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BACKGROUND. Retropharyngeal lymph node (RLN) metastasis was not included in the current American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) staging system (6th edition) for nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).The object of the current study was to investigate the prognostic value and staging categories of RLN metastasis in NPC detected by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). METHODS. All 924 consecutive patients with newly diagnosed NPC were examined with MRI before treatment with definitive intent radiotherapy. RESULTS. The incidence of RLN metastasis was 73.5%. On multivariate analysis, RLN metastasis was found to be an independent prognostic factor for distant metastasis‐free survival (DMFS) in all patients (P = .040). In patients with N0 disease, significant differences were observed between patients with and those without RLN metastasis after adjusting for T classification (P = .046). With regard to laterality, no significant differences were observed in DMFS between patients with unilateral and bilateral RLN metastasis in N0 disease (P = .734). No significant difference in the hazards ratios for either DMFS or disease‐free survival (DFS) was found between patients with N0 disease with RLN metastasis and patients with N1 disease (P = .092 and P = .149, respectively). When RLN was classified as N1 disease, there was a better segregation of different N classifications in terms of DFS and DMFS curves, whereas the difference in hazards ratios for N0 and N1 disease was more obvious in DMFS (from 0.461 vs 0.785 to 0.317 vs 0.690). CONCLUSIONS. The results of the current MRI‐based study demonstrate that RLN metastasis affects the DMFS rates of NPC. The authors propose that RLN metastasis be classified as N1 disease, regardless of its laterality. Cancer 2008. ©2008 American Cancer Society.

Background: Apathy, defined as decreased goal‐directed activity, has been observed in Parkinson's disease. A number of cognitive/psychiatric features have been documented in essential tremor, yet we are unaware of studies of apathy. Methods: Using the Apathy Evaluation Scale (range = 18–72 [more apathy]), we compared 79 essential tremor cases, 20 dystonia cases, and 39 Parkinson's disease cases with 80 normal controls. Results: The score of the Apathy Evaluation Scale was higher in essential tremor, dystonia, and Parkinson's disease cases than controls (all P ≤ .04). Parkinson's disease cases had the highest scores. Analyses stratified by presence/absence of depressive symptoms indicated the presence of a group of apathetic but nondepressed cases. Conclusions: Patients with Parkinson's disease, essential tremor, and dystonia had elevated apathy scores. Features of apathy seemed to occur in these conditions independent of depressive symptoms. The mechanistic basis for the apparent increased features of apathy in essential tremor and dystonia deserves further study. © 2011 Movement Disorder Society

Purpose: Laryngeal carcinomas always resist to radiotherapy. Hypoxia is an important factor in radioresistance of laryngeal carcinoma. Glucose transporter-1 (GLUT-1) is considered to be a possible intrinsic marker of hypoxia in malignant tumors. We speculated that the inhibition of GLUT-1 expression might improve the radiosensitivity of laryngeal carcinoma. Methods: We assessed the effect of GLUT-1 expression on radioresistance of laryngeal carcinoma and the effect of GLUT-1 expressions by antisense oligodeoxynucleotides (AS-ODNs) on the radiosensitivity of laryngeal carcinoma in vitro and in vivo. Results: After transfection of GLUT-1 AS-ODNs: MTS assay showed the survival rates of radiation groups were reduced with the prolongation of culture time (p<0.05); Cell survival rates were significantly reduced along with the increasing of radiation dose (p<0.05). There was significant difference in the expression of GLUT-1mRNA and protein in the same X-ray dose between before and after X-ray radiation (p<0.05). In vivo, the expressions of GLUT-1 mRNA and protein after 8Gy radiation plus transfection of GLUT-1 AS-ODNs were significant decreased compared to 8Gy radiation alone (p<0.001). Conclusion: Radioresistance of laryngeal carcinoma may be associated with increased expression of GLUT-1 mRNA and protein. GLUT-1 AS-ODNs may enhance the radiosensitivity of laryngeal carcinoma mainly by inhibiting the expression of GLUT-1.

BACKGROUND:The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prognostic value of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)‐detected cranial nerve (CN) involvement in nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC).METHODS:Retrospective analysis was made of the magnetic resonance images and medical records of 924 consecutive patients with newly diagnosed NPC.RESULTS:Of 924 patients, 82 (8.9%) initially presented with CN palsy. CN involvement was seen on MRI in 333 (36%) patients. In T3‐4 disease, MRI‐evidenced CN involvement was associated with poor 3‐year overall survival (OS) (35.7% vs 89.2%, P = .001) and distant metastasis‐free survival (DMFS) (77.1% vs 87.8%, P = .002) rates. The survival curves of OS and DMFS for T3 disease with MRI‐detected CN involvement approximated those of T4 disease (P = .322 and P = .809, respectively). In patients with MRI‐detected CN involvement, no significant differences were observed in 3‐year OS (78.3% vs 72.9%, P = .120), local relapse‐free survival (LRFS) (89.7% vs 84.1%, P = .154), or DMFS (79.6% vs 74.8%, P = .466) rates between those with and without intracranial or orbital CN involvement. Furthermore, in patients with clinical and/or MRI‐detected CN involvement, there were no significant differences in the 3‐year OS (74.2% vs 80.1%, P = .067), LRFS (86.7% vs 87.9%, P = .899), or DMFS (74.6% vs 84.6%, P = .094) rates between symptomatic and asymptomatic patients.CONCLUSIONS:The incidence of MRI‐detected CN involvement was higher than CN palsy. MRI‐detected CN involvement has a negative impact on the prognosis independent of lesion localization and symptoms. Cancer 2009. © 2009 American Cancer Society.

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Objectives The present review systematically summarized existing publications regarding the genetic associations between voltage-gated calcium channels (VGCCs) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Methods A comprehensive literature search was conducted to gather pertinent studies in three online databases. Two authors independently screened the included records based on the selection criteria. Discrepancies in each step were settled through discussions. Results From 1163 resulting searched articles, 28 were identified for inclusion. The most prominent among the VGCCs variants found in ASD were those falling within loci encoding the α subunits, CACNA1A, CACNA1B, CACNA1C, CACNA1D, CACNA1E, CACNA1F, CACNA1G, CACNA1H, and CACNA1I as well as those of their accessory subunits CACNB2, CACNA2D3, and CACNA2D4. Two signaling pathways, the IP3-Ca2+ pathway and the MAPK pathway, were identified as scaffolds that united genetic lesions into a consensus etiology of ASD. Conclusions Evidence generated from this review supports the role of VGCC genetic variants in the pathogenesis of ASD, making it a promising therapeutic target. Future research should focus on the specific mechanism that connects VGCC genetic variants to the complex ASD phenotype.