Effects of tamoxifen on normal breast tissue histological composition: Results from a randomised six-arm placebo-controlled trial in healthy women

Tamoxifen prevents recurrence of breast cancer and is suggested for preventive risk-reducing therapy. Tamoxifen reduces mammographic density, a proxy for therapy response, but little is known about its effects in remodelling normal breast tissue. Our study, a substudy within the double-blinded dose-determination trial KARISMA, investigated tamoxifen-specific changes in breast tissue composition and histological markers in healthy women. We included 83 healthy women randomised to 6 months daily intake of 20, 10, 5, 2.5, 1 mg of tamoxifen or placebo. The groups were combined to “no dose” (0-1 mg), “low-dose” (2.5-5 mg) or “high-dose” (10-20 mg) of tamoxifen. Ultrasound-guided biopsies were collected before and after tamoxifen exposure. In each biopsy, epithelial, stromal and adipose tissues was quantified, and expression of epithelial and stromal Ki67, oestrogen receptor (ER) and progesterone receptor (PR) analysed. Mammographic density using STRATUS was measured at baseline and end-of-tamoxifen-exposure. We found that different doses of tamoxifen reduced mammographic density and glandular-epithelial area in premenopausal women and associated with reduced epithelium and increased adipose tissue. High-dose tamoxifen also decreased epithelial ER and PR expressions in premenopausal women. Premenopausal women with the greatest reduction in proliferation also had the greatest epithelial reduction. In postmenopausal women, high-dose tamoxifen decreased the epithelial area with no measurable density decrease. Tamoxifen at both low and high doses influences breast tissue composition and expression of histological markers in the normal breast. Our findings connect epithelial proliferation with tissue remodelling in premenopausal women and provide novel insights to understanding biological mechanisms of primary prevention with tamoxifen.     

Oral cancer prediction by noninvasive genetic screening

Oral squamous cell carcinomas (OSCCs) develop in genetically altered epithelium in the mucosal lining, also coined as fields, which are mostly not visible but occasionally present as white oral leukoplakia (OL) lesions. We developed a noninvasive genetic assay using next-generation sequencing (NGS) on brushed cells to detect the presence of genetically altered fields, including those that are not macroscopically visible. The assay demonstrated high accuracy in OL patients when brush samples were compared with biopsies as gold standard. In a cohort of Fanconi anemia patients, detection of mutations in prospectively collected oral brushes predicted oral cancer also when visible abnormalities were absent. We further provide insight in the molecular landscape of OL with frequent changes of TP53, FAT1 and NOTCH1. NGS analysis of noninvasively collected samples offers a highly accurate method to detect genetically altered fields in the oral cavity, and predicts development of OSCC in high-risk individuals. Noninvasive genetic screening can be employed to screen high-risk populations for cancer and precancer, map the extension of OL lesions beyond what is visible, map the oral cavity for precancerous changes even when visible abnormalities are absent, test accuracy of promising imaging modalities, monitor interventions and determine genetic progression as well as the natural history of the disease in the human patient.     

Ex vivo porcine model for eye,eyelid, and orbit movement analysis of 4-mm ferromagnetic foreign bodies in MRI

Graefe's Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology - Ferromagnetic foreign bodies (FFB) present during magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) explorations can lead to tissue injury due to...     

Dem eigenen Leben ein Ende setzen: Suizide zwischen Medizin und Ethik

Bundesgesundheitsblatt - Gesundheitsforschung - Gesundheitsschutz -     

治伤巴布剂对大鼠急性软组织损伤模型P38MAPK、AKT信号通路的影响＊

目的 观察治伤巴布剂对急性软组织损伤（acute soft tissue injury， ASTI）模型p38丝裂原活化蛋白激酶（mitogen-activated protein kinase，MAPK）、丝/苏氨酸蛋白激酶（AKT）信号通路的影响，探讨治伤巴布剂干预ASTI的可能作用机制。方法 将40只雄性SD大鼠按照随机数字表法分为正常对照组、模型对照组、治伤巴布剂组、p38MAPK信号通路抑制剂组、AKT信号通路抑制剂组，每组8只。除正常对照组外，其余四组均予以左侧后肢小腿ASTI造模。造模成功后，治伤巴布剂组于标记部位立即予治伤巴布剂（修剪成1.5x3cm大小）外敷，并用胶布固定；其余四组均予等剂量赋形剂（修剪成1.5×3 cm大小）外敷处理，胶布固定；持续外敷，共持续24 h。p38MAPK信号通路抑制剂组在造模前30 min予腹腔注射p38MAPK信号通路抑制剂SB203580（400 μg/kg/天）1次；AKT信号通路抑制剂组在造模前30 min予腹腔注射AKT信号通路抑制剂perifosine（20 mg/kg/天）1次。分别于0（造模前）、2h、4h、8h、12h、24h测量受伤小腿肌肉处的周长，并计算肌肉肿胀率（muscle swelling rate，MSR）。24 h药物干预结束后，采用颈椎脱臼法处死大鼠。后将左侧后肢小腿损伤中心部位进行取材，分成三份。一部分用于观察组织病理学形态变化；一部分用于逆转录聚合酶链反应（RT-PCR）检测核因子-κB（nuclear factor kappa-B，NF-κB）p65 mRNA、肿瘤坏死因子-α（TNF-α）mRNA、白细胞介素-1β（IL-1β）mRNA表达水平；剩下部分用酶联免疫吸附试验（ELISA）法检测骨骼肌组织TNF-α、IL-1β含量水平及蛋白质免疫印迹（Western-blot）法测定p38MAPK、AKT、NF-κB p65、核因子抑制蛋白α（inhibitor kappa B alpha， IκBα）表达水平。结果 与正常对照组相比，模型对照组MSR显著增加（P<0.01）；病理形态学上，骨骼肌组织可见大面积肌细胞排列紊乱，肌细胞变性坏死，间质内可见红细胞聚集及大量炎症细胞浸润；骨骼肌组织TNF-α、IL-1β含量水平显著升高（P<0.01）；磷酸化p38MAPK（p-p38）/总p38MAPK（t-p38），磷酸化-AKT（p-AKT）/总-AKT（t-AKT）明显升高（P<0.01），NF-κB p65及NF-κB p65mRNA表达水平明显升高（P<0.01）。与模型对照组相比，治伤巴布剂组MSR在治疗第8 h、12 h、24 h显著下降（P<0.01），且在治疗第24 h，其MSR较p38MAPK、AKT信号通路抑制剂组下降更明显（P<0.05）；病理学评分显著下降（P<0.01），且较p38MAPK、AKT信号通路抑制剂组下降更显著（P<0.05）；骨骼肌组织TNF-α、IL-1β含量水平明显下降（P<0.01），且较p38MAPK、AKT信号通路抑制剂组更显著（P<0.05）；p-p38/t-p38及p-AKT/t-AKT明显下降（P<0.01），NF-κB p65及NF-κB p65 mRNA表达水平显著下降（P<0.01），且较p38MAPK、AKT信号通路抑制剂组在降低NF-κB p65及NF-κB p65 mRNA相对表达值方面更显著（P<0.01）。结论 治伤巴布剂可能同时对p38MAPK、AKT信号通路产生了一定的抑制作用，引起NF-κB活性下调，NF-κB p65蛋白的表达下调，进而引起骨骼肌组织TNF-α、IL-1β炎性细胞因子含量水平下调，减轻ASTI炎症反应，从而改善ASTI。     

特发性肺纤维化急性加重期证候与血清生物标志物的相关性研究＊

目的 通过分析特发性肺纤维化急性加重期（AE-IPF）患者证候与血清生物标志物的关系，为中医辨证治疗提供参考。方法 采用观察性研究设计，收集2019年3月至2019年11月三个中心的AE-IPF患者76例，其中痰热壅肺证26例、痰浊阻肺证50例，并纳入健康志愿者10例作为对照。采用ELISA测定患者血清CCL18、HMGB1、KL-6、MMP-7、SP-A和SP-D水平，分析与中医证候的相关性。结果 AE-IPF患者血清CCL18、HMGB1、KL-6、MMP-7、SP-A和SP-D水平均显著高于健康对照组。血清CCL18、HMGB1、KL-6、MMP-7和SP-D水平在痰热壅肺证和痰浊阻肺证患者间无显著性差异（P＞0.05），而血清SP-A水平存在显著性差异（P＜0.05）。结论 血清SP-A与AE-IPF证候存在一定的相关性，血清SP-A的浓度升高，与痰热壅肺证关系越密切，反之，血清SP-A浓度降低，则与痰浊阻肺证关系越密切。AE-IPF痰热壅肺证患者的预后可能较痰浊阻肺证患者更差。