HE4 as a predictor of adjuvant chemotherapy resistance and survival in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer

The aim of this study was to investigate the value of serum human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) and HE4 tissue protein expression to predict tumor resistance to adjuvant chemotherapy, progression‐free survival (PFS), and overall survival in patients with epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). Consecutive inclusion of 198 patients diagnosed with EOC was conducted. Blood samples were collected prior to surgery and tissue samples during surgery. Patient data were registered prospectively in the Danish Gynecologic Cancer Database. The association between serum HE4 and HE4 tissue protein expression, resistance to adjuvant chemotherapy, PFS, and overall survival were analyzed in univariate analyses and in multivariate analyses adjusted for age, performance score, surgical outcome, stage, grade, and histological subtype. Serum HE4 levels predicted chemotherapy resistance, PFS, and overall survival correlated significantly (p < 0.001) in the univariate analyses; but after adjustment in a multivariate model, serum HE4 was insignificant, except in a subgroup analysis of postmenopausal women, where serum HE4 significantly predicted resistance to chemotherapy and progression‐free survival. HE4 tissue protein expression predicted PFS (p = 0.022) and overall survival (p = 0.047) in the univariate analysis, while HE4 tissue protein expression failed to predict these outcomes in the adjusted multivariate analyses. Serum HE4 or HE4 tissue protein expression are not independent factors of chemotherapy resistance or survival in patients with EOC, but serum HE4 might predict chemotherapy resistance and PFS in postmenopausal women.     

Dietary Phosphorus Excess: A Risk Factor in Chronic Bone,Kidney, and Cardiovascular Disease?

There is growing evidence in the nephrology literature supporting the deleterious health effect of excess dietary phosphorus intake. This issue has largely escaped the attention of nutrition experts until this symposium, which raised the question of whether the same health concerns should be extended to the general population. The potential hazard of a high phosphorus intake in the healthy population is illustrated by findings from acute and epidemiologic studies. Acute studies in healthy young adults demonstrate that phosphorus intakes in excess of nutrient needs may significantly disrupt the hormonal regulation of phosphorus contributing to disordered mineral metabolism, vascular calcification, bone loss, and impaired kidney function. One of the hormonal factors acutely affected by dietary phosphorus loading is fibroblast growth factor-23, which may be a key factor responsible for many of the cardiovascular disease (CVD) complications of high phosphorus intake. Increasingly, large epidemiological studies suggest that mild elevations of serum phosphorus within the normal range are associated with CVD risk in healthy populations. Few population studies link high dietary phosphorus intake to mild changes in serum phosphorus due to study design issues specific to phosphorus and inaccurate nutrient composition databases. The increasing phosphorus intake due to the use of phosphorus-containing ingredients in processed food and the growing consumption of processed convenience and fast foods is an important factor that needs to be emphasized.     

High Prevelance of Rifampin-Monoresistant Tuberculosis: A Retrospective Analysis among Iranian Pulmonary Tuberculosis Patients

We determined the prevalence of rifampin-monoresistant tuberculosis (RMR-TB) in Iran. Because development of RMR-TB is not common, we also identified the major risk factors associated with RMR-TB reported from different provinces of Iran. Data for 3,020 TB patients who remained or became smear positive after two, four, six, and nine months of standard first-line chemotherapy were retrospectively analyzed. Of 3,020 patients, 1,242 patients (41.1%) were culture and DNA positive for Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Of these patients, 73 (7.4%) patients had monoresistant isolates to rifampin, which was significantly higher than that for multidrug-resistant TB (5.8%). The average rate of RMR-TB in the studied population ranged from 5% to 10%. Classical investigation showed that 33.6% of patients had either a previous or family history of TB. Molecular epidemiology methods (i.e., spoligotyping and Mycobacterium intespersed repetitive unit–variable number tandem repeat), defined transmission link in three clusters (13%). These results outline the urgent need for a comprehensive plan for detection and treatment of RMR-TB cases.