Value of sentinel lymphonodectomy in head and neck cancer patients without evidence of lymphogenic metastatic disease.

Objective: Only few communications deal with the value of sentinel node (SN) biopsy for head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC). Based on the results of 38 investigated patients with clinically N0-neck the feasibility of SN biopsy in HNSCC is critically discussed.

Patients And Methods: Thirty-eight previously untreated patients with clinically N0-neck were staged by intraoperative SN biopsy.

The effects of yoghurt containing a novel fat emulsion on energy and macronutrient intakes in non-overweight, overweight and obese subjects.

Objective: To investigate the effects of a yoghurt containing a novel fat emulsion on energy and macronutrient intakes up to 8 h post-consumption in non-overweight, overweight and obese subjects, and to assess energy compensation over the following 24 h.

Design: A double-blind, placebo-controlled, within-subject crossover design was used. Twenty (10 female, 10 male) non-overweight (body mass index (BMI) 20-24.

Does plasma HIV RNA predict outcome in a cohort of treated HIV-infected individuals followed over 3 years?

Background: Despite reductions in AIDS illness and mortality, it is increasingly apparent that a significant proportion of individuals treated with combination antiretroviral (cARV) therapy have continuing or recrudescent HIV RNA in plasma. The predictive value of plasma HIV RNA in treated individual remains uncertain and rates of and risk factors for adverse outcomes such as hospitalisation, opportunistic infections and deaths are needed.

Objectives: The objectives of this study were to establish a retrospective cohort of individuals treated with cARVs, to assess factors associated with detectable HIV RNA and to determine rates of and risk factors for hospitalisation, opportunistic infection and mortality over 3 years of follow-up.

Mal (MyD88-adapter-like) is required for Toll-like receptor-4 signal transduction.

The recognition of microbial pathogens by the innate immune system involves Toll-like receptors (TLRs), which recognize pathogen-associated molecular patterns. Different TLRs recognize different pathogen-associated molecular patterns, with TLR-4 mediating the response to lipopolysaccharide from Gram-negative bacteria. All TLRs have a Toll/IL-1 receptor (TIR) domain, which is responsible for signal transduction.

Comparison of genotyping and phenotyping methods for determining susceptibility of HIV-1 to antiretroviral drugs.

Objective(s): To compare antiretroviral resistance susceptibility testing of patient HIV-1 strains using genotype and phenotype methods.

Design: Eighteen plasma samples with viral load > 2000 HIV-1 RNA copies/ml were randomly selected for testing by both methods. Disease and treatment data were available for all patients.

Intraoperative sentinel node biopsy in patients with squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck--experiences using a well-type NaI detector for gamma ray spectroscopy.

The sentinel node (SN) biopsy in an actually discussed topic. The use of a well-type NaI detector for gamma ray spectroscopy (WTD) beside the use of a handheld gamma probe (HGP), is investigated. In 18 patients suffering from a head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) with different lymph node status an intraoperative SN biopsy was accomplished with a HGP.

Standard variant venous dysplasia of the cerebellum in a patient suffering from Muenke's syndrome and tinnitus.

Background: Muenke's syndrome is a rarely seen craniosynostosis syndrome. Bilateral or unilateral coronal craniosynostosis, brachydactyly, tarsal and carpal coalitions are the typical clinical findings. Sensorineural hearing loss is reported in more than 30% of the affected patients.

In vivo-in vitro correlation (IVIVC) modeling incorporating a convolution step.

The purpose of in vivo-in vitro correlation (IVIVC) modeling is described. These models are usually fitted to deconvoluted data rather than the raw plasma drug concentration/time data. Such a two-stage analysis is undesirable because the deconvolution step is unstable and because the fitted model predicts the fraction of a dosage unit dissolved/absorbed in vivo which generally is not the primary focus of our attention.

Value of neck dissection in patients with squamous cell carcinoma of unknown primary.

Lymph node metastases of cancer of an unknown primary (CUP syndrome) are responsible for 3-5% of the malignant diseases in the head and neck area. More than 70% of these patients show lymph node metastases of an unknown squamous cell carcinoma. The survival depends immediately on number and location of lymph node metastases.

Current concepts in the classification, diagnosis and treatment of hemangiomas and vascular malformations of the head and neck.

There are many different classifications of vascular anomalies. As the correct classification of the vascular lesion has a direct influence on therapy it is difficult to decide which treatment should be considered as the treatment of choice. Based on an extensive review of the literature and personal experience of the treatment of more than 200 patients with hemangiomas or vascular malformations of the head and neck, a clinical classification is described that allows vascular lesions to be categorized in order to plan purposeful treatment.

[Status of the controversial discussion of the pathogenesis and treatment of chronic otitis media with effusion in childhood].

Background: Chronic otitis media with effusion is one of the most common diseases in childhood. The causes of otitis media are unclear as far as their importance is concerned.

Method: Extensive search in the German and Anglo-saxon literature with following presentation of the results.

Monocytes harbour replication-competent, non-latent HIV-1 in patients on highly active antiretroviral therapy.

Objective: To determine whether HIV-1 can be recovered from blood monocytes as well as resting, memory CD4 T lymphocytes of patients on highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) with undetectable plasma viraemia and whether infection is active or latent.

Design: Five patients with plasma HIV-1-RNA levels of less than 500 copies/ml for at least 3 months and less than 50 copies/ml at the time of sampling were initially selected, followed by an additional five patients with viral loads of less than 50 copies/ml for 3 months or more.

Methods: Monocytes were isolated from blood by plastic adherence, then further purified by a second adherence step or CD3 depletion before co-culture with CD8-depleted donor peripheral blood mononuclear cells.

Sociodemographic determinants of perceived influences on food choice in a nationally representative sample of Irish adults.

Objective: To identify the most important motivations for food choice from the point of view of the consumer in the Irish population, and to characterize those subjects who do and do not regard nutrition as a significant consideration in food choice.

Design: As part of a pan-European Union (EU) survey on consumer attitudes to food, nutrition and health, a quota-controlled, nationally representative sample of Irish adults (n = 1009) aged 15 years upwards, completed an interview-assisted, close-ended questionnaire. Subjects selected three factors, from a list of 15, which they believed had the greatest influence on their food choice.

Predicting percentage of individuals consuming foods from percentage of households purchasing foods to improve the use of household budget surveys in estimating food chemical intakes.

Objective: To examine the hypothesis that there is sufficient agreement between percentage of households purchasing selected foods using household budget surveys and percentage of individuals consuming these foods as determined in individual-based surveys to allow the former to act as a surrogate for the latter when estimating food chemical intakes using household budget data.

Design: Database study.

Setting: Databases from Sweden, The Netherlands.

Studies on the specificity of the tetrapyrrole substrate for human biliverdin-IXalpha reductase and biliverdin-IXbeta reductase. Structure-activity relationships define models for both active sites.

A comparison of the initial rate kinetics for human biliverdin-IXalpha reductase and biliverdin-IXbeta reductase with a series of synthetic biliverdins with propionate side chains "moving" from a bridging position across the central methene bridge (alpha isomers) to a "gamma-configuration" reveals characteristic behavior that allows us to propose distinct models for the two active sites. For human biliverdin-IXalpha reductase, as previously discussed for the rat and ox enzymes, it appears that at least one "bridging propionate" is necessary for optimal binding and catalytic activity, whereas two are preferred. All other configurations studied were substrates for human biliverdin-IXalpha reductase, albeit poor ones.

Enhancing the capacity of food consumption surveys of short duration to estimate long-term consumer-only intakes by combination with a qualitative food frequency questionnaire.

In principle, a proper risk assessment for a food chemical requires that the time-frame for food chemical intake estimates matches the time-frame for the toxicological assessments upon which the safety statements (ADI, PTWI, etc.) are based. For food additives, the toxicological assessments are based on exposure over a lifetime.

Adolescent males' experience of the counselling process.

This study examines 11 adolescent males' self-reports of their experiences of 23 counselling sessions to identify what they found helpful and unhelpful during key moments in the therapeutic process. The findings suggest that the experiences of the adolescent males in this study are similar in many ways to the to the reported experiences of adults in counselling. In particular, the experience of emotional support and relief appears to be highly significant for adolescent males, who give significantly lesser importance to cognitive task factors.

The influence of survey duration on estimates of food intakes and its relevance for public health nutrition and food safety issues.

Objective: To examine the influence of food consumption survey duration on estimates of percentage consumers, mean total population intakes and intakes among consumers only and to consider its relevance for public health nutrition and food safety issues.

Design: Prospective food consumption survey.

Setting: A multicentre study in five centres in the European Union-Dublin, Ghent, Helsinki, Potsdam and Rome.

[Studies on significance of sentinel lymphadenectomy in pharyngeal and laryngeal carcinoma].

Background: Management of the suspected N0-neck (sonography and CT) in squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) of the head and neck is discussed controversially. The question arises whether the sentinel node (SN) concept as it is performed in different areas of clinical oncology is applicable to ear, nose, and throat medicine.

Methods: Nine male patients with SCC were studied (4 oropharynx, 2 hypopharynx, and 3 larynx) in whom different lymph node status was diagnosed clinically (5 x N0, 2 x N1, 2 x N2c).

Short-term effects of yoghurt containing a novel fat emulsion on energy and macronutrient intakes in non-obese subjects.

Background: The satiating properties of fat remain poorly understood, particularly with reference to its physicochemical characteristics.

Objective: To investigate the short-term effects of consumption of yoghurt containing either a novel fat emulsion or normal milk fat, on the energy and macronutrient intakes of non-obese subjects.

Design: Two double-blind, placebo-controlled, within-subject crossover studies were conducted three months apart.

Dietary antioxidant supplementation and DNA damage in smokers and nonsmokers.

Deficiencies of antioxidant nutrients have been implicated in the etiology of lung and other cancers. However, most intervention trials with antioxidant nutrients have not shown beneficial effects, and some have indicated that beta-carotene may be deleterious. This randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled study evaluated the effects of five short-term (4-wk) antioxidant nutrient supplement regimens [ascorbic acid (350 mg), RRR-alpha-tocopherol (250 mg), beta-carotene (60 mg), selenium (80 micrograms as sodium selenite), ascorbic acid (350 mg) + RRR-alpha-tocopherol (250 mg)] on plasma antioxidants and mononuclear leukocyte DNA damage in male smokers (n = 9) and nonsmokers (n = 12).

A new approach to modelling the relationship between in vitro and in vivo drug dissolution/absorption.

A major goal of the pharmaceutical scientist is finding a relationship between an in vitro characteristic of an oral dosage form and its in vivo performance. One such relationship between drug dissolution (or absorption) in vivo and that in vitro is known as an 'in vitro-in vivo correlation' (IVIVC) whose importance stems from the fact that it may be used to minimize the number of human studies required during product development, assist in setting meaningful in vitro dissolution specifications and justify biowaivers for scale-up and post approval changes. A number of ways of describing an IVIVC have been reported with 'level A' being the most informative and therefore most desirable.

Functional domains of Tat required for efficient human immunodeficiency virus type 1 reverse transcription.

Tat expression is required for efficient human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) reverse transcription. In the present study, we generated a series of 293 cell lines that contained a provirus with a tat gene deletion (Deltatat). Cell lines that contained Deltatat and stably transfected vectors containing either wild-type tat or a number of tat mutants were obtained so that the abilities of these tat genes to stimulate HIV-1 gene expression and reverse transcription could be compared.