Plasma Cell-Free DNA Integrity Assessed by Automated Electrophoresis Predicts the Achievement of Pathologic Complete Response to Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Patients With Breast Cancer.

Purpose: The study of plasma cell-free DNA integrity (cfDI) has shown potential for providing useful information in neoplastic patients. The aim of this study is to estimate the accuracy of an electrophoresis-based method for cfDI evaluation in the assessment of pathologic complete response (pCR) in patients with breast cancer (BC) undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NACT).

Patients And Methods: Fifty-one patients with BC undergoing anthracycline-/taxane-based NACT were recruited.

Circulating Tumor DNA Using Tagged Targeted Deep Sequencing to Assess Minimal Residual Disease in Breast Cancer Patients Undergoing Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy.

In breast cancer patients undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy before surgery, there is an unmet need for noninvasive predictive biomarkers of response. The analysis of circulating tumor DNA (ctDNA) in particular has been the object of several reports, but few of them have studied the applicability of tagged targeted deep sequencing (tTDS) to clinical practice and its performance compared with droplet digital PCR (ddPCR). Here, we present the first results from an ongoing study involving a prospectively accrued, monocentric cohort of patients affected by invasive breast cancer, undergoing neoadjuvant chemotherapy followed by surgery with curative intent as per clinical practice.

Hepatitis E Virus Infection in an Italian Cohort of Hematopoietic Stem Cell Transplantation Recipients: Seroprevalence and Infection.

Chronic hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) recipients is an emerging threat. The aim of this study was to provide data on the HEV burden in an Italian cohort of HSCT recipients and analyze risk factors for HEV seropositivity. This retrospective study reports data from 596 HSCT recipients compiled between 2010 and 2019.

Correction to: Schlafen-11 expression is associated with immune signatures and basal-like phenotype in breast cancer.

In the original publication of the article, the funding information was incorrectly published. The corrected funding statement is given in this correction article.

Schlafen-11 expression is associated with immune signatures and basal-like phenotype in breast cancer.

Purpose: Breast cancer (BC) is a heterogeneous disorder, with variable response to systemic chemotherapy. Likewise, BC shows highly complex immune activation patterns, only in part reflecting classical histopathological subtyping. Schlafen-11 (SLFN11) is a nuclear protein we independently described as causal factor of sensitivity to DNA damaging agents (DDA) in cancer cell line models.

Improvement in Waldenström's Macroglobulinemia after Successful Treatment of HCV with Direct-acting Antivirals.

Chronic hepatitis C (HCV) virus infection may be associated with several non-hepatic manifestations, mainly driven by chronic immune stimulation, such as mixed cryoglobulinemia and Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma. This association has been proved by several meta-analyses and some interventional studies demonstrating that antiviral treatment may be effective in inducing HCV-associated lymphoma regression. The recent advent of direct acting antivirals (DAAs) in the therapeutic armamentarium of HCV infection made possible treatment of patients with advanced liver disease.

Inferior vena cava parameters predict re-admission in ischaemic heart failure.

Background: The clinical history of heart failure (HF) is usually characterized by frequent hospitalizations for decompensation. Therefore, several markers of subclinical hemodynamic congestion are under investigation for predicting early rehospitalization. In this field, the potential of ultrasound inferior vena cava (IVC) assessment has been recently investigated in HF but not yet assessed in the different aetiological categories.

Potent synergistic interaction between the Nampt inhibitor APO866 and the apoptosis activator TRAIL in human leukemia cells.

Objective: The nicotinamide phosphoribosyltransferase (Nampt) inhibitor APO866 depletes intracellular nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD(+)) and shows promising anticancer activity in preclinical studies. Tumor necrosis factor-related apoptosis-inducing ligand (TRAIL) binds to plasma membrane receptors DR4 and DR5 and induces apoptosis via caspase-8 and -10. Here we have explored the interaction between APO866 and TRAIL in leukemia cell lines and in primary B-cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia cells.

Three-step high-dose sequential chemotherapy in patients with newly diagnosed multiple myeloma.

Background And Objectives: High-dose chemotherapy (HDT) with autologous peripheral blood progenitor cell (PBPC) transplant has been increasingly used for newly diagnosed multiple myeloma (MM) in recent years. Presently available results suggest an improvement in the complete remission rate and survival as compared to conventional chemotherapy. However, there is no plateau in the survival curves, and experiments with new treatment schedules and conditioning regimens are warranted.