ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: New approaches to ovarian cancer are needed to improve survival. Wilms' tumour 1 (WT1) is a tumour-associated antigen expressed in many ovarian cancers. P53 is also often altered. The clinical significance of the combined expression of these two transcription factors has not been studied. METHODS: One hundred ninety-six ovarian tumours were classified histopathologically. Tumours were stained for WT1 and p53 immunohistochemically. Stains were analysed according to tumour type, grade and FIGO stage. Kaplan-Meier analyses on 96 invasive carcinomas determined whether categorical variables were related to survival. RESULTS: WT1 and p53 were related to ovarian tumour type, grade, FIGO stage and patient survival. Uniform nuclear p53 expression was associated with invasion and WT1 expression was associated with advanced grade, FIGO stage and poor survival. When WT1 and p53 were both in the age-adjusted Cox model, WT1 was significant while p53 was not. When we combined tumours expressing WT1 and p53, then adjusted for age and tumour subtype, the hazard ratio compared to tumours without WT1 and with normal p53 was 2.70; when adjusted for age and FIGO stage, the hazard ratio was 2.40. CONCLUSIONS: WT1, an antigen target, is a biomarker for poor prognosis, particularly when combined with altered p53.
Subject(s)
Biomarkers, Tumor/metabolism , Cell Nucleus/metabolism , Ovarian Neoplasms/pathology , Tumor Suppressor Protein p53/metabolism , Up-Regulation , WT1 Proteins/metabolism , Age Factors , Aged , Female , Gene Expression Regulation, Neoplastic , Humans , Kaplan-Meier Estimate , Middle Aged , Neoplasm Grading , Neoplasm Invasiveness , Neoplasm Staging , Ovarian Neoplasms/metabolism , Prognosis , Retrospective StudiesABSTRACT
Intralesional bleomycin has been used for the treatment of warts since the 1970s. Currently, there is a limited amount of evidence from randomized placebo-controlled trials comparing intralesional bleomycin with other local treatments for warts. Numerous reports have been published on the use of intralesional bleomycin for the treatment of recalcitrant warts with cure rates ranging from 14% to 99%. The majority of the data suggests that bleomycin is effective in over two-thirds of the reported cases with minimal side effects. In this paper, we review the mechanism of action, pharmacokinetics, safety profile, supply and storage, dosage scheme, techniques for administration, and efficacy of intralesional bleomycin for the treatment of warts.
Subject(s)
Antibiotics, Antineoplastic , Bleomycin , Warts/drug therapy , Antibiotics, Antineoplastic/adverse effects , Antibiotics, Antineoplastic/pharmacokinetics , Antibiotics, Antineoplastic/therapeutic use , Bleomycin/adverse effects , Bleomycin/pharmacokinetics , Bleomycin/therapeutic use , Carcinoma, Squamous Cell/drug therapy , Clinical Trials as Topic , Drug Storage , Half-Life , Head and Neck Neoplasms/drug therapy , Humans , Injections, Intralesional/methods , Tissue DistributionABSTRACT
Pustular and erythrodermic psoriasis can be a debilitating and recalcitrant disease which may result in secondary complications such as sepsis, electrolyte imbalance, renal failure, and heart failure. We report a case of a 46-year-old patient with life-threatening erythrodermic psoriasis who responded rapidly to intravenous infliximab.
Subject(s)
Antibodies, Monoclonal/therapeutic use , Dermatitis, Exfoliative/drug therapy , Dermatologic Agents/therapeutic use , Psoriasis/drug therapy , Antibodies, Monoclonal/administration & dosage , Dermatitis, Exfoliative/complications , Dermatitis, Exfoliative/pathology , Dermatologic Agents/administration & dosage , Humans , Infliximab , Infusions, Intravenous , Male , Middle Aged , Psoriasis/complications , Psoriasis/pathology , Severity of Illness IndexABSTRACT
Recent investigations into the March 2003 outbreak of SARS in Hong Kong have concluded that environmental factors played an important role in the transmission of the disease. These studies have focused on a particular outbreak event, the rapid spread of SARS throughout Amoy Gardens, a large, private apartment complex. They have demonstrated that, unlike a typical viral outbreak that is spread through person-to-person contact, the SARS virus in this case was spread primarily through the air. High concentrations of viral aerosols in building plumbing were drawn into apartment bathrooms through floor drains. The initial exposures occurred in these bathrooms. The virus-laden air was then transported by prevailing winds to adjacent buildings at Amoy Gardens, where additional exposures occurred. This article reviews the results of the investigations and provides recommendations for maintenance and other measures that building owners can take to help prevent environmental transmission of SARS and other flulike viruses in their buildings.
