Chromosomal segregation in spermatozoa of five Robertsonian translocation carriers t(13;14)

Purpose  

To analyse the segregation of a Robertsonian translocation t(13;14) in five male carriers, and to verify a possible inter-chromosomal effect (ICE) of the Robertsonian translocation on chromosomes 18, X, and Y.     

Update on the medical treatment of metastatic renal cell carcinoma

CONTEXT: Metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC) has long been treated only by immunotherapy with good results only in a small population of patients. In recent years, major improvements in treatment possibilities have occurred with the advent of anti-angiogenic drugs. In the past 2 yr, pivotal phase III trials have confirmed this major breakthrough by increasing the progression-free survival rates and/or overall survival rates provided by sunitinib, sorafenib, and bevacizumab, and more recently by the mTOR (mammalian target of rapamycin) inhibitors temsirolimus and everolimus. OBJECTIVE: To update the previous review on smart drugs published in the European Journal in 2006 (Patard JJ, et al. Understanding the importance of smart drugs in renal cell carcinoma. Eur Urol 2006; 49:633-43). EVIDENCE ACQUISITION: Critical review of published literature 2006-2008 (Pubmed website search words: renal cell carcinoma and/or targeted therapy and prospective trials) and more recent meeting abstracts (American Society of Clinical Oncology 2007). Quality assessment included prospective phase I-III trials and critical evaluations with low numbers of patients, retrospective analyses, and slide presentations of meeting abstracts. EVIDENCE SYNTHESIS: This review presents the current situation and provides more recent data on sequential treatment, the association of targeted drugs, and the treatment of non-clear-cell histologies. CONCLUSIONS: Treatment of mRCC with targeted therapy centers on at least two major pathways: angiogenesis and mTOR involving inhibiting drugs that may be used alone, in combination, or sequentially.     

A new geometric procedure forIn vivo pulsed doppler evaluation of velocity distribution inside the diametrical section of large arteries in humans

A new geometric procedure determination of velocity profiles inside large human arteries, such as the brachial and femoral, has been developed. The procedure requires the use of two crystal element Doppler probes and a highly precise micromanipulator with three degrees of freedom. Precise positioning is needed to obtain the required high degree of parallelism between the vessel axis and the plane containing the two crystal elements. Once the appropriate degree of parallelism is achieved, a controlled translation of the probe, perpendicular to the ultrasonic beam plane, allows velocity waveforms to be recorded at sequential radial positions across the measured artery. Velocity profiles obtained with this geometric procedure depended on the type of artery investigated. the profiles measured with the geometric procedure were more symmetrical than those found using the electronic range-gated time system of reception. While the geometric and electronic methods were almost identical in determining the diameter values of the three arteries measured, the geometric procedure enabled greater accuracy for detailed analysis of velocity profiles in the peripheral large arteries in humans. Although the present methodology is not applicable in clinical practice due to prolonged data acquisition time (approximately 45 s) it is expected that future equipment improvements will reduce this time significantly.