Birth prevalence of neural tube defects: a population-based study in South-Eastern Hungary.

PURPOSE: Primary prevention by periconceptional folic acid supplementation can significantly reduce the risk of neural tube defects. EUROCAT, the European network of population-based registries for the epidemiologic surveillance of congenital anomalies, lacks sufficient data on the birth prevalence of neural tube defects in Hungary before and after the promotion of primary prevention by folic acid. Our aims were to compare the birth prevalence of neural tube defects (myelomeningocele, anencephaly and encephalocele) over two 12-year periods in South-Eastern Hungary. Further aims were to compare our data to those ones in other areas in Europe. METHODS: Data were collected from the databases of the Department of Hungarian Congenital Abnormality Registry. The total and live birth prevalence rate of neural tube defects were calculated and compared over 1980-1991 and 1994-2005. In addition, the trends in the total birth prevalence, the number of live births and terminations for and stillbirths with neural tube defects were analysed throughout the period of 1994-2005. RESULTS: A significant decline was found in the total and live birth prevalence of myelomeningocele, anencephaly and encephalocele over 1994-2005 compared to the period of 1980-1991. The total birth prevalence of neural tube defects, however, showed a trend of increase after 1994, with declining number of live births and increasing number of terminations for neural tube defects. CONCLUSION: Public health measures are warranted in order to replace termination of pregnancy with primary prevention in South-Eastern Hungary.

[Pregnant women's oral hygiene knowledge and habits after the second millennium in South-East Hungary]. / Terhes nok szájhigiénés ismeretei, szokásai az ezredfordulón Délkelet-Magyarországon.

Among the predisposing agents for inflammatory periodontal lesion dental plaque is the most important, but different local and systemic factors may influence the seriousness or progression of periodontitis. Hormonal changes during pregnancy belong to the systemic aggravating factors. The aim of the present study was to assess pregnant women's oral hygiene knowledge and habits, and if these have a relationship with age, residence, educational level and profession/occupation. Questionnaires were used for the data collection. 275 pregnant women, who underwent prenatal care at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology in Szeged, volunteered to answer the questions. The results showed that almost all the women brushed their teeth daily, but only about one third of them used special oral hygiene tools, like dental floss. Many of the women claimed to have gingival bleeding when brushing their teeth. More then 70% visited a dentist during pregnancy. There was a significant relationship between educational level and the use of dental floss (p=0.004) and gingival bleeding (p=0.023) Oral hygiene education, dental and periodontal treatment of pregnant women need more emphasis during prenatal care.

Roles of BCL-2 and MDR1 expression in the efficacy of paclitaxel-based lung cancer chemoradiation.

BACKGROUND: The associations between B-cell lymphoma 2 (BCL-2) and multi-drug resistance associated P-glycoprotein (MDR1) expressions and chemoradiotherapy outcome of patients with non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) were analysed. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Thirty-two NSCLC patients were treated with paclitaxel-based chemoradiotherapy. The tumour expressions of BCL-2 and MDR1 were analysed by means of immunohistochemistry with regard to the clinical response and survival data. RESULTS: Partial remission and stable disease were achieved in 19 (59%) and 10 (31%) cases, respectively. Significant differences in progression-free survival were observed between responders and non-responders (13.7 vs. 6.0 months, p=0.028), and between patients with or without a gross tumour volume (GTV) shrinkage (GTV(>50) 13.7 vs. 6.0 months, p=0.009). Overexpression of BCL-2 and of MDR1 was observed in 6 (21.4%) cases each. Overexpression of both markers together was associated with poor response (GTV reduction: p=0.005; RECIST: p=0.023) and lower progression-free survival (overexpression of both, low expression of both, mixed: 3.1, 13.4, 4.1 months, respectively, p<0.001). CONCLUSION: BCL-2 and MDR1 overexpression may predict the inefficacy of paclitaxel-based chemoradiotherapy.

Long-term efficiency and toxicity of adjuvant dose-dense sequential adriamycin-Paclitaxel-cyclophosphamide chemotherapy in high-risk breast cancer.

OBJECTIVES: To perform a protocol-specified analysis of the dose-dense adriamycin-paclitaxel-cyclophosphamide (ddATC) study. METHODS: Survival and late toxicity were analyzed in 55 patients enrolled to receive 4 x adriamycin 60 mg/m(2), 4 x paclitaxel 200 mg/m(2), 4 x cyclophosphamide 800 mg/m(2), every 2 weeks, with cardioxane and filgrastim support. Kaplan-Meier curves were used to analyze relapse-free survival (RFS), distant disease-free survival (DDFS), and overall survival (OS). Survival analyses were performed according to the presence of casting-type calcifications on the mammogram. RESULTS: After a median follow-up time of 78.5 (64.3-100.0) months, 29 (52.7%) patients were free of relapse (local, regional, distant or contralateral breast cancer), 34 (61.8%) patients were free of distant metastases, and 36 patients (65.5%) survived. The median times of RFS, DDFS and OS were not yet reached at 100.0 months. The median RFS, DDFS and OS times among breast cancer patients with tumors not associated with casting-type calcifications were >100.0 months, the corresponding parameters among patients with tumors accompanied by casting calcifications were 11.5 (p < 0.001), 11.5 (p < 0.001) and 29.6 months (p = 0.035), respectively. None of the patients developed myelodysplastic syndrome or leukemia. No cardiac failure occurred during the follow-up period. CONCLUSIONS: Our results indicate that adjuvant sequential ddATC is an efficient and less toxic chemotherapy regimen in high-risk breast cancer. The presence of casting-type calcifications on the mammogram points to a special biologic nature with very poor prognosis.

Correlation of treatment time and ultrafiltration rate with serum albumin and C-reactive protein levels in patients with end-stage kidney disease receiving chronic maintenance hemodialysis: a cross-sectional study.

BACKGROUND: The relationship between treatment time, ultrafiltration rate (UFR) and inflammation has received limited exploration so far. METHODS: This is a cross-sectional cohort study of 12 hemodialysis clinics. Statistical models explored the association of multiple patient- and dialysis-specific covariates with low albumin (5 mg/dl) and calculated the ORs and 95% CIs. RESULTS: 616 patients with a mean age of 60.9 +/- 14.4 years participated in our study. Mean treatment time was 237.3 +/- 23.8 min and mean UFR was 7.0 +/- 4.0 ml/kg/h. In stepwise logistic regression, treatment time >4 h reduced the risk of low albumin (OR 0.397, 95% CI 0.235-0.672, p < 0.001). Congestive heart failure (OR 1.634, 95% CI 1.154-2.312, p = 0.006) and acute infection (OR 1.799, 95% CI 1.059-3.056, p = 0.03) were significant correlates of the risk of high CRP. There was no association between UFR and either CRP or albumin. CONCLUSION: Treatment time had a significant cross-sectional association with serum albumin but not with CRP.

Plasma cell infiltrates in polyomavirus nephropathy.

Polyomavirus (PV) associated nephropathy (PVAN) has become an important cause of allograft dysfunction. We studied plasma cells (PCs) - which have not yet been characterized - present in the cellular infiltrate of 20 PVAN cases using immunohistochemistry and morphometry. The results were correlated with morphological, clinical and anti-BK virus serological findings. PC-rich cellular infiltrates occurred in 50% of cases (>15% PCs in the cellular infiltrate) and in these IgM producing PCs were commonly seen (70%): IgM PC predominance in 50% of cases and a comparable number of IgM and IgG PCs in 20% of cases. We found a significant correlation not just between the absolute numbers (P < 0.034) and the percentage values of IgM PCs (P < 0.004 in relation to all cells) and the serum IgM-Ab anti-BKV activity, but also between the ratio of IgG/IgM PCs and the ratio of serum IgG/IgM-Ab activities (P < 0.0001). We showed that IgM PC counts in biopsies correlate with titers of circulating anti-BK virus IgM antibodies. Every case except one was C4d negative in peritubular capillaries (PTC). As IgG PCs characterize PC-rich rejection cases, we suggest that in the presence of IgM PCs in PC-rich infiltrate with PTC C4d negativity, a search for possible PVAN infection should be initiated.

Prevention of preterm delivery with periodontal treatment.

OBJECTIVE: To demonstrate the role of periodontal treatment (PT) in the prevention of preterm delivery (PD). METHODS: A comparative prospective study of two groups of pregnant women with threatening PD was carried out at the Department of Obstetrics and Gynaecology of the University of Szeged: group A (n = 39) comprised patients who were merely examined dentally for periodontitis, and group B (n = 44) consisted of patients who received periodontal treatment during pregnancy. RESULTS: Periodontitis was identified in 19 cases (48.7%) in group A and in 18 cases (40.9%) in group B. The mean birth weight of the newborns was significantly higher in group B (3,009.1 g) than in group A (2,580.8 g; p = 0.007). The rate of premature birth was significantly lower in the group who received PT (p = 0.012, odds ratio = 3.5, 95% confidence interval = 1.38-8.86). CONCLUSIONS: The PT of pregnant women can decrease the rate of premature birth and consequently lead to a better neonatal health outcome.

[The possible effect of basic periodontal treatment on the outcome of pregnancy]. / Egyszeru parodontológiai kezelés lehetséges hatása a terhesség kimenetelére.

More publications support the statement that maternal periodontitis may be a risk factor of preterm delivery and low birth-weight, than the number of those that suggest opposing evidence. The proving or rejecting of the questionable relationship may be carried out--among other methods--by analyzing the results of interventional studies. The aim of our study was to investigate whether or not it is possible to decrease the chance of preterm birth and low birth-weight in the case of healthy non-smoking women through the elimination of periodontal inflammation by providing professional oral hygiene treatment during pregnancy. After periodontal examination 80 pregnant women received professional oral hygiene treatment including plaque and calculus removal, root planing, motivation and instruction (treatment group); only the periodontal status was recorded in 79 cases (control group). The mean length of pregnancy and birth-weight in the treatment group were compared with similar data of the control group. Data were assessed using statistical methods. The mean weight of newborns was 3005.3 grams in the treatment group, while 2644.2 grams in the control group (p < 0.0001). The delivery occurred later in the treatment group (37.0 week), than among the control group (36.4 week), although the difference was not significant (p = 0.059). In the periodontal treated group, which had a statistically suitable number of members, the periodontal treatment might have contributed to a more optimal date of delivery and to achieving a larger birth-weight.

Visceral pleural infiltration as a negative prognostic factor in lung metastasis.

The prognostic value of visceral pleural infiltration in lung metastasis was analysed. Fifty-two patients (32 males and 20 females) were operated on for lung metastases. The locations of the primary tumours were as follows: 19 colon, 10 kidneys, 8 melanomas, 3 breast, 3 bladder, 2 uterus, 2 osteosarcomas, 1 testis, and 1 parotid, 1 haemangiopericytoma, 1 thyroid gland and 1 larynx. Explorative thoracotomies and incomplete resections were excluded from the study. Visceral pleural infiltration was present in 20 of the 52 cases. There was a significant correlation between the occurrence of pleural infiltration and multiple lesions (P=0.019). The overall five-year survival rate was 33.6%. In a subgroup of 38 patients with N0 and single metastases, the five-year survival rate was 73% and 12% in the cases without and with visceral pleural infiltration, respectively (P=0.003). Multivariate analysis of pleural infiltration, lymph node metastasis, multiple lesions and DFI revealed that only pleural infiltration (P=0.003) had a significant impact on survival. In one-third of the pulmonary metastases, visceral pleural infiltration appeared. There was a significant correlation between the occurrence of visceral pleural infiltration and multiple lesions. Visceral pleural infiltration in lung metastasis is a negative prognostic factor, and in these cases, survival was significantly reduced.

The oral health status of postpartum mothers in South-East Hungary.

OBJECTIVES: This study was carried out to assess the oral health status of new mothers, following not more than three days post-delivery, in South-East Hungary. An additional aim was to examine the effect of socioeconomic status on the oral health of the 169 women who volunteered, all of whom were healthy. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Socioeconomic data were collected via a questionnaire, and patients were examined according to WHO guidelines. The state of the periodontium was described by examining the plaque, calculus, probing depth and bleeding on probing. The mean age of the women was 27.5 yrs, representing all educational levels and professional categories of the country. RESULTS: The mean DMFT was 12.57, and the mean DMFS was 26.26. The plaque index was 0.68, the calculus frequency 20.22%, the mean probing depth 1.65mm and bleeding on probing occurred in 36.27% of teeth. Regression analyses demonstrated that caries levels were mostly related to age and plaque scores, while the state of the periodontium was mostly related to educational level, age and profession. The number of pregnancies had no significant influence on the caries nor on the periodontal status of these women. CONCLUSIONS: It was concluded that the oral health status of these mothers was mainly age- and socioeconomically-related, and that the dental needs of women during pregnancy must be emphasized, both to the dental profession and to the patients themselves.

Possible association between mother's periodontal status and preterm delivery.

BACKGROUND: A case-control study was undertaken to detect whether initial chronic localized periodontitis could be a risk factor for preterm birth (PB) and foetal growth restriction. METHODS: A PB case was defined if a patient had a threatening premature event during pregnancy pre-term premature rupture of membranes, or spontaneous pre-term delivery, before the 37th week of pregnancy, and/or the weight of the newborn was <2500 g. Into the PB (case) group, 77 women were allocated, while 84 were included in the control group, all of whom had delivery after the 37th gestational week and with a newborn weighing >or=2500 g. RESULTS: A significant association was found between PB and initial chronic localized periodontitis, the criteria being bleeding at >or=50% of the examined teeth and having at least at one site at >or=4 mm probing depth (p=0.0001). The adjusted odds ratio for initial chronic localized periodontitis was 3.32, 95% CI: 1.64-6.69. The average weight of newborns of mothers with periodontitis was significantly less than that of the women without periodontitis (p=0.002). CONCLUSIONS: The results support the hypothesis that initial chronic localized periodontitis of pregnant women could lead to PB, and birth-weight reduction.

[Caries and periodontal state of pregnant women. Part II. Periodontal state]. / Terhes nok kariológiai és parodontológiai állapotának felmérése II. A parodontális állapot.

A great number of clinical studies focused on the periodontal health of the pregnant women in the last decades, since an association has been presumed between the pregnant women's periodontal disease and the adverse pregnancy outcome. Altogether 161 healthy women were examined soon after delivery in Szeged/Hungary. The periodontal status of the patients was recorded by the Silness-Löe Plaque index (0.67), frequency of calculus (21.07%), mean probing pocket depth (1.67 mm) and the frequency of bleeding on probing (37.8%). A significant correlation was found between the state of the periodontium and the educational level and the pregnant women's profession. The periodontal state of women with higher education and the intellectuals was much better, than of the less educated patients and the manual workers.

[Caries and periodontal state of pregnant women. Part I. Caries status]. / Terhes nok kariológiai és parodontológiai állapotának felmérése I. A kariológiai állapot.

A misconception exists in the society regarding the caries frequency during pregnancy. The condition of the teeth of the child can be influenced by the state of the teeth and the oral hygiene habits of the mother. An examination was conducted among young women soon after delivery in Szeged/Hungary. The number of the examined patients was 161, with the average age of 27.6 years. The DMFT (Decayed, Missing, Filled Teeth) index was 12.45, while the DMFS (Decayed, Missing, Filled Surfaces) index was 26.07 in the examined population. The DMFT index significantly correlated with age, number of pregnancies, plaque index, probing pocket depth and bleeding on probing, while the DMFT index was not dependent on education level, profession and place of residency. There was no significant correlation between the number of previous pregnancy and the incidence of caries.

Prognostic significance of microvascularization in cases of operated lung cancer.

OBJECTIVE: Measurement of microvascularization and determination of its prognostic significance in cases of lung cancer. METHODS: Section prepared from histological material from 432 radically operated non-small cell lung cancer patients were stained with antibodies against factor VIII-associated antigen. During computer imaging, the absolute and relative parameters of the vascularization were determined, as was the density of tumour cells situated in the vicinity of the vessels. The results were compared with the TNM status, the cell type and the survival. RESULTS: Each parameter demonstrated an enhanced vascularization in classifications T2 and T4, but only the surface fraction, the mean vascular circumference and the mean vascular area displayed a significant change. The microvascularization parameters did not differ significantly between with different N status, however, the cell density progressively increased in the areas close to the vessels in advanced pN classifications. Elevation of the tumour cell density within 20 microm distance of the vessels was accompanied by a significantly poorer survival rate. The density of tumour cells within 20 microm region was the second strongest prognostic factor after the N status. CONCLUSIONS: More advanced tumour classifications grow with enhanced vascularization. A clear-cut connection cannot be demonstrated between the vascularization and appearance of lymph node metastases. The density of tumour cells measured in the direct vicinity of vessels is an important prognostic factor.

Lung cancer and its operable brain metastasis: survival rate and staging problems.

BACKGROUND: We assessed the survival rates regarding different stages of operable lung cancers causing operable brain metastasis in patients with or without cancer-related symptoms. The correlation between survival rates and the disease-free interval between lung surgery and metastasectomy was studied. METHODS: Sixty-five patients were operated on for lung cancer and brain metastases. The disease-free interval was divided into 5 subgroups: 0-2 months, 3-5 months, 6-11 months, 12-23 months, and 24 months and beyond. The study group comprised of patients with lung cancer in the following stages: 17 patients in stage I (1 patient in stage IA, 16 patients in stage IB), 16 patients in stage II (2 patients in stage IIA, 14 patients in stage IIB), 9 patients in stage IIIA, 4 patients in stage IIIB, and 19 patients in stage IV. Forty-four patients were symptom-free for lung cancer and 21 patients manifested lung cancer related symptoms. RESULTS: The 5-year survival rates were as follows: stage I = 22%, stage II = 20%, stage IIIA = 22%, stage IIIB = 0%, and stage IV = 23% after lung resections. There were no significant differences in the 5-year survival rates regarding the disease-free interval subgroups after brain metastasectomies (p = 0.19): disease-free interval 0-2 months = 22% and disease-free interval 24 months and beyond = 23%. The 5-year survival rate after metastasectomy was significantly greater (26% vs 5%) in patients without lung cancer related symptoms (p = 0.05). CONCLUSIONS: The 5-year survival rate in stage I, II, IIIA, and IV lung cancer with operable hematogenous brain metastases corresponds to that in the customary stage IIIA (23%). The disease-free interval exhibited no significant impact on the survival rate. The complaint-free status exhibits a significantly greater impact on the survival rate in hematogenic metastasis.

Bronchioloalveolar lung cancer: occurrence, surgical treatment and survival.

OBJECTIVE: The prevalence of pulmonary adenocarcinoma has risen worldwide. Bronchioloalveolar carcinoma (BAC) was studied with regard to whether it exhibits a similar tendency, and its typical features were analysed. METHODS: Between 1992 and 2001, 278 lung resections were carried out for adenocarcinoma. Of these, 67 (24.1%) proved to involve BAC. Whereas BAC accounted for 6.9% of the cases in 1992, in 2001 the proportion was 46.9%. There were 37 men (55.2%) and 30 women (44.7%); the average age was 60.5 years. 58.2% of them had no complaints. Of the 26 non-smokers, 69.2% were women; of the 41 smokers, 29.2% were women. In consequence of the tumour, 49 lobectomies, three bilobectomies, six pneumonectomies and nine wedge resections were performed. RESULTS: The surgical mortality was 1.6%. The pathology revealed that 26 (38.8%) tumours were in stage I/A. In 15 cases (22.4%), tuberculosis (TB) could be revealed besides the BAC: by skin tests in four cases, by CT in three cases, by case history in four cases, and by pathology in four cases. For the overall group of 67 patients, the 5-year survival rate was 61.9%, and the mean survival time was 75.7 months. The 5-year survival rate among the women (74%) was significantly better than that among the men (37%) (P=0.030). There was no significant difference in survival with regard to the multiple BAC (85%). The 5-year survival rate was significantly worse in the mixed BAC group (20%) than in the non-mucinous (62.7%) and in mucinous (59%) group. The overall 5-year survival rate among the smokers and TB patients was 61 and 79%, respectively, which is higher than that among the non-smokers (47%) and non-TB patients (56%). The survival rate for the wedge resection cases was 37%, which was lower than that for the cases involving major resections (60%) (P=0.939). CONCLUSION: BAC has a favourable survival, particularly in women. In spite of this, resection smaller than lobectomy is recommended only as a compromise. A multiple appearance does not imply a worse survival. The best survival rate was found in the non-mucinous BAC among the histological groups. TB seems to be frequent among BAC patients.

Ki-67, cyclin D1, p53 and bcl-2 expression in advanced head and neck cancer.

In order to analyse the radiosensitivity of tumours and to evaluate the possibility of improving the treatment results with regard to genetic alterations, we examined 33 patients with advanced head and neck tumours after 66-70 Gy irradiation. Between 1998 and 2001, 33 patients with advanced head and neck squamous cell carcinoma (HN-SCC) were observed. They received 66-70 Gy to the primary tumour site and pathological lymph nodes. One month later, physical examination and CT were performed to verify the effect of radiotherapy, and the patients were followed until their death. The histological grading and Ki-67, cyclin D1, p53 and bcl-2 status were examined from the aspect of their potential prognostic value in all patients. The average survival was 13 months; 25% of the patients survived for at least 20 months. Seventy-two percent of the patients demonstrated Ki-67 positivity, 69% p53 positivity and 40% cyclin D1 positivity; there were only 12% bcl-2-positive cases. A significant correlation was not found between the tumour response or the duration of survival and the Ki-67, p53 or cyclin D1 positivity. Only bcl-2-positive cases exhibited significantly better outcome. These parameters indicate the proliferating (Ki-67 and cyclin D1) and apoptotic (p53 and bcl-2) activities of advanced HN-SCC cells. Our results proved that they proliferate rapidly and have impaired repair or apoptotic functions. The heterogeneity of our results did not allow us to conclude that the above parameters are of clinically reliable prognostic value, but the obviously high kinetic activity of HN-SCC underlines the potential efficacy and need for accelerated irradiation in these cases.