Lysyl oxidases expression and histopathological changes of the diabetic rat nephron.

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a major complication of diabetes, the accumulation of extracellular matrix (ECM) is considered an indication of nephropathological changes. Lysyl oxidases (LOXs) are also associated with ECM. However, the majority of studies on LOXs have focused on their potential role in renal fibrogenesis and there has no examination of LOXs expression or the correlation with histopathological changes of DN, including glomerular basement membrane (GBM) thickening and glomerulosclerosis. In this study, the association between histological changes and LOXs was explored using a type 2 diabetes model of male Zucker diabetic fatty rats. The expression of LOX and lysyl oxidase­like 1 to 3 (LOXL1 to 3) levels were evaluated by immunohistochemical staining. The expression levels of LOX and LOXL2 in the kidney tissue in the diabetic group were significantly higher compared with those of the control group, but LOXL1 and LOXL3 expression levels were not significantly different between the two groups. These results indicated that LOXL2 and LOX may be critical factors involved in the progression of DN.

The effects of Gua sha on symptoms and inflammatory biomarkers associated with chronic low back pain: A randomized active-controlled crossover pilot study in elderly.

OBJECTIVE: To address the challenges for trialing with elderly and the lacking of valid sham/placebo control, a randomized crossover pilot study is designed and its feasibility on elderly subjects is evaluated. DESIGN: A pilot randomized crossover study was conducted with hydrocollator-based hot pack therapy as active control. Pain intensity, physical disability, depression, general health status, and salivary biomarkers were assessed as outcome measures. RESULTS: Despite there was no significant difference observed between any outcome measures attained by the two interventions, several important differences were noted during the one-week follow-up period. The magnitudes of pain reduction (21-25% versus 16-18%) and disability improvement (45-52% versus 39-42%) were greater in the Gua sha-treated group than the hot pack group. Both treatments were shown to improve flexion, extension and bending movements of the lower back, whereas areas of improvement varied between the two interventions. Decreasing trends were observed in both tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α) and heme-oxygenase-1 (HO-1) levels following Gua sha. However, rebounds of the biomarkers were observed one week following hot pack. Furthermore, in response to Gua sha, the decrease of TNF-α was strongly correlated with the improvement of physical disability, whereas the physical disability was correlated with the VAS pain intensity. CONCLUSION: It demonstrated a feasible clinical trial protocol for evaluating the effectiveness of Gua sha and other therapeutic modalities. Gua sha may exhibit a more long-lasting anti-inflammatory effect relative to hot pack for pain relief and improved mobility in elderly patients with chronic low back pain.

Outcomes of adjuvant endocrine therapy and hormone receptor status change following neoadjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: This retrospective study investigated the therapeutic benefit of adjuvant endocrine therapy (ET) in breast cancer patients with hormone receptor (HR) status change from positive to negative after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). METHODS: From December 2000 to November 2010, 97 eligible patients with a positive-to-negative switch of HR status after NAC were identified. All patients were categorized into 2 groups on the basis of the administration of ET: 57 ET-administered patients and 40 ET-naïve patients. Survival analyses were performed to examine the prognostic value of ET administration as well as other clinical and pathologic variables. RESULTS: The administration of ET was significantly associated with improved disease-free survival (p=0.018) in patients with a positive-to-negative switch of HR status. The 5-year disease-free survival rates were 77.0% and 55.5%, respectively, in ET-administered patients and ET-naïve patients. The 5-year overall survival rate for ET-administered patients was also higher than that of ET-naïve patients (81.3% vs. 72.7%, p=0.053), albeit this was statistically insignificant. CONCLUSIONS: This study revealed that patients with HR altered from positive to negative after NAC still benefit from ET. The HR status should be evaluated not only in specimens obtained during post-NAC surgery but also in specimens biopsied before NAC.

Case report: postradiation chondrosarcoma with a short latency period of 6 months.

We describe a case of postradiation chondrosarcoma after basal cell carcinoma treatment. At the time he presented, the patient was a 35-year-old man who had received radiotherapy at a dose of 70 Gy for 8 weeks. Six months after radiation treatment, a rapidly growing mass at the upper right alveolar ridge of the gums, where radiation had been given, was diagnosed as chondrosarcoma. Generally, chondrosarcoma occurs after a latency period of several years following radiation. However, there are a few relevant reports indicating that maxillofacial chondrosarcoma can develop after radiotherapy for basal cell carcinoma, with a short latency of 6 months. We hypothesize that the dosage and treatment time of radiation may have played a role in the opening/closing of the Hh-signaling pathway in the case of this patient.

Epigenetic changes of TIMP-3, GSTP-1 and 14-3-3 sigma genes as indication of status of chronic inflammation and cancer.

OBJECTIVES: This study aimed to compare the epigenetic changes via hypermethylation status of TIMP-3, GSTP-1 and 14-3-3σ genes, between healthy subjects and patients with reversible chronic inflammatory disease, and between healthy subjects and patients with irreversible malignant disease, to highlight the genetic changes that occur in the progression from an inflammatory condition to irreversible genetic changes commonly observed in cancer patients. METHODS: DNA was extracted from the blood of 680 healthy subjects, and tissues and blood of 110 patients with chronic inflammation disease of the gums, as well as neoplastic tissues of 108 breast cancer patients. Methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for TIMP-3, GSTP-1 and 14-3-3σ was performed, and hypermethylation status was analyzed and compared between the 3 groups. RESULTS: The hypermethylation frequencies of TIMP-3 and GSTP-1 of reversible chronic inflammatory gum disease and the control group were similar, but both were significantly lower than those for malignant disease patients (p<0.0001). The methylation frequency of 14-3-3σ in chronic inflammatory gum disease was higher than in the cancer and control groups (p<0.0001). The methylation of CpG islands in TIMP-3 and GSTP-1 in chronic inflammation patients occurred as frequently as in the control group, but less frequently than in breast cancer patients. However, the epigenetic silencing of 14-3-3σ occurred more frequently in the chronic inflammation group than in cancer patients and healthy controls. CONCLUSIONS: The epigenetic silencing of 14-3-3σ might be essential for chronic inflammatory gum disease. The epigenetic changes presented in chronic inflammation patients might demonstrate an irreversible destruction in the tissues or organs similar to cancer.

A pilot study: application of hemoglobin and cortisol levels, and a memory test to evaluate the quality of life of breast cancer patients on chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Short-term memory (STM) decline in breast cancer patients resulting from chemotherapy was evaluated by means of blood biomarkers, a questionnaire, and a computerized STM test. METHODS: This study was conducted from January 2013 to June 2013, recruiting 90 subjects: 30 breast cancer patients beginning the 3rd of 4th cycles of docetaxel and cyclophosphamide chemotherapy, 30 recovered patients (who completed 4 cycles of docetaxel for a minimum of 6 months), and 30 healthy subjects (disease-free females). The levels of hemoglobin, red and white blood cells, and cortisol in serum, and a computerized STM test were analyzed to estimate the effects of chemotherapy on STM. A questionnaire was given to all subjects to assess quality of life. RESULTS: Statistically significant differences were observed for the blood parameters (hemoglobin, red and white blood cells, and cortisol levels) between healthy and on-treatment subjects (respectively 13.47 ± 0.96 g/dL vs 5.37 ± 0.38 g/dL, 4.58 ± 0.41 10(12)/L vs 2.07 ± 0.13 10(12)/L, and 6.15 ± 1.03 10(9)/L vs 0.86 ± 0.41 10(9)/L). Scores of the STM test were significantly lower for patients compared to healthy subjects. As indicated by the results of the questionnaire, breast cancer patients had a higher tendency to forget than healthy controls (X(2)=3.15; p<0.0001) and recovered subjects (X(2)=3.15; p<0.0001). CONCLUSION: We found depleted levels of hemoglobin, red and white blood cells as a result of chemotherapy, and elevated levels of stress correlated with poor performances in the computerized STM test. A higher cortisol level might be an important precursor of STM deterioration. Monitoring cortisol would be beneficial for evaluating the quality of life of breast cancer patients on chemotherapy.

Status of oral ulcerative mucositis and biomarkers to monitor posttraumatic stress disorder effects in breast cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: This study was designed to assess oral ulcerative mucositis, C-reactive protein, blood pressure, heart rate and thyroid function in breast cancer patients in relation to the occurrence of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD). METHODS: A total of 120 female breast cancer patients and women 100 healthy subjects were enrolled in this study. PTSD status was assessed by questionnaire. Before and after treatment (modified radical mastectomy and chemotherapy), serum samples were collected and measured for levels of triiodothyronine (T3), thyroxine (T4), thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) by ELISA. Oral ulcerative mucositis was evaluated by the number and duration of oral ulcers and the degree of pain. RESULTS: Breast cancer patients experienced long-term PTSD and had elevated serum T3 and T4 levels. Patients experienced more severe pain and longer duration of oral ulcers compared with the healthy group. Oral ulcers were significantly associated with PTSD score in terms of the number of ulcers (p=0.0025), the degree of pain (p<0.0001) and the duration of ulcers (p<0.0001). CONCLUSION: These findings support that thyroid function is altered in breast cancer patients with PTSD. Elevation of T3 and T4 and oral ulcerative mucositis might be indicative of the emotional status of breast cancer patients.

New developments in breast cancer prognosis: molecular predictors of treatment response and survival.

AIM: This study aimed to assess the molecular subtypes of breast cancer for patients attending a dedicated breast care center and examine the association with clinicopathological features, treatment and survival outcomes. METHODS: Demographic, clinicopathological and treatment details were collected from women with primary breast cancer. Immunohistochemical subtypes were also collected. The association between breast cancer subtypes and clinicopathological features was assessed using the chi-square or Fisher's exact test. Survival outcomes were compared among subtypes with the log-rank test. RESULTS: Immunohistochemical subtypes were not associated with tumor size, lymphovascular invasion or lymph node involvement but differed by histological grade (p=0.014) and nuclear grade of tumors (p=0.001). The 5-year overall survival estimates for luminal A, luminal B, HER-2-positive and triple-negative tumors were 100%, 96.2%, 71.4% and 92.3% respectively. Compared to luminal A tumors (93.4%), luminal B (80.8%), HER-2-positive (71.4%) and triple-negative (76.9%) tumors exhibited a reduced disease-free survival (DFS). Patients with ER-positive tumors had a higher DFS than their ER-negative counterparts (p=0.036). Patients with tumors expressing a low Ki-67 level had a more favorable prognosis (p=0.02). CONCLUSIONS: The most prevalent luminal A subtype is associated with relatively better prognosis, whereas HER-2-positive and triple-negative tumors are prone to early relapse with diminished survival.

Association of cytokines, high sensitive C-reactive protein, VEGF and beta-defensin-1 gene polymorphisms and their protein expressions with chronic periodontitis in the Chinese population.

PURPOSES: This study aimed at investigating the association between interleukin-6 (IL-6), interleukin-12 (IL-12), C-reactive protein (CRP), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and ß-defensin-1 polymorphisms and the susceptibility to periodontitis in the Chinese population. METHODS: DNA was extracted from the blood samples of 532 healthy individuals and 122 chronic periodontitis (CP) patients enrolled in the study. The genes encoding IL-6, IL-12, CRP, VEGF and ß-defensin-1 were amplified using PCR and digested with restriction enzymes. The protein expression of the abovementioned genes was determined by ELISA. Differences in the allele/genotype frequencies were assessed with the chi-square test. RESULTS: The frequencies of the C/C genotypes of IL-6, IL-12, and VEGF were higher in CP patients than healthy controls (66.3% vs 25.9%; 27.8% vs 19.9%; and 64.8% vs 52.1%, respectively). In the patients' group we also recorded frequencies of the A/A genotypes of CRP and VEGF higher than in healthy controls (63.1% vs 58.1% and 64.8% vs 35.2%, respectively). Protein production evaluated by ELISA demonstrated significant differences between CP patients and healthy controls for IL-6, IL-12, CRP, VEGF and ß-defensin-1. CONCLUSIONS: The genotypes of IL-6, IL-12, VEGF and ß-defensin-1 and their protein productions were associated with CP in a Chinese population. Genotypes and serum levels of CRP were associated with CP, but alleles frequency showed no difference between CP patients and healthy controls.

Comparative evaluation of cytokines in gingival crevicular fluid and saliva of patients with aggressive periodontitis.

OBJECTIVES: This study aims to evaluate and compare cytokines in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) and saliva of patients with aggressive periodontitis (AP) before and after treatment. METHODS: Forty AP patients and 40 healthy volunteers were enrolled in this study. Clinical parameters included probing depth and sulcus bleeding index. GCF and saliva were collected from both groups. The levels of IL-1ß, IL-2, IL-4, IL-6, IFN-γ and TNF-α were measured using ELISA. RESULTS: The probing depth in AP patients was significantly deeper before treatment than after treatment. The concentrations of cytokines in GCF and saliva were significantly higher in AP patients than in the control group and decreased after periodontal treatment. Positive relationships were found between cytokine levels in GCF and clinical parameters. The reliability of cytokines in GCF and saliva was assessed by Cronbach's alpha analysis, which could be considered satisfactory. CONCLUSION: Cytokine levels in GCF and saliva correlated well with clinical parameters and AP. Measurements of cytokines in saliva may be regarded as a noninvasive and quick method for monitoring periodontal disease activity.

Application of interleukin-1 genes and proteins to monitor the status of chronic periodontitis.

It has been widely reported that periodontitis may lead to bone tissue and teeth loss and result in failure of prosthodontics or implants. Interleukin-1 (IL-1) is a potent proinflammatory cytokine that plays an essential role during the pathogenesis of periodontitis. However, the gene polymorphisms of IL-1α, IL-1ß and IL-1RN and the relationship between these protein expressions in healthy people and patients with chronic periodontitis (CP) in China have not been fully elucidated. We investigated the gene polymorphisms and protein expression of IL-1α, IL-1ß and IL-1RN in healthy subjects and CP patients, and our data suggest that these gene polymorphisms are associated with CP. The frequency of the C/C genotype of IL-1α was 55% in CP patients, while in the control group it was 20% (p<0.0001). The C/C genotype of IL-1ß was also higher in CP patients (51%) than in controls (21%) (p<0.0001). For the 2/2 genotype of IL-1RN, CP patients showed a 30% frequency, while in controls this was 15% (p<0.0001). Protein levels evaluated by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay demonstrated a significant difference in secretion between patients and controls for IL-1α and IL-1ß. These results indicate that genotype and protein production of IL-1α, IL-1ß and IL-1RN are associated with CP in a Chinese population, and might be putative risk indicators for chronic periodontitis.

Acceptable cardiac safety profile of neoadjuvant 5-fluorouracil, epirubicin, cyclophosphamide and celecoxib (FEC-C) for breast cancer: a subanalysis of biomarkers for cardiac injury.

PURPOSES: This substudy aimed to examine the changes in biomarkers for cardiac injury in patients who received neoadjuvant 5-fluorouracil, epirubicin, cyclophosphamide with concurrent celecoxib (FEC-C). METHODS: Thirty-four female patients with histologically confirmed locally advanced breast cancer preoperatively received 3 cycles of FEC-C (500 mg/m2, 75 mg/m2, 500 mg/m2) with concurrent celecoxib (400 mg bid). Blood samples were drawn from patients on day (D) 0, D3, D21, D42, and D63 (end of therapy), and the serum levels of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and plasma levels of cardiac troponin I (cTnI) and N-terminal prohormone brain-type natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) were measured with commercially available test kits. RESULTS: All patients tolerated this regimen well. Neither life-threatening toxicity nor clinical symptoms of cardiac damage were observed. Serum LDH increased significantly from baseline after 3 cycles of FEC-C (p<0.0001), but the change was possibly brought about by chemotherapy-induced liver derangement. However, NT-proBNP decreased significantly (p=0.009), while cTnI increased nonsignificantly (p=0.078) after 3 cycles of FEC-C compared to baseline, although this increase was still regarded as normal. CONCLUSIONS: Short-term use of the FEC-C regimen has proven to be effective in locally advanced breast cancer, with an acceptable cardiac safety profile.

Evaluation of the psychological and biological changes of patients diagnosed with benign and malignant breast tumors.

PURPOSE: Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a severe anxiety disorder developed by exposure to any incident or circumstance that results in psychological trauma. In this study we compared the psychological and physiological changes between patients with malignant and benign breast tumors. METHODS: We selected 150 Chinese women with a breast mass, aged 20 to 45 years, from the Sichuan Academy of Medical Sciences & Sichuan Provincial People's Hospital between 2009 and 2011 for this study; 30 healthy participants were enrolled into the control group. All subjects were examined and had their tumor mass aspirated for diagnosis. Equal numbers of patients with benign and malignant tumors were recruited. Patients with malignant tumors presented with low grade, minimal tumor invasion and non-involved lymph nodes. Questionnaires regarding anxiety, depression and PTSD were conducted 2 hours before getting the diagnostic result and 1 month after the diagnosis. Serum levels of IL-6, TNF-α, cortisol and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein before and after diagnosis were investigated and compared. The number of occurrences of oral ulcerative mucositis was also recorded. RESULTS: All patients experienced a certain degree of anxiety and their biomarkers were elevated compared with the normal reference range before the pathological report was disclosed. However, 1 month after the operation, the benign tumor group showed significantly lower levels of biomarkers and anxiety scores than patients with a malignant breast tumor. The results were consistent throughout 12 months of study. CONCLUSION: Study subjects with a benign tumor returned to their normal condition after being diagnosed, while patients with a malignant tumor suffered from a certain degree of PTSD or depression.

Correlation of epigenetic change and identification of risk factors for oral submucous fibrosis.

BACKGROUND: DNA methylation of certain genes is an epigenetic change that is essential for tumorigenesis. Oral submucous fibrosis (OSF) is a precancerous condition of oral mucosa with inflammation and progressive fibrosis of the lamina propria and deeper connective tissue. The hypermethylation of E-cadherin and cyclooxygenase 2 (COX-2) in chronic inflammation may demonstrate a mild lesion/mutation at epigenetic levels. This study compares the hypermethylation status of E-cadherin and COX-2 genes in patients with oral cancer and patients with OSF and also aims to identify risk factors for the development of OSF. METHODS: DNA was extracted from blood samples of 50 healthy subjects, 50 patients with OSF and 60 patients with oral cancer. Methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction for E-cadherin and COX-2 was performed on these samples and the products were analyzed on 2% agarose gel. Surveys about oral health habits and clinical periodontal examinations in patients with OSF and healthy subjects were also conducted by well-trained dentists, and logistic regression was performed to identify risk factors for OSF. RESULTS: Hypermethylation of E-cadherin and COX-2 was observed in 36% and 22% of oral cancer samples, respectively. In patients with OSF, the rates were 52% and 30%, and in healthy controls the rates were 4% and 6%. Hypermethylation was shown to be correlated between the 3 groups with statistical significance (p<0.01). Methylation of CpG islands in E-cadherin and COX-2 occurred more frequently in patients with OSF than in the control group, but less frequently than in patients with oral cancer. In the logistic regression analysis, smoking, brushing more than twice daily, periodontal probing depth and plaque index were identified as 4 major risk factors for OSF. CONCLUSIONS: These data confirm that E-cadherin and COX-2 expressions are related to OSF. The epigenetic changes presented in patients with chronic inflammation might demonstrate an irreversible destruction in the tissues or organs similar to the effects of cancer. Chronic OSF was significantly associated with hypermethylation, a cancer risk factor.

Mouse model of plasma cell mastitis.

BACKGROUND: Plasma cell mastitis is distinct from the common form of mastitis and clinically resembles breast carcinoma. The lesion occurs in non-lactating young women, and the incidence rate is rising. Surgical resection is the main treatment, but cannot prevent recurrence of the disease. Disfigurement or removal of breast after the operations can cause marked physical and psychological distress. The etiology of plasma cell mastitis is unclear up till now. It is therefore necessary to investigate further the underlying immunological changes of the disease. METHODS: The lesions of plasma cell mastitis removed from patients through aseptic operation were mixed with normal saline into homogenate tube machine (homogenate tubes were disinfected and sterilized prior to treatment). The mixture was homogenized at medium speed and grinded in ultrasonic cell disruptor. The homogenate obtained was made into oil emulsion with Freund's adjuvant. Thirty female BALB/c mice (6 weeks after sexual maturity) were divided into five groups A-E: group A was blank control; group B was normal saline control; group C was inoculated with 0.02 ml water-in-oil emulsion; group D was inoculated with 0.04 ml water-in-oil emulsion; group E was complete Freund's adjuvant control. RESULTS: Pathology results showed that mouse mammary gland acinar cells remained integral without any abnormal changes observed in control groups A and B. Experimental groups C and D showed dilation of mouse mammary ductal tissue with a large number of epithelial cells and debris in the lumen, and fibrosis around ducts accompanied by large duct cells, neutrophils, lymphocytes, and especially plasma cell infiltration. Pathological changes were observed in 3 (50%) mice and 5 (83.3%) mice in group C and D respectively. In group E, neutrophil infiltration in mammary gland was observed in 5 mice, but neither infiltration of plasma cells nor other abnormal pathological changes were observed. CONCLUSIONS: The lesions of patient with plasma cell mastitis could make the female BALB/c mice experience the similar clinical and pathological manifestation. High-dose group can successfully establish a mouse model of plasma cell mastitis.

Using association rules mining to explore pattern of Chinese medicinal formulae (prescription) in treating and preventing breast cancer recurrence and metastasis.

BACKGROUND: Chinese herbal medicine is increasingly widely used as a complementary approach for control of breast cancer recurrence and metastasis. In this paper, we examined the implicit prescription patterns behind the Chinese medicinal formulae, so as to explore the Chinese medicinal compatibility patterns or rules in the treatment or control of breast cancer recurrence and metastasis. METHODS: This study was based on the herbs recorded in Pharmacopoeia of the People's Republic of China, and the literature sources from Chinese Journal Net and China Master Dissertations Full-text Database (1990 - 2010) to analyze the compatibility rule of the prescription. Each Chinese herb was listed according to the selected medicinal formulae and the added information was organized to establish a database. The frequency and the association rules of the prescription patterns were analyzed using the SPSS Clenmentine Data Mining System. An initial statistical analysis was carried out to categorize the herbs according to their medicinal types and dosage, natures, flavors, channel tropism, and functions. Based on the categorization, the frequencies of occurrence were computed. RESULTS: The main prescriptive features from the selected formulae of the mining data are: (1) warm or cold herbs in the Five Properties category; sweet or bitter herbs in the Five Flavors category and with affinity to the liver meridian are the most frequently prescribed in the 96 medicinal formulae; (2) herbs with tonifying and replenishing, blood-activating and stasis-resolving, spleen-strengthening and dampness-resolving or heat-clearing and detoxicating functions that are frequently prescribed; (3) herbs with blood-tonifying, yin-tonifying, spleen-strengthening and dampness-resolving, heat-clearing and detoxicating, and blood-activating with stasis-resolving functions that are interrelated and prescribed in combination with qi-tonifying herbs. CONCLUSIONS: The results indicate that there is a close relationship between recurrence and metastasis of breast cancer with liver dysfunctions. These prescriptions focus on the herbs for nourishing the yin-blood, and emolliating and regulating the liver which seems to be the key element in the treatment process. Meanwhile, the use of qi-tonifying and spleen-strengthening herbs also forms the basis of prescription patterns.

Minimally invasive video-assisted thyroidectomy for the early-stage differential thyroid carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Minimally invasive video-assisted thyroidectomy (MIVAT), the modified Miccoli's thyroid surgery, is the most widespread minimally invasive technique and has been widely used for treatment of thyroid disease. This study aimed to verify the potential benefits of the modified Miccoli's thyroid surgery, determine the feasibility of the MIVAT for early-stage differential thyroid carcinoma and evaluate the likelihood of the surgical method as a standard operation for early malignant thyroid carcinoma. METHODS: A total of 135 patients were retrospectively compared which included two groups of patients: the first group underwent the conventional thyroidectomy; the other group underwent MIVAT. Patients with thyroid nodule smaller than 20 mm and without previous neck surgery were included while those with wide-ranging and distant metastases of cervical tissues, or any suspected thyroid nodal metastases were excluded for analysis. MIVAT and the central compartment (level VI) lymph nodes dissection (LND) were considered as a new treatment method for this retrospective study. In addition to the comparison of surgical outcomes between the new treatment and the conventional thyroid surgery, other surgical parameters including operative time, operative volume of hemorrhage, incisional length, postoperative volume of drainage, length of hospitalization, accidence of hoarse voice, accidence of bucking, accidence of hypocalcemia and peak angle of cervical axial rotation were also compared. RESULTS: Out of 135 patients, 111 patients underwent conventional thyroid surgery and 24 patients underwent MIVAT plus level VI LND for treatment of early-stage differential malignant carcinoma. Patients who received the new surgical treatment had significantly shorter incisional length (3.1 cm vs. 6.9 cm, p < 0.0001), shorter operative time (109 min vs. 139 min, p = 0.014) and fewer operative hemorrhage (29.5 ml vs. 69.7 ml, p < 0.0001) when compared to the conventional treatment. Postoperative peak angle of cervical axial rotation of patients treated with MIVAT was less than those treated with conventional surgery (L: 31.5° vs. 39.0°, p < 0.0001; R: 31.5° vs. 38.0°, p < 0.0001). Incisional wound infection, postoperative hoarse voice, bucking and hypocalcemia were not observed in all patients. Postoperative analgetica was not required as well. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with conventional thyroid surgery for early-stage differential thyroid carcinoma, the new surgical treatment could be considered as an alternative surgical method for treatment of early-stage thyroid carcinoma since it was feasible, safe and clinically effective with better surgical and cosmetic outcomes.

Application of a nanotechnology antimicrobial spray to prevent lower urinary tract infection: a multicenter urology trial.

BACKGROUND: Catheter-associated urinary tract infection (CAUTI) is a common nosocomial device-associated infection. It is now recognized that the high infection rates were caused by the formation of biofilm on the surface of the catheters that decreases the susceptibility to antibiotics and results in anti-microbial resistance.In this study, we performed an in vitro test to explore the mechanism of biofilm formation and subsequently conducted a multi-center clinical trial to investigate the efficacy of CAUTI prevention with the application of JUC, a nanotechnology antimicrobial spray. METHODS: Siliconized latex urinary catheters were cut into fragments and sterilized by autoclaving. The sterilized sample fragments were randomly divided into the therapy and control group, whereby they were sprayed with JUC and distilled water respectively and dried before use.The experimental standard strains of Escherichia coli (E. coli) were isolated from the urine samples of patients. At 16 hours and 7 days of incubation, the samples were extracted for confocal laser scanning microscopy.A total of 1,150 patients were accrued in the clinical study. Patients were randomized according to the order of surgical treatment. The odd array of patients was assigned as the therapy group (JUC), and the even array of patients was assigned as the control group (normal saline). RESULTS: After 16 hours of culture, bacterial biofilm formed on the surface of sample fragments from the control group. In the therapy group, no bacterial biofilm formation was observed on the sample fragments. No significant increase in bacterial colony count was observed in the therapy group after 7 days of incubation.On the 7th day of catheterization, urine samples were collected for bacterial culture before extubation. Significant difference was observed in the incidence of bacteriuria between the therapy group and control group (4.52% vs. 13.04%, p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: In this study, the effectiveness of JUC in preventing CAUTI in a hospital setting was demonstrated in both in vitro and clinical studies.

Decreased expression of C-erbB-2 and CXCR4 in breast cancer after primary chemotherapy.

BACKGROUND: Biological molecular markers such as proto-oncogene erbB-2 (HER-2/neu, c-erbB-2), the CXC chemokine receptor 4 (CXCR4), estrogen receptor (ER), Proliferating Cell Nuclear Antigen (PCNA), DNA topoisomerase II (topo II), P-glycoprotein (P-gp) and glutathione S-transferase (GST) were observed for changes after administration of neochemotherapy and whether these protein expression changes were correlated with response to chemotherapy. METHODS: Sixty-four patients with primary breast cancer who had undergone neo-adjuvant chemotherapy were enrolled in the present study. The expressions of C-erbB-2, CXCR4 and ER-α were measured by immunohistochemistry (IHC) on full tissue sections and on tissue microarrays (TMAs). PCNA, TopoII, P-gp and GST were measured by IHC on TMAs. On the other hand, CXCR4, C-erbB-2 and ER-α expressions were detected using western blot analysis to 16 pairs of fresh preoperative core biopsies. The final surgical specimens were obtained from patients with breast carcinoma who received neo-adjuvant chemotherapy and obtained a partial response (PR). RESULTS: Our data demonstrated that the levels of C-erbB-2, CXCR4 and ER-α in patients decreased after they received neo-adjuvant chemotherapy on full tissue sections and on TMAs. The PCNA level was down-regulated after receiving neo-adjuvant chemotherapy, and no significant change was observed for TopoII, P-gp and GST. The levels of C-erbB-2, CXCR4 and ER-α were also down-regulated after neo-adjuvant chemotherapy was administered, as detected by western blot. In addition, the change expressions of C-erbB-2 and CXCR4 in specimens tended to be correlated with pathological change to neo-adjuvant chemotherapy on full tissue sections and on TMAs in a Pearson chi-square analysis. CONCLUSIONS: As demonstrated in our study, after breast cancer patients were treated with neo-adjuvant systemic therapy, decreased expressions of C-erbB2, ER-α and CXCR4 were observed. Down-regulated expressions of c-erbB-2 and CXCR4 may be a novel mechanism of chemotherapy; the changes of these objective markers may be useful in evaluating the clinical response of neo-adjuvant chemotherapy in breast cancer.

Overexpression of epithelial growth factor receptor (EGFR) predicts better response to neo-adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with triple-negative breast cancer.

BACKGROUND: Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) occurs in approximately 10% to 25% of all patients with breast cancer and is associated with poor prognosis. Neo-adjuvant chemotherapy has been reported to produce a higher pathologic complete response (pCR) rate in TNBC. If pCR is achieved, patients with TNBC had a similar survival with non-TNBC patients. The aim of our study was to investigate the protein expression of epithelial growth factor receptor (EGFR) and response to neo-adjuvant chemotherapy and clinical outcome in patients with TNBC compared with non-TNBC. METHODS: A total of 198 locally advanced breast cancer patients who received neo-adjuvant chemotherapy were studied. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) was carried out to detect the protein expression of EGFR in tumor samples. Clinical and pathological parameters, pCR rate and survival data were compared between 40 TNBCs and 158 non-TNBCs. RESULTS: In 198 cases who received neo-adjuvant chemotherapy, significant differences exist in surgical therapy (P=0.005) and pCR rate (P=0.012) between patients with TNBCs and non-TNBCs. Overexpression of EGFR was significantly associated with pCR rate in patients with TNBCs (P < 0.001). Survival analysis revealed that patients with TNBCs had worse DFS and OS than those with non-TNBCs (P = 0.001, P < 0.001 respectively). Furthermore, for patients with non-TNBCs, those who achieved pCR had better DFS and OS than those who achieved RD (both P < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggested that patients with TNBCs had increased pCR rates compared with non-TNBC. Overexpression of EGFR predicted better response to neo-adjuvant chemotherapy in patients with TNBCs.