Davide Ottaviani

IL-7 Up-Regulates TNF-α-Dependent Osteoclastogenesis in Patients Affected by Solid Tumor

Background Interleukin-7 (IL-7) is a potent regulator of lymphocyte development, which has also significant effects on bone; in fact it is a potent osteoclastogenic factor. Some human solid tumors produce high IL-7 levels, suggesting a potential IL-7 role on tumor development and progression. Methodology We studied 50 male patients affected by solid tumors, and their blood samples were collected at tumor diagnosis. PBMCs were isolated and cultured with/without IL-7 to study its influence on osteoclastogenesis. Serum and cell culture supernatant IL-7 levels were measured by ELISA. The quantitative analysis of IL-7 expression on T and B cells was performed by Real-Time PCR. Principal Findings Serum IL-7 levels were highest in osteolytic cancer patients, followed by cancer patients without bone lesions, and then healthy controls. We showed the IL-7 production in PBMC cultures and particularly in monocyte and B cell co-cultures. A quantitative analysis of IL-7 expression in T and B cells confirmed that B cells had a high IL-7 expression. In all cell culture conditions, IL-7 significantly increased osteoclastogenesis and an anti-IL-7 antibody inhibited it. We demonstrated that IL-7 supports OC formation by inducing the TNF-α production and low RANKL levels, which synergize in promoting osteoclastogenesis. Conclusions We demonstrated the presence of high serum IL-7 levels in patients with bone metastasis, suggesting the use of serum IL-7 level as a clinical marker of disease progression and of bone involvement. Moreover, we showed the capability of IL-7 to stimulate spontaneous osteoclastogenesis of bone metastatic patients and to induce osteoclastogenesis in cancer patients without bone involvement. These findings add further details to the disclosure of the mechanisms controlling bone metastasis in solid tumors.

Added value of combined gene and protein expression of CK20 and CEA in non-macroscopically involved lymph nodes of colorectal cancer.

A methacarn fixation permits an approach that comprises multiple techniques. In this study the procedure is used to examine 100 mesenteric lymph nodes from patients with colon cancer by means of histology, immunohistochemistry (IHC), and reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR). The evaluated nodes are found to be grossly free of metastases. The combined expression of both messenger RNA (mRNA) and protein is investigated to validate the presence of structural (cytokeratin 20, or CK20) and tumor-specific (carcinoembrionic antigen, or CEA) markers. Histological analysis shows micrometastases on 4 nodes. IHC analysis identifies isolated (CK20 and CEA positive) tumor cells on 14 other nodes. In this group, none of the nodes that are positive for CK20 IHC express the related mRNA. RT-PCR confirms the CEA IHC positivity in 50% of the cases. The double CEA IHC/RT-PCR positivity would have up-staged 33% of the pN0 cases to pN1. This approach offers a technological framework for further studies that aim to validate the clinical significance of protein/mRNA expression of tumor markers in colorectal cancer sentinel lymph nodes.

Corrigendum: Natural History of Non-Small-Cell Lung Cancer with Bone Metastases.

Scientific Reports 5: Article number: 18670; published online: 22 December 2015; updated: 15 April 2016. The original version of this Article contained errors in the spelling of the authors Daniele Santini, Sandro Barni, Salvatore Intagliata, Alfredo Falcone, Francesco Ferrau, Domenico Galetta, LucaMoscetti, Nicla La Verde, Toni Ibrahim, Fausto Petrelli, Enrico Vasile, Laura Ginocchi, Davide Ottaviani, Flavia Longo, Cinzia Ortega, Antonio Russo, Giuseppe Badalamenti, Elena Collova, Gaetano Lanzetta, Giovanni Mansueto, Vincenzo Adamo, Filippo De Marinis, Flavia Cantile, Andrea Mancuso, Raffaele Addeo, Marco Russano, Michelle Sterpi, Francesco Pantano, Bruno Vincenzi and Giuseppe Tonini which were incorrectly given as Santini Daniele, Barni Sandro, Intagliata Salvatore, Falcone Alfredo, Ferrau Francesco, Galetta Domenico, Moscetti Luca, La Verde Nicla, Ibrahim Toni, Petrelli Fausto, Vasile Enrico, Ginocchi Laura, Ottaviani Davide, Longo Flavia, Ortega Cinzia, Russo Antonio, Badalamenti Giuseppe, Collova Elena, Lanzetta Gaetano, Mansueto Giovanni, Adamo Vincenzo, De Marinis Filippo, Cantile Flavia, Mancuso Andrea, Addeo Raffaele, Russano Marco, M Sterpi, Pantano Francesco, Vincenzi Bruno and Tonini Giuseppe respectively.