Androgen receptor gene alterations in Finnish male breast cancer

Mutations in the androgen receptor (AR) gene have been suggested to predispose to male breast cancer (MBC). Studies on MBC patients have not been based on the mutation screening of the entire coding region of the AR and the number of subjects has been small. Therefore, some AR gene alterations may have remained undetected. In the present study, we have comprehensively screened the entire coding region of the AR gene for mutations and also studied the role of AR CAG and GGC repeat lengths as risk factors for MBC in a cohort of 32 Finnish MBC patients. To estimate the possible involvement of the prostate cancer predisposing AR Arg726Leu germ-line mutation in MBC, this mutation was tested in 117 MBC patients. No germ-line mutations were found and the CAG and GGC repeat lengths were similar among MBC cases as among Scandinavian population. Our data indicate that the AR gene does not substantially contribute to MBC predisposition.     

Focal nodular hyperplasia in a child with hemihypertrophy and multiple cutaneous vascular malformations

A case of focal nodular hyperplasia of the liver occurring in a 9‐year‐old girl with musculoskeletal hemihypertrophy and multiple cutaneous capillary haemangiomata is described. The child presented because of limb length discrepancy and was found to have a large mass in the liver. Imaging showed a mass of similar characteristics to normal liver tissue. Prominent vascular supply to the liver was also seen. We present this case to emphasize the important diagnosis of focal nodular hyperplasia, which may occur in syndromic form in children with typical cutaneous and skeletal manifestations.     

Effects of electromagnetic field emitted by cellular phones on the EEG during a memory task

The effects of electromagnetic fields (EMF) emitted by cellular phones on the ERD/ERS of the 4-6 Hz, 6-8 Hz, 8-10 Hz and 10-12 Hz EEG frequency bands were studied in 16 normal subjects performing an auditory memory task. All subjects performed the memory task both with and without exposure to a digital 902 MHz EMF in counterbalanced order. The exposure to EMF significantly increased EEG power in the 8-10 Hz frequency band only. Nonetheless, the presence of EMF altered the ERD/ERS responses in all studied frequency bands as a function of time and memory task (encoding vs retrieval). Our results suggest that the exposure to EMF does not alter the resting EEG per se but modifies the brain responses significantly during a memory task.     

Attitudes towards neuroleptic treatment: reliability and validity of the attitudes towards neuroleptic treatment (ANT) questionnaire

Non-compliance problems may rise to 50% among patients undergoing neuroleptic treatment. There are no direct measures available to predict compliance, if previous non-compliance is not taken into account. Attitudes towards neuroleptic treatment and insight into psychotic symptoms may vary during the course of the treatment process. It would be relevant to evaluate these items before taking any clinical action and later reassess the degree of change. The instrument thus far available has been the Drug Attitude Inventory. It has limitations for use with first-episode-patients and their follow-up. Its statements are dichotomous, which makes it difficult to determine the variation of attitudes e.g. during maintenance treatment, and most of the items concentrate on the subjective state of the patient, leaving attitudes as a minority in the scale.In this study, we report the new Attitudes towards Neuroleptic Treatment (ANT) questionnaire for the quantitative assessment of attitudes. We developed 10 statements for attitudes and two items for insight in the Visual Analogue Scale form (0-100 points). These were compared with the Drug Attitude Inventory 10 Questionnaire (DAI-10) (Hogan, T. P., Awad, A.G., Eastwood, R., 1983. A self-report scale predictive of drug compliance in schizophrenics: reliability and discriminative validity. Psychol. Med. 13, 177-183.) among 106 subjects receiving neuroleptic medication.The 12 Visual Analogue Scales showed a high inter-item consistency and fair test-retest validity. The results were in accordance with the DAI-10. The scales comprised three factors: general attitudes, subjective feeling and expectations and insight.Attitudes towards neuroleptic treatment and insight into psychotic symptoms are different dimensions and can be measured quantitatively. The Attitudes towards Neuroleptic Treatment scale is useful in assessing the state of attitudes before starting medication and for follow-up among patients receiving neuroleptic medication.     

Incidence and prevalence of neutralizing antibodies to the common adenoviruses in children with cystic fibrosis: implication for gene therapy with adenovirus vectors

OBJECTIVE: Defining the infection rate and prevalence of the common adenoviruses (Ads) in cystic fibrosis (CF) children may aid in formulation of strategies for gene therapy with Ad vectors. We undertook this study to determine the incidence and prevalence of infection with the common Ads in children with CF. METHODOLOGY: Thirty newly diagnosed CF children mean age 1.1 years (Group 1), 48 CF children mean age 4.6 years (Group 2), and 47 mothers of CF children (Group 3) were followed for a mean of 13 months. Group 4 consisted of 33 adult volunteers seen once. Throat and stool specimens for virus culture, and blood samples were obtained every 3 months from CF children in Group 1. Blood samples from CF children (Group 2) and their mothers (Group 3) were obtained every 6 months, and once from adults in Group 4. Neutralizing antibody to Ad serotypes 1 through 7 (Ad 1 to Ad 7) was evaluated with a microneutralization assay. RESULTS: Five (16.7%) CF children in Group 1 were culture-positive for an Ad; 4 of these CF children developed a fourfold or greater rise in antibody titer. Ad 3 infection occurred frequently based on serology; seronegative (< 3.5 log 2) CF children had a higher infection rate compared with seropositive CF children (7/11 vs 1/34). The prevalence of neutralizing antibodies in CF children in order of decreasing frequency was 91.1% to Ad 3, 37.5% to Ad 2, 27.1% to Ad 1, 26.1% to Ad 7, 16.7% to Ad 5, 8.5% to Ad 4, and 2.0% to Ad 6. The neutralizing antibody titers in seropositive CF children were comparable to those in adults except to Ad 3, which was significantly greater in mothers of CF children. CONCLUSIONS: CF children had a normal antibody response after Ad infection, preexisting antibody may protect against reinfection and antibody prevalence was low to the common Ads.     

Inhaled nitric oxide in infants with developing or established chronic lung disease

The effect on gas exchange of increasing concentrations of nitric oxide (0-60 parts per million) added to the inspired gases of nine ventilator-dependent infants (median postnatal age = 4 weeks; range 2-16 weeks) with chronic lung disease and pathological oxygenation index values was studied by means of arterial or transcutaneous PO₂/PCO₂. A significant improvement of oxygenation, indicated by a reduction of oxygenation index, was found ( p < 0.014). The optimal nitric oxide concentration and the individual response varied between patients. PO₂ returned to baseline values after the discontinuation of nitric oxide in all patients except one. No effect on PCO₂ could be identified. Methae-moglobin values only increased marginally during the nitrous oxide exposition (pre-nitric oxide: 0.56% 0.27; post-nitric oxide: 0.78 0.08; p =ns). Systemic blood pressure and heart rate were unaffected in all patients. Before inhaled nitric oxide can be considered for prolonged use in this patient category further studies regarding long-term efficacy and safety are needed. D Chronic lung disease, methaemoglobinaemia, nitric oxide, oxygenation, preterm, pulmonary hypertension     

The importance of preterm births for peri- and neonatal mortality in rural Malawi

Peri- and neonatal mortality remain high in developing countries, especially in sub-Saharan Africa. In the present study, we quantified and identified the most important predictors of early mortality in rural Malawi. Data were obtained from a community-based cohort of 795 pregnant women and their 813 fetuses, followed prospectively from mid-pregnancy. In this group, peri- and neonatal mortality rates were 65.3 deaths per 1000 births and 37.0 deaths per 1000 live births respectively. When controlled for month of birth, maternal age and selected socio-economic variables, preterm birth was the strongest independent predictor of both peri- and neonatal mortality (adjusted odds ratios 9.6 for perinatal and 11.0 for neonatal mortality; 95% confidence intervals: [4.4, 21.0] and [3.7, 32.7] respectively). Weaker risk factors for mortality included a maternal history of stillbirth and abnormal delivery. Preterm delivery was associated with primiparity and peripheral malaria parasitaemia of the mother, and it accounted for 65% of the population-attributable risk for perinatal and 68% of the neonatal mortality. Successful intervention programmes to reduce peri- and neonatal mortality in Malawi have to include strategies to predict and prevent prematurity.