Nomogram for Predicting Risk of Cancer Therapy-Related Cardiac Dysfunction in Patients With Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor 2-Positive Breast Cancer.

Background: Cancer therapy-related cardiac dysfunction (CTRCD) is an important treatment-limiting toxicity for patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer that adversely affects cancer and cardiovascular outcomes. Easy-to-use tools that incorporate readily accessible clinical variables for individual estimation of CTRCD risk are needed.

Methods And Results: From 2004 to 2013, 1440 patients with stage I to III HER2-positive breast cancer treated with trastuzumab-based therapy were identified.

Rationale and design of a cardiac safety study for reduced cardiotoxicity surveillance during HER2-targeted therapy.

Background: Echocardiograms are recommended every 3 months in patients receiving human epidermal growth factor 2 (HER2)-targeted therapy for surveillance of left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF). Efforts to tailor treatment for HER2-positive breast cancer have led to greater use of non-anthracycline regimens that are associated with lower cardiotoxicity risk, raising into question the need for frequent cardiotoxicity surveillance for these patients. This study seeks to evaluate whether less frequent cardiotoxicity surveillance (every 6 months) is safe for patients receiving a non-anthracycline HER2-targeted treatment regimen.

High glucose induces trafficking of prorenin receptor and stimulates profibrotic factors in the collecting duct.

Growing evidence indicates that prorenin receptor (PRR) is upregulated in collecting duct (CD) of diabetic kidney. Prorenin is secreted by the principal CD cells, and is the natural ligand of the PRR. PRR activation stimulates fibrotic factors, including fibronectin, collagen, and transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) contributing to tubular fibrosis.