Can the analysis of ERCC1 expression contribute to individualized therapy in nasopharyngeal carcinoma?

Purpose: To analyze the expression of excision repair cross-complementation group 1 (ERCC1) protein in predicting the clinical outcome of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).

Methods And Materials: The histologic specimens of 258 patients with Stage III to IVB nonkeratinizing NPC who were treated with radiotherapy alone (Group I) or concurrent-adjuvant chemoradiotherapy (Group II) were retrieved. Immunostaining on ERCC1 protein was performed.

Fatal co-infection with swine origin influenza virus A/H1N1 and community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus.

Community-acquired methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (CA-MRSA) co-infection has been described previously in association with respiratory tract infection caused by seasonal influenza A viruses, but not with swine origin influenza A (H1N1) virus (S-OIV). We report the clinical and pathological findings of the first death with fulminant co-infection by CA-MRSA. Since early empirical treatment with beta-lactam plus fluoroquinolone or macrolides is often initiated before specimen collections, bacterial co-infection in S-OIV may have been under-reported.