bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
Association of smoking but not HLA-DRB1*15:01, APOE or body mass index with brain atrophy in early multiple sclerosis
Authors: Graetz Christiane , Gröger Adriane , Luessi Felix , Salmen Anke , Zöller Daniela , Schultz Janine , Siller Nelly , Fleischer Vinzenz , Bellenberg Barbara , Berthele Achim , Biberacher Viola , Havla Joachim , Hecker Michael , Hohlfeld Reinhard , Infante-Duarte Carmen , Kirschke Jan S , Kümpfel Tania , Linker Ralf , Paul Friedemann , Pfeuffer Steffen , Sämann Philipp , Toenges Gerrit , Weber Frank , Zettl Uwe K , Jahn-Eimermacher Antje , Antony Gisela , Groppa Sergiu , Wiendl Heinz , Hemmer Bernhard , Mühlau Mark , Lukas Carsten , Gold Ralf , Lill Christina M , Zipp Frauke 
Published: March 2018

Background: The course of multiple sclerosis (MS) shows substantial inter-individual variability. The underlying determinants of disease severity likely involve genetic and environmental factors. Objective: The aim of this study was to assess the impact of APOE and HLA polymorphisms as well as smoking and body mass index (BMI) in the very early MS course. Methods: Untreated patients ( n = 263) with a recent diagnosis of relapsing-remitting (RR) MS or clinically isolated syndrome underwent standardized magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Genotyping was performed for single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) rs3135388 tagging the HLA-DRB1*15:01 haplotype and rs7412 (Ɛ2) and rs429358 (Ɛ4) in APOE. Linear regression analyses were applied based on the three SNPs, smoking and BMI as exposures and MRI surrogate markers for disease severity as outcomes. Results: Current smoking was associated with reduced gray matter fraction, lower brain parenchymal fraction and increased cerebrospinal fluid fraction in comparison to non-smoking, whereas no effect was observed on white matter fraction. BMI and the SNPs in HLA and APOE were not associated with structural MRI parameters. Conclusions: Smoking may have an unfavorable effect on the gray matter fraction as a potential measure of MS severity already in early MS. These findings may impact patients’ counseling upon initial diagnosis of MS.
Social support predicts self-care confidence in patients with heart failure
Authors: Fivecoat Hayley C , Sayers Steven L , Riegel Barbara 
Published: March 2018

Background: Self-care for patients with heart failure includes engaging in behaviours that maintain medical stability and manage problematic symptoms, as well as the confidence in one’s ability to carry out such behaviours. Given the social context of self-care behaviours in heart failure, there has been increasing interest in social support as a predictor of self-care. Aim: The goal of the present study was to examine the role of social support in self-care across time for persons with heart failure. Methods: Using data from an observational study of patients with chronic heart failure ( n = 280), we examined the role of three types of support – instrumental support, emotional support and assistance with self-care – in the longitudinal course of self-care maintenance, management and confidence. Self-report questionnaire data were collected at baseline and at three and six months later. Results: We found that instrumental and emotional support predicted better self-care confidence on average and that self-care confidence improved at a faster rate for those with less instrumental support. Emotional support was positively associated with self-care management and self-care confidence, and assistance with self-care was positively associated with self-care maintenance. Conclusion: These findings highlight the contribution of social support to self-care in heart failure and provide guidance for future family-based interventions to improve self-care.
Self-Determination Theory Can Help You Generate Performance and Well-Being in the Workplace: A Review of the Literature
Authors: Manganelli Lara , Thibault-Landry Anaïs , Forest Jacques , Carpentier Joëlle 
Published: March 2018

The Problem According to self-determination theory (SDT), employees can experience different types of motivation with respect to their work. The presence of the different types of motivation is important given that, compared with controlled regulation (introjected and extrinsic motivation), autonomous regulation (intrinsic and identified motivation) leads to a host of positive individual and organizational outcomes. Despite this empirically validated phenomenon, managers remain unaware of the outcomes of motivation in the workplace and of the practices that can foster autonomous regulation through psychological need satisfaction. The focus of the article will be to review relevant literature to reveal the benefits that SDT principles can bring to the workplace. The Solution Managers are encouraged to promote autonomous regulation first by assessing their employees’ motivation for a particular outcome and by structuring three elements of the work environment (job design, interpersonal relationships/leadership, and compensation) in such a way as to facilitate need satisfaction (autonomy, competence, and relatedness). Some questions we try to answer are as follows: What are the outcomes of different motivation types in the workplace? Why are an employee’s basic psychological needs important to consider? What kinds of tools are available to assess employees’ motivation with regard to their work? Which work practices are likely to encourage autonomous regulation? The Stakeholders Employees, managers (individuals in direct contact with employees), leaders (individuals who oftentimes are in a position to influence organizational strategies and processes) and human resource development (HRD) practitioners interested in stimulating optimal functioning at work.
Long-Term Follow-Up Confirms Prognostic Impact of Pai-1 and Cathepsin D and L in Primary Breast Cancer
Authors: Harbeck N. , Alt U. , Berger U. , Kates R. , Krüger A. , Thomssen C. , JÄnicke F. , Graeff H. , Schmitt M. 
Published: March 2018

After long-term follow-up, the prognostic impact of the following proteolytic factors associated with tumor invasion and metastasis was evaluated in 276 primary breast cancer patients: uPA (urokinase-type plasminogen activator), PAI-1 (uPA inhibitor type 1), and cathepsins B, D and L. The median follow-up of patients still alive at the time of analysis was 109 months. To date 119 patients (43%) have relapsed and 117 (42%) have died. Antigen levels of uPA and PAI-1 were determined by ELISA in detergent extracts; cathepsin B, D, and L content was determined in cytosol fractions of the primary tumor: cathepsin D by ELSA and cathepsin B and L by ELISA. In multivariate analysis (Cox model) for disease-free survival (DFS), lymph node status (p<0.001; RR=3.8), cathepsin L (p<0.001; RR=2.6) and PAI-1 (p=0.027; RR=1.7) were significant factors in all patients. In addition to these factors, grading was significant for overall survival (OS). In another multivariate approach, CART (Classification And Regression Trees) analysis, lymph node status (p<0.001) turned out to be the strongest discriminator for patients at high risk of relapse. In the node-negative patient subset, PAI-1 was the strongest risk group discriminator (p<0.001): in this subset, patients with low levels of both PAI-1 and cathepsin D had a very low relapse rate of only 3.2% compared to 39% in the remaining node-negative patients. In node-positive patients cathepsin L gave the best risk group assessment (p=0.001). In conclusion, tumor-associated PAI-1 and cathepsins D and L provide significant, statistically independent prognostic information for DFS and OS in primary breast cancer, even after a median follow-up period of almost 10 years.
Cholestasis is the Main Determinant of Abnormal CA 19–9 Levels in Patients with Liver Cirrhosis
Authors: Giannini E. , Borro P. , Botta F. , Chiarbonello B. , Fasoli A. , Malfatti F. , Romagnoli P. , Testa E. , Risso D. , Lantieri P.B. , Antonucci A. , Boccato M. , Milone S. , Testa R. 
Published: March 2018

Background/Aims Altered CA19–9 levels are commonly found in patients with liver cirrhosis though a clear explanation for this finding has not yet been given. The aim of this study was to investigate whether CA19–9 levels might be related to alterations in biochemical parameters and/or to functional impairment in cirrhotic patients with and without hepatocellular carcinoma. Methods: We studied 126 patients with liver cirrhosis, 60 of whom also had hepatocellular carcinoma. CA19–9 values were related to clinical, biochemical and functional parameters. In half of the patients CA19–9 levels were related to the monoethylglycinexylidide test, which is a dynamic liver function test. Results In more than half the cases CA19–9 values were above the upper limit. Liver function worsening as assessed by Child-Pugh's score and monoethylglycinexylidide test did not seem to influence the alteration of the marker. By contrast, in univariate analysis CA19–9 correlated with aminotransferases, γ-glutamyltransferase and alkaline phosphatase. Multivariate analysis showed that besides alkaline phosphatase also the presence of hepatocellular carcinoma might influence the alteration of CA19–9, although the marker was of no use for the diagnosis of liver cancer in patients with altered though not diagnostic α-fetoprotein levels. Conclusions In our study we confirmed the correlation of CA19–9 levels with cholestasis and cytolysis parameters. Moreover, we found no association between CA19–9 levels and impaired liver function as assessed by means of the Child-Pugh's score and the monoethylglycinexylidide test, which is cholestasis-independent and explores liver metabolic and clearance activities. The cholestatic picture that characterizes liver cirrhosis might enhance the expression and passage of the marker from the bile to the blood. The addition of CA19–9 assessment is not useful for the diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with non-diagnostic levels of α-fetoprotein. Caution should therefore be used when evaluating CA19–9 in cirrhotic patients with cholestasis, since false positive results may occur.
Surrogate Markers of Tumoral Angiogenesis
Authors: Byrne G.J. , Bundred N.J. 
Published: March 2018

Background Angiogenesis is a prerequisite for tumor growth and metastasis. Vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) is expressed on endothelial cells as a result of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) stimulation. Purpose To determine if measurement in serum of VEGF or VCAM-1 provides an accurate measure of tumor angiogenesis. Methods VCAM-1 and VEGF were measured in the serum of women with early and advanced breast cancer by ELISA. Levels were compared to levels of VCAM-1 and VEGF in women with normal breasts and levels of the endothelial glycoprotein von Willebrand factor. Levels of VEGF and VCAM-1 in women with early breast cancer were correlated with established clinicopathological prognostic markers and intratumoral microvessel density (IMD). Results In early breast cancer serum VCAM-1 correlated closely with the microvessel density in tumors (r=0.61, p<0.001). Women with lymph node-positive and high-grade tumors had higher levels of serum VCAM-1 than women with lymph node-negative and low-grade tumors. Serum VEGF demonstrated no correlation with established prognostic features or IMD. Levels of VCAM-1 and VEGF were raised in women with advanced breast cancer. Conclusion Serum VCAM-1 is a surrogate marker of angiogenesis in breast cancer and its measurement may help in the assessment of antiangiogenic drugs currently in phase II trials.
Validation of Blood Collection Procedures for the Determination of Circulating Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) in Different Blood Compartments
Authors: Dittadi R. , Meo S. , Fabris F. , Gasparini G. , Contri D. , Medici M. , Gion M. 
Published: March 2018

Aims of the study. Studies on circulating VEGF have reported mixed results, possibly due to a lack of standardization of the pre-analytical phase. The aim of our investigation was to standardize the sampling procedure for the determination of VEGF in different blood fractions. Basic procedures. We evaluated various clotting times for obtaining serum in 30 subjects, as well as different procedures for the preparation of plasma Edinburgh anticoagulant mixture (EDTA, PGE1, theophylline) and CTAD. VEGF was also assayed in lysed whole blood. In vitro platelet activation was monitored by measuring the levels of PF4. VEGF and PF4 were measured using commercially available enzyme-linked immunoassays. Main findings. Clotting time increased the release of VEGF, which reached a plateau between 2 and 4 hours. The percent increase of VEGF at 2 hours ranged from 118% to 4515% (median 327%) compared to samples centrifuged within 10 min from withdrawal. VEGF was not different and PF4 was very low or undetectable in Edinburgh plasma and CTAD plasma, while it was significantly higher in sodium citrate plasma. VEGF in CTAD plasma was not correlated with platelet count or leukocytes. Serum VEGF did not correlate with the leukocyte number, but it correlated significantly with the platelet count. Principal conclusions. The procedures for sample collection described above are highly standardized and easy to perform in a routine setting. We therefore suggest systematic evaluation of VEGF in CTAD plasma, in serum (clotting for 2 hours at room temperature) and in whole blood, until prospective controlled clinical studies will have clarified in which blood compartment(s) VEGF provides clinically relevant information.
Evaluation of HER-2/neu in Serum and Tissue of Primary and Metastatic Breast Cancer Patients using an Automated Enzyme Immunoassay
Authors: Dittadi R. , Zancan M. , Perasole A. , Gion M. 
Published: March 2018

Serum HER-2/neu concentrations were evaluated in 172 healthy subjects, 176 primary and 55 metastatic breast cancer patients, employing a new automated assay (Bayer Immuno 1™ serum HER-2/neu). Using 13 ng/mL as the cutoff, abnormal HER-2/neu serum levels were found in 8% (14/176) of primary and 50.9% (28/55) of metastatic breast cancer patients. Both in primary and metastatic breast cancer a significant relationship was found with the stage of the disease when serum HER-2/neu was considered as a categorized variable (p=0.0003 and p=0.02, respectively), but not when it was taken as a continuous variable (p=0.247 and p=0.146, respectively). Moreover, we evaluated the correlation between Immuno 1™ HER-2/neu and Oncogene Research Products ELISA assay in 53 normal subjects, 46 primary and 34 metastatic breast cancer patients. The correlation was relatively good (p<0.0001), although substantial differences could be found in single cases. The Immuno 1™ assay was also evaluated for the first time in breast cancer tissue. The method, which showed good performance both in terms of imprecision and linearity, was used to measure HER-2/neu protein in 140 cytosol samples from primary breast cancer tissue and in homogenates from 40 matched cases. The correlation between the two matrixes was very close (p<0.0001). By contrast, no correlation was found between serum and matched cytosol (p=0.101) or ho-mogenate samples (p=0.511).
Human Kallikrein 14 (Klk14) Expression in Salivary Gland Tumors
Authors: Hashem Nelly N. , Mara Thomas W. , Mohamed Mohamed , Zhang Irene , Fung Kevin , Kwan Keith F. , Daley Thomas D. , Diamandis Eleftherios P. , Darling Mark R. 
Published: March 2018

Objective To analyze the expression of human kallikrein 14 (KLK14) in salivary gland tumors. Methods A standard immunoperoxidase staining technique was used to assess the expression profile of KLK14 in normal salivary glands and tumors including pleomorphic adenoma (PA; n=17), adenoid cystic carcinoma (ACC; n=13) and mucoepidermoid carcinoma (MEC; n=9). Tumor stage, grade, patient age and gender, and site of occurrence were recorded. These clinical parameters were correlated with KLK14 levels in malignant tumors. The expression profiles for KLK3, 5, 6, 8 and 13 were also retrieved. Results Normal salivary glands, PA, ACC and MEC showed strong expression of KLK14 in ductal and non-ductal cells. Both PA and ACC showed higher KLK14 levels than normal glands and MEC tissues. There were no statistically significant associations between levels of KLK14 and clinical parameters. Conclusions The differences in the levels of KLK14 suggest that KLKs may aid in the differential diagnosis of salivary gland tumors. The coexpression of KLKs suggests their possible involvement in an enzymatic pathway activated in salivary gland. KLK14 may be a promising new biomarker in salivary gland tumors.
Prognostic Value of Membrane Type 1 and 2 Matrix Metalloproteinase Expression and Gelatinase a Activity in Bladder Cancer
Authors: Mohammad Mohammad A. , Ismael Naglaa R. , Shaarawy Sabry M. , El-Merzabani Mahmoud M. 
Published: March 2018

Purpose To analyze the behavior of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) in their active state in patients with bladder cancer. Method A retrospective study of 50 patients with localized bladder cancer who underwent tumor resection between June 2006 and June 2007 at the National Cancer Institute in Cairo, Egypt was carried out. Tissue samples were collected and the expression of membrane type 1 (MT1) and type 2 (MT2) MMPs was determined by Western blotting. Gelatinase A (MMP-2) activity was estimated by zymographic analysis in tissue samples of each patient and the values were correlated with clinical tumor stage and lymph node status. Result The behavior of MMP-2 showed statistical significance in 90% of tumor tissues compared with 22% of adjacent normal tissues (p<0.001). MT1-MMP was expressed in 88% of tumor tissues compared with 24% of normal tissues (p<0.001); MT2-MMP was expressed in 74% of tumor tissues compared with 12% of normal tissues (p<0.001). While there was a highly significant association between MMP-2 activity and MT1-MMP expression in tumor tissues (p<0.001), there was a moderately significant association between MMP-2 activity and MT2-MMP expression (p=0.018). The results also revealed an association between MT1-MMP and MT2-MMP expression in tumor tissues (p<0.001). MMP-2 activity and MT2-MMP expression in tumor tissues were statistically associated with high tumor stage (p=0.039 and p=0.014, respectively), while the expression of MT1-MMP showed no association with tumor stage (p=0.139). Conclusion MMP-2 activity is associated with an increase in MT2-MMP expression and with lymph node metastasis. No association was found between MT1-MMP expression and lymph node metastasis.
Evaluation of Serum Dna Integrity as a Screening and Prognostic Tool in Patients with Hepatitis C Virus-Related Hepatocellular Carcinoma
Authors: El-Shazly Sherien F. , Eid Manal A. , El-Sourogy Hesham A. , Attia Gehan F. , Ezzat Sherif A. 
Published: March 2018

Background Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is a common malignancy in Egypt due to the high frequency of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection among the general population. Circulating free DNA is a potential molecular marker for the diagnosis and prognosis of malignant tumors. DNA released from apoptotic cells usually consists of short uniform fragments while DNA released from cancer cells is longer. The ratio of long DNA fragments to total DNA (DNA integrity) may be a potential marker for early detection of HCC and its progression in HCV patients. Methods Sera from 25 patients with HCV-related HCC, 25 patients with chronic HCV infection, and 15 healthy volunteers were examined for Alu repeats by quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR) using 2 sets of primers of 115 and 247 base pairs. DNA integrity was calculated as the ratio of 247-bp to 115-bp Alu fragments. Results Compared with healthy volunteers and HCV patients, significantly higher DNA integrity was found in HCC patients. DNA integrity was associated with tumor size, TNM stage, vascular invasion, lymph node involvement, and distant metastasis. DNA integrity had a higher sensitivity and specificity in discriminating HCC from HCV patients than total DNA. Patients with high DNA integrity had a significantly shorter overall survival and high DNA integrity was shown to be an independent prognostic factor for survival in HCV-related HCC. Conclusions DNA integrity is a promising molecular biomarker for detecting HCC in patients with chronic HCV infection; it reflects the progression and metastatic potential of the tumor, and high DNA integrity is associated with short overall survival in HCV-related HCC.
Analysis of Methylation Patterns and Expression Profiles of P14Arf Gene in Patients with Oral Squamous Cell Carcinoma
Authors: Kordi-Tamandani Dor Mohammad , Moazeni-Roodi Abdolkarim , Ladez Mohammad Ayoub Rigi , Hashemi Mohammad , Birjandian Elnaz , Torkamanzehi Adam 
Published: March 2018

Aims To analyze the promoter methylation profile and mRNA expression of the p14ARF gene in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC). Methods Promoter methylation of the p14ARF gene was investigated by methylation-specific polymerase chain reaction in paraffin-embedded tissues from 76 patients with OSCC and 57 oral tissues used as healthy controls. Expression of p14ARF mRNA was also determined using real-time quantitative reverse-transcription PCR. The methylation status and mRNA level profile of the gene and their relationship with clinical data were analyzed. Results Methylation of the p14ARF gene in OSCC was significantly increased compared to normal control tissues (χ2 = 16.73, p<0.0001). The relative expression of p14ARF mRNA in OSCC was not significantly different from that in healthy control samples. Conclusion Promoter methylation of p14ARF may be an important mechanism in OSCC, and its determination may be considered an important tool in the early diagnosis and treatment of OSCC.