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In this research, DNA-modified carbon dots (CDs) were exploited to construct a fluorescence assay for breast cancer genes (BRCA1, a potential marker for cancer diagnosis) detection. For this purpose, water-soluble synthesized CDs were functionalized with 19 mer-modified oligonucleotides (capture probe). By adding the DNA target, the specific binding between the DNA probe and DNA target causes fluorescence quenching. The assay displayed a fine capability of sensing the BRCA1 gene with a linear range (R

INTRODUCTION: Cancer is among the leading causes of death worldwide and affects a considerable number of individuals. Chemotherapy is one the most common treatment for this condition and hair loss is among one of the most prevalent side effects. In this study, we report successful treatment of a patient suffering from persistent chemotherapy-induced alopecia (PCIA) with extracellular enriched vesicles (EVs) derived from human placental mesenchymal stromal cells (MSCs). CASE PRESENTATION: The patient was a 36-year-old woman with a history of invasive ductal carcinoma, underwent six courses of chemotherapy with paclitaxel and adriamycin. Following this treatment and for almost 18 months, she, unfortunately, had no regrowth of hair except some light vellus hairs on the scalp. She then received MSC-derived EVs with scalp injection (subcutaneous) every 4 weeks for 3 continuous months at which point she presented complete regrowth of terminal hair on her scalp. CONCLUSION: This report demonstrates that MSC-derived EVs could be a possible treatment for permanent chemotherapy-induced alopecia; however, further studies and trials are necessary.

Mastectomy as a surgical treatment in women with breast cancer causes a change in their body image due to the loss of femininity and body integrity, decreased sense of sexual attractiveness, and dissatisfaction with the presence of surgical scars. The present study was conducted to evaluate the psychometric properties of the Farsi version of the body image scale for breast cancer survivors.This cross-sectional study was conducted on 204 women with a mastectomy referred to Kermanshah's surgery and oncology office in 2021. Face and content validity were evaluated qualitatively. Construct validity was evaluated by exploratory factor analysis (with maximum likelihood and Promax rotation) and confirmatory factor analysis. Cronbach's alpha and McDonald's omega coefficients were used to verify internal consistency.The mean age of the participants was 46.57 (SD = 9.47). One factor was extracted that explained 46.56% of the total variance of body image. The factor load of the items varied between 0.561 and 0.801. The results of CFA also showed that the final model has a perfect fit: CMIN = 20.931; DF = 13; CMIN/FD = 1.610;The Farsi version of the body image scale for breast cancer survivors has good construct validity and may be used in various studies in clinical and research settings.

Killer cell immunoglobulin-like receptors (KIRs) regulate the antitumor effect of Natural killer cells. This study aims to compare the frequency of KIR genes distribution in women with breast cancer and the control group in Kermanshah province. This study was performed on 53 women with BC and 37 healthy women. The KIR gene content was determined by polymerase chain reaction with sequence-specific primers (PCR-SSP). The frequency of the KIR- 2DL5B gene was significantly different between the two groups (P: 0.037), and this locus increases the risk of disease (OR: 2.491). The following results were associated with breast cancer risk: the cBx-tAtA distribution (OR: 5.122), the B content score 1 (OR: 5.122), tA01|tA01 (OR: 5.122) and inversely the following results were associated with protection: the cBx-tBx distribution (OR: 0.176), the B content score 2 (OR: 0.176), cA01|cB0X (OR: 0.287) and tA01|tB0X (OR: 0.301). These results suggested that KIR- 2DL5B, the cBx-tAtA, the B content score 1 and tA01|tA01 were associated with increased susceptibility while the cBx-tBx, the B content score 2, cA01|cB0X, and tA01|tB0X were associated with protection for BC in kermanshahi women population.

Due to the high mortality rate of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) and the lack of specific treatment for the disease, it is essential to find new therapies. The present case report aimed to assess the efficiency of convalescent plasma in patients with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2. We reported a severe case of COVID-19 with multi-organ failure, who had reduced oxygen saturation after several courses of antiviral therapy. Moreover, computed tomography (CT) scan results showed patchy lesions in the base of lungs. Therapeutic measures, including endotracheal intubation and plasmapheresis with convalescent plasma, were performed for the patient; subsequently, good responses to the treatments were observed. Our findings demonstrate that convalescent plasma improves pulmonary lesions and the patient's clinical status.

The Federal Constitutional Court has decided that the prohibition to strike for career civil servants, as it has traditionally been part of the German legal order, is in compliance with the German Constitution. The Court thereby put a (provisional) end to a long-lasting debate on how to solve the tension between the fundamental freedom to form associations under Article 9(3) of the Basic Law, which arguably encompasses a right to strike, and Article 33(5) of the Basic Law, which protects the traditional principles of the career civil servants, which arguably encompasses the prohibition to strike. Through recognizing that the ban on strike action by career civil servants is not only allowed but required under the German Constitution, the Constitutional Court navigates the German legal order on a potential collision course with the European Convention on Human Rights and the European Court of Human Rights. In this context, the Constitutional Court on the one hand reaffirms the openness of the German constitutional order towards international law in general and human rights and the European Convention on Human Rights in particular. On the other hand, the Court somehow marginalizes the role of the European Court of Human Rights and threatens to not follow the Court should it hold that the European Convention on Human Rights demands a right to strike also for career civil servants.

Background This study compared efficacy and safety of TA4415V, a trastuzumab biosimilar, with reference trastuzumab in patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2–positive (HER2-positive) early-stage breast cancer treated in the neoadjuvant setting in Iran. Methods Patients were randomly assigned to receive neoadjuvant TA4415V or reference trastuzumab concurrently with docetaxel (TH phase) for 4 cycles after treatment with 4 cycles of doxorubicin and cyclophosphamide (AC phase). Chemotherapy was followed by surgery. The primary endpoint was the comparison of pathologic complete response (pCR) rate in the per-protocol population. Secondary endpoints included comparisons of overall response rate (ORR), breast-conserving surgery (BCS), safety, and immunogenicity. Results Ninety-two participants were analyzed in the per-protocol population (TA4415V, n = 48; reference trastuzumab, n = 44). The pCR rates were 37.50% and 34.09% with TA4415V and reference drug, respectively. The 95% CI of the estimated treatment outcome difference (− 0·03 [95% CI − 0.23 to 0.16]) was within the non-inferiority margin. No statistically significant difference was observed between the groups for other efficacy variables in the ITT population: ORR (89.13% vs. 83.33%; p = 0.72) and BCS (20.37% vs. 12.96%; p = 0.42) in the TA4415V and reference drug group, respectively. At least one grade 3 or 4 adverse events occurred in 27 (50%) patients in the TA4415V group versus 29 (53.70%) in the reference trastuzumab group (p = 0.70). The decrease in left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF), as an adverse event of special interest (AESI) for trastuzumab, was compared between treatment groups in TH phase. Results demonstrated an LVEF decrease in 7 (12.96%) and 9 (16.67%) patients in TA4415V and reference trastuzumab groups, respectively (p = 0.59). Anti-drug antibodies (ADA) were not detected in any samples of groups. Conclusions Non-inferiority for efficacy was demonstrated between TA4415V and Herceptin based on the ratio of pCR rates in HER2-positive early breast cancer patients. In addition, ORR and BCS, as secondary endpoints, were not significantly different. Safety profile and immunogenicity were also comparable between the two groups.

Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) is still an emergency in many countries. Herein, we report treatment with human placental-derived mesenchymal stromal cells transfusion (hPD-MSCT) in a critically ill infant diagnosed with COVID-19. A 28-day-old male infant with a history of pneumonia was referred to our center with decreased SpO

Immune Thrombocytopenia (ITP) is an autoimmune bleeding disorder. Tyrosine Kinase JAK2 (JAK2 V617F) mutation occurs in nearly 60% of Essential Thrombocythemia (ET) patients. Both diseases produce impaired platelet. We describe a case with ET following ITP. So far, only 3 reports described ET following ITP. We report the fourth patient with JAK2 V617F mutation at the onset of ITP presented 20 years ago that needed splenectomy. The association of these two diseases may recommend similar pathogenic mechanisms between Myeloproliferative Neoplasms (MPNs) and ITP that should be further explored.

Background: In recent years, several studies have shown the association between exercise and decreased risk of mortality in patients with breast cancer. However, the effects of combined resistance and endurance training on salivary Interleukin-12 (IL-12), tumor necrosis factor (TNF-α), Cortisol, and Testosterone levels in patients with breast cancer have not been investigated. Objectives: This study aimed at determining the effect of 8 weeks of combined resistance and endurance training on salivary IL-12, TNF-α, Cortisol, and Testosterone levels in women with breast cancer. Methods: Forty-two postmenopausal women with breast cancer were randomly selected and divided into training (intervention) and control groups. The training group performed resistance training with 2 to 3 sets, 10 to 18 repetitions, 50 to 70% 1 repetition maximum (1RM), and aerobic exercise with 50 to 70% maximum heart rate (maxHR) (12-14 degrees borg scale) for 20 to 40 minutes for 8 weeks. The salivary IL-12, TNF-α, cortisol, and testosterone levels were measured, using the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) method. Two-way analysis of variance repeated measure was also used to analyze variance with the confidence interval of 95%. Results: In the training group, there was a significant decrease in salivary TNF-α levels, cortisol, TNF-α/IL-12 ratio, and variables of weight, fat percentage, body mass index (BMI), and waist circumference (P < 0.05). Also, the results showed a significant increase in salivary testosterone and testosterone/cortisol ratio in the intervention group (P < 0.05). However, no significant changes were observed in the interaction between-group and time in IL-12 and waist–hip ratio (WHR) values (P > 0.05). Conclusions: The results indicate that resistance and endurance training could be used as a useful method to improve salivary pro-inflammatory factors and hormonal levels in patients with breast cancer. Medical oncologists can underline a resistance and endurance training program for patients with breast cancer under their care.

Background CRC is the second and third most common cancer in women and men, respectively. The national comprehensive cancer network guidelines recommend oxaliplatin-based chemotherapy as a preferred regimen for patients with advanced or metastatic colon cancer. Oxaliplatin is also used in the off-label treatment of gastric cancer. FDA uses post-marketing study commitments to gather additional information about a product’s safety, efficacy, or optimal use. It is necessary to perform safety monitoring after marketing authorization is received; such monitoring can be done by means of characterizing the safety of drugs in patients being treated in real-world clinical practice settings. Objectives This Phase IV study aimed to evaluate the safety profile of a brand-name formulation of the generic drug oxaliplatin (AlvoxalⓇ, NanoAlvand, Tehran, Iran) in Iranian patients diagnosed with either colorectal or other, different types of cancer. Methods Patients with colorectal cancer, gastric cancer, or other malignancies receiving oxaliplatin as a part of their treatment were included in this open-label, multicenter, observational Phase IV study. This study aimed to assess the safety profile of oxaliplatin in patients diagnosed with different cancers. Findings A total of 483 patients from 16 cities in Iran were enrolled. The most common malignancy was colorectal cancer (55.49%), followed by gastric cancer (28.16%). Based on the results, 405 patients experienced at least 1 adverse event. Most of these adverse events were grade 1 or 2, and the most commonly reported adverse event was anemia (60.66%). During the study, 26 serious adverse events occurred in 15 (3.11%) patients, which were perhaps related to oxaliplatin. There were no remarkable differences in the incidences of adverse events in the system organ classes of blood and lymphatic system disorders, gastrointestinal disorders, or nervous system disorders among patients with different malignancies (ie, colorectal cancer, gastric cancer, and other malignancies) or between genders. The results of this open-label, multicenter, observational, postmarketing surveillance study demonstrated no unexpected safety findings from the use of this oxaliplatin product (AlvoxalⓇ) in Iranian patients diagnosed with different types of cancer. Conclusions This Phase IV study provides data on the safety profile of a number of chemotherapy regimens containing an oxaliplatin product given to Iranian patients diagnosed with different types of cancer.

German law schools and legal practice are significantly less diverse than society; in particular, people of colour are missing. The empirical findings so far allow a first analysis of the factors that contribute to the current homogeneity. The legal system not only lacks diverse perspectives, the diversity deficit can also lead to problems for social acceptance and legitimacy. The essay proposes measures for equal participation in the legal professions and invites to an exchange about diversity as a current and pressing challenge for scholarship and practice. The text is an invitation for joint action, but also for reflection and further research.

Introduction Human Cytomegalovirus (HCMV) is the most important viral pathogen in people undergoing bone marrow transplantation (BMT). HCMV detection in the early stages makes is possible to save the patients’ lives through immediate and timely treatment. The aim of this study was to investigate the status of HCMV using the real-time PCR method in BMT patients in Kermanshah, west of Iran. Methods HCMV monitoring was done in 120 patients who underwent BMT, 38 allogeneic cases and 82 autologous cases, using the ELISA serology test before transplantation. The participants were followed up 100 days after transplantation for HCMV detection in blood samples using real-time PCR. Preemptive therapy started with Ganciclovir and Foscarnet when the viral load was > 200 HCMV DNA copies/ml. Results Despite preemptive therapy, infection recurred in less than 1 month. HCMV recurred more frequently in patients undergoing allogenic transplation versus those receiving autologous transplantation. Recurrence was seen in 5 patients receiving allogenic transplantation. HCMV recurrence occurred in five patients with allogeneic transplantation. Twelve patients undergoing allogeneic or autologous transplantation (83%) and a virus load of > 1000 copies/ml showed HCMV-related symptoms. Three patients died, two due to HCMV-related pneumonia and the other one due to a fungal infection. Conclusion Real-time PCR may be a useful method for quantification and monitoring of HCMV recurrence and may be helpful in choosing more efficient HCMV preemptive treatment in BMT recipients.

Background: Concurrent training is more effective in developing fitness indicators than doing endurance and resistance training separately. However, there has been limited research to evaluate the effects of this type of exercise training on improvement of body composition and quality of life indicators in postmenopausal women with cancer. Objectives: The present study aimed to determine the effects of eight-week of concurrent training on body composition, quality of life, and sleep quality in postmenopausal women with breast cancer. Methods: This study was conducted on 42 women with breast cancer who were selected randomly and divided into exercise training and control groups. The training group followed eight-week of resistance training (2 - 3 sets, 10 - 18 repetitions, and 50% - 70% 1RM) and aerobic training (50% - 70% maximum heart rate, 12 - 14 Borg scale, and 20 - 40 minutes). Anthropometric characteristics were measured based on body composition (ZEUS 9.9), the sleep quality was measured by the Pittsburgh sleep quality index (PSQI), and the quality of life was measured by the McGill quality of life (MQOL) questionnaire. Two-way repeated measures ANOVA has been used for McGill’s analysis of variance (P < 0.05). Results: The results showed a significant decrease in sleep quality score, weight, fat percentage, BMI, and waist circumference in the training group (P < 0.05), as well as an increase in quality of life index in the training group (P < 0.05). However, no significant changes were observed in the Waist-hip ratio (WHR) values of the training group compared with the control group (P > 0.05). Conclusions: Although the changes in WHR index were not significant after eight weeks of concurrent training, this type of training program could be considered as a beneficial way for improving body composition, quality of life, and sleep quality in patients with breast cancer.

Leukemia cutis (LC) is a rare disorder that is distinguished by the infiltration of leukemic cells into the skin. This can be a manifestation of relapse of the previously treated leukemia. We report a case of a 70-year-old woman with acute monocytic leukemia (AMOL), whose disease relapsed and developed into LC after a successful induction therapy. Salvage chemotherapy has been applied successfully to prevent the development of LC in the patient's skin.

Background: BRAF V600E mutations were recently identified in the leukemic cells from patients with hairy cell leukemia (HCL) that this mutation in exon 15 is considered the disease-defining mutation in HCL. Objectives: This meta-analysis aimed to report the prevalence of BRAF V600E mutation in HCL patients. Methods: Three databases including PubMed, Scopus, and Web of Science up to 2017 were searched for the prevalence of BRAF mutation in HCL patients. A random effects meta-analysis was performed using the Comprehensive Meta-Analysis software version 2.0 with the event rate (ER) and 95% confidence interval (95% CI). Results: Out of 552 articles identified from the search, 11 were included included and were analyzed for meta-analysis study. The studies in meta-analysis included 437 patients with HCL, of which 353 (80.8%) patients had BRAF V600E mutation. The pooled ER of the studies was 81.5% (95% CI: 69.5%–89.5%). The Begg's test did not show publication bias, but the Egger's test showed publication bias. Conclusions: With regard to the mentioned limitations, the prevalence of BRAF mutation in HCL patients was >80%. In future studies, considering sex, age, and other variables can exactly show the correlation between these variables with the detection of BRAF mutation.

Background: Chromosome Xq11-12 is the place that the androgen receptor (AR) sequence appears. Herein, the prevalence of this biomarker and its relation with pT stage and tumor grade was reported. Methods: Four online sites (PubMed, Scopus, Web of Science, and Cochrane Library) have been searched up to Sep 2018 systematically. Meta-Analysis software version 2.0 (CMA 2.0) and STATA 14.0 statistical software were utilized. Publication bias did not exist. Results: From the initial 1141 articles identified from the systematically searches. At last, nine of them remained for analysis. The meta-analysis included 1447 patients that 345 of them had AR expression. AR expression significantly correlated with low tumor grade and low tumor pT stage. Conclusion: AR expression was 28.2%, and it had the relationship with tumor low grade and low pT stage. Additional studies required to figure out the role of it on RCC patients.

Multiple myeloma is described by the proliferation of malignant plasma cells, in which orbital involvement is rare. In this report, we collected all cases with orbital multiple myeloma from 2009 to 2018 and investigated the characteristics such as sex, age, common orbital symptoms, unilateral or bilateral and different therapeutic options. Also, we reported an uncommon case of multiple myeloma that has been developed into plasmacytoma. Our patient had been initially diagnosed with multiple myeloma, but after a few months, the disease had progressed to secondary extramedullary plasmacytoma in the retrobulbar. Therapeutic measures, such as surgery to prevent its development in the patient's eye, were successful.

Palbociclib, an oral inhibitor of cyclin-dependent kinases 4 and 6 (CDK 4/6), has been approved for metastatic breast cancer (mBC) treatment of hormone receptor (HR)-positive/ human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-negative. The study reported the efficacy of Palbociclib as a new oral drug in a patient with mBC. A 40-year-old female with stage 2 right BC change to stage 4 after about two years later referred to oncology clinic. Due to HR-positivity/HER2-negative, she has treated with Palbociclib 125 mg (per one day for twoweek and one-week intervals) with Letrozole. In new assessment and after 8 months of this oral combination therapy, the chest x-ray of lung showed the complete response. Treatment with Palbociclib plus Letrozole had a complete response in the mBC patient after the common chemotherapies and hormone monotherapy.

Objective: The associations between viruses and the cancer have been conducted in several studies while there has been no systematic review and meta-analysis about the association between viral infections and thyroid cancer (TC). Therefore, we investigated the association between viral infection and TC risk. Methods: Systematic search was done from 1994 to 2019 in Web of sciences (ISI), PubMed, and Scopus databases. Pooled logarithm of odds ratio (OR) and their corresponding 95 confidence interval (CI) and pooled prevalence of viral infections were calculated to find the association between the viral infections and TC risk and overall prevalence of the viral infections in TC. Results: Twenty-three of 852 original articles were selected and included in the study. According to the results of the random effect meta-analysis, the pooled prevalence of viral infections in the TC patients was 37 (95 C. I = 22 �55 ). In addition, there was a significant association between viral infections (log (OR) = 1.51, 95 credible interval = 0.68�2.39) and TC risk. The highest associations were observed between TC risk and Simian Vacuolating Virus 40 (SV40) and B19 infections, respectively. The lowest non-significant association was found between TC risk and Poliovirus type 1 infection. The significantly heterogeneity was observed between included studies (Q test: p-value

Purpose The purpose of this study was to compare the efficacy and safety of a proposed bevacizumab biosimilar to those of the reference product in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer (mCRC). Methods This Phase III, multicenter, randomized, double-blind (patient- and assessor-blind), active-controlled, 2-armed, parallel-group, noninferiority trial was conducted in patients with histologically verified colorectal cancer with evidence of at least 1 metastasis. Patients with mCRC were randomized 2:1 to receive 5 mg/kg IV of either study drug plus FOLFIRI-3 (with repeated irinotecan 100 mg/m2 60-min infusion on day 3) or the reference drug plus FOLFIRI-3 every 2 weeks for 1 year. Progression-free survival (PFS) was the primary end point, and overall survival, objective response rate, and time to treatment failure as well as safety and immunogenicity were secondary end points. The population assessable for PFS was per protocol, and the intention-to-treat population was used for sensitivity analysis. Safety was assessed based on reports of adverse events, laboratory test results, and vital sign measurements. Findings A total of 126 patients were enrolled; PFS values in the biosimilar and reference arms were 232 days (7.7 months) and 210 days (7 months), respectively (P = 0.47). The hazard ratio of the biosimilar arm versus the reference arm was 0.79 in the per-protocol population (90% CI, 0.46–1.35; P = 0.47). The upper limit for the 2-sided 90% CI was lower than the margin of 1.44, indicating that the biosimilar drug was noninferior to the reference drug. The hazard ratio for overall survival in the intent-to-treat population was 0.99 (95% CI, 0.55–1.80; P = 0.99). The difference between other efficacy end points among the groups was not statistically significant. No significant difference was observed in the comparison of the two arms for safety. The antidrug antibody was positive in 1 patient in each arm. Implications The proposed biosimilar BE1040V was noninferior to the reference product in terms of efficacy in the treatment of mCRC, and tolerability was comparable between the 2 drugs. ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03288987.

Context: Lung cancer is one of the most common cancers worldwide with high mortality and short survival rate. Radiotherapy is one of the treatment modalities in patients who are non-surgery candidates or refuse surgery. Objectives: The current study aimed at evaluating the effectiveness and safety of this technique compared to similar ones for lung cancer treatment. Methods: In order to answer the research question and find the available evidence, after the development of the search strategy, Pubmed, Cochran, Ovid, Medline, and DARE databases were searched and related articles were selected based on the inclusion criteria. Then, we chose all studies that had the PICO acceptance criteria (Participants: adults with lung cancer; Intervention: tomotherapy; Comparisons: tomotherapy with Cyberknife; Outcomes: local tumor control (LTC), survival rate (SR), complications, and degree of toxicity). The quality assessment of the studies was conducted using the CASP (Critical Appraisal Skills Programme) checklist. Two independent search engines evaluated the articles in terms of methodology, and information was extracted from the papers.ResultsOverall, 12 retrospective studies with 616 patients were found examining the efficacy and safety of a certain technology. According to the results of the studies, the local tumor control (LTC) index varied from 63% to 100%. The two and five-year SRs were 73% and 56%, respectively. In addition, the mortality rate of patients until the completion of the treatment course was 34%, indicating the higher efficacy of tomotherapy than the efficacy of other similar techniques. The toxicity of tomotherapy was less than that of Cyberknife, which indicates its more safety. Conclusions: According to the epidemiology of cancer, especially lung cancer, and due to aging of the population in Iran, and considering the higher efficacy and safety of tomotherapy in comparison with other similar technologies, i.e., Cyberknife and Gamma Knife, tomotherapy is a superior technique in the control and treatment of lung cancer although other aspects, such as cost-efficacy, should be considered.

This short review (with 72 refs.) summarizes the state of the art in fluorometric methods for targeted imaging of cancer cells and tumor tissues in order to differentiate between normal cells and cancer cells. Following an introduction into the field and after presenting an overview on the most commonly used carbon dots and graphene quantum dots, we describe methods based on peptide based targeting, aptamer based targeting, antibody based targeting, and ligand-based targeting. A concluding section summarizes the current state and challenges, and discusses future perspectives. Graphical abstract An overview is given on the applications of carbon dots (CDs) in target-specific imaging and differentiation of cancerous cells from normal cells. Several classes of ligands (including aptamers, peptides, antibodies), especially small molecules (such as FA)) have been reported for functionalizing of CDs.

Background: Recurrent breast cancer (BC) after initial treatments is usually associated with poor outcome. The objective of this study is to evaluate baseline characteristics of BC patients to determine their prognostic influence of recurrences. Materials and Methods: In this retrospective study of 481 BC patients, 182 patients who had recurrence within the first, second, or third 5 years after diagnosis were included in the study. The significant prognostic factors associated with late or very late recurrence were selected according to the Akaike Information Criterion. Early recurrence was defined as initial recurrence within 5 years following curative surgery irrespective of site. Likewise, late recurrence was defined as initial recurrence after 5 years. Also, very late recurrence was defined as initial recurrence after 10 years. Results: During the follow-up period, 182 recurrences occurred (local recurrence or distant metastasis). All patients were treated with chemotherapy and radiotherapy and the patients with estrogen receptor (ER)- or progesterone receptor (PR)-positive had hormone therapy. There was a significant correlation between histological grade and receptors status with recurrence. In binary logistic regression analysis, ER and PR were significant prognostic factors for early recurrence. Conclusion: High histological grade and immunohistochemical markers (ER- and PR-negative or human epidermal growth factor receptor 2-positive) are risk factors for recurrence, especially in early recurrence and also between of them, ER is the more significant prognostic factor in early recurrence.

Aim of the study : Herein, this meta-analysis study evaluated the efficacy of palifermin after HSCT on the incidence and severity of OM or aGVHD in hematologic malignancy patients in randomized clinical trials (RCTs). Materials and methods : To compare the efficacy of palifermin on adverse events, OM and aGVHD compared with placebo , we searched databases of PubMed/Medline, Web of Science and Cochrane Library for RCTs based on a number of criteria. Results : There was no difference observed in the incidence of OM and aGVHD between two groups. The subgroup analysis didn’t show significant differences in two groups for aGVHD grade 2–4 (odds ratio [OR] = 1.54, 95% confidence interval (CI): 0.70–3.39, p = 0.28), aGVHD grade 3–4 (OR = 0.97, 95% CI: 0.48–1.94, p = 0.92), OM grade 2–4 (OR = 0.76, 95% CI: 0.42–1.38, p = 0.37) and OM grade 3–4 (OR = 0.54, 95% CI: 0.25–1.15, p = 0.11], but erythema as an adverse effect in palifermin group was higher than placebo group (OR = 1.86, 95% CI: 1.10–3.15, p = 0.02]. Conclusions : This meta-analysis of six clinical trials found no statistically significant difference in OM and aGVHD grades in patients receiving 60 µg/kg/day dose of palifermin compared with those receiving a placebo . However, oral mucosal erythema was more prevalent among patients receiving palifermin than patients receiving a placebo .

Die Frage, inwieweit Amtstrager zur Neutralitat verpflichtet sind, wenn sie sich kritisch uber Parteien oder politische Bewegungen ausern, beschaftigt die verwaltungsgerichtliche ebenso wie die verfassungsgerichtliche Rechtsprechung. Der Beitrag kritisiert die in dieser Rechtsprechung vielfach zum Ausdruck gelangende Vorstellung einer allgemeinen Neutralitatspflicht staatlicher Amtstrager und pladiert stattdessen fur eine starkere Anerkennung der inharent politischen Natur insbesondere von Regierungsamtern und kommunalen Leitungspositionen. Grenzen kritischer Auserungen von Amtstragern ergeben sich nicht aus einem allgemeinen Neutralitatsgebot, sondern vielmehr aus konkreten rechtlichen Vorgaben, vor allem aus dem Parteien- und Wahlrecht sowie aus den Grundrechten. Diese rechtlichen Grenzen schutzen vor staatlichen Ubergriffen in Individualrechtspositionen und Verzerrungen des gesellschaftlichen Willensbildungsprozesses, schliesen aber nicht aus, dass sich staatliche Amtstrager am offentlichen Me...

Necrotizing fasciitis is an uncommon disease and a soft tissue infection that spreads along fascial planes with associated inflammation and necrosis. Herein, this study reported necrotizing fasciitis as a rare complication after bone marrow transplantation (BMT) in a Iranian patient and the efficacy of early treatment in improvement it. A 28-year-old lady had known case of first relapse of Hodgkin’s lymphoma that admitted for auto-BMT in 2016. Five years ago due to abdominal-pelvic massive lymphadenopathy, she was treated with six courses of ABVD regimen combined with involved filed irradiation. Due to Hodgkin’s relapse, the patient was treated with six courses of ICE regimen and after complete remission was selected for auto-BMT. Necrotizing fasciitis was reported by MRI and the patients was treated with combination of a number of antibiotics after fasciectomy. In conclusion, necrotizing fasciitis is a rare complication of BMT, especially autologous type that drug selection and rapid surgical fasciectomy are important decisions for prevention of mortality and morbidity of this complication.

Background Breast cancer is currently the most common neoplasm diagnosed in women globally. There is a growing body of evidence to suggest that human papillomavirus (HPV) infection may play a key role in invasiveness of breast cancer. The aim of this study was to determine the presence of HPV in patients with breast cancer and its possible association with cancer progression. Methods Breast specimens were collected from 72 patients with breast cancer and 31 healthy controls. The presence of HPV was investigated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and genotyping was performed for positive cases. We also evaluated the viral factors such as E6, E2, and E7 in HPV positive cases. Enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA (and Real-time PCR techniques were used to measure the expression level of anti-carcinogenic genes, such as p53, retinoblastoma (RB), breast and ovarian cancer susceptibility gene (BRCA1, BRCA2) and inflammatory cytokines, including tumor necrosis factor α (TNF-α), transforming growth factor β (TGF-β), nuclear factor-kB (NF-kB), and different interleukins [ILs] (IL-1,IL6, and IL-17). Results The HPV DNA was detected in 48.6% of breast cancer samples, whereas only 16.1% of controls were positive for HPV. We observed statistically significant differences between breast cancer patients and HPV presence (P = 0.003). HPV type 18 was the most prevalent virus genotype in patients. The expression of P53, RB, BRCA1, and BRCA2 were decreased in patients with HPV-positive breast cancer as compared to HPV-negative breast cancer and healthy controls. (All P-values were less than 0.05). The presence of the HPV was associated with increased inflammatory cytokines (IL-1, IL-6, IL-17, TGF-β, TNF-α, and NF-kB) and tumor progression. Conclusion The present study demonstrated that HPV infection may implicate in the development of some types of breast cancer.

Context: Despite the fact that breast cancer (BC) is a major health issue, very few studies describe its characteristics in the Middle East. Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate the use and value of Ki-67 as a prognostic marker in BC and associations between Ki-67, clinical, and histopathological parameters were evaluated. Subjects and Methods: In a retrospective study, 260 BC women and invasive ductal carcinoma were included to our study in Kermanshah city, Iran. Age, tumor size, lymph node involvement, histological grade, nuclear grade, and vascular invasion were other factors that determined in a lot of patients. Results: The mean age at diagnosis was 47.6 years (range, 24-84 years) with 100% female. Of 243 patients that tumor size was determined for them, 207 patients (85.2%) had tumor size ≥ 2 cm, and 36 patients (14.8%) had size

Colorectal cancer (CRC) metastasis to the thyroid gland is rare. Here wereport a 45 yr-old man in western Iran referred to Hematology Clinic, Kermanshah city, Iran in March 2014 with complaint of exertional dyspnea, multi-nodular goiter as well as complaint of exertional dyspnea, and multi-nodular goiter. His history included a low anterior resection of rectum in 9 months ago for a high-risk stage II rectal adenocarcinoma. He did not show clinical signs of hyperthyroidism other than thyroid enlargement. In thyroid nodule the FNA cytology, pathology reported anaplastic thyroid malignancy. Pathologists reported final diagnosis of colorectal metastasis of thyroid gland. Then due to metastatic pattern of disease, his pathology was evaluated for RAS molecular assay. In the patients of metastatic CRC, RAS testing is the first step to identify those patients that could benefit from anti-EGFR monoclonal antibodies treatment.

Breast cancer is the most common cancer with high morbidity and mortality among women worldwide. Aberrant hypermethylation in promoter regions of the tumor suppressor genes such as PTEN gene is a key event in the progression and development of breast cancer. The aim of the present study was to evaluate an association between PTEN gene methylation status with the risk of breast cancer in an Iranian population. We studied 255 individuals, including 103 patients with breast cancer, 102 first-degree female relatives of patients (mother, sister, or daughter of patients), and 50 healthy individuals as a control group. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood leukocytes, and the PTEN promoter methylation status was detected using methylation-specific PCR (MSP) method with specific methylated and unmethylated primers. In some samples, direct DNA sequencing was used to confirm the results obtained by the MSP method. The frequency of PTEN-methylated (MM) genotype was 6 % in the healthy control group, 23.3 % in relatives of patients, and 41.7 % in patients (χ 2 = 24.62, p

BACKGROUND CML includes 30% of all leukemias, and occurs from childhood to old age. The present study was a retrospective analysis of chronic phase CML patients registered to a Hematology Clinic in Kermanshah, Iran, with checking of treatment options. MATERIALS AND METHODS Between 2002 and 2014, 85 CML patients referred to our hematology clinic were enrolled in our study. We surveyed age, sex, B-symptoms, splenomegaly, Sokal score, Hasford score, treatment and survival in all patients. Philadelphia chromosome analysis was conducted for each patient by conventional cytogenetics. We compared treatment in the patients with three drugs, imatinib, hydroxyurea (HU) and interferon alpha (IFN-α). RESULTS The mean age of the patients at diagnosis was 47.5 ± 14.5 years (range, 23-82 years), with 43 (50.6%) being male. Some 13 (15.3%) were referred to our clinic for the first time with B-symptoms and 44 patients (51.8%) had splenomegaly. The Sokal score for 77 (90.6%) was low, 4 (4.7%) was intermediate and 4(4.7%) was high, but Hasford (Euro) scores for all patients were low. The 5-year survival rate for treated patients with imatinib, imatinib plus HU and imatinib plus HU plus IFN-α was 90.5%, 81.1% and 55.6%, respectively CONCLUSIONS The results show that imatinib therapy alone provides better survival in CML patients compared to HU or IFN-α. Combinations of IFN-α and/or HU with imatinib probably reduce survival.

Chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL)is the most common leukemia in adults in Western countries but is relatively rare in Asia. Immune hemolytic anemia, Evan's syndrome, lymphadenopathy, organomegaly and B symptoms are the main complaints of patients in CLL. The present retrospective analysis evaluated a group of 109 patients with CLL over a 9-year period, studying correlations between sex, age and overall survival. The patients were hospitalized in the Clinic of Hematology and Oncology, Kermanshah, Iran, between 2006 and 2014. Data analysis for sex and age was performed using IBM SPSS19 and overall survival was plotted by Kaplan- Meier plot, Log-rank test in Graph Pad prism 5 Software for five-year periods. The mean age of diagnosis for CLL patients was 60.73 years, 59.6% male. Survival rate patients was 64% and mean overall survival was 38.5 months. In the Rai system, fourteen patients (12.8%) had stage III and twenty eight patients (25.7%) had stage IV. Most frequent clinical features in patients with CLL were lymphadenopathy (38.7%) and organomegaly (34%), respectively. There is not relationship between sex and age in patients but overall survival rate in females was higher than in males. In Asian countries, CLL is more in male and in age above 60 years. Complaints about lymphadenopathy and virus infection are prevalent.