and overall survival. Methods Predictors of chemotherapy-resistance were developed based on correlation between miRNA expression and differences in measured growth inhibition in a variety of human cancer cell lines in the presence of Carboplatin, Paclitaxel and Docetaxel (deposited under accession number E-MTAB-327 in the ArrayExpress database of the European Bioinformatics Institute, 2012). These predictors were then, retrospectively, blindly validated in a cohort of 170 epithelial ovarian cancer patients treated with Carboplatin and Paclitaxel or Docetaxel as first line treatment. Results In a multivariate cox proportional analysis the predictors of chemotherapy-resistance were not able to predict time to progression after end of chemotherapy (hazard ratio: 0.64, 95% CI: 0.36 – 1.12, P=0.117). However, in a multivariate logistic analysis, where time to progression was considered as either more or less than 6 months, the predictors match clinical observed chemotherapy-resistance (odds ratio: 0.19, 95% CI: 0.05-0.73, P=0.015). Neither univariate nor multivariate, time-dependent, cox analysis for progression free survival (PFS) or overall survival (OS) in all 170 patients showed to match predicted resistance to chemotherapy (PFS: hazard ratio: 0.69, 95% CI: 0.40-1.19, P=0.183, OS: hazard ratio: 0.76, 95% CI: 0.42-1.40, P=0.386). Conclusion In the current study, microRNA based predictors of chemotherapy-resistance did not demonstrate any convincing correlation to clinical observed chemotherapy-resistance, progression free survival, or overall survival, in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer. However the predictors did reflect relapse more or less than 6 months.
Project description:siblings of patients with idiopathic recurrent miscarriage have a higher risk of miscarriage. <br>We hypothesized that this in part was conferred by shared genetic factors.<br>We took blood samples from patients with three or more miscarriages and from siblings with two or more miscarriages in order to perform affected sib-pair analysis.
Project description:Miscarriage occurs in 15-20% of clinical pregnancies. While chromosomal errors are observed in over 50%, causes of karyotypically normal losses are poorly understood. DNA methylation undergoes reprogramming during development and must be appropriately set to maintain a healthy pregnancy. We hypothesize that aberrant DNA methylation may cause karyotypically normal miscarriage, particularly among women experiencing recurrent miscarriage (RM). DNA methylation in first trimester chorionic villi was assessed in chromosomally normal miscarriages from women with RM (N=33) or isolated miscarriage (M, N=21), and elective terminations (TA, N=16). Differentially methylated candidate loci were identified using the Illumina Infinium HumanMethylation27 BeadChip array by comparing 10 RM to 10 TA samples. Follow up showed a significant increase in methylation in RM and M compared to TA placentae at the CYP1A2 (p=0.002) and AXL (p=0.02) promoters and decrease at the DEFB1 (p=0.008) promoter. Gene function analysis showed an enrichment of imprinted genes (p=9.53E-10) and genes previously associated with RM (p=9.51E-06). DNA methylation was evaluated at 7 imprinted loci using bisulfite pyrosequencing. An increase of outliers at these loci was observed in RM (3.9%) compared to M (0%) and TA (0.9%) (p=0.02), with increased average methylation at the H19/IGF2 ICR1 in M samples (p<0.0001). Altered DNA methylation in the placenta at specific loci, as well as global dysregulation in specific cases, may contribute to or be a consequence of placental insufficiency in karyotypically normal miscarriage. First-trimester placental villi samples from karyotypically normal miscarriages from recurrent miscarriage patients (N, N=10) and chromosomally normal elective terminations (PZET, N=10).
Project description:We used the Illumina Infinium HumanMethylation450 array platform to conduct a genome-wide screening of DNA methylation in decidua samples from the products of conception of women with recurrent miscarriage and to identify novel methylation variable positions (MVPs) and differentially methylated regions (DMRs).
Project description:Miscarriage occurs in 15-20% of clinical pregnancies. While chromosomal errors are observed in over 50%, causes of karyotypically normal losses are poorly understood. DNA methylation undergoes reprogramming during development and must be appropriately set to maintain a healthy pregnancy. We hypothesize that aberrant DNA methylation may cause karyotypically normal miscarriage, particularly among women experiencing recurrent miscarriage (RM). DNA methylation in first trimester chorionic villi was assessed in chromosomally normal miscarriages from women with RM (N=33) or isolated miscarriage (M, N=21), and elective terminations (TA, N=16). Differentially methylated candidate loci were identified using the Illumina Infinium HumanMethylation27 BeadChip array by comparing 10 RM to 10 TA samples. Follow up showed a significant increase in methylation in RM and M compared to TA placentae at the CYP1A2 (p=0.002) and AXL (p=0.02) promoters and decrease at the DEFB1 (p=0.008) promoter. Gene function analysis showed an enrichment of imprinted genes (p=9.53E-10) and genes previously associated with RM (p=9.51E-06). DNA methylation was evaluated at 7 imprinted loci using bisulfite pyrosequencing. An increase of outliers at these loci was observed in RM (3.9%) compared to M (0%) and TA (0.9%) (p=0.02), with increased average methylation at the H19/IGF2 ICR1 in M samples (p<0.0001). Altered DNA methylation in the placenta at specific loci, as well as global dysregulation in specific cases, may contribute to or be a consequence of placental insufficiency in karyotypically normal miscarriage.
Project description:Genome wide DNA methylation profiling of chorionic villi and decidua from recurrent miscarriage patients and artificial abortion controls. Infinium HumanMethylation450 BeadChip was used.
Project description:Recurrent miscarriage (RM) is the occurrence of repeated pregnancies that end in miscarriage of the fetus before 20 weeks of gestation. Recurrent miscarriages affect about 1-2% of couples trying to conceive; however, mechanisms leading to this complication are largely unknown. Our previous studies using comparative proteomics identified 314 differentially expressed proteins (DEPs) in placental villous. In this study, we identified 5479 proteins from a total of 34157 peptides in decidua of patients with early recurrent miscarriage. Further analysis identified 311 DEPs in the decidua tissue; 159 proteins showed the increased expression while 152 proteins showed decreased expression. These 311 proteins were further analyzed using Ingenuity Pathway Analysis (IPA). The results suggested that 50 DEPs could play important roles in the embryonic development. Furthermore, network analysis of the placental villous and decidua embryonic development DEPs was performed in STRING database to find the core gene. This study identifies several proteins that are specifically associated with embryonic development in decidua of patients with early recurrent miscarriage, these results provide new insights into potential biological mechanisms and may ultimately inform recurrent miscarriage.
Project description:INTRODUCTION: Recurrent miscarriage (RM; ≥3 consecutive pregnancy losses) occurs in 1-3% of fertile couples. No biomarkers with high predictive value of threatening miscarriage have been identified. We aimed to profile whole-genome differential gene expression in RM placental tissue, and to determine the protein levels of identified loci in maternal sera in early pregnancy. METHODS: GeneChips (Affymetrix(®)) were used for discovery and Taqman RT-qPCR assays for replication of mRNA expression in placentas from RM cases (n = 13) compared to uncomplicated pregnancies matched for gestational age (n = 23). Concentrations of soluble TRAIL (sTRAIL) and calprotectin in maternal serum in normal first trimester (n = 35) and failed pregnancies (early miscarriage, n = 18, late miscarriage, n = 4; tubal pregnancy, n = 11) were determined using ELISA. RESULTS: In RM placentas 30 differentially expressed (with nominal P-value < 0.05) transcripts were identified. Significantly increased placental mRNA expression of TNF-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL; P = 1.4 × 10(-3); fold-change 1.68) and S100A8 (P = 7.9 × 10(-4); fold-change 2.56) encoding for inflammatory marker calprotectin (S100A8/A9) was confirmed by RT-qPCR. When compared to normal first trimester pregnancy (sTRAIL 16.1 ± 1.6 pg/ml), significantly higher maternal serum concentration of sTRAIL was detected at the RM event (33.6 ± 4.3 pg/ml, P = 0.00027), and in pregnant women, who developed an unpredicted miscarriage 2-50 days after prospective serum sampling (28.5 ± 4.4 pg/ml, P = 0.039). Women with tubal pregnancy also exhibited elevated sTRAIL (30.5 ± 3.9 pg/ml, P = 0.035). Maternal serum levels of calprotectin were neither diagnostic nor prognostic to early pregnancy failures (P > 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The study indicated of sTRAIL as a potential predictive biomarker in maternal serum for early pregnancy complications.