Usefulness of endovascular stent-graft for combination with a strict aort coarctation and patent ductus arteriosus for an adult patient: a case report.

We reported a 21-year-old patient with strict descending aorta coarctation and small post-ductal patent ductus arteriosus, complicated with abortion and hypertension. The patient was successfully treated by endovascular stent-graft with a single cardiac catheterization. Endovascular stent-graft is an easy, safe, and reliable intervention for the treatment of strict descending aorta coarctation and small post-ductal patent ductus arteriosus.

Disease painting or painting disease: how does illness and hospitalisation affect children's artistry?

There are numerous speculations about famous artists and how their perception was affected by their medical conditions. In this study, we examined how illness and hospitalisation affect children's art. A total of 157 paintings by 122 hospitalised children were interpreted by three reputed artists.

Prognostic value of epidermal growth factor receptor expression in operable non-small cell lung carcinoma.

Background And Aim: Increased expression of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), supporting the tumor growth by a possible endocrine mechanism, affects patient survival negatively. We designed a study to test EGFR expression by immunohistochemistry (IHC) in resected stage I-II NSCLC and to correlate its overexpression with survival.

Methods: EGFR expression was evaluated in 98 consecutive NSCLC patients after complete resection (53 squamous cell carcinomas, 40 adenocarcinomas, 5 large cell carcinomas: stage I, 57 (58%) and stage II, 41 (42%).

The efficacy and safety of irbesartan in primary hypertension even if a dose is missed: Results from the NO PROBLEM Study.

Objectives: This study aimed to demonstrate that irbesartan is successful in reducing diastolic blood pressure (BP) even following a missed dose after 6-8-weeks' treatment as measured by 24-hour ambulatory BP monitoring (ABPM).

Methods: Eighty-eight patients (64 females, mean age: 53.4 +/- 10.

Unusual aortic localization of a malignant epithelial tumor metastasis of unknown origin.

Both primary aortic tumors and aortic metastasis of primary cancers is extremely rare. In most cases, diagnosis is established late in the course of the disease and management is challenging. We present a unique case of a 68-year-old woman with an unusual aortic localization of a metastasis of unknown origin.

The efficacy and safety of reduced-dose docetaxel, cisplatin, and 5-fluorouracil in the first-line treatment of advanced stage gastric adenocarcinoma.

Patients with advanced gastric carcinoma have still had bad prognosis despite advances in the modern treatment era. Docetaxel, cisplatin, 5-fluorouracil (DCF) is effective, but highly toxic regimen for advanced cases. In this study, we modified the standard doses of DCF (mDCF) to evaluate the effectiveness and side effects.

Studies on the antioxidant activity of essential oil and different solvent extracts of Vitexagnuscastus L. fruits from Turkey.

This study is designed to examine the chemical composition and antioxidant activity of the essential oil and different solvent extracts of Vitexagnuscastus. GC and GC-MS analysis was resulted in the detection of 27 components, representing 94.5% of the oil.

Species-specific differences in translational regulation of dihydrofolate reductase.

We have observed that rodent cell lines (mouse, hamster) contain approximately 10 times the levels of dihydrofolate reductase as human cell lines, yet the sensitivity to methotrexate (ED(50)), the folate antagonist that targets this enzyme, is similar. Our previous studies showed that dihydrofolate reductase protein levels increased after methotrexate exposure, and we proposed that this increase was due to the relief of feedback inhibition of translation as a consequence of methotrexate binding to dihydrofolate reductase. In the current report, we show that unlike what was observed in human cells, dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) levels do not increase in hamster cells after methotrexate exposure.

SSH-EPI diffusion-weighted MR imaging of the spine with low b values: is it useful in differentiating malignant metastatic tumor infiltration from benign fracture edema?

Objective: Conventional MR sequences are sometimes not helpful in differentiating benign from pathologic fractures. Our aim was to evaluate the usefulness of single-shot echo-planar imaging sequences (diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI)/SSH-EPI) with low b value in differentiating malignant metastatic tumor infiltration of vertebral bone marrow from benign vertebral fracture edema.

Materials And Methods: A total of 47 patients, 20 with benign fractures and 27 with tumor infiltration, were included in this prospective study.

Regulation of human dihydrofolate reductase activity and expression.

Dihydrofolate reductase (DHFR) enzyme catalyzes tetrahydrofolate regeneration by reduction of dihydrofolate using NADPH as a cofactor. Tetrahydrofolate and its one carbon adducts are required for de novo synthesis of purines and thymidylate, as well as glycine, methionine and serine. DHFR inhibition causes disruption of purine and thymidylate biosynthesis and DNA replication, leading to cell death.

It appears to be safe to start chemotherapy on the day of implantation through subcutaneous venous port catheters in inpatient setting.

Goals: It is generally recommended to wait for at least 24 h before starting chemotherapy after implanting venous port catheters (VPC). Our aim was to evaluate whether it is safe to start chemotherapy on the day of implantation.

Patients And Methods: One hundred eighty patients who had to be given chemotherapy on the day of VPC implantation at our institution from June 2005 to April 2007 were included.

Capecitabine and cisplatin combination is an active and well-tolerated doublet in the treatment of metastatic breast carcinoma patients pretreated with anthracycline and taxanes.

Our aim was to evaluate the activity and toxicity of capecitabine and cisplatin (CapCisp) combination in anthracycline- and taxane-pretreated metastatic breast cancer patients. Thirty-three patients, 20-61 years of age (median 41), were included. They received Cap 2,000 mg/m(2) on days 1-14 and Cisp 60 mg/m(2) on day 1, repeated every 3 weeks.

The interleukin-10 promoter genotype predicts diastolic dysfunction in maintenance hemodialysis patients.

Interleukin-10 (IL-10) predominantly acts as an anti-inflammatory factor. Polymorphisms in the IL-10 gene promoter determine quantitative cytokine production. Doppler echocardiography and tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) are superior to conventional echocardiography to evaluate diastolic dysfunction.

Prognostic factors and clinicopathological characteristics of carcinoma of ampulla Vateri.

The aim of this study was to describe the clinicopathological characteristics and prognostic factors of carcinoma of ampulla Vateri. The medical records of 32 patients (24 men, 8 women) were evaluated. Median age was 59 years (range, 36-80 years).

Comparison of ICE (ifosfamide-carboplatin-etoposide) versus DHAP (cytosine arabinoside-cisplatin-dexamethasone) as salvage chemotherapy in patients with relapsed or refractory lymphoma.

Background: High dose chemotherapy with autologous stem cell transplantation is currently the treatment of choice for relapsed or refractory lymphoma patients. However, its applicability is mostly restricted to patients responding to salvage chemotherapy. Optimal salvage regimen for these patients is unclear.

Utility of c2 monitoring in prediction of diastolic dysfunction in renal transplant recipients.

Background: A number of experimental studies have suggested that cyclosporine (CsA) toxicity induces cardiac modifications which may cause diastolic dysfunction over the course of time. Doppler echocardiography with tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) could consistently detect diastolic dysfunction. The purpose of this study was to assess diastolic dysfunction using C2 monitoring of CsA exposure in stable renal transplant patients.

Assessment of HIV/AIDS awareness and changes in sexual practices among secondary school students in Nsukka environment.

This study is aimed at assessing the awareness of HIV/AIDS and changes in sexual behaviour among the Nigerian teens. Two hundred and fifty secondary school students were interviewed. Only 5% of the respondents were able to state the full meaning of HIV or AIDS.

Tamoxifen induced-thrombocytopenia: it does occur.

Tamoxifen has been in the center of management of hormone-sensitive breast cancer. Furthermore, it represents the best example of chemo-prevention: It reduces the incidence of invasive breast cancer. However, it has some side effects, several of them are severe.

An extraordinary case in whom gastrointestinal stromal tumor and low-grade malignant lymphoma are seen together in the stomach.

Introduction: Gastrointestinal system (GIS) is the most common site of involvement of all primary extranodal lymphomas. Gastric lymphoma constitutes 3-6% of all primary stomach malignancies. Stomach is also the commonest site of involvement of gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GIST).

Thymic epithelial neoplasia: a study of 58 cases.

Primary thymic epithelial neoplasms (PTENs) are uncommon tumors of anterior mediastinum with a broad range of biological characteristics. We retrospectively reviewed 58 consecutive patients with a diagnosis of PTENs that were confirmed pathologically during 28 yr. There were 58 patients, 31 males (53.

Blood flow indices by Doppler ultrasonography vary with neoadjuvant chemotherapy but are not related to plasma VEGF levels in locally advanced breast cancer.

Objective: The aim of our study was to assess the quantity of blood flow to malignant tissue by color Doppler ultrasonography, its correlation with plasma vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels and response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy of patients with locally advanced and inflammatory breast carcinoma.

Methods: We measured blood velocity at peak systole (PSV), end-diastolic velocity and resistivity index [RI = (PSV - end-diastolic velocity)/PSV] by Doppler ultrasonography in primary tumors and/or axillary lymph nodes of patients before and after 2-4 cycles of anthracycline-containing neoadjuvant chemotherapy and basal plasma VEGF levels.

Results: Of 21 patients with a median age of 42 years (range 26-68), 16 (76.

Preliminary observations on the effect of amitriptyline treatment in preventing syncope recurrence in patients with vasovagel syncope.

Purpose: Vasovagal syncope is a common and challenging problem that may result in injury and causes substantial anxiety among patients and their relatives. However, treatment of vasovagal syncope with standard pharmacologic approaches is not satisfactory. The aim of this study is to investigate the effect of amitriptyline, a tricyclic antidepressant drug, by using its anticholinergic effects in preventing syncopal episodes in patients with vasovagal syncope.