Prognostic value of chromosome 1 and 8 copy number in invasive ductal breast carcinoma among iranian women: An interphase FISH analysis

Breast cancer is amongst the leading causes of death in women worldwide and the most common cancer amongst Iranian women. Unfortunately, the current clinical and histological criteria can only help 60 percent of women with breast cancer in diagnosis and long-term treatment. Therefore, genetic markers both at single gene and chromosomal level can play an important role in improving the diagnosis and prognosis of breast cancer patients. The aim of this retrospective study was to investigate the role of chromosome 1 and 8 copy number assessed by interphase fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH), as prognostic parameters in 50 Iranian women, aged 35 to 64 years, with sporadic invasive ductal breast carcinoma. Chromosome 1 and 8 copy numbers were evaluated in relation to established clinicopathological parameters, the immunohistochemical markers ER, PR, P53 and cathepsin D, DNA index by flow cytometry, age and survival status of the patients. FISH using centromeric probes for chromosomes 1 and 8 was applied to interphase cell suspensions prepared from archived, Carnoyfixed tumor cells and selected paraffin-embedded tumor sections. Aneusomy for chromosomes 1 and 8 was present in all 50 patients to different levels. The total abnormality rate for chromosome 1 was 33.92 percent (4.24 percent monosomy and 29.68 percent polysomy), whereas for chromosome 8 this rate was 28.30 percent (6.48 percent monosomy and 21.82 percent polysomy). Statistically significant association (p<0.05) was demonstrated between monosomy 1 and patients’ age below 50 years, and between monosomy 1 and poor survival, respectively. Disomy 8 was significantly associated with P53 expression. A borderline significant correlation was demonstrated between polysomy 8 and diploid DNA content, as well as between disomy 1 and disease-free status of the patients. Chromosome 1 and 8 copy numbers may be considered as useful prognostic markers in invasive ductal carcinoma of the breast.     

Modelling and multivariable control in anaesthesia using neural-fuzzy paradigms. Part I. Classification of depth of anaesthesia and development of a patient model

OBJECTIVE: The first part of this research relates to two strands: classification of depth of anaesthesia (DOA) and the modelling of patient's vital signs. METHODS AND MATERIAL: First, a fuzzy relational classifier was developed to classify a set of wavelet-extracted features from the auditory evoked potential (AEP) into different levels of DOA. Second, a hybrid patient model using Takagi-Sugeno Kang fuzzy models was developed. This model relates the heart rate, the systolic arterial pressure and the AEP features with the effect concentrations of the anaesthetic drug propofol and the analgesic drug remifentanil. The surgical stimulus effect was incorporated into the patient model using Mamdani fuzzy models. RESULTS: The result of this study is a comprehensive patient model which predicts the effects of the above two drugs on DOA while monitoring several vital patient's signs. CONCLUSION: This model will form the basis for the development of a multivariable closed-loop control algorithm which administers "optimally" the above two drugs simultaneously in the operating theatre during surgery.     

Low Level Laser Therapy--a conservative approach to the burn scar?

Burn scars are known to be difficult to treat because of their tendency to worsen with hypertrophy and contracture. Various experimental and clinical efforts have been made to alleviate their effects but the problem has not been solved. Since patients keep asking for Low Level Laser Therapy (LLLT) and believe in its effectiveness on burn scars, and since former studies show contradictory results of the influence of LLLT on wound healing, this prospective study was designed to objectify the effects of LLLT on burn scars. Nineteen patients with 19 burn scars were treated with a 400 mW 670 nm Softlaser twice a week over 8 weeks. In each patient a control area was defined, that was not irradiated. Parameters assessed were the Vancouver Scar Scale (VSS) for macroscopic evaluation and the Visual Analogue Scale (VAS) for pruritus and pain. Photographical and clinical assessments were recorded in all the patients. Seventeen out of 19 scars exhibited an improvement after treatment. The average rating on the VSS decreased from 7.10+/-2.13 to 4.68+/-2.05 points in the treated areas, whereas the VSS in the control areas decreased from 6.10+/-2.86 to 5.88+/-2.72. A correlation between scar duration and improvement through LLLT could be found. No negative effects of LLLT were reported. The present study shows that the 400 mW 670 nm softlaser has a positive, yet sometimes limited effect on burn scars concerning macroscopic appearance, pruritus, and pain.     

Successful percutaneous coil occlusion of a large pulmonary arteriovenous malformation

Pulmonary arteriovenous malformation is one of the rarest congenital anomalies of cardiovascular system. We present a case of 30-year-old female with a large pulmonary arteriovenous malformation (PAVM) arising from the right lower pulmonary artery and draining to the left atrium. She underwent successful embolization using three detachable Cook coils.     

Simulation of a Hirschman-Herfindahl index without complete market share information

This paper utilizes maximum likelihood methods to simulate a Hirschman-Herfindahl index (HHI) for markets in which complete market share information is unavailable or delayed. Many jurisdictions either may be unable to administratively collect data or experience delays in collection that make data regarding turbulent markets of limited use. With the development of this method, regulatory authorities monitoring health-care competition or health-care firms can now use market surveys--in which reliable recall is often limited to the largest three or four firms--to produce an on-the-spot measure of market concentration.     

Potter's reno-facial syndrome

Potter's reno-facial syndrome is a rare innate abnormality. We bring 4 observations repertoried at the maternity of military hospital of Tunis over a period of 6 years (1997 - 2002). The purpose of our work is to determine after a review of the literature the echographic and foetopathologic characteristics, and the forecast of this syndrome. The frequency of the bilateral renale agenesis is of 0.27 per thousand. Positive diagnosis bases essentially on the ultrasound of the 2th, or the 3-th trimester. The signs of appeal are essentially the oligoamnios associated to an hypotrophy. The caryotype is systematic to eliminate an associeted chromosomic abnormality. Foetopathologic exam is usefull for the diagnosis. Main abnormality except the urinary pathology is the lung hypoplasia. Therapeutic interruption of the pregnancy in this situation not compatible with the extra-uterine life., only type IV authorize the development of the pregnancy according to echographic data and of foetal urinaire biochemistry. We insist on the early practice of the morphological ultrasound between 20 - 22 weeks for the diagnosis of foetal abnormalities and the place of the genetic advice in association with the geneticist in the coverage of the couple.     

Quality of survival in histiocytosis X: A southwest oncology group study

Sixty children survived for five years after the diagnosis of histiocytosis X. Serious disabilities were seen in 50% of children whose disease involved soft tissue and bone. Late deaths from pulmonary failure were associated with opportunistic infections in two cases. Future treatment approaches must weigh the risks of therapy-related complications against the probability of significant disability if the disease continues for many years.     

Evidence for HLA class II susceptible and protective haplotypes for osteomyelitis in pediatric patients with sickle cell anemia

We investigated the association of human leukocyte antigen (HLA) class II alleles and haplotypes with the pathogenesis of sickle cell anemia (SCA) osteomyelitis. SCA patients comprised 42 patients with osteomyelitis and 150 patients without osteomyelitis; HLA-DRB1* and HLA-DQB1* genotyping was performed by polymerase chain reaction-sequence-specific priming (SSP). DRB1*100101 (P value corrected for the number of different alleles tested, Pc=0.003) was positively associated with osteomyelitis. At the haplotype level, DRB1*100101-DQB1*050101 (Pc=0.001) was more prevalent among patients, while DRB1*030101-DQB1*0201 (Pc=0.020) and DRB1*040101-DQB1*0302 (Pc=0.039) were more prevalent among SCA controls, thereby conferring disease susceptibility or protection to these haplotypes, respectively. These results show that specific HLA haplotypes influence SCA osteomyelitis risk and that specific HLA types may serve as markers for identifying SCA patients at high risk for osteomyelitis.