Anxiety and depression following pulmonary rehabilitation

Aim: The aim of this study was to evaluate changes and predictive factors of anxiety and depression in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) before and up to 3 months after pulmonary rehabilitation (PR). Methods: A single group longitudinal design of patients with COPD underwent a PR programme. The measurements took place at baseline (T1: N = 100), immediately before (T2: N = 66), immediately after (T3: N = 54) and 3 months after (T4: N = 43) the programme. The programme was a 6‐week outpatient programme, including education, psychosocial support and training sessions. Anxiety and depression were measured by the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, self‐efficacy by the COPD self‐efficacy scale, lung function by spirometry and exercise capacity by incremental shuttle walking test. Mixed effect model analyses were used. Results: Results showed a tendency of less anxiety and depression immediately after (T3) compared with immediately before (T2) the PR programme, but the changes were not significant. Results also showed that female reported significantly more anxiety than male (p = 0.019), better exercise capacity predicted significantly less depression (p = 0.049), and higher self‐efficacy predicted both significantly less anxiety (p = 0.001) and less depression (p = 0.005). Conclusions: A tendency of less anxiety and depression during the PR programme was found, but the changes were not significant. Higher level of self‐efficacy and better exercise capacity are suggested to relieve anxiety and depression.     

E-cadherin expression in cervical epithelial cells of postmenopausal women: association with hormone therapy, tibolone, and raloxifene

This study assesses the possible associations between postmenopausal therapy (hormone therapy, raloxifene, and tibolone) and E-cadherin expression in normal cervical Papanicolaou smears (squamous, glandular, and metaplastic cells). E-cadherin immunostaining was less intense in metaplastic cells of women on tibolone, whereas hormone therapy and raloxifene were not associated with altered E-cadherin expression.     

Molecular diagnostics of atypical pneumonia

The emergence of nucleic acid-based molecular techniques has significantly enhanced laboratory diagnosis and monitoring of atypical pneumonia. These techniques have not only provided rapid and sensitive detection of fastidious microbial organisms but have also played critical roles in identifying and characterizing emerging patho- gens that cause atypical pneumonia. Other benefits that molecular techniques can bring to the field include organism differentiation, quantitation, typing, and antibiotic resistance profiles. Gradually becoming standardized and widely available, the future will see some promising molecular methods become a mainstay in clinical laboratories for recognition and diagnosis of atypical pneumonia pathogens.     

Heat shock protein90 in lobular neoplasia of the breast

Background  

Heat shock protein 90 (Hsp90) overexpression has been implicated in breast carcinogenesis, with putative prognostic and therapeutic implications. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the immunohistochemical expression of Hsp90 and to examine whether Hsp90 expression is associated with estrogen receptor alpha (ER-alpha) and beta (ER-beta) immunostaining in lobular neoplasia (LN) of the breast.     

Cross sectional questionnaire-based internet study: Self-perception and clinical course of drug allergy in Greece

Background

Data on self perception of drug allergy in the general population are lacking. Epidemiological studies focus either on specific populations or document adverse drug reactions in general. Our objective was to document self-reported drug allergy in Greece, through a simple, informative internet-based questionnaire.

Viscoat versus Visthesia during phacoemulsification cataract surgery: corneal and foveal changes

Background

Reliable data are a pre-requisite for planning eye care services. Though conventional cross sectional studies provide reliable information, they are resource intensive. A novel rapid assessment method was used to investigate the prevalence and causes of visual impairment and presbyopia in subjects aged 40 years and older. This paper describes the detailed methodology and study procedures of Rapid Assessment of Visual Impairment (RAVI) project.

Methods

A population-based cross-sectional study was conducted using cluster random sampling in the coastal region of Prakasam district of Andhra Pradesh in India, predominantly inhabited by fishing communities. Unaided, aided and pinhole visual acuity (VA) was assessed using a Snellen chart at a distance of 6 meters. The VA was re-assessed using a pinhole, if VA was < 6/12 in either eye. Near vision was assessed using N notation chart binocularly. Visual impairment was defined as presenting VA < 6/18 in the better eye. Presbyopia is defined as binocular near vision worse than N8 in subjects with binocular distance VA of 6/18 or better.

Results

The data collection was completed in <12 weeks using two teams each consisting of one paramedical ophthalmic personnel and two community eye health workers. The prevalence of visual impairment was 30% (95% CI, 27.6-32.2). This included 111 (7.1%; 95% CI, 5.8-8.4) individuals with blindness. Cataract was the leading cause of visual impairment followed by uncorrected refractive errors. The prevalence of blindness according to WHO definition (presenting VA < 3/60 in the better eye) was 2.7% (95% CI, 1.9-3.5).

Conclusion

There is a high prevalence of visual impairment in marine fishing communities in Prakasam district in India. The data from this rapid assessment survey can now be used as a baseline to start eye care services in this region. The rapid assessment methodology (RAVI) reported in this paper is robust, quick and has the potential to be replicated in other areas.     

GSTT1 and GSTP1 polymorphisms and breast cancer risk: a meta-analysis

B and T lymphocyte attenuator (BTLA) is an immunoinhibitory receptor with the ability to deliver inhibitory signals for suppressing lymphocyte activation. To identify the influences of BTLA gene polymorphisms on the risk of sporadic breast cancer, a case–control study was conducted in women from northeast of China, Heilongjiang Province. We genotyped five SNPs (rs9288952, rs2931761, rs2633562, rs2705535 and rs1844089) in BTLA gene among exons and introns. Our research groups consist of 592 patients with breast cancer and 506 age/sex-matched healthy controls. Genotypes were determined by the polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) and polymerase chain reaction with confronting two-pair primer (PCR-CTPP) methods. Data were analyzed using the chi-square test by EXCEL, SPSS and Haploview softwares. The frequencies of BTLA rs1844089 CT and rs2705535 AG were higher in patients than in controls (P = 0.0164; P = 0.0031), and rs1844089 CC, rs2705535 GG and rs9288952 CC genotypes had lower incidences in patients than in controls (P = 0.0483; P = 0.0098; P = 0.0400). The frequency of haplotype CAAAT was significantly higher in patients (P = 0.0112). Strong association was shown between five SNPs of BTLA gene and tumor size, estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR), C-erbB-2 and P53 statuses. Strong association was observed between tumor size, ER, PR, P53 and the CAGAT(P = 0.012), TAAGT(P = 0.0378), CAGAT(P = 0.0013), CAAGT(P = 0.0373) and CAAAT(P = 0.0306) haplotypes. These results primarily suggested that BTLA gene polymorphisms may affect the sporadic breast cancer risk and prognosis in Chinese women in northeast of Heilongjiang Province.     

Lack of Efficacy of Bevacizumab Plus Irinotecan in Children with Recurrent Malignant Glioma and Diffuse Brainstem Glioma:A Pediatric Brain Tumor Consortium Study

PURPOSE:A phase Ⅱ study of bevacizumab(BVZ) plus irinotecan(CPT-11) was conducted in children with recurrent malignant glioma(MG) and intrinsic brainstem glioma(BSG).PATIENTS AND METHODS:Eligible patients received two doses of BVZ intravenously