Melanoma/skin cancer screening in a Mediterranean country: results of the Euromelanoma Screening Day Campaign in Greece

Background Since the year 2000 a melanoma/skin cancer screening campaign has been organized annually in Greece in the context of the Euromelanoma Screening Day Campaign. Objectives We aimed to analyse the characteristics of the screened population, to recognize relevant risk factors and to identify the cases of histologically confirmed malignant melanoma (MM) in individuals with suspicious skin lesions. Methods An analysis of the completed screening forms from the years 2000–2004 was performed with respect to relevant demographic, epidemiological and clinical data. Results A total of 9723 individuals were screened, most of whom where below the age of 50 years (71%), female (59%), and of skin phototype II and III (76%). Sunburn during childhood was reported in 47% of participants, while 5% of the screened population had a personal or family history of melanoma. On clinical examination, 14.4% had actinic keratoses, 31.2% had dysplastic nevi, while 6.4% carried a presumptive diagnosis of non‐melanoma skin cancer. In the 2003–2004 screening campaign, 19 out of the 171 clinically suspicious lesions were histologically proven to be MM, the majority of which (58%) were ‘thin’ melanomas (Breslow's thickness of ≤ 1 mm) of the superficial spreading type. Conclusions Our study suggested that, a melanoma/skin cancer screening programme in a Mediterranean country, supported by an intense publicity campaign, attracted many individuals at risk for skin cancer and detected mostly thin melanomas of the superficial spreading type.     

Percutaneous drainage access: a simplified coaxial technique

We describe an access technique that we have used in 150 nephrostomy and biliary drainage procedures and for access to some abscesses and viscera. The system provides safe coaxial access with a 22-gauge removable hub needle, which then acts as a guide wire and is replaced by an 18-gauge cannula. A major advantage is that only one guide wire is used (0.038-inch) for the entire drainage procedure. No significant complications have occurred to date with this method.     

Pharmacological characteristics and species-related variations of β3-adrenergic receptors

Summary— Beta-adrenergic receptors (β/-AR) belong to the large multigenic family of receptors coupled to GTP-binding proteins. Three subtypes have been identified: β₁-, β₂- and β₃-AR. Much of the work delineating the precise pharmacological comparison of the three β-ARs has come from investigations with stably transfected Chinese hamster ovary cells (CHO cells). This review discusses the structure and function of β₃-AR in various species and presents new findings on a number of β₃-AR ligands including carazolol, tertatolol and CL 316,243 which were found to be selective and potent β₃-AR agonists and ZD 2079 and salmeterol which appear to display full but non-subtype selective agonistic activity. Species-related variations of the β₃-AR pharmacology have been shown for propranolol and bupranolol. With the ongoing characterization of the β₃-AR at the molecular and cellular level, and with the advent of computer-assisted molecular modelling to aid in the determination of the three-dimensional structure of the receptor, it is thought that novel β₃-AR compounds will become available with improved selectivity and potency.     

Nasal IgA response in wheezy infants

It is unknown why some infants wheeze during upper respiratory tract infections. One possibility is that secretory IgA, which has a major role in mucosal defence against viral infection, might be deficient in wheezy infants. The nasal IgA response to upper respiratory tract infection in 32 wheezy infants (median age 5.8 months) was compared with nine siblings (median age 2.6 years) who had nasal symptoms only. Nasal lavage was performed during infections and on follow up when free from symptoms, using inulin as a marker of dilution to determine absolute concentrations of IgA in the nasal secretions. The two groups showed a similar increase in total IgA and total protein levels during infection, but secretory IgA concentrations were unchanged. This study shows that wheezy infants have a normal nasal IgA response to infection and that the increase in total IgA during early infection is due to plasma exudation rather than increased production of secretory IgA.     

Differential interleukin-1 elaboration by density-defined human monocyte subpopulations

Interleukin-1 (IL-1) is an important immunoregulatory peptide produced by monocytes and macrophages. Because mononuclear phagocytes are morphologically and functionally heterogeneous, we examined whether they differ in their ability to elaborate IL-1. We used discontinuous Percoll gradients to obtain five density-defined human blood monocyte subpopulations. Unfractionated monocytes and their subsets were compared for their ability to stimulate thymocyte proliferation. Supernatants obtained from the denser monocytes consistently contained more IL-1 activity than did supernatants from the less dense cells. This difference in IL-1 activity was the result of differences in IL-1 elaboration, not the selective production of an inhibitor of IL-1- induced thymocyte proliferation. These data demonstrate that density- defined human monocyte subpopulations differ in their capacity to elaborate IL-1.