Tissue-nonspecific alkaline phosphatase (TNSALP) in serum comprises liver alkaline phosphatase (liver-ALP) and bone alkaline phosphatase (bone-ALP). Liver-ALP is a marker of liver disease; thus a specific method for its measurement would be useful. Measurement of ALP by electrophoresis is difficult, although all of the isozymes can be assessed simultaneously. Total ALP can also be measured by automated analyzer, but it is difficult to determine the cause of a high ALP value because bone-, intestine-, placenta-, and tumor-ALP are measured together. Thus, anti-TNSALP monoclonal antibodies that can resolve these problems are needed. Here we have generated an anti-TNSALP monoclonal antibody, 3-29-3R. This clone has specificity to liver-ALP rather than to bone-ALP. In electrophoresis, 3-29-3R reacted with TNSALP and shifted the bands. The use of 3-29-3R enabled easy interpretation of the results. Furthermore, we tested 3-29-3R by developing an immunocapture enzymatic assay (IEA). Preliminary results of the IEA show that this method is effective for measurement of liver-ALP. Thus, the monoclonal antibody that we have established may be a useful tool for clinical diagnosis.
Background: A number of methods of genotyping single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are currently available, ranging from the traditional restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) and single‐stranded conformational polymorphism (SSCP) to more sophisticated technologies. We determined the utility of three novel methods by genotyping aldehyde dehydrogenase‐2 ( ALDH2 ). Methods: DNA was isolated from blood samples of 241 control subjects and 74 patients with esophageal cancer. The utility of three novel genotyping methods—melting curve analysis using a LightCycler, SNaPshot analysis using an ABI PRISM 310 genetic analyzer, and denaturing high‐performance liquid chromatography using a WAVE DNA fragment analysis system—were compared with that of conventional fluorescent‐based polymerase chain reaction (PCR)‐SSCP using an ALF express DNA sequencer. Results: The frequency of the mutant ALDH2*2 allele was significantly higher in patients with esophageal cancer (27.7%) than in control subjects (16.2%; p < 0.01; habitual alcohol drinkers). The melting curve analysis was accurate, more rapid, and easier to use than the SNaPshot analysis or denaturing high‐performance liquid chromatography analysis. Fluorescent‐based PCR‐SSCP proved useful for analyzing a large number of samples. Conclusion: Melting curve analysis using the LightCycler is suitable for the genotyping of small numbers of samples in a routine clinical setting; fluorescent‐based PCR‐SSCP analysis using the ALF express DNA sequencer can be used for large‐scale genotyping in epidemiologic studies.
This study investigated gene expression of drug resistance factors in biopsy tissue samples from hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) patients undergoing chemotherapy by platinum complex. Liver biopsy was performed to collect tissue from the tumor site (T) and the non-tumor site (NT) prior to the start of treatment. For drug-resistant factors, drug excretion transporters cMOAT and MDR-1, intracellular metal binding protein MT2, DNA repair enzyme ERCC-l and inter-nucleic cell transport protein MVP, were investigated. The comparison of the expression between T and NT indicated a significant decrease of MT2 and MDR-1 in T while a significant increase in ERCC-1 was noted in T. Further, expression was compared between the response cases and non-response cases using the ratios of expression in T to those in NT. The response rate was significantly low in the high expression group when the cutoff value of cMOAT and MT2 was set at 1.5 and 1.0, respectively. Furthermore, when the patients were classified into A group (cMOAT ≧ 1.5 or MT2 ≧ 1.0) and B group (cMOAT < 1.5 and MT2 < 1.0), the response rate of A group was significantly lower than B group when we combined the cutoff values of cMOAT and MT2. It is considered possible to estimate the therapeutic effect of platinum complex at a high probability by combining the expression condition of these two genes.
5-Fluorouracil (5-FU) chemotherapy is the first choice treatment for advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC), and resistance is the major obstacle to successful treatment. Recent studies have reported that epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is associated with chemoresistance in cancers. We speculated that EMT and 5-FU metabolism are related to the mechanism of 5-FU resistance. First, two 5-FU-resistant cell lines, HLF-R4 and HLF-R10, were established from the HLF undifferentiated human HCC cell line. Whereas cell growth was similar in the HLF and HLF-R cell lines, HLF-Rs are about 4- and 10-fold more resistant compared with the HLF cells; thus, we named these cell lines HLF-R4 and HLF-R10, respectively. The terminal deoxyribonucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end labeling assay also showed a dramatically decreased number of apoptotic cells in the HLF-Rs after treatment with 5-FU. We next assessed the characteristics of the HLF, HLF-R4 and HLF-R10 cells. Consistent with our hypothesis, the HLF-Rs had typical morphologic phenotypes of EMT, loss of cell-cell adhesion, spindle-shaped morphology and increased formation of pseudopodia. Real-time quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction data showed downregulated E-cadherin and upregulated Twist-1 and also indicated that EMT changes occurred in the HLF-Rs. We also found decreased ribonucleotide reductase and increased multidrug resistance protein 5 genes in the HLF-R cells. Our results suggested that the metabolism of EMT and 5-FU has important roles in 5-FU chemoresistance in the HLF-R cells, and that the HLF-R cells would be useful in vitro models for understanding the 5-FU-resistant mechanisms in HCC.
The selenium status of workers handling aromatic nitro‐amino (ANA) compounds was evaluated by measurement of their blood and urinary selenium concentrations and blood glutathione peroxidase (CSH‐Px) activities. Forty‐seven healthy Japanese male workers (42.7 ± 12.1 yr) handling ANA compounds routinely in a chemical factory were studied as exposed workers, and 107 nonindustrial healthy Japanese males (39.3 ± 10.0 yr) in the same region served as a control group. Urinary diazoreaction‐positive metabolites and methemoglobin, both of which have been used as indices of exposure to ANA compounds, were significantly elevated in the exposed workers. Both plasma and erythrocyte selenium in the exposed workers showed 20% lower values compared to the control group. GSH‐Px activities in plasma and erythrocytes were also significantly decreased in the exposed workers, but urinary selenium excretions were similar between the two groups. Questionnaire information obtained from each subject regarding intake habits of selenium‐rich foods (bread, eggs, meat and fish) indicated that the average dietary selenium intake was similar for the control group and the exposed workers. These results indicate that (1) the workers handling ANA compounds were surely exposed to these chemicals; (2) their selenium status was lower than that of the nonindustrial controls; and (3) the low selenium status was not associated with any dietary factor.
