Clarithromycin (CM) has been found to inhibit the production of the intercellular adhesion molecule (ICAM)-1 and the secretion of interleukin (IL)-6 and IL-8, which may have beneficial effects on the pathophysiological changes related to rhinovirus (RV) infection. The effect of CM on RV infection in A549 cells was therefore investigated.Cells were pre-treated with 1, 10 or 100 mM CM, either starting 3 days before infection and continuing thereafter, or by addition at the time of infection. RV titre, as measured by culture on Medical Research Council 5 cells, was reduced by CM, with the degree of reduction being greater when CM was added 3 days before infection than when it was added at the time of infection.CM treatment inhibited the RV-induced increase in ICAM-1 mRNA and protein, as well as the RVinduced secretion of IL-1b, IL-6, and IL-8. These effects were greater in cells treated with 10 mM than in those treated with 100 mM CM, and the maximum effect was observed 3 days after viral infection. In contrast, secretion of IL-8 was not inhibited significantly when CM was added at the time of viral infection.The findings of this study suggest that, in A549 cells, clarithromycin inhibits the induction of intercellular adhesion molecule-1 expression, cytokine elaboration, and viral infection.

Objective: To investigate whether vitamin B 6 supplementation had a beneficial effect on lowering fasting plasma homocysteine concentrations in coronary artery disease (CAD) patients. Design: A single-blind intervention study. Setting: The study was performed at the Taichung Veterans General Hospital, the central part of Taiwan. Subjects: A total of 50 subjects were identified by cardiac catheterization to have at least 70% stenosis of one major coronary artery. In all, 42 patients successfully completed this study. Interventions: Patients were randomly assigned to one of five groups and treated with a daily dose of placebo (n ¼ 8), 5 mg vitamin B 6 (n ¼ 8), 10 mg vitamin B 6 (n ¼ 8), 50 mg vitamin B 6 (n ¼ 9), or 5 mg folic acid combined with 0.25 mg vitamin B 12 (n ¼ 9) for 12 weeks. Main outcome measures: Nutrient intakes were recorded by using 24-h diet recalls when patients returned to the cardiology clinic before the intervention (week 0) and at week 12. Vitamin B 6 status was assessed by direct measures (plasma pyridoxal 5 0 -phosphate) and indirect measures (erythrocyte alanine and aspartate aminotransaminase activity coefficient). Fasting plasma homocysteine, serum folic acid, and vitamin B 12 were measured. Results: Fasting plasma homocysteine concentration did not respond to high or low doses of vitamin B 6 when compared with a placebo treatment after 12 weeks of supplementation. The mean fasting plasma homocysteine concentration, however, decreased significantly after 12 weeks of folic acid combined with vitamin B 12 supplementation (P ¼ 0.047). Further, within group, mean fasting plasma homocysteine concentration was nonsignificantly increased by 25.5, 16.2, and 18.3% in placebo, 10 mg/day and 50 mg/day vitamin B 6 supplemented groups, respectively; whereas folic acid combined with vitamin B 12 supplementation significantly reduced fasting plasma homocysteine concentration by 32% (Po0.001). Conclusions: Our results indicate that vitamin B 6 supplementation alone is less effective than folic acid combined with vitamin B 12 in lowering plasma homocysteine concentrations in CAD patients.

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Endoscopists should consider performing routine FCS in patients undergoing endoscopic removal of gastric neoplasms.

Objective: To assess vitamin B6 intake and status of critically ill patients. The relationship between vitamin B6 status indicators and the severity of illness and outcome in these patients was also examined. Design: Prospective clinical study. Setting: The study was performed at the Taichung Veteran General Hospital, in the central part of Taiwan. Subjects: Ninety-four patients in the intensive care unit (ICU) entered the study and 46 patients successfully completed this study. Interventions: No intervention. Main outcome measures: Vitamin B6 intake was recorded for 14 days. Vitamin B6 status was assessed by direct measures (plasma pyridoxal 5 0 -phosphate (PLP), pyridoxal (PL), and urinary 4-pyridoxic acid (4-PA)) and indirect measures (erythrocyte alanine (EALT-AC) and aspartate (EAST-AC) aminotransaminase activity coefficient). The severity of illness (APACHE II score), the length of ventilation dependency, and the length of ICU and hospital stay were recorded. Results: Patients had an adequate mean vitamin B6 intake (16.26 AE 19.39 mg) during the 14 day study. Mean vitamin B6 intake was significantly higher on day 14 than on day 1 (P < 0.001). However, plasma PLP and PL concentrations significantly decreased at the 14th day after admission (P < 0.05). Erythrocyte alanine aminotransaminase activity coefficient and EAST-AC did not change significantly. Urinary 4-PA significantly increased at the 14th day (P < 0.001). No significant relationships were found between APACHE II scores and clinical outcomes (the length of ICU and hospital stay, the length of ventilation dependency) of patients, vitamin B6 intake or status indicators. Conclusions: Critically ill patients received nutritional support in the ICU, and had sufficient mean vitamin B6 intake and adequate vitamin B6 status. Therefore, the severity of illness and the results should not be affected by vitamin B6 status. However, we have noted that plasma PLP and PL concentrations significantly decreased while vitamin B6 intake significantly increased on day 14. Critical clinical conditions and complex metabolism in the critically ill may account for the reduction of plasma PLP and PL. Since vitamin B6 deficiency causes profound effects on immune system function, dietary or supplemented vitamin B6 intake is suggested for hospitalized patients.

Two consecutive studies were conducted to evaluate the dietary supplementation of citrus by-products (CB) fermented with probiotic bacteria on growth performance, feed utilization, innate immune responses and disease resistance of juvenile olive flounder. In Experiment I, five diets were formulated to contain 0% (control) or 3% four different CB fermented with Bacillus subtilis (BS), Enterococcus faecium (EF), Lactobacillus rhamnosus (LR) and L. plantarum (LP) (designated as CON, CBF-BS, CBF-EF, CBF-LR and CBF-LP, respectively). During 10 weeks of a feeding trial, growth performance and feed efficiency were not significantly different among all the fish groups. However, fish fed CBF containing diets had significantly higher survivals than the CON group. Disease resistance of fish against Edwardsiella tarda was increased by the fermentation of CB. In Experiment II, we chose the BS as a promising probiotic and formulated five diets to contain 0%, 2%, 4%, 6% and 8% CBF-BS. Growth performance was not significantly affected by the CBF-BS supplementation during 6 weeks of a feeding trial. Innate immunity of fish was significantly enhanced by CBF-BS supplementation. Myeloperoxidase and lysozyme activities were increased in a dose-dependent manner by dietary CBF-BS inclusions. In a consecutive challenge test against E. tarda, an increased disease resistance was found by CBF-BS supplementation. These studies indicate that the fermentation process of CB with probiotic has beneficial effects on innate immunity and thereby increases disease resistance of olive flounder against E. tarda. Bacillus subtilis can be used as a promising probiotic microbe for by-product fermentation in fish feeds.

Epithelioid haemangioendothelioma (EHE) is an uncommon vascular neoplasm which occurs rarely in the head and neck and has an unpredictable clinical behaviour. It is characterized by round or spindle-shaped endothelial cells with cytoplasmic vacuolation. Most often, EHE arises from the soft tissues of the upper and lower extremities, and it has borderline malignant potential. We describe the first reported case of EHE in the parapharyngeal space, which was treated successfully via a transcervical-transparotid approach (following angiography with embolization), without massive intra-operative bleeding or facial nerve damage.

Interferon-gamma (IFN-g) exhibits biological activities that are considered to have important roles in tumor suppression. Therefore, the IFN-g gene is a potential candidate for in vivo cytokine gene therapy against skin cancer. The present study evaluated the efficacy of a hydrodynamics-based IFN-g gene transfection for skin cancer treatment, in which the plasmid DNA encoding IFN-g was administered into the tail vein of mice following 7,12-dimethylbenz[a]anthracene and 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetateinduced skin carcinogenesis. Serum levels of IFN-g were substantially elevated without liver toxicity. The mice injected with IFN-g plasmid DNA displayed a marked reduction in papilloma numbers, suppressed proliferation of epidermal cells and induction of caspase-3-mediated apoptosis. These results suggest that the hydrodynamics-based transfection of IFN-g plasmid DNA is a convenient and efficient means of skin cancer gene therapy.