Evidence for an important role of host microRNAs in regulating hepatic fibrosis in humans infected with Schistosoma japonicum.

MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are short, non-coding RNAs that repress the translation of target gene transcripts. They have been implicated in various activities such as cell proliferation, survival, differentiation, migration and metabolism. We report here the first known miRNome and transcriptome analysis of human livers displaying advanced fibrosis due to Schistosoma japonicum infection.

Density Functional Theory Modeling of Low-Loss Electron Energy-Loss Spectroscopy in Wurtzite III-Nitride Ternary Alloys.

In the present work, the dielectric response of III-nitride semiconductors is studied using density functional theory (DFT) band structure calculations. The aim of this study is to improve our understanding of the features in the low-loss electron energy-loss spectra of ternary alloys, but the results are also relevant to optical and UV spectroscopy results. In addition, the dependence of the most remarkable features with composition is tested, i.

FOXP3+ Regulatory T Cells in Hepatic Fibrosis and Splenomegaly Caused by Schistosoma japonicum: The Spleen May Be a Major Source of Tregs in Subjects with Splenomegaly.

Schistosoma eggs cause chronic liver inflammation and a complex disease characterized by hepatic fibrosis (HF) and splenomegaly (SplM). FOXP3+ Tregs could regulate inflammation, but it is unclear where these cells are produced and what roles they play in human schistosomiasis. We investigated blood and spleen FOXP3+ Tregs in Chinese fishermen with lifelong exposure to Schistosoma japonicum and various degrees of liver and spleen disease.

Genetic profiles of cervical tumors by high-throughput sequencing for personalized medical care.

Cancer treatment is facing major evolution since the advent of targeted therapies. Building genetic profiles could predict sensitivity or resistance to these therapies and highlight disease-specific abnormalities, supporting personalized patient care. In the context of biomedical research and clinical diagnosis, our laboratory has developed an oncogenic panel comprised of 226 genes and a dedicated bioinformatic pipeline to explore somatic mutations in cervical carcinomas, using high-throughput sequencing.

Time-varying effect and long-term survival analysis in breast cancer patients treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

Background: Recent studies have indicated the prognostic value of tumour subtype and pathological complete response (pCR) after neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC). However these results were reported after a short follow-up and using a standard Cox model which could be unsatisfactory for time-dependent factors. In the present study, we identified the prognostic factors for long-term outcome after NAC, considering that they could have an inconstant impact over time.

Can c-myc amplification reliably discriminate postradiation from primary angiosarcoma of the breast?

Purpose: Breast angiosarcomas are rare vascular malignancies that arise secondary to irradiation or de novo as primary tumours. The aim of this study is to know whether c-myc amplification can reliably discriminate these two entities.

Materiel And Methods: Forty-seven patients treated for breast angiosarcomas were studied.

Clinico-pathology and prognosis of endometrial cancer in patients previously treated for breast cancer, with or without tamoxifen: a comparative study in 363 patients.

Objective: To compare the clinic-pathologic variables and the prognosis of endometrial cancer in patients with and without previous breast cancer, with and without Tamoxifen.

Methods: We analyzed patients treated for an endometrial carcinoma from 1994 to 2004: patients without breast cancer (group 1), patients with a previous breast cancer without tamoxifen (group 2) and patients treated for breast cancer with tamoxifen (group 3). Survival rates were calculated according to Kaplan-Meier method and compared using a Log rank test, multivariate analysis was performed with a Cox regression model.

Establishment of novel cell lines recapitulating the genetic landscape of uveal melanoma and preclinical validation of mTOR as a therapeutic target.

Uveal melanoma (UM) is the most common primary tumor of the eye in adults. There is no standard adjuvant treatment to prevent metastasis and no effective therapy in the metastatic setting. We have established a unique panel of 7 UM cell lines from either patient's tumors or patient-derived tumor xenografts (PDXs).

Histological grade concordance between diagnostic core biopsy and corresponding surgical specimen in HR-positive/HER2-negative breast carcinoma.

Background: The identification and validation of suitable predictive and prognostic factors are a challenge to improve the treatment scheme selection. Discordances in histological grade can be established between core biopsy and surgical specimens. This is important in HR-positive/HER2-negative subgroup where histological grade identifies patients at high risk and is a strong determinant for treatment scheme.

Genome-wide profiling is a clinically relevant and affordable prognostic test in posterior uveal melanoma.

Objective: This study investigated the capacity of genetic analysis of uveal melanoma samples to identify high-risk patients and discusses its clinical implications.

Methods: Patients with posterior uveal melanoma were prospectively enrolled. Tumour samples were derived from enucleated globe, fine-needle aspirates or endoresection.

Choroidal melanoma: does endoresection prevent neovascular glaucoma in patient treated with proton beam irradiation?

Purpose: To evaluate the efficacy of endoresection after proton beam radiotherapy to prevent neovascular glaucoma (NVG) in patients treated for choroidal melanoma.

Methods: From a series of 4,867 patients treated for choroidal melanoma were prospectively recorded in the database (Macro Infermed 3.075).

HPV pathway profiling: HPV related cervical dysplasia and carcinoma studies.

Cervical cancer is the second most common malignancy among women worldwide. While more than 90% of cervical cancers carry one or more high risk HPV types, the exact relationship between HPV oncoproteins and signaling pathways alterations in cervical cancer remains to be clarified. Vaccines and targeted therapies are today considered of great potential for the improvement of patients' outcome.

Uveal metastasis revealing lung cancer.

Background: Uveal metastases (UM) are the most common intraocular malignancies and can be the first manifestation of a disseminated disease. The purpose of this study is to determine the frequency with which uveal metastasis results in a diagnosis of lung cancer, to describe the clinical characteristics of patients with lung cancer metastatic to the uvea, as well as diagnostic difficulties that may be encountered.

Patients And Methods: We carried out a single-center retrospective study of the medical records of all patients who presented with a UM between 1999 and 2010 at the institut Curie in Paris.

[Adaptation of methotrexate determination in serum with Unicel DxC600(®)].

High-dose methotrexate treatment requires pharmacological monitoring in order to tailor administration of folinic acid to reduce side effects. The aim of the study was to validate the adaptation of the EMIT reagent on the l'Unicel DxC 600® Beckman Coulter. The establishment of two assays was necessary to obtain a quantification limit as low as possible (0.

External validation of Adjuvant! Online breast cancer prognosis tool. Prioritising recommendations for improvement.

Background: Adjuvant! Online is a web-based application designed to provide 10 years survival probability of patients with breast cancer. Several predictors have not been assessed in the original Adjuvant! Online study. We provide the validation of Adjuvant! Online algorithm on two breast cancer datasets, and we determined whether the accuracy of Adjuvant! Online is improved with other well-known prognostic factors.

Treatment of uveal melanoma by accelerated proton beam.

Proton beam irradiation of uveal melanoma has great advantages compared to brachytherapy because of the homogenous dose delivered to the tumor and the possibility of sparing normal tissue close to the tumor. We describe the technique of proton beam therapy including the surgical technique of clip positioning, the radiotherapy delivery technique and the dose administered (60 Gy cobalt relative biological effectiveness in 4 fractions). Indications of proton beam are given and the follow-up procedure is described.

Outcome in early cervical cancer following pre-operative low dose rate brachytherapy: a ten-year follow up of 257 patients treated at a single institution.

Objective: To report the outcome of preoperative low dose rate uterovaginal brachytherapy (LDR-UVBT) followed by radical surgery in the treatment of early cervical carcinoma.

Methods: 257 patients treated at Institut Curie from 1985 to 2008 for cervical carcinoma less than 4cm (FIGO stages Ib1, IIA and IIB) were studied. Patients received preoperative LDR-UVBT followed by hysterectomy Piver II type, with pelvic lymph nodes dissection (PLND).

Unique functional status of natural killer cells in metastatic stage IV melanoma patients and its modulation by chemotherapy.

Purpose: Immunotherapy is an alternative for metastatic melanoma patients resistant to chemotherapy. Natural killer (NK) cells are powerful antileukemia effectors and their role in solid tumors is suspected. NK cell activation is regulated by a balance between activating receptors, which detect stress molecules on tumor cells, and HLA-I specific inhibitory receptors.

Prognostic impact of microsatellite instability in colorectal cancer patients treated with adjuvant FOLFOX.

Background: Colorectal cancer (CRC) patients whose tumours have microsatellite instability (MSI) do not benefit from adjuvant 5-fluorouracil. However, the predictive value of MSI is not known for FOLFOX, now recommended in adjuvant setting.

Patients And Methods: MSI phenotype was assessed by the pentaplex method.

Proceedings of the consensus meetings from the International Retinoblastoma Staging Working Group on the pathology guidelines for the examination of enucleated eyes and evaluation of prognostic risk factors in retinoblastoma.

Retinoblastoma is the most common intraocular malignant childhood tumor in need of prospective clinical trials to address important unanswered questions about biology, treatment, and prognostic factors. Currently, there is controversy about the definitions for choroidal invasion and an inconsistency in the handling of eyes with retinoblastoma. The International Retinoblastoma Staging Working Group (IRSWG) composed of 58 participants from 24 countries on 4 continents had a series of Internet meetings to discuss the staging and tissue handling guidelines to reach consensus for adequate processing, establishing definitions of histopathologic risk factors, and reporting of enucleated eyes with retinoblastoma to serve as the basis for clinical trials and studies to validate the proposed criteria.

Scleral necrosis after radiation therapy for uveal melanomas: report of 23 cases.

Aims: To describe the evolution and management over time of scleral necrosis as a complication after radiation therapy for uveal melanomas.

Design: Retrospective nonrandomized case series.

Methods: Twenty-three patients (12 male, 11 female; median age 56.

Human colorectal tumors and metastases express Gb3 and can be targeted by an intestinal pathogen-based delivery tool.

The targeting of solid tumors requires delivery tools that resist intracellular and extracellular inactivation, and that are taken up specifically by tumor cells. We have shown previously that the recombinant nontoxic B-subunit of Shiga toxin (STxB) can serve as a delivery tool to target digestive tumors in animal models. The aim of this study was to expand these experiments to human colorectal cancer.

The soluble alpha chain of interleukin-15 receptor: a proinflammatory molecule associated with tumor progression in head and neck cancer.

Interleukin (IL)-15 is a proinflammatory cytokine, as it induces the production of inflammatory cytokines [IL-6, tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFalpha), IL-17, etc.]. A correlation between high intratumoral IL-15 concentrations and poor clinical outcome in lung and head and neck cancer patients has been recently reported.