Methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase C677T mutation and risk of retinal vein thrombosis

Background: Elevated plasma homocysteine (Hcy) level has been established as a significant risk factor for venous thrombosis and cardiovascular disease. Homozygosity for the methylenetetrahydrofolate reductase (MTHFR) C677T mutation has been associated with elevated plasma Hcy concentration and may contribute to retinal vein thrombosis (RVT) development. The aim of the present study was to investigate whether the hyperhomocysteinemia and/or homozygosity for the MTHFR C677T mutation are associated with an increased risk for RVT. Materials and Methods: Our study population consisted of 73 consecutive patients (50-78 years old) with RVT and 73 control subjects (51-80 years old), matched for age and sex. Genotyping for the MTHFR C677T mutation was performed by polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism technique and Hcy level was determined by an enzyme immunoassay kit. Results: The prevalence of 677TT genotype was higher in patients than control subjects, but the difference in frequency didn′t reach a significant value (P = 0.07). The frequency of the 677T allele was 26% and 21.2% in patients and controls, respectively and did not differ significantly between the two groups (odds ratio = 1.3, 95% confidence interval (0.75-2.24), P = 0.33). Fasting plasma total Hcy level was significantly higher in patients than controls (P = 0.001). Conclusion: Our study demonstrated that hyperhomocysteinemia, but not the MTHFR C677T mutation, is associated with RVT

Smart intratumoral delivery of theranostic gold-iron oxide nanoflowers in prostate cancer using tumor-tropic mesenchymal stem cells

Passive and active targeting of therapeutic nanoparticles (NPs) toward cancer cells has been challenging. New approaches are developed to obtain a more effective targeting method for uniform distribution of NPs within the tumor. We have used tumor-tropic human mesenchymal stem cells (hMSCs) labeled with gold-decorated iron oxide nanoflowers (GIONF) to deliver and retain these theranostic NPs within prostate tumors. GIONF-hMSCs were effective MPI and photothermal therapy (PTT) agents. After i.t. injection in vivo, GIONF-hMSCs remained within tumors for a week without change of MPI signal, while GIONFs alone (“naked” GIONFs) had a ten-fold reduction in MPI signal. We demonstrate the feasibility of imaging GIONF-hMSCs with MPI and CT as a theranostic delivery system for prostate cancer, with improved retention and biodistribution of GIONF-hMSCs compared to naked GIONFs