The role of complementary and alternative medicine practitioners in the information-seeking pathway of vaccine-hesitant parents in the Blue Mountains area, Australia.

While immunisation rates were 94.63% for the whole Nepean Blue Mountains region of New South Wales in 2017, coverage for 1 year olds in the upper Blue Mountains was under 80%. There is a known relationship between vaccine-hesitant parents and complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) use; however, little is known about how CAM practitioners fit within the information-seeking pathway of parents.

Persistent long-term human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) infection in a patient with langerhans cell histiocytosis.

Langerhans cell histiocytosis (eosinophilic granuloma) was first diagnosed in the adolescence of a male patient presented. Several years later persisting human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) infection was recognized. The HHV-6 infection could be verified retrospectively in his historical histological samples; the continuous presence of HHV-6 could be established through 17 years of disease course.

Activity of the notch-signalling pathway in circulating human chronic lymphocytic leukaemia cells.

Dysregulation of the Notch-pathway has been implicated in the pathogenesis of chronic lymphocytic leukaemia (B-CLL). We characterized the mRNA expression of Notch pathway elements in circulating normal B- and B-CLL cells, and compared expression profiles with clinical and prognostic data. Similar expression profiles were found in normal B-cells and B-CLL cells, however, most B-CLL samples showed lower Hairy/Enhancer of Split-1 expression than normal B-cells, which suggests that the pathway is not over-activated in B-CLL.

Detection of four lymphotropic herpesviruses in Hungarian patients with multiple myeloma and lymphoma.

It has been suggested that human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8), also known as KSHV (Kaposi's sarcoma-associated human herpesvirus), might possess a promoting effect in the development and progression of monoclonal gammopathies. In this study, the presence of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV), human cytomegalovirus (CMV), human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6) and human herpesvirus 8 (HHV-8) were tested in patients with multiple myeloma (MM) using both serologic and nucleic acid amplification techniques. The transient reactivation or continuous presence of EBV, CMV, HHV-6 and HHV-8 could be detected in, respectively, 36, eight, 13 and 29 of 69 MM patients; nine, one, four and six of 16 monoclonal gammopathy of unknown significance patients; and seven, four, zero and five of 10 Waldenström's macroglobulinemia patients.

[Soluble syndecan-1 levels in different plasma cell dyscrasias].

Introduction: Syndecans are a family of cell surface proteoglycans. In the bone marrow of multiple myeloma patients syndecan-1 is expressed only on the surface of malignant plasma cells. The aim of the study was to determine the soluble syndecan-1 levels in different plasma cell dyscrasias.

[Mevastatin induced apoptosis in U266 human myeloma cell line].

Statins have been used successfully in the treatment of hypercholesteremia. Moreover, in vitro studies have shown that statins can trigger apoptosis in a variety of tumor cell lines. In the present study we analysed the effect of mevastatin -- a novel inhibitor of HMG-COA reductase, the rate-limiting enzyme of the mevalonate pathway -- on U266 human myeloma cells.

Mevastatin-induced apoptosis and growth suppression in U266 myeloma cells.

Statins have been used successfully in the treatment of hypercholesterinaemia. Moreover, in vitro studies have shown that statins can trigger apoptosis in a variety of tumor cell lines. In the present study we analysed the effect of mevastatin--a novel inhibitor of HMG-COA reductase, the rate-limiting enzyme of the mevalonate pathway--on U266 human myeloma cells.

Soluble syndecan-1 levels in different plasma cell dyscrasias and in different stages of multiple myeloma.

We measured serum levels of syndecan-1 in patients with multiple myeloma (MM), solitary plasmocytoma and monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS). We then studied serum syndecan-1 levels in MM patients stratified by the Durie-Salmon staging system and the correlation of syndecan-1 levels with well known independent prognostic factors of MM.

The acid-labile subunit of the serum insulin-like growth factor-binding protein complexes. Structural determination by molecular modeling and electron microscopy.

The acid-labile subunit (ALS) is a glycosylated 85-kDa member of the leucine-rich repeat (LRR) protein superfamily and circulates in ternary complexes with the insulin-like growth factors (IGFs) and their binding proteins (IGFBPs). These complexes are thought to regulate the serum IGFs by restricting IGF movement out of the circulation. However, little is known about how ALS binds to IGFBP-3 or -5, which link the IGFs to ALS.

[Effectiveness of pinaverium bromide therapy on colonic motility disorders in irritable bowel syndrome].

The special patterns of the slow wave activity in irrittable bowel syndrome by means of surface electromyography were examined and the effect of pinaverium bromide on the symptoms and on the colonic motility in this disease was estimated. Twenty two patients with irritable bowel syndrome and 7 healthy controls were selected to the study. The clinical symptoms were abdominal pain and bloating in all patients, constipation in 9, and diarrhoea in 6 cases.

N-Linked glycosylation and sialylation of the acid-labile subunit. Role in complex formation with insulin-like growth factor (IGF)-binding protein-3 and the IGFs.

Over 75% of the circulating insulin-like growth factors (IGF-I and -II) are bound in 140-kDa ternary complexes with IGF-binding protein-3 (IGFBP-3) and the 84-86-kDa acid-labile subunit (ALS), a glycoprotein containing 20 kDa of carbohydrate. The ternary complexes regulate IGF availability to the tissues. Since interactions of glycoproteins can be influenced by their glycan moieties, this study aimed to determine the role of ALS glycosylation in ternary complex formation.

[Diagnostic problems of Wilson disease].

A family (three siblings) of Wilson's-disease is described. The authors review the pathogenesis, diagnostics, pathology and treatment of Wilson's-disease. The diagnostic difficulties are emphasised.

A novel human cDNA highly homologous to the fish hormone stanniocalcin.

Stanniocalcin is a glycoprotein hormone previously considered present only in bony fish where it is secreted by the corpuscles of Stannius, endocrine organs involved in Ca2+ homeostasis. In fish, stanniocalcin was thought to be an adaptation for Ca2+ regulation in aquatic environments, and its effects include inhibition of gill Ca2+ transport. We have obtained a human cDNA clone coding for a protein highly homologous to fish stanniocalcin.

Unhealthy health care costs.

The private sector has implemented many cost containment measures in efforts to control rising health care costs. However, these measures have not controlled costs in the long run, and can be expected not to succeed as long as business cannot control factors within the health care system which affect costs. Controlling private sector health care costs requires constraints on cost shifting which necessitates a unified financing system with expenditure limits.