Biomarkers in Barrett's esophagus (review).

Patients with Barrett's esophagus where squamous esophageal epithelium has been replaced by columnar epithelium containing goblet cells have an increased risk of esophageal adenocarcinoma. Unfortunately, most of those adenocarcinomas are detected at an advanced stage in which they are incurable. Many biomarkers have been studied, trying to identify the subset of patients who are at very high risk for adenocarcinoma.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs enhance glutathione S-transferase theta levels in rat colon.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) have been claimed to reduce cancer rates in oesophagus, stomach and colon of humans and laboratory animals. Recently we showed that dietary administration of NSAIDs enhanced glutathione S-transferase (GST) class alpha, mu and pi levels in the upper part of the rat gastrointestinal tract, with minor effects in the colon. Enhancement of GSTs, a family of detoxification enzymes consisting of class alpha, mu, pi and theta isoforms, might be one of the mechanisms leading to cancer prevention.

Schistosomiasis haematobium as a cause of vulvar hypertrophy.

Schistosomiasis is the most frequently imported helminthic infection in The Netherlands. Patients with Schistosoma haematobium infections usually present with fever, hematuria, dysuria, or urinary frequency. The ectopic localizations in female genital schistosomiasis are frequently misdiagnosed or confounded with sexually transmitted diseases or genital tract cancers.

Changes in venous hemodynamics after renal transplantation.

To explain an occasionally observed transient swelling of the ipsilateral leg in renal transplant recipients in the absence of deep vein thrombosis, we took serial measurements of venous outflow resistance and duplex examinations of both legs. Fourteen recipients of a living related donor kidney graft were submitted to strain gauge plethysmography and duplex examination before transplantation and 1 and 6 weeks thereafter. Venous outflow resistance and venous flow were measured and the veins were assessed for thrombosis.

Attenuation of murine lupus nephritis by mycophenolate mofetil.

Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) is the morpholinoethyl ester of mycophenolic acid, which is its active metabolite. MMF is effective in prolonging survival of allografts and xenografts. However, little is known about the effects and the main mechanism of action of MMF in autoimmune diseases.

Idarubicin to intensify the conditioning regimens of autologous bone marrow transplantation for patients with acute myeloid leukemia in first complete remission.

In an effort to reduce the relapse rate after unpurged autologous bone marrow transplantation (ABMT) in patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in first complete remission (CR1), the standard conditioning regimens (cyclophosphamide/busulphan and cyclophosphamide/TBI) were intensified by adding idarubicin. Seventeen patients received a continuous infusion of 21 mg idarubicin/m2/day for 2 consecutive days in addition to the standard preparative regimen. Thirteen patients served as a historical control group.

Multiple authorship: the contribution of senior authors.

Context: The number of authors per article has increased markedly in recent years. Little is known about the hierarchical order of authorship and its change over time.

Objective: To assess the change in number and profile of authors of original articles published over a 20-year period in BMJ.

Differential expression of agrin in renal basement membranes as revealed by domain-specific antibodies.

We determined the specificity of two hamster monoclonal antibodies and a sheep polyclonal antiserum against heparan sulfate proteoglycan isolated from rat glomerular basement membrane. The antibodies were characterized by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay on various basement membrane components and immunoprecipitation with heparan sulfate proteoglycan with or without heparitinase pre-treatment. These experiments showed that the antibodies specifically recognize approximately 150-, 105-, and 70-kDa core proteins of rat glomerular basement membrane heparan sulfate proteoglycan.

Localization of glutathione S-transferases alpha and pi in human embryonic tissues at 8 weeks gestational age.

Glutathione S-transferases (GST) are a family of enzymes involved in the detoxification of xenobiotics. In humans, GST are divided into four different classes, alpha, mu, pi and theta, with partly overlapping substrate specificity and a tissue-specific expression pattern. We studied the cellular distribution of GST alpha and pi in a variety of human embryonic organs obtained from an extra-uterine monozygotic twin pregnancy at 8 weeks' gestational age.

Successful fetal outcome after exposure to idarubicin and cytosine-arabinoside during the second trimester of pregnancy--a case report.

Chemotherapeutic agents administered to the mother during pregnancy may severely jeopardize the fetus. We describe a newborn girl who had been exposed to idarubicin and cytosine-arabinoside during the second and third trimesters of pregnancy due to treatment of newly diagnosed acute myeloid leukemia in the mother. The child had no structural congenital abnormalities.

Phagocytic synovial lining cells regulate acute and chronic joint inflammation after antigenic exacerbation of smouldering experimental murine arthritis.

Objective: To investigate the in vivo role of phagocytic synovial lining cells in inflammation after exacerbation of smouldering murine antigen induced arthritis.

Methods: Phagocytic synovial lining cells were selectively depleted, by intraarticular injection of clodronate laden liposomes, 2 weeks after induction of modified bovine serum albumin induced arthritis. Exacerbation of arthritis was induced at Week 3, intravenously or locally into the knee joint.

Rationale for the use of immunotoxins in the treatment of HIV-infected humans.

The first step in the replication of human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is selective binding of the envelope glycoprotein (gp120) to CD4 receptors on T cells or macrophages. After penetration in these cells, the genome of the virus is integrated in the human genome. HIV-infection causes depletion of CD4-positive cells resulting in a severe immunosuppression.

Hematopoietic malignancies demonstrate loss-of-function mutations of BAX.

The BCL-2 gene family regulates the susceptibility to apoptotic cell death in many cell types during embryonic development and normal tissue homeostasis. Deregulated expression of anti-apoptotic BCL-2 can be a primary aberration that promotes malignancy and also confers resistance to chemotherapeutic agents. Recently, studies of Bax-deficient mice have indicated that the pro-apoptotic BAX molecule can function as a tumor suppressor.

Allogeneic and autologous stem cell transplantation in myelodysplastic syndromes.

Allogeneic bone marrow transplantation is the only currently available curative treatment for myelodysplastic syndromes (MDSs) but can be used only in the minority of patients (10%) who are younger than 55 years or so and for whom an HLA-identical donor is available. Each year in Europe, about 100 patients with MDSs receive an autologous bone marrow transplant. This procedure is usually indicated as first-line treatment, except in patients without excess of blasts or complex cytogenetic abnormalities.

Effects of the sulforaphane analog compound 30, indole-3-carbinol, D-limonene or relafen on glutathione S-transferases and glutathione peroxidase of the rat digestive tract.

Several dietary compounds have been demonstrated to reduce gastrointestinal cancer rates in both humans and animals. We showed that high human gastrointestinal tissue levels of glutathione S-transferase (GST), a family of detoxification enzymes consisting of class Alpha, Mu, Pi and Theta isoforms, were inversely correlated with cancer risk. We now investigated whether the sulforaphane analog compound 30, indole-3-carbinol, D-limonene or relafen, supplemented in the diet for two weeks at 1450, 250, 10,000, and 200 ppm, respectively, influenced (i) GST activity, (ii) GST isoenzyme levels, (iii) GSH levels, or (iv) glutathione peroxidase (GPx) activity in the gastrointestinal tract of male Wistar rats.

Umbilical cord plasma glutathione S-transferase alpha 1-1 levels as a marker of neonatal hepatocellular integrity.

Objective: To investigate possible delivery-related impaired neonatal hepatocellular integrity by assessment of arterial and venous umbilical cord plasma levels of glutathione S-transferase Alpha 1-1.

Methods: Glutathione S-transferase Alpha 1-1 levels were assessed in arterial and venous umbilical cord, and maternal venous plasma samples. The influence of maternal, delivery, and neonatal characteristics on arterial umbilical cord glutathione S-transferase Alpha 1-1 levels was studied, using linear regression analysis after log-transformation.

Identification and partial characterization of two steroid 5 alpha-reductase isozymes in the canine prostate.

Background: The dog has been extensively used as an in vivo model to test the pharmacokinetics and effects on pathological prostatic growth of 5 alpha-reductase inhibitors. However, no information is available on the existence or characteristics of canine 5 alpha-reductase isozymes.

Methods: The 5 alpha-reduction of testosterone is analyzed in dog prostatic homogenates.

Progress in fighting systemic fungal infections in haematological neoplasia.

Considering the limited data available, there is clearly a need for thorough, well-designed clinical research on the epidemiology, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of invasive fungal infection in patients who are treated for cancer. Our knowledge has increased, but the information obtained so far is patchy and not generally applicable, as it is influenced by local problems and circumstances. New diagnostic tools have become available, but they are still insufficient in many cases.

t(14;18), a journey to eternity.

The t(14;18) is the most frequent chromosomal aberration observed in follicular non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL), and less frequently in diffuse large cell lymphoma (DLCL). The t(14;18) does not affect overall survival in follicular NHL or DLCL. It provides a unique lymphoma-specific marker that can be used to quantify residual disease during treatment, and may forward evaluation of new treatment protocols.

Rapid and reliable measurement of highly elevated blood ammonia concentrations in children.

Newborns and children may suffer from extremely high ammonia levels in their blood. We evaluated a fast, reliable micromethod, based on the Blood Ammonia Checker II (BAC II) in combination with the dilution with fresh whole blood. Comparison of the proposed method with an enzymatic method revealed a statistically significant correlation.

Fever of unknown origin (FUO). II. Diagnostic procedures in a prospective multicenter study of 167 patients. The Netherlands FUO Study Group.

From January 1992 until January 1994, we used a standardized diagnostic protocol for the 167 immunocompetent patients with fever of unknown origin (FUO) admitted on the internal medicine wards in all 8 university hospitals in the Netherlands. This protocol consisted of a standardized coded history and standardized physical examination for all 167 patients. A number of additional obligatory investigations had to be performed in the first week of admission for all patients, and all potentially diagnostic clues (PDCs) thus retrieved had to be registered.

Fever of unknown origin (FUO). I A. prospective multicenter study of 167 patients with FUO, using fixed epidemiologic entry criteria. The Netherlands FUO Study Group.

Internal medicine wards in all 8 university hospitals in the Netherlands participated in this prospective study of fever of unknown origin (FUO) from January 1992 until January 1994 in order to update information on the spectrum of diseases causing FUO. We used fixed epidemiologic entry criteria to achieve completeness of enrollment and to avoid unintended selection bias. After entry, immunocompetent patients were included using criteria for FUO according to Petersdorf and Beeson (30).

Multicore myopathy with restrictive cardiomyopathy.

A 10-y-old girl is presented who suffered mild muscular weakness and exercise intolerance from the age of 1 y onwards, with progression appearing from the age of about 8 y. Multicore myopathy and restrictive cardiomyopathy were diagnosed. Literature concerning the coexistence of multicore myopathy and cardiomyopathy is reviewed.

Glutathione S-transferases in human ovarian follicular fluid.

Objective: To study the levels of glutathione S-transferase Alpha 1-1 and glutathione S-transferase Pi 1-1 in human preovulatory ovarian follicular fluid (FF) and pooled granulosa and cumulus cells.

Design: The relation of glutathione S-transferase Alpha 1-1 and glutathione S-transferase Pi 1-1 with P and 17 beta-E2 concentrations were studied.

Setting: The Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, the Department of Gastroenterology, and the Laboratory of Endocrinology and Reproduction of the University Hospital Nijmegen in Nijmegen, the Netherlands.