Tumor engraftment in nude mice and enrichment in stroma- related gene pathways predict poor survival and resistance to gemcitabine in patients with pancreatic cancer.

Purpose: The goal of this study was to evaluate prospectively the engraftment rate, factors influencing engraftment, and predictability of clinical outcome of low-passage xenografts from patients with resectable pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma (PDA) and to establish a bank of PDA xenografts.

Experimental Design: Patients with resectable PDA scheduled for resection at the Johns Hopkins Hospital were eligible. Representative pieces of tumor were implanted in nude mice.

Integrated preclinical and clinical development of mTOR inhibitors in pancreatic cancer.

Background: The purpose of this work was to determine the efficacy of inhibiting mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) in pancreatic cancer preclinical models and translate preclinical observations to the clinic.

Methods: Temsirolimus (20 mg Kg(-1) daily) was administered to freshly generated pancreatic cancer xenografts. Tumour growth inhibition was determined after 28 days.

[Serum levels of Zn in children with different degress of nutritional deficiency].

The importance of Zinc (Zn) as a necessary oligoclement for human nutrition begins in the first three decades of life. At the moment, the role that Zn plays in the infantile nutrition is very well-known, acquiring a special connotation in children with proteic-energetics malnutrition (PEM). In this study the daily ingestion and the serum measuremets of Zn were determined in 64 undernourished children (light, mild and severe) and in 25 eutrophic children with ages between 1 to 5 years, belonging to families of the strata IV and V according to the Graffar scale corrected by age.

[Calculation of the mitral valve area using Hatle's method. Effect of the preload change induced by nitrates].

The aim of the present study was to assess the effect of changes in preload induced by nitrates on calculated mitral valve area by Doppler pressure half-time. Forty patients (mean age 51 +/- 10 years), 23 with mitral stenosis, ten with mechanical prosthesis and seven with bioprosthesis were studied by Doppler echocardiography. Twelve were in sinus rhythm and 28 had atrial fibrillation.