Genetic counseling and genetic testing for pathogenic germline mutations among high-risk patients previously diagnosed with breast cancer: a traceback approach.

Genetic counseling and testing are more accessible than ever due to reduced costs, expanding indications and public awareness. Nonetheless, many patients missed the opportunity of genetic counseling and testing due to barriers that existed at that time of their cancer diagnoses. Given the identified implications of pathogenic mutations on patients' treatment and familial outcomes, an opportunity exists to utilize a 'traceback' approach to retrospectively examine their genetic makeup and provide consequent insights to their disease and treatment. In this study, we identified living patients diagnosed with breast cancer (BC) between July 2007 and January 2022 who would have been eligible for testing, but not tested. Overall, 422 patients met the eligibility criteria, 282 were reached and invited to participate, and germline testing was performed for 238, accounting for 84.4% of those invited. The median age (range) was 39.5 (24-64) years at BC diagnosis and 49 (31-75) years at the date of testing. Genetic testing revealed that 25 (10.5%) patients had pathogenic/likely pathogenic (P/LP) variants; mostly in BRCA2 and BRCA1. We concluded that long overdue genetic referral through a traceback approach is feasible and effective to diagnose P/LP variants in patients with history of BC who had missed the opportunity of genetic testing, with potential clinical implications for patients and their relatives.

Significance of OCT3/4 and SOX2 antigens expression by leukemic blast cells in adult acute leukemia.

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to address the prognostic impact of SOX2 and OCT3/4 expression on adult acute leukemia patients' outcomes. METHODS: SOX2 and OCT3/4 expression by blast cells were evaluated by flow cytometry in 80 acute leukemia patients and 8 healthy controls. RESULTS: Baseline SOX2 and OCT3/4 expression were significantly higher in both ALL (P = < 0.001, P = 0.005 respectively) and AML patients (P < 0.001, P = 0.003 respectively) as compared to control, and decline at complete remission (CR) and elevated again at relapse. High SOX2 and OCT3/4 levels were significantly correlated with the presence of adverse risk stratification parameters. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicated that both SOX2 and OCT3/4 could serve as biomarkers that could improve risk stratification of acute leukemia patients. Also, both SOX2 and OCT3/4 might be a therapeutic target, especially in resistant acute leukemia.

Antimicrobial activity of spiculisporic acid isolated from endophytic fungus Aspergillus cejpii of Hedera helix against MRSA.

The surge in multidrug-resistant pathogens worldwide has jeopardized the clinical efficiency of many current antibiotics. This problem steered many researchers in their quest to discover new effective antimicrobial agents from natural origins including plants or their residing endophytes. In this work, we aimed to identify the endophytic fungi derived from Hedera helix L. and investigate their potential antimicrobial activity. Bioguided fractionation approach was conducted to isolate the pure compounds from the most active fungal fraction. Out of a total of six different isolated endophytic fungal strains, only Aspergillus cejpii showed the highest activity against all tested microbial strains. The most active fraction was the dichloromethane/methanol fraction (DCM:MeOH), where it showed significant activity against Escherichia coli, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus, Serratia marcescens, Acinetobacter baumannii, Salmonella typhi, and three drug-resistant clinical isolate strains including Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA, H1), Pseudomonas aeruginosa (PS 16), and Acinetobacter baumannii (ACT 322) using tetracyline and kanamycin as the control antibiotics. Bioguided fractionation of the active fraction led to the isolation of the γ-butenolide, spiculisporic acid. Structure elucidation was carried out using 1H and 13C-NMR spectroscopic analysis. The compound showed good antimicrobial activities with minimum inhibitory concentration (MIC) values ranging from 3.9 to 31.25 µg/mL against all tested strains. Gas chromatography coupled to mass spectrometry (GC-MS) profiling was also carried out to identify the metabolites in the microbial crude extract. In conclusion, endophytic fungi, Aspergillus cejpii, isolated from Hedera helix L. roots showed promising antimicrobial activity which merits further in-depth investigations for potential utilization as a source of new antibiotics in the future. It can also be considered as a novel source for spiculisporic acid.

Survival Outcomes after Placement of Inferior Vena Cava Filters in Cancer Patients: Insights from a Comprehensive Cancer Center's Experience.

BACKGROUND: Inferior vena cava (IVC) filters serve as a vital intervention when systemic anticoagulation proves ineffective or contraindicated, particularly in the context of cancer patients. This study aimed to provide real-world insights into the outcomes of cancer patients following IVC filter placement. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Cancer patients with IVC filters were retrospectively reviewed. The indications and survival outcomes following IVC filter insertion have been reported. RESULTS: A total of 176 cancer patients with IVC filters were included in the study. The median patient age was 56 years (range: 18-88 years). Solid tumors were the most common primary cancers (n = 125, 71.0%), and the majority (n = 99, 79.2%) had the advanced-stage disease at the time of IVC insertion. The filters were inserted because of contraindications to anticoagulation (n = 99, 56.3%) or the failure of anticoagulation (n = 56, 31.8%). The median survival (range) following filter placement was only 2 (1.45-2.55) months for patients with advanced-stage solid tumors, 5 (0.62-9.38) months for patients with brain tumors, and 44 (8.59-79.41) months for those with early-stage solid tumors, p < 0.001. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest that IVC filter placement offers limited benefits to patients with advanced-stage disease. The underlying tumor, stage, and life expectancy are crucial factors in the decision-making process before IVC filter insertion.

Aggressiveness of Cancer Care at End of Life in Patients with Metastatic Breast Cancer in Jordan.

Background: Contrary to Western societies, more than 15% of patients with breast cancer in Jordan are diagnosed with stage IV disease. In this study, we evaluate the value of early palliative care integration in the end-of-life care of such patients. Methods: All consecutive adult patients who died between 2014 to 2018, while under the care of our institution, with a confirmed diagnosis of breast cancer at the time of death, irrespective of place of death, were retrospectively reviewed. Results: During the study period, a total of 433 patients, median age 51.6 years, were included in the analysis. Among the whole group, 102 (23.6%) were referred to palliative care service early (≥30 days prior to death), 182 (42.0%) had late referral (<30 days from death), while 149 (34.4%) were never referred and were followed up by their medical oncologists. During the last 30 days prior to death, patients who were never referred to palliative care were more likely to visit the Emergency Room (ER) more than once (OR 1.89, 95% CI 1.20-2.99, p = 0.006), more likely to be admitted to the hospital more than once (OR 2.27, 95% CI 1.38-3.73, p = 0.001), and more likely to be admitted to the intensive care unit (ICU) (OR 3.07, 95% CI 1.48-6.38, p = 0.0027). Fewer patients in the "no referral" group died with advance directives compared to those who had early or late referral; 60.8%, 75.0% and 82.5%, respectively, p = 0.0003. Survival of patients followed by medical oncologist was not better than those referred to palliative care, either late or early; median survival was 19.0, 19.1 and 23.8 months, respectively (p = 0.2338). Conclusion: Findings suggest that earlier palliative care referral is associated with less aggressive end-of-life care, leading to less frequent ER visits, hospital and ICU admissions during the last month of life, and does not compromise survival.

Optimization and characterization of antileukemic L-asparaginase produced by Fusarium solani endophyte.

L-asparaginase is an antileukemic enzyme that hydrolyzes L-asparagine into L-aspartic acid and ammonia, causing cell starvation and apoptosis in susceptible leukemic cell populations. Currently, L-asparaginase obtained from bacterial sources is constrained by several issues, including lesser productivity, stability, selectivity, and higher toxicity. The goal of this study is to provide fungal L-asparaginase with in-vitro effectiveness towards different human carcinomas. L-asparaginase from endophytic Fusarium solani (Gene Bank accession number MW209717) isolated from the roots of the medicinal plant Hedera helix L. was characterized and optimized experimentally for maximum L-asparaginase production in addition to evaluating its subsequent cytotoxicity towards acute monocytic leukemia and human skin fibroblast cell lines. The enzyme production was maximized using potato dextrose media (15.44 IU/ml/hr) at the 5th and 6th days of fermentation with incubation temperature 30 °C, 3% asparagine, 150-180 rpm agitation rate and a 250 ml flask. Enzyme characterization studies revealed that the enzyme maintained its thermal stability with temperatures up to 60 °C. However, its optimal activity was achieved at 35 °C. On measuring the enzymatic activity at various temperatures and different pH, maximum enzyme activity was recorded at 40 °C and pH 8 using 0.1 M asparagine concentration. Results also revealed promising cytotoxic activity against acute monocytic leukemia with IC50 = 3.66 µg/ml and low cytotoxicity against tested normal human skin fibroblast cell line which suggested that it might have selective toxicity, and consequently it could be used as a less toxic alternative to the current formulations.

Differences in Treatment Outcomes Between Patients with HER2-Low versus HER2-Zero, Hormone Receptor-Positive Advanced-Stage Breast Cancer Treated with Ribociclib.

Background: Metastatic breast cancers (MBC) with no expression of human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2) are recently classified into two groups; HER2-zero [HER2-immunohistochemistry (IHC) score of 0 (IHC-0)] and HER2-low, defined as those with IHC score of 1+ or 2+ with negative in situ hybridization (ISH) assay. We investigate differences in treatment outcomes between both groups treated with endocrine therapy (ET) and the CDK4/6 inhibitor ribociclib. Methods: Data were retrospectively collected for patients with HR-positive+/HER2-negative MBC who received ribociclib with an aromatase inhibitor (AI) or fulvestrant and were divided into two groups: HER2-zero and HER2-low. Results: A total of 257 patients, median age 48 (22-87) years, all with MBC who were treated with ET and ribociclib were enrolled. One hundred and thirty-seven (53.3%) patients had de novo MBC, and majority (n = 162, 63.0%) received ribociclib as a first-line therapy. In total, 114 (44.4%) patients had HER2-zero (IHC-0), while 143 (55.6%) others had HER2-low disease. The overall response rate (ORR) was 52.0% for the HER2-zero group compared to 39.4% for the HER2-low group, p = 0.005. The median PFS was 22.2 (95% confidence interval [CI], 19.4-NR) months for HER2-zero versus 17.3 (95% CI, 14.1-20.6) months for HER2-low, P = 0.0039. In multivariable analysis, HER2-low expression remained significant determinant of inferior PFS after adjusting for other factors, including the site of metastasis, prior chemotherapy, and the line of treatment. Conclusion: In patients with MBC treated with ET and ribociclib, level of HER2 negativity may affect treatment outcomes; patients with HER2-zero had better response rate and PFS compared to those with HER2-low disease. These findings, if confirmed in larger studies, may help oncologists select patients with HER2-low for better treatment options.

Guideline-Based, Multi-Gene Panel Germline Genetic Testing for at-Risk Patients with Breast Cancer.

Background: Genetic testing for at-risk patients with breast cancer should be routinely offered. Knowledge generated may influence both treatment decisions and cancer prevention strategies among the patients themselves and their relatives. In this study, we report on the prevalence and patterns of germline mutations, using commercially available next-generation sequencing (NGS)-based multi-gene panels (MGP). Patients and Methods: Consecutive at-risk breast cancer patients, as determined by international guidelines, were offered germline genetic testing using a 20-gene NGS-based panel at a reference lab. Samples of peripheral blood were obtained for DNA extraction and genetic variants were classified as benign/likely benign (negative), pathogenic/likely pathogenic (positive) or variants of uncertain significance (VUS). Results: A total of 1310 patients, median age (range) 43 (19-82) years, were enrolled. Age ≤45 years (n = 800, 61.1%) was the most common indication for testing. Positive family history of breast, ovarian, pancreatic or prostate cancers, and triple-negative disease were among the common indications. Among the whole group, 184 (14.0%) patients had pathogenic/likely pathogenic variants; only 90 (48.9%) were in BRCA1 or BRCA2, while 94 (51.9%) others had pathogenic variants in other genes; mostly in APC, TP53, CHEK2 and PALB2. Mutation rates were significantly higher among patients with positive family history (p = 0.009); especially if they were 50 years or younger at the time of breast cancer diagnosis (p < 0.001). Patients with triple-negative disease had relatively higher rate (17.5%), and mostly in BRCA1/2 genes (71.4%). Variants of uncertain significance (VUS) were reported in 559 (42.7%) patients; majority (90.7%) were in genes other than BRCA1 or BRCA2. Conclusion: Pathogenic mutations in genes other than BRCA1/2 are relatively common and could have been missed if genetic testing was restricted to BRCA1/2. The significantly high rate of VUS associated with multi-gene panel testing can be disturbing.

Clinical Implication of DNMT3A and TET2 Genes Mutations in Cytogenetically Normal Acute Myeloid Leukemia.

BACKGROUND: Refining risk stratification of cytogenetically  normal AML (CN-AML) cases is important for decision making and tailoring of therapy. In this context genetic and epigenetic mutations was considered. Among these epigenetic regulators are DNMT3A & TET2 genes. Therefore, the aim of  this study was to determine the prevalence of DNMT3A and TET2 genes mutations and their impact on the outcome of  adult AML patients. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: The present study is cross sectional study which was conducted on 39 adult CN-AML patients at diagnosis. For all included patients sanger sequencing was done for DNMT3A exon 23 and TET2 exon 3 genes. RESULTS: DNMT3A mutations were detected in 8 of 39 patients (20.5%), and in 5 of 39 patients(12.8%) in TET gene. Two CN-AML  patients had combined mutations in both genes. All of the mutations detected were missense and only one was frame shift. Mutated TET2 or DNMT3A genes were significantly associated with failure of complete remission (CR) (p <0.001), higher mortality rate, shorter OS (mean=16 versus 22.7 months) and shorter DFS (mean= 9.5 versus 21.4 months) when compared to non-mutated ones. CONCLUSION: Mutated TET2 and DNMT3A detection define a subgroup of CN-AML patients with poor outcome.

Cyclodepsipeptides: Isolation from Endophytic Fungi of Sarcophyton ehrenbergi and Verification of Their Larvicidal Activity via In-Vitro and In-Silico Studies.

Culex pipiens mosquitoes are vectors to many viruses and can transmit diseases such as filariasis and avian malaria. The present study evaluated the larvicidal activity of marine-derived endophytic fungi Aspergillus nomius and Aspergillus flavus from the soft coral Sarcophyton ehrenbergi along with two known cyclodepsipeptide compounds, scopularide A (1) and B (2), isolated from A. flavus extract, against third-instar larvae of C. pipiens, using distilled water as a negative control and toosenedanin as a positive control. The structures of the isolated compounds were confirmed by various spectroscopic analyses. The lethal concentrations (LC50 and LC90) were calculated by probit analysis. Scopularide A was the most potent after 96 h treatment, with LC50 and LC90 values of 58.96 and 994.31 ppm, respectively, and with 82.66% mortality at a concentration of 300 ppm. To unravel the biochemical mechanism of the tested extracts and compounds, their effects against protease, chitinase, phenoloxidases and lipase enzymes from the whole-body tissue of C. pipiens were evaluated after 72 h treatment at LC50 dose. Superior activity was observed for A. flavus extract against all tested enzymes. A molecular docking study was conducted for scopularide A and B on the four tested enzymes, to further verify the observed activity. Results revealed good binding affinities for both compounds as compared to the docked ligands, mainly via a number of hydrogen bonds. This was the first study to report the isolation of endophytic fungi A. flavus and A. nomius from the marine soft coral S. ehrenbergi. The endophytic fungal extract of A. flavus was found to be a promising source for a natural larvicidal agent against C. pipiens populations.

Thromboembolic Events in Patients with HER2-Negative, Hormone Receptor-Positive, Metastatic Breast Cancer Treated with Ribociclib Combined with Letrozole or Fulvestrant: A Real-World Data.

Purpose: Cyclin dependent kinase (CDK) 4/6 inhibitors (palbociclib, ribociclib and abemaciclib) modulate endocrine resistance and are integral treatment for patients with advanced hormone receptor (HR)-positive, human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative breast cancer. Since their approval, CDK4/6 inhibitors are widely used in clinical practice. Thromboembolic events (TEE) were not a major issue in patients treated on clinical trials utilizing these agents. However, conflicting data started to emerge describing higher than expected rates of both arterial and venous thrombosis in patients treated with CDK4/6 inhibitors. In this study, we report our experience on TEE in patients treated with one of these agents (ribociclib) in real-world settings. Patients and Methods: All consecutive patients with metastatic breast cancer (mBC) treated with ribociclib combined with letrozole or fulvestrant were retrospectively reviewed. All episodes of radiologically confirmed arterial or venous thrombosis were recorded. TEE was considered ribociclib-related if diagnosed while patients are on the drug, or within 4 weeks after the last dose. Results: A total of 305 patients, median age (range), 49 (22-87) years were enrolled. All patients had metastatic disease, and most (n=241, 79.0%) were with visceral metastasis. Ribociclib was used for a median duration of 7 months (range: 1-45) and was used beyond the first-line setting in 110 (35.9%) patients. TEE were confirmed on 6 (1.97%) patients; 3 were pulmonary embolism, 2 cerebral venous sinus thrombosis (CVST), and one case of limb ischemia and all were symptomatic. Similar rates of TEE were noted prior to initiation, and after stopping ribociclib. Conclusion: In real-world settings, breast cancer patients treated with ribociclib, combined with aromatase inhibitors or fulvestrant, may not be at higher risk for thromboembolic events. However, unusual sites of thrombosis, like CVST, may raise some concerns.

Potential Anticancer Activity of the Furanocoumarin Derivative Xanthotoxin Isolated from Ammi majus L. Fruits: In Vitro and In Silico Studies.

Ammi majus L., an indigenous plant in Egypt, is widely used in traditional medicine due to its various pharmacological properties. We aimed to evaluate the anticancer properties of Ammi majus fruit methanol extract (AME) against liver cancer and to elucidate the active compound(s) and their mechanisms of action. Three fractions from AME (Hexane, CH2Cl2, and EtOAc) were tested for their anticancer activities against HepG2 cell line in vitro (cytotoxicity assay, cell cycle analysis, annexin V-FITC apoptosis assay, and autophagy efflux assay) and in silico (molecular docking). Among the AME fractions, CH2Cl2 fraction revealed the most potent cytotoxic activity. The structures of compounds isolated from the CH2Cl2 fraction were elucidated using 1H- and 13C-NMR and found that Compound 1 (xanthotoxin) has the strongest cytotoxic activity against HepG2 cells (IC50 6.9 ± 1.07 µg/mL). Treating HepG2 cells with 6.9 µg/mL of xanthotoxin induced significant changes in the DNA-cell cycle (increases in apoptotic pre-G1 and G2/M phases and a decrease in the S-phase). Xanthotoxin induced significant increase in Annexin-V-positive HepG2 cells both at the early and late stages of apoptosis, as well as a significant decrease in autophagic flux in cancer compared with control cells. In silico analysis of xanthotoxin against the DNA-relaxing enzyme topoisomease II (PDB code: 3QX3) revealed strong interaction with the key amino acid Asp479 in a similar fashion to that of the co-crystallized inhibitor (etoposide), implying that xanthotoxin has a potential of a broad-spectrum anticancer activity. Our results indicate that xanthotoxin exhibits anticancer effects with good biocompatibility toward normal human cells. Further studies are needed to optimize its antitumor efficacy, toxicity, solubility, and pharmacokinetics.

Vitiligo-Like Lesions in a Patient with Metastatic Breast Cancer Treated with Cyclin-Dependent Kinase (CDK) 4/6 Inhibitor: A Case Report and Literature Review.

BACKGROUND: Cyclin-dependent kinase (CDK) 4/6 inhibitors have revolutionized the treatment landscape of hormone receptor-positive (HR+), human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-negative (HER2-) metastatic breast cancer, with an impressive efficacy and safety profile. Cytopenia is the main adverse event, which is both predictable and manageable. Here, we report a case of CDK4/6 inhibitor-induced vitiligo-like lesions. Vitiligo or vitiligo-like lesions are a rare adverse event; only a few cases are reported in the literature. CASE PRESENTATION: A 71-year-old female patient was diagnosed initially with early-stage right breast cancer (HR+/HER2-) and was treated with breast-conserving surgery followed by chemotherapy, radiotherapy, and hormonal therapy. A few years later, she developed metastatic disease to the hilar lymph nodes, and to multiple skeletal sites, including the left scapula, left shoulder, left iliac bone, and dorsal vertebrae, for which she was treated with ribociclib and letrozole. While on treatment, she developed hypopigmented lesions involving both hands, feet, and face, which were described as vitiligo-like lesions. CONCLUSION: CDK4/6 inhibitor-induced vitiligo is a rare and unpredictable adverse event. This case report highlights the rarity of this adverse event, the dilemma related to the optimal treatment, and decisions related to continuation, holding, or switching CDK4/6 inhibitors.

Impact of Central Nervous System International Prognostic Index on the Treatment of Diffuse Large B Cell Lymphoma.

Background The central nervous system international prognostic index (CNS-IPI) is being used widely for the identification of patients with diffuse large B cell lymphoma (DLBCL) with a high risk of central nervous system (CNS) relapse. The aim of our study is to confirm the value of the CNS-IPI in predicting CNS relapse in our young study population and to evaluate its impact on the selection of patients for CNS prophylaxis. Methods We retrospectively reviewed patients diagnosed with DLBCL who were treated with rituximab, cyclophosphamide, doxorubicin, vincristine, and prednisone (RCHOP) regimen from January 2010 till December 2018. Correlation between CNS-IPI and cumulative incidence of CNS relapse and time to CNS relapse was examined through Kaplan-Meier plots. Median time to CNS relapse and median overall survival after CNS relapse were also estimated using the Kaplan-Meier plots.  Results A total of 354 patients were included. The median age was 46 years. Overall, 5% of the patients developed CNS relapse. Median survival after CNS relapse was seven months. Two-year CNS relapse rates according to CNS-IPI were 0.7%, 5.1%, and 26% for low, intermediate, and high-risk, groups respectively. On multivariate analysis, poor performance status (p=0.045), involvement of two or more extranodal sites (p= 0.021), involvement of bone marrow (p= 0.029), and renal or adrenal glands (p= 0.006) significantly correlated with CNS relapse. Considering the CNS-IPI and high-risk anatomical sites (breast, uterus, testis, and epidural space), 26% of our patients with DLBCL would have needed prophylaxis. Conclusion Although CNS-IPI helps in better selection of DLBCL patients for CNS prophylaxis, it can possibly increase the number of patients exposed to unnecessary prophylaxis. More investigational biomarkers are needed to better refining high-risk patients.

Predictors of Venous Thromboembolism in Patients With Testicular Germ Cell Tumors: A Retrospective Study.

Malignancy, including testicular tumors, significantly increases the risk of venous thromboembolism (VTE). In this study, we search for predictors that may help identify subgroups of patients at higher risk of VTE. Patients with confirmed diagnosis of testicular germ cell tumor and proven VTE were identified. Clinical and pathological features possibly associated with VTE were reviewed. A total of 322 patients, median age (range) 31 (18-76) years were identified. Tumors were mostly non-seminoma (n = 194, 60.2%), node-positive (n = 130, 40.4%) and 58 (18.0%) had metastatic disease at diagnosis. Venous thromboembolism were confirmed in 27 (8.4%) patients; however, rates were significantly higher (P < 0.001) in patients with node-positive (18.5%), metastatic disease (22.4%), and those with high lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) (21.3%). Rates were also significantly higher among those who received multiple lines of chemotherapy (27.5%) compared to those who received one line (13.8%) or none (<1.0%), P < 0.001. Patients with testicular tumors and high tumor burden, including nodal involvement, high LDH or metastatic disease, and those treated with multiple lines of chemotherapy have significantly higher rates of VTE.

Patterns and Prevalence of BRCA1 and BRCA2 Germline Mutations Among Patients with Triple-Negative Breast Cancer: Regional Perspectives.

BACKGROUND: Among all subtypes, patients with triple-negative (TN) breast cancer is known for their poor outcome and their higher risk of harboring BRCA1 or BRCA2 pathogenic mutations. Identification of such mutations has clinical impact on breast and ovarian cancer prevention and treatment decisions. We here report on patterns and prevalence of BRCA1 and BRCA2 mutations among Arab patients diagnosed with TN subtype. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with TN-breast cancer (n=197) were enrolled regardless of their age or family history. Following a detailed genetic counseling, BRCA1/2 testing was performed at reference labs. BRCA1 and BRCA2 variants were classified as negative, pathogenic/likely pathogenic (positive) and variants of uncertain significance (VUS). RESULTS: Median age of enrolled patients was 42 (range, 19-74) years and 27 (13.7%) were non-Jordanian Arabs. Among the study group, 50 (25.4%) were tested positive for BRCA1 (n=36, 18.3%) or BRCA2 (n=14, 7.1%), while 14 (7.1%) others had VUS. Compared to older ones, mutation rates were higher among patients <40 years (32.9%, P= 0.034), those with close relatives with breast, ovarian, pancreatic or prostate cancer (37.8%, P=0.002) and those with two or more breast cancers (41.4%, P=0.032). Among eligible patients, 23 (63.9%) patients underwent prophylactic mastectomy, while 19 (52.8%) patients had risk-reducing salpingo-oophorectomy. None of the patients with VUS underwent any prophylactic surgery. CONCLUSION: Arab patients with TN-breast cancer have relatively high BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation rates. Young age at diagnosis and personal and family history of breast cancer further increase this risk.

Assessment of Conventional Solvent Extraction vs. Supercritical Fluid Extraction of Khella (Ammi visnaga L.) Furanochromones and Their Cytotoxicity.

BACKGROUND: Khella (Ammi visnaga Lam.) fruits (Apiaceae) are rich in furanochromones, mainly khellin and visnagin, and are thus incorporated in several pharmaceutical products used mainly for treatment of renal stones. METHODS: The objective of this study was to compare the yield of khellin and visnagin obtained using different conventional solvents and supercritical fluid extraction (SCFE) with carbon dioxide (containing 5% methanol as co-solvent). Water, acetone and ethanol (30% and 95%) were selected as conventional solvents. RESULTS: Highest extract yield was obtained from 30% ethanol (15.44%), while SCFE gave the lowest yield (4.50%). However, the percentage of furanochromones were highest in SCFE (30.1%), and lowest in boiling water extract (5.95%). HPLC analysis of conventional solvent extracts showed other coumarins that did not appear in supercritical fluid extraction chromatogram due to non-selectivity of solvent extraction. Ammi visnaga extracts as well as standard khellin and visnagin were tested for their cytotoxic activity using sulforhodamine B assay on breast cancer (MCF-7) and hepatocellular carcinoma (Hep G2) cell lines. Results revealed a strong cytotoxic activity (IC50 < 20 µg/mL) for the SCFE and standard compounds (khellin and visnagin) (IC50 ranging between 12.54 ± 0.57 and 17.53 ± 1.03 µg/mL). However, ethanol and acetone extracts had moderate cytotoxic activity (IC50 20-90 µg/mL) and aqueous extract had a weak activity (IC50 > 90 µg/mL). CONCLUSIONS: Thus, supercritical fluid extraction is an efficient, relatively safe, and cheap technique that yielded a more selective purified extract with better cytotoxic activity.

Effect of level of hormone-receptor expression on treatment outcomes of "triple-positive" early-stage breast cancer.

PURPOSE: Breast cancer that overexpresses the human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2) and both estrogen (ER) and progesterone (PR) receptors is recently recognized as a subtype (triple-positive) with distinctive behavior and response to treatment. In this study, we investigate the treatment outcomes and the beneficial effect of anti-HER2 treatment in relation to level of hormone-receptor (HR) expression. METHODS: Consecutive breast cancer patients with triple-positive disease, diagnosed, treated and followed at our institution between 2006 and 2016 were enrolled. Disease-free survival (DFS) was studied in relation to the level of HR-positivity. RESULTS: During the study period, a total of 312 were enrolled; median age (range) was 47 (20-83) years. Fifty (16.0%) of the enrolled patients received adjuvant chemotherapy without trastuzumab (cohort A). All remaining patients were treated with both chemotherapy and trastuzumab and were divided into two groups: Cohort B with both ER and PR scores ≥ 50% (n = 130, 41.7%) and Cohort C with ER and/or PR < 50% (n = 132, 42.3%). After a median follow-up of 47 months, 14 (28.0%), 30 (23.1%) and 20 (15.2%) patients in cohorts A, B, and C had an event in a form of local/system relapse or death while disease-free. The estimated 5-year DFS was 56.2%, 75.4%, and 80.8%, respectively, and at 7 year was 56.2%, 67.1%, and 78.0%, respectively (p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: HER2-positive tumors are not homogeneous; stronger ER/PR co-expression may weaken the beneficial effect of anti-HER2 therapy. Such findings may have potential implication on modifying anti-HER2 treatment based on the strength of HR expression.

Clinical Value of NOTCH1 Mutations Detection among Chronic Lymphocytic Leukemia Patients.

BACKGROUND: The data about the clinical impact of NOTCH1 mutations among Egyptians B - cell chronic lymphocytic patients is not previously identified. We herein, evaluate the prevalence and the prognostic significance of neurogenic locus notch homolog protein-1 (NOTCH1) mutations in B- cell lymphocytic leukemia (B-CLL). METHODS: A cohort of 105 Egyptian B-CLL patients aging from 43 to 86 years. PCR products including NOTCH1 exon 26, 27, and distal part of exon 34 expanding the sequences encoding transcription activation domain (TAD) and a peptide sequence rich in proline (P), glutamic acid (E), serine (S), threonine (T) (PEST domains) were sequenced by direct DNA Sanger sequencing. RESULTS: NOTCH1 mutations were detected in 48/105 of patients (45.7%). Mutations in B-CLL patients are insertions (n=21), point mutations (n=18) and deletions (n=12). NOTCH1 mutations showed significant impact on prognosis of B-CLL patients as they were associated with increased bone marrow lymphocytes, more relapse and  high incidence of mortality, shortened overall survival and progression free survival, and lymphocytes doubling time, when compared with NOTCH1 wild type B-CLL patients (P= 0.001; 0,005; 0.042; 0.049; 0.008; 0.049 respectively). CONCLUSION: NOTCH1 mutations were considered as bad prognostic marker in B-CLL and suggested to be included in risk stratification of B-CLL patients at diagnosis.

Identification and isolation of anti-pneumonia bioactive compounds from Opuntia ficus-indica fruit waste peels.

Prickly pear fruit peel constitutes a high percentage of the fruit and could be a natural, economic agro-industrial waste of potential use in the nutraceutical industry. This study aimed to isolate and characterize the main constituents of the fruit peel and evaluate its antibacterial activity. A methanol extract was successively fractionated using hexane, chloroform and ethyl acetate. The n-hexane fraction was evaluated for its fatty acid content using gas chromatography mass spectrometry (GC-MS), revealing linolenic acid (omega-3) as the major fatty acid (60.56%), while an ethyl acetate fraction was analyzed using ultra-performance liquid chromatography electrospray tandem mass spectrometry (UPLC-ESI-MS/MS), resulting in the identification of 6 phenolic acids and 9 flavonoids, where caffeic acid (43.69%) and quercetin (14%) were found the most abundant. The ethyl acetate fraction was subjected to column chromatography, resulting in the isolation of four flavanols, viz. astragalin (1), quercetin 5,4'-dimethyl ether (2), isorhamnetin-3-O-glucoside (3) and isorhamnetin (4). Antibacterial evaluation revealed that the EtOAc fraction is the most potent active fraction against the selected pneumonia pathogens, and quercetin 5,4'-dimethyl ether (2) is the most active among the isolated compounds. Virtual docking of the isolated compounds showed promising in silico anti-quorum sensing efficacy, indicating that they could represent natural antibacterial agents. These findings indicate that the unused waste from prickly pear fruits contains valuable constituents that have beneficial potential against some pneumonia pathogens.