Telomeric length variation in human testicular germ cell tumours

Telomeric length was studied in 5 cases of human testicular germ cell rumours by measuring the length of the terminal restriction fragments (TRFs) containing the (TTAGCG)(n) sequence. Mean TRF length in human placenta used as a source of reference DNA for assessing the effect of cellular ageing was 14 kbp. TRF length in two classical seminomas and a mixed embryonal carcinoma/atypical seminoma ranged from 4 to 14 kbp and from 4 to 23 kbp, respectively, with the same mean value of 9 kbp in both tumour types. In a mixed teratoma/embryonal carcinoma, telomeric length ranged from 14 to 27 kbp with a mean of 20 kbp. In the single case of spermatocytic seminoma studied, telomeric length was up to 100 kbp with a distinct sharp band at similar to 50 kbp, representing the longest, homogeneous telomeres found so far.     

Qualitative analysis of therapeutic light effects on global function in Alzheimer's disease

The occurrence of Alzheimer's disease (AD) is growing, with 68% of cases occurring in women. Declines in global function exacerbated by reversal of day-night patterns, disturbed sleep-wake rhythms, and excessive daytime sleepiness make managing AD difficult. In this study, the authors examined the effect and duration of effect of therapeutic light on sleep, rest-activity, and global function in women with AD using mixed methods in a two-group experimental design with repeated measures on one factor. Twenty women with AD were randomized to experimental or control conditions. Blue-green or dim red light was delivered via cap visor in the morning. Results of the qualitative analysis of serial interviews with family and facility caregivers regarding perceived effect of light on global function are presented. Themes emerged in both groups with respect to cognition and psychosocial function. Future studies with larger samples using quantitative measures of global function are warranted to verify findings.     

Biofeedback therapy for symptoms of bowel dysfunction following surgery for colorectal cancer

Background  

Following colorectal cancer (CRC) surgery, up to 60% of patients experience post-surgery bowel dysfunction (PSBD). This retrospective review aimed to evaluate biofeedback therapy with regard to patients’ symptoms of fecal incontinence (FI) and stool frequency.     

Association of the IGF-I promoter P1 polymorphism with risk of cervical cancer

Human papillomaviruses (HPV16, HPV18, HPV31, HPV33) are etiological agents in the development of cervical cancer. HPVs infect epithelial cells and depend on epithelial differentiation for the completion of their life cycle. Insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I) is a potent mitogen involved in the regulation of cell proliferation and apoptosis of many cell types including normal and transformed epithelial cells. Deregulation of IGF-I expression and action is linked to diverse pathologies including cancer. A polymorphism in the P1 promoter region of the IGF-I gene may directly influence its expression. Using the PCR-SSCP method and sequencing of DNA, we identified a single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) at -383(C>T) position of promoter P1 of the IGF-I in 16% of the study HPV-positive women with precancerous and cancerous lesions. In vitro, we observed that the SNP at-383(C>T) site significantly increased the reporter gene expresion in the HepG2 cell line, but not in the HeLa cell line relative to the wild type promoter. It suggests that the studied SNP can change expression of the IGF-I gene in distinct ways in different types of tissues. Deregulation of expression of the IGF-I gene can affect normal epithelium development and in case of HPV infection can potentially disrupt the virus life cycle and stimulate its passage into the oncogenic life cycle or persistent viral infections. Therefore, we propose that SNP C>T at the -383 position of P1 promoter may be one of the helpful prognostic markers in the diagnosis of cervical cancer development of women with persistent infection in the ectocervical epithelium. We have not found any association between the polymorphism CA repeats in the promoter P1 region of the IGF-I gene and suceptibility to HPV infection and cervical cancer development. The (CA)19 allele was the most common in the study of this group of women.