Evaluation of ceruloplasmin concentration in prognosis of human cancer

The serum ceruloplasmin concentration was determined in cancer patients before and after radiotherapy, and after relapse of cancer, The ceruloplasmin concentration in patients who responded to therapy, decreased to the range of normal controls. In patients who did not respond to treatment, the ceruloplasmin concentration was more or less elevated. In patients with relapse of cancer, the ceruloplasmin concentration was higher than before treatment.     

Health-related quality of life and pressure ulceration assessment in patients treated in the community

Little is known of the impact of pressure ulceration on adult patients' health-related quality of life. The purpose of this study was to determine the impact pressure ulceration has on pressure ulcer patients cared for in the community. A case control study design was used by drawing a random sample from patients receiving community nursing care, stratified by the presence of pressure ulceration. In all, 75 patients with pressure ulcers were compared with 100 controls without ulcers using the four-point ulcer grading scale described by United Kingdom consensus guidelines. Patients were interviewed using the Short Form-36 (SF-36) questionnaire and activities of daily living assessed using the modified Barthel scale. Patients with pressure ulcers had significantly poorer physical function (mean difference (d) = 37.6, 95% CI 28.6-46.6, p < 0.001) and social functioning (d = 33.9, 95 % CI 24.0-43.9, p < 0.001) than published age- and sex-matched normative data from the United Kingdom. The difference between cases and controls was much smaller in these domains, with neither approaching statistical significance. After adjustment for age and gender, scores for bodily pain were poorer in patients with no ulceration (d = -10.5, 95% CI - 20.6 to - 0.4, p = 0.042) indicating greater pain in these patients compared with the cases with ulceration. Activities of daily living determined by the modified Barthel scale showed reduced self-care (d = -7.6, 95% CI -12.5 to - 2.7, p = 0.010) and mobility (d = -9.2, 95% CI -14.6 to - 3.8, p = 0.001) in patients with pressure ulceration. The overall ability to perform these activities was also significantly poorer in this group (d = -16.3, 95% CI -27.3 to -5.3, p = 0.004). While patients with pressure ulceration experience some deficits in their health-related quality of life compared with a normal population, these differences are similar to those experienced by other patients receiving community nursing care.     

Time course of transient expression of GDNF protein in rat granule cells of the bilateral dentate gyri after unilateral intrahippocampal kainic acid injection

We examined the time course of expression of glial cell line-derived neurotrophic factor (GDNF) protein in the granule cells of the dentate gyrus following unilateral intrahippocampal injection of kainic acid (KA). Recurrent behavioral seizures were observed approximately 1 h after KA injection, which lasted for 4-6 h. GDNF immunoreactivity began to increase bilaterally in the granule cells within 3 h after KA injection, continued to increase until post-injection day (PID) 4, and returned to the control level by PID 7. The results suggest that the increase of GDNF protein in the granule cells may be ascribable to seizures induced by the KA injection. The increase of GDNF protein might promote survival of the granule cells after the intrahippocampal KA injection.     

Presence of hepatitis B surface antigen mutant G145R DNA in the peripheral blood leukocytes of the family members of an asymptomatic carrier and evidence of its horizontal transmission

An asymptomatic carrier and all six of his family members were detected positive for HBV DNA in their peripheral blood leukocytes (PBL), by polymerase chain reaction. Direct sequencing of the amplified DNA revealed that the HBV DNA from the carrier and his wife was of subtype ayw. Interestingly, the amplified HBV DNA from the five other members of the family was found to be not only of subtype adw but also contained G to A mutation at nucleotide position 587. This indicates the presence of established vaccine escape mutant of the virus (G145R) and suggests two different sources of infection within the family. Southern blot hybridization of EcoR1 digested DNA from PBL indicated presence of HBV DNA, integrated into cellular DNA and also in the form of free viral DNA. The study not only establishes the persistence of surface mutant G145R HBV DNA, within the PBL of HBsAg negative individuals from the non-vaccinated random population, but also suggests possible horizontal transmission of the mutant among the family members although none of the family members has received immunoprophylaxis against HBV or had clinically apparent disease or any other known risk factors of HBV infection. As all of them were seronegative for HBsAg/antiHBc, the presence of G145R mutant in the PBL signaled possibility of spread of the vaccine escape mutant virus by blood transfusion, unsafe injection practices or through sexual root.