Bone mineral density affects tumor growth by shaping microenvironmental heterogeneity.

Breast cancer bone metastasis is a major cause of mortality in patients with advanced breast cancer. Although decreased mineral density is a known risk factor for bone metastasis, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood because studying the isolated effect of bone mineral density on tumor heterogeneity is challenging with conventional approaches. Moreover, mineralized biomaterials are commonly utilized for clinical bone defect repair, but how mineralized biomaterials affect the foreign body response and wound healing is unclear.

Adult-Onset Foveomacular Vitelliform Dystrophy With Unilateral Presentation: A Case Series.

Adult-onset foveomacular vitelliform dystrophy (AOFVD) is a rare condition affecting the macula that presents diagnostic and management challenges due to its varied manifestations and clinical overlap with other retinal disorders. As vitelliform lesions can occur in various conditions, such as Best disease and age-related macular degeneration, clinical presentation, multimodal imaging findings, and genetic testing can aid in accurate diagnosis. Although AOFVD typically affects both eyes, unilateral involvement can occur.

Bone mineral density affects tumor growth by shaping microenvironmental heterogeneity.

Breast cancer bone metastasis is the leading cause of mortality in patients with advanced breast cancer. Although decreased mineral density is a known risk factor for bone metastasis, the underlying mechanisms remain poorly understood because studying the isolated effect of bone mineral density on tumor heterogeneity is challenging with conventional approaches. Here, we investigate how bone mineral content affects tumor growth and microenvironmental complexity by combining single-cell RNA-sequencing with mineral-containing or mineral-free decellularized bone matrices.

A spatiotemporal molecular atlas of the ovulating mouse ovary.

Ovulation is essential for reproductive success, yet the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms are far from clear. Here, we applied high-resolution spatiotemporal transcriptomics to map out cell type- and ovulation stage-specific molecular programs as function of time during follicle maturation and ovulation in mice. Our analysis revealed dynamic molecular transitions within granulosa cell types that occur in tight coordination with mesenchymal cell proliferation.

Spontaneous Bilateral Hyphema in a Patient With Idiopathic Thrombocytopenic Purpura.

The aim of this case report is to present an unusual case of idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura (ITP) with bilateral spontaneous hyphema. It refers to an 82-year-old Caucasian woman who presented with acute unilateral vision loss. The patient's medical history includes arterial hypertension, hypothyroidism, and uneventful bilateral cataract surgery.

A Spatiotemporal Molecular Atlas of the Ovulating Mouse Ovary.

Ovulation is essential for reproductive success, yet the underlying cellular and molecular mechanisms are far from clear. Here, we applied high-resolution spatiotemporal transcriptomics to map out cell-type- and ovulation-stage-specific molecular programs as function of time during follicle maturation and ovulation in mice. Our analysis revealed dynamic molecular transitions within granulosa cell types that occur in tight coordination with mesenchymal cell proliferation.

Impaired adrenal cortex reserve in patients with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases who relapse upon tapering of low glucocorticoid dose.

Objectives: To examine adrenal cortex reserve in patients with rheumatic and musculoskeletal diseases (RMD) who relapse upon tapering of low glucocorticoid dose, despite concomitant treatment with disease-modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (DMARDs).

Methods: A morning standard dose of 250 mcg tetracosactide (Synacthen test) was given in 25 consecutive patients (13 rheumatoid arthritis, 2 psoriatic arthritis, 5 systemic lupus erythematosus, 2 dermatomyositis, 1 systemic sclerosis, 2 temporal arteritis) at the time of relapse upon small reductions (1-2 mg daily) of low prednisolone dose (<7.5 mg daily), while being on stable concomitant treatment with methotrexate, leflunomide, hydroxychloroquine, azathioprine, mycophenolate, tofacitinib, belimumab, anti-TNF, anti-IL-6 or anti-IL-1 regimens (n=14; 3; 9; 1; 2; 1; 1; 5; 2; 1, respectively).

Repeated leftover serosurvey of SARS-CoV-2 IgG antibodies, Greece, March and April 2020.

A serosurvey of IgG antibodies against severe acute respiratory coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) was performed during March and April 2020. Among 6,586 leftover sera, 24 (0.36%) were positive, with higher prevalence in females, older individuals and residents of large urban areas.

Influence of scaling procedures on the integrity of titanium nitride coated CAD/CAM abutments.

Purpose: To determine the extent of treatment traces, the roughness depth, and the quantity of titanium nitride (TiN) removed from the surface of CAD/CAM abutments after treatment with various instruments.

Materials And Methods: Twelve TiN coated CAD/CAM abutments were investigated for an study. In the test group (9), each abutment surface was subjected twice (150 g vs.

Expression of estrogen receptors in non-malignant mammary tissue modifies the association between insulin-like growth factor 1 and breast cancer risk.

Background: Several studies have reported that the insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1) is positively associated with estrogen receptor-positive [ER(+)] breast cancer risk, whereas there is little or no association with respect to ER(-) breast cancer. All comparisons of ER(+) breast cancer cases, however, have been made versus healthy controls, for whom there is no information about the ER expression in their mammary gland.

Patients And Methods: In the context of a case-control investigation conducted in Athens, Greece, we studied 102 women with incident ERα(+) breast cancer and compared their IGF-1 blood levels with those of 178 ERα(+) and 83 ERα(-) women with benign breast disease (BBD) who underwent biopsies in the context of their standard medical care.

Cardioprotection of the enkephalin analog Eribis peptide 94 in a rat model of ischemia and reperfusion is highly dependent on dosing regimen and timing of administration.

Eribis Peptide 94 (EP94) is an enkephalin analog with cardioprotective properties in ischemia and reperfusion. The aim of the present study was to define the optimal timing and dosing of the administration of EP94 during ischemia and reperfusion in a rat model. 172 anesthetized and mechanically ventilated male Sprague-Dawley rats were randomly assigned to different administration protocols of EP94 and subjected to 30 or 40 min of coronary artery occlusion followed by 2h of reperfusion.

A comparison of hormonal profiles between breast cancer and benign breast disease: a case-control study.

Background: Benign breast disease (BBD), particularly proliferative BBD, is an established breast cancer risk factor. However, there has been no systematic attempt to compare the hormonal profiles of the two conditions. In a case-control investigation in Athens, Greece, we compared levels of estrogens, testosterone and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1), as well as their principal binding proteins, between breast cancer patients, women with BBD by histological type (proliferative and nonproliferative) and women with no breast pathology.

The hormonal profile of benign breast disease.

Background: Limited information exists about the endocrine milieu of benign breast disease (BBD), a documented breast cancer risk factor. We compared blood levels of estrogens, testosterone and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) between BBD patients by histological type and women without breast pathology.

Methods: We studied 578 BBD patients and 178 healthy women in Athens, Greece, who provided blood samples, and completed interviewer-administered questionnaires.

The effects of acetylic salicylic acid on heart rate variability in healthy subjects.

In this placebo controlled double blind cross over study multiple daily dosing with 500 mg acetylic salicylic acid did not influence heart rate variability in 16 healthy male volunteers aged 25 (22-28) years (median; range) to a relevant extent (p > 0.05).

Adiponectin and breast cancer risk.

Adiponectin, an adipocyte-secreted hormone, is closely and inversely associated with insulin resistance and was recently found to be inversely and independently associated with endometrial cancer. Because insulin resistance in the setting of obesity has also been associated with the development of breast cancer, we have hypothesized that decreased adiponectin levels might underlie the association between breast cancer and obesity/insulin resistance. We evaluated the association of adiponectin with the occurrence of breast cancer in a case-control study comprising 174 women with newly diagnosed, histologically confirmed breast cancer and 167 controls.

Endometrial cancer and the IGF system: a case-control study in Greece.

Objectives: Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) and other components of the IGF system have been implicated in the etiology of several human malignancies. We have undertaken a case-control study among Greek women to explore the relation of major components of the IGF system (IGF-I, IGF-II and IGF-binding protein 3, IGFBP-3) with endometrial cancer risk.

Methods: During a 1-year period (1999), 84 incident cases of histologically confirmed endometrial cancer were compared with 84 control women admitted to the same clinical department for small gynecological operations, mainly pelvic prolapse.

Dehydroepiandrosterone relations to dietary and lifestyle variables in a general population sample.

Background/aims: Dehydroepiandrosterone (DHEA) is generally considered to have beneficial effects in humans. There is, however, limited information concerning the role of lifestyle variables, including diet, on blood DHEA levels. We have undertaken a study of DHEA determinants in a general population sample of adult Greeks.

Leptin and body mass index in relation to endometrial cancer risk.

Background/aim: Because leptin is a hormone associated with obesity and reproduction, we attempted to examine whether there is a relationship between leptin and endometrial cancer.

Methods: Cases were 84 women with histologically confirmed incident endometrial cancer, whereas controls were 84 women admitted to the same hospital for small surgical operations. The serum leptin levels were determined in fasting morning blood samples by using radioimmunoassay.

Testosterone and oestradiol in relation to tobacco smoking, body mass index, energy consumption and nutrient intake among adult men.

There is substantial evidence linking steroid hormones and diet to cancer aetiology. The evidence on lifestyle determinants of steroid hormones, however, is limited. We have conducted a study to identify dietary and other lifestyle predictors of testosterone and oestradiol among adult men.

Are dietary influences on the risk of prostate cancer mediated through the insulin-like growth factor system?

Objectives: To investigate whether dietary factors that appear to affect the risk of prostate cancer may be similarly associated with serum levels of insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1). Patients and methods In the context of a case-control study, 112 men were admitted to three teaching hospitals in Athens, Greece, for disorders other than cancer. Sociodemographic data and detailed histories of smoking, alcohol and coffee consumption were recorded.

Estrogens, testosterone and sex hormone binding globulin in relation to liver cancer in men.

Objective: Liver disease in men has been associated with an imbalance of serum estradiol and testosterone. We have evaluated whether serum estradiol and testosterone levels are altered in male liver cancer patients as a result of a specific effect of the disease or because of the associated liver damage.

Methods: We have performed a hospital-based case-control study in Greece.

Insulin-like growth factor binding protein-3 predicts survival from acute childhood leukemia.

Objective: To investigate whether the three principal components of the insulin-like growth factor (IGF) system, IGF-1, IGF-2 and IGF binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3), are associated with survival from childhood leukemia.

Patients And Methods: 116 children, 0--14 years old, with newly diagnosed and bone-marrow-biopsy-confirmed acute childhood leukemia between 1993 and 1996 were followed up until death or March 31, 1998. IGF-1, IGF-2 and IGFBP-3 were measured at diagnosis and clinical data, including presence of hepatosplenomegaly and number of white blood cells, were available.

Age at menarche and age at menopause in relation to hepatocellular carcinoma in women.

Objectives: To assess whether age at menarche, age at menopause, parity, and selected blood hormones are associated with risk of hepatocellular carcinoma among women.

Design: Case-control.

Sample: and setting Data collected from 50 cases of hepatocellular carcinoma among women and 62 female controls with minor trauma or surgical conditions who attended one of three hospitals in Athens, Greece between 1995 and 1998.

Endogenous risk factors for childhood leukemia in relation to the IGF system (Greece). The Childhood Haematologists-Oncologists Group.

Objective: Insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and its principal binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) are central in the mediation of the effect of growth hormone, and the IGF system has been reported to play a role in the pathogenesis of childhood leukemia.

Methods: To further evaluate the hypothesis connecting the IGF system to this disease, we have examined whether IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 are associated with the two main endogenous risk factors for childhood leukemia, namely gender and birth weight, since boys and heavier newborns are known to be at higher risk. IGF-1 and IGFBP-3 were measured under code in the serum of 118 apparently healthy children aged 0-14 years and the values of each of these components were regressed on age, gender and birth weight.

Leptin and insulin growth factor I in relation to breast cancer (Greece).

Objectives: Because both breast cancer and the hormone leptin are associated with obesity and reproductive phenomena in women, we have examined whether there is a relationship between leptin and breast cancer among premenopausal and postmenopausal women. We have also evaluated in this dataset the association of IGF-I with breast cancer.

Methods: Seventy-five cases, diagnosed during mammographic screening, with incident breast cancer were matched for age and type of permanent residence with seventy-five controls from those screened negative in the same study base.