1621. Combining radiotherapy and immunotherapy in definitive treatment of head and neck squamous cell carcinoma : review of current clinical trialsGaber Plavc, Primož Strojan, 2020, pregledni znanstveni članek Povzetek: Head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) presents as locally advanced disease in a majority of patients and is prone to relapse despite aggressive treatment. Since immune checkpoint inhibitors (ICI) have shown clinically significant efficacy in patients with recurrent/metastatic HNSCC (R/M HNSCC), a plethora of trials are investigating their role in earlier stages of disease. At the same time, preclinical data showed the synergistic role of concurrently administered radiotherapy and ICIs (immunoradiotherapy) and explained several mechanisms behind it. Therefore, this approach is prospectively tested in a neoadjuvant, definitive, or adjuvant setting in non-R/M HNSCC patients. Due to the intricate relationship between host, immunotherapy, chemotherapy, and radiotherapy, each of these approaches has its advantages and disadvantages. In this narrative review we present the biological background of immunoradiotherapy, as well as a rationale for, and possible flaws of, each treatment approach, and provide readers with a critical summary of completed and ongoing trials. Conclusions. While immunotherapy with ICIs has already become a standard part of treatment in patients with R/M HNSCC, its efficacy in a non-R/M HNSCC setting is still the subject of extensive clinical testing. Irradiation can overcome some of the cancer%s immune evasive manoeuvres and can lead to a synergistic effect with ICIs, with possible additional benefits of concurrent platinum-based chemotherapy. However, the efficacy of this combination is not robust and details in trial design and treatment delivery seem to be of unprecedented importance. Ključne besede: head and neck neoplasms, immunoradiotherapy, radiotherapy, immunotherapy Objavljeno v DiRROS: 16.07.2024; Ogledov: 340; Prenosov: 96 Celotno besedilo (348,95 KB) |
1622. Modern treatment of vulvar cancerSebastjan Merlo, 2020, pregledni znanstveni članek Povzetek: Vulvar cancer accounts for 3%5% of malignant diseases of the female genital tract. The Slovenian incidence rate is 5.5/100,000, which means 57 new cases per year. The most common histological type (90%) is squamous cell carcinoma. Based on etiology, it can be classified into the first type which correlates with human papillomavirus (HPV) infection and the second type which is not associated with HPV. The most common and long-lasting symptom of vulvar cancer is pruritus. The preferred diagnostic procedure to confirm the diagnosis is a punch or incision biopsy. Surgery in combination with radiotherapy is the standard treatment for vulvar cancer. Sentinel lymph node biopsy with lymphoscintigraphy is now a standard part of surgical treatment. Chemotherapy is a palliative treatment option. Conclusions. Vulvar cancer is a rare disease. Because of the pathogenesis, surgery and radiotherapy are the main treatment modalities. The sentinel node biopsy (SNB) represents a contemporary approach to the vulvar cancer treatment and significantly reduces morbidity. Improvements in treatment of vulvar cancer contributed to the decrease of mortality among Slovenian women. Ključne besede: vulvar cancer, surgical treatment, sentinel lymph node biopsy, lymphoscintigraphy Objavljeno v DiRROS: 16.07.2024; Ogledov: 334; Prenosov: 91 Celotno besedilo (235,46 KB) |
1623. The influence of genetic variability in IL1B and MIR146A on the risk of pleural plaques and malignant mesotheliomaPetra Piber, Neža Vavpetič, Katja Goričar, Vita Dolžan, Viljem Kovač, Alenka Franko, 2020, izvirni znanstveni članek Povzetek: Asbestos exposure is associated with the development of pleural plaques as well as malignant mesothelioma (MM). Asbestos fibres activate macrophages, leading to the release of inflammatory mediators including interleukin 1 beta (IL-1%). The expression of IL-1% may be influenced by genetic variability of IL1B gene or regulatory microRNAs (miRNAs). This study investigated the effect of polymorphisms in IL1B and MIR146A genes on the risk of developing pleural plaques and MM. Subjects and methods. In total, 394 patients with pleural plaques, 277 patients with MM, and 175 healthy control subjects were genotyped for IL1B and MIR146A polymorphisms. Logistic regression was used in statistical analysis. Results. We found no association between MIR146A and IL1B genotypes, and the risk of pleural plaques. MIR146A rs2910164 was significantly associated with a decreased risk of MM (OR = 0.31, 95% CI = 0.13%0.73, p = 0.008). Carriers of two polymorphic alleles had a lower risk of developing MM, even after adjustment for gender and age (OR = 0.34, 95% CI = 0.14%0.85, p = 0.020). Among patients with known asbestos exposure, carriers of at least one polymorphic IL1B rs1143623 allele also had a lower risk of MM in multivariable analysis (OR = 0.50, 95% CI = 0.28%0.92, p = 0.025). The interaction between IL1B rs1143623 and IL1B rs1071676 was significantly associated with an increased risk of MM (p = 0.050). Conclusions. Our findings suggest that genetic variability of inflammatory mediator IL-1% could contribute to the risk of developing MM, but not pleural plaques. Ključne besede: asbestos, genetic variation, malignant mesothelioma, pleural plaques Objavljeno v DiRROS: 16.07.2024; Ogledov: 385; Prenosov: 96 Celotno besedilo (327,61 KB) |
1624. Consolidation radiotherapy for patients with extended disease small cell lung cancer in a single tertiary institution : impact of dose and perspectives in the era of immunotherapyKarmen Stanič, Martina Vrankar, Jasna But-Hadžić, 2020, izvirni znanstveni članek Povzetek: Consolidation radiotherapy (cRT) in extended disease small cell lung cancer (ED-SCLC) showed improved 2-year overall survival in patients who responded to chemotherapy (ChT) in CREST trial, however results of two meta - analysis were contradictive. Recently, immunotherapy was introduced to the treatment of ED-SCLC, making the role of cRT even more unclear. The aim of our study was to access if consolidation thoracic irradiation improves survival of ED-SCLC patients treated in a routine clinical practice and to study the impact of cRT dose on survival. We also discuss the future role of cRT in the era of immunotherapy. Patients and methods. We retrospectively reviewed 704 consecutive medical records of patients with small cell lung cancer treated at the Institute of Oncology Ljubljana from January 2010 to December 2014 with median follow up of 65 months. We analyzed median overall survival (mOS) of patients with ED-SCLC treated with ChT only and those treated with ChT and cRT. We also compared mOS of patients treated with different consolidation doses and performed univariate and multivariate analysis of prognostic factors. Results. Out of 412 patients with ED-SCLC, ChT with cRT was delivered to 74 patients and ChT only to 113 patients. Patients with cRT had significantly longer mOS compared to patients with ChT only, 11.1 months (CI 10.1%12.0) vs. 7.6 months (CI 6.9%8.5, p < 0.001) and longer 1-year OS (44% vs. 23%, p = 0.0025), while the difference in 2-year OS was not significantly different (10% vs. 5%, p = 0.19). The cRT dose was not uniform. Higher dose with 45 Gy (in 18 fractions) resulted in better mOS compared to lower doses 30%36 Gy (in 10%12 fractions), 17.2 months vs. 10.3 months (p = 0.03) and statistically significant difference was also seen for 1-year OS (68% vs. 30%, p = 0.01) but non significant for 2-year OS (18% vs. 5%, p = 0.11). Conclusions. Consolidation RT improved mOS and 1-year OS in ED-SCLC as compared to ChT alone. Higher dose of cRT resulted in better mOS and 1-year OS compared to lower dose. Consolidation RT, higher number of ChT cycles and prophylactic cranial irradiation (PCI) were independent prognostic factors for better survival in our analysis. For patients who received cRT, only higher doses and PCI had impact on survival regardless of number of ChT cycles received. Role of cRT in the era of immunotherapy is unknown and should be exploited in further trials. Ključne besede: radiotherapy, small lung cancer, clinical cases, immunotherapy Objavljeno v DiRROS: 16.07.2024; Ogledov: 373; Prenosov: 137 Celotno besedilo (458,53 KB) |
1625. Bacterial indicators are ubiquitous members of pelagic microbiome in anthropogenically impacted coastal ecosystemNeža Orel, Eduard Fadeev, Katja Klun, Matjaž Ličer, Tinkara Tinta, Valentina Turk, 2022, izvirni znanstveni članek Povzetek: Coastal zones are exposed to various anthropogenic impacts, such as different types of wastewater pollution, e.g., treated wastewater discharges, leakage from sewage systems, and agricultural and urban runoff. These various inputs can introduce allochthonous organic matter and microbes, including pathogens, into the coastal marine environment. The presence of fecal bacterial indicators in the coastal environment is usually monitored using traditional culture-based methods that, however, fail to detect their uncultured representatives. We have conducted a year-around in situ survey of the pelagic microbiome of the dynamic coastal ecosystem, subjected to different anthropogenic pressures to depict the seasonal and spatial dynamics of traditional and alternative fecal bacterial indicators. To provide an insight into the environmental conditions under which bacterial indicators thrive, a suite of environmental factors and bacterial community dynamics were analyzed concurrently. Analyses of 16S rRNA amplicon sequences revealed that the coastal microbiome was primarily structured by seasonal changes regardless of the distance from the wastewater pollution sources. On the other hand, fecal bacterial indicators were not affected by seasons and accounted for up to 34% of the sequence proportion for a given sample. Even more so, traditional fecal indicator bacteria (Enterobacteriaceae) and alternative wastewater-associated bacteria (Lachnospiraceae, Ruminococcaceae, Arcobacteraceae, Pseudomonadaceae and Vibrionaceae) were part of the core coastal microbiome, i.e., present at all sampling stations. Microbial source tracking and Lagrangian particle tracking, which we employed to assess the potential pollution source, revealed the importance of riverine water as a vector for transmission of allochthonous microbes into the marine system. Further phylogenetic analysis showed that the Arcobacteraceae in our data set was affiliated with the pathogenic Arcobacter cryaerophilus, suggesting that a potential exposure risk for bacterial pathogens in anthropogenically impacted coastal zones remains. We emphasize that molecular analyses combined with statistical and oceanographic models may provide new insights for environmental health assessment and reveal the potential source and presence of microbial indicators, which are otherwise overlooked by a cultivation approach. Objavljeno v DiRROS: 16.07.2024; Ogledov: 367; Prenosov: 207 Celotno besedilo (4,32 MB) Gradivo ima več datotek! Več... |
1626. Toxicity of the Diatom Genus Pseudo-nitzschia (Bacillariophyceae) : insights from toxicity tests and genetic screening in the Northern Adriatic SeaTimotej Turk Dermastia, Sonia Dall’Ara, Jožica Dolenc, Patricija Mozetič, 2022, izvirni znanstveni članek Povzetek: Diatoms of the genus Pseudo-nitzschia H.Peragallo are known to produce domoic acid (DA), a toxin involved in amnesic shellfish poisoning (ASP). Strains of the same species are often classified as both toxic and nontoxic, and it is largely unknown whether this difference is also genetic. In the Northern Adriatic Sea, there are virtually no cases of ASP, but DA occasionally occurs in shellfish samples. So far, three species—P. delicatissima (Cleve) Heiden, P. multistriata (H. Takano) H. Takano, and P. calliantha Lundholm, Moestrup, & Hasle—have been identified as producers of DA in the Adriatic Sea. By means of enzme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), high-performance liquid chromatography with UV and visible spectrum detection (HPLC-UV/VIS), and liquid chromatography with tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS), we reconfirmed the presence of DA in P. multistriata and P. delicatissima and detect for the first time in the Adriatic Sea DA in P. galaxiae Lundholm, & Moestrup. Furthermore, we attempted to answer the question of the distribution of DA production among Pseudo-nitzschia species and strains by sequencing the internal transcribed spacer (ITS) phylogenetic marker and the dabA DA biosynthesis gene and coupling this with toxicity data. Results show that all subclades of the Pseudo-nitzschia genus contain toxic species and that toxicity appears to be strain dependent, often with geographic partitioning. Amplification of dabA was successful only in toxic strains of P. multistriata and the presence of the genetic architecture for DA production in non-toxic strains was thus not confirmed. Ključne besede: Adriatic, dabA, domoic acid, Pseudo-nitzschia galaxiae Objavljeno v DiRROS: 16.07.2024; Ogledov: 354; Prenosov: 207 Celotno besedilo (2,34 MB) Gradivo ima več datotek! Več... |
1627. Phytoplankton pigments reveal size structure and interannual variability of the coastal phytoplankton community (Adriatic Sea)Vesna Flander-Putrle, Janja Francé, Patricija Mozetič, 2022, izvirni znanstveni članek Povzetek: In coastal seas, a variety of environmental variables characterise the average annual pattern of the physico-chemical environment and influence the temporal and spatial variations of phytoplankton communities. The aim of this study was to track the annual and interannual variability of phytoplankton biomass in different size classes in the Gulf of Trieste (Adriatic Sea) using phytoplankton pigments. The seasonal pattern of phytoplankton size classes showed a co-dominance of the nano and micro fractions during the spring peak and a predominance of the latter during the autumn peak. The highest picoplankton values occurred during the periods with the lowest total phytoplankton biomass, with chlorophytes dominating during the colder months and cyanobacteria during the summer. The highest number of significant correlations was found between phytoplankton taxa and size classes and temperature, nitrate and nitrite. The most obvious trend observed over the time series was an increase in picoplankton in all water layers, with the most significant trend in the bottom layer. Nano- and microplankton showed greater variation in biomass, with a decrease in nanoplankton biomass in 2011 and 2012 and negative trend in microplankton biomass in the bottom layer. These results suggest that changes in trophic relationships in the pelagic food web may also have implications for biogeochemical processes in the coastal sea. Ključne besede: phytoplankton, biomass, phytoplankton size classes, phytoplankton pigments, HPLC, interannual variability, trends, Adriatic Sea Objavljeno v DiRROS: 16.07.2024; Ogledov: 394; Prenosov: 251 Celotno besedilo (2,43 MB) Gradivo ima več datotek! Več... |
1628. The physiological impact of GFLV virus infection on grapevine water status : first observationsAnastazija Jež Krebelj, Maja Cigoj, Marija Stele, Marko Chersicola, Maruša Pompe Novak, Paolo Sivilotti, 2022, izvirni znanstveni članek Povzetek: In a vineyard, grapevines are simultaneously exposed to combinations of several abiotic (drought, extreme temperatures, salinity) and biotic stresses (phytoplasmas, viruses, bacteria). With climate change, the incidences of drought in vine growing regions are increased and the host range of pathogens with increased chances of virulent strain development has expanded. Therefore, we studied the impact of the combination of abiotic (drought) and biotic (Grapevine fanleaf virus (GFLV) infection) stress on physiological and molecular responses on the grapevine of cv. Schioppettino by studying the influence of drought and GFLV infection on plant water status of grapevines, on grapevine xylem vessel occlusion, and on expression patterns of 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase 1 (NCED1), 9-cis-epoxycarotenoid dioxygenase 2 (NCED2), WRKY encoding transcription factor (WRKY54) and RD22-like protein (RD22) genes in grapevines. A complex response of grapevine to the combination of drought and GFLV infection was shown, including priming in the case of grapevine water status, net effect in the case of area of occluded vessels in xylem, and different types of interaction of both stresses in the case of expression of four abscisic acid-related genes. Our results showed that mild (but not severe) water stress can be better sustained by GFLV infection rather than by healthy vines. GFLV proved to improve the resilience of the plants to water stress, which is an important outcome to cope with the challenges of global warming. Ključne besede: grapevine, water status, virus infection, GFLV, xylem vessel occlusion, gene expression Objavljeno v DiRROS: 16.07.2024; Ogledov: 350; Prenosov: 289 Celotno besedilo (4,43 MB) Gradivo ima več datotek! Več... |
1629. Lethal and sub-lethal effects and modulation of gene expression induced by T kinase inhibitors in zebrafish (Danio Rerio) embryosTina Eleršek, Matjaž Novak, Mateja Mlinar, Igor Virant, Nika Bahor, Karin Leben, Bojana Žegura, Metka Filipič, 2022, izvirni znanstveni članek Povzetek: Tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are designed for targeted cancer therapy. The consumption of these drugs during the last 20 years has been constantly rising. In the zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryo toxicity test, we assessed the toxicity of six TKIs: imatinib mesylate, erlotinib, nilotinib, dasatinib, sorafenib and regorafenib. Imatinib mesylate and dasatinib induced lethal effects, while regorafenib, sorfenib and dasatinib caused a significant increase of sub-lethal effects, predominantly oedema, no blood circulation and formation of blood aggregates. The analyses of the changes in the expression of selected genes associated with the hormone system after the exposure to imatinib mesylate, dasatinib and regorafenib demonstrated that all three tested TKIs deregulated the expression of oestrogen receptor esr1, cytochrome P450 aromatase (cypa19b) and hydroxysteroid-dehydrogenase (hsd3b), regorafenib, and also thyroglobulin (tg). The expression of genes involved in the DNA damage response (gadd45 and mcm6) and apoptosis (bcl2) was deregulated only by exposure to regorafenib. The data indicate that common mechanisms, namely antiangiogenic activity and interference with steroidogenesis are involved in the TKI induced sub-lethal effects and potential hormone disrupting activity, respectively. The residues of TKIs may represent an environmental hazard; therefore, further ecotoxicological studies focusing also on the effects of their mixtures are warranted. Ključne besede: aquatic toxicity, tyrosine kinase inhibitors, zebrafish embryo toxicity test, gene expression, environmental hazard Objavljeno v DiRROS: 16.07.2024; Ogledov: 359; Prenosov: 220 Celotno besedilo (9,13 MB) Gradivo ima več datotek! Več... |
1630. Hydrodynamic cavitation efficiently inactivates potato virus Y in waterArijana Filipić, Tadeja Lukežič, Katarina Bačnik, Maja Ravnikar, Meta Ješelnik, Tamara Košir, Martin Petkovšek, Mojca Zupanc, Matevž Dular, Ion Gutiérrez-Aguirre, 2022, izvirni znanstveni članek Povzetek: Waterborne plant viruses can destroy entire crops, leading not only to high financial losses but also to food shortages. Potato virus Y (PVY) is the most important potato viral pathogen that can also affect other valuable crops. Recently, it has been confirmed that this virus is capable of infecting host plants via water, emphasizing the relevance of using proper strategies to treat recycled water in order to prevent the spread of the infectious agents. Emerging environmentally friendly methods such as hydrodynamic cavitation (HC) provide a great alternative for treating recycled water used for irrigation. In the experiments conducted in this study, laboratory HC based on Venturi constriction with a sample volume of 1 L was used to treat water samples spiked with purified PVY virions. The ability of the virus to infect plants was abolished after 500 HC passes, corresponding to 50 min of treatment under pressure difference of 7 bar. In some cases, shorter treatments of 125 or 250 passes were also sufficient for virus inactivation. The HC treatment disrupted the integrity of viral particles, which also led to a minor damage of viral RNA. Reactive species, including singlet oxygen, hydroxyl radicals, and hydrogen peroxide, were not primarily responsible for PVY inactivation during HC treatment, suggesting that mechanical effects are likely the driving force of virus inactivation. This pioneering study, the first to investigate eukaryotic virus inactivation by HC, will inspire additional research in this field enabling further improvement of HC as a water decontamination technology. Ključne besede: hydrodynamic cavitation, potato virus Y, virus inactivation, water decontamination Objavljeno v DiRROS: 16.07.2024; Ogledov: 415; Prenosov: 252 Celotno besedilo (3,43 MB) Gradivo ima več datotek! Več... |