Background: Aberrant patterns of microRNA expression have been highlighted as a potential clinical biomarker in breast cancer as the most frequent cancer among women that contributes nearly a quarter of total cancer incidence in 2018. Upregulation of microRNA-21 (miR-21) is associated with adverse clinical outcomes in breast cancer. However, the use of circulating free miR-21 as a non-invasive biomarker for diagnosis and therapeutic monitoring in breast cancer is not well established. We quantified the levels of circulating miR-21 expression and analyzed their correlation with clinicopathological variables and progression-free survival. Materials and Methods: This initial study included a cohort of 102 breast cancer patients of different subtypes and clinicat stages. We also included 15 unrelated healthy women. Venous blood from patients was collected at diagnosis and after treatment of surgery and chemotherapy. MiR-21 expression was quantified from total RNA fraction isolated from patient's plasma. Quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR) was used to analyzed miR-21 expression. Results: Expression of circulating miR-21 was significantly elevated in breast cancer patients compared to healthy women (median miR-21 expression levels were 7.67±2.2 and 1.28±0.16, respectively; p<0.0001). Significant reduction of miR-21 expression was observed in breast cancer patients after completion of surgery and chemotherapy (median miR-21 expression levels were 7.67±2.2 at diagnosis and 2.16±1.28 after treatment, respectively; p<0.0001). MiR-21 expression was higher in breast cancer patients younger than 40-year-old but was not significantly different according to different histopathological grades and clinical stages at diagnosis. Patients with upregulation of circulating miR-21 were associated with poor progression-free survival (median survival 72 vs 86 weeks, respectively; log-rank (Mantel-Cox) test, p=0.049). Conclusion: MiR-21 expression was upregulated in breast cancer patients and might serve as a therapeutic monitoring marker.

Background: Breast cancer incidence rates have been continuously increasing in majority nations with significant higher portion of cancer-related mortality in low-and middle-income countries. Developing new biomarker is an emerging field in the breast cancer research. Application of a promising minimally invasive biomarker, circulating microRNA, for additional improvement of diagnosis, prognosis, and therapeutic monitoring in breast cancer is not well corroborated. Materials and Methods: To uncover the potential use of circulating miR-155 expression as a clinical biomarker in breast cancer, we analyzed 102 breast cancer patients at diagnosis and after treatment as well as 15 healthy women. Total RNA was isolated from patient's plasma and expression of circulating miR-155 was measured with quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (qRT-PCR). The expression levels of circulating miR-155 were compared according to the effect of treatment, clinicopathological variables, and progression-free survival. Results: In comparison to the healthy women, expression of circulating miR-155 levels were significantly higher (medians were 18.49±19 and 1.28±0.18, respectively; p<0.0001). The expression levels of miR-155 were significantly diminished after patients completed surgery and chemotherapy (medians were 18.49±19 at diagnosis and 1.32±0.22 after treatment, respectively; p<0.0001). Patients older than 40 years old expressed higher circulating miR-155 than those younger than 40 years-old (medians were 28.92±22 and 4.19±2.49, respectively; p<0.0001). Circulating miR-155 was significantly higher in patients with tumors larger than 5 cm (44.27±2.6 vs 9.17±6.9, p=0.03). MiR-155 expression levels were not significantly different according to various tumor grades, subtypes, and clinical stages. Although longer follow-up is required, progression-free survivals of patients with upregulation of circulating miR-155 were significantly longer (mean survivals were 77 and 65 weeks, Log-rank (Mantel-Cox) test p=0.038). Conclusion: Expression of circulating miR-155 expression was significantly elevated in breast cancer patients and was decreased after treatment. Therefore, circulating miR-155 is potentially applicable as diagnostic therapeutic monitoring marker in breast cancer.

<p style="text-align: justify;">Spinach is one of vegetable that is often used as processed food by the people of Indonesia. Besides containing many nutrients, spinach also contains chemical compounds that are negative, that is oxalic acid. Oxalic acid and its salts are water soluble that can be harmful because these compounds are toxic. This study aimed to determine differences in levels of oxalic acid in spinach when the water is allowed to stand at room temperature. The type of research was pre-experiment with one group pretest-posttest design. Samples of spinach water were divided into 4 treatment and the level of oxalic acid was examined by using permanganometry titration method. Results of research on each treatment showed oxalic acid levels on 0 hour standing was 3753.2 mg/L, 2 hours standing was 3980.0 mg/L, 4 hours standing was 4066.5 mg/L, and the 6 hours standing was 4254.5 mg/L. Repeated ANOVA statistical test results stated there were significant differences in the levels of oxalic acid in spinach water between 0 hour standing and room temperature-standing with a significance value of p <0.05. It is concluded that there are significant differences in the levels of oxalic acid in spinach water between 0 hour standing and room temperature-standing. It is advisable to continue the research by comparing the levels of oxalic acid in spinach with different types, such as green spinach, white spinach, and red spinach.

<p style="text-align: justify;">Tuberculosis is an infectious disease due to Mycobacterium tuberculosis germ that can infect several organs, including the lungs, kidneys, and bones. The goal of treatment of tuberculosis is tuberculosis bacilli destroy quickly and prevent recurrence. First category treatment of tuberculosis is isoniazid, rifampin, streptomycin, ethambutol, and pyrazinamide. Although the most anti-tuberculosis drug is acceptable in therapy, but have potentially toxic effects hematologic reactions such as agranulocytosis, eosinophilia, thrombocytopenia, and anemia. This research aims to know the correlation between anti-tuberculosis drug consumption in pulmonary TB patients against anemia. Method of this research was Analytical Survey with a Cross-Sectional design. The average results of red blood cell count for 0 months 5,16 106/uL, 2 months 4,39 106/uL and 6 months 4,61 106/uL, haemoglobin levels for 0 month 15,17 g/dL, 2 months 12,73 g/dL and 6 months 13,28 g/dL as well as hematocrit value for 0 month 44,26 %, 2 months 38,24 % and 6 months 39,04 %. From Spearman statistics analytical was obtained significant of red blood cell count 0.004 &lt; α (0.05), levels of hemoglobin 0.007 &lt; α (0.05) and the value of hematocrit 0.015 &lt; α (0.05), it was concluded there was correlation between long consumption of anti-tuberculosis drug with anemia and the value of the correlation coefficient count of red blood cells -0.531, levels of hemoglobin-0.479 as well as the value of hematocrit -0.440 means has the power correlations are medium. Further research is recommended to use different parameters such as the number of platelets, AST/ALT levels and should use the same patient sample or from 0 months up to 6 months </p>