Chemotherapy combined with endocrine neoadjuvant therapy for hormone receptor-positive local advanced breast cancer: a case report and literature review.

Background: Early studies have revealed antagonistic effects associated with stacking chemotherapy (CT) and endocrine therapy (ET), thereby conventional wisdom does not advocate the simultaneous combination of these two treatment modalities. Limited clinical studies exist on the combined use of neoadjuvant CT (NACT) and neoadjuvant ET (NET), and there are no reported instances of concurrent neoadjuvant treatment for locally advanced breast cancer (LABC) using capecitabine and fulvestrant (FUL). Case presentation: We reported a 54-year-old woman who was diagnosed with hormone receptor-positive (HR+) LABC at our hospital. After neoadjuvant treatment involving two distinct CT regimens did not lead to tumor regression. Consequently, the patient was transitioned to concurrent capecitabine and FUL therapy. This change resulted in favorable pathological remission without any significant adverse events during treatment. Conclusions: A novel approach involving concurrent neoadjuvant therapy with CT and endocrine therapy may offer a potentially effective treatment avenue for some cases with HR+ LABC.

Detection of thyroglobulin for diagnosis of metastatic lateral cervical lymph nodes in papillary thyroid carcinoma: accuracy and application in clinical practice.

Background: Accurate assessment of lateral cervical lymph node metastasis (LLNM) involvement is important for treating papillary thyroid carcinoma (PTC). Thyroglobulin is associated with LLNM, but there may be differences in the diagnostic value of serum thyroglobulin (sTg) and fine needle aspiration washout fluid thyroglobulin (FNA-Tg). Herein, we investigated the optimal cutoff value (OCV) of sTg and FNA-Tg and their diagnostic performance. Methods: We enrolled 116 PTC patients who underwent radical resection of thyroid carcinoma with lateral cervical lymph node dissection at the Affiliated Hospital of Zunyi Medical University from June 2018 to July 2022. We used the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis to determine the OCV for sTg and FNA-Tg to diagnose LLNM in PTC patients. We also evaluated the performance of FNA-Tg, sTg, fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC), and their combinations for diagnosis. Pathological results were the gold standard. Results: We performed 125 lymph node dissections, 106 had metastasis, and 19 did not. The OCV for sTg was 17.31 ng/mL [area under the curve (AUC) =0.760, sensitivity =78.30%, specificity =73.68%, and accuracy =77.60%]. Meanwhile, the OCV for FNA-Tg was 4.565 ng/mL (AUC =0.948, sensitivity =89.62%, specificity =100%, and accuracy =91.20%). The combination of FNAC and FNA-Tg presented the greatest diagnostic performance for LLNM detection in PTC patients. Moreover, serum antithyroglobulin antibody (TgAb) was not correlated with sTg or FNA-Tg levels. Conclusions: The cutoff value for the diagnosis of LLNM in PTC are sTg >17.31 ng/mL or FNA-Tg >4.565 ng/mL. The combination method of FNA-Tg and FNAC is the most optimal choice for the diagnosis of LLNM and is highly recommended for further clinical application.

LCN2: Versatile players in breast cancer.

Lipocalin 2 (LCN2) is a secreted glycoprotein that is produced by immune cells, including neutrophils and macrophages. It serves various functions such as transporting hydrophobic ligands across the cellular membrane, regulating immune responses, keeping iron balance, and fostering epithelial cell differentiation. LCN2 plays a crucial role in several physiological processes. LCN2 expression is upregulated in a variety of human diseases and cancers. High levels of LCN2 are specifically linked to breast cancer (BC) cell proliferation, apoptosis, invasion, migration, angiogenesis, immune regulation, chemotherapy resistance, and prognosis. As a result, LCN2 has gained attention as a potential therapeutic target for BC. This article offered an in-depth review of the advancement of LCN2 in the context of BC occurrence and development.

Isolated soft tissue tuberculosis: a case report and literature review.

Soft tissue tuberculosis is a rare extrapulmonary form of tuberculosis with limited experience in diagnosis and treatment. Soft tissue tuberculosis is an extrapulmonary infection with atypical clinical symptoms that can be easily misdiagnosed. In this article, we report a case of a female patient with isolated soft tissue tuberculosis who presented with a progressively enlarging subcutaneous mass as the primary symptom, and was suspected of having a subcutaneous lipoma after ultrasonography. A review of the literature revealed that soft tissue tuberculosis is insidious and mainly occurs in muscles and subcutaneous tissues. It was indicated by histopathology and qPCR testing for Mycobacterium tuberculosis complex. There is no standard treatment protocol for soft tissue tuberculosis, and a comprehensive regimen of surgical debridement of the lesion combined with chemotherapy can be used following the guidelines for treating extrapulmonary tuberculosis. Early diagnosis and standardized anti-tuberculosis treatment can significantly improve the prognosis of patients.

Modification of a Novel Umami Octapeptide with Trypsin Hydrolysis Sites via Homology Modeling and Molecular Docking.

Increasing the copy number of peptides is an effective method to genetically engineer recombinant expression and obtain umami peptides in large quantities. However, the umami taste value of multicopy number umami peptides is lower than the single ones, thus limiting the industrial application of recombinantly expressed umami peptides. With aims to solve this problem, modification of an umami beefy meaty peptide (BMP) with trypsin hydrolysis sites was carried out via homology modeling and molecular docking in this study. A total of 1286 modified peptide sequences were created and molecularly simulated for docking with the homology modeling-constructed umami receptor (T1R1/T1R3), and 837 peptides were found to be better docked than the BMP. Afterward, the MLSEDEGK peptide with the highest docking score was synthesized. And umami taste evaluation results demonstrated that this modified peptide was close to that of monosodium glutamate (MSG) and BMP, as confirmed by electronic tongue and sensory evaluation (umami value: 8.1 ± 0.2 for BMP; 8.2 ± 0.3 for MLSEDEGK peptide). Meanwhile, mock trypsin digestion of eight copies of MLSEDEGK peptide results showed that the introduced digestion sites were effective. Therefore, the novel modified BMP in this study has the potential for large-scale production by genetic engineering.

Significant efficacy of paclitaxel plus carboplatin (TP) as a neoadjuvant regimen for metaplastic squamous cell carcinoma of the breast: a rare case report and literature review.

Background: Metaplastic squamous cell carcinoma of the breast (MSCCB) is a rare and aggressive type of cancer. So far, no standard treatment regimen has been established due to the absence of clinical data. Case Description: We report a case of a 48-year-old female admitted to our hospital as a result of a left breast mass with skin rupture. Core needle biopsy under ultrasonic guidance confirmed MSCCB. Immunohistochemistry revealed negative staining for estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor type 2 (HER2/neu). After receiving 4 cycles of paclitaxel and carboplatin neoadjuvant chemotherapy, the patient was treated with modified radical mastectomy. Postoperative pathology revealed a Miller-Payne score of 4 and no metastasis in the axillary lymph nodes (0/13), indicating a good response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy. She recovered well post-surgery and was discharged to home after admission. No recurrence was identified during the 2 years post-surgery follow-up. Conclusions: MSCCB is a rare and aggressive type of cancer. However, the treatment of MSCCB has not been standardized due to its rarity. Given the observation that the majority of patients with MSCCB had ER, PR, HER2-negative neoplasms, we refer to the triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) treatment protocol. TP regimen was demonstrated to be an effective treatment for TNBC. The results of this case suggest that the TP regimen is effective in neoadjuvant chemotherapy of MSCCB.

Sentinel Lymph Node Biopsy Mapped With Carbon Nanoparticle Suspensions in Patients With Breast Cancer: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis.

Background: The mapping method represents a crucial factor affecting the rate of sentinel lymph node detection in breast cancer. We carried out this meta-analysis to assess the clinical utility of carbon nanoparticle suspensions (CNSs) in guiding sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) for breast cancer patients. Methods: Electronic databases, which comprised the China National Knowledge Infrastructure, the Wanfang electronic database, the Cochrane Library, EMBASE, and PubMed, were explored to identify relevant studies from database inception to July 2021 that studied the detection rate of CNSs-guided SLNB. A meta-analysis was performed to generate pooled sensitivity, specificity, positive likelihood ratio (PLR), negative likelihood ratio (NLR), a summary receiver operator characteristic curve (SROC), and a diagnostic odds ratio (DOR). Results: A total of 33 publications that enrolled 2,171 patients were analyzed. The pooled sensitivity, specificity, PLR, and NLR were 0.93 (95% CI: 0.91-0.95, I2 = 0.0%), 0.99 (95% CI: 0.98-0.99, I2 = 56.5%), 42.85 (95% CI: 29.73-61.77, I2 = 47.0%), and 0.09 (95% CI: 0.07-0.11, I2 = 0.0%), respectively. The area under the curve (AUC) of the SROC curve was 0.98. There were no significant differences when analyzed based on the dose and site of CNS injection. There was significant publication bias among the included publications based on Deeks' funnel plot [Slope (Bias) = -7.35, P = 0.00]. Nonetheless, the sensitivity analysis identified the results to be reliable and stable. Conclusion: This meta-analysis highlights the accuracy and feasibility of using CNSs for SLNB in patients with breast cancer. Clinically, the identification and predictive values of CNSs as an optimal tracer for SLNB remains undisputed.

Comprehensive metabolite analysis of wheat dough in a continuous heating process.

Comprehensive metabolite analysis was carried out by gas chromatography combined with mass spectrometry to investigate the time-dependent metabolic changes during wheat dough heating. Thirty-five volatile metabolites comprising alcohols, ketones, aldehydes, aromatic compounds, furans, acids and esters were identified. Sixty-four non-volatile metabolites, which covered a broad spectrum of polar and non-polar constituents, were also identified and quantified. Results showed that the content of most volatile metabolites increased during heating. Meanwhile, the levels of non-volatile polar metabolites, such as sugar and amino acid, increased and the levels of non-volatile non-polar metabolites decreased or remained constant, including fatty acid methyl ester and free fatty acids. PCA results demonstrated that metabolic changes could be reflected by time-dependent shifts in the PCA loading scores during heating. Analysis of the loadings further showed that most volatile metabolites and non-volatile polar metabolites were the major contributors of the heating time-driven changes during heating. Furthermore, lipid oxidation mainly occurred in the residues of oleic acid and linoleic acid of triglycerides.

Controlled Hydrolysis of Metal-Organic Frameworks: Hierarchical Ni/Co-Layered Double Hydroxide Microspheres for High-Performance Supercapacitors.

Pseudomorphic conversion of metal-organic frameworks (MOFs) enables the fabrication of nanomaterials with well-defined porosities and morphologies for enhanced performances. However, the commonly reported calcination strategy usually requires high temperature to pyrolyze MOF particles and often results in uncontrolled growth of nanomaterials. Herein, we report the controlled alkaline hydrolysis of MOFs to produce layered double hydroxide (LDH) while maintaining the porosity and morphology of MOF particles. The preformed trinuclear M3(µ3-OH) (M = Ni2+ and Co2+) clusters in MOFs were demonstrated to be critical for the pseudomorphic transformation process. An isotopic tracing experiment revealed that the 18O-labeled M3(µ3-18OH) participated in the structural assembly of LDH, which avoided the leaching of metal cations and the subsequent uncontrolled growth of hydroxides. The resulting LDHs maintain the spherical morphology of MOF templates and possess a hierarchical porous structure with high surface area (BET surface area up to 201 m2·g-1), which is suitable for supercapacitor applications. As supercapacitor electrodes, the optimized LDH with the Ni:Co molar ratio of 7:3 shows a high specific capacitance (1652 F·g-1 at 1 A·g-1) and decent cycling performance, retaining almost 100% after 2000 cycles. Furthermore, the hydrolysis method allows the recycling of organic ligands and large-scale synthesis of LDH materials.