Experimental model of periodontitis and rheumatoid arthritis potentiates the deleterious effects on functional capacity, leukocyte migration, synovial and periodontal tissues in rats.

Objective: This study aimed to evaluate whether ligature-induced periodontitis and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) potentiate the deleterious effects on functional capacity, periodontal and synovial tissues, leukocyte migration, and interleukin 17 (IL-17) levels, and to investigate the repercussions of single Freund's Complete Adjuvant (FCA) injection associated with periodontitis.

Materials And Methods: Fifty-one male rats were randomised into six groups: control (CG,  = 8), RA (RAG,  = 9), periodontitis (PG,  = 9), periodontitis and RA (PRAG,  = 9), periodontitis and intradermal injection (PIDG,  = 9), and periodontitis and intra-articular injection (PIAG,  = 7). The animals underwent ligature placement and one or two injections with FCA to induce RA.

Effects of the Association of Periodontitis and Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus Induced on Periodontal Tissues and the Duodenal Mucosa of Wistar Rats.

Forty Wistar rats were used: (1) control group (CG); (2) group of periodontal disease (PD); (3) type 1 diabetes mellitus group (T1DM); (4) type 1 diabetes mellitus + periodontal disease group (T1DM + PD). In groups T1DM and T1DM + PD, T1DM induction was performed with the administration of streptozotocin (STZ) 80 mg/kg intraperitoneal body weight. The PD and T1DM + PD groups were submitted to PD induction with ligation.

Maternal periodontal disease as a risk factor for preterm birth and low-birth-weight babies: a case-control study.

Periodontal disease is considered a public health problem because of its high prevalence, while premature birth is a serious perinatal problem, persisting as one of the major causes of perinatal mortality and morbidity. Therefore, the objective of this study was to evaluate the effect of maternal periodontal disease on the occurrence of preterm birth and the birth weight of their babies. The study sample included 45 new mothers, aged 18-35 years, who presented either slight or moderate to severe localized or generalized chronic periodontitis with bleeding on probing and gingival inflammation.

Physiological and Behavioral Indicators to Measure Crustacean Welfare.

This project determined how neural circuits are affected during warming by examining sensory neurons, the neuromuscular junction, and the cardiac function and behavior of the commercially important crustacean species, the red swamp crayfish ( ). Rapid inactivation of neural function in crustaceans prior to slaughter is important to limit exposure to noxious stimuli, thus improving animal welfare. This study demonstrated that as a crayfish is warmed at 1 °C/min, the heart beat stops at 44 °C.

Physiological Changes as a Measure of Crustacean Welfare under Different Standardized Stunning Techniques: Cooling and Electroshock.

Stunning of edible crustaceans to reduce sensory perception prior and during slaughter is an important topic in animal welfare. The purpose of this project was to determine how neural circuits were affected during stunning by examining the physiological function of neural circuits. The central nervous system circuit to a cardiac or skeletal muscle response was examined.

Somatic acupuncture versus ear acupuncture in migraine therapy: a randomized, controlled, blind study.

This study compares the clinical effectiveness of somatic and ear acupuncture for treatment of migraine without aura. 35 patients were divided into 2 groups, one receiving somatic and the other ear acupuncture. Both groups were treated once a week for 8 weeks and needles were stimulated manually.

Hybrid (intravenous and oral) administration of vinorelbine plus cisplatinum followed by oral vinorelbine as first-line therapy of advanced non-small cell lung cancer: a phase II study.

Background: The combination of alternate i.v./oral (hybrid) administration of vinorelbine (VNR) plus cisplatin (CDDP), followed by oral VNR, could result in a more suitable first-line regimen for patients (pts) with advanced non-small cell lung cancer (aNSCLC) in the outpatient setting.

Phase II study of cetuximab in combination with FOLFIRI in patients with untreated advanced gastric or gastroesophageal junction adenocarcinoma (FOLCETUX study).

Background: The purpose of this phase II study was to evaluate the efficacy and safety of cetuximab combined with FOLFIRI as a first-line treatment of advanced gastric or gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) adenocarcinoma.

Patients And Methods: Untreated patients with confirmed advanced gastric or gastroesophageal adenocarcinoma received cetuximab at an initial dose of 400 mg/m(2) intravenously (i.v.

Capecitabine plus oxaliplatin (xelox) versus protracted 5-fluorouracil venous infusion plus oxaliplatin (pvifox) as first-line treatment in advanced colorectal cancer: a GOAM phase II randomised study (FOCA trial).

Unlabelled: This phase II randomised trial compares oxaliplatin plus protracted infusion of 5-fluorouracil (pviFOX) or oxaliplatin plus capecitabine (XELOX) in the first-line treatment of advanced colorectal cancer (ACRC).

Methods: From December 2001 to March 2005, 118 patients were randomised to arm A (pviFOX: pvi5-FU by a central venous catheter 250 mg/m2/daily d1-21+oxaliplatin 130 mg/m2 d1 q3w) (56 pts) or arm B (XELOX: capecitabine 1000 mg/m2 po bid d1-14+oxaliplatin at the same schedule) (62 pts).

Results: Patient characteristics were well-balanced between the two arms.

Sequential chemotherapy with cisplatin/gemcitabine (CG) followed by mitoxantrone/methotrexate/mitomycin (MMM) in patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma. A multicenter Italian Phase II Study (SITMP1).

Purpose: We performed a multicenter phase II trial to evaluate the impact on the activity, efficacy, symptom control and safety of using two active regimens in a sequential schedule (cisplatin/gemcitabine followed by mitoxantrone/methotrexate/mitomycin) as first-line chemotherapy for unresectable malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM).

Patients And Methods: A total of 54 patients received cisplatin 75 mg/m(2) on day 1 and gemcitabine 1,200 mg/m(2) on days 1 and 8, every 3 weeks for four courses (CG regimen) followed by mitoxantrone 10 mg/m(2) on day 1, methotrexate 35 mg/m(2) on day 1 and mitomycin 7 mg/m(2) on day 1, every 3 weeks with mitomycin in alternate cycles for four courses (MMM regimen).

Results: We observed 3 complete responses (CRs) (5.

Spontaneous splenic rupture after the start of lung cancer chemotherapy. A case report.

Hamartoma of the spleen, first described by Rokitansky in 1861 under the name of "splenoma", is a rare benign lesion that is nearly always asymptomatic. Apart from the congenital forms there are also acquired forms of splenoma that are frequently associated with hematological diseases or solid tumors. We describe the case of a man suffering from splenoma who had a spontaneous rupture of the spleen with serious hemoperitoneum a few hours after the start of polychemotherapy for squamous cell lung cancer.

Influence of quality of sleep on the nocturnal decline in blood pressure during ambulatory blood pressure monitoring.

Objective: To assess the influence of the quality of sleep on the nocturnal physiological drop in blood pressure during ambulatory blood pressure monitoring.

Methods: We consecutively assessed ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, the degree of tolerance for the examination, and the quality of sleep in 168 patients with hypertension or with the suspected "white-coat" effect. Blood pressure fall during sleep associated with a specific questionnaire and an analogical visual scale of tolerance for ambulatory blood pressure monitoring were used to assess usual sleep and sleep on the day of examination.

Prospective phase II study of single-agent gemcitabine in untreated elderly patients with stage IIIB/IV non-small-cell lung cancer.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of single-agent gemcitabine in untreated elderly patients with stage IIIb/IV non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). Since April 1997, 46 consecutive patients have been enrolled in this multicenter study. Gemcitabine 1,000 mg/m2 was administered as a 30-minute intravenous infusion on days 1, 8, and 15 every 28 days.

Oxaliplatin and protracted continuous 5-fluorouracil infusion in patients with pretreated advanced colorectal carcinoma.

Background: Both OHP and 5-FU are clinically active as single agents in the treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer (MCRC). Clinical and laboratory studies suggest a synergistic interaction between these agents. This phase II study was performed to evaluate the activity of a schedule including OHP and protracted 5-FU infusion in 5-FU-resistant MCRC.

Combination chemotherapy with mitoxantrone, methotrexate, and mitomycin (MMM regimen) in malignant pleural mesothelioma: a phase II study.

The prognosis of malignant pleural mesothelioma is poor, with a median survival time from diagnosis of 7 to 17 months. At present there is no standardized treatment of this neoplasia. Between July 1995 and January 1999, 22 patients with malignant pleural mesothelioma were enrolled in our study.

Anthracyclines in non-small-cell lung cancer: do they have a therapeutic role?

Background: Owing to its low level of activity together with its potential cardiotoxicity, doxorubicin (DXR) has been considered as having a marginal role in the treatment of NSCLC. Its analogue, epirubicin (EPI), has also shown a poor antitumor activity in the treatment of NSCLC when used at 'standard' doses (= 90 mg/m2). On the contrary, high-dose epirubicin (HD-EPI) (> 90 mg/m2) has demonstrated antitumor activity as a single agent in the treatment of advanced NSCLC in six small phase II studies (mean 25%, range 17%-36%).

Multicenter randomized clinical trial on high-dose epirubicin plus cis-platinum versus vinorelbine plus cis-platinum in advanced non small cell lung cancer.

Background: High dose Epirubicin (HD-EPI) (>90 mg/m2) and Vinorelbine (VNR) demonstrated antitumor activity as single agent (about 20%) in the treatment of advanced NSCLC. This trial compares these two agents combined with cisplatin (CP).

Patients And Methods: From August 1992 to February 1996, 228 patients with locally advanced or metastatic NSCLC were randomized to receive either EPI 120 mg/m2 as i.

Comparative crossover trial of two intravenous doses of granisetron (1 mg vs 3 mg) + dexamethasone in the prevention of acute cis-platinum-induced emesis.

Background: The 5HT3 receptor antagonist Granisetron (GRA) is available on the market as a 1 mg vial in USA and as a 3 mg vial in Europe. This study aimed to compare the two i.v.

Epilepsy surgery without invasive EEG. Early results of a new program.

A total of 42 patients were submitted to a clinical, behavioural and neuropsychological evaluation with the objective of eventual surgical treatment of epilepsy refractory to the usual clinical therapies. Prolonged video-EEG monitoring, MRI hippocampal volume measurement, lateralization of speech and memory using the amobarbital (Wada) test were used. Of 18 operated cases, 12 were submitted to temporal lobectomy, with a follow-up of 6-30 months; 8 patients had significant improvement in seizures control; 2 patients had partial improvement in seizure frequency and intensity; 2 patients had no improvement in seizure control.

[Digital EEG with brain mapping in Alzheimer's dementia and Parkinson's disease. A prospective controlled study].

In order to evaluate the EEG activity during wakefulness in senile dementia of the Alzheimer type (AD) and Parkinson's disease (PD), a prospective controlled study was performed. We compared 6 AD and 11 PD patients with a control group of 12 patients with mild to moderate major chronic depression (DSM-III-R, 1987). The median of the frequencies and the power of the posterior dominant activity was obtained in the three groups using spectral analysis.

The antiemetic efficacy and the cost-benefit ratio of ondansetron calculated with a new approach to health technology assessment (real cost-benefit index).

In a phase II study including 80 patients treated with highly emetic drugs such as cisplatin, carboplatin or cyclophosphamide > 600 mg/day) we confirmed the potential of ondansetron to prevent cancer chemotherapy- related acute nausea and vomiting. With a total dose of 19.0-37.

Comparative phase II study of idarubicin versus doxorubicin in advanced breast cancer.

The aim of the present study is to confirm the antitumor activity of orally administered idarubicin (IDA) in patients with advanced breast cancer. Doxorubicin (ADRIA) was chosen as control treatment and the patients were randomized to receive either IDA or ADRIA according to a 2:1 ratio. Sixty-three patients, 77% of whom were pretreated with chemotherapy excluding anthracyclines, entered the study.

Medroxyprogesterone acetate at very high doses in postmenopausal advanced breast cancer patients.

Twenty-six postmenopausal consecutive patients with advanced breast cancer were treated with very high medroxyprogesterone acetate doses (4000 mg/day orally for 30 days and then 3000 mg/day orally until progression or intolerance). The dominant metastatic lesion was bone in 13 patients, soft tissue in 3 patients and viscera in 10 patients (C.I.

A pilot study of oral idarubicin in metastatic melanoma.

Seventeen patients with disseminated melanoma were treated with Idarubicin (IDA) at the dose of 15 mg/m2 daily for 3 consecutive days every 4 weeks by oral route. One complete remission and one partial remission were achieved (remission rate: 12%). The treatment was well tolerated.