1.One-Stage Repair of an Interrupted Aortic Arch with an Aortopulmonary Window in a Premature Neonate.
Dimitrios BOBOS ; Meletios A KANAKIS ; Sofia KOULOURI ; Nicholas M GIANNOPOULOS
The Korean Journal of Thoracic and Cardiovascular Surgery 2015;48(6):411-414
Interrupted aortic arch with an aortopulmonary window is a rare congenital entity that is associated with high morbidity and mortality, especially in premature low-birth-weight infants, and the proper timing of surgical correction remains a matter of debate. We present the case of a premature infant weighing 1.6 kg who successfully underwent one stage surgical repair to treat interrupted aortic arch with an aortopulmonary window. The therapeutic management of this patient is described below, and a review of the literature is presented.
Aorta, Thoracic*
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Aortopulmonary Septal Defect
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Humans
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Infant, Low Birth Weight
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Infant, Newborn*
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Infant, Premature
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Mortality
2.Clinical Significance of Major Angiogenesis-Related Effectors in Patients with Metastatic Breast Cancer Treated with Trastuzumab-Based Regimens
Helen P. KOUREA ; Foteinos-Ioannis DIMITRAKOPOULOS ; Georgia-Angeliki KOLIOU ; Anna BATISTATOU ; Kyriaki PAPADOPOULOU ; Mattheos BOBOS ; Anthoula ASIMAKI-VLACHOPOULOU ; Sofia CHRISAFI ; Kitty PAVLAKIS ; Kyriakos CHATZOPOULOS ; Eleni GALANI ; George PENTHEROUDAKIS ; Dimitrios PECTASIDES ; Dimitrios BAFALOUKOS ; Eleni RES ; Pavlos PAPAKOSTAS ; Angelos KOUTRAS ; Vassiliki KOTOULA ; George FOUNTZILAS
Cancer Research and Treatment 2022;54(4):1053-1064
Purpose:
Angiogenesis is a crucial phenomenon in the development and progression of breast cancer (BC), but the clinical significance of angiogenesis-related proteins in metastatic BC remains unknown. This study investigates the prognostic value of vascular endothelial growth factor receptors 1, 2, 3 (VEGFR1, VEGFR2, VEGFR3) as well as vascular endothelial growth factors A and C (VEGFA and VEGFC) in metastatic BC patients treated with trastuzumab-based regimens.
Materials and Methods:
Two hundred female patients were included. Protein and mRNA expression of the studied angiogenesis-related factors were evaluated by immunohistochemistry and quantitative polymerase chain reaction, respectively.
Results:
High expression of VEGFA, VEGFC, VEGFR1, VEGFR2, and VEGFR3 in the tumor cells was observed in 43.5%, 24.2%, 36%, 29.5%, and 43%, respectively. Stromal elements expressed high levels of VEGFA, VEGFC, VEGFR1, VEGFR2, and VEGFR3 in 78.9%, 93.3%, 90.7%, 90.2%, and 74.8% of tumors with available data. High tumor cell expression of VEGFR1 was a favorable prognosticator for survival among patients with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)–positive tumors (hazard ratio [HR], 0.55; p=0.013). A trend towards longer progression-free survival was detected univariately for patients with HER2-negative tumors and high expression of VEGFR2 (HR, 0.60; p=0.059).
Conclusion
VEGFR1 and VEGFR2 seem to have significant prognostic value in BC patients with metastatic disease treated with trastuzumab-based regimens.