The Significance of BRAFV600E Mutation in Thyroid Cancer in Terms of Novel Targeted Therapies - Overview of Current Knowledge and Studies.

BACKGROUND: About 50% of papillary thyroid cancers, the most common type of all thyroid malignancies, harbor the BRAFV600E mutation. The prognostic value of this mutation is still under debate, but according to many studies, the BRAF mutation significantly downregulates genes involved in the iodine metabolism of tumor follicular cells. This mutation can be also found in some dedifferentiated and anaplastic thyroid cancers, which raises the issue of the selective advantage of novel targeted therapies. AIM: The aim of this review is to discuss the significance of the BRAF mutation mostly in radioiodine-refractory thyroid cancers (RR-TC) with respect to recent preclinical and clinical studies reporting the results of different RAF and MEK inhibitors. CONCLUSIONS: BRAF mutation detection in progressive RR-TC could play a role in decision-making of targeted therapies in the near future. So far, only multi-kinase inhibitors (sorafenib and lenvatinib) are legally accepted. On the other hand, for patients with disseminated BRAF mutant malignant melanoma or lung cancer, selective treatments with RAF and MEK inhibitors (vemurafenib, dabrafenib, and trametinib) are available. A crucial advantage of these inhibitors in the treatment of thyroid cancer is their ability to restore expression of the genes involved in iodine metabolism in cancer cells that have lost this ability, thus opening the door for radioiodine  treatment again. Key words thyroid cancer - BRAF mutation - biological therapy - tyrosine kinase inhibitor - MEK inhibitor The authors declare they have no potential conflicts of interest concerning drugs, products, or services used in the study. The Editorial Board declares that the manuscript met the ICMJE recommendation for biomedical papers. Submitted: 4. 6. 2018 Accepted: 1. 8. 2018.

Is it possible to shorten serum bactericidal testing?

Serum bactericidal test represents an alternative possibility for optimization of antibiotic treatment. The paper aimed to confirm non-inferiority of bactericidal testing using the broth dilution method according to the CLSI method (M21A) in comparison with turbidimetric and colorimetric modifications. We tested human blood sera (n = 76) of ten hematological patients, their blood was withdrawn prior to and during the course of antibiotic therapy. Testing employed the reference strain Escherichia coli ATCC 25922. The results of the modified turbidimetric method did not differ in a statistically significant way with the use of the wavelengths of 620 nm or 405 nm and the break-point <30% turbidity change after 24-hour incubation. The colorimetric method was also non-inferior from the CLSI method when resazurin was applied after 8-hour incubation and the results of subculture were read after 24-hour incubation. Both tested modifications can represent a shorter alternative to the CLSI reference method.

Serum levels of soluble adhesion molecules in newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia and in complete remission suggest endothelial cell activation by myeloblasts.

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Despite high-dose multi-agent chemotherapy and allogeneic stem cell transplantation, the relapse rate of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) is high. Further, the disease is highly resistent to drugs. We speculated that deeper understanding of AML-endothelial cell interactions might provide new targets for selective modulation of the AML microenvironment and form the basis for novel treatment approaches. In this study, we evaluated levels of endothelium derived soluble adhesion molecules in active disease and in complete remission (CR) and their relationship with inflammatory cytokines. METHODS: Baseline serum levels of 25 cytokines and 5 soluble adhesion molecules were measured in 84 AML patients using biochip array technology. CR samples were evaluated in 44 patients of this cohort. The control group consisted of 15 healthy blood donors. RESULTS: All analytes were independent of age or disease origin. Some correlations were restricted to active AML, some were ubiquitous and some were found in remission. In active disease, E-selectin (E-SEL) and VCAM-1 correlated with leukocyte count, E-SEL correlated with P-selectin (P-SEL). Platelet count related to IL-7, EGF and VEGF but not to P-SEL. In CR, P-SEL correlated with platelet count and EGF but not with E-SEL. There was no relationship of P-SEL and E-SEL in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: Leukemic activity is associated with a different pattern of soluble adhesion molecule levels. Both E-SEL and P-SEL may be derived from endothelial cells. Their levels correlated in active disease. E-SEL correlated with leukocyte count. In CR, P-SEL physiologically correlated with platelet count. The correlation with E-SEL was insignificant and absent in the control group. Our data suggest activation of endothelial cells in the presence of myeloblasts.