Prognostic value of O-6-methylguanine-DNA methyltransferase (MGMT) protein expression in glioblastoma excluding nontumour cells from the analysis.

AIMS: It is important to predict response to treatment with temozolomide (TMZ) in glioblastoma (GBM) patients. Both MGMT protein expression and MGMT promoter methylation status have been reported to predict the response to TMZ. We investigated the prognostic value of quantified MGMT protein levels in tumour cells and the prognostic importance of combining information of MGMT protein level and MGMT promoter methylation status. METHODS: MGMT protein expression was quantified in tumour cells in 171 GBMs from the population-based Region of Southern Denmark (RSD)-cohort using a double immunofluorescence approach. Pyrosequencing was performed in 157 patients. For validation we used GBM-patients from a Nordic Study (NS) investigating the effect of radiotherapy and different TMZ schedules. RESULTS: When divided at the median, patients with low expression of MGMT protein (AF-low) had the best prognosis (HR = 1.5, P = 0.01). Similar results were observed in the subgroup of patients receiving the Stupp regimen (HR = 2.0, P = 0.001). In the NS-cohort a trend towards superior survival (HR = 1.6, P = 0.08) was seen in patients with AF-low. Including MGMT promoter methylation status, we found for both cohorts that patients with methylated MGMT promoter and AF-low had the best outcome; median OS 23.1 and 20.0 months, respectively. CONCLUSION: Our data indicate that MGMT protein expression in tumour cells has an independent prognostic significance. Exclusion of nontumour cells contributed to a more exact analysis of tumour-specific MGMT protein expression. This should be incorporated in future studies evaluating MGMT status before potential integration into clinical practice.

Past and present of the children's electroencephalography in Torun.

The beginnings of children's electroencephalography in Torun can be seen in the period after the Second World War. On 15th May 1945 scientific researchers from the Faculty of Medicine of Stefan Batory University in Vilnius came to Torun in hope of recreating the faculty at NCU (Nicolaus Copernicus University). The assistant professor Janina Hurynowicz started the organisation of the Neurophysiology and Comparative Physiology Institute at the Faculty of Mathematics and Natural Sciences of the newly created NCU. In 1949, along with the liquidation of the Institute's Branch, the Central Regional Psychic Health Centre was created, where the management was taken over by Prof. Hurynowicz. Thanks to the efforts of Hurynowicz, one of the first EEGs in Poland came to Torun. It was an American Rham 6. The students of Hurynowicz in the field of EEG were the professors Leszek Janiszewski, Wladyslaw Traczyk and also Juliusz Narebski, who after the death of Hurynowicz was managing the laboratory for children and teenagers. The students of Prof. Narebski were Genowefa Olearczuk and Wanda Waczynska. In 1987 the first EEG laboratory for children was organised in the Specialist Clinic in the Children's Hospital in Torun by the chief of the Developmental Neurology Clinic Marian Lysiak, PhD, M.D. The lab was managed by Jolanta Kujawska. She underwent trainings in the first EEG Laboratory for Children and Teenagers in Poland organised in the Mother and Child Institute in Warsaw in 1950 under the supervision of Prof. Anna Koslacz-Folga and Michaela Pakszys, M.D. In 1988, after having been moved to the newly built children's hospital complex of the Children's Hospital and the obtaining of a modern Pegasus, the children's EEG made another leap in its development. Kukawska qualified for the licence (1994).

[Professor Jan Witold Moll (1912-1990): a creator of Poznan thoracosurgery, a pioneer of cardiosurgery in Poland, on the 10th anniversary of his death]. / Prof. dr hab. med. Jan Moll (1912-1990), twórca torakochirurgii poznanskiej, pionier kardiochirurgii w Polsce, w 10-ta rocznice smierci.

The theme of his work concerns studies on the professional career of Professor Moll and on his pioneering achievement in the fields of thoracosurgery and cardiosurgery. He worked in the Surgical Ward of the Joseph Strus Town Hospital 8/12 Szkolna St. in Poznan. During the period 1945-1958 he performed, in addition to other operations, 804 resections of lung tissue. He was also the author of the first Polish edition of "The techniques of lung tissue resection" (1957). His experience in this field lead him to cardiosurgery and on the 1st of June 1958 he took up the position of Head of the II Clinic of the Medical Academy in Lódz. In 1975 he became Head of the Cardiosurgery Clinic and it was there that he carried out the first heart transplantation in Poland, on the 4th of January 1969, 13 months after Christian Barnard.

[A rare form of Hodgkin's disease complicated by involvement of the central nervous system in a 13-year-old boy]. / Rzadka postac choroby Hodgkina powiklana zajeciem osrodkowego ukladu nerwowego u 13 letniego chlopca.

In a boy aged 13 years treated since 8 years irregularly with chemotherapeutic agents for Hodgkin's disease suddenly signs of increased intracranial pressure developed. In EEG changes were found on the temporo-occipital area with prevalence of the right area. In the cerebrospinal fluid the cell count was 33/3.0, Pandy Nonne-Apelt++, protein 78 mg %, sugar 84 m %. Skull radiography in a-p and lateral projections demonstrated normal cranial bones and sella. Despite intrathecal administration of methotrexate and decompressing drugs the condition deteriorated and consciousness disturbances, vomiting and dysarthria appeared. After 19 days of hospital treatment death occurred. Pathological and histological examinations demonstrated metastases to the pons. The necessity is stressed of considering possible cerebral metastases in Hodgkin's disease.

[Nutrition of pregnant women in rural and urban areas]. / Zywienie ciezarnych na wsi i w miescie.

The purpose of the study was to gain information on the present state of nutrition of pregnant women in rural areas and towns, and on the level of their knowledge of adequate nutrition. The study covered 300 women in villages and 258 in towns. The selection of women was done randomly, the method of the study was interviewing of the women. The questions concerned consumption of milk, cheese, meat and its products, eggs, vegetables and fruit during the whole pregnancy, and separately the data on potato consumption were obtained. The women were questioned also about the read publications on rational nutrition of pregnant women. The answers were obtained from mothers aged 18-42 years in labour rooms, clinics for children or in homes. The answers were noted during interviews by experienced interviewers. It was found that 26.6% of pregnant women in towns and 16.2% in villages were not consuming daily milk or cheese, while 6.2% of these women in towns and 4.3% in villages consumed no milk at all. Only 41.1% of these women in towns and 19% in villages took meat and processed pork everyday. Most frequently the women consumed meat and processed pork 4 times weekly (39.6% in towns and 60.3% in villages). Eggs were consumed daily by only 13% of women in towns and villages, and they were eaten most frequently 4 times weekly (30.2% in towns and 45.7% in villages). In a week meat, processed pork and eggs were eaten 5 to 7 times by only 43.8% of pregnant women in towns and 21.3% in villages.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Neurologic complications in organophosphate insecticide poisoning in children]. / Powiklania neurologiczne w przebiegu zatruc insektycydami fosfoorganicznymi u dzieci.

The authors report three cases of poisoning with organic phosphate compounds in children. The first case presented a complex of late signs in the form of toxic polyneuropathy, and two had an acute course. The observation confirmed the view that an at least 7-day hospital stay and 4-week follow-up are necessary in view of great fluctuations in the level of cholinesterase which is often not correlated with the clinical status.

[Hereditary motor-sensory neuropathy type I with mental disorders]. / Ruchowo-czuciowa neuropatia dziedziczna typu I z zaburzeniami psychicznymi.

The author describes a rare coexistence of psychic disturbances with sensorimotor hereditary neuropathy type I in a generation.

[A case of Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome]. / Przypadek zespolu Rubinsteina-Taybi.

The author reports a case of the Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome which has been described as yet in slightly more than 100 reports. In view of the ever increasing environmental pollution, particularly of industrial origin, genetic-ecological counselling poses ever new problems.