New metal chalcogenides found in MnN-1(Gd2-xInx)SN+2 (N = 3, 4, 5): syntheses, structures, and magnetic properties.

Three new metal chalcogenides have been identified in MnN-1(Gd2-xInx)SN+2 with N = 3, 4, and 5 via a flux-growth synthesis. All compounds crystallize in the same space group of orthorhombic Cmcm with cell constants: Mn2GdInS5 (1), a = 3.789(1) Å, b = 12.411(1) Å, and c = 15.489(1) Å; Mn3Gd2S6 (2), a = 3.778(1) Å, b = 12.505(2) Å, and c = 19.114(2) Å; Mn4Gd2S7 (3), a = 3.769(1) Å, b = 12.466(2) Å, and c = 22.289(3) Å. Compounds 1-3 form a homologous series through the modulation of the MnS unit, whose structures represent a complete system of the corresponding lillianites (N1,N2L) of 3,3L, 4,4L and 5,5L. The gradually wider slabs formed in the series result in a monotonic increase along the c dimensions from 1 to 3. Crystal 3 is the first to achieve a predicted structure of 5,5L. Mn2GdInS5 (1) displays a weak antiferromagnetic (AFM) ordering at 10 K and the Weiss constant (θ) of -0.76 K. Mn2Gd1.5In0.5S5 (1a), an isostructure of 1, shifts the AFM transition temperature to 12 K and possesses a slightly larger θ constant of -6.06 K. Mn4Gd2S7 (3), featuring the thickest slabs in this series, shows a significant antiferromagnetic behavior beginning at a high temperature of 70 K and has a largest θ constant of -40.25 K. A small amount of impurity α-Gd2S3 with an AFM transition temperature around 4 K was characterized in sample 3, which does not interfere with the magnetic ordering of 3 at much higher temperatures. These magnetic chalcogenides display band gaps of 1.66 eV for 1, 1.75 eV for 1a, and 1.44 eV for 3.

Overexpression of the RNA-binding proteins Lin28B and IGF2BP3 (IMP3) is associated with chemoresistance and poor disease outcome in ovarian cancer.

BACKGROUND: RNA-binding proteins have an important role in messenger RNA (mRNA) regulation during tumour development and carcinogenesis. In the present study, we examined the insulin-like growth factor 2 mRNA-binding proteins (IGF2BPs; hereafter refered to as IMPs) and Lin28 family expressions in epithelial ovarian carcinoma (EOC) patients and correlated their expression levels with the response to chemotherapy, hCTR1 expression and patient survival. METHODS: Patients clinical information, real-time RT-PCR, immunohistochemistry, western blot, Transwell migration invasion assays, and cytotoxicity assays were used. RESULTS: From 140 EOC patients, high expression of IMP3 or Lin28B was associated with poor survival, and women diagnosed at advanced stages with elevated IMP3 and Lin28B were at higher risk of developing chemoresistance. High IMP3 levels combined with high Lin28B levels significantly correlated with the poorest 5-year survival rates. Knockdown of IMP3 or Lin28B decreased cell proliferation, migration, and invasion, and increased the platinum sensitivity, but not taxol sensitivity, of ovarian cancer cells through increased expression of hCTR1, a copper transporter involved in platinum uptake. High expression of hCTR1 correlated with low expression of IMP3/Lin28B and better progression-free survival in advanced-stage EOC patients. CONCLUSION: Testing for a combination of elevated IMP3 and Lin28B levels could further facilitate the identification of a patient subgroup with the worst prognosis.

Association of estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor and HER2 following neoadjuvant systemic treatment in breast cancer patients undergoing surgery.

AIMS: The aim of this study was to analyze the association between the status of estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), and human epidermal growth factor receptor-2 (HER2) in breast cancer with neoadjuvant therapy by using tissue biopsy and surgical specimens. METHODS: This study included 78 patients with breast cancer, who presented to our hospital between June 1999 and June 2011, and were treated with neoadjuvant therapy and subsequent mastectomy or partial mastectomy. All clinicopathological data regarding pre-neoadjuvant biopsy and definitive surgical specimens were reviewed for accuracy. The status of ER, PR, and HER2 was determined by immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Paired samples from 78 women (mean age 51.4 ± 11.7 years) were successfully analyzed. A switch in the status of ER was identified in 16 patients (20 %); PR, in 18 (23 %); and HER2, in 27 (35 %). There were no significant differences in the status of ER, PR, and HER2 between the primary tumor and the resected tumor after neoadjuvant therapy. Neoadjuvant therapy does not significantly influence the status of the steroid hormone receptors and the HER2 level in our study. CONCLUSIONS: Initial biopsy may be reliable for determining the appropriate adjuvant therapy, but final pathology are still needed to evaluate the prognosis and provided the alternative treatment when tumor recurrence. Further prospective study is needed to optimize the care available for breast cancer patients.

Three-dimensional power Doppler ultrasound in cervical carcinoma: monitoring treatment response to radiotherapy.

OBJECTIVES: To investigate, using three-dimensional power Doppler ultrasound (3D-PDU), alterations in cervical intratumoral vascularization during and after radiotherapy. METHODS: Between 2004 and 2009 we enrolled into the study 37 patients with FIGO Stages IB1-IIB cervical carcinoma who were undergoing radiotherapy. Serial 3D-PDU scans were performed during treatment, providing ultrasonographic measurement of tumor size, vascularization index, flow index and vascularization flow index, as well as monthly for 3 months post-treatment and tri-monthly thereafter, until vascularity was undetectable on two consecutive occasions. Physical examination, cervical cytology and serum marker evaluation were performed every 3-6 months for the first 5 years following treatment. Patients evaluated after a 2-year tumor-free interval and those with clinically assessed positive findings at follow-up underwent 3D-PDU to detect possible local disease. RESULTS: A total of 329 3D-PDU scans were performed in the 37 women. Cervical tumors and intratumoral vascularization disappeared within 3 months following radiotherapy, except in one patient with persistent disease. Nine patients had disease relapse, in four of whom the recurrence was local. In three of these four, there was recurrence of tumor and vascularization after a complete response. At follow-up, 3D-PDU detected local disease with 75.0% sensitivity and 98.5% specificity, while serum markers detected local disease among 34 patients with squamous cell carcinoma with 20.0% sensitivity and 77.3% specificity. CONCLUSIONS: Compared with serum markers in cervical squamous cell carcinoma, 3D-PDU has higher sensitivity and specificity for detecting local recurrence or persistence in cervical carcinoma. Thus, 3D-PDU combined with clinical assessment may be a new and safe method for monitoring radiotherapy treatment response and detecting local recurrence.

A progesterone-receptor-positive huge retroperitoneal tumour mimics metastasis in a breast cancer patient: sarcomatoid renal cell carcinoma.

We report a rare case of breast cancer concomitant with progesterone-receptor-positive renal cell carcinoma. A 48-year-old woman was diagnosed as having infiltrating ductal carcinoma of the breast and underwent modified radical mastectomy. A synchronous retroperitoneal tumour was detected by sonography of the abdomen in a routine cancer staging. Initially, the tumour was diagnosed as a synchronous retroperitoneal metastasis by needle biopsy; further tests revealed that it was progesterone receptor-positive. The retroperitoneal tumour showed poor response to full courses of adjuvant chemotherapy for breast cancer. Subsequently, the patient underwent a radical operation that included nephrectomy. The final pathology confirmed a sarcomatoid renal cell carcinoma. The post-operative course was uneventful. The patient had no recurrence at the 1-year follow-up. In this report, accurate diagnosis and adequate treatment were discussed. An intra-abdominal tumour with progesterone receptor- (PR) positive features is usually considered to be metastatic in breast cancer patients. For breast cancer patients with a PR-positive retroperitoneal tumour, renal cell carcinoma should be differentiated from a metastatic lesion of breast cancer, even if PR-expression is rare in renal cell carcinoma. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case of PR-positive expression in breast cancer concomitant with renal carcinoma. In clinical settings, it is challenging for the surgeon to make an accurate diagnosis and to provide prompt treatment in such cases.

Identification of salt-inducible kinase 3 as a novel tumor antigen associated with tumorigenesis of ovarian cancer.

Existence of humoral immunity has been previously demonstrated in malignant ascitic fluids. However, only a limited number of immunogenic tumor-associated antigens (TAAs) were identified, and few of which are associated with ovarian cancer. Here, we identified salt-inducible kinase 3 (SIK3) as a TAA through screening of a random peptide library in the phage display system. Overexpression of SIK3 markedly promoted cell proliferation, attenuated p21(Waf/Cip1) and p27(Kip) expressions in low-grade OVCAR3 cells, and permitted the cells to grow in mice. Decrease in SIK3 expression in high-grade SK-OV3 cells consistently demonstrated its tumorigenic potency by modulating the protein levels of cell cycle regulators. When the expressions of SIK3 and CA125 were compared in cancer tissues, immunohistochemical (IHC) studies indicated that cytoplasm-localized SIK3 was highly expressed in 55% of the ovarian cancer samples. In contrast, it was rarely detected in adenomyosis, leiomyoma and normal ovary tissues, showing its higher specificity (97%) to CA125 (65%) in ovarian cancer. Moreover, experiments using pharmacological inhibitors to block SIK3-induced p21(Waf/Cip1) expression revealed that activation of c-Src and phosphoinositide-3-kinase were critically required for its biological activity, suggesting that they are the downstream signaling mediators of SIK3. These data were further supported by IHC studies, showing coexpression of c-Src with SIK3 in 85% of the ovarian tumor samples stained positive for SIK3. Collectively, our findings indicate that SIK3 is a novel ovarian TAA. Overexpression of SIK3 promotes G1/S cell cycle progression, bestows survival advantages to cancer cells for growth and correlates the clinicopathological conditions of patients with ovarian cancer.

Influence of age on PPV of sonographic BI-RADS categories 3, 4, and 5.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this retrospective study was to calculate the positive predictive value (PPV) of sonographic Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS) categories 3, 4, and 5 in different age groups to investigate whether age influences the PPV of the BI-RADS category in breast ultrasound. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From our sonography-guided core biopsy database of breasts between 2006 and 2008, we identified 2817 BI-RADS category 3, 4, and 5 lesions with known pathological diagnosis in 2587 women, all of whom underwent the earlier breast assessment via ultrasound with a sonographic BI-RADS lexicon and later sonography-guided core biopsy. All lesions were classified into three age groups (< 45, 45 - 59, and > 59 years). The age-related PPVs of each BI-RADS category among three age groups were calculated on the basis of pathological diagnoses and were compared using a χ(2)-test. RESULTS: The overall PPV of each BI-RADS category was 2.2 % in category 3, 6.5 % in category 4a, 35.2 % in category 4b, 79.6 % in category 4c, and 99.6 % in category 5. The age-related PPVs of category 3 varied significantly among the three age groups (0.9 % versus 3.9 % versus 2.0 % p = 0.048), and notably, the age-related PPV in group 2 was higher than the others. Additionally, there was a significant positive association between the age-related PPVs and increasing age in categories 4a and 4b (4a, p < 0.0001 and 4b, p = 0.0139), but not in categories 4c and 5 (4c, p = 0.1853 and 5, p = 0.2871). CONCLUSION: The incidence of female breast cancer differs not only in different sonographic BI-RADS categories, but also in different age groups. Therefore, more attention should be paid to the special age group that we found for sonographic BI-RADS categories 3, 4a, and 4b.

The relationship between acid-suppressing drugs and phytobezoar formation: a retrospective analysis and discussion of phytobezoar formation.

OBJECTIVES: Although phytobezoars are a rare cause of gastrointestinal obstruction, they are most commonly found in patients with previous gastric surgery. It is well known that predisposing factors of phytobezoar formation are ingestion of fruits containing soluble tannin, presence of dilute hydrochloric acid in the stomach, and gastric stasis or delayed emptying. We investigated whether intake of acid-suppressing drugs that neutralize gastric acidity or inhibit gastric acid secretion to constitute a hypo-acidic condition, increases the risk of phytobezoar formation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between September 1992 and October 2008, 32 patients (24 male and 8 female) with gastrointestinal phytobezoars were diagnosed either surgically or endoscopically at the Tri-Service General Hospital, Taipei, Republic of China. The data were collected from hospital records and analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: Eighteen (56.25%) of all patients had previous gastric surgery and 6 (42.9%) of the 14 patients who had not undergone surgery had diabetes mellitus. The majority of admissions were during winter and spring (between October and March) (P < 0.01) and none of the patients had taken acid-suppressing drugs during the 6 months before detection of gastrointestinal phytobezoars. CONCLUSIONS: In our study, intake of acid-suppressing drugs did not increase the risk of phytobezoar formation in patients with normal gastric motility. Moreover, we believe that the major factor in phytobezoar formation is gastric stasis or delayed emptying, which sufficiently prolongs the retention period of materials in the stomach, while dilute hydrochloric acid is a minor factor.