[Post operative complications after neoadjuvant systemic therapy in primary breast cancer treatment - Case-control study]. / Complications post-opératoires après chimiothérapie néo-adjuvante dans le traitement du cancer du sein - étude cas-contrôle.

The use of neoadjuvant systemic therapy (NST) for the primary breast cancer treatment has constantly increased. Initially used to improve breast-conserving surgery (BCS) rate as well as for patients with inflammatory or inoperable locally advanced breast cancer, today, NST is used as a test of chemosensitivity and predictive factor by assessing pathologic complete response. With the increasing use of NST, it is fundamental to establish if NST increases postoperative morbidity.. In our study, the postoperative complications associated with NST were examined. We analyzed the data obtained from patients undergoing treatment for breast cancer in a University Hospital between 2003-2014 in a case-control study. We selected 286 patients attributed to two groups according to the surgery type: Group A, 150 patients undergoing breast conserving surgery with axillary node dissection (75 cases after NST and 75 controls with surgery alone) and group B, 136 patients undergoing mastectomy with axillary node dissection (68 cases after NST and 68 controls). There was no statistically significant difference between both groups in post-operative recovery or the rates of complications: use of antibiotics, re-operation, hematoma, blood transfusion, healing problems, wound infection, lymphocele and lymphoedema. Our study supports the safety of NST and suggests that it is not associated with increased morbidity in the patients undergoing breast surgery as BSC or mastectomy with axillary node dissection.

L'utilisation de la chimiothérapie néo-adjuvante (ChTN) dans le traitement du cancer mammaire est en constante augmentation. Au début, utilisée pour améliorer le taux de chirurgie conservatrice ainsi que dans la prise en charge de la mastite inflammatoire ou d'un cancer localement trop avancé pour une chirurgie en première ligne, à l'heure actuelle la réponse à la ChTN est un facteur prédictif de la chimiosensibilité1. Vu son utilisation plus fréquente, il est fondamental de savoir si la ChTN n'augmente pas la morbidité post-opératoire. Nous avons étudié les complications postopératoires associées à la ChTN et analysé les patients traités pour cancer mammaire à l'Hôpital Erasme entre 2004 et 2013 dans une étude cascontrôle. Nous avons sélectionné 286 patients répartis en un groupe A de 150 patients opérés d'une tumorectomie avec curage axillaire (75 cas post ChTN et 75 contrôles) et un groupe B de 136 patients opérés d'une mastectomie avec curage axillaire (CA), (68 cas opérés post ChTN et 68 contrôles). Nous n'avons pas remarqué de différence significative entre les groupes ni dans l'évolution ni dans la survenue de complications post-opératoires : prise d'antibiotiques, reprise opératoire, présence d'hématome, infection, lymphocèle, nécessité de transfusion, troubles de cicatrisation, apparition de lymphœdème. Notre étude suggère que la ChTN n'est pas associée à un taux plus élevé de complications postopératoires.

Novel renin inhibitors containing a non-peptide aminoalkanoyl moiety at P1-P1' position.

Six novel potential renin inhibitors have been designed and synthesized. All these inhibitors contained an unnatural aminoalkanoyl moiety at the central position P1- P1' of the molecule, which is attacked by renin. The moiety consists of pseudodipeptidic units, transition state analogues of a natural dipeptide of the parent substance: 4-amino-3-hydroxybutanoic acid (AHBA), 4-amino-5-(4-ethoxyphenyl)-3-hydroxypentanoic acid (AEPHPA), 4-amino-5-cyclohexyl-3-hydroxypentanoic acid (ACHPA) or 4-amino-3-hydroxynonanoic acid (AHNA). An unnatural moiety, 4-methoxyphenylalanylhistydyl (Phe(4-OMe)-His) has been introduced at the P3-P2 position of the obtained compounds. Five compounds contain isoamylamide of 6-aminohexanoic acid (epsilon-Ahx-laa) at the P2'-P3' position. One of designed inhibitors has been obtained in the form of an ethyl ester. The in vitro renin inhibitory activity of all synthesized compounds is contained within the range 10(-6) - 10(-8) M. The compound in the form of an ethyl ester has proven to be the most active (IC50 = 1.3 x 10(-8) M) but also susceptible to enzymatic degradation. The other five inhibitors were stable to chymotrypsin.

Influence of substrate composition on marine microfouling.

Glass and metal substrates exposed to subtropical seawater exhibit a characteristic succession of periphytic microorganisms. Substrates which are biologically and physically inert (glass and stainless steel) fouled rapidly and produced a complex, two-tier microfouling layer. Characteristic microorganisms were bacteria, fungi, choanoflagellates, diatoms, ciliates, and microalgae. Active substrates (brass and copper-nickel alloys) were selective for bacteria which secrete extracellular mucoid material, fouled at a slower rate, and were characterized by a less diverse microfouling community. Substrate appears to influence microfouling at all stages of development, especially in the early stages of substrate conditioning, and primary film formation. Primary films may insulate periphytic microorganisms from toxic substrates.

Scanning electron microscopy of fixed, frozen, and dried protozoa.

Selected protozoa were examined with a scanning electron microscope. The natural shape of the body and surface organelles were revealed. Chemical fixation and freeze-drying techniques described here permit a new approach to the study of protozoa.