Monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 plasma concentration in blood from varicose veins decreases under venoactive drug treatment.

BACKGROUND: Vein-specific inflammation leads to vascular smooth muscle cells proliferation and extracellular matrix degradation of vein wall. This process is known as remodeling and is promoted by "trapped" leukocytes. Monocyte chemoattractant protein 1 (MCP-1) is a chemokine responsible for trafficking of leukocytes from blood to vein wall. The aim of this study was to measure the MCP-1 concentration in varicose veins blood before and after venoactive drug therapy and to compare it with a concentration of blood from varicose veins of subjects who did not receive drug treatment. METHODS: Non-randomized comparative study was conducted on 30 patients with primary varicose veins. 20 patients of the study group received diosmin 900 mg/hesperidin 100 mg once daily. 10 controls received no treatment. MCP-1 level was measured (pg/mL) in the blood from varicose veins twice, at the day of inclusion and after 60 days. Legs discomfort related to chronic venous disease (CVD) symptoms was measured with 10-cm Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) at inclusion and at completion of the study. RESULTS: Median (interquartile range, IQR) MCP-1 concentrations in treatment and control groups at inclusion were 171.9 (124.4-216.0) and 157.0 (120.1-163.1), resp., P=0.285. After 60 days of treatment MCP-1 level decreased, but non-significantly to 152.3 (124.1-178.3). In patients who did not receive treatment chemokine level slightly increased to 163.0 (134.0-172.9). Median changes over time were -6.6 (-30.9-7.4) and 10.6 (-3.7-19.2) in the study and control groups, resp. (P=0.048). After 60 days in 12 of 19 and 2 of 9 patients of treatments and control groups MCP-1 decreased (P=0.103). Odds ratio for MCP-1 decreasing was 9.5 (95% CI 1.1-81.5, P=0.043) for those who received venoactive drug. Mean (± standard deviation [SD]) legs discomfort significantly dropped in the study group from 5.7 (±2.5) to 1.9 (±2.2) (P=0.0003), while in controls no changes were registered: 3.4 (±1.3) and 3.5 (± 1.4), resp., P=0.28). Mean difference of VAS at baseline and at follow-up was -3.5 (±2.6) and 0.9 (±2.1), resp. (P<0.0001). CONCLUSIONS: Plasma concentration of MCP-1 in varicose veins blood demonstrates a tendency to decrease under two months treatment with a venoactive drug. Future studies are needed to reveal a possible role of MCP-1 as a target considering its role in varicose veins pathogenesis.

Proton therapy with a fixed beamline for skull-base chordomas and chondrosarcomas: outcomes and toxicity.

AIM: This study presents an analysis (efficacy and toxicity) of outcomes in patients with skull-base chordomas or chondrosarcomas treated with a fixed horizontal pencil proton beam. BACKGROUND: Chordomas (CAs) and chondrosarcomas (CSAs) are rare tumours that are usually located near the base of the skull and very close to the brain's most critical structures. Proton therapy (PT) is often considered the best radiation treatment for these diseases, but it is still a limited resource. Active scanning PT delivered via a fixed pencil beamline might be a promising option. METHODS: This is a single-centre experience describing the results of proton therapy for 31 patients with CA (n = 23) or CSA (n = 8) located near the base of the skull. Proton therapy was utilized by a fixed pencil beamline with a chair to position the patient between May 2016 and November 2020. Ten patients underwent resection (32.2%), 15 patients (48.4%) underwent R2 resection, and 6 patients had unresectable tumours (19.4%). In 4 cases, the tumours had been previously irradiated. The median PT dose was 70 GyRBE (relative biological efficacy, 1.1) [range, 60 to 74] with 2.0 GyRBE per fraction. The mean GTV volume was 25.6 cm3 [range, 4.2-115.6]. Patient demographics, pathology, treatment parameters, and toxicity were collected and analysed. Radiation-induced reactions were assessed according to the Common Terminology Criteria for Adverse Events (CTCAE) v 4.0. RESULTS: The median follow-up time was 21 months [range, 4 to 52]. The median overall survival (OS) was 40 months. The 1- and 2-year OS was 100%, and the 3-year OS was 66.3%. Four patients died due to non-cancer-related reasons, 1 patient died due to tumour progression, and 1 patient died due to treatment-related injuries. The 1-year local control (LC) rate was 100%, the 2-year LC rate was 93.7%, and the 3-year LC rate was 85.3%. Two patients with CSA exhibited progression in the neck lymph nodes and lungs. All patients tolerated PT well without any treatment interruptions. We observed 2 cases of ≥ grade 3 toxicity, with 1 case of grade 3 myelitis and 1 case of grade 5 brainstem injury. CONCLUSION: Treatment with a fixed proton beam shows promising disease control and an acceptable toxicity rate, even the difficult-to-treat subpopulation of patients with skull-base chordomas or chondrosarcomas requiring dose escalation.

Proton re-irradiation of unresectable recurrent head and neck cancers.

BACKGROUND: This study presents a retrospective analysis (efficacy and toxicity) of outcomes in patients with unresectable recurrence of previously irradiated head and neck (H&N) cancers treated with proton therapy. Locoregional recurrence is the main pattern of failure in the treatment of H&N cancers. Proton re-irradiation in patients with relapse after prior radiotherapy might be valid as promising as a challenging treatment option. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From November 2015 to January 2020, 30 patients with in-field recurrence of head and neck cancer, who were not suitable for surgery due to medical contraindications, tumor localization, or extent, received re-irradiation with intensity-modulated proton therapy (IMPT). Sites of retreatment included the aerodigestive tract (60%) and the base of skull (40%). The median total dose of prior radiotherapy was 55.0 Gy. The median time to the second course was 38 months. The median re-irradiated tumor volume was 158.1 cm3. Patients were treated with 2.0, 2.4, and 3.0 GyRBE per fraction, with a median equivalent dose (EQD2) of 57.6 Gy (α/ß = 10). Radiation-induced toxicity was recorded according to the RTOG/EORTC criteria. RESULTS: The 1- and 2-year local control (LC), progression-free survival (PFS), and overall survival (OS) were 52.6/21.0, 21.9/10.9, and 73.4/8.4%, respectively, with a median follow-up time of 21 months. The median overall survival was 16 months. Acute grade 3 toxicity was observed in one patient (3.3%). There were five late severe side effects (16.6%), with one death associated with re-irradiation. CONCLUSION: Re-irradiation with a proton beam can be considered a safe and efficient treatment even for a group of patients with unresectable recurrent H&N cancers.

Proton re-irradiation of unresectable recurrent brain gliomas: clinical outcomes and toxicity.

PURPOSE: To assess the efficacy and tolerance of proton re-irradiation in patients with unresectable recurrence of previously irradiated brain gliomas. METHODS: Between February 2016 and December 2019, 44 patients with in-field recurrence after prior irradiation of brain gliomas were irradiated with intensity-modulated proton therapy. Seven patients (15.9%) originally had low-grade (WHO grade I-II) gliomas, nine patients (20.4%) had anaplastic astrocytoma (WHO grade III), and 28 patients (63.7%) had glioblastoma (WHO grade IV). All tumors were unresectable due to their localization. After a median time from the prior irradiation of 28.0 months [range, 12 to 173], patients received PT with 2.0 and 3.0 GyRBE per fraction, with median proton EQD2 (/=10) to a tumor of 55.0 GyRBE [range, 46.0 to 61.75]. Adjuvant chemotherapy (Temozolomide, or Procarbazine, Lomustine and vincristine, or Bevacizumab with Irinotecan) received 86.9% of the patients (n=40). Treatment-related toxicity was reported following CTCAE. RESULTS: The median survival time was 12 months, with 1-year and 2-years overall survival (OS) amounting to 49.6% and 35.1%, respectively. The median progression-free survival (PFS) was 9 months, with 1- and 2-years PFS of 30.5% and 10.2%, respectively. Twenty-six patients died by the time of analysis; among them were 5 non-cancer deaths (19.2%), and 4 patients (15.4%) died of chemotherapy-associated severe toxicity. The incidence rate of radiation-induced necrosis was 6.8% (3 events). CONCLUSIONS: Based on our results, we suggest re-irradiation of recurrent brain gliomas with proton therapy is able to achieve reasonable tumor control. Low adverse events rate and promising outcomes make it a safe treatment option with curative intent, even in unresectable cases.

A Clinical Case of 5 Times Irradiated Recurrent Orbital Hemangiopericytoma.

Orbital hemangiopericytomas (HPCs) are rare mesenchymal tumors with a high tendency to recur. Treatment options are quite limited in case of a relapse, but re-irradiation can be useful. Most of the available data limit the possibility of re-irradiation, while novel techniques (e.g., pencil beam proton therapy [PT]) open new approaches for the safe repeating of treatment. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first well-documented case of multi-times (>3) irradiation of tumors located intracranially. The case reported here describes orbital HPCs with proton irradiation performed two times since 1999 in a 30-year-old woman with a medical history as well as surgery followed by conventional radiotherapy (RT) and chemotherapy, and two times stereotactic RT (in 2009 and 2013). In 2016 the patient came to our hospital with the 3rd relapse of the tumor, located in the left orbit, with an intracranial part, involving cavernous sinus, which was close to the temporal lobe. The 4th course of irradiation was done in May to June 2016 by pencil beam PT. Radiation necrosis occurred after 2 years and was treated with bevacizumab (BVZ). Three years later, another relapse was treated with PT and BVZ. The 9-month follow-up showed complete tumor response without signs of brain toxicity. The patient died due to a brain abscess 1 year after the 5th irradiation. This case shows a possibility of irradiation, applied 5 times to the same location, with promising results and manageable toxicity.

Polymorphism of Immune Response Genes as a Factor for Predisposition to Development of Diseases.

The association of particular allelic variants of genes coding proteins, such as transporter associated with processing (TAP) and heat shock protein (HSP), involved in endocellular processing of endogenous antigens, with synovium pathology accompanied with urogenital infection was observed. The particular alleles of TAP1 and TAP2 genes appeared to be the factor of predisposition or resistance for Chlamidia trachomatis but not for Mycoplasma hominis. At the same time, the relative risk for C. trachomatis and M. hominis infection development was increased among persons with HSP70-2*A/B phenotype. Some TAP2 gene allelic variants were determined as the factor of an increased relative risk to develop synovium pathology, especially accompanied with urogenital infection. The preliminary data concerning gene polymorphism of some proinflammatory cytokines in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infected patients are presented. We observed an increased frequency of C/T allele of IL-4 gene among HIV patients. None of patients showed A/A homozygous variant of IL-10 and TNF-alpha genes. Our obtained results may be used as informative criteria for prognosis of resistance or predisposition to different diseases.