Extracellular vesicles from blood of breast cancer women induce angiogenic processes in HUVECs.

Breast cancer is the most frequent malignancy among women in developed countries and the main cause of death related to cancer in women worldwide. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are vesicles with a variable size enclosed within a phospholipid bilayer that contain a variety of molecules with biological activity. Cancer cells release EVs that induce proliferation, escape from apoptosis, reprogramming energy metabolism, invasion and metastasis. In this study we studied whether EV fractions deprived of platelet EVs from breast cancer women (BC EVs) can mediate cell processes related with angiogenesis in human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVECs). Our findings demonstrate that BC EVs enhance migration, invasion and formation of new tubules in HUVECs, compared with EV fractions deprived of platelet EVs from healthy women (Ctrl EVs). In summary, we demonstrate, for the first time, that BC EVs induce cellular processes in HUVECs that participate in angiogenesis.

Circulating extracellular vesicles from patients with breast cancer enhance migration and invasion via a Src­dependent pathway in MDA­MB­231 breast cancer cells.

Triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) is a breast cancer subtype associated with high rates of metastasis, heterogeneity, drug resistance and a poor prognosis. Extracellular vesicles (EVs) are vesicles of endosomal and plasma membrane origin, and are secreted by healthy and cancer cells. In cancer, EVs contribute to tumor progression by mediating escape from the immune system surveillance, and are involved in extracellular matrix degradation, invasion, angiogenesis, migration and metastasis. Furthermore, EVs have been identified in several human fluids. However, the role of EVs from patients with breast cancer in the migration and invasion of human breast cancer cells is not fully understood. The present study investigated whether EVs isolated from Mexican patients with breast cancer can induce cellular processes related to invasion in breast cancer. Moreover, plasma fractions enriched in EVs and deprived of platelet­derived EVs obtained from blood samples of 32 Mexican patients with biopsy­diagnosed breast cancer at different clinical stages who had not received treatment were analyzed. Furthermore, one control group was included, which consisted of 20 Mexican healthy females. The present results demonstrated that EVs from women with breast cancer promote migration and invasion, and increase matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)­2 and MMP­9 secretion in TNBC MDA­MB­231 cells. In addition, it was found that EVs from patients with breast cancer induced Src and focal adhesion kinase activation, and focal adhesions assembly with an increase in focal adhesions number, while the migration and invasion was dependent on Src activity. Collectively, EVs from Mexican patients with breast cancer induce migration and invasion via a Src­dependent pathway in TNBC MDA­MB­231 cells.

Imaging diagnosis of subclavian steal syndrome secondary to Takayasu arteritis affecting a left-side subclavian artery.

Takayasu arteritis (TA) is a rare form of large-vessel, chronic, occlusive vasculitis. It involves mainly aorta and its main branches, causing stenosis and/or obstruction. Its frequency has been estimated at 2.9 cases per 1 million people. Epidemiologically, it is found principally in young female patients and is more prevalent in Asia and Latin America. When there is severe stenosis or occlusion in subclavian artery, the phenomenon of subclavian steal syndrome (SSS) occurs, which usually causes symptoms of the vertebrobasilar territory because blood supply to the arm is sustained by reversal of flow in ipsilateral vertebral artery. We describe a case of SSS thought to be due to TA in a Mexican woman. Doppler ultrasound of neck vessels showed retrograde flow in left vertebral artery during systole. Digital subtraction angiography confirmed 30% stenosis of left subclavian artery with filling of left vertebral artery in retrograde direction. In presenting this case, we carried out a brief review of TA, main features in imaging diagnosis of SSS, and the infrequently reported association of TA with SSS.