Guzin Gonullu

Plakophilins (PKP) are desmosomal plague proteins, which belong to the p120ctn subfamily of armadillo repeat containing proteins. We aimed to analyze the role of plakophilins in breast cancer and its clinical progress. We have performed immunohistochemical study of the PKP1,2,3 in breast carcinoma. The study included 108 patients with breast cancer and 26 age- and sex-matched healthy controls. We investigated the associations between staining intensity and some clinicopathologic features like tumor size, axillary node status, stage, lymphovascular invasion, perineural invasion, grade, hormone receptor status, and c-erb B2. The mean age of patients was 46 years (22–78). In breast cancer, compared with normal tissue, PKP1 and PKP2 expressions were indifferent (P > 0.05), but PKP3 expression was significantly increased in breast cancer (P = 0.0014). Although PKP1 and PKP2 expression levels were not correlated with clinicopathological parameters, increased PKP3 expression was positively correlated with node positivity and grade (P = 0.000, P = 0.000). Conclusion: Overexpressed PKP3 is likely to be an essential contributor to a growth-promoting pathway and to aggressive features of breast cancer.

Nausea and vomiting are among the major problems occurring during and after the chemotherapy treatments of cancer patients. The recently developed 5-HT₃ antagonists have proved much more effective than former agents. Several studies have shown that these agents cause certain ECG changes. We aimed to evaluate the ECG changes caused by palonosetron, one of the new 5-HT₃ antagonists. Our study includes a total of 50 patients diagnosed with solid-organ tumors receiving chemotherapy. The patients were applied 12-lead ECG before palonosetron infusion. Afterwards, subsequent ECGs were applied on the 30th, 60th, and 90th minutes following the infusion of palonosetron. Arterial blood pressure was measured before and after the infusion. PR, QRS, QT, QTmax, QTmin, QTd, Pmax, Pmin, Pd, QTc, QTcmax, QTcmin, and QTcd values were evaluated for each ECG. We did not detect significant correlations between the systolic and diastolic blood pressures before and after (30 min) palonosetron infusion (p > 0.05). However, there was a statistically significant decrease in heart rate (p = 0.000). The evaluation of ECG findings revealed that there was a significant prolongation in PR distance, as shown by the comparisons of 0 min with 30, 60, and 90 min. On the other hand, there was no significant difference in QRS, QT, QTmax, QTmin, QTd, Pmax, Pmin, Pd, QTc, QTcmax, QTcmin, and QTcd values (p > 0.05). In this study, we revealed that palonosetron did not cause any severe rhythmic disorders or symptomatic ECG changes. We concluded that it could be safe to administer palonosetron antiemetically.

Purpose In this study, we have examined the correlation between colorectal cancer (CRC) and serum adiponectin and resistin levels, body mass index and insulin resistance. Methods The relation between serum adiponectin and resistin levels, obesity and insulin resistance in 36 CRC patients and 37 controls was examined. Results Insulin and homeostasis model assessment insulin resistance index (HOMA-IR) levels were higher, and adiponectin levels were significantly decreased in patients versus controls, whereas, resistin levels were significantly increased. A negative correlation between adiponectin, HOMA-IR, and insulin and a positive correlation between HOMA-IR, insulin, and stage were detected. There was no correlation between the stage and resistin. Adiponectin level negatively correlated with the stage. Adiponectin and resistin could play a role in colon cancer carcinogenesis, and adiponectin could be responsible for poor prognosis in colorectal cancer.

Cancer affects not only the individuals with cancer, but also their families considerably. The aim of this study was to determine the sociodemographic characteristics and home care needs of caregivers of cancer patients receiving chemotherapy and evaluate their quality of life scores. A total of 126 primary caregivers of patients receiving chemotherapy who were eligible for inclusion criteria participated in the study. Data were collected using a questionnaire that included sociodemographic questions for both patients and caregivers and the World Health Organization Quality of Life-Short Form, Turkish Version (WHOQOL-BREF(TR)) for the caregivers. The mean domain scores of WHOQOL-BREF(TR) were 15.3 ± 2.8 for physical, 14.6 ± 2.8 for psychological, 14.4 ± 3.3 for social, 13.7 ± 2.8 for environment, and 14 ± 2.5 for national environment domains. Caregivers were, on average, younger than the patients and the mean age of the caregivers was 45 years. Around 70% of caregivers were living with the patients, 60.3% of caregivers shared the care-giving process with someone else, and his/her children supported in care-giving activities in 20.6%. According to caregivers, patients needed assistance for one or more daily living activities. Caregivers’ higher age, unemployment status, female gender, low education level, their own diagnosed health problems, care duration above 18 months, and having difficulties to continue social activities had negative effects on their quality of life. Cancer patients’ families are also affected from cancer. We may suggest that including caregivers in the context of home care and universalizing home care programs can reduce caregivers’ burden.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the association of cytokine gene polymorphism with the development of breast cancer. METHODS: The study was carried out in Uludag University Medical School, Bursa, Turkey. The study included 38 patients with breast cancer admitted to the Medical Oncology outpatient clinic, and 24 healthy controls, age and sex matched, from the Internal Medicine Department between 2004 and 2005. All genotyping of tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), tumor growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1), interleukin (IL)-10, IL-6, and interferon-y (IFN-y) experiments were performed using polymerase chain reaction sequence-specific primers. RESULTS: The frequencies of IL-6-174GC genotype and IL-10 (-1082, -819, -592) GCC/ATA haplotype were significantly higher in the patient group (p=0.0008) when compared with controls (p=0.020). Significantly lower frequencies of IL-10 (-1082, -819, -592) ACC/ATA haplotype were observed in the patient group in comparison to the controls (p=0.026). The distribution of IFN-y +874, TNF-alpha 308, and TGF-beta1 codon 10-25 genotypes failed to show any statistical significant association with the development of breast cancer. CONCLUSION: Our data suggest that IL-10 (-1082, -819, -592) GCC/ATA haplotype and IL-6-174 GC genotype seem to be potential risk factors for the development of breast cancer. The presence of IL-10ACC/ATA haplotype may be protective for the oncogenesis of breast cancer.

Capecitabine is a chemotherapeutic drug for use in cancers. Hand–foot syndrome (HFS) is side effect of capecitabine which can lead the cessation of the therapy or dose reduction. Henna (Lawsonia inermis) is a traditionally used plant of Middle-East that is applied on hands and feet. Some of cancer patients in capecitabine treatment who developed HFS, we recommended to apply henna. In these patients, six patients were grade 3 HFS and four were grade 2 HFS. Complete response (CR) were seen in four of grade 3 HFS and all of grade 2; two grade 3 HFS improved to grade 1. So far, in the chemotherapy, there was no need of dose reduction and also no side effect of henna seen. Clinical improvement in these patients may relate to anti-inflammatory, antipyretic and analgesic effects of henna. Prospective studies are needed to show this therapeutic effect of henna.