T3+ and T4 Rectal Cancer Patients Seem to Benefit From the Addition of Oxaliplatin to the Neoadjuvant Chemoradiation Regimen

Background

To achieve T-downstaging and better resectability in locally advanced rectal cancer, neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy (RCT) has become the current standard of treatment. A variety of schemes have been used. This study investigates which scheme had the best effect on these parameters.

Methods

Our institution is a referral center for locally advanced rectal cancer. Different neoadjuvant radiochemotherapy regimens were administered: long course radiotherapy (RTH), 5-FU and leucovorin (5FUBolus), a combination of capecitabine and oxaliplatin (CORE), and capecitabine only (CAP). Selection of patients for 1 of the regimens was based on hospital policy rather than patient or tumor characteristics.

Results

The data of 504 consecutive patients (n?=?181 T3+, n?=?323 T4) without metastatic disease (cM0) who underwent surgery for advanced rectal carcinoma between 1994 and 2010 were reviewed. The RTH, 5FUBolus, CORE, and CAP scheme were administered to 106, 137, 155, and 106 patients, respectively. Odds ratios for downstaging were less effective for RTH, 5FUBolus, and CAP (0.31, 0.44, and 0.31; P?P?=?.003) or CRM+ resection (3.78, 2.73, 1.34; P?=?.001) were also in favor of the CORE. Hazard ratios for CSS were significantly better for the CORE scheme.

Conclusions

Downstaging with neoadjuvant treatment results in an increased number of radical resections. In our study, the combination of capecitabine and oxaliplatin appears to be the most effective regimen for locally advanced rectal cancer tumors. However, longer follow-up will be necessary to confirm this conclusion.     

Lysozyme Activity in the Plasma of Rodents Infected With Their Homologous Trypanosomes

Background

In this study the concentration of lysozyme in blood plasma of Microtus agrestis, Clethrinomys glareolus, Apodemus sylvaticus, BK rats and outbred white mice before and after infection with culture forms of Trypanosoma microti, T, evotomys, T. grosi, T. lewisi and T. musculi respectively was measured.

Methods

Blood samples of rodents, Microtus agrestis, Clethrionomys glareolus, Apodemus sylvaticus, BK rats and outbred mice infected with T. microti, T. evotomys, T. grosi, T. lewisi and T. musculi respectively were collected in heparinized micro- tubes immediately before inoculation and 3, 6, 12, 24, 48, 96 and more than 400 days after intra- perituneal inoculation with 5×10⁵of their homologous trypanosome parasites of which more than half were metacyclic trypomastigote in 0.2 ml of culture medium. Micro- tubes were centrifuged and plasma samples were separated and the lysozyme activity was measured by the agar method.

Results

Levels of lysozyme rose rapidly three to six days after the inoculation to ten to twenty than their pre- infection levels. They then gradually decreased, although after more than one year they were still two to ten folds higher than controls. The highest level measured occurred in rats infected with T. lewisi and the lowest in A. sylvaticus infected with T. grosi. After one year the highest concentration of lysozyme was in mice infected with T. musculi and lowest in A. sylvaticus.

Conclusion

Persistent enhanced lysozyme levels may prevent re- infection with trypanosomes.     

In Vivo Molecular Imaging of Apoptosisand Necrosis in Atherosclerotic PlaquesUsing MicroSPECT-CT and MicroPET-CT Imaging

Purpose

The purpose of this paper is to study molecular imaging of apoptosis and necrosis, two key players in atherosclerosis instability, using a multimodal imaging approach combining single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), positron emission tomography (PET), and computed tomography (CT).

Procedures

Collar-induced carotid atherosclerosis ApoE knockout mice were imaged with ^99mTc-AnxAF568 SPECT-CT to study apoptosis and sequentially with PET-CT following ¹²⁴I-Hypericin (¹²⁴I-Hyp) injection to visualize necrosis.

Results

SPECT depicted increased ^99mTc-AnxAF568 uptake in both atherosclerotic carotid arteries, whereas our data suggest that this uptake is not merely apoptosis related. Although PET of ¹²⁴I-Hyp was hampered by the slow blood clearance in atherosclerotic mice, ¹²⁴I-Hyp was able to target necrosis in the atherosclerotic plaque.

Conclusion

Both ^99mTc-AnxAF568 and ¹²⁴I-Hyp uptake are increased in atherosclerotic carotid vasculature compared to control arteries. While apoptosis imaging remains challenging, necrosis imaging can be feasible after improving the biodistribution characteristics of the probe.     

静脉药瘾者人类免疫缺陷病毒核酸测定及亚型分析

目的：了解静脉药瘾者人类免疫缺陷病毒（HIV）感染情况及感染亚型，追踪传染源，预测未来流行株。方法：对1997年从新疆至杭州的15例静脉药瘾者血清进行抗－HIV的初步筛选，结果为阳性者再行免疫印迹（Western blot)、套式聚合酶链反应（Nest-PCR)及HIV核酸序列分析，结果：15例新疆籍静脉药者均感染了HIV－1，其中有2例E亚型，其余均为C亚型。结论：静脉吸毒者主要感染HIV－1C亚型，我国HIV－1主要流行株可能已经发生变化。     

Fetal erythropoiesis in steel mutant mice. III. Defect in differentiation from BFU-E to CFU-E during early development

Erythroid progenitor cells in +/+ and Sl/Sld fetal livers manifested as burst-forming units-erythroid (BFU-E) and colony-forming units- erythroid (CFU-E) were assayed in vitro during early development. The proportion of BFU-E was higher as mutant than in normal fetal livers. On the other hand, the proportion of CFU-E was less in the mutant than in the normal. These results suggest that the defect in Sl/Sld fetal hepatic erythropoiesis is expressed at the steps of differentiation that effect the transition from BFU-E to CFU-E.     

Prevalence and predictors of Toxoplasma seropositivity in women with and at risk for human immunodeficiency virus infection

We assessed the prevalence and predictors of latent Toxoplasma infection in a large group of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected and HIV-uninfected at-risk US women. The prevalence of latent Toxoplasma infection was 15% (380 of 2525 persons) and did not differ by HIV infection status. HIV-infected women aged > or =50 years and those born outside of the United States were more likely to have latent Toxoplasma infection, with prevalences of 32% and 41%, respectively.