寻找GPR3，有的而后放矢

比利时生物科技公司GalapagosNV日前宣布,用于治疗阿尔茨海默病的关键靶目标已被发现.这一突破性发现刊登在全球最权威的科技教授带领的比利时法兰德斯大学校际生物科技研究所(FlandersInstitute for Biotechnology VIB)与天主教鲁汶大学(KU Leuven)学术团队共同的研究成果.美国专利商标局已经同意了Galapagos公司针对该发现提交的发明申请.     

轮廓匹配的有限差分法

本文提出一种匹配相似轮廓线的有限差分法,这个方法是在Duncan方法的基础上开发的。Duncan的方法是通过优化一个二次指标函数来匹配两条轮廓线的。这个指标函数由一个与弯曲能量有关的曲率差项和一个弹性约束项组成。Cohen指出Duncan的方法可能造成两条轮廓线上点不是按顺序一一对应。他提出用有限元法来解这个问题。本文采用新的弹性约束项,得到的优化方程不但容易计算而且有明确的物理意义,本文讨论了用有限差分法解这个方程的方法,对于复杂形状的轮廓匹配可以用多尺度法来解决。     

Treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia in the elderly: an evaluation of interferon alpha given as a single agent after complete remission

Although interferon (IFN) has been used in elderly patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), the benefits from IFN therapy have not been properly assessed, especially as it was given combined with other cytotoxic drugs, which obscured the role of IFN if any. In 1997, we started a study aimed at improving our previous results in elderly patients with ALL and at assessing the therapeutic role of IFN in this disease. Fifty-eight patients with ALL, aged 55-81 years (median: 64.9 years), were randomly allocated to treatment with vindesine or vincristine during induction. After a first consolidation course, IFN was administered as a single agent for three months together with cranial radiotherapy. Chemotherapy was then resumed with a second consolidation course and maintenance. A complete remission (CR) was obtained in 58% of patients (CI: 45-71%), significantly less than in our previous study which included IFN combined with chemotherapy during maintenance (CR: 85%, CI:70-94%, p = 0.007). Overall survival (median: 289 vs 434 days in the previous study, p = 0.01) and disease-free survival (median: 146 vs 427 days, p = 0.009) were also inferior in the present study. In particular, the pattern of relapses over time suggested that the 3 month IFN treatment phase with no additional chemotherapy might have contributed to the comparatively poor outcome of this cohort. In addition, vindesine given during induction did not prove less neurotoxic than vincristine, did not improve the CR rate, and had no impact on survival. In conclusion, although similar to published studies in elderly patients with ALL, this study is inferior to our previous one. INF, given as a single drug, has a modest role if any in the treatment of older persons with ALL.     

Recommended indications for the administration of polyclonal immunoglobulin preparations

The following recommendations, which aim at standardising and rationalising the clinical indications for administering polyclonal immunoglobulins in Belgium, were drawn up by a working group of the Superior Health Council. To this end, the Superior Health Council organised an expert meeting devoted to"Guidelines for the use of immunoglobulins". The experts discussed the indications for immunoglobulin use, the'ideal'immunoglobulin preparation, its mechanisms of action, the practical issues involved in administering immunoglobulins and their potential side effects. The recommendations formulated by the experts were validated by the Superior Health Council working group with the purpose of harmonising immunoglobulin use in Belgium     

High-dose oral medroxyprogesterone acetate or tamoxifen as adjuvant hormone therapy for node-negative early-stage breast cancer: randomized trial with 7-year update

A randomized adjuvant trial compared tamoxifen 20 mg daily for 5 years with high-dose oral medroxyprogesterone acetate (MPA) 1 g orally for 9 months. One hundred ninety-four patients with histologically proven primary node-negative breast carcinoma were enrolled between December 1990 and October 1996, with 98 patients randomized into the tamoxifen arm and 96 into the MPA arm. At a median follow-up of 86 months, 25 relapses and 13 deaths were recorded. The relapse-free survival rate at 7 years in the tamoxifen arm was 93%, versus 81% in the MPA arm (P = 0.02). The difference was observed in patients with stage T2 disease (100% in the tamoxifen group vs. 64% in the MPA group; P = 0.01), in younger and/or premenopausal patients (in patients < 50 years of age, 100% in the tamoxifen arm vs. 81% in the MPA arm [P = 0.02], and in patients > or = 50 years of age, 90% in the tamoxifen arm vs. 82% in the MPA arm [P = 0.16]). Also, the overall survival rate at 7 years was lower in women < 50 years of age (P = 0.04).     

抗白细胞介素—12单克隆抗体阻断慢性实验性结肠炎发生

目的 探讨抗白介素-12（IL-12）单克隆抗体治疗实验性慢性结肠炎的机制。方法 用严重联合免疫缺陷（SCID）小鼠，植入同基因源性CD45RB^highCD4^ T细胞，诱导慢性结肠炎，并进行抗IL-12单克隆抗体治疗和观察IL-12在慢性结肠炎中的病理生理作用。结果 在T细胞植入4周后结肠组织内IL-12P^40mRNA含量明显升高，抗IL-12单克隆抗体有效地阻断了慢性结肠炎的发生降低了结肠粘膜内CD4^ T细胞和巨噬细胞浸润，并抑制肠粘膜内固有层CD4^ T细胞分泌IL-2和IFN-γ。结论 IL-12参与了慢性实验性结肠炎的病理生理过程，阻断IL-2对治疗慢性结肠炎有效。