简明膳食自评工具在食管癌术后患者中的应用评价

目的将简明膳食自评工具（SDSAT）应用在食管癌术后患者中，评价其信度和效度。 方法本研究通过3个研究分别测量SDSAT的评定者间信度、重测信度和预测效度。研究A选择食管癌术前患者60例，由2位研究者分别进行SDSAT的测量，评价评定者间信度。研究B最终纳入食管癌术后1个月患者30例进行SDSAT的测量，间隔2周复测1次，比较2次结果，评价重测信度。研究C最终共纳入171例食管癌患者通过测量术前、术后1个月和术后3个月3个时间点测量，评价SDSAT对前白蛋白含量的预测程度。 结果评定者间信度是0.854（P<0.01）。 重测信度是0.782（P<0.01）。通过广义预测方程发现SDSAT对患者的前白蛋白含量预测效果好（P<0.01）。结论SDSAT信效度好，适合应用于评价食管癌术后患者的饮食状况。     

A perivascular niche in the bone marrow hosts quiescent and proliferating tumorigenic colorectal cancer cells

Disseminated tumor cells (dTCs) can frequently be detected in the bone marrow (BM) of colorectal cancer (CRC) patients, raising the possibility that the BM serves as a reservoir for metastatic tumor cells. Identification of dTCs in BM aspirates harbors the potential of assessing therapeutic outcome and directing therapy intensity with limited risk and effort. Still, the functional and prognostic relevance of dTCs is not fully established. We have previously shown that CRC cell clones can be traced to the BM of mice carrying patient-derived xenografts. However, cellular interactions, proliferative state and tumorigenicity of dTCs remain largely unknown. Here, we applied a coculture system modeling the microvascular niche and used immunofluorescence imaging of the murine BM to show that primary CRC cells migrate toward endothelial tubes. dTCs in the BM were rare, but detectable in mice with xenografts from most patient samples (8/10) predominantly at perivascular sites. Comparable to primary tumors, a substantial fraction of proliferating dTCs was detected in the BM. However, most dTCs were found as isolated cells, indicating that dividing dTCs rather separate than aggregate to metastatic clones—a phenomenon frequently observed in the microvascular niche model. Clonal tracking identified subsets of self-renewing tumor-initiating cells in the BM that formed tumors out of BM transplants, including one subset that did not drive primary tumor growth. Our results indicate an important role of the perivascular BM niche for CRC cell dissemination and show that dTCs can be a potential source for tumor relapse and tumor heterogeneity.     

Patterns in metabolite profile are associated with risk of more aggressive prostate cancer: A prospective study of 3,057 matched case–control sets from EPIC

Metabolomics may reveal novel insights into the etiology of prostate cancer, for which few risk factors are established. We investigated the association between patterns in baseline plasma metabolite profile and subsequent prostate cancer risk, using data from 3,057 matched case–control sets from the European Prospective Investigation into Cancer and Nutrition (EPIC). We measured 119 metabolite concentrations in plasma samples, collected on average 9.4 years before diagnosis, by mass spectrometry (AbsoluteIDQ p180 Kit, Biocrates Life Sciences AG). Metabolite patterns were identified using treelet transform, a statistical method for identification of groups of correlated metabolites. Associations of metabolite patterns with prostate cancer risk (OR_1SD) were estimated by conditional logistic regression. Supplementary analyses were conducted for metabolite patterns derived using principal component analysis and for individual metabolites. Men with metabolite profiles characterized by higher concentrations of either phosphatidylcholines or hydroxysphingomyelins (OR_1SD = 0.77, 95% confidence interval 0.66–0.89), acylcarnitines C18:1 and C18:2, glutamate, ornithine and taurine (OR_1SD = 0.72, 0.57–0.90), or lysophosphatidylcholines (OR_1SD = 0.81, 0.69–0.95) had lower risk of advanced stage prostate cancer at diagnosis, with no evidence of heterogeneity by follow-up time. Similar associations were observed for the two former patterns with aggressive disease risk (the more aggressive subset of advanced stage), while the latter pattern was inversely related to risk of prostate cancer death (OR_1SD = 0.77, 0.61–0.96). No associations were observed for prostate cancer overall or less aggressive tumor subtypes. In conclusion, metabolite patterns may be related to lower risk of more aggressive prostate tumors and prostate cancer death, and might be relevant to etiology of advanced stage prostate cancer.     

Prevalence of and factors contributing to anxiety,depression and cognitive disorders among urban elderly in Odisha – A study through the health systems’ Lens

IntroductionGrowing geriatric mental health needs of urban population in India pose several programmatic challenges. This study aimed to assess anxiety, depression and cognitive disorders among urban elderly, and explore availability of social support mechanisms and of a responsive health system to implement the national mental health programme.Methods244 respondents were randomly selected from Berhampur city. We administered a semi-structured interview schedule to assess substance abuse, chronic morbidity, anxiety, depression and cognitive abilities. Further, in-depth interviews were conducted with 25 key informants including district officials, psychiatrists, and programme managers. We used R software and ‘thematic framework’ approach, respectively, for quantitative and qualitative data analysis. Ethical standards were complied with.ResultsAbout half of the respondents were economically dependent; 57.3% had moderate to severe anxiety; 46.7% had moderate to severe depression; while about 25% had severe cognitive impairments. We found association of chewing tobacco (1.34(0.28–2.40)) and depression (0.52(0.37–0.68)) with anxiety; negative perception about elderly-friendly society (1.64(0.75–2.53)) and physical inactivity (2.88(1.60–4.16)) with depression; and age (-0.11(-0.20 – -0.02)) and physical inactivity (-3.44(-5.13 – -1.74)) with cognitive disorders. Qualitative analysis revealed lack of awareness, social stigma, poor availability of trained human resources, and poor political commitment as important systemic barriers to early detection and treatment of mental ailments among the elderly.ConclusionEstablishing tobacco cessation centres, sensitizing community about mental health needs of elderly, incentivizing physical activity of elderly, integrating mental health with primary care, multi-skilling providers and developing a cadre of community counsellors need urgent attention of policy makers and programme implementers.     

Roadmap to vasculitis: a rheumatological treasure hunt: Part II. Classification,features of individual vasculitides and differential diagnosis against pseudovasculitis

Since the triggering factors causing primary vasculitides are by definition not (yet) known, we have to classify them to clinical syndromes based on the size, site, type and effect of the blood vessel involvement. ACR classification criteria and Chapel Hill nomenclature are useful tools to familiarize with the primary vasculitides, although a lot of criticism has been voiced in the literature indicating that they only represent the best available consensus. The present text takes advantage of the recent developments such as introduction of the anti-neutrophilic cytoplasmic auto (ANCA) antibodies, and divides the vasculitides to those affecting typically the large, medium and small arteries or only small blood vessels. In addition, some vasculitides, which are still difficult to place to the vasculitis map, like Bürger's disease, Goodpasture's syndrome, primary angiitin of the central nervous system (PACNS) and panniculitis, are dealt with. As it is a long and winding road, attention has to be paid to the clinical details to follow the road sign to “pseudovasculitis”, when that is the right way to go. They represent a bunch of non-vasculitic conditions, which lead to structural or vasospastic impairment of the blood flow, bleeding or thromboembolism and hyperviscosity. These imitators have to some extent, similar clinical symptoms and signs as well as laboratory and radiological findings to those found in true systemic vasculitides. This also emphasizes the importance of internal medicine as the intellectual (albeit not necessarily organizational) home of rheumatology and rheumatologists as we deal with conditions like atherosclerosis, antiphospholipid antibody syndrome, infectious endocarditic, myxoma of the heart and cholesterol embolism.