Update on common indicators of nutritional status: food access, food consumption, and biochemical measures of iron and anemia

This paper presents some of the most commonly utilized indicators to assess food and nutritional status. With respect to the indicators reflecting food access, those addressing poverty as well as food consumption are included. In addition, a variety of serum biochemical measures for the estimation of iron nutritional status and anemia are discussed; it is recommended that some of these be adjusted to account for sex, age, physiological status, and altitude above sea level.     

Comparison of clinical and environmental samples of Legionella pneumophila at the nucleotide sequence level

Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1 is the most common etiological agent of legionellosis. We have used clinical and environmental isolates from different sources to compare their genetic variability. We have obtained the nucleotide sequence for six protein-coding loci, included in the SBT scheme for L. pneumophila, and three intergenic regions from 127 samples, 47 of environmental origin and 80 from clinical samples. Levels of genetic variability were found to be higher in the environmental than in the clinical samples, but these did not represent a mere subset of the former. Not a single case of full identity between clinical and environmental isolates was found, which raises the possibility that only a specific subset of environmental isolates is actually capable of producing infection in humans. A phylogenetic analysis of the concatenate alignment of the nine loci sequences showed four main groups, each including clinical and environmental isolates, although their distribution was not uniform among them. The comparison of each individual gene tree with the others revealed several cases of incongruence involving samples from both origins, thus suggesting the presence of recombination in the two groups.     

The Use of Vital Dyes in Ocular Surgery

Vital dyes have advanced diagnosis and surgical technique in various specialties, including oncology, gastroenterology, and ophthalmology. In ocular surgery vital dyes are widely used in cataract and vitreoretinal surgery. Worldwide, intra-operative use of trypan blue during cataract surgery has enhanced visualization of the anterior capsule during capsulorrhexis, and patent blue has been recently licensed in Europe for cataract surgery. For chromovitrectomy, the vital dyes indocyanine green, infracyanine green, and brilliant blue stain the internal limiting membrane, and trypan blue and triamcinolone acetonide help visualize epiretinal membranes and vitreous, respectively. Intra-operative vital dyes are finding uses in corneal, glaucoma, orbit, strabismus, and conjunctival surgery. We provide a summary of current knowledge of the use of vital dyes in ocular surgery. We review the properties of dyes, techniques of application, indications, and complications in ocular surgery. Vital dyes represent an expanding area of research, and novel dyes deserve further investigation.     

Toxicity evaluation of three pesticides on non-target aquatic and soil organisms: commercial formulation versus active ingredient

The Ecological Risk Assessment of pesticides requires data regarding their toxicity to aquatic and terrestrial non-target species. Such requirements concern active ingredient(s), generally not considering the noxious potential of commercial formulations. This work intends to contribute with novel information on the effects of short-term exposures to two herbicides, with different modes of action (Spasor^®, Stam Novel Flo 480^®), and an insecticide (Lannate^®), as well as to corresponding active ingredients (Glyphosate, Propanil and Methomyl, respectively). The microalga Pseudokirchneriella subcapitata (growth inhibition), the cladoceran Daphnia magna (immobilisation), and the earthworm Eisenia andrei (avoidance behaviour) were used as test species. Both herbicides were innocuous to all test organisms at environmentally realistic concentrations, except for Stam and Propanil (highly toxic for Pseudokirchneriella; moderately toxic to Daphnia). Lannate and Methomyl were highly toxic to Daphnia and caused Eisenia to significantly avoid the spiked soil at realistic application rates. The toxicity of formulations either overestimated (e.g. Stam/Propanil for P. subcapitata) or underestimated (e.g. Stam/Propanil for D. magna) that of the active ingredient.     

Posttransplant Kaposi's sarcoma restricted to the site of a previous deep venous thrombosis: abrupt onset after withdrawal of sirolimus

Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) is an angioproliferative neoplasia associated with human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) infection. HHV-8 generates KS by means of the secretion of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) andup-regulation of VEGF receptor, KDR, in endothelial cells. We report a case of KS in a 72-year-old male with a renal transplant who had received immunosuppressant drugs including sirolimus, mycophenolate mofetil, tacrolimus and steroids. KS developed 11 months after transplantation, in relation to deep venous thrombosis and withdrawal of sirolimus due to toxicity. Multiple purple papules and nodules were observed exclusively in the limb affected by thrombosis. Diagnosis of KS was confirmed by biopsy. Progressive withdrawal of prednisone was accompanied by full remission of the tumour. The thrombosis and withdrawal of sirolimus may have acted as cofactors in the development of KS, favouring the activation of the VEGF/KDR autocrine loop. Our experience contributes to further evidence that sirolimus may protect against KS.     

Cadherin-catenin adhesion system and mucin expression: a comparison between young and older patients with gastric carcinoma

BACKGROUND: Young patients are thought to develop gastric carcinomas with a molecular genetic profile that is distinct from that of gastric carcinomas occurring at a later age. The aim of this study was to compare the clinicopathological features and expression patterns of the markers E-cadherin and beta-catenin, and mucins (MUC1, MUC2, MUC5AC, and MUC6) in young and older patients. METHODS: The clinicopathological features and overall survival data of 62 young patients (age 40 years). A tissue microarray method and immunohistochemistry were used in order to analyze marker expression in paraffin-embedded tissue blocks obtained from both groups. RESULTS: The young group presented a higher percentage of diffuse-type tumors in comparison to the older group (P<0.01). The rates of positivity for E-cadherin and beta-catenin membranous expression patterns and mucin (MUC2, MUC5AC and MUC6) positivity were higher in the young group (P<0.01). Although young patients showed a lower frequency of alterations in marker expression and had significantly better survival rates than the older patients, neither age nor the marker expression pattern were found to be independent prognostic factors of survival. Only stage, tumor size, and tumor location persisted as prognostic factors for patients with gastric cancer. CONCLUSION: Biological markers of cellular adhesion and gastric differentiation were differently expressed in young and older patients. Our findings support the hypothesis that young patients develop carcinomas with a different genetic pathway compared to the pathway of tumors occurring at a later age, and we suggest further investigations to assess the prognostic relevance of the markers to specific subgroups.     

Long term results of a phase II trial of Induction Chemotherapy with Uracil-Ftegafur (UFT), Vinorelbine and Cisplatin (UFTVP) followed by Radiotherapy concomitant with UFT and Carboplatin (RT/UFTJ) in Non-Resectable Locally Advanced (Stage IV-B) Squamous Cell Head and Neck Carcinoma

Purpose. To evaluate the response of advanced squamous cell head and neck carcinoma to a combination of induction chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Methods. We present long-term results of a phase II trial of Induction Chemotherapy with UFT 200 mg/m² p.o. days 1 to 21, Vinorelbine 25 mg/m² i.v. days 1 and 8 and Cisplatin 100 mg/m² i.v. day 1 (UFTVP) each 21 days for 4 courses, followed by Radiotherapy concomitant with UFT 100 mg/m² p.o. daily and Carboplatin AUC = 0.5 i.v. weekly (RT/UFTJ) in patients (pts) with Non-Resectable Locally Advanced (Stage IV-B) Squamous Cell Head and Neck Carcinoma (IV-B-SCHNC). Primary endpoint was Complete Response to induction UFTVP and secondary endpoints were Disease Free Status Rate after locoregional treatment and long-term Overall Survival. Between 1994 and 1997, 32 pts were included. Results. Complete Response to Induction UFTVP was 59% (95% CI: 48%-70%). Main toxicity of UFTVP was G 3,4 neutropenia (94% of pts; 25% developed febrile neutropenia and 1 of this pts dead). After Induction Chemotherapy with UFTVP, 30 pts received radiotherapy and 25 of them received cocomitant Carboplatin and UFT (RT/UFTJ): main toxicity was mucositis (G3-4: 72%) and one patient died during RT/UFTJ because pneumonia. Twenty-five pts (78%) were alive and disease free at the end of the whole treatment. Actuarial 5 year Overall survival is 32%. Conclusion. Although toxicity is important, this approach has interesting activity and deserves further investigation. In the January issue of Clin Transl Oncol the following article was published with a wrong reference: Fernando Rivera, María E Vega-Villegas, Marta F. López-Brea, Almudena García-Casta?o, Ana de Juan, Francisco Javier Ramos, Antonio Collado, Piedad Galdós, Antonio Rubio, Adolfo del Valle, Julio Rama, Marta Mayorga and Jaime Sanz-Ortiz Long term results of a phase II trial of Induction Chemotherapy with Uracil-Ftegafur (UFT), Vinorelbine and Cisplatin (UFTVP) followed by Radiotherapy concomitant with UFT and Carboplatin (RT/UFTJ) in Non-Resectable Locally Advanced (Stage IV-B) Squamous Cell Head and Neck Carcinoma and Peripheral Blood Stem Cell Support (PBSCS) with Febrile Neutropenia Clin Transl Oncol. 2007 Jan;9:40-47 DOI 10.1007/s12094-007-0008-5 The correct reference should be as follows: Fernando Rivera, María E Vega-Villegas, Marta F. López-Brea, Almudena García-Casta?o, Ana de Juan, Francisco Javier Ramos, Antonio Collado, Piedad Galdós, Antonio Rubio, Adolfo del Valle, Julio Rama, Marta Mayorga and Jaime Sanz-Ortiz Long term results of a phase II trial of Induction Chemotherapy with Uracil-Ftegafur (UFT), Vinorelbine and Cisplatin (UFTVP) followed by Radiotherapy concomitant with UFT and Carboplatin (RT/UFTJ) in Non-Resectable Locally Advanced (Stage IV-B) Squamous Cell Head and Neck Carcinoma Clin Transl Oncol. 2007 Jan;9:40-47The original article can be found online at