Treatment of Anal High-Grade Squamous Intraepithelial Lesions to Prevent Anal Cancer.

Background: The incidence of anal cancer is substantially higher among persons living with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) than in the general population. Similar to cervical cancer, anal cancer is preceded by high-grade squamous intraepithelial lesions (HSILs). Treatment for cervical HSIL reduces progression to cervical cancer; however, data from prospective studies of treatment for anal HSIL to prevent anal cancer are lacking.

Drug-Based Lead Discovery: The Novel Ablative Antiretroviral Profile of Deferiprone in HIV-1-Infected Cells and in HIV-Infected Treatment-Naive Subjects of a Double-Blind, Placebo-Controlled, Randomized Exploratory Trial.

Unlabelled: Antiretrovirals suppress HIV-1 production yet spare the sites of HIV-1 production, the HIV-1 DNA-harboring cells that evade immune detection and enable viral resistance on-drug and viral rebound off-drug. Therapeutic ablation of pathogenic cells markedly improves the outcome of many diseases. We extend this strategy to HIV-1 infection.

Phase 2 trial of paclitaxel, 13-cis retinoic acid, and interferon alfa-2b in the treatment of advanced stage or recurrent cervical cancer.

Objective: Overexpression of bcl-2 is a mechanism of drug resistance in cervical cancer. Agents that down-regulate bcl-2 may decrease tumor cell threshold and sensitize tumor cells to chemotherapy. The objective of this multi-institutional phase 2 trial was to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity of paclitaxel and bcl-2 modulators (13-cis retinoic acid and interferon alfa-2b) in patients with advanced-stage or recurrent cervical cancer.

Drug-induced reactivation of apoptosis abrogates HIV-1 infection.

HIV-1 blocks apoptosis, programmed cell death, an innate defense of cells against viral invasion. However, apoptosis can be selectively reactivated in HIV-infected cells by chemical agents that interfere with HIV-1 gene expression. We studied two globally used medicines, the topical antifungal ciclopirox and the iron chelator deferiprone, for their effect on apoptosis in HIV-infected H9 cells and in peripheral blood mononuclear cells infected with clinical HIV-1 isolates.

Diffuse peritoneal chlamydial infection presenting as possible ovarian peritoneal carcinomatosis in an adolescent female.

A 17-year-old girl presented with significant abdominal ascites associated with periumbilical pain. On examination, her abdomen was found to be soft and moderately distended with left lower quadrant tenderness. Abdominal computed tomographic scan demonstrated not only ascites but also diffuse peritoneal enhancement, a left-sided enhancing adnexal mass displacing the uterus to the right, as well as omental caking.

Eukaryotic initiation factor 5A-1 (eIF5A-1) as a diagnostic marker for aberrant proliferation in intraepithelial neoplasia of the vulva.

Objective: The mature eukaryotic translation initiation factor 5A contains the unusual amino acid hypusine, formed post-translationally from a specific lysine residue and essential for proliferation of eukaryotic cells. We hypothesized that the major eIF5A isoform, eIF5A-1, is an in situ biomarker for proliferation. NIH-353, a polyclonal immunoreagent specific for hypusine-containing eIF5A-1, was used to test this proposal in biopsies of vulvar high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia (VIN), characterized by the presence of proliferating cells throughout the thickness of the epithelium.

Procollagen-derived biomarkers in malignant ascites of ovarian cancer. Independent prognosticators for progression-free interval and survival.

Objective: Matrix formation is a hallmark of solid tumor biology. Circulating antigens of structural matrix proteins should reflect this fact, yet are subject to systemic variables. We propose that if measured regionally, in a cancer-induced extravascular fluid pool such as malignant ascites of ovarian cancer, the same antigens retain their conceptual advantage as surrogate markers for tumor biology.