Extension of the Dermal Sensitisation Threshold (DST) approach to incorporate chemicals classified as reactive

The evaluation of chemicals for their skin sensitising potential is an essential step in ensuring the safety of ingredients in consumer products. Similar to the Threshold of Toxicological Concern, the Dermal Sensitisation Threshold (DST) has been demonstrated to provide effective risk assessments for skin sensitisation in cases where human exposure is low. The DST was originally developed based on a Local Lymph Node Assay (LLNA) dataset and applied to chemicals that were not considered to be directly reactive to skin proteins, and unlikely to initiate the first mechanistic steps leading to the induction of sensitisation. Here we have extended the DST concept to protein reactive chemicals. A probabilistic assessment of the original DST dataset was conducted and a threshold of 64 μg/cm² was derived. In our accompanying publication, a set of structural chemistry based rules was developed to proactively identify highly reactive and potentially highly potent materials which should be excluded from the DST approach. The DST and rule set were benchmarked against a test set of chemicals with LLNA/human data. It is concluded that by combining the reactive DST with knowledge of chemistry a threshold can be established below which there is no appreciable risk of sensitisation for protein-reactive chemicals.     

The Number of Positive Pelvic Lymph Nodes and Multiple Groups of Pelvic Lymph Node Metastasis Influence Prognosis in Stage ⅠA-ⅡB Cervical Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Background:Pelvic lymph node metastasis (LNM) is an important prognostic factor in cervical cancer.Cervical squamous cell carcinoma accounts for approximately 75-80％ of all cervical cancers.Analyses of...     

Significance of the Extracapsular Spread of Metastatic Lymph Nodes in Papillary Thyroid Carcinoma

Objectives

The extracapsular spread (ECS) of metastatic lymph nodes is associated with aggressive tumor behavior, and is regarded as a major risk factor for local recurrence in patients with head and neck squamous cell carcinoma. However, the significance of ECS of metastatic lymph nodes has not been well established in well-differentiated thyroid carcinoma. The purpose of this study was to examine this question.

Methods

A retrospective review was performed of 335 patients with papillary thyroid carcinoma who underwent total thyroidectomy with lymph node dissection from April 2001 to December 2009. We analyzed various clinical characteristics, pathologic factors, and the size, number, and ECS of foci in metastatic lymph nodes.

Results

On pathologic review, 201 of the patients (56.6%) had lymph node metastasis. This was significantly related to age and tumor size. ECS was noted in 64 of these 201 patients (31.8%), and was significantly related to male gender, tumor size, presence of extrathyroidal extension, metastatic lymph node size, and focus size. Recurrence occurred in 13 patients (3.9%), and the presence of ECS was significantly related to recurrence.

Conclusion

ECS of metastatic lymph nodes is an important prognostic factor for loco-regional recurrence in papillary thyroid carcinoma.     

Controversies in the management of endometrial cancer: a survey of the Korean Gynecologic Oncology Group

Objective

To identify current practice patterns for unresolved issues in the surgical and adjuvant management of endometrial cancer in Korea.

Methods

We designed and conducted a survey of all 218 active members of the Korean Gynecologic Oncology Group to try to identify how they would manage various case scenarios for endometrial cancer. Data were collected using an Internet survey database.

Results

A total of 108 members (49.5%) responded to the survey. Laparoscopy (81.6%) was the most commonly used mode of surgery in early-stage endometrial cancer. Of all the respondents, 19.8% stated that lymphadenectomy could be omitted and 21.7% recommended selective lymphadenectomy based on sentinel biopsy or frozen results for patients with presumed stage IA/grade 1 disease. On the other hand, 71.9% of respondents recommended para-aortic lymphadenectomy for patients with presumed stage IB/grade 1 disease and 86.4% recommended this treatment for presumed stage IB/grade 3 disease. The majority of respondents performed adjuvant therapy for stage IB/grade 2 (91.7%), IB/grade 3 (99.0%), and stage II (89.6%). Whole pelvic radiotherapy and vaginal brachytherapy were the most frequently used options among these patients. All respondents administered adjuvant therapy when node metastasis was found, and concurrent chemoradiotherapy (53.2%) was the most preferred option for stage IIIC1 disease.

Conclusion

There is broad variation in both the surgical and adjuvant treatment of endometrial cancer among Korean gynecologic oncologists.     

Robotic high para-aortic lymph node dissection with high port placement using same port for pelvic surgery in gynecologic cancer patients

ObjectiveThis study reports our initial experience of robotic high para-aortic lymph node dissection (PALND) with high port placement using same port for pelvic surgery in cervical and endometrial cancer patients.MethodsBetween July 2013 and January 2014, we performed robotic high PALND up to the left renal vein during staging surgeries. With high port placement and same port usage for pelvic surgery, high PALND was successfully performed without repositioning the robotic column. All data were registered consecutively and analyzed retrospectively.ResultsAll patients successfully underwent robotic high PALND, followed by hysterectomy and pelvic lymph node dissection. Median age was 45 years (range, 39 to 51 years) and median body mass index was 22 kg/m² (range, 19.3 to 23.1 kg/m²). Median operative time for right PALND and left PALND was 37 minutes (range, 22 to 65 minutes) and 44 minutes (range, 36 to 50 minutes), respectively. Median number of right and left para-aortic lymph node by pathologic report was 12 (range, 8 to 15) and 13 (range, 5 to 26).ConclusionWith high port placement and one assistant port, robotic high PALND with the same port used in pelvic surgery is feasible to non-obese patients.     

本经取穴调控无先兆偏头痛患者基因表达谱的研究

【目的】研究针刺少阳经穴与针刺非经非穴治疗无先兆偏头痛患者前后的基因表达谱。【方法】采用基因芯片技术,分析比较采用经穴（经穴组）和非经非穴（非经非穴组）治疗无先兆偏头痛患者（各10例）后基因表达谱的差异;选取部分基因进行Real-time聚合酶链反应（RT－PCR）,验证基因芯片结果的准确性。【结果】经穴组治疗前后筛选出72个差异基因;非经非穴组治疗前后筛选出110个差异基因。经穴组差异基因涉及的功能包括脑内啡肽酶、 ATP合酶等,与治疗该病的关联性大。但非经非穴组涉及的基因功能广泛且分散,与治疗该病关联性较小,如细胞凋亡、 DNA修复等。 RT－PCR检测了经穴组的ATPAF2、 PTGS2、 TOR3A基因,非经非穴组的ACP2、 AURKA、 ARHGEF11、 CASP8基因,验证了基因芯片数据的可靠性。【结论】本经取穴治疗无先兆偏头痛的经穴效应在分子水平是多基因作用的综合结果,而非经非穴产生的安慰效应并未找到与之对应的与治疗无先兆偏头痛相关的靶基因,进一步证明了经穴效应的存在。     

足阳明胃经为何循行于胸腹部

人体胸腹部属阴,足阳明胃经为三阳中阳气最盛之经,其循行于胸腹部,既可充养阳经,又可固护阴经,有平衡阴阳之意。胃经为阳,冲脉为阴,足阳明胃经循行于胸腹部可能也与平衡冲脉之阴有关。胃的盛衰影响五脏,胃既可以充养人体的气血,又可以调节人体的经脉,足阳明胃经气血旺盛,循行于阴盛的胸腹部,起到调节人体气血经脉的作用,同时也濡养全身经络脏腑的气血。胃虽然为阳土,但其实有母寓之阴,其脉既循行于属阳的区域,又循行于属阴的区域,体现了胃阳中寓阴的特征。足阳明胃经向里循行至胸腹部与太阴相接,使太阴经气得开,衔接了开合枢。足阳明胃经循行于胸腹部,揭示了人体脏腑经络之间阴阳互根,五脏相关,相互联系,相互依存,密不可分的整体关系。     

超声与MRI在宫颈癌分期中的应用研究

目的探讨超声与MRI在宫颈癌分期中应用价值。方法回顾性分析医院61例经手术病理确诊为宫颈癌患者的术前阴道超声和MRI影像学资料,分析影像学表现,对比两种影像学诊断方式诊断宫颈癌及术前分期的准确性。结果 61例宫颈癌均经临床病理检查确诊,术前超声诊断宫颈癌及临床分期的准确率分别为60.66%、50.82%明显低于MRI的93.44%、85.25%(P0.05)。37例超声表现异常,宫体不规则增大,子宫颈形态异常,回声不均匀改变;肿块呈实质性低回声,血流信号较正常组织丰富,宫颈黏膜线弯曲、中断或消失。9例淋巴结肿大,11例侵犯阴道,7例侵犯宫体,1例侵犯膀胱。57例MRI图像异常,T1WI等信号或低信号,T2WI以高信号为主,STIR序列上T2WI高信号,且高于平扫T2WI,增强扫描后有不同程度的强化。14例淋巴结肿大,15例侵犯阴道,10例侵犯宫体,2例侵犯膀胱,1例侵犯直肠。结论 MRI诊断宫颈癌及其分期的准确率高于超声,可为临床确定治疗方案提供客观资料。     

超声造影与MRI对乳腺癌患者腋窝淋巴结诊断价值

目的比较超声造影和MRI对乳腺癌患者腋窝淋巴结诊断价值。方法回顾分析常规超声诊断为乳腺癌患者的腋窝淋巴结超声造影与MRI影像学资料,以临床病理结果为"金标准",比较两种方法诊断腋窝淋巴结转移的价值。结果病理结果显示97枚腋窝淋巴结中,淋巴结转移69枚,淋巴结无转移28枚;超声造影诊断乳腺癌患者腋窝淋巴结转移的灵敏度、特异度、准确率分别为79.71%、96.43%、84.54%;MRI诊断乳腺癌患者腋窝淋巴结转移的灵敏度、特异度、准确率分别为88.41%、92.86%、89.69%;超声造影结果显示腋窝淋巴结转移组的SImax-SImin显著高于无转移组(P<0.05),MRI结果显示腋窝淋巴结转移组的淋巴结短径、长径及皮质厚度均高于无转移组(P<0.05)。结论两种方法均可有效诊断乳腺癌患者腋窝淋巴结转移,可以依据检查方法的特点为患者选择合适的诊断方法。