Distress due to unwanted side-effects of prostate cancer treatment is related to impaired well-being (quality of life)

Based on traditional quality of life scales, it has been suggested that known side-effects of prostate cancer treatment do not influence the quality of life. The present authors have developed an alternative approach to quality of life assessment applying epidemiological methods. Using a self administered questionnaire, we investigated 431 prostate cancer patients and an age stratified sample of 435 randomly selected men. Patients reporting any level of distress due to waning sexual functions (66%) or urine or bowel symptoms (38%), reported a lower psychological well-being compared to patients not reporting these symptoms or patients not distressed by their symptoms. Our results stress that an intact sexual and urinary and bowel functions are important for the quality of life among elderly men with or without prostate cancer.     

Combination of ECMO and cytokine adsorption therapy for severe sepsis with cardiogenic shock and ARDS due to Panton–Valentine leukocidin—positive <Emphasis Type="Italic">Staphylococcus aureus</Emphasis> pneumonia and H1N1

Sepsis-induced cardiogenic shock in combination with severe acute respiratory failure represents a life-threatening combination that is often refractory to the conventional methods of treatment. We describe the case of a 33-year-old patient who developed acute cardiovascular collapse and ARDS secondary to superinfection of Panton–Valentine leukocidin—positive Staphylococcus aureus and H1N1 pneumonia who underwent successful combination therapy for severe sepsis-related cardiomyopathy and respiratory failure using extracorporeal membrane oxygenation and cytokine adsorption therapy.     

Strain‐dependent induction of allergic rhinitis without adjuvant in mice

BACKGROUND: To date, no murine models have been reported to show the induction of both antigen-specific IgE and nasal eosinophilia, two of the major hallmarks of allergic rhinitis, after local sensitization in the absence of adjuvants, a phenomenon which reflects natural exposure. In this report, we attempted to establish a murine model representing an initiation of allergic rhinitis. METHODS: BALB/c, CBA/J, and C57BL/6 mice were sensitized intranasally to Schistosoma mansoni egg antigen (SEA) solely. After repeated sensitization, serum Ab titers, nasal eosinophilia, and cytokine production by nasal lymphocytes were determined. RESULTS: BALB/c mice produced SEA-specific IgE after repeated sensitization. High-dose sensitization to SEA induced IgE production in CBA/J mice, while C57BL/6 mice did not show the production throughout the period observed, suggesting that IgE production was regulated genetically. BALB/c mice also exhibited nasal eosinophilia after the nasal challenge. In addition, nasal lymphocytes sensitized with SEA intranasally produced significant amount of IL-5 in vitro. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that intranasal sensitization with SEA in the absence of adjuvants induces a Th2 immune reaction, reflecting the hallmarks of the initiation of allergic rhinitis both in vivo and in vitro, which is genetically regulated.     

胃肠胰胰岛淀粉样多肽的定位和表达

胰岛淀粉样多肽(islet armyloid polypeptide,IAPP)是1986年瑞典学者Westermarket al[1,2 ]从胰岛素瘤患者的瘤组织,糖尿病猫及Ⅱ型糖尿病患者胰岛淀粉样沉积物中分离出来的一种多肽,几乎在同时,英国生物化学家Cooper et al[3,4]也从Ⅱ型糖尿病患者的胰岛淀粉样沉积物中分离出该肽.IAPP又称为amylin.对IAPP的分子结构、基因表达和生理作用等已有许多报道[5].近年来,在IAPP定位、表达及胃肠胰IAPP免疫反应(immunoreactive,IR)细胞定位、发生、发育方面的研究报道,为探讨IAPP的生理作用及疾病状态下的改变,提供了形态学依据,现综述如下.     

血液采集和单采期间不良反应的发生率:一项单中心研究

通常认为异体血液采集的献血者发生不良反应和损伤的发生率低,但自体献血者不良反应发生率的数据则自相矛盾,单采不良反应的发生率和预测献血者反应的因素还知之甚少。 本文分析了作者输血中心1998年1月到2001年6月记录的血液和单采献血者的所有不良反应。作者对发生不良反应与未报告任何不良反应的献血者之间的人口统计学和身体特征进行比较,以便确定不良反应预测因素的存在。