tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
A phase II trial of docetaxel and cisplatin combination in patients with locally advanced undifferentiated carcinoma of the nasopharynx: updated results
Authors: M. Yamouni, K. A. Benhadji, Y. Beldjilali, I. Lahfa, D. Yekrou, L. Djellali, M. Brahimi, M. Aït-Said, K. Bouzid
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (2005)

5551 Background: The standard treatment of locally advanced undifferentiated carcinoma of nasopharyngeal type (UCNT) is cisplatin based chemotherapy followed by locoregional radiotherapy. The purpose of this study is to assess the antitumor activity and toxicity of a new neoadjuvant chemotherapy regimen combining docetaxel (D) and cisplatin (C). Patients and Methods: Previously untreated patients (pts) with histologically diagnosed locally advanced UCNT (Stages IVA and IVB TNM/UICC 1997) received D 75 mg/m2 and C 75 mg/m2 both on day 1, cycles were repeated every 21 days. Every pts received three cycles in a neoadjuvant setting before radiotherapy (4 to 6 weeks after the third cycle of DC). Pts were evaluated by clinical examination, CT scan of nasopharynx and nasofibroscopy with biopsy. Primary end points were tumor response and disease free survival (DFS) Results: Toxicity, tumor response and survival over one year were assessable in all pts. There are 75 pts (54 male, 21 female) with a median age of 41 years (range 18 - 69) and a WHO performance status of 0 - 1 in 71 pts, 2 in 4 pts. 19 pts had stage IVA and 56 pts had stage IVB. After 225 cycles, grade 3 & 4 toxicity (WHO) were: neutropenia (12%), febrile neutropenia (2%), anemia (1%), nausea and vomiting (23%), diarrhea (8%), mucositis (1%), reversible alopecia (70%). Two pts had onycolysis. Response rates for the 75 pts were: complete pathologic response 37% (28 pts), partial response 52% (39 pts), stable disease 8% (6 pts) and progression 3% (2 pts). The overall response rate (ORR) was 90%. 72 pts had complete response after radiotherapy and one patient had stable disease. 23 patients had recurrence: 19 locoregional, and 4 metastatic (2 with bone metastasis, 1 hepatic metastasis and 1 cerebral metastasis). DFS and overall survival at 1 year were respectively 69% and 72%. Multivariate analysis of prognostic factors revealed that tumor stage was independently related to poor DFS. For stage IVA and IVB DFS was 13.89 and 17.22 months respectively (p=0.02). Conclusion: DC is an effective regimen with an acceptable safety profile in locally advanced UCNT. Author Disclosure Employment or Leadership Consultant or Advisory Role Stock Ownership Honoraria Research Funding Expert Testimony Other Remuneration Aventis, sanofi-aventis
Acute respiratory infections in lung transplant recipients: Use of a novel multiplex-PCR assay
Authors: Felix C. Ringshausen, Gernot Rohde, Marcus Panning, Jessica Rademacher, Mark Greer, Karen Olsson, Tobias Welte, Jens Gottlieb
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (2012)

Background:  Acute respiratory infections (ARI) share features with common, non-infectious complications after lung transplantation (LTx) making accurate and rapid diagnosis crucial for the management of LTx recipients.  Objectives:  To evaluate the performance of a novel multiplex-PCR assay in addition to routine evaluation.  Methods:  In this ongoing prospective cohort study, LTx-outpatients with any new symptom of ARI were screened for 24 respiratory viruses (RV) and atypical bacteria by a multiplex-PCR assay performed on throat swabs. Routine evaluation included PCR for 14 RV on throat washes and lower respiratory tract (LRT) sampling (BAL for quantitative microbiology, direct immunofluorescence, viral culture, PCR, and transbronchial biopsy), if indicated.  Results:  Between Sept. 2011 and Feb. 2012, among 104 episodes from 95 LTx recipients, 30 RV were detected in 29 patients (31%): 9 rhino-, 7 parainfluenza, 6 metapneumo-, 4 corona-, 3 adenovirus, 2 RSV, 2 CMV, and 3 viral coinfections. The multiplex-PCR detected RV in 12% (12/104 episodes) compared to 26% (23/90) with routine evaluation (κ=0.20, p=0.03), including additional 4 RV. RV were more frequently detected in LRT than in URT samples (24% vs. 14%; κ=0.10, p=0.40). Agreement between both PCR assays in URT specimens was moderate (RV detected in 7 of 21 throat washes; κ=0.54, p=0.011). Definite clinical diagnoses were suspected (28 subjects) and proven viral infection (26), BOS (23), AR (10), bacterial infection (9), obstructive airway complication (4), pneumonia (3), and CMV infection (1).  Conclusions:  In LTx recipients, virological methodology and sampling are complementary, with LRT specimens resulting in higher diagnostic yield.
Age-specific seroprevalence of Human Herpesvirus 8 in Mediterranean regions
Authors: P. Cattani, F. Cerimele, D. Porta, R. Graffeo, S. Ranno, S. Marchetti, R. Ricci, N. Capodicasa, L. Fuga, R. Amico, G. Cherchi, M. Gazzilli, S. Zanetti, G. Fadda
Journal: Clinical Microbiology and Infection (2003)
Conditioning of whole body plethysmographs (WBPs) for prolonged measurements during exercise
Authors: Barbara Uva, Dario Bovio, Andrea Aliverti
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (2012)

Due to the significant thermal drift determined by variations of temperature (ΔT) and relative humidity (ΔRH) in the box, in clinical practice WBPs are used only over short measurement periods. To allow measurements of lung volume variations by WBP over long periods and exercise tests, we developed 3 different air conditioning systems (A: peltier cells and fans; B: continuous bias flow produced by a negative pressure source; C: bias flow and fans) and studied their effects on ΔT and ΔRH within a flow-type WBP. In 5 healthy subjects, ΔT and ΔRH were measured during 19 of quiet breathing (QB), 59 of calf contraction submaximal constant exercise (EX) and 49 of recovery (REC).  In all subjects, ΔT and ΔRH were similar during QB, EX and REC. T increased linearly during QB and EX with different slopes and then plateaued during REC. Conversely, RH did not vary during QB and changed nonlinearly during EX and REC. During QB, ΔT averaged 0.3±0.2(SD), 0.3±0.1 and 0.3±0.1°C and ΔRH 1.4±1.5, 2.4±2.2 and 1.6±1.5%, respectively with A, B and C conditioning. During EX, ΔT was 0.8±0.2, 1.0±0.3 and 0.7±0.3°C and ΔRH 17.1±12.0, 28.1±7.2 and 24.7±7.9%, respectively with A, B and C conditioning. A and C were significantly more effective than B in controlling ΔT during both QB and EX (p  In conclusion, combining a cooling device with air recirculation allows to keep T constant inside the WBP during prolonged measurements, even during EX. None of the 3 considered conditioning systems allows to control RH, however, the repeatability of RH variations suggests that thermal drift can be corrected by dedicated software.
Protective Tumor Immunity Induced by Potassium Chloride Extracts of Guinea Pig Hepatomas
Authors: Monte S. Meltzer, Edward J. Leonard, Alison S. Hardy, Herbert J. Rapp
Journal: JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute (1975)

Tumor-specific antigens of cells of the diethylnitrosamine-induced hepatomas in strain-2 guinea pigs were extracted with 3 M KCl. Immunization of normal animals with the extracted tumor antigens in adjuvant protected them against a subsequent challenge with viable tumor cells. Extracted tumor-specific antigens were less effective immunogens than viable tumor cells for both of two antigenically distinct lines.
Kinetics of Cell Proliferation in Benign and Premalignant Tumors of the Human Epidermis&lt;xref ref-type="fn" rid="fn2"&gt;2&lt;/xref&gt;
Authors: M Heenen, J C Lambert, G Achten, P Galand
Journal: JNCI Journal of the National Cancer Institute (1975)

A double labeling method with two levels of tritiated thymidine was used to study 6 patients with seborrheic keratosis, 1 with a fibroepithelial tumor of Pinkus, and 1 with basal cell nevus syndrome manifesting three pits on the palm of the hand. The two latter types of lesions, known to be able to evolve into basal cell carcinoma, had an increased S-phase duration (18 hr for the germ cells of the palmar pits) as compared with normal epidermis (10 hr). This situation was similar to that observed in basal cell carcinoma, However, the S phase was not lengthened in seborrheic keratosis (9.2 plus or minus 1.6), a benign tumor in which malignant transformation is extremely rare. S phase was also of normal duration in the benign eosinophilic septa of the tumor of Pinkus.
The impact of obstructive sleep apnea syndrome on superoxide dysmutase-1 activity in erythrocytes of high risk for type 2 diabetes (pre-diabetic) males
Authors: Szczepan Cofta, Ewa Wysocka, Tomasz Piorunek, Malgorzata Rzymkowska, Lech Torlinski, Halina Batura-Gabryel
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (2011)

Introduction:  The relationships between obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS) and cardiovascular risk factors are under wide-world interest.  The aim of the study was to analyze superoxide dysmutase-1 activity in erythrocytes of high risk for type 2 diabetes (pre-diabetic) males, due to a severity of OSAS diagnosis.   Methods:  OSA suspected males with no acute or severe chronic disease were enrolled. Non-smoking Caucasians aged 30-63, with BMI 25-3,9 kg/m 2 , submitted clinical, biochemical and polysomnographic examinations. EMBLA device was used to establish the severity of apnea episodes. The results of oral glucose tolerance test allowed to select pre-diabetic males. Apnea/hypopnea index (AHI) categorized patients for: OSAS0 (n=14, aged 53±7, AHI 0-4,9), OSAS1 (n=14, aged 55±8, AHI 5-15); OSAS2 (n=14, aged 56±5, AHI 16-30); OSA3 (n=14, aged 55±7, AHI≥31). Plasma glucose, fasting lipid profile (T-C, HDL-C, LDL-C, TG), uric acid were estimated. Fasting serum insulin (ELISA BioSource, Sunrise Tekan) and erythrocyte Cu,Zn- superoxide dysmutase activity, SOD-1 (Randox, Statfax™ 1904 Plus) were determined. Statistical analysis was performed using STATISTICA 6.0 for Windows. Data are shown as means ± SD.   Results:  1.The studied groups did not differ in their age, BMI, blood pressure, and routine metabolic parameters.  2. Kruskal-Wallis Test revealed increased SOD-1 in OSAS1 group and the lowest in OSAS3 group (from OSAS0 to OSAS3: 1174±404 vs 1432±476 vs 1248±495 vs 944±298 U/gHGB; p=0,038).   Conclusion:  In the studied pre-diabetic males only OSAS1 persons seem to present some native mechanisms for cardiovascular prevention.
Critical analysis of the current American Joint Committee on Cancer staging system for cutaneous melanoma and proposal of a new staging system.
Authors: A C Buzaid, M I Ross, C M Balch, S Soong, W H McCarthy, L Tinoco, P Mansfield, J E Lee, A Bedikian, O Eton, C Plager, N Papadopoulos, S S Legha, R S Benjamin
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (1997)

To critically review the accuracy of the current American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging system for cutaneous melanoma and propose a more useful staging system.Retrospective evaluation of the published data as well as a reanalysis of the University of Alabama and Sydney Melanoma Unit (UAB/SMU) data bases (n = 4,568) for patients with primary melanoma was performed to examine specifically the impact of level of invasion and ulceration on the prognostic value of tumor thickness. In addition, an overlay graphic technique was used to compare the Kaplan-Meier survival curves of patients with local recurrences, satellites, in-transit metastases, and nodal metastases reported in the literature.Tumor thickness and ulceration remained the most powerful prognostic indicators in patients with stage I and II disease. Level of invasion provided statistically significant prognostic information only in the subgroup of patients with tumor thickness < or = 1 mm, but the absolute 10-year survival differences were small and inconsistent (level II, 95%; level III, 85%; level IV, 89%). The best statistical fit for tumor thickness cutoffs was at 1 versus 2 versus 4 mm. The overlay graphic technique showed that patients who developed satellite lesions or local recurrence had prognoses similar to those of patients with stage III disease. The most important prognostic factor for patients with nodal metastases was number of involved nodes rather than size.Our analysis showed that the current AJCC staging system has many inaccuracies that should be modified to conform to published data. On the basis of our analysis and review of the literature, we propose a new and more accurate staging system.
Effects of Cyproterone Acetate and a Long-Acting LHRH Analogue on Serum Lipoproteins in Patients with Carcinoma of the Prostate
Authors: R B Paisey, C Kadow, C Bolton, M Hartog, J C Gingell
Journal: Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine (1986)

Fasting serum lipoproteins were measured in 10 untreated patients with carcinoma of the prostate (Group I), 17 patients with non-malignant urological disorders (Group II), and 12 patients on cyproterone acetate (Group III) and 5 on a long-acting luteinizing hormone-releasing hormone (LHRH) analogue (Group IV) for at least 2 months for carcinoma of the prostate. Total high-density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol levels were significantly lower in patients in Group III than all the other groups. Very low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) triglyceride levels were significantly higher in patients in Group III than those in Groups II and IV. These results suggest a potentially adverse effect of cyproterone acetate, but not of the long-acting LHRH analogue, on serum lipids, which is likely to be of relevance only in younger patients.
Combined immunotherapy improves survival in metastatic melanoma
Authors: S. Mayor
Journal: BMJ (2015)

A combination of two immunotherapy agents acting on different steps in activation of the immune system considerably improves the time to disease progression in patients with previously untreated metastatic melanoma when compared with either drug alone, first study to investigate this dual approach has shown.

The international study, reported in the New England Journal of Medicine ,1 randomly assigned 945 patients with unresectable stage III or IV melanoma to treatment with either nivolumab alone, nivolumab plus ipilimumab, or ipilimumab alone.

Results showed that …
The effect of spontaneous breathing trial on airway and systemic IL-18 production during ventilator weaning
Authors: Nikoletta Rovina, Irene Kostakou, Efrosini Dima, Anna Kyriakoudi, Anastasios Palamidas, Nikolaos Koulouris, Antonia Koutsoukou
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (2014)

Spontaneous breathing trial (SBT), a routine procedure during ventilator weaning, entails cardiopulmonary stress for the ventilated patient, which is higher in the patients failing the trial. IL-18, a pro-inflammatory cytokine playing a role in the host defence against infectious diseases and tumour growth, is induced by catecholamines or angiotensin, mediators overexpressed during weaning. Aim of this study was to explore the effect of weaning on IL-18 levels locally in the airways, and systemically.  26 mechanically ventilated patients, who underwent a 30 minute SBT, were classified as SBT failure or success. Bronchial aspirates and blood samples were drawn before, 30 mins, and 24 hours after the SBT.  IL-18 levels in bronchial aspirates increased from mechanical ventilation to spontaneous breathing in the SBT success group at the end of 30 minutes (68.5 pg/ml (11-823) vs 78.5 pg/ml (29-723), pg0.05, values are expressed as median (range)), and 24 hours later (101 pg/ml (34-903), pg0.05). On the contrary, in the SBT failure group, IL-18 levels decreased at the end of 30 min SBT (85 pg/ml (39-155) vs 50.4 (8-148.5), p=0.06), and remained decreased 24 hours later (42 pg/ml (3.5-385, p=0.07), correlating with bronchial lymphocyte counts (r=0.762, p=0.028). The systemic levels of IL-18 were significantly higher compared to local levels (pl0.05), and in the SBT failure group compared to SBT success group at all time points, with no significant variation between measurements per group. Our data suggest that SBT stress during ventilator weaning induces the production of IL-18 locally and systemically probably via different pathogenetic pathways.
Asthma control is not related to large airways function
Authors: Alain Van Muylem, Alain Michils
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (2014)

Background : It is still controversial whether asthma control is influenced by large or small airways functional impairments.

Aim : To assess the ability of large and small airways related standard pulmonary function indices to reflect asthma control improvement over time.

Methods : FEV1, FEF75, FVC, airway resistance (Rva), and specific Rva (SRva) were measured at 1rst and 2nd visit in 490 asthma patients. Changes were expressed in percentage of 1rst visit value. Asthma control was assessed by asthma control questionnaire (ACQ) score. A significant improvement of asthma control was defined as a decrease of ACQ score by more than 1. A ROC curve analysis was performed, and indices results were assessed by comparing the area under the curve (AUC) to 0.5.

Results : 207 improvements were observed. Mean changes for FEV1, FEF75, FVC, Rva, and SRva were 13, 32, 7, 49 and 40%, respectively (p<0.001).

The AUC's for FEV1, FEF75, and FVC were 0.656, 0.612, and 0.630 (p 0.05), respectively.

Discussion : Though varying significantly, Rva and SRva, indices very likely reflecting large airways function, did not bring any contribution to the capture of asthma control improvement whereas indices associated, at least to some extent, to small airways function did.

Conclusion : This strongly suggests that small airways dysfunction is primarily involved in the asthma process.
Pickles of Wensleydale
Authors: R J Berry
Journal: Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine (2001)

Dr Moorhead's article (October 2001, JRSM, pp. 536-540) reminded me of an episode in the mid 1950s. The Department of Medicine in (I think) Sheffield were conducting a survey to correlate bronchial disease and air pollution, and chose Aysgarth as the control site because of the detailed morbidity records available from Will Pickles' practice. They had no doubt that the beautiful high Pennine village of Aysgarth would provide an excellent pollution-free comparison to the environment of industrial Yorkshire. They were extremely discomfited to find that every second person in Aysgarth was coughing his or her lungs out. Was there really air pollution in Aysgarth, or were their standard assumptions wrong?

In those far-off days the most sensitive measure of clean air was not chemical but the proportion of melanic trunk-sitting months. Typical cryptic moths become visible to their bird predators when the lichens disappear from the tree-trunk resting-places, while melanics remain hidden—hence their spread into all polluted areas after the Industrial Revolution. The details of the spread and distribution of the industrial melanics were chronicled and experimentally studied by Bernard Kettlewell, a Surrey general practitioner who in partnership with the pioneer medical geneticist E A Cockayne, developed and published the results of his amateur lepidopterology in the 1930s and moved to E B Ford's group in Oxford after the Second World War. Kettlewell was asked to catch moths in Aysgarth. I went with him as a newly fledged ecological geneticist, and met the venerable Will Pickles.

Over 94% of the species we studied (the peppered moth, Biston betularia) were the melanic form. Aysgarth was in fact highly polluted by air swept up into the hills on the prevailing south-west wind, carrying the atmospheric output from the Lancashire manufacturing towns. The clinical symptoms were not anachronistic; Aysgarth was not a proper control.

Since those days, Kettlewell's research has become a standard example of evolution in action, described in elementary biology textbooks. And a sequel to it was the two-decade-long study conducted by the late Cyril Clarke in his back garden in the Wirral near Liverpool, and barely mentioned in his obituaries, in which he monitored the decline of the black form of the peppered moth as air quality improved following the implementation of the Clean Air Act. Clarke recorded the fall in frequency of the melanics in his locality from over 90% to below 10%. I routinely used this saga to point out to medical students that a little biological knowledge can, on occasion, be very helpful.
Erythrocyte sedimentation rate as an independent prognostic factor in mycosis fungoides
Authors: C. Hallermann, C. Niermann, R.-J. Fischer, H.-J. Schulze
Journal: British Journal of Dermatology (2011)

Mycosis fungoides has a characteristically indolent clinical course, with a slow progression from patches over plaques to tumours. In advanced stages, with generalized skin involvement or tumours, the prognosis is poor. Well defined prognostic parameters for the individual risc stratifications are rare.To determine prognostic factors for mycosis fungoides.In a retrospective monocenter study, we reevaluated 97 consecutive cases of mycosis fungoides seen at our clinic. We correlated various routinely accessed parameters with survival data. The parameters were "sex", "age at time of diagnosis", "age-adjusted erythrocyte sedimentation rate"?(ESR), and "anemia".We identified ESR as a highly significant prognostic marker for MF that also affects overall survival and disease specific survival (P = 0·0014). The five-years disease specific survival was 100% for patients without elevation of ESR, and 52·83% for patients with elevated ESR above normal range (P < 0·001). It is of main interest that the ESR is a significant prognostic marker also in the T2 stage of MF. For the other parameters there was no significant impact on disease specific survival.ESR has turned out as independent prognostic factor in mycosis fungoides.
Premature Mortality in Pancreatic Cancer: Analysis of Lost Life-Years and Quality-Adjusted Life-Years (Qalys) in Europe
Authors: A. Carrato, A. Falcone, M.P. Ducreux, J.W. Valle, A. Parnaby, K. Djazouli, K. Alnwick-Allu, A. Hutchings
Journal: Annals of Oncology (2014)
Diagnostic accuracy of sputum induction test compared with bronchoscopic results in patients with pulmonary tuberculosis
Authors: Yunseong Kim, Doosoo Jeon, Kwangha Lee, Kiuk Kim, Hyekyung Park, Minki Lee, Soonkew Park
Journal: European Respiratory Journal (2011)

Rationale:  Diagnosis of pulmonary tuberculosis is difficult in patient who do not produce sputum spontaneously, or who have AFB smear (-) sputum. Bronchoscopy is helpful in these patients, but in many cases cannot be readily available. We prospectively compared the diagnostic yield of sputum induction test with bronchoscopy.   Methods:  From February 1 to July 31, 2010, we included the patients suspected active pulmonary tuberculosis, who could not produce sputum spontaneously, or who had a pair of AFB smear (-) sputum. They underwent sputum induction test and bronchoscopy. We calculated the sensitivity of AFB smear, culture for Mycobacterium tuberculosis, TB-PCR of each test, and evaluated the concordance rate by kappa test.   Results:  Sensitivities of AFB smear were 36.1% in sputum induction test and 33.3% in bronchoscopy. Sensitivities of culture for Mycobacterium tuberculosis were 69.4% and 75.0%, and TB PCR were 52.8% and 58.3% in sputum induction and bronchoscopy, respectively. The results of AFB smear by sputum induction and bronchoscopy were concordant in 94% (63/67case, Kappa test=0.819). In culture for Mycobacterium tuberculosis, the results were concordant in 82% (54/67case, Kappa test=0.684) and the results of TB-PCR were concordant in 88% (59/67case, Kappa test=0.715).   Conclusions:  In this study, sputum induction test had shown similar diagnostic value and sensitivity with bronchoscopy in the diagnosis of active pulmonary tuberculosis. In patients who are difficult in collecting sputum, or have AFB smear-negative sputum, sputum induction test can be an alternative approach to the diagnosis of active pulmonary tuberculosis.