Antibody validation.

Antibodies are among the most frequently used tools in basic science research and in clinical assays, but there are no universally accepted guidelines or standardized methods for determining the validity of these reagents. Furthermore, for commercially available antibodies, it is clear that what is on the label does not necessarily correspond to what is in the tube. To validate an antibody, it must be shown to be specific, selective, and reproducible in the context for which it is to be used.

Melanoma in solid organ transplant recipients.

This manuscript outlines estimated risk and clinical course of pretransplant MM, donor-transmitted MM and de novo MM posttransplantation and includes an analysis of risk factors for metastasis, data from clinical studies and current and proposed management. MM in situ and thin melanoma (<1 mm) in the transplant population has similar recurrence and survival estimates to those in the general population. A minimum wait time of 2 years prior to transplantation is suggested for MM with a Breslow depth <1 mm and no clinical evidence of metastasis.

In situ identification of putative cancer stem cells by multiplexing ALDH1, CD44, and cytokeratin identifies breast cancer patients with poor prognosis.

A subset of cells, tentatively called cancer stem cells (CSCs), in breast cancer have been associated with tumor initiation, drug resistance, and tumor persistence or aggressiveness. They are characterized by CD44 positivity, CD24 negativity, and/or ALDH1 positivity in flow cytometric studies. We hypothesized that the frequency or density of these cells may be associated with more aggressive tumor behavior.

A case of multiple skin cancers in a patient on combination immunosuppressive therapy for Behcet's disease.

Skin cancer risk from the use of immunosuppressive medications used to treat inflammatory conditions is not well understood, though studies clearly establish an exaggerated risk of skin cancer in solid organ transplant recipients (SOTRs) receiving these medications. The authors report a patient with Behcet's disease treated with combination immunosuppressive therapy and common variable immunodeficiency developing multiple squamous cell carcinomas (SCCs) of the skin, necessitating adjustment of her immunosuppressive regimen. As more patients are treated with immunosuppressive medications for chronic inflammatory diseases, clinicians must be aware of the possible increased risk of skin cancers associated with these medications.

Topical imiquimod or fluorouracil therapy for basal and squamous cell carcinoma: a systematic review.

Objectives: To conduct a systematic review to determine clearance rates and adverse effects of topical imiquimod or fluorouracil therapy in the treatment of nonmelanoma skin cancers such as basal (BCC) and squamous cell carcinoma (SCC), and to develop recommendations for the use of topical imiquimod or fluorouracil to treat BCC and SCC.

Data Sources: MEDLINE, CANCERLIT, and Cochrane databases.

Study Selection: Prospective, retrospective, and case studies in English containing a minimum of 4 subjects and a 6-month follow-up or posttreatment histologic evaluation.

Surgical management of congenital dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans.

Congenital dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans (DFSP) is a rare tumor with varying clinical presentations that is commonly misdiagnosed. Treatment of congenital DFSP is complicated by delays in diagnosis and its propensity for subclinical spread. Of 61 reported cases, 11 (18%) were treated with Mohs micrographic surgery (MMS) and 46 (75%) were treated with wide local excision (WLE).

The function, proteolytic processing, and histopathology of Met in cancer.

The hepatocyte growth factor (HGF) and its receptor, the Met receptor tyrosine kinase, form a signaling network promoting cell proliferation, invasion, and survival in normal and cancer cells. Improper regulation of this pathway is attributed to many cancer types through overexpression, activating mutations, or autocrine loop formation. Many studies describe the localization of Met as membranous/cytoplasmic, but some studies using antibodies targeted to the C-terminal domain of Met report nuclear localization.

Linear motif atlas for phosphorylation-dependent signaling.

Systematic and quantitative analysis of protein phosphorylation is revealing dynamic regulatory networks underlying cellular responses to environmental cues. However, matching these sites to the kinases that phosphorylate them and the phosphorylation-dependent binding domains that may subsequently bind to them remains a challenge. NetPhorest is an atlas of consensus sequence motifs that covers 179 kinases and 104 phosphorylation-dependent binding domains [Src homology 2 (SH2), phosphotyrosine binding (PTB), BRCA1 C-terminal (BRCT), WW, and 14-3-3].

Melanoma: prevention and early detection.

Exposure to ultraviolet radiation is the main modifiable risk factor for melanoma. Strong epidemiologic and molecular evidence links sun exposure to the development of melanoma. Given the ubiquitous abundance of ultraviolet radiation, prevention aimed at blocking sun exposure is recommended by the American Academy of Dermatology, the Skin Cancer Foundation, the American Cancer Society, the Centers for Disease Control, and the Environmental Protection Agency.

Control of periodontal infection reduces the severity of active rheumatoid arthritis.

Objective: To determine if eliminating periodontal infection and gingival inflammation affects the severity of active rheumatoid arthritis (RA) in patients with chronic inflammatory periodontal disease.

Methods: Twenty-nine subjects with confirmed diagnosis of RA and mild-to-moderate chronic periodontitis of at least 3 years' duration were enrolled in the study. The activity of RA was assessed using the disease activity score test (DAS28).

Verrucous carcinoma of the scalp.

Verrucous carcinoma is a distinctive form of low-grade squamous cell carcinoma. It typically involves the oral cavity, larynx, esophagus, and skin. Cutaneous lesions typically arise in the genitocrural area and plantar surface of the foot, with rare case reports of verrucous carcinoma arising elsewhere on the body.

The l2 minor capsid protein of low-risk human papillomavirus type 11 interacts with host nuclear import receptors and viral DNA.

Analysis of the interactions of low-risk human papillomavirus type 11 (HPV11) L2 with karyopherin beta (Kap beta) nuclear import receptors revealed that L2 interacted with Kap beta 1, Kap beta 2, and Kap beta 3 and formed a complex with the Kap alpha 2 beta 1 heterodimer. HPV11 L2 contains two nuclear localization signals (NLSs)-in the N terminus and the C terminus-that could mediate its nuclear import via a classical pathway. Each NLS was functional in vivo, and deletion of both of them abolished L2 nuclear localization.

Nuclear import strategies of high-risk HPV18 L2 minor capsid protein.

We have investigated the nuclear import strategies of high-risk HPV18 L2 minor capsid protein. HPV18 L2 interacts with Kap alpha2 adapter, and Kap beta2 and Kap beta3 nuclear import receptors. Moreover, binding of RanGTP to either Kap beta2 or Kap beta3 inhibits their interaction with L2, suggesting that these Kap beta/L2 complexes are import competent.

Hemophilia Growth and Development Study: caregiver report of youth and family adjustment to HIV disease and immunologic compromise.

Objective: To assess differences in caregiver report of youth and family psychosocial adjustment associated with HIV infection and greater immune compromise in youths with hemophilia.

Methods: Caregivers of 162 boys with hemophilia 8 to 20 years old completed three youth and family questionnaires (Personality Inventory for Children, Revised [PIC-R]; Questionnaire on Resources and Stress [QRS]; Family Environment Scale).

Results: Caregivers of HIV positive (HIV+) youths reported greater health concerns, social withdrawal (PIC-R), physical and adaptive limitations associated with illness (QRS) in their sons, and more pessimism about their sons' future and negative attitudes about parenting (QRS).

HIV-associated changes in adaptive, emotional, and behavioral functioning in children and adolescents with hemophilia: results from the Hemophilia Growth and Development Study.

Objective: To assess changes in adaptive, emotional, and behavioral functioning over four years in children and adolescents with hemophilia and with or without HIV infection and to evaluate the relationship of these changes to immune status.

Methods: Participants were 277 HIV-seropositive and 126 HIV-seronegative boys with hemophilia. Participants with HIV infection were divided into three groups based on trajectory of immune functioning (CD4+ cell counts) over the course of the study.

Attention in HIV-infected children: results from the Hemophilia Growth and Development Study.

Attentional functioning was examined in three groups of 7- to 19-year-old male participants with hemophilia: (1) HIV seronegative controls (HIV-, N = 66), (2) HIV seropositive participants with CD4+ lymphocyte counts greater than or equal to 200 (HIV+ CD4+ > or = 200, N = 79), and (3) severely immune suppressed HIV seropositive participants (HIV+ CD4+ < 200, N = 28). Two measures sensitive to attention deficits were used: the Continuous Performance Test (CPT) and the Span of Apprehension (Span). On the CPT, there was a decrement in attention in both HIV+ groups, as indexed by an increase in false alarm rate from Block 1 to Block 3, that was not present in the HIV- group.

Declining immune function in children and adolescents with hemophilia and HIV infection: effects on neuropsychological performance. Hemophilia Growth and Development Study.

Objective: To determine whether declines in immune functioning are associated with changes in neuropsychological performance in children and adolescents with hemophilia who are infected with the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV).

Methods: Participants were 333 males with hemophilia, ages 6-19 years at entry. A baseline and four annual neuropsychological evaluations were given.

The LGM Vena-Tech caval filter: results of a multicenter study.

Caval filters have proved essential to the progress being made in the prevention of recurrent pulmonary embolism. A prospective multicenter study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy and possible complications relating to the LGM Vena-Tech percutaneous caval filter, which has been used in Europe since 1989. A total of 222 patients who had undergone LGM Vena-Tech filter placement between September 1989 and December 1991 were included in this study.