Core needle biopsy of breast cancer tumors increases distant metastases in a mouse model.

Introduction: Incisional biopsies, including the diagnostic core needle biopsy (CNB), routinely performed before surgical excision of breast cancer tumors are hypothesized to increase the risk of metastatic disease. In this study, we experimentally determined whether CNB of breast cancer tumors results in increased distant metastases and examine important resultant changes in the primary tumor and tumor microenvironment associated with this outcome.

Method: To evaluate the effect of CNB on metastasis development, we implanted murine mammary 4T1 tumor cells in BALB/c mice and performed CNB on palpable tumors in half the mice.

Determination of slime-producing S. epidermidis specific antibodies in human immunoglobulin preparations and blood sera by an enzyme immunoassay: correlation of antibody titers with opsonic activity and application to preterm neonates.

Slime-producing Staphylococcus epidermidis is responsible for severe infections in immunocompromised patients and, particularly, in premature infants who are transiently deficient in IgG. A sulfated polysaccharide with molecular mass of 20-kDa (20-kDa PS) has been recognized as the major polysaccharide component and antigenic determinant of S. epidermidis extracellular slime layer.

Indications of coagulation and/or fibrinolytic system activation in healthy and sick very-low-birth-weight neonates.

A combined hemostatic defect consisting of a reduction in certain procoagulants, anticoagulants (antithrombin III-ATIII-, protein C-PC-) and components of the fibrinolytic system (plasminogen-Plg-) was demonstrated in very-low-birth-weight infants (VLBW <1,500 g) with gestational age 26-32 weeks. Sixteen of them were healthy, 28 were suffering from RDS and 24 from septicemia. The hemostatic defect was more profound in the RDS group, nevertheless increased TAT (thrombin + ATIII complex) and/or PAP values (plasmin + a2-antiplasmin complex) was a more frequent finding in the septicemic group of infants (91.

Comparison between steroid hormones and cortisol in serum and follicular fluid in stimulated and unstimulated cycles of in vitro fertilization patients.

The present study was undertaken to evaluate the effects of the concentrations of serum and follicular fluid steroids and cortisol levels on the establishment of pregnancies in in vitro fertilization (IVF). Our study group consisted of 42 women (group A) who received gonadotropins for induction of ovulation for IVF. The control group included 23 women (group B) who underwent in vitro fertilization without stimulation.