1. Cancer burden in Slovenia with the time trends analysisVesna Zadnik, Maja Primic-Žakelj, Katarina Lokar, Katja Jarm, Urška Ivanuš, Tina Žagar, 2017, original scientific article Abstract: Background The aim of our study was to describe cancer burden and time trends of all cancers combined, the most frequent as well as the rare cancers in Slovenia. Patients and methods The principal data source was the population-based Cancer Registry of Republic of Slovenia. The cancer burden is presented by incidence and prevalence for the period 1950%2013 and by mortality for years 1985%2013. The time trends were characterized in terms of an average annual percent change estimated by the log-linear joinpoint regression. The Dyba-Hakulinen method was used for estimation of incidence in 2016 and the projections of cancer incidence for the year 2025 were calculated applying the Globocan projection software. Results In recent years, near 14,000 Slovenes were diagnosed with cancer per year and just over 6,000 died; more than 94,000 people who were ever diagnosed with cancer are currently living among us. The total burden of cancer is dominated by five most common cancer sites: skin (non-melanoma), colon and rectum, lung, breast and prostate, together representing almost 60% of all new cancer cases. On average the incidence of common cancers in Slovenia is increasing for 3.0% per year in last decade, but the incidence of rare cancers is stable. Conclusions Because cancer occurs more among the elderly, and additionally more numerous post-war generation is entering this age group, it is expected that the burden of this disease will be growing further, even if the level of risk factors remains the same as today.
Keywords: cancer burden, cancer registry, incidence, prevalence
Published in DiRROS: 24.05.2024; Views: 76; Downloads: 55
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2. Genotoxicity and heating performance of VxFe3-xO4 nanoparticles in health applicationsBeatriz Sanz-Sagué, Amaia Sáenz-Hernández, Bojana Žegura, Alja Štern, Katja Kološa, Iza Rozman, 2024, original scientific article Abstract: The applications of magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) as biocatalysts in different biomedical areas have been evolved very recently. One of the main challenges in this field is to design affective MNPs surfaces with catalytically active atomic centres, while producing minimal toxicological side effects on the hosting cell or tissues. MNPs of vanadium spinel ferrite (VFe2O4) are a promising material for mimicking the action of natural enzymes in degrading harmful substrates due to the presence of active V5+ centres. However, the toxicity of this material has not been yet studied in detail enough to grant biomedical safety. In this work, we have extensively measured the structural, compositional, and magnetic properties of a series of VxFe3-xO4 spinel ferrite MNPs to assess the surface composition and oxidation state of V atoms, and also performed systematic and extensive in vitro cytotoxicity and genotoxicity testing required to assess their safety in potential clinical applications. We could establish the presence of V5+ at the particle surface even in water-based colloidal samples at pH 7, as well as different amounts of V2+ and V3+ substitution at the A and B sites of the spinel structure. All samples showed large heating efficiency with Specific Loss Power values up to 400 W/g (H0 = 30 kA/m; f = 700 kHz). Samples analysed for safety in human hepatocellular carcinoma (HepG2) cell line with up to 24h of exposure showed that these MNPs did not induce major genomic abnormalities such as micronuclei, nuclear buds, or nucleoplasmic bridges (MNIs, NBUDs, and NPBs), nor did they cause DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) or aneugenic effects—types of damage considered most harmful to cellular genetic material. The present study is an essential step towards the use of these type of nanomaterials in any biomedical or clinical application.
Keywords: magnetic nanoparticles, vanadium ferrite, cytotoxicity, genotoxicity, specific power absorption, cell viability
Published in DiRROS: 23.05.2024; Views: 58; Downloads: 37
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4. A global database of dissolved organic matter (DOM) concentration measurements in coastal waters (CoastDOM v1)Christian Lønborg, Cátia Carreira, Gwenaël Abril, Katja Klun, Tinkara Tinta, 2024, original scientific article Abstract: Measurements of dissolved organic carbon (DOC), nitrogen (DON), and phosphorus (DOP) concentrations are used to characterize the dissolved organic matter (DOM) pool and are important components of biogeochemical cycling in the coastal ocean. Here, we present the first edition of a global database (CoastDOM v1; available at https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.964012, Lønborg et al., 2023) compiling previously published and unpublished measurements of DOC, DON, and DOP in coastal waters. These data are complemented by hydrographic data such as temperature and salinity and, to the extent possible, other biogeochemical variables (e.g. chlorophyll a, inorganic nutrients) and the inorganic carbon system (e.g. dissolved inorganic carbon and total alkalinity). Overall, CoastDOM v1 includes observations of concentrations from all continents. However, most data were collected in the Northern Hemisphere, with a clear gap in DOM measurements from the Southern Hemisphere. The data included were collected from 1978 to 2022 and consist of 62 338 data points for DOC, 20 356 for DON, and 13 533 for DOP. The number of measurements decreases progressively in the sequence DOC > DON > DOP, reflecting both differences in the maturity of the analytical methods and the greater focus on carbon cycling by the aquatic science community. The global database shows that the average DOC concentration in coastal waters (average ± standard deviation (SD): 182±314 µmolC L−1; median: 103 µmolC L−1) is 13-fold higher than the average coastal DON concentration (13.6 ± 30.4 µmol N L−1; median: 8.0 µmol N L−1), which is itself 39-fold higher than the average coastal DOP concentration (0.34 ± 1.11 µmol P L−1; median: 0.18 µmol P L−1). This dataset will be useful for identifying global spatial and temporal patterns in DOM and will help facilitate the reuse of DOC, DON, and DOP data in studies aimed at better characterizing local biogeochemical processes; closing nutrient budgets; estimating carbon, nitrogen, and phosphorous pools; and establishing a baseline for modelling future changes in coastal waters.
Keywords: global database, dissolved organic matter, coastal waters, marine biology
Published in DiRROS: 17.05.2024; Views: 73; Downloads: 207
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5. Annual recurrence of prokaryotic climax communities in shallow waters of the North MediterraneanMauro Celussi, Vincenzo Manna, Elisa Banchi, Viviana Fonti, Matteo Bazzaro, Vesna Flander-Putrle, Katja Klun, Martina Kralj, Neža Orel, Tinkara Tinta, 2024, original scientific article Abstract: In temperate coastal environments, wide fluctuations of biotic and abiotic factors drive microbiome dynamics. To link recurrent ecological patterns with planktonic microbial communities, we analysed a monthly-sampled 3-year time series of 16S rRNA amplicon sequencing data, alongside environmental variables, collected at two stations in the northern Adriatic Sea. Time series multivariate analyses allowed us to identify three stable, mature communities (climaxes), whose recurrence was mainly driven by changes in photoperiod and temperature. Mixotrophs (e.g., Ca. Nitrosopumilus, SUP05 clade, and Marine Group II) thrived under oligotrophic, low-light conditions, whereas copiotrophs (e.g., NS4 and NS5 clades) bloomed at higher temperatures and substrate availability. The early spring climax was characterised by a more diverse set of amplicon sequence variants, including copiotrophs associated with phytoplankton-derived organic matter degradation, and photo-auto/heterotrophic organisms (e.g., Synechococcus sp., Roseobacter clade), whose rhythmicity was linked to photoperiod lengthening. Through the identification of recurrent climax assemblages, we begin to delineate a typology of ecosystem based on microbiome composition and functionality, allowing for the intercomparison of microbial assemblages among different biomes, a still underachieved goal in the omics era.
Keywords: marine microbial ecology, coastal seas, microbial community analyses, marine biology, marine ecology
Published in DiRROS: 17.05.2024; Views: 93; Downloads: 111
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6. Bacterial degradation of ctenophore Mnemiopsis leidyi organic matterEduard Fadeev, Jennifer H. Hennenfeind, Chie Amano, Zihao Zhao, Katja Klun, Gerhard J. Herndl, Tinkara Tinta, 2024, original scientific article Abstract: Blooms of gelatinous zooplankton, an important source of protein-rich biomass in coastal waters, often collapse rapidly, releasing large amounts of labile detrital organic matter (OM) into the surrounding water. Although these blooms have the potential to cause major perturbations in the marine ecosystem, their effects on the microbial community and hence on the biogeochemical cycles have yet to be elucidated. We conducted microcosm experiments simulating the scenario experienced by coastal bacterial communities after the decay of a ctenophore (Mnemiopsis leidyi) bloom in the northern Adriatic Sea. Within 24 h, a rapid response of bacterial communities to the M. leidyi OM was observed, characterized by elevated bacterial biomass production and respiration rates. However, compared to our previous microcosm study of jellyfish (Aurelia aurita s.l.), M. leidyi OM degradation was characterized by significantly lower bacterial growth efficiency, meaning that the carbon stored in the OM was mostly respired. Combined metagenomic and metaproteomic analysis indicated that the degradation activity was mainly performed by Pseudoalteromonas, producing a large amount of proteolytic extracellular enzymes and exhibiting high metabolic activity. Interestingly, the reconstructed metagenome-assembled genome (MAG) of Pseudoalteromonas phenolica was almost identical (average nucleotide identity >99%) to the MAG previously reconstructed in our A. aurita microcosm study, despite the fundamental genetic and biochemical differences of the two gelatinous zooplankton species. Taken together, our data suggest that blooms of different gelatinous zooplankton are likely triggering a consistent response from natural bacterial communities, with specific bacterial lineages driving the remineralization of the gelatinous OM.
Keywords: jellyfish, proteases, bacterioplankton, ocean biogeochemistry
Published in DiRROS: 16.05.2024; Views: 93; Downloads: 132
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7. Antioxidant defence-related genetic variants are not associated with higher risk of secondary thyroid cancer after treatment of malignancy in childhood or adolescenceAna Lina Vodušek, Katja Goričar, Barbara Gazić, Vita Dolžan, Janez Jazbec, 2016, original scientific article Abstract: Background. Thyroid cancer is one of the most common secondary cancers after treatment of malignancy in childhood or adolescence. Thyroid gland is very sensitive to the carcinogenic effect of ionizing radiation, especially in children. Imbalance between pro- and anti-oxidant factors may play a role in thyroid carcinogenesis. Our study aimed to assess the relationship between genetic variability of antioxidant defence-related genes and the risk of secondary thyroid cancer after treatment of malignancy in childhood or adolescence. Patients and methods. In a retrospective study, we compared patients with childhood or adolescence primary malignancy between 1960 and 2006 that developed a secondary thyroid cancer (cases) with patients (controls), with the same primary malignancy but did not develop any secondary cancer. They were matched for age, gender, primary diagnosis and treatment (especially radiotherapy) of primary malignancy. They were all genotyped for SOD2 p.Ala16Val, CAT c.-262C>T, GPX1 p.Pro200Leu, GSTP1 p.Ile105Val, GSTP1 p.Ala114Val and GSTM1 and GSTT1 deletions. The influence of polymorphisms on occurrence of secondary cancer was examined by McNemar test and Cox proportional hazards model. Results. Between 1960 and 2006 a total of 2641 patients were diagnosed with primary malignancy before the age of 21 years in Slovenia. Among them 155 developed a secondary cancer, 28 of which were secondary thyroid cancers. No significant differences in the genotype frequency distribution were observed between cases and controls. Additionally we observed no significant influence of investigated polymorphisms on time to the development of secondary thyroid cancer. Conclusions. We observed no association of polymorphisms in antioxidant genes with the risk for secondary thyroid cancer after treatment of malignancy in childhood or adolescence. However, thyroid cancer is one of the most common secondary cancers in patients treated for malignancy in childhood or adolescence and the lifelong follow up of these patients is of utmost importance.
Keywords: secondary thyroid cancer, antioxidant genes, genetic polymorphism
Published in DiRROS: 09.05.2024; Views: 99; Downloads: 58
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8. Imaging of human glioblastoma cells and their interactions with mesenchymal stem cells in the zebrafish (Danio rerio) embryonic brainMiloš Vittori, Barbara Breznik, Tajda Gredar, Katja Hrovat, Lilijana Bizjak-Mali, Tamara Lah Turnšek, 2016, original scientific article Keywords: brain tumors, tumor microenvironment, animal models, xenotransplantation
Published in DiRROS: 09.05.2024; Views: 93; Downloads: 400
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9. Functional polymorphisms in antioxidant genes in Hurthle cell thyroid neoplasm - an association of GPX1 polymorphism and recurrent Hurthle cell thyroid carcinomaBlaž Krhin, Katja Goričar, Barbara Gazić, Vita Dolžan, Nikola Bešić, 2016, original scientific article Abstract: Hurthle cells of the thyroid gland are very rich in mitochondria and oxidative enzymes. As a high level oxidative metabolism may lead to higher level of oxidative stress and can be associated with an increased risk for cancer, we investigated whether common functional polymorphisms in antioxidant genes (SOD2, CAT, GPX, GSTP1, GSTM1 and GSTT1) are associated with the development or clinical course of Hurthle cell thyroid carcinoma (HCTC). Methods. A retrospective study was performed in 139 patients treated by thyroid surgery for a Hurthle cell neoplasm. HCTC, Hurthle cell thyroid adenoma (HCTA) or Hurthle cell thyroid nodule (HCTN) were diagnosed by pathomorphology. DNA was extracted from cores of histologically confirmed normal tissue obtained from formalin-fixed paraffinembedded specimens and genotyped for investigated polymorphisms. Logistic regression was used to compare genotype distributions between patient groups. Results. HCTC, HCTA and HCTN were diagnosed in 53, 47 and 21 patients, respectively. Metastatic disease and recurrence of HCTC were diagnosed in 20 and 16 HCTC patients, respectively. Genotypes and allele frequencies of investigated polymorphisms did not deviate from Hardy-Weinberg equilibrium in patients with HCTC, HCTA and HCTN. Under the dominant genetic model we observed no differences in the genotype frequency distribution of the investigated polymorphisms when the HCTA and HCTN group was compared to the HCTC group for diagnosis of HCTC or for the presence of metastatic disease. However, GPX1 polymorphism was associated with the occurrence of recurrent disease (p = 0.040). Conclusions. GPX1 polymorphism may influence the risk for recurrent disease in HCTC.
Keywords: Hurthle cell thyroid carcinoma, Hurthle cell neoplasm, thyroid, oxidative stress
Published in DiRROS: 30.04.2024; Views: 141; Downloads: 32
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10. Endobronchial ultrasound elastography strain ratio for mediastinal lymph node diagnosisAleš Rozman, Mateja Marc-Malovrh, Katja Adamič, Tjaša Šubic, Viljem Kovač, Matjaž Fležar, 2015, original scientific article Keywords: cancer staging, elastography, endobronchial ultrasound, lung cancer, needle biopsy
Published in DiRROS: 23.04.2024; Views: 115; Downloads: 48
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