"Hidden" bone metastasis from thyroid carcinoma: a clinical note.

The (131)I-iodide ((131)I) whole-body scan, for thyroid carcinoma is at times difficult to interpret. In a diagnostic whole body (131)I scan of a patient with follicular carcinoma, a posterior skull lesion was partially hidden by overlapping facial structures. On lateral head view, the abnormality was clearly evident. SPECT/CT and MRI showed the lesion originated in the occipital bone and had enlarged into the posterior fossa. The mass was surgically removed and the patient received (131)I therapy for residual tissue. The study demonstrates a pitfall in the reading of two dimensional radioiodine images which can be overcome by SPECT or lateral imaging.

Age at menarche, age at menopause and duration of fertility as risk factors for osteoporosis.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the relationship of osteopenia and osteoporosis in apparently healthy postmenopausal patients with age at menarche, age at menopause and duration of fertility. PATIENTS AND METHODS: One hundred and twenty-four apparently healthy Greek postmenopausal women underwent spinal and hip X-ray absorptiometry scans. Among them, 47 were classified as normal (control group), 52 as osteopenic, and 25 as having osteoporosis. These groups were compared according to their age at menarche (three subgroups of 10-12, 13 and 14-16 years old), at menopause (three subgroups of 40-45, 46-50 and > or = 51 years old) and duration of fertility (four subgroups of < or = 30, 31-35, 36-40 and 41-45 years). RESULTS: The groups were not found to differ statistically according to age and age at menarche. However, decreased bone mineral density was found in patients with duration of fertility not exceeding 30 years (p = 0.034) and age at menopause less than 45 years (p = 0.034). No association was found between bone mineral density in Greek postmenopausal women and either number of live births or lactation. CONCLUSIONS: In postmenopausal females, the cumulative exposure to endogenous estrogens, measured as years of menstruation, seems to be a significant protective factor against the development of postmenopausal osteoporosis. Age at menopause between 40 and 45 years, but not age at menarche, correlated with low bone mineral density in postmenopausal females.

Viruses, gene therapy and stem cells for the treatment of human glioma.

Cancer gene therapy is based on the transfer of genetic material to cancer cells to modify a normal or abnormal cellular function, or to induce cell death. Modified viruses or stem cells have been used as carriers to transfer the genetic material to cancer cells avoiding trafficking through normal cells. However, although the current vectors have been successful in delivering genes in vitro and in vivo, little has been achieved with human cerebral gliomas. Poor transduction efficiency of viruses in human glioma cells and limited spread and distribution to the tumor limits our current expectations for successful gene therapy of central nervous system cancer until and if effective transfer vehicles are available. Nevertheless, continuing research in better vector development may overcome these limitations and offer a therapeutic advantage over the standard therapies for glioma.

Impact of dopamine transporter single photon emission computed tomography imaging using I-123 ioflupane on diagnoses of patients with parkinsonian syndromes.

To assess the impact of I-123 ioflupane single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging on classifying patients with striatal dopaminergic deficits. Sixty-one patients with an initial diagnosis of parkinsonism or uncertain tremor disorder were screened and followed-up for one year. All patients were re-examined by two neurologists at our centre and were classified as having neurodegenerative or non-neurodegenerative disorders. Patients underwent I-123 ioflupane SPECT imaging. SPECT studies were blindly evaluated and classified as normal or abnormal (indicative of neurodegenerative disorders). The overall agreement of the SPECT imaging results with the initial classification was 65.6% (kappa=0.229, p=0.074) but was 90.2% (kappa=0.782, p<0.001) with the classification of the neurologists at our centre. I-123 ioflupane SPECT imaging is a valuable method in the evaluation of patients presenting clinically with uncertain parkinsonian syndromes or for whom diagnostic doubt exists.

Is osteoporosis in postmenopausal female patients related to previous pregnancies and/or miscarriages?

OBJECTIVE: To investigate if osteopenia and osteoporosis in postmenopausal female patients are related to previous pregnancies and/or miscarriages. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We studied 81 postmenopausal female patients, 40 with osteopenia or osteoporosis and 41 without osteopenia or osteoporosis, carefully matched for age (control group). In the two groups, the presence or not of osteopenia, osteoporosis, or both, were analyzed and compared with the number of childbirths and/or miscarriages. RESULTS: Overall, no statistical difference was found among the 40 patients with one, two, three or more than three childbirths and osteopenia or osteoporosis compared with the control group (p=0.5363, p=0.5782, p=0.0763, p=0.1931, respectively). Similarly, no differences were found between the osteopenia/osteoporosis group and the control group in relation to previous one, two, three or more than three miscarriages. When both childbirths and miscarriages were added together (three, four, five, six, more than six), again no statistical difference was found between the osteopenia/osteoporosis group and the control group. CONCLUSIONS: In postmenopausal women, the obstetric history of previous childbirths and/or miscarriages, independent of the number, did not seem to be a risk factor for osteopenia or osteoporosis.

p53 enhances the Delta-24 conditionally replicative adenovirus anti-glioma effect.

Previous studies have demonstrated that the conditionally replicative adenovirus Ad5Delta24 is a powerful cytolytic agent against glioma selectively affecting cells with a defective p16/Rb/E2F pathway. The p53 protein is also known to be an apoptotic factor for glioma cells. In this study, we examined the simultaneous delivery of the combination of exogenous p53 and Ad5Delta24 adenovirus in glioma cells. Infecting cells with low doses of adenovirus p53 and Ad5Delta24 resulted in an additive effect on cell death. The cell death induced by both agents was independent of the p53 status of cells. Flow cytometry revealed that the potent anti-tumor effect induced by the mixture of Ad5CMV-p53 and Ad5Delta24 adenoviruses was due to a combination of apoptosis and cell lysis. Our results indicate that Ad5CMV-p53 enhances the oncolytic effect of the Ad5Delta24 adenovirus, and the combination of adenovirus Ad5Delta24 and Ad5CMV-p53 may thus be a potential therapeutic tool for gliomas.

Lower gastrointestinal haemorrhage secondary to an ileal lipoma protruding into the caecum.

We report the case of a patient with lower gastrointestinal haemorrhage. The cause of the haemorrhage was a lipoma of the terminal ileum that protruded into the caecum. The diagnosis was made endoscopically and radiologically. It was surgically treated with local excision.

Effects of acetylsalicylic acid on experimental atherogenesis induced in rabbits.

AIM: Inflammation related processes play a key role in the current etiologic model of atherosclerosis and its acute complications. In addition, platelet-derived growth factors stimulate the neointimal proliferation of restenosis after coronary interventions. Reducing platelet accumulation at treated sites may attenuate restenosis. The purpose of this experimental study was to investigate the effect of acetylsalicylic acid (ASA), a widely used anti-platelet and anti-inflammatory agent on the development and extent of atherosclerosis. METHODS: Fourty-eight male white New Zealand rabbits were separated in 4 groups (12 animals each group). Group I received a diet of 2% cholesterol and 6% corn oil for 3 months. Group II received a diet of 2% cholesterol and 6% corn oil and in addition received 3 mg of ASA/kg daily intramuscular (i.m.) for 3 months. Group III received the same diet, and in addition received 10 mg of ASA/kg daily i.m. for 3 months. Group IV received the same diet and in addition received 50 mg of ASA/kg daily i.m. for 3 months. Animals were sacrificed after 3 months. RESULTS: ASA reduced the serum levels of total cholesterol, total lipids, triglycerides and LDL cholesterol. There was significant difference in the extent of atherosclerotic lesions between animals which received different doses of ASA and that animals which did not received any ASA. High dose ASA treatment resulted in an increase in fasting plasma glucose, associated with a reduction in total cholesterol and triglycerides. CONCLUSION: Our results suggest that there is a protective effect on atherosclerosis development of ASA down stream from where it lowers plasma fatty acid concentrations. However, further studies are required to verify that effect.