Effects of tumor type on outcomes in patients with large vessel occlusion stroke and cancer.

BACKGROUND: Large vessel occlusions (LVO) stroke is associated with cancer. Whether this association differs among patients with LVO that undergo endovascular thrombectomy (EVT) according to cancer type remains unknown. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Data from consecutive patients that underwent EVT for LVO at three academic centers were pulled and analyzed retrospectively. Patients with LVO and solid tumors were compared to those with hematological tumors. Associations of cancer type with 90-day functional outcome and mortality were calculated in multivariable analyses. RESULTS: Of the 154 patients with cancer and LVO that underwent EVT (mean age 74±11, 43% men, median NIHSS 15), 137 had solid tumors (89%) and 17 (11%) had hematologic tumors. Patients with solid cancer did not significantly differ from those with hematological malignancy in demographics, risk factor profile, stroke severity and subtype, and procedural variables. Outcome parameters including rates of favorable target recanalization and favorable outcome or mortality at discharge and 90 days post stroke were similar. Safety parameters including rates of symptomatic intracranial hemorrhage also did not differ between the groups. On regression analyses, controlling for various prognostic variables cancer type was not associated with mortality or favorable outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that the safety and efficacy of EVT in patients with malignancy does not depend on cancer type. Patients with malignancy should be considered for EVT regardless of cancer type.

hCG beta expression by cervical squamous carcinoma--in vivo histological association with tumour invasion and apoptosis.

AIMS: To investigate the correlation of beta-subunit of human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG beta) expression by cervical carcinomas with measures of tumour apoptosis. METHODS AND RESULTS: Eighty-nine cervical carcinoma patients' samples were subject to hCG beta immunohistochemistry and scored with respect to intensity of immunopositivity and percentage of positive cells. Apoptosis was evaluated by three independent parameters: morphological characteristics [haematoxylin and eosin (H&E)], terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase biotin-dUTP nick end labelling (TUNEL) and poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) immunopositivity. Of the 12 adenocarcinomas, only one (8%) was hCG beta+. However, 87% (61/70) of the squamous cell and 100% (7/7) of adenosquamous cell carcinomas were hCG beta+. hCG beta reactivity and intensity was predominantly confined to peripheral tumour cells at the stromal-epithelial interface. Correlation analysis showed that H&E and PARP apoptotic immunopositivity negatively correlated with hCG beta expression (P < 0.001 and P = 0.028 respectively), whereas TUNEL did not (P = 0.12). However, immunopositivity for apoptotic cells by TUNEL was significantly less in tumours where hCG beta expression was greater (scoring >or= 6) and vice versa. hCG beta immunopositivity was also observed in newly formed blood vessels, as well as tumour cells within lymphatic vessels. When tumour vascularization was taken into account, samples with noted vascularization positively correlated with hCG beta scoring. CONCLUSIONS: hCG beta expression correlates with reduced tumour cell apoptosis and may be involved in tumour vascularization and dissemination.

The rare Caribbean sponge Leucosolenia canariensis: phospholipid fatty acids and sterols.

The phospholipid fatty acid composition of the Calcarean sponge Leucosolenia canariensis was studied, and no delta 5,9 fatty acids were detected. These results are in contrast to the phospholipids from sponges belonging to the class Demospongiae where delta 5,9 fatty acids are predominant. Odd branched-chain fatty acids between 17 and 19 carbons accounted for 26% of the total fatty acids of L. canariensis, while straight-chain fatty acids between 16 and 22 carbons accounted for 61% of the total fatty acid composition. The sterol composition of L. canariensis is also reported, and only delta 5,7,22 sterols were observed.

Identification of naturally occurring trans, trans delta 5,9 fatty acids from the sponge Plakortis halichondroides.

The first trans fatty acids from a sponge have been isolated from Plakortis halichondroides. The sponge was shown to contain the iso acids (5E,9E)-19-methyl-5,9-eicosadienoic, (5E,9E)-20-methyl-5,9-heneicosadienoic and (5E,9E)-21-methyl-5,9-docosadienoic acid, as well as the anteiso acids (5E,9E)-19-methyl-5,9-heneicosadienoic and (5E,9E)-20-methyl-5,9-docosadienoic acid together with the straight chain (5E,9E)-5,9-docosadienoic acid. The acids were shown by gas chromatography, Fourier transform infrared and 13C nuclear magnetic resonance to contain the trans configuration. An eicosadienoic acid, namely (6E,14E)-6,14-eicosadienoic acid, and 12-methyl-5-octadecenoic acid were also identified in a sponge for the first time. The fatty acids were shown to be the principal constituents of phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylcholine. No sterols were found in the sponge. The results presented in this work should be helpful in taxonomy of Homoscleromorpha.

Identification of the new 18-hexacosenoic acid in the sponge Thalysias juniperina.

The phospholipid fatty acids from the sponge Spheciospongia cuspidifera were studied revealing the presence of the rare 10-octadecenoic acid (10-18:1) and a new 2-methoxyhexadecenoic acid. The phospholipid fatty acids from Thalysias juniperina were also studied revealing the presence of the hitherto unreported 18-hexacosenoic acid (18-26:1). These results tend to indicate that the biosynthetic pathway from 10-18:1 to 18-26:1 may be operative in nature. The phospholipid mixture from the sponges was also analyzed by 31P-NMR and shown to mainly consist of phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylinositol, and phosphatidylglycerol. Phosphatidylcholine was not found in the sponges analyzed in this work.

2-Hydroxy fatty acids from marine sponges. 2. The phospholipid fatty acids of the Caribbean sponges Verongula gigantea and Aplysina archeri.

The alpha-hydroxy fatty acids 2-hydroxy-eicosanoic (1) acid, 2-hydroxyheneicosanoic (2) acid, 2-hydroxydocosanoic (3) acid, 2-hydroxytetracosanoic (4) acid, 2-hydroxy-23-methyl-tetracosanoic acid and 2-hydroxypentacosanoic (5) acid were isolated from the Caribbean sponges Verongula gigantea and Aplysina archeri. The very long chain fatty acids 5,9-nonacosadienoic acid (29:2) and 5,9,23-tricontatrienoic acid (30:3) were also identified together with the iso-prenoid fatty acid 3,7,11,15-tetramethylhexadecanoic (phytanic) acid that seems to be common in the Aplysinidae. A. archeri contained an extremely long chain fatty acid tentatively characterized as dotricontaenoic (32:1) acid. These acids were found to occur in phosphatidylserine, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylethanolamine, phosphatidylcholine and traces of phosphatidylglycerol.

Comparison of the fatty acids of the tunicate Botryllus schlosseri from the Black Sea with two associated bacterial strains.

The fatty acid composition of the tunicate Botryllus schlosseri and of two bacterial strains found within the tunicate, namely Vibrio parahaemolyticus and of an associated but previously unreported gram positive cocci were studied. The polyunsaturated fatty acids 6,9,12-octadecatrienoic acid, 5,8,11,14,17-eicosapentaenoic acid, and 4,7,10,13,16,19-docosahexaenoic acid were particularly abundant in B. schlosseri and were not detected in the two bacterial strains found in the tunicate. The iso/anteiso pair, 13-methyltetradecanoic acid and 12-methyltetradecanoic acid, were the principal fatty acids in the gram positive cocci, and the 9- and 11-hexadecenoic acids were particularly abundant in V. parahaemolyticus. The diunsaturated fatty acid 9,12-octadecadienoic acid was also shown to be present in V. parahaemolyticus. The fatty acid composition of a third bacterial strain, characterized as either a Pseudomonas or an Alteromonas species, and shown to be present only in the sea water from the Black Sea and not in B. schlosseri, is also reported. This is the first investigation on fatty acids from Black Sea bacteria.

Novel brominated phospholipid fatty acids from the Caribbean sponge Petrosia sp.

The long-chain fatty acids (5E,9Z)-6-bromo-5,9-heptacosadienoic acid [2a], (5E,9Z)-6-bromo-5,9-octacosadienoic [3a], (Z)-19-heptacosenoic acid [4], and the novel aldehydes 17-pentacosenal [5] and 17-hexacosenal [6] were identified in the phospholipids (mainly phosphatidylethanolamine and phosphatidylcholine) of the sponge Petrosia sp. Structural elucidation was accomplished by means of mass spectrometry and chemical transformations, including deuteration with Wilkinson's catalyst. The dimethyldisulfide derivatization of delta(5.9) fatty acids is also presented.

Unusual lipids in the Caribbean sponges Amphimedon viridis and Desmapsamma anchorata.

The phospholipid fatty acid composition of the Caribbean sponge Amphimedon viridis was studied, revealing the presence of the previously unreported substances 5,13-nonadecadienoic acid, 4-nonadecenoic acid, and 15-heneicosenoic acid. In A. viridis the very long-chain 5,9,23-nonacosatrienoic acid and 5,9,23-tricosatrienoic acid predominated in the mixture. The fatty acid composition of the sponge Desmapsamma anchorata was revised and 62 phospholipid fatty acids were characterized. The rare 8,13-octadecadienoic acid and 18-tetracosenoic acid were also characterized in the mixture. The two possible stereochemical isomers of 7-methyl-6-hexadecenoic acid, i.e., 7-methyl-6(Z)-hexadecenoic acid and the 7-methyl-6(E)-hexadecenoic acid were identified in both sponges, but D. anchorata had larger amounts. This is the first time that both stereoisomers have been identified in a sponge. The previously reported 7-methyl-8-hexadecenoic acid was not found in D. anchorata. Unprecedented aldehydes, comprising 15-and 17-docosenal, were also identified in the sponges.

New 2-hydroxy fatty acids in the Caribbean urchin Tripneustes esculentus.

The novel alpha-hydroxy fatty acids 2-hydroxy-13-docosenoic acid [1a], 2-hydroxy-14-tricosenoic acid [2a], and 2-hydroxy-15-tetracosenoic acid [3a] were identified in the Caribbean urchin, Tripneustes esculentus. The double-bond positions of the novel alpha-hydroxy fatty acids were determined by derivatization with dimethyl disulfide and shown to correlate with the corresponding non-hydroxylated mono-unsaturated fatty acids, 13-docosenoic acid, 14-tricosenoic acid, and 15-tetracosenoic acid also present in T. esculentus. The total fatty acid composition of the urchins is also reported where cis-5-olefinic fatty acids such as 5,9-octadecadienoic acid and 5,11-eicosadienoic acid were found to predominate in the mixture. Cholesterol was the predominant sterol in T. esculentus.

Identification of novel iso/anteiso nonacosadienoic acids from the phospholipids of the sponges Chondrosia remiformis and Myrmekioderma styx.

The previously unreported 27-methyl-5,9-octacosadienoic acid [1] and 26-methyl-5,9-octacosadienoic acid [2] were identified in the phospholipids of the Caribbean sponges Chondrosia remiformis and Myrmekioderma styx. Both sponges also contain the novel 15-methyl-5,9-hexadecadienoic acid [3] in their phospholipids. These results extend the possible chain lengths in delta 5,9 iso/anteiso fatty acids in sponge phospholipids from C17 to C29.

Comparative study of the fatty acid composition of sponges of the genus Ircinia. Identification of the new 23-methyl-5,9-tetracosadienoic acid.

1. The phospholipid fatty acid compositions of the sponges Ircinia strobilina, Ircinia felix, Ircinia campana, Ircinia sp., Spongia tubulifera and Dysidea etherea were studied, revealing the presence, besides other common fatty acids, of considerable amounts (2-5%) of the novel 23-methyl-5,9-tetracosadienoic acid (1). 2. The demospongic acids 5,9-tetracosadienoic acid, 23-methyl-5,9-tetracosadienoic acid (1), and 5,9-pentacosadienoic acid, were particularly abundant in sponges of the genus Ircinia, in contrast to the most common 5,9-hexacosadienoic acid found in other species. These findings are discussed in terms of the taxonomy of the Dictyoceratida. 3. The complete characterization of the novel phospholipid fatty acid 23-methyl-5,9-tetracosadienoic acid (1) is presented.

Two novel iso-branched octadecenoic acids from a Micrococcus species.

The novel fatty acids 16-methyl-6(Z)-heptadecenoic acid and 16-methyl-8(Z)-heptadecenoic acid were identified for the first time in nature in a species of the bacterium Micrococcus isolated from Lake Pomorie in Bulgaria. The principal fatty acids in this bacterium were a series of iso-anteiso fatty acids with chain lengths between C(14) and C(24), while the most interesting series of monounsaturated fatty acids was a family of Delta(6) fatty acids with chain lengths between C(14) and C(17). The novel compounds were characterized using a combination of GC-MS and chemical transformations, such as dimethyl disulfide derivatization and catalytic hydrogenation. The results established for the first time a bacterial origin for some of these Delta(6) fatty acids.

Serum cholesterol and phospholipids levels in normal mothers and their newborns

Total lipids, total cholesterol and phospholipids have been determined in paired maternal and foetal sera at parturition in 33 egyptian women who have had uncomplicated pregnancies and normal full term deliveries. Statistically significant lower levels of lipids in foetal as compared to maternal sera were found. The factors that affect the foetal lipid levels, and their correlation with sex and birth weight have been discussed