tbuckley/cabot-search huggingface dataset:
Human urinary macrophage colony-stimulating factor reduces the incidence and duration of febrile neutropenia and shortens the period required to finish three courses of intensive consolidation therapy in acute myeloid leukemia: a double-blind controlled study.
Authors: R Ohno, S Miyawaki, K Hatake, K Kuriyama, K Saito, A Kanamaru, T Kobayashi, Y Kodera, K Nishikawa, S Matsuda, O Yamada, E Omoto, H Takeyama, K Tsukuda, N Asou, M Tanimoto, H Shiozaki, M Tomonaga, T Masaoka, Y Miura, F Takaku, Y Ohashi, K Motoyoshi
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (1997)

PURPOSE To determine whether macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) reduces the incidence and duration of febrile neutropenia during three courses of intensive consolidation therapy and whether it shortens time to complete consolidation therapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS In 198 adult patients with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) in complete remission (CR), M-CSF (8 x 10(6) U/d) or placebo was administered from 1 day after the end of each consolidation chemotherapy for 14 days. RESULTS The duration and incidence of febrile neutropenia was significantly reduced by 34% (P = .00285) and 17% (P = .02065), respectively, in 88 assessable patients in the M-CSF group compared with those in 94 assessable patients in the placebo group. Patients in the M-CSF group had 565 days and 133 episodes of febrile neutropenia during 7,901 days at risk, while patients in the placebo group had 977 days and 185 episodes during 9,077 days at risk. The median period required to finish the three courses of consolidation therapy was 93 days in the M-CSF group, which was significantly shorter than 110 days in placebo group (P = .0050). In the M-CSF group, the recovery of neutrophils and platelets was significantly faster (P = .0348 and P = 0.0364, respectively), the administration of systemic antimicrobial agents tended to be less (P = .0839), and the frequency of platelet transfusion (P = .0259) and the total volume of transfused platelets (P = .0292) were significantly less. However, there was no significant difference in the disease-free survival. CONCLUSION M-CSF significantly reduced the incidence and duration of febrile neutropenia during the intensive consolidation therapy, and shortened the time to complete consolidation chemotherapy in AML.
The presence of the anti-inflammatory protein MAM, from<i>Faecalibacterium prausnitzii</i>, in the intestinal ecosystem
Authors: Elodie Quévrain, Marie-Anne Maubert, Harry Sokol, Bart Devreese, Philippe Seksik
Journal: Gut (2015)

We recently reported in your journal the discovery of an anti-inflammatory protein produced by Faecalibacterium prausnitzii , a commensal bacterium involved in Crohn's disease (CD) dysbiosis.1 We wish to highlight and complete these recent data.

The involvement of the intestinal microbiota in the pathogenesis of CD is well recognised. It has been shown that dysbiosis (an imbalance in the composition of the intestinal microbiota) could participate in chronic and inappropriate activation of the intestinal immune system and lead to inflammation. Dysbiosis is characterised by a deficiency of certain bacteria, such …
Integrated medicine: orthodox meets alternative
Authors: O. Caspi
Journal: BMJ (2001)

Editor—Vickers's review is another example of how complementary and alternative medicine (CAM) is being brought into the mainstream rather than integrated.1 Times are indeed changing, but what to?

The dictionary defines integration as “the incorporation of equals into society.”2 Let's be honest: there is no equality in medicine; there never was and probably never will be. The recent approval of acupuncture by the BMA is by no means an overarching endorsement of Chinese medicine as a legitimate alternative system.3 It is simply an acknowledgement of the accumulation over time of good enough evidence that shows the effectiveness of acupuncture in some conditions. This is, to borrow a metaphor from the word processing world, a cut and paste approach. It results in the assimilation, and not creation, of a new emergent property. Combination medicine is not integrated medicine.

Two other important aspects related to the future of CAM deserve discussion.

Health services research—Currently, much of the research effort in CAM is in the form of treatment x for disease y. Almost no systematic research is taking place on the delivery, organisation, and financing of different integrative healthcare models or on the appropriateness, quality, availability, and cost of CAM modalities in the current healthcare system. At a time when there is much interest in marketing, to ignore this line of research would undoubtedly be counterproductive in the long run simply because money is easier to measure and relate to than healing. Only by combining both types of research—biomedical that looks mainly at mechanisms of effect, and health services that looks mainly at modes of delivery—will true integration beyond the mere expansion of therapeutic tools be possible.

Medical education—Tallying the number of CAM courses given in medical schools is probably the most misleading indicator of integration. It may create an illusion that CAM has already made inroads into the temples of the medical establishment. The truth is that CAM education is currently an optional dessert rather than a main course. True integration will not be feasible without shifting the medical education paradigm from disease to humanism, from cure to healing, from knowing to not knowing. Education is the key to change.4

By their nature, review articles deal with the past. People, however, ought to look at the future: what will follow the current trend of mainstreaming? Integrative medicine, in its true sense, has the potential to expand the horizons of medicine beyond therapeutics.
Juvenile Onset Systemic Sclerosis
Authors: S M Burge, T J Ryan, R P R Dawber
Journal: Journal of the Royal Society of Medicine (1984)

A case of progressive systemic sclerosis (CREST syndrome), which began in childhood, is described. Juvenile onset CREST syndrome is extremely rare; there are few well documented cases and no published series of children with this form of progressive systemic sclerosis. An anticentromere antibody was recently detected in this case and its significance is discussed.
Development of a bread delivery vehicle for dietary prebiotics to enhance food functionality targeted at those with metabolic syndrome
Authors: Adele Costabile, Gemma E Walton, George Tzortzis, Jelena Vulevic, Dimitris Charalampopoulos, Glenn R Gibson
Journal: Gut Microbes (2015)

Prebiotics are dietary carbohydrates that favourably modulate the gut microbiota. The aims of the present study were to develop a functional prebiotic bread using Bimuno®, (galactooligosaccharide (B-GOS) mixture), for modulation of the gut microbiota in vitro in individuals at risk of metabolic syndrome. A control bread, (no added prebiotic) and positive control bread (containing equivalent carbohydrate to B-GOS bread) were also developed. A 3-stage continuous in vitro colonic model was used to assess prebiotic functionality of the breads. Bacteria were quantified by fluorescence in situ hybridization and short chain fatty acids by gas chromatography. Ion-exchange chromatography was used to determine GOS concentration after bread production. Following B-GOS bread fermentation numbers of bifidobacteria and lactobacilli were significantly higher compared to controls. There was no significant degradation of B-GOS during bread manufacture, indicating GOS withstood the manufacturing process. Furthermore, based on previous research, increased bifidobacteria and butyrate levels could be of benefit to those with obesity related conditions. Our findings support utilization of prebiotic enriched bread for improving gastrointestinal health.
Unusual Adrenal and Brain Metastases From Follicular Thyroid Carcinoma Revealed by 131I SPECT/CT
Authors: Zhen Zhao, Guo-hua Shen, Bin Liu, An-ren Kuang
Journal: Clinical Nuclear Medicine (2015)

The adrenal metastasis from differentiated thyroid carcinoma is uncommon. Metastatic involvement of both adrenal and brain in the same patient from differentiated thyroid carcinoma is rare. Here, we described an unusual case with iodine-avid lung, bone, adrenal, liver, and brain metastases from follicular thyroid carcinoma confirmed by 131I SPECT/CT. The utilization of SPECT/CT in thyroid cancer patients can detect the presence of metastases and also exclude potential false-positive lesions. Our case demonstrates that SPECT/CT is helpful in localizing and confirming metastatic lesions from differentiated thyroid carcinoma in rare and unusual sites.
Abstract 1205: Role for Nox1 NADPH Oxidase in Atherosclerosis
Authors: Andrea L Sheehan, Maysam Takapoo, Botond Banfi, Francis J Miller
Journal: Circulation (2007)

NADPH oxidase-derived reactive oxygen species (ROS) contribute to the pathobiology of vascular disease. However, studies investigating NADPH oxidases in atherosclerosis have been limited in their ability to distinguish between the role of vascular cell and inflammatory cell -derived ROS. In this study, we examined the contribution of Nox1-derived ROS in a mouse model of atherosclerosis. Nox1 is a primary catalytic subunit of vascular cell, but not inflammatory cell, NADPH oxidase. At weaning, male apolipoprotein E deficient mice (AS, n=12) and male mice deficient in both apolipoprotein E and Nox1 (AS/Nox, n=16) received an atherogenic diet for 18 weeks. Mean blood pressures (116±3 vs. 110 ±3 mmHg; AS vs. AS/Nox, n=6), weights, and serum cholesterol levels (1578±150 vs. 1631±80 mg/dl; AS vs. AS/Nox) were similar between the AS and AS/Nox mice. As measured by lucigenin-enhanced chemiluminescence, superoxide levels were increased in segments of thoracic aorta from AS mice as compared to aorta from control mice (22±2 vs. 14±2 RLU/sec/mm 2 ; AS vs. C57BL/6; p&lt;0.05, n=6). In contrast, superoxide levels in segments of thoracic aorta from AS/Nox mice were significantly lower (9±1 RLU/sec/mm 2 , n=6) than both AS and C57BL/6 mice. Dihydroethidium staining confirmed decreased superoxide levels in aorta of AS/Nox mice. Atherosclerotic lesion area was measured by staining the aorta en face with Oil Red O. Although atherosclerotic lesion area was reduced over the entire length of aorta in AS/Nox mice as compared to AS mice (10±1% vs. 14±1%, p&lt;0.01), the reduction in lesion was primarily limited to the aortic arch (28±3% vs. 43±2%, p&lt;0.001). In summary, Nox1 contributes to generation of ROS and lesion formation in atherosclerosis. These data confirm a role for vascular cell NADPH oxidases, and in particular Nox1, in vascular disease.
Prognostic significance of plasma osteopontin in patients with locally advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HNSCC) treated with chemoradiation on TROG 02.02 phase III trial.
Authors: A. M. L. Lim, D. Rischin, H. Cao, R. Fisher, G. A. McArthur, L. J. Peters, R. J. Young, Q. Le
Journal: Journal of Clinical Oncology (2011)

5506 Background: High plasma osteopontin (OPN) levels have been reported to be an adverse prognostic factor in HNSCC, to correlate with tumor hypoxia and to be predictive of benefit from hypoxia targeted therapy. We sought to confirm the prognostic and predictive significance of OPN in patients treated on a large international trial. Methods: Patients with previously untreated Stage III or IV HNSCC were randomized to receive definitive radiotherapy concurrently with cisplatin or cisplatin plus the hypoxic cell cytotoxin, tirapazamine (TPZ). As previously reported there were no significant differences in any outcome parameter by randomization arm. Eligibility criteria for this prospective substudy included availability of plasma samples and absence of major radiation therapy deviations. Plasma OPN was measured by ELISA. OPN concentrations according to tertiles and median were analysed for overall survival (OS), and time to locoregional failure (TTLRF), adjusting for prognostic factors (site, T category, N category, hemoglobin, performance status). An additional analysis was performed in patients with available p16 immunohistochemistry results. Results: 578/853 patients were eligible and had a median OPN level of 544 µg/L (range: 7 - 2640). High OPN levels were not associated with worse overall survival (HR 1.03 for highest tertile and 0.98 for middle tertile, p=0.95) or time to locoregional failure (HR 0.91 for highest and 0.93 for middle, p=0.91). There was no interaction between OPN and treatment arm for OS or TTLRF (p=0.51 for both). For the highest tertile the 2-year OS was 70% on control arm and 71% on TPZ arm (HR=1.11, p=0.67). Similarly for p16 negative patients in the highest tertile, the 2 year OS was 69% on control arm and 73% on TPZ arm (HR=1.13, p=0.82). Conclusions: In contrast to previous reports we found no evidence that high plasma OPN levels were associated with an adverse prognosis in HNSCC, or were predictive of benefit with hypoxia targeting therapy. Supported by 1 R01 CA118582 and NHMRC project grant.
Trends in the Incidence of Coronary Heart Disease and Stroke and Their Risk Factors in Japan, 1964 to 2003
Authors: Akihiko Kitamura, Shinichi Sato, Masahiko Kiyama, Hironori Imano, Hiroyasu Iso, Takeo Okada, Tetsuya Ohira, Takeshi Tanigawa, Kazumasa Yamagishi, Masakazu Nakamura, Masamitsu Konishi, Takashi Shimamoto, Minoru Iida, Yoshio Komachi
Journal: Journal of the American College of Cardiology (2008)
Lack of SH3 domain does not imply a more severe clinical course in Ph+ chronic myeloid leukemia patients
Authors: Mario Tiribelli, Anna Tonso, Dario Ferrero, Adele Parziale, Giovanna Rege Cambrin, Patrizia Scaravaglio, Daniela Cilloni, Enrico Gottardi, Giuseppe Saglio
Journal: Blood (2000)
“Mind boggling” variation in hospital prices is seen across US
Authors: Michael McCarthy
Journal: BMJ (2015)

Largely owing to differences in hospital prices, total healthcare spending on beneficiaries covered by private insurance in the United States varies as much as threefold between regions, a large study of employer sponsored insurance claims has found, and prices for routine services often vary by a factor of more than 10.1

Healthcare spending was lowest in Honolulu, Hawaii, the researchers found, where only $1707.39 (£1140; €1560) was spent on each privately insured beneficiary in 2011. But spending was highest in Napa, California, at $5515.90 per beneficiary. Prices for routine services also varied widely between and even within regions. The price hospitals charged for routine magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans of lower limb joints, for instance, varied by a factor of six within the city of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, …
Abstract 17695: Diastolic Dysfunction May Underlie Sex Differences in Outcome Following Catheter Ablation for Atrial Fibrillation in Patients with Preserved Ejection Fraction
Authors: Rosita Zakeri, Yong-Mei Cha, David O Hodge, Jia H Wu, Kristi H Monahan, Douglas L Packer, Margaret M Redfield
Journal: Circulation (2012)
NHS needs emergency injection of £1bn, says King’s Fund
Authors: Gareth Iacobucci
Journal: BMJ (2015)

The NHS in England needs an emergency injection of money to the tune of around £1bn (€1.4bn; $1.5bn) this year to cope with the huge deficits facing the service, a leading healthcare think tank has warned.

In its submission to the government’s upcoming spending review,1 the King’s Fund said that even the best run NHS hospitals were now forecasting a deficit and that “emergency deficit funding is likely to be required this year.”

The think tank added that the £8bn increase in real terms NHS funding by 2020 pledged by the government was “the absolute minimum requirement” to maintain current standards of care and would not be enough to pay for new commitments such as seven day services. It added that, contrary to some rumours that this £8bn …
Abstract 11026: Aldosterone Level in the General Community Predicts New Onset Cardiometabolic Disease
Authors: Alessia Buglioni, Valentina Cannone, S. Jeson Sangaralingham, Denise M Heublein, Christopher G Scott, Kent R Bailey, Richard J Rodeheffer, Riccardo Sarzani, John C Burnett
Journal: Circulation (2014)

Introduction: Plasma aldosterone (Aldo) increases Na and water reabsorption and mediates inflammation. Our recent findings in a general population cohort showed Aldo strongly associated with hypertension (HTN), obesity, chronic kidney disease (CKD) and lower natriuretic peptide levels (NPs) during a first visit (V1), even when Aldo was within the normal range. It is undefined whether Aldo itself (V1) and/or its increase after 4-year (second visit, V2) can predict new onset cardiovascular and metabolic diseases. Hypotheses: We hypothesized that: 1) Aldo-V1 predicts new onset disease at V2; 2) The increase of Aldo between V1 and V2 predicts new onset disease-V2; and 3) Aldo-V2 remains associated with cardiovascular and metabolic disease-V2. Methods: We defined the correlations between Aldo-V1 and Aldo-V2 with cardiometabolic diseases and medications at V2, in a general community cohort (N=1368) from Olmsted County, MN. Associations were adjusted for age, sex and BMI; Aldo was analyzed as continuous variable and according to tertiles. Results: After 4 years, Aldo-V1 continuous variable predicted new onset of central obesity (p=0.0113, OR=1.36, CI=1.07-1.73), HTN (p=0.0012, OR=1.36, CI=1.13-1.63) and use of antilipemic drugs (p=0.0119, OR=1.25, CI=1.05-1.48); while Aldo-V1 in the 3 rd tertile predicted new onset of type 2 diabetes (T2DM) (p=0.0392, OR=1.96, CI=1.03-3.70), use of antilipemic therapy (p=0.0162, OR=1.59, CI=1.09-2.31) and HTN (p=0.049, OR1.44, CI=1.00-2.08) at V2. Secondly, we observed that the increase in Aldo between V1 and V2 predicted new HTN-V2. Finally, we found higher Aldo-V2, but still within the normal range and Aldo-V2 remained associated with HTN, obesity and CKD, when analyzed as continuous variable and when in the 3 rd tertile. Conclusions: In the general community, Aldo-V1 predicts new onset HTN, central obesity, T2DM and use of antilipemic therapy. Importantly, the increase of aldosterone between V1 and V2 also predicts new onset HTN. Finally, Aldo-V2 correlates with HTN, obesity and CKD as we found at V1. Further studies are warranted to evaluate aldosterone as therapeutic target to delay disease progression, and to support its role as prognostic biomarker to identify high-risk subjects.
Myocardial Oxygenation in Coronary Artery Disease
Authors: Jayanth R. Arnold, Theodoros D. Karamitsos, Paul Bhamra-Ariza, Jane M. Francis, Nick Searle, Matthew D. Robson, Ruairidh K. Howells, Robin P. Choudhury, Ornella E. Rimoldi, Paolo G. Camici, Adrian P. Banning, Stefan Neubauer, Michael Jerosch-Herold, Joseph B. Selvanayagam
Journal: Journal of the American College of Cardiology (2012)
Fluorescence-Based Selection of Gene-Corrected Hematopoietic Stem and Progenitor Cells From Acid Sphingomyelinase-Deficient Mice: Implications for Niemann-Pick Disease Gene Therapy and the Development of Improved Stem Cell Gene Transfer Procedures
Authors: Shai Erlich, Silvia R.P. Miranda, Jan W.M. Visser, Arie Dagan, Shimon Gatt, Edward H. Schuchman
Journal: Blood (1999)
Initial validation of a simple, nonbiological, mechanical ERCP training model for cannulation and stent placement
Authors: Ivan Jovanovic, Lucia Fry, Nadan Rustemovic, Branko Bilic, Hrovje Ivekovic, Marco D’Assunção, Klaus Mönkemüller
Journal: Endoscopy (2015)

Few models are available for hands-on training in endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). Moreover, the key aspect of learning ERCP properly is the acquisition of manual and visual skills [1] [2]. Although performing ERCP procedures in human beings eventually leads to expertise, both experts and endoscopy societies strongly encourage that some of the key skills be acquired with the use of training models [3]. Herein, we show a simple ERCP model for training endoscopists in scope insertion, wheel handling, cannulation, and stent insertion.
Low Expression Of The FUCA1 Gene Is An Adverse Prognostic Factor In Myeloma and Combined With High Sialyltransferase Gene Expression Identifies Patients At Increased Risk Of Early Disease Progression and Death
Authors: Siobhan Glavey, Ping Wu, Laura S Murillo, Catherine Loughrey, Aldo M Roccaro, Gareth J Morgan, Irene M. Ghobrial, Lokesh Joshi, Michael E O'Dwyer
Journal: Blood (2013)
Abstract P349: Association Of Fibroblast Growth Factor 23 With Incident Cardiovascular Disease And All-Cause Mortality In The Framingham Heart Study
Authors: Robin Haring, Ramachandran S Vasan, Henri Wallaschofski, Lisa Sullivan, Danielle Enserro
Journal: Circulation (2014)

Objective: To investigate the association of fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) with incident cardiovascular disease (CVD) and mortality risk in the general population. Methods: We evaluated 3,236 Framingham Offspring and Omni Study participants to examine the associations of serum FGF23 (measured by immunoassay) with 10-year incident CVD (N = 2,823) and all-cause mortality (N = 3,223) using multivariable Cox regression models. Results: During a median follow-up time of 10.8 years (Q1, 10.0; Q3, 11.4), 347 participants developed new-onset CVD and 412 died. Age- and sex-adjusted Cox regression models revealed a positive association of FGF23 with incident CVD (hazard ratio (HR) per unit increase in logFGF23: 1.43, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.11-1.84) and all-cause mortality (HR 2.26, 95% CI, 1.86-2.75). After multivariable adjustment, the association of FGF23 with incident CVD was rendered non-significant (HR 1.12, 95% CI 0.86-1.46), whereas the positive association of FGF23 with all-cause mortality was maintained (HR: 1.87, 95% CI: 1.52 - 2.29). Analyses modeling FGF23 quartiles yielded similar findings (multivariable-adjusted HR Q4 vs. Q1 for incident CVD: 1.17, 95% CI: 0.87 - 1.59; for death: 1.87, 95% CI: 1.38 - 2.53). Conclusion: In our large community-based sample, serum FGF23 shows an independent positive association with all-cause mortality, but not with incident CVD risk.