Chronic pain after breast surgery: incidence, associated factors, and impact on quality of life, an observational prospective study.

Background: Chronic pain after breast surgery (CPBS) has a disabling impact on postoperative health status. Mainly because of the lack of a clear definition, inconsistency does exist in the literature concerning both the actual incidence and the risk factors associated to CPBS. The aim of this prospective, observational study is to describe the incidence of and risk factors for CPBS, according to the definition provided by the IASP taskforce.

Endothelin-1 inhibits prolyl hydroxylase domain 2 to activate hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha in melanoma cells.

Background: The endothelin B receptor (ET(B)R) promotes tumorigenesis and melanoma progression through activation by endothelin (ET)-1, thus representing a promising therapeutic target. The stability of hypoxia-inducible factor (HIF)-1alpha is essential for melanomagenesis and progression, and is controlled by site-specific hydroxylation carried out by HIF-prolyl hydroxylase domain (PHD) and subsequent proteosomal degradation.

Principal Findings: Here we found that in melanoma cells ET-1, ET-2, and ET-3 through ET(B)R, enhance the expression and activity of HIF-1alpha and HIF-2alpha that in turn regulate the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in response to ETs or hypoxia.