Non-MHC driven exacerbation of experimental thyroiditis in the postpartum period.

Many human autoimmune diseases, including those of the thyroid gland, are affected by immune changes during pregnancy and the postpartum period. To investigate this influence, we have developed an animal model of pregnancy thyroiditis by using thyroglobulin (Tg)-induced experimental autoimmune thyroiditis (EAT). We now report a study of the post-partum period in mice with EAT.

Phase III trial comparing a defined duration of therapy versus continuous therapy followed by second-line therapy in advanced-stage IIIB/IV non-small-cell lung cancer.

Purpose: To compare four cycles of therapy versus continuous therapy to determine the optimal duration of chemotherapy in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC).

Patients And Methods: Stage IIIB/IV NSCLC patients were randomized to arm A (four cycles of carboplatin at an area under the curve of 6 and paclitaxel 200 mg/m(2) every 21 days) or arm B (continuous treatment with carboplatin/paclitaxel until progression). At progression, all patients on both arms were to receive second-line weekly paclitaxel at 80 mg/m(2)/wk.

Gonadal tumor with granulosa cell tumor features in an adult testis.

Granulosa cell tumor is almost exclusively an ovarian tumor. Rare cases of granulosa cell tumor have been reported involving the testes. We report a testicular gonadal stromal tumor with granulosa cell differentiation in a 54-year-old white man.

Postradiation prostatic sarcoma: de novo carcinogenesis or dedifferentiation of prostatic adenocarcinoma?

Postradiation sarcoma (PRS) of the prostate is rare. We describe the second case associated with brachytherapy for adenocarcinoma and review the literature on prior cases of PRS as well as carcinosarcoma, a dedifferentiated form ofadenocarcinoma that may be confused with true prostate sarcoma. It is clear that radiation to the prostate confers a significantly increased risk for subsequent sarcoma, although not within the prostate.

Intrathyroidal fetal microchimerism in pregnancy and postpartum.

To investigate a possible relationship between fetal microchimerism and autoimmune thyroiditis, we looked for the presence of fetal cells in the maternal blood and thyroid gland in murine experimental autoimmune thyroiditis (EAT). We used a quantitative PCR-ELISA for products of the SRY locus on the Y chromosome to detect fetal male cells during pregnancy and the postpartum period with a sensitivity of approximately 1 male cell/10(5) female cells. Within the thyroid glands, 12 of 26 (46%) Tg-immunized pregnant mice were SRY positive (range, 1-1700 cells), whereas, in contrast, few SRY transcripts were detected in control thyroids from nonimmunized pregnant mice (P < 0.

Contribution of body composition to nutritional assessment at hospital admission in 995 patients: a controlled population study.

Body weight, weight changes and BMI are easily obtainable indicators of nutritional status, but they do not provide information on the amount of fat-free and fat masses. The purpose of the present study was to determine if fat-free mass (FFM) and fat mass were depleted in patients with normal BMI or serum albumin at hospital admission. A group of 995 consecutive patients were evaluated for malnutrition by BMI, serum albumin, and 50 kHz bioelectrical impedance analysis and compared with 995 healthy adults, matched for age and height, and then compared with FFM and fat mass percentiles previously determined in 5225 healthy adults.

Immunohistochemical analysis of prostate specific antigen in breast cancer.

The presence of immunoreactive prostate-specific antigen (IR-PSA) has been reported in breast cancers and has been suggested to confer a positive prognosis. However, recent large, well-controlled studies have found no significant prognostic value when IR-PSA positivity is examined as an independent variable, even when ultrasensitive immunofluorometric techniques are utilized. The present study, using indirect immunohistochemistry on 75 formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded breast cancers shows PSA immunoreactivity in only seven of 75 cases (9%), suggesting that PSA positivity in breast carcinoma is not useful as a prognostic or tumor marker with hospital-based methods.

Primary epithelioid angiosarcoma of the adrenal gland.

Primary angiosarcomas of the adrenal gland are exceptionally rare vascular tumors. We report a case of a 63-year-old man with an epithelioid angiosarcoma of the left adrenal gland. Visualized on computed tomography as a nonhomogeneous round mass, the tumor measured 3 cm in diameter.

Prospective evaluation of patients with syncope: a population-based study.

Purpose: To determine the diagnostic yield of a standardized sequential evaluation of patients with syncope in a primary care teaching hospital.

Patients And Methods: All consecutive patients who presented to the emergency department with syncope as a chief complaint were enrolled. Their evaluation included initial and routine clinical examination, including carotid sinus massage, as well as electrocardiography and basic laboratory testing.

Renal cell carcinoma with intravascular lymphomatosis: a case report of unusual collision tumors with review of the literature.

We report the case of a 77-year-old white woman who presented with a left breast mass, lethargy, and weight loss. Pelvic computed tomographic scan revealed a 9.5-cm mass in the right kidney.

The Src-suppressed C kinase substrate, SSeCKS, is a potential metastasis inhibitor in prostate cancer.

The molecular mechanisms leading to prostate cancer remain poorly understood, especially concerning the progression to the metastatic form. SSeCKS, a major protein kinase C substrate with tumor suppressor activity, is likely the rodent orthologue of human Gravin/AKAP12, a scaffolding protein for protein kinases A and C. Gravin was mapped as a single-copy gene to 6q24-25.

Performance of helical computed tomography in unselected outpatients with suspected pulmonary embolism.

Background: Helical computed tomography (CT) is commonly used to diagnose pulmonary embolism, although its operating characteristics have been insufficiently evaluated.

Objective: To assess the sensitivity and specificity of helical CT in suspected pulmonary embolism.

Design: Observational study.

Clinical evaluation of the management of community-acquired pneumonia by general practitioners in France.

Study Objectives: To evaluate the management of community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) by general practitioners (GPs) in terms of clinical efficiency and adherence to official recommendations.

Design: Prospective cohort study.

Setting: Community-based study from 11 French counties.

Elevation of creatine kinase in acute severe asthma is not of cardiac origin.

Objective: To study prospectively if, when plasma creatine kinase (CK) and plasma myoglobin are elevated, the origin of these abnormalities is cardiac or not, by measuring cardio-specific troponin T (cTT).

Method: Fifteen patients with acute severe bronchial asthma (ASBA) were prospectively studied in the intensive care unit (ICU) with continuous electrocardiograph (ECG). Plasma CK, CK-MB, myoglobin and cTT were measured at 0, 4, 8, 12, 16 and 20 h in the ICU.

Hemangioma of the testis: report of unusual occurrences of cavernous hemangioma in a fetus and capillary hemangioma in an older man.

We report two cases of hemangiomata of the testes which occurred in a 17-week-old fetus and a 73-year-old man. To our knowledge, these are the first reported cases of cavernous hemangioma of the testis in a fetus and capillary hemangioma of the testis in an older man. Although a hemangioma of the testis is rare, it should be considered in the differential diagnosis of a testicular tumor.

Pregnancy and murine thyroiditis: thyroglobulin immunization leads to fetal loss in specific allogeneic pregnancies.

Thyroid autoantibodies are risk factors in human pregnancy. To investigate the influence of autoimmune thyroiditis on pregnancy, we have studied the impact of murine experimental autoimmune thyroiditis (EAT) on pregnancy outcome by using thyroglobulin (Tg) immunized CBA/J (H2(k)) female mice. When Tg immunized mice were mated with BALB/c (H2(d)) males, only 57% (47/83) of pregnant mice maintained their conceptions compared with >85% of other strain combinations (P < 0.

Effects of neoadjuvant hormonal therapy on prostate biopsy results after (125)I and (103)Pd seed implantation.

Background: Androgen ablation may improve the efficacy of radiation therapy.

Patients And Methods: A total of 296 patients who had either (125)I (206; 70%) or (103)Pd (90; 30%) transperineal prostate brachytherapy (no external-beam radiation) had routine transrectal ultrasound-guided needle biopsy (minimum six cores) 2 years after treatment without regard to disease status. Neoadjuvant hormonal therapy (NHT: leuprolide acetate and flutamide) was used in 115 patients (39%) for 3 months prior to and 3 months after the implant.

Feasibility of pathological evaluation of morcellated kidneys after radical nephrectomy.

Purpose: The indications for laparoscopic nephrectomy have grown to include renal malignancy. Although morcellation of these specimens has been described, to our knowledge we present the first systematic review of the feasibility and validity of pathological evaluation of these tumors with regard to grade and stage.

Materials And Methods: Nine formalin fixed and 5 fresh intact radical nephrectomy specimens were evaluated by 2 pathologists before and after high speed electrical tissue morcellation.

The effect of disease and treatment-related factors on biopsy results after prostate brachytherapy: implications for treatment optimization.

Background: Posttreatment prostate biopsy is a method of assessing local control after irradiation for prostate carcinoma. An analysis of the effect of disease- and treatment-related factors on biopsy results after prostate brachytherapy was performed to aid in patient selection and treatment optimization.

Methods: Two hundred sixty-eight patients underwent posttreatment prostate biopsy (6-8 cores) 2 years after brachytherapy alone without external beam irradiation.

Expression of cyclooxygenase-1 and cyclooxygenase-2 in the human prostate.

Objectives: To determine the cell-specific expression of the two major isoforms of cyclooxygenase (COX-1 and COX-2) in human noncancerous and cancerous prostatic tissues.

Methods: Thirty-one specimens of prostate carcinoma (CaP) and 10 specimens of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) were stained with mouse antihuman COX-1 and COX-2 monoclonal antibodies. The stained specimens were analyzed both descriptively and in a semiquantitative manner by assigning an immunoreactive intensity score (0 to 4).

Immunohistochemical localization of cyclooxygenase-1 and cyclooxygenase-2 in the human fetal and adult male reproductive tracts.

The first rate-limiting step in the conversion of arachidonic acid to PGs is catalyzed by cyclooxygenase (Cox). Two isoforms of Cox have been identified, Cox-1 (constitutively expressed) and Cox-2 (inducible form), which are the products of two different genes. In this study we describe the immunohistochemical localization of Cox-1 and -2 in the human male fetal and adult reproductive tracts.

Biopsy results after real-time ultrasound-guided transperineal implants for stage T1-T2 prostate cancer.

Purpose: To analyze the results of ultrasound-guided brachytherapy for stage T1-T2 prostate cancer, as shown by biopsy results.

Patients And Methods: The 268 patients (mean age 66 years; range 41-83 years) underwent real-time ultrasound-guided implantation of either iodine-125 (N = 186) or palladium-103 (N = 82) seeds. Of these patients, 96 (36%) received total androgen suppression for 3 months prior to and 3 months after implantation.