Encephalitis and retarded growth of chicks caused by Sitiawan virus, a new isolate belonging to the genus Flavivirus

A new virus named Sitiawan virus (SV) was isolated from sick broiler chicks in chicken embryos. The virus replicated well with cytopathogenic effect (CPE) in the chicken B-lymphocyte cell line LSCC-BK3. The virus was an enveloped RNA virus of approximately 41 nm in size with hemagglutinating activity (HA) to goose erythrocytes. It was cross-reactive with Japanese encephalitis virus (JEV), a member of flaviviruses by HA inhibition tests but not by cross-virus neutralization tests. The cDNA fragment of NS5 gene was amplified with primers corresponding to NS5 gene of flaviviruses. The nucleotide sequences were 92% homologous to Tembusu virus, a member of the mosquito-borne virus cluster of the genus Flavivirus. In cross-neutralization tests with Tembusu virus, antiserum to SV did not neutralize Tembusu virus, and antiserum to Tembusu virus neutralized more weakly to SV than against homologous virus. These results indicate that SV is a new virus which can be differentiated serologically from Tembusu virus but is otherwise similar with respect to nucleotide sequence. The virus causes encephalitis, growth retardation, and increased blood glucose levels in inoculated chicks.     

The Bahasa Melayu version of the Nursing Stress Scale among nurses: a reliability study in Malaysia

The Nursing Stress Scale (NSS) has been shown to be a valid and reliable instrument to assess occupational stressors among nurses. The NSS, which was previously used in the English version, was translated and back-translated into Bahasa Melayu. This study was conducted to assess the reliability of the Bahasa Melayu version of the NSS among nurses for future studies in this country. The reliability of the NSS was assessed after its readministration to 30 nurses with a 2-week interval. The Spearman coefficient was calculated to assess its stability. The internal consistency was measured through 4 measures: Cronbach's α, Spearman-Brown, Guttman split-half, and standardized item α coefficients. The total response rate was 70%. Test-retest reliability showed remarkable stability (Spearman's ρ exceeded .70). All 4 measures of internal consistency among items indicated a satisfactory level (coefficients in the range of .68 to .87). In conclusion, the Bahasa Melayu version of the NSS is a reliable and useful instrument for measuring the possible stressors at the workplace among nurses.     

Surgical Management and Postoperative Treatment of Endometrial Carcinoma

Endometrial carcinoma affects over 40,000 American women annually, making it the most common gynecologic malignancy. Over 80% of disease is diagnosed in the early stages, resulting in a generally favorable prognosis for most patients. However, discrepancies still exist with regard to primary surgical management and postoperative adjuvant therapies directed at reducing recurrence rates and improving survival. In this review, we outline the surgical management of newly diagnosed disease and review the risk factors that guide clinicians in the recommendation for postoperative adjuvant therapy.Key words: Endometrial cancer, Hysterectomy, Lymphadenectomy, Radiation, ChemotherapyEndometrial cancer is the most common gynecologic malignancy affecting American women and the fourth most common cancer overall. According to the American Cancer Society, 40,100 women will be diagnosed with endometrial carcinoma in 2008.¹ Unlike many malignancies, this cancer has a bellwether: postmenopausal bleeding. Endometrial sampling via office Pipelle procedure or operative curettage can lead to early diagnosis and a more favorable prognosis. Survival data suggest that roughly 85% to 90% of all women will be alive at 5 years (Figure 1).²Open in a separate windowFigure 1Carcinoma of the corpus uteri: patients treated in 1999–2001. Survival by mode of staging, N = 7920. Reprinted with permission from Creasman WT et al.²After the diagnosis of endometrial cancer has been confirmed, hormonal manipulation may be considered in the reproductive aged patient who wishes fertility preservation. However, these cases are the exception and must be followed under close surveillance. Standard treatment almost universally begins with a total hysterectomy via any of a number of approaches—abdominal, vaginal, or minimally invasive. Comprehensive staging, including pelvic and para-aortic lymph node assessment, is crucial in guiding postoperative adjuvant treatment recommendations.Adjuvant postoperative treatment recommendations in advanced stage disease are widely disparate and an area of active research. However, assuming an adequate performance status, virtually all women with advanced stage disease (stage III and IV) will be recommended for chemotherapy, external beam pelvic radiotherapy with or without an extended para-aortic field, or some combination of both modalities. These treatments are geared at improving disease-free and overall survival in a population in whom overall survival remains disappointing—as low as 20% in stage IV disease.²Women with early stage disease present a clinical conundrum. Given the generally favorable prognosis overall, adjuvant treatment recommendations remain challenging. Minimal improvements in survival are difficult to demonstrate in large, randomized, controlled trials. Many variables weigh into a clinician’s decision on how to proceed surgically and whether to recommend adjuvant treatment in early stage disease, as well as the type of treatment recommended. In this review, we focus on primary surgical management and the outcome variables that may lead to the recommendation of adjuvant postoperative treatment.     

The Use of p16 in enhancing the histologic classification of uterine smooth muscle tumors

BACKGROUND: Uterine smooth muscle tumors can usually be divided histologically into leiomyoma (L) and leiomyosarcoma (LMS). Occasionally, the histologic features are indeterminate and classified as smooth muscle tumor of uncertain malignant potential (STUMP). Recent gene expression studies have found p16 overexpressed in LMS when compared with normal myometrium. This study evaluated the protein expression of p16 by immunohistochemistry in LMS, L, and normal myometrium. Additionally, 8 tumors originally classified as STUMP were evaluated for p16 expression and correlated to their clinical outcome. METHODS: A tissue microarray was constructed and composed of 15 LMS, 8 STUMPs, 22 L, and 10 samples of normal myometrium. p16 expression was correlated with clinical outcome and histologic features. RESULTS: Twelve of the 15 LMS strongly and diffusely expressed p16, 3 of the L had focal p16 staining, and none of the normal myometria were p16 positive. Three of the tumors originally classified as STUMP developed metastatic disease and 2 of these tumors had strong, diffuse p16 positivity. Histologically, these 2 cases were characterized by coagulative tumor cell necrosis and only mild cytologic atypia. CONCLUSIONS: p16 is preferentially expressed in LMS with only rare L showing positivity. Histologically, tumors with coagulative tumor cell necrosis alone were clinically LMS. In those cases in which the type of necrosis is uncertain (coagulative tumor cell vs. hyalinized), the addition of p16 may aid in discerning a subset of STUMP that should be classified as LMS.     

Modulation of cell growth and PPARgamma expression in human colorectal cancer cell lines by ciglitazone

Studies have shown that ligand activation of peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor gamma (PPARgamma) can induce differentiation and inhibit proliferation of several cancer cells. The present study was performed to investigate the effects of the PPARgamma ligand, ciglitazone, and the involvement of PPARgamma in modulating the growth of human colorectal cancer cells. Lactate dehydrogenase release assay showed that ciglitazone potently inhibited HT-29 (well-differentiated) and COLO-205 (poorly differentiated) colorectal adenocarcinoma cell growth. Measurement of apoptosis by flow cytometry using a fluorescein-conjugated monoclonal antibody against cytokeratin 18 revealed a high induction of apoptosis by ciglitazone in a time-dependent fashion. The expression of PPARgamma1 but not PPARgamma2 mRNA was significantly downregulated as measured by real-time quantitative PCR, and the PPARgamma protein levels were decreased as determined by Western blot analysis. We conclude that ciglitazone treatment suppressed colon cancer cell growth via induction of apoptosis. However, the anticancer effects of ciglitazone may not depend solely on PPARgamma activation.     

Salivary biomarkers of stress among teachers in an urban setting

The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence of job stress among secondary school teachers using Karasek Job Content Questionnaire (JCQ), the association between salivary cortisol, salivary IgA, and sociodemographic characteristics, and the association between log cortisol, IgA levels, and job strain categories. A cross-sectional study was undertaken using JCQ and salivary cortisol and IgA samples. Cluster sampling was done yielding 302 respondents. The prevalence of stress among all teachers was 20.2%. Being a Malay, teaching experience of 5 to 10 years, and those without a supervisor's support had higher prevalence of high job strain. Teachers in the 31 to 40 years age bracket, educating handicapped children with the absence of supervisor support exhibited higher stress levels with lower log salivary IgA levels. Further studies must be conducted using salivary biomarkers to study the in-depth relationship of stress, extending into other occupational groups.