A Preliminary Evaluation of Advanced Oxidation Protein Products (AOPPs) as a Potential Approach to Evaluating Prognosis in Early-Stage Breast Cancer Patients and Its Implication in Tumour Angiogenesis: A 7-Year Single-Centre Study

Breast cancer (BrC) is a highly prevalent tumour among women. The high incidence and mortality rate of BrC prompts researchers to search for new markers that will provide information on the possible impact of the therapy on the risk of cancer-related events. This study aimed to investigate whether the level of advanced oxidation protein products (AOPPs) may have a potential impact on disease-free (DFS) and overall survival (OS) in BrC patients with early-stage cancer. Additionally, we tried to assess the relationship between AOPPs and angiogenic parameters. In this study, the pre- and post-treatment AOPP levels were examined in the serum of 70 newly diagnosed BrC women. The receiver operating characteristic curve identified pre- and post-treatment AOPPs to be above 9.37 μM and 10.39 μM, respectively, as the best cut-off values to predict the risk of cancer relapse. Additionally, Kaplan-Meier survival analysis indicated that pre- and post-treatment AOPPs above 9.37 μM and 10.39 μM were associated with significantly poorer OS. The uni- and multivariate Cox regression analysis highlighted that lower levels of pre- and post-treatment AOPPs were associated with a longer duration without relapse or cancer-related death. A positive correlation between concentrations of pre-treatment AOPPs and vascular endothelial growth factor A, and negative correlations with levels of soluble forms of vascular endothelial growth factor receptor type 1 and 2, were found. In conclusion, AOPPs appear to have an important role in predicting cancer-related events and may potentially serve as a simple prognostic marker in clinical practice.

Fluorescent properties in solid-state and solution of novel tricyclic derivatives of chloro/bromophenylchromanones and 2-methylpyrazoline

In this work, we reported the synthesis and spectroscopic characterization of seven novel tricyclic compounds resulting from the reaction of 3-benzylidenechromanone with Cl or Br substituent in different positions and without halogen with methylhydrazine. The structural characterization of compounds was done through different techniques i.e., FTIR,1HNMR,a single and powder X-Ray diffraction. Moreover, fluorescence quantum yield and lifetime assessed their fluorescent properties in the solid state and various solvents. Derivatives with Cl or Br substituent in positions 2 and 4 are isostructural. 4-Cl, 4-Br and 3-Cl compounds exhibit fluorescence with moderate efficiency (quantum yield 0.11-0.26) in solid state due to specific arrangements, so-called π-stack brick stone with head-to-tail self-assembly. Other crystalline compounds (2-Cl, 2-Br and 3-Br) that exhibit negligible fluorescence quantum yield have crossed V-type arrangement. In the solution, the nonhalogenated compound shows the best fluorescence efficiency. In turn, the presence of halogen atoms results in fluorescence decreasing. TD-DFT study revealed that unsubstituted compound higher emissive in solution has a different electron density distribution at HOMO and LUMO levels than less emissive substituted compounds (A3 and A3).

The Impact of COVID-19 on Cellular Factors Influencing Red Blood Cell Aggregation Examined in Dextran: Possible Causes and Consequences

Several studies have indicated that COVID-19 can lead to alterations in blood rheology, including an increase in red blood cell aggregation. The precise mechanisms behind this phenomenon are not yet fully comprehended. The latest findings suggest that erythrocyte aggregation significantly influences microcirculation, causes the formation of blood clots in blood vessels, and even damages the endothelial glycocalyx, leading to endothelial dysfunction. The focus of this research lies in investigating the cellular factors influencing these changes in aggregation and discussing potential causes and implications in the context of COVID-19 pathophysiology. For this purpose, the aggregation of erythrocytes in a group of 52 patients with COVID-19 pneumonia was examined in a 70 kDa Dextran solution, which eliminates the influence of plasma factors. Using image analysis, the velocities and sizes of the formed aggregates were investigated, determining their porosity. This study showed that the process of erythrocyte aggregation in COVID-19 patients, independent of plasma factors, leads to the formation of more compact, denser, three-dimensional aggregates. These aggregates may be less likely to disperse under circulatory shear stress, increasing the risk of thrombotic events. This study also suggests that cellular aggregation factors can be responsible for the thrombotic disorders observed long after infection, even when plasma factors have normalized. The results and subsequent broad discussion presented in this study can contribute to a better understanding of the potential complications associated with increased erythrocyte aggregation.