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2.
Ann Med Surg (Lond) ; 85(9): 4223-4227, 2023 Sep.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-37663698

ABSTRACT

Introduction: Preexisting anticoagulation is common among geriatric trauma patients. Geriatric trauma patients have a higher risk of mortality compared to younger patients. We sought to evaluate the association of preexisting anticoagulation with mortality in a group of geriatric trauma patients. Methods: A retrospective review of geriatric trauma patients was conducted for those admitted to a Level 1 trauma center from January 2018 to December 2020. Vital signs, demographics, injury characteristics, laboratory data, and mortality were all collected. Multivariable logistic regression analysis was performed for the association of preexisting anticoagulation and a primary endpoint of all-cause mortality. These groups were controlled for preexisting comorbidities, injury severity scores, and systolic blood pressure in the emergency department. Results: Four thousand four hundred thirty-two geriatric patients were admitted during the study period. This cohort was made up of 36.9% men and 63.1% women. Three thousand eight hundred fifty-nine (87.2%) were white; the average age was 81±8.5 years, and the median injury severity score (ISS) was 5. The mean systolic blood pressure was 150±32 mmHg, mean heart rate was 81±16 bpm, mean lactate was 2.3±1.3, mean hematocrit was 37.3±8.8, and mean international normalized ratio (INR) was 1.7±10.3. One thousand five hundred ninety-two (35.9%) patients were on anticoagulation (AC) upon presentation. One hundred and sixty-five (3.7%) mortalities were recorded. Multivariable logistic regression analysis results show that preexisting anticoagulation [ odds ratio (OR) 1.92, 95% CI 1.36-2.72] was independently predictive of death. The analysis was adjusted for systolic BP in the emergency department less than90 mmHg (OR 5.55, 95% CI 2.83-10.9), having more than 1 comorbidity (OR 2.30, 95% CI 1.57-3.38) and ISS (OR 1.13, 95% CI 1.10-1.15). Conclusion: Our study indicates that preexisting anticoagulation is associated with mortality among geriatric trauma patients.

3.
J Drugs Dermatol ; 22(2): 165-173, 2023 Feb 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36745370

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: There is a paucity of data on usage of topical medications in patients with darker phototypes. This single-center, randomized, double-blinded, vehicle-controlled clinical study investigated the efficacy of a combination calcipotriene/betamethasone dipropionate (Cal/BD) aerosol foam 0.005%/0.064% in the treatment of psoriasis vulgaris in Fitzpatrick skin types IV to VI. METHODS: 25 adult subjects were randomized 4:1 to Cal/BD foam or foam vehicle once daily for 4 weeks followed by 4 weeks of open label treatment. From week 4 to week 8, subjects randomized to Cal/BD foam once daily switched to Cal/BD foam twice weekly for 4 weeks, while those randomized to vehicle applied Cal/BD foam once daily. RESULTS: At week 4, 4/19 (21%) of Cal/BD foam patients achieved clear/almost clear Investigator Global Assessment (IGA) status with ≥2 grade improvement compared with 0/5 (0%) of vehicle patients (P=0.54). 12/19 (63%) of Cal/BD foam patients achieved a 50% reduction in Psoriasis Area and Severity Index (PASI 50) at week 4, compared with 0/5 (0%) of vehicle patients (P=0.04). Mean changes in melanin index at week 4 indicate a trend toward increased pigmentation in Cal/BD foam patients and decreased pigmentation in foam vehicle patients (P=0.30). All adverse events were mild and deemed unrelated to treatment by the investigators. LIMITATIONS: The sample size was small and underpowered to detect statistically significant changes in most endpoints. CONCLUSION: Cal/BD foam was safe and well tolerated in plaque psoriasis patients with skin of color. Larger studies involving skin of color populations with psoriasis are warranted. Pigmentary changes (hyper- and hypopigmentation) in lesional skin were observed. J Drugs Dermatol. 2023;22(2): 165-173.doi:10.36849/JDD.6910.


Subject(s)
Dermatologic Agents , Psoriasis , Adult , Humans , Skin Pigmentation , Psoriasis/diagnosis , Psoriasis/drug therapy , Psoriasis/chemically induced , Skin , Betamethasone , Aerosols/therapeutic use , Excipients , Treatment Outcome , Drug Combinations
5.
J Health Care Poor Underserved ; 33(3): 1650-1662, 2022.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-36245186

ABSTRACT

There are hundreds of thousands of metropolitan United States taxi and for-hire vehicle (FHV) drivers who lack health insurance and have limited access to primary care. The Affordable Care Act provided increased opportunities for insurance coverage. The current study used a 1,864 person 2015-2018 NYC taxi/FHV driver dataset, which included health insurance coverage and primary care access information. The data revealed an increase in insurance coverage and primary care uptake across the four years, from 40% to 63% and 52% to 60%, respectively. Drivers' age, region of birth, and hours driving per week predicted insurance coverage, and drivers' age, region of birth, hours driving per week, and insurance status predicted primary care coverage. Recommendations for addressing the pervasive low rates of insurance and primary care coverage among this understudied marginalized population are presented.


Subject(s)
Insurance, Health , Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act , Humans , Insurance Coverage , New York City , Primary Health Care , United States
6.
Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A ; 118(43)2021 10 26.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34663723

ABSTRACT

In Indonesia, 60 million people live within 1 km of state forest. The government of Indonesia plans to grant community titles for 12.7 million hectares of land to communities living in and around forests. These titles allow for using nontimber forest products, practicing agroforestry, operating tourism businesses, and selective logging in designated production zones. Here, we estimate the early effects of the program's rollout. We use data on the delineation and introduction date of community forest titles on 2.4 million hectares of land across the country. We find that, contrary to the objective of the program, community titles aimed at conservation did not decrease deforestation; if anything, they tended to increase forest loss. In contrast, community titles in zones aimed at timber production decreased deforestation, albeit from higher baseline forest loss rates.


Subject(s)
Conservation of Natural Resources/legislation & jurisprudence , Forests , Conservation of Natural Resources/economics , Conservation of Natural Resources/methods , Forestry/legislation & jurisprudence , Humans , Indonesia , Natural Resources
7.
Neurol Clin Pract ; 11(4): 318-326, 2021 Aug.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-34484932

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Advances in medical discoveries have bolstered expectations of precise and complete care, but delivering on such a promise for complex, chronic neurologic care delivery requires solving last-mile challenges. We describe the iterative human-centered design and pilot process for multiple sclerosis (MS) NeuroShare, a digital health solution that brings practical information to the point of care so that clinicians and patients with MS can view, discuss, and make informed decisions together. METHODS: We initiated a comprehensive human-centered process to iteratively design, develop, and implement a digital health solution for managing MS in the routine outpatient setting of the nonprofit Sutter Health system in Northern California. The human-centered codesign process included 3 phases: discovery and design, development, and implementation and pilot. Stakeholders included Sutter Health's Research Development and Dissemination team, academic domain experts, neurologists, patients with MS, and an advisory group. RESULTS: MS NeuroShare went live in November 2018. It included a patient- and clinician-facing web application that launches from the electronic health record, visually displays a patient's data relevant to MS, and prompts the clinician to comprehensively evaluate and treat the patient. Both patients and clinicians valued the ability to jointly view patient-generated and other data. Preliminary results suggest that MS NeuroShare promotes patient-clinician communication and more active patient participation in decision-making. CONCLUSIONS: Lessons learned in the design and implementation of MS NeuroShare are broadly applicable to the design and implementation of digital tools aiming to improve the experience of delivering and receiving high-quality care for complex, neurologic conditions across large health systems.

8.
Cancer Chemother Pharmacol ; 86(6): 793-801, 2020 12.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-33089408

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Temozolomide is an alkylating agent approved by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration in 1999 for the treatment of patients with primary brain tumors. The aim of this study was to confirm the bioequivalence and safety of two strengths (20-100 mg) of generic temozolomide in the form of TOZ039 and Temodal® capsules administered to brain tumor patients. STUDY DESIGN: An open-label, randomized, two-phase, two-period, crossover pharmacokinetic study was performed in a single institution. The reference and test drugs were prescribed at a dose of 150 mg/m2 daily from days 1 to 5 of a 28-day cycle in the first phase; in the second phase, either a 150- or 200-mg/m2 dose was prescribed, depending on patient tolerance. On days 1 and 2 of each phase, a fixed 200-mg dose was administered either as ten 20-mg capsules in the first cycle or two 100-mg capsules in the second cycle. Drug administration in the first two days was randomized, i.e., if TOZ309 was administered on day 1, Temodal® was administered on day 2, and vice versa. The rest of the prescribed dose was administered in the form of Temodal® and spread equally over days 3-5. Blood samples were obtained for pharmacokinetic evaluation on days 1 and 2. Bioequivalence was demonstrated if the geometric means ratio of the three main pharmacokinetic parameters (mean maximum plasma concentration (Cmax), area under the concentration-time curve (AUC) 0-t, AUC 0-∞) fell within the equivalence boundary of 80-125%. RESULTS: Twenty-nine glioblastoma multiforme or anaplastic astrocytoma patients were enrolled and dosed with the test and reference formulations under fasting conditions. The 90% confidence interval of the geometric means ratio for Cmax (91.08%, 106.18%), AUC0-t (98.62%,102.18%), and AUC0-∞ (98.65%, 102.21%) was well within the 80%-125% range for the 20-mg capsule, as was the Cmax (90.49%, 113.32%), AUC0-t (99.89%, 104.63%) and AUC0-∞ (99.99%, 104.67%) for the 100-mg capsule drug product. Additionally, all the secondary pharmacokinetic parameters were not significantly different. After two cycles of treatment, there was no mortality among the 29 patients, treatment-related severe adverse events, or events that would require study discontinuation; however, one significant adverse effect (life-threatening seizures) occurred and was related to disease progression. Adverse events were reported in 82.8% (24/29) patients, and treatment emergent adverse events were reported in 72.4% (21/29) patients. CONCLUSION: It can be concluded that 20-mg and 100-mg capsules of TOZ309 are bioequivalent to Temodal® capsules of the same strength under fasting conditions. TRIAL REGISTRATION: https://www.chinadrugtrials.org.cn/index.html , CTR2017 0122.


Subject(s)
Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating/pharmacokinetics , Brain Neoplasms/drug therapy , Drugs, Generic/pharmacokinetics , Glioma/drug therapy , Temozolomide/pharmacokinetics , Administration, Oral , Adolescent , Adult , Aged , Antineoplastic Agents, Alkylating/administration & dosage , Area Under Curve , Biological Availability , Brain Neoplasms/blood , Capsules , China , Cross-Over Studies , Dose-Response Relationship, Drug , Drugs, Generic/administration & dosage , Fasting , Glioma/blood , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Temozolomide/administration & dosage , Therapeutic Equivalency , Young Adult
9.
JCI Insight ; 2(14)2017 Jul 20.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-28724802

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: Programmed death 1 (PD-1) inhibition activates partially exhausted cytotoxic T lymphocytes (peCTLs) and induces tumor regression. We previously showed that the peCTL fraction predicts response to anti-PD-1 monotherapy. Here, we sought to correlate peCTL and regulatory T lymphocyte (Treg) levels with response to combination immunotherapy, and with demographic/disease characteristics, in metastatic melanoma patients. METHODS: Pretreatment melanoma samples underwent multiparameter flow cytometric analysis. Patients were treated with anti-PD-1 monotherapy or combination therapy, and responses determined by Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors version 1.1 (RECIST v1.1) criteria. peCTL and Treg levels across demographic/disease variables were compared. Low versus high peCTL (≤20% vs. >20%) were defined from a previous study. RESULTS: One hundred and two melanoma patients were identified. The peCTL fraction was higher in responders than nonresponders. Low peCTL correlated with female sex and liver metastasis, but not with lactate dehydrogenase (LDH), tumor stage, or age. While overall response rates (ORRs) to anti-PD-1 monotherapy and combination therapy were similar in high-peCTL patients, low-peCTL patients given combination therapy demonstrated higher ORRs than those who received monotherapy. Treg levels were not associated with these factors nor with response. CONCLUSION: In melanoma, pretreatment peCTL fraction is reduced in women and in patients with liver metastasis. In low-peCTL patients, anti-PD-1 combination therapy is associated with significantly higher ORR than anti-PD-1 monotherapy. Fewer tumor-infiltrating peCTLs may be required to achieve response to combination immunotherapy. TRIAL REGISTRATION: UCSF IRB Protocol 138510FUNDING. NIH DP2-AR068130, K08-AR062064, AR066821, and Burroughs Wellcome CAMS-1010934 (M.D.R.). Amoroso and Cook Fund, and the Parker Institute for Cancer Immunotherapy (A.I.D.).

10.
Taiwan J Obstet Gynecol ; 55(2): 213-9, 2016 Apr.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-27125404

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Epithelial ovarian cancer is the most lethal gynecologic cancer worldwide and chemoresistance is one of the major causes of treatment failure. We investigated whether ERCC1, TAU, TOPO2A, TOPO1, P53, and C-MYC expression could be used as predictors for treatment outcomes. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Immunohistochemical staining was used to examine the expression of these biomarkers in resected tumor specimens from 38 patients treated in our institute. Clinicopathological data including demographics, staging, histological type, treatment response, expression of the biomarkers, and patient outcomes were analyzed. RESULTS: The median follow-up period was 47.5 months (range, 10-135 months) and the median overall survival was 56.0 months. Patients who did not have expression of ERCC1, and those who had expression of TOPO1 had significantly better overall survival. Cox regression analysis also confirmed that these two biomarkers were significant independent factors predicting survival (ERCC1, hazard ratio 5.51, 95% confidence interval: 2.02-14.00, p = 0.001; TOPO1, hazard ratio 0.22, 95% confidence interval: 0.06-0.77, p = 0.017). CONCLUSION: We concluded that poor overall survival was significantly associated with positive ERCC1 and negative TOPO1 expression. The results might be the consequence of chemoresistance to platinum and camptothecins, both of which are commonly used regimens in the treatment of epithelial ovarian cancer.


Subject(s)
Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/therapeutic use , DNA Topoisomerases, Type I/analysis , DNA-Binding Proteins/analysis , Endonucleases/analysis , Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial/chemistry , Neoplasms, Glandular and Epithelial/therapy , Ovarian Neoplasms/chemistry , Ovarian Neoplasms/therapy , Adult , Antigens, Neoplasm/analysis , Biomarkers, Tumor/analysis , Carboplatin/administration & dosage , Carcinoma, Ovarian Epithelial , Cisplatin/administration & dosage , Cyclophosphamide/administration & dosage , Cytoreduction Surgical Procedures , DNA Topoisomerases, Type II/analysis , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Middle Aged , Paclitaxel/administration & dosage , Prognosis , Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-myc/analysis , Survival Rate , Tumor Suppressor Protein p53/analysis , tau Proteins/analysis
11.
Waste Manag ; 49: 304-310, 2016 Mar.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-26739453

ABSTRACT

Biomass fast pyrolysis followed by hydrodeoxygenation upgrading is the most popular way to produce upgraded bio-oil from biomass. This process requires large quantities of expensive hydrogen and operates under high pressure condition (70-140 atm). Therefore, a novel methanolysis (i.e., biomass pyrolysis under methane environment) process is developed in this study, which is effective in upgraded bio-oil formation at atmospheric pressure and at about 400-600°C. Instead of using pure methane, simulated biogas (60% CH4+40% CO2) was used to test the feasibility of this novel methanolysis process for the conversion of different solid wastes. The bio-oil obtained from canola straw is slightly less than that from sawdust in term of quantity, but the oil quality from canola straw is better in terms of lower acidity, lower Bromine Number, higher H/C atomic ratio and lower O/C atomic ratio. The municipal solid waste and newspaper can also obtain relatively high oil yields, but the oil qualities of them are both lower than those from sawdust and canola straw. Compared with catalysts of 5%Zn/ZSM-5 and 1%Ag/ZSM-5, the 5%Zn-1%Ag/ZSM-5 catalyst performed much better in terms of upgraded bio-oil yield as well as oil quality. During the methanolysis process, the metal silver may be used to reduce the total acid number of the oil while the metal zinc might act to decrease the bromine number of the oil. The highly dispersed Zn and Ag species on/in the catalyst benefit the achievement of better upgrading performance and make it be a very promising catalyst for bio-oil upgrading by biogas.


Subject(s)
Biofuels/analysis , Methane/chemistry , Solid Waste/analysis , Waste Management/methods , Biomass , Energy-Generating Resources
12.
13.
J Proteome Res ; 13(8): 3763-3770, 2014 Aug 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-24983411

ABSTRACT

For more than 30 years, the study of learning and memory in Drosophila melanogaster (fruit fly) has used an olfactory learning paradigm and has resulted in the discovery of many genes involved in memory formation. By varying learning programs, the creation of different memory types can be achieved, from short-term memory formation to long-term. Previous studies in the fruit fly used gene mutation methods to identify genes involved in memory formation. Presumably, memory creation involves a combination of genes, pathways, and neural circuits. To examine memory formation at the protein level, a quantitative proteomic analysis was performed using olfactory learning and 15N-labeled fruit flies. Differences were observed in protein expression and relevant pathways between different learning programs. Our data showed major protein expression changes occurred between short-term memory (STM) and long-lasting memory, and only minor changes were found between long-term memory (LTM) and anesthesia-resistant memory (ARM).

14.
J Clin Pathol ; 66(2): 140-5, 2013 Feb.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-23268322

ABSTRACT

AIMS: The ESR1 gene encodes for oestrogen receptor (ER) α, which plays a crucial role in mammary carcinogenesis and clinical outcome in patients with breast cancer. However, the clinical significance of the ESR1 gene copy number change for breast cancer has not been clarified. METHODS: ESR1 gene copy number was determined by fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH) on tissue sections. A minimum of 20 tumour cells were counted per section, and a FISH ratio of ESR1 gene to CEP6 ≥ 2.0 was considered ESR1 amplification. A ratio >1.2 but <2.0 was considered ESR1 gain. The ESR1 copy number was further measured by quantitative real-time PCR (Q-PCR) with ASXL2 as a reference. RESULTS: FISH revealed ESR1 amplification in six cases (4.0%) and ESR1 gain in 13 cases (8.7%) from a total of 150 cases. ESR1 gain and amplification were more common in older patients (p<0.001), and correlated well with ER protein expression (p=0.03) measured by immunohistochemistry, and ESR1 copy number (p<0.001) measured by Q-PCR. Furthermore, the multivariate analysis revealed that ESR1 amplification was associated with a shorter disease-free survival (HR=5.56, p=0.03) and a shorter overall survival (HR=5.11, p=0.04). CONCLUSIONS: In general, the frequency of ESR1 amplification in breast cancer is low when measured by FISH in large sections. ESR1 gain and amplification in breast cancer may be associated with older age and poorer outcomes.


Subject(s)
Biomarkers, Tumor/genetics , Breast Neoplasms/genetics , DNA Copy Number Variations , Estrogen Receptor alpha/genetics , Gene Amplification , Gene Dosage , In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence , Adult , Age Factors , Biomarkers, Tumor/analysis , Breast Neoplasms/chemistry , Breast Neoplasms/mortality , Breast Neoplasms/pathology , Chi-Square Distribution , Disease-Free Survival , Estrogen Receptor alpha/analysis , Female , Genetic Predisposition to Disease , Humans , Immunohistochemistry , Kaplan-Meier Estimate , Middle Aged , Multivariate Analysis , Phenotype , Predictive Value of Tests , Prognosis , Proportional Hazards Models , Real-Time Polymerase Chain Reaction , Repressor Proteins/genetics , Time Factors
15.
PLoS Genet ; 8(1): e1002473, 2012 Jan.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-22291607

ABSTRACT

Organismal aging is influenced by a multitude of intrinsic and extrinsic factors, and heterochromatin loss has been proposed to be one of the causes of aging. However, the role of heterochromatin in animal aging has been controversial. Here we show that heterochromatin formation prolongs lifespan and controls ribosomal RNA synthesis in Drosophila. Animals with decreased heterochromatin levels exhibit a dramatic shortening of lifespan, whereas increasing heterochromatin prolongs lifespan. The changes in lifespan are associated with changes in muscle integrity. Furthermore, we show that heterochromatin levels decrease with normal aging and that heterochromatin formation is essential for silencing rRNA transcription. Loss of epigenetic silencing and loss of stability of the rDNA locus have previously been implicated in aging of yeast. Taken together, these results suggest that epigenetic preservation of genome stability, especially at the rDNA locus, and repression of unnecessary rRNA synthesis, might be an evolutionarily conserved mechanism for prolonging lifespan.


Subject(s)
Aging/genetics , Chromosomal Proteins, Non-Histone/genetics , Drosophila melanogaster/genetics , Drosophila melanogaster/physiology , Heterochromatin/genetics , Longevity/genetics , RNA, Ribosomal/biosynthesis , Animals , Cell Nucleolus/genetics , Chromobox Protein Homolog 5 , DNA, Circular/genetics , Drosophila Proteins/genetics , Drosophila Proteins/metabolism , Epigenesis, Genetic/genetics , Genomic Instability , Janus Kinases/genetics , Janus Kinases/metabolism , Muscles/physiology , RNA, Ribosomal/genetics , STAT Transcription Factors/genetics , STAT Transcription Factors/metabolism , Transcription Factors/genetics , Transcription Factors/metabolism , Transcription, Genetic/genetics
16.
Jpn J Clin Oncol ; 40(7): 663-9, 2010 Jul.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-20395242

ABSTRACT

OBJECTIVE: Elevation of serum autoantibodies to alpha-enolase (ENO1) is often seen in inflammation diseases. However, it is unclear whether the levels of serum ENO1 autoantibodies could be affected during tumor progression. Hence, we attempted to determine the relative serum ENO1 autoantibody levels in healthy individuals and various stages of patients with lung and breast cancers. METHODS: Sera were obtained from 99 normal individuals, 21 patients with non-cancer-associated diseases and 178 cancer patients, including Stage I, II and IV non-small cell lung cancer, small cell lung cancer and breast cancer. The ENO1 autoantibody levels were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. RESULTS: Compared with the healthy individuals, the levels of ENO1 autoantibodies were significantly decreased in Stage IV non-small cell lung cancer, small cell lung cancer and breast cancer patients. Consistently, this phenomenon was also observed in tumor-grafted mice. Using logistic regression analyses, data show that the titer status of ENO1 autoantibody level is highly associated with the late stage of lung and breast cancers when compared with those of healthy controls. In contrast, there were no statistic differences between healthy controls and early stages of non-small cell lung cancer patients, and total amounts of serum immunoglobulin A, immunoglobulin G and immunoglobulin M levels in Stage IV non-small cell lung cancer patients were not significantly distinct from those of the healthy controls. Thus, the decreased ENO1 autoantibody event in malignant stage of cancer patients is not contributed by reduction in total immunoglobulin. CONCLUSIONS: Marked decrease in the basal level of serum ENO1 autoantibodies is a common malignant event of lung and breast cancers, suggesting that ENO1 autoantibody may serve as a prognostic marker to monitor the disease progression of these cancer patients.


Subject(s)
Autoantibodies/blood , Biomarkers, Tumor/immunology , Breast Neoplasms/immunology , DNA-Binding Proteins/immunology , Lung Neoplasms/immunology , Phosphopyruvate Hydratase/immunology , Tumor Suppressor Proteins/immunology , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Animals , Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/immunology , Carcinoma, Small Cell/immunology , Down-Regulation , Female , Humans , Male , Mice , Mice, Inbred BALB C , Middle Aged , Young Adult
17.
Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev ; 18(6): 1807-14, 2009 Jun.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-19505913

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: In the past two decades, the incidence of breast cancer in young Taiwanese females has been rapidly increasing, approaching the risk level of western countries. As a first step to investigate the possible etiology, we examined the molecular subtypes of female breast cancer in Taiwan. METHODS: This study included 1,028 consecutive patients with breast cancer diagnosed in National Taiwan University Hospital between 2004 and 2006. Estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), human epidermal growth factor receptor-2, cytokeratin 5/6, and epidermal growth factor receptor expression and/or gene amplification were analyzed. RESULTS: Younger (50 years) patients. The higher prevalence of luminal A subtype was mainly attributed to a higher ER (75% versus 63%; P < 0.001) and PR (47% versus 33%; P < 0.001) expression rate in younger patients than older patients. Tumors with histologic grade 3 were less prevalent in younger patients than in older patients (23% versus 30%; P = 0.01). For very young (<35 years) patients, the molecular subtype distribution, ER and/or PR expression rate, and histologic grade were not significantly different from those of less young (35-50 years) patients. CONCLUSIONS: Young breast cancer patients in Taiwan are characterized by a high prevalence of luminal A subtype and low prevalence of histologic grade 3 tumor and/or basal-like subtype. These features are distinct from young breast cancer patients in western countries.


Subject(s)
Biomarkers, Tumor/analysis , Breast Neoplasms/epidemiology , Breast Neoplasms/genetics , Breast Neoplasms/pathology , Gene Expression , Age Distribution , Age Factors , ErbB Receptors/biosynthesis , ErbB Receptors/genetics , Female , Humans , Immunohistochemistry , In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence , Incidence , Keratin-5/biosynthesis , Keratin-5/genetics , Keratin-6/biosynthesis , Keratin-6/genetics , Neoplasm Staging , Receptor, ErbB-2/biosynthesis , Receptor, ErbB-2/genetics , Receptors, Estrogen/biosynthesis , Receptors, Estrogen/genetics , Receptors, Progesterone/biosynthesis , Receptors, Progesterone/genetics , Taiwan
18.
Am J Hematol ; 84(2): 87-92, 2009 Feb.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-19127593

ABSTRACT

The Wnt/beta-catenin signaling is important for controlling self-renewal of hematopoietic stem cells and its constitutive activation has recently been documented in a significant proportion of acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cases. Topoisomerase IIalpha (Topo IIalpha) is a marker of cell proliferation and a crucial target for anthracycline cytotoxicity, the mainstay of management employed in AML. We retrospectively investigated the prognostic roles of beta-catenin and topo IIalpha in a cohort of 59 patients with newly diagnosed AML by immunohistochemistry. Aberrant beta-catenin expression was demonstrated in 13 patients (22%), and it was more likely to occur in those with unfavorable karyotypes. Advanced age and poor performance status adversely influenced the achievement of complete remission, while neither aberrant beta-catenin expression nor enhanced topo IIalpha activity did. On multivariate survival analysis, four factors independently predicted a shortened overall survival: aberrant beta-catenin expression, high topo IIalpha activity, poor-risk cytogenetics, and presence of at least one comorbidity factor. Our results suggest that both beta-catenin and topo IIalpha independently predicted an adverse prognosis and might serve as new markers for risk stratification in AML patients.


Subject(s)
Antigens, Neoplasm/analysis , Biomarkers, Tumor/analysis , DNA Topoisomerases, Type II/analysis , DNA-Binding Proteins/analysis , Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/metabolism , Neoplasm Proteins/analysis , beta Catenin/analysis , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic/therapeutic use , Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/therapeutic use , Cohort Studies , Comorbidity , Cytarabine/therapeutic use , Female , Humans , Karyotyping , Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/drug therapy , Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/mortality , Leukemia, Myeloid, Acute/pathology , Male , Middle Aged , Prognosis , Retrospective Studies , Risk Factors , Survival Analysis , Wnt Proteins/physiology
19.
Cancer ; 109(9): 1821-8, 2007 May 01.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-17351950

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: The objective of this study was to assess the efficacy of adding chronic, intermittent, low-dose vinorelbine to gefitinib treatment for patients who had adenocarcinoma of the lung who failed>or=2 regimens of chemotherapy. METHODS: Patients were randomized into 2 arms: Oral gefitinib 250 mg daily (the G arm) or vinorelbine 15 mg/m2 as an intravenous infusion on Day 1 and oral gefitinib 250 mg daily on Days 2 through 14 every 2 weeks (the GV arm). From August 2004 to October 2005, 48 patients were enrolled. Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) exon 18 through 21 nucleotide sequence analysis and fluorescence in situ hybridization were performed in patients who had tumor tissue specimens available for analysis. RESULTS: After randomization, each arm had 24 patients. However, 3 patients refused vinorelbine treatment and were given gefitinib treatment only. Thus, 27 patients received G treatment, and 21 patients received GV treatment. Objective response rates were 55.6% in the G arm and 52.4% in the GV arm. All toxicities in both arms were mild. The 1-year progression-free survival rate was 57.1% in the GV arm and 21.2% in the G arm (P=.008). The median survival was 13.3 months in the G arm and 23.4 months in the GV arm (P=.1231). Three of 6 patients (50%) had an exon 19 in-frame deletion, and 2 of 10 patients had EGFR gene high polysomy or amplification (20%). CONCLUSIONS: Gefitinib was highly effective in ethnic Chinese patients with adenocarcinoma of the lung who failed previous platinum and taxane treatment. The addition of low-dose vinorelbine every 2 weeks produced a significantly better 1-year progression-free survival rate.


Subject(s)
Adenocarcinoma/drug therapy , Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols/therapeutic use , Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/drug therapy , Adenocarcinoma/genetics , Adenocarcinoma/mortality , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/genetics , Carcinoma, Non-Small-Cell Lung/mortality , DNA Mutational Analysis , Disease-Free Survival , Drug Resistance, Neoplasm , ErbB Receptors/genetics , Female , Gefitinib , Humans , In Situ Hybridization, Fluorescence , Kaplan-Meier Estimate , Male , Middle Aged , Polymerase Chain Reaction , Quinazolines/administration & dosage , Quinazolines/adverse effects , Vinblastine/administration & dosage , Vinblastine/adverse effects , Vinblastine/analogs & derivatives , Vinorelbine
20.
J Chin Med Assoc ; 70(3): 94-102, 2007 Mar.
Article in English | MEDLINE | ID: mdl-17389153

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND: We used B16-F10 (B16) melanoma tumor cells and syngeneic C57BL/6 (B6) mice as a study model for pulmonary metastases, to better understand whether or not there exist differences in tumorigenicity and in the effectiveness of immunotherapy as a function of host age (1-, 3-, 12- and 24-month-old). METHODS: Intravenous injection of B16 melanoma cells were administered to B6 mice of different ages with/without interleukin (IL)-2 and IL-12 daily treatment. Tumor growth, splenocyte function, serum cytokines (IL-10, interferon-gamma, vascular endothelial growth factor) and survival were compared. RESULTS: The study showed that, without IL-2 and IL-12 treatment, middle-aged mice suffering from pulmonary metastases had fewer pulmonary metastases and better survival than younger mice suffering from pulmonary metastases. Three days' IL-2 plus IL-12 treatment could not prolong mice survival, but prolonged treatment significantly improved the survival of both the younger and older tumor-bearing mice, especially the older mice, despite the fact that the younger mice had a better serum cytokine and splenocyte cellular immune response to cytokine treatment. CONCLUSION: The young B6 mice that suffered from B16 pulmonary metastases had a poorer prognosis than the middle-aged mice. Short-term IL-2 plus IL-12 treatment is ineffective in prolonging survival, and a longer duration of treatment is needed. This kind of immunotherapy was effective in both the young and middle-aged mice, but it was more effective in the middle-aged mice.


Subject(s)
Lung Neoplasms/secondary , Melanoma, Experimental/therapy , Age Factors , Animals , Female , Interferon-gamma/blood , Interleukin-10/blood , Interleukin-12/administration & dosage , Interleukin-2/administration & dosage , Melanoma, Experimental/mortality , Melanoma, Experimental/secondary , Mice , Mice, Inbred C57BL , Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A/blood
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