Gender and cystectomy for bladder cancer: A high-volume tertiary urologic care center experience.

BACKGROUND: Differences have often been reported in the outcomes of bladder cancer (BC) patients according to gender. OBJECTIVE: This study aims to provide data on patients undergoing radical cystectomy (RC) in a high-volume tertiary urologic center and to assess whether gender discrepancies do exist in terms of surgical options and clinical outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Consecutive BC patients treated between 2016 and 2020 at a single center (Careggi University Hospital, Florence, Italy) were included in the study. The impact of gender on disease stage at diagnosis, overall survival (OS), and type of surgery was analyzed. RESULTS: The study series comprised 447 patients (85 females and 362 males). At a median follow-up of 28.3 months (IQR: 33.5), OS was 52.6% and cancer-specific survival was 67.6%. Significant differences in OS emerged for age, acute myocardial infarction (AMI), Charlson Comorbidity Index (CCI), pT, and pN. OS rates were higher in patients undergoing robot-assisted surgery and in those receiving open orthotopic neobladder (ONB) (p = 0.0001). No statistically significant differences were found between male and female patients regarding surgical offer in any age group, surgical time, early postoperative complications, pathologic stage, and OS. CONCLUSIONS: After adjustment for pathologic tumor stage and treatment modalities, female and male patients showed similar oncologic outcomes. Further studies should be undertaken to evaluate functional results in women subjected to RC.

Effect of propolis on Th2 and Th17 cells: interplay with EtxB- and LPS-treated dendritic cells.

Dendritic cells (DCs) are antigen-presenting cells that drive the differentiation of T CD4+ cells into different profiles according to the nature of the antigen or immunomodulator. Propolis is a resinous product made by bees that has numerous pharmacological properties, including an immunomodulatory action. To assess whether propolis can modulate the activation of CD4+ T cells by stimulating DCs with heat-labile enterotoxin B subunit (EtxB) or lipopolysaccharide (LPS), we aimed to elucidate the mechanisms affected by propolis in the differential activation of T lymphocytes. Cell viability, lymphocyte proliferation, gene expression (GATA-3 and RORc), and cytokine production (interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-17A) were analyzed. Propolis, EtxB, and LPS induced a higher lymphoproliferation compared with the control. Propolis induced GATA-3 expression and, in combination with EtxB, maintained the baseline levels. Propolis alone or in combination with LPS inhibited RORc expression. EtxB alone and in combination with propolis increased IL-4 production. Propolis in combination with LPS prevented LPS-induced IL-17A production. These results opened perspectives for the study of biological events that may be favored by propolis by promoting Th2 activation or helping in the treatment of inflammatory conditions mediated by Th17 cells.

Effect of propolis on Th2 and Th17 cells: interplay with EtxB- and LPS-treated dendritic cells

Dendritic cells (DCs) are antigen-presenting cells that drive the differentiation of T CD4+ cells into different profiles according to the nature of the antigen or immunomodulator. Propolis is a resinous product made by bees that has numerous pharmacological properties, including an immunomodulatory action. To assess whether propolis can modulate the activation of CD4+ T cells by stimulating DCs with heat-labile enterotoxin B subunit (EtxB) or lipopolysaccharide (LPS), we aimed to elucidate the mechanisms affected by propolis in the differential activation of T lymphocytes. Cell viability, lymphocyte proliferation, gene expression (GATA-3 and RORc), and cytokine production (interleukin (IL)-4 and IL-17A) were analyzed. Propolis, EtxB, and LPS induced a higher lymphoproliferation compared with the control. Propolis induced GATA-3 expression and, in combination with EtxB, maintained the baseline levels. Propolis alone or in combination with LPS inhibited RORc expression. EtxB alone and in combination with propolis increased IL-4 production. Propolis in combination with LPS prevented LPS-induced IL-17A production. These results opened perspectives for the study of biological events that may be favored by propolis by promoting Th2 activation or helping in the treatment of inflammatory conditions mediated by Th17 cells.