The Impact of an mHealth Voice Message Service (mMitra) on Infant Care Knowledge,and Practices Among Low-Income Women in India: Findings from a Pseudo-Randomized Controlled Trial

Maternal and Child Health Journal - Objectives mHealth interventions for MNCH have been shown to improve uptake of antenatal and neonatal services in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs)....     

Complex regional pain syndrome type-1: a rare complication of arteriovenous graft placement.

Complex regional pain syndrome (CRPS) type-1 (previously termed reflex sympathetic dystrophy syndrome) may be manifested as sympathetically mediated pain and swelling in an extremity. Among the numerous causes of reflex sympathetic dystrophy, the most common is trauma. We describe a 71-year-old diabetic man with endstage renal disease who presented with CRPS type-1 of the left hand one month after construction of a PTFE (polytetrafluroethylene) arteriovenous graft. The symptoms of CRPS improved greatly with stellate ganglion blocks and physical therapy.     

Cardiovascular risk management in cancer survivors: Are we doing it right?

Although under-recognized, cancer survivors continue to be at an increased risk of death from cardiovascular complications post-remission or cure. This increased burden of cardiovascular disease results from the interplay of various factors. Adequate cardiovascular risk assessment and timely intervention through a multi-disciplinary approach in these patients plays a pivotal role in the prevention of cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. We discuss the shortcomings of using current risk prediction scores in cancer survivors and provide some insights into cardiovascular risk management relevant for primary care physicians, oncologists, and cardiologists alike.     

Diurnal variations in subcutaneous allergen immunotherapy reactions

Background

Circadian rhythms underlie many immune responses and allergic diseases. Subcutaneous immunotherapy (SCIT) can result in adverse reactions; however, it is unclear whether such reactions have a diurnal pattern.

PTEN loss in circulating tumour cells correlates with PTEN loss in fresh tumour tissue from castration-resistant prostate cancer patients

Background:

PTEN gene loss occurs frequently in castration-resistant prostate cancer (CRPC) and may drive progression through activation of the PI3K/AKT pathway. Here, we developed a novel CTC-based assay to determine PTEN status and examined the correlation between PTEN status in CTCs and matched tumour tissue samples.

Methods:

PTEN gene status in CTCs was evaluated on an enrichment-free platform (Epic Sciences) by fluorescence in situ hybridisation (FISH). PTEN status in archival and fresh tumour tissue was evaluated by FISH and immunohistochemistry.

Results:

Peripheral blood was collected from 76 patients. Matched archival and fresh cancer tissue was available for 48 patients. PTEN gene status detected in CTCs was concordant with PTEN status in matched fresh tissues and archival tissue in 32 of 38 patients (84%) and 24 of 39 patients (62%), respectively. CTC counts were prognostic (continuous, P=0.001). PTEN loss in CTCs associated with worse survival in univariate analysis (HR 2.05; 95% CI 1.17–3.62; P=0.01) and with high lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) in metastatic CRPC patients.

Conclusions:

Our results illustrate the potential use of CTCs as a non-invasive, real-time liquid biopsy to determine PTEN gene status. The prognostic and predictive value of PTEN in CTCs warrants investigation in CRPC clinical trials of PI3K/AKT-targeted therapies.