Risk Factors for Unplanned Early Implantable Port Catheter Removal in Adult Hematology Cancer Patients Receiving Chemotherapy: A Propensity Score Matching Study.

Purpose: Implantable port catheter is a reliable vascular access for chemotherapy infusion in cancer patients. However, patients with hematology malignancies usually present with a myriad of blood cell abnormalities that put them at risk of infection and mechanical problems requiring catheter removal. This study aims to determine the risk factors associated with unplanned (catheter removal other than completion of treatment plan) early (within 90 days of catheter implantation) implantable port catheter removal. Patients and Methods: A retrospective, propensity score-matched study of 386 patients with hematology malignancies who received implantable venous access ports between January 2015 and December 2022. We conducted a univariate analysis to select the variables for propensity score matching. Patients with unplanned early implantable port catheter removal (early group) were matched 1:1 to patients without unplanned early removal (non-early group). Results: Univariate analysis demonstrated a statistically significant difference between early and non-early groups for age (p = 0.048), hemoglobin level (p = 0.028), thrombocytopenia (p = 0.025), and PG-SGA (p < 0.001). Thrombocytopenia was the only independent risk factor with a statistically significant difference in Cox proportional hazard analysis, HR 2.823, 95 CI 1.050-7.589, p = 0.040. The median catheter survival for patients with thrombocytopenia was 61 days (95% CI 28.58-93.42) compared to 150 days (95% CI 9.81-290.19) for patients without thrombocytopenia, p = 0.015. Patient survival is not affected by early catheter removal. The median survival for patients in the early group was 28.28 months (95% CI 27.43-29.15) compared to 32.39 months (95% CI 24.11-40.68), for the non-early group, p = 0.709. Conclusion: Hematology malignancy patients with thrombocytopenia are at high risk for unplanned early port catheter removal without survival difference.

Combinatory effects of current regimens and Guizhi Fuling Wan on the development of endometriosis.

OBJECTIVE: Endometriosis, defined as the growth of endometrial glands and stromal cells in a heterotopic location under the cyclic influence of ovarian hormones, is a common gynecological disorder manifested by chronic pelvic pain and infertility. In traditional Chinese medicine, endometriosis is characterized by stagnation of vital energy (qi) and blood stasis. Guizhi Fuling Wan (GFW) was first described in Chinese canonical medicine to treat disorders associated with stagnation of qi and blood stasis, including endometriosis. Therefore, the current study aimed to test the effects of combining GFW with western medicine on the suppression of endometriosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Endometriosis was generated by suturing endometrial tissue on the peritoneal wall of C57BL/6JNarl mice. The mice were subsequently treated with either GFW or current hormonal therapies or in combination for 28 days. RESULTS: Endometriosis development was inhibited by GFW, Gestrinone, Visanne, GFW + Gestrinone or GFW + medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA). The expression of intercellular adhesion molecule 1 (ICAM-1) was inhibited by GFW, Gestrinone, MPA, Visanne, GFW + Gestrinone, GFW + MPA and GFW + Visanne. Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression was inhibited by GFW, Gestrinone, Visanne, GFW + Gestrinone and GFW + MPA. Both ICAM-1- and VEGF-reducing effects of GFW were attenuated by western medicines. Administration of GFW, MPA, Visanne, GFW + MPA and GFW + Visanne also correspondingly reduced macrophage population in peritoneal fluid. GFW, MPA, Visanne, GFW + MPA and GFW + Visanne enhanced B-cell population in peritoneal fluid. CONCLUSION: The current study reveals the therapeutic effects of GFW on endometriosis. However, the combination of GFW and current hormonal therapies potentially impedes the efficacy of each individual agent in treating endometriosis.

A Microfluidic Flip-Chip Combining Hydrodynamic Trapping and Gravitational Sedimentation for Cell Pairing and Fusion.

Cancer cell-immune cell hybrids and cancer immunotherapy have attracted much attention in recent years. The design of efficient cell pairing and fusion chips for hybridoma generation has been, subsequently, a subject of great interest. Here, we report a three-layered integrated Microfluidic Flip-Chip (MFC) consisting of a thin through-hole membrane sandwiched between a mirrored array of microfluidic channels and saw-tooth shaped titanium electrodes on the glass. We discuss the design and operation of MFC and show its applicability for cell fusion. The proposed device combines passive hydrodynamic phenomenon and gravitational sedimentation, which allows the transportation and trapping of homotypic and heterotypic cells in large numbers with pairing efficiencies of 75~78% and fusion efficiencies of 73%. Additionally, we also report properties of fused cells from cell biology perspectives, including combined fluorescence-labeled intracellular materials from THP1 and A549, mixed cell morphology, and cell viability. The MFC can be tuned for pairing and fusion of cells with a similar protocol for different cell types. The MFC can be easily disconnected from the test setup for further analysis.

GADD45γ induces G2/M arrest in human pharynx and nasopharyngeal carcinoma cells by cucurbitacin E.

Nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is a common form of malignant cancer, for which radiotherapy or chemotherapy are the main treatment methods. Cucurbitacin E (CuE) is a natural compound-based drug which from the climbing stem of Cucumic melo L (Guadi). Previously shown to be an antifeedant as well as a potent chemopreventive agent against several types of cancer. The present study, investigated anti-proliferation and cell cycle G2/M arrest induced by CuE in Detroit 562 cells (pharynx carcinoma) and HONE-1 (nasopharyngeal carcinoma) cells. Results indicate that the cytotoxicity is associated with accumulation in G2/M cell-cycle phases. CuE produced cell cycle arrest as well as the downregulation of cyclin B1 and CDC2 expression. In addition, treated cells with CuE and GADD45γ SiRNA that also coincided with GADD45γ gene activation in cell cycle arrest. Both effects increased proportionally with the dose of CuE; however, proliferation inhibition and mitosis delay was dependant on the amount of CuE treatment in the cancer cells.

Early optimal nutrition improves neurodevelopmental outcomes for very preterm infants.

Recent advances in perinatal and neonatal intensive care have resulted in significant improvements in the survival of preterm extremely low-birthweight (PELBW) infants; however, extrauterine growth restriction (EUGR) and undernutrition occur frequently during hospitalization and are associated with adverse outcomes, including bronchopulmonary dysplasia, sepsis, and neurodevelopmental impairment. Early optimal parenteral nutrition with adequate amino acids and lipids, especially long-chain polyunsaturated fatty acids, has been shown to decrease the incidence of EUGR, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, necrotizing enterocolitis, sepsis, and retinopathy of prematurity in animal models and clinical trials. In PELBW infants, breast milk and probiotics have been shown to reduce the incidence of necrotizing enterocolitis, and lactoferrin has been demonstrated to prevent late-onset sepsis. Thus, early administration of optimal postnatal parenteral and enteral nutrients can help prevent neurodevelopmental impairment caused by EUGR, necrotizing enterocolitis, sepsis, bronchopulmonary dysplasia, and retinopathy of prematurity, and recent evidence indicates such treatment is feasible.

Identifying and characterizing Yarrowia keelungensis sp. nov., an oil-degrading yeast isolated from the sea surface microlayer.

Ascomycetous yeast strain SM-22 was isolated from the sea-surface microlayer near the Keelung City off the northern coast of Taiwan. This strain showed a cell surface hydrophobicity higher than 90 %, moderate UV A/B resistance, and it degraded 68 % of the total petroleum hydrocarbon content of an artificial seawater medium containing 1 % (v v(-1)) diesel oil within 15 days at 25 °C. The closest phylogenetic relative of this strain is Candida oslonensis CBS 10146(T), but it differs from strain SM-22 by a 3.7 % divergence (including 18 nucleotide substitutions and 2 gaps) in the D1/D2 domain sequence of the large subunit rRNA gene. This difference clearly suggests that the strain SM-22 represents a distinct species. Strain SM-22 does not produce ascospores on common sporulation media and it can therefore be considered an anamorph of the genus Yarrowia. Thus, the name Yarrowia keelungensis sp. nov. (type strain SM-22(T) = BCRC 23110(T) = JCM 14894(T) = CBS 11062(T)) is proposed as a novel species of genus Yarrowia.

Delivery of small interfering RNAs in human cervical cancer cells by polyethylenimine-functionalized carbon nanotubes.

Carbon nanotubes are capable of penetrating the cell membrane and are widely considered as potential carriers for gene or drug delivery. Because the C-C and C=C bonds in carbon nanotubes are nonpolar, functionalization is required for carbon nanotubes to interact with genes or drugs as well as to improve their biocompatibility. In this study, polyethylenimine (PEI)-functionalized single-wall (PEI-NH-SWNTs) and multiwall carbon nanotubes (PEI-NH-MWNTs) were produced by direct amination method. PEI functionalization increased the positive charge on the surface of SWNTs and MWNTs, allowing carbon nanotubes to interact electrostatically with the negatively charged small interfering RNAs (siRNAs) and to serve as nonviral gene delivery reagents. PEI-NH-MWNTs and PEI-NH-SWNTs had a better solubility in water than pristine carbon nanotubes, and further removal of large aggregates by centrifugation produced a stable suspension of reduced particle size and improved homogeneity and dispersity. The amount of grafted PEI estimated by thermogravimetric analysis was 5.08% (w/w) and 5.28% (w/w) for PEI-NH-SWNTs and PEI-NH-MWNTs, respectively. For the assessment of cytotoxicity, various concentrations of PEI-NH-SWNTs and PEI-NH-MWNTs were incubated with human cervical cancer cells, HeLa-S3, for 48 h. PEI-NH-SWNTs and PEI-NH-MWNTs induced cell deaths in a dose-dependent manner but were less cytotoxic compared to pure PEI. As determined by electrophoretic mobility shift assay, siRNAs directed against glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (siGAPDH) were completely associated with PEI-NH-SWNTs or PEI-NH-MWNTs at a PEI-NH-SWNT/siGAPDH or PEI-NH-MWNT/siGAPDH mass ratio of 80:1 or 160:1, respectively. Furthermore, PEI-NH-SWNTs and PEI-NH-MWNTs successfully delivered siGAPDH into HeLa-S3 cells at PEI-NH-SWNT/siGAPDH and PEI-NH-MWNT/siGAPDH mass ratios of 1:1 to 20:1, resulting in suppression of the mRNA level of GAPDH to an extent similar to that of DharmaFECT, a common transfection reagent for siRNAs. Our results indicate that the PEI-NH-SWNTs and PEI-NH-MWNTs produced in this study are capable of delivering siRNAs into HeLa-S3 cells to suppress gene expression and may therefore be considered as novel nonviral gene delivery reagents.

AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors for protein-peptide binding affinity study.

Antibody-immobilized AlGaN/GaN high electron mobility transistors (HEMTs) were used to detect a short peptide consisting of 20 amino acids. One-binding-site model and two-binding-site model were used for the analysis of the electrical signals, revealing the number of binding sites on an antibody and the dissociation constants between the antibody and the short peptide. In the binding-site models, the surface coverage ratio of the short peptide on the sensor surface is relevant to the electrical signals resulted from the peptide-antibody binding on the HEMTs. Two binding sites on an antibody were observed and two dissociation constants, 4.404×10(-11) M and 1.596×10(-9) M, were extracted from the binding-site model through the analysis of the surface coverage ratio of the short peptide on the sensor surface. We have also shown that the conventional method to extract the dissociation constant from the linear regression of curve-fitting with Langmuir isotherm equation may lead to an incorrect information if the receptor has more than one binding site for the ligand. The limit of detection (LOD) of the sensor observed in the experimental result (~10 pM of the short peptide) is very close to the LOD (around 2.7-3.4 pM) predicted from the value of the smallest dissociation constants. The sensitivity of the sensor is not only dependent on the transistors, but also highly relies on the affinity of the ligand-receptor pair. The results demonstrate that the AlGaN/GaN HEMTs cannot only be used for biosensors, but also for the biological affinity study.

Gallic acid, a major component of Toona sinensis leaf extracts, contains a ROS-mediated anti-cancer activity in human prostate cancer cells.

Prostate cancer, the most frequently diagnosed malignancy in elderly males of the United States, has become a major health issue in Asia. Previous studies have demonstrated that leaf extracts of Toona sinensis Roem. contain cytotoxic activity on several cancer cells including prostate cancer cells. In this study, gallic acid is identified as the major anti-cancer compound in T. sinensis leaf extracts. It is cytotoxic to DU145 prostate cancer cells, through generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) and mitochondria-mediated apoptosis, which were reversed by antioxidants catalase and N-acetylcysteine. Furthermore, gallic acid is shown to block the growth of DU145 cells at G2/M phases by activating Chk1 and Chk2 and inhibiting Cdc25C and Cdc2 activities. In addition, gallic acid has a synergistic effect with doxorubicin in suppressing the growth of DU145 cells. Taken together, our results suggest that gallic acid has the potential to be developed into an anti-prostate cancer drug and is worthy of further studies.