Assessing the Cause of Death for Men with Prostate Cancer Using Official Mortality Statistics or a Dedicated Cause of Death Committee: Results from 30-year ERSPC Rotterdam Data.

Unlabelled: For men with prostate cancer (PCa) within the European Randomized Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer (ERSPC), the cause of death is determined by a Cause of Death Committee (CODC) that evaluates all medical records using a fixed algorithm. The aim of this study was to compare the classification of PCa-specific mortality (PCSM) between the CODC and Statistics Netherlands. We calculated the sensitivity (PCSM agreement divided by total PCSM deaths according to the CODC) and specificity (agreement for other-cause mortality [OCM] divided by total OCM deaths according to the CODC) using the last 21-yr follow-up data from ERSPC Rotterdam.

Doctors, teach your adrenal insufficiency patients well: provide them with a European Emergency Card!

Adrenal insufficiency is a life-threatening condition requiring chronic glucocorticoid replacement therapy, as well as stress adaptation to prevent adrenal crises. To increase patients' self-sustainability, education on how to tackle an adrenal crisis is crucial. All patients should carry the European Emergency Card.

Quality of early prostate cancer follow-up care from the patients' perspective.

Purpose: To develop optimal cancer survivorship care programs, this study assessed the quality of prostate cancer follow-up care as experienced by patients shortly after completion of primary treatment.

Methods: We surveyed 402 patients with localized prostate cancer participating in a randomized controlled trial comparing specialist versus primary care-based follow-up. For the current study, we used patient-reported data at the time of the first follow-up visit at the hospital, prior to randomization.

Radiation with concurrent radiosensitizing capecitabine tablets and single-dose mitomycin-C for muscle-invasive bladder cancer: A convenient alternative to 5-fluorouracil.

Background And Purpose: Chemoradiation (CRT) with mitomycin-C (MMC) and 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) has been shown to be superior to radiation alone in patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer (MIBC). MMC/capecitabine is an effective replacement for 5FU as a radiosensitizer in other malignancies but has not been studied in bladder cancer. We evaluated the outcomes of MIBC patients treated with concurrent radiation and MMC/capecitabine.

The contribution of online peer-to-peer communication among patients with adrenal disease to patient-centered care.

Background: Addison's disease and Cushing's syndrome are rare. The Dutch Adrenal Society offers an online forum for Dutch adrenal patients to meet and communicate. However, little is known about the added value such a forum has for the delivery of patient-centered care.

Nasal application of a naturally processed and presented T cell epitope derived from TCR AV11 protects against adjuvant arthritis.

Reactivity towards TCR peptides plays an important role in the regulation of several experimental autoimmune diseases. In a previous paper, we showed the TCRAV11 usage by an arthritogenic T cell clone isolated from a rat with adjuvant arthritis (AA). Moreover, we identified three immunogenic peptides in AV11: AV11 24-40, 41-55 and 66-80.

Androgen receptor gene amplification: a possible molecular mechanism for androgen deprivation therapy failure in prostate cancer.

Progression of prostate cancer during endocrine therapy is a major clinical problem, the molecular mechanisms of which remain poorly understood. Amplification of the androgen receptor (AR) gene was recently described in recurrent prostate carcinomas from patients who had failed androgen deprivation therapy. To evaluate the hypothesis that amplification of the AR gene is a cause for the failure of androgen deprivation therapy in prostate cancer, we studied whether AR amplification leads to gene overexpression, whether the amplified AR gene is structurally intact, and whether tumors with AR amplification have distinct biological and clinical characteristics.

Activation of T cells recognizing self 60-kD heat shock protein can protect against experimental arthritis.

Lewis rats are susceptible to several forms of experimental arthritis-induced using heat-killed Mycobacterium tuberculosis (adjuvant arthritis, or AA), streptococcal cell walls, collagen type II, and the lipoidal amine CP20961. Prior immunization with the mycobacterial 65-kD heat shock protein (hsp65) was reported to protect against AA, and other athritis models not using M. tuberculosis, via a T cell-mediated mechanism.

Differential mycobacterial 65-kDa heat shock protein T cell epitope recognition after adjuvant arthritis-inducing or protective immunization protocols.

Immunization of Lewis rats with heat-killed Mycobacterium tuberculosis (Mt) in mineral oil induces adjuvant arthritis (AA), associated with T cell responses to residues 180-188 of the mycobacterial 65-kDa heat shock protein (hsp65). Preimmunization with hsp65 protects rats against AA and other forms of arthritis. Several explanations for these protective effects have been proposed, including enhanced responsiveness to protective epitopes in hsp65, down-regulation of T cell responses to the 180-188 epitope, and activation of self-hsp60-reactive T cells.

An enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for von Willebrand factor antigen (vWf-Ag) in canine plasma.

A quantitative enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) has been developed to measure canine von Willebrand factor antigen (vWf-Ag) in plasma of the dog. A vWf-Ag antiserum was raised in rabbits and purified by preabsorption with the low molecular weight vWf-Ag-deficient fraction of canine cryoprecipitate, followed by affinity chromatography on protein-A Sepharose. The rabbit anticanine vWf-Ag IgG was used to bind the vWf-Ag of the test plasmas to the solid phase and to prepare the enzyme-antibody conjugate in ELISA.

Efficient mapping and characterization of a T cell epitope by the simultaneous synthesis of multiple peptides.

Prediction, identification and analysis of T cell epitopes in protein antigens has become a central theme in fundamental and applied immunology. However, while for the characterization of linear B cell epitopes the so-called Pepscan procedure was found to be extremely effective, no such technique has so far been available for T cell studies. Recently, we described the identification and localization of a T cell epitope in a mycobacterial 65-kDa shock protein in the model of adjuvant arthritis.

Immunologic aspects of German shepherd dog pyoderma (GSP).

In 21 dogs with clinical features of German Shepherd dog Pyoderma (GSP) parameters of the specific and aspecific immune system have been examined. Chemotaxis and killing capacities of neutrophilic leucocytes were undisturbed, whereas in skin biopsies no specific immunoglobulin or complement deposits were found with immunofluorescence. With double immunodiffusion, antibodies against Gram-positive bacteria were found.

Cloning of the mycobacterial epitope recognized by T lymphocytes in adjuvant arthritis.

Adjuvant arthritis (AA) is a chronic disease inducible in rats by immunization with an antigen of Mycobacterium tuberculosis. After the isolation of arthritogenic T-cell lines and clones, it became possible to demonstrate that the critical M. tuberculosis antigen contained an epitope cross-reactive with a self-antigen in joint cartilage.

Allergen specific IgGd antibodies in dogs with atopic dermatitis as determined by the enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).

Allergen specific IgGd antibodies were detected by the enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in 89% of the 62 atopic dogs studied. Antibodies were found most frequently against house dust (47%), human dander (50%), grass pollens (58%) and spring tree pollens (43%). These antibodies were also found in 11 of 20 dogs with atopic symptoms but without immediate skin test reactivity to inhalant allergens.

Induction of non-IgE anaphylactic antibodies in dogs.

Dogs immunized with o-DNCP-BSA or eggs of Toxocara canis developed anaphylactic antibodies other than IgE. The antibodies were heat-resistant at 56 degrees C for 2 hours, not reduced by 2-mercaptoethanol and PCA and P-K reactivity was only observed at 3-4 h sensitized sites of recipient skin. High titres of antigen-specific IgGd were determined by means of an ELISA technique.

A study on the synthesis and secretion of immunoglobulins by the Jarderian gland of the fowl after eyedrop vaccination against infectious bronchitis at 1-day-old.

One-day-old chickens with maternally derived antibodies to infectious bronchitis virus (IBV) were vaccinated against IB by eye-drop. At 2 and 3 weeks of age the synthesis of immunoglobulins of the IgA isotype in the Harderian gland was demonstrated by immunofluorescence. With an anti IgG conjugate diffuse fluorescence of IgG was observed in the gland at 2, 3 and 4 weeks of age.

Quantitation of immunoglobulins in ovine sera and secretions by laser nephelometry. Comparison with the radial immunodiffusion (RID) technique.

In twenty-five ovine body fluids (serum, lung fluid and cerebrospinal fluid), the concentrations of IgG1I, IgG2, IgM and IgA were determined by laser nephelometry and radial immunodiffusion (RID). When nephelometric assays are carried out, antisera free from any turbidity are essential. Methods ensuring that goat and rabbit anti-sera will satisfy this requirement are described in the present paper.

Quantification of turkey immunoglobulins IgA, IgM and IgG in serum and secretions.

The immunoglobulins IgA, IgM and IgG of the turkey were quantitated in individual serum samples as well as in pooled sera. The variability of Ig levels in normal, healthy birds was quite high: IgA: mean value 0.633 mg/ml (4.

Pigeon IgA: a major antigen in pigeon breeder's disease.

Pigeon IgA has been isolated from crop-milk and an antiserum was produced. Extracts of the dust in pigeon coops contained detectable amounts of pigeon IgA, but not IgG. The sera of patients with pigeon breeder's disease contained precipitating antibody against pigeon IgA.

Protein A reactivity of various mammalian immunoglobulins.

Serum samples and immunoglobulin fractions of eight mammalian species were applied to a Sepharose--protein A column. As with the human immunoglobulin subclasses IgG1, IgG2 and IgG4, all examined IgG classes and subclasses were bound to a greater or lesser extent to protein A. However, the binding of IgG1 of ruminants was very poor.

The immunoglobulins of the turkey (Meleagris gallopavo). Isolation and characterization of IgG, IgM and IgA in body fluids, eggs and intraocular tissues.

The distribution of the immunoglobulins IgG, IgM, and IgA in turkey serum, bile, egg white, egg yolk, intestinal secretions, and some intraocular tissues has been studied. Just as in the chicken and the pigeon, IgG is the most abundant immunoglobulin in the serum and IgA in egg white, intestinal secretions and bile. In addition, IgM was detected in serum and egg white, and IgG in egg yolk, iris, vitreous body, and aqueous humor.