[Earlier detection of lung cancer through analysis of circulating tumor DNA from blood].

To investigate the  clinical use of analyzing circulating tumor DNA in a clinical setting we present a pilot study comprising 93 patients from individuals with suspected lung cancer. The study aimed to evaluate the capability of analyzing circulating tumor DNA at the initial medical visit in order to detect genetic changes and mutations associated with lung cancer in plasma samples. Tumor DNA from plasma was extracted and analyzed with Next Generation Sequencing (NGS) and the result was compared with a matched tumor tissue collected in close connection from the same individual.

Erlotinib treatment induces cytochrome P450 3A activity in non-small cell lung cancer patients.

Aims: Erlotinib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor used in the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer highly metabolized by the cytochrome P450 (CYP) 3A. Hence, CYP3A4 activity might be a useful predictor of erlotinib pharmacokinetics in personalized medicine. The effect of erlotinib on CYP3A activity was therefore studied in non-small cell lung cancer patients.

Homocysteine, a risk factor for coronary artery disease or not? A meta-analysis.

This meta-analysis suggests that homocysteine may not be as harmful for the heart as it seems. At the same time, however, homocysteine may be an indicator for unhealthy lifestyles, and therefore, an important variable for cardiologists to take into account when assessing coronary artery disease.

Transfusion-associated graft-versus-host disease in immunocompetent patients: a self-protective mechanism.

Transfusion-associated graft-versus-host disease (TA-GVHD) is a rare but hazardous complication caused by transfusion of leucocyte-containing blood. It is not clear why some patients are at risk for TA-GVHD, but others are not. We studied TA-GVHD in immunocompetent individuals by looking at donor-anti-host reactivity after transfusion of leucocyte-containing blood.