What kind of cancer information do Internet users need?

Purpose  

The Internet becomes one of the most effective communication media in healthcare. This study aimed to evaluate the cancer information sources and the needs of various types of Internet users.     

Somatotype analysis of elite Taekwondo athletes compared to non-athletes for sports health sciences

The purpose of this study was to show somatotype and physical characteristic differences between elite taekwondo (TKD) athletes and non-athletes. Differences between weight divisions for Gyorugi and Poomsae athletes were also examined. In this study, we first observed 51 elite TKD athletes and 30 non-athletes. The participants were measured with the modified somatotype method of Heath-Carter, resulting in three kinds of somatotypes (endomorph, mesomorph, and ectomorph) and a balanced type (central type). The non-athletes consisted of eight endomorphic, eight mesomorphic, seven ectomorphic, and seven central types. The TKD athletes consisted of 26 ectomorphic, 14 mesomorphic, six central type, and four endomorphs. Subdividing the Gyorugi athletes somatotypes resulted in seven mesomorphectomorph, five balanced ectomorph, four mesomorphic ectomorph, four endomorphic ectomorph, three central types, two endomorphic mesomorph, two ectomorphic mesomorph, two balanced endomorph, one mesomorphic endomorph, and one mesomorphendomorph, And poomse athletes resulted in four balanced ectomorph, four balanced mesomorph, three central type, three mesomorph-endomorph, two endomorphic ectomorph, one mesomorph-ectomorph, one mesomorphic ectomorph, one endomorphic mesomorph, and one balanced endomorph, respectively. TKD athletes had tall, higher ectomorphic component values than the non-athletes. However, the athletes’ endomorphic and mesomorphic components were lower than in the non-athletes. Furthermore, Gyorugi athletes are taller and more frequently ectomorphic than Poomsae athletes. A lower weight division in Gyorugi athletes was positively correlated with a higher ectomorphic component, but negatively correlated with the endomorphic and mesomorphic components. The ?80 kg class had the highest mesomorphic component value and the lowest endomorphic component value. Our study provides, in part, physical characteristics of TKD athletes to establish a reference for the study of sports health sciences.     

The brain‐derived neutrophic factor val66met polymorphism and sudden unexpected infant death

Aim: Findings of hypoxia prior to death and involvement of a dysregulation of the serotonergic network in sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) may indicate that brain‐derived neutrophic factor (BDNF) also is of importance with regard to sudden unexpected infant death. Based on this, the purpose of this study was to investigate the BDNF val66met polymorphism in SIDS cases, cases of infectious death and controls. Methods: The polymorphism was investigated in 163 SIDS cases, 34 cases of infectious death and 121 controls, using real‐time PCR and fluorescence melting curve analysis. Results: There were no differences in val66met genotype distribution between neither the SIDS cases nor the cases of infectious death and controls (p = 0.95 and p = 0.52, respectively). Conclusion: The study indicates that the val66met polymorphism is not important for sudden unexpected infant death. However, several other SNPs in the BDNF gene, as well as in other genes involved in this pathway, including G‐protein, have to be investigated to fully exclude any involvement of BDNF in SIDS.     

Can blood components with age‐related changes influence the ageing of endothelial cells?

Please cite this paper as: Can blood components with age‐related changes influence the ageing of endothelial cells? Experimental Dermatology 2009. Abstract: Research on vascular endothelial cell ageing helps elucidate the pathogenesis of diseases associated with cell ageing. To investigate endothelial senescence, we used 2‐DE coupled with MS to perform a proteomic analysis of: (i) peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) from donors in their 20 s (‘young’) or 60 s (‘old’) and (ii) human dermal microvascular endothelial cells (HDMECs) treated with sera from young and old donors. Identified proteins could be classified into several functional categories: (i) cytoskeletal regulators: CapG and cofilin 1; (ii) stress response and signal pathway proteins: TXNDC5 and RSU‐1; and (iii) apoptosis proteins: Annexin V. We confirmed by Western blot a decrease of RSU‐1, CapG and TXNDC5 in PBMCs from old donors. RSU‐1, which regulates signal transduction of the downstream Ras, showed decreased mRNA and protein levels in PBMCs from old donors and decreased mRNA levels in HDMECs treated with sera from old donors. In addition, Ras protein levels were increased in PBMCs from old donors. These data indicate that reduced RSU‐1 might induce Ras expression, which subsequently could provoke Ras‐induced senescence. In conclusion, our data suggest that blood components that exhibit age‐related changes, such as alterations in cytoskeletal regulators and stress proteins, may be associated with endothelial cell ageing.     

Phase III trial of adjuvant 5-fluorouracil and adriamycin versus 5-fluorouracil, adriamycin, and polyadenylic-polyuridylic acid (poly A:U) for locally advanced gastric cancer after curative surgery: final results of 15-year follow-up.

BACKGROUND: This phase III trial was to compare 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), adriamycin, and polyadenylic-polyuridylic acid (poly A:U) against 5-fluorouracil plus adriamycin (FA) for operable gastric cancer. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From 1984 to 1989, patients who had D(2-3) curative resection were randomly assigned to receive chemotherapy or chemoimmunotherapy. Chemotherapy consisted of 12 mg/kg 5-FU every week for 18 months and 40 mg/m2 adriamycin every 3 weeks for 12 cycles. Chemoimmunotherapy consisted of FA plus 100 mg of poly A:U weekly for six cycles and was followed 6 months later by six weekly 50-mg booster injections. RESULTS: A total of 292 patients were enrolled. After excluding 12 ineligible patients, 142 and 138 patients were allocated to each treatment. Patients were balanced with prognostic variables: age, sex, tumor location, differentiation, degree of tumor invasion (T2-T4a), and lymph node status (N0-N2). During the 15-year follow-up, chemoimmunotherapy significantly prolonged overall (P = 0.013) and recurrence-free (P = 0.005) survivals compared with chemotherapy alone. The survival benefits were prominent in the subset of patients with T3/T4a, N2, or stage III. Treatments were generally well tolerated in both arms. CONCLUSIONS: These results indicate a survival advantage of chemoimmunotherapy with a regimen of FA and poly A:U in curatively resected gastric adenocarcinoma.     

ITCH is a putative target for a novel 20q11.22 amplification detected in anaplastic thyroid carcinoma cells by array‐based comparative genomic hybridization

Anaplastic thyroid carcinoma (ATC) is one of the most virulent of all human malignancies, with a mean survival time among patients of less than 1 year after diagnosis. To date, however, cytogenetic information on this disease has been very limited. During the course of a program to screen a panel of ATC cell lines for genomic copy‐number aberrations using array‐based comparative genomic hybridization, we identified a high‐level amplification of the ITCH gene, which is mapped to 20q11.22 and belongs to the homologous to the E6‐associated protein carboxylterminus ubiquitin ligase family. The expression of ITCH was increased in 4 of 14 ATC cell lines (28.6%), including 8305C in which there was a copy‐number amplification of this gene, and six of seven primary cases (85.7%). Among the primary thyroid tumors, a considerable number of ITCH high expressers was found in ATC (40/45, 88.9%), papillary thyroid carcinoma (25/25, 100%), and papillary microcarcinoma (25/25, 100%). Furthermore, knockdown of ITCH by specific small interfering RNA significantly inhibited the growth of ITCH‐overexpressing cells, whereas ectopic overexpression of ITCH promoted growth of ATC cell lines with relatively weak expression. These observations indicate ITCH to be the most likely target for 20q11.22 amplification and to play a crucial role in the progression of thyroid carcinoma. (Cancer Sci 2008; 99: 1940–1949)     

Decreased entropy of symbolic heart rate dynamics during daily activity as a predictor of positive head-up tilt test in patients with alleged neurocardiogenic syncope

Entropy measures of RR interval variability during daily activity over a 24h period were compared in 30 patients with a positive head-up tilt (HUT) test and 30 patients with a negative HUT test who had a history of alleged neurocardiogenic syncope. Two different entropies, approximate entropy (ApEn) and entropy of symbolic dynamics (SymEn), were employed. In patients showing a positive HUT test, the entropies were significantly decreased when compared with the patients with a negative HUT test. In addition, SymEn in the patients with a negative HUT test was significantly lower than in the normal controls. Discriminant analysis using SymEn could correctly identify 89.3% (520/582) of the 1 h RR interval data of the patients with a positive HUT test regardless of the time of day. Baseline entropies of heart rate dynamics during daily activity were found to be significantly lower in patients with alleged neurocardiogenic syncope and a positive HUT test than in those with the same history but with a negative HUT test. The decreased entropy of symbolic heart rate dynamics may be of predictive value of a positive HUT test in patients with alleged neurocardiogenic syncope.     

Mechanisms of heparin transport through expanded poly(tetrafluoroethylene) vascular grafts

Thrombosis and neointimal hyperplasia limit the utility of small-caliber artificial vascular grafts. Surface modifications and adjunctive pharmacological therapy might mediate these complications. We examined the mechanisms by which a model vasoactive compound, heparin, transverses porous graft materials and how material modifications alters this drug's transport. The effective permeance of [(3)H]heparin was measured after application of a uniform concentration of drug to either the internal or external surface of the graft and in the presence or absence of pressure-driven physiologic hydraulic flows. Transgraft permeance was equivalent to those observed in normal arteries and, while enhanced by convection, was mediated in major part by diffusion. Peclet numbers under the various conditions examined ranged from 0.05 to 1.2, indicating that diffusive forces were equal to or exceeded convective forces in governing transmural heparin motion. Heparin traversed the graft even when applied from the outer perivascular surface, against adverse hydraulic flows. Modifications of the grafts that included a yarn barrier of spun poly(tetrafluoroethylene) or chemical modification of surface tension energy altered permeances as well. A unifying model for interpretation of these data incorporates the concept of entrapped air and surface tension energy in the graft. These characterizations allow for the design of vascular grafts that are optimized for pharmacotherapy to help prolong graft patency, especially in small-caliber vascular beds.