Lymphopenia Induced by Different Neoadjuvant Chemo-Radiotherapy Schedules in Patients with Rectal Cancer: Bone Marrow as an Organ at Risk.

Radiotherapy (RT)-induced lymphopenia may hinder the anti-tumor immune response. Preoperative RT or chemo-RT (CRT) for locally advanced rectal cancer is a standard therapeutic approach, while immunotherapy has been approved for mismatch repair-deficient rectal tumors. We retrospectively analyzed 98 rectal adenocarcinoma patients undergoing neoadjuvant CRT with VMAT (groups A, B, C) or IMRT (group D) techniques, with four different RT schemes: group A (n = 24): 25 Gy/5 Gy/fraction plus a 0.

Irradiation-induced IFN-type-I pathway activation in prostate cancer cell lines.

The Interferon (ΙFN) Type-I pathway has an important role in the activation of an anti-tumor immune response. We investigated the effects of two different dose fractionations of radiation (3 daily 8 Gy fractions vs. one fraction of 20 Gy) on the activation of the Type-I IFN-pathway in three hormone-dependent (22Rv1) and independent (DU145, PC3), prostate cancer (PC) cell lines.

HIF1α-dependent and independent pathways regulate the expression of PD-L1 in prostate cancer.

PD-L1/PD-1 pathway is a major pathway exploited by human cancer types, which is a target for current immunotherapy. We investigated tumor microenvironmental factors involved in PD-L1 induction in prostate cancer (PC). We studied the expression of PD-L1 in a series of 66 PCs, in parallel with the expression of hypoxia- and acidity-related immunohistochemical markers (Hypoxia-inducible factor HIF1α, and lactate dehydrogenase LDHA) and tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte TIL density.

Prognostic and Predictive Relevance of Tumor-Infiltrating Lymphocytes in Squamous Cell Head-Neck Cancer Patients Treated with Radical Radiotherapy/Chemo-Radiotherapy.

Microenvironmental conditions control the entrance and thriving of cytotoxic lymphocytes in tumors, allowing or preventing immune-mediated cancer cell death. We investigated the role of tumor-infiltrating lymphocyte (TIL) density in the outcome of radiotherapy in a series of squamous cell head−neck tumors (HNSCC). Moreover, we assessed the link between markers of hypoxia and TIL density.

Lipophagy-Related Protein Perilipin-3 and Resistance of Prostate Cancer to Radiation Therapy.

Purpose: Radiation therapy is a principal treatment modality for localized and locally advanced prostate cancer (PCa). Metabolic alterations, including lipid metabolism, may reduce treatment efficacy, resulting in tumor relapse and poor therapeutic outcome. In the current study, we investigated the role of the lipophagy-related protein perilipin-3 (PLIN3) and the lysosomal acid lipase (LAL) in PCa response to radiation therapy.

Long-Term Results of Postoperative Hypofractionated Accelerated Breast and Lymph Node Radiotherapy (HypoAR) with Hypofractionated Boost.

We report long-term results (median follow-up 12 years) of hypofractionated accelerated radiotherapy (HypoAR) in patients treated with breast-conserving surgery. In total, 367 women were treated with HypoAR. Axillary and supraclavicular area (ASA) were treated in patients with involved nodes.

Apalutamide radio-sensitisation of prostate cancer.

Introduction: The combination of radiotherapy with bicalutamide is the standard treatment of prostate cancer patients with high-risk or locally advanced disease. Whether new-generation anti-androgens, like apalutamide, can improve the radio-curability of these patients is an emerging challenge.

Materials And Methods: We comparatively examined the radio-sensitising activity of apalutamide and bicalutamide in hormone-sensitive (22Rv1) and hormone-resistant (PC3, DU145) prostate cancer cell lines.

Comparative radiobiological analysis and preliminary results of Ultra hypofractionated accelerated radiotherapy for low-risk prostate cancer patients.

Purpose: Moderately accelerated hypofractionation (HypoAR) has been recently established as a standard radiotherapy scheme for low-risk prostate cancer. The application of ultra-hypofractionated regimens (ultra-HypoAR), with fraction size above 5 Gy, is also widely tested.

Methods: We applied Image Guided Radiation Therapy (IGRT) ultra-HypoAR delivered with Volumetric Modulated Arc Therapy (VMAT) technique in low-risk prostate cancer patients (5.

Is Locally Advanced Head-Neck Cancer One More Candidate for Accelerated Hypofractionation?

Background/aim: Hypofractionated accelerated radiotherapy (HypoAR) is widely applied for the treatment of early laryngeal cancer. Its role in locally advanced head-neck cancer (LA-HNC) is unexplored.

Patients And Methods: We present results of a prospective trial on 124 patients with LA-HNC, treated with radio-chemotherapy with three different HypoAR fractionations (3.

Simultaneous determination of chlorothalonil and its metabolite 4-hydroxychlorothalonil in greenhouse air: dissipation process of chlorothalonil.

An analytical method was developed and tested for the simultaneous determination of chlorothalonil and its main metabolite 4-hydroxychlorothalonil, in airborne samples. High performance liquid chromatography equipped with Ultra-violet detector was used to separate and quantify the analytes. Glass microfibre filters for the collection of the analytes' particles were tested.

Determination of dithiocarbamate fungicide propineb and its main metabolite propylenethiourea in airborne samples.

A simple, rapid and sensitive GC-MS method for the determination of dithiocarbamate fungicide propineb [polymeric zinc propylenebis (dithiocarbamate)] and an improved HPLC procedure for the simultaneous determination of its main metabolite, propylenethiourea, and ethylenethiourea, the main metabolite of all ethylenedithiocarbamates, in airborne samples are described. The method for the analysis of propineb involves the evolution of carbon disulfide (CS(2)), under acidic conditions in the presence of stannous chloride, extraction of the generated CS(2) into a layer of isooctane which is then analyzed for CS(2) content by GC-MS in SIM mode. Under the optimum conditions, the retention time of CS(2) was 1.

Hyphenated chromatographic techniques for the rapid screening and identification of antioxidants in methanolic extracts of pharmaceutically used plants.

Phytochemical analysis is an important scientific research area, which normally relies on a number of rather laborious and time-consuming techniques for compound identification. Isolation of the ingredients of plant extracts in adequate quantities for spectral and biological analysis was the basis of this research. In this paper the possibility of on-line rapid screening of antioxidant components in methanolic plant extracts and their subsequent identification is reported.

Determination of plasma, urine, and bovine serum albumin low-molecular-weight carbonyl levels by capillary gas chromatography with electron-capture and mass-selective detection.

Peroxidation of lipids produces low-molecular-weight carbonyl compounds, which are reactive with biological nucleophiles. The analysis of these compounds is often difficult. A multicomponent method for the determination of 11 of them in biological samples is reported.

Ultrasonic-assisted derivatization reaction of amino acids prior to their determination in urine by using single-drop microextraction in conjunction with gas chromatography.

A derivatization-extraction method that avoids tedious preconcentration steps is established in order to determine amino acids accurately at nanogram levels. The method involves conversion of the analytes of concern to N(O,S)-ethoxycarbonyl amino acid ethyl esters and subsequent extraction by single-drop microextraction (SDME) followed by GC analysis. The reaction proceeds smoothly and rapidly under ultrasonication which removes the bubbles from the bulk solution.

Analytical procedure for the in-vial derivatization--extraction of phenolic acids and flavonoids in methanolic and aqueous plant extracts followed by gas chromatography with mass-selective detection.

An in-vial simple method for the combined derivatization and extraction of phenolic acids and flavonoids from plant extracts and their direct determination with GC-MS, is described. The method is taking advantage of the beneficial potentials of phase transfer catalysis (PTC). Catalysts in soluble and polymer-bound form were tested with the latter being the format of choice due to its high reaction yield and facile separation from the rest of the reaction system.

Ion chromatographic method for the simultaneous determination of nitrite and nitrate by post-column indirect fluorescence detection.

This short paper highlights the suitability of ion chromatography with post-column indirect fluorescence detection to determine simultaneously nitrite and nitrate based on the quenching of tryptophan native fluorescence. The method uses an enhanced fluorescence mobile phase containing tryptophan and detects the suppression of fluorescence of the mobile phase due to the elution of the target ions. The phenomenon of fluorescence quenching of tryptophan is highly induced by the presence of phosphate ions.

Phase-transfer catalytic determination of phenols as methylated derivatives by gas chromatography with flame ionization and mass-selective detection.

A convenient method for the GC determination of phenols as methylated derivatives is proposed, taking advantage of the beneficial features of phase-transfer catalysis (PTC). The optimal experimental conditions of pH, temperature, organic solvent, time of extraction-derivatization and amounts of the participating reactants and catalysts, were properly established. Several catalysts in soluble or polymer-bound form were tested.