Relationship of negative emotionality, NIAAA recovery, and 3- and 6-month drinking outcomes among adults in treatment for alcohol use disorder.

BACKGROUND: The National Institute of Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism (NIAAA) recently released a new definition of recovery from alcohol use disorder (AUD). A patient is considered recovered if they are remitted from DSM-5 AUD and report cessation of heavy drinking. The NIAAA has also recently proposed the Addictions Neuroclinical Assessment (ANA) to guide treatment research. Negative emotionality is one of three domains of the ANA and theory proposes that AUD is maintained by negative reinforcement via the relief of negative affect. The purpose of the current study was to examine: (1) the relationship of end-of-treatment negative emotionality and NIAAA recovery, and (2) the ability of NIAAA recovery at the end of treatment to predict three- and six-month drinking outcomes. METHOD: At baseline and end-of-treatment, women and men (n = 181) in treatment for AUD completed measures of negative emotionality, drinking, and were assessed for DSM-5 AUD diagnostic criteria. At three- and six-months post-treatment, drinking was re-assessed. RESULTS: 22.5% (n = 24) of participants met full criteria for NIAAA recovery at end-of-treatment. Lower levels of end of treatment negative emotionality were associated with increased odds of achieving NIAAA recovery. Meeting NIAAA recovery predicted greater percent days abstinent (PDA) and lower percent heavy drinking days (PHDD) at 3-months, but not at 6-months post-treatment. CONCLUSIONS: This study is among the first to report a relationship between the negative emotionality domain of the ANA and NIAAA recovery. Results underscore the importance of addressing negative emotionality in treatment. Findings also suggest that NIAAA recovery predicts positive short term drinking outcomes.

Timing of the definitive procedure and ileostomy closure for total colonic aganglionosis HD: Systematic review.

AIM: To establish the cogency of recommendations for the appropriate age for pull-through and ileostomy closure in Total Colonic Aganglionosis-Hirschsprung Disease's (TCA-HD). METHOD: Medline, PubMed, Cochrane, and the ClinicalKey databases were searched without date restriction. The studies that reported TCA-HD cases were evaluated for the number of cases, age at the definitive procedure, age at the ileostomy closure, reported complications, and the type of procedure. Perianal excoriation and diaper rash rates were analyzed using SPSS software, with p < 0.05 considered significant. RESULTS: Twenty-five studies mentioned TCA-HD findings between 1968 and 2019. The total number of patients who had definitive surgery was 218. Analysis showed no correlation between development of diaper rash and the age of the patient at the time of the definitive surgery or ileostomy closure. Studies scored between six and nine of nine possible stars on the NOS scoring system. CONCLUSION: There is no correlation between age of surgery and postoperative diaper rash. Delaying the definitive procedure or ileostomy closure for TCA-HD has limited support on a review of current studies. The perianal excoriation/diaper rash is not reported in the literature at a high enough frequency to warrant keeping a diverting ileostomy until toilet trained of urine. TYPE OF STUDY: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Levels of evidence IV.

Small bowel fed response as measured by wireless motility capsule: Comparative analysis in healthy, gastroparetic, and constipated subjects.

BACKGROUND: Small bowel fed response is an increased contractile activity pattern following the ingestion of a meal. Postprandial motility is traditionally evaluated using small bowel manometry. Wireless motility capsule (WMC) is an ingestible wireless capsule that measures pH, temperature, and intraluminal pressure. The primary aim of the study was to assess small bowel fed response captured with the non-invasive WMC. The secondary aim was to compare the fed response patterns between healthy subjects and patients with motility disorders of gastroparesis and constipation. METHODS: All subjects had 250 cc Ensure® meal 6 hours after WMC ingestion. Frequency of contractions (Ct), area under the curve (AUC), and motility index (MI) were analyzed during 30 minutes of pre-prandial baseline and 60 minutes postprandially in 20-minute windows. KEY RESULTS: One hundred and eighty-eight subjects (107 healthy, 23 gastroparetics, 58 constipated) were analyzed. Healthy: Ct, AUC, and MI all increased significantly immediately after meal ingestion (P < .01). Motility parameters peak at 20-40 minutes postmeal. The motor activity decreased at the end of postprandial hour, but was still significantly higher than the fasting baseline (P < .01). Gastroparetics: All motility parameters failed to increase significantly compared to the baseline throughout the entire postprandial hour. Constipated: The fed response was similar to healthy subjects. CONCLUSIONS AND INFERENCES: The small bowel fed response was readily observed in healthy and chronic constipation subjects with WMC but is blunted in gastroparetics. A blunted small bowel fed response suggests neuropathic changes outside the stomach and may contribute to postprandial symptoms.

Mipsagargin, a novel thapsigargin-based PSMA-activated prodrug: results of a first-in-man phase I clinical trial in patients with refractory, advanced or metastatic solid tumours.

BACKGROUND: Mipsagargin (G-202; (8-O-(12-aminododecanoyl)-8-O-debutanoyl thapsigargin)-Asp-γ-Glu-γ-Glu-γ-GluGluOH)) is a novel thapsigargin-based targeted prodrug that is activated by PSMA-mediated cleavage of an inert masking peptide. The active moiety is an inhibitor of the sarcoplasmic/endoplasmic reticulum calcium adenosine triphosphatase (SERCA) pump protein that is necessary for cellular viability. We evaluated the safety of mipsagargin in patients with advanced solid tumours and established a recommended phase II dosing (RP2D) regimen. METHODS: Patients with advanced solid tumours received mipsagargin by intravenous infusion on days 1, 2 and 3 of 28-day cycles and were allowed to continue participation in the absence of disease progression or unacceptable toxicity. The dosing began at 1.2 mg m(-2) and was escalated using a modified Fibonacci schema to determine maximally tolerated dose (MTD) with an expansion cohort at the RP2D. Plasma was analysed for mipsagargin pharmacokinetics and response was assessed using RECIST criteria. RESULTS: A total of 44 patients were treated at doses ranging from 1.2 to 88 mg m(-2), including 28 patients in the dose escalation phase and 16 patients in an expansion cohort. One dose-limiting toxicity (DLT; Grade 3 rash) was observed in the dose escalation portion of the study. At 88 mg m(-2), observations of Grade 2 infusion-related reaction (IRR, 2 patients) and Grade 2 creatinine elevation (1 patient) led to declaration of 66.8 mg m(-2) as the recommended phase II dose (RP2D). Across the study, the most common treatment-related adverse events (AEs) were fatigue, rash, nausea, pyrexia and IRR. Two patients developed treatment-related Grade 3 acute renal failure that was reversible during the treatment-free portion of the cycle. To help ameliorate the IRR and creatinine elevations, a RP2D of 40 mg m(-2) on day 1 and 66.8 mg m(-2) on days 2 and 3 with prophylactic premedications and hydration on each day of infusion was established. Clinical response was not observed, but prolonged disease stabilisation was observed in a subset of patients. CONCLUSIONS: Mipsagargin demonstrated an acceptable tolerability and favourable pharmacokinetic profile in patients with solid tumours.

A comparison of exact tests for trend with binary endpoints using Bartholomew's statistic.

Tests for trend are important in a number of scientific fields when trends associated with binary variables are of interest. Implementing the standard Cochran-Armitage trend test requires an arbitrary choice of scores assigned to represent the grouping variable. Bartholomew proposed a test for qualitatively ordered samples using asymptotic critical values, but type I error control can be problematic in finite samples. To our knowledge, use of the exact probability distribution has not been explored, and we study its use in the present paper. Specifically we consider an approach based on conditioning on both sets of marginal totals and three unconditional approaches where only the marginal totals corresponding to the group sample sizes are treated as fixed. While slightly conservative, all four tests are guaranteed to have actual type I error rates below the nominal level. The unconditional tests are found to exhibit far less conservatism than the conditional test and thereby gain a power advantage.

Variable abnormal physiological motility in the proximal upper gastrointestinal tract in gastroparesis.

BACKGROUND: Traditional testing for gastroparesis with gastric emptying scintigraphy (GES) likely misses a subset of patients because of the heterogeneous nature of the disease. The primary aim of this study is to determine the prevalence of simultaneously measured transit and pressure abnormalities in patients with gastroparesis. The secondary aim is to assess diagnostic gain realized by measuring antroduodenal pressure and gastric transit with wireless motility capsule (WMC) compared to gastric transit measured by GES. Identification of abnormalities beyond gastric transit delay in gastroparesis may yield novel targets for pharmacological therapies. METHODS: Forty-three subjects with symptoms of gastroparesis and previous abnormal GES within 2 years were enrolled in the study. Subjects underwent simultaneous GES and WMC to assess gastric transit. Gastric and small bowel pressure profiles were measured by WMC to determine the contribution of pressure to diagnostic gain realized with WMC. KEY RESULTS: Fifty-one percent of subjects had abnormal GES while 70% of subjects had either abnormal gastric emptying time (GET) or antroduodenal pressure. Gastric emptying time was abnormal in 60% of subjects while gastric or small bowel pressure was abnormal in 47% of subjects. The overall diagnostic gain of WMC compared to GES was 19% (P = 0.04). Seven percent of subjects had abnormal small bowel pressure profiles when both GES and GET were normal. CONCLUSIONS & INFERENCES: (i) Gastroparesis is a heterogeneous disorder and testing only solid food emptying by scintigraphy may miss a significant amount of pathology. (ii) Measuring complementary aspects of gastric and small bowel function simultaneously results in greater detection of physiologic abnormalities that may underlie patient symptoms.

A randomized phase II study of two doses of vorinostat in combination with 5-FU/LV in patients with refractory colorectal cancer.

BACKGROUND: Vorinostat is synergistic with 5-FU in vitro and in vivo models. A combination of these two agents was associated with clinical activity in 5-FU refractory colorectal cancer patients in a phase I clinical trial, therefore warranting the conduct of this prospective phase II study. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Patients with refractory metastatic colorectal cancer were randomized in a two-stage design to receive vorinostat at 800 or 1,400 mg/day once a day × 3, every 2 weeks. 5-FU, preceded by leucovorin, was administered as a bolus followed by a 46-h infusion on days 2 and 3 of vorinostat. A pre-specified 2-month progression-free survival (PFS) rate of 27/43 patients per arm was needed to deem an arm interesting for further investigation. RESULTS: The high-dose vorinostat arm did not reach the needed efficacy endpoint at completion of the first stage, with only 8 out of 15 patients being alive and progression free at 2 months. The low-dose vorinostat arm proceeded to accrue 43 patients with a 2-month PFS rate of 53% (23 out 43), including one partial response. The median PFS and overall survival on the low-dose arm were 2.4 and 6.5 months, respectively. Both treatment arms were well tolerated. No differences were noted in the pharmacokinetics of vorinostat at the 800- or 1,400-mg dose-levels, suggesting bioavailability saturation. CONCLUSIONS: While the addition of vorinostat to 5-FU resulted in 1 partial response and in some disease stabilizations, the limited activity does not warrant the unselected use of this combination in chemotherapy-refractory colorectal cancer.

Sunitinib in combination with docetaxel and prednisone in chemotherapy-naive patients with metastatic, castration-resistant prostate cancer: a phase 1/2 clinical trial.

BACKGROUND: This phase 1/2 study assessed sunitinib combined with docetaxel (Taxotere) and prednisone in chemotherapy-naive metastatic, castration-resistant prostate cancer (mCRPC) patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: To determine the recommended phase 2 dose (RP2D), 25 patients in four dose escalation cohorts received 3-week cycles of sunitinib (2 weeks on, 1 week off), docetaxel and prednisone, preceded by a 4-week sunitinib 50 mg/day lead in. RP2D was evaluated in 55 additional patients. The primary end point was prostate-specific antigen (PSA) response rate. RESULTS: One phase 1 dose-limiting toxicity occurred (grade 3 hyponatremia). The RP2D was sunitinib 37.5 mg/day, docetaxel 75 mg/m(2) and prednisone 5 mg b.i.d. During phase 2, confirmed PSA responses occurred in 31 patients [56.4% (95% confidence interval 42.3-69.7)]. Median time to PSA progression was 9.8 months. Forty-one patients (75%) were treated >3 months, 12 (22%) completed the study (16 cycles) and 43 (78%) discontinued (36% for disease progression and 27% adverse events). The most frequent treatment-related grade 3/4 adverse events were neutropenia (53%; 15% febrile) and fatigue/asthenia (16%). Among 33 assessable patients, 14 (42.4%) had confirmed partial response. Median progression-free and overall survivals were 12.6 and 21.7 months, respectively. CONCLUSION: This combination was moderately well tolerated, with promising response rate and survival benefit, justifying further investigation in mCRPC.

Effect of enhanced ultraviolet germicidal irradiation in the heating ventilation and air conditioning system on ventilator-associated pneumonia in a neonatal intensive care unit.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this study was to test the hypothesis that enhanced ultraviolet germicidal irradiation (eUVGI) installed in our neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) heating ventilation and air conditioning system (HVAC) would decrease HVAC and NICU environment microbes, tracheal colonization and ventilator-associated pneumonia (VAP). STUDY DESIGN: The study was designed as a prospective interventional pre- and post-single-center study. University-affiliated Regional Perinatal Center NICU. Intubated patients in the NICU were evaluated for colonization, and a high-risk sub-population of infants <30 weeks gestation ventilated for ≥ 14 days was studied for VAP. eUVGI was installed in the NICU's remote HVACs. The HVACs, NICU environment and intubated patients' tracheas were cultured pre- and post-eUVGI for 12 months. The high-risk patients were studied for VAP (positive bacterial tracheal culture, increased ventilator support, worsening chest radiograph and ≥ 7 days of antibiotics). RESULT: Pseudomonas, Klebsiella, Serratia, Acinetobacter, Staphylococcus aureus and Coagulase-negative Staphylococcus species were cultured from all sites. eUVGI significantly decreased HVAC organisms (baseline 500,000 CFU cm(-2); P=0.015) and NICU environmental microbes (P<0.0001). Tracheal microbial loads decreased 45% (P=0.004), and fewer patients became colonized. VAP in the high-risk cohort fell from 74% (n=31) to 39% (n=18), P=0.04. VAP episodes per patient decreased (Control: 1.2 to eUVGI: 0.4; P=0.004), and antibiotic usage was 62% less (P=0.013). CONCLUSION: eUVGI decreased HVAC microbial colonization and was associated with reduced NICU environment and tracheal microbial colonization. Significant reductions in VAP and antibiotic use were also associated with eUVGI in this single-center study. Large randomized multicenter trials are needed.

A phase I study to determine the safety, pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics of a dual VEGFR and FGFR inhibitor, brivanib, in patients with advanced or metastatic solid tumors.

BACKGROUND: This study was designed to determine the safety, pharmacokinetics (PK) and pharmacodynamics (PD) of brivanib in patients with advanced/metastatic solid tumors. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Ninety patients enrolled in this two-part, phase I open-label study of oral brivanib alaninate. The primary objectives of this study were (in part A) dose-limiting toxicity, maximum tolerated dose (MTD) and the lowest biologically active dose level and (in part B) the optimal dose/dose range. The secondary objectives of this study were preliminary evidence of antitumor activity, PK and PD. RESULTS: Across part A (open-label dose escalation and MTD) and part B (open-label dose optimization), 68 patients received brivanib alaninate. Brivanib demonstrated a manageable toxicity profile at doses of 180-800 mg. Most toxic effects were mild. Systemic exposure of the active moiety brivanib increased linearly ≤1000 mg/day. The MTD was 800 mg/day. Forty-four patients were treated at the MTD: 20 with 800 mg continuously, 11 with 800 mg intermittently and 13 with 400 mg b.i.d. doses. Partial responses were confirmed in two patients receiving brivanib ≥600 mg. Dynamic contrast-enhanced magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated statistically significant decreases in parameters reflecting tumor vascularity and permeability after multiple doses in the 800-mg continuous q.d. and 400-mg b.i.d. dose cohorts. CONCLUSION: In patients with advanced/metastatic cancer, brivanib demonstrates promising antiangiogenic and antitumor activity and manageable toxicity at doses ≤800 mg orally q.d., the recommended phase II study dose.

Wireless pH-motility capsule for colonic transit: prospective comparison with radiopaque markers in chronic constipation.

BACKGROUND: Colon transit (CT) measurements are used in the management of significant constipation. The radiopaque marker (ROM) method provides limited information. METHODS: We proposed to validate wireless motility capsule (WMC), that measures pH, pressure and temperature, to ROM measurement of CT in patients with symptomatic constipation evaluated at multiple centers. Of 208 patients recruited, 158 eligible patients underwent simultaneous measurement of colonic transit time (CTT) using ROM (Metcalf method, cut off for delay >67 h), and WMC (cutoff for delay >59 h). The study was designed to demonstrate substantial equivalence, defined as diagnostic agreement >65% for patients who had normal or delayed ROM transit. KEY RESULTS: Fifty-nine of 157 patients had delayed ROM CT. Transit results by the two methods differed: ROM median 55.0 h [IQR 31.0-85.0] and WMC (43.5 h [21.7-70.3], P < 0.001. The positive percent agreement between WMC and ROM for delayed transit was approximately 80%; positive agreement in 47 by WMC/59 by ROM or 0.796 (95% CI = 0.67-0.98); agreement vs null hypothesis (65%) P = 0.01. The negative percent agreement (normal transit) was approximately 91%: 89 by WMC/98 by ROM or 0.908 (95% CI = 0.83-0.96); agreement vs null hypothesis (65%), P = 0.00001. Overall device agreement was 87%. There were significant correlations (P < 0.001) between ROM and WMC transit (CTT [r = 0.707] and between ROM and combined small and large bowel transit [r = 0.704]). There were no significant adverse events. CONCLUSIONS & INFERENCES: The 87% overall agreement (positive and negative) validates WMC relative to ROM in differentiating slow vs normal CT in a multicenter clinical study of constipation.

Motility of the antroduodenum in healthy and gastroparetics characterized by wireless motility capsule.

BACKGROUND: The wireless motility capsule (WMC) measures intraluminal pH and pressure, and records transit time and contractile activity throughout the gastrointestinal tract. Our hypothesis is that WMC can differentiate antroduodenal pressure profiles between healthy people and patients with upper gut motility dysfunctions. This study aims to analyze differences in the phasic pressure profiles of the stomach and small intestine in healthy and gastroparetic subjects. METHODS: Data from 71 healthy and 42 gastroparetic subjects were analyzed. The number of contractions (Ct), area under the pressure curve and motility index (MI = Ln (Ct *sum amplitudes +1)) were analyzed for 60 min before gastric emptying of the capsule (GET), (gastric window) and after GET (small bowel window) and results between groups were compared with the Wilcoxon rank sum test. KEY RESULTS: Significant differences were observed between healthy and gastroparetic subjects for Ct and MI (P < 0.05). Median values of the motility parameters in gastric window were Ct = 72, MI = 11.83 for healthy and Ct = 47, MI = 11.12 for gastroparetics. In the small bowel, median values were Ct = 144.5, MI = 12.78 for healthy and Ct = 93, MI = 12.12 for gastroparetics. Diabetic subjects with gastroparesis showed significantly lower Ct and MI compared with healthy subjects in both gastric and small bowel windows while idiopathic gastroparetic subjects did not show significant differences. CONCLUSIONS & INFERENCES: The WMC is able to differentiate between healthy and gastroparetic subjects based on gastric and small bowel motility profiles.

The assessment of regional gut transit times in healthy controls and patients with gastroparesis using wireless motility technology.

BACKGROUND: Wireless pH and pressure motility capsule (wireless motility capsule) technology provides a method to assess regional gastrointestinal transit times. AIMS: To analyse data from a multi-centre study of gastroparetic patients and healthy controls and to compare regional transit times measured by wireless motility capsule in healthy controls and gastroparetics (GP). METHODS: A total of 66 healthy controls and 34 patients with GP (15 diabetic and 19 idiopathic) swallowed wireless motility capsule together with standardized meal (255 kcal). Gastric emptying time (GET), small bowel transit time (SBTT), colon transit time (CTT) and whole gut transit time (WGTT) were calculated using the wireless motility capsule. RESULTS: Gastric emptying time, CTT and WGTT but not SBTT were significantly longer in GP than in controls. Eighteen percent of gastroparetic patients had delayed WGTT. Both diabetic and idiopathic aetiologies of gastroparetics had significantly slower WGTT (P < 0.0001) in addition to significantly slower GET than healthy controls. Diabetic gastroparetics additionally had significantly slower CTT than healthy controls (P = 0.0054). CONCLUSIONS: In addition to assessing gastric emptying, regional transit times can be measured using wireless motility capsule. The prolongation of CTT in gastroparetic patients indicates that dysmotility beyond the stomach in GP is present, and it could be contributing to symptom presentation.

A phase I study of an oral simulated FOLFOX with high dose capecitabine.

BACKGROUND: A phase I study of high-dose capecitabine given over 2 days, along with oxaliplatin, bolus 5FU and leucovorin (LV), was designed to simulate FOLFOX6 without the need for infusional 5FU. METHODS: Schedule A included oxaliplatin 100 mg/m(2), 5FU 400 mg/m(2), and LV 20 mg/m(2) (all given IV on days 1 and 15, 28 day cycle). Capecitabine was administered orally every 8 h x 6 doses, days 1 and 15. Schedule B excluded 5FU and LV, maintaining oxaliplatin and capecitabine. Pharmacokinetics were performed for capecitabine for 6 patients on each schedule. RESULTS: 36 patients were treated. The dose-limiting toxicities seen included nausea, dehydration, fatigue, hypotension and confusion. Minimal palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia was seen. Myelosuppression was common, but not a dose limiting toxicity. The pharmacokinetic parameters for capecitabine were unaltered. CONCLUSION: Using capecitabine to mimic FOLFOX6 is feasible and well tolerated with a toxicity profile that differs from standard 14-day capecitabine dosing, with less palmar-plantar erythrodysesthesia. The phase II dose for capecitabine in combination with oxaliplatin, 5FU, and LV is 1,500 mg/m(2)/dose or 2,250 mg/m(2)/dose in the absence of bolus 5FU/LV.

Biologic features and treatment outcome of secondary acute lymphoblastic leukemia--a review of 101 cases.

BACKGROUND: Secondary acute lymphoblastic leukemia (sALL) is a rare disease and its biologic features are not well characterized. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We describe a cohort of seven patients and discuss 94 additional cases from the literature for whom biological parameters were described. Cases with incomplete data were excluded. RESULTS: Hodgkin's disease (HD) was more common in the 18-59 age group while breast and prostate cancers were prevalent only in the >or=18-year-old patients. The time interval to develop sALL was similar among all age groups but was significantly longer for HD and neuroblastoma primary diagnoses and sALL with complex karyotype. T-cell immunophenotype was more common in the <18 age group. Complete remission was infrequent in the >or=60 age group. The overall survival was poor for all sALL regardless of age, primary diagnoses, cytogenetic subgroups, or immunophenotype. Allogeneic transplantation most probably represents the only chance of cure. CONCLUSION: Better identification of prognostic factors to prevent the occurrence of sALL is indicated.

Osteoporosis and oral infection: independent risk factors for oral bone loss.

Studies have suggested that oral bone loss is independently influenced by local and systemic factors, including osteoporosis. This cross-sectional study of 1256 post-menopausal women, recruited from the Buffalo center of the Women's Health Initiative Observational Study, evaluated the influence of oral infection and age on the associations between osteoporosis and oral bone loss. Systemic bone density was measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry. Alveolar crestal height was measured from standardized dental radiographs. Oral infection was assessed from subgingival plaque samples. Total forearm density [beta (SE)= -0.931 (0.447), p=0.038] and presence of Tannerella forsythensis [beta (SE)=0.125 (0.051), p=0.015] were independently associated with mean alveolar height among women aged <70 years after confounder adjustment. Women aged 70+ years had worse oral bone loss, in general, but neither bone density nor oral infection was significantly associated with mean alveolar height in this age group. Systemic bone density and oral infection independently influenced oral bone loss in post-menopausal women aged <70 years.

Comparison of gastric emptying of a nondigestible capsule to a radio-labelled meal in healthy and gastroparetic subjects.

BACKGROUND: Gastric emptying scintigraphy (GES) using a radio-labelled meal is used to measure gastric emptying. A nondigestible capsule, SmartPill, records luminal pH, temperature, and pressure during gastrointestinal transit providing a measure of gastric emptying time (GET). AIMS: To compare gastric emptying time and GES by assessing their correlation, and to compare GET and GES for discriminating healthy subjects from gastroparetics. METHODS: Eighty-seven healthy subjects and 61 gastroparetics enrolled with simultaneous SmartPill and GES. Fasted subjects were ingested capsule and [(99m)Tc]-SC radio-labelled meal. Images were obtained every 30 min for 6 h. Gastric emptying time and percentage of meal remaining at 2/4 h were determined for each subject. The sensitivity/specificity and receiver operating characteristic analysis of each measure were determined for each subject. RESULTS: Correlation between GET and GES-4 h was 0.73 and GES-2 h was 0.63. The diagnostic accuracy from the receiver operating characteristic curve between gastroparetics and healthy subjects was GET = 0.83, GES-4 h = 0.82 and GES-2 h = 0.79. The 300-min cut-off time for GET gives sensitivity of 0.65 and specificity of 0.87 for diagnosis of gastroparesis. The corresponding sensitivity/specificity for 2 and 4 h standard GES measures were 0.34/0.93 and 0.44/0.93, respectively. CONCLUSION: SmartPill GET correlates with GES and discriminates between healthy and gastroparetic subjects offering a nonradioactive, standardized, ambulatory alternative to scintigraphy.

Identification of the prostate cancer micro-foci with chromosome 8p deletion at the tumor interface area by histopathological-FISH parallel examination.

We used a histopathological-fluorescence in situ hybridization (histo-FISH) parallel examination technique to identify the micro-foci of prostate cancer with chromosome 8p deletion at the interface area adjacent to the tumor. The archival paraffin embedded prostate tissue sections from 27 prostate cancer patients were evaluated. Seventy-eight percent of the patients showed chromosome 8p deletion in the tumor sections. Eight of the 27 patients (30%) had been found positive for tumor micro-foci with chromosome 8p deletion at the tumor interface area. There is a strong trend for patients with late stage tumors to have positive findings for tumor micro-foci at the interface area (p<0.002). Our data suggests that the formation of tumor micro-foci with chromosome 8p deletion and ploidy change at the interface area is a significant development in the advanced prostate cancer, and identification of these micro-foci may serve as a prognostic parameter in the clinical assessment of prostate cancer patients.

Tissue examination to monitor antiangiogenic therapy: a phase I clinical trial with endostatin.

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to determine the effect of the angiogenesis inhibitor endostatin on blood vessels in tumors and wound sites. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: In a Phase I dose escalation study, cancer patients were treated with daily infusions of human recombinant endostatin. Tumor biopsies were obtained prior to and 8 weeks after initiation of treatment. Blood vessel formation in nonneoplastic tissue was evaluated by creating a skin wound site on the arm with a punch biopsy device. The wound site was sampled with a second biopsy after a 7-day interval. This sequential biopsy procedure was performed prior to and 3 weeks after initiation of endostatin treatment. Vascular density, endothelial cell kinetics, and blood vessel maturity were determined in tumor and skin wound samples. The ultrastructure of tumor blood vessels was examined by electron microscopy. RESULTS: As expected, the tumors were of variable vascular density. Skin wounding induced a vascular granulation tissue containing a high percentage of proliferating endothelial cells. The proportion of immature blood vessels was high in tumors and in wound sites and low in normal skin. No statistically significant difference was detected between pretreatment and treatment samples of tumors and of skin wounds for any of the parameters tested. CONCLUSIONS: Endostatin treatment was not associated with any recognizable vascular changes in tumor samples and did not perturb wound healing at the doses and the treatment schedule used.