No abstract

These findings suggest that, for NSCLC patients, CYFRA 21-1 and TPS are significant prognostic factors and effective monitors of therapy. The combined use of these cytokeratin markers may provide additional information for prognosis.

No abstract

Heparanase is a mammalian endo-β-D-glucuronidase that cleaves heparan sulfate (HS) side chains at a limited number of sites. Heparanase enzymatic activity is thought to participate in degradation and remodeling of the extracellular matrix (ECM) and to facilitate cell invasion associated with tumor metastasis, angiogenesis and inflammation. Traditionally, heparanase activity was well correlated with the metastatic potential of a large number of tumor-derived cell types. More recently, heparanase up regulation was detected in an increasing number of primary human tumors, correlating, in some cases, with poor postoperative survival and increased tumor vascularity. The present study was undertaken to develop a highly sensitive ELISA assay suitable for the determination and quantification of human heparanase in tissue extracts and body fluids. The assay preferentially detects the 8+50 kDa active heparanase heterodimer vs. the latent 65 kDa pro-enzyme and correlates with immunoblot analysis of heparanase containing samples. It detects heparanase at concentrations as low as 200 pg/ml, and is suitable for quantification of heparanase in tissue extracts and urine.

Rapid emergence of resistance against antibacterials emphasizes the need for the development of novel and/or more potent antibacterials. Tigecycline is the first representative of a new drug class, the glycylcyclines, and was approved in 2005 by the US FDA for the treatment of complicated skin and skin structure infections, as well as complicated intra-abdominal infections. Tigecycline distributes extensively into the intracellular space of tissue and accumulates in cells, which may qualify it for the treatment of intracellular infections. The pharmacokinetics of tigecycline are complex with both linear and non-linear characteristics. The reason for this complexity is still not fully understood. Non-linearity can be found in the volume of distribution possibly due to extensive and variable tissue and/or plasma protein binding. In contrast, clearance and area under the plasma concentration-time curve are dose-independent. Tigecycline has a high incidence of mild adverse effects, mainly nausea and vomiting, but is otherwise well tolerated.

Some evidence points towards a possible autoimmune role in the aetiology of schizophrenia. Experimental findings provide contradictory results regarding abnormalities in cytokine production in this disorder. In the present study we tested the production of cytokines in CSF and serum in 16 schizophrenic patients and 10 healthy controls (tumor necrosis factor alpha - TNF alpha; interleukins IL-1 beta, IL-2, IL-6, soluble IL-2 receptor). Cytokine levels were evaluated by radioactively-labeled antibodies (IL-1 beta, IL-2, IL-6), by enzyme-linked immunoassay (TNF) and by a sandwich enzyme immunoassay (soluble IL-2 receptor). No significant differences were found in either CSF fluid or serum levels of TNF and IL-2 or IL-6. Interleukin-1 beta was significantly decreased in patients' CSF and serum as compared to controls. Soluble interleukin-2 receptor levels were decreased in CSF of patients, but highly increased in their serum in comparison with controls. Changes in various cytokine levels in CSF fluid and serum of schizophrenic patients probably reflect interrelated process of growth, degeneration or neuroimmunological abnormalities, which may all play a role in the pathophysiology of schizophrenia. The present study supports evidence for change in immune activation, probably of peripheral origin, in schizophrenic patients.

Copyright: Qian et al. This is an open-access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License 3.0 (CC BY 3.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited. ABSTRACT Allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation is a well-established treatment for many malignant and non-malignant hematological disorders. As a frequent complication in up to 50% of all patients, graft-versus-host disease is still the main cause for morbidity and non-relapse mortality. Diagnosis is usually done clinically, even though confirmation by pathology is often used to support the clinical findings. Effective treatment requires intensified immunosuppression as early as possible. Although several promising biomarkers have been proposed for an early diagnosis, no internationally-recognized consensus has yet been established. Protein-based biomarkers represent an interesting tool since they have been recently reported to be an important regulator of various cells, including immune cells such as T cells. Therefore, we assume that protein dysregulation is important in the pathogenesis of acute graft versus host disease and their detection might be an possibility in the early diagnosis and monitoring. In this review, we aim to summarize the previous reports of protein biomarkers, focusing on the pathogenesis of the disease and possible implications in diagnostic approaches.

BACKGROUND The urinary concentration of soluble cytokeratin 19 fragments, measured by the CYFRA 21‐1 assay, may be used for the noninvasive, early detection of bladder carcinoma. METHODS This prospective study examined urine samples from 325 patients. The authors included 152 patients who presented with hematuria or irritative voiding symptoms (Group 1), 107 patients who were under surveillance after undergoing transurethral resection of bladder carcinoma (Group 2), 46 patients with urinary tract pathology other than bladder carcinoma (Group 3), and 20 healthy participants (Group 4). The urine concentration of CYFRA 21‐1 was measured by an immunoradiometric assay. The patients in Groups 1 and 2 underwent cytoscopy and urine cytopathology. Biopsies were obtained if a tumor was seen on cytoscopy or if there was a suspicion of carcinoma in situ (CIS). RESULTS The optimal cut‐off concentration for the detection of primary bladder tumors, 4.9 μg/L, resulted in a sensitivity of 79.3% and a specificity of 88.6%. The optimal threshold for the detection of recurrent bladder tumors (excluding patients who had been treated with intravesical bacillus Calmette–Guerin [BCG]), 4.04 μg/L, resulted in a sensitivity of 76.2% and a specificity of 84.2%. There was no significant advantage for centrifugation of the urine samples or for determination of the creatinine concentration in the urine samples. The CYFRA 21‐1 assay of urine samples provided a three‐fold greater sensitivity compared with the sensitivity of cytology for detecting Grade 1 transitional cell tumors. CYFRA 21‐1 detected 91.9% of Grade 3 tumors, 100% of CIS, and 92.8% of invasive bladder tumors (T2 or higher classification). The CYFRA 21‐1 assay detected all tumors that had positive cytology with the exception of only one tumor. Conversely, the assay identified 71% of primary tumors and 65% of recurrent tumors that were missed by cytopathology. Urinary stones, infection, and previous intravesical BCG immunotherapy caused many false positive results. CONCLUSIONS The urinary CYFRA 21‐1 assay is a useful test for the noninvasive detection of bladder carcinoma and for surveillance of patients who were not treated previously with BCG. It may be used in combination with urine cytology and bladder ultrasound. Multi‐institutional trials are required to compare the accuracy as well as the cost of this combination of tests with cystoscopy. Cancer 2002;94:2914–22. © 2002 American Cancer Society. DOI 10.1002/cncr.10565