Advanced breast cancers frequently metastasize to bone, resulting in osteolytic lesions, yet the underlying mechanisms are poorly understood. Here we report that nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) plays a crucial role in the osteolytic bone metastasis of breast cancer by stimulating osteoclastogenesis. Using an in vivo bone metastasis model, we found that constitutive NF-kappaB activity in breast cancer cells is crucial for the bone resorption characteristic of osteolytic bone metastasis. We identified the gene encoding granulocyte macrophage-colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF) as a key target of NF-kappaB and found that it mediates osteolytic bone metastasis of breast cancer by stimulating osteoclast development. Moreover, we observed that the expression of GM-CSF correlated with NF-kappaB activation in bone-metastatic tumor tissues from individuals with breast cancer. These results uncover a new and specific role of NF-kappaB in osteolytic bone metastasis through GM-CSF induction, suggesting that NF-kappaB is a potential target for the treatment of breast cancer and the prevention of skeletal metastasis.

Thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA) in renal transplant recipients is commonly associated with calcineurin inhibitors (CNIs), though several factors such as vascular rejection, viral infections and other drugs may play a contributory role. We report a series of 29 patients with TMA, all of whom were on CNIs. Though plasma exchange (PEx) is widely used to treat TMA, therapeutic guidelines are not well defined. All our patients were treated with PEx and discontinuation of CNIs. Thrombotic microangiopathy was diagnosed at a median of 7 days post-transplant. The mean decrease in Hgb and platelets during TMA was 66% and 64%, respectively, and peak serum creatinine during TMA was 7.4 ± 2.9 mg%. Mean duration of PEx therapy was 8.5 (range 5-23) days. Recovery of platelet count to 150K/mcL and Hgb to 8-10 g/dL were used as endpoints for PEx. Twenty-three/29 (80%) patients recovered graft function after PEx. Twenty/23 (87%) patients who recovered were placed back on CNl. Nineteen/20 (95%) patients tolerated reinstitution of CNl without recurrence of TMA. In post-transplant TMA, PEx was associated with a graft salvage rate of 80%, reversal of hematological changes can be used as the endpoint for PEx therapy and CNl can be reintroduced without risk of recurrence in the majority of patients.

Objective Human papillomavirus (HPV), particularly HPV16, is a causative agent for 25% of head and neck squamous cell cancer, including laryngeal squamous cell cancer (LSCC). HPV positive (HPV+ve) patients, particularly oropharyngeal SCC, have improved prognosis. For LSCC, this remains to be established. The goal was to determine stage and survival outcomes in LSCC in the context of HPV infection. Study Design Historical cohort study. Setting Primary care academic health system. Subjects and Methods In 79 primary LSCC, HPV was determined using real-time quantitative PCR. Chi-square or Fisher’s exact test was used to test association of HPV+ve with 21 risk factors including race, stage, gender, age, smoking, alcohol, treatment, and health insurance. Kaplan-Meier and log rank test were used to study the association of HPV and LSCC survival outcome. Results HPV16 was detected in 27% LSCC. There was a trend towards higher HPV prevalence in Caucasian American (CA, 33%) vs African American (AA, 16%) (p=0.058). HPV was significantly associated with gender (p=0.016) and insurance type (p=0.001). HPV+ve LSCC had a slightly longer survival than HPV-negative (HPV−ve) patients, but the differences were not significant. There was no association with HPV and other risk factors including stage (early vs late). Conclusion We found high prevalence of HPV in males and lower prevalence of HPV infection in AA compared to CA. A slightly better survival for HPV+ve LSCC versus HPV−ve was noted but was not significant. Larger multi ethnic LSCC cohorts are needed to more clearly delineate HPV related survival across ethnicities.

Summary Background The majority of studies have reported risks of breast cancer from benign breast disease (BBD) in essentially homogenous Caucasian populations. Information on breast cancer risk factors in larger, multi-ethnic populations should facilitate the development of appropriate and targeted risk reduction strategies. Design Cases and controls were drawn from a parent BBD cohort of 4,970 women, 1,341 African Americans (AA) and 3,629 non-AA who were diagnosed with BBD after examination of an excisional breast biopsy. Risk factors (34 variables) included demographics, lesion types, and epidemiological variables. Results The final multivariable model retained significance (p<0.05) for lesion risk-level, fibroadenoma, and the interaction of age-by-race. Women with proliferative lesions (no atypia, risk level 2) were 1.7 times more likely to develop BC when compared with women with non-proliferative lesions (OR=1.7, 95% CI 1.13, 2.42, p=0.009). Women with atypia (risk level 3) were 3.75 times more likely to develop BC compared to women with non-proliferative lesions (OR= 3.75, 95% CI 1.99, 7.06, p<.001). The odds of breast cancer was approximately 35% lower among women with fibroadenoma as compared to women without fibroadenoma (OR=0.65, 95% CI 0.46, 0.94, p=0.020). African-American women with BBD who were 50 years or older were 2.28 times more likely to develop breast cancer as compared to non African-American women who were less than 50 years old (OR=2.28, 95% CI 1.34, 3.88, p=0.002). Conclusion Women with fibroadenoma (nonproliferative or proliferative) were less likely to progress to BC. Older African American women are at greater risk for progression to breast cancer from BBD.

Genetic instability arises well before dysplasia in Barrett's oesophagus, with chromosome 4 and 8 hyperploidy representing the earliest and most common alterations identified. As these aberrations are widespread at all the premalignant stages, there may be genes on chromosomes 4 and 8 that are involved in both the initiation and progression of Barrett's oesophagus.