Changes in Sexual Patterns Following Vertical Banded Gastroplasty and Weight Loss

Weight loss following vertical banded gastroplasty (VBG) is well established. Herein the effect of weight loss on sexuality was examined. Twenty-seven females and seven males (mean age 39 years) underwent VBG and returned completed questionnaires regarding preoperative and postoperative sexuality. There was a mean interval follow-up of 33 months, with a mean weight loss of 48.6 kg. In general, there was an overall increase in frequency, quality, and enjoyment of sex. Similarly, an improvement in body image, an increase in initiating sexual intercourse, and an increase in the number of sexual partners was found. A small number of patients developed psychosocial problems that limited sexual enjoyment. In conclusion, weight loss after VBG improves sexual life, though not uniformly, as new sexual problems can occur. Decreased sexual inhibition, increased sexual enjoyment and frequency, and increased frequency of orgasm characterizes many of the changes occurring after VBG with resultant weight loss. To help provide a holistic approach to the care of morbidly obese patients after VBG, the potential alterations in their sexual lives should be considered.     

Improved freedom from PSA failure with whole pelvic irradiation for high-risk prostate cancer

Purpose: To determine the impact of whole pelvic irradiation on the risk of PSA failure in prostate cancer patients, at high predicted risk for lymph node involvement, receiving definitive radiotherapy.

Materials and Methods: Between October 1987 and December 1995, 506 patients with clinically localized prostate cancer were treated with definitive radiotherapy at UCSF and affiliated institutions. Treatment consisted of 4-field whole pelvic irradiation followed by a prostate-only boost, or prostate-only treatment (median follow-up was 35 months and 30 months, respectively). PSA failure was defined as: 1. a PSA value ≥ 1 ng/ml; or 2. a PSA value that rose ≥ 0.5 ng/ml in ≤ 1 year posttreatment on two consecutive measurements, with the first rise defined as the time of failure. The calculated risk of lymph node positivity (%rLN+) was defined as (iPSA) + 10(GS-6), and high risk was defined as %rLN+ ≥ 15%. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed.

Results: A total of 201 high-risk patients were identified. High-risk patients who received whole pelvic irradiation had significantly improved freedom from PSA failure compared to those who received prostate-only treatment (median PFS = 34.3 months vs. 21.0 months; p = 0.0001). Potential confounding variables, including initial PSA, Gleason score, T stage, radiation dose, year of treatment, use of three-dimensional (3D) conformal techniques, and use of hormone therapy, did not account for the observed difference in time to PSA failure. Multivariate analysis revealed type of radiation treatment to be the most significant independent predictor of outcome.

Conclusion: Whole pelvic radiotherapy significantly improves the PSA failure-free survival in patients with a high calculated risk of lymph node positivity.     

妇女健康研究进展与机遇

与当代生物医学及行为研究的某些挑战比较，近年来，妇女健康研究概念的延伸和扩展是平行甚至超前的。15年前，妇女健康研究主要集中在生殖健康方面。尽管女性并非总被排除于生殖系统之外的临床研究，但是在同时涉及女性和男性的临床试验并未常规确定女性与男性的差别。为了拓宽女性健康的概念，加之认识到绝经后妇女的增多，研究的倡导者强调需要阐明女性一生的健康状态，包括正常衰老的影响。     

流式细胞仪交叉配型对移植肾1年存活率的影响

目的：探讨流式细胞仪交叉配型（flow cytometry crossmatch, FCXM）对移植肾一年存活率的影响。方法:应用χ2检验比较FCXM阳性与阴性组间1年移植肾死亡有无差异。以“移植后1年肾脏的存活状况(是/否)”为应变量，以移植后早期排斥反应（移植后1月内发生）、血管性排斥反应、移植肾功能延迟（移植后1周内需做血液透析）、FCXM、群体抗原反应抗体(PRA)、 HLA A,B配型、HLA DR配型、供者类型（尸肾/活体供肾）、既往移植次数、免疫抑制药物的使用、血清巨细胞病毒状态、冷缺血时间、供者和受者年龄等可疑影响因素为自变量建立Logistic回归模型，探讨流式细胞仪交叉配型对移植肾1年存活有无影响。结果:258例患者平均随访时间为25个月（12～60个月），期间30例移植肾死亡，其中23例发生在移植后1年内。 χ2检验显示，FCXM阳性与阴性组间1年移植肾死亡无统计学差异（P=0.157?0）。 Logistic 回归显示，对移植肾1年死亡有影响的因素包括移植肾功能延迟（OR=8.00, P=0.001?4），供者类型为尸肾（OR=9.30, P=0.001?7）和血管排斥反应（OR=5.05, P=0.021?9）。FCXM的结果不会影响移植肾一年存活率（OR=1.60, P=0.534?6）。结论: FCXM对移植肾1年后存活尚无肯定的影响。     

Evidence of zinc deficiency in competitive swimmers

ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to assess the nutritional zinc (Zn) status of elite swimmers during different training periods.MethodsA longitudinal paired study was performed at the University of Sao Paulo in eight male swimmers 18 to 25 y old who had been swimming competitively at the state and national levels for at least 5 y. The swimmers were evaluated over a total period of 14 wk: before the basic and specific preparatory period (BSPP-baseline), at the end of the basic and specific preparatory period (post-BSPP), and at the end of the polishing period (PP). Levels of Zn were determined in the plasma, erythrocyte, urine, and saliva by atomic absorption spectrophotometry. Anthropometric measurements and a 3-d food record were also evaluated.ResultsThe median plasma Zn concentration was below the reference value in all training periods (BSPP-baseline 59 μg/dL, post-BSPP 55.9 μg/dL, after PP 58.8 μg/dL, P > 0.05), as were threshold values for erythrocytes (BSPP-baseline 36.5 μg of Zn/g of hemoglobin, post-BSPP 42 μg of Zn/g of hemoglobin, after PP 40.7 μg of Zn/g of hemoglobin, P > 0.05), urinary Zn (BSPP-baseline 280 μg/24 h, post-BSPP 337 μg/24 h, after PP 284 μg/24 h, P > 0.05), and salivary Zn (BSPP-baseline 66.1 μg/L, post-BSPP 54.1 μg/L, after PP 79.7 μg/L, P > 0.05). Salivary Zn did not correlate with plasma and erythrocyte Zn levels.ConclusionThe results suggest that the elite swimmers studied presented a possible Zn deficiency and that salivary Zn was not adequate to evaluate the Zn nutritional status.