Autologous tumor lysate/Bacillus Calmette-Guérin immunotherapy as an adjuvant to conventional breast cancer therapy.

Introduction: Autologous tumor cell vaccines rely on the concept of preserving an individual's own tumorigenic makeup, expressing its unique set of tumor-associated antigens as well as antigenic elements from the surrounding stroma. These autologous tumor characteristics are usually presented with an immune adjuvant in the hopes of enhancing an immune response.

Methods: The autologous vaccine we used was composed of tumor cells combined with BCG and formalin.

Natalizumab treatment in multiple sclerosis patients: a multicenter experience in clinical practice in Italy.

We evaluated efficacy of natalizumab in relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis patients in a clinical practice setting. We report data on the first consecutive 343 patients receiving natalizumab in 12 multiple sclerosis (MS) Italian centers enrolled between April 2007 and November 2010. The main efficacy endpoints were the proportion of patients free from relapses, disease progression, combined clinical activity, defined as presence of relapse or disease progression, from MRI activity, and from any disease activity defined as the absence of any single or combined activity.

Acephaly: further evidence for disruption but not for amniotic bands.

Complete absence of the fetal head in singleton pregnancies is a very rare defect; to our knowledge there are only 7 reported cases. Decapitation by amniotic bands has been considered as the most probable cause. However, in none of the described cases except one were amniotic bands, constriction rings, or other related findings observed, raising the possibility that mechanisms other than amputation by amniotic bands are involved.

CD4 mononuclear cell infiltrates and Fas/Fas ligand positive mammary gland cells in breast tissue from a patient with Sjögren's syndrome.

We describe a 49-year-old patient with lip biopsy proven Sjögren's syndrome (SS) and keratoconjunctivitis sicca, who had dental caries, xerostomia, recurrent upper respiratory tract infections, arthritis in her hands, elbows and knees, and recurrent parotid inflammation. She developed bilateral breast nodules in 1988. Right breast nodules were excised in 1993 and 1995, but reappeared in 1996, requiring 2 more excisions.