Objective To observe the levels of serum VEGF in different molecular subtypes of breast cancer and explore its relationship with response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Methods Levels of serum VEGF in 110 cases with breast cancer underwent neoadjuvant chemotherapy were detected by ELISA prior to and after 3 cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Clinical response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy was evaluated by physical examination and ultrasonography. Results Levels of serum VEGF were significantly increased in breast cancer patients with≥4 lymph node metastasis than those with < 4 lymph node[(307.31 ± 101.42) pg/mL vs. (170.16 ± 73.07) pg/mL,P = 0.017]. Patients with positive HER-2 status had significantly higher levels of serum VEGF than those with HER-2 negative status [(235.15 ± 88.42 ) pg/mL vs. (179.82 ± 69.90) pg/mL, P = 0.024]. No significant difference was observed among age , menopausal status and hormone status. In patients with neoadjuvant chemotherapy of cCR and Cpr,the mean levels of serum VEGF were (205.75 ± 78.12) pg/mL and (226.04 ± 89.04) pg/mL, respectively. After 3 cycles of chemotherapy, levels of serum VEGF decreased to (145.15 ± 67.08) pg/mL and (161.27 ± 93.57) pg/mL. There was significant difference between two groups (P=0.009,0.014). In patients with SD or PD response, no significant difference was observed between levels of serum VEGF before and after chemotherapy (P = 0.577). Conclusions Levels of serum VEGF in breast cancer correlate with lymph nodes metastasis and HER-2 status and may decrease after neoadjuvant chemotherapy. However,whether or not the levels of serum VEGF can be used as a biomarker for response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy needs more further studies.

Objective The aim of the present study is to measure multi-directional strain in patients with hyperuricemia through 3-dimensional speckle-tracking echocardiography (3D-STE) in order to investigate the left ventricular function early changes and clinical application value of 3D-STE. Methods 3-dimension dynamic images of left ventricular full volume in Apical 4-chamber heart view was collected and stored. 3-dimensional specke-tracking technology was applied to measure and compare the left ventricular multi-directional strain of patients with hyperuricemia and healthy controls in order to evaluate the left ventricular systolic function. Results A total of 24 healthy controls and 38 patients with hyperuricemia were included into the study. Among them,patients with hyperuricemia were divided into simple hyperuricemia group(n=12), hyperuricemia complicated with hyperlipidemia group (n=16)and hyperuricemia complicated with both hyper-tension and hyperlipidemia group (n=10). The circumferential strain [(-18.8±4.4)% vs (-25.9±6.4)%, t=-3.48, P=0.001] and area strain [(-31.2±3.9)% vs (-36.8±7.1)%, t=-2.55, P=0.018] of patients with simple hyper-uricemia significantly decreased compared with healthy controls. Besides, the circumferential strain [(-19.9 ± 5.8)% vs (-25.9 ±6.4)%, t=-3.02, P=0.002], longitudinal strain [(-12.6 ±3.3)% vs (-14.4 ±2.5)%, t=-1.95, P=0.038] and area strain [(-29.9±6.6)% vs (-25.9±6.4)%, t=-3.15, P=0.001] of patients with hyperuricemia complicated with hyperlipidemia significantly decreased compared with healthy controls. Conclusion Myo-cardial strain of patients with hyperuricemia complicated with hyperlipidemia or not is both decreased, indicating a decline in left ventricular systolic function.