Epidemiology of anaphylaxis: A retrospective cohort study in Taiwan.

Objective: Medication-induced anaphylaxis is a potentially fatal event. Little is known at present about the patterns of medication-induced anaphylaxis in Asian countries. The current study aims to examine the pattern of documented incidences of drug-associated anaphylaxis in Taiwan over a 9-year period.

Immunophenotypic features of dedifferentiated endometrial carcinoma - insights from BRG1/INI1-deficient tumours.

Aims: Dedifferentiated endometrial carcinoma (DDEC) is defined by the presence of an undifferentiated carcinoma together with an endometrioid carcinoma. Inactivation of SMARCA4 (BRG1) and inactivation of SMARCB1 (INI1) were recently described as potential mechanisms underlying the histological dedifferentiation. The aim of this study was to characterize the immunophenotypic features of DDECs, particularly in cases with prototypical histological and molecular features (BRG1/INI1 deficiency).

Efficacy of intrathecal drug delivery system for refractory cancer pain patients: a single tertiary medical center experience.

Background/purpose: Between 10% and 20% of cancer pain patients fail to obtain adequate pain relief despite comprehensive medical management. The totally implantable programmable intrathecal drug delivery system (IDDS) is an attractive option for managing refractory cancer pain. In suitable patients, IDDS can provide reliable long-term analgesia without any permanent nerve or plexus destruction.

The utility and limitation of single nucleotide polymorphism analysis on whole genome amplified mesenchymal tumour DNA in formalin fixed tumour samples.

Aims: In the study of tumour genetics, formalin fixed, paraffin embedded (FFPE) tumours are the most readily available tissue samples and DNA derived from FFPE tissue has been validated for array comparative genomic hybridisation (aCGH) and single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) array analysis. Furthermore, in the study of tumour precursor genetics, whole genome amplification (WGA) has been used to produce a sufficient amount of DNA for aCGH. However, it is unclear whether the same approach can be extended to high-resolution SNP analysis.

Serum selenium concentration is associated with metabolic factors in the elderly: a cross-sectional study.

Background: Selenium is an essential micronutrient known for its antioxidant function. However, the association of serum selenium with lipid profiles and fasting glucose are inconsistent in populations with average intake of selenium. Furthermore, there were few studies conducted specifically for the elderly.