Breast cancer receptor status assessment and clinicopathological association in Nigerian women: A retrospective analysis

Background: Breast cancer markers are becoming increasingly important in breast cancer research due to their impact on prognosis, treatment and survival. The present retrospective study was carried out to quantify the proportion of estrogen (ER), progesterone (PR), and human epithelial receptor 2 (HER2) expressions and their association with tumour grade, age, and tumour size in breast cancer patients in Nigeria. Materials and methods: The paraffin embedded tissue sections were analysed for breast cancer markers using monoclonal antibody SP1 for ER and SP2 for PR and polyclonal antibody ErbB2 for HER2. Results: A total of 286 breast cancer paraffin wax tissue sections were analysed for ER, PR and HER2 expression. Of all the tissue samples examined, 20 (7%) were ER-positive, 6 (2.1%) were PR-positive, 11 (3.8%) were HER2-positive whereas 248 (87%) were triple-negative breast carcinoma. ER- and PR-positivity was associated with early grade I and II tumours (P 50mm (P < 0.0001). Conclusion: A small proportion of Nigerian women with breast cancer are ER/PR-positive which are associated with less aggressive, better prognosis and benefit from endocrine therapy. An even smaller proportion of patients with aggressive tumors were HER2-posivite but responsive to Herceptin treatment. Unfortunately, a very high proportion of cases were triple-negative which is associated with very aggressive tumours and no targeted treatment, which may explain the high mortality rates from breast cancer in Nigeri

Upgrading Bio-Oil Produced from Corn Cobs and Cedrela odorata via Catalytic Olefination and Esterification with 3,7-Dimethyloct-1-ene and Butanol

In this study, corn cobs (CC) and Cedrela odorata (CO) sawdust which are common waste materials in Nigeria were used as raw materials in the production of bio-oil through pyrolysis at 500°C, for 2 h. The biochar produced in the process was sulfonated with concentrated sulfuric acid under reflux at 150°C for 6 h and used as a solid acid catalyst for bio-oil upgrading. The bio-oil was upgraded by simultaneous olefination and esterification using 3,7-dimethyloct-1-ene and butanol which served as a reagent and cosolvent. FT-IR spectra of the activated biochar from CC and CO raw materials showed an absorbance in the range of 1032–1180 cm−1, which is indicative of asymmetric S=O bonds, and the spectra also revealed a band between 3400 and 3700 cm−1, which indicated presence of hydrogen-bonded hydroxyl groups and thus successful activation of the biochar. This observed IR absorbance was absent in the nonactivated biochar. Proximate analysis of upgraded bio-oils revealed a significant reduction in percentage water and oxygen contents, an increase in the high heating value (HHV) and flammability. The chemical composition of the bio-oils was determined using GC-MS, and it showed significant reduction in oxygenated compounds in the upgraded bio-oil as against their high composition in raw bio-oils