WO3 Nanoparticles or Nanorods Incorporating Cs2CO3/PCBM Buffer Bilayer as Carriers Transporting Materials for Perovskite Solar Cells

In this work, we demonstrate a novel carrier transporting combination made of tungsten trioxide (WO₃) nanomaterials and Cs₂CO₃/PCBM buffer bilayer for the fabrication of perovskite solar cells (PSCs). Two different types of WO₃, including nanoparticles and nanorods, were prepared by sol-gel process and hydrothermal method, respectively. Cs₂CO₃/PCBM buffer bilayer was inserted between WO₃ and perovskite layers to improve charge transfer efficiency and formation of pinhole-free perovskite layer. Besides, the leakage current of the devices containing Cs₂CO₃/PCBM buffer bilayer was significantly suppressed. The optimized device based on WO₃ nanoparticles and Cs₂CO₃/PCBM bilayer showed an open-circuit voltage of 0.84 V, a short-circuit current density of 20.40 mA/cm², a fill factor of 0.61, and a power conversion efficiency of 10.49 %, which were significantly higher than those of PSCs without Cs₂CO₃/PCBM buffer bilayer. The results revealed that the combination of WO₃ nanomaterials and Cs₂CO₃/PCBM bilayer provides an effective solution for improving performances of PSCs.

Application of xenogeneic anti-canine distemper virus antibodies in treatment of canine distemper puppies

OBJECTIVE

The clinical feasibility of passive immunotherapy has not been demonstrated in dogs naturally infected with canine distemper. In this study, porcine anti-canine distemper virus IgG and F(ab')₂ antibody fragments were used to treat infected puppies.

METHODS

A total of 41 naturally infected puppies (age Äsix months) exhibiting severe respiratory signs, but lacking neurological signs, were enrolled in the study. Twenty-five puppies were treated with a combination of IgG or F(ab')₂ antibody fragments (Group 1) and supportive therapy and 16 puppies received routine supportive care only (Group 2).

RESULTS

The survival rate of dogs in Group 1 (19/25; 76%) was significantly higher than that in Group 2 (5/16; 31·3%) (P<0·05). During the therapy, 8 of the 25 dogs (32%) in Group 1 developed neurological signs versus 12 of the 16 dogs (75%) in Group 2 (P<0·05). Adverse reactions were limited to elevated body temperature in dogs that received IgG antibodies.

CLINICAL SIGNIFICANCE

Porcine anti-canine distemper virus antibodies improved survival in puppies affected with canine distemper with minimal adverse effects. Therefore, this therapy could be considered for treatment of endangered animal species infected with canine distemper virus.

Effects of long term treatment with high doses of odanacatib on bone mass, bone strength, and remodeling/modeling in newly ovariectomized monkeys

The objectives here were to evaluate the effects of odanacatib (ODN) at doses exceeding the clinical exposure on biomechanical properties of lumbar vertebrae (LV), hip and central femur (CF), and compare ODN to alendronate (ALN) on bone remodeling/modeling in ovariectomized (OVX) monkeys. Ten days post-surgery, animals were treated with vehicle (VEH), ODN-L (2mg/kg/day, p.o.), ODN-H (8/4mg/kg/day), or ALN (30μg/kg/week, s.c.) for 20months. An intact group was also included. ODN-L provided systemic exposures of 1.8-fold of clinical exposure. ODN-H started at 20-fold for 5.5months, and then reduced to 7.8-fold of clinical exposure, compared to ALN at approximated clinical exposure. From cross sectional analyses, LV density and peak load in ODN at both doses or ALN were not different from VEH or Intact. However, cortical thickness of femoral neck (FN) and CF in ODN were higher (21-34%, p<0.05) than VEH, due to smaller endocortical (Ec) perimeter of FN (10-11%; p<0.05) and CF (9-12%; ODN-L, p<0.05), and larger CF periosteal (Ps) perimeter (2-12%; ODN-H, p<0.001) versus VEH. ODN groups also showed slightly higher cortical porosity and Ps non-lamellar bone in CF. ODN-H treatment resulted in higher CF peak load (p<0.05) versus VEH. For all bone sites analyzed, a positive, linear relationship (r(2)=0.46-0.69, p<0.0001) of peak load to density or structural parameters was demonstrated. No treatment-related differences in the derived intrinsic strength properties were evidenced as compared between groups. ALN reduced all remodeling surfaces without affecting Ps modeling. Trabecular and intracortical remodeling were reduced in ODN groups, similar to ALN. Ec mineralizing surface in ODN-H trended to be lower than VEH by month 20, but Ec bone formation indices in ODN groups generally were not different from VEH. Ps modeling in ODN groups was significantly higher than other treatment groups. This study overall demonstrated the bone safety profile of ODN and its unique mechanism on cortical bone supporting the clinical application for osteoporosis treatment.

Elevated urinary levels of carcinogenic N-nitrosamines in patients with urinary tract infections measured by isotope dilution online SPE LC-MS/MS

N-nitrosamines (NAms) are well-documented for their carcinogenic potential. Human exposure to NAms may arise from the daily environment and endogenous formation via the reaction of secondary amines with nitrites or from bacteria infection. We describe the use of isotope dilution online solid-phase extraction (SPE) LC-MS/MS to quantify nine NAms in human urine. This method was validated and further applied to healthy subjects and patients with urinary tract infection (UTI). N-nitrosodimethylamine (NDMA), N-nitrosomethylethylamine (NMEA), N-nitrosopyrrolidine (NPYR) and N-nitrosomorpholine (NMOR) were analyzed with an APCI source, while N-nitrosodiethylamine (NDEA), N-nitrosopiperidine (NPIP), N-nitrosodi-n-propylamine (NDPA), N-nitrosodibutylamine (NDBA) and N-nitrosodiphenylamine (NDPhA) were quantified with an ESI source, due to their effect on the sensitivity and chromatography. NDMA was the most abundant N-nitrosamine, while NDPhA was firstly identified in human. UTI patients had three to twelve-fold higher concentrations for NDMA, NPIP, NDEA, NMOR and NDBA in urine than healthy subjects, and the NAms were significantly decreased after antibiotics treatment. NDMA concentrations were also significantly correlated with the pH value, leukocyte esterase activity or nitrite in urines of UTI patients. Our findings by online SPE LC-MS/MS method evidenced that UTI patients experienced various NAms exposures, especially the potent carcinogen NDMA, which was likely induced by bacteria infection.

Characterization of IS26-composite transposons and multidrug resistance in conjugative plasmids from Enterobacter cloacae

SHV-12 is the most widespread resistance determinant of Enterobacter cloacae in Taiwan; however, blaSHV-12 has rarely been mobilized. Six multidrug-resistant E. cloacae isolates were collected. After conjugal transfer, plasmid profiling and analysis of incompatibility groups was performed to characterize the genetic context of blaSHV-12 -containing fragments. The presence of mobile genetic elements was demonstrated by PCR, cloning, sequencing and bioinformatics analyses. Four different β-lactamase genes (blaTEM-1 , blaSHV-12 , blaCTX-M-3 and/or blaCTX-M-14 ) were observed in the conjugative plasmids belonging to the IncHI2 (n = 4), IncI1 or IncP incompatibility groups. The IS26-blaSHV-12 -IS26 locus was located in five different genetic environments. A novel structural organization of a class 1 integron with the aac(6')-IIc cassette truncated by IS26 was identified in one isolate. Thus, blaSHV-12 was obtained from different plasmids through IS26-mediated homologous recombination. IS26 plays a vital role in the distribution of mobile resistance elements between different plasmids found in multidrug-resistant E. cloacae isolates.

Mitochondrial dysfunction in resveratrol-induced apoptosis in QGY-7701 cells

This study aims to evaluate the cytotoxicity of resveratrol on QGY-7701 cells via a cell viability assay, and determine the cytological alterations and damages that result. Resveratrol was found to inhibit QGY-7701 cell growth and decrease their viability in a remarkably dose-dependent manner. Resveratrol exposure also induced an increase in Caspase-3 activity and a decrease in Bcl-2, which caused an increase in membrane permeability, and the opening of mitochondrial permeability transition pores and mitochondrial depolarization. Cellular ATP is thus exhausted, and apoptosis is induced via the change in mitochondrial membrane permeability and mitochondrial dysfunction.

Diabetes mellitus is associated with acquisition and increased mortality in HIV-uninfected patients with cryptococcosis: A population-based study

OBJECTIVES

To disclose the association between diabetes mellitus (DM) and cryptococcosis in HIV-uninfected patients.

METHODS

Case patients' diagnoses with cryptococcosis and cryptococcal meningitis were based on data from the Taiwan National Health Insurance Research Database from 2000 to 2010, and diagnoses were defined using the International Classification of Disease, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification. A case-control study comprising inpatient and outpatient populations was conducted using 4 controls for each patient (4587 case patients and 18,348 controls) matched for age, sex, monthly income, and urbanization level.

RESULTS

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-uninfected patients with cryptococcosis were more likely to have diabetes than matched control patients (adjusted odds ratio [OR], 1.45; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 1.36-1.64; p < 0.001). A diagnosis of DM was also associated with 1-year and overall mortality from cryptococcosis (hazard ratio [HR], 1.39; 95% CI, 1.17-1.65; p < 0.001, HR, 1.47; 95% CI, 1.29-1.67; p < 0.001; respectively) and cryptococcal meningitis (p = 0.018).

CONCLUSIONS

Diabetes was associated with the occurrence of cryptococcosis and cryptococcal meningitis in HIV-uninfected patients. DM was also associated with 1-year and overall mortality for these patients.

Potentially hypervirulent Clostridium difficile PCR ribotype 078 lineage isolates in pigs and possible implications for humans in Taiwan

Clostridium difficile is a human and animal pathogen. Recently, the incidence of community-acquired C. difficile infection has increased, and many studies have indicated that C. difficile might be food-borne. The correlation between C. difficile infection in humans and in animals has been a topic of debate. The objective of this study was to determine the genetic relatedness of C. difficile from human and pigs in Taiwan. We investigated the molecular epidemiology of C. difficile in healthy humans and pigs from 2011 to 2015. The isolation rate of C. difficile from pigs in 13 commercial farms was 49% (100/204), and a high proportion of hypervirulent (C. difficile carrying tcdA, tcdB, and cdtA/B genes and a 39-bp deletion in the tcdC gene) ribotype 078 lineage isolates (90%, 90/100; including 078, 126, 127, and 066-like isolates) were identified. In addition, the C. difficile ribotype 127 isolates from pigs typically exhibited moxifloxacin resistance (37/43; 86%). In healthy humans, the isolation rate was 4.3% (3/69), and all healthy human isolates were non-toxigenic. In particular, we compared the porcine isolates with two patient strains (ribotype 127) obtained from two hospitals in central Taiwan. The multilocus variable number tandem repeat analysis revealed a high genetic relatedness between ribotype 127 from patients and pigs. This study indicated that isolates of the ribotype 078 lineage, and especially ribotype 127, were widely distributed in pig farms and showed a high frequency of moxifloxacin resistance. The closely related ribotype 127 from patients and pigs may have had a common origin or low diversity. In conclusion, C. difficile ribotype 127 is a noteworthy pathogen in pigs and poses a potential public health threat.

House dust-mite allergen exposure is associated with serum specific IgE but not with respiratory outcomes

Exposure to house dust has been associated with asthma in adults, and this is commonly interpreted as a direct immunologic response to dust-mite allergens in those who are IgE sensitized to house dust-mite. Mattress house dust-mite concentrations were measured in a population-based sample of 2890 adults aged between 27 and 56 years living in 22 centers in 10 countries. Generalized linear mixed models were employed to explore the association of respiratory symptoms with house dust-mite concentrations, adjusting for individual and household confounders. There was no overall association of respiratory outcomes with measured house dust-mite concentrations, even in those who reported they had symptoms on exposure to dust and those who had physician-diagnosed asthma. However, there was a positive association of high serum specific IgE levels to HDM (>3.5 kUA /l) with mattress house dust-mite concentrations and a negative association of sensitization to cat with increasing house dust-mite concentrations. In conclusion, there was no evidence that respiratory symptoms in adults were associated with exposure to house dust-mite allergen in the mattress, but an association of house mite with strong sensitization was observed.

The impact of joint range of motion limitations on health-related quality of life in patients with haemophilia A: a prospective study

In patients with haemophilia A, repeated occurrences of haemarthrosis and synovitis lead to limitations in range of motion (ROM) of major joints. However, the effect of limitations in joint ROM on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) in these patients has not been studied previously. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of ROM limitations of 10 major joints (bilateral shoulders, elbows, hips, knees and ankles), combined with other possibly influential factors, on HRQOL in patients with haemophilia A. The ROM limitations in 13 movements and pain intensity of the 10 major joints were measured. The socio-demographic and clinical data were recorded. Short-Form 36 was used as the HRQOL measurement. Eighteen patients (mean age: 36.9 years) were included. Hip ROM limitations, knee ROM limitations and hip pain intensity predicted physical functioning scale (P < 0.001; adjusted R2 = 0.553). Shoulder ROM limitations and age predicted role limitation were due to emotional problems scale (P < 0.001; adjusted R2 = 0.373). Elbow ROM limitations and haemophilia severity predicted mental health scale (P = 0.001; adjusted R2 = 0.320). Hip ROM limitations predicted social functioning scale (P = 0.041; adjusted R2 = 0.091). Educational level and elbow ROM limitations predicted vitality scale (P < 0.001; adjusted R2 = 0.416). The ROM limitations of hip, knee, shoulder and elbow could be predictors for HRQOL in patients with haemophilia A. Improving ROM of major joints could be an appropriate treatment strategy to enhance HRQOL in these patients.

The safety and immunogenicity of a MF59-adjuvanted H5N1 prepandemic influenza vaccine in healthy adults primed with homologous or heterologous H5N1 vaccines: an observational study

Background

World Health Organization (WHO) has recommended individuals with increased risk of contracting influenza A H5N1 infection to be immunized against the virus during the inter-pandemic period. Safety and immunogenicity of H5N1 vaccine among participants primed with homologous or heterologous H5N1 vaccines produced by diverse manufactures have not been reported.

Methods

Healthy individuals aged 20 to 60 years old were recruited and stratified into three groups: participants without priming (control group), participants primed with A/Indonesia/05/2005 vaccine, participants primed with A/Vietnam/1194/2004 vaccine and A/Indonesia/05/2005 vaccine. Enrolled participants received two doses of MF59-adjuvanted A/Vietnam/1194/2004 vaccine (study vaccine). Solicited reactions were recorded by vaccine recipients. Blood samples were obtained for hemagglutination inhibition test.

Results

A total of 131 participants were enrolled. No significant adverse events were recorded. Tenderness, fatigue and general muscle ache were the most common solicited reactions which alleviated within one week of immunization. Three weeks after two doses of the study vaccine, 63%, 68% and 88% were in seroprotective status in the control group, A/Indonesia/05/2005 primed group and A/Vietnam/1194/2004 and A/Indonesia/05/2005 primed group, respectively. Participants primed with A/Vietnam/1194/2004 and A/Indonesia/05/2005 showed high immune response after booster with one dose of the study vaccine.

Conclusion

The study vaccine did not cause severe adverse events. It elicited mostly mild to moderate reactions among participants. Participants primed with A/Vietnam/1194/2004 and A/Indonesia/05/2005 vaccine showed higher immune response than those without priming or primed with A/Indonesia/05/2005 vaccine. The report suggested those with an increased risk of influenza A H5N1 virus exposure may benefit from receiving influenza A H5N1 priming during the inter-pandemic period if the antigenicity of the pandemic influenza strain is similar to that of the priming strain.

Electronic supplementary material

The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s12879-014-0587-z) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

The comparison of genotyping, antibiogram, and antimicrobial resistance genes between carbapenem-susceptible and -resistant Acinetobacter baumannii

This study was conducted to explore the epidemiological and molecular differences between carbapenem-susceptible Acinetobacter baumannii (CSAB) and carbapenem-resistant A. baumannii (CRAB) isolates. Thirty-two CSAB and 55 CRAB isolates were collected in 2010. By multilocus sequence typing analysis, 31 (56%) CRAB isolates and 11 (34%) CSAB isolates belonged to ST2. Twenty-one (38%) CRAB isolates, and 4 (13%) CSAB isolates belonged to a new type, ST129. The blaIMP, blaVIM, and blaOXA-58-like were not detected in our study isolates. blaOXA-23 and blaOXA-24/40-like were not detected in all CSAB isolates. On the contrary, blaOXA-23 was detected in 51 (93%) CRAB isolates. Class 1 integron was detected in 19 (35%) CRAB isolates and 8 (25%) CSAB isolates (p>0.05). In conclusion, the ST2 and ST129 were the major sequence types in both CSAB and CRAB isolates. The blaOXA-23 is the primary carbapenem-resistance gene in CRAB isolates from hospitalized patients and the specimens collected from hospital environment.

Prolonged clonal spreading and dynamic changes in antimicrobial resistance of Escherichia coli ST68 among patients who stayed in a respiratory care ward

From 2007 to 2009, we collected a total of 83 bacteraemic isolates of Escherichia coli with reduced susceptibility or resistance to third-generation cephalosporins (TGCs). Isolates were genotyped by PFGE and multilocus sequence typing (MLST). The PFGE patterns revealed two highly correlated clusters (cluster E: nine isolates; cluster G: 22 isolates) associated with this prolonged clonal spreading. Compared with cluster E isolates, cluster G isolates were significantly more likely to harbour aac(6')-Ib-cr (P<0.05), and most of these isolates were isolated during a later year than cluster E isolates (P<0.05). By MLST analysis, 94% of cluster E and G isolates (29/31) were ST68. Although no time or space clustering could be identified by the conventional hospital-acquired infection monitoring system, E. coli cases caused by cluster E and G isolates were significantly associated with having stayed in our hospital's respiratory care ward (P<0.05). Isolates obtained from patients who had stayed in the respiratory care ward had a significantly higher rate of aac(6')-Ib-cr and blaCTX-M-14 positivity, and were more likely to belong to ST68/S68-like (all P<0.05). To our knowledge, this is the first report of prolonged clonal spreading caused by E. coli ST68 associated with a stay in a long-term care facility. Using epidemiological investigations and PFGE and MLST analyses, we have identified long-term clonal spreading caused by E. coli ST68, with extra antimicrobial-resistance genes possibly acquired during the prolonged spreading period.

Trend in vancomycin susceptibility and correlation with molecular characteristics of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus causing invasive infections in Taiwan: results from the Tigecycline in vitro Surveillance in Taiwan (TIST) study, 2006-2010

This study was intended to investigate the trend in vancomycin susceptibility and correlation with molecular characteristics of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) causing invasive infections. A total of 670 MRSA isolates were collected from patients with invasive infections as part of bacterial collection in the Tigecycline in vitro Surveillance in Taiwan (TIST) from 2006 to 2010. MICs of the isolates to vancomycin were determined using the agar dilution method. Characteristics of staphylococcal cassette chromosome mec (SCCmec), mec-associated hypervariable region (dru), and accessory gene regulator (agr) of the isolates were identified by polymerase chain reaction methods. MRSA isolates with SCCmec types I, II, and III were molecularly defined as hospital-associated MRSA (HA-MRSA), and those with SCCmec types IV, V, and VT were assigned as community-associated MRSA (CA-MRSA). All but 1 MRSA isolates exhibited vancomycin MICs ≤1 mg/L. A declining trend in vancomycin MICs among MRSA isolates was noted, which was associated with the decline in proportion of HA-MRSA. The percentage of CA-MRSA increased from 25.6% in 2006 to 46.0% in 2010. An increase in the geometric mean of vancomycin MICs was found in MRSA with particular molecular types such as SCCmec types II and III, agr groups I and II, and dru10-14. A significant correlation among particular molecular types was found, including SCCmecII-agr group II-dru4, SCCmecIII-agr group I-dru11-14, SCCmecIV-agr group II-dru9, and SCCmecVT-agr group I-dru9 and dru11. There was no vancomycin creep among MRSA isolates, and the declining trend of vancomycin MIC against MRSA was attributed to the increasing prevalence of CA-MRSA over time.

Pharyngeal entomophthoromycosis

We describe a rare case of entomophthoromycosis of the pharynx in a previously healthy patient, unlike other fungal infections which are seen as opportunistic infections in immunocompromised hosts. This infection is commonly seen in subtropical and tropical areas of Africa, America, and Asia. Painless, erythematous, indurated plaques of subcutaneous tissue are characteristic of this infection. There are currently no standard antifungal regimens for this infection, making treatment difficult. An endoscopic surgical wide resection of the lesion was performed, itraconazole was administered, and the patient improved clinically.

Functions of self-assembled ultrafine TiO₂ nanocrystals for high efficient dye-sensitized solar cells

In this paper, we demonstrate a simple approach of self-assembled process to form a very smooth and compacted TiO2 underlayer film from ultrafine titanium oxide (TiO2) nanocrystals with dimension of 4 nm for improving the electrical properties and device performances of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). Because the TiO2 film self-assembles by simply casting the TiO2 on fluorine-doped tin oxide (FTO) substrate, it can save a lot of materials in the process. As compared with control DSSC without the self-assembled TiO2 (SA-TiO2) layer, short-circuit current density (Jsc) improves from 14.9 mA/cm(2) for control DSSC to 17.3 mA/cm(2) for masked DSSC with the SA-TiO2 layer. With the very smooth SA-TiO2 layer, the power conversion efficiency is enhanced from 8.22% (control) to 9.35% for the DSSCs with mask and from 9.79% (control) to 11.87% for the DSSCs without mask. To explain the improvement, we have studied the optical properties, morphology, and workfunction of the SA-TiO2 layer on FTO substrate as well as the impedance spectrum of DSSCs. Importantly, we find that the SA-TiO2 layers have better morphology, uniformity, and contact with FTO electrode, increased workfunction and optical transmission, as well as reduced charge recombination at the contact of FTO substrate contributing to the improved device performances. Consequently, our results show that the simple self-assembly of TiO2 ultrafine nanocrystals forms a very good electron extraction layer with both improved optical and electrical properties for enhancing performances of DSSCs.

A rare malignancy of the parotid gland in a 13-year-old Taiwanese boy: case report of a mammary analogue secretory carcinoma of the salivary gland with molecular study

Mammary analogue secretory carcinoma (MASC) is a recently described malignancy of the salivary glands characterized by an ETV6-NTRK3 (EN) fusion gene. Morphologically, MASC is sometimes difficult to distinguish from acinic cell carcinoma. Consequently, identifying the chromosomal translocation is essential for diagnosis. We present a case of parotid gland MASC in a 13-year-old boy. To the best of our knowledge, this is the youngest case reported in the literature. Histologic evaluation showed a tumor composed of microcysts, tubular structures, solid nests, or papillary architecture, with secretions within the lumens of the cysts or tubules. Immunohistochemically, tumor cells showed diffuse positive staining of S-100 protein, cytokeratin 19, and vimentin. ETV6 rearrangement was detected by fluorescence in situ hybridization and EN fusion transcripts were verified by reverse transcription (RT-PCR) assay.

The predictive and prognostic significance of pre- and post-treatment topoisomerase IIα in anthracycline-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy for local advanced breast cancer

OBJECTIVE

To investigate the predictive and prognostic value of topoisomerase IIα (Topo IIα, Topo II) expression in the primary tumors and residual tumors of local advanced breast cancer (LABC) patients being treated with anthracycline-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NCT).

METHODS

The data from 283 LABC patients who had been treated with anthracycline-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy were collected. The expression of Topo IIα, HER-2 and other biomarkers was determined via immunohistochemical analysis in pre- and post-chemotherapy specimens. The status of pre-treatment biomarkers was correlated with the clinical response determined by the RECIST 1.1 criteria, whereas the post-treatment biomarkers were studied for prognostic value using the Cox model.

RESULTS

By analyzing the complete data from 99 patients, the co-expression of HER-2/Topo IIα was found to be significantly correlated with the clinical response to chemotherapy (Logistic regression P = 0.042). Notably, a 20% alteration in the Topo IIα status during neoadjuvant chemotherapy was found, which could also influence the sensitivity to treatment. With a survival analysis performed in 245 patients with residual tumors after NCT, node metastasis, HER-2 and Ki-67 were independent predictors of patient outcome. However, post-treatment Topo IIα expression demonstrated significant prognostic value in HER-2+ patients (P = 0.002). A relatively lower disease-free survival and overall survival was observed in HER-2+/Topo- patients (log rank P = 0.010 for DFS and P < 0.001 for OS).

CONCLUSION

Topo IIα, together with HER-2, might help to select for patients who could benefit from anthracycline-based neoadjuvant chemotherapy and identify non-complete responders at a higher risk of disease recurrence or death.

Abstract P3-01-05: The Role of Mammographic Calcification in the Neo-adjuvant Therapy of Breast Cancer Imaging Evaluation

Aim: To evaluate the relationship between malignant appearance of mammographic calcification and breast cancer pathological features, and to explore the predictive value of calcification appearances and morphology changes in neo-adjuvant setting.

Methods: 419 patients with operable breast cancer received neo-adjuvant therapy between 2008.2 and 2011.8 in Shanghai Cancer Hospital. Core needle biopsy was conducted before preoperative therapy to determine cancer and achieve pathological features. Mammogram (MG), ultrasound and breast MRI were routinely done prior to therapy and prior to surgical operation. We conducted a detailed analysis of MG images in patients with malignant calcification, recorded the morphology, distribution, range, density, diameter and number of the calcification.

Results: 419 patients enrolled, 108 patients (25.8%) showed malignant calcification in MG, 6 patients missed the first MG before therapy. 214 patients were Luminal A, 95 were Luminal B, 64 were Her2 positive and 46 were triple negative, the pCR rate was 14%, 30.5%, 53%, 43.5% respectively. Patients with malignant calcification have more ER positive (81.5% vs. 71.7%, p = 0.045) and HER2 positive (51.8% vs. 33%, p = 0.001) diseases. The pCR rate was 26% in patients with malignant calcification and 28% in patients without, p = 0.8.

Abstract P6-04-26: Tamoxifen may block estrogen induced secretion of certain cytokines to interrupt tumor associated macrophage infiltration in breast cancer

The role of tumor microenvironment during the initiation and progression of breast cancer is now realized to be of critical importance, both for understanding of the fundamental cancer biology and exploiting relatively new mechanism for breast cancer metastasis. Macrophage is a one of the most common components in the breast cancer microenvironment. Normally, the macrophage in tumor microenvironment is referred to tumor associated macrophage (TAM), which shares some attributes of alternatively activated macrophage. Many pre-clinical and clinical studies demonstrate an inverse correlation between TAM infiltration and patients' prognosis indicating a macrophage supporting role for tumor progression. It is well documented that selective patients with breast cancer can benefit from anti-estrogen therapy. However, the mechanisms involved are still not fully elucidated. Our previous study indicates that highly tumorigenic breast cancer cell line MDA-MB-231 can educate monocyte differentiation into alternatively activated macrophage, while weakly tumorigenic cell line MCF-7 (without estrogen supplementation) can not. In the present study, we explored the effects of estrogen and tamoxifen on the secreting of certain cytokines, which are required for monocyte chemotaxis and differentiation. Breast cancer cell lines with different estrogen receptor status were applied to estimate the level of cytokines (IL4, IL6, M-CSF, GM-CSF, and MCP-1) before and after cultured with 17β-estradiol, tamoxifen or both. We found that weakly invasive breast cancer cell lines (MCF-7, T47D, MDA-MB-468, and SKBR3) generally expressed lower levels of such cytokines compared with highly invasive breast cancer cell lines (MDA-MB-231, MDA-MB-231-BO, MDA-MB-231 HM, Bcap 37, BT549, and Hs578T) at baseline. However, the discrepancies could be compensated partially by exposure to 10nM 17β-estradiol in estrogen receptor (ER) positive cell lines (MCF-7 and T47D). Moreover, the compensation was substantially blocked by 2μM tamoxifen. On the contrary, tamoxifen, alone, didn't affect the secretion of such cytokines mentioned above in vitro. Based on these findings, we tentatively concluded that some patients with ER positive breast cancers benefiting from anti-estrogen therapy may partially attributes to blocking monocyte differentiation into TAM, which destroyed the tumor microenvironment. These findings suggest the future possibility of using TAM as a novel therapeutic target in patients with anti-estrogen resistance and primary triple-negative breast cancers (TNBC) with no effectively therapeutic measures nowadays, which are defined by lack of estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor and ERBB2 gene amplification, representing approximately 16% of all breast cancers.

Citation Information: Cancer Res 2012;72(24 Suppl):Abstract nr P6-04-26.