Scp160p is required for translational efficiency of codon-optimized mRNAs in yeast.

The budding yeast multi-K homology domain RNA-binding protein Scp160p binds to >1000 messenger RNAs (mRNAs) and polyribosomes, and its mammalian homolog vigilin binds transfer RNAs (tRNAs) and translation elongation factor EF1alpha. Despite its implication in translation, studies on Scp160p's molecular function are lacking to date. We applied translational profiling approaches and demonstrate that the association of a specific subset of mRNAs with ribosomes or heavy polysomes depends on Scp160p.

Drug treatment is superior to allografting as first-line therapy in chronic myeloid leukemia.

Early allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) has been proposed as primary treatment modality for patients with chronic myeloid leukemia (CML). This concept has been challenged by transplantation mortality and improved drug therapy. In a randomized study, primary HSCT and best available drug treatment (IFN based) were compared in newly diagnosed chronic phase CML patients.

Aplastic crisis as a complication of congenital dyserythropoietic anemia type II.

A transient aplastic crisis (TAC) is a well-known complication in all types of chronic hemolytic anemia but only 2 cases of such an event were described in congenital dyserythropoietic anemias (CDAs). Here, we report a third case, and by retrospective chart review of 78 cases we found evidence of TAC in 8 further patients with CDA II, with serological evidence of previous human parvovirus B19 (B19V) infection in all but one. Although B19V infection results in TAC in only a minority of patients with CDA, physicians responsible for these patients should be aware of such a potentially life-threatening complication.

Is first-line single-agent mitoxantrone in the treatment of high-risk metastatic breast cancer patients as effective as combination chemotherapy? No difference in survival but higher quality of life were found in a multicenter randomized trial.

Background: To determine whether patients with high-risk metastatic breast cancer draw benefit from combination chemotherapy as first-line treatment.

Patients And Methods: A total of 260 women with measurable metastatic breast cancer fulfilling high-risk criteria, previously untreated with chemotherapy for their metastatic disease, were randomized to receive either mitoxantrone 12 mg/m(2) or the combination of fluorouracil 500 mg/m(2), epirubicin 50 mg/m(2) and cyclophosphamide 500 mg/m(2) (FEC) every 3 weeks. Treatment was continued until complete remission plus two cycles, or until disease progression.

Acute myeloid leukemia: treatment over 60.

Undertreatment of older patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) can explain, in part, their inferior outcome when compared to that of younger patients. In agreement with the benefit seen by patients under age 60 from high-dose cytosine arabinoside (Ara-C), there are dose effects in the over 60s, in particular for daunorubicin, in induction treatment and for the duration of postremission treatment. The use of these effects can partly overcome the mostly unfavorable disease biology in older age AML, as expressed by the absence of favorable and the over-representation of adverse chromosomal abnormalities as well as the expression of drug resistance.

Remission induction therapy: the more intensive the better?

Intensive induction therapy in acute myeloid leukemia (AML) as in some other systemic malignancies is a strategy fundamentally different from post-remission strategies. Approaches such as consolidation treatment, prolonged maintenance, and autologous or allogeneic transplantation in first remission are directed against the minimal residual disease in which a malignant cell population has survived induction treatment and shows resistance due to special genetic or kinetic features. In contrast, induction therapy deals with naive tumor cells possibly different from their counterparts in remission in terms of their kinetic status and sensitivity.

Left main coronary stenosis by a mediastinal lymphoma.

A 50-year-old patient presented with a 3-month history of chest pain, a pathological result on electrocardiogram stress test, and signs of coronary heart disease on myocardial scintigraphy. Coronary angiography showed an isolated, moderate tubular stenosis of the left main coronary artery. Coronary bypass surgery was carried out, and intraoperative examination revealed a mediastinal lymphoma which caused the stenosis of the left main artery by external compression.

Fluorouracil versus folinic acid/fluorouracil in advanced colorectal cancer--preliminary results of a randomized trial.

Patients with advanced colorectal cancer were randomized to receive either fluorouracil (5-FU) 370 mg/m2 IV days 1 to 5 followed by weekly applications of 5-FU 600 mg/m2 or the same doses of 5-FU preceded by folinic acid 200 mg/m2. Because of toxicity, the weekly 5-FU dose in the combination treatment schedule was reduced to 500 mg/m2 in the course of the study. As of November 1990, 135 patients entered the study; 71 have received combination therapy, and 64 monotherapy.

[Ciprofloxacin in the treatment of Legionnaires' disease].

Case report on a granulocytopenic patient suffering from acute myeloid leukaemia and legionnaire's disease as a complication. Under therapy with ciprofloxacin (2 x 200 mg/die) the symptoms decreased within five days; hence, ciprofloxacin seems to be a good alternative to erythromycin and rifampicin in the therapy of legionnaire's disease in immunodeficient patients.

[Vocational guidance of high school students with limitations in occupational fitness].

Young people with restriction of health in regard of their vocational fitness are specially advised and untimely guided into places of vocational training, if necessary. This concerns annually about 10% of school leavers. On internal illness, analyzed in the town of Halle is payed a particular attention.

[T-cell lymphoma associated with sprue].

A 47-year-old woman, known to have coeliac disease, developed bouts of fever, up to 39 degrees C, with loss of weight and treatment-resistant diarrhoea, as well as swelling of the submandibular, axillary and inguinal lymph nodes. Tests revealed a pancytopenia (haemoglobin 8.8 g/dl, leucocytes 500/microliter, platelets 19,000/microliter), and a reduction of the Quick value to 39%.

[Beta interferon therapy in hairy cell leukemia].

Eleven patients with histologically proven hairy-cell leukemia were treated for 2 to 6 months with a natural beta-interferon (beta-IFN) preparation (3 X 4 million units week i.v.).

Long term follow-up of remission patients in adult acute leukemia.

31 adults suffering from acute leukemia were followed for a period of more than 5 years after achieving complete remission. Maintenance chemotherapy consisted of antimetabolite treatment (mercaptopurine + methotrexate) as well as COAP reinduction every 3 months. Chemotherapy was stopped if the first complete remission lasted for 3 years ("long term remission").

K+-permeability of the outer border of the frog skin (R. temporaria).

Skins from Rana temporaria, investigated with microelectrode techniques in the absence of Na uptake across the outer border (Na-free epithelial solution or amiloride), were found to be permeable to K+ at the apical membrane in 10-20% of the experiments. Full development of the K+-permeable state requires the absence of Na+ uptake for certain periods of time, which suggests that the K+-permeability of the apical membrane is higher at lower intracellular [Na]. The addition of Ba++ reduces the K+-permeability of the apical membrane.

Remission induction and remission maintenance in adult acute nonlymphocytic leukemia employing a modified cytostatic (COAP) regimen.

Thirty adult patients suffering from acute nonlymphocytic leukemia (ANLL) were treated according to a modified COAP regimen. Vincristine, cyclophosphamide, and prednisone were given by push injection, while cytosine arabinoside was infused over periods of 8 h. Nineteen patients (63%) achieved complete remission.

[Clinical problems of optimum bioavailability, in particular in cytostatic therapy (author's transl)].

The clinical application of cytostatic drugs requires knowledge of their biochemistry, pharmacology, pharmacokinetics as well as their action at the cellular level within the generation cycle. The principles apply to tumor cells as well as to normal, rapidly proliferating tissues. The intensive research on cancer treatment all over the world is leading to a rapid accumulation of experimental data about the action of single cytostatic drugs in tissue culture and on transplantable animal tumor systems, especially in rodents.