Researchers led by Mauricio Salcedo from the Hospital de Oncologia in Mexico City report in the Journal of Clinical Pathology on NF1 gene expression in sporadic breast cancers. Using a combination of immunohistochemistry, tissue microarrays, and end-point RT-PCR, the researchers examined neurofibromin and RAS expression as well as NF1 and CELF 3-6 RNA expression in sporadic breast cancer, benign lesions, and normal breast tissue. From this, the researchers report that NF1 was expressed in both early- and late-stage tumors, though they note that the isoforms differ between benign and cancerous tissue. "The NF1 expression shift transition of the type II to type I isoforms in breast cancer could be a significant event in the development and progression of sporadic breast cancer, as well as in other human cancers, and that this trend could possibly represent a potential molecular marker in several different cancer types," Salcedo and his colleagues write.

Also in the Journal of Clinical Pathology, a team of researchers in Vancouver presents a method for determining serum aldosterone levels using liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry. The team used AbSciex's API5000 system and a liquid-liquid extraction approach, which it found to have a coefficient of variation that is "comparable with or better than previous reports." The researchers add that "the strength of this method lies in its simplicity and affordability," though they note that the approach has its weaknesses — namely that it needs larger sample volumes and time between injections.