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.     

Impact of modified-release opioid use on clinical outcomes following total hip and knee arthroplasty: a propensity score-matched cohort study

Modified-release opioids are often prescribed for the management of moderate to severe acute pain following total hip and knee arthroplasty, despite recommendations against their use due to increasing concerns regarding harm. The primary objective of this multicentre study was to examine the impact of modified-release opioid use on the incidence of opioid-related adverse events compared with immediate-release opioid use, among adult inpatients following total hip or knee arthroplasty. Data for total hip and knee arthroplasty inpatients receiving an opioid analgesic for postoperative analgesia during hospitalisation were collected from electronic medical records of three tertiary metropolitan hospitals in Australia. The primary outcome was the incidence of opioid-related adverse events during hospital admission. Patients who received modified with or without immediate-release opioids were matched to those receiving immediate-release opioids only (1:1) using nearest neighbour propensity score matching with patient and clinical characteristics as covariates. This included total opioid dose received. In the matched cohorts, patients given modified-release opioids (n = 347) experienced a higher incidence of opioid-related adverse events overall, compared with those given immediate-release opioids only (20.5%, 71/347 vs. 12.7%, 44/347; difference in proportions 7.8% [95%CI 2.3–13.3%]). Modified-release opioid use was associated with an increased risk of harm when used for acute pain during hospitalisation after total hip or knee arthroplasty.     

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.     

ActRⅡB-Fc融合蛋白生物学活性测定方法的建立

目的：建立ActR Ⅱ B-Fc融合蛋白的生物学活性检测方法。方法：利用A204-CAGA12-LUC细胞系，通过荧光素酶检测系统进行ActR Ⅱ B-Fc融合蛋白的生物学活性检测，根据四参数拟合分析计算样品相对效价，并对该方法的专属性、精密性和准确性进行验证。结果：ActR Ⅱ B-Fc融合蛋白在该方法中存在量效关系，且符合4-参数方程：y=(A-D)/[1+(x/C)^B ]+D。该方法具有良好的专属性；6批 ActR Ⅱ B-Fc融合蛋白样品经3次测定，相对效价平均值在(86.74±6.44)%~(108.81±15.07)%，RSD 均小于15 %；2批回收率样品经3次测定，回收率分别为(114.99±12.42)%和(81.19±7.35)%；8次独立测定重复性较好。结论：研究建立的ActR Ⅱ B-Fc融合蛋白生物学活性检测方法专属性强，准确性高，精密度好，可作为ActR Ⅱ B-Fc融合蛋白生物学活性的常规检测方法。     

脂要有你

【内容简介】本视频主要介绍1例利沃素干预正常体重指数(body mass index,BMI)脂肪肝典型病例的诊疗以及随访过程。患者何某,男性、24岁,身高180 cm,体重76 kg,BMI:23.5 kg/m2。患者于1年前开始无明显诱因出现右上腹隐痛疼痛不适,呈持续性胀痛,不伴腹胀、腹泻、无恶心、呕吐,无发热、寒战等,曾于当地医院诊断为脂肪肝,肝功能不全,高脂血症,服用“甘草酸二胺胶囊、水飞蓟宾”等药物疗效欠佳,于2021年11月10日就诊于高青县人民医院脂肪肝中心给予利沃素治疗。     

PKP术中不同注入量高粘度骨水泥治疗骨质疏松性腰椎骨折的疗效分析

目的探讨经皮椎体后凸成形术（PKP）术中不同注入量高粘度骨水泥治疗骨质疏松性腰椎骨折（OLVF）的疗效及安全性。 方法前瞻性收集2016年9月至2018年9月本院OLVF患者150例，男84例，女66例，年龄（60±8）岁。依据随机数字表分为高量组、中量组、低量组，每组50例，高量组、中量组、低量组PKP术中高粘度骨水泥注入量分别为5.0~7.0 ml、3~4.9 ml、<3.0 ml，比较三组疗效及安全性。 结果150例患者获得满意随访，随访时间（19±7）个月。高量组、中量组、低量组手术时间、术中出血量比较，差异无统计学意义（P>0.05）；高量组和中量组术后3、6个月椎体前缘高度[（27.3±3.1）mm、（26.0±2.7）mm和（26.9±3.0）mm、（25.7±2.8）mm]明显高于低量组[（23.8±2.8）mm、（21.3±2.5）mm]，高量组和中量组术后3、6个月Cobb角及疼痛视觉模拟评分法（VAS）、Oswestry功能障碍指数问卷表（ODI）评分[（40.2±4.7）°、（41.5±4.8）°、（2.6±0.4）分、（1.6±0.3）分、（25.8±3.5）分、（26.9±3.5）分和（40.9±4.8）°、（42.1±4.8）°、（2.6±0.4）分、（1.6±0.3）分、（26.2±3.5）分、（27.2±3.7）分]明显低于低量组[（46.3±5.3）°、（47.8±5.6）°、（3.3±0.4）分、（2.3±0.4）分、（33.3±4.1）分、（34.3±4.2）分]，差异有统计学意义（F=25.371、18.914、29.334、22.457、34.276、30.217、29.364、20.071，均P<0.001）；高量组骨水泥渗漏率（28.00%）明显高于中量组和低量组（8.00%和4.00%），差异有统计学意义（χ²=10.241，P=0.005）。 结论PKP术中不同注入量高粘度骨水泥治疗OLVF的疗效及安全性存在一定的差异，其中注入中量（3~4.9 ml）高粘度骨水泥可获得良好的疗效及安全性，值得临床推广。     

Development of an automated production process of [64Cu][Cu (ATSM)] for positron emission tomography imaging and theranostic applications

Cyclotron-produced copper-64 radioisotope tracers offer the possibility to perform both diagnostic investigation by positron emission tomography (PET) and radiotherapy by a theranostic approach with bifunctional chelators. The versatile chemical properties of copper add to the importance of this isotope in medicinal investigation. [⁶⁴Cu][Cu (ATSM)] has shown to be a viable candidate for imaging of tumor hypoxia; a critical tumor microenvironment characteristic that typically signifies tumor progression and resistance to chemo-radiotherapy. Various production and radiosynthesis methods of [⁶⁴Cu][Cu (ATSM)] exist in labs, but usually involved non-standardized equipment with varying production qualities and may not be easily implemented in wider hospital settings. [⁶⁴Cu][Cu (ATSM)] was synthesized on a modified GE TRACERlab FXN automated synthesis module. End-of-synthesis (EOS) molar activity of [⁶⁴Cu][Cu (ATSM)] was 2.2–5.5 Ci/μmol (HPLC), 2.2–2.6 Ci/μmol (ATSM-titration), and 3.0–4.4 Ci/μmol (ICP-MS). Radiochemical purity was determined to be >99% based on radio-HPLC. The final product maintained radiochemical purity after 20 h. We demonstrated a simple and feasible process development and quality control protocols for automated cyclotron production and synthesis of [⁶⁴Cu][Cu (ATSM)] based on commercially distributed standardized synthesis modules suitable for PET imaging and theranostic studies.