Ovarian cancer is the fifth leading cause of cancer-related deaths. It causes approximately 125,000 deaths per year worldwide; its diagnosis is made in advanced stages resulting in a high mortality rate. The objective of the study was optimizing the isolation of cells obtained from the solid tumor and ascitic fluid of patients with ovarian cancer and the phenotype with markers related to the epithelial-mesenchymal transition. For this, the solid tumor tissue was disaggregated and cultivated with different methodologies. As a result, cell growth was obtained and epi-immunofluorescence was performed using antibodies against E-cadherin, EpCAM, N-cadherin, vimentin, CD133, and CD44. The primary culture from the solid tumor was obtained using Dispase II and DMEM/F12. Finally, heterogeneity was detected in terms of the expression of mesenchymal and epithelial type markers in the two types of isolated cells. Additionally, CD133 and CD44 expression was detected, proteins associated with the tumor stem cells phenotype.

Genetic association studies in rheumatoid arthritis conducted in various populations have yielded heterogeneous results. The present systematic review was conducted to synthesize the results of the studies in order to establish the impact of polymorphisms in the ficolin-coding genes FCN1, FCN2, and FCN3 on the susceptibility to develop rheumatoid arthritis. A systematic literature review was performed using the following keywords “gene (FCN1/FCN2/FCN3)”, “Polymorphism/Genetic Variant”, and “rheumatoid arthritis” in different databases until January 2022. Authors assessed articles by title/abstract and then assessed by full text for data extraction. The risk of bias was assessed using the Newcastle-Ottawa scale. Data synthesis was performed qualitatively and quantitatively. A total of 1519 articles were eligible for inclusion in this review, 3 were identified as relevant for the quantitative synthesis with 670 patients and 1019 controls. For the FCN1 gene, an association was found in the dominant and recessive genetic models of the variants rs2989727 (genotype TT = OR: 0.577, 95% CI: 0.430-0.769) and rs1071583 (genotype GG = OR: 1.537, 95% CI: 1.153-2.049, p = 0.0032 ) with the development of rheumatoid arthritis as a protective or susceptibility factor. FCN2 and FCN3 genes did not show association with disease development. The FCN1 gene variants rs2989727 and rs1071583 are associated with the risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis in populations from Brazil and Belgium, but not in FCN2 and FCN3 gene variants.

Background/Aim: Genetic variations of the CDKN2A and CDK4 gene have been associated to melanoma development. In the present study we investigated the potential associations of CDKN2A and CDK4 gene variants in a colombian population diagnosed with melanoma. Materials and Methods: DNA was extracted from whole blood samples from 85 patients diagnosed with cutaneous melanoma and 166 healthy controls. CDKN2A and CDK4 genes were genotyped using a high-resolution melting assay. Results: A similar distribution of CDKN2A variants 500C>G and 540C>T was found among cases (12% and 31% respectively) and controls (15% and 31% respectively). The CDKN2A variants were present in 36% of acral lentiginous melanoma and 39.47% of lentigo maligna. The haplotype analysis showed an association with susceptibility in the development of melanoma. Conclusion: The presence of haplotype 500G/540C in males is associated with an increased risk of melanoma in a colombian population, especially in subjects with a family history of cancer.

Background: The solute carrier family 45-member 2 (SLC45A2) gene, located on chromosome 5p13.2, is involved in melanin biosynthesis. Single-nucleotide variants (SNVs) in this gene are associated with skin, eye, and hair color variations in the population. SNVs p.L374F (C/T) and p.E272K (C/G) are additionally associated with protection against melanoma. Objectives: This study aimed to evaluate the association of SNVs p.L374F and p.E272K with the development of melanoma in a sample of individuals from Bogotá, Colombia. Methods: In this case-control study, DNA samples were obtained from individuals after signing an informed consent form. Genotyping was performed by real-time polymerase chain reaction high-resolution melting (PCR-HRM). Results: Phototype II was found in 19% of the subjects, phototype III in 70%, and phototype IV in 11%. Eighty percent of the subjects had brown eyes and dark brown hair color. Both SNVs were in Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium. The p.Glu272Lys variant was found to be a protective factor for melanoma, while the p.Phe374Leu variant was found to be a risk factor. The study also found that a CG haplotype was a risk factor for melanoma [odds ratio (OR), 2.75; 95% CI, 1.22 - 6.22; P = 0.021]. The study also found a strong correlation between variants and phototypes, as well as the sex of the patients. The study also analyzed the impact of these variants on the protein structure and found that the p.Phe374Leu variant has a probable pathogenic effect on the function of the protein. Conclusions: The frequencies found for the SLC45A2 gene variants are consistent with other studies conducted in the Latin American population, where the predominant phototypes are II and III. The CG haplotype is associated with a higher risk of melanoma.