Low rate of cetuximab hypersensitivity reactions in Northeast Tennessee: An Appalachian effect?

Purpose: Cetuximab is a monoclonal antibody with a known risk of hypersensitivity reactions. Early studies showed hypersensitivity reaction rates of 3%, but there appears to be a higher incidence in the southeastern United States. To confirm the findings from nearby institutions that cetuximab-associated hypersensitivity reactions occur in approximately 20% of patients in the southeastern United States.

Successful implementation of process review in ophthalmology services.

Explains that considerable recent publicity has been given to the claim that around 70 per cent of business process re-engineering exercises are unsuccessful, mainly because of failure to take human factors into account. Outlines the work undertaken in a single specialist surgical service, within an acute services National Health Service Trust, and the outcomes achieved. Suggests that there are points arising from the project to be learned both by the Trust and by other health-care employers contemplating similar exercises: in particular, deciding objectives; the preparation undertaken prior to the project; and detailed post-implementation benefit analysis.

A novel interactive demonstration in clinical gastroenterology for first-year medical students.

A unique clinical correlation in gastroenterology for first-year medical students is described. This interactive demonstration is conducted in a clinical setting and is designed to introduce the student to a broad range of topics in clinical gastroenterology while complementing lecture material in gastrointestinal (GI) physiology. Faculty and fellows of the Department of Internal Medicine at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center present minilectures and demonstrations at five different stations held in endoscopy rooms of the GI Diagnostic Center (GI Lab).

Vasoactive properties of a parathyroid hormone-related protein in the rat aorta.

Parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) or its mRNA transcripts have been documented in a variety of normal tissues, including vascular smooth muscle. A synthetic amino-terminal fragment of PTHrP, PTHrP(1-34), was tested a) for its vasoactive properties in a perfused rat aorta and b) its ability to stimulate cAMP accumulation in cultured rat aorta smooth muscle cells; PTHrP(1-34) was a potent vasodilator and increased cAMP accumulation. The results confirm the potent vasorelaxant properties of PTHrP(1-34), and show that the peptide stimulates adenylate cyclase in vascular smooth muscle cells per se, suggesting, but not proving, linkage of cAMP accumulation to vasorelaxation.

Beta-adrenergic responsiveness in cultured aorta smooth muscle cells. Effects of subculture and aging.

beta-Adrenoceptor-mediated vasorelaxation is diminished in vessels from a variety of aged species including humans. This phenomenon was studied for the first time in cultured aorta smooth muscle cells (ASMC) from young (4- to 6-month) and old (24- to 26-month) F-344 rats. Cyclic AMP (cAMP) accumulation was assessed following isoproterenol and forskolin stimulations in primary cultures and after 1-4 passages of aorta smooth muscle cells.