Evaggelos Babas

Publications (2)3.29 Total impact

• Article: Changes in activities of caspase-8 and caspase-9 in human cervical malignancy.

  Maria Themistokli Ekonomopoulou, Evaggelos Babas, Eleutheria Mioglou-Kalouptsi, Maria Malandri, Zafiroula Iakovidou-Kritsi
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  ABSTRACT: The apoptotic process of programmed cell death and its dysfunctions in a variety of human diseases, including cervical cancer, has become the focus of extensive scientific research. Caspases are considered key factors in the execution of apoptosis, although there are many aspects of their role to be elucidated. It has been found that disturbance of initiator caspase-8 and caspase-9 expression or function may contribute to cancer formation/progression, and inactivation of them could promote resistance to current treatment approaches. In our research, the activities of caspase-8 and caspase-9 have been estimated during the progression of human cervical malignancy. The experimental material includes human cervical tissue samples (normal and pathological), in which enzyme activities have been measured colorimetrically. Activities of caspase-8 and caspase-9 presented the highest increase, compared to the controls, in the low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion samples (statistically significant, P < 0.01 by t test). The activities diminished in the high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion and even more in the cancer samples but remained higher than the controls. The observed changes in the activities of caspase-8 and caspase-9 could be attributed to their involvement in the cervical tissue's effort to resist malignancy progression.
  International Journal of Gynecological Cancer 04/2011; 21(3):435-8. · 1.65 Impact Factor
• Article: Indication of participation of caspase-2 and caspase-5 in mechanisms of human cervical malignancy.

  Evaggelos Babas, Maria T Ekonomopoulou, Irine Karapidaki, Anestakis Doxakis, George Betsas, Zafiroula Iakovidou-Kritsi
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  ABSTRACT: When apoptosis is disrupted, the transformed cells can survive, proliferate, and evolve into a malignancy. The strictly conserved caspase genes and the reliable experimental data clearly show that some caspases play a crucial role in apoptosis even if some of them have no apoptotic activity and others exhibit both apoptotic and nonapoptotic properties. Although caspase-2 belongs to initiator caspases, its normal role remains unclear. Experimental studies have shown that it is primarily necessary for the execution of apoptosis in mutagenic cells. Human caspase-5 is classified as an inflammatory caspase, although its substrate has not been identified yet. In this research, the activities of caspase-2 and caspase-5 have been estimated during the progression of human cervical malignancy. The experimental material includes human cervical tissue samples (normal and pathological) and blood serum samples of the corresponding tissue donors, where enzyme activities have been measured colorimetrically. Both caspases' activities showed the highest increase, statistically significant (P < 0.01, by t test) compared with the controls, in the low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion tissues. Caspase-2 of all pathological tissues was proved more active than the controls. Serum caspases' activities were significantly lower than those of the tissues. Serum caspase-2's activity in patients with low-grade squamous intraepithelial lesion stage showed no statistically significant increase compared with the controls. Serum caspase-5's activity of all patients with malignancy stages was presented elevated, whereas that of the serum of patients with cervical cancer had the highest activity (P < 0.01, by t test). The changes of caspase-2 and caspase-5 activities could be indicative of their involvement in the cervical malignancy mechanisms.
  International Journal of Gynecological Cancer 11/2010; 20(8):1381-5. · 1.65 Impact Factor