5 research outputs found
Depression after lung transplantation: causes and treatment
During the postoperative course of lung transplantation, patients may experience depressive symptoms that negatively influence their ability to cope with the new organ, their adherence to rehabilitation and pharmacologic therapy, and their overall quality of life (QoL). To date, no review has explored the causes
of depression following transplantation or the efficacy and safety of therapeutic interventions in this patient group. We conducted a comprehensive 1966-2006 MEDLINE, EMBASE, and PsycINFO search for studies of the causes and treatments of depression in
lung transplant recipients. We identified 25 studies of variable methodologic quality. Depression rates are high among candidates for lung transplantation. In the short term, after surgery depressive symptoms remain low with an improvement in QoL, whereas in the long term (>3 years), the decline of functional status is associated with a dramatic increase in such symptomatology.
Personality disorders, coping strategies, stressful life events, physical complications, corticosteroid medications, age, gender, and psychosocial support all play a central role in causing depressive states in lung transplant recipients. Serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) and new-generation antidepressants (mirtazapine) represent the best therapeutic choices for this
group of patients. The risk of serious drug-drug interactions should be carefully monitored by experienced clinicians. Complementary therapies and psychoeducational intervention also help recipients to strengthen their coping strategies, offering further advantages after transplantation. Additional well-conducted randomized controlled trials are needed to
clarify the epidemiologic course of depression following
lung transplantation and to tailor effective pharmacologic
or psychological interventions accordingly
EPHA2, EPHA4, and EPHA7 Expression in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
Ongoing research continues to elucidate the complex role of ephrin receptors (EPHs) and their ligands (ephrins) in breast cancer pathogenesis, with their varying expression patterns implied to have an important impact on patients’ outcome. The current study aims to investigate the clinical significance of EPHA2, EPHA4, and EPHA7 expression in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cases. EPHA2, EPHA4, and EPHA7 protein expression was assessed immunohistochemically on formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded (FFPE) TNBC tissue sections from 52 TNBC patients and correlated with key clinicopathologic parameters and patients’ survival data (overall survival (OS); disease-free survival (DFS)). EPHA2, EPHA4, and EPHA7 expression was further examined in TNBC cell lines. EPHA2 overexpression was observed in 26 (50%) of the TNBC cases, who exhibited a shorter OS and DFS than their low-expression counterparts, with EPHA2 representing an independent prognostic factor for OS and DFS (p = 0.0041 and p = 0.0232, respectively). EPHA4 overexpression was associated with lymph node metastasis in TNBC patients (p = 0.0546). Alterations in EPHA2, EPHA4, and EPHA7 expression levels were also noted in the examined TNBC cell lines. Our study stresses that EPHA2 expression constitutes a potential prognostic factor for TNBC patients. Given the limited treatment options and poorer outcome that accompany the TNBC subtype, EPHA2 could also pose as a target for novel, more personalized, and effective therapeutic approaches for those patients
EPHA2, EPHA4, and EPHA7 Expression in Triple-Negative Breast Cancer
Ongoing research continues to elucidate the complex role of ephrin
receptors (EPHs) and their ligands (ephrins) in breast cancer
pathogenesis, with their varying expression patterns implied to have an
important impact on patients’ outcome. The current study aims to
investigate the clinical significance of EPHA2, EPHA4, and EPHA7
expression in triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) cases. EPHA2, EPHA4,
and EPHA7 protein expression was assessed immunohistochemically on
formalin-fixed and paraffin-embedded (FFPE) TNBC tissue sections from 52
TNBC patients and correlated with key clinicopathologic parameters and
patients’ survival data (overall survival (OS); disease-free survival
(DFS)). EPHA2, EPHA4, and EPHA7 expression was further examined in TNBC
cell lines. EPHA2 overexpression was observed in 26 (50%) of the TNBC
cases, who exhibited a shorter OS and DFS than their low-expression
counterparts, with EPHA2 representing an independent prognostic factor
for OS and DFS (p = 0.0041 and p = 0.0232, respectively). EPHA4
overexpression was associated with lymph node metastasis in TNBC
patients (p = 0.0546). Alterations in EPHA2, EPHA4, and EPHA7 expression
levels were also noted in the examined TNBC cell lines. Our study
stresses that EPHA2 expression constitutes a potential prognostic factor
for TNBC patients. Given the limited treatment options and poorer
outcome that accompany the TNBC subtype, EPHA2 could also pose as a
target for novel, more personalized, and effective therapeutic
approaches for those patients