RESUMO
INTRODUCTION: The impact on the survival of bone metastases (BM) in patients with neuroendocrine tumor (NET) is a matter of debate. BM have a key role in causing symptoms and in decreasing patients' quality of life. Although the mechanisms of the development of BM are not completely clear, it is now well understood that the Receptor Activator of Nuclear factor Kappa-B-/Ligand (RANK/RANKL)/osteoprotegerin (OPG) pathway plays a relevant role. AIM: To characterize the RANK/RANKL/OPG pathway in patients affected with NET. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Two cohorts of 15 patients each were enrolled in the study; one cohort was affected with NET without BM and the second cohort was affected with NET with BM. The serum RANK/RANKL/OPG pathway was assessed in both the groups. RESULTS: Serum OPG levels and RANKL/OPG ratio were lower and higher, respectively, in NET patients harboring BM than in those without BM. During the ROC analysis, a cut-off value of 1071 pg/ml for OPG and 0.62 for RANKL/OPG ratio were able to significantly distinguish between the two groups. CONCLUSIONS: This study indicates that RANK/RANKL/OPG pathway is imbalanced in patients with NET harboring BM. Specific alterations of this pathway could predict an early development of BM.
Assuntos
Neoplasias Ósseas/sangue , Carcinoma Neuroendócrino/sangue , Neoplasias Intestinais/sangue , Neoplasias Pulmonares/sangue , Osteoprotegerina/genética , Neoplasias Pancreáticas/sangue , Ligante RANK/genética , Receptor Ativador de Fator Nuclear kappa-B/genética , Adulto , Idoso , Neoplasias Ósseas/genética , Neoplasias Ósseas/mortalidade , Neoplasias Ósseas/secundário , Carcinoma Neuroendócrino/genética , Carcinoma Neuroendócrino/mortalidade , Carcinoma Neuroendócrino/secundário , Progressão da Doença , Diagnóstico Precoce , Feminino , Regulação Neoplásica da Expressão Gênica , Humanos , Neoplasias Intestinais/genética , Neoplasias Intestinais/mortalidade , Neoplasias Intestinais/patologia , Neoplasias Pulmonares/genética , Neoplasias Pulmonares/mortalidade , Neoplasias Pulmonares/patologia , Masculino , Pessoa de Meia-Idade , Osteoprotegerina/sangue , Neoplasias Pancreáticas/genética , Neoplasias Pancreáticas/mortalidade , Neoplasias Pancreáticas/patologia , Valor Preditivo dos Testes , Ligante RANK/sangue , Curva ROC , Receptor Ativador de Fator Nuclear kappa-B/sangue , Transdução de Sinais , Análise de SobrevidaRESUMO
From the 1960s on, the conservation of monuments and stone masonry has witnessed an increasing use of polymeric products during restoration interventions. Actual penetration depths reached by different polymers within the porous stone matrix are supposed to be key factors in determining the efficacy of the treatments themselves (besides, of course, the chemical-mineralogical nature of the stone and the chemical-physical characteristics of the various polymers). This work presents some preliminary results obtained on specimens of Noto calcarenite treated with various polymeric protective products. Samples were investigated with direct analytical methods (micro-ATR spectroscopy, SEM) in order to assess penetration depths reached by polymers inside the stone while reducing to a minimum the necessary manipulation of specimens. The obtained results highlighted the following trend in penetration depths for the various products tested: siloxane product > partially fluorinated acrylic resin > acrylic resin. Moreover, data obtained allowed to establish direct correlation between long term efficacy of products and relative penetration depths.