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Background One of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths in females under 45 years old is breast cancer (BC). The definition of triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) is the lack of expression of estrogen receptors (ERs) as well as progesterone receptors (PRs) and Erb-B2 receptor tyrosine kinase 2 (HER2) gene amplification. Triple-positive breast cancer (TPBC), on the other hand, is defined as tumors expressing a high level of ER, PR, and HER2 receptors. This study aims to assess the phenotypes of TNBC and TPBC by comparing their individual clinical behavior patterns and prognosis throughout the course of the disease in a tertiary cancer center in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA). Methods Our study is a retrospective study using electronic medical records (EMRs) to identify all female patients diagnosed with BC using the International Classification of Diseases-10 (ICD-10) codes (between C50 and C50.9). About 1209 cases with primary BC female patients were recognized based on histopathology reports. Further subclassification into TPBC and TNBC was performed. Statistical analysis was performed using Rv3.6.2 (R Studio, version 3.5.2, Boston, MA, USA). The descriptive data were presented as means and standard deviations (SD). Survival curves were approximated using the Kaplan-Meier method. The comparison between survival curves between both groups was achieved using the log-rank test. The multivariate model was constructed based on the identified predictors using univariate analysis. Results Univariate analysis of overall survival (OS) showed that mortality was higher in TNBC compared to TPBC (HR = 2.82, P-value <0.05). However, in a multivariate analysis, molecular subtypes did not show a significant effect on OS with a P-value of 0.94. We found that age at diagnosis has been associated with a 4% increase in mortality risk with a yearly rise in age. Conclusion In this limited retrospective cohort study, we found that TNBC may not be associated with a higher risk of death than TPBC. However, other factors, including age at diagnosis, surgical intervention, and lymphovascular invasion (LVI), have been observed to increase the risk of mortality. On the other hand, patients with TNBC were found to have a worse prognosis in terms of local recurrence. This information cannot be generalized to all patients with BC given the limitations of this study. Further, larger cohorts are needed to explore biological and treatment-related outcomes in patients with TNBC and TPBC.
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Steroid-dependent nephrotic syndrome (SDNS) is a common type of childhood nephrotic syndrome. Remission following steroid therapy is achieved in 80-90% of the patients, while the remainder show steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome (SRNS). Rituximab is an anti-CD20 chimeric monoclonal antibody with proven therapeutic effects in several diseases and has been used with great success in the treatment of NS since its discovery. We report a case of a 4-year-old girl diagnosed with SDNS at the age of 3. As treatment with steroids, enalapril, and mycophenolate failed to produce complete remission, rituximab was initiated, and remission was successfully achieved after administration of the first dose. Due to this response, rituximab therapy was continued; however, a day after being admitted to the nephrology ward for the second dose, she started to develop a high fever, which reached up to 40°C. In addition, she also displayed symptoms of upper respiratory tract infection and an ulcerated wound on her left cheek. The patient became drowsy with reactive pupils, cold peripheries, and weak peripheral pulses. The capillary refill time was prolonged to 3-4 seconds and it was decided to withhold the second dose of rituximab. The patient was shifted to the PICU as a case of septic shock secondary to facial cellulitis and started on inotropes (epinephrine and norepinephrine), meropenem, vancomycin, and hydrocortisone 15 mg. Thereafter, surgical debridement of the wound was carried out. The patient remained in remission with regard to nephrotic syndrome and was discharged in a healthy condition. In conclusion, rituximab used in conjunction with steroids and other immunosuppressants may increase the risk of serious infections like necrotizing fasciitis (NF). Further studies are needed to explore the relationship between rituximab and NF.
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BACKGROUND: Urolithiasis is the most common urological problem worldwide. It is a recurrent multifactorial problem that is caused by the interaction of several environmental and genetic factors. This study aimed to assess the prevalence of renal stones among local residents in Saudi Arabia in order to renew the statistics of renal stones occurrence in the current Saudi population. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was conducted using an electronic questionnairethat was distributed randomly through phones and social media to reach the local residents in Saudi Arabia. We then reviewed the published papers in Saudi journals for patients with renal stones. RESULTS: From a total of 580 responders to the electronic questionnaire, the prevalence of renal stones was 9.1% (n = 64). The median age at diagnosis was 29 years and the mean age at diagnosis was 36.91 years (SD = 18.66, Range of 20-99). Two peaks of age were observed, the first peak was at the (21-25) age group representing 34.4% of the kidney stones patients. The second peak was older than 47 years. The majority of those diagnosed with kidney stones had normal BMI (n = 29, 45.3%), and the family history of kidney stones among first degree relatives was found in 35.9% of the cases (n = 23). CONCLUSION: Kidney stones is a common health problem with the local incidence being underreported. In our sample, the prevalence was 9.1%. We also observed a relatively high percentage of positive family history among renal stone patients (34.9%) that could be attributed to the high rates of consanguinity. We encourage more local epidemiological studies to describe the patterns and the contributing factors of the development of kidney stones.