Combined low initial DNA damage and high radiation-induced apoptosis confers clinical resistance to long-term toxicity in breast cancer patients treated with high-dose radiotherapy

[EN] Background: Either higher levels of initial DNA damage or lower levels of radiation-induced apoptosis in peripheral blood lymphocytes have been associated to increased risk for develop late radiation-induced toxicity. It has been recently published that these two predictive tests are inversely related. The aim of the present study was to investigate the combined role of both tests in relation to clinical radiation-induced toxicity in a set of breast cancer patients treated with high dose hyperfractionated radical radiotherapy. Methods: Peripheral blood lymphocytes were taken from 26 consecutive patients with locally advanced breast carcinoma treated with high-dose hyperfractioned radical radiotherapy. Acute and late cutaneous and subcutaneous toxicity was evaluated using the Radiation Therapy Oncology Group morbidity scoring schema. The mean follow-up of survivors (n = 13) was 197.23 months. Radiosensitivity of lymphocytes was quantified as the initial number of DNA double-strand breaks induced per Gy and per DNA unit (200 Mbp). Radiation-induced apoptosis (RIA) at 1, 2 and 8 Gy was measured by flow cytometry using annexin V/propidium iodide. Results: Mean DSB/Gy/DNA unit obtained was 1.70 ± 0.83 (range 0.63-4.08; median, 1.46). Radiation-induced apoptosis increased with radiation dose (median 12.36, 17.79 and 24.83 for 1, 2, and 8 Gy respectively). We observed that those "expected resistant patients" (DSB values lower than 1.78 DSB/Gy per 200 Mbp and RIA values over 9.58, 14.40 or 24.83 for 1, 2 and 8 Gy respectively) were at low risk of suffer severe subcutaneous late toxicity (HR 0.223, 95%CI 0.073-0.678, P = 0.008; HR 0.206, 95%CI 0.063-0.677, P = 0.009; HR 0.239, 95%CI 0.062-0.929, P = 0.039, for RIA at 1, 2 and 8 Gy respectively) in multivariate analysis. Conclusions: A radiation-resistant profile is proposed, where those patients who presented lower levels of initial DNA damage and higher levels of radiation induced apoptosis were at low risk of suffer severe subcutaneous late toxicity after clinical treatment at high radiation doses in our series. However, due to the small sample size, other prospective studies with higher number of patients are needed to validate these results.

Radiation induced apoptosis and initial DNA damage are inversely related in locally advanced breast cancer patients

[EN] Background: DNA-damage assays, quantifying the initial number of DNA double-strand breaks induced by radiation, have been proposed as a predictive test for radiation-induced toxicity. Determination of radiation-induced apoptosis in peripheral blood lymphocytes by flow cytometry analysis has also been proposed as an approach for predicting normal tissue responses following radiotherapy. The aim of the present study was to explore the association between initial DNA damage, estimated by the number of double-strand breaks induced by a given radiation dose, and the radio-induced apoptosis rates observed. Methods: Peripheral blood lymphocytes were taken from 26 consecutive patients with locally advanced breast carcinoma. Radiosensitivity of lymphocytes was quantified as the initial number of DNA double-strand breaks induced per Gy and per DNA unit (200 Mbp). Radio-induced apoptosis at 1, 2 and 8 Gy was measured by flow cytometry using annexin V/propidium iodide. Results: Radiation-induced apoptosis increased in order to radiation dose and data fitted to a semi logarithmic mathematical model. A positive correlation was found among radio-induced apoptosis values at different radiation doses: 1, 2 and 8 Gy (p < 0.0001 in all cases). Mean DSB/Gy/DNA unit obtained was 1.70 ± 0.83 (range 0.63-4.08; median, 1.46). A statistically significant inverse correlation was found between initial damage to DNA and radio-induced apoptosis at 1 Gy (p = 0.034). A trend toward 2 Gy (p = 0.057) and 8 Gy (p = 0.067) was observed after 24 hours of incubation. Conclusions: An inverse association was observed for the first time between these variables, both considered as predictive factors to radiation toxicity.

La realidad jurídico - social de los delitos de violencia de género

[ES] Es una evidencia el hecho de que la norma jurídica nace al mundo con posterioridad a la realidad social a la que será aplicada, y en lo que toca al fenómeno de la violencia de género, su regulación tiene su origen en el aumento de actitudes violentas ejercidas por los hombres contra las mujeres, y ante lo cual se crea una legislación específica para proteger a las víctimas de la violencia de género que se inspira en el valor fundamental de la igualdad. Si bien, cuestión distinta será determinar en su caso si la citada legislación cumple con los objetivos que la sustentan, teniendo en cuenta los diferentes ámbitos que abarca, desde aspectos socioeducativos a puramente jurídicos.

Cambios de la delincuencia juvenil de España y Canarias: Análisis de tendencias en el periodo 2005-2011

[ES] De los cambios estudiados de la delincuencia juvenil de España y Canarias por medio del método de regresión lineal segmentada "joinpoint regression" destacamos un aumento del porcentaje de cambio anual estimado (PCA) en varones y mujeres de 14 años para el periodo 2005-2011 en España y un descenso en Canarias. También un aumento de varones y mujeres en la tendencia 2007-2011 para la edad de 17 años de España y Canarias. Por otro lado, las Comunidades Autónomas que se sitúan con un percentil menor del 25 de delincuencia juvenil en varones están: Canarias, Catalunya, Madrid, Melilla y País Vasco. Por último, para delincuencia juvenil femenina y por debajo del percentil 25, tenemos situadas a las Comunidades de: Catalunya, Asturias, Madrid, Melilla y Canarias

La educación vial. Una forma más de educar

[ES] Si educar es transmitir experiencias vividas para favorecer la convivencia social, esa labor se puede llevar a cabo en numerosos campos sociales, constituyendo el de la Seguridad Vial, uno de ellos. [EN] To speak of education is to speak of culture, of transmission of knowledge and health habits for coexistence but, the meaning that locks up this term goes beyond what in principle could seem: it includes different fields, particularly the one from Road Security which is about the norms that regulate drivers and pedestrians’ conduct. It is in this scope where education plays an excellent role in the sense that it constitutes a suitable instrument to teach road norms and values favouring coexistence in road behavior.

Location-price competition with externality: an application to the Tenerife tram

[EN] This paper presents a location–price equilibrium problem on a tree. A sufficient condition for having a Nash equilibrium in a spatial competition model that incorporates price, transport, and externality costs is given. This condition implies both competitors are located at the same point, a vertex that is the unique median of the tree. However, this is not an equilibrium necessary condition. Some examples show that not all medians are equilibria. Finally, an application to the Tenerife tram is presented.