Tumour-associated epilepsy: clinical impact and the role of referring centres in a cohort of glioblastoma patients. A multicentre study from the Lombardia Neurooncology Group

Abstract Epilepsy in high-grade glioma patients is a major concern, mainly as regards indications to treatment and best choice; toxicities, and pharmocokinetic and pharmacodynamic interactions of drugs. All these generally unsolved problems complicate patients’ quality of life and interfere with the evaluation of response criteria in clinical trials. A prospective, multicentre data collection on 132 adult newly diagnosed, histologically proven glioblastomas from 9 Lombardy hospitals collected in the same database during a one-year period was recently published. From this database we report epidemiological and clinical characteristics in epilepsy-symptomatic (31%) glioblastoma patients vs. the group with other presenting symptoms (69%). We analyse demographic and clinico-radiological features, timing of onset and the course of seizures, and modalities of treatment in the two groups of patients. No statistically significant differences were observed between the two groups as regards age, site of lesion(s), extent of surgery and survival in relation to anticonvulsant treatment status or pharmacokinetic properties of drugs.     

Ecologic Study of Lung Cancer Risk Factors in the U.S. and Japan, with Special Reference to Smoking and Diet

Lung cancer mortality rates among United States and Japanese males were compared and related to smoking and dietary data. Mortality rates increased from 1950 to 1985 in both countries, but the absolute values are consistently lower in Japan (38.2 deaths/100,000 in 1985) than in the U.S. (72.2/100,000). The proportion of smokers is higher in Japan than in the U.S. since 1955. Japanese males start smoking considerably later than U.S. males, but smoke a higher quantity of cigarettes per day. Available information on inhalation practices and yield and type of cigarettes smoked showed no differences among the two countries large enough to account for the differences in mortality rates. Further data in this regard should he obtained. Dietary data show that fat consumption (as percentage of calories) is consistently higher in the U.S. than in Japan from 1950 (40% vs. 7.9%) through 1985 (43.5% vs. 24.5%). A linear relationship is observed between lung cancer mortality and fat intake. Our data support the hypothesis that dietary habits may modulate the carcinogenic effects of tobacco smoking.     

Chronic peritoneal dialysis in paediatrics: Experience of a national registry

The results of the first 3 year' collaboration of the Italian Registry of Paediatric Chronic Peritoneal Dialysis (CPD) (1986–1988) are presented. This Registry acquired data on the majority of the paediatric patients treated with CPD in Italy, thus providing a national picture in a field where few nationwide surveys are available. Patients of less than 15 years of age at the start of dialysis were enrolled and clinical data collected until the age of 19 years. The number of nephrological paediatric centres participating in the Registry increased from 7 in 1986 to 11 in 1988. The total number of patients on CPD was 70 and the percentage of dialysed children treated with CPD ranged from 40.2% to 43.6%. Data on 89 peritoneal catheters were collected: during 1417 dialysis-months 70 catheter-related complications were observed (1:20.8 dialysis-months); actuarial catheter survival was 92.7% at 6 months, 84.8% at 1 year and 68.8% at 2 years. The incidence of peritonitis changed from 1 episode every 10.9 patient-months in 1986 to 1 every 19.8 in 1988. Abdominal hernias were the other main clinical complication observed. The survival of patients was 92.5% at 3 years, while the technique survival at the same time was 84%.     

静脉内毒瘾者HIV感染的转归及影响因素

对ＨＣＶ血清标记阳性的静脉内毒瘤者进行半年和１５个月随访，并调查影响转归的部分因素。结果显示，静脉内毒瘾者抗－ＨＣＶ自然转阴率分别为１１．０／和３３．３％。单因素和多因素分析均提示转阴率以婚姻状况良好的已婚者较离婚者高、人均年收入高者较低者高，说明婚姻状况和人们的经济水平对毒瘾者抗－ＨＣＶ转阴有一定的影响。     

江西麦饭石对某些实验动物生理功能影响

用江西麦饭石水浸液喂养小鼠116只,自来水喂养39只,食物条件完全相同,一个月后,发现饮用江西麦饭石水浸液的小鼠体重增长和抗疲劳及耐缺氧能力均优于对照组。用麦饭石任氏液灌注离体蛙心后,心肌收缩力有明显增强。     

No evidence for association between the −112G/A polymorphism of UGRP1 and childhood atopic asthma

BACKGROUND: Susceptibility to asthma is known to involve genetic factors. Genome-wide screens have indicated that the chromosome 5q31-q34 region is linked to and/or associated with asthma. A new gene, named UGRP1 and reported by Niimi et al., encodes uteroglobin-related protein and is expressed in the lung and trachea. Niimi et al. showed the -112G/A polymorphism of the UGRP1 gene to be associated with asthma in a case-control study. OBJECTIVE: The objective of the present study was to replicate this association and confirm the possible role of the UGRP1-112G/A polymorphism in the aetiology of childhood asthma in a Japanese population. METHODS AND RESULTS: We conducted a transmission disequilibrium test (TDT) in 131 families identified through paediatric patients being treated for asthma. A case-control study was also carried out by comparing the probands and 137 unrelated non-atopic non-asthmatic Japanese children and 211 unrelated healthy Japanese adults. The -112G/A polymorphism was genotyped by the PCR-RFLP method. The TDT revealed that the -112A allele was not preferentially transmitted to asthma-affected children (P=0.85). Neither the presence of at least one A allele in an individual's genotype (sum of the G/A and A/A genotypes) nor the -112A allele was more prevalent among the asthma subjects than among the control subjects. CONCLUSION: Our findings indicate that the UGRP1-112G/A polymorphism does not play a substantial role in genetic predisposition to childhood asthma in this Japanese population.     

自制与进口氯化十六烷基吡啶抑菌作用的比较研究

以液体稀释法比较了自制与进口十六烷基吡啶作用于4种口腔常见微生物的最低抑菌浓度和最低杀菌浓度的实验结果,经t检验证明两者间无显著差异,提示自制氯化十六烷基吡啶的药效质量可靠。并就控制接种菌量及杀菌机理等问题作了初步探讨。     

Clinical and manometric evaluation of anorectal function following low anterior resection with low anastomotic line using an EEA™ stapler for rectal cancer

Anorectal function was evaluated in eight patients who had low anterior resection of the rectum with a low anastomotic line, using an EEA^™ stapler, with determination of function based on periodic manometric studies and clinical symptoms. Immediately following surgery all patients suffered from frequent bowel actions and soiling. These symptoms improved with time and most patients could enjoy almost normal daily life by the sixth postoperative month. One month after surgery, anal canal resting pressure and maximum squeeze pressure were significantly reduced and rectoanal inhibitory reflex was absent; neither showed a distinct tendency to improve thereafter. Rectal sensation and reservoir capacity, which also were seriously impaired, recovered satisfactorily by the time of the six-month examination. This suggests that an improvement of clinical symptoms following this operation is dependent upon the recovery of reservoir capacity and sensation of the neorectum, and that this operative procedure is a functionally acceptable option for low rectal cancer.     

Evaluation of CHIP (iproplatin) in recurrent pediatric malignant solid tumors

CHIP (325 mg/M²), a second generation cisplatin derivative, was administered intravenously every 3 weeks to 85 pediatric patients with recurrent sarcomas (19), osteosarcomas (20), neuroblastoma (23), germ cell tumors (10), and other malignant tumors (7). Thirty-eight of them had been previously exposed to cisplatin. Partial remissions were only observed in 3 of 23 (13% SE=7%) patients having neuroblastoma. Severe thrombocytopenia (65%) and neutropenia (35%) were the dose limiting factors.