The health and economic benefits associated with pneumococcal vaccination of elderly persons with chronic lung disease.

Background: More than 50% of the elderly population has not received pneumococcal vaccination. Uncertainty regarding the benefits of immunization, particularly for noninvasive disease, may contribute to the underuse of pneumococcal vaccine.

Objective: To assess the health and economic benefits associated with pneumococcal vaccination.

Cardiomyocytes from hearts with left ventricular dysfunction after ischemia-reperfusion do not manifest contractile abnormalities.

Objectives: This study evaluated contractile function in cardiomyocytes isolated from hearts with global left ventricular dysfunction following ischemia-reperfusion.

Background: Ischemia followed by reperfusion is associated with transient contractile dysfunction, termed "stunning." It is not clear whether this phenomenon is primarily due to intrinsic cardiomyocyte contractile dysfunction.

Relation between influenza vaccination and outpatient visits, hospitalization, and mortality in elderly persons with chronic lung disease.

Background: Influenza vaccine is underused in groups targeted for vaccination.

Objective: To define the effects of influenza and the benefits of influenza vaccination in elderly persons with chronic lung disease.

Design: Retrospective, multiseason cohort study.

Re-expression of p16INK4a in mesothelioma cells results in cell cycle arrest, cell death, tumor suppression and tumor regression.

Absence of expression of the p16IKN4a gene product is commonly observed in mesothelioma tumors and cell lines, while wild-type pRB expression is maintained. We have examined the biologic and potential therapeutic role of re-expressing p16INK4a gene product in mesothelioma cells and tumors. Following transduction with a p16INK4a expressing adenovirus (Adp16), over-expression of p16INK4a in mesothelioma cells resulted in cell cycle arrest, inhibition of pRB phosphorylation, diminished cell growth, and eventual death of the transduced cells.

Human lung carcinomas express Fas ligand.

To reach a clinically detectable size, neoplasms must be able to suppress or evade a host immune response. Activated T cells may enter apoptosis in the presence of Fas ligand (FasL) (1), and tissue expression of FasL has been shown to contribute to immune privilege in the eye and testis (2, 3). We have demonstrated that all human lung carcinoma cell lines tested (16 of 16) express a Mr 38,000 protein consistent with FasL by immunoblotting, whereas the majority of resected tumors (23 of 28) show positive staining for FasL by immunohistochemistry.