Shortened erythrocyte sedimentation rate evaluation is applicable to hospitalised patients

BackgroundWestergren method, commonly used for erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) determination, is simple and inexpensive. However, the 60 min required for the test are disadvantageous, especially for those departments/facilities where prompt evaluation is necessary. We investigated the possibility that earlier ESR recordings might correlate with standard 60-minute ESR and/or be predictive of the latter.MethodsDemographic and clinical data were collected from 220 randomly chosen adult patients hospitalised for various diseases in a medical department. ESR, determined by slightly modified Westergren method, was recorded at 15, 30 and 60 min. Correlation coefficients (r) between the standard and early ESR measurements were calculated for the entire group and for the separate subgroups divided according to patient age, sex and presence of anaemia or of inflammation.ResultsMean ± SD age of the patients was 61.3 ± 19.6, 55% were males; 45% had some inflammatory condition. Mean ± SD ESR values (mm) at 15, 30 and 60 min were 9.0 ± 12.1, 21.4 ± 21.8 and 35.9 ± 27.5, respectively. A statistically significant correlation was found between ESR measurements at 15 and 60 min (r = 0.833, p < 0.001). However, the strongest correlation was observed between 30 and 60 min measurements (r = 0.926, p < 0.001), irrespective of age, sex and presence of anaemia or of inflammation. Based on the ESR determination at 30 min (X), the predicted ESR value at 60 min (Y) could be calculated by a simple equation: Y = 10.7 + 1.2X.ConclusionSixty-minute ESR values can be predicted by the 30-minute estimation. Shortening the test by half an hour might bear practical importance.     

Inhibition of eukaryotic initiation factor 4E phosphorylation by cercosporamide selectively suppresses angiogenesis,growth and survival of human hepatocellular carcinoma

Mnk kinase is required for the phosphorylation and activation of the eukaryotic initiation factor 4E (eIF4E), which regulates translation of proteins involve in important aspects of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Here we investigated whether an antifungal agent, cercosporamide, which had been recently identified as a potent Mnk inhibitor, is active against HCC and angiogenesis. We showed that cercosporamide significantly inhibited growth and induced caspase-dependent apoptosis on numerous HCC cell lines, while sparing normal liver cells. In addition, cercosporamide impaired HCC angiogenesis via inhibiting HCC-endothelial cells (HCC-EC) capillary network formation, migration, proliferation and survival. Importantly, cercosporamide sensitized HCC cells to cisplatin in in vitro cell culture and in vivo HCC xenograft mouse model. Cercosporamide blocked the phosphorylation of eIF4E but not Erk or p38 in a dose- and time-dependent manner in HCC and HCC-EC cells, suggesting that suppression of eIF4E phosphorylation was the result of inhibition of Mnk but not Mnk upstream pathways. Overexpression of constitutively active eIF4E (S209D) but not the nonphosphorylatable eIF4E (S209A) abolished the inhibitory effects of cercosporamide in HepG2 cells. Altogether, our work demonstrates that cercosporamide acts as a Mnk inhibitor through blockage of eIF4E phosphorylation and selectively exhibits anti-HCC activities. Our work suggests that targeting MNK-eIF4E pathway represents a therapeutic strategy to overcome chemo-resistance for HCC treatment.     

Boron neutron capture therapy for papillary cystadenocarcinoma in the upper lip: A case report

Boron neutron capture therapy (BNCT) is a tumor-selective radiation therapy using α and ⁷Li particles, which are produced by the reaction of neutron with boron (¹⁰B), and taken up by the tumor. The authors report their first experience of BNCT on a patient with no history of surgery, chemotherapy or conventional radiotherapy for papillary cystadenocarcinoma in the upper lip.     

Severe Systemic Reaction to the Pneumococcal Revaccination

Predictors of severe reaction to polyvalent pneumococcal vaccine (PPV) are not established. In the absence of prospective studies, revaccination within 5 years and high titer of protective antibody appear to increase the risk of a local reaction that manifests as self-limiting pain, localized erythema, and edema. A more severe systemic reaction, manifesting as fever, arthralgia, and extensive edema involving the entire upper extremity, is rare, and we report a case in a patient with myeloproliferative disease.     

阴道毛滴虫致男性不育的机制研究

目的调查了解男性泌尿生殖系阴道毛滴虫（Tv）感染情况与不育的关系,及发生机制的研究。方法涂片、瑞-姬（W—G）染色和培养用光学双目显微镜观察了1986例精液内Tv及精子的活率、活力等指标;采用肝-胨-糖培养方法,对Tv体外培养后,除去虫体,留取培养液,稀释成3个不同浓度,将10例正常生育男性的优化精子分为等体积的（A、B、C、D）4组：A组加入未培养Tv的原培养液,B、C、D组依次加入（1．2×10^8／L、6×10^8／L、1．2×10^9／L）梯度培养液,分别于37％水浴箱中孵育0．5、1、2、4h观察精子运动参数。结果Tv检出率为38％,Tv感染者精子运动参数明显低于正常生育者（P〈0．01）。Tv培养液浓度在6×10^8／L以上时,精子的活率和活力与对照组相比均显著降低（P〈0．05）,并呈浓度时间依赖性。结论Tv对精子运动能力有明显的损害作用及代谢产物是其主要的损害抑制因素,是造成不孕不育的重要原因之一。