Validation of a picture book to be used in a pan-European dietary survey.

Objective: To validate a picture book for estimation of food portion sizes using two approaches: (i) 'perception' of food portions by comparison with a series of food photos; and (ii) 'conceptualization and memory', using the same photos to estimate the amount of served food one hour after self-served food portions.

Design: Each partner developed a country-specific picture book based on the so-called EPIC-Soft picture book. Representative and common photo series were chosen achieving approximately 25 % of the original picture book (n 23).

Elevated vascular level of ortho-tyrosine contributes to the impairment of insulin-induced arterial relaxation.

Previous studies have shown that in diabetes mellitus, insulin-induced relaxation of arteries is impaired and the level of ortho-tyrosine (o-Tyr), an oxidized amino acid is increased. Thus, we hypothesized that elevated vascular level of o-Tyr contributes to the impairment of insulin-induced vascular relaxation. Rats were fed with o-Tyr for 4 weeks.

First-line bevacizumab-paclitaxel in 220 patients with metastatic breast cancer: results from the AVAREG study.

Background: First-line bevacizumab-paclitaxel therapy demonstrated a median progression-free survival (PFS) of 11 months in three randomized phase III trials on metastatic breast cancer (mBC) (E2100, TURANDOT and CALGB 40502). We assessed the efficacy and safety of bevacizumab-paclitaxel in a routine oncology practice study.

Patients And Methods: Patients with previously untreated mBC received bevacizumab-paclitaxel according to the approved indication in Hungary.

Effects of erythropoietin on glucose metabolism.

We purposed to determine the impact of erythropoietin on altering glucose metabolism in the settings of in vitro and in vivo experiments. The acute effect of erythropoietin on lowering blood glucose levels was studied in animal experiments. In [³H]-deoxy-D-glucose isotope studies we measured glucose uptake with insulin and erythropoietin using 3T3-L1 cells cultured under normal or high glucose conditions.

Effect of glutathione-S-transferase M1 and T1 allelic polymorphisms on HPV-induced cervical precancer formation.

Aim: The effect of GSTM1 and GSTT1 allelic polymorphisms was studied on the HPV-induced cervical carcinogenesis.

Patients And Methods: Two hundred and fifty-three women with persistent high-risk HPV infection were involved in the study; 117 of them developed cervical high-grade dysplasia and/or cervical intraepithelial neoplasia grade III during the 7-year follow-up period. Occurrence of GSTM1 and GSTT1 null genotypes was compared between women with and without dysplasia.