Purpose: The management of adrenocortical tumors (ACTs) is complex, compounded by the difficulty in discriminating benign from malignant tumors using conventional histology. The Weiss score is the current most widely used system for ACT diagnosis but it has limitations, particularly with ACTs with a score of 3. The am of this study was to identify molecular markers whose expression can discriminate adrenocortical carcinomas (ACCs) from adrenocortical adenomas (ACAs) by microarray gene expression profiling and to determine their clinical applicability by using immunohistochemistry (IHC). Experimental design: Microarray gene expression profiling was used to identify 7 molecular markers which were significantly differentially expressed between ACCs and ACAs. These results were confirmed with quantitative PCR for all 7 genes and IHC for 3 protein. Results: Microarray gene expression profiling was able to accurately categorize ACTs into ACCs and ACAs. All 7 genes were strong discriminators of ACCs from ACAs on qPCR. IHC with IGF2, MAD2L1, CCNB1 and Ki-67, but not ACADVL or ALOX15B, had high diagnostic accuracy in differentiating ACCs from ACAs. The best results however were obtained with a combination of IGF2 and Ki-67 with 96% sensitivity and 100% specificity in diagnosing ACCs. Conclusion: Microarray gene expression profiling accurately differentiates ACCs from ACAs. The combination of IGF2 and Ki-67 IHC is also highly accurate in distinguishing between the 2 groups and is particularly helpful in ACTs with Weiss score of 3.
Microarray gene expression and immunohistochemistry analyses of adrenocortical tumors identify IGF2 and Ki-67 as useful in differentiating carcinomas from adenomas.
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View SamplesA investigation of the gene expression of one parathyroid tumour compared to its adjacent normal tissue
No associated publication
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View SamplesThe human glucocorticoid receptor (GR) is overexpressed at the molecular and protein level in malignant human adrenocortical cancers. A stable cell line model of GR overexpression was established using the H295R human adrenocortical cancer cell line.
No associated publication
Cell line, Treatment
View SamplesIdentification of novel, highly penetrant, breast cancer susceptibility genes will require the application of additional strategies beyond that of traditional linkage and candidate gene approaches. Approximately one-third of inherited genetic diseases, including breast cancer susceptibility, are caused by frameshift or nonsense mutations that truncate the protein product [1]. Transcripts harbouring premature termination codons are selectively and rapidly degraded by the nonsense-mediated mRNA decay (NMD) pathway. Blocking the NMD pathway in any given cell will stabilise these mutant transcripts, which can then be detected using gene expression microarrays. This technique, known as gene identification by nonsense-mediated mRNA decay inhibition (GINI), has proved successful in identifying sporadic nonsense mutations involved in many different cancer types. However, the approach has not yet been applied to identify germline mutations involved in breast cancer. We therefore attempted to use GINI on lymphoblastoid cell lines (LCLs) from multiple-case, non-BRCA1/2 breast cancer families in order to identify additional high-risk breast cancer susceptibility genes.
No associated publication
Sex, Cell line
View Samples63 melanoma cell lines hybridized to Affymetrix Hu133_Plus 2 oligo arrays. The aim of this study was to identify potential downstream targets of key oncogenes and TSGs in melanoma (including p14ARF, p16INK4A, BRAF etc).
Confirmation of a BRAF mutation-associated gene expression signature in melanoma.
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View SamplesThis SuperSeries is composed of the SubSeries listed below.
Enduring epigenetic landmarks define the cancer microenvironment.
Sex, Specimen part, Subject
View SamplesThis SuperSeries is composed of the SubSeries listed below.
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Specimen part, Treatment
View Samples35 Melanoma cell lines hybridized to Affymetrix Hu133_Plus 2 microarrays were analysed for genes differentially expressed between cell lines carrying wild-type p14ARF and those with mutant 14ARF. All of these cell lines contained wild-type p53 (so that the effects of p14ARF mutations could be analysed without contamination from p53).
Gene expression profiling in melanoma identifies novel downstream effectors of p14ARF.
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View SamplesAscertain the effects of disease-causing gene mutations on the differentiation status of human nave CD4+ T cells in the setting of primary immunodeficiencies. Thus, do CD4+ T cells isolated according to a nave surface phenotype (ie CD4+CD45RA+CCR7+) from healthy donors exhibit a similar gene expression profile as phenotpyically-matched cells isolated from individuals with defined primary immunodeficiencies caused by specific monogenic mutations.
Unique and shared signaling pathways cooperate to regulate the differentiation of human CD4+ T cells into distinct effector subsets.
Specimen part
View SamplesWhile adipogenesis is controlled by a cascade of transcription factors, the global gene expression profiles in the early phase of adipogenesis are not well defined. Using microarray analysis of gene expression in 3T3-L1 cells we have identified evidence for the activity of 2568 genes during the early phase of adipocyte differentiation. One of these, ISL1, was of interest since its expression was markedly upregulated at 1 h after initiation of differentiation with a subsequent rapid decline. Overexpression of ISL1 at early times during adipocyte differentiation, but not at later times, was found to profoundly inhibit differentiation. This was accompanied by moderate down-regulation of PPARg levels, substantial down-regulation of PPARg downstream genes and down-regulation of BMP4 levels in preadipocytes. Readdition of BMP4 overcame the inhibitory effect of ISL1 on PPARg but not aP2 expression, a downstream gene of PPARg; and BMP4 also partially rescued ISL1 inhibition of adipogenesis, an effect which is additive with rosiglitazone. These results suggest that ISL1 is intimately involved in early regulation of adipogenesis, modulating PPARg expression and activity via BMP4-dependent and -independent mechanisms. Our time course gene expression survey sets the stage for further studies to explore other early and immediate regulators.
ISL1 regulates peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor γ activation and early adipogenesis via bone morphogenetic protein 4-dependent and -independent mechanisms.
Cell line, Treatment, Time
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