[I]-TYR3-octreotide: clinical dosimetry and use for internal radiotherapy of metastatic paraganglioma and carcinoid tumors

Dosimetry and therapeutic application of [¹³¹I]-Tyr3-octreotide were evaluated in three patients with metastatic paraganglioma and carcinoid tumor. The in vitro stability of [¹³¹I]-Tyr3-octreotide was verified. Tumor uptake and residence time were between 0.02 and 0.1% and 0.5 to 9.8 h, respectively. The calculated tumor radiation doses were between 0.105 and 0.696 mGy·MBq⁻¹. No intolerance or adverse effects were observed after the therapeutic doses (3.3–6.6 GBq). A partial tumor response was obtained in one patient and no response occurred in two patients.     

Design, synthesis, and pharmacological evaluation of new farnesyl protein transferase inhibitors.

New CA(1)A(2)X peptidomimetics are described as Ras farnesyl transferase inhibitors (FTIs). They include cysteine and methionine as mimetics of the C-terminus sequence of farnesylated proteins. Furthermore, cysteine was replaced by heterocycles, taking into account the role of zinc and the metabolic instability of amino acids. The molecular docking of 8 in the active site of the enzyme and the pharmacological evaluation of the compounds are illustrative of a new class of FTIs.     

Adjuvant tamoxifen in postmenopausal breast cancer: Preliminary results of a randomized trial

Summary Between May 1978 and March 1982, 179 postmenopausal women with operable breast cancer were randomized to receive either adjuvant tamoxifen, 40 mg daily for three years (TAM group), or no further treatment (controls).The difference in five-year survival rates (61% in the control group, 72% in the TAM group) was not statistically significant. However, there was a significant improvement in disease-free survival in the TAM group (61%) relative to the controls (44%) (p = 0.008). In estrogen receptor positive patients, tamoxifen improved both the disease-free rate (47% controls, 80% with tamoxifen) and the survival rate (63% to 83%). Similar results were observed in progesterone receptor positive patients. In patients that were estrogen receptor negative, tamoxifen modified neither the survival rate nor the disease-free interval.     

Lack of association between two restriction fragment length polymorphisms in the genes for the light and heavy neurofilament proteins and Alzheimer's disease

The etiology of Alzheimer disease (AD) remains unknown. The hypothesis of genetic factors playing a role in the causation of the disease, at least in its familial form, has been borne out by results showing linkage in several early-onset AD families to a locus on the proximal part of the long arm of chromosome 21. Linkage was not detected in several other families using the same markers. The metabolism of neurofilaments is perturbed in AD, as indicated by the presence of neurofilament epitopes in neurofibrillary tangles, as well as by the severe reduction of the expression of the gene for the light neurofilament subunit in AD brain. To detect a possible anomaly that might relate to the disease, we have searched for an association between the genes for the light subunit and the heavy subunit of the neurofilament triplet, and AD. Genotypes for restriction fragment length polymorphisms (RFLP) at each of the two loci were determined for an AD group and a control group. Allelic frequencies at a TaqI-defined RFLP for the gene for the light neurofilament subunit were 0.70 for the 3.7 kb allele and 0.30 for the 2.9 kb allele. HincII detected an RFLP for the heavy neurofilament subunit gene with frequencies of 0.31 for the 18.0 kb allele and 0.69 for the 6.8 kb allele. Frequencies were found to be similar in the two groups for both light and heavy neurofilament subunit loci. Although it cannot be excluded that mutations at other sites of the neurofilament genes are relevant to AD, the data reported here do not support an association between these genes and the disease.     

Phylogenetic relationships within the oliveirai complex (Hemiptera:Reduviidae:Triatominae).

The oliveirai complex is actually composed of nine related species of Triatominae that occur in the Pantanal ecosystem of Mato Grosso, Brazil. In order to confirm their specific status and infer their phylogenetic relationships, we performed a genetic and morphometric comparison concerning seven of the nine species of the complex. Isoenzyme analysis provided broadly similar phylogenetic information to that derived from discriminant analysis of size-free variables. The derived trees reveal two main species groups, one composed of three closed species (T. jurbergi, T. matogrossensis and T. vandae), and another one subdivided into two different pairs, the T. guazu-T. williami pair and the T. klugi-T. oliveirai pair. The results call the specific status of T. guazu and T. williami into question, support the possibility that the other analyzed species represent distinct taxa and query the existence of the oliveirai complex.     

Where is your shoulder? Neural correlates of localizing others’ body parts

Neuropsychological studies, based on pointing to body parts paradigms, suggest that left posterior parietal lobe is involved in the visual processing of other persons’ bodies. In addition, some patients have been found with mild deficit when dealing with abstract human representations but marked impairment with realistically represented bodies, suggesting that this processing could be modulated by the abstraction level of the body to be analyzed. These issues were examined in the present fMRI experiment, designed to evaluate the effects of visually processing human bodies of different abstraction levels on brain activity. The human specificity of the studied processes was assessed using whole-body representations of humans and of dogs, while the effects of the abstraction level of the representation were assessed using drawings, photographs, and videos. To assess the effect of species and stimulus complexity on BOLD signal, we performed a two-way ANOVA with factors species (human versus animal) and stimulus complexity (drawings, photographs and videos). When pointing to body parts irrespective of the stimulus complexity, we observed a positive effect of humans upon animals in the left angular gyrus (BA 39), as suggested by lesion studies. This effect was also present in midline cortical structures including mesial prefrontal, anterior cingulate and precuneal regions. When pointing to body parts irrespective of the species to be processed, we observed a positive effect of videos upon photographs and drawings in the right superior parietal lobule (BA 7), and bilaterally in the superior temporal sulcus, the supramarginal gyrus (BA 40) and the lateral extrastriate visual cortex (including the “extrastriate body area”). Taken together, these data suggest that, in comparison with other mammalians, the visual processing of other humans’ bodies is associated with left angular gyrus activity, but also with midline structures commonly implicated in self-reference. They also suggest a role of the lateral extrastriate cortex in the processing of dynamic and biologically relevant body representations.     

Study Protocol: A randomized controlled trial of patient navigation-activation to reduce cancer health disparities

Background  

Cancer health disparities affecting low-income and minority patients are well documented. Root-causes are multifactorial, including diagnostic and treatment delays, social and financial barriers, and poor communication. Patient navigation and communication coaching (activation) are potential interventions to address disparities in cancer treatment. The purpose of this clinical trial is to test the effectiveness of an intervention combining patient navigation and activation to improve cancer treatment.     

Infection of a malignant appendiceal mucocele masquerading as an appendiceal abscess: Role of preoperative sonography and CT

We report the case of a 71‐year‐old lady with a suspected appendiceal abscess in whom preoperative sonography and CT demonstrated an infected appendiceal mucocele. The lesion was surgically removed and final pathologic examination revealed malignancy. Correct recognition of the mucocele prevented a potentially disastrous percutaneous drainage. © 2009 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Clin Ultrasound, 2009     

药物涂层支架与金属裸支架对稳定型心绞痛患者局部冠状动脉循环组织因子水平早期影响的比较

目的比较药物涂层支架（DES）与金属裸支架（BMS）置入前后冠状动脉循环内局部血浆组织因子（TF）水平的变化,探讨DES对血浆TF水平的早期改变及其对急性支架内血栓（AST）形成的意义。方法入选稳定型心绞痛患者26例,按标准方法行冠状动脉造影证实有冠状动脉狭窄均在70%以上。其中15例置入DES（DES组）,11例置入BMS（BMS组）。全部患者术前给予阿司匹林、氯吡格雷口服,支架置入前静脉给予低分子质量肝素。PCI术中冠状动脉内血样采集顺序依次为：支架置入前后冠状动脉入口处（ostium）用引导导管,支架置入后15 min通过血栓吸引器穿过病灶在病灶下方（beyond the lesion）采血。血浆TF水平检测采用酶联免疫双抗体夹心法（ELISA）。结果PCI术前26例患者在冠状动脉入口处与病灶下方冠状动脉循环内的TF基线水平比较差异无统计学意义（31.50±7.05 ng/L比31.40±7.30 ng/L,P=0.748）,但高于正常参考值3倍;支架置入后15min在冠状动脉入口处（29.60±6.96 ng/L比31.50±7.05 ng/L,P=0.135）与病灶下方（30.70±7.70 ng/L比31.40±6.30 ng/L,P=0.230）冠状动脉循环内的TF水平与术前比较,差异亦无统计学意义。术后15min,DES组和BMS组冠状动脉入口处（31.20±4.37 ng/L比30.70±5.39 ng/L,P=0.674）及病灶下方（31.60±5.39 ng/L比29.00±7.96 ng/L,P=0.789）TF水平差异均无统计学意义。结论稳定型心绞痛患者冠状动脉循环血内存在大量的TF。DES和BMS两种支架均不引起冠状动脉内局部、早期血浆TF水平的改变。