A randomized placebo-controlled phase III study of granulocyte- macrophage colony-stimulating factor in adult patients (> 55 to 70 years of age) with acute myelogenous leukemia: a study of the Eastern Cooperative Oncology Group (E1490)

The treatment of adult patients greater than 55 to 70 years of age with acute myelogenous leukemia (AML) is associated with a treatment-related mortality of approximately 25%. This prospective, double-blind randomized study was designed to see if the use of granulocyte- macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF; yeast-derived) could shorten the period of neutropenia and to determine any effect this would have on therapy-related morbidity and mortality. A total of 124 patients entered this study. Induction consisted of standard daunorubicin and cytarabine. A day-10 bone marrow was examined; if this was aplastic without leukemia, patients received blinded placebo or GM- CSF from day 11 until neutrophil recovery. Patients who entered complete remission received the identical study medication (blinded GM- CSF or placebo) in consolidation that they had received during induction. The overall complete remission rate was 52%; 60% for the GM- CSF arm and 44% for the placebo arm (P = .08). Median times to neutrophil recovery were significantly shortened on the GM-CSF arm. The overall treatment-related toxicity from start of GM-CSF/placebo was reduced on the GM-CSF arm (P = .049). Similarly, the infectious toxicity was significantly reduced on the GM-CSF arm (P = .015). The median survival for all patients was 10.6 months in the GM-CSF group and 4.8 months in the placebo arm (P = .048). It appears that GM-CSF is safe and efficacious for adult patients greater than 55 to 70 years of age with AML; its major impact is in reducing the duration of neutropenia and therapy-related mortality and morbidity. This may result in a better response rate.     

Molecular analysis of clonality in Castleman's disease

Castleman's disease (CD) is a rare atypical lymphoproliferative disorder that is morphologically and clinically heterogenous and is associated with a risk of developing malignant lymphoma. We report the clonality status of CD tissues in 34 patients, including 14 patients infected by the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Four patients presented a localized form and 30 presented a multicentric form. Two cases were associated with B-cell lymphoma, 3 cases with Hodgkin's disease, and 9 cases (8 HIV+) with Kaposi's sarcoma. Histologically, 8 cases were of the hyaline-vascular type and 26 were of the plasma cell or mixed types. The Ig and T-cell receptor (TCR) V(D)J rearrangements were analyzed using polymerase chain reaction and Southern blot. Clonal IgH rearrangements were detected in only 4 cases, ie, 2 associated with B-cell lymphoma, 1 with Hodgkin's disease, and 1 case without malignancy. A TCR gamma rearrangement of restricted junctional size was amplified in 1 HIV+ case. Finally, polyclonal VH-JH and V gamma-J gamma rearrangements were detected in the large majority of the cases, irrespective of pathologic subtypes, clinical forms, and HIV status. The lymphoid component in CD is therefore commonly reactive, and the rare occurrence of detectable monoclonal lymphoid contingents may be caused by secondary molecular events.     

A theoretical framework to describe communication processes during medical disability assessment interviews

Background  

Research in different fields of medicine suggests that communication is important in physician-patient encounters and influences satisfaction with these encounters. It is argued that this also applies to the non-curative tasks that physicians perform, such as sickness certification and medical disability assessments. However, there is no conceptualised theoretical framework that can be used to describe intentions with regard to communication behaviour, communication behaviour itself, and satisfaction with communication behaviour in a medical disability assessment context.     

Randomized double-blind trial of injectable heptaminol for controlling spontaneous or bromocriptine-induced orthostatic hypotension in parkinsonians

Heptaminol is a molecule with experimental cardiovascular analeptic properties. In this double-blind vs placebo trial, the potency, so far unproven, of the injectable form of a 626 mg dose of heptaminol chlorhydrate on spontaneous or induced orthostatic hypotension (OH), was assessed. Nineteen patients were included in the study: 7 displayed spontaneous OH, and in the other 12 OH was induced by bromocriptine, as monitored 103 min/after an oral intake of 6.6 mg on average. Neither spontaneous nor induced OH were recorded in 32% of the Parkinsonian population registered, with no obvious distinctive characteristics. Potency tilt-trials, performed 15, 30 and 45 min after parenteral administration of heptaminol, revealed a significant and expressive potency of the molecule on the systolic blood pressure after 15 min (P less than 0.05). Clinical and biological tolerance was excellent. Low plasma renin activity and the absence of response to orthostatism indicated, in this population of Parkinsonian extrapyramidal syndromes, a loss in positive tonus likely to be of sympathetic origin. The anti-hypotensive action of heptaminol does not seem to be related to any renal or even sympathetic interaction.     

Seprase在上皮性卵巢癌胸腹水中的表达及其临床预后意义

目的 探讨Seprase在上皮性卵巢癌胸腹水癌细胞中的表达及其临床预后意义。方法 选择郑州大学第一附属医院和挪威奥斯陆大学附属肿瘤医院2001-2003年住院的65例上皮性卵巢癌患者的胸腹水标本75份，采用免疫组化技术检测了65份卵巢癌腹水和10份胸水细胞石蜡包埋组织中Seprase蛋白的表达，并对其中34份新鲜腹水细胞进行免疫印迹分析，同时检测9份良性腹水脱落细胞作为对照。结果 上皮性卵巢癌胸腹水中Seprase蛋白阳性表达率77．33％（58／75），显著高于良性胸腹水的22．22％（2／9），P〈0．01。Seprase蛋白的表达与卵巢癌患者年龄、FIGO分期、组织学分级和组织学类型无关，而与患者预后呈负相关（P〈0．05）。蛋白印迹表明27／34样本中同时检测到170ku Seprase二聚体和97ku单体，1份仪表达170ku Seprase二聚体。结论 Seprase参与了卵巢癌的发生发展，并与患者不良预后有关，可能成为卵巢癌的预后指标。