Hexaminolevulinate is equal to 5-aminolevulinic acid concerning residual tumor and recurrence rate following photodynamic diagnostic assisted transurethral resection of bladder tumors.

Objectives: To compare the outcomes of 5-aminolaevulinic acid (ALA) vs hexaminolaevulinate (HEX) vs white light (WL) transurethral resection of bladder tumors (TURB) to assess transferability of ALA findings to HEX. Extending WL-TURB with photodynamic diagnostic improves outcome. Two fluorescent agents have been commonly used for this.

Characteristics and outcomes of patients with clinical T1 grade 3 urothelial carcinoma treated with radical cystectomy: results from an international cohort.

Background: Management of T1 grade 3 (T1G3) urothelial carcinoma of the bladder (UCB), with its variable behaviour, represents one of the most difficult challenges for urologists and patients alike.

Objective: To evaluate the characteristics and long-term outcome of patients with clinical T1G3 UCB treated with radical cystectomy (RC).

Design, Setting, And Participants: Data from 1136 patients treated with RC for clinical T1G3 UCB without neoadjuvant chemotherapy were collected at 12 centres located in Europe, the United States, and Canada.

[Does technical progress mean clinical advantage? Analysis of clinical and histopathological parameters of renal cell carcinomas in long-term course].

Purpose: Renal cell carcinoma is the third most frequent urogenital malignancy. The increased incidence in the past few years can be attributed in particular to increased incidental findings since the introduction of routine ultrasound and radiological imaging. In the current contribution we analyse in a long-term approach the actual impact of these advances on indications for surgical management.

Long-term proton pump induced hypergastrinaemia does induce lineage-specific restitution but not clonal expansion in benign Barrett's oesophagus in vivo.

Background: Barrett's oesophagus is a common premalignant lesion caused partly by acid reflux. Although the requisite therapy, proton pump inhibitors (PPIs), have been implicated in the progression of Barrett's oesophagus in animal models, harmful effects of prolonged PPI therapy in Barrett's oesophagus is both inconclusive and controversial. We therefore aimed to test the role of PPI-induced hypergastrinaemia in vitro and see whether any biological parameters were useful surrogates of long-term therapy in man.

No mutations of FGFR3 in normal urothelium in the vicinity of urothelial carcinoma of the bladder harbouring activating FGFR3 mutations in patients with bladder cancer.

Mutations in the fibroblast growth factor receptor 3 (FGFR3) gene causing constitutive oncogenic protein activation have been shown to be frequent in papillary noninvasive bladder tumours and are associated with a low risk of progression and a favourable outcome. FGFR3 alterations have also been found in benign urothelial papilloma and flat urothelial hyperplasia suggesting FGFR3 alterations as an early event in bladder tumorigenesis. To date there is no data available on FGFR3 mutations in normal urothelium from patients with bladder cancer.

Prognostic value of histopathological tumour growth patterns at the invasion front of T1G3 urothelial carcinoma of the bladder.

Objective: The course of non-muscle-invasive urothelial carcinoma of the bladder (BC) staged T1G3 is hardly predictable and treatment is subject of intensive debate. In muscle-invasive BC, the infiltrative growth pattern at the tumour invasion front was able to predict patients' survival, in contrast to the nodular and trabecular growth pattern. The aim of this study was to evaluate this aspect in a series of primary T1G3 BC.

Gene expression studies in kiwifruit and gene over-expression in Arabidopsis indicates that GDP-L-galactose guanyltransferase is a major control point of vitamin C biosynthesis.

Vitamin C (L-ascorbic acid, AsA) is an essential metabolite for plants and animals. Kiwifruit (Actinidia spp.) are a rich dietary source of AsA for humans.

Photodynamic diagnosis for superficial bladder cancer: do all risk-groups profit equally from oncological and economic long-term results?

Objective: Photodynamic diagnosis (PDD) of superficial bladder cancer decreases recurrence rates. We present oncological results of a randomized, prospective study, comparing transurethral resection (TUR) performed under conventional white light (WL) with PDD. The follow-up period is the longest reported to date.

Measuring transcription factor-binding site turnover: a maximum likelihood approach using phylogenies.

A major mode of gene expression evolution is based on changes in cis-regulatory elements (CREs) whose function critically depends on the presence of transcription factor-binding sites (TFBS). Because CREs experience extensive TFBS turnover even with conserved function, alignment-based studies of CRE sequence evolution are limited to very closely related species. Here, we propose an alternative approach based on a stochastic model of TFBS turnover.

A survey of nematode SmY RNAs.

SmY RNAs are a family of approximately 70-90 nt small nuclear RNAs found in nematodes. In C. elegans, SmY RNAs copurify in a small ribonucleoprotein (snRNP) complex related to the SL1 and SL2 snRNPs that are involved in nematode mRNA trans-splicing.

Exogenous bone marrow cells do not rescue non-irradiated mice from acute renal tubular damage caused by HgCl2, despite establishment of chimaerism and cell proliferation in bone marrow and spleen.

Objective: Various studies have shown that bone marrow stem cells can rescue mice from acute renal tubular damage under a conditioning advantage (irradiation or cisplatin treatment) favouring donor cell engraftment and regeneration; however, it is not known whether bone marrow cells (BMCs) can contribute to repair of acute tubular damage in the absence of a selection pressure for the donor cells. The aim of this study was to examine this possibility.

Materials And Methods: Ten-week-old female mice were assigned into control non-irradiated animals having only vehicle treatment, HgCl(2)-treated non-irradiated mice, HgCl(2)-treated non-irradiated mice infused with male BMCs 1 day after HgCl(2), and vehicle-treated mice with male BMCs.

Cannabinoid receptor CB2 localisation and agonist-mediated inhibition of capsaicin responses in human sensory neurons.

Cannabinoid receptor 2 (CB2) agonists provide the potential for treating chronic pain states without CNS effects associated with CB1 receptor activation. Animal models suggest that they act mainly via non-neuronal cells, possibly inhibition of inflammatory cells in the periphery or CNS, or via release of beta-endorphin; however, the clinical relevance and mechanism of analgesic action is uncertain. Here, we demonstrate colocalisation of CB2 with CB1 and the capsaicin receptor TRPV1 in human dorsal root ganglion (DRG) sensory neurons and increased levels of CB2 receptors in human peripheral nerves after injury, particularly painful neuromas.

Haematopoietic lineage-committed bone marrow cells, but not cloned cultured mesenchymal stem cells, contribute to regeneration of renal tubular epithelium after HgCl 2 -induced acute tubular injury.

Objective: Our previous studies have demonstrated that endogenous bone arrow cells (BMCs) contribute to renal tubular regeneration after acute tubular injury. The aim of this study was to examine which fraction of BMCs, haematopoietic lineage marrow cells (HLMCs) or mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs), are effective.

Materials And Methods: Six-week-old female mice were lethally irradiated and were transplanted with female enhanced green fluorescent protein-positive (GFP(+)), plastic on-adherent marrow cells (as a source of HLMCs) plus cloned cultured male GFP(-) MSCs.

Immunogenicity and safety assessments after one and two doses of a refrigerator-stable tetravalent measles-mumps-rubella-varicella vaccine in healthy children during the second year of life.

Background: Measles, mumps, and rubella (MMR) and varicella (V) vaccines are often coadministered at 1 clinic visit. This study (104389/NCT00127023) was undertaken to assess the immunogenicity and safety of a new refrigerator-stable tetravalent MMRV vaccine after 1 dose and after 2 doses administered during the second year of life.

Methods: Nine hundred seventy healthy children aged 10-21 months received 2 doses of MMRV vaccine (Priorix-Tetra; GlaxoSmithKline Biologicals, Rixensart, Belgium) 42 days apart (MMRV group; N = 732) or 1 dose of MMR vaccine (Priorix) coadministered with varicella vaccine (Varilrix) followed by a second dose of only MMR vaccine 42 days later (MMR + V group; N = 238).

[Impact of comorbidity on perioperative mortality after radical cystectomy].

The TNM classification integrates the currently valid prognostic factors for tumour-specific survival after radical cystectomy due to bladder cancer. But it does not contain the most important criteria for general survival. We assessed the preoperative and operative aspects of our patients between 1992 and 2007 concerning the early mortality within the hospital stay or within 30 days after surgery.

TRPA1 receptor localisation in the human peripheral nervous system and functional studies in cultured human and rat sensory neurons.

TRPA1 is a receptor expressed by sensory neurons, that is activated by low temperature (<17 degrees C) and plant derivatives such as cinnamaldehyde and isoeugenol, to elicit sensations including pain. Using immunohistochemistry, we have, for the first time, localised TRPA1 in human DRG neurons, spinal cord motoneurones and nerve roots, peripheral nerves, intestinal myenteric plexus neurones, and skin basal keratinocytes. TRPA1 co-localised with a subset of hDRG neurons positive for TRPV1, the heat and capsaicin receptor.

Cytosine arabinoside affects the heat and capsaicin receptor TRPV1 localisation and sensitivity in human sensory neurons.

Background: Cytosine arabinoside (Ara C) is a useful chemotherapy agent, used for treating acute myeloid leukaemia, although it may be associated with side effects including painful neuropathy. It is also used for in vitro neuronal studies to limit the proliferation of non-neuronal cells and thereby select nondividing neuronal cells. We studied the effects of Ara C on human dorsal root ganglion (DRG) neurons, especially the expression and sensitivity of the ion channel TRPV1, which responds to noxious heat and capsaicin and is a key mediator of neuropathic pain.

Efficacy of antibiotic penetration into pancreatic necrosis.

Background: Infection of pancreatic necrosis is the most dangerous complication of acute necrotizing pancreatitis. Infection is undoubtedly caused by the endogenous flora of the host. This is why prophylaxis with a broad-spectrum antibiotic is considered an effective procedure.

Side populations of gastrointestinal cancers are not enriched in stem cells.

The side population (SP) phenotype, defined as the reserpine-blockable ability to efflux the nucleic acid dye Hoechst 33342, has been claimed to be enriched for stem cells in several human normal tissues, cancers and cell lines, and thus may be useful for the identification and isolation of cancer stem cells. We demonstrated the presence of SP fractions in all of seven tested gastrointestinal cancer cell lines. Four cell lines were selected (HT29, HGT101, Caco2 and HRA19a1.

[Bladder preservation or initial cystectomy in T1G3 bladder cancer: which parameters help in therapeutic decision-making?].

Purpose: T1G3 bladder cancers show the clinical and biological behaviour of muscle invasive tumours with progression rates of about 30%. While radical cystectomy in some cases is indicated, other patients can achieve healing with organ preservation. We present a study analysing the influence of the risk factors multifocality, tumour diameter >or= 3 cm and associated carcinoma in situ (Cis) on the outcome of initial T1G3 bladder cancers treated in various ways.

Does photodynamic transurethral resection of bladder tumour improve the outcome of initial T1 high-grade bladder cancer? A long-term follow-up of a randomized study.

Objective: To evaluate, in a long-term follow-up of T1 high-grade bladder cancer treated in a prospective, randomized trial, whether fluorescence diagnosis (FD) increases recurrence-free survival (RFS) or reduces progression to muscle-invasive stages.

Patients And Methods: In all, 191 patients with suspected superficial bladder cancer were treated with transurethral resection under white light (WL) or with FD; 46 presented with initial T1 high-grade BC (WL, 25; FD, 21). There were no differences in multifocality of tumours, concomitant carcinoma in situ or tumour size in either group.

[Photodynamic diagnostic of superficial bladder carcinoma].

Up to 50-70 % of superficial bladder carcinomas recur. To improve the surgical results of transurethral resection the photodynamic diagnostic with 5-aminolevulinic acid is used. 5-aminolevulinic acid specifically accumulates in malignant cells leading to fluorescence under blue light cystoscopy.

Bladder sparing approach for initial T1G3 bladder cancer: Do multifocality, size of tumor or concomitant carcinoma in situ matter? A long-term analysis of 132 patients.

Objectives: In T1 bladder cancer (BC) multifocality, size of tumor (> or =3 cm) and concomitant carcinoma in situ (CIS) are used to stratify patients' risk. We compared the long-term results in patients with initial T1G3 bc treated with transurethral resection of the bladder (TURB), bacille Calmette-Guérin (BCG) instillations and repeat resection with special regard to these clinical risk factors. The aim was to determine if they influence the outcome in the bladder sparing approach for initial T1G3 bc.

Spontaneous ventral urethral fistula in a young diabetic man: a case report.

We present the first case reported in the medical literature of a patient with a spontaneous ventral urethral fistula accompanied by severe infection due to diabetes mellitus. A 34-year-old man with poor controlled adult-onset diabetes mellitus was admitted to our hospital with a large subcutaneous abscess involving the complete penis, scrotum and perineum. The patient did not report any history of any penile trauma or local infection but has experienced transient swelling of the perineal region following urination.