Elevated laser flare values correlate with complicated course of anterior uveitis in patients with juvenile idiopathic arthritis

To evaluate the prognostic value of anterior chamber (AC) laser flare (LF) in uveitis associated with juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA).

Adjuvant radiotherapy in the treatment of invasive intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm of the pancreas: an analysis of the surveillance, epidemiology, and end results registry

Management and outcomes of patients with invasive intraductal papillary mucinous neoplasm (IPMN) of the pancreas are not well established. We investigated whether adjuvant radiotherapy (RT) improved cancer-specific survival (CSS) and overall survival (OS) among patients undergoing surgical resection for invasive IPMN.

Influence of pregnancy on the adipocytokine and peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor pathways in peripheral blood mononuclear cells from healthy donors and rheumatoid arthritis patients

To identify candidate genes that are regulated by human pregnancy and have the potential to modulate rheumatoid arthritis (RA) disease activity.

The postoperative COFAS end-stage ankle arthritis classification system: interobserver and intraobserver reliability

End-stage ankle arthritis is operatively treated with numerous designs of total ankle replacement and different techniques for ankle fusion. For superior comparison of these procedures, outcome research requires a classification system to stratify patients appropriately. A postoperative 4-type classification system was designed by 6 fellowship-trained foot and ankle surgeons. Four surgeons reviewed blinded patient profiles and radiographs on 2 occasions to determine the interobserver and intraobserver reliability of the classification. Excellent interobserver reliability (κ = .89) and intraobserver reproducibility (κ = .87) were demonstrated for the postoperative classification system. In conclusion, the postoperative Canadian Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (COFAS) end-stage ankle arthritis classification system appears to be a valid tool to evaluate the outcome of patients operated for end-stage ankle arthritis.

Obesity and risk of recurrence or death after adjuvant endocrine therapy with letrozole or tamoxifen in the breast international group 1-98 trial

To examine the association of baseline body mass index (BMI) with the risk of recurrence or death in postmenopausal women with early-stage breast cancer receiving adjuvant tamoxifen or letrozole in the Breast International Group (BIG) 1-98 trial at 8.7 years of median follow-up.

Gerbu adjuvant modulates the immune response and thus the course of infection in C56BL/6 mice immunised with Echinococcus multilocularis rec14-3-3 protein

Vaccination with Echinococcus multilocularis 14-3-3 protein can protect mice against primary E. multilocularis infection. The present study investigated the efficacy and efficiency of the adjuvant muramyl dipeptide Gerbu, alone or together with recombinant 14-3-3 protein, to modulate the course of secondary E. multilocularis infection in C56BL/6 mice. The application of Gerbu alone already resulted in a parasite weight reduction when compared with infected control mice, while rec14-3-3 did not add to this effect. Immunological parameters were concurrently assessed with a mixed cell reaction including bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (BMDCs) together with lymph node cells from mice with or without immunisation and/or infection. While mice having received Gerbu adjuvant were found to highly proliferate in response to co-cultivation with 14-3-3-stimulated bone marrow dendritic cells, a sensitisation of BMDCs with vesicle fluid (VF) antigen lead to a striking decrease of the lymphoproliferative response in comparison to that of control mice, raising the hypothesis that immunosuppressive components may be part of this VF-antigen. Anti-14-3-3 antibody production was only found in those mice that had been previously 14-3-3-immunised, whereas all other only-infected mice failed to produce such antibodies. Conclusively, Gerbu adjuvant appears to directly generate a non-specific immune response that contributes to the control of the metacestode growth, putatively in association with a BMDC activity suppressed by components of the VF-antigen.

Slow release antibiotics for treatment of septic arthritis in large animals

The search for an effective treatment for septic arthritis is ongoing. Current therapies are expensive since they require repeated joint lavage and long term antibiotic treatment. Local application of antimicrobial drugs is advantageous because high concentrations can be attained at the infection site, although repeated injections increase the risk of superinfection of the joint. Thus, slow release formulations, which have the advantage of local treatment yet single application of the drug, are appealing. Antibiotics used in slow release formulations are selected for tissue compatibility, an appropriate antibacterial spectrum, and stability both during the mixing procedure and within the carrier during the release period. Ideally the carriers should be bioresorbable. Promising reports on the clinical use of poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) mixed with several different antibiotics, and of collagen sponges impregnated with gentamicin, should encourage the search for formulations optimally adapted to veterinary medical requirements.

Outcome predictors of radical prostatectomy followed by adjuvant androgen deprivation in patients with clinical high risk prostate cancer and pT3 surgical margin positive disease

Patients with high risk prostate cancer with pT3 tumor and positive surgical margins have a high risk of biochemical failure after radical prostatectomy and adjuvant androgen deprivation therapy. Predictors of cancer related death in this patient group are necessary.

The role of adjuvant hormonal treatment after surgery for localized high-risk prostate cancer: results of a matched multiinstitutional analysis

Introduction. To assess the role of adjuvant androgen deprivation therapy (ADT) in high-risk prostate cancer patients (PCa) after surgery. Materials and Methods. The analysis case matched 172 high-risk PCa patients with positive section margins or non-organ confined disease and negative lymph nodes to receive adjuvant ADT (group 1, n = 86) or no adjuvant ADT (group 2, n = 86). Results. Only 11.6% of the patients died, 2.3% PCa related. Estimated 5-10-year clinical progression-free survival was 96.9% (94.3%) for group 1 and 73.7% (67.0%) for group 2, respectively. Subgroup analysis identified men with T2/T3a tumors at low-risk and T3b margins positive disease at higher risk for progression. Conclusion. Patients with T2/T3a tumors are at low-risk for metastatic disease and cancer-related death and do not need adjuvant ADT. We identified men with T3b margin positive disease at highest risk for clinical progression. These patients benefit from immediate adjuvant ADT.