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Study Comprising (study + comprising)
Selected AbstractsTalcum powder, chronic pelvic inflammation and NSAIDs in relation to risk of epithelial ovarian cancerINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF CANCER, Issue 1 2008Melissa A. Merritt Abstract Chronic inflammation has been proposed as the possible causal mechanism that explains the observed association between certain risk factors, such as the use of talcum powder (talc) in the pelvic region and epithelial ovarian cancer. To address this issue we evaluated the potential role of chronic local ovarian inflammation in the development of the major subtypes of epithelial ovarian cancer. Factors potentially linked to ovarian inflammation were examined in an Australia-wide case,control study comprising 1,576 women with invasive and low malignant potential (LMP) ovarian tumours and 1,509 population-based controls. We confirmed a statistically significant increase in ovarian cancer risk associated with use of talc in the pelvic region (adjusted odds ratio 1.17, 95% CI: 1.01,1.36) that was strongest for the serous and endometrioid subtypes although the latter was not statistically significant (adjusted odds ratios 1.21, 95% CI 1.03,1.44 and 1.18, 95% CI 0.81,1.70, respectively). Other factors potentially associated with ovarian inflammation (pelvic inflammatory disease, human papilloma virus infection and mumps) were not associated with risk but, like others, we found an increased risk of endometrioid and clear cell ovarian cancer only among women with a history of endometriosis. Regular use of aspirin and other nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs was inversely associated with risk of LMP mucinous ovarian tumours only. We conclude that on balance chronic inflammation does not play a major role in the development of ovarian cancer. © 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Comparison of ADVIA Centaur® and Pharmacia UniCAP® tests in the diagnosis of food allergy in children with atopic dermatitisPEDIATRIC ALLERGY AND IMMUNOLOGY, Issue 7 2007Cécile Contin-Bordes In a study comprising 63 children diagnosed with atopic dermatitis, the results of the ADVIA Centaur system was compared with the results obtained with the Pharmacia UniCAP100 system, which has been widely considered as a reference method for seric specific IgE (sIgE) measurements. The individual immunization against the most common food allergens [egg (f1), cow milk (f2), cod (f3), wheat (f4), peanut (f13) and soy bean (f14)] was determined by in vitro serum IgE testing and skin prick test (SPT). The comparison of the sIgE titers revealed a good concordance between the Centaur and the UniCAP tests for f1, f3, and f13 (94 %, 91 %, and 96 % respectively). However, the concordance was lower for f2, f4, and f14 (76 %, 77 %, and 77 % respectively) because of discrepancies between the two techniques. When compared with SPT and clinical diagnosis, on the 40 discordant cases found between the Centaur and the UniCAP, the Centaur showed concordance with the patients food reaction and SPT in 34/40 cases, and UniCAP in only 6/40 cases. Accordingly, the Centaur test displayed a statistically significantly better performance on specificity and concordance with SPT for f2, f4, and f14 (concordance/specificity = 70%/71%, 76%/75% and 90%/88% respectively), than the CAP test (49%/54%, 51%/52% and 67%/65% respectively). [source] Integrated ultrasound and biochemical screening for trisomy 21 using fetal nuchal translucency, absent fetal nasal bone, free ,-hCG and PAPP-A at 11 to 14 weeksPRENATAL DIAGNOSIS, Issue 4 2003Simona Cicero Abstract Background Screening for trisomy 21 by a combination of maternal age, fetal nuchal translucency (NT) thickness and maternal serum free ,-hCG and pregnancy-associated plasma protein-A (PAPP-A) at 11 to 14 weeks of gestation is associated with a detection rate of 90% for a false-positive rate of 5%. Recent evidence suggests that in about 70% of fetuses with trisomy 21, the nasal bone is not visible at the 11th- to 14th-week scan (Cicero et al., 2001). The aim of this study was to examine whether fetal NT thickness and the level of maternal serum biochemical markers is independent of the presence or absence of the nasal bone, and to estimate the performance of a screening test that integrates the two sonographic and the two biochemical markers. Methods This was a retrospective case-control study comprising 100 trisomy 21 and 400 chromosomally normal singleton pregnancies at 11 to 14 weeks of gestation. Ultrasound examination was carried out for measurement of fetal NT and assessment of the presence or absence of the fetal nasal bone. Maternal serum free ,-hCG and PAPP-A were measured using the Kryptor rapid random-access immunoassay analyser (Brahms Diagnostica GmbH, Berlin). The distribution of fetal NT, maternal serum free ,-hCG and PAPP-A in trisomy 21 fetuses with absent and present nasal bone was examined. Results The nasal bone was absent in 69 and present in 31 of the trisomy 21 fetuses. There were no significant differences in median maternal age, median gestational age, NT delta, free ,-hCG MoM and PAPP-A MoM in trisomy 21 fetuses with and without a visible nasal bone. For a false-positive rate of 5%, it was estimated that screening with the four markers in combination with maternal age would be associated with a detection rate of 97%. For a false-positive rate of 0.5%, the detection rate was 90.5%. Conclusions An integrated sonographic and biochemical test at 11 to 14 weeks can potentially identify about 90% of trisomy 21 fetuses for a false-positive rate of 0.5%. Copyright © 2003 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Teriparatide (Biosynthetic Human Parathyroid Hormone 1,34): A New Paradigm in the Treatment of OsteoporosisBASIC AND CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY & TOXICOLOGY, Issue 6 2004Kim T. Brixen Biosynthetic human parathyroid hormone 1,34 (teriparatide) was recently approved in the EU and the USA as the first anabolic treatment of osteoporosis. The effects of teriparatide are mediated by the G-protein-dependent, parathyroid hormone receptor-1 in the cell membrane. The binding of the ligand to the receptor activates adenylate cyclase and a number of phospholipases (A, C, and D) and increases intracellular levels of cAMP and calcium. Intermittent teriparatide increases the number of osteoblasts and bone formation by activation of pre-existing osteoblasts, increased differentiation of lining cells, and reduced osteoblast apoptosis. Anabolic effects of teriparatide on bone have been demonstrated in several species. It increases bone mass, structural integrity, bone diameter, and bone strength. Clinical efficacy was demonstrated in a randomized study comprising 1637 post-menopausal women with osteoporosis showing a 65% and 35% reduction of the relative risk of vertebral and appendicular fractures, respectively, during 18 months of treatment. Moreover, bone mineral density in the lumbar spine and hip increased by 9.7% and 2.6%, respectively. Similar effects on bone mineral density have been reported in men with osteoporosis and in glucocorticoid-induced osteoporosis, however, fracture data are limited in these groups. Direct comparison with alendronate revealed that teriparatide has a more pronounced effect on bone mineral density. Teriparatide should be used in combination with calcium plus vitamin D, and may be combined with hormonal replacement therapy. In contrast, alendronate attenuates the effect of teriparatide. The efficacy of other combinations remains uncertain. After termination of teriparatide, bone mineral density of the lumbar spine is reduced by approximately 2,3% after 2 1/2 years. This decrease is prevented by treatment with bisphosphonates. The most frequent adverse effects with teriparatide are nausea, headache, dizziness, and leg cramps, however, only the latter two differed significantly between the groups receiving teriparatide 20 ,g/day and placebo. In the pivotal clinical study, reduced dosage or termination of therapy due to hypercalcaemia was necessary in 3% and 0.2%, respectively. In a rat toxicology study, in which teriparatide was administered in high dosages for an extended period of time, osteosarcoma was seen in a significant number of animals. However, none of the approximately 2800 patients in clinical trials has developed osteosarcoma. Teriparatide constitutes a break-through in the treatment of severe osteoporosis, although a number of issues about the optimal use of teriparatide remains unsettled. The published data provide proof of concept on anabolic therapy which changes several paradigms of bone physiology. Other parathyroid hormone analogues are being investigated in clinical trials and the development of non-peptide, small molecules targeted at the parathyroid hormone receptor may be envisaged. [source] | ||||||||||