The causative agents in infective endocarditis: a systematic review comprising 33,214 cases.

Infective endocarditis (IE) incidence remains high with considerable fatality rates; guidelines for prophylaxis against IE are currently under review in some settings which highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date epidemiological estimates about the most common microbial causes. The objective of this systematic review, following PRISMA guidelines, was to identify the most common microbial causes of IE in recent years. Medline was searched from January 1, 2003 to March 31, 2013 for all articles containing the term "infective endocarditis". All relevant studies reporting diagnostic results were included. Special patient subpopulations were assessed separately. A total of 105 studies were included, from 36 countries, with available data on a total of 33,214 cases. Staphylococcus aureus was found to be the most common microorganism, being the most frequent in 54.3 % of studies (N = 57) (and in 55.4 % of studies using Duke's criteria for diagnosis [N = 51]). Viridans group streptococci (VGS), coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS), Enterococcus spp and Streptococcus bovis were among the most common causes. S. aureus was the most common pathogen in almost all population subgroups; however, this was not the case in patients with implantable devices, prosthetic valves, or immunocompromised non-HIV, as well as in the sub-group from Asia, emphasizing that a global one-size-fits-all approach to the management of suspected IE is not appropriate. This review provides an evidence-based map of the most common causative agents of IE, highlighting S. aureus as the leading cause in the 21st century. The changing epidemiology of IE in some patient sub-groups in the last decade and the very high number of microbiologically undiagnosed cases (26.6 %) suggest the need to revisit IE prophylaxis and diagnostic strategies

The role of the androgen receptor signaling in breast malignancies

Breast cancer (BrCa) is the most common malignancy among women worldwide, and one of the leading causes of cancer-related deaths in females. Despite the development of novel therapeutic modalities, triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) remains an incurable disease. Androgen receptor (AR) is widely expressed in BrCa and its role in the disease may differ depending on the molecular subtype and the stage. Interestingly, AR has been suggested as a potential target candidate in TNBC, while sex hormone levels may regulate the role of AR in BrCa subtypes. In the presence of estrogen receptor α (ERa), AR may antagonize the ERα-induced effects, whereas in the absence of estrogens, AR may act as an ERαmimic, promoting tumor. Thus, depending on the BrCa microenvironment, both agonists and antagonists of the AR have been suggested as therapeutic approaches. Herein, we review the role of AR signaling in BrCa and the molecular cross-talk mechanisms with other molecules/pathways, as well as its therapeutic implications in the different subtypes of the disease. © 2017 International Institute of Anticancer Research. All rights reserved

The causative agents in infective endocarditis: A systematic review comprising 33,214 cases

Infective endocarditis (IE) incidence remains high with considerable fatality rates; guidelines for prophylaxis against IE are currently under review in some settings which highlights the importance of maintaining up-to-date epidemiological estimates about the most common microbial causes. The objective of this systematic review, following PRISMA guidelines, was to identify the most common microbial causes of IE in recent years. Medline was searched from January 1, 2003 to March 31, 2013 for all articles containing the term “in-fective endocarditis”. All relevant studies reporting diagnostic results were included. Special patient subpopula-tions were assessed separately. A total of 105 studies were included, from 36 countries, with available data on a total of 33,214 cases. Staphylococcus aureus was found to be the most common microorganism, being the most frequent in 54.3 % of studies (N = 57) (and in 55.4 % of studies using Duke’s criteria for diagnosis [ N = 51]. Vi r i dans gr oup st r ept ococci (VGS), coagulase-negative staphylococci (CoNS), Enterococcus spp and Streptococcus bovis were among the most common causes. S. aureus was the most common pathogen in almost all population subgroups; however, this was not the case in patients with implantable devices, prosthetic valves, or immunocompromised non-HIV, as well as in the sub-group from Asia, emphasizing that a global one-size-fits-all approach to the management of suspected IE is not appropriate. This review provides an evidence-based map of the most common causative agents of IE, highlighting S. aureus as the leading cause in the 21st century. The changing epidemiology of IE in some patient sub-groups in the last decade and the very high number of microbiologically undiagnosed cases (26.6 %) suggest the need to revisit IE prophylaxis and diagnostic strategies. © Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg 2016