Mutations in components of antiviral or microbial defense as a basis for breast cancer

The Evolution of Breast Implant Infections: Serratia marcescens Is an Emerging Pathogen in Implant-Based Breast Reconstruction

The flora of implant-based breast infections has changed over the last decade, including at our institution. A 10-year retrospective chart review was performed on 561 implant-based breast reconstructions in 378 patients performed by a single surgeon in an academic university hospital setting. Thirty-two breast infections requiring explantation of the implants occurred during those 10 years. During that time frame, a new pre- and peri-operative protocol was implemented in an effort to diminish infections. We believe that this protocol played a major role in the evolution of changing breast periprosthetic infection flora, from nearly one-third being gram-negative infections to 100% being gram-negative infections. Gram-negative antibiotic coverage should be considered in light of these evolving trends to prevent infections particularly with Serratia marcescens. This may be especially important in patients with BRCA1/2 or ATM mutations. Diabetic patients are more likely to develop Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) infections and preoperative MRSA decolonization is essential in these patients. Many patients have late-onset breast periprosthetic infection, the majority of which occurred after 30 days. Regular follow-up and patient education is important to provide timely treatment.

Oncogenes in immune cells as potential therapeutic targets

The role of deregulated expression of oncogenes and tumor-suppressor genes in tumor development has been intensively investigated for decades. However, expression of oncogenes and their potential role in immune cell defects during carcinogenesis and tumor progression have not been thoroughly assessed. The defects in proto-oncogenes have been well documented and evaluated mostly in tumor cells, despite the fact that proto-oncogenes are expressed in all cells, including cells of the immune system. In this review, key studies from immune-mediated diseases that may be associated with oncogene signaling pathways are refocused to provide groundwork for beginning to understand the effects of oncogenes in and on the cancer-related immune system dysfunction.

Alterations of oncogenes expression in NK cells in patients with cancer

INTRODUCTION

C-kit/SCF signaling plays a key role in regulating NK cell homeostasis, maturation, proliferation, and cytotoxicity. C-kit-deficiency in NK cells results in significant reduction of their number, suggesting an imperative role for c-kit signaling in NK cell biology. We have recently showed that human NK cells express not only c-kit-receptor, but also both membrane-bound and soluble forms of c-kit ligand-Stem cell factor. The goal of this study was to characterize the c-kit/SCF autocrine loop in peripheral blood NK cells obtained from patients with cancer.

METHODS

Using Smart Flare and qRT-PCR, we have characterized expression of c-kit and two forms of SCF in patients' NK cells and correlated these results with the expression of c-myc and STAT3.

RESULTS

Our results demonstrated that the expression of proto-oncogenes c-myc and c-kit was significantly decreased in NK cells from all cancer patients. Expression of membrane-bound SCF in NK cells correlated with the presence of remote metastases.

CONCLUSIONS

We suggest that the abnormal signaling and expression of c-kit/SCF, c-myc, and STAT3 in NK cells is responsible for the defect in their cytolytic activity in cancer and these defects at the gene expression level may be the cause rather than the result of tumor progression.