Quantitative proteomics reveals serum proteome alterations during metastatic disease progression in breast cancer patients.

Background: Tumor recurrence and metastatic progression remains the leading cause for breast cancer related mortalities. However, the proteomes of patient- matched primary breast cancer (BC) and metastatic lesions have not yet been identified, due to the lack of clinically annotated longitudinal samples. In this study, we evaluated the global-proteomic landscape of BC patients with and without distant metastasis as well as compared the proteome of distant metastatic disease with its corresponding primary BC, within the same patient.

Importance of endocrine treatment adherence and persistence in breast cancer survivorship: a systematic review.

Purpose: Adjuvant endocrine treatment is essential for treating luminal subtypes of breast cancer, which constitute 75% of all breast malignancies. However, the detrimental side effects of treatment make it difficult for many patients to complete the guideline-required treatment. Such non-adherence may jeopardize the lifesaving ability of anti-estrogen therapy.

Simultaneous Quantification of Aromatase Inhibitors and Estrogens in Postmenopausal Breast Cancer Patients.

Context: Currently there are no assays that can simultaneously quantify serum levels of the third-generation aromatase inhibitors (AIs): letrozole, anastrozole, and exemestane, and the ultra-low levels of estrogens in postmenopausal breast cancer patients on AI treatment. Such measurements may be pivotal for the determination of optimal and individualized treatment regimens. We aimed at developing a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (MS/MS) method for simultaneous assessment of letrozole, anastrozole, exemestane, and 17-hydroxyexemestane as well as subpicomolar levels of estradiol and estrone.

The balance between professional autonomy and organizational obligations in resilient management of specialized health care: A Norwegian document study.

Background: Adverse events in hospitals may jeopardize the safety of patients. Failure in professional autonomy, organizational learning or in the contact between these two factors may explain the occurrence of injurious incidents in hospitals.

Objective: To study reasons for failure in contact between professional autonomy and organizational learning in resilient management of specialized health care through document analysis.

Effect of Genetic Variability in 20 Pharmacogenes on Concentrations of Tamoxifen and Its Metabolites.

Background: Tamoxifen, as a treatment of estrogen receptor positive (ER+) breast cancer, is a weak anti-estrogen that requires metabolic activation to form metabolites with higher anti-estrogenic activity. Endoxifen is the most-studied active tamoxifen metabolite, and endoxifen concentrations are highly associated with activity. Associations of tamoxifen efficacy with measured or -predicted endoxifen concentrations have been inconclusive.

Low Z-4OHtam concentrations are associated with adverse clinical outcome among early stage premenopausal breast cancer patients treated with adjuvant tamoxifen.

Low steady-state levels of active tamoxifen metabolites have been associated with inferior treatment outcomes. In this retrospective analysis of 406 estrogen receptor-positive breast cancer (BC) patients receiving adjuvant tamoxifen as initial treatment, we have associated our previously reported thresholds for the two active metabolites, Z-endoxifen and Z-4-hydroxy-tamoxifen (Z-4OHtam), with treatment outcomes in an independent cohort of BC patients. Among all patients, metabolite levels did not affect survival.

Metabolic consequences of perioperative oral carbohydrates in breast cancer patients - an explorative study.

Background: The metabolic consequences of preoperative carbohydrate load in breast cancer patients are not known. The present explorative study investigated the systemic and tumor metabolic changes after preoperative per-oral carbohydrate load and their influence on tumor characteristics and survival.

Methods: The study setting was on university hospital level with primary and secondary care functions in south-west Norway.

Influence of pre-operative oral carbohydrate loading vs. standard fasting on tumor proliferation and clinical outcome in breast cancer patients ─ a randomized trial.

Background: Conflicting results have been reported on the influence of carbohydrates in breast cancer.

Objective: To determine the influence of pre-operative per-oral carbohydrate load on proliferation in breast tumors.

Design: Randomized controlled trial.

Immunological host responses as surveillance and prognostic markers in tubercular infections.

Background: Tuberculosis (TB) control is challenging due to failure of drug compliance and resistance. Mycobacterial antigen-induced cytokine secretions are helpful in detecting Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection and to determine prediction for the fate of TB infection and its cure. Considering immunological response to be a crucial factor in pathogenesis and cure of TB, it can be explored to determine clinical prospects in different categorical tubercular infections.

Drug monitoring of tamoxifen metabolites predicts vaginal dryness and verifies a low discontinuation rate from the Norwegian Prescription Database.

Purpose: Tamoxifen is an important targeted endocrine therapy in breast cancer. However, side effects and early discontinuation of tamoxifen remains a barrier for obtaining the improved outcome benefits of long-term tamoxifen treatment. Biomarkers predictive of tamoxifen side effects remain unidentified.

Thyroidectomy Versus Medical Management for Euthyroid Patients With Hashimoto Disease and Persisting Symptoms: A Randomized Trial.

Background: Hashimoto disease is a chronic autoimmune thyroiditis. Despite adequate hormone substitution, some patients have persistent symptoms that may be the result of immunologic pathophysiology.

Objective: To determine whether thyroidectomy improves symptoms in patients with Hashimoto thyroiditis who still have symptoms despite having normal thyroid gland function while receiving medical therapy.

The Role of MicroRNAs as Predictors of Response to Tamoxifen Treatment in Breast Cancer Patients.

Endocrine therapy is a key treatment strategy to control or eradicate hormone-responsive breast cancer. However, resistance to endocrine therapy leads to breast cancer relapse. The recent extension of adjuvant tamoxifen treatment up to 10 years actualizes the need for identifying biological markers that may be used to monitor predictors of treatment response.

Central genomic regulation of the expression of oestrous behaviour in dairy cows: a review.

The expression of oestrous behaviour in Holstein Friesian dairy cows has progressively decreased over the past 50 years. Reduced oestrus expression is one of the factors contributing to the current suboptimal reproductive efficiency in dairy farming. Variation between and within cows in the expression of oestrous behaviour is associated with variation in peripheral blood oestradiol concentrations during oestrus.

In patients younger than age 55 years with lymph node-negative breast cancer, proliferation by mitotic activity index is prognostically superior to adjuvant!

Purpose: In breast cancer, different tools are used for prognostication and adjuvant systemic therapy selection. We compared the accuracy of the online program Adjuvant!, the Norwegian Breast Cancer Group (NBCG) guidelines, and the proliferation factor mitotic activity index (MAI) in patients with lymph node (LN) -negative disease (pN0).

Patients And Methods: Adjuvant! and MAI thresholds were set to 90% to 95% breast cancer-specific survival (BCSS) rates.

Patients with clinical/radiological hyperplasia of mammary glands show pathological persistence of temperature of skin points.

Background: Hyperplasia of mammary glands (HMG) is a frequent disease, with increased cancer risk for women aged 20-55 years. The aim of this study was to explore a non-invasive method to identify which patients with breast complaints need additional mammography for HMG diagnosis.

Patients And Methods: Skin digital infrared thermal imaging (DITI) in 74 patients with HMG and 63 controls was carried out.

Proliferation is the strongest prognosticator in node-negative breast cancer: significance, error sources, alternatives and comparison with molecular prognostic markers.

Independent studies have shown that in node negative breast cancer patients less than 71 years, the proliferation marker mitotic activity index (MAI) is the strongest, most well reproducible prognosticator and chemotherapy success predictor. The MAI overshadows the prognostic value of tubule formation, nuclear atypia and thereby grade. An often used crude mitotic impression is much less prognostic than the MAI; strict adherence to the MAI protocol is therefore important.

Acid-base balance of umbilical artery blood of liveborn piglets at birth and its relation with factors affecting delivery of individual piglets.

In the limited number of studies that reported on the relation between factors affecting birth of individual piglets and acid-base balance values at birth, predominantly simple correlation coefficients have been used. The aim of the present study was to analyse the relation between factors affecting delivery of individual liveborn piglets and acid-base balance values (pH, PCO(2) , HCO(3)(-) and BE(ecf)) at birth. In total 201 piglets originating from 44 litters were used for the collection of blood samples from the umbilical artery immediately after birth, preferably in the period of apnea.

Leptin gene polymorphisms and their phenotypic associations.

In an era of rapidly increasing prevalence of human obesity and associated health problems, leptin gene polymorphisms have drawn much attention in biomedical research. Leptin gene polymorphisms have furthermore drawn much attention from animal scientists for their possible roles in economically important production and reproduction traits. Of the polymorphisms reported for exonic, intronic, and promoter regions of the leptin gene, 16 have been included in association studies in humans, 19 in cattle, and 6 (all exonic or intronic) in pigs.

Factors affecting duration of the expulsive stage of parturition and piglet birth intervals in sows with uncomplicated, spontaneous farrowings.

Modern pig farming is still confronted with high perinatal piglet losses which are mainly contributed to factors associated with the progress of piglet expulsion. Therefore the aim of this study was to identify sow- and piglet factors affecting the duration of the expulsive stage of farrowing and piglet birth intervals in spontaneous farrowing sows originating from five different breeds. In total 211 litters were investigated.

Genetics and physiology of leptin in periparturient dairy cows.

In dairy cattle, the increase in milk yield has been accompanied by a more negative energy balance (EB) during early lactation and a decrease in fertility. As the hormone leptin is involved in regulation of nutritional status and reproductive function this hormone is an interesting protein to investigate during the periparturient period in dairy cattle. This study was performed to get insight into the function of leptin during the periparturient period and to perform an association study between polymorphisms in the bovine leptin gene and leptin receptor gene and fertility as well as production traits.

Leptin promoter mutations affect leptin levels and performance traits in dairy cows.

Leptin concentrations in body fluids and tissues undergo dynamic changes during the periparturient period. Polymorphisms in the leptin gene have been shown to be associated with differences in leptin concentration during late pregnancy but not during lactation. As the promoter of leptin regulates the expression of leptin, polymorphisms in this region could play an important role in the differences in leptin expression observed during the periparturient period.