Preoperative therapy with epidoxorubicin and docetaxel plus trastuzumab in patients with primary breast cancer: a pilot study

Purpose Combining anthracyclines and taxanes are to date the most active cytotoxic treatment option in the neoadjuvant and palliative therapy of breast cancer patients. Adding trastuzumab to these cytotoxic agents can improve outcome for women with human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-overexpressing advanced breast cancer. We conducted a pilot study of preoperative epidoxorubicin and docetaxel plus trastuzumab in outpatient patients suffering from breast cancer.Patients and methods Fourteen consecutive patients were enrolled in this prospective clinical pilot trial. Preoperative treatment consisted of weekly trastuzumab (4 mg/kg body-weight loading dose, 2 mg/kg/week maintenance dose), in combination with weekly epidoxorubicin (30 mg/m² body surface area [BSA]) and docetaxel (35 mg/m² BSA) once a week for 6 weeks followed by 1 week off therapy.Results Patients received a total of 30 cycles (median: 2 cycles, range: 2–3 cycles) of this therapeutic regimen. Outpatient epidoxorubicin and docetaxel plus trastuzumab were well tolerated. A major response to this preoperative therapy regimen could be demonstrated in 12 of 14 patients (86%) leading to breast-conserving surgery in 11 of 14 patients (79%).Conclusions We conclude that outpatient epidoxorubicin and docetaxel plus trastuzumab are safe in the neoadjuvant treatment of patients suffering from breast cancer, based on a favorable side-effect and activity profile. Thus, this regimen can be considered for further clinical trials.Work under the Auspices of CLEXO (Center of Excellence for Clinical and Experimental Oncology)     

血清心血管活性多肽Apelin与原发性高血压伴代谢异常的关系

背景心血管活性多肽 Apelin 是近年来发现的心血管活性多肽,也是重要的脂肪细胞因子,参与糖脂代谢异常的调节。目的探讨血清 Apelin 水平与原发性高血压伴糖脂代谢异常的关系。方法选取原发性高血压患者100例及正常血压对照者121例,进行血清 Apelin 水平测定。结果在所有研究对象中,血清 Apelin 水平与低密度脂蛋白(LDL)呈正相关(r=0.26,P<0.01)。原发性高血压组和正常血压组血清 Apelin 水平无显著差异[(1.0±0.6)比正常血压组(0.9±0.9)μg/L,P>0.05]。在原发性高血压患者中,血清 Apelin 水平与体质量指数(BMI,r=0.22,P<0.05)、腰围(r=0.26,P<0.05)、空腹血糖(r=0.25,P<0.05)及胰岛素抵抗指数(HOMA-IR,r=0.34,P<0.01)呈正相关。结论血清 Apelin 浓度与原发性高血压伴代谢异常可能有轻度相关。     

Brucellosis: a retrospective evaluation of 99 cases and review of brucellosis treatment

This retrospective study was performed in two university hospitals between January 2002 and 2006. Ninety-nine brucellosis patients were included in the study. These patients were classified as acute (91), chronic (4) and relapse (4) according to their clinical presentations and serological tests. Brucella bacteria were isolated in the blood of 17 (17.2%) cases. The most frequent symptom and clinical sign was fever. The osteoarticular complications were found in 17 patients (17.2%). Four of them were complicated with epidural abscess the same time. Two (2.2%) had meningitis, two (2.2%) had epididymoorchitis, three (3.3%) had skin rashes and one (1.1%) had hepatitis. Three of the acute brucellosis patients were pregnant. Rifampin and doxycycline combination therapy had been administered to most of the patients with acute and relapse brucellosis. However, complicated and chronic brucellosis cases were given different treatment combinations. This study reviews brucellosis therapy choices.     

Cardiovascular biomarkers in clinical practice of sleep apnea

Obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) leads to cardiovascular complications such as coronary artery disease, left/right ventricular hypertrophy and dysfunction, heart failure, systemic and pulmonary hypertension, arrhythmias and stroke; and these all cardiovascular complications increase morbidity and mortality of OSAS. However, Cheyne-Stokes respiration, central and obstructive apneas may occur in the patient with heart failure. Increased sympathetic activity by hypoxemia and endothelial dysfunction play a role in cardiovascular complications. Some cardiovascular biomarkers have a role in early diagnosis, treatment and prognosis. In the present review, some cardiovascular biomarkers such as serum C-reactive protein (CRP), tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-α), interleukins, adiponectin, heart-type fatty acid binding protein (hFABP) and brain (B-type) natriuretic peptide (BNP), and their clinical importance were reviewed.     

Effects of selective COX-2 inhibitors on the gastric permeability of sucrose: a controlled study with placebo and ibuprofen

OBJECTIVE: Acute and chronic use of non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs can increase gastrointestinal permeability. Celecoxib, which selectively inhibits the enzyme cyclooxygenase-2, is a novel anti-inflammatory drug with minimal gastrointestinal toxic effects while retaining anti-inflammatory efficacy. Our aim was to assess the potential effects of celecoxib on gastric permeability in comparison with placebo and ibuprofen. DESIGN: We conducted a prospective, double-blind, cross-over study. SETTING: This study is carried out at Marmara University Hospital. PARTICIPANTS: Twenty-five healthy subjects entered the study but 19 subjects completed the treatment. INTERVENTION: Subjects were randomized to celecoxib 100 mg twice daily, ibuprofen 600 mg twice daily or placebo for 7 days in pre-defined sequences. Treatments were separated by a 7 day washout period.MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE: Gastric permeability was assessed by measuring urinary excretion of sucrose spectrophotometrically. RESULTS: Ibuprofen 600 mg twice daily produced greater increases in gastric permeability compared with placebo or celecoxib (geometric mean of urinary sucrose recovery was 59.15, 32.65 and 33.11 mg/h for ibuprofen, placebo and celecoxib, respectively) (P < 0.001). Celecoxib was generally better tolerated than ibuprofen. CONCLUSIONS: When compared with ibuprofen, celecoxib 100 mg twice daily has no significant effect on gastric mucosa in healthy subjects.     

Monoclonal and biclonal gammopathy in two patients infected with<Emphasis Type="Italic"> Bartonella henselae</Emphasis>

Two immunocompetent patients with cat-scratch disease due to infection with Bartonella henselae developed monoclonal and biclonal gammopathy. Neither patient had evidence of any other known cause of plasma cell dyscrasia, and antibiotic eradication of Bartonella henselae infection resulted in the prompt disappearance of the gammopathy. Hence, cat-scratch disease should be added to the list of possible underlying disorders in individuals presenting with monoclonal and biclonal gammopathy.     

Microbiologic spectrum and prognostic factors of hospital-acquired pneumonia cases

Nosocomial infections are an important cause of preventable morbidity and mortality; they also result in significant socioeconomic cost. Nosocomial pneumonia (NCP) is defined as pneumonia, which occurs 48 hours after hospitalization or after discharge from the hospital. It is the second or third most frequent infection among all hospital acquired infections, and the mortality of NCP is higher than the other hospital acquired infections. Patients, diagnosed as NCP were retrospectively analyzed in order to detect microbiological agent and prognostic factors. We evaluated 173 patients, 67.0% of them were male and 33.0% female. Comorbid diseases were present in 94.2% and a medical procedure had been applied in 75.1% of cases. A single agent was isolated in 79.2% of the cases while a mixt infection was present in 13.3%. In 7.5% of the cases, cultures were negative. Endotracheal aspirates were the most common materials (38.9%) used for detected microorganism and sputum cultures were used in 16.8% of the cases. Most commonly encountered microorganism were Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Acinetobacter spp. and Staphylococcus aureus respectively. NCP developed on approximately 18th day of hospitalization. Overall mortality rate was 45.2%. The effects of diabetes mellitus and chronic pulmonary diseases on mortality rate were analized by logistic regression analysis and it's evaluated that the mortality rates increase 3.7 times with diabetes mellitus and 2.4 times with chronic pulmonary diseases. There was no effect of mechanical ventilation history on mortality.     

Comparison of the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Radiology Index and the modified Stoke Ankylosing Spondylitis Spine Score in Turkish patients with ankylosing spondylitis

The objective of the present study was to compare two radiographic scoring methods (the modified Stoke Ankylosing Spondylitis Spine Score (mSASSS) and the Bath Ankylosing Spondylitis Radiology Index-spine (BASRI-spine)) in terms of reliability, construct validity, and feasibility in Turkish ankylosing spondylitis (AS) patients. The study involved seventy-four patients. The patients were evaluated with 100-mm visual analog scale (VAS) for pain, global assessment of patient, and global assessment of doctor. The laboratory evaluations of patients comprised erythrocyte sedimentation rate and serum C-reactive protein. Bath AS Disease Activity Index (BASDAI), Bath AS Functional Index (BASFI), Bath AS Metrology Index (BASMI), and Bath AS Radiology Index (BASRI) were calculated. Bilateral cervical, lumbar spine, and anteroposterior pelvis radiographs of all patients were obtained and evaluated by two radiologists. Each radiograph was scored by two scoring methods, mSASSS and BASRI-spine, and these methods were tested according to the aspects of the Outcome Measures in Rheumatology Clinical Trials filter: reliability, construct validity, and feasibility. The BASRI-spine reached intra- and interobserver intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC) of 0.726 and 0.689, respectively. The mSASSS scores more reliable, with ICC of 0.831 and 0.840, respectively. The BASMI and BASFI correlated significantly with the two scoring systems, respectively (mSASSS r: 0.557, r: 0.319; BASRI-spine r: 0.605, r: 0.285). For the two methods, the magnitude of the correlation with disease duration was similar (mSASSS p < 0.01 and BASRI p < 0.01), but no significant correlation was observed when compared to the BASDAI. It is known that the BASRI-spine is a feasible method that reliably detects damage in patients with AS. However, the present authors believe that, in AS patients, mSASSS should be the radiological scoring method to choose because of less radiation exposure, along with excellent intra- and interobserver reliability.     

Attitudes of medical clerks toward persons with intellectual disabilities

Objective

To assess the attitudes of upper-year undergraduate medical students (ie, clerks) toward the philosophy of community inclusion of persons with intellectual disabilities (ID) according to demographic, personal contact, and training variables.

Design

Cross-sectional self-administered survey.

Setting

Clerkship rotations at Queen’s University in Kingston, Ont, and the University of Toronto in Ontario in 2006.

Participants

A total of 258 clerks.

Main outcome measures

Scores on the Community Living Attitudes Scale—Short Form.

Results

There were no differences in the Community Living Attitudes Scale—Short Form subscale scores across categories of demographic characteristics, personal contact, or having received didactic training about ID. Clerks who had seen patients with ID during their medical school training had higher mean sheltering subscale scores than those who had not (3.27 vs 3.07, P = .02). Additional analysis revealed that 88.5% of clerks who had seen patients with ID reported seeing 5 or fewer such patients, and that those who rated the quality of their supervision more positively had higher mean scores on the empowerment subscale and lower mean scores on the sheltering subscale.

Conclusion

Although specific training has the potential to promote more socially progressive attitudes regarding persons with ID, lower-quality supervision is associated with higher endorsement of items expressing the need to shelter individuals with ID from harm and lower endorsement of items promoting empowerment.     

Assessment of atrial pathologies in children using transesophageal echocardiography]

OBJECTIVE: Transesophageal echocardiography (TEE) is indicated for suspected atrial septal pathology and for monitoring of interventional procedures such as an atrial septal defect (ASD) closure during cardiac catheterization. Transesophageal echocardiography also helps to demonstrate postoperative complications and residual defects of complex congenital cardiac anomalies. METHODS: Transesophageal echocardiography was performed in 112 pediatric patients with or suspected atrial pathology at our institution between 1999-2002, using the standard techniques. The mean age was 8.7+/-4.2 years. RESULTS: In 45 of 112 children the suspected atrial defects were confirmed with the TEE. Patent foramen ovale was correctly predicted in 13.4% of patients by TEE, but only in 8.7% of patients by echocardiography. Multiple ASD's were correctly defined in 4.1%, and high venosus defects were documented in 6.1% of children by the TEE. We used TEE in 13% of patients for detecting atrial vegetations in patients with possible endocarditis, and evaluation of the postoperative care of atrial surgery such as Fontan or Senning operations and total correction of abnormal pulmonary venous return. Successful transcatheter closure of 7 ASD's was accomplished under TEE guidance. CONCLUSION: Transesophageal echocardiography allows a much more detailed evaluation of atrial morphology than transthoracic echocardiography even in infants. Transesophageal echocardiography is also indicated during interventional procedures and postoperative evaluation of the atrial pathology.