Hypocalcemic cardiomyopathy-different mechanisms in adult and pediatric cases.

Background: Hypocalcemic cardiomyopathy (CMP) is a rare but potentially reversible cause of heart failure. However, the mechanism of hypocalcemia seems to differ between infants and adults. Although severe vitamin D deficiency alone is the usual cause of hypocalcemic CMP in infants, in adult patients significant cardiac dysfunction usually occurs as a result of hypoparathyroidism, either isolated or in combination with vitamin D deficiency.

The use of zoledronic acid in men receiving androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer with severe osteopenia or osteoporosis.

Objectives: To study the effect of zoledronic acid on patients with pre-existing osteoporosis on androgen deprivation therapy (ADT), who are at highest risk for fracture. Zoledronic acid is a potent bisphosphonate that can prevent osteoporosis in patients with nonmetastatic (M0), prostate cancer (CaP) who are initiating ADT. The effect of zoledronic acid on patients with pre-existing osteoporosis on ADT, who are highest risk for fracture, has not been adequately studied.

Deoxycholate, an endogenous cytotoxin/genotoxin, induces the autophagic stress-survival pathway: implications for colon carcinogenesis.

We report that deoxycholate (DOC), a hydrophobic bile acid associated with a high-fat diet, activates the autophagic pathway in non-cancer colon epithelial cells (NCM-460), and that this activation contributes to cell survival. The DOC-induced increase in autophagy was documented by an increase in autophagic vacuoles (detected using transmission electron microscopy, increased levels of LC3-I and LC3-II (western blotting), an increase in acidic vesicles (fluorescence spectroscopy of monodansycadaverine and lysotracker red probes), and increased expression of the autophagic protein, beclin-1 (immunohistochemistry/western blotting). The DOC-induced increase in beclin-1 expression was ROS-dependent.

Intravenous zoledronic acid to prevent osteoporosis in a veteran population with multiple risk factors for bone loss on androgen deprivation therapy.

Purpose: Androgen deprivation therapy for prostate cancer is associated with osteoporosis and increased fracture risk. Previous studies of zoledronic acid demonstrated bone loss prevention in patients initiating androgen deprivation therapy. There are limited data on patients on prolonged androgen deprivation therapy or in Veterans Affairs patients with multiple risk factors for osteoporosis.

Design and activity of a murine and humanized anti-CEACAM6 single-chain variable fragment in the treatment of pancreatic cancer.

Pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) is a lethal disease, with surgery being the only curative modality for localized disease, and gemcitabine with or without erlotinib remains the standard of therapy for unresectable or metastatic disease. CEACAM6 is overexpressed in human PDA independent of stage or grade and causes anoikis resistance when dysregulated. Because murine monoclonal antibody 13-1 possesses target-specific cytotoxicity in human PDA cell lines, we designed a humanized anti-CEACAM6 single-chain variable fragment (scFv) based on monoclonal antibody 13-1.