Increased expression of p34cdc2 and its kinase activity in human gastric and colonic carcinomas

We examined the expression of p34^cdc2 and its kinase activity in human gastric and colonic carcinoma cell lines and carcinoma tissues and studied its relation with a tumor-suppressor gene product, p53. All the gastric and colonic cancer cell lines expressed p34^cdC2 and showed its kinase activity at various levels. When the cells were arrested in mitotic metaphase by the use of nocodazole, p34^cdC2 kinase activity was induced and p53 was apparently phosphorylated. Of 12 gastric carcinoma cases, 11 (91.7%) showed higher p34^cdC2 kinase activity in tumor tissues than in corresponding non-neoplastic mucosa. The protein kinase activities in the individual cases were well correlated with the levels of p34^cdc2 protein expression. A good correlation was also found between the expression of p34^cdc2 and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). Almost all the colonic carcinomas showed higher cdc2 kinase activity and increased p34 expression when compared with non-neoplastic mucosa. Interestingly, most of the gastric and colonic carcinomas having high cdc2 kinase activity expressed high levels of p53. These findings suggest that the increased p34^cdc2 kinase activity might cause the development and proliferation of gastric and colonic carcinomas, partly through abnormal p53 accumulation.     

A MOBILE LESION IN THE CAROTID ARTERY

The case of a 68 year old woman with a sudden onset of visual loss in the left eye is reported. Carotid duplex scanning revealed a 50–75% stenosis of the left internal carotid artery, with a floating tail of clot extending into the lumen of the artery. Emergency carotid endarterectomy, removing the plaque with the attached thrombus, was performed.     

Pretransplantation diagnosis and staging of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with cirrhosis: value of dual-phase helical CT

OBJECTIVE: The objective of our study was to prospectively evaluate the results of helical CT in the detection of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients with cirrhosis undergoing orthotopic liver transplantation. SUBJECTS AND METHODS. Eighty-five patients with cirrhosis were studied preoperatively with biphasic helical CT. Arterial, portal, and equilibrium phase images were obtained after injection of 170 mL of contrast material at 5 mL/sec. The prospective CT interpretation was compared with pathologic results on a lesion-by-lesion basis. RESULTS: Pathologic examination found 85 cases of HCC in 51 patients. Helical CT enabled a correct diagnosis of HCC in 67 of 85 lesions for a sensitivity of 78.8%. HCC nodules were hypervascular in the arterial phase and hypovascular in the equilibrium phase in 63.5% (54/85) of patients. The false-negative rate was 21% (n = 18), and the positive predictive value was 88%. We had nine false-positive findings (11.8%) related to hemangiomas, transient hepatic attenuation differences, and regenerative nodules. Helical CT detected 61% (23/38) of lesions smaller than 2 cm and 93.6% (44/47) of lesions 2 cm or larger. CONCLUSION: Helical CT is a useful preoperative imaging technique in cirrhotic patients who are candidates for orthotopic liver transplantation, although it is relatively insensitive for detection of small lesions (< 2 cm).     

Stress, trauma, and risky sexual behaviour among American Indians in young adulthood

This paper examines the relationship of risky sexual behaviour to stress and trauma-often the mediators of the content and structure of everyday life-among young American Indians. School, work, social life, and home life bring about demands and stresses for youth; choices young people make may depend on the quantity and content of those demands. Traumatic events or highly distressing situations may shatter fragile (or even resilient) systems of external and internal support from which youth may draw. American Indians live in some of the most impoverished areas of the country, where everyday life includes a heavy burden of stress and trauma. Using data from a representative sample of youth from a Northern Plains tribe, bivariate and adjusted ordered logit models are used to show that stress and trauma do play a role in the sexual decision-making of young people, especially young women. For example, young women who have experienced a trauma have a 20% probability of having had multiple casual partners in the prior year compared to 9% for those who have not experiences a trauma. Types and levels of stress and trauma also make a difference by gender.