Perceptions of facial aesthetics in surgical patients with basal cell carcinoma

BACKGROUND: Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is a non-melanoma form of skin cancer that is frequently localized within the cervicofacial area. So far, little research is available on how patients perceive their facial aesthetics after surgical treatment for BCC. OBJECTIVES: To analyse (i) if there was a statistically significant improvement over time with regard to the perceived facial aesthetics of surgical patients; (ii) if there was a significant difference between primary and recurrent BCC patients; and (iii) between patients who had Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) or surgical excision (SE). To assess (iv) which baseline perceptions and/or clinical parameters may predict the evaluation of facial aesthetics at 6 months after surgery. METHODS: Parallel to a clinical trial, a survey was carried out in which patients were asked, by means of a newly developed disease-specific questionnaire, about perceptions with regard to their facial aesthetics before and after surgery. RESULTS: Aesthetic perceptions of all surgical patients improved over time. There was no statistically significant difference on facial aesthetics between the group with a primary or recurrent BCC and patients treated with MMS or SE. Results also showed that the evaluation of postsurgical facial aesthetics can be predicted by both visibility of the tumour and preoperative perceptions. CONCLUSION: It is recommended to administer preoperatively a short questionnaire in which perceptions related to facial aesthetics are included. In doing so, physicians will become more familiar with the aesthetic problems patients might have regarding their afflicted facial site. Ultimately, it may help physicians in deciding whether patients will benefit from additional cosmetic procedures after surgery.     

肿瘤转移抑制基因KAI1在喉鳞状细胞癌中表达的研究

目的　探讨肿瘤转移抑制基因KAI1在喉鳞状细胞癌 (简称鳞癌 )中的表达及其与之发生、发展的关系。方法　采用原位杂交方法检测 84例原发性喉鳞癌 (primarylaryngealsquamouscellcarcinoma ,PLSCC)、2 7例喉癌前病变不典型增生 (laryngealprecancerouslesion ,LPL)、10例声带息肉(vocalcordpolyp ,VCP)和 10例正常喉黏膜 (normallaryngealtissues ,NLT)石蜡标本组织细胞中KAI1mRNA的表达。结果　NLT、VCP、LPL和PLSCC 4种组织中KAI1阳性表达的积分吸光度值 ( x±s)分别为 (136 2 0 6 8± 36 6 75 5 )、(1336 74 5± 4 2 85 8 5 )、(90 36 8 8± 2 5 70 1 9)和 (6 7880 6± 2 8189 5 ) ,其中NLT组和VCP组之间差异无显著性 (t=0 14 2 ,P >0 0 5 ) ,NLT组和LPL组之间差异有显著性 (t =4 2 81,P <0 0 1) ;PLSCC组中KAI1表达普遍下调 ,且病理分化G1 2组阳性表达水平高于G3组 ;T1 2病变组高于T3 4组 ;颈淋巴结NO组高于N1及N1以上组 ;临床Ⅰ Ⅱ期组高于临床Ⅲ Ⅳ期组 (P值均 <0 0 1)。KAI1表达与患者性别无关 (P >0 0 5 )。结论　KAI1低表达在喉鳞癌的发生、发展中可能起着重要作用 ,可望作为喉鳞癌早期诊断、评估肿瘤细胞侵袭转移潜能及患者病程发展阶段的指标之一。     

Image features of two rare mediastinal tumors: schwannoma of intrathoracic phrenic nerve and clear cell chondrosarcoma of the rib

The current report focuses on two patients of the same age who presented similar appearances on initial anteroposterior chest images. Follow-up images showed superoanterior and superoposterior mediastinal lesions. The first patient with noninvasive cystic thymoma was suspected before surgery, while the pathologic diagnosis was intrathoracic phrenic nerve schwannoma. The second patient was with an asymmetric, dumbbell-shaped paravertebral tumor over T3 and T4 on the left side. The preoperative…     

Ameloblastoma ex calcifying odontogenic cyst (dentinogenic ghost cell tumor)

Calcifying odontogenic cyst (COC) has shown to be of extensive diversity in its clinical and histopathological features, as well as in its biological behavior. In this report, a rare case is described of ameloblastoma ex COC (dentinogenic ghost cell tumor) and the relevant literature is briefly reviewed.     

Effect of naringin on bone cells.

Statin, a HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor, was shown to increase BMP-2 gene expression for bone formation, by blocking the mevalonate pathway in cholesterol production. We investigated the effect of naringin, a flavonoid available commonly in citrus fruits, which was also a HMG-CoA reductase inhibitor, in UMR 106 osteoblastic cell line in vitro. The control group consisted of cells cultured without any intervention for different time intervals (24 h, 48 h, and 72 h), whereas the experimental (naringin) group consisted of cells cultured with naringin of different concentrations (0.001 micromol/L, 0.01 micromol/L, and 0.1 micromol/L) for the same time intervals of the control. Colorimetric Tetrazolium (MTT) assay, total protein content assay, and alkaline phosphatase activity were used to measure the cellular activities. Results for the naringin group showed an increase in MTT assay compared with the control and the effect was dose dependent. At high concentration (0.1 micromol), the increases ranged from 60% to 80%. In the total protein content assay, naringin also showed an increase compared with control and the effect was also dose dependent. At high concentration (0.1 micromol), the increases ranged from 9% to 20%. In the alkaline phosphatase activity assay, naringin at high concentration (0.1 micromol) significantly increased the activity up to 20%. In conclusion, naringin significantly increased bone cell activities in vitro. This is the first study specifically attempted to investigate the effect of naringin on bone cell activities. Besides statin, this provided another example of mevalonate pathway blockage in the cholesterol production pathway by HMG-CoA reductase inhibition will increase the bone cell activities.     

Epidemiology of nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) in Europe: accurate and comparable data are needed for effective public health monitoring and interventions

Summary Nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) is the most common malignancy occurring in white populations. It is currently becoming an important challenge in terms of public health management as the increasing incidence rates will probably have a tremendous impact on healthcare costs. Possible factors driving this rise in NMSC numbers are increases in both acute and prolonged UV exposure together with increasing numbers of older people in the population. A better understanding of NMSC epidemiology in Europe is essential if an evidence-based European-wide public health policy is to be developed. It is obvious this can only be achieved by recording and analysing comparative epidemiological data. Finally, by improving the skin examination training for physicians, developing guidelines and exchanging best practices, a high level of healthcare could be provided for NMSC.     

Hypoxia‐inducible factor 1α may be a marker for vasculitic neuropathy

Neuromuscular biopsy is still an essential method for diagnosing vasculitic neuropathy, although its diagnostic sensitivity is at most 60%. Our objective was to examine the expression of hypoxia‐inducible factor 1α (HIF‐1α) in peripheral nerves and to evaluate its usefulness in diagnosing vasculitic neuropathy, especially for discrimination from other axonal neuropathies. Forty‐one patients with vasculitic neuropathy consisting of 20 definite, 14 probable and seven possible diagnoses, 15 patients with metabolic neuropathy, five with motor neuron disease and six with chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy were included. Nerve biopsy specimens were immunohistochemically examined for HIF‐1α and various cell markers. Distinct immunoreactivity (IR) was observed in nuclei of endoneurial cells in 54% (22/41) of vasculitic patients, while specimens from metabolic neuropathies showed less nuclear IR and the difference of mean density of HIF‐1α‐positive nuclei was significant. Two patients with possible vasculitis who showed HIF‐1α‐positive nuclei in endoneurium, were later confirmed to have vasculitis by skin biopsies. Most of the cells expressing HIF were demonstrated to be Schwann cells. There was a trend in the vasculitic patients with early phase nerve damage to display higher endoneurial HIF‐1α‐IR. HIF‐1α may be an immunohistochemical marker for vasculitic neuropathy, especially when the observed section contains no vasculitic lesions.     

Cyclic tensile stretch load and oxidized low density lipoprotein synergistically induce lectin-like oxidized ldl receptor-1 in cultured bovine chondrocytes, resulting in decreased cell viability and proteoglycan synthesis.

Mechanical stimulation is known to be an essential factor in the regulation of cartilage metabolism. We tested the hypothesis that expression of lectin-like oxidized low-density lipoprotein receptor-1 (LOX-1) can be modulated by cyclic tensile stretch load in chondrocytes. Cyclic loading of repeated stretch stress at 10 cycles per minute with 10 kPa of stress for 6 h induced expression of LOX-1 to 2.6 times control in cultured bovine articular chondrocytes, equivalent to the addition of 10 microg/mL oxidized low density lipoprotein (ox-LDL) (2.4 times control). Application of the cyclic load to the chondrocytes along with 10 microg/mL ox-LDL resulted in synergistically increased LOX-1 expression to 6.3 times control. Individual application of cyclic loading and 10 microg/mL ox-LDL significantly suppressed chondrocytes viability (84.6% +/- 3.4% and 80.9% +/- 3.2% of control at 24 h, respectively; n = 3; p < 0.05) and proteoglycan synthesis [81.0% +/- 7.1% and 85.7% +/- 5.2% of control at 24 h, respectively; p < 0.05 when compared with 94.6% +/- 4.6% for native-LDL (n = 3)]. Cyclic loading and 10 microg/mL ox-LDL synergistically affected cell viability and proteoglycan synthesis, which were significantly suppressed to 45.6% +/- 4.9% and 48.7% +/- 6.7% of control at 24 h, respectively (n = 3; p < 0.01 when compared with individual application of cyclic loading or 10 microg/mL ox-LDL). In this study, we demonstrated synergistic effects of cyclic tensile stretch load and ox-LDL on cell viability and proteoglycan synthesis in chondrocytes, which may be mediated through enhanced expression of LOX-1 and which has important implications in the progression of cartilage degeneration in osteoarthritis.     

Parvalbumin immunoreactive neurons and fibres in the teleost cerebellum

Summary The distribution of parvalbumin-(PV) immunopositive cell bodies and fibres in the cerebellum of two species of freshwater teleosts (Salmo gairdneri and Barbus meridonalis) was studied using a monoclonal antibody and the avidin-biotin immunoperoxidase technique. A clear laminated pattern of PV immunoreactivity was observed. After PV-immunostaining, Purkinje cells were strongly labelled in their cell bodies, the initial segments of the axons and the dendritic trees. In the molecular layer, only the dendritic branches of the Purkinje cells were PV-positive. In the granule cell layer, extensive axonal plexuses and scattered cell bodies were observed. Most of the immunopositive perikarya were unequivocally identified as displaced Purkinje cells, whereas a reduced number of smaller neurons with unstained dendrites was also found. Eurydendroid cells, the efferent neurons of the teleost cerebellum, were negative; however, they were impinged upon by numerous PV-positive boutons, corresponding to terminals of Purkinje cell axons. Parallel fibres and climbing fibres, as well as stellate cells and granule cells were negative. Basket cells (or deep stellate cells) whose existence in the teleost cerebellum is discussed, were also not observed. The immunoreactivity distribution pattern for PV in the teleost cerebellum differs from previous observations on the localization of this protein in the cerebellum of amniotes.     

人端粒酶逆转录酶在肿瘤免疫治疗中的应用

寻找有效的抗原表位是近期肿瘤免疫治疗的热点．人端粒酶逆转录酶(hTERT)的免疫学特性使其成为肿瘤免疫治疗中一个吸引人的目标。从人和鼠系统获得的数据证实，细胞毒淋巴细胞(CTL)能识别hTERT特异的肽并杀死多种组织类型hTERT表达的肿瘤细胞。由于hTERT在人肿瘤组织中的广泛表达，在极少正常组织的低水平表达，临床试验已开始检验将hTERT作为肿瘤免疫治疗目标的可行程度。近期树突状细胞(DC)转运系统及其相关技术的发展和成熟提供了一个快速有效筛选抗原肽的方法。