Aim: Pheochromocytomas are rare neuroendocrine tumors with variable clinical presentation, including hypertension, and usually arise from the adrenal medulla. The aim of the current study was to evaluate the clinical characteristics and therapeutic outcomes of patients with pheochromocytoma. Methods: This was a single-center retrospective observational study designed to study the clinical, laboratory, radiological, and surgical outcomes of 14 patients diagnosed with pheochromocytoma. Results: Of 14 patients, 10 were females and 4 males, with a mean age of 38 ± 16 years at diagnosis. Headache (96.6%), palpitation (64.3%), abdominal pain (64.3%), and sweating (57.1%) were the most common presenting symptoms, while triad was present in 42.8%. Hypertension was the predominant clinical finding (92.8%) followed by orthostasis in 35.7% and hyperglycemia in 35.7%. Most pheochromocytomas were sporadic (85.7%), adrenal gland tumors (78.6%), and benign (92.8%); two were familial (each due to neurofibromatosis type and von Hippel–Lindau). Metanephrine and nor-metanephrine secretory pattern was seen in 58.3% of the patients, while metanephrine only was seen in 41.7% of the patients. More than half of the tumors (54.5%) were located on the left side, with 36.4% on the right side, and one patient had bilateral presentation of a tumor. Postsurgical remission of hypertension was found in 35.7% of the hypertensive patients. Biochemical cure was obtained in 85.7% and surgical cure rate in 78.5% of the patients. Patient survival ranged from 2 months to 9 years. Conclusions: The present study confirms that the clinical presentation of pheochromocytoma is variable and nonspecific. Although pheochromocytoma is a rare tumor, proper evaluation, preoperative preparation, and complete surgical excision are important for its management.
Background: Immunohistochemical analysis of biomarkers is essential to understand the nature of breast cancer (BC) and predict its prognosis. A noticeable correlation is found between p53-positive and transforming growth factor-beta receptor 2 (TGFBR-2)-negative immunomarker expression in BC cases. Materials and Methods: Between January 2018 and December 2018, immunohistochemical analysis of p53 and TGFBR-2 biomarkers was done in biopsy samples from 50 BC cases (49 females and 1 male). Results: p53 expression was positive in 24 (48%) and negative in 26 (52%) cases. Similarly, TGFBR-2 expression was positive in 26 (52%) and negative in 24 (48%) cases. Among p53-positive cases, 8 (16%), 15 (30%), and 1 (2%) cases correlated with histologic Grade 1, Grade 2, and Grade 3 cases, respectively. Among TGFBR-2-negative cases, 9 (18%), 13 (26%), and 2 (4%) cases correlated with histologic Grade 1, Grade 2, and Grade 3 cases, respectively. Further, Grade 2 cancer cases were found mostly associated with both p53-positive and TGFBR-2-negative cases. Maximum p53positive cases was in T2N1Mx stage while maximum TGFBR-2-negative cases were in T2N0Mx stage. Conclusion: p53-positive and TGFBR-2-negative cases are mostly associated with Grade 2 and T2 stage of BC.
Targeted therapies reduce growth of mutant epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) non-small cell lung cancers, but most patients develop drug resistance. This has led to efforts to develop additional therapies. We found abundant activation of the cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) axis in a mouse model of mutant EGFR lung cancer. Inhibiting COX-2 in the mice significantly reduced lung tumor growth, and dual targeting of COX-2 and EGFR had more pronounced effects. Collectively, our data and published data have led us to hypothesize that COX-2 contributes to mutant EGFR lung tumorigenesis, in part, by promoting an immunosuppressive environment that facilitates tumor progression.
Background: Breast cancer is a leading cause of cancer-associated mortality in women, and the incidence is on the rise worldwide. Asafoetida has shown a good anti-cancer activity against breast cancer in both in vivo and in vitro studies. Materials and Methods: For the evaluation of the cytotoxic effect of essential oil of asafoetida (EOA), MCF7 cells, a highly invasive variant of human breast cancer cell line, were exposed to different concentrations of EOA (2, 4, 6, 8, and 10 μl/ml) over different periods (24, 48, and 72 h), followed by cell viability analysis using 3-(4,5-Dimethylthiazol-2-yl)-2,5-diphenyl tetrazolium bromide (MTT) assay. For determining thein vivo toxicity of EOA, the oil was administered orally at doses of 0.1, 1, 10, and 100 μl/kg for 28 days in female Wistar rats. After completion of the experiment, hematological and serum biochemical parameters were evaluated and compared to the untreated group. Results: MTT assay results showed that EOA significantly decreased the viability of MCF7 cells in a time- and concentration-dependent manner, demonstrating a strong cytotoxic effect of EOA on breast cancer cells. In chronic toxicity study, the female Wistar rats showed no change in hematological and biochemical parameters at any of the administered dose. Conclusions: The cytotoxic effect of EOA on breast cancer cells, without general toxicity, makes it a promising compound as adjuvant therapy for breast cancer.
The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19), which is first detected in Wuhan, China, is a virus identified as the cause of pneumonia. In the event of epidemic outbreak, a series of actions have been taken by the Chinese government to control the pandemic of the virus, and effective medical methods are in urgent need to prevent COVID-19 infection and cure the disease, especially a drug that can suppress COVID-19 is urgently needed. However, there are no specific drugs and vaccine that can prevent coronavirus infection. Some research works on the transmissibility, severity, and other features associated with this virus are ongoing. Some works about new drug against COVID-19 are carried out; more time is required to develop an effective drug against pneumonia caused by COVID-19. Now, to develop broad-spectrum antiviral agents, there is a quick method to identify drugs with high binding capacity with COVID-19 by virtual screening based on the clinical drug libraries; all these drugs have been widely used in clinical applications with guaranteed safety, which may serve as promising candidates to treat the infection of COVID-19. In this article, we summarize the discovery and clinical application of specific drugs against COVID-19 as potential inhibitors to alleviate the current epidemic.
Finding matched blood in autoimmune hemolytic anemic (AIHA) patients is extremely difficult due to autoantibodies. Generally, these antibodies directed against antigens of high prevalence. It is essential for transfusion purposes to provide blood without alloantibodies. We report three cases of mixed AIHA in children. Mixed AIHA may present with blood group discrepancy, as well as incompatibility may possess difficult situation for transfusion laboratory to provide blood units to patients. The patient must be transfused cautiously with least-incompatible, ABO and Rh/ Kell phenotype-matched packed red blood cells slowly under strict supervision and steroid cover.
Purpose: Human papillomavirus-associated head–and-neck squamous cell cancer (HNSCC) is following an increasing trend in Western countries, which has unique biology and confers better prognosis, whereas there are limited data from Indian studies in this context. Methods: We conducted a prospective cohort study to evaluate the clinicopathological association of p16 in locally advanced HNSCC and its impact on outcome of chemoradiation. The study population was divided into two arms; p16-positive and p16-negative arms. All patients were treated with concurrent chemoradiation using weekly cisplatin. Statistical Analysis Used: SPSS version 21 for Windows was used for statistical analysis. Chi-square test and multivariate analysis were performed to evaluate different association and impact of p16. P <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: The present study found p16-positive HNSCC patients to be associated with better performance status (P = 0.010), oropharyngeal primary location (P = 0.034), advanced nodal stage at presentation (P = 0.000), and higher histopathologic grade of tumor (P = 0.021) and was associated with better response (P = 0.005) to concurrent chemoradiation. Subsite analysis revealed p16-positive oropharyngeal squamous cell cancer (OPSCC) to have significantly better response (P = 0.036) to chemoradiation, whereas a trend toward better response to chemoradiation (P = 0.066) was found among p16-positive non-OPSCC. Higher p16 expression score was associated with better (P = 0.000) response to chemoradiation. Multivariate analysis revealed p16 to have an independent positive impact on tumor response to chemoradiation in HNSCC irrespective of tumor subsite. Conclusion: p16 overexpression is a good prognostic factor in both OPSCC and non-OPSCC. Treatment response have a positive correlation with intensity of p16 staining in the tissue biopsy material.
Aim: This study aimed to investigate the effects of protein disulfide isomerase A3 (PDIA3) on the proliferation and apoptosis of colon epithelial cells, so as to explore its possible role in colon compensation of ultra-short bowel syndrome. Methods: The expression of PDIA3 gene in NCM460 colonic epithelial cells was upregulated and silenced by liposome transient transfection technique. The expression of PDIA3 protein was determined by Western blotting, the proliferation rate of NCM460 cells was detected by CCK8, and the apoptosis rate of NCM460 cells was determined by flow cytometry. Results: DNA sequencing and Western blotting results successfully verified that PDIA3 protein expression in NCM460 cells was upregulated and silenced by liposomal transfection. In the PDIA3 overexpression experiment, the proliferation rate of the experimental group was lower than that of the empty carrier group at 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h, and the apoptosis rate of the experimental group was higher than that of the empty carrier group (P < 0.05, the difference was statistically significant). In the PDIA3-silenced experiment, the proliferation rate of the experimental group was higher than that of the empty carrier group at 24 h, 48 h, and 72 h, and the apoptosis rate of the experimental group was lower than that of the empty carrier group (P < 0.05, the difference was statistically significant). Conclusion: PDIA3 inhibits the proliferation of human colonic epithelial cells (NCM460) and promotes their apoptosis, which may not be a key regulatory protein in colon compensation of ultra-short bowel syndrome.
Surface-Enhanced Raman Spectroscopy (SERS) is a sensitive and selective spectroscopic technique for the detection and characterization of analytes, which are adsorbed on suitable metal surfaces. SERS as a strategy has been widely used in detecting target molecules, and the screening of drug activity is mainly to study the biological effects of drug combined with target, so a study on biological activity of anticancer drug based on SERS is a concern to some researchers. SERS combines the advantages of positive identification of molecules in situ, stand-alone detection, well-established instrumentation with high sensitivity, and its noninvasive detection. In this paper, we review on the application of SERS in studying anticancer agent from three aspects, such as studying the effects of anticancer agent on cancer cells, detection of anticancer agent in human plasma, and testing the interaction between anticancer agent and DNA or protein.
With the application of many kinds of advanced examination techniques, the detectable rate of mixed adenoneuroendocrine carcinoma (MANEC) of the biliary-pancreatic system has increased substantially. This kind of tumor with high degree of malignancy is rarely seen. Thus, the clinical studies are difficult to carry out, most of which are just case reports. Besides, its treatments do not work effectively, albeit the diagnosis and management have changed tremendously. To deepen the understanding of MANEC of biliary-pancreatic system, this article is an overview making a generalization and summarization of the related literature as well as reviewing the main diagnosis and therapies of these rare tumors. In addition, it lays the foundation for clinical diagnosis and treatment in the future.
Stomach cancer is a common malignant disease and is generally associated with mortality. Immunotherapy, including dendritic cells combined with cytokine-induced killer cells (DC-CIK), poses a significant presence. Follow-up plays a vital role in immunotherapy with stomach cancer by effectively predicting recurrence, promptly diagnosing disease, and early intervening to improve clinical outcome and survival rate. Follow-up guideline takes into these terms which are response evaluation criteria in solid tumors, health-related quality of life, tumor markers, T-lymphocyte subsets, and cytokine on the basis of the National Comprehensive Cancer Network guideline. At the same time, the high-level follow-up team is necessary. Hitherto, there is no specific follow-up guide for immunotherapy. This article reviews the follow-up of DC-CIK with stomach cancer, and it is expected that more researchers focus on this issue to draw up utility guidelines of immunotherapy for stomach cancer.
ABO and RhD typing is an essential step before the transfusion of blood components to a patient. ABO blood group system is a significant group, which causes hemolytic transfusion reaction destroying donor red blood cells. Hence, ABO typing error should be resolved before transfusion. Especially acute leukemia patients, there is a loss of A, B, and H antigens. In this group of patients, no reaction was seen in Cell typing/forward grouping typing. An adsorption-elution study is required to support the correct blood type. Response with anti-A1, anti-AB, and anti-H in red cell typing and saliva testing is necessary to distinguish between different weak A subgroups. We presented a case of loss of A antigens and transfusion support to a leukemia patient for initiation of chemotherapy.
Background: Hepatotoxicity is one of the adverse effects that may characterize the clinical use of paclitaxel (PCL). This study examined the protective effects of coenzyme Q10 (CoQ10) and resveratrol (RSV) on PCL-induced hepatotoxicity in albino rats. Methods: Forty-five adult male albino rats randomized into nine groups of n = 5 were used. Group 1 (placebo control) and Group 2 (solvent control) received 0.2 mL of normal saline and corn oil intraperitoneally (ip) daily for 5 days, respectively. Groups 3–5 received CoQ10 (20 mg/kg), RSV (20 mg/kg), and CoQ10 + RSV ip daily for 5 days, respectively. Group 6 received a dose of 20 mg/kg of PCL ip on the 5th day. Groups 7–9 were pretreated daily with CoQ10 (20 mg/kg), RSV (20 mg/kg), and CoQ10 + RSV ip for 5 days and treated with a dose of PCL on the 5th day, respectively. Rats were sacrificed after treatment; liver samples were estimated for histology and biochemical markers. Serum samples were estimated for liver function markers. Results: The liver of PCL-treated rats showed necrosis which correlates with significant (P < 0.001) increases in serum and liver biochemical indexes; gamma glutamyl transferase, lactate dehydrogenase, bilirubin, aminotransferases, alkaline phosphatase, and malondialdehyde levels when compared to control. Liver superoxide dismutase, catalase, glutathione peroxidase, and glutathione levels were significantly (P < 0.001) decreased in PCL-treated rats when compared to control. Importantly, PCL-induced hepatotoxicity was significantly mitigated in CoQ10 (P < 0.05), RSV (P < 0.01), and CoQ10 + RSV (P < 0.001) pretreated rats when compared to PCL. Conclusion: CoQ10 and RSV were effective against PCL-induced hepatotoxicity in albino rats.
Carcinoma of the cervix has been considered as a preventable disease. However, it continues to be a significant health problem worldwide and is the second most frequent cause of cancer death among women in developing countries. It rarely metastasizes to the supraclavicular group of lymph nodes during the initial presentation, and few cases have been reported in the literature. Here, we report a case of cervical carcinoma in a 40-year-female with unusual manifestation at the time of initial presentation. The patient was diagnosed with squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix with supraclavicular lymph node metastatic FIGO Clinical Stage IVB and treated in the line of concurrent chemoradiotherapy followed by adjuvant chemotherapy. The patient is reported to be disease-free after 1 year of completion of therapy.
Background: The nephrotoxic effect of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) involves alterations in renal function markers and kidney morphology. This study assessed the protective effect of selenium (Se) on 5-FU-induced alterations in renal function markers and kidney morphology in albino rats. Materials and Methods: Forty adult albino rats of (n = 5) used were randomly grouped. Groups B-D received 0.125 mg/kg, 0.25 mg/kg and 0.50 mg/kg of Se intraperitoneally (ip) daily for 5 days, respectively. Group E received 20 mg/kg of 5-FU ip daily for 5 days. Groups F-H received 0.125 mg/kg, 0.25 mg/kg, and 0.5 mg/kg of Se before receiving 20 mg/kg of 5-FU ip daily for 5 days, respectively. Group A (Control) received 0.2 mL of normal saline ip daily for 5 days. Rats were sacrificed on the 6th day, and blood samples were collected and evaluated for markers of serum renal function. Kidneys were assessed for oxidative stress indices and histology. Results: The nephrotoxic effect of 5-FU was characterized by statistically significant (P < 0.001) elevations in creatinine, urea, uric acid, and malondialdehyde levels in comparison to control. Furthermore, significant (P < 0.001) decreases in potassium, sodium, chloride, bicarbonate, glutathione (GSH), catalase, superoxide dismutase, and GSH peroxidase levels were obtained in 5-FU-treated rats in comparison to control. Necroses of kidney tubular epithelial cells and atrophic glomeruli were observed in rats administered with 5-FU. However, 5-FU-induced nephrotoxic changes were significantly downregulated in a dose-dependent fashion in rats supplemented with 0.125 mg/kg (P < 0.05), 0.25 mg/kg (P < 0.01), and 0.50 mg/kg (P < 0.001) of Se when compared to 5-FU treated rats. Conclusion: Supplementation with Se may have clinical benefit in nephrotoxicity caused by 5-FU.
We describe a case of B-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma with an unusual clinical presentation. A 15-year old male with no significant past medical history presented with persistent foot swelling after an ankle sprain. Imaging revealed a mass in the right foot, which was resected and revealed a diffuse infiltrate of B-lymphoblasts. Peripheral blood and bone marrow examinations revealed no abnormalities. These findings were consistent with B-cell lymphoblastic lymphoma, which is an uncommon disease, accounting for only 2% of lymphomas. This case is a reminder that hematolymphoid malignancies can have presentations that mimic sarcomas with no visible peripheral blood or bone marrow involvement. In addition to describing the clinical and histologic features of this case, we also discuss the challenges that can be encountered when establishing a diagnosis of B lymphoblastic lymphoma
The major function of fibrinolytic system is to dissolve the fibrins formed by blood coagulation and maintain the balance between blood coagulation and thrombolysis, which plays an important role in maintaining the liquid state of the blood and unclogging the blood vessels. It is a serious problem that malignant tumor does great harm to human life and health. In recent years, more and more studies signified that the fibrinolytic system in malignant tumors, especially adenocarcinoma, plays a major role in its progression, which indicates that the fibrinolytic system is of great significance in the development of malignant tumors. Besides, the fibrinolytic system has also gradually been known and used to diagnose and treat the adenocarcinoma. This article reviews how the fibrinolytic system works in the occurrence of malignant tumor and summarizes the diagnostic method and treatment of adenocarcinoma according to the latest clinical research progress, laying the foundation for further research.
Aims: To develop a free accessible online tool to identify the prognostic markers for Merkel cell carcinoma (MCC) and to estimate the significance of interested gene in a cohort of clinical patients. Settings and Design: R package is used to calculate and plot the Kaplan–Meier survival curve. Subjects and Methods: An online search engine was developed by combining MCC datasets with available anatomoclinical data in Gene Expression Omnibus. In current study, genomic expression profile of thirty patients comprising 42985 probes and 21651 genes was evaluated. Patients were divided into first quartile, second quartile, and third quartile. Information about different cancer patients of varying stages (Stage I–IV) was stored using median survival scale of 14.5 months. Data were stored in SQL Server database and hosted on Windows Server 2008 using Apache Tomcat application server. Statistical Analysis Used: Log-rank test was applied and P < 0.05 was considered statistically significant. Results: An Online Survival analysis tool for MCC abbreviating as OSMCC was developed, which can assess the expression level relevance of various genes on the clinical outcome in MCC patients. By OSMCC, the survival curve could be displayed, and the hazard ratio with 95% confidence intervals and log-rank P value can also be calculated. Conclusions: The study demonstrated the ability of OSMCC to identify and analyze transcriptome and clinical datasets for MCC through prognosis significance analysis. So far, OSMCC is the first advanced and specific tool for the prognostic measurement of MCC. Furthermore, OSMCC can prove to be a highly valuable database for the preliminary assessment and identification of potential MCC prognostic biomarkers. OSMCC is accessible at http://bioinfo.henu.edu.cn/MCC/MCCList.jsp.
The human BRCA1-associated protein 1 (BAP1), a deubiquitinase, is a tumor suppressor protein known to be associated with a multicellular complex containing tumor suppressors, thereby coregulating various cellular processes such as DNA repair, gene transcription, cell cycle progression, and phosphorylation. Mutation and inactivation of BAP1 have long been reported in many malignancies and has been deployed in the prognosis of few malignancies. However, the mechanism of BAP1 regulation and its therapeutic significance have not been thoroughly explored. In addition to deubiquitination, BAP1 also responds to DNA damage and can induce cell death via apoptosis, necrosis, and ferroptosis. The mechanistic insight of BAP1-regulation is a complex subject and its thorough understanding would address the enigma of BAP1 mutation in malignancy. There are various tiers of regulation, though still needs to be explored, of BAP1 activity such as epigenetic regulation and posttranslational modification (PTM). Of various PTMs, posttranslational phosphorylation (PTP) has been poorly understood and meekly addressed in the literature. Here, we aim to provide an updated and integrated understanding of the PTP-mediated BAP1 regulation and its plausible role in cancer prevention. Exploring the functional consequence of BAP1 phosphorylation in its deubiquitinating potential might establish a new paradigm for its regulation in maintaining cellular homeostasis and cancer prevention.
BACKGROUND:Cognitive problems have been reported in breast cancer patients after chemotherapy. A small group of older breast cancer survivors carrying the APOE4 gene, receiving chemotherapy, was at increased risk of long-term impairment of brain function. We have analyzed the expression of APOE and the next 23-ranked Alzheimer's disease (AD) susceptibility genes in malignant breast tumors. We wished to determine if these 24 genes might be related to breast cancer.METHODS:To identify the most important AD susceptibility genes, we consulted the ALZGENE database (www.alzgene.org/) which displays this information and regularly updates it. To analyze the effect of AD susceptibility genes on breast cancer, we used The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA). We analyzed TCGA data with cBioPortal for Cancer Genomics. cBioPortal provides visualization, analysis, and download of large-scale cancer genomic data sets. cBioPortal can analyze APOE in breast tumors but cannot distinguish its three alleles: E2, E3, and E4.RESULTS:About 1.6% of the tumors had APOE amplification (copy number alteration). Two percent of the tumors had CD33 alterations. None of the tumors had APOE mutations. Two tumors had CD33 missense mutations of unknown significance. Expression heatmap shows that over- or underexpression of APOE and CD33 was correlated in most of the tumors. APOE alteration significantly co-occurred with CD33 and CD2AP.CONCLUSION:Alterations of certain cancer genes tend to co-occur, indicating that they may work in tandem to drive tumor formation and development. This may be the case with the co-occurring alterations of APOE, CD33, and CD2AP. It would be important to know which APOE allele(s) were co-occurrent with CD33 and CD2AP and whether co-occurrence in the tumor predicted increased risk of AD. This information could help in identification of specific risk factors for breast cancer-related cognitive decline in older women, which has important implications for oncology care.
