Prevention of oral mucositis due to 5-fluorouracil treatment with oral cryotherapy

INTRODUCTION: One of the most common and important side effects of 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) is mucositis with ulcerations in the oral cavity. We investigated the effects of local cryotherapy on mucositis incidence administrated durng 5-FU treatment. METHODS: In a total of 99 courses, 5-FU and folinic acid combination chemotherapy was given to 40 patients. In our study, we considered every course as a single case, and cryotherapy was given to the same patient in one course but not given in the next. RESULTS: While mucositis developed in 6.7% of the courses given with cryotherapy, this ratio was 38.9% in courses given without cryotherapy. In the logistic regression analysis, development of mucositis had been found to correlate only with cryotherapy. Odds ratio (OR) = 11.5; in the 95% confidence interval (CI) = 3.2 - 41.9; (p = 0.001). DISCUSSION: Results of initial studies evaluating the effects of cryotherapy in preventing mucositis due to 5-FU based chemotherapy regimens were promising. We concluded that oral cooling prevents 5-FU induced mucositis. This effective prophylactic treatment should be used in patients who are at increased risk for developing 5-FU induced mucositis.     

Inherited C8 beta subunit deficiency in a patient with recurrent meningococcal infections: in vivo functional kinetic analysis of C8

A 16 year old with recurrent meningococcal infections is reported. Absence of haemolytic activity in both the classical and alternative pathways resulted from an absence of functional C8. Addition of functional C8 restored hemolytic activity. Antigenically deficient C8 was present in the serum and isoelectric focusing of serum confirmed the absence of the C8 beta chain. Following the infusion of fresh frozen plasma, we followed the decay in C8 functional activity as well as total haemolytic activity. C8 activity peaked at about 3 h with a half-life survival estimated to be 28 h. The kinetics of total haemolytic activity showed a slower decay with an exponential decline over 72 h and a half-life of 55 h. Fresh frozen plasma may be of value in the treatment of patients with C8 deficiency and acute Neisserial infections.     

Rabbit C3: isolation and characterization of reactions in vitro and during in vivo antigen antibody interaction

Rabbit C3 has been identified in serum by agarose gel electrophoresis and by immunoelectrophoresis, and it was shown that calcium ions slow its mobility. It was purified by methods previously used for human C3. Characteristic conversion products similar to those in other species were produced after various in vitro treatments. Reproducible changes occurred during sub-anaphylactic antigenic challenges in the rabbit which were reflected in total serum complement activity. Anaphylactic death was associated with profound changes in haemolytic complement and C3. These findings provide a basis for further study in the rabbit during experimental immunological disease.     

Diffuse optical tomography of breast cancer during neoadjuvant chemotherapy: a case study with comparison to MRI

We employ diffuse optical tomography (DOT) to track treatment progress in a female subject presenting with locally advanced invasive carcinoma of the breast during neoadjuvant chemotherapy. Three-dimensional images of total hemoglobin concentration and scattering identified the tumor. Our measurements reveal tumor shrinkage during the course of chemotherapy, in reasonable agreement with magnetic resonance images of the same subject. A decrease in total hemoglobin concentration contrast between tumor and normal tissue was also observed over time. The results demonstrate the potential of DOT for measuring physiological parameters of breast lesions during chemotherapy.     

A novel NPHS1 mutation associated with temporary elevation of maternal serum alfa-fetoprotein and late onset of proteinuria

International Urology and Nephrology -     

Intramural hydatid cysts of pulmonary arteries: CT and MR findings

Involvement of the pulmonary artery by echinococcosis usually occurs due to pulmonary embolization after rupture of the cyst in the right ventricle or, rarely, by dissemenation from a hepatic focus. This paper presents an adult patient with intramural hydatid cysts of the pulmonary arteries, which apparently grew slowly toward the lumina resulting in complete luminal occlusion, enabling sufficient time for development of sufficient perfusion from the bronchial arteries. The condition apparently resulted from embryos of the parasite, which entered the vasa vasorum of the pulmonary arteries, a previously unreported mechanism.