Unraveling the Complexity of Vaso-Occlusive Crises in Sickle Cell Disease: Insights from a Resource-Limited Setting.

: This study investigated vaso-occlusive crises (VOCs) in sickle cell disease in Lubumbashi, Democratic Republic of Congo, aiming to understand the disease complexities amidst limited resources. With sickle cell hemoglobinopathies on the rise in sub-Saharan Africa, this nine-year study explored factors associated with VOCs and hematological components. : This study comprised 838 patients, analyzing VOCs and hematological changes over time.

ETS transcription factor ESE-1/Elf3 is an independent prognostic factor of survival in HRHER2 breast cancer patients.

Purpose: The ETS transcription factor ESE-1 has been shown to be important in HER2 breast cancer and ESE-1 mRNA expression has been shown to associate with prognostic outcomes in the HER2 subtype, as well as in ER, HER2 luminal B patients. However, the clinical significance of ESE-1 protein expression remains unknown. The purpose of the current exploratory study is to evaluate the prognostic value of ESE-1 protein expression in molecular breast cancer subtypes with special emphasis on hormone receptor positive HER2(HR HER2) and the HER2 positive (HER2-only) breast cancer patients.

Gorham-Stout disease in the rib and thoracic spine with spinal injury treated with radiotherapy, zoledronic acid, vitamin D, and propranolol: A case report and literature review.

Gorham-Stout disease (GSD) is a rare bone condition that is characterized by the spontaneous, idiopathic and progressive proliferation of blood or lymphatic vessels, which replace the bone and marrow space. The precise etiology and pathophysiology of GSD remain poorly understood. Therefore, there is no consensus on the treatment of this disease.

Elevated non-invasive liver fibrosis markers and risk of liver carcinoma in adult patients after repair of tetralogy of Fallot.

Background: Congestive hepatopathy and hepatocellular carcinoma is a serious complication after Fontan procedure. Liver fibrosis due to hepatic congestion could occur also in adult patients after repair of tetralogy of Fallot (rTOF). However, the incidence and severity remain unclear.

Cytotoxic effects of zoledronic acid-loaded hydroxyapatite and bone cement in malignant tumors.

Metastatic and primary bone tumors are malignant tumors affecting the skeleton. Although the prognosis of patients with these tumors has improved with the development of effective chemotherapy, the challenges of local recurrence, subsequent osteolysis, degradation of bone strength and unresectable tumors persist. Local control of these tumors is therefore a key strategy to address these limitations.

Significance of the Signal Intensity of Gadoxetic Acid-enhanced MR Imaging for Predicting the Efficacy of Hepatic Arterial Infusion Chemotherapy in Hepatocellular Carcinoma.

Purpose: We attempted to clarify the relationship between the signal intensity (SI) in the hepatobiliary phase of gadoxetic acid-enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) imaging and the efficacy of hepatic arterial infusion chemotherapy (HAIC) in hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs).

Methods: We enrolled 14 patients with HCCs who underwent gadoxetic acid-enhanced MR imaging prior to HAIC using cisplatin and 5-fluorouracil. In the hepatobiliary phase, we calculated the SI of the HCCs and the background liver.

Magnetic resonance imaging and thallium-201 scintigraphy for the diagnosis of localized pigmented villonodular synovitis arising from the elbow: A case report and review of the literature.

Pigmented villonodular synovitis (PVNS) arising from the elbow joint is extremely rare; only 24 cases have been reported. It is extremely difficult to differentiate PVNS from other soft tissue tumors on the basis of imaging findings alone. Therefore, a biopsy is required for definitive diagnosis.

Effectiveness of sulforaphane as a radiosensitizer for murine osteosarcoma cells.

Sulforaphane (SFN), a naturally occurring member of the isothiocyanate family, is effective against various types of malignant tumor cells. We studied whether the combination of SFN and radiation would be more effective against osteosarcoma cells when compared to these treatments alone. LM8 murine osteosarcoma cells were cultured with various concentrations of SFN for 24 h and/or 2 Gy X-irradiation.

Zoledronic acid significantly enhances radiation‑induced apoptosis against human fibrosarcoma cells by inhibiting radioadaptive signaling.

Zoledronic acid (ZOL), a third-generation bisphosphonate, inhibits bone resorption, as well as exhibiting direct antitumor activity. To date, however, the combined effects of ZOL and ionizing radiation (IR) have not been assessed in patients with soft tissue sarcoma. We have, therefore, assessed the combined effects of ZOL and IR in fibrosarcoma cells.

Chondrosarcoma from the sternum: reconstruction with titanium mesh and a transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous flap after subtotal sternal excision.

Background: Chondrosarcoma arising from the sternum is extremely rare and is often untreatable. Removal of the sternum for malignant tumor results in large defects in bone and soft tissue, causing deformity and paradoxical movement of the chest wall and making subsequent repair of the thorax very important. We report a very rare patient with a chondrosarcoma of the sternum who underwent case chest wall resection, followed by reconstruction using a titanium mesh covered with a transverse rectus abdominis myocutaneous (TRAM) flap.

Effects of low-intensity pulsed ultrasound on osteosarcoma and cancer cells.

Metastatic bone tumors cause pain and pathological fractures due to bone destruction. If we could enhance new osteogenic activities and prevent progression of osteolytic change by malignant cells, patients could achieve satisfactory activity of daily living. Low-intensity pulsed ultrasound (LIPUS), which leads to bone formation by osteoblasts, has been used for the treatment of fractures.

Oral RKS262 reduces tumor burden in a neuroblastoma xenograft animal model and mediates cytotoxicity through SAPK/JNK and ROS activation in vitro.

Patients diagnosed with high-risk neuroblastoma (NB), an extracranial solid tumor in children, have metastases and low survival (30%) despite aggressive multi-modal therapy. Therefore new therapies are urgently needed. We show significant in vitro and in vivo antitumor efficacy of RKS262 in NB.

High Efficacy of Preoperative Low-Dose Radiotherapy with Sanazole (AK-2123) for Extraskeletal Ewing's Sarcoma: A Case Report.

Extraskeletal Ewing's sarcoma is a rare soft tissue tumor that is morphologically indistinguishable from Ewing's sarcoma of bone. We report a case of extraskeletal Ewing's sarcoma with several systemic problems. A 69-year-old man presented with a 5-month history of a rapidly enlarging mass in the right thigh.

Combined effects of bisphosphonate and radiation on osteosarcoma cells.

Unlabelled: Antitumour effects of third-generation bisphosphonates (BPs), such as zoledronic acid (ZOL), and the combined effects of ZOL with other anticancer agents against osteosarcoma cells have been reported previously. The aim of this study was to identify further combined antitumour effects using BPs and radiation in osteosarcoma cell lines.

Materials And Methods: Cell proliferation, cell cycle analysis, and nuclear morphology were examined in each osteosarcoma cell line divided into three groups (ZOL alone, radiation alone and the ZOL/radiation combination).

A novel MEK1/2 inhibitor induces G1/S cell cycle arrest in human fibrosarcoma cells.

Blockade of the ERK pathway has antitumor effects against malignant tumor cells. In this study, we investigated the antitumor activity of JTP-70902, a novel specific MEK inhibitor, against human fibrosarcoma cells in which the ERK pathway is constitutively activated. JTP-70902 was synthesized at Japan Tabacco.

Zoledronic acid inhibits proliferation of human fibrosarcoma cells with induction of apoptosis, and shows combined effects with other anticancer agents.

Third-generation bisphosphonates are known to inhibit bone resorption and also appear to exhibit direct anti-tumour activity. We previously reported that third-generation bisphosphonates such as zoledronic acid (ZOL) have a direct antitumour effect, and synergistically augment the effects of antitumor agents in osteosarcoma cells. There has been no report on the antitumor effect of ZOL against soft tissue sarcoma.

Nifurtimox induces apoptosis of neuroblastoma cells in vitro and in vivo.

Neuroblastoma is the most common extracranial solid tumor in children and, when disseminated, carries a poor prognosis. Even with aggressive combinations of chemotherapy, surgery, autologous bone marrow transplant, and radiation, long-term survival remains at 30% and new therapies are needed. Recently, a patient with neuroblastoma who acquired Chagas disease was treated with nifurtimox with subsequent reduction in tumor size.

Clinically relevant dose of zoledronic acid inhibits spontaneous lung metastasis in a murine osteosarcoma model.

Clinically obtainable concentrations of zoledronic acid (ZOL) inhibited the production of vascular endothelial growth factor and reduced the migration, adhesion, and invasiveness of osteosarcoma (OS) cells in vitro. The in vivo effects of ZOL were investigated by using a murine model of spontaneous lung metastasis. The higher dose of ZOL (80 microg/kg three times/week) inhibited the growth of OS at the primary site, accompanied by inhibition of neovascularization in the tumor.

Cusp extension technique for bicuspid aortic valve in Turner-like stigmata.

A 19-year-old girl with bicuspid aortic valve and Turner-like stigmata underwent a successful repair with a cusp extension technique using fresh autologous pericardium for aortic insufficiency. She also had a simultaneous artificial graft replacement for ascending aortic dilatation. Aortic valve function showed no significant stenosis and slight insufficiency 2 years postoperatively.

The ETS transcription factor ESE-1 transforms MCF-12A human mammary epithelial cells via a novel cytoplasmic mechanism.

Several different transcription factors, including estrogen receptor, progesterone receptor, and ETS family members, have been implicated in human breast cancer, indicating that transcription factor-induced alterations in gene expression underlie mammary cell transformation. ESE-1 is an epithelium-specific ETS transcription factor that contains two distinguishing domains, a serine- and aspartic acid-rich (SAR) domain and an AT hook domain. ESE-1 is abundantly expressed in human breast cancer and trans-activates epithelium-specific gene promoters in transient transfection assays.

Transannular patching for tetralogy of Fallot with an anomalous right coronary artery.

A 7-year-old girl underwent transannular patching under the mobilized anomalous right coronary artery across the right ventricular outflow to treat progressing infundibular stenosis 6 years after total repair of the tetralogy of Fallot. The procedure completely relieved recurrent stenosis. Simultaneous angiography of the coronary artery and right ventricle were useful in precisely evaluating coronary anatomy.