The nature of the head and neck cancer

Summary Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck is a disease predominantly of males and is due to a variety of known environmental irritants, notably cigarette smoke. Dietary, viral and immunological factors may also be relevant. Head and neck squamous cancers express epidermal growth factor receptors and some show weak levels of oestrogen receptor activity, but a reliable serum marker of tumour burden remains to be identified. The prognosis is found to be less favourable in females, in those with advanced T stage, in association with multiple node involvement, especially where extracapsular spread is present and where the T4/T8 ratio is elevated. Administration of heterologous blood during therapy may also have an adverse effect on prognosis. Interested clinicians must remember that most cases are preventable. Correspondence to: A.G.D. Maran     

Cardiac drift during prolonged exercise with echocardiographic evidence of reduced diastolic function of the heart

This study examined whether, in 16 male subjects, a continuous increase in heart rate (HR) during 4 h of ergometry cycling relates to cardiac fatigue or cardiomyocyte damage. Serum cardiac troponin T (cTnT) was determined and echocardiographic assessment was carried out prior to and after 2 h of exercise, within 15 min of completing exercise and after 24 h. Left ventricular contractile function (end-systolic blood pressure–volume relationship [SBP/ESV]) and diastolic filling (ratio of early to late peak left ventricular filling velocities [E:A]) were calculated. During exercise HR was 132±5 beats min^–1 after 2 h and increased to 141±5 beats min^–1 (mean ± SD; P<0.05), but there was no evidence of altered LV contractile function (SBP/ESV 39.0±5.1 mmHg cm^–1 to 36.5±5.2 mmHg cm^–1 and SBP/ESV was not correlated to maximal oxygen uptake (r²=0.363). In contrast, E:A decreased (1.82±0.32 to 1.48±0.30; P<0.05) and returned towards baseline after 24 h (1.78±0.28), and individual changes were correlated to maximal oxygen uptake (r²=0.61; P<0.05). Low levels of cTnT were detected in two subjects after 4 h of exercise that had normalised by 24 h of recovery. During prolonged exercise cardiovascular drift occurred with echocardiographic signs of a reduced diastolic function of the heart, especially in those subjects with a high maximal oxygen uptake.     

A case of pediatric Henoch-Schönlein purpura and thrombosis of spermatic veins

The authors report a case of thrombosis of the spermatic veins associated with Henoch-Sch?nlein purpura mimicking an acute scrotum, which responded to a low-molecular-weight heparin treatment.     

Influence of Humans on Evolution and Mobilization of Environmental Antibiotic Resistome

The clinical failure of antimicrobial drugs that were previously effective in controlling infectious disease is a tragedy of increasing magnitude that gravely affects human health. This resistance by pathogens is often the endpoint of an evolutionary process that began billions of years ago in non–disease-causing microorganisms. This environmental resistome, its mobilization, and the conditions that facilitate its entry into human pathogens are at the heart of the current public health crisis in antibiotic resistance. Understanding the origins, evolution, and mechanisms of transfer of resistance elements is vital to our ability to adequately address this public health issue.     

Dobutamine stress echocardiography and cardiac troponin T for the detection of significant coronary artery disease and predicting outcome in renal transplant candidates.

AIMS: Ischaemic heart disease is the leading cause of mortality and morbidity in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) and after renal transplantation. However, the optimal non-invasive test for coronary artery disease (CAD) diagnosis in this population has yet to be established. The aim of this study was to assess the diagnostic accuracy of dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) and baseline plasma cardiac troponin T (cTnT) for detecting significant CAD and predicting adverse cardiac events in patients referred for renal transplantation. METHODS: Coronary angiography, DSE, and baseline cTnT measurements were performed in 118 consecutive patients (mean age 52+/-12 years, 75 male) with ESRD (mean creatinine 608+/-272 micromol/L) referred for renal transplantation. The mean follow-up period was 1.32+/-0.48 years. Significant CAD was defined as a reduction in luminal diameter >70% by visual estimation in at least one major epicardial vessel. An abnormal DSE result defined as the development of a new regional wall motion abnormality in one or more normal resting segments or a deterioration of wall motion in one or more resting hypokinetic segments. A baseline cTnT>0.1 microg/L was taken as positive. RESULTS: Significant CAD in at least one vessel was present in 35 patients (30%). The number of patients with significant 3 vessel and 2 vessel disease was 6 and 7, respectively. An abnormal DSE result was present in 36 (31%) patients. Thirty-one (26%) had cTnT>0.1 microg/L. Sixty-four (54%) patients were on dialysis and 46 (39%) were diabetic. The sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values for DSE in detecting significant coronary artery disease were 88%, 94%, 86% and 95%, respectively. The same values for a raised cTnT were 54%, 62%, 40% and 74%, respectively. The combination of an abnormal DSE result and raised cTnT gave values of 61%, 91%, 76%, and 80%, respectively. Over the follow-up period, mortality was significantly higher in those with a raised baseline cTnT but not those with an abnormal DSE result or significant CAD. CONCLUSION: DSE is an accurate technique for the detection of significant CAD in renal transplant candidates. An elevated cTnT does not predict significant CAD in this population and when used in conjunction with DSE, reduces the sensitivity of the combined tests. cTnT is an important marker of prognosis in renal transplant candidates.     

Ischemia Modified Albumin for the assessment of patients presenting to the emergency department with acute chest pain but normal or non-diagnostic 12-lead electrocardiograms and negative cardiac troponin T

BACKGROUND: The diagnosis of myocardial ischemia in patients with acute chest pain at rest but non-diagnostic electrocardiograms (ECG) is problematic. Ischemia Modified Albumin (IMA) is a new biochemical marker of ischemia, which may be useful to characterise acute coronary syndrome (ACS) patients. METHODS: We studied 131 patients (mean age 58.5 years; 95 male) presenting to the emergency department with symptoms suggestive of ACS but with normal or non-diagnostic ECGs. Cardiac troponin T (cTnT) and IMA were measured within 3 h of last chest pain episode. Based on hospital diagnostic test results, patients were classified as having ACS or non-ischemic chest pain (NICP), by two independent cardiologists unaware of IMA results. RESULTS: Mean IMA levels (U/ml) were higher in patients with ACS (98.3+/-11) compared to patients with NICP (85.5+/-15); p<0.0001. IMA levels >93.5 U/ml demonstrated a sensitivity and specificity of 75% for the diagnosis of ACS; area under the receiver operator characteristic curve 0.78 (95% CI: 0.70-0.85). If we applied the manufacturer cutoff point of 85 U/ml, the sensitivity of IMA increased to 90.6% with a specificity of 49.3% (negative predictive value=84.6%). In combination with cTnT (6-12 h) (>0.05 ng/ml), the sensitivity increased to 92.2%. After multivariate analysis, IMA levels >85 U/ml (odds ratio=14.6 [95% CI 4.4-48.4]; p<0.0001), age and prior myocardial infarction were independent predictors of ACS. CONCLUSION: IMA may be a useful biomarker for the identification of ACS in patients presenting with typical acute chest pain but normal or non-diagnostic ECGs.