Strategies to enhance the efficacy of intravescical therapy for non-muscle invasive bladder cancer.

Transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) is the second most common urologic malignancy, and 70% of patients present with superficial, or non-muscle invasive disease (NMIBC). Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG), currently the most effective intravesical agent at preventing disease recurrence, is the only therapy shown to inhibit disease progression. Unfortunately, approximately 20% of patients discontinue BCG due to local and systemic toxicity and more than 30% show evidence of recurrence; this has led to increased interest in alternate chemotherapeutic agents. Induction intravesical chemotherapy has shown comparable efficacy to BCG in select patients and the immediate perioperative instillation of chemotherapeutic agents has become standard of care. Clinical trial evidence demonstrating the efficacy of BCG plus interferon 2B, gemcitabine and anthracyclines (doxorubicin, epirubicin, valrubicin) in patients refractory or intolerant to BCG is accumulating. Phase I trials investigating alternative agents such as apaziquone, taxanes (docetaxel, paclitaxel), and suramin are reporting promising data. Current efforts are also being directed towards optimizing the administration of existing chemotherapeutic regimens, including the use of novel modalities including hyperthermia, photodynamic therapy, magnetically targeted carriers, and liposomes. Despite recent enthusiasm for new intravesical agents, radical cystectomy remains the treatment of choice for patients with NMIBC who have failed intravesical therapy and select patients with naive T1 tumors and aggressive features. Our aim in this report is to provide a comprehensive review of contemporary intravesical therapy options for NMIBC with an emphasis on emerging agents and novel treatment modalities.

The effect of cyclosporine A and amlodipine on the activity of gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase in mouse cerebral cortex.

The effect of cyclosporine A (CsA) and dihydropyridine calcium channel blocker (CCB) amlodipine on gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT; EC 2.3.2.2) activity in mouse cerebral cortex was investigated. Mice received amlodipine (0.07 mg kg-1), CsA (10, 20 and 40 mg kg-1) and CsA in the above doses combined with amlodipine (0.07 mg kg-1) once daily, intraperitoneally for 5 days. The control group received saline. Amlodipine decreased GGT activity when compared to the control group. GGT activity in the cerebral cortex was decreased after treatment with CsA (20 and 40 mg kg-1), but was not changed after treatment with CsA in the 10 mg kg-1 dose as compared to the control group. CsA in doses of 20 and 40 mg kg-1, combined with amlodipine, increased GGT activity as compared to the control group groups received the same doses of CsA without amlodipine and received only amlodipine. However, CsA in the 10 mg kg-1 dose combined with amlodipine decreased GGT activity when compared to the control group, but did not show any statistical difference when compared to the groups treated only with amlodipine or CsA in the same doses. These results suggest that CsA and amlodipine may modulate GGT activity in mouse cerebral cortex.

Relation between somatic development and some environmental factors in the male population of vocational mining schools in the Lublin Coal Basin.

Somatic development of a child, although genetically determined, depends also on the influence of biogeographic and socio-economic factors of the environment. The effects of these factors popular in the literature are seen in the differences of somatic development of children brought up in urban and rural environments. In comparison with urban population, country children are characterized by lower growth and body mass, delayed manifestation of sexual maturity, greater amount of incorrect posture features, worse state of nutrition and lower index of mental development. The differences in somatic development of children were also found while comparing the size of agglomeration and socio-professional factors determining parents' level of education and financial situation of the family. One could also observe the improvement of somatic development of children living in regions of quick and intensive urbanization and industrialization.

Cardiovascular diseases risk factors in male population from mining vocational schools of the Lublin Coal Basin.

Contrary to certain industrial countries which secure an impressive decrease in coronary heart mortality, Poland has had, especially in the last decade, the significant increase of morbidity and mortality caused by cardiovascular diseases. Although this phenomenon concerns mainly the middle-age mean groups, special care for the whole population should be undertaken. The successful way to decrease the death rate and morbidity attributed to coronary heart disease (CHD) are the long-term prevention programs as for example Multiple Risk Factor Intervention Trial, Belgian Heart Disease Prevention Project, Lipid Research Clinics Coronary Primary Prevention Trial and others. Because there is some evidence that certain risk factors occur also among children, it seems that the effectiveness and efficacy of such prevention programs may be increased when started in the young population.

Evaluation of nutritional status of male population from mining vocational schools in the Lublin coal basin.

The basic nutritional mistake in Polish population at considerably rare deficiency of proteins and calories is incorrect composition of diet with the excess of animal fat and carbohydrates. Social and economic changes which influence living conditions result in the change of diet whose trends are not always correct. The problem is the quality of food products, contamination of pollution due to industrialization and the use of chemicals in agriculture, and inadequate proportion in the essential food components or supply of the indispensable trace elements. The other problem is overnutrition leading to obesity which is one of risk factors in civilization diseases (8, 11). The nutritional status depends on the level of education and economic situation of different social groups. It is expected that among the pupils of vocational mining schools who usually come from numerous peasant and working class families nutritional mistakes may occur very often. It denotes both malnutrition and incorrect proportion in consumption of proteins, animal fats and carbohydrates. On the other hand, the expected changes in social and economic status due to a good job create new conditions for proper nutrition. An additional factor which should be taken into account are nutritional requirements resulting from specific character of underground work.

Evaluation of lung function in male population from vocational mining schools of the Lublin Coal Basin.

Occupational exposure to dust and other environmental factors in coal miners may impair the lung function of workers. Besides the coal workers' pneumoconiosis, the inhaled dust may cause decreased ventilatory capacity as a due to chronic bronchitis (9, 13). The same diseases, especially chronic bronchitis, are common in general population and may arise not only from occupational reasons (11, 12). The involvement of the genetic factors, environmental pollutions and cigarette smoking should be considered.

Interaction of C1q subcomponent with immunoglobulin M.

The affinity of human C1q subcomponent for IgM of normal human serum and Waldenström macroglobulins of patients Sew and Zuk were investigated by the polyethylene glycol 6,000 immune complexes precipitation test. This test was calibrated with heat-aggregated gamma-globulin (HAGG); maximum fixation of C1q ranged from 60 to 80% (measured as percentage of radioactivity of the immune complexes precipitate) and was observed when the C1q:HAGG concentration ratio was about 1:250. At the ratio of 1:20 the radioactivity of the precipitate was about 43% of the total. The capacity of polyclonal IgM and Waldenström macroglobulins for C1q fixation is low and variable. The percentage of C1q fixed at the C1q:IgM ratio of 1:20 for polyclonal IgM and Zuk macroglobulin was about 9%, whereas for Sew it was only about 1%.