Oxygenated and reoxygenated tumors show better local control in radiation therapy for cervical cancer

The presence of hypoxic cells is one of the major factors affecting resistance against radiation therapy. In the clinical setting, little information exists as to the relationship between intratumoral oxygen partial pressure (pO(2)) and outcome. This study involved 30 consecutive patients with cervical cancer, who were treated with a combination of external and high-dose rate intracavitary irradiation. The pO(2) was measured before radiation therapy and at 9 Gy, using a needle-type polarographic oxygen electrode. The mean intratumoral pO(2) before radiation therapy was 17.3 +/- 10.8 mm Hg. The 3-year local control rates of patients with pO(2)< or = 20 mm Hg and pO(2) > 20 mm Hg before radiation therapy were 52% and 100%, respectively, representing a significant difference (P= 0.035). At 9 Gy, mean intratumoral pO(2) was 23.6 +/- 9.1 mm Hg, a significant increase compared to the value before radiation therapy (P= 0.006). The 3-year local control rates of tumors with pO(2)< or = 20 mm Hg and pO(2) > 20 mm Hg at 9 Gy were 35% and 93%, respectively, representing a significant difference (P= 0.001). The significantly better local control for oxygenated tumors at 9 Gy as well as before radiation therapy indicated that the oxygen effect and reoxygenation by radiation played an important role in local control in radiation therapy for cervical cancer.     

A comparative study of the anatomical,radiological and therapeutic features of the lumbar facet joints

Summary An anatomical study of the lumbar apophyseal joints was carried out to facilitate recognition of facet joint lesions, which we now examine routinely by percutaneous arthrography. Special attention was given to the configuration of the different compartments of the joint space and to its relationships with the contents of the intervertebral foramen. The abnormalities seen on lumbar facet joint arthrography are very varied; two major groups should be stressed: synovial fringe hypertrophy and pseudodiverticular synovial ectasia. The percutaneous approach to lumbar facet joint arthrography allows it to be used a therapeutic measure, with injection of anti-inflammatory drugs into the joint space, the beneficial effects of which were confirmed in our series. The precision, efficiency and cost-effectiveness of this outpatient technique justify and should encourage its more widespread application in the diagnosis and treatment of low back pain.     

A computer and video display based system for training eccentric viewing in macular degeneration with an absolute central scotoma

A new approach designed to establish the most suitable area for eccentric viewing and to teach and train patients with severe age-related macular degeneration (AMD) to use the eccentric viewing technique is described. Using a computer and video display based system, as well as software written specifically for this purpose, we investigated and trained ten consecutive patients with AMD. The patients were 80.1 ± 5.6 years old, on average. All of them had an absolute central scotoma. Mean visual acuity was 0.035 ± 0.016. After 30 min of testing, instruction and reading on the screen, followed by 2.6 ± 0.69 one-hour training sessions, on average, with the low vision therapist, reading newspaper and book texts with the aid of hyperoculars or aplanatic systems and a very short reading distance, the patients achieved a reading speed of 58.9 ± 19.7 words/min, significantly (p<0.001) higher than the initial speed when reading on the screen, 11.5 ± 4.5 words/min.     

Infection dynamics and virus-induced apoptosis in cell culture-based influenza vaccine production—Flow cytometry and mathematical modeling

Cell culture-based influenza vaccine manufacturing is of growing importance. Depending on virus strains, differences in infection dynamics, virus-induced apoptosis, cell lysis and virus yields are observed. Comparatively little is known concerning details of virus–host cell interaction on a cellular level and virus spreading in a population of cells in bioreactors. In this study, the infection of MDCK cells with different influenza A virus strains in lab-scale microcarrier culture was investigated by flow cytometry. Together with the infection status of cells, virus-induced apoptosis was monitored. A mathematical model has been formulated to describe changes in the concentration of uninfected and infected adherent cells, dynamics of virus particle release (infectious virions, hemagglutinin content), and the time course of the percentage composition of the cell population.     

Late side-effects with cosmetic relevance following soft X-ray therapy of cutaneous neoplasias

Background Cosmetic changes are to be expected after radiotherapy for skin tumours. Objectives This study aimed to answer the questions: How frequent are cosmetic changes after soft X‐ray therapy? Do treatment parameters, tumour thickness, localization and size of the irradiated field have a major influence? Were patients irritated by the visual appearance of the irradiated field? Methods In total, 2474 examinations of 1149 irradiated fields were performed. Results Hypopigmentation was found in 64.7% of examinations more than 90 days after therapy, teleangiectases in 43.1%, erythema in 24.8%, and hyperpigmentation in 16.8%. The frequency of hypopigmentation, teleangiectases and hyperpigmentation increased with time from X‐ray exposure; more than 4 years after therapy hypopigmentation was diagnosed in 91.8% and teleangiectases in 82.2% of examinations. Total dose, the time–dose–fractionation factor (TDF), field size and dose per fraction were significantly related to the frequency of cosmetic changes. Incidence rates of cosmetic changes differed by less than 15% if different treatment conditions were compared: thicker vs. thinner tumours, larger vs. smaller fields, higher vs. lower total doses, doses per fraction, and TDF. Frequencies of hypopigmentation, teleangiectases, erythema and hyperpigmentation differed by more than 15% between some localizations on the head. Women reported irritation by the visual appearance of the irradiated field in 12.6% of 1116 interviews, and men in 4.4% of 1284 interviews. Conclusions Cosmetic changes after soft X‐ray therapy are relatively frequent. Treatment parameters, tumour thickness and field size have only a minor influence. Few patients, but more women than men, were irritated by the visual appearance of the irradiated field.     

局部进展期胰腺癌调强放疗剂量递增临床研究

目的探索调强放射治疗 (IMRT)提高进展期胰腺癌局部肿瘤靶区剂量以及减少周围正常组织照射剂量的可能性。　方法 2 1例局部进展期胰腺癌患者接受同期放化疗。放射治疗分第一阶段予常规放射治疗 ,剂量30Gy/ 15次 / 3周 ;第二阶段强调放射治疗 ,肿瘤靶区分割剂量 3Gy/次 ,总剂量为 2 1～30Gy ,在 2周内分 7～10次完成。总剂量递增水平 :5 1、5 4、5 7、6 0Gy。在放射治疗过程中 ,每个治疗日 5 -FU静脉点滴。　结果 16例完成治疗计划 ,分别为 5 1Gy 3例、5 4Gy 3例、5 7Gy 3例 ,6 0Gy 7例。 13例治疗前CA19- 9值升高 ,中位值治疗前后分别为 716、2 5 5U/ml(P <0 .0 0 1)。 14例以疼痛为主的患者至少减少 1/ 3～1/ 2的麻醉药品用量 ,其中 5例疼痛症状完全消失。10例患者治疗后卡氏评分有提高。　结论局部进展期胰腺癌患者接受适形调强放疗并同期应用 5 -Fu化疗增敏 ,可获得确切的姑息治疗作用 ,肿瘤剂量 6 0Gy分 2 5次在 5周完成 ,无严重的放射治疗相关的急性毒性反应     

卵巢低反应患者大剂量超排卵的助孕结局

在辅助生殖助孕中通常采用控制性卵巢刺激(controlled ovarian hyperstimulation, COS),以获得适当数量的卵子用于体外受精,既希望获得理想的辅助生殖助孕成功率,又能降低卵巢过度刺激并发症.COS中约有9%~24%[1,2]的卵巢低反应发生率.卵巢低反应者获得有效卵子数少、可移植胚胎数少或无胚胎移植、取消治疗周期率高,累计成功率更低等,导致较差的治疗结局,是辅助生殖助孕中面临的棘手问题.针对卵巢低反应者,大多数辅助生殖中心仍会采用增加促性腺激素(Gn)的起始和(或)总用量以期获得提高助孕结局的目的.而大剂量Gn是否为改善低反应患者助孕结局的有效策略却仍存在争议.     

放射性~(125)I粒子组织间植入对家兔尿道损伤的实验研究

目的:研究不同剂量的放射性125I粒子对家兔尿道的放射性损伤。方法:麻醉下将放射性125I粒子植入雄性家兔尿道旁1.0cm处。125I粒子的放射性粒子活度分别为14.8MBq(A组)、29.6MBq(B组)和44.4MBq(C组),对照组(D组)仅尿道旁种植相当于粒子大小无放射性的无菌铅管1粒。植入后4周,摄尿道片,观察粒子位置等情况;原手术切口切开,取放射粒子周围2.0cm范围内的家兔尿道组织作肉眼、光学显微镜和电子显微镜观察,进行放射性损伤的评价。结果:术后4周,肉眼及光学显微镜观察,实验组与对照组粒子周围的尿道粘膜、粘膜下及肌层所见基本一致;C组少部分电镜视野中观察到尿道上皮胞质出现较多空泡变性、空化、嵴稀疏等超微结构的损伤。光镜下尿道入射性损伤评分,A、B、C、D组分别为(2.20±0.18)、(2.23±0.15)、(2.27±0.10)、(2.10±0.17)分,A、B、C组与D组相比,差异无显著性(P>0.05)。对线粒体作FlaMeng半定量分析,A、B、C、D各组评分分别为(1.23±0.13)、(1.34±0.25)、(1.41±0.30)、(1.12±0.13)分,A、B、C各组与D组(对照组)相比,差异无显著性(P>0.05)。结论:放射性125I粒子对尿道放射性损伤随粒子的放射性活度的增加而逐渐加重,呈明显的放射性活度效应关系;正常剂量的放射性粒子对尿道的损伤是很轻微的,是安全可行的。     

^125I放射微粒微创植入治疗前列腺癌

目的观察^125I放射微粒植入对前列腺癌的治疗效果。方法对26例临床确诊为前列腺癌患者经皮穿刺在癌组织植入^125I放射微粒，每例平均36粒，术后复查肛诊、B超、影像学及血生化指标。结果患者植入治疗经过顺利，2例少量出血，留置导尿后愈合，3个月后经肛诊、直肠B超示结节缩小，前列腺特异性抗原（PSA）降低，多普勒超声显示结节内动脉收缩期最大血流速度（VS）、阻力指数（RI）及动脉搏动指数（PI）均明显下降。结论^125I放射微粒植入对前列腺癌的治疗安全性好、效果可靠。     

低分子肝素钙联合辛伐他汀治疗不稳定型心绞痛疗效观察

目的探讨低分子肝素联合辛伐他汀治疗不稳定型心绞痛的疗效。方法将100例不稳定型心绞痛患者随机分为对照组50例和观察组50例。对照组仅采取常规治疗（硝酸酯类、β-受体阻滞剂、钙拮抗剂、阿司匹林等），观察组在常规治疗的基础上加用低分子肝素和辛伐他汀，观察比较各组的疗效。结果观察组总有效率为90．0％，对照组总有效率为60．0％，两组疗效比较差异有显著性意义（P〈0．05）。结论低分子肝素联合辛伐他汀治疗不稳定型心绞痛取得满意的疗效。