Absolute basophil count is associated with time to recurrence in patients with high-grade T1 bladder cancer receiving bacillus Calmette-Guérin after transurethral resection of the bladder tumor.

BACKGROUND: Basophils, eosinophils and monocytes may be involved in BCG-induced immune responses and be associated with outcomes of bladder cancer patients receiving intravesical BCG. Our objective was to explore the association of baseline counts of basophils, eosinophils and monocytes with outcomes of patients with high-grade T1 bladder cancer receiving a standard course of intravesical BCG. METHODS: We retrospectively reviewed medical records of patients with primary T1 HG/G3 bladder cancer. After re-TURBT, patients were treated with a 6-week course of intravesical BCG induction followed by intravesical BCG every week for 3 weeks given at 3, 6, 12, 18, 24, 30 and 36 months from initiation of therapy The analysis of potential risk factors for recurrence, muscle invasion and cancer-specific and overall survival was performed using univariable Cox regression models. Those factors that presented, at univariate analysis, an association with the event at a liberal p < 0.1, have been selected for the development of a multivariable model. RESULTS: A total of 1045 patients with primary T1 HG/G3 were included. A total of 678 (64.9%) recurrences, 303 (29.0%) progressions and 150 (14.3%) deaths were observed during follow-up. Multivariate analysis showed that logarithmic transformation of basophils count was associated with a 30% increment in the hazard of recurrence per unit increase of logarithmic basophils count (HR 1.30; 95% confidence interval 1.09-1.54; p = 0.0026). Basophil count modeled by quartiles was also significantly associated with time to recurrence [second vs. lower quartile HR 1.42 (1.12-1.79); p = 0.003, third vs. lower quartile HR 1.26 (1.01-1.57); p = 0.041; upper vs. lower quartile HR 1.36 (1.1-1.68); p = 0.005]. The limitations of a retrospective study are applicable. CONCLUSION: Baseline basophil count may predict recurrence in BCG-treated HG/G3 T1 bladder cancer patients. External validation is warranted.

Qualitative and quantitative analysis of wheat gluten proteins by liquid chromatography and electrospray mass spectrometry.

Based on analysis by liquid chromatography/electrospray ionisation mass spectrometry, we have developed a new method for fast and sensitive fingerprinting of gliadins and glutenins in wheat flour. Using this procedure the two protein fractions from seven durum wheat varieties have been analysed by high resolution high performance liquid chromatographic separation coupled to accurate determination of molecular mass. In this way, the molecular mass of the single components from both gliadin and glutenin fractions were measured and more than forty components were detected for each fraction indicating a high heterogeneity. Although the chromatographic profiles were similar, the molecular masses of protein components with similar retention times among the varieties were often different. The difference ranged from a few mass units corresponding to single amino acid substitution(s) up to thousands implying peptide deletion or insertion along the protein chain. Two components representing about a half of the gliadin fraction, e.g. gamma(2)- and gamma(3)-gliadin, were identified through the N-terminal sequence and molecular mass determination. We suggest the use of the high level and the molecular mass of these gliadin components as markers to detect traces of wheat in gluten-free food preparations for celiac patients.