Faculty Bibliography

Excision repair cross-complementation group 1 (ERCC1) expression by non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) has been reported to predict resistance to platinum-based therapies. On this basis, several commercial laboratories have offered ERCC1 testing to facilitate clinical decision making, but the reliability of such assays has recently been called into question. Methods. First, three large commercial laboratories were queried for their cumulative ERCC1 test results in NSCLC patients to compare their independent rates of ERCC1 expression. Second, identical tumor blocks from individual NSCLC patients underwent round-robin analysis to evaluate interlaboratory concordance for ERCC1 expression. Third, a retrospective review of medical records from NSCLC patients identified those who were both highly responsive and resistant to platinum-based chemotherapies. Tumor blocks from these patients were then used in a gold standard analysis to determine individual laboratory sensitivity and specificity for ERCC1 results. Results. Significant differences were observed in independent laboratory ERRC1 expression rates (Clarient 70% vs. Genzyme 60% vs. Third Laboratory 44%, p < .0001 for all two-way comparisons). Only 4 of 18 tumors examined in round-robin analysis were fully concordant (κ ≤ 0.222 for all two-way comparisons). In preselected platinum responsive and resistant specimens, none of these three commercially marketed laboratory assays achieved a specificity of greater than 50%. Conclusion. The results of commercial laboratory testing for ERCC1 are inconsistent and unreliable. Better validation and postmarketing surveillance should be mandated before tumor biomarker assays are allowed to enter the clinical arena.

BACKGROUND:Traditional energy sources in catfish diets have become costly, and economical alternatives are needed. Sweet potato leaves are underutilised agricultural by-products that provide energy and substantial amounts of phenols, which affect animal and human health. There is little information on the effects of these compounds on catfish, or the capacity of catfish to accumulate dietary phenols. Catfish enriched with phenols have marketing potential as functional foods. This study investigated the effects of diets with sweet potato leaf meal (SPLM) on growth performance, health and total phenolic compounds in catfish. RESULTS:SPLM was substituted for wheat middlings in three diets fed to groups of juvenile catfish for 10 weeks. Weight gain, feed conversion, survival, alternative complement activity and lysozyme activity were similar among diets. Haematocrit was lower in fish fed diets with SPLM, but within the normal range. Total phenols and antioxidant capacity in the whole body were similar among treatments. CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS:SPLM was an effective energy source for catfish up to the maximum level tested (230 g kg(-1) diet). SPLM did not enhance total phenols in catfish, but there were no apparent antinutritional effects of the meal on catfish growth, health or survival.

Burkitt's lymphoma of the thyroid gland is a rare malignancy. We present a case of a 58-year-old female who developed a rapid enlargement of her thyroid gland. Core biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of Burkitt's lymphoma. The tumour resolved after three cycles of chemotherapy. This case report emphasises the importance of considering lymphoma when dealing with thyroid nodules and goitres, as its management is different from that of other thyroid pathologies and delaying treatment has an impact on prognosis.

This study investigated the phytochemical, antioxidative, antimicrobial and cytotoxic effects of Leea indica leaf ethanol extract. Phytochemical values namely total phenolic and flavonoid contents, total antioxidant capacity, DPPH radical scavenging effect, FeCl3 reducing power, DMSO superoxide scavenging effect and Iron chelating effects were studied by established methods. Antibacterial, antifungal and cytotoxic effects were screened by disk diffusion technique, food poison technique and brine shrimp bioassay, respectively. Results showed the total phenolic content 24.00 ± 0.81 g GAE/100 g, total flavonoid content 194.68 ± 2.43 g quercetin/100 g and total antioxidant capacity 106.61 ± 1.84 g AA/100 g dry extract. Significant (P < 0.05) IC50 values compared to respective standards were recorded in DPPH radical scavenging (139.83 ± 1.40 μg/ml), FeCl3 reduction (16.48 ± 0.64 μg/ml), DMSO superoxide scavenging (676.08 ± 5.80 μg/ml) and Iron chelating (519.33 ± 16.96 μg/ml) methods. In antibacterial screening, the extract showed significant (P < 0.05) zone of inhibitions compared to positive controls Ampicillin and Tetracycline against Gram positive Bacillus subtilis, Bacillus cereus, Bacillus megaterium, and Staphylococcus aureus and Gram negative Salmonella typhi, Salmonella paratyphi, Pseudomonas aeroginosa, Shigella dysenteriae, Vibrio cholerae, and Escherichia coli. Significant minimum inhibitory concentrations compared to tetracycline were obtained against the above organisms. In antifungal assay, the extract inhibited the growth of Aspergillus flavus, Candida albicans and Fusarium equisetii by 38.09 ± 0.59, 22.58 ± 2.22, and 22.58 ± 2.22%, respectively. The extract showed a significant LC50 value compared to vincristine sulfate in cytotoxic assay. The results evidenced the potential antioxidative, antimicrobial and cytotoxic capacities of Leea inidica leaf extract to be processed for pharmaceutical use.

Obesity and diabetes are closely associated with hyperactivation of the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis. In this study, the diet-induced obese C57BL/6 mouse was used to test the hypothesis that chronically elevated metabolic parameters associated with the development of obesity such as cholesterol and glucose can aggravate basal HPA axis activity. Because the lipocalin-type prostaglandin D(2) synthase (L-PGDS) knockout (KO) mouse is a model of accelerated insulin resistance, glucose intolerance, and obesity, it was further hypothesized that HPA activity would be greater in this model. Starting at 8 weeks of age, the L-PGDS KO and C57BL/6 mice were maintained on a low-fat or high-fat diet. After 20 or 37 weeks, fasting metabolic parameters and basal HPA axis hormones were measured and compared between genotypes. Correlation analyses were performed to identify associations between obesity-related chronic metabolic changes and changes in the basal activity of the HPA axis. Our results have identified strong positive correlations between total cholesterol, LDL-cholesterol, glucose, and HPA axis hormones that increase with age in the C57BL/6 mice. These data confirm that obesity-related elevations in cholesterol and glucose can heighten basal HPA activity. Additionally, the L-PGDS KO mice show early elevations in HPA activity with no age-related changes relative to the C57BL/6 mice.

Seizure-related head injury (SRHI) is an under-recognized condition frequently experienced by people with epilepsy (PWE). The purpose of this study is to investigate the potential impact of SRHI on health-related quality of life (HRQOL) among PWE receiving care in a tertiary epilepsy center. Consecutive adult PWE receiving care at the Baylor Comprehensive Epilepsy Center (BCEC) were recruited for the study. After their informed consent was obtained, patients were administered the QOLIE-31 to measure HRQOL and the NDDI-E to screen for depression. Simple linear regression was used to identify clinical variables associated with HRQOL and that included SRHI obtained systematically at each clinic visit. Data were also compared between the SRHI and non-SRHI groups. Participants included 172 subjects. Recurrent mild SRHI occurred in 50 (29%) subjects. Factors with a negative effect on HRQOL included depression (slope=-19.99 [95% CI -25.16, -14.81]; p<.0001), recurrent SRHI (-17.02 [-22.35, -11.69]; p<.0001), past SRHI (-13.46 [-18.43, -8.48]; p<.0001), and seizure frequency (-0.17 [-0.26, -0.07]; p=0.001) on univariate analysis. With stepwise multiple regression, depression and recurrent SRHI significantly impacted HRQOL with slopes (95% CI; p-value) of (-17.53 [-22.34, -12.73]; p<.0001) and (-14.03 [-18.78, -9.28]; p<.0001), respectively. Patient-derived HRQOL is negatively associated with depression and recurrent SRHI, independently. There has been a justifiable increased awareness of the potential effects of head injuries among healthy individuals. Our data suggest that head injuries can certainly be detrimental among PWE, and greater efforts should be made to recognize and formulate prevention strategies for SRHI.

OBJECTIVE:To assess the role of the referees in assisting the peer review process of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. METHODS:A one-page questionnaire was mailed to 1391 referees of two journals, the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology and Obstetrics and Gynecology. The referees were asked how often they verified by their own independent analysis 11 key items related to the methodology and statistical analysis of systematic reviews and meta-analyses. Response categories included "always", "frequently" (>50% of the time), "infrequently" (≤ 50% of the time) and "never". A second and a third mailing was sent to the non-respondents. RESULTS:42 mailings were returned because of change of address. Of the remaining 1349 referees, 272 responded (response rate 20%). Of the 272 respondents, 159 (58%) had previously reviewed articles dealing with systematic reviews or meta-analyses. The responses varied according to the key items in the questions but the referees used their own independent analyses "always" in only 2%-17% of the time. The rates of "infrequently" or "never" responses combined together ranged from 51% to 86% for the various key items. CONCLUSION/CONCLUSIONS:The overwhelming majority of the referees do not verify, by their own independent analysis, key items related to methodology and statistical analysis of submitted systematic reviews and meta-analyses.