Diagnostic performance of ¹⁸F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography in giant cell arteritis: a systematic review and meta-analysis

Purpose  

The aim of this study was to conduct a systematic review and perform a meta-analysis on the diagnostic performances of ¹⁸F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG PET) for giant cell arteritis (GCA), with or without polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR).     

A randomized controlled trial of cognitive therapy versus intensive behavior therapy in obsessive compulsive disorder

BACKGROUND: The study was designed to compare cognitive therapy (CT) with intensive behavior therapy (BT) in obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and to study their change process. METHODS: Sixty-five outpatients with DSM-4 OCD were randomized into 2 groups for 16 weeks of individual treatment in 3 centers. Group 1 received 20 sessions of CT. Group 2 received a BT program of 20 h in two phases: 4 weeks of intensive treatment (16 h), and 12 weeks of maintenance sessions (4 h). No medication was prescribed. RESULTS: Sixty-two patients were evaluated at week 4, 60 at week 16 (post-test), 53 at week 26 and 48 at week 52 (follow-up). The response rate was similar in the 2 groups. The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) was significantly more improved by CT (p = 0.001) at week 16. The baseline BDI and Obsessive Thoughts Checklist scores predicted a therapeutic response in CT, while the baseline BDI score predicted a response in BT. At week 16, only the changes in Yale-Brown Obsessive-Compulsive Scale (Y-BOCS) and a scale measuring the interpretation of intrusive thoughts correlated in CT, while the changes in Y-BOCS, BDI, and interpretation of intrusive thoughts correlated in BT. Improvement was retained at follow-up without a between-group difference. The intent-to-treat analysis (last observation carried forward) found no between-group differences on obsessions, rituals and depression. CONCLUSIONS: CT and BT were equally effective on OCD, but at post-test CT had specific effects on depression which were stronger than those of BT. Pathways to improvement may be different in CT and BT. The outcomes are discussed in the light of an effect size analysis.     

Preventable exposures associated with human cancers

Information on the causes of cancer at specific sites is important to cancer control planners, cancer researchers, cancer patients, and the general public. The International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) Monograph series, which has classified human carcinogens for more than 40 years, recently completed a review to provide up-to-date information on the cancer sites associated with more than 100 carcinogenic agents. Based on IARC's review, we listed the cancer sites associated with each agent and then rearranged this information to list the known and suspected causes of cancer at each site. We also summarized the rationale for classifications that were based on mechanistic data. This information, based on the forthcoming IARC Monographs Volume 100, offers insights into the current state-of-the-science of carcinogen identification. Use of mechanistic data to identify carcinogens is increasing, and epidemiological research is identifying additional carcinogens and cancer sites or confirming carcinogenic potential under conditions of lower exposure. Nevertheless, some common human cancers still have few (or no) identified causal agents.     

E6 and E7 proteins from different beta-papillomaviruses types do not interfere in UVB-induced apoptosis of HaCaT keratinocytes

Beta-papillomaviruses (beta-HPV) have been linked to the development of skin cancer in humans. Because both E6 and E7 proteins from beta-HPV have been involved in the potential carcinogenicity of these viruses, we investigated their role on UVB-induced apoptosis in HaCaT cell line. HaCaT cells have been transduced with both E6/E7 using a retroviral system and treated with PRIMA-1. Apoptosis was assessed by flow cytometry to measure mitochondrial membrane potential and DNA fragmentation. HaCat keratinocytes transduced with both E6 and E7 genes of seven beta-HPV types (HPV5, HPV8, HPV14, HPV24, HPV36, HPV38 and HPV49) did not demonstrate any inhibition of UVB-induced apoptosis, even after p53 reactivation through PRIMA-1. Our data suggest that the expression of E6 and E7 exert different modulatory effects on UVB-induced apoptosis according to beta-HPV types and to the cellular genetic context.     

A controlled positron emission tomography study of obsessive and neutral auditory stimulation in obsessive-compulsive disorder with checking rituals

Ten nondepressed patients with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) who were characterized by predominant checking rituals were compared with 10 age- and sex-matched control subjects. Hemispheric and regional cerebral blood flow levels (rCBF) were measured with positron emission tomography (H₂¹⁵O) across four conditions: rest, auditory stimulation with idiosyncratic normal or abnormal obsession, auditory stimulation with neutral verbal stimuli, and rest. Order of neutral and obsessive stimulation was randomized. Higher subjective responses to obsessive than to neutral stimulation were found in both groups; subjective response was higher in OCD patients when obsessive stimulation was presented first. A four-way analysis of variance (group × stimulation order × hemisphere × condition [neutral or obsessive stimulation]) was performed on stimulation minus rest normalized rCBF values. Control subjects had significantly higher rCBF in the thalamus and putamen. A trend toward higher rCBF in OCD patients was found in the superior temporal regions. When neutral stimulation was presented first, rCBF was significantly higher in the caudate region of control subjects. Obsessive stimulation was associated with higher rCBF than neutral stimulation in orbitofrontal regions in both groups of subjects. Under obsessive stimulation, superior temporal and orbitofrontal activities were correlated in OCD patients but not in control subjects. Our study suggests specific abnormalities of information processing in the basal ganglia and temporal structures of compulsive checkers.     

NutriCancer: A French observational multicentre cross-sectional study of malnutrition in elderly patients with cancer

Objectives

To compare the prevalence of malnutrition and nutritional management between elderly (≥ 70 years old) and younger patients (< 70 years) with cancer.