Blog Archive

Αλέξανδρος Γ. Σφακιανάκης

Sunday, March 6, 2022

PKM2 Is Overexpressed in Glioma Tissues, and Its Inhibition Highly Increases Late Apoptosis in U87MG Cells With Low-density Specificity

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In Vivo. 2022 Mar-Apr;36(2):694-703. doi: 10.21873/invivo.12755.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND/AIM: Pyruvate kinase M2 (PKM2) functions as an important rate-limiting enzyme in aerobic glycolysis and is involved in tumor initiation and progression. However, there are few studies on the correlation between PKM2 expression and its role in glioma.

MATERIALS AND METHODS: PKM2 expression was immunohistochemically examined in human brain tumor samples. Furthermore, we studied the effects of two PKM2 inhibitors (shikonin and compound 3K) on the U87MG glioma cell line.

RESULTS: PKM2 was overexpressed in most glioma tissues when compared to controls. Interestingly, glioma-adjacent tissues from showed slight PKM2 overexpression. This suggests that PKM2 overexpression maybe an important trigger factor for glioma tumorigenesis. We found that the PKM2 inhibitor shikonin was effective against U87MG cells at a relatively low dose and was largely dep endent on low cellular density compared to the effects of the anticancer drug vincristine. Shikonin highly increased late-apoptosis of U87MG cells. We also demonstrated that autophagy was involved in the increase in late-apoptosis levels caused by shikonin. Although vincristine treatment led to a high level of G2-phase arrest in U87MG cells, shikonin did not increase G2 arrest. Co-treatment with two PKM2 inhibitors, shikonin and compound 3K, increased the inhibitory effects.

CONCLUSION: Combination therapy with PKM2 inhibitors together might be more effective than combination therapy with anticancer drugs. Our findings encourage the application of PKM2-targeting in gliomas, and lay the foundation for the development of PKM2 inhibitors as promising antitumor agents for glioma.

PMID:35241524 | DOI:10.21873/invivo.12755

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Axillary Lymph Node Swelling Mimicking Breast Cancer Metastasis After COVID-19 Vaccination: A Japanese Case Report and Literature Review

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In Vivo. 2022 Mar-Apr;36(2):1041-1046. doi: 10.21873/invivo.12800.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND/AIM: COVID-19 started to spread as a pandemic in December 2019 and COVID-19 vaccination has been initiated worldwide. The efficacy of vaccination has been scientifically proven, but it might cause axillary lymph node swelling. To diagnose patients with axillary lymph node swelling caused by COVID-19 vaccination, we herein reviewed existing literature on this symptom.

CASE REPORT: We report the case of a 70-year-old woman with a breast tumour. She had undergone cecum cancer surgery and regular computed tomography (CT). During breast tumour follow-up, she received scheduled CT that indicated severe axillary lymph node swelling mimicking breast cancer metastasis. We performed aspiration biopsy cytology of that lymph node, and determined this was not cancer metastasis but an effect of the COVID-19 vaccine. We confirmed this diagnosis at one month a fter computed tomography showed that the lymph node swelling had improved.

CONCLUSION: Axillary lymph node swelling can occur after COVID-19 vaccination. Therefore, it is important to consider the effect of the COVID-19 vaccination on axillary lymph node swelling when diagnosing breast tumours.

PMID:35241569 | DOI:10.21873/invivo.12800

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Preoperative Ultrasound-guided Sub-areolar Biopsy in Predicting Occult Nipple Involvement in Breast Cancer Patients: Proposal for a Methodological Approach

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In Vivo. 2022 Mar-Apr;36(2):839-847. doi: 10.21873/invivo.12771.

ABSTRACT

BACKGROUND/AIM: The prediction of a sub-areolar tissue infiltration in breast cancer (BC) patients could be helpful in selecting the best functional outcome according to several reconstructive oncoplastic or radical techniques. This study aims to evaluate the diagnostic performance of preoperative ultrasound (US) guided sub-areolar biopsy (SAB) in detecting occult nipple involvement, in comparison with the definitive pathological examination of tissue after surgery.

PATIENTS AND METHODS: We prospectively recorded clinical and pathological data of 46 consecutive patients scheduled for breast conserving surgery or nipple-areola sparing mastectomy. All cases underwent preoperative SAB and the results were compared with the histopathology of the dissected tumors and their biological characteristics. All parameters were correlated with nipple involvement by univ ariate and multivariate analysis.

RESULTS: The sensitivity, specificity, overall accuracy, positive predictive value, and negative predictive value of the SAB examination for nipple staging were 60%, 97.5%, 75% and 95.2%, respectively. According to the clinicopathological features, the bivariate analysis did not show a significant interaction between patient age, tumor size or type, lymph node status, lymphatic vascular invasion, histologic grade, ER, PR, Ki-67 status, HER2 amplification, multifocal or multicentric disease and positive NAC assessment (p>0.05).

CONCLUSION: A preoperative sample of retroareolar tissue obtained by US-guided biopsy could be considered a reproducible, mini-invasive diagnostic procedure useful to facilitate immediate breast reconstruction with implants or through conservative oncoplastic approaches, thereby guiding clinical practice.

PMID:35241540 | DOI:10.21873/invivo.12771

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Submandibular gland transfer for the prevention of radiation‐induced xerostomia in oropharyngeal cancer: Dosimetric impact in the intensity modulated radiotherapy era

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Abstract

Background

Submandibular gland (SMG) transfer decreased radiation-associated xerostomia in the 2/3-dimensional radiotherapy era. We evaluated the dosimetric implications of SMG transfer on modern intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) plans.

Methods

Eighteen oropharynx cancer patients underwent SMG transfer followed by IMRT; reoptimized plans using the baseline SMG location were generated. Mean salivary gland, oral cavity, and larynx doses were compared between clinical plans and reoptimized plans.

Results

No statistically significant difference in mean SMG dose (27.53 Gy vs. 29.61 Gy) or total salivary gland dose (26.12 Gy vs. 26.41 Gy) was observed with or without SMG transfer (all p > 0.05). Mean oral cavity and larynx doses were not statistically different. Neither tumor site, target volume crossing midline, stage, nor salivary gland volumes were associated with mean doses.

Conclusions

Salivary gland doses were similar with or without SMG transfer. IMRT likely decreases the benefit of SMG transfer on the risk of radiation-associated xerostomia.

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A Deep Learning Framework for Real‐Time 3D Model Registration in Robot‐Assisted Laparoscopic Surgery

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Abstract

Introduction

The current study presents a Deep Learning framework to determine, in real-time, position and rotation of a target organ from an endoscopic video. These inferred data are used to overlay the 3D model of patient's organ over its real counterpart. The resulting augmented video flow is streamed back to the surgeon as a support during laparoscopic Robot-Assisted procedures.

Methods

This framework exploits semantic segmentation and, thereafter, two techniques, based on Convolutional Neural Networks and motion analysis, were used to infer the rotation.

Results

The segmentation shows optimal accuracies, with a mean IoU score greater than 80% in all tests. Different performance levels are obtained for rotation, depending on the surgical procedure.

Discussion

Even if the presented methodology has various degrees of precision depending on the testing scenario, this work sets the first step for the adoption of Deep Learning and Augmented Reality to generalize the automatic registration process.

This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

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IL-6 serum level and olfactory dysfunction severity in COVID-19: correspondence

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Eur Arch Otorhinolaryngol. 2022 Mar 4. doi: 10.1007/s00405-022-07296-9. Online ahead of print.

NO ABSTRACT

PMID:35246750 | DOI:10.1007/s00405-022-07296-9

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Endonasal Acoustic Doppler Sonography in Predicting the Survival of Nasoseptal Flap Following Previous Irradiation

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Objective

Blood supply to the nasoseptal flap may be compromised in patients who had previous irradiation to the head and neck region, hence, affecting its viability. Here, we evaluate the role of an endonasal acoustic Doppler sonography in predicting the survival of the nasoseptal flap in this group of patients.

Study Design

Retrospective cohort.

Methods

Retrospective review of patients with previous irradiation to the head and neck region who had undergone endoscopic endonasal surgeries requiring nasoseptal flap as reconstruction. Survival rates of nasoseptal flap were compared between groups where endonasal Doppler was used.

Results

A total of 28 patients were identified with previous irradiation to the head and neck region who had undergone endoscopic endonasal surgeries requiring nasoseptal flap as reconstruction. The overall survival rate of nasoseptal flap is 67.8% (19 out of 28). Endonasal acoustic Doppler was used in 17 of these patients, of which 13 patients had a positive signal. The flap survival rate in the Doppler-positive group compared to the non-Doppler group was significantly better at 100% vs 45.4% (P = .003). Among those where the endonasal Doppler was used, the flap survival rate with a negative doppler signal was significantly worse at 25%, compared with 100% flap survival in those with positive doppler signal (P = .006). The positive predictive value of a positive endonasal Doppler signal with flap survival is 100%.

Conclusion

The use of endonasal acoustic Doppler may be useful in predicting the viability of nasoseptal flap in postirradiated patients who need a local mucosal flap coverage.

Level of Evidence

Level 3 Laryngoscope, 2022

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