Clinical Profiles, Laboratory Biomarkers, and Mortality in Cancer Patients with Lower Respiratory Tract Infections: A Prospective Cohort Study.

Respiratory tract infections (RTIs) pose a substantial health burden worldwide, especially among immunocompromised groups like cancer patients. The aim of this prospective cohort study was to explore lower respiratory tract infections in cancer patients. We followed 107 cases with clinically or radiologically suspected lower respiratory tract infections until discharge or death, comprising 65 males and 42 females across diverse age groups. Clinical evaluations, including patient history, examination, and malignancy diagnosis, were conducted. Nasopharyngeal swabs (NPSs), sputum samples, and blood samples were collected within 24 h of symptom onset. Multiplex Real-Time PCR allowed for the simultaneous detection of viral, bacterial, and fungal infections, while conventional microbiological culture methods were used for bacterial and fungal analysis. SARS-CoV-2 infection was excluded in all of the enrolled patients using real-time RT-PCR. Hematological and biochemical analyses included hemoglobin, lymphocyte, neutrophil, and platelet counts, along with ALT, AST, creatinine, and CRP levels. Significant differences were noted in clinical presentations, management outcomes, and prognostic markers among patients with different hematological malignancies. Distinct clinical profiles were identified for leukemia, lymphoma, and solid tumors, with variations in age distribution and symptom prevalence. ICU admission rates varied significantly, with solid tumor patients exhibiting higher rates. The hematological and biochemical biomarkers differed across malignancies, with notable associations between lymphopenia, thrombocytopenia, and mortality following respiratory episodes. This study highlights the critical role of rapid pathogen detection and infection control measures in safeguarding vulnerable cancer patients from nosocomial transmission.

Associations Between Serum Soluble Toll-like Receptors 4 and 9 and Breast Cancer in Egyptian Patients.

BACKGROUND: Toll-like receptors (TLRs) play an important role in regulation of immune cells and are vital in tumorigenesis due to its crucial role in inflammatory microenvironment regulation, as they promote the synthesis and release of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines. Toll-like receptors 4 and TLRs 9 were found to be highly expressed in breast cancer. The aim of this study is to investigate the soluble toll-like receptors 4 and 9 (sTLR4 and sTLR9) as potential biomarkers for diagnosis and prognosis of breast cancer and their association with the clinicopathological parameters of breast cancer. PATIENTS AND METHOD: In this retrospective case-control study, 186 female subjects were recruited and divided into three groups, Group I: 62 healthy control, Group II: 62 subjects diagnosed with non-metastatic breast cancer, and Group III: 62 subjects diagnosed with metastatic breast cancer. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) technique was used to quantify the levels of sTLR4 and sTLR9 in serum. RESULTS: Both non-metastatic and metastatic groups showed significant higher levels of both serum sTLR4 and sTLR9 expression compared to healthy controls. Only sTLR9 was significantly increased among metastatic patients compared to non-metastatic group. Serum levels of sTLR9 and sTLR4 were still significantly associated with breast cancer in a multiple logistic regression model (P = <.001). ROC curves showed that both sTLR4 and sTLR9 can be a significant parameter to discriminate between normal females and breast cancer patients. CONCLUSION: Soluble toll-like receptors 4 and sTLR9 are over-expressed in patients with metastatic and non-metastatic BC than in benign cases. The expression levels of sTLR4 and TLR9 have clinical interest as indicators of tumor aggressiveness suggested to be prognostic biomarkers. Toll-like receptors may represent therapeutic targets in breast cancer.

Radiological follow-up of endovascularly treated intracranial aneurysms: a survey of current practice in the UK and Ireland.

PURPOSE: Due to the risk of intracranial aneurysm (IA) recurrence and the potential requirement for re-treatment following endovascular treatment (EVT), radiological follow-up of these aneurysms is necessary. There is little evidence to guide the duration and frequency of this follow-up. The aim of this study was to establish the current practice in neurosurgical units in the UK and Ireland. METHODS: A survey was designed with input from interventional neuroradiologists and neurosurgeons. Neurovascular consultants in each of the 30 neurosurgical units providing a neurovascular service in the UK and Ireland were contacted and asked to respond to questions regarding the follow-up practice for IA treated with EVT in their department. RESULTS: Responses were obtained from 28/30 (94%) of departments. There was evidence of wide variations in the duration and frequency of follow-up, with a minimum follow-up duration for ruptured IA that varied from 18 months in 5/28 (18%) units to 5 years in 11/28 (39%) of units. Young patient age, previous subarachnoid haemorrhage and incomplete IA occlusion were cited as factors that would prompt more intensive surveillance, although larger and broad-necked IA were not followed-up more closely in the majority of departments. CONCLUSIONS: There is a wide variation in the radiological follow-up of IA treated with EVT in the UK and Ireland. Further standardisation of this aspect of patient care is likely to be beneficial, but further evidence on the behaviour of IA following EVT is required in order to inform this process.

A survey of the radiological follow-up of unruptured intracranial aneurysms in the United Kingdom.

OBJECTIVE: Unruptured intracranial aneurysms (UIA) are common. For many the treatment risks outweigh their risk of subarachnoid haemorrhage and patients undergo surveillance imaging. There is little data to inform if and how to monitor UIAs resulting in widely varying practices. This study aimed to determine the current practice of unruptured UIA surveillance in the United Kingdom. METHODS: A questionnaire was designed to address the themes of surveillance protocols for UIA including when surveillance is initiated, how frequently it is performed, and when it is terminated. Additionally, how aneurysm growth is managed and how clinically meaningful growth is defined were explored. The questionnaire was distributed to members of the British Neurovascular Group using probability-based cluster and non-probability purposive sampling methods. RESULTS: Responses were received from 30 of the 30 (100.0%) adult neurosurgical units in the United Kingdom of which 27 (90.0%) routinely perform surveillance for aneurysm growth. Only four units had a unit policy. The mean patient age up to which a unit would initiate follow-up of a low-risk UIA was 65.4 ± 9.0 years. The time points at which imaging is performed varied widely. There was an even split between whether units use a fixed duration of follow-up or an age threshold for terminating surveillance. Forty percent of units will follow-up patients more than 5 years from diagnosis. The magnitude in the change in size that was felt to constitute growth ranged from 1 to 3mm. No units routinely used vessel wall imaging although 27 had access to 3T MRI capable of performing it. CONCLUSIONS: There is marked heterogeneity in surveillance practices between units in the United Kingdom. This study will help units better understand their practice relative to their peers and provide a framework forplanning further research on aneurysm growth.

Assessment of apheresis platelets during 5 days of storage: A National Cancer Institute, Cairo University experience.

BACKGROUND: Platelet transfusion therapy is widely used to prevent hemorrhage in patients with thrombocytopenia and platelet disorders. The platelet concentrate (PC) quality is affected by increased storage time, as reflected in the decreased number of platelets, morphological changes, and impaired functions. This study aimed to analyze the impact of 5 days storage on platelets count and the expression of CD63, and Annexin V as activation markers during PC storage. METHODS: Fifty PCs collected from single donors were tested for platelet count on days 0, 3, and 5 using a Sysmex blood counter. CD61, CD63, and Annexin V expression was analyzed by a multicolor Navios flow cytometer. RESULTS: There was a significant decrease in platelet count during 5 days of storage. There was a direct relationship between storage time and degree of platelet activation. CD63 had almost double increased expression on day 5 than day 3. Annexin V showed significantly increased expression on day 3 with minor differences between days 3 and 5. CONCLUSION: According to standard blood bank conditions, PC stored for 5 days showed a degree of in vitro activation as evidenced by CD63 and Annexin V expression, may lead to reduced therapeutic efficacy. Flow cytometry monitoring platelet activation in PC offers a better understanding of the changes during PC storage and may help improve platelet products.

CSF rhinorrhoea after endonasal intervention to the anterior skull base (CRANIAL): proposal for a prospective multicentre observational cohort study.

BACKGROUND: The endonasal transsphenoidal approach (TSA) has emerged as the preferred approach in order to treat pituitary adenoma and related sellar pathologies. The recently adopted expanded endonasal approach (EEA) has improved access to the ventral skull base whilst retaining the principles of minimally invasive surgery. Despite the advantages these approaches offer, cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) rhinorrhoea remains a common complication. There is currently a lack of comparative evidence to guide the best choice of skull base reconstruction, resulting in considerable heterogeneity of current practice. This study aims to determine: (1) the scope of the methods of skull base repair; and (2) the corresponding rates of postoperative CSF rhinorrhoea in contemporary neurosurgical practice in the UK and Ireland. METHODS: We will adopt a multicentre, prospective, observational cohort design. All neurosurgical units in the UK and Ireland performing the relevant surgeries (TSA and EEA) will be eligible to participate. Eligible cases will be prospectively recruited over 6 months with 6 months of postoperative follow-up. Data points collected will include: demographics, tumour characteristics, operative data), and postoperative outcomes. Primary outcomes include skull base repair technique and CSF rhinorrhoea (biochemically confirmed and/or requiring intervention) rates. Pooled data will be analysed using descriptive statistics. All skull base repair methods used and CSF leak rates for TSA and EEA will be compared against rates listed in the literature. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION: Formal institutional ethical board review was not required owing to the nature of the study - this was confirmed with the Health Research Authority, UK. CONCLUSIONS: The need for this multicentre, prospective, observational study is highlighted by the relative paucity of literature and the resultant lack of consensus on the topic. It is hoped that the results will give insight into contemporary practice in the UK and Ireland and will inform future studies.

Frequency and specificity of Red blood cell alloantibodies in multitransfused Egyptian patients with hematological and nonhematological malignancies.

BACKGROUND: Repeated blood transfusions can result in the production of alloantibodies against one or more red blood cell (RBC) antigens, which can complicate future transfusions. AIM: This study aims to determine the frequency and specificities of RBC alloantibodies in multitransfused adult cancer patients admitted at the National Cancer Institute, Cairo University. METHODS: This cohort study enrolled 2000 multitransfused cancer patients diagnosed with different types of malignancies; they were screened for RBC alloantibodies using Serascan Diana 3 and Identisera Diana 11-cell identification panels (Diagnostic Grifols, Spain). RESULTS: Of the 2000 patients tested, 25 had autoantibodies and were excluded from the study. Of the remaining 1975 patients, 181 patients had a total of 267 different alloantibodies (9.16%), with some having more than 1 antibody detected. Our study showed that more female patients (63%) than male patients (37%) had acquired RBC alloantibodies, and a higher prevalence of alloantibodies in patients with nonhematological malignancies (14%) compared with those with hematological malignancies (6.5%). The highest percentage of alloantibodies belongs to the Rh blood group system, followed by the Kell system, then Duffy, MNS, Kidd, and Lewis. Patients who received combined chemotherapy and immunotherapy exhibited a lesser antibody response compared to other patients. CONCLUSION: The prevalence of alloimmunization in our study is comparable to previous reports on oncology patients. Repeated blood transfusions, which can lead to alloimmunization, often complicate future transfusions. Therefore, we recommend extending phenotype matching for patients who are presumed to depend on blood transfusions in the long term.

An unusual presentation of clival chordoma: a case report and review of the literature.

Chordomas are rare bone tumours that are aggressive and locally invasive. When arising from the clivus, they typically present with cranial nerve deficits and headache. We report a case of a 58-year-old male who presented acutely with hydrocephalus and suspected encephalitis. He had evidence of clival erosion but no obvious tumour mass on imaging. After stabilisation, he developed CSF rhinorrhoea for which he underwent endoscopic repair. Biopsy samples diagnosed chordoma.

Green synthesis of spongy Nano-ZnO productive of hydroxyl radicals for unconventional solar-driven photocatalytic remediation of antibiotic enriched wastewater.

Herein, novel green/facile approach to synthesize spongy defective zinc oxide nanoparticles (ZnONPs) is presented using for the first time pomegranate seeds molasses as a green capping fuel/reducing mediator during an aqueous solution combustion process. The developed ZnONPs is characterized by UV-Vis. Spectrophotometry and fluorimetry, XRD, Raman spectroscopy, SEM, TEM and BET. Interestingly, pomegranate seeds molasses within a viable content of bio-capping molecules reveal a defective nanoporous ZnO NPs of smaller particle size, greater pore size/volume, and higher surface area compared to the bulky non-biogenic ZnONPs. Moreover, the biosynthesized defective ZnONPs showed narrowed band gap and higher absorption of visible photons that breed higher density of hydroxyl radicals (•OH) under Solar-illumination. Even further, the bulk ZnO and the biosynthesized ZnO photocatalysts were examined in photodegrading flumequine (FL) antibiotic. The bulk ZnO gives 41.46% photodegradation efficiency compared to 97.6% for the biosynthesized ZnO. In highly acidic or highly alkaline media, FL photodegradability is greatly retarded. Scavenging experiment infers considerable contribution of holes over electrons in photodegradation reaction. The biosynthesized ZnO shows high durability in FL photodegradation after four reusing cycles. These promising findings highlight new insights for biogenic synthesis of tuned size/controlled morphology semiconductor NPs relevant to environmental remediation applications.

Prognostic Impact of WT-1 and Survivin Gene Expression in Acute Myeloid Leukemia Patients.

BACKGROUND: Wilms Tumor 1 (WT1) and Survivin genes are important leukemia-associated antigens (LAAs) in AML with potential prognostic impact. METHODS: We investigated WT1 and Survivin expression levels by RT-PCR in 61 AML patients in correlation with clinical characteristics and outcomes. RESULTS: WT1 was overexpressed in 45 patients (73.8%), associated with higher BM blasts (p = 0.017), lower incidence of favorable-prognosis cytogenetics (p = 0.035), and higher incidence of Flt3-ITD mutations (p = 0.026). Survivin was overexpressed in 17 patients (27.9%) with higher mean WBC count (p = 0.049). Patients with overexpression of either gene showed inferior complete remission (CR) rates and survival rates, patients with overexpression of both genes showed higher mean WBCs (p = 0.035) and higher BM blasts (p = 0.029) while the double negative group showed higher incidence of favorable cytogenetic events (p = 0.021), better CR rates and survival rates. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings support the introduced prognostic impact of WT1 and Survivin genes in AML patients and its potential use in MRD monitoring and immunotherapy.

Screening of human bocavirus in surgically excised cancer specimens.

Human bocavirus (HBoV) is a prevalent virus worldwide and is mainly associated with respiratory disorders. Recently, it was detected in several disease conditions, including cancers. Colorectal cancer (CRC) is the third main cause of cancers worldwide. Risk factors that initiate cell transformation include nutritional, hereditary and infectious causes. The aim of the current study was to screen for the presence of HBoV in solid tumors of colorectal cancer and to determine the genotypes of the detected strains. Surgically excised and paraffin-embedded colorectal cancer tissue specimens from 101 male and female patients with and without metastasis were collected over the last four years. Pathological analysis and tumor stages were determined. The presence of HBoV was screened by polymerase chain reaction, and the genotype of the detected HBoV was determined by direct gene sequencing. Most of the examined specimens were adenocarcinoma with mucinous activity in many of them. Twenty-four out of 101 (23.8 %) CRC tissue specimens were found to contain HBoV-1. Low sequence diversity was recorded in the detected strains. The virus was detected in both male and female patients with an age range of 30-75 years. It is proposed that HBoV-1 could play a potential role in the induction of CRC.

Idiopathic Nonviral Cryoglobulinemia Treated Successfully With Rituximab.

Cryoglobulinemia is a systemic inflammatory syndrome that generally involves small-to-medium vessel vasculitis due to cryoglobulin-containing immune complexes. The therapeutic management of idiopathic cryoglobulinemic vasculitis has yet to be defined because no study has evaluated the best strategies. However, treatment of severe vasculitis is traditionally based on a combination of corticosteroids and immunosuppressants or plasmapheresis, and more recently rituximab. We report a case of 77-year-old female patient diagnosed with idiopathic cryoglobulinemia, treated successfully with 6 months prednisone tapering and 2 doses of rituximab (1 g each dose). After receiving the above-mentioned treatment, her creatinine went back to normal with resolution of proteinuria and hematuria, normalization of serum complements, and significant improvement in her clinical picture. We conclude that rituximab could be an effective treatment for idiopathic cryoglobulnemia.

P selectin and T cell profiles provide verification to understand the pathogenesis of liver cirrhosis in HCV and Schistosoma mansoni infections.

Hepatitis C virus (HCV) and Schistosoma mansoni are two major causes of chronic liver disease (CLD). Both immune alteration and thrombocytopenia are common complications in the majority of cirrhotic patients. The current study aimed to monitor the effect of T cell profile and platelets activation on the pathogenesis of liver cirrhosis in patients suffered from single or concomitant schistosomiasis and HCV infections. The subjects were divided into 4 groups: Group I, patients infected with schistosomiasis; Group II, patients infected with HCV; Group III, patients with combined liver diseases and Group IV: healthy individuals. All groups were subjected to full clinical evaluation as well as laboratory examination including ELISA anti-HCV antibodies screening, parasitological examination, and complete blood picture as well as flow cytometry for CD41, CD42, CD62P (P selectin), CD63, CD4 and CD8. The platelets count was significantly decreased in HCV and/or schistosoma infected patients compared to controls. The percentage of the total T-lymphocytes and T-helper was significantly reduced in all infected groups, while the percentage of T-cytotoxic was increased. The patients possessed a significantly higher percentage of the platelets activation markers than control group. There were considerable correlations between the platelets counts and P selectin and MFI. Thrombocytopenia was a common finding in patients with CLD. Patients with CLD showed increased platelets activation which may contribute to the occurrence of thrombocytopenia and play a role in the pathogenesis of CLD. Infected patient showed reduction in the cell-mediated-immunity as evidenced by low T -helper cells.

Evaluation of serum PIVKA-II and MIF as diagnostic markers for HCV/HBV induced hepatocellular carcinoma.

Viral hepatitis is the most significant predisposing factor for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Liver cancer grows silently with mild or no symptoms until the disease is advanced and with little hope of cure. Early recognition of the onset of HCC would help to select more effective therapies for patients leading to a better prognosis and life span. The current study aims to evaluate two diagnostic and prognostic markers - Prothrombin induced by vitamin K absence-II (PIVKA-II) and macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) in the serum of patients with HCC and those with a high risk of developing hepatic cancers. Serum samples from hepatocellular carcinoma, hepatitis C and normal subjects were subjected to quantitative determinations of different parameters including alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), PIVKA-II and MIF. Significant differences between the various groups were recorded. PIVKA-II and AFP showed a higher specificity and sensitivity compared to MIF, and there was considerable correlation between AFP and both PIVKA and MIF. It is concluded that analysis of PIVKA-II and AFP can serve as useful non-invasive markers for the early detection of HCC with good sensitivity and specificity.

P selectins and immunological profiles in HCV and Schistosoma mansoni induced chronic liver disease.

BACKGROUND: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) and Schistosoma mansoni are major causes of chronic liver disease (CLD) in which immune alteration is common. Recent studies suggested that certain platelets and lymphocytes activation markers may have an impact on progression of CLD. This study aimed to evaluate the potential of platelets and lymphocytes activation molecules expression on the pathogenesis of CLD in distinct or concomitant chronic HCV and schistosomiasis mansoni infections. METHODS: The study populations were divided into group-I: patients with chronic schistosomiasis mansoni, group-II: HCV patients without cirrhosis, group-III: patients with combined liver diseases without cirrhosis, group-IV: patients with chronic HCV and liver cirrhosis and group-V: Age and sex matched healthy individuals as normal controls. All groups were subjected to full clinical evaluation, ELISA anti-HCV antibodies screening, parasitological examination for diagnosing S. mansoni and flow cytometry for lymphocyte (CD3, CD4, CD8, CD19, CD22, & CD56) and platelets activation (CD41, CD42 & CD62P (P- selectins)) markers. RESULTS: The platelet count was significantly decreased in HCV and/or S. mansoni patients. The total T-lymphocytes and T-helper cells were significantly reduced, while T-cytotoxics were increased. The patients possessed a significantly higher platelets activation marker; CD62P (P-selectins) and higher mean fluorescent intensity (MFI) positivity. There were considerable correlations between platelets count and both of CD62P and MFI. CONCLUSION: Our Findings suggest an increased expression of certain platelets and lymphocytes activation markers in chronic HCV and S. mansoni induced CLD that may have a role in disease progression.

Spectral subtraction denoising preprocessing block to improve P300-based brain-computer interfacing.

BACKGROUND: The signals acquired in brain-computer interface (BCI) experiments usually involve several complicated sampling, artifact and noise conditions. This mandated the use of several strategies as preprocessing to allow the extraction of meaningful components of the measured signals to be passed along to further processing steps. In spite of the success present preprocessing methods have to improve the reliability of BCI, there is still room for further improvement to boost the performance even more. METHODS: A new preprocessing method for denoising P300-based brain-computer interface data that allows better performance with lower number of channels and blocks is presented. The new denoising technique is based on a modified version of the spectral subtraction denoising and works on each temporal signal channel independently thus offering seamless integration with existing preprocessing and allowing low channel counts to be used. RESULTS: The new method is verified using experimental data and compared to the classification results of the same data without denoising and with denoising using present wavelet shrinkage based technique. Enhanced performance in different experiments as quantitatively assessed using classification block accuracy as well as bit rate estimates was confirmed. CONCLUSION: The new preprocessing method based on spectral subtraction denoising offer superior performance to existing methods and has potential for practical utility as a new standard preprocessing block in BCI signal processing.

Microvascular decompression for superior oblique myokymia: case report.

BACKGROUND: Superior oblique myokymia (SOM) is a rare disorder in which the patient suffers episodic uniocular torsional eye movement associated with diplopia and oscillopsia . Although the pathophysiology has been narrowed down to erratic discharge of the trochlear nerve, yet the exact etiology remains unclear; a handful of cases have been described in association with an identifiable space occupying lesions or dural AV fistulae. Neurovascular compression theory has been postulated in the early 1980s and to our knowledge, very few reports exist in the literature accrediting this hypothesis in the pathogenesis of superior oblique myokymia. CASE REPORT: We report a case of successful resolution of severe medication refractory SOM following microvascular decompression of the trochlear nerve. The clinical response has been sustained for a follow-up period of 18 months to date. CONCLUSION: Microvascular decompression may be considered as a definitive and least destructive surgical option for the treatment of medication refractory superior oblique myokymia.

Evaluation of Interleukin-17 A Levels in Patients with Breast Carcinoma.

Breast cancer is a highly common form of cancer that impacts a considerable proportion of women on a global scale. Interleukin 17A (IL-17A) is a cytokine that has both anti-tumor and pro-tumor effects, which can vary depending on the specific tumor microenvironment. The aim of this study was to determine whether IL-17A can be used as a biomarker for diagnosis of breast cancer. Therefore, we compared concentrations of serum IL-17A in patients suffering from breast carcinoma and normal control women by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). This study included 86 women, 44 patients that were diagnosed with breast carcinoma, and 42 normal control women. Serum IL-17A levels in both case and control groups were measured by sandwich ELISA kits. The IL-17A serum level was significantly higher among patients with breast carcinoma than in the control group (p <0.001). The serum IL-17A concentration was significantly higher in estrogen receptor-positive cases than in estrogen receptor-negative cases (p=0.033). The highest levels of IL-17A were detected in patients with stage 2 breast carcinoma rather than stage 3 with no significant correlation. There was no correlation between IL-17A level and tumor size, lymph node invasion, or metastasis in patients with breast cancer. In conclusion, a high level of IL-17A in breast carcinoma patients compared to the control group was detected in our study. It indicates that IL-17A could be a promising biomarker for diagnosis of breast cancer and may play a role in tumor development. High levels of IL-17A were not a predictor of poor prognosis in breast cancer patients as it was not related to tumor size, lymph node invasion, or metastasis.

Bone marrow microRNA-34a is a good indicator for response to treatment in acute myeloid leukemia.

Background: microRNA-34a (miR-34a) had been reported to have a diagnostic role in acute myeloid leukemia (AML). However, its value in the bone marrow (BM) of AML patients, in addition to its role in response to therapy is still unclear. The current study was designed to assess the diagnostic, prognostic, and predictive significance of miR-34a in the BM of AML patients. Methods: The miR-34a was assessed in BM aspirate of 82 AML patients in relation to 12 normal control subjects using qRT-PCR. The data were assessed for correlation with the relevant clinical criteria, response to therapy, disease-free survival (DFS), and overall survival (OS) rates. Results: miR-34a was significantly downregulated in AML patients [0.005 (3.3 × 10-6-1.32)], compared to the control subjects [0.108 (3.2 × 10-4-1.64), p = 0.021]. The median relative quantification (RQ) of miR-34a was 0.106 (range; 0-32.12). The specificity, sensitivity, and area under the curve (AUC) for the diagnosis of AML were (58.3%, 69.5%, 0.707, respectively, p = 0.021). patients with upregulated miR-34a showed decreased platelets count <34.5 × 109/L, and achieved early complete remission (CR, p = 0.031, p = 0.044, respectively). Similarly, patients who were refractory to therapy showed decreased miR-34a levels in comparison to those who achieved CR [0.002 (0-0.01) and 0.12 (0-32.12), respectively, p = 0.002]. Therefore, miR-34a could significantly identify patients with CR with a specificity of 75% and sensitivity of 100% at a cut-off of 0.014 (AUC = 0.927, p = 0.005). There was no considerable association between miR-34a expression and survival rates of the included AML patients. Conclusion: miR-34a could be a beneficial diagnostic biomarker for AML patients. In addition, it serves as a good indicator for response to therapy, which could possibly identify patients who are refractory to treatment with 100% sensitivity and 75% specificity.

Evaluation of MMP-13 and Micro RNA-138 as prognostic biomarkers for breast cancer in Egyptian women patients.

BACKGROUND: Elevated serum levels of MMP-13 are linked to tumor growth and metastasis, while miR-138 dysregulation is observed in breast cancer cases. The aim of this study is to investigate the expression of miR-138 and MMP-13 levels as potential biomarkers for the prognosis of breast cancer. PATIENTS AND METHOD: In this retrospective case-control study, 119 female subjects were recruited and divided into three groups. MMP-13 level was measured using Enzyme Linked Immunosorbent Assay (ELISA), while real-time PCR technique was employed to quantify miR-138 expression. RESULTS: Both non-metastatic and metastatic groups showed significantly higher levels of serum MMP-13 compared to other groups. MMP-13 levels are significantly increased among patients with advanced tumor size, lymph node metastasis, and triple-negative breast cancer cases. An inverse significant association between MMP-13 levels and response to treatment was observed. Expression of miR-138 underwent a significant down-regulation in breast cancer patients, and a statistically significant association was established between miR-138 expression and triple-negative breast cancer cases. A positive association was detected between the increase in miR-138 expression and the good response to treatment. The expression of miR-138 was inversely correlated with the MMP-13 levels. CONCLUSION: MMP-13 levels were significantly higher in breast cancer, especially in advanced cases, suggesting its role in promoting tumor invasion and metastasis. MiR-138 was down-regulated in breast cancer, especially in triple-negative breast cancer patients, rendering it a promising biomarker for triple-negative breast cancer. Modulation of miR-138 expression and MMP-13 levels may represent therapeutic targets for breast cancer.