Impact of Δ-Tetrahydrocannabinol on Rheumatoid Arthritis Synovial Fibroblasts Alone and in Co-Culture with Peripheral Blood Mononuclear Cells.

δ9-Tetrahydrocannabinol (THC) has demonstrated anti-inflammatory effects in animal models of arthritis, but its mechanism of action and cellular targets are still unclear. The purpose of this study is to elucidate the effects of THC (0.1-25 µM) on synovial fibroblasts from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RASF) and peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) from healthy donors in respect to proliferation, calcium mobilization, drug uptake, cytokine and immunoglobulin production.

[Draft of the best medical treatment in patients with low-risk thyroid cancer].

Introduction: The incidence of well-differentiated low-risk thyroid cancer have increased globally over the last three decades. Thyroid cancer treatment relates to a suitable surgical procedure and the use of adjuvant radio-iodine therapy in selected patients. Evaluation of prognostic factors and risk stratification are critical for determining appropriate treatment.

[Anaplastic carcinoma of the thyroid gland].

Introduction: The characteristics of anaplastic carcinoma, its biological properties, incidence and possibilities of therapeutic influence are described in the article.

Material And Methods: The authors present a cohort of patients with anaplastic carcinoma of the thyroid gland (ATC) who were operated on at the Department of Surgery during the last 5 years.

Results: The destiny of all the patients with histologically confirmed anaplastic carcinoma is followed, the survival period is evaluated.

Anthracyclines and ellipticines as DNA-damaging anticancer drugs: recent advances.

Over the past forty years, anthracyclines and ellipticines have attracted attention as promising cytostatics. In this review, we focus on their mechanisms of cytoxicity, DNA-damaging effects and adverse side-effects. We also summarize ways to enhance the therapeutic effects of these drugs together with a decrease in their adverse effects.

BRAFV600E mutation in the pathogenesis of a large series of papillary thyroid carcinoma in Czech Republic.

Background: Activating point mutation of the BRAF gene, the most common genetic alteration reported in papillary thyroid carcinomas (PTC), has been associated with poor prognostic characteristics.

Aim: Our objective was to determine the frequency of BRAFV600E mutation in PTC tumor tissues from the period 1960-2007 and to correlate it with clinicopathological parameters.

Subjects And Methods: DNAs were extracted from 242 PTCs, 23 sporadic medullary carcinomas, one anaplastic carcinoma and 6 poorly differentiated carcinomas.