The influence of microsatellite instability (MSI) on the prognosis of colorectal cancer (CRC) requires more investigation. We assessed the role of MSI status in survival of individuals diagnosed with primary colorectal cancer. In this retrospective cross-sectional study the MSI status was determined in 158 formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tumors and their matched normal tissues from patients who underwent curative surgery. Cox proportional hazard modeling was performed to assess the clinical prognostic significance. In this study we found that MSI-H tumors were predominantly located in the colon versus rectum (p = 0.03), associated with poorer differentiation (p = 0.003) and TNM stage II/III of tumors (p = 0.02). In CRC patients with stage II, MSI-L cases showed significantly poorer survival compared with patients who had MSI-H or MSS tumors (p = 0.04). This study indicates that MSI-L tumors correlate with poorer clinical outcome in patients with stage II tumors (p = 0.04) or in tumors located in the colon (p = 0.02). MSI-L characterizes a distinct subgroup of CRC patients who have a poorer outcome. This study suggests that MSI status in CRC, as a clinical prognostic marker, is dependent on other factors, such as tumor stage and location.

Background Glutathione S‐transferases (GSTs) polymorphisms may impact on chronic myeloid leukemia (CML) risk or heterogeneous responses to Imatinib mesylate (IM). The aim of this study was to evaluate the correlation between GSTs polymorphisms and CML risk, treatment response. Methods We genotyped GSTM1, GSTT1 null deletion polymorphisms, and GSTP1 Ile105Val polymorphism by PCR methods and BCR‐ABL transcripts were analyzed by qRT‐PCR in 104 CML patients and 104 sex‐ and age‐matched healthy individuals. Results Individual analysis showed significant association of GSTM1 ( p = 0.008; OR = 0.46; 95% CI: 0.26–0.82) and GSTP1 genes ( p = 0.04; OR = 1.56; 95% CI: 1.016–2.423) with CML risk. The combined analysis indicated that GSTM1 null/GSTT1 present, GSTM1‐null/GSTP1M*(AG/GG) as well as GSTT1 present/ GSTP1M* genotype were associated with CML risk (ORg(‐):2.28; 95% CI: 1.29–4.04; ORgg: 2.85; 95% CI: 1.36–5.97; OR(‐)g: 1.75; 95% CI: 0.99–3.06, respectively). The proportion of CML cancer attributable to the interaction of smoking and GSTM1 null, GSTT1null, and GSTP1 M* was 42%, 39%, and 13%, respectively. Patients with GSTM1‐null and GSTP1 AG/GG genotype had significantly a lower rate of MMR achievement ( p = 0.00; p = 0.009 respectively). Event‐free survival (EFS) percentage was similar between GSTM1 null and GSTM1 present patients ( p = 0.21). Conclusion Our study suggests the influence of GSTM1 and GSTP1 polymorphisms on CML risk and treatment response. The interaction between GSTs polymorphisms and smoking plays a significant role on CML susceptibility.

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BackgroundAplastic anemia (AA) is a rare disease in which hematopoietic stem cells are severely diminished resulting in hypocellular bone marrow and pancytopenia. Etiology of AA includes auto immunity, toxins, infection, ionizing radiation, drugs and rare genetic disorders, but in the majority of cases no cause can be identified. In the present study we assessed response rate, survival, relapse and clonal evolution in patients with AA treated with immunosuppressive therapy.MethodsPatients with AA who received immunosuppressive therapy between May 1998 and September 2013 were included in this study. Patients with non-severe AA (NSAA) were treated with cyclosporine (CsA) and danazol while patients with severe AA (SAA) as well as patients with NSAA who progressed to SAA after beginning of the treatment, were candidates for receiving antithymocyte globulin in addition to CsA and danazol.ResultsAmong the 63 studied patients, 29 (46%) had NSAA and 34 (54%) had SAA. Three months after treatment, overall response was 58.6% in NSAA and 12.9% in patients with SAA. Survival of all patients at 5, 10 and 15 years were 73%, 55% and 49%, respectively. Survival rates were significantly higher in patients with NSAA compared to patients with SAA as well as in patients who responded at 6 months compared to non-responders. The relapse risk was 39.7% at 10 years. Relapse occurred in patients who discontinued the therapy more than those who continued taking CsA (p value<0.01). The risk of clonal evolution was 9.9% at 10 years and 22.8% at 15 years after treatment.ConclusionThis long-term retrospective study indicated that immunosuppressive therapy should be recommended to patients with AA. Also, our experience indicated that immunosuppressive therapy should not be discontinued after response to therapy in patients with both NSAA and SAA due to high risk of relapse. Low dose of CsA should be continued indefinitely.

In the current work, the optical properties of graphene-wrapped gold nanoshells (GGNSs) with a silica core for different sizes and geometries are investigated based on effective medium and Gans theories in tumor tissue. In addition, bioheat transfer equations are used to obtain the temperature distribution in the kidney tumor and its surrounding medium. The localized surface plasmon resonance peak of GGNSs can be easily tuned inside a large region of biological windows by controlling the thicknesses of gold and graphene layers and their aspect ratios for spheroidal nanoshells. Also, we show that oblate spheroidal GGNSs, due to a high temperature rise, are very effective for photothermal cancer therapy. Moreover, the rise in temperature for spherical nanoshells increases as the thickness of the graphene shell increases, while it is independent of the thickness of the graphene shell for spheroidal GNSs. Finally, the regions of tumor tissue with permanent thermal damage are determined by calculating thermal damage in tumor tissue. Our results demonstrate that GGNSs have a high potential for photothermal cancer therapy.