Circulating tumor cells (CTC) are associated with defects in adaptive immunity in patients with inflammatory breast cancer

BACKGROUND: Circulating tumor cells (CTCs) play a crucial role in tumor dissemination and are prognostic in primary and metastatic breast cancer. Peripheral blood (PB) immune cells contribute to an unfavorable microenvironment for CTC survival. This study aimed to correlate CTCs with the PB T-cell immunophenotypes and functions of patients with inflammatory breast cancer (IBC). METHODS: This study included 65 IBC patients treated at the MD Anderson Cancer Center. PB was obtained from patients prior to starting a new line of chemotherapy for CTCs enumeration by CellSearch(®), and T cell phenotype and function by flow cytometry; the results were correlated with CTCs and clinical outcome. RESULTS: At least 1 CTC (≥1) or ≥5 CTCs was detected in 61.5% or 32.3% of patients, respectively. CTC count did not correlate with total lymphocytes; however, patients with ≥1 CTC or ≥5 CTCs had lower percentages (%) of CD3+ and CD4+ T cells compared with patients with no CTCs or <5 CTCs, respectively. Patients with ≥1 CTC had a lower percentage of T-cell receptor (TCR)-activated CD8+ T cells synthesizing TNF-α and IFN-γ and a higher percentage of T-regulatory lymphocytes compared to patients without CTCs. In multivariate analysis, tumor grade and % CD3+ T-cells were associated with ≥1 CTC, whereas ≥5 CTC was associated with tumor grade, stage, % CD3+ and % CD4+ T cells, and % TCR-activated CD8 T-cells synthesizing IL-17. CONCLUSIONS: IBC patients with CTCs in PB had abnormalities in adaptive immunity that could potentially impact tumor cell dissemination and initiation of the metastatic cascade

Erratum to: 36th International Symposium on Intensive Care and Emergency Medicine: Brussels, Belgium. 15-18 March 2016.

[This corrects the article DOI: 10.1186/s13054-016-1208-6.]

Measurements of Branching Fractions and Polarization in B > K^* rho Decays

We present results of a study of the charmless vector-vector decays B^0 -> K^{*0} rho^0 and B^+ ->K^{*0} rho^+. The results are based on a 140 fb^{-1} data sample collected by the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric e^+e^- collider. We obtain the branching fraction B(B^+ -> K^{*0} rho^+)=(6.6 +- 2.2(stat.) +- 0.8 (syst.)) x 10^{-6}, and set upper limits on the branching fractions B(B^0 -> K^{*0} rho^0) f_0(980) K^{*0})<5.2 x 10^{-6}. We also perform a helicity analysis of the rho and K^* vector mesons in the decay B^+ -> K^{*0} rho^+, and obtain the longitudinal polarization fraction R_0(B^+ -> K^{*0} rho^+)=0.50 +- 0.19(stat.)+0.05-0.07}(syst.).Comment: 11 pages, 4 figures, submitted to ICHEP04, Beijing, Chin

Improved measurement of time-dependent CP violation in B0 -> J/Psi pi0 decays

We report improved measurements of time-dependent CP violation parameters for $B^0(\bar{B}^0) \to J/\psi \pi^0$ decay. This analysis is based on 535 million $B\bar{B}$ pairs accumulated at the $\Upsilon(4S)$ resonance with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy e^+e^- collider. From the distribution of proper time intervals between the two B decays, we obtain the following CP violation parameters $\mathcal{S}_{J/\psi \pi^0} = -0.65\pm0.21 (\rm{stat})\pm0.05 (\rm{syst})$ and $\mathcal{A}_{J/\psi \pi^0} = +0.08\pm0.16 (\rm{stat})\pm0.05 (\rm{syst})$, which are consistent with Standard Model expectations.Comment: Resubmitted to PRD(RC), including 4 figures, 6pages Revision has been made according to communication with PRD referee

Study of CP Violating Effects in Time Dependent B0(B0ˉ)→D(∗)∓π±B^0(\bar{B^0}) \to D^{(*)\mp}\pi^{\pm} Decays

We report measurements of time dependent decay rates for $B^0(\bar{B}^0) \to D^{(*)\mp}\pi^{\pm}$ decays and extraction of CP violation parameters containing $\phi_3$. Using fully reconstructed $D^{(*)}\pi$ events from a $140 {\rm fb}^{-1}$ data sample collected at the $\Upsilon(4S)$ resonance, we obtain the CP violation parameters for $D^* \pi$ and $D \pi$ decays, $2R_{D^{(*)} \pi} \sin (2\phi_1 + \phi_3 \pm \delta_{D^{(*)} \pi})$, where $R_{D^{(*)} \pi}$ is the ratio of the magnitudes of the doubly-Cabibbo-suppressed and Cabibbo-favoured amplitudes, and $\delta_{D^{(*)} \pi}$ is the strong phase difference between them. Under the assumption of $\delta_{D^{(*)} \pi}$ being close to either 0 or $180^{\circ}$, we obtain $|2R_{D^* \pi} \sin (2\phi_1 + \phi_3)| = 0.060 \pm 0.040(\mathrm{stat}) \pm 0.019(\mathrm{sys})$ and $|2R_{D \pi} \sin (2\phi_1 + \phi_3)| = 0.061 \pm 0.037(\mathrm{stat}) \pm 0.018(\mathrm{sys})$.Comment: 9 pages, 3 figures, Submitted to Physical Review Letter

Improved Measurements of Branching Fractions and CP Asymmetries in B-> eta h Decays

We report improved measurements of B decays with an eta meson in the final state using 492 fb^{-1} of data collected by the Belle detector at the KEKB e^+ e^- collider. We observe the decays B^{+-}-> eta pi^{+-} and B^{+-}-> eta K^{+-}; the measured branching fractions are Br(B^{+-}-> eta pi^{+-}) = (4.2+- 0.4(stat)+- 0.2(sys))x10^{-6} and Br(B^{+-}-> eta K^{+-}) = (1.9+-0.3(stat)^{+0.2}_{-0.1}(sys))x10^{-6}. The corresponding CP-violating asymmetries are measured to be -0.23+- 0.09(stat) +-0.02(sys) for eta pi^{+-} and -0.39+-0.16(stat)+-0.03(sys) for eta K^{+-}. We also search for B^0-> eta K^0 decays and set an upper limit of 1.9x10^{-6} at the 90% confidence level.Comment: 7 pages, 3 figure

Measurement of Time-Dependent CP-Violating Asymmetries in B0→KsKsKsB_0 \to K_sK_sK_s Decay

We present a measurement of CP-violation parameters in the B0 -> KsKsKs decay based on a sample of 275 x 10^6 BBbar pairs collected at the Upsilon(4S) resonance with the Belle detector at the KEKB energy-asymmetric e+e- collider. One neutral B meson is fully reconstructed in the decay B0 -> KsKsKs, and the flavor of the accompanying B meson is identified from its decay products. CP-violation parameters are obtained from the asymmetry in the distributions of the proper-time interval between the two B decays: S = +1.26 +/- 0.68(stat) +/- 0.20(syst) and A = +0.54 +/- 0.34(stat) +/- 0.09(syst).Comment: 10 pages, 2 figures 10 pages, 2 figure

Measurement of the branching fractions for B- --> D(*)+ pi- l- nu-bar and B0bar --> D(*)0 pi+ l- nu-bar

We report on a measurement of the branching fractions for B- --> D(*)+ pi- l- nu-bar and B0bar --> D(*)0 pi+ l- nu-bar with 275 million BBbar events collected at the Upsilon(4S) resonance with the Belle detector at KEKB. Events are tagged by fully reconstructing one of the B mesons in hadronic modes. We obtain Br(B- --> D+ pi- l- nu-bar) = (0.54 +/- 0.07(stat) +/- 0.07(syst) +/- 0.06(BR)) x 10^-2, Br(B- --> D*+ pi- l- nu-bar) = (0.67 +/- 0.11(stat) +/- 0.09(syst) +/- 0.03(BR)) x 10^-2, Br(B0bar --> D0 pi+ l- nu-bar) = (0.33 +/- 0.06(stat) +/- 0.06(syst) +/- 0.03(BR)) x 10^-2, Br(B0bar --> D*0 pi+ l- nu-bar) = (0.65 +/- 0.12(stat) +/- 0.08(syst) +/- 0.05(BR)) x 10^-2, where the third error comes from the error on Bbar --> D(*) l- nu-bar decays. Contributions from B0bar --> D*+ l- nu-bar decays are excluded in the measurement of B0bar --> D0 pi+ l- nu-bar.Comment: 6 pages, 10 figures, submitted to Physical Review D (Rapid Communication), the Lepton-Photon 2005 Conference (Uppsala, Sweden) and the HEP2005 Europhysics Conference (Lisboa, Portugal

Measurement of Time-Dependent CP-Violating Parameters in B0 -> K0S K0S decays

We report a measurement of the CP-violating parameters in B0->K0S K0S decays based on a data sample of 657 million BBbar pairs collected at the Y(4S) resonance with the Belle detector at the KEKB asymmetric-energy e+e- collider. In this study, one neutral B meson is fully reconstructed in the B0->K0S K0S decay mode, and the flavor of the accompanying B meson is identified by its decay products. The CP-violating parameters are measured from the asymmetry in the distributions of the proper-time interval between the two B decays: S = -0.38 +0.69-0.77(stat) +-0.09(syst) and A = -0.38 +-0.38(stat) +-0.05(syst).Comment: 5pages, 2figures, submitted to PR

Observation of Two Resonant Structures in e+e- to pi+ pi- psi(2S) via Initial State Radiation at Belle

The cross section for e+e- to pi+ pi- psi(2S) between threshold and \sqrt{s}=5.5 GeV is measured using 673 fb^{-1} of data on and off the \Upsilon(4S) resonance collected with the Belle detector at KEKB. Two resonant structures are observed in the pi+ pi- psi(2S) invariant mass distribution, one at 4361\pm 9\pm 9 MeV/c2 with a width of 74\pm 15\pm 10 MeV/c2, and another at 4664\pm 11\pm 5 MeV/c2 with a width of 48\pm 15\pm 3 MeV/c2, if the mass spectrum is parameterized with the coherent sum of two Breit-Wigner functions. These values do not match those of any of the known charmonium states.Comment: 10 pages, 5 figures, 2 tables, version to appear in Phys. Rev. Let