Multiple frequency bioelectrical impedance for the prediction of total body potassium in cystic fibrosis

The use of multiple frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis (MFBIA) was compared with single frequency bioelectrical impedance analysis (SFBIA) and anthropometry to estimate the size of the body cell mass (BCM) in a paediatric cystic fibrosis population. BCM was independently determined from the accepted gold standard reference of total body potassium (TBK). MFBIA was used to measure the impedance of the body at 248 frequencies from 4 kHz to 1 MHz. Data were analysed using Cole-Cole plots of reactance versus resistance. The limits of agreement procedure was used to determine the reliability and precision of the different techniques to predict values for TBK, in an individual subject. The results indicate that MFBIA with a precision of 12% offers little improvement over single frequency BIA but is better and more accurate than anthropometry for the prediction of TBK in an individual patient.     

The circumstances and scope for prevention of maxillofacial injuries in cyclists

A prospective study of cyclists with maxillofacial injuries attending Accident and Emergency departments in South Wales was carried out over a 12 month period. 65% of the 104 accident victims were aged under 14 years, and 81% were male. Only 14% were wearing helmets. Injuries were mapped to 9 facial zones. Nearly half the victims sustained injury to the central facial zone. There was an association between head injury (HI) and the location of impact on the face (p < 0.0001 Chi-square = 41 df = 8), the nature of the accident (p < 0.012 Chi-square = 10.9 df = 3), and type of injury in the impact zone (p < 0.007 Chi-square = 13.4 df = 4). More patients with facial injuries but without facial bone fractures sustained HIs than those with fractures. The facial skeleton may protect the brain by absorbing impact. The high incidence of midface injuries could be reduced by incorporating a facebar in helmet design.     

Enhancing the identification of excessive drinkers on medical wards: a 1-year follow-up study

This paper describes a 1-year follow-up study examining whether hospital ward doctors and nurses continue to take quantitative alcohol histories and provide brief intervention to problem drinkers on general medical wards after the introduction of a simple protocol. Regular training in the use of this protocol was stipulated in the annual service contract between the Health Authority and the Hospital Trusts. Improvements in staff practice persisted at 1-year follow-up, although it fell from a peak at an earlier phase of the study. The positive role of state purchasers of health services in sustaining improvements in clinical practice is discussed.     

Flow cytometric measurement of cell components other than DNA: virtues, limitations, and applications in gynecologic oncology.

Flow cytometry is a high-precision technique for rapid analysis and sorting of cells and particles. In theory, it can be used to measure any cell constituent, provided that a fluorescent tracer is available that reacts specifically and stoichiometrically with that constituent. The technique provides statistical accuracy, reproducibility, and sensitivity and allows simultaneous measurement of several constituents on a cell-to-cell basis. The main drawback of flow cytometry is the lack of visual control and structural information in solid tissues. Careful sample preparation, quality control of all staining and instrumentation procedures, and the use of immunohistologic or cytologic controls are essential for high-quality flow cytometric analysis. The technique has been used successfully for simultaneous measurement of DNA and tumor-associated antigens, oncogene products, proliferation markers, and markers for multidrug resistance in cultured cell lines and in cell suspensions prepared from solid tumors and cervical smears. Flow cytometry has the potential to play an important role in the study of carcinogenesis. With an appropriate panel of monoclonal antibodies, the technique can be used for screening, "biochemical" diagnosis of neoplasia, and rapid drug, hormone, and radiotherapy sensitivity tests.     

Laboratory facilities for investigating lipid disorders in the United Kingdom: results of the British Hyperlipidaemia Association survey.

AIMS: To determine the availability of facilities for the investigation of hyperlipidaemia in the United Kingdom. METHODS: A questionnaire was sent to all health districts in the United Kingdom. RESULTS: The response rate was 81%. All laboratories used enzymatic techniques to measure serum triglyceride and cholesterol concentrations, although there were differences in standardisation procedures. Reference ranges for serum lipids were quoted by 58% of laboratories while 50% quoted "desirable limits". Almost half specified that fasting blood samples were required. High density lipoprotein cholesterol concentrations were estimated by 75% and apolipoproteins AI and B by 14% of laboratories; there were differences in specimen type and considerable diversity in procedures used for measurement. CONCLUSIONS: Many laboratories were unaware of current recommendations for screening for hypercholesterolaemia in the community. The present survey indicated an urgent need for the introduction of better reference methods, standardisation, and quality assurance procedures before apolipoproteins become a routine part of coronary heart disease risk assessment.     

Cortical inflammation in Alzheimer disease but not dementia with Lewy bodies

BACKGROUND: There have been no previous studies on the role of inflammation in the brain for the second most common dementing disorder, dementia with Lewy bodies. OBJECTIVE: To investigate the degree of cortical inflammation in dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) compared with Alzheimer disease (AD) and control brains. DESIGN AND MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Post-mortem tissue collection from a brain donor program using standardized diagnostic criteria. Brains collected from January 1, 1993, through December 31, 1996, were screened and selected only for the presence or absence of tau neuritic plaques. Results of immunohistochemistry for HLA-DR were quantified using area fraction counts. Counts were performed by investigators who were unaware of the diagnosis. Results were compared across groups using analysis of variance and posthoc testing. SETTING: A medical research institute in Sydney, Australia. PATIENTS: Eight brains with DLB and without the tau neuritic plaques typical of AD, 10 brains with AD and no Lewy bodies, and 11 nondemented controls without significant neuropathological features were selected from a consecutive sample. RESULTS: Compared with AD, DLB demonstrated significantly less inflammation in the form of HLA-DR-reactive microglia in all cortical regions (P<.001, posthoc). The level of inflammation in DLB was comparable to that seen in controls (P=.54, post hoc). CONCLUSIONS: Inflammation appears related to the tau neuritic plaques of AD. Despite similar clinical presentations, therapeutic anti-inflammatory strategies are not likely to be effective for pure DLB. Arch Neurol. 2000.     

Mucinous epithelial ovarian cancer: a separate entity requiring specific treatment.

PURPOSE: Invasive mucinous carcinoma of the ovary (mucinous epithelial ovarian cancer [mEOC]) is a histologic subgroup of epithelial ovarian cancer (EOC). Chemotherapy for mEOC is chosen according to guidelines established for EOC. The purpose of this study is to determine whether this is appropriate. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Women with advanced mEOC (International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics stage III or IV) who underwent first-line platinum-based chemotherapy were compared with women with other histologic subtypes of EOC in a case-controlled study. RESULTS: Eighty-one patients (27 cases, 54 controls) treated with platinum-based regimens were analyzed. The response rates for cases and controls were 26.3% (95% CI, 9.2% to 51.2%) and 64.9% (95% CI, 47.5% to 79.8%), respectively (P=.01). The odds ratio for complete or partial response to chemotherapy for mEOC was 0.19 (95% CI, 0.06 to 0.66; P=.009) compared with other histologic subtypes of EOC. Median progression-free survival was 5.7 months (95% CI, 1.9 to 9.6 months) versus 14.1 months (95% CI, 12.0 to 16.2 months; P<.001) and overall survival was 12.0 months (95% CI, 8.0 to 15.6 months) versus 36.7 months (95% CI, 25.2 to 48.2 months; P<.001) for cases and controls, respectively. The hazard ratio for progression and death was 2.94 (95% CI, 1.71 to 5.07; P<.001) and 3.08 (95% CI, 1.69 to 5.6; P<.001), respectively, for mEOC patients as compared with controls. CONCLUSION: Patients with advanced mEOC have a poorer response to platinum-based first-line chemotherapy compared with patients with other histologic subtypes of EOC, and their survival is worse. Specific alternative therapeutic approaches should be sought for this group of patients, perhaps involving fluorouracil-based chemotherapy.     

Randomized phase II trial of gemcitabine-cisplatin with or without trastuzumab in HER2-positive non-small-cell lung cancer.

BACKGROUND: Trastuzumab provides significant clinical benefits in HER2-positive metastatic breast cancer patients when administered in combination with chemotherapy. Chemotherapy has also been shown to be beneficial in some patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The present randomized phase II trial examined the effect of adding trastuzumab to a standard chemotherapeutic combination (gemcitabine-cisplatin) in patients with HER2-positive NSCLC. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with untreated stage IIIB/IV HER2-positive NSCLC received up to six 21-day cycles of gemcitabine 1250 mg/m(2) (days 1 and 8) and cisplatin 75 mg/m(2) (day 1). Patients in the trastuzumab arm received trastuzumab 4 mg/kg intravenously (i.v.) followed by 2 mg/kg/week i.v. until progression. RESULTS: Of 619 patients screened, 103 were eligible. Fifty-one patients were treated with trastuzumab plus gemcitabine-cisplatin and 50 with gemcitabine-cisplatin alone. Efficacy was similar in the trastuzumab and control arms: response rate 36% versus 41%; median time to progression 6.3 versus 7.2 months; and median progression-free survival (PFS) 6.1 versus 7 months. Response rate (83%) and median PFS (8.5 months) appeared relatively good in the six trastuzumab-treated patients with HER2 3+ or fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH)-positive NSCLC. Addition of trastuzumab to gemcitabine-cisplatin was well tolerated, side-effects were as expected, and trastuzumab did not exacerbate the known toxicity of gemcitabine and cisplatin. Symptomatic cardiotoxicity was observed in one trastuzumab-treated patient. Serum trastuzumab concentrations in the presence of gemcitabine-cisplatin were comparable to those of trastuzumab alone. CONCLUSIONS: Trastuzumab plus gemcitabine-cisplatin is well tolerated. Clinical benefit was not observed. Although HER2 3+/FISH-positive patients may benefit from trastuzumab, the subgroup is too small to provide definitive information. No significant effect of gemcitabine-cisplatin on trastuzumab pharmacokinetics was observed.     

Health-related quality of life parameters as prognostic factors in a nonmetastatic breast cancer population: an international multicenter study.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this research was to evaluate whether baseline health-related quality of life (HRQOL) parameters are prognostic factors for survival in locally advanced breast cancer patients. Although the literature highlights the important role of HRQOL parameters in predicting survival in advanced metastatic disease, little evidence exists for earlier stages. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The overall sample consisted of 448 patients randomly assigned to receive cyclophosphamide, epirubicin, and fluorouracil versus epirubicin, cyclophosphamide, and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor. Patients were enrolled in 12 countries. HRQOL baseline scores were assessed using the European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer Quality of Life Questionnaire C30. The Cox proportional hazards regression model was used for both univariate and multivariate analyses of survival. In addition, a bootstrap resampling technique was used to assess the stability of the outcomes. Bootstrap results were then applied for model averaging purposes as a means to account for the observed model selection uncertainty. RESULTS: The final multivariate model retained inflammatory breast cancer (T4d) as the only factor predicting overall survival (OS) with a hazard ratio of 1.375 (95% CI, 1.027 to 1.840; P =.03). The presence of inflammatory breast cancer lowers the median survival time from 6.6 to 4.2 years (36% reduction). None of the preselected HRQOL variables were prognostic for OS or disease-free survival, in either the univariate or multivariate analysis. CONCLUSION: Our findings suggest that baseline HRQOL parameters have no prognostic value in a nonmetastatic breast cancer population.