L1 and HERV-W retrotransposons are hypomethylated in human ovarian carcinomas

Wide-spread hypomethylation of CpG dinucleotides is characteristic of many cancers. Retrotransposons have been identified as potential targets of hypomethylation during cellular transformation. We report the results of an preliminary examination of the methylation status of CpG dinucleotides associated with the L1 and HERV-W retrotransposons in benign and malignant human ovarian tumors. We find a reduction in the methylation of CpG dinucleotides within the promoter regions of these retroelements in malignant relative to non-malignant ovarian tissues. Consistent with these results, we find that relative L1 and HERV-W expression levels are elevated in representative samples of malignant vs. non-malignant ovarian tissues.     

Selective injection of a left coronary artery arising anomalously from the posterior aortic sinus

Six cases of anomalous origin of the left main coronary artery arising from the posterior or noncoronary aortic sinus have been previously found at autopsy by nonselective aortic sinus injection and only once by selective injection. The seventh known case of this anomaly is demonstrated by selective injection that also reveals distal severe coronary artery disease. © 1993 Wlley-Liss, Inc     

A comparison of piperacillin, cephalothin and cefoxitin in the prevention of postoperative infections in patients undergoing vaginal hysterectomy

A randomized, double-blind, multicenter trial was initiated to compare the safety and efficacy of piperacillin, cephalothin and cefoxitin in the prophylactic treatment of patients undergoing vaginal hysterectomy. The total dose of each antibiotic was 6 grams given in three equally divided doses. A satisfactory prophylactic response was obtained in 143 of 151 (95 per cent) patients treated with piperacillin, in 82 of 87 (94 per cent) patients treated with cephalothin and in 57 of 60 (95 per cent) patients treated with cefoxitin. The pooled data indicated that the piperacillin treatment group did not differ from the combined cephalosporin treatment groups with respect to prophylactic response, presence of febrile morbidity, fever index, duration of postoperative hospitalization and incidence of reported adverse experiences.     

Epigenetic changes within the promoter region of the <Emphasis Type="Italic">HLA-G</Emphasis> gene in ovarian tumors

Background  

Previous findings have suggested that epigenetic-mediated HLA-G expression in tumor cells may be associated with resistance to host immunosurveillance. To explore the potential role of DNA methylation on HLA-G expression in ovarian cancer, we correlated differences in HLA-G expression with methylation changes within the HLA-G regulatory region in an ovarian cancer cell line treated with 5-aza-deoxycytidine (5-aza-dC) and in malignant and benign ovarian tumor samples and ovarian surface epithelial cells (OSE) isolated from patients with normal ovaries.     

Safety of coronary stenting early after thrombolysis in patients with acute myocardial infarction: one- and six-month clinical and angiographic evolution.

To determine the feasibility and safety of early posthrombolysis coronary stenting and the incidence of further reocclusion, we followed 99 consecutive patients with acute myocardial infarction thrombolyzed with rt-PA 2.0 +/- 0.8 hr after onset. Culprit artery was stented 14.0 +/- 7.0 hr after thrombolysis. All patients underwent clinical and angiographic follow-up at 1 and 6 months. Angiographic success was achieved in 99% of cases. Neither major cardiac events nor bleeding or vascular complications occurred during hospital stay. At 30 days, no events occurred and normal flow persisted in all stented arteries. At 6 months, only one artery reoccluded (1%), resulting in a nonfatal reinfarction. Restenosis rate was 21%. Contribution of the infarcted area to left ventricular function significantly increased from baseline to 30-day and to 6-month evaluations. Thus, early posthrombolysis stenting is a safe strategy with a low reocclusion rate, which seems to allow functional recovery of the infarcted area. Further studies are necessary to define its impact on survival and cost-effectiveness.     

Effect of home-based telecardiology on chronic heart failure: costs and outcomes

Chronic heart failure (CHF) remains a common cause of disability. We have investigated the use of home-based telecardiology (HBT) in CHF patients. Four hundred and twenty-six patients were enrolled in the study: 230 in the HBT group and 196 in the usual-care group. HBT consisted of trans-telephonic follow-up and electrocardiogram (ECG) monitoring, followed by visits from the paramedical and medical team. A one-lead ECG recording was transmitted to a receiving station, where a nurse was available for reporting and interactive teleconsultation. The patient could call the centre when assistance was required (tele-assistance), while the team could call the patient for scheduled appointments (telemonitoring). The one-year clinical outcomes showed that there was a significant reduction in rehospitalizations in the HBT group compared with the usual-care group (24% versus 34%, respectively). There was an increase in quality of life in the HBT group (mean Minnesota Living Questionnaire scores 29 and 23.5, respectively). The total costs were lower in the HBT group (107,494 and 140,874, respectively). The results suggest that a telecardiology service can detect and prevent clinical instability, reduce rehospitalization and lower the cost of managing CHF patients.     

Comparison of the disinfection efficacy of chlorine-based products for inactivation of viral indicators and pathogenic bacteria in produce wash water

Outbreaks of pathogenic bacteria infections associated with the consumption of fresh produce has occurred with increased frequency in recent years. This study was undertaken to determine the efficacy of three commonly used disinfectants in packing-houses of Culiacan, Mexico (sodium hypochlorite [NaOCl], trichlor-s-triazinetrione [TST] and thrichlormelamine [TCM]) for inactivation of viral indicators and pathogenic bacteria inoculated onto produce wash water. Each microbial challenge consisted of 2 L of water containing approximately 8 log10 bacterial CFU ml(-1), and 8 log10 viral PFU ml(-1) treated with 100 and 300 mg l(-1) of total chlorine with modified turbidity. Water samples were taken after 2 min of contact with chlorine-based products and assayed for the particular microorganisms. TST and NaOCl were found to effectively reduce for bacterial pathogens and viral indicators 8 log10 and 7 log10, respectively (alpha=0.05). The highest inactivation rate was observed when the turbidity was low and the disinfectant was applied at 300 mg l(-1). TCM did not show effective results when compared with the TST and NaOCl (P<0.05). These findings suggest that turbidity created by the organic and inorganic material present in the water tanks carried by the fresh produce may affect the efficacy of the chlorine-based products.