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The introduction of molecularly targeted therapies, particularly the epidermal growth factor receptor inhibitors (EGFRIs), has had a positive impact by increasing the life expectancy of patients with advanced colorectal cancer (CRC). The most used anti-EGFRIs monoclonal antagonist, Cetuximab, induces skin responses in most patients, leading to a reduction of dosages or even therapy discontinuation, all with devastating effects. Our study aimed to assess the predictive role and the possible correlations of clinical features, imaging aspects (dermatoscopy), and laboratory tests (anti-alpha-galactosyl IgE levels) for early detection of Cetuximab skin toxicity in patients with metastatic CRC. The association of IgE antibodies against goat alpha-1,3-galactose serum levels with various degrees of skin toxicity encountered during the oncologic treatment resulted in higher concentrations in patients with pruritus and hair changes. Incorporating dermatoscopy into the routine dermatological consultation allowed us to perform a severity assessment, dynamically record, and identify even the erupting lesions previously invisible to classical examination. Hence, we were enabled to generate a broad report and to classify various degrees of skin toxicity severity linked to Cetuximab treatment in 19 patients with metastatic CRC. Detecting the emergent lesions and initiating dermatological treatment in the early stages decreased the severity of skin toxicity. As a result, the duration of the antibiotic treatment was much shorter, and the risk of dose reduction or interruption of the cancer treatment was diminished. In conclusion, we emphasize the need for a regular dermatological examination with dermatoscopy of CRC patients undergoing Cetuximab treatment. Skin toxicity is a significant concern for these patients, and healthcare providers should be vigilant in monitoring and managing this side effect in order to optimize patient care. The correlation between anti-alpha-Gal IgE levels and Cetuximab-induced skin toxicities is an emerging area. More extensive studies need to be published in order to establish this relationship directly. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

(1) Background: The aim of our study was to assess the involvement of the sympathetic nervous system in the progression of patients with gastric carcinoma by analyzing the sympathetic neuronal fibers and beta 2 adrenoreceptors. (2) Methods: We performed a retrospective study in which we analyzed the clinical, biological, and histological data from a total of 104 patients diagnosed with stomach cancer. (3) Results: After analyzing the immunoreactivity of beta 2 adrenoreceptors, we observed increased values in patients with tumors larger than 5 cm in diameter (p = 0.0371), with a deeper degree of tumor invasion T3–4 (p = 0.0159), invasion in more than two lymph nodes (p = 0.0462), or a TNM stage III–IV. Regarding the survival analysis, better survival rates (65%) were observed for patients with a low value of beta 2 adrenoreceptors (B2A−), compared to B2A (+) patients, in which survival at 3 years of follow-up was only 43%. In addition, the analysis of intra-tumoral sympathetic fibers showed a better survival rate (83%) for patients with a low value of density compared to patients with increased density, in whom the survival rate was only 24%. (4) Conclusions: The findings of this study indicate that patients with stomach cancer have a more unfavorable prognosis when they have a higher density of sympathetic nerve fibers and an increased expression of beta 2 adrenergic receptors inside the tumor. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cancer is still an important health issue worldwide due to increased incidence and mortality. Personalized medicine is the future of cancer treatment. Development in technology improved technical skills in DNA/RNA sequencing. NGS technology in solid-tumor samples can describe DNA or RNA analysis by including the entire genome to detect clinical relevant mutations. Genetic results may be considered having a dynamic impact because of heterogenous molecular alterations depending of time and treatment influence. We conducted a retrospective study of all NGS tests made in the last five years for the patients from 'Sf. Nectarie' Oncology Center, Craiova, Romania. We selected three relevant clinical cases where NGS analysis was performed and the results changed the perspective of the clinical decision. Our aim is to evaluate the importance of NGS results in clinical approach. Although medicine known an important development during the last decades, only a few patients can benefit of advanced personalized treatments. It is still hard to identify the alterations or gene mutations because of genetic tests are not easily available and only a small proportion of patients carries genetic alterations. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Simple Summary: Pancreatic cancer, one of the most aggressive forms of cancer, is a lethal disease. Although nerves infiltrate the tumor microenvironment and they are even present in pancreatic tumors, the role of innervation, especially sympathetic innervation, remains unclear. Moreover, neurotransmitters can modulate the evolution of pancreatic cancer through various processes, such as carcinogenesis, invasions, proliferation, or metastasis. Here, we assess pancreatic neoplastic tissue, examining the sympathetic nerve fibers and the density of beta 2 adrenoreceptors, both intratumoral and peritumoral. These were correlated with the clinical outcome. If the intratumoral sympathetic nerves registered a structural alteration, and the peritumoral nerves were not structurally altered, they could not be associated with prognosis; the same was not observed regarding beta 2 adrenoreceptors. Increased immunoreactivity of beta 2 adrenoreceptors in pancreatic peritumoral tissue was associated with poor prognostic factors in pancreatic cancer. Background: The aim of our study was to evaluate sympathetic neuronal remodeling in patients with pancreatic cancer, together with its correlation with clinical outcomes. Methods: In this descriptive, retrospective study, we analyzed pancreatic cancer specimens and peritumoral pancreatic tissue from 122 patients. We also investigated tyrosine hydroxylase immunoreactivity for the analysis of sympathetic nerve fibers and beta 2 adrenoreceptors immunoreactivity. To investigate the potential interaction between tyrosine hydroxylase (TH), beta 2 adrenoreceptors (B2A) immunoreactivity, and clinicopathological outcomes, we used the median to classify each case as TH+, respectively, B2A+ (if it presented a value higher than the median). Results: Firstly, the overall survival was analyzed according to TH and B2A immunoreactivity, in both intratumoral and peritumoral tissue. Only B2A immunoreactivity in the peritumoral pancreatic tissue influenced overall survival at 5 years of follow-up; thus, B2A+ patients recorded a 5-year survival of only 3% compared to B2A− patients who recorded an overall survival at 5 years of follow-up of 14% (HR = 1.758, 95% CI of ratio 1.297 to 2.938, p = 0.0004). Additionally, the increased immunoreactivity of B2A in the peritumoral tissue was also associated with other factors of poor prognosis, such as moderately or poorly differentiated tumors, the absence of response to first-line chemotherapy, or metastatic disease. Conclusions: The increased immunoreactivity of beta 2 adrenoreceptors in pancreatic peritumoral tissue represents a poor prognostic factor in pancreatic cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of our study is to provide an assessment of heart rate variability (HRV) as a predictor for the survival of patients with pancreatic cancer (PCa). We conducted a retrospective, descriptive study. 53 consecutive patients who were newly diagnosed with pancreatic cancer (PCa), were included. In the end, 41 patients were included in the analysis, out of which 14 patients survived at least until the 24-month follow-up, while 27 patients died within 24 months from the diagnosis. These patients were monitored with 24-hour Holter electrocardiogram (ECG) prior to the initiation of any therapy for determining heart rate variability. To establish the cut-off values of HRV, 24-hour Holter ECG recordings of 20 healthy subjects were analyzed. In addition to heart rate analysis, HRV indices were also analyzed: SDNN, rMSSD, ULF and VLF. Median survival in patients with low value of SDNN was 9 months, compared to patients with hight SDNN where median survival was 15 months (Hazard ratio 2.301, 95% CI of ratio 0.9080 to 5.833, p= 0.034). Although low values of the HRV indices in the frequency domain were associated with reduced survival, no statistically significant differences were recorded. The reduction of heart rate variability indices is a negative prognostic factor in patients newly diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Although medicine is constantly evolving, hepatocellular carcinoma remains a pathology with a poor prognosis due to the frequent delayed diagnosis and the aggressiveness of the disease. Aim: Our objective was to evaluate liver function and stage of disease of newly diagnosed HCC patients. Methods: We conducted a retrospective study between July 2016 and January 2021 and we included hospitalized patients within the Department of Gastroenterology of the Emergency County Hospital of Craiova. We identified 119 newly diagnosed patients and we collected data from patient history, contrast-enhanced imaging and laboratory analysis. Results: 81 patients were diagnosed in BCLC Stage A and B. Liver function was not significantly modified, despite 91.5% of the patients presented with elevated AST levels. Because of the cirrhotic liver already affected, 73 patients had thrombocytopenia. Contrast-enhanced ultrasound was performed in 79 patients, as a complementary imaging exploration. Alfa-fetoprotein values could not be correlated with the severity of disease. Conclusions: Early diagnosis was mostly established. It is mandatory for treatment management and overall survival to follow a rigorous surveillance of patients at risk for HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Gastric cancer currently represents one of the most important public health problems. Recent studies have demonstrated the existence of strong correlations between the vegetative nervous system and the role it plays in the initiation of the oncogenetic process and the progression of cancer. The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the involvement of the sympathetic and parasympathetic vegetative nervous system in the evolution of gastric cancer, according to the stage of tumor differentiation. In this current paper we have included a number of four patients diagnosed with gastric cancer post UGI (Upper Gastrointestinal Endoscopy) and have analyzed relations that exist between the tumor differentiation degree and the metanephrine and normetanephrine serum level in the blood of the patients. Following the research, we have observed an increased value of the metanephrine and normetanephrine serum level in the patient which displayed the lowest degree of differentiation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper aim to present the variation of body parts and the main characteristics of carcasses obtained from sheep youth of the Tsigai breed and crossbred (German Blackheaded breed x Tsigai breed) fattened in intensive system. The intensive fattening experiment developed over a 100-day time period was performed on Tsigai young male sheep (lot 1), and young male sheep crossbred German Blackheaded (GBH) x Tsigai (lot 2). The two batches of animals subjected under fattening were made up of 12 heads each. At the end of experiment were slaughtered 5 animals from each lot. The subjective assessment of the carcasses through the SEUROP classification system after conformation and the fattening status led to framing in a superior classification of carcasses provided from the crossbreds compared to those obtained from Tsigai breed. The warm carcass weight in crossbred and Tsigai breed recorded average values of 19.04 kg at GBH x Tsigai and 16.95 kg at Tsigai breed, with distinctly significant difference to the advantage of the GBH x Tsigai (+2.09 kg, p <0.01). Also, distinctly significant differences in favor of the batch GBH x Tsigai (+2.10 kg) were recorded regarding the cold carcass weights compared with the Tsigai breed batch. Regarding the main cut sections of carcass from young sheep submitted to intensive fattening, the crossbred lot recorded greater average values (in particular in the cuts of first quality - pulp and cutlet) compared to the Tsigai breed lot. In conclusion, the assessment of the carcasses according to subjective and objective methods highlights a higher potential of meat production and of better quality at GBH x Tsigai lot, compared with the Tsigai breed lot. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The purpose of this paper is to investigate the evolution and situation of Carpathian goat breed population from Arge? County. Carpathian breed is the oldest, most widespread, primitive, rustic, resistant and very heterogeneous breed in terms of morphological characteristics. The biologic material is represented by 25 females and 6 males belonging to Carpathian breed. The livestock presents the following morphological characteristics: live weight (39.03±0.52 kg females and 51.42±0.91 kg males), whiter height (61.11±0.76 cm females and 68.23±0.45 cm males), trunk length (65.57±0.66 cm females and 77.94±0.65 cm males), thoracic width (15.05±0.35 cm females and 18.64±0.4 cm males), thoracic perimeter (66.30±0.57 cm females and 76.82±0.42 cm males), shin-bone perimeter (6.83±0.09 cm females and 8.08±0.15 cm males), resulting a dolicomorphe body type. The average production of milked milk per month is 31.68 kg during May-October and the chemical composition of the goat milk reveals a dry matter content of 13.58%, (fat 4.41%, protein 3.57%), which represents a qualitative goat milk, especially when is taken into account that is a local and rustic breed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This scientific paper aims to present a detailed analysis of sheep breeding sector in Romania for the period 2000-2014. The data presented here were collected from various official sources and specialized publications and they revealed a decrease in the sheep livestock in the first period analysed(2000 - 2006), followed by a sustained growth until now (2007 - 2014).Meat production was relatively constant because the behaviourof the Romanian consumers towards for this aliment is determined by the Orthodox tradition during the Easter. Milk production had a course inversely with the evolution of the sheep livestock. The wool production, in this period, recorded an almost total loss of economic value. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Tsigai breed occupies the second place in the structure of breeds of sheep from Romania after the Tsurcana breed. These breeds are kept in mountain and sub mountain regions with large areas of pastures (24 % of the total pastures of Romania are located in these areas), which could be used for grazing with crossbreed lambs. For this reason, we preferred to use the Tsigai breed as the local breed for crossbreeding with specialized breeds for meat production in this experiment. In addition heterosis effect is used for meat production improvement The results of a 100-day fattening experiment with young sheep crossbred (German Blackheaded x Tsigai) and Tsigai young sheep are presented in this paper. The crossbred lambs and Tsigai pure breed lambs were maintained under the same conditions, received the same food and benefited from the same microclimate factors during entire fattening period. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Wireless capsule endoscopy is currently considered the gold standard in the investigation of the small bowel. It is both practical for physicians and easily accepted by patients. Prior to its development, two types of imaging investigations of the small bowel were available: radiologic and endoscopic. The first category is less invasive and comfortable for patients; it presents the ensemble of the small bowel, but it may imply radiation exposure. Images are constructed based on signals emitted by various equipment and require special interpretation. Endoscopic techniques provide real-time colored images acquired by miniature cameras from inside the small bowel, require interpretation only from a medical point of view, may allow the possibility to perform biopsies, but the investigation only covers a part of the small bowel and are more difficult to accept by patients. Wireless capsule endoscopy is the current solution that overcomes a part of the previous drawbacks: it covers the entire small bowel, it provides real-time images acquired by cameras, it is painless for patients, and it represents an abundant source of information for physicians. Yet, it lacks motion control and the possibility to perform biopsies or administer drugs. However, significant effort has been oriented in these directions by technical and medical teams, and more advanced capsules will surely be available in the following years. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Introduction: Gastric cancer represents a real public health problem as far as incidence, aggressiveness and unfavorable prognosis are concerned. The autonomous nervous system might be one of the major factors involved in the onset, progression, and metastasis, both sympathetically and parasympathetically. The increased activation of the M3 muscarinic acetylcholine receptors (mAChRs) triggers pro-oncogenic mechanisms, especially at a gastric level, through the activation of the Hippo signaling pathway and the increase of the nerve growth factor., Patients, Materials and Methods: In this study, biopsy or postoperative gastric resection pieces have been evaluated by histopathological (HP) and immunohistochemical (IHC) examination in a group of 77 gastric patients and 23 patients without an oncological diagnosis. To quantify the IHC signal, also considering the HP aspect, light microscopy images were obtained., Results: The M3 mAChR expression analysis has been correlated with the different gastric adenocarcinoma differentiation degrees (G1-G3). M3 mAChR presence has been observed also in the non-malignant gastric tissue, but it was significantly increased in the tumor tissue. The highest receptor expression was recorded in patients with a poorly-differentiated (G3) adenocarcinoma, these expressions decreasing with the increase of the differentiation degree towards moderately-differentiated (G2) and well-differentiated (G1)., Conclusions: Surgical or pharmacological parasympathetic activity inhibition could decrease the development and progression of gastric tumors and could improve the gastric cancer patient's prognosis.