Impact of adjuvant therapy on survival of patients with early-stage uterine papillary serous carcinoma

PURPOSE: To determine the efficacy of adjuvant therapy in patients with early-stage uterine papillary serous carcinoma. METHODS AND MATERIALS: Data were collected on all surgically staged Stage I-II uterine papillary serous carcinoma patients. Statistical analyses were performed using the Kaplan-Meier and Cox proportional hazards regression methods. RESULTS: Of 68 patients, 50 had Stage I and 18 had Stage II disease; 35 underwent adjuvant treatment, including radiotherapy in 26, chemotherapy in 7, and combined RT and chemotherapy in 2. The remaining 33 were treated expectantly. The median follow-up was 56 months (range 1-173). The 5-year overall survival rate was 69%. Of 19 patients with disease limited to the endometrium, 10 received no additional therapy, 3 of whom developed recurrence. However, all 9 women who underwent adjuvant treatment remained free of disease. Patients receiving adjuvant therapy with chemotherapy or radiotherapy had a prolonged 5-year overall and disease-free survival compared with those who were treated expectantly (85% vs. 54%, p = 0.002 for overall survival and 85% vs. 49%, p = 0.01 for disease-free survival). In multivariate analysis, adjuvant therapy (p = 0.035) and the absence of lymphovascular space invasion (p = 0.001) remained as independent prognostic factors for improved survival. CONCLUSION: Adjuvant therapy with chemotherapy or radiotherapy improves the survival of women with early-stage uterine papillary serous carcinoma.     

Long-term oral administration of ginseng extract modulates humoral immune response and spleen cell functions

Ginseng radix (Panax ginseng C.A. Meyer) is a popular herbal medicine in Oriental countries. We investigated the effect of long-term oral administration of ginseng extract on the antigen-specific antibody response. Male BALB/c mice were treated orally for 30 consecutive days with 2 g/kg of a 50% ethanol extract of ginseng root. Mice treated with ginseng and immunized with ovalbumin (OVA), resulting in an eight-fold increase in titers of anti-OVA immunoglobulin (Ig)G in the serum compared to the group receiving OVA immunization without ginseng treatment; the level of IgG was also significantly elevated in the mice treated with ginseng and immunized with OVA. Mice treated with ginseng without OVA immunization exhibited significantly reduced IgG and IgA production by spleen cells. However, IgG production was not affected in mice treated with ginseng and OVA immunization in spleen cells. Interleukin (IL)-2, interferon (IFN)-gamma and IL-4 secretion by spleen cells from either ginseng-treated mice or OVA-immunized mice were down-regulated compared to that in the control group; while the production of IL-10 was unchanged. The percentage of CD8+ cells was significantly reduced in spleen cells from ginseng-treated, OVA-immunized mice. Thus, long-term oral administration of ginseng extract appears to potentiate humoral immune response but suppress spleen cell functions.     

血液回输技术在脊柱侧弯手术中的应用

探讨血液回输技术在脊柱侧弯手术的应用价值 ,我们将 2 6例脊柱侧弯矫正术病人分为两组 ,均在全麻后行手术 ,A组 :术中输库存血 :B组 :术中使用洗涤式血液回收机回收术中失血 ,以洗涤红细胞的形式回输 ,术中部分或不输入库存血 ,血液回收以后回输及输库存血皆未出现输血并发症。研究结果表明 ,在脊柱侧弯矫正术中应用术中自体血液回输措施可有效减少输入库存血 ,降低住院费用 ,可安全应用于临床。     

Structural and mutational analysis of a conserved gene (DGSI) from the minimal DiGeorge syndrome critical region

The majority of patients with DiGeorge syndrome (DGS), velocardiofacial syndrome (VCFS), conotruncal anomaly face syndrome (CTAFS) and some individuals with familial or sporadic conotruncal cardiac defects have hemizygous deletions of chromosome 22. Most patients with these disorders share a common large deletion, spanning > 1.5 Mb within 22q11.21-q11.23. Recently, the smallest region of deletion overlap has been narrowed to a 250 kb area, the minimal DGS critical region (MDGCR), which includes the locus D22S75 (N25). We have isolated and characterized a novel, highly conserved gene, DGSI, within the MDGCR. DGSI has 10 exons and nine introns encompassing 1702 bp of cDNA sequence and 11 kb of genomic DNA. The encoded protein has 476 amino acids with a predicted mol. wt of 52.6 kDa. The intron-exon boundaries have been analyzed and conform to the consensus GT/AG motif. The corresponding murine Dgsi has been isolated and localized to proximal mouse chromosome 16. The mouse gene contains the same number of exons and introns, and the predicted protein has 479 amino acids with 93.2% identity to that of the human DGSI gene. By database searching, both genes have significant homology to a Caenorhabditis elegans hypothetical protein, F42H10.7. Further, mutation analysis has been performed in 16 patients, who have no detectable 22q11.2 deletion and some of the characteristic clinical features of DGS/VCFS. We have detected eight sequence variants in DGSI. These occurred in the 5'- untranslated region, the coding region and the intronic regions adjacent to the intron-exon boundaries of the gene. Seven of the eight variants were also present in normal controls or unaffected family members, suggesting they may not be of etiologic significance.      

前路病灶清除植骨Ventrofix固定治疗胸腰椎结核

目的评估AO圆棒内固定系统(VentroFix)在胸腰椎结核前路病灶彻底切除植骨内固定术中的临床应用价值.方法对16例胸腰椎结核患者行病灶切除,植骨及应用VentroFix进行内固定.结果 16例经9-18个月随访,无术中,术后并发症,植骨全部融合,无植骨块移位或塌陷及高度丢失.亦无螺钉断裂无松动等现象,脊髓神经功能均有不同程度的恢复.结论该固定系统具有固定牢固,稳定性高,操作简单安全,合并症少,生物相容性好,无磁性等优点,是胸腰椎结核良好的前路内固定器械.     

HLA-B35 alleles in 440 individuals from 16 different populations as assessed by DNA typing.

As part of the Anthropology Component, the distribution of HLA-B35 alleles (B^*3501 to 3513) was studied in 16 different populations by group specific amplification and SSOP hybridization. The results were as follows:

The predominant alleles in most Caucasian populations were 3501 > 3503 > 3502 > 3508. However, B^*3502 predominated in Jews, B^*3508 in Arabs, B^*3503 in Gypsies and Sardinians seem to have only B^*3501 and 3502. B^*3504, 3505, 3506 and 3509 were restricted to Amerindians, where there are still other new B35 variants to be characterized. In most individuals the different B35 alleles were found in phenotypic combinations with HLA-Cw4, suggesting that the B35, Cw4 haplotype may have existed before subtype diversification. A detailed analysis of HLA-B35 alleles in other populations might help to draw a precise picture of B35 evolution.     

No association for D2 and D4 dopamine receptor polymorphisms and methamphetamine abuse in Chinese males

The D2 and D4 dopamine receptors (DRD2 and DRD4) play major roles in the central effects of psychostimulants and in the reward system. Previous studies, although not all, have demonstrated associations between the DRD2 TaqI and the DRD4 exon III variable number tandem repeat (VNTR) polymorphisms and substance dependence. For this study, we have investigated the associations between these two polymorphisms and methamphetamine (MAP) dependence, as manifested in a Chinese-male sample population. No significant difference was demonstrated for genotype or allele frequency when comparing MAP-dependent and control cases for the DRD2 TaqI and the DRD4 gene exon III VNTR polymorphisms, suggesting that these two polymorphisms do not play major roles in MAP dependence for our sample of Chinese males.     

Accumulation of interleukin-1{beta} and interleukin-6 in amniotic fluid: a sequela of labour at term and preterm

From the finding of miro-organisms or inflammatory mediators,or both, in amniotic fluid (AF), it has been proposed that intrauterineinfection is one cause of preterm labour (PTL, intact fetalmembranes). This theory, however, remains unproved, i.e. theaccumulation of micro-organisms and inflammatory mediators inAF after labour is in progress may be the consequence, not thecause, of labour both at term and preterm. This study was conductedto evaluate this possibility by a comparison of the concentrationsof interleukin (IL)-1ß and IL-6 in AFs collected beforeand during PTL (<34 weeks gestation) with those in AFs collectedat term (before labour and from the forebag and upper compartmentsof the amniotic sac during labour). The concentrations of IL-1ßand IL-6 in AF were also analysed as a function of the durationof labour (term or preterm) before fluid collection. In addition,studies were conducted to define the sources of IL-1ßin AF. A total of 666 AFs were evaluated. IL-1ß wasnot detected (<50 pg/ml) in AFs collected before the onsetof labour at any stage of gestation (n = 320), including 170fluids obtained at term. During labour, IL-1ß wasdetected (<50 pg/ml) in 58 out of 106 (54.7%), 17 out of64 (26.6%) and 60 out of 176 (34%) of AF samples obtained duringPTL, term labour (upper compartment) and term labour (forebag)respectively. AF sampling, as well as labour and delivery, werecompleted in <18 h in all term pregnancies. However, labour(with cervical dilation) was in progress for >18 h beforeAF was collected in 39 out of 106 (37%) PTL pregnancies. Theincidence of IL-1ß-positive samples among AFs collectedbefore 18 h of PTL (23 out of 67; 34%) was indistinguishablefrom that in AFs collected during labour at term. However, inAFs collected after >18 h PTL, the incidence of IL-1ß-positivesamples was 35 out of 39 (89.7%). The concentrations of IL-1ß(pg/ml; mean ± SEM) in AFs collected during PTL (2680± 730; n = 106) were greater than those in AFs collectedfrom the upper compartment and forebag during term labour (436± 244, n = 64; and 468 ± 119, n = 176) respectively;this difference, however, was attributable to very high concentrationsof IL-1ß in AFs in which PTL was in progress for >18h before AF collection (6021 ± 1832; n = 39). The concentrationsof IL-6 in AF were correlated with those of IL-1ß(P <0.001). We conclude that IL-1ß and IL-6 accumulatein AF in a similar proportion of pregnancies during the first18 h of term and preterm labour. Therefore, the accumulationof these cytokines in AF cannot be taken as evidence for a rolefor infection in the pathogenesis of PTL.