Carcinoma of the male breast. Our experience

A case series of 5 male patients afflicted with breast carcinoma is reported. The Authors describe symptomatology, diagnostic iter, principles of surgical treatment and results. Underlined is the wider surgical demolition in male breast cancer in comparison with females, even if natural history and biological conduct are comparable. This is because in male breast carcinoma the local and remote infiltration is more rapid than female for the less development of breast gland. Finally, indications for radiochemotherapy are comparable to female breast cancer.     

Cisplatin-associated anaemia in patients with solid tumours

We have reviewed the incidence of cisplatin-induced anaemia in patients affected with solid tumours treated with at least three courses of first-line cisplatincontaining regimens. In our experience, a low percentage (5%) of patients required transfusions of red blood cells. We think it is of the utmost importance to adopt uniform criteria in monitoring and treatment of patients at risk of developing cisplatin anaemia and to identify subsets of patients to eventually treat with erythropoietin.     

大鼠肝细胞Ⅰ，Ⅲ型前胶原基因表达及PDGF的影响

目的观察大鼠肝细胞Ⅰ，Ⅲ型前胶原基因的表达及ＰＤＧＦ对其表达的影响．方法应用原位杂交技术检测分离培养的ＳＤ大鼠肝细胞（ｎ＝３０）内Ⅰ，Ⅲ型前胶原基因的表达．同时观察１０μｇ／Ｌ（ｎ＝３０）和３０μｇ／Ｌ（ｎ＝３０）ＰＤＧＦ促进前胶原基因表达的作用．测定基因表达颗粒总面积占细胞总面积的百分比，并作比较分析．结果无论正常肝细胞或是在两种浓度的ＰＤＧＦ存在时，肝细胞内均可见到Ⅰ，Ⅲ型前胶原基因的表达．正常肝细胞Ⅰ，Ⅲ型前胶原基因表达面积的百分比（％）为７７±１９和７５±２１；加１０μｇ／ＬＰＤＧＦ后为１１５±１９和１１２±１０，而加３０μｇ／Ｌ后为１５２±３４及１８１±２８，且在后者中表达明显增强（Ｐ＜００５及Ｐ＜００１）．结论ＰＤＧＦ在转录水平上促进肝细胞胶原的合成．     

Analysis of the epsilon-sarcoglycan gene in familial and sporadic myoclonus-dystonia: evidence for genetic heterogeneity.

The epsilon-sarcoglycan gene (SGCE) on human chromosome 7q21 has been reported to be a major locus for inherited myoclonus-dystonia. Linkage to the SGCE locus has been detected in the majority of families tested, and mutations in the coding region have been found recently in families with autosomal dominant myoclonus-dystonia. To evaluate the relevance of SGCE in myoclonus-dystonia, we sequenced the entire coding region of the epsilon-sarcoglycan gene in 16 patients with either sporadic or familial myoclonus-dystonia. No mutations were found. This study suggests that epsilon-sarcoglycan does not play an important role in sporadic myoclonus-dystonia and supports genetic heterogeneity in familial cases.     

Positive and negative interactions in the behavioural expression of D1 and D2 receptor stimulation in a model of Parkinsonism: role of priming.

Previous exposure to a dopaminergic agonist (priming) strongly potentiates contralateral turning behaviour in response to D1 and D2 agonists in unilaterally 6-hydroxydopamine-lesioned rats. In order to study the influence of priming on the behavioural interaction of D1 and D2 receptors, we examined the effect of selective D1 and D2 receptor blockade on the contralateral turning induced by the mixed D2/D2 agonist apomorphine in drug-naive and primed 6-hydroxydopamine-lesioned rats. In drug-naive rats, apomorphine induced a dose-related, apparently monophasic rotation curve. Administration of selective D1 (SCH 23390) or D2 (raclopride) antagonists abolished the contralateral turning induced by 0.1 mg/kg of apomorphine and partially inhibited that induced by 0.5 mg/kg. In primed rats low doses of apomorphine (0.05 mg/kg) induced an apparently monophasic contralateral turning which was reduced by D1 receptor blockade and completely abolished by D2 receptor blockade; a higher dose of apomorphine (0.1 mg/kg) instead elicited a biphasic (two-peak) pattern of rotation. After this dose of the agonist, blockade of D1 or D2 receptors abolished the second peak of rotation but, while D1 blockade reduced the total number of turns, D2 blockade failed to do so. Quantitative analysis of the interaction between D1 and D2 receptors in the overall turning effect, as well as in the time-course of turning behaviour, indicates that D1 and D2 receptors interact not only positively but also negatively. After higher doses of apomorphine, both negative and positive interactions take place sequentially during the time-course of apomorphine action and provide a clue for explaining the two-peak pattern of rotation observed after apomorphine in rats previously exposed to the drug.     

Cytoskeletal alterations might account for the phylogenetic vulnerability of the human brain to Alzheimer's disease

A theory is presented here in the attempt to explain why Alzheimer's disease (AD) primarily affects areas of the human brain that have been acquired recently in phylogenesis. Disturbances in cytoskeletal function are proposed to play a fundamental role in triggering the sequence of pathologic events leading to the occurrence of AD-related histopathological markers and to the degeneration and death of neurons. These deficits are supposed to occur more likely in neuronal populations that possess a high degree of plasticity, the substrate of memory functions, and that constitute, in fact, the phylogenetically new telencephalic regions of the human brain.     

FRACTURE OF ABUTMENT SCREW SUPPORTING A CEMENTED IMPLANT-RETAINED PROSTHESIS WITH EXTERNAL HEXAGON CONNECTION: A CASE REPORT WITH SEM EVALUATION

One of the causes of implant failures in cemented implant-retained prostheses is the fracture of abutment screw or UCLA abutment. This article reports a case of simultaneous fracture of two UCLA abutments screws occurring in an implant-supported prosthesis placed in the mandibular molar region. The fractured structures were examined under scanning electron microscopy to investigate the probable causes of the failure, which were not related to failures on materials or fabrication of the screws, but rather were due to shear forces. The misfit in cemented prostheses may be the most likely cause of shear force generation.     

Daily nutrient intake represents a modifiable determinant of nutritional status in chronic haemodialysis patients.

BACKGROUND: In maintenance haemodialysis patients, daily food intake is changeable; however, its relationship with nutritional status is unexplored. This study aimed to evaluate the isolated, long-term effect of daily nutrient intake on nutritional status in haemodialysis patients. METHODS: We performed a prospective 1-year controlled study in 27 chronic haemodialysis patients, without recognized risk factors for malnutrition. Each day for 1 week, four times in the year, we measured protein nitrogen appearance, and assessed dietary protein (DPI) and energy (DEI) intake from dietary diaries. We compared the nutritional outcome of patients spontaneously reducing nutrient intake below the threshold of 0.8 g/kg body weight/day for DPI and 25 kcal/kg body weight/day for DEI during the week (LOW, n = 8), with controls at adequate nutrient intake (CON, n = 19). An interventional 6-month study was then carried out in LOW to verify the cause-effect relationship. RESULTS: All patients showed a day-by-day reduction of whole nutrient intake during interdialytic period, which was mostly relevant in the third interdialytic day (L3). During the 1-year study, even in the presence of adequate dialysis dose and normal inflammatory indexes, body weight (68.0 +/- 5.5 to 65.8 +/- 5.9 kg), serum albumin (3.96 +/- 0.07 to 3.66 +/- 0.06 g/dl) and creatinine (9.2 +/- 1.1 to 8.1 +/- 0.7 mg/dl) significantly decreased in LOW but not in CON. Diaries evidenced in LOW a reduced number of meals at L3 that was explained by the fear of excessive interdialytic weight gain. During the interventional study, daily DPI and DEI increased at L3; this was associated with a significant increment of body weight, and serum albumin and creatinine levels. CONCLUSIONS: In maintenance haemodialysis patients the persistent, marked reduction of daily nutrient intake, even if limited to a single day of the week, is an independent determinant of reversible impairment of nutritional status.