Detection and viability of tumor cells in peripheral blood stem cell collections from breast cancer patients using immunocytochemical and clonogenic assay techniques [see comments]

Although peripheral blood stem cell collections (PBSC) are thought to have less tumor involvement than bone marrow (BM), the incidence of circulating tumor cells in patients with breast cancer has not been widely investigated. We prospectively investigated the incidence and viability of tumor cell involvement in PBSC and BM collections from breast cancer patients undergoing high-dose chemotherapy/hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Paired samples of PBSC and BM from 48 patients were analyzed using an immunocytochemical technique that detects one epithelial-derived tumor cell per 5 x 10(5) mononuclear cells. Immunostained tumor cells were detected in 9.8% (13/133) PBSC specimens from 9/48 (18.7%) patients and in 62.3% (38/61) BM specimens from 32/48 (66.7%) patients, a significantly higher rate than in PBSC (P < .005). The geometric mean concentration of tumor cells in contaminated PBSC specimens was 0.8/10(5) mononuclear cells (range 0.33 to 2.0/10(5)) compared with 22.9/10(5) mononuclear cells in BM (range 1 to 3,000/10(5), P < .0001). In culture experiments, clonogenic tumor colonies grew in 21/26 immunocytochemically positive specimens. No tumor colony growth was detected in 30/32 immunocytochemically negative specimens. Immunocytochemical detection of tumor involvement in BM and PBSC correlated significantly with in vitro clonogenic growth (P < .0001). We conclude that PBSC contain fewer tumor cells than paired BM specimens from patients with advanced breast cancer and that these tumor cells appear to be capable of clonogenic growth in vitro.     

Glycerophosphocholine in seminal plasma of fertile and infertile men

Glycerophosphocholine (GPC) was measured in seminal plasma from 65 fertile men, 276 infertile men and 10 men before and after vasectomy, using a new enzymatic method. Extra-epididymal excretion of GPC accounted for 30% of the total seminal levels of GPC. From a diagnostic point of view, GPC determination did not appear to be a specific tool which could discriminate between secretory and excretory azoospermia. Although the seminal content of GPC was related positively to the total sperm count in both fertile and infertile men, there was an inverse relationship between the level of GPC and sperm motility when considering classes displaying the same total sperm count. This was observed in all classes from infertile men as well as in fertile men with a total sperm count lower than 200 x 10(6) sperm/ejaculate. These results suggest a possible role of GPC in the regulation of human sperm motility, which warrants further investigation.     

Symptoms of classic migraine attacks: Modifications brought about by metoprolol

There is little information available concerning whether, and to what extent, migraine-prophylactic agents interfere with the symptoms of migraine attacks. The present study is a placebo-controlled, double-blind study concerning metoprolol in classic migraine. The data refer to the symptoms of single migraine attacks. During metoprolol treatment more attacks were characterized as mild (p = 0.002), and mean global rating (an integrated estimate of headache intensity and of other discomfort) was lower (4.2 versus 5.2, p = 0.003). The mean headache intensity per attack (1.97 versus 2.15) and the mean duration (5.5 versus 6.8 h) were not significantly different. Consumption of analgesics per attack was lower during metoprolol treatment (0.6 versus 1.1; p = 0.02). Attacks with associated symptoms accompanying the headache were fewer during metoprolol treatment (p = 0.014). Total visual and non-visual aura symptoms occurred with similar frequency, but scintillations and paraesthesia were more frequent during metoprolol treatment, whereas speech disturbances were less frequent. In spite of lower consumption of analgesics, the symptoms appeared milder during metoprolol than during placebo. The pattern of changes indicates that metoprolol exerts its action via the sympathetic nervous system; peripheral vasoconstriction is hardly the underlying mechanism of action.     

Changes in symptom scores as a potential clinical endpoint for studies of cystic fibrosis pulmonary exacerbation treatment

Introduction: Symptom improvement was assessed as changes in the Chronic Respiratory Infection Symptom Score (CRISS) during intravenous antimicrobial exacerbation treatments among subjects from study NCT02109822.Methods: Median daily CRISS reduction (i.e., improvement) and covariates associated with CRISS reduction by Day 14 were assessed by logistic regression.Results: Among 173 subjects, median baseline CRISS was 49 [IQR 41, 56]; 93.6% had a CRISS reduction of ≥11 (minimal clinically important difference); median time to –11 reduction was 2 days [95% CI 2, 3]. The greatest median CRISS difference from baseline, on Day 17, was –26 [–29, –23]. Odds of –26 CRISS change by Day 14 were greater in subjects with higher baseline CRISS (P=.006) and younger ages (P=.041).Conclusions: CRISS response has good dynamic range and may be a useful efficacy endpoint for PEx interventional trials. The optimal use of CRISS change as an endpoint remains uncharacterized.     

Norethisterone concentration in breast milk and infant and maternal plasma during ethynodiol diacetate administration

Twelve women with established lactation of 4–8 weeks duration were given a low-dose progestogen-only contraceptive, ethynodiol diacetate 0.5 mg (Femulen) daily. On the seventh and eighth day of the study, prior to the mother's taking the pill, a blood sample was taken from her and from the infant. Further blood samples were collected from the mother 4 and 12 hours later. Breast milk samples were collected at every feed on day 7 and day 8.

Ethynodiol diacetate is rapidly metabolised in humans, changing into the metabolite norethisterone which is found in both blood and milk. Hence, norethisterone concentrations were estimated.

On day 7 and day 8, four hours after ingestion of the pill, the median norethisterone maternal plasma concentration was 1.60 ng/ml and it fell to a median level of 0.30 ng/ml prior to the next dose of the pill. At this time the median infant concentration was 0.10 ng/ml but the maximum observed level was 0.50 ng/ml.

In the breast milk the norethisterone concentration appears to peak at around 4–8 hours following the ingestion of the pill. The maximum observed concentration in breast milk was 0.84 ng/ml. The amount of norethisterone ingested by the infant averaged 0.02% (6.65 μg) of the dose of ethynodiol diacetate ingested by the mother. The maximum observed on any one day was 0.07% (27.52 μg).

The above results indicate that the amount of progestogen ingested by the infant from its mother's milk is small and is unlikely to pose a risk to the infant.     

异源性Th表位修饰的CTLA4-Ig—msBlys构建及融合蛋白表达

目的构建异源性Th表位修饰的CTLA4-Ig-msBlys的原核表达质粒,并在EcoliBL21中诱导融合蛋白表达,初步检测蛋白特性。方法采用PCR法从质粒pCMV-sBlys扩增sBlys片段,将与卵清蛋白（ovalbumin,OVA）Th表位重组后的msBlys连接CTLA4-Ig片段,克隆入pGEX-KG原核表达载体,用LB固体培养基抗生素筛选、酶切并经琼脂糖凝胶电泳鉴定;将质粒pGEX—KG-CTI。A4-Ig—msBlys转入E．coliBL21菌株中,实现插入基因的融合表达,用SDS-PAGE和Western-blot检测表达产物。结果pGEX—KG—GTLA4-Ig—msBlys构建正确且最终转人E．coliBL21,得到融合蛋白的表达;CTLA4-Ig-msBlys融合蛋白在E．coli中获得表达,表达产物的相对分子质量同预期值一致。结论成功构建原核表达质粒pGEX-KG-CTLA4-Ig-msBlys,并在E．coliBL21表达CTLA4-Ig-msBlys融合蛋白,为下一步探讨Blys在自身免疫性疾病患者的治疗作用奠定了基础。