Differential regulation of a novel variant of the alpha(6) integrin, alpha(6p).

We have reported previously the existence of an M(r) 70,000 form of the alpha(6) integrin called alpha(6p) in a variety of human epithelial cell lines. Four different experimental conditions were used to examine the regulation of alpha(6) and alpha(6p) integrin. The production of the alpha(6) integrin was decreased by 45% using a protein translation inhibitor (2.

Risk of stroke, transient ischemic attack, and vessel occlusion before endarterectomy in patients with symptomatic severe carotid stenosis.

Background And Purpose: We aimed to identify and determine the clinical relevance of parameters predictive of stroke recurrence and vessel occlusion before carotid endarterectomy.

Methods: One hundred forty-three consecutive patients (105 men; mean age, 66.1+/-8 years) with symptomatic severe carotid artery stenosis were prospectively followed up until carotid endarterectomy.

Sweet's syndrome associated with pigmented villonodular synovitis.

Sweet's syndrome (acute febrile neutrophilic dermatosis) was first described in 1964. The typical symptoms of Sweet's syndrome are high temperature, peripheral leucocytosis, painful cutaneous rashes (papules, plaques) and arthralgia. Sweet's syndrome has particularly been described in association with neoplastic, infectious and immunological diseases.

Dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans with lung metastasis in a patient with progressive systemic sclerosis.

A female patient with progressive systemic sclerosis and pulmonary fibrosis had a dermatofibrosarcoma protuberans on the right thigh. After resection of the tumor, new lesions occurred in the scar, and wide excision was repeated. Two years later, a lung metastasis was discovered, and segmental resection was done.

Early placenta insulin-like growth factor (pro-EPIL) is overexpressed and secreted by c-erbB-2-positive cells with high invasion potential.

By differential-display PCR a subclone of the SKBR3 cell line with high in vitro transendothelial invasiveness was identified to express increased levels of the INSL-4 gene. This new member of the insulin-like growth factor family encodes for a peptide, designated early placenta insulin-like (EPIL), being expressed in the so-called "invasive" phase of the placental development. Immunohistochemistry on tissue microarrays revealed a heterogeneous expression of EPIL in breast cancer tissue and no expression in the surrounding stroma cells.

A new rapid landmark-based regional MRI segmentation method of the brain.

Background: Neurodegenerative and cerebrovascular diseases show a distinct distribution of regional atrophy and subcortical lesions.

Objective: To develop an easily applicable landmark-based method for segmentation of the brain into the four cerebral lobes from MRI images.

Method: The segmentation method relies on a combination of anatomical landmarks and geometrical definitions.

Novel non-nucleoside inhibitors of cytomegaloviruses (BAY 38-4766): in vitro and in vivo antiviral activity and mechanism of action.

For two decades it has been impossible to develop drugs with novel mechanisms of action against herpesviruses, and treatment has been confined largely to the use of inhibitors of viral DNA polymerase. As a representative of a novel inhibitory approach, the non-nucleosidic BAY 38-4766 was identified as a highly selective inhibitor of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV). The compound selectively inhibits not only HCMV strains, including ganciclovir-resistant, ganciclovir/foscarnet and ganciclovir/cidofovir double-resistant clinical isolates, but also a number of monkey and rodent cytomegaloviruses.

Ductal epithelial proliferations of the breast: a biological continuum? Comparative genomic hybridization and high-molecular-weight cytokeratin expression patterns.

According to current concepts, benign proliferative breast disease (BPBD) is a direct precursor of breast cancer, in a spectrum ranging from ductal hyperplasia to overtly invasive carcinoma. In this study, comparative genomic hybridization (CGH) was used to screen ductal hyperplasia and other BPBD lesions and ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) for common genomic abnormalities, to test the relationship between these hyperplastic and neoplastic lesions. Immunohistochemistry for cytokeratin 5/6 was used as a diagnostic adjunct to distinguish ductal hyperplasia from DCIS.

Genetic characterisation of invasive breast cancer: a comparison of CGH and PCR based multiplex microsatellite analysis.

Aims: Comparative genomic hybridisation (CGH) is a reliable tool to gain an overview of all unbalanced chromosomal alterations within a tumour. Nevertheless, the high numbers of tumour cells required and the comparatively low resolution are drawbacks of this technique. Polymerase chain reaction (PCR) based multiplex microsatellite analysis represents a semi-automated, highly reproducible method, which requires small amounts of tumour cells.

Reduced levels of amyloid beta-peptide antibody in Alzheimer disease.

Objective: To investigate whether it was possible to detect the presence and different levels of naturally occurring anti-beta-amyloid (Abeta) antibodies in the CSF of patients with AD and age-matched controls by employing a sensitive ELISA.

Background: Immunization with preaggregated amyloid beta-peptide (Abeta(1-42)) and administration of antibodies against Abeta into amyloid precursor protein APP(V717F)- transgenic mice (an animal model of AD) have recently been reported to dramatically reduce amyloid plaque deposition, neuritic dystrophy, and astrogliosis, most likely by enhancing Abeta clearance from brain.

Methods: A sensitive ELISA was performed to detect levels of naturally occurring anti-Abeta antibodies in the CSF of patients with AD and age-matched controls.

A novel nonnucleoside inhibitor specifically targets cytomegalovirus DNA maturation via the UL89 and UL56 gene products.

3-Hydroxy-2,2-dimethyl-N-[4([[5-(dimethylamino)-1-naphthyl]sulfonyl]amino)-phenyl]propanamide (BAY 38-4766) is a novel selective nonnucleoside inhibitor of cytomegalovirus (CMV) replication with an excellent safety profile. This compound and structural analogues inhibit neither viral DNA synthesis nor viral transcription and translation. Accumulation of dense bodies and noninfectious enveloped particles coincides with inhibition of both concatemer processing and functional cleavage at intergenomic transitions, pointing to interference with viral DNA maturation and packaging of monomeric genome lengths.

Large-scale, multicenter study of cerebrospinal fluid tau protein phosphorylated at serine 199 for the antemortem diagnosis of Alzheimer's disease.

We surveyed a total of 570 cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) samples from a variety of diseases, including Alzheimer's disease (AD; n = 236), non-AD-demented and nondemented diseases (n = 239), and normal controls (n = 95) to quantitate levels of tau protein phosphorylated at serine 199 (CSF/phospho-tau199) by a recently established sandwich ELISA. The CSF/phospho-tau199 levels in the AD group were significantly elevated compared to those in all the other non-AD groups. Receiver operating characteristics curves showed that the diagnostic sensitivity and specificity for the AD group vs all the other non-AD groups using the CSF/phospho-tau199 were 85.

Ductal invasive G2 and G3 carcinomas of the breast are the end stages of at least two different lines of genetic evolution.

Ductal invasive grade (G) 2 and G3 carcinomas represent the majority of invasive breast cancers. Previous morphological and cytogenetic studies have provided evidence that ductal invasive G2 carcinoma may originate from at least two different genetic pathways. The aim of this study was to evaluate further the heterogeneity of G2 breast cancer in comparison with G3 cancers by cytogenetic and quantitative analysis.

Primary nephrectomy for emergency: a rare event in the International Society of Paediatric Oncology Nephroblastoma Trial and Study no. 9.

Experience of the International Society of Paediatric Oncology (SIOP) Trials and Studies indicates that the preoperative chemotherapy in Wilms' tumour improves stage distribution, decreases complication rate and reduces postoperative treatment. However, some situations may lead to prompt primary surgery. The aim of the study is to assess reasons leading to primary emergency nephrectomy.

Correlation of morphologic and cytogenetic parameters of genetic instability with chromosomal alterations in in situ carcinomas of the breast.

Classification of preinvasive breast disease could be better founded using biologic markers, thereby increasing reproducibility. We studied 57 breast ductal and lobular in situ carcinomas by means of comparative genomic hybridization and correlated these findings with quantitative features such as the mean nuclear area, mitotic index (MI), apoptotic index (AI), and the presence or absence of necrosis. Loss of 8p and gains of 8q and 6q were associated, respectively, with a significantly higher MI and AI, whereas loss of 16q was associated with a lower MI and AI.

Ectopic vascularization of the right kidney by a contralateral origin of the main renal artery from the left common iliac artery: report of a case.

In daily practice, an atypical renal blood supply is a rare finding. An ectopic origin of the right main renal artery from the contralateral common iliac artery was observed when angiography was performed to diagnose irregularities in perfusion of the lower extremities and to determine the necessity for vascular surgical intervention in a 66-year-old man. Conservative treatment was successful in this patient, who suffered from intermittent claudication because of an obstruction of the superficial femoral arteries.

Ergotamine-induced acute vascular insufficiency of the lower limb--a case report.

Ergotamine-containing drugs are widely used in the treatment of acute migraine attacks. Spastic vasoconstriction is one of the possible side effects usually affecting the lower extremities and sometimes leading to gangrene. A 28-year-old woman was hospitalized for severe acute arterial insufficiency of the limbs.

Monoclonality in normal epithelium and in hyperplastic and neoplastic lesions of the breast.

The clonal nature of neoplastic lesions such as invasive breast cancer and ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) has been widely proven by several proliferative, genetic or other malignancy-associated markers. The aim of this study is to clarify whether benign hyperplastic lesions such as ductal hyperplasia of usual type (DH) and papilloma can be distinguished from neoplastic lesions such as DCIS by X-chromosome inactivation analysis. Clonal analysis was performed using a polymerase chain reaction-based assay for non-random X-chromosome inactivation of the human androgen receptor gene (HUMARA).

Selective embolization of a renal artery aneurysm.

The treatment modalities for renal artery aneurysm have changed. The aim in the presented case was to evaluate the endovascular therapy in a 52-year-old woman (with hematuria as the only symptom) with a saccular aneurysm at the first bifurcation of the right main renal artery, which was diagnosed with contrast-enhanced computerized tomography and angiography. We approached the aneurysm with minimally invasive supraselective embolization.

Na(+)/H(+) exchange inhibition-induced cardioprotection in dogs: effects on neutrophils versus cardiomyocytes.

Numerous studies have examined the effect of Na(+)/H(+) exchanger (NHE) inhibition on the myocardium; however, the effect of NHE-1 inhibition on neutrophil function has not been adequately examined. An in vivo canine model of myocardial ischemia-reperfusion injury in which 60 min of left anterior descending coronary artery occlusion followed by 3 h of reperfusion was used to examine the effect of NHE-1 inhibition on infarct size (IS) and neutrophil function. BIIB-513, a selective inhibitor of NHE-1, was infused before ischemia.

Genetic relation of lobular carcinoma in situ, ductal carcinoma in situ, and associated invasive carcinoma of the breast.

Aims: The mutual relation of lobular carcinoma in situ (LCIS) and ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) of the breast, as accepted precursor lesions of invasive breast cancer, is controversial. Because they display genetic heterogeneity, it is not clear how genetically advanced these entities are and what causes the transition to an invasive carcinoma.

Methods: Six cases of LCIS, four of them with associated lobular invasive carcinoma, four cases of intermediately differentiated DCIS with an associated invasive lobular carcinoma, and nine cases of intermediately and poorly differentiated DCIS with associated ductal invasive carcinoma were investigated by means of comparative genomic hybridisation (CGH) after microdissection and immunohistochemical staining of E-cadherin.

Detection of tau phosphorylated at threonine 231 in cerebrospinal fluid of Alzheimer's disease patients.

A new sandwich ELISA is described which shows specificity for tau phosphorylated at threonine 231 and preferentially reacts with Alzheimer's disease (AD) brain extracts relative to other dementias. This assay was used to analyze 58 antemortem cerebrospinal fluid samples. Twenty-three of 27 AD samples (85% sensitivity) yielded signals greater than the cutoff, while only one of 31 non-AD samples (97% specificity) were greater.

Chorioamnionitis: the association between clinical and histological diagnosis.

Objective: To determine the association between clinical and histological diagnoses of chorioamnionitis.Methods: A retrospective 9-year review of hospital records for all perinatal deaths (N = 804) occurring at a Western New York regional perinatal center between 1988 and 1996 was conducted. Information concerning clinical indicators of chorioamnionitis were recorded including: maternal fever, leukocytosis, uterine tenderness, foul smelling discharge, and fetal tachycardia.