J Formos Med Assoc
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Review Case Reports
Triple-negative breast cancer with calcified metastases of hepatic, portal vein and inferior vena cava: Report of a case and review of the literature.
Breast cancer frequently metastasizes to the liver and this usually bears a poor prognosis. Complete calcifications of hepatic, portal vein and inferior vena cava (IVC) metastases from breast cancer after systemic chemotherapy is extremely rare and to our knowledge, has never been reported. It is important for physicians to recognize the pattern and the formation of calcified liver metastases because the radiographic features of calcifications may assist in differentiating the etiologies of underlying malignancies and provide prognostic significance. We here presented such a case of triple negative breast cancer (TNBC) with calcified liver, portal vein and IVC metastases, and reviewed the literature.
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Foodborne disease is a global health problem. We aim to provide the first national estimate on disease burden from foodborne illnesses in Taiwan. ⋯ Foodborne illnesses cause a substantial disease burden in Taiwan. Establishment of active surveillance and investigation mechanisms for the leading foodborne pathogens is warranted.
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Patients with different hepatitis C virus (HCV) genotype infections are associated with varying metabolic disorders. Although alteration of lipid metabolism has been confirmed as a virus-induced metabolic derangement in chronic hepatitis C patients, the impact of various HCV genotypes on hepatic cholesterol metabolism remains elusive. In this study, we thus investigated the HCV genotype-specific lipogenic and cholesterol metabolism profiles in an in vitro cell culture system. ⋯ Although HCV infection regulates host lipid metabolism in a genotype-specific manner, its inhibition on hepatocellular cholesterogenic gene expression and total cholesterol biosynthesis is a common effect among HCV genotype 1b, 2a and 3a.
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Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating medical condition for which no effective pharmacological interventions exist. l-Theanine (LT), a major amino acid component of green tea, exhibits potent antioxidative and anti-inflammatory activities and protects against various neural injuries. Here, we evaluated the potential therapeutic effects of LT on the recovery of behavioral motor functions after SCI in rats and the underlying neuroprotective mechanisms. ⋯ Our findings revealed that LT can enhance the recovery of behavioral motor functions after SCI in rats, which related to the suppression of post-traumatic oxidative response, neural inflammation, and apoptosis. This evidence indicates that LT holds considerable potential for use in the clinical treatment/prevention of SCI-induced motor dysfunction.