Aggressive Form (aggressive + form)

Distribution by Scientific Domains
Distribution within Medical Sciences


Selected Abstracts


Zoledronate-induced remission of acute panmyelosis with myelofibrosis

EUROPEAN JOURNAL OF HAEMATOLOGY, Issue 3 2004
I. Español
Abstract:, Acute panmyelosis with myelofibrosis is a rare and aggressive form of acute myeloid leukemia. We describe a new case with a huge proliferation of megakaryocytes, blast cells and reticulin fibers. The patient was treated with zoledronate, a third-generation bisphosphonate, and a gradual recovery from pancytopenia was observed. A new bone marrow biopsy performed 4 months later showed a surprising disappearance of the leukemic infiltration. Ten months after the diagnosis, the patient is still in healthy condition. This may support the recently described anti-tumor activity of zoledronate. [source]


Squamous cell carcinoma of the buccal mucosa: One institution's experience with 119 previously untreated patients,

HEAD & NECK: JOURNAL FOR THE SCIENCES & SPECIALTIES OF THE HEAD AND NECK, Issue 4 2003
Eduardo M. Diaz Jr. MD, FACS
Abstract Background. Squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the buccal mucosa is a rare, but especially aggressive, form of oral cavity cancer, associated with a high rate of locoregional recurrence and poor survival. We reviewed our institution's experience with 119 consecutive, previously untreated patients with buccal SCC. Methods. We reviewed the charts of 250 patients who were seen at The University of Texas M. D. Anderson Cancer Center between January, 1974, and December, 1993. Of these, 119 were untreated and were subsequently treated exclusively at our institution. Patients who were previously treated elsewhere or whose lesions arose in other sites and only secondarily involved the buccal mucosa were excluded. Results. Patients with T1- or T2-sized tumors had only a 78% and 66% 5-year survival, respectively. Muscle invasion, Stensen's duct involvement, and extracapsular spread of involved lymph nodes were all associated with decreased survival (p < .05). Surgical salvage for patients with locoregional recurrence after radiation therapy was rarely successful. Conclusions. SCC of the buccal mucosa is a highly aggressive form of oral cavity cancer, with a tendency to recur locoregionally. Patients with buccal mucosa SCC have a worse stage-for-stage survival rate than do patients with other oral cavity sites. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Head Neck 25: 267,273, 2003 [source]


Cytokine gene polymorphisms in periodontal disease: a meta-analysis of 53 studies including 4178 cases and 4590 controls

JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PERIODONTOLOGY, Issue 9 2008
Georgios K. Nikolopoulos
Abstract Aim: We conducted a systematic review and a meta-analysis, in order to investigate the potential association of cytokine gene polymorphisms with either aggressive or chronic periodontal disease. Material and Methods: A comprehensive literature search was performed. We retrieved a total of 53 studies summarizing information about 4178 cases and 4590 controls. Six polymorphisms were included in our meta-analysis which are the following: IL-1A G[4845]T, IL-1A C[,889]T, IL-1B C[3953/4]T, IL-1B T[,511]C, IL-6 G[,174]C and TNFA G[,308]A. Random effect methods were used for the analysis. We calculated the specific odds ratios along with their 95% confidence intervals to compare the distribution of alleles and genotypes between cases and controls. Results and Conclusions: Using random effect methods we found statistically significant association of IL-1A C[,889]T and IL-1B C[3953/4]T polymorphisms with chronic periodontal disease without any evidence of publication bias or significant statistical heterogeneity. A weak positive association was also found concerning IL-1B T[,511]C and chronic periodontal disease. No association was found for all the cytokines examined as far as the aggressive form of the disease is concerned. Future studies may contribute to the investigation of the potential multigenetic predisposition of the disease and reinforce our findings. [source]


Atypical lymphocytic lobular panniculitis

JOURNAL OF CUTANEOUS PATHOLOGY, Issue 4 2004
Cynthia M. Magro
Background:, Although subcutaneous T-cell lymphoma (SCTCL) is considered an aggressive form of lymphoma, some patients manifest a long waxing and waning phase unaccompanied by constitutional symptoms. Methods:, Twelve patients were prospectively encountered, presenting with a lymphocytic panniculitis accompanied by lymphoid atypia, although not fulfilling criteria for SCTCL. Clinical, histologic, phenotypic, and genotypic analyses were conducted. Results:, There were five men, one boy, and six women; none had symptoms compatible with lupus erythematosus or aggressive SCTCL. All but two had a waxing and waning course of years. Four patients had periodic cytopenias accompanied by fevers. While responding somewhat to prednisone, the lesions relapsed. In one patient, treatment with alemtuzumab (CAMPATH-1) led to complete lesional resolution with no recurrence. Light microscopy showed expansion of the interstices of the fat lobule by mildly atypical lymphocytes of the CD4 subset in 10 biopsies from eight patients; in the other four patients, there was an increase in CD8 lymphocytes. There was diminished expression of CD5 and/or CD7 in the majority of biopsies. Ten of 13 biopsies showed clonal T-cell receptor-, rearrangements. Conclusions:, We apply the term atypical lymphocytic lobular panniculitis to this distinctive form of lymphocytic panniculitis manifesting this light microscopic, phenotypic, and genotypic profile. [source]


Rapid response of severe refractory metastatic Crohn's disease to infliximab

JOURNAL OF GASTROENTEROLOGY AND HEPATOLOGY, Issue 8 2001
Ashley M Miller
Abstract A case is described of a middle-aged female who developed an aggressive form of biopsy-proven metastatic Crohn's disease involving the inguinal, perineal and submammary areas. Her condition had been unresponsive to topical and systemic corticosteroids, antibiotics, immunosuppressives, and repeated surgical debridement. Administration of infliximab resulted in a rapid clinical response with subjective improvements in pain and general well-being, and an objective decline in exudate, erythema and size of the lesions. Infliximab may be a suitable therapeutic option in patients with metastatic Crohn's disease. [source]


Adrenal metastases of malignant melanoma: Characteristic computed tomography appearances

JOURNAL OF MEDICAL IMAGING AND RADIATION ONCOLOGY, Issue 4 2005
A Rajaratnam
Summary Malignant melanoma is an extremely aggressive form of cancer. Adrenal metastases are found in 50% of cases of malignant melanoma, and are most often clinically and biochemically silent. Clinical presentation varies, and the diagnosis of adrenal metastases is often made incidentally, and frequently years after treatment of the primary lesion. An adrenal mass lesion seen on a CT scan, greater than 5 cm in diameter, with central or irregular areas of necrosis/haemorrhage (and no lipomatous component) is characteristic of a metastasis from malignant melanoma, in the setting of normal gland function. If these features are bilateral, they are pathognomonic. Oval, low-attenuation (on CT) adrenal masses less than 3 cm in diameter should not be considered benign in a patient with any prior history of melanoma. Careful imaging review of the adrenal glands should be undertaken in all patients with malignant melanoma. Early diagnosis of these distant metastases has important prognostic and therapeutic implications. The four cases presented illustrate the spectrum of presentations and clinical course of adrenal metastases from malignant melanoma. The accompanying CT images show the characteristic appearances of adrenal metastases. [source]


Interspecies comparison of prostate cancer gene-expression profiles reveals genes associated with aggressive tumors

THE PROSTATE, Issue 10 2009
Itai Kela
Abstract Prostate cancer (PC) is a heterogeneous disease whose aggressive phenotype is the second leading cause of cancer-related death in men. The identification of key molecules and pathways that play a pivotal role in PC progression towards an aggressive form is crucial. A major effort towards this end has been taken by global analyses of gene expression profiles. However, the large body of data did not provide a definitive idea about the genes which are associated with the aggressive growth of PC. In order to identify such genes, we performed an interspecies comparison between several human data sets and high quality microarray data that we generated from the transgenic adenocarcinoma of mouse prostate (TRAMP) strain. The TRAMP PC mimics the histological and pathological appearance as well as the aggressive phenotype of human PC (huPC). Analysis of the microarray data, derived from microdissected TRAMP specimens removed at different stages of the disease yielded genetic signatures delineating the TRAMP PC development and progression. Comparison of the TRAMP data with a set of genes representing the core expression signature of huPC yielded a limited set genes. Some of these genes are known predictors of poor prognosis in huPC. Interestingly, the modulation of genes responsible for the invasive phenotype of huPC occurs in TRAMP already during the transition to prostate intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) and onwards to localized tumors. We therefore suggest that critical oncogenic events leading to an aggressive phenotype of huPC can be studied in the PIN stage of TRAMP. Prostate 69:1034,1044, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


Multiple sclerosis in a family on the Faroe Islands

ACTA NEUROLOGICA SCANDINAVICA, Issue 1 2010
S. Binzer
Background,,, John Kurtzke has proposed that multiple sclerosis (MS) on the Faroe Islands occurred as a result of the spread of a transmittable agent brought to the country during World War II. Aim,,, Kurtzke's theory has been opposed earlier and in this study, we present a family from the Faroe Islands containing a total of 14 family members with MS which show further inconsistencies with the theory. The present study is to our knowledge, the first description of familial incidences of MS on the Faroe Islands. Methods,,, Medical histories were gathered from 12 family members and 6 of the 8 living MS cases were human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-typed. Results,,, Seven family members had primary progressive MS (PPMS), while five had relapsing remitting MS. The HLA-DR15 allele was carried by the three cases with the most aggressive form of MS and they shared a common haplotypes. The HLA types carried by the remaining cases varied. Conclusion,,, This research questions Kurtzke's theory as three of the cases do not conform to the epidemic cohorts described. Furthermore, there appears to be a higher than usual prevalence of PPMS. The high degree of heterogeneity of the HLA types carried indicates that HLA alleles do not independently explain the risk of developing MS. [source]


Prognostic significance of HER-2 status in women with inflammatory breast cancer

CANCER, Issue 9 2008
Shaheenah Dawood MRCP(UK)
Abstract BACKGROUND Inflammatory breast cancer (IBC) is a rare, aggressive form of breast cancer with poorly understood prognostic variables. The purpose of this study was to define the prognostic impact of HER-2 status on survival outcomes of patients with IBC. METHODS In all, 179 patients with IBC, diagnosed between 1989 and 2005, with known HER-2 status, and treated with an anthracycline-based chemotherapy regimen without trastuzumab, were included in the analysis. Patients with HER-2-positive disease who received trastuzumab at the time of disease recurrence were included. Survival outcomes were estimated by the Kaplan-Meier product limit method and compared across groups using the log-rank statistic. A Cox proportional hazards model was fitted to determine the association of survival outcomes with HER-2 status after adjusting for patient and tumor characteristics. RESULTS A total of 111 patients (62%) had HER-2-negative disease and 68 (38%) had HER-2-positive disease. The median follow-up among all patients was 35 months. At the time of the analysis, 62 patients (55.9%) with HER-2-negative disease and 42 patients (61.8%) with HER-2-positive disease had a recurrence. Thirty-one patients (73.8%) with HER-2-positive disease who had a disease recurrence went on to receive trastuzumab. On univariate analysis, no statistically significant difference was observed for either recurrence-free survival (P = .75) or overall survival (P = .24) between patients who had HER-2-positive disease and those who had HER-2-negative disease. In a multivariate model, HER-2 status did not appear to significantly affect recurrence-free survival (hazards ratio [HR] of 0.75; 95% confidence interval [95% CI], 0.46,1.22 [P = .241]). In the multivariate model, patients with HER-2-positive disease had a decreased hazard of death (HR of 0.56; 95% CI, 0.34,0.93 [P = .024]) compared with patients with HER-2-negative disease. CONCLUSIONS HER-2 status, in the absence of trastuzumab, did not appear to significantly affect recurrence-free survival. After adjusting for other characteristics, the addition of trastuzumab in the metastatic setting significantly improved survival in the HER-2-positive group above and beyond that of the HER-2-negative group. This gives us further insight into the biology of this aggressive disease and underlines the major effect of targeted intervention. Cancer 2008. © 2008 American Cancer Society. [source]


Diagnostic value and prognostic significance of protein S-100,, melanoma-inhibitory activity, and tyrosinase/MART-1 reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction in the follow-up of high-risk melanoma patients

CANCER, Issue 7 2003
Claus Garbe M.D.
Abstract BACKGROUND Cutaneous melanoma is the most aggressive form of skin carcinoma in humans, frequently with a rapid progression of disease. To detect early developing metastasis, laboratory tests to determine levels of lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) and alkaline phosphatase (AP) form part of the regular follow-up, but often cannot discover recurrent disease at a sufficiently early stage. METHODS To evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of protein S-100, (S-100,), melanoma-inhibitory activity (MIA), LDH, AP, and tyrosinase/MART-1 reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), the authors included 296 consecutive AJCC Stage II or III clinically disease-free melanoma patients. Follow-up examinations were performed every 3 months and blood samples were drawn to determine the levels of these tumor markers. RESULTS Metastasis occurred in 41 of the 296 patients during a median follow-up period of 19 months (range, 1,33 months). The sensitivity to detect new metastases was 29% for protein S-100,, 22% for MIA, 2% for LDH, 17% for AP, and 24% for RT-PCR. The diagnostic accuracy was best for MIA (86%) and S-100, (84%), whereas AP (79%), LDH (77%), and RT-PCR (72%) demonstrated lower values. Elevated values of S-100, and MIA during follow-up examinations were associated with decreased survival rates in the further course of the disease, but pathologic findings of the other tumor markers showed no prognostic impact. CONCLUSIONS To the authors' knowledge, the current study is the first comparison of the diagnostic accuracy of currently available tumor markers in the follow-up of high-risk melanoma patients. Protein S-100, and MIA demonstrated a higher sensitivity, specificity, and diagnostic accuracy in the diagnosis of newly occurring metastasis compared with to the tumor markers AP, LDH, and RT-PCR diagnostics. Therefore, the tumor markers S-100, and MIA may be useful in the follow-up of disease-free Stage II and III melanoma patients. Cancer 2003;97:1737,45. © 2003 American Cancer Society. DOI 10.1002/cncr.11250 [source]


Expression of microRNA-221 is progressively reduced in aggressive prostate cancer and metastasis and predicts clinical recurrence

INTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CANCER, Issue 2 2010
Martin Spahn
Abstract Emerging evidence shows that microRNAs (miR) are involved in the pathogenesis of a variety of cancers, including prostate carcinoma (PCa). Little information is available regarding miR expression levels in lymph node metastasis of prostate cancer or the potential of miRs as prognostic markers in this disease. Therefore, we analyzed the global expression of miRs in benign, hyperplastic prostate tissue (BPH), primary PCa of a high risk group of PCa patients, and corresponding metastatic tissues by microarray analysis. Consistent with the proposal that some miRs are oncomirs, we found aberrant expression of several miRs, including the downregulation of miR-221, in PCa metastasis. Downregulation of miR-221 was negatively correlated with the expression of the proto-oncogen c-kit in primary carcinoma. In a large study cohort, the prostate-specific oncomir miR-221 was progressively downregulated in aggressive forms of PCa. Downregulation of miR-221 was associated with clinicopathological parameters, including the Gleason score and the clinical recurrence during follow up. Kaplan,Meier estimates and Cox proportional hazard models showed that miR-221 downregulation was linked to tumor progression and recurrence in a high risk prostate cancer cohort. Our results showed that progressive miR-221 downregulation hallmarks metastasis and presents a novel prognostic marker in high risk PCa. This suggests that miR-221 has potential as a diagnostic marker and therapeutic target in PCa. [source]


Prevalence of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans in an ethnic adult Chinese population

JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PERIODONTOLOGY, Issue 9 2001
Kai Soo Tan
Abstract Aim: The aim of this study was to determine the prevalence and the structure of the leukotoxin promoter region of Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans in an ethnic Chinese population. Method: Subgingival plaque samples were collected from 42 patients with moderate to advanced periodontitis and 50 periodontally healthy patients. A. actinomycetemcomitans was detected directly from the crude subgingival plaque by PCR using leukotoxin gene specific primers. The presence of A. actinomycetemcomitans was determined by a single 285 bp PCR amplicon. Results:A. actinomycetemcomitans was found to be present in the subgingival plaque of 68 out of a total of 92 patients examined (74%). 29 out of the 42 periodontitis patients tested were carriers of A. actinomycetemcomitans (69%). Among the periodontally healthy patients studied, 39 out of 50 subjects possessed the bacteria (78%). PCR analysis of the promoter region of the ltx operon revealed that none of the 42 moderate to advanced periodontitis patients examined harboured A.actinomycetemcomitans strains with the JP2-like promoter of the ltx operon, known to enhance leukotoxin expression. 2 out of the 27 advanced periodontitis patients clinically diagnosed as suffering from rapidly progressive periodontitis were found to be carriers of the mildly toxic strain of A. actinomycetemcomitans with the characteristic 652-like promoter. Conclusions: The high prevalence of A. actinomycetemcomitans, regardless of whether the subgingival samples were analysed from patients with healthy or diseased periodontium suggests that this bacterial species is part of the normal oral flora of ethnic Chinese. Our preliminary results also suggested that subjects who harboured the mildly toxic strain of A. actinomycetemcomitans were potentially susceptible to aggressive forms of periodontitis. Zusammenfassung Das Ziel dieser Studie war es, in einer ethnischen Population von Chinesen die Prävalenz von Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans und die Struktur der Leukotoxin-Promoterregion zu bestimmen. Von 42 Patienten mit moderater bis fortgeschrittener Parodontitis und 50 parodontal gesunden Patienten wurden subgingivale Plaqueproben entnommen. A. actinomycetemcomitans wurde direkt in der unbehandelten subgingivalen Plaque durch PCR unter Verwendung eines Leukotoxingen-spezifischen Primers nachgewiesen. Das Vorhandensein von A. actinomycetemcomitans wurde mittels eines einzigen 285 bp-PCR-Amplikons bestimmt. Es wurde A. actinomycetemcomitans bei 68 von 92 untersuchten Patienten (74%) vorgefunden. 29 von 42 getesteten Parodontitispatienten waren Träger von A. actinomycetemcomitans (69%). Unter den Studierten parodontal gesunden Patienten besaßen 39 von 50 Personen das Bakterium (78%). Die PCR-Analyse der Promoterregion des ltx -Operons zeigte, dass keiner der 42 untersuchten Patienten mit moderater bis fortgeschrittener Parodontitis den A. actinomycetemcomitans mit dem JP2-ähnlichen Promoter des ltx -Operons, welches die Leukotoxinexpression verstärkt, besaß. Bei 2 der 27 Patienten mit fortgeschrittener Parodontitis wurde klinisch eine rasch fortschreitende Parodontitis diagnostiziert und es wurde der mit geringer Toxizität versehene Stamm des A. actinomycetemcomitans mit dem charakteristischen 652-ähnlichen Promoter vorgefunden. Bedingt durch die hohe Prävalenz von A. actinomycetemcomitans unabhängig davon, ob die Proben von Patienten mit gesundem oder erkranktem Parodontium stammen, lässt sich annehmen, dass diese Bakterienspezies bei ethnischen Chinesen ein Teil normalen Mundflora ist. Unsere vorläufigen Resultate lassen auch annehmen, dass Personen, die den mit geringer Toxizität versehenen Stamm des A. actinomycetemcomitans tragen eine potentielle Anfälligkeit für aggressive Formen der Parodontitis besitzen. Résumé Le but de l'étude présente a été de déterminer la fréquence globale et la structure de la région promoteur de leukotoxine de l'Actinobacillus actinomycetemcomitans (A.a.) dans une population chinoise. Des échantillons de plaque dentaire sous-gingivale ont été prélevés chez 42 patients avec parodontite modérée à avancée et chez 50 patients sains. L'A.a. a été détecté directement dans la plaque sous-gingivale par PCR en utilisant les sites spécifiques de gènes leukotoxines. La présence de l'A.a. a été déterminée par un amplicon PCR de 285 bp. L'A.a. a été décelé dans la plaque sous-gingivale de 68 des 92 patients examinés (74%). 29 des 42 patients avec parodontite ont été reconnus comme porteurs d'A.a. (69%). Parmi les patients sains étudiés, 39 des 50 sujets étaient porteurs de la bactérie (78%). L'analyse PCR de la région promoteur de operon ltx a révélé que des 42 patients avec parodontite modéréà avancée aucun n'avaient de souche A.a. avec le promoteur ressemblant au JP2 de l'operon ltx, reconnu pour acroître la leukotoxine. 2 des 27 patients avec parodontit avancée souffraient d'une parodontite progressant rapidement et étaient porteurs d'une souche moyennement toxique d'A.a. avec la caractéristique du promoteur ressemblant au 652. La fréquence globale importante d'A.a., sans tenir compte si les échantillons sous-gingivaux ont été analysés de patients avec un parodonte sain ou malade, suggère que ces espèces bactériennes font partie de la flore buccale normale de l'ethnie chinoise. Ces résultats indiquent également que les porteurs de la souche peu toxique d'A.a. seraient potentiellement susceptibles à des formes de parodontite agressive. [source]


Development and validation of the Subtypes of Antisocial Behavior Questionnaire

AGGRESSIVE BEHAVIOR, Issue 5 2009
S. Alexandra Burt
Abstract There is converging evidence that physical aggression, rule-breaking, and social aggression constitute meaningfully distinct, if somewhat overlapping, components of the broader construct of antisocial behavior. Indeed, these subtypes appear to have different developmental trajectories, demographic correlates, and personological underpinnings. They also demonstrate important etiological distinctions. One potential limitation to accumulating additional scientific insights into the correlates and origins of these three types of antisocial behavior is the lack of an efficient self-report assessment in the public domain. We developed the 32-item Subtypes of Antisocial Behavior Questionnaire (STAB) to fill this gap. Our goal was to develop a brief measure that could reliably and validly assess each of the three major subtypes of antisocial behavior and that would be freely available for other researchers. The present series of studies provides initial evidence of the factorial validity, internal consistency, and criterion-related validity of the STAB scales. In short, it appears that the STAB is a brief and useful measure that can be used to differentiate and assess physically aggressive, rule-breaking, and socially aggressive forms of antisocial behavior. Aggr. Behav. 35:376,398, 2009. © 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


Cerebral metastasis and other central nervous system complications of pleuropulmonary blastoma,,

PEDIATRIC BLOOD & CANCER, Issue 3 2007
John R. Priest MD
Abstract Background Pleuropulmonary blastoma (PPB) is a rare tumor of pleura and lung in young children. Central nervous system (CNS) complications, particularly cerebral parenchymal metastases, occur in aggressive forms of PPB: Types II and III PPB. This article evaluates cerebral and meningeal metastases, cerebrovascular events (CVA) caused by tumor emboli, spinal cord complications, and intracranial second malignancies in PPB. Procedure International PPB Registry and literature cases were evaluated for CNS events. Cerebral metastasis patients were evaluated for gender, side of origin of PPB, PPB Type, interval from diagnosis to metastasis, status of chest disease, treatment, and outcome. Standard statistical methods were used to calculate the cumulative probability of cerebral metastasis and survival following metastasis. Results Thirty-nine cases of cerebral metastasis were identified in 5/53 Registry Type II cases, 15/44 Registry Type III cases, and 19/143 literature Type II/III cases. Metastases occurred 1,60, median 11.5 months after diagnosis. Chest disease was controlled in 50% of children at time of metastasis. The cumulative probability of cerebral metastasis by 5 years from diagnosis was 11% for Type II patients (95%CI (confidence interval): 2,20%) and 54% for Type III patients (95%CI: 31,76%). Seven children survive cerebral metastasis. Other CNS complications were post-operative CVA (five cases), spinal cord invasion or compression (six), leptomeningeal disease (three), and second intracranial malignancies (two). Conclusions Cerebral metastasis is more frequent in PPB than in other childhood sarcomas. Clinicians should screen for this complication. Diverse other CNS complications are less common and require careful diagnosis. Pediatr Blood Cancer 2007;49:266,273. © 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source]


Enhancer of zeste homolog 2 expression is associated with tumor cell proliferation and metastasis in gastric cancer

APMIS, Issue 3 2010
JUNG HYE CHOI
Choi JH, Song YS, Yoon JS, Song KW, Lee YY. Enhancer of zeste homolog 2 expression is associated with tumor cell proliferation and metastasis in gastric cancer. APMIS 2010; 118: 196,202. The enhancer of zeste homolog 2 (EZH2), a member of the polycomb group of proteins, plays an important role in cell proliferation and cell cycle regulation. EZH2 is overexpressed in aggressive forms of prostate, breast, bladder, and endometrial cancers. However, the role of EZH2 expression in gastric cancer has not been fully determined. This study was conducted to investigate the correlation between EZH2 and cell cycle-related molecules, and the clinical value of EZH2 expression in gastric cancer. We analyzed EZH2 expression using Western blotting in AGS, MKN-28, SNU-16, SNU-484, SNU-601, and SNU-638 gastric cancer cell lines. After transfection of EZH2 siRNA into MKN-28 cells, the change in cell cycle-related molecules was assessed by Western blot analysis. Expression of EZH2, Ki-67, and p53 was determined by immunohistochemical staining of tissue microarrays from specimens of 137 cases of resected gastric cancer. We found high expressions of EZH2 in all of the tested gastric cancer cell lines. RNA interference of EZH2 induced upregulation of p53 and HDAC1 and downregulation of cyclin D1 and cyclin E. High EZH2 expression was observed in 60.6% of gastric cancers and in 6.7% of non-neoplastic gastric tissues (p < 0.01); 40.1% were positive for p53 in gastric cancers. High EZH2 expression was correlated with Ki-67 and p53 expressions and was significantly associated with distant metastases and non-signet ring cells. Our results suggest that high EZH2 expression is associated with tumor cell proliferation and metastasis in gastric cancer. [source]


Electroconvulsive therapy versus transcranial magnetic stimulation for major depression: a review with recommendations for future research

ACTA NEUROPSYCHIATRICA, Issue 6 2008
Keith G. Rasmussen
Objective:, To review the literature comparing electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) for major depression. Methods:, Data from the six randomised, prospective studies were agglutinated into one data set. Special attention was given to the methods of both TMS and ECT as well as data pertaining to differential outcomes in subgroups such as psychotic depressives and the elderly. Results:, There is a highly significant advantage for ECT in the prospective, randomised trials. The two non-randomised, retrospective comparative trials found the treatments to be equal in one study and superior for ECT in another. However, sample sizes are small in these studies, and both TMS and ECT may have been used suboptimally. Furthermore, the possibilities of differential efficacy of ECT or TMS for psychotic depressives or as a function of age have yet to be fully explored. Conclusions:, The data to date do not support the contention that TMS is equivalent in efficacy to ECT. It is recommended that a large-scale trial be undertaken using aggressive forms of both TMS and ECT with sample sizes sufficiently large to detect effects of moderating variables such as age and psychosis status. [source]


Today's allergic rhinitis patients are different: new factors that may play a role

ALLERGY, Issue 9 2007
R. Mösges
Most of today's patients suffering from allergic rhinitis (AR) are sensitized to more than one trigger and suffer from persistent and moderate/severe symptoms, which severely impair their quality of life (QOL). The objective of this article was to review the data on the effect of increased air pollution, changes in indoor environment/lifestyle/affluence, exposure to new allergens and psychologically stressful lifestyles, as also to explore their potential in the development of this more ,aggressive' form of disease. Increased fossil fuel-generated air pollution may increase the risk of allergic sensitization, airway responsiveness to allergens, and allergenicity and the bioavailability of airborne allergens. Changes in indoor environment/lifestyle/affluence appear to have led to more time being spent indoors and resulted in perennial exposure to indoor allergens, changes in sensitization patterns, and polysensitization to a variety of novel cross-reacting exotic food and pet allergens. Although evidence suggests an association between psychological stress and increased risk for atopy and allergic disease, further studies are required to demonstrate this unequivocally. The more persistent and moderate/severe nature of the disease suggests a need for modification of current treatment strategies and advocacy of the use from the outset of agents, which are both efficacious and safe in managing severe and persistent AR symptoms and in improving the QOL of affected individuals. [source]