A novel thymoma-associated immunodeficiency with increased naive T cells and reduced CD247 expression.

The mechanisms underlying thymoma-associated immunodeficiency are largely unknown, and the significance of increased blood γδ Τ cells often remains elusive. In this study we address these questions based on an index patient with thymoma, chronic visceral leishmaniasis, myasthenia gravis, and a marked increase of rare γδ T cell subsets in the peripheral blood. This patient showed cutaneous anergy, even though he had normal numbers of peripheral blood total lymphocytes as well as CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells.

Estrogen receptor promoter methylation predicts survival in low-grade ovarian carcinoma patients.

Purpose: Ovarian carcinoma is the third most common gynecological cancer and only short recurrence-free survival and overall survival times are achieved. The role of the estrogen receptor expression is well studied in breast cancer and breast cancer cell lines. Patients with positive estrogen receptor expression have a lower risk for recurrence and a better overall survival.

Inhibitor of differentiation proteins do not influence prognosis of biliary tract cancer.

Aim: To investigate the expression and clinical relevance of inhibitor of differentiation (ID) proteins in biliary tract cancer.

Methods: ID protein expression was analyzed in 129 samples from patients with advanced biliary tract cancer (BTC) (45 extrahepatic, 50 intrahepatic, and 34 gallbladder cancers), compared to normal controls and correlated with clinical an pathological parameters.

Results: ID1-3 proteins are frequently overexpressed in all BTC subtypes analyzed.

Treatment of unresectable cholangiocarcinoma: conventional transarterial chemoembolization compared with drug eluting bead-transarterial chemoembolization and systemic chemotherapy.

Background: Unresectable cholangiocarcinoma (CCC) has a poor prognosis. Patients with intrahepatic CCC have a very limited benefit from systemic chemotherapy (ChT). The aim of this prospective study was to evaluate the feasibility, safety, and efficacy of conventional transarterial chemoembolization (cTACE) with mitomycin-C and of irinotecan-eluting beads (iDEB-TACE), and to retrospectively compare them with ChT with oxaliplatin and gemcitabine.

Clinical response to Auron Misheil Therapy in a man with advanced multifocal hepatocellular carcinoma: A case report.

Introduction: Auron Misheil Therapy was developed based on similarities between carcinogenesis and inflammation. Auron Misheil Therapy is a combination of natural and synthetic compounds, including anti-inflammatory drugs and insulin, expected to exhibit synergistic effects.

Case Presentation: Here, we report the case of a 78-year-old Caucasian male patient who presented with multifocal hepatocellular carcinoma and chronic hepatitis C virus infection.

EGFR overexpression induces activation of telomerase via PI3K/AKT-mediated phosphorylation and transcriptional regulation through Hif1-alpha in a cellular model of oral-esophageal carcinogenesis.

Telomerase plays an important role during immortalization and malignant transformation as crucial steps in the development of human cancer. In a cellular model of oral-esophageal carcinogenesis, recapitulating the human disease, immortalization occurred independent of the activation of telomerase but through the recombination-based alternative lengthening of telomeres (ALT). In this stepwise model, additional overexpression of EGFR led to in vitro transformation and activation of telomerase with homogeneous telomere elongation in already immortalized oral squamous epithelial cells (OKF6-D1_dnp53).

Stereotactic fractionated radiotherapy for Klatskin tumours.

Background And Purpose: In spite of various efforts perihilar cholangiocellular carcinoma (Klatskin tumour) has still a bad prognosis. The treatment of patients with inoperable Klatskin tumours by stereotactic fractionated radiotherapy (SFRT) was analysed retrospectively. PATIENTS, METHODS AND MATERIALS: In our department 13 patients were treated for Klatskin tumours by SFRT (32-56 Gy, 3 x 4 Gy/week) from 1998 to 2008.

EGFR and HER2 expression in advanced biliary tract cancer.

Aim: To analyze the pathogenetic role and potential clinical usefulness of the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and the human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) in patients with advanced biliary tract cancer (BTC).

Methods: EGFR and HER2 expression was studied in biopsy samples from 124 patients (51% women; median age 64.8 years), with advanced BTC diagnosed between 1997 and 2004.

Placebo-controlled, double-blind, prospective, randomized study on the effect of octreotide LAR in the control of tumor growth in patients with metastatic neuroendocrine midgut tumors: a report from the PROMID Study Group.

Purpose: Somatostatin analogs are indicated for symptom control in patients with gastroenteropancreatic neuroendocrine tumors (NETs). The ability of somatostatin analogs to control the growth of well-differentiated metastatic NETs is a matter of debate. We performed a placebo-controlled, double-blind, phase IIIB study in patients with well-differentiated metastatic midgut NETs.

A prospective, non-randomized phase II trial of Trastuzumab and Capecitabine in patients with HER2 expressing metastasized pancreatic cancer.

Background: Pancreatic cancer is the fourth most common cause of cancer related death in Western countries. Advantages in surgical techniques, radiation and chemotherapy had almost no impact on the long term survival of affected patients. Therefore, the need for better treatment strategies is urgent.

Quantitative promoter methylation analysis of hepatocellular carcinoma, cirrhotic and normal liver.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is one of the most common cancers worldwide. Little is known about its molecular pathogenesis and the relevance of DNA methylation for disease initiation and progression. Nevertheless, promoter methylation of some genes has been implicated as potential marker for HCC.

Prognostic relevance of carbohydrate antigen 19-9 levels in patients with advanced biliary tract cancer.

Serum carbohydrate antigen 19-9 (CA 19-9) has been identified as biochemical marker for biliary tract cancer (BTC). The purpose of this study was to evaluate its value as a treatment response marker and its value as a prognostic parameter in patients with unresectable BTC. We analyzed 70 patients with BTC treated with chemotherapy.

Phase I clinical study of AZD2171, an oral vascular endothelial growth factor signaling inhibitor, in patients with advanced solid tumors.

Purpose: AZD2171 is a highly potent oral selective inhibitor of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) signaling. This phase I study was designed to evaluate the safety and tolerability of increasing doses of AZD2171, with additional assessments of pharmacokinetics, pharmacodynamics, and efficacy.

Patients And Methods: In part A, 36 patients with solid tumors and liver metastases refractory to standard therapies received once-daily oral AZD2171 (0.

Chronoecoepidemiology of "strain": infradian chronomics of urinary cortisol and catecholamines during nightly exposure to noise.

This meta-analysis of published data (Noise Health 5 (2002) 35 and 47) summarizing a survey for 40 days of the nightly excretion of urinary free cortisol, epinephrine and norepinephrine validates a circaseptan cortisol pattern anticipated and reported earlier for cortisol, here not detected for the catecholamines. We also quantify a circadecan (about 10-day) variation in nightly norepinephrine excretion, but not in the excretion of the other two hormones examined. About 4.