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BackgroundObesity is linked to poor disease outcomes in breast cancer patients. However, this link was mostly based on body weight or BMI rather than body-fat. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the relationship between body-fat gain and disease progression in Taiwanese women after breast cancer surgery and how this relationship is influenced by menopausal status.MethodsBody fat percentage was measured 1 day before and 6 months after surgery in 131 women with stages 0-III breast cancer. Disease outcomes (metastasis and death) were assessed by chart review and telephone contact 7 to 8 years after diagnosis. These data were analyzed by multivariate Cox proportional hazard model analysis.ResultsThe percentage of women with over 5% gain in body-fat was 56% for premenopausal and 42% for postmenopausal. Rates of distant metastasis and all-cause mortality were 17.6 and 9.9%, respectively over the follow-up period. Distant metastases were predicted in postmenopausal but not premenopausal women with breast cancer by increased body fat percentage (HR = 1.3, p = 0.035), after controlling other potential covariates, including disease severity, estrogen receptor expression, progesterone receptors expression, age, and exercise habit before diagnosis. Survival was not significantly associated with body-fat percentage gains.ConclusionsOur results suggest that increased body fat percentage 6 months after breast surgery is an important predictor of distant metastasis in postmenopausal Taiwanese women with breast cancer. Clinicians may need to measure patients' body fat periodically. Our findings should be validated in studies with a longer follow-up time.

Objectives: Chronic hyperglycemia is considered as an important factor to promote the neurodegenerative process of brain, and the synaptic plasticity as well as heterogeneity of hippocampal cells are thought to be associated with cognitive dysfunction in the early process of neurodegeneration. To date, fibronectin type III domain‐containing protein 5 (FNDC5) has been highlighted its protective role in multiple neurodegenerative diseases. However, the potential molecular and cellular mechanisms of FNDC5 on synaptic plasticity regulation in cognitive impairment (CI) induced by diabetics are still need to known. Methods/Design: To investigate the heterogeneity and synaptic plasticity of hippocampus in animals with CI state induced by hyperglycemia, and explore the potential role of FNDC5 involved in this process. Firstly, the single cell sequencing was performed based on the hippocampal tissue from db diabetic mice induced CI and normal health control mice by ex vivo experiments; and then the integrated analysis and observations validation using Quantitative Real‐time PCR, western blot as well as other in vitro studies. Results: We observed and clarified the sub‐cluster of type IC spiral ganglion neurons expressed marker genes as Trmp3 and sub‐cluster of astrocytes with marker gene as Atp1a2 in hippocampal cells from diabetic animals induced CI and the effect of those on neuron‐glial communication. We also found that FNDC5\BDNF‐Trk axis was involved in the synaptic plasticity regulation of hippocampus. In high glucose induced brain injury model in vitro, we investigated that FNDC5 significantly regulates BDNF expression and that over‐expression of FNDC5 up‐regulated BDNF expression (p < 0.05) and can also significantly increase the expression of synapsin‐1 (p < 0.05), which is related to synaptic plasticity, In addition, the unbalanced methylation level between H3K4 and H3K9 in Fndc5 gene promoter correlated with significantly down‐regulated expression of FNDC5 (p < 0.05) in the hyperglycemia state. Conclusion: The current study revealed that the synaptic plasticity of hippocampal cells in hyperglycemia might be regulated by FNDC5\BDNF‐Trk axis, playing the protective role in the process of CI induced by hyperglycemia and providing a target for the early treatment of hyperglycemia induced cognitive dysfunction in clinic. Key points: The heterogeneity and synaptic plasticity of hippocampus between the db−/− diabetic mice with cognitive dysfunction and control groups were profiled by the single cell sequencing.FNDC5\BDNF‐Trk axis was involved in the synaptic plasticity regulation of hippocampus.Over‐expression of FNDC5 up‐regulated BDNF expression and can also increase the expression of synapsin‐1, which is related to synaptic plasticity.The unbalanced methylation level between H3K4 and H3K9 in Fndc5 gene promoter correlated with significantly down‐regulated expression of FNDC5 in the hyperglycemia state. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The majority of patients with oral cavity and nasopharyngeal cancer experience severe oral mucositis during concurrent radiochemotherapy. The effectiveness of routine nursing education remains limited., Purpose: To evaluate the effect of a simple home-based oral care regimen on oral mucositis., Methods: A double-group quasi-experimental design was adopted in this study. The participants were all newly diagnosed patients with oral cavity and nasopharyngeal cancer who were scheduled to receive concurrent radiochemotherapy in a northern medical center. A total of 31 patients in the experimental group and 32 patients in the control group were enrolled as participants. The control group received routine care, while the experimental group received an additional six- to seven-week two-way interactive home-based oral care regimen. The measurement tools included a plaque record and oral assessment guide (OAG) implemented twice during the study period. Study data were collected at 8 time points, including before treatment, at 1-5 weeks of treatment, at the end of treatment, and at one-month post-treatment. Data analysis was performed using two-way repeated measures ANCOVA., Results: After controlling for OAG score, nutrition, age, living habits, and oral hygiene, the development of mucositis was found to be significantly slower in the experimental group than in the control group during the traumatic phase (effect of group: F = 11.1, p < .01; effect of group x time: F = 3.5, p = .01). However, both groups reported a statistically similar rate of improvement during the repair phase (effect of group and group x time: F = 0.19, p = .67)., Conclusions / Implications for Practice: The simple home-based oral care regimen introduced in this study may be used to improve traumatic oral mucositis in patients with oral cavity and nasopharyngeal cancer. It is recommended that even after the completion of radiotherapy, medical staffs should continue to strengthen patients' execution of proper oral care to maintain the positive effect until the mucositis has abated.