Defining the susceptibility of acne-prone and sensitive skin populations to extrinsic factors.

Acne-Prone Skin. Acne-prone skin appears to be more susceptible to certain extrinsic factors that can either exacerbate existing disease or generate new lesions. Awareness of the factors that could worsen or interfere with therapy is important. In addition, identification of patients with minimal acne who are prone to outbreaks from extrinsic factors and provision of relevant advice could prove beneficial to significant numbers of patients. Sensitive Skin. From the perspective of our research, the definition of sensitive skin is still evolving. Certain individuals may view sensitive skin as fashionable; however, clinicians and the people who work in the personal-care industry know that when certain materials are applied to the skin, some individuals report symptoms (burning, stinging, itching, a tight feeling) and sometimes show traditional signs of irritation. The reasons for sensitive skin in these individuals may be obvious, but many times the complaints and signs of irritation occur in individuals who appear to be normal. Using our ongoing work we would like to suggest that the label "sensitive skin" apply to the following four categories: 1. Those individuals with obvious skin disease. 2. Those individuals with subclinical (mild) or atypical clinical signs of disease. 3. Those individuals who have experienced past insults to the skin. 4. Those individuals who do not fit into one of the above three categories and appear to be "normal". To define sensitive skin fully we may need to perform full profiles of the skin of these patients. In addition to history and examination, a battery of noninvasive tests may be helpful.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)     

Enhanced cell killing in lewis lung carcinoma and a human pancreatic-carcinoma xenograft by the combination of cytotoxic drugs and misonidazole.

The "chemosensitizing" properties of the radiosensitizer misonidazole (MISO) were examined in 2 tumour systems, murine Lewis lung carcinoma and human pancreatic adenocarcinoma xenografted into immune-suppressed mice, using a soft-agar colony assay to measure tumour-cell survival. In mice bearing Lewis lung tumour, the administration of MISO simultaneously with melphalan, cyclophosphamide. CCNU, FU or vincristine gave substantial enhancement of cytotoxicity (DEFs from 1.5 to 3.5). However, no enhancement was seen with bleomycin, VP 16-213 or cis-Pt. The same level of enhancement of cyclophosphamide effect (DEF = 2.0) was seen with both cell survival and growth delay end-points effect (DEF = 2.0) was seen with both cell survival and growth delay end-points of tumour response. Enhancement was also seen in the human tumour xenograft with melphalan, cyclophosphamide and MeCCNU, using a cell survival assay, but cis-Pt was again not enhanced.     

Fine structure of pancreatic adenocarcinoma induced in rats by 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene.

We induced pancreatic adenocarcinomas in Long-Evans rats by placing crystals, 2-3 mg, of 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene (DMBA) in a 2- to 3-mm incision in the "head" of the pancreas approximately 1 cm from the duodenum. The incisions were closed with one or two silk sutures. The animals were killed 4-10 months after DMBA implantation, and nodules were removed and routinely prepared for light and/or electron microscopic study. Histologic organization varied from normal, through areas of tubule-like structures, to sheets of pleomorphic tumor cells. Electron microscopic study of tumor cells revealed large electron-lucent nuclei that frequently had irregular outlines and prominent nucleoli. The predominant feature of the cytoplasm was abundant rough endoplasmic reticulum. Zymogen granules were rare. Adjacent cells sometimes were jointed by an apical junctional complex to form a lumen into which projected irregular microvilli. A basal lamina sometimes occurred at the bases of the tumor cells. The fine structural similarity of these tumor cells to acinar cells was noted.     

Five meters of H(2)O: the pressure at the urinary bladder neck during human ejaculation

BACKGROUND: There are no data in the literature on pressure changes in the prostatic urethra during ejaculation. In healthy men, it has always been postulated that there must be a pressure gradient in order to prevent retrograde ejaculation, but scientific proof for that is pending. METHODS: In five healthy male volunteers, the pressure profile in the prostatic urethra was registered during ejaculation, using a 10 French balloon catheter with 16 pressure channels. The channels were arranged in pairs at 5-mm intervals, beginning just below the balloon at the bladder neck and extending down to the external urethral sphincter. RESULTS: In the proximal part of the prostatic urethra, a pressure of up to 500 cm of H(2)O was measured in all subjects. Contrary to that, pressures did not exceed 400 cm of H(2)O distally to the verumontanum. CONCLUSIONS: A novel method to register the pressure profile in the lower urinary tract during ejaculation (ejaculomanometry) is presented. This study adds to the knowledge of the normal physiology of reproductive function and may be useful in the evaluation of male sexual and reproductive disorders.     

Distal revascularization-interval ligation for maintenance of dialysis access and restoration of distal perfusion in ischemic steal syndrome

Ischemic steal syndrome after hemodialysis access challenges the clinician to reconcile the dichotomy of maintenance of access patency and restoration of distal limb perfusion. Results from traditional procedures directed toward increasing the resistance in the fistula (eg, banding, lengthening) have yielded unreliable results and frequently eventuate in fistula thrombosis. The recently described technique of distal revascularization, interval ligation (DRIL) provides a more physiological approach. Based on several recent series, application of the technique has provided excellent resolution of ischemic symptoms and superior preservation of fistula patency.     

A fully human antimelanoma cellular adhesion molecule/MUC18 antibody inhibits spontaneous pulmonary metastasis of osteosarcoma cells in vivo.

PURPOSE: The melanoma cellular adhesion molecule, also known as MUC18, is highly expressed on several tumors, including bone sarcomas. The level of MUC18 expression has been found to correlate directly with tumor progression and metastatic potential. These observations have established MUC18 as a candidate mediator of tumor growth and metastasis, and suggest that blockade of MUC18 might be a potential target for immunotherapy against several MUC18-expressing tumors, including human bone sarcomas. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: To investigate whether blockade of MUC18 might be a potential target for immunotherapy against osteosarcoma, we have recently developed a fully human anti-MUC18 antibody, ABX-MA1. We studied the effect of ABX-MA1 on growth, adhesion, invasion, and metastasis of human osteosaroma cells both in vitro and in vivo. RESULTS: MUC18 was widely expressed on both osteosarcoma and Ewing's sarcoma cells. ABX-MA1 had no effect on the proliferation of osteosarcoma cells in vitro, nor did it significantly inhibit the growth of KRIB human osteosarcoma cells when they were orthotopically implanted into the tibias of nude mice. However, after 6 weeks, significantly fewer ABX-MA1-treated mice developed spontaneous pulmonary metastases than did IgG-treated control mice. Additionally, ABX-MA1 decreased the invasion of osteosarcoma cells through Matrigel-coated filters and disrupted homotypic adhesion between osteosarcoma cells and their heterotypic interaction with human vascular endothelial cells. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings demonstrate that MUC18 plays a central role in the metastasis of osteosarcoma and suggest that targeted inhibition of this antigen by ABX-MA1 may be a novel immunotherapeutic approach in the management of this tumor.     

Longitudinal tracking and retention in a school-based study on adolescent smoking: costs, variables, and smoking status

Methods used to track a cohort of Grade 6 students through Grades 8 and 11, and costs involved for survey completion in school and by mail for ever and never smokers from the original group are detailed. At baseline, 1,598 students in Scarborough, Canada, completed a questionnaire on smoking, drinking, and health, and again in Grade 8 (N = 1,543/1,598) and Grade 11 (N = 1,454/1,598). In Grades 8 and 11, tracking and administering the questionnaire was more costly per participant when the survey was administered by mail than in school. Average completion costs were highest for Grade 11 students who used tobacco at baseline ($52.44). Students categorized as ever smokers in Grade 6 were harder to locate at each phase of testing, which suggests that this group should be identified at baseline so that closer tracking procedures may be employed between data collection points.