Combination of tibial tubercle transfer, medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction, trochleoplasty and lateral release for patellofemoral instability provides good middle- to long-term outcomes in adolescents.

Purpose: There are limited studies that have reported the middle- to long-term outcomes of combined procedures consisting of more than two procedures for patellofemoral instability. The current study aims to investigate and report the middle- to long-term outcomes of a combination procedure of tibial tubercle transfer, medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction, trochleoplasty and lateral release for patellofemoral instability in patients aged 18 years and below.

Methods: In the cohort study, all patients aged 18 years old or younger who underwent a combination procedure of tibial tubercle transfer, medial patellofemoral ligament reconstruction, trochleoplasty and lateral release for recurrent patellofemoral instability were included.

Both Medialization and Anteromedialization Tibial Tubercle Osteotomies are Effective Surgical Management for Skeletally Mature Patients with Patellofemoral Instability when Combined with Medial Patellofemoral Ligament Reconstruction.

The study aimed to compare the midterm outcomes of medialization and anteromedialization tibial tubercle osteotomies when used in the management of recurrent patellofemoral instability. The hypothesis is that both techniques would result in significant improvement for patellofemoral instability, but anteromedialization would result in a lower incidence of early osteoarthritis. In the cohort study, all skeletally mature patients aged 18 years old or younger who underwent tibial tubercle osteotomy for recurrent patellofemoral instability within a 10-year period in a single institution were included.

Hemiepiphysiodesis is a potentially effective surgical management for skeletally immature patients with patellofemoral instability associated with isolated genu valgum.

Purpose: Genu valgum is one of the well-known predisposing factors for patellofemoral instability. The study aims to investigate the outcomes of isolated hemiepiphysiodesis in the correction of genu valgum and in the management of recurrent patellofemoral instability. The hypothesis was that hemiepiphysiodesis alone would result in significant correction of genu valgum, thereby preventing recurrent patellofemoral instability.

Does young age really put the heart at risk?

Despite significant advances in the management and treatment of heart disease in children, there continue to be patients who have worse outcomes than might be expected. A number of risk factors that could be responsible have been identified. Evidence-based findings will be reviewed, including whether young age and (or) reduced body weight exacerbate these responses.

Metformin Inhibits Cellular Proliferation and Bioenergetics in Colorectal Cancer Patient-Derived Xenografts.

There is increasing preclinical evidence suggesting that metformin, an antidiabetic drug, has anticancer properties against various malignancies, including colorectal cancer. However, the majority of evidence, which was derived from cancer cell lines and xenografts, was likely to overestimate the benefit of metformin because these models are inadequate and require supraphysiologic levels of metformin. Here, we generated patient-derived xenograft (PDX) lines from 2 colorectal cancer patients to assess the properties of metformin and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), the first-line drug treatment for colorectal cancer.

Nanoscale chromatin profiling of gastric adenocarcinoma reveals cancer-associated cryptic promoters and somatically acquired regulatory elements.

Chromatin alterations are fundamental hallmarks of cancer. To study chromatin alterations in primary gastric adenocarcinomas, we perform nanoscale chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing of multiple histone modifications in five gastric cancers and matched normal tissues. We identify hundreds of somatically altered promoters and predicted enhancers.

Sex differences in myocardial metabolism and cardiac function: an emerging concept.

There is substantial evidence that there are dramatic sex-related differences in the incidence of cardiovascular disease, apparently related to the presence of steroid hormones. This is supported by the discovery of steroid hormone receptors in the heart and vasculature. More controversial is the area of sex-related differences in cardiac metabolism and function.

Sex differences in newborn myocardial metabolism and response to ischemia.

In children with congenital heart disease, female sex has been linked to greater in-hospital mortality associated with low cardiac output, yet the reasons for this are unclear. Therefore, we examined whether newborn sex differences in the heart's metabolic response to ischemia exist. Left ventricular (LV) in vivo and ischemic biopsies of newborn male and female piglets were compared.

Role of fine-needle aspiration cytology in the evaluation of parotid tumours.

Background: The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of fine-needle aspiration cytology in the diagnosis of parotid tumours.

Methods: A retrospective review was conducted to examine the preoperative cytological and final histological results of patients who underwent parotidectomies at our institution.

Results: Sensitivity and specificity for diagnosing malignant and benign tumours were 80%, 100%, and 98.

Health-related quality of life in thyroid cancer survivors.

Objective: The study objective was to study the impact of the diagnosis, treatment, and follow-up of differentiated thyroid cancer (DTC) on the quality of life and related issues in an urban multi-ethnic Asian population.

Design: A self-administered questionnaire containing the Short Form 36 Health Survey (SF-36) and assessing sociodemographic, disease, and treatment-related status was mailed to patients with DTC.

Main Outcomes: One hundred fifty-two (52.

Sequential external beam radiotherapy and high-dose-rate intracavitary brachytherapy in T1 and T2 nasopharyngeal carcinoma: an evaluation of long-term outcome.

Objectives/hypothesis: The standard treatment for nonmetastatic nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) is external beam radiotherapy (EBRT), with or without chemotherapy. Because local control in NPC is an independent prognostic factor for distant metastases and survival, various dose-escalation strategies have been used to reduce recurrences at the primary site. The objective of this report was to evaluate the outcome of adjuvant high-dose-rate intracavitary brachytherapy (HDRIB) in patients with T1 and T2 NPC.

Familial nasopharyngeal carcinoma in a cohort of 200 patients.

Objectives: To describe the characteristics of familial nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) in a high-risk population and to determine the role of screening first-degree relations.

Design: An analysis on a cohort of 200 patients newly diagnosed as having NPC.

Setting: A tertiary-level institution.

Overexpression of cyclooxygenase-2 in nasopharyngeal carcinoma and association with epidermal growth factor receptor expression.

Objectives: To examine the association between cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) expression with epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR), vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), and latent membrane protein 1 (LMP-1) expression and with COX-2 promoter methylation status in primary nasopharyngeal cancer (NPC) tumors and to determine COX-2 promoter methylation status in NPC cell lines.

Design: Retrospective study.

Setting: Patients with NPC were referred to the Department of Otolaryngology-Head and Neck Surgery for treatment.

Protection of auditory function against noise trauma with local caroverine administration in guinea pigs.

Glutamate is the most likely neurotransmitter at the synapse between the inner hair cell and its afferent neuron in the peripheral auditory system. Intense noise exposure may result in excessive glutamate release, binding to the post-synaptic receptors and leading to neuronal degeneration and hearing impairment. The present study investigated the protective effect of caroverine, an antagonist of two glutamate receptors, N-methyl-D-aspartate and alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid, on noise-induced hearing loss.

Adjuvant fractionated high-dose-rate intracavitary brachytherapy after external beam radiotherapy in Tl and T2 nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Background: The value of high-dose-rate intracavitary brachytherapy (HDRIB) for persistent or recurrent nasopharyngeal carcinoma has been well described; however, the benefit of routine adjuvant fractionated HDRIB following external beam radiation therapy (EBRT) has not been completely determined. The objective of this analysis was to evaluate the outcome of two fractions of adjuvant HDRIB treatment in Tl and T2 nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Methods: Thirty-three consecutive and nonselected patients who had Tl and T2 non-disseminated nasopharyngeal carcinoma were treated according to an IRB approved institutional research protocol between March 1999 and July 2001.

The candidate tumor suppressor gene BLU, located at the commonly deleted region 3p21.3, is an E2F-regulated, stress-responsive gene and inactivated by both epigenetic and genetic mechanisms in nasopharyngeal carcinoma.

Loss of heterozygosity at 3p21 is common in various cancers including nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). BLU is one of the candidate tumor suppressor genes (TSGs) in this region. Ectopic expression of BLU results in the inhibition of colony formation of cancer cells, suggesting that BLU is a tumor suppressor.

Epidermal growth factor receptor in undifferentiated carcinoma of the nasopharynx.

Objectives: To determine the expression levels of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) and its prognostic value in undifferentiated carcinoma (UC) of the nasopharynx.

Study Design: A prospective study of 75 patients diagnosed with UC over a 4-year period in a tertiary care hospital.

Materials And Methods: Postnasal space biopsies were obtained and processed, and immunohistochemical staining was performed.

Acute treatment of noise trauma with local caroverine application in the guinea pig.

Intense sound stimulation may result in excessive glutamate release from the inner hair cells, resulting in binding to the postsynaptic glutamate receptors and leading to neuronal degeneration and functional impairment. In this study we investigated the therapeutic effect and time window of caroverine, an N-methyl-D-aspartate and alpha-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionic acid receptor antagonist, on noise-induced hearing loss Guinea pigs were exposed to one-third octave band noise centered at 6.3 kHz (110 dB sound pressure limit) for 1 h.

Modalities of surveillance in treated nasopharyngeal cancer.

Objective: We sought to assess the efficacy of different modalities in the detection of disease during the early posttreatment period of nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC). Study design and setting We prospectively evaluated 57 patients with NPC who were treated with radiation. A postnasal space (PNS) biopsy, an endoscopic examination, and computed tomography (CT) scans were performed 4 months after treatment.

Metachronous adenocarcinoma of the maxillary sinuses: a rare entity.

Malignant tumours of the nasal cavities and paranasal sinuses are uncommon. They constitute less than one per cent of all tumours and less than three per cent of head and neck tumours. Although multiple primary carcinomas of the aerodigestive tract are commonly reported, metachronous maxillary sinus carcinomas are rare.