The Effect of Pedagogical Approach on Physical Activity of Girls During Physical Education.

Purpose: Technical approaches (TAs) such as Direct Instruction are commonly utilized when teaching games in Physical Education (PE) classes, but game-based approaches (GBAs) such as Game Sense (GS) have gained greater interest over the past 30 years. However, little is known about which approach promotes more physical activity (PA). The aim of this study was to compare the PA of girls during single-gender PE classes in an invasion games unit utilizing either a GS approach or a TA. Methods: Two upper primary school PE classes were taught invasion games using a GS approach and two classes were taught using a TA. During each of the 7 lessons students wore a wearable GPS sensor (SPT2, Sport Performance Tracking, Australia) which measured total distance, distance in each speed zone, top speed and 3D load. Results: The GS group traveled a greater distance than the TA group (+203 m, p < .001). This result was explained mostly by a greater distance covered in zone 2 speeds (0.6-1.7 m/s). The 3D load was also significantly higher in the GS group, but there were no group differences in top speed. Conclusions: Findings suggested that a GS thematic invasion unit was more effective in promoting PA levels in all-girl primary PE classes than a traditional sport-based invasion unit.

Timing of highly active antiretroviral therapy and chemotherapy for Kaposi's sarcoma in patients with HIV infection.

Highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) is an important part of the treatment of Kaposi's sarcoma (KS) in HIV-infected patients. We describe two cases of KS, which worsened on HAART.

Outcome in 34 patients with juvenile-onset mycosis fungoides: a clinical, immunophenotypic, and molecular study.

BACKGROUND: Mycosis fungoides (MF) is predominantly a disease of older patients, but occasionally occurs in children. The aims of the current study were to describe the clinical presentation, pathologic features, and disease progression (DP) in patients who developed MF before age 16 years. METHODS: A retrospective study was performed. Patients with juvenile-onset MF were identified from our databases. Clinical features were determined from the medical records and patient interviews. Histologic, immunohistochemical, and T-cell receptor (TCR) gene analysis was performed. RESULTS: Thirty-four patients were identified: 50% had Stage IA disease, 47% had Stage IB disease, and 3% had Stage IIA disease. The male-to-female ratio was 2:1. Clinical features included hypopigmented lesions (24%), poikiloderma (26%), pilotropic disease (9%), and disease associated with lymphomatoid papulosis (18%). Twenty-eight patients had diagnostic histology, and six patients were included on the basis of compatible histology and a TCR clone in lesional skin. A cytotoxic immunophenotype was observed in 38%, including 71% of patients with hypopigmented lesions. Overall disease-specific survival (DSS) rates at 5 and 10 years were 95% and 93%, respectively. DP rates were 5% at 5 years and 29% at 10 years. Subgroup analysis demonstrated improved DSS and reduced DP in patients with Stage IA disease, those with hypopigmented or poikilodermatous lesions, and those with associated lymphomatoid papulosis. CONCLUSIONS: The prognosis for juvenile-onset MF is similar to that of adult-onset disease. There was an overrepresentation of a cytotoxic phenotype, which was most marked in hypopigmented variants. Widespread cutaneous disease (Stage IB) indicated a less favorable outcome.

Blastic natural killer cell and extranodal natural killer cell-like T-cell lymphoma presenting in the skin: report of six cases from the UK.

BACKGROUND: Some lymphomas express natural killer (NK)-cell markers such as the neural cell adhesion molecule, which is recognized by the CD56 antibody. These lymphomas may present in the skin, but do not represent a homogeneous group. The new World Health Organization classification of lymphoma/leukaemia recognizes several types of NK/T-cell neoplasm, including blastic NK-cell lymphoma, which characteristically presents with cutaneous lesions. OBJECTIVES: To describe the clinical, pathological and molecular features in six cases of CD56+ lymphoma with cutaneous presentation. METHODS: The clinical, histopathological and immunophenotypic features of six patients were reviewed. In addition, in situ hybridization (ISH) to identify Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) mRNA, and polymerase chain reaction analysis to identify the presence of a clonal population of T cells or B cells were performed on lesional skin. RESULTS: All patients presented with widespread nodules and plaques, which in five cases were a characteristic purple colour. Four patients developed disseminated disease, three with neurological involvement. These four patients died between 14 and 46 months following diagnosis (median 30 months). In four of six cases the histopathological and immunohistological features were in keeping with a blastic NK-cell lymphoma. No clonal immunoglobulin heavy chain (IgH) or T-cell receptor (TCR) gene rearrangement was detected in the four cases consistent with an origin from NK cells. A further case fitted the criteria for an extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma of nasal type and was also the only case to show evidence of EBV mRNA by ISH. A clonal T-cell population was identified in the final case. This patient also exhibited molecular evidence of a clonal B-cell population and a t(14;18) translocation confirmed by sequence analysis. CONCLUSIONS: Our data confirm that NK-cell lymphomas presenting in the skin are a heterogeneous group, and that in the U.K., blastic NK-cell lymphoma is more common than extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma of nasal type. These lymphomas pursue an aggressive course, with rapid development of disseminated disease, and resistance to chemotherapy. Detailed immunophenotyping is needed to distinguish the different types. Our molecular data indicate that blastic NK-cell lymphoma cases lack clonal TCR/IgH gene rearrangements consistent with an NK-cell origin. Our ISH findings indicate that EBV plays a pathogenetic role only in extranodal NK/T-cell lymphoma of nasal type.

Subcutaneous panniculitis-like T-cell lymphoma: a clinicopathological, immunophenotypic and molecular analysis of six patients.

BACKGROUND: Subcutaneous panniculitis-like T-cell lymphoma (SPTCL) is a rare cytotoxic T-cell lymphoma of the skin. In the World Health Organization classification of T-cell and natural killer cell lymphoma it is listed as an example of extranodal lymphoma. In practice, however, it is most likely to present to a dermatologist. OBJECTIVES: To describe the clinicopathological, immunophenotypic and molecular features of six U.K. patients with SPTCL. METHODS: The clinical, histological and immunophenotypic features were reviewed. T-cell receptor (TCR) gene analysis was performed on blood and tissue samples using polymerase chain reaction/single-strand conformational polymorphism analysis of the TCR-gamma gene using consensus primers. In situ hybridization was performed on lesional skin to detect mRNA for Epstein-Barr virus (EBV). RESULTS: All patients presented with subcutaneous nodules, plaques or ulceration, and three had systemic symptoms. All biopsies exhibited an infiltrate of medium to large pleomorphic cells involving the subcutis with characteristic rimming of fat spaces. Five showed areas of necrosis, but only one showed marked cytophagia. In three cases the neoplastic cells did not express TCR-beta. One was strongly p53 positive, and the other two were CD56 positive. Both these patients showed epidermal involvement with lichenoid changes histologically, and both developed the haemophagocytic syndrome. The other three cases were TCR-beta positive, CD8 positive and CD56 negative. All cases were positive with pan T-cell markers and also for the cytotoxic granule protein T-cell intracellular antigen-1 and granzyme B. All cases were EBV negative both by immunostaining (latent membrane protein-1) and by in situ hybridization (EBV-encoded mRNA). TCR gene analysis revealed a T-cell clone in four of five cases; two of these patients had an identical T-cell clone in the peripheral blood. The median survival was 16 months. However, two of the three TCR-beta-negative patients have died, whereas none of the TCR-beta-positive patients has died. CONCLUSIONS: This is the first series of SPTCL patients to be reported in the U.K. and the data support the view that there are two subsets of SPTCL: those derived from gammadelta T cells which carry a poor prognosis, and are usually CD56 positive, and a more indolent group derived from alphabeta T cells.

Radiotherapy for perianal Paget's disease.

The role of radiotherapy in the management of perianal Paget's disease (PPD) is not well defined in clinical practice or within the medical literature. We present 6 cases, document the radiotherapy details and review our results. A comprehensive literature search has been undertaken attempting to identify all published cases of PPD and survey the number receiving radiotherapy. To further define the role for radiotherapy in PPD these cases have been reviewed. Published results are sporadic and often poorly documented with respect to technical radiotherapy details. Two main roles for radiotherapy in PPD were found. One is as primary treatment for in situ or invasive disease and the other is following surgical relapse of in-situ or invasive disease. Other possible uses of radiotherapy in PPD such as neoadjuvant or adjuvant treatment or chemo-radiotherapy are discussed. Results of radiotherapy treatment for case of in situ and invasive disease are presented. We disagree with the view in some areas of the surgical literature that radiotherapy has no place in the management of the disease. Despite a thorough surveying of the literature however, precise recommendations on several areas of the technical radiotherapy treatment such as dose-fractionation schedules and field margins are difficult because of the small number of cases and poor general documentation. Our practice recommendations are presented. Radiotherapists should be encouraged to publish their experience in this disease to help define further a role for this treatment.

Oxidative stress and inflammation in hemodialysis patients.

Dialysis is associated with an increased generation of oxidants, which play an important part in the development of endothelial dysfunction and atherogenesis. Markers of oxidative stress include F2-isoprostanes and ethane. Measurements in dialysis patients before dialysis showed higher levels of esterified plasma F2-isoprostanes (1.62 +/- 0.73 ng/mL) than in control subjects (0.27 +/- 0.10 ng/mL) (P < 0.001). Furthermore, levels also correlated with high plasma C-reactive protein (CRP) levels (r =.48, P = 0.015). Breath ethane levels for dialysis patients (N = 19) were 6.32 +/- 3.16 pmol/kg-min, in contrast to 3.08 +/- 1.50 pmol/kg-min in control subjects (N = 11, P < 0.005). Analysis to investigate the relationship between CRP levels and outcome indicated that there was a significant difference in mortality rate over a 3-year period between patients with low and high CRP values (P < 0.001). Patients with high CRP (> 16.8 mg/L) levels were more than twice as likely to die as patients with low CRP levels (relative risk [RR] = 2.16; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.50-3.09). CRP values were a significant predictor of mortality even after controlling for diabetes, albumin, ferritin, and age at commencement of dialysis. The RR for CRP after adjustment was 1.58 (95% CI, 1.06-2.34, P = 0.024). There were no significant interactions between CRP and other predictors of mortality, indicating that high CRP levels have an additive effect on the mortality risk. These findings show that hemodialysis patients are exposed to both oxidative stress and inflammation.

Malignant pilomatrixoma with multiple local recurrences and distant metastases: a case report and review of the literature.

Malignant pilomatrixoma is a rare malignant tumour of the hair matrix, which was first described in 1980. Only five patients with distant metastases have been reported. We report a sixth case with metastatic disease in a 52-year-old male, who also developed multiple local recurrences. We also review the previous five cases.

Autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation in tumor-stage mycosis fungoides: predictors of disease-free survival.

Nine patients with mycosis fungoides (age range 27-67) underwent autologous peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT). All patients had tumor-stage disease, and four had lymph node involvement. Eight patients exhibited a peripheral blood T cell clone using PCR/SSCP analysis of the TCR gamma gene, six prior to harvest and two at the time of harvest. Mobilization of CD34+ stem cells was achieved with etoposide and G-CSF. Harvested cells were positively selected for CD34. After negative selection for CD4 and CD8, only two samples became PCR negative. Conditioning prior to reinfusion of stem cells was achieved with various combinations of total skin electron beam (TSEB), total body irradiation (TBI), and chemotherapy, depending upon the patient's prior exposure to radiotherapy. One patient failed to engraft and died of candidal septicemia 15 days posttransplant. The other eight patients achieved complete remission, but this was short-lived in four (median disease-free survival [DFS] = 2 months) and prolonged in three (median DFS 11 months). Those with a short DFS were distinguished by rapid tumor onset prior to transplant but not by stage at transplant. Loss of a detectable T cell clone after manipulation of the harvest did not discriminate between the two groups, but rapid relapsers had been subjected to a greater degree of T cell depletion, possibly indicating a compromised cytotoxic response post-PBSCT. The median survival of the cohort is four years from tumor onset, 15 months from PBSCT, and 27 months from the date a peripheral blood clone was first detected in the presence of tumor-stage disease. Rapid relapse was associated with poor overall survival. Our data demonstrate the value of PBSCT for inducing remission in tumor-stage mycosis fungoides. Reinfusion of neoplastic cells could be avoided by harvesting stem cells at an earlier stage in the disease process, preferably before a T cell clone is detectable in the peripheral blood. Alternatively T cell depletion should be restricted to the CD4 subset.

T-cell depletion and autologous stem cell transplantation in the management of tumour stage mycosis fungoides with peripheral blood involvement.

Nine patients with tumour stage mycosis fungoides (MF) have been entered into a pilot study of T-cell depletion and autologous stem cell transplantation (SCT). Eight patients had detectable rearrangements of the T-cell receptor (TCR) gamma-gene demonstrated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR)/single-stranded conformation polymorphism (SSCP) in the peripheral blood. The median age was 47 years and the median duration of disease before SCT was 61 months; Peripheral blood progenitor cells were mobilized using high-dose etoposide (1.6 g/m2) and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (G-CSF). The apheresis products underwent rigorous T-cell depletion with immunomagnetic methods. Double CD34-positive and CD4/CD8-negative selection achieved a median reduction of 3.89 log of T cells. All nine patients have been transplanted. Conditioning included carmustine (BCNU), etoposide and melphalan (BEM) in seven patients and total body irradiation plus etoposide or melphalan in two. Eight patients engrafted promptly and one patient died of septicaemia. All survivors entered complete remission. Seven patients have relapsed at a median of 7 months (2-14) post SCT. However, most patients have relapsed into a less aggressive stage, which has responded to conventional therapy. Four out of seven evaluable patients had detectable TCR rearrangements in the T-cell depleted graft. A T-cell clone was also detected in the peripheral blood before relapse in four cases. Autologous SCT is feasible, safe and can result in complete remission in a significant proportion of patients with tumour stage mycosis fungoides. Despite a short relapse-free survival, most patients achieved good disease control at the time of relapse.

A trial of fludarabine and cyclophosphamide combination chemotherapy in the treatment of advanced refractory primary cutaneous T-cell lymphoma.

BACKGROUND: The combination of fludarabine and cyclophosphamide shows synergistic toxicity in vitro and has been used to treat nodal non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and relapsed chronic lymphocytic leukaemia. OBJECTIVES: To test the efficacy of this combination in 12 patients with cutaneous T-cell lymphoma (CTCL). METHODS: Nine patients with erythrodermic CTCL were identified for the study, eight of whom met the criteria for Sézary syndrome (SS), and three with tumour-stage mycosis fungoides (MF). Patients received intravenous fludarabine and cyclophosphamide 3 days monthly for 3-6 months. RESULTS: Six patients tolerated at least three cycles. Five with SS had a response (one had a complete clinical response and four a partial response) and one patient with MF had stable disease. The mean duration of the response was 10 months. Six patients had treatment withdrawn, five due to bone marrow suppression and one due to progressive disease. No difference in pretrial parameters were found in those who had treatment withdrawn and those who tolerated at least three courses. Survival since the trial was similar in both groups at 11 months. CONCLUSIONS: These data indicate that the combination of fludarabine with cyclophosphamide may be of clinical benefit in patients with SS but does not affect patient survival. As with other multiagent chemotherapy regimens, bone marrow toxicity is a common and severe side-effect. These data suggest that this regimen should be considered palliative and should be reserved for patients with refractory disease without bone marrow suppression.

Chronic inflammation and water quality in hemodialysis patients.

Chronic inflammation, the associated cardiovascular disease, and attendant high mortality remain huge problems in the HD population. Determining the predominant causal factors in the triggering and maintenance of this inflammatory state is of paramount importance in formulating treatment strategies for individuals and for centers. In most cases, causation is multifactorial and several different areas of the HD process need to be considered. In this respect, the water system in HD centers is certainly one parameter that demands careful design, rigorous monitoring and strict adherence to effective disinfection protocols. In this way it may be possible not only to reduce levels of inflammatory markers, but to improve performance in other clinical areas, such as EPO therapy, and perhaps outcomes in the HD population.

Dialysate flow distribution in hollow fiber hemodialyzers with different dialysate pathway configurations.

UNLABELLED: The efficiency of a hemodialyzer is largely dependent on its ability to facilitate diffusion, since this is the main mechanism by which small solutes are removed. The diffusion process can be impaired if there is a mismatch between blood and dialysate flow distribution in the dialyzer. The objective of the paper was to study the impact of different dialysate compartment designs on dialysate flow distribution and urea clearances. Eighteen hollow fiber 1.3 m2 hemodialyzers were studied, 6 each of 3 designs: Type A--standard fiber bundle (PAN 65DX Asahi Medical, Tokyo, Japan); Type B--spacing filaments external to the fibers (PAN 65SF Asahi Medical, Tokyo, Japan); Type C--fibers waved to give Moiré structure (FB130 Nissho-Nipro, Osaka, Japan). IN VITRO STUDIES: 3 dialyzers of each type were studied following dye injection into the dialysate compartment. Dynamic sequential imaging of longitudinal sections of the dialyzer were undertaken, using a new generation helical CT scanner (X-Press/HS1 Toshiba Corporation, Tokyo, Japan). In vivo studies: 3 dialyzers of each type were studied, in randomized sequence, in 3 different patients under standardized dialysis conditions. Blood- and dialysate-side urea clearances were measured at 30 and 150 minutes of treatment. Macroscopic and densitometrical analysis revealed that flow distribution was most homogeneous in the dialyzer with Moiré structure (Type C) and least homogeneous in the standard dialyzer (Type A). Space yarns (Type B) gave an intermediate dialysate flow distribution. Significantly increased urea clearances (p<0.001) were seen with Types B and C, compared to the standard dialyzer. Type C (Moiré) had the highest clearances although these were not significantly greater than Type B (space yarns). In conclusion, more homogeneous dialysate flow distribution and improved small solute clearances can be achieved by use of spacing yarns or waved (Moiré structure) patterns of fiber packing in the dialyzer. These effects are achieved probably as a result of reduced dialysate channeling resulting in a lower degree of mismatch between blood and dialysate flows. The new radiological technique using the helical CT scanner allows detailed flow distribution analysis and has the potential for testing future modifications to dialyzer design.

Rituximab in cutaneous B-cell lymphoma: a report of two cases.

We report two patients with primary cutaneous B-cell lymphoma who were treated with rituximab, a new anti-CD20 monoclonal antibody. The first patient, who had a diffuse large B-cell lymphoma of the lower leg, achieved an 85% improvement. The second patient, who had a primary cutaneous B-cell lymphoma, which had undergone high-grade transformation and systemic spread, achieved a minor response of approximately 30%. Both patients subsequently relapsed. The first patient achieved complete clearance with a second course of rituximab given with systemic chemotherapy, but again relapsed. Treatment with rituximab has been reported to produce response rates of 48% in relapsed systemic low-grade or follicular lymphoma, but there are no previous reports of the use of rituximab in primary cutaneous B-cell lymphoma.