Astrocyte modulation of synaptic plasticity mediated by activity-dependent Sonic hedgehog signaling.

The influence of neural activity on astrocytes and their reciprocal interactions with neurons has emerged as an important modulator of synapse function. Astrocytes exhibit activity-dependent changes in gene expression, yet the molecular mechanisms by which they accomplish this have remained largely unknown. The molecular signaling pathway, Sonic hedgehog (Shh), mediates neuron-astrocyte communication and regulates the organization of cortical synapses.

Crystal structure of human NADK2 reveals a dimeric organization and active site occlusion by lysine acetylation.

NAD kinases (NADKs) are metabolite kinases that phosphorylate NAD molecules to make NADP, a limiting substrate for the generation of reducing power NADPH. NADK2 sustains mitochondrial NADPH production that enables proline biosynthesis and antioxidant defense. However, its molecular architecture and mechanistic regulation remain undescribed.

Endoscopic Resection of Clival Chordoma: A Tertiary Care Experience.

The primary management of the rare tumor chordoma is always surgical. This study indicates the advantage of endoscopic approach for clival chordoma resection. This is a Retrospective case series of 7 endoscopically operated clival chordoma patients between May 2015 and April 2018 in our tertiary care hospital.

Prevalence and clinical profile of fungal rhinosinusitis.

Background: There are only a few landmark studies from the Indian subcontinent on fungal rhinosinusitis. The lack of awareness among clinicians regarding the varying clinical presentations of fungal rhinosinusitis prompted us to undertake this study.

Objective: To determine the prevalence, etiologic basis, clinical features, radiologic features, and microscopic features of fungal rhinosinusitis, and to evaluate the various treatment modalities available.

Evidence based whole breast hypo-fractionated radiation therapy in patients with early breast cancer.

Purpose: The aim of the current study was to evaluate the efficacy and tolerability of hypo-fractionated whole breast radiation therapy in patients with early breast cancer.

Methods: Searching electronically PubMed and the Cochrane Central Register we made a comprehensive literature review regarding the randomized controlled phase III trials for hypo-fractionated radiation therapy in early breast cancer.

Results: The collected and analyzed data showed that a short course of hypo-fractionated radiation therapy in early breast cancer patients is as effective as the conventional long course regarding tumor response as well as long term side effects.

Hemangiopericytoma of the breast: a case report and a review of the literature.

Introduction. Sarcomas of the breast are rare and hemangiopericytoma (HPC) of the breast is even rarer. Case Report.

Nicotine has implications in different tumors types. Expert's eye making a literature analysis.

In man, nicotine is commonly consumed via smoking cigarettes, cigars or pipes. The addictive liability and pharmacological effects of smoking are primarily mediated by the major tobacco alkaloid nicotine. There are elevated serum cadmium and lead levels in smokers resulting in glomerular dysfunction.

Therapeutic interventions targeting organ preservation in muscle-invasive bladder cancer: a review.

Nowadays in modern oncology there is a tendency towards therapies that target organ preservation. Organ preservation protocols have become standard in the treatment of laryngeal carcinoma, oesophageal cancer, breast carcinoma and soft tissue sarcomas. The three-combined therapy consisting of a transurethral resection of the bladder tumour followed by concomitant chemoradiotherapy has been shown to be an attractive alternative for bladder preservation in selected patients with muscle-invasive bladder cancer.

Naive T cell repertoire skewing in HLA-A2 individuals by a specialized rearrangement mechanism results in public memory clonotypes.

How the naive T cell repertoire arises and forms the memory repertoire is still poorly understood. This relationship was analyzed by taking advantage of the focused TCR usage in HLA-A2-restricted CD8 memory T cell responses to influenza M1(58-66). We analyzed rearranged BV19 genes from CD8 single-positive thymocytes, a surrogate for the naive repertoire, from 10 HLA-A2 individuals.

Capecitabine chemotherapy for metastatic colorectal cancer. Chemical structure, combinations and efficacy.

Purpose: capecitabine is an oral fluoropyrimidine which had been developed as a pro-drug of fluorouracil (FU), and had shown improved tolerability and intratumor drug concentrations through its tumor-specific conversion to the active drug. Our purpose was to make a comprehensive literature review regarding capecitabine's efficacy in metastatic colorectal cancer.

Methods: we searched the Pubmed and Cochrane databases regarding all available information on capecitabine, focusing on its clinical effectiveness against metastatic colorectal cancer.

Capecitabine for locally advanced and metastatic colorectal cancer: A review.

Capecitabine (Xeloda(®)) is an oral fluoropyrimidine which is produced as a pro-drug of fluorouracil, and shows improved tolerability and intratumor drug concentrations following its tumor-specific conversion to the active drug. We have searched the Pubmed and Cochrane databases from 1980 to 2009 with the purpose of reviewing all available information on Capecitabine, focusing on its clinical effectiveness against colorectal cancer. Special attention has been paid to trials that compared Capecitabine with standard folinic acid (leucovorin, LV)-modulated intravenous 5-fluorouracil (5-FU) bolus regimens in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.

Associations of acute-phase reactants with metabolic syndrome in middle-aged overweight or obese people.

Background: Metabolic syndrome, i.e. the clustering of visceral obesity, dyslipidemia, hyperglycemia, and hypertension, has become a major public-health challenge worldwide.

Embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma of the uterine cervix.

Introduction: Embryonal rhabdomyosarcoma (RMS) of the uterine cervix is a rare and extremely malignant entity. Generally, embryonal RMS originating in the uterine cervix is usually diagnosed in adolescence. Before the introduction of effective adjuvant chemotherapy, the prognosis of these lesions was poor.

Post-surgical irradiation causes cellular immune suppression in patients with breast cancer.

According to several studies, even the locoregional irradiation of patients with carcinoma can cause a severe and rather alarming cellular immune defect. We thus designed a prospective research in order to study the effect of post-operative irradiation on cellular immunity in patients suffering from breast cancer. In 35 patients with breast cancer who required post-operative irradiation, four blood samples were taken at indicated point times.

Temozolomide with radiation therapy in high grade brain gliomas: pharmaceuticals considerations and efficacy; a review article.

Malignant gliomas (glioblastoma multiforme and anaplastic astrocytoma) which have a combined incidence of 5-8/100,000 population, represent the most common primary central nervous system tumors. The treatment outcomes even with aggressive approach including surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy are dismal with median reported survival is less than 1 year. Temozolomide is a new drug which has shown promise in treating malignant gliomas and other difficult-to-treat tumors.

The efficacy of combined treatment with cetuximab (erbitux) and radiation therapy in patients with head and neck cancer.

Squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck (SCCHN) region is among the most frequent human tumors due to the alcohol and tobacco abuse. Its management has evolved gradually from surgery as the mainstay of therapy to irradiation as the principal treatment. When radiation therapy is combined with chemotherapy, additional benefit is obtained.

Time-trend of melanoma screening practice by primary care physicians: a meta-regression analysis.

Objective: To assess whether the proportion of primary care physicians implementing full body skin examination (FBSE) to screen for melanoma changed over time.

Methods: Meta-regression analyses of available data.

Data Sources: MEDLINE, ISI, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials.

Comprehensive management of upper tract urothelial carcinoma.

Urothelial carcinoma of the upper urinary tract represents only 5% of all urothelial cancers. The 5-year cancer-specific survival in the United States is roughly 75% with grade and stage being the most powerful predictors of survival. Nephroureterectomy with excision of the ipsilateral ureteral orifice and bladder cuff en bloc remains the gold standard treatment of the upper urinary tract urothelial cancers, while endoscopic and laparoscopic approaches are rapidly evolving as reasonable alternatives of care depending on grade and stage of disease.

An inverse relationship between cumulating components of the metabolic syndrome and serum magnesium levels.

Metabolic syndrome has been defined as the presence of abdominal obesity combined with 2 of the following factors: hypertension, dyslipidemia, and impaired glucose tolerance, or diabetes mellitus. Magnesium is an essential cofactor for more than 300 enzymes involved in carbohydrate and lipid metabolism. In this study, we enrolled 117 consecutive overweight and obese patients and we measured serum magnesium levels together with fasting serum glucose, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, and triacylglycerols.

Granulosa cell tumor of the ovary: tumor review.

Granulosa cell tumors of the ovary are rare neoplasms that originate from sex-cord stromal cells. The long natural history of granulosa cell tumors and their tendency to recur years after the initial diagnosis are the most prominent of their characteristics. The secretion of estradiol is the reason for signs at presentation such as vaginal bleeding and precocious puberty.

Efficacy of the oral fluorouracil pro-drug capecitabine in cancer treatment: a review.

Capecitabine (Xeloda) was developed as a pro-drug of fluorouracil (FU), with the aim of improving tolerability and intratumor drug concentrations through its tumorspecific conversion to the active drug. The purpose of this paper is to review the available information on capecitabine, focusing on its clinical effectiveness against various carcinomas. Identification of all eligible English trails was made by searching the PubMed and Cochrane databases from 1980 to 2007.

Vertebral osteomyelitis and native valve endocarditis due to Staphylococcus simulans: a case report.

Background: Staphylococcus simulans is a common animal pathogen that occasionally can colonize human skin. Unlike other coagulase-negative staphylococci, S. simulans tends to cause more severe infections that resemble those caused by S.