The prognostic impact of RAP2A expression in patients with early and locoregionally advanced nasopharyngeal carcinoma in an endemic area.

Background: By data mining from published transcriptomic databases, we identified RAP2A as a significantly upregulated gene in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) tissues. RAP2A, a member of the RAS oncogene family, is involved in the process of GTP binding and GTPase activity. The aim of this study was to evaluate the expression of RAP2A and its prognostic impact in patients with early and locoregionally advanced NPC.

CDCA5 overexpression is an indicator of poor prognosis in patients with urothelial carcinomas of the upper urinary tract and urinary bladder.

Aims: Urothelial carcinoma (UC) is the most common tumor involving upper urinary tract (UTUC) and urinary bladder (UBUC) whose molecular survival determinants remains obscured. By computerizing a public transcriptomic database of UBUCs (GSE32894), we identified cell division cycle associated 5 (CDCA5) as the most significantly upregulated gene among those associated with G1-S transition of the mitotic cell cycle (GO:0000082). We therefore analyzed the clinicoptaological significance of CDCA5 expression in our well-characterized UC cohort.

Clinical characteristics of hyperglycemic crises in patients without a history of diabetes.

Aims/introduction: Hyperglycemic crises without a history of diabetes have not been well studied. We compared the clinical characteristics of patients with and without a history of diabetes, and evaluated the glycated hemoglobin levels.

Materials And Methods: Consecutive adult patients (aged >18 years) visiting the emergency department (ED) between January 2004 and December 2010 were enrolled if they met the criteria for a hyperglycemic crisis.

Executive function and endocrinological responses to acute resistance exercise.

First, to explore the effects of acute resistance exercise (RE, i.e., using exercise machines to contract and stretch muscles) on behavioral and electrophysiological performance when performing a cognitive task involving executive functioning in young male adults; Second, to investigate the potential biochemical mechanisms of such facilitative effects using two neurotrophic factors [i.

Spectrum of Epstein-Barr virus-associated T-cell lymphoproliferative disorder in adolescents and young adults in Taiwan.

Epstein-Barr Virus (EBV) is a herpesvirus usually infecting B-cells but may occasionally infect T- or natural killer (NK)-cells. EBV-associated T- or NK-cell lymphoproliferations represent a continuous spectrum of diseases ranging from asymptomatic infection, infectious mononucleosis (IM), to clonal and malignant lymphoproliferations including systemic EBV-positive T/NK-cell lymphoproliferative disease (EBV-T/NK-LPD) of childhood and hydroa-vacciniforme-like lymphoma of the skin. The clonal diseases are more prevalent in East Asia and exhibit overlapping clinical and pathological features with chronic active EBV infection.

Nasopharyngeal alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma expressing CD56: a mimicker of extranodal natural killer/T-cell lymphoma.

Alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma (ARMS) is remarkably rare in adults older than 45 years. Histologically, the tumor is composed of blue round cells with frequent expression of CD56 in addition to myogenic markers. Recent studies of ARMS have shown two specific recurrent translocations: PAX3-FKHR [t(2;13)(q35;q14)] or PAX7-FKHR [t(1;13)(p36;q14)].

Efficacy and safety of exenatide once-weekly vs exenatide twice-daily in Asian patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

Aims/introduction: To compare safety and efficacy of the extended-release formulation exenatide once weekly (EQW) vs exenatide twice daily (EBID) for 26 weeks in type 2 diabetes patients from China, India, Japan, South Korea and Taiwan.

Materials And Methods: A randomized, comparator-controlled, open-label study included 681 patients with type 2 diabetes inadequately controlled (hemoglobin A1c [HbA1c] ≥7 and ≤11%) with oral antihyperglycemic medications (OAMs). Patients added 2 mg EQW or 10 μg EBID to current OAMs.

Recurrent pulmonary embolism in an elderly patient with Cushing's syndrome, adrenocortical adenoma, pheochromocytoma and prostate adenocarcinoma.

Pulmonary embolism (PE) is a major health problem. Mortality in untreated PE is high, but with adequate (anticoagulant) treatment, can be reduced. Multiple primary and secondary risk factors are responsible for PE.