Detection of circulating tumor cells during follow-up of patients with early breast cancer: Clinical utility for monitoring of therapy efficacy.

Introduction: Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) detection prior to and during therapy is considered as an independent and strong prognostic marker. The present study was designed to isolate and characterize CTCs in peripheral blood of an early breast cancer (BC) patient as a biomarker for monitoring treatments efficacy.

Materials And Methods: In total, 54 early breast cancer patients undergoing neoadjuvant and/or adjuvant chemotherapy regimens were enrolled into a prospective study.

Biochemical oxidative stress-related markers in patients with obstructive sleep apnea.

Background: Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) is a condition contributing to oxidative stress. The aim of this study was to ascertain if there is any connection between OSA and novel oxidative stress-related markers. Matrix metalloproteinases 2 and 9 (MMP-2, MMP-9), high sensitive C-reactive protein (hsCRP), pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A), soluble receptors for advanced glycation end-products (sRAGE), zinc (Zn) and copper (Cu) were measured.