Analysis of cytogenetic alterations in stage III serous ovarian adenocarcinoma reveals a heterogeneous group regarding survival, surgical outcome, and substage

Ovarian cancer is the leading cause of death among patients with gynecological cancers, but the biology of these tumors is still among the least understood of all major human malignancies. In this study, comparative genomic hybridization was used to determine chromosomal alterations in 98 stage III serous papillary adenocarcinomas. The tumors were grouped according to survival and the main prognostic factors stage and surgical outcome. There were chromosomal imbalances that were significantly more common in tumors from patients who died than in tumors from patients who survived: gains of 1q24-qter and losses of 4p, 4q31.1-qter, 5q12-q22, 8p, 16q, and X. Furthermore, we observed that gains of 8q23-8q24.2 and losses of 4p, 4q13-4q26, 4q31.1-qter, 5q12-q22, 8p, and 16q were significantly more common in tumors from patients with macroscopic residual tumor after primary surgery, compared to tumors from those who had undergone radical surgery. Gains of 3q13.3-qter, 6p, 7q21-q31, and 11q13-q23 and losses of 4q31.1-qter and 16q were more common in stage IIIc tumors than in stage IIIa+b tumors. On the basis of our results, we suggest that there are biological differences among the groups mentioned above and that absence of chromosomal aberrations in specific regions predicts a good clinical outcome for individual patients.     

Efficiency of automotive cabin air filters to reduce acute health effects of diesel exhaust in human subjects

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the efficiency of different automotive cabin air filters to prevent penetration of components of diesel exhaust and thereby reduce biomedical effects in human subjects. Filtered air and unfiltered diluted diesel exhaust (DDE) were used as negative and positive controls, respectively, and were compared with exposure to DDE filtered with four different filter systems. METHODS: 32 Healthy non- smoking subjects (age 21-53) participated in the study. Each subject was exposed six times for 1 hour in a specially designed exposure chamber: once to air, once to unfiltered DDE, and once to DDE filtered with the four different cabin air filters. Particle concentrations during exposure to unfiltered DDE were kept at 300 micrograms/m3. Two of the filters were particle filters. The other two were particle filters combined with active charcoal filters that might reduce certain gaseous components. Subjective symptoms were recorded and nasal airway lavage (NAL), acoustic rhinometry, and lung function measurements were performed. RESULTS: The two particle filters decreased the concentrations of diesel exhaust particles by about half, but did not reduce the intensity of symptoms induced by exhaust. The combination of active charcoal filters and a particle filter significantly reduced the symptoms and discomfort caused by the diesel exhaust. The most noticable differences in efficacy between the filters were found in the reduction of detection of an unpleasant smell from the diesel exhaust. In this respect even the two charcoal filter combinations differed significantly. The efficacy to reduce symptoms may depend on the abilities of the filters investigated to reduce certain hydrocarbons. No acute effects on NAL, rhinometry, and lung function variables were found. CONCLUSIONS: This study has shown that the use of active charcoal filters, and a particle filter, clearly reduced the intensity of symptoms induced by diesel exhaust. Complementary studies on vehicle cabin air filters may result in further diminishing the biomedical effects of diesel exhaust in subjects exposed in traffic and workplaces.

 

     

Potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the national and regional incidence,epidemiology and diagnostic testing of chlamydia and gonorrhoea in Sweden, 2020

The COVID-19 pandemic has challenged the societies and health care systems globally, and resulted in many social and physical distancing restrictions to limit the spread of SARS-CoV-2. These restrictions have also likely affected the frequency of intimate contacts and the spread of sexually transmitted infections (STIs). Compared to most other countries, Sweden especially in Spring-Autumn 2020 pursued mainly milder voluntary, that is, not mandatory enforced by laws, recommended restrictions and the impacts of these on society and spread of STIs remain largely unknown. We describe the potential impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the national and regional incidence, epidemiology and diagnostic testing of chlamydia and gonorrhoea in Sweden in 2020. Compared to 2019, we found a significant decrease in incidence of chlamydia (?4.5%) and gonorrhoea (?17.5%), and in diagnostic testing (?10.5% for chlamydia, ?9.4% for gonorrhoea) in 2020. However, the decrease in chlamydia incidence, which has mainly been decreasing in the last 10 years, was not significant when compared with the average incidence in 2017–2019. The largest decrease in national incidence of both infections was observed among young and heterosexual patients, however, some Swedish regions showed an increased incidence, particularly of chlamydia. Increased “internet-based self-sampling” testing approach partly compensated for a decreased attendance at STI clinics. Studies, including sexual behaviour, prevention, reasons for attending STI health care, STIs in different anatomical sites and management of STIs, are required to elucidate the impact of COVID-19-associated social and physical distancing restrictions on sexual activity and the incidence and epidemiology of chlamydia and gonorrhoea in Sweden.     

Design of an endoscopic optical reference to be used for autofluorescence bronchoscopy with a commercially available diagnostic autofluorescence endoscopy (DAFE) system

We present the design of a sterilizable optical reference to characterize and quantify the inter-patient variations in tissue autofluorescence during autofluorescence bronchoscopy with Richard Wolf's diagnostic autofluorescence endoscopy (DAFE) system. The reference was designed to have optical and spectral properties similar to those of the human bronchial wall in spectral conditions corresponding to autofluorescence bronchoscopy conducted with the DAFE system (fluorescence excitation at 390-470 nm and red backscattering light at 590-680 nm). The reference's effective attenuation coefficient and reflectance were measured at 675 nm. In addition, its fluorescence emission spectrum was determined under 430 nm wavelength excitation. The reference is photostable, reproducible, biocompatible and small enough to be easily inserted through the working channel of a conventional bronchofibrescope. This cylindrical (length: 2 mm; diameter: 2 mm) optical reference was validated in a clinical environment.     

Increased risk for vascular complications in PRV-1 positive patients with essential thrombocythaemia

Essential thrombocythaemia (ET) is a heterogeneous disorder with respect to plasma erythropoietin concentration at diagnosis and clonality of haematopoiesis. Polycythaemia rubra vera-1 (PRV-1) positivity, i.e. PRV-1 mRNA overexpression, is known to be present in the vast majority of patients with polycythaemia vera and also in some patients with ET. In the present study, PRV-1 expression was quantified by real-time polymerase chain reaction in 70 ET patients; 17 of them (24%) were found to be PRV-1 positive. Ten of the 17 PRV-1 positive ET patients had experienced thromboembolic complications compared with 14 of 53 PRV-1 negative patients, the difference between the two groups being statistically significant (P=0.02). In addition, the frequency of total vascular complications, thromboembolic events and major bleedings, was significantly higher in the group of PRV-1 positive as compared with PRV-1 negative ET patients (P=0.03). The time from diagnosis of ET to the requirement of platelet-lowering therapy was significantly shorter in PRV-1 positive compared with PRV-1 negative ET patients (P=0.014). It can be concluded that PRV-1 positive patients appear to suffer from a more aggressive disorder with increased risk for vascular complications and a greater need for platelet-lowering therapy, compared with PRV-1 negative ET patients.