Triple-negative breast cancer: unique biology and its management.

Triple-negative breast cancer is defined by the lack of expression of estrogen-receptor, progesterone-receptor, and HER-2/neu. It primarily, but not exclusively, carries the basal-like molecular profile on gene expression arrays and is associated with BRCA-1 and p53 mutations. It has an aggressive behavior and predilection for visceral metastasis, therefore accounting for its poor prognosis.

Four new mutations in the BCHE gene of human butyrylcholinesterase in a Brazilian blood donor sample.

The genetic variation of human butyrylcholinesterase has been associated with height, body mass index, Alzheimer's disease, and response to xenobiotic agents. The present study reports four new mutations, found in the exon 2 of the BCHE gene, in a sample from 3001 Brazilian blood donors. The three nonsynonymous mutations and one synonymous mutation detected are: 223G-->C, G75R; 270A-->C, E90 D; 297T-->G, I99 M; 486T-->C, A162 A, respectively.