bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025_split huggingface dataset:
An apparently sporadic paraganglioma with an SDHB gene germline mutation presenting at age 68 years
Authors: Elston M. S. , Benn D. , Robinson B. G. , Conaglen J. V. 
Published: February 2006

AbstractParagangliomas (PGLs) are rare tumours arising from parasympathetic‐associated paraganglia (particularly of the head and neck) or from sympathetic‐associated paraganglia such as in the adrenal medulla when they are termed phaeochromocytomas and at extra‐adrenal sites in the abdomen and thorax. Recent reports have found frequent germline mutations of VHL, RET, SDHB or SDHD not only in familial cases but also in apparently sporadic cases of phaeochromocytoma. These germline mutations are particularly likely to be found if multifocal disease is present or if the phaeochromocytoma or PGL occurs at a young age. We report a germline splice site mutation in SDHB in a patient presenting with an incidental, apparently sporadic, abdominal sympathetic PGL at 68 years of age.
Early patency rates after the two‐suture invagination technique of vaso‐epididymal anastomosis for idiopathic obstruction
Authors: KUMAR RAJEEV , GAUTAM GAGAN , GUPTA NARMADA P. 
Published: February 2006

OBJECTIVESTo prospectively evaluate the results of vaso‐epididymostomy, using a two‐suture microsurgical invagination technique, when used for men with azoospermia due to an obstruction at the vaso‐epididymal junction.PATIENTS AND METHODSBetween December 2002 and November 2004, 29 men with idiopathic obstructive azoospermia underwent vaso‐epididymostomy with the two‐suture invagination technique. The patency rate was assessed by return of sperm in the semen after surgery.RESULTSIn all, 23 men provided at least one postoperative semen sample. The mean (range) follow‐up was 7.6 (1.5–30) months. In 11 of these men (48%), patency was shown at a mean of 3.2 (1.5–7) months after surgery. The median sperm density was 17 (10–65)  million/mL. Four men had normal sperm density and motility (>20 million/mL; >50% total motility).CONCLUSIONSMen with idiopathic vaso‐epididymal junction obstruction can have significant sperm positivity after vaso‐epididymostomy. With a patency rate of nearly half within a year of surgery, vaso‐epididymostomy should be the first line of therapy for these men.
Effects of long‐term vardenafil treatment on the development of fibrotic plaques in a rat model of Peyronie's disease
Authors: FERRINI MONICA G. , KOVANECZ ISTVAN , NOLAZCO GABY , RAJFER JACOB , GONZALEZ‐CADAVID NESTOR. F. 
Published: February 2006

OBJECTIVESTo determine whether the phosphodiesterase‐5 (PDE5) inhibitor, vardenafil, given orally and in different regimens, has a similar effect to that of the PDE5 inhibitor sildenafil, which prevented the development of a Peyronie's disease (PD)‐like plaque formation induced by injecting transforming growth factor β1 (TGF‐β1) into the tunica albuginea of the rat.MATERIALS AND METHODSVardenafil was given to male rats (eight per group) either in the drinking water or as an oral instillation once daily, at ≈ 1 and ≈ 3 mg/kg/day for 45 days after one injection with TGF‐β1 into the tunica albuginea, as an ‘early preventive’ treatment for TGF‐β1‐induced formation of a PD‐like plaque. Other groups received the two doses of vardenafil only in the drinking water, starting with a well‐formed plaque, for 42 days (‘late, therapeutic’ administration). Sections of penile tissue were stained histochemically or immunohistochemically, followed by quantitative image analysis for collagen/smooth muscle and collagen III/I ratios, myofibroblast content (α‐smooth muscle actin), TGF‐β1 expression, and apoptotic index.RESULTSPreventative treatment with vardenafil at the higher dose (both continuous and once‐daily treatments) reduced the collagen/smooth muscle and collagen III/I ratios, and the numbers of myofibroblasts and TGF‐β1‐positive cells, and selectively increased the apoptotic index in the PD‐like plaque. The lower dose was less effective, When vardenafil was given continuously in the drinking water for 41 days after the PD‐like plaque was formed, there was only a partial reduction of the plaque.CONCLUSIONSLong‐term oral treatment with vardenafil slows and reverses the early stages of an experimental PD‐like plaque in the rat, and might ameliorate a more advanced plaque.
Immediate administration of intravesical mitomycin C after tumour resection for superficial bladder cancer
Authors: MOSTAFID A. HUGH , RAJKUMAR RAJ G.N. , STEWART ALISTAIR B. , SINGH RAJ 
Published: February 2006

OBJECTIVETo assess the feasibility and safety of administering intravesical mitomycin C in theatre immediately after transurethral resection of bladder tumour (TURBT).PATIENTS AND METHODSA protocol was developed to allow the safe administration of mitomycin C in theatre immediately after TURBT. Over a 32‐month period all patients not excluded by the protocol were given mitomycin C in theatre after TURBT, and any adverse events reported.RESULTSIn all, 177 instillations were carried out; there were two minor patient‐related complications, and no staff‐related adverse events.CONCLUSIONThe immediate administration of mitomycin C in theatre after TURBT is feasible and safe for patients and staff. It provides the earliest and surest prophylaxis against tumour cell re‐implantation at TURBT.
Laparoscopic robotic‐assisted management of pelvi‐ureteric junction obstruction in patients with horseshoe kidneys: technique and 1‐year follow‐up
Authors: CHAMMAS MARIO , FEUILLU BENOIT , COISSARD ALAIN , HUBERT JACQUES 
Published: February 2006

Authors from France describe their experience, in a small series of patients with pelvi‐ureteric junction obstruction, of laparoscopic robotic‐assisted pyeloplasty, and present their operative results with a 1‐year follow‐up.The accuracy of MRI renal angiography and venography in predicting vascular anatomy before donor nephrectomy is presented by authors from the UK. They present evidence suggesting that this technique has the advantage over CT of having virtually no side‐effects, and felt it was a good investigation.OBJECTIVETo report our experience with laparoscopic robotic‐assisted management of pelvi‐ureteric junction obstruction (PUJO) in patients with horseshoe kidneys.PATIENTS AND METHODSBetween January 2002 and May 2003, two men and a woman with horseshoe kidneys (mean age 44.6 years) had laparoscopic dismembered pyeloplasty with robotic assistance for PUJO with no division of the isthmus. Two patients had renal stones which were extracted during surgery. None of the patients had had previous abdominal surgery.RESULTSThe mean operative duration was 148.3 min, the mean estimated blood loss was <100 mL and the mean hospital stay was 7.6 days. Renal function was preserved in all three patients during the immediate and long‐term follow‐up as measured by intravenous urography. The three patients had durable clinical and radiographic success during a mean follow‐up of 21 months. One patient needed complementary extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy, and one had an episode of pyelonephritis, which was treated successfully. There were no other significant complications before or after surgery.CONCLUSIONLaparoscopic robotic‐assisted pyeloplasty for horseshoe kidney is safe and feasible, offering the advantages of minimally invasive surgical procedures with enhanced laparoscopic skills related to the use of the robot.
Risk factors for Peyronie's disease: a case‐control study
Authors: BJEKIC MILAN D. , VLAJINAC HRISTINA D. , SIPETIC SANDRA B. , MARINKOVIC JELENA M. 
Published: February 2006

OBJECTIVETo test some hypotheses about risk factors for Peyronie's disease (PD).PATIENTS AND METHODSIn a case‐control study, 82 patients with PD, consecutively diagnosed at the first author's institution, were compared with 246 men visiting the same institution for dermatological diseases. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were used to assess the data.RESULTSFrom the multivariate logistic regression analysis the risk factors for PD were: a history of genital and/or perineal injuries, transurethral prostatectomy, cystoscopy, diabetes mellitus, hypertension, lipoma, propranolol in therapy, Dupuytren's contracture in the medical history, ever having smoked, alcohol consumption, fibromatous lesions of the genital tract of the partner, and surgical intervention on the genital tract of the partner.CONCLUSIONThe results of the present study are in line with the hypothesis that, in addition to genetic predisposition, trauma of the penis and systemic vascular diseases are risk factors for PD. Smoking and alcohol consumption also seem to have some role in the development of the disease.
A new fast‐melting oral formulation of desmopressin: a pharmacodynamic study in children with primary nocturnal enuresis
Authors: VANDE WALLE JOHAN G.J. , BOGAERT GUY A. , MATTSSON SVEN , SCHURMANS THIERRY , HOEBEKE PIET , DEBOE VEERLE , NORGAARD JENS PETER ,   the ‘Desmopressin oral lyophilisate PD/PK study group’
Published: February 2006

OBJECTIVETo determine the pharmacodynamic properties of a new oral lyophilisate formulation of desmopressin (in single doses of 30, 60, 120, 240, 360 or 480 µg) in children with known primary nocturnal enuresis (PNE) and thus identify those dosages that could provide a duration of action corresponding to a typical length of night‐time sleep in children with PNE; additional objectives were to determine the safety and tolerability of desmopressin in this population.PATIENTS AND METHODSChildren with PNE (mean three or more wet nights/week), aged 6–12 years, were randomized into a double‐blind, placebo‐controlled study. An overhydration technique was used before dosing to suppress endogenous vasopressin production and thereby ensure that any antidiuresis could be attributed to treatment. Dosing with desmopressin or placebo occurred when urinary production was >0.13 mL/min/kg. Urinary volume, osmolality and duration of urinary‐concentrating action (above three threshold levels: 125, 200 and 400 mOsm/kg) were determined as endpoints.RESULTSAll 72 participants receiving desmopressin had a pharmacodynamic response to the drug, while there was no change in urinary output in the 12 placebo‐treated patients. There was a clear relationship between desmopressin dose and duration of action and osmolality during action, although the three highest‐dose groups had similar results. The mean duration of action of desmopressin at the lowest osmolality threshold level was 3.6–10.6 h, according to dose; for the highest threshold, the values were 1.3–8.6 h.CONCLUSIONDesmopressin, as the oral lyophilisate, causes a marked decrease in urinary output in hydrated children with PNE. A small dose range (120–240 µg) is likely to control diuresis for a period corresponding to a night's sleep (7–11 h) in most children with PNE. However, some patients might require a higher dose to obtain antidiuresis for the complete night.
The ‘learning curve’ in hypospadias surgery
Authors: HOROWITZ MARK , SALZHAUER ELAN 
Published: February 2006

For urologists who do not perform hypospadias surgery, the number of techniques which has been described may seem astonishing, but each one seems to have added something new to the art of penile and urethral reconstruction in these children. The authors from the USA describe the learning curve in this complicated technique.Authors from the UK present a large series of Y‐type urethral duplication in the male and describe the surgical procedures required to correct this rare congenital anomaly.OBJECTIVETo provide an insight into the ‘learning curve’ of fellowship‐trained paediatric urologists associated with hypospadias repair, as hypospadias surgery is one of the most common yet difficult procedures used by the paediatric urologist.PATIENTS AND METHODSProspective data were collected on 231 consecutive hypospadias operations performed by one paediatric urologist (M.H.) over a 5‐year period, beginning with his first year after completing his fellowship. All patients were having their first surgery and none had a staged repair. Fistula formation was used as a surrogate for the complication rate, as it is an objective measurable outcome that is easily identified with little interobserver or parental/physician variability. The follow‐up included several visits in the 15 months after repair, during which virtually all complications could be identified and addressed.RESULTSThe operative results improved throughout the 5 years of observation; there was a statistically significant decline in the fistula rate in each year of observation (P < 0.001; Kruskal–Wallis exact test for ranked groups). The absolute reduction in fistula rates between the first 2 and the last 2 years was 12.7% (P < 0.02; chi squared).CONCLUSIONSThe science and surgery of hypospadiology is mostly and correctly delegated to the paediatric urologist. Even in the hands of a fellowship‐trained paediatric urologist, a successful repair, as measured by complication rate, statistically improves with time and experience.
Recovery of serum testosterone after neoadjuvant androgen deprivation therapy and radical radiotherapy in localized prostate cancer
Authors: MURTHY VEDANG , NORMAN ANDREW R. , SHAHIDI MEHDI , PARKER CHRISTOPHER C. , HORWICH ALAN , HUDDART ROBERT A. , BANGE ARSHA , DEARNALEY DAVID P. 
Published: February 2006

OBJECTIVETo prospectively evaluate the time‐course of recovery of serum testosterone levels after a short course of luteinizing hormone‐releasing hormone analogue (LHRHa) and radical radiotherapy to the prostate.PATIENTS AND METHODSTestosterone, luteinizing hormone (LH) and follicle‐stimulating hormone (FSH) were sequentially measured prospectively in 59 men who received short‐course LHRHa treatment and radiotherapy for localized prostate cancer. Measurements were made before treatment (baseline), during LHRHa treatment, and at 6, 12, 18, 24 and >40 weeks after the last LHRHa injection.RESULTSThe median (range) time from the first to last LHRHa injection was 116 (54–194) days. The mean (95% confidence interval) testosterone levels (in nmol/L) at baseline, during treatment and at 6, 12, 18, 24 and >40 weeks afterward were 12.0 (10.8–13.1), 0.6 (0.5–0.7), 1.4 (0.6–2.2), 11.4 (9.7–13), 12.2 (10.5–14), 10.4 (8.9–12) and 11.7 (10.5–13). Four men had low baseline testosterone levels (<6.1 nmol/L). At 6 weeks after the last LHRHa injection, no men had testosterone levels in the ‘normal’ range; 35% were in the normal range at 12 weeks, 85% at 18 weeks, 89% at 24 weeks, and 96% at 1 year.CONCLUSIONAfter LHRHa treatment and radiotherapy, the testosterone levels of most men had recovered to normal by 18–24 weeks after the last LHRHa injection.
Predictive factors for nocturia in elderly men: a cross‐sectional study in 21 general practices
Authors: GOUROVA LUBA W. , VAN DE BEEK CEES , SPIGT MARK G. , NIEMAN FRED H.M. , VAN KERREBROECK PHILIP E.V.A. 
Published: February 2006

OBJECTIVETo measure the prevalence of nocturia in general practice and to determine which factors are associated with nocturia.SUBJECTS AND METHODSData were collected from 3048 elderly men, who completed a questionnaire that was sent to every man aged 55–75 years in 21 general practices in Maastricht (the Netherlands). The symptom of nocturia was defined as two or more nocturnal voids. We investigated the prevalence of nocturia and the predictive relationships with the following factors: cerebrovascular disease, diabetes mellitus/insipidus (DMI), Parkinson's diseases, cardiovascular disease, hypertension, bladder/prostate cancer, kidney diseases, urinary bladder inflammation, congenital diseases (kidneys or prostate), using medical treatment for lower urinary tract symptoms, other treatment, psychological depression, symptoms suggestive of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), and alcohol intake.RESULTSData from 2934 respondents were analysed; the prevalence of nocturia (two or more nocturnal voids) was 32.9% (965 men). The frequency of the number of nocturnal voids was: zero in 588 (20.0%), one in 1344 (45.8%), two in 611 (20.8%), three in 208 (7.1%), four in 70 (2.4%), and five or more in 76 (2.6%), with 37 values missing. A multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that nocturia in elderly men was significantly related to bladder/prostate cancer, cerebrovascular disease, treatment of voiding disorders, and moderate alcohol consumption. Next to these, BPH had a significant relationship with nocturia, especially in respondents with DMI and hypertension. Cardiovascular disease or hypertension was significantly related to nocturia, mutually replacing each other as a risk factor.CONCLUSIONNocturia in elderly men is be related to many sources of potential risk factors: earlier urological diseases, cardiovascular and cerebrovascular diseases, BPH, DMI and behavioural habits. Some of these sources may interact and generate especially high risk in some groups for nocturia.
The effect of serotonin and serotonin antagonists on bladder cancer cell proliferation
Authors: SIDDIQUI EMAD J. , SHABBIR MAJID A. , MIKHAILIDIS DIMITRI P. , MUMTAZ FAIZ H. , THOMPSON CECIL S. 
Published: February 2006

OBJECTIVETo investigate the role of serotonin (5‐hydroxytryptamine, 5HT) and its antagonists in the proliferation of high‐grade bladder cancer cells (HT1376), as high‐grade bladder cancer has a rapid rate of progression, invasion and recurrence, and 5HT antagonists inhibit the growth of the prostate cancer cell line (PC3).MATERIALS AND METHODSHT1376 (human grade III transitional cell carcinoma) cells were incubated with either 5HT or 5HT antagonists (5HT1A, 5HT1B, 5HT1D, 5HT2, 5HT3 and 5HT4). After 72 h, cell viability was assessed using the crystal violet assay. The presence of 5HT receptor subtypes on HT1376 cells and sections of human bladder cancer tissue was determined by immunohistochemistry and Western blot analysis.RESULTS5HT caused a dose‐dependent increase in the proliferation of HT1376 cells. The maximum increase in cell proliferation (12%; 12 samples, P < 0.001) was at 10−8m as compared to the control at 72 h. At 10−4m, 5HT1A antagonist (NAN‐190 hydrobromide) and 5HT1B antagonist (SB224289 hydrochloride) had a 10% (12 samples, P < 0.001) and 93% (12, P < 0.001) inhibitory effect on HT1376 cell growth, respectively, compared to the control at 72 h. There was immunostaining for 5HT1A and 5HT1B receptors in HT1376 cells and malignant bladder tissue, confirming the presence of these two receptor subtypes. Western blot analysis showed the presence of 5HT1A and 5HT1B receptor proteins with bands of 46 kDa and 43 kDa, respectively.CONCLUSION5HT1A and to a greater extent 5HT1B antagonists significantly inhibit bladder cancer cell growth. This effect is probably mediated via the 5HT1A and 5HT1B receptors. These results highlight the potential use of 5HT1A and 5HT1B antagonists in the treatment of bladder cancer.
Simultaneous high‐throughput recombinational cloning of open reading frames in closed and open configurations
Authors: Underwood Beverly A. , Vanderhaeghen Rudy , Whitford Ryan , Town Christopher D. , Hilson Pierre 
Published: February 2006

SummaryComprehensive open reading frame (ORF) clone collections, ORFeomes, are key components of functional genomics projects. When recombinational cloning systems are used to capture ORFs in master clones, these DNA sequences can be easily transferred into a variety of expression plasmids, each designed for a specific assay. Depending on downstream applications, an ORF is cloned either with or without a stop codon at its original position, referred to as closed or open configuration, respectively. The former is preferred when the encoded protein is produced in its native form or with an amino‐terminal tag; the latter is obligatory when the protein is produced as a fusion with a carboxyl‐terminal tag. We developed a streamlined protocol for high‐throughput, simultaneous cloning of both open and closed ORF entry clones with the Gateway™ recombinational cloning system. The protocol is straightforward to set up in large‐scale ORF cloning projects, and is cost‐effective, because the initial ORF amplification and the cloning in a pDONR vector are performed only once to obtain the two ORF configurations. We illustrated its implementation for the isolation and validation of 346 Arabidopsis ORF entry clones.
Dilemmas in fetal medicine: premature application of technology or responding to women's choice?
Authors: Williams Clare 
Published: February 2006

AbstractIt is argued that innovative health technologies (IHTs) may be changing the roles of both patients and health practitioners, and raising new issues, including ethical, legal and social dilemmas. This paper focuses on the innovative area of fetal medicine. All fetal treatment necessitates accessing the fetus through the pregnant woman's body, and non‐surgical treatments have long been a part of pregnancy care. However, recent developments in this area, including the increasing routinisation of sophisticated antenatal ultrasound screening and the introduction of treatments including fetal surgery, may mark a shift in this specialty. The paper explores such shifts from the perspectives of medical and midwifery practitioners working in two Fetal Medicine Units. It examines the apparent effects of the orientation of fetal medicine on prevalent conceptualisations of the maternal‐fetal relationship, and some of the consequences of this. It is argued that new forms of uncertainty, including complex risk and diagnostic information, and uncertain prognostic predictions set within the rhetoric of non‐directive counselling and women's choice, are leading to unprecedented ethical dilemmas within this area. More widespread debate about such potential dilemmas needs to take place before, rather than following their introduction.
The quest for the perfect baby: why do Israeli women seek prenatal genetic testing?
Authors: Remennick Larissa 
Published: February 2006

AbstractSince the mid‐1990s, the Israeli medical scene has witnessed a real boom in elective prenatal testing for inherited diseases that has spread beyond risk groups to the general Jewish population, especially of Ashkenazi (European) origin. This study tried to identify key social influences involved in the growing range and prevalence of prenatal genetic tests as they emerged from women's own perspective. Twenty‐seven women having blood tests for genetic mutations were interviewed at two types of genetic clinics, and re‐interviewed after getting test results. The names of 23 women who chose not to have elective tests were obtained from testers, and these non‐testers were interviewed for comparison. Women's accounts suggest that elective genetic testing is more acceptable, if not normative, among educated middle class Ashkenazi women, and is more often questioned and refused by lower class Mizrahi women, as well as religious women of any ethnic origin. The key forces that drive women's choice of prenatal genetic diagnosis include the fear of having a sick and/or socially unfit child in an unsupportive environment; strong endorsement of testing by gynaecologists; popular and professional discourse on the common Ashkenazi mutations causing genetic anxiety in this ethnic group (i.e. apprehension of multiple known and unknown dangers hidden in its genetic makeup); and the emerging social pressure for comprehensive prenatal screening as an indispensable part of good motherhood. Many women described the experience of testing as frustrating because of the long wait for results and difficulty of their interpretation and subsequent decision‐making. Women who rejected elective tests explained their decision by moral/religious objections to abortion and/or eugenic aspects of prenatal screening, as well as by prohibitive costs and poor understanding of the tests’ meaning and implications. Yet, few informants voiced objections to the excessive medicalisation of pregnancy as such; ethno‐national motives of reproductive decisions were also uncommon in this group. More critical reflection is clearly needed from both providers and users of elective genetic screening before the more widespread uptake of this practice.