Treatment of adult growth hormone deficiency: who, why and how? A review.

Adult growth hormone deficiency (AGHD) is nowadays recognized as a distinct clinical entity and replacement therapy has become a standard practice. Reflecting on the accumulated evidence, questions nevertheless arise. Should all AGHD patients be treated? What dose of GH should be given and for how long? What are the real long-term benefits, in particular regarding life expectancy? if the diagnosis of severe GHD is firmly established and if there is no contra-indication (such as an active cancer or uncontrolled diabetes), it is worthwile initiating GH replacement therapy.

Drug-induced eosinophilia and multisystemic failure with positive patch-test reaction to spironolactone: DRESS syndrome.

We report the case of a 58-year-old man who suffered from a generalized and intolerable itching one month after starting treatment with colchicine, amiodarone, perindopril, allopurinol and spironolactone. From the start of treatment he had progressively developed erythroderma, fever, anorexia and prostration, oedema of both hands and face, hypereosinophilia (42%; 5810 eosinophils/mm3), hepatic failure (including cholestatic jaundice, cytolysis, coagulation abnormalities and hypoproteinaemia), exocrine pancreatic failure (with severe steatorrhoea), renal failure, metabolic acidosis, aggravation of pre-existing cardiac insufficiency and oedema of the lower extremities. All medications were stopped and the condition improved slowly until complete remission was reached 4 months later.

The radioenhancement of two human head and neck squamous cell carcinomas by 2'-2' difluorodeoxycytidine (gemcitabine; dFdC) is mediated by an increase in radiation-induced residual chromosome aberrations but not residual DNA DSBs.

Purpose: The present study aimed at investigating if 2'-2' difluorodeoxycytidine (dFdC) radioenhancement was mediated by an effect on induction and/or repair of radiation-induced DNA DSBs and chromosome aberrations in cells with different intrinsic radiosensitivity.

Methods: Confluent human head and neck squamous cell carcinoma cell lines designated SCC61 and SQD9 were treated with 5 microM dFdC for 3 or 24 h prior to irradiation. DNA DSBs induction and repair were analyzed by PFGE.

Gorham syndrome: anaesthetic management.

Gorham syndrome is a rare chronic disease of children and young adults, featuring massive osteolysis with pathological fractures and complicated by respiratory and neurological deficits. To date, 175 cases have been reported in the literature but information on anaesthetic management is sparse. We present a child with Gorham syndrome who underwent urgent surgical medullary decompression and who subsequently developed bilateral pleural effusions.

The effect of 2'-2' difluorodeoxycytidine (dFdC, gemcitabine) on radiation-induced cell lethality in two human head and neck squamous carcinoma cell lines differing in intrinsic radiosensitivity.

Purpose: The present study investigated in vitro radio-enhancement by gemcitabine (dFdC) in two head and neck squamous cell carcinomas with different intrinsic cellular radiosensitivity.

Materials And Methods: Radiosensitive (SCC61, SF2=0.16) and radioresistant (SQD9, SF2=0.

Radiosensitization of mouse sarcoma cells by fludarabine (F-ara-A) or gemcitabine (dFdC), two nucleoside analogues, is not mediated by an increased induction or a repair inhibition of DNA double-strand breaks as measured by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis.

Purpose: To investigate the effect of fludarabine (F-ara-A) and gemcitabine (dFdC), two radiosensitizing nucleoside analogues, on the induction and repair of DNA dsb after ionizing radiation.

Materials And Methods: Radiosensitization of mouse sarcoma SA-NH and FSA cells was studied using a clonogenic assay. Cell survival curves were fitted with the linear-quadratic model.

Kinetics of mouse jejunum radiosensitization by 2',2'-difluorodeoxycytidine (gemcitabine) and its relationship with pharmacodynamics of DNA synthesis inhibition and cell cycle redistribution in crypt cells.

Gemcitabine (dFdC), a deoxycitidine nucleoside analogue, inhibits DNA synthesis and repair of radiation-induced chromosome breaks in vitro, radiosensitizes various human and mouse cells in vitro and shows clinical activity in several tumours. Limited data are however available on the effect of dFdC on normal tissue radiotolerance and on factors associated with dFdC's radiosensitization in vivo. The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of dFdC on mouse jejunum radiosensitization and to investigate the kinetics of DNA synthesis inhibition and cell cycle redistribution in the jejunal crypts as surrogates of radiosensitization in vivo.