Investigation of serum E-Cadherin, VEGF121, Survivin, Tenascin C and Tetraspanin 8 levels in patients with glioblastoma

OBJECTIVE

The aim of this study is to determine biomarkers, which may be used in order to understand the pathophysiology, the diagnosis, progression surveillance/monitoring, and treatment efficacy of high graded glial tumors.

BACKGROUND

Radiological imaging in the diagnosis and relapse surveillance of glial tumors is sometimes insufficient. There is need for additional methods of diagnosis and surveillance in order to rule out contradictory circumstances.

METHOD

Using enzyme like immune sorbent assay method, E-Cadherin, Tenascin C, Tetraspanin 8, Survivin and VEGF121 levels were investigated in serum and tumor tissues of 28 patients diagnosed with pathological glioblastoma, and in the serum of 26 healthy individuals. Correlation between tumor tissue values and Ki67 percentage, and P53 mutation, and difference between unhealthy and healthy serum levels were sought.

RESULTS

It was found out that E-Cadherin and VEGF 121 levels in the unhealthy serum were high in comparison to the control group (p 0.05).

CONCLUSION

EC and VEGF121 are biomarkers, which have the potential to be used in the diagnosis, recurrence and treatment follow-up in high graded glial tumors (Tab. 2, Fig. 1, Ref. 37). Text in PDF www.elis.sk Keywords: E-Cadherin, VEGF, Survivin, Tenascin-C, Tetraspanin, glioblastoma.

Diagnostic accuracy of adropin as a preliminary test to exclude acute pulmonary embolism: a prospective study

Background

This study aims to investigate the diagnostic accuracy of adropin as a biomarker to exclude the diagnosis of acute pulmonary embolism (PE).

Methods

Patients admitted to the emergency department of a tertiary health centre between August 2019 and August 2020 and diagnosed with PE were included in this prospective cohort study. The amount of serum adropin was determined in patients with (PE) and compared with that of healthy volunteers. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was performed with the obtained data, and the area under the curve (AUC) with a 95% confidence interval was determined. The parameters of diagnostic accuracy for PE were determined.

Results

A total of 57 participants were included in the study (28 controls and 29 PE patients). The mean adropin level in the PE group was 187.33 ± 62.40 pg/ml, which was significantly lower than that in the control group (524.06 ± 421.68 pg/ml) (p < 0.001). When the optimal adropin cut-off value was 213.78 pg/ml, the likelihood ratio of the adropin test was 3.4, and the sensitivity of the adropin test at this value was 82% with specificity of 75% (95% CI; AUC: 0.821).

Conclusion

Our results suggest that adropin may be considered for further study as a candidate marker for the exclusion of the diagnosis of PE. However, more research is required to verify and support the generalizability of our study results.

Immunogenicity and safety of the CoronaVac vaccine in patients undergoing treatment for breast and lung cancer

OBJECTIVE

To compare seroconversion for SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain (RBD) specific IgG positivity against two doses of the CoronaVac vaccine in breast and lung cancer patients receiving systemic therapy, to determine the factors affecting seropositivity, and to observe long-term results up to a secondary booster vaccine.

RESULTS

The analysis included 201 cancer patients (99 breasts, 102 lungs; median age: 59 years (range: 28-92), 42.3 % men) and 97 controls (median age: 62 years (range: 24-87), 38.1 % men). The seropositivity rate for RBD IgG after 2 doses of vaccine in the cancer group was 81.6 % (n=164) and 93.8 % (n=91) in the control group (p=0.005). The median IgG titer of cancer patients was significantly lower than in the control group (338 (IQR, 95-933) AU/mL vs 676 (IQR, 389-1270) AU/mL; p<0.001). Multivariate analysis of all the patients determined that having cancer (OR: 0.303, 95%CI: 0.123-0.750, p=0.010) and being over 60 years of age (OR: 0.447, 95%CI: 0.218-0.917, p=0.028) was associated with a reduced vaccine response. A subgroup analysis of cancer patients revealed that seroconversion was lower in men than in women (75.3 % vs 86.2 %, p=0.049) and lower in ≥60 patients than in <60 patients (75.9 % vs 89.4 %, p=0.014).

DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION

Cancer patients receiving an active systemic therapy with two doses of the CoronaVac vaccine had a lower antibody response than the non-cancer population, and deaths due to COVID-19 may occur in these patients despite the vaccine. Therefore, extensive protective measures should be taken to protect against COVID-19 in cancer patients aged 60 years and older, who have received two doses of the CoronaVac vaccine (Tab. 4, Fig. 4, Ref. 27).

The Effects of Fentanyl on Testicular Ischemia-Reperfusion Injury

OBJECTIVE

Testicular torsion is a condition that often occurs as a result of the rotation of the spermatic cord in childhood and adolescence in men, manifests with acute pain and causes infertility in the future even if emergency intervention is performed. The aim of this study is to investigate the protective and preventive effects of fentanyl, a potent analgesic agent frequently used in anaesthesia practice, on testicular ischemia reperfusion injury, which manifests through acute pain.

METHODS

A total of 16 adult male Wistar rats, weighing 200-250 g, were used in this study. They were divided into two groups, consisting of eight animals in each group. Torsion was created in all rats by rotating left testicles 720 clockwise on the day of the experiment. 3 mM of fentanyl was applied intraperitoneally 30 minutes before detorsion to the fentanyl group. Following an hour of ischemia, the left testicle was reinstated, and tissues were repaired according to their physiology. Following 24 hours of reperfusion, the animals were euthanised after taking left testes and blood samples.

RESULTS

Fentanyl, administered prior to testicular detorsion, significantly suppressed germ cell damage in torsioned tissue, catalase activity and malondialdehyde levels in blood samples taken from the heart. No significant differences were observed in plasma total thiol concentration, histological score, Leydig cell counts, percentage of necrosis and tubule rupture.

CONCLUSION

These findings show that fentanyl administered before detortion creates a protective effect by preventing testicular ischemia reperfusion injury leading to infertility in the future.

Relationship between serum soluble endothelial protein C receptor level and COVID-19 findings

Coronavirus-related disease-2019 (COVID-19)-associated coagulopathy presents predominantly with thrombosis and leads to complications in close association with inflammatory process. Soluble endothelial protein C receptor (sEPCR), which is the soluble form of EPCR, reduces the anticoagulant and anti-inflammatory activity of activated protein C. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between sEPCR and the laboratory parameters and thorax computed tomography (CT) findings in the course of COVID-19. Twenty-five laboratory-confirmed [reverse transcription-quantitative polimerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) positive] and 24 clinically diagnosed (RT-qPCR negative) COVID-19 patients were enrolled in the study. Blood specimens were collected for sEPCR and haematological and biochemical parameter measurement. Thorax CT was performed to detect COVID-19 findings. These parameters from RT-qPCR positive and negative patients were then compared. Although there was no difference between the groups in terms of symptoms, the time between the onset of symptoms and the admission time was shorter in RT-qPCR positive group (P = 0.000). sEPCR levels were significantly higher in the RT-qPCR positive group (P = 0.011). Patients with ground-glass opacity and bilateral involvement on thorax CT have higher serum sEPCR levels (P = 0.012 and 0.043, respectively). This study has shown for the first time that serum sEPCR levels, which is a member of coagulation cascade and has also been reported to be associated with inflammation, is higher in patients with positive RT-qPCR test and patients with GGO or bilateral involvement on thorax CT regardless of the PCR result.