No abstract

In this study, variability in the performance of the GEC was not solely a function of malignancy prevalence and may have been attributable to intrinsic variability of the test sensitivity and specificity. The utility of the GEC in practice is elusive because of this variability. A better definition of the GEC's intrinsic properties is needed.

No abstract

In addition to its contributing role in the development of chronic liver diseases, chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is associated with extrahepatic manifestations, particularly, cutaneous-based disorders including those with pruritus as a symptom. Pruritus is frequently associated with the development of chronic liver diseases such as cholestasis and chronic viral infection, and the accumulation of bile acids in patients’ sera and tissues as a consequence of liver damage is considered the main cause of pruritus. In addition to their role in dietary lipid absorption, bile acids can trigger the activation of specific receptors, such as the G protein-coupled bile acid receptor (GPBA/ TGR5). These types of receptors are known to play a crucial role in the modulation of the systemic actions of bile acids. TGR5 expression in primary sensory neurons triggers the activation of the transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) leading to the induction of pruritus by an unknown mechanism. Although the pathologic phenomenon of pruritus is common, there is no uniformly effective therapy available. Understanding the mechanisms regulating the occurrence of pruritus together with the conduction of large-scale clinical and evidence-based studies, may help to create a standard treatment protocol. This review focuses on the etiopathogenesis and treatment strategies of pruritus associated with chronic HCV infection.

Although overall survival rate for patients with thyroid cancer (TC) is high, there is an alarming 10-year recurrence rate of up to 30% conferring a ~50% survival among these high-risk patients. The BRAF mutation is estimated to be present in over 50% of papillary thyroid cancer (PTC) cases besides being associated with carcinogenesis and poor prognosis. We assessed the status of NF-κB, Ki-67, cyclin D1 and BRAF in TC tissues and TC cell lines using immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis. Concurrently, we evaluated the outcomes of combined targeting of the proteasome pathway in addition to selective BRAF inhibitors in cases of PTC. In this study, BRAF-bearing TC cells were treated with BRAF inhibitor, Vemurafenib alone or in combination with the proteasome inhibitor, Bortezomib. The combination of both drugs showed synergistic effects as evidenced by cell growth inhibition ( < 0.05), increased G2-phase cell cycle arrest and induced apoptosis ( < 0.05). In our TC xenograft model, the combination of Vemurafenib and Bortezomib significantly reduced tumor size ( < 0.05) and expression of the markers of cell growth and proliferation, Ki-67 and cyclin D1 ( < 0.001), when compared to monotherapy. Further analysis demonstrated that treatment with Bortezomib sensitized TC cells to Vemurafenib via mitochondrial dysregulation and apoptosis of TC cells, as evidenced by the increase in the expression of p53, Noxa protein, the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential, cytochrome c release and Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase cleavage. Our results demonstrate a strong clinical potential for the combination of the Bortezomib and the BRAF inhibitor Vemurafenib as an efficient therapeutic approach for the treatment of TC.