Impact of chemotherapy on collagen metabolism: a study of serum PIIINP (aminoterminal propeptide of type III procollagen) in advanced sarcomas

We have previously shown that the serum aminoterminal propeptide of type III procollagen (PIIINP) is a prognostic factor for survival in localised soft-tissue sarcomas, and that elevated values are frequent in metastatic discase. In the present study PIIINP is analysed during chemotherapy in 26 patients with advanced sarcomas. Non-responders had a significantly higher pretreatment level of PIIINP than responders (P=0.05), when only patients with no recent therapeutic interventions were studied. However, during chemotherapy PIIINP followed the clinical course of the malignant disease in only a minority of patients. Patients with recent surgery or recently completed chemotherapy had an increased pretreatment PIIINP value (P=0.03). In these patients PIIINP declined during chemotherapy irrespective of tumour response. A pretreatment PIIINP level within the reference range tended to increase with time irrespective of response. Moreover, the values taken during a chemotherapy infusion were significantly higher than those immediately preceding the corresponding cycle (P=0.001). Our results suggest that pretreatment PIIINP is of value as a prognostic factor for chemotherapy response in patients with advanced sarcomas. During chemotherapy PIINP is of minor importance in monitoring response because of the influence of chemotherapy and other therapeutic interventions on the level of PIIINP.This study was supported in part by grants from the Finnish Cancer Foundations, the Medical Research Council of the Academy of Finland and Finska Läkaresällskapet (Finnish Medical Society)     

Characteristics, outcomes, and predictors of 1-year mortality in patients hospitalized for acute heart failure.

AIMS: Acute heart failure (AHF) is associated with poor prognosis and requires recurrent hospitalizations. However, studies on AHF characteristics, treatment, and prognostic factors are few. Our aim was to investigate the characteristics, treatment, and 1-year prognosis of AHF and identify prognostic factors in different clinical groups. METHODS AND RESULTS: We conducted a prospective multicentre study with 620 patients hospitalized due to AHF; mean age 75.1 (10.4) years, 50% male. Half of the patients had new-onset heart failure. Acute congestion (63.5%) and pulmonary oedema (26.3%) were the most common clinical presentations. Left ventricular ejection fraction (LVEF) was reported in two-thirds of patients. Half of these had preserved systolic function (LVEF> or =45%). At discharge, 86% of patients had beta-blockers and 76% either ACE-inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers in use. The 12-month all-cause mortality was 27.4%. We identified several clinical and biochemical prognostic risk factors in univariate analysis. Independent predictors of 1-year mortality were older age, male gender, lower systolic blood pressure (SBP) on admission, C-reactive protein, and serum creatinine >120 micromol/L. CONCLUSION: We present the characteristics and prognosis of an unselected population of AHF patients. One-year mortality is high, and independent clinical risk factors include age, male gender, lower SBP on admission, C-reactive protein, and renal dysfunction.     

Studies on physicochemical and nutritional properties of aerial parts of Cassia occidentalis L.

In the present, work chemical composition and nutritional value of aerial parts of Cassia occidentalis L. was studied. The aerial parts of C. occidentalis possess favorable physicochemical properties with good nutritional value, such as high energy value, crude fibers, and vitamin levels. The X-ray fluorescence spectrophotometry data revealed that the sample is rich in minerals, especially in Fe, Ca, K, and Mn. Further, minerals such as Mg, Zn, Cu, Na, P, and S are present in good amount and depicted the nutritional value of the selected material. The plant sample is rich in phytochemicals such as flavonoids, alkaloids, lignin, tannins, and phenols. The presence of phytochemical constituents was confirmed by gas chromatography–mass spectrometry profile and high-performance thin layer chromatography fingerprinting techniques. The findings stimulate the on-farm cultivation of C. occidentalis on a large scale to relieve the iron deficiency in local community, and it can be used as a dietary supplement to treat anemia.     

High expression of Sirt7 served as a predictor of adverse outcome in breast cancer

Objective: Sirt7, as one of the seven Sirtuin family members, which plays distinct roles in cancer progression, is bringing emerging attention due to its oncogenic characteristic. The expression of Sirt7 in breast cancer remained unclear, and the aim of this study was to elucidate its role in breast cancer. Methods: A total of 188 cases included in this study were immunohistochemically evaluated for Sirt7, and western blot assay was used to assess its expression in breast cell lines as well as 36 breast cancer tissues and 36 paired non-cancerous tissues. Results: Upregulation of Sirt7 was found in breast cancer cell lines and breast cancer tissues (P < 0.001) by western blot analysis. Sirt7 was highly expressed in breast cancer tissue samples (67.8%) compared to adjacent normal breast tissues (31.8%) by immunohistochemical assay. It was also observed that the high expression level of Sirt7 was significantly correlated with high histological grade (P = 0.039) and negatively related to overall survival (P = 0.006). Sirt7 proved to be an independent prognostic factor (P = 0.007) in breast cancer. Conclusions: Sirt7 expression was implicated with high histological grade and independently predicted poor clinical outcome in patients with breast cancer, suggesting that Sirt7 might play a role in the malignant progression of breast cancer.     

Rare presentation of multi-organ abdominal echinococcosis: report of a case and review of literature

Hydatid disease, which is also known as cystic echinococcosis, is a zoonotic infection caused by the cestode tapeworm Echinococcus granulosus and rarely by Echinococcus multilocularis. In this report we describe an unusual case of a 19-year-old woman who was admitted to our hospital for abdominal pain, nausea, and vomiting. Computed tomography revealed multi-organ abdominal echinococcosis. The patient recovered after undergoing surgery to excise the cyst. The diagnosis, clinical features, treatment, and prevention in this case of multi-organ abdominal echinococcosis are discussed, in light of the relevant literature.     

气动物流传输系统对常见肿瘤标志物检测结果的影响

摘要：目的：评估使用Swisslog物流传输系统运输标本,对常见肿瘤标志物检测结果的影响。 方法：选择健康体检和住院患者,每一位受试者采集2份血液标本,分别采用气动物流传输系统和人工传输方式,将标本运送至实验室进行常见肿瘤标志物检测,检测项目包括甲胎蛋白（AFP）、癌胚抗原（CEA）、糖链抗原19 9（CA19 9）、糖链抗原72-4（CA72-4）、细胞角蛋白19片段（Cyfra21-1）、神经元烯醇化酶（NSE）、糖链抗原125（CA125）和糖链抗原15-3（CA15-3）。使用配对t检验比较两种运输方式下检测结果之间差异,评价差异是否为临床所允许。 结果：两种运输方式下CEA、CA72-4、CA15-3、CA125和CA19-9结果之间无差异,而AFP、Cyfra21 1和NSE之间结果差异有统计学意义。AFP偏倚小于评价标准,而Cyfra21-1和NSE大于可接受范围。 结论：气动物流传输系统对AFP、CEA、CA72-4、CA15-3、CA125和CA19-9项目结果无影响,而对Cyfra21-1和NSE有一定影响。传输时尽可能用低速模式,使用固定或缓冲装置,减少传送次数,减弱碰撞强度,缩短传送距离,可以减少传输对检测结果的影响。     

尺骨延长联合瘤体切除治疗儿童遗传性多发性骨软骨瘤尺骨短缩畸形近期效果观察

目的：探讨尺骨延长联合瘤体切除治疗儿童遗传性多发性骨软骨瘤( hereditary multiple exostoses, HME)尺骨短缩畸形的效果及安全性。方法2011年6月—2014年8月我院收治7例 HME 尺骨短缩畸形,尺骨短缩平均2.6 cm,根据前臂 HME 临床分型标准,4例为Ⅱa 型,3例为Ⅰ1b 型。均采用 Orthofix 外固定器尺骨延长联合瘤体切除治疗,术后患肢按计划进行延长及适当功能锻炼。结果本组平均随访22个月,尺骨延长2.5~4.0 cm,平均3.2 cm,均达骨性愈合。腕关节尺偏畸形得到纠正,前臂旋转功能明显恢复,腕关节及肘关节活动功能明显改善。7例均未出现围术期及远期并发症。结论应用 Orthofix 外固定器尺骨延长联合瘤体切除治疗 HME 尺骨短缩畸形,临床近期疗效显著,具有创伤小、并发症少、操作简便灵活等优点。     

Multiple Comorbidities of 21 Psychological Disorders and Relationships With Psychosocial Variables: A Study of the Online Assessment and Diagnostic System Within a Web-Based Population

BackgroundWhile research in the area of e-mental health has received considerable attention over the last decade, there are still many areas that have not been addressed. One such area is the comorbidity of psychological disorders in a Web-based sample using online assessment and diagnostic tools, and the relationships between comorbidities and psychosocial variables.ObjectiveWe aimed to identify comorbidities of psychological disorders of an online sample using an online diagnostic tool. Based on diagnoses made by an automated online assessment and diagnostic system administered to a large group of online participants, multiple comorbidities (co-occurrences) of 21 psychological disorders for males and females were identified. We examined the relationships between dyadic comorbidities of anxiety and depressive disorders and the psychosocial variables sex, age, suicidal ideation, social support, and quality of life.MethodsAn online complex algorithm based on the criteria of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition, Text Revision, was used to assign primary and secondary diagnoses of 21 psychological disorders to 12,665 online participants. The frequency of co-occurrences of psychological disorders for males and females were calculated for all disorders. A series of hierarchical loglinear analyses were performed to examine the relationships between the dyadic comorbidities of depression and various anxiety disorders and the variables suicidal ideation, social support, quality of life, sex, and age.ResultsA 21-by-21 frequency of co-occurrences of psychological disorders matrix revealed the presence of multiple significant dyadic comorbidities for males and females. Also, for those with some of the dyadic depression and the anxiety disorders, the odds for having suicidal ideation, reporting inadequate social support, and poorer quality of life increased for those with two-disorder comorbidity than for those with only one of the same two disorders.ConclusionsComorbidities of several psychological disorders using an online assessment tool within a Web-based population were similar to those found in face-to-face clinics using traditional assessment tools. Results provided support for the transdiagnostic approaches and confirmed the positive relationship between comorbidity and suicidal ideation, the negative relationship between comorbidity and social support, and the negative relationship comorbidity and quality of life.

Trial Registration

Australian and New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry ACTRN121611000704998; http://www.anzctr.org.au/trial_view.aspx?ID=336143 (Archived by WebCite at http://www.webcitation.org/618r3wvOG)