Levels of serum cathepsin L and several glycosidases in patients operated for colorectal cancer.

The activities of several glycosidases and cathepsin L were determined in the blood serum of a control group of ten healthy humans in comparison with a group (group I: 32 subjects) of preoperative colorectal cancer patients (1 week before surgical exeresis) and with another two groups: group II, comprising 18 operated subjects (1 week after surgery), and group III, of 15 operated subjects (4 months after surgery). All subjects were 48-88 years old. Both 'enzyme activity' and 'specific activity' determinations of serum beta-galactosidase, alpha-L-fucosidase and cathepsin L revealed peculiar profiles that differed from one another. Control values differed from those of some stages of the pathological groups, but not of others. These values were compared also with the levels of total, lipid- and glycoprotein-associated serum sialic acid. The usefulness of some assays (especially cathepsin L activity measurement) in the follow-up of the health status of humans operated for colorectal cancer is discussed.     

Passive smoking in babies: The BIBE study (Brief Intervention in babies. Effectiveness)

Background

Although number of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) reported in STI surveillance increased rapidly for women in Japan during the 1990s, the sexual behavior of women potentially at risk of STI infection remains unknown.

Methods

In order to determine the demographic and behavioral characteristics of non-sex worker (SW) females attending STI clinics, female attendees (n = 145), excluding SW, from nine clinics across Japan and female controls from the general population (n = 956), both aged 18-50 years, were compared using two data sets of nationwide sexual behavior surveys conducted in 1999.

Results

Although the occupation-type and education level were unrelated to STI clinic attendance in multivariate analysis, non-SW females attending STI clinics were younger (adjusted odds ratios [AOR] = 0.94, 95%CI: 0.89, 0.99), and more likely to be unmarried (AOR = 4.11, 95% CI: 1.73, 9.77) than the controls from the general population. In the previous year, STI clinic attendees were more likely to have had multiple partnerships (AOR = 3.09, 95% CI: 1.42, 6.71) and unprotected vaginal sex with regular partners (AOR = 3.59, 95% CI: 1.49, 8.64), and tended to have had their first sexual intercourse at a younger age (AOR = 1.77, 95%CI: 0.89, 3.54) and more unprotected vaginal and/or oral sex with casual partners (AOR = 2.08, 95%CI: 0.75, 5.71). Identical sexual behavior patterns were observed between the female attendees with a current diagnosis of STI (n = 72) and those before diagnosis (n = 73) and between those with a past history of STI (n = 66) and those without (n = 79).

Conclusion

These results indicate that not only multiple partnerships or unprotected sex with casual partners, but also unprotected vaginal sex within a regular partnership is prevalent among non-SW female STI clinic attendees. The identical sexual behavior patterns observed between female attendees with a current STI diagnosis and those without, and between those attendees with a past history of STI diagnosis and those without, indicate that the result are unlikely confounded with the cases of non-STI infection. This sexual behavior pattern may be predictive of STI infection among young Japanese women and could have contributed to the STI epidemic in women in Japan during the 1990s.     

Rosiglitazone modulates fasting and post-prandial paraoxonase 1 activity in type 2 diabetic patients

1. In the present study, we have explored the effect of rosiglitazone on post-prandial paraoxonase (PON)-1, an enzyme with potent anti-oxidant properties that may protect against atherosclerosis because increased post-prandial lipaemia, although sometimes understated, is part of the diabetic dyslipidaemia. 2. A randomized, cross-over, placebo-controlled, double-blind clinical trial was performed. Participants (19 type 2 diabetic patients on oral antihyperglycaemic agents) were randomly assigned to receive either placebo or rosiglitazone 4 mg twice daily for 8 weeks. After a 6 week wash-out, the alternative treatment was implemented. Standardized 6 h oral fat-loading tests were performed after each treatment period. 3. Patients assigned to rosiglitazone had increased fasting PON-1 activity (from 331 +/- 29 to 362 +/- 32 U/L before treatment vs after treatment, respectively; P = 0.015), although the PON-1 mass did not change (68.8 +/- 21.1 vs 64.2 +/- 25.4 mg/L before treatment vs after treatment, respectively). In addition, rosiglitazone significantly decreased fasting plasma peroxides compared with placebo (162 +/- 25 vs 214 +/- 28 mmol/L, respectively; P = 0.019). The post-prandial fall in PON-1 activity, expressed as area under the curve, was attenuated by rosiglitazone (-97 +/- 14 vs-161 +/- 24 Uh/L for rosiglitazone vs placebo, respectively; P = 0.02) and the increase in PON-1 activity caused by rosiglitazone correlated with reductions in fasting plasma glucose (r = -0.42; P < 0.05), homeostatic model assessment index (r = -0.59; P < 0.01) and peroxides (r = -0.40; P = 0.07). 4. The present data indicate that rosiglitazone may convey increased protection against the oxidative modification that represents increased post-prandial lipaemia.     

The two component adjuvant IC31® potentiates the protective immunity induced by a dengue 2 recombinant fusion protein in mice

Here we evaluated the suitability of the synthetic adjuvant IC31^® to potentiate the protective capacity of PD5 protein (domain III of the envelope protein of dengue 2 virus fused to the carrier protein P64k). Unlike Alum, PD5 mixed with IC31^® induced complete protection against virus challenge in mice and increased IFN-γ secretion after in vitro re-stimulation. The induced antibody response was highly specific to the homologous serotype and showed both IgG1 and IgG2a subtypes. IC31^® is a promising adjuvant for PD5 recombinant protein based vaccination against dengue. Future work should address the suitability of PD5/IC31^® formulations in non-human primate models.