Elevated expression of Aurora-A/AURKA in breast cancer associates with younger age and aggressive features.

Background And Objective: Aurora kinase A (AURKA) is reported to be overexpressed in breast cancer. In addition to its role in regulating cell cycle and mitosis, studies have reported AURKA involvements in oncogenic signaling in suppressing BRCA1 and BRCA2. We aimed to characterize AURKA protein and mRNA expression in a breast cancer cohort of the young, investigating its relation to clinico-pathologic features and survival, and exploring age-related AURKA-associated biological processes.

Age-related phenotypes in breast cancer: A population-based study.

Breast cancer in young (<40 years) is associated with a higher frequency of aggressive tumor types and poor prognosis. It remains unclear if there is an underlying age-related biology that contributes to the unfavorable outcome. We aim to investigate the relationship between age and breast cancer biology, with emphasis on proliferation.

Patient-Tailored Levothyroxine Dosage with Pharmacokinetic/Pharmacodynamic Modeling: A Novel Approach After Total Thyroidectomy.

After seven decades of levothyroxine (LT4) replacement therapy, dosage adjustment still takes several months. We have developed a decision aid tool (DAT) that models LT4 pharmacometrics and enables patient-tailored dosage. The aim of this was to speed up dosage adjustments for patients after total thyroidectomy.

Stathmin expression associates with vascular and immune responses in aggressive breast cancer subgroups.

Studies indicate that stathmin expression associates with PI3K activation in breast cancer, suggesting stathmin as a marker for targetable patient subgroups. Here we assessed stathmin in relation to tumour proliferation, vascular and immune responses, BRCA1 germline status, basal-like differentiation, clinico-pathologic features, and survival. Immunohistochemical staining was performed on breast cancers from two series (cohort 1, n = 187; cohort 2, n = 198), and mass spectrometry data from 24 cases and 12 breast cancer cell lines was examined for proteomic profiles.

Extra-nodal extension is a significant prognostic factor in lymph node positive breast cancer.

Presence of lymph node (LN) metastasis is a strong prognostic factor in breast cancer, whereas the importance of extra-nodal extension and other nodal tumor features have not yet been fully recognized. Here, we examined microscopic features of lymph node metastases and their prognostic value in a population-based cohort of node positive breast cancer (n = 218), as part of the prospective Norwegian Breast Cancer Screening Program NBCSP (1996-2009). Sections were reviewed for the largest metastatic tumor diameter (TD-MET), nodal afferent and efferent vascular invasion (AVI and EVI), extra-nodal extension (ENE), number of ENE foci, as well as circumferential (CD-ENE) and perpendicular (PD-ENE) diameter of extra-nodal growth.

Evaluation of Tumor Cell Proliferation by Ki-67 Expression and Mitotic Count in Lymph Node Metastases from Breast Cancer.

Few studies have addressed the risk of recurrence by assessing proliferation markers in lymph node metastasis from breast cancer. Here, we aimed to examine Ki-67 expression and mitotic count in lymph nodes in comparison with primary tumors. A cohort of node positive breast cancer (n = 168) was studied as a part of the prospective Norwegian Breast Cancer Screening Program (1996-2009).

Infliximab dependency is related to decreased surgical rates in adult Crohn's disease patients.

Background: Infliximab dependency in children with Crohn's disease (CD) has recently been described and found to be associated with a decreased surgery rate.

Aim: To assess infliximab dependency of adult CD patients, evaluate the impact on surgery, and search for possible clinical and genetic predictors.

Methods: Two hundred and forty-five CD patients treated with infliximab were included from Danish and Czech Crohn Colitis Database (1999-2006).

[Diagnosing lactose intolerance in adults].

Introduction: Primary lactose malabsorption, adult type, is associated with the genotype CC in a lactase gene regulatory sequence (LCT-13910). In contrast, the genotype CT or TT in this position correlates with normal lactose absorption. Genotyping was implemented for routine testing of patients for primary lactose intolerance.

Inflammatory bowel disease evaluated by low-field magnetic resonance imaging. Comparison with endoscopy, 99mTc-HMPAO leucocyte scintigraphy, conventional radiography and surgery.

Background: To evaluate the use of low-field magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in active inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).

Methods: MRI was executed in a consecutive cohort of 28 patients with Crohn disease (CD) and in 17 with ulcerative colitis (UC) prior to glucocorticoid treatment (1 mg prednisolone orally/kg body weight/day). MRI was repeated after 2-3 weeks (22 CD, 12 UC), and again after treatment completion or prior to surgery (18 CD, 6 UC).

An open-labeled, randomized study comparing systemic interferon-alpha-2A and prednisolone enemas in the treatment of left-sided ulcerative colitis.

Objective: The aim of this study was to compare the treatment efficacies of subcutaneous interferon-alpha-2A (IFN-alpha-2A) injections versus prednisolone enemas in active left-sided ulcerative colitis in an open-labeled, randomized study.

Methods: Sixteen ulcerative colitis patients received IFN-alpha-2A subcutaneously (dosage: first wk, 9 MIU three times weekly [t.i.

Ethical aspects of clinical trials: the attitudes of participants in two non-cancer trials.

Objectives: To investigate attitudes to clinical trials in non-cancer trial participants.

Design: Questionnaires at entry, during, and after participation in a clinical study.

Setting: Participants in: (i) ROC: a clinical study comparing systemic interferon-alpha-2A treatment vs.

Magnetic resonance imaging of Crohn disease: early recognition of treatment response and relapse.

A patient with active Crohn disease was evaluated by MRI at admission, clinical remission, and a new relapse. The MRI-estimated disease extension correlated with surgical findings, whereas ultrasonography underestimated and a small bowel series overestimated the extension. MRI disclosed the disappearance of intestinal edema at the time of clinical remission and, in contrast to ultrasonography, showed an abscess and a fistula, confirmed by surgery, at the new relapse.

Tolerability of interferon alpha-2b, a possible new treatment of active Crohn's disease.

Background And Aims: Due to the need for new principles for the treatment of Crohn's disease and due to the documented immunomodulatory effects of interferon alpha, the tolerability and effect(s) of interferon alpha-2b (Introna) in active Crohn's disease were examined in a pilot study.

Methods: Five patients with active Crohn's disease (activity index (CDAI) scores of 235-517), were treated with interferon alpha-2b for 12 weeks.

Results: All patients tolerated the treatment, but developed influenza-like symptoms, which were fully controlled by paracetamol.

The effect of metoprolol upon blood pressure, cerebral blood flow and oxygen consumption in patients subjected to craniotomy for cerebral tumours.

Hypertension and cerebral hyperperfusion are often seen in the immediate postoperative period after craniotomy for supratentorial tumours. Metoprolol is known to attenuate the postoperative hypertensive response after hypotensive anaesthesia and this study was carried out to evaluate the effect of metoprolol on cerebral blood flow (CBF) and cerebral metabolic rate of oxygen (CMRO2) before extubation and cerebral arteriovenous oxygen content difference (AVDO2), mean arterial blood pressure (MABP), PaO2 and PaCO2 in a 180-min period after extubation. Twenty patients anaesthetized with thiopentone, fentanyl, nitrous oxide 67%, and halothane 0.

Thromboembolism in patients with advanced mitral valve prolapse.

Thromboembolism in mitral valve prolapse (MVP) has been suggested to occur in relation to valvular cul-de-sac recesses and endothelial wear-and-tear denudations. Such pathology would be suspected to be prominent in advanced cases of MVP necessitating open-heart operation. We therefore analysed the prevalence of perivalvular thrombi and episodes of systemic arterial embolism (SE) prior to operation in 21 consecutive patients with MVP and severe valve regurgitation.

Lymphocyte subpopulations, lymphoblast transformation activity, and concanavalin A-induced suppressor activity in patients with ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease.

The following immunologic in vitro tests were applied on peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from patients with chronic inflammatory bowel disease (IBD): concanavalin A (Con A)-induced suppressor test, Con A-activated lymphoblast transformation test, and spontaneous lymphoblast transformation test. Concomitant phenotypic characterization of subsets of PBMC was performed with monoclonal antibodies. Patients with ulcerative colitis and a control group with rheumatoid arthritis showed significantly reduced activity in the Con A-activated lymphoblast transformation test compared with healthy controls and patients with Crohn's disease.

Concanavalin A induction of suppressor activity in the T-helper subset defined by monoclonal antibodies.

Human monocyte-depleted peripheral blood mononuclear cells were separated in T4+ and T8+ populations by a panning technique. Petri dishes coated with goat anti-mouse antibodies were plated by peripheral blood mononuclear cells coated by monoclonal antibodies, either T4 or T8. The cell populations were separated into adherent and non-adherent populations based on binding to the goat anti-mouse-coated plastic dishes.

A prospective, blind investigation of immunological reactions in chronic inflammatory bowel disease. Suppressor activity and immune capacity.

In a paired, blind and prospective study including 36 patients with chronic inflammatory bowel disease, i.e. ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD), and 36 healthy volunteers, the immune capacity has been examined by three different test systems using peripheral blood mononuclear cells: spontaneous mitotic activity (SMA), concanavalin A (con A) activated lymphoblast transformation test (LTT) and autologous mixed lymphocyte reaction (AMLR).

Monocyte/T-cell interactions in Con A induced suppressor activity.

It is well documented that peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) can exert a Con A induced suppressor activity. The PBMC content of monocytes and its impact on registered suppressor activity of PBMC populations was examined. It was found that monocytes were unnecessary for the Con A induction of PBMC, and monocytes exhibited no Con A dependent suppressor potential.

A continued evaluation of the experimental conditions of a Con A-induced suppressor test system.

As shown previously, the suppressor activity measured by the Con A mixed lymphocyte culture assay exhibited a pronounced dependence on the technical parameters. In the present study it is shown that the length of the suppressor generation period, between 24 and 96 hours, had only a modest influence on the suppressor activity. However, when the activity in the responder system was high, there seemed to be a trend towards a slight increase of the suppressor level using a long generation period, i.

Con A induced suppressor test: an evaluation of the experimental conditions.

The suppressor activity measured by the Con A mixed lymphocyte culture assay exhibited a pronounced dependence on the technical performance as well as a marked inter-individual variation. The activity exerted by the induced suppressor cells depended on the Con A concentration in the induction phase, and on the mitotic activity in the responder system. The patterns of suppressor activities obtained in an allogeneic and an autologous suppressor test system were identical.