Is histologic differentiation a prognostic indicator for gastric carcinoma patients with curative resection.

BACKGROUND: The prognostic relevance of histologic differentiation in gastric carcinoma patients with curative resection is unclear. We analyzed the clinicopathologic features of gastric carcinoma patients with curative resection according to the histologic differentiation and evaluated surgical outcome. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Of 1198 gastric carcinoma patients with curative resection (American joint committee on cancer, Stages I‑III), 274 (22.9%) had well‑differentiated, 331 (27.6%) had moderately differentiated and 593 (49.5%) had poorly differentiated gastric carcinomas. RESULTS: Patients with the poorly differentiated type had more prominent serosal invasion, much more lymph node involvement and more advanced stage than patients with the well‑differentiated type. The overall survival rate was higher for patients with a well‑differentiated gastric carcinoma than for patients with a poorly differentiated type. Using Cox’s proportional hazard regression model, histologic differentiation was found to be a statistically significant prognostic parameter (risk ratio, 1.41; 95% confidence interval, 1.028‑1.922; P < 0.05). CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that patients with a well‑differentiated gastric carcinoma have a good prognosis compared with those with a poorly differentiated type. Therefore, histologic differentiation can be used as a prognostic indicator in gastric carcinoma patients with curative resection.

Xanthohumol inhibits cellular proliferation in a breast cancer cell line (MDA‑MB231) through an intrinsic mitochondrial‑dependent pathway.

AIMS: Xanthohumol isolated from hops has been reported to exhibit anticancer effects in diverse human cancers. However, its effect on breast cancer has not yet been clearly defined. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of xanthohumol on breast cancer cell proliferation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: After treatment with 5 µM, 10 µM, and 20 µM xanthohumol for 48 h, cells from the human breast cancer cell line MDA‑MB‑231 were studied using colony assay, flow cytometry, and western blotting. RESULTS: The survival rate of the MDA‑MB231 cells treated with 10 µM and 20 µM xanthohumol for 48 h decreased significantly by 64.7 ± 1.8% and 40.1 ± 1.8%, respectively. The numbers of SubG0/G1 cells in the group treated with 10 µM and 20 µM xanthohumol increased significantly to 11.3 ± 0.2 and 18.4 ± 0.1, respectively. A ladder pattern of DNA fragmentation was also observed. Xanthohumol increased the expression of Bax in the mitochondria, which correspondingly decreased in the cytoplasm. The activity of caspase‑3 and caspase‑9 was shown to increase significantly in the treated groups but not in the control group. CONCLUSIONS: Xanthohumol inhibited the proliferation of MDA‑MB‑231 cells through a mitochondria‑ and caspase‑dependent apoptotic pathway. This result suggests that xanthohumol might serve as a novel therapeutic drug for breast cancer.

Serum uric acid and disorders of glucose metabolism: the role of glycosuria

Hyperuricemia has been associated with hypertension, diabetes mellitus, and metabolic syndrome. We studied the association between hyperuricemia and glycemic status in a nonrandomized sample of primary care patients. This was a cross-sectional study of adults ≥20 years old who were members of a community-based health care program. Hyperuricemia was defined as a value >7.0 mg/dL for men and >6.0 mg/dL for women. The sample comprised 720 participants including controls (n=257) and patients who were hypertensive and euglycemic (n=118), prediabetic (n=222), or diabetic (n=123). The mean age was 42.4±12.5 years, 45% were male, and 30% were white. The prevalence of hyperuricemia increased from controls (3.9%) to euglycemic hypertension (7.6%) and prediabetic state (14.0%), with values in prediabetic patients being statistically different from controls. Overall, diabetic patients had an 11.4% prevalence of hyperuricemia, which was also statistically different from controls. Of note, diabetic subjects with glycosuria, who represented 24% of the diabetic participants, had a null prevalence of hyperuricemia, and statistically higher values for fractional excretion of uric acid, Na excretion index, and prevalence of microalbuminuria than those without glycosuria. Participants who were prediabetic or diabetic but without glycosuria had a similarly elevated prevalence of hyperuricemia. In contrast, diabetic patients with glycosuria had a null prevalence of hyperuricemia and excreted more uric acid and Na than diabetic subjects without glycosuria. The findings can be explained by enhanced proximal tubule reabsorption early in the course of dysglycemia that decreases with the ensuing glycosuria at the late stage of the disorder.

Utilization of house fly-maggots, a feed supplement in the production of broiler chickens.

Recent studies have suggested the utilization of maggots as a feed supplement for enhanced broiler performance. Maggots, which are a major dietary source of protein, appear during the biodegradation of chicken droppings using house flies. The objective of the present study was to investigate the effect of maggot supplementation on the meat quality and growth performance of broiler chickens. A total of 600 one-dayold male commercial broiler chicks (Ross) were randomly assigned into 5 treatment groups consisting of 40 replicates of 3 birds. The birds were fed either a basal diet or the basal diet supplemented with 5.0, 10.0, 15.0 and 20.0% maggots. Overall, broiler chicken performance was influenced by the optimal amino acid profile; high protein (63.99%) and essential amino acid content (29.46%), or high protein digestibility (98.50%) of the maggots. Maggot supplementation caused linear increases in live weight gain but not the feed conversion ratio. The diets of 10 and 15% maggots was the most efficient in terms of average weight gain for the 4-5 week old broiler chickens(p<0.05). It also significantly increased dressing percentage, breast muscle, and thigh muscle (p<0.05). No differences were observed for liver, abdominal fat, or meat color, and the crude protein contents of breast muscle were constant. However, in the maggot-fed broilers, breast muscle lysine and tryptophan levels increased significantly as compared to the birds fed the basal diet (p<0.05). These results indicate that feeding diets containing 10 to 15% maggots in chicken dropping after biodegradation can improve the carcass quality and growth performance of broiler chickens.

Bilateral spontaneous pneumothoraces in osteogenic sarcoma and extragonadal germ cell tumour.

Bilateral spontaneous pneumothoraces are uncommon complications of metastatic pulmonary disease especially antedating frank metastases or developing as a complication of chemotherapy. It is seen more often in osteogenic sarcoma and uncommon in extra gonadal germ cell tumour. It may correct spontaneously or need tube drainage.