During active UC, all 4 cytokine mRNA levels were high; only IL-6 and IL-8 mRNAs decreased to normal levels during remission. IL-8 mRNA was high even at sites of endoscopically quiescent UC during active disease. Steroid naïve patients respond well to granulocytapheresis.

Objective To investigate the short-and long-term efficacy and safety of infliximab (IFX) in intestinal Behçet's disease (BD) patients in a retrospective cohort study. Methods Among 43 consecutive patients with intestinal BD presenting at the same clinic, 15 with active disease and receiving standard treatment were given IFX infusions (5 mg/kg body weight) every eight weeks. The patients were clinically and endoscopically evaluated before treatment, then assessed after 10 weeks, 12 months and 24 months for a clinical response, defined as a significant improvement in intestinal symptoms and a reduced C-reactive protein (CRP) level. Results At week 10, 12 patients (80%) exhibited a response to IFX, with eight (53%) in remission with no intestinal symptoms and normal CRP levels. A response to IFX was maintained in seven of the 11 patients (64%) available at 12 months and in four of the eight patients (50%) available at 24 months. Of the seven patients receiving prednisolone at entry, five responders had their steroid doses reduced. Fulminant intestinal BD was predictive of an absence of response to IFX. The adverse effects comprised one infusion reaction and one case of fever, most likely related to IFX. Conclusion IFX is effective and safe in patients with refractory intestinal BD.

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Metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma in the nasal cavity and paranasal sinuses is rare. We report the case of a 71-year-old male afflicted with hepatocellular carcinoma with metastasis in the maxillary sinus and nasal cavity. He underwent radiation therapy with a total dose of 36 Gy, but he died of terminal liver failure. The possible metastatic route and prognosis of metastatic hepatocellular carcinoma in the sinonasal tract are discussed.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the immunological responses induced by DNA plasmids containing HIV regulatory genes administered in combination in HIV-1-infected patients with pretreatment with highly active antiretroviral treatment (HAART). The study is a double-blind, randomized, and placebo-controlled study, including 15 asymptomatic HIV-1-infected patients on stable HAART for at least 6 months and with plasma HIV RNA levels below 50 copies/ml. Ten patients received a combination of rev, tat, and nef intramuscularly (im) at weeks 0, 4, and 16 at increasing doses giving totals of 300 (100 x 3), 900 (300 x 3), and 1800 (600 x 3) micrograms DNA. Five patients received saline in the same amounts im. Antigen-specific cytotoxic T lymphocyte (CTL) levels were preserved or increased and new T lymphocyte proliferative responses were induced in the group immunized with the HIV DNA genes. No increase in antibody levels was noted. Despite a 10-fold higher vaccine dose, patients on HAART did not respond better to vaccination compared to non-HAART patients included in a previous study where the genes were administered separately. Combining the regulatory genes rev, tat, and nef in increasing doses may reduce the anticipated augmentation of HIV-specific T cell proliferative and CTL responses. Viral suppression did not seem to further improve the initial vaccine responses of patients with comparable CD4 levels.