Chromosomal aberrations and gene expression profiles in non-small cell lung cancer

Alterations in genomic content and changes in gene expression levels are central characteristics of tumors and pivotal to the tumorigenic process. We analyzed 23 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) tumors by array comparative genomic hybridization (array CGH). Aberrant regions identified included well-characterized chromosomal aberrations such as amplifications of 3q and 8q and deletions of 3p21.31. Less frequently identified aberrations such as amplifications of 7q22.3-31.31 and 12p11.23-13.2, and previously unidentified aberrations such as deletion of 11q12.3-13.3 were also detected. To enhance our ability to identify key acting genes residing in these regions, we combined array CGH results with gene expression profiling performed on the same tumor samples. We identified a set of genes with concordant changes in DNA copy number and expression levels, i.e. overexpressed genes located in amplified regions and underexpressed genes located in deleted regions. This set included members of the Wnt/beta-catenin pathway, genes involved in DNA replication, and matrix metalloproteases (MMPs). Functional enrichment analysis of the genes both overexpressed and amplified revealed a significant enrichment for DNA replication and repair, and extracellular matrix component gene ontology annotations. We verified the changes in expressions of MCM2, MCM6, RUVBL1, MMP1, MMP12 by real-time quantitative PCR. Our results provide a high resolution map of copy number changes in non-small cell lung cancer. The joint analysis of array CGH and gene expression analysis highlights genes with concordant changes in expression and copy number that may be critical to lung cancer development and progression.     

Results of Prefrontal Lobotomy on Chronic Psychotic States

To provide the general practitioner, as well as the specialist with concise, readily available information on the latest, proved methods of treatment of conditions commonly encountered in an average practice, POSTGRADUATE MEDICINE offers this department to its readers. It is not, of course, intended to present these discussions as the only acceptable therapeutic procedures to be used, but rather to offer simple regimens and recommendations based on the extensive experience of the physicians who prepared these summaries.     

Detecting diabetes in an elderly dental patient population

The prevalence of both diagnosed and undiagnosed diabetes, a disease which has a significant impact on dental care delivery, increases with age. Because of these two factors, the dental practitioner must pay special attention to the detection of diabetes in this age group. This paper describes a study that validates the use of a simple blood test in conjunction with a questionnaire as a method to detect undiagnosed diabetes in an elderly dental patient population.     

Velocardiofacial (Shprintzen) syndrome: an important syndrome for the dysmorphologist to recognise.

We report the dysmorphological, genetic, and speech therapy aspects of 38 cases of velocardiofacial syndrome presenting to a craniofacial clinic and a specialised children's hospital, to indicate a relatively low incidence of clefting, good response to pharyngoplasty, considerable variability of the syndrome, and two further familial cases. We emphasise the low index of suspicion by paediatricians and paediatric subspecialists which resulted in delayed diagnosis and delayed treatment for the hypernasal speech and velopharyngeal insufficiency for periods of four months to seven years.     

Ovarian hormones and binge eating in bulimia nervosa

BACKGROUND: Symptom fluctuation in bulimia nervosa (BN) is related to menstrual cycle phase. However, the relationship between bulimic symptoms and ovarian hormones (estrogens and progesterone) has not been examined directly in women with BN. METHOD: Regularly menstruating women with DSM-IV BN (n=9) and regularly menstruating controls (n=8) collected hormone samples and recorded mood and bulimic symptoms daily for 35 consecutive days. Estradiol and progesterone were measured by radioimmunoassay. Within-subject analyses examined prospective longitudinal associations between changes in ovarian hormones and changes in binge frequency in women with BN. Analyses controlled for the possible influence of negative affect on binge frequency as well as the influence of progesterone when examining estradiol associations and the influence of estradiol when examining progesterone associations. Between-subject analyses examined whether women with BN were more likely to have disrupted hormonal profiles than controls. RESULTS: Increases in binge eating were significantly associated with both decreases in estradiol and increases in progesterone in BN women with intact menstrual cycles. Although BN women were more likely to have disrupted hormone profiles than controls, this difference did not reach statistical significance, and mean estradiol and progesterone levels did not differ between bulimic and control groups. CONCLUSIONS: The results are consistent with those from experimental animal studies and suggest that decreases in estradiol and increases in progesterone may contribute to increases in binge eating. Ovarian hormone function represents a promising candidate for unraveling the neurobiological mechanisms of binge eating.