Seroprevalence study prior and post vaccination in cancer patients in principality of Andorra (COVONCO study).

BACKGROUND: COVID-19 serologic response in patients with cancer may be lower than in the general population and may be influenced by the type of tumor or anticancer treatment. This study aims to analyze serological response prior and after vaccination of COVID-19 within the oncological population in Andorra. We set out to identify risk factors for a higher or lower serological response. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Observational, unicentric, prospective cohort study of oncologic patients in Andorra. We calculated the seroprevalence of antibodies against SARS-CoV-2 (May 2020-June 2021) and analyzed the main demographic, oncologic features and factors associated with being seropositive. RESULTS: A total of 373 patients were analyzed, mainly with solid tumours (n = 334, 89.5%). At baseline, seroprevalence was 13%, increasing during follow-up to 19%; lower seroprevalence was observed in patients with hematologic malignancies (2.6% vs 14.2%; p = 0.041) and patients receiving biological therapies (0% vs 15%, p = 0.005). In the overall seroprevalence analysis, women (23% vs 11.9%; p = 0.006) and tumour-free patients (p = 0.034) showed higher seroprevalence. The multivariable analysis showed that odds of being seropositive were higher among women (OR: 2.44, 95% CI 1.28-4.64), and patients who underwent surgery (OR: 3.35, 95% CI 1.10-10.20). About 80% of the cohort received at least one dose of COVID-19 vaccination, showing a higher seroprevalence of patients who received ChAdOx1-S than those who received BNT162b2 (24.4% vs 6.4%: p = 0.001). CONCLUSION: The seroprevalence of antibodies against SARS-COV-2 in oncologic patients in Andorra was higher among females and patients who received hormonal therapy and surgery while patients with hematologic malignancies and biologic therapies showed lower seropositivity without finding differences in the type of tumour or anticancer treatment.

Association between sleep-disordered breathing, aminoterminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) levels and insulin resistance in morbidly obese young women.

OBJECTIVE: Sleep-disordered breathing (SDB) is often encountered in morbid obesity (MO) in conjunction with insulin resistance (IR) and several cardio-vascular risk factors. Aminoterminal pro-brain natriuretic peptide (NT-proBNP) is a promising marker for left ventricular dysfunction (LVD) in MO. The aim of this study was to look for possible correlations between SDB, IR, heart structure and function indexes and NT-proBNP levels in MO female subjects. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Cross-sectional study involving 110 MO (44.5+/-0.7 kg m(-2)) apparently healthy, young (37.8+/-1.0 y.o.) female patients. NT-proBNP was measured using an ELISA kit (Roche). Echo-cardiograms were performed to quantify left ventricular ejection fraction values (LVEF), cardiac output (CO), left ventricular mass (LVM), left atria size (LA) and left ventricular filling pressures (the E/Em ratio). The Berlin Questionnaire (BQ) was used to assess the risk of SDB. IR and sensitivity were assessed using the HOMA index and adiponectin measurements, respectively. RESULTS: All patients had a normal LVEF (>50%). Hypertension and Type 2 diabetes mellitus prevalences were 34.5 and 4.5% (respectively). Log-transformed NT-proBNP levels correlated with BQ categories (P<0.0005), creatinine (P<0.001), age (P<0.05), LVM (P<0.001), CO (P<0.001), LA (P<0.0005) and E/Em (P<0.01). NT-proBNP levels, LVD and LVM increased significantly along with BQ scores (P<0.0001). Stepwise multiple regression analysis identified BQ and log-transformed HOMA as independent variables predicting as much as 48.0% of log-transformed NT-proBNP's variability (dependent variable). CONCLUSIONS: NT-proBNP levels are independently predicted by SDB and IR in asymptomatic MO women. Additionally, SDB worsens along with LVH and diastolic dysfunction. Larger prospective studies are warranted.

Oxaliplatin-induced immune hemolytic anemia: a case report and review of the literature.

We report a 59-year-old woman diagnosed with metastasic colorectal cancer who developed immune hemolytic anemia during FOLFOX chemotherapy (oxaliplatin/leucovorin/5-fluorouracil). Immunohematologic studies demonstrated that immune hemolysis was oxaliplatin-mediated. On the basis of this case and in a review of the literature in which 13 cases of previously reported oxaliplatin-induced immune cytopenia have been identified, we suggest some clinical clues regarding the use of oxaliplatin in cancer patients.

Aberrant cytoplasmic localization of N-CoR in colorectal tumors.

We have previously shown that IKKs are aberrantly activated in colon cancer cells leading to SMRT phosphorylation and its release from the chromatin. We now show that IKKalpha phosphorylates the homologous N-CoR corepressor in serines 2345 and 2348 creating a functional 14-3-3 binding domain (RK(p)S(2348)KSP). Moreover, we have analyzed the subcellular localization of N-CoR in 43 colorectal cancer samples and we have found that aberrant cytoplasmic distribution of N-CoR is a general trait of these tumors.

Aneuploidy of chromosome Y in prostate tumors and seminal vesicles: a possible sign of aging rather than an indicator of carcinogenesis?

Chromosome Y aneuploidies have been reported as one of the recurrent cytogenetic findings in prostate cancer (PCa) and many other solid and hematological tumors. We have studied this aneuploidy in 28 patients with PCa undergoing radical prostatectomy, one patient with benign hyperplasia (BPH) and four organ donors. A total of 72 samples have been studied: 17 tumors, 25 nontumor prostate tissues, 1 BPH, 21 seminal vesicles samples obtained along with the prostate when patients underwent radical prostatectomy and prostate tissues and seminal vesicles from four organ donors. We have also studied the aneuploidy of chromosome Y in peripheral blood from four of the patients and in seminal vesicles of 11 individuals with bladder cancer (BC). The study has been performed by Fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) in uncultured cells. Our results indicate that complete loss of chromosome Y is found in almost all the seminal vesicles both from patients with PCa and patients with BC (samples obtained from the tissue bank), and is more frequent in prostate tumors than in nontumor samples. The percentages of chromosome Y loss in the tissues analyzed are significatively higher than expected in lymphocytes considering the patient's age as reported in the literature. The high percentage of chromosome Y loss found in the nonmalignant seminal vesicles of these patients may be an indicator of an ageing process rather than a primary cytogenetic alteration in the carcinogenesis of the prostate. However, a contribution of this loss to chromosomal instability and therefore, to the multistep tumorigenic process, cannot be discarded.