TASK DEFINITION: Given a passage, construct a question on the basis of the information present in the passage. Construct the question in such a way that (i) it is unambiguous, (ii) it is answerable from the passage, (iii) its answer is unique (iv) it answer uses text phrases from the passage. Avoid creating questions that (i) can't be answered correctly without actually understanding the passage and (ii) uses the same words or phrases given in the passage.
PROBLEM: In chronic pain, increased activity from intact or damaged peripheral nerve endings results in an enhanced response in central pain transmission systems, a mechanism known as central sensitization. Central sensitization can also be invoked in human experimental models. Therefore, these models may be useful to characterize novel analgesics in humans. The anticonvulsant gabapentin has demonstrated efficacy in patients with neuropathic pain, but its mode of action remains unclear. This study examined the effects of gabapentin on signs of central sensitization (brush and pinprick hyperalgesia) in a human model of capsaicin-evoked pain, using a gabapentin dosing regimen similar to that used in the clinic. The aims were to determine whether gabapentin, dosed in a manner similar to that used in the clinic, affected the various components of central sensitization and to assess the utility of this model for characterizing novel analgesics.', 'Intradermal capsaicin (100 microg/20 microl) was administered in the volar forearm of 41 male human volunteers to induce pain and clinical signs of central sensitization. Gabapentin (titrated to 2,400 mg daily) or placebo was given orally for 15 days in a randomized, double-blind, parallel-group design. The capsaicin test was conducted at baseline and after gabapentin or placebo. Endpoints were the size of areas of brush-evoked allodynia (with cotton gauze) and pinprick hyperalgesia (with von Frey filament), and the intensity of ongoing brush- and pinprick-evoked pain.', 'Gabapentin significantly reduced the area of brush allodynia compared with placebo (P </= 0.05) and insignificantly attenuated the area of pinprick hyperalgesia. Gabapentin had no significant effect on spontaneous and evoked pain intensity.

SOLUTION: Does chronic oral gabapentin reduce elements of central sensitization in human experimental hyperalgesia?

PROBLEM: Intracellular pathogens have developed elaborate strategies for silent infection of preferred host cells. Chlamydia pneumoniae is a common pathogen in acute infections of the respiratory tract (e.g. pneumonia) and associated with chronic lung sequelae in adults and children. Within the lung, alveolar macrophages and polymorph nuclear neutrophils (PMN) are the first line of defense against bacteria, but also preferred host phagocytes of chlamydiae.', 'We could show that C. pneumoniae easily infect and hide inside neutrophil granulocytes until these cells become apoptotic and are subsequently taken up by macrophages. C. pneumoniae infection of macrophages via apoptotic PMN results in enhanced replicative activity of chlamydiae when compared to direct infection of macrophages, which results in persistence of the pathogen. Inhibition of the apoptotic recognition of C. pneumoniae infected PMN using PS- masking Annexin A5 significantly lowered the transmission of chlamydial infection to macrophages. Transfer of apoptotic C. pneumoniae infected PMN to macrophages resulted in an increased TGF-ss production, whereas direct infection of macrophages with chlamydiae was characterized by an enhanced TNF-alpha response.

SOLUTION: Does chlamydia pneumoniae hide inside apoptotic neutrophils to silently infect and propagate in macrophages?

PROBLEM: To investigate the clinical importance of the combined use of serum thyroglobulin (Tg) levels measured just before ablation (ablation-Tg) and postablation 131I whole body scintigraphy (WBS) patterns for predicting ablation success in patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma who received total thyroidectomy and 131I ablation therapy.', 'We retrospectively studied the early clinical outcomes for 81 differentiated thyroid carcinoma patients treated with total thyroidectomy and high-dose 131I ablation therapy between June 2001 and July 2004.', 'Ablation success was achieved in 42 (97.7%) of the 43 patients with uptake in the thyroid bed only and ablation-Tg levels less than 10 ng/mL, whereas successful ablation was achieved in 9 (75.0%) of the 12 patients with uptake in the thyroid bed only and ablation-Tg levels equal to or greater than 10 ng/mL (P = 0.029). Among 15 patients with uptake including a lymph node and ablation-Tg levels less than 10 ng/mL, 14 patients (93.3%) showed ablation success, whereas successful ablation was achieved in only 2 (18.2%) of the 11 patients with uptake including a lymph node and ablation-Tg levels equal to or greater than 10 ng/mL (P < 0.001).

SOLUTION:
Is predictive value of the preablation serum thyroglobulin level after thyroidectomy combined with postablation 131I whole body scintigraphy for successful ablation in patients with differentiated thyroid carcinoma?