Conducta de enfrentamiento y demanda de ayuda ante las enfermedades reumáticas en la comunidad: evidencias de los estudios preliminares COPCORD / s. t

El comportamiento comunitario en la demanda de ayuda en nuestro medio fue analizado mediante los resultados obtenidos en la encuesta comunitaria COPCORD desarrollada en el municipio Lawton. Los datos sociodemográficos resultaron similares a los de la población general. La prevalencia de afecciones reumáticas pesquisada alcanzó el 43,9 por ciento de la serie, con la osteoarttritis como la más prevalerte afección y los niveles de discapacidad elevados. Los pacientes orientan su demandada de atención hacia el facultativo principalmente médico familiar, acude también al hospital donde Ortopédicos, Fisiatras y Reumatólogos le brindanatención. La medicina tradicional es frecuentemente utilizada con el 18.1 por ciento de la serie y no entraña abandono del tratamiento convencionalmente aprobado. La automedicación como práctica desaconsejada resultó frecuente en la población estudiada(AU)

Expression of hMSH2 correlates with in vitro chemosensitivity to CDDP cytotoxicity in oral and oropharyngeal carcinoma.

We investigated the expression of hMSH2, a human mutS homologue from chromosome 2p, in oral and oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) by an immunohistochemical technique and performed tumor in vitro chemosensitivity testing. In 58 oral and oropharyngeal SCC, the hMSH2 positive score was inversely associated with tumor size, but not with other clinical parameters. Among five anticancer drugs (cisplatin (CDDP), 5-FU, peplomycin, mitomycin C and doxorubicin), only for CDDP was sensitivity to cytotoxicity correlated with the hMSH2 positive score. The susceptibility of hMSH2-positive tumors to CDDP killing was significantly higher than that of hMSH2-negative tumors. Immunohistochemical results regarding hMSH2 are promising in the evaluation of the sensitivity of cancer cells to CDDP cytotoxicity and enable one to select patients for adjuvant chemotherapy for oral and oropharyngeal SCC.

Effect of heat-drug sequences on thermoenhancement and uptake of cis-DDP in human pharyngeal carcinoma.

To discover the point of maximum interactive effect, we examined the time sequence of high (above (42.5 degrees C) or low (below 42.5 degrees C) -hyperthermia and cis-diammine dichloroplatinum (II) (CDDP). Simultaneous or post-hyperthermic CDDP (0.5 micrograms/ml) treatment at 43 degrees C resulted in a slight synergistic effect, with thermoenhancement ratios (TER) of 1.42 or 1.38, respectively, and there was a significant increase CDDP uptake after both combinations compared with pre-hyperthermic CDDP treatment. However, at 42 degrees C, the maximal interaction (TER = 8.57) was obtained when KB cells were simultaneously heated with CDDP, there was also a significant increase of CDDP uptake by simultaneous procedures compared with pre or post-hyperthermic CDDP treatment. These results indicate that simultaneous or post-hyperthermic CDDP treatment for high-hyperthermia and simultaneous CDDP treatment for low-hyperthermia are the most effective means of CDDP thermochemotherapy with hyperthermia.

Effects of sequence and temperature of hyperthermia and peplomycin on human pharyngeal carcinoma KB cells in vitro.

To maximize the interactive effect, we examined the time sequence of high (above 43 degrees C) or low (below 43 degrees C)-hyperthermia and peplomycin (PEP)(0.5 microgram/ml). Simultaneous or post-hyperthermic PEP treatment at 44 degrees C resulted in a slight synergistic effect with thermoenhancement ratios (TER) of 1.30 or 1.34, respectively. However, at 42 degrees C, maximal interaction was obtained (TER = 10.19) when KB cells were simultaneously heated with PEP. Furthermore, pre-treatment at 44 degrees C for 25 min or 42 degrees C for 4 h enhanced PEP cytotoxicity more than that of post-treatment at 44 degrees C for 25 min or 42 degrees C for 4 h, respectively. However, chemoenhancement ratios (CER) of pre-treatment at 44 degrees C for 25 min and at 42 degrees C for 4 h were 19.1 and 3.5, respectively, although the isothermic dose decreased the cell count to 60% in both cases. These results indicated that simultaneous or post-hyperthermic PEP treatment with high-hyperthermia, and simultaneous PEP treatment with low-hyperthermia, are the most effective means of PEP thermochemotherapy with hyperthermia.

Swainsonine augments the cytotoxicity of human lymphokine-activated killer cells against autologous thyroid cancer cells.

OBJECTIVE: Swainsonine (SW), an inhibitor of mammalian Golgi alpha-mannosidase II, blocks the processing of high mannose to complex type oligosaccharides. In this study, the effect of SW on the cytotoxicity of lymphokine-activated killer (LAK) cells against autologous thyroid cancer was investigated. DESIGN: Peripheral blood lymphocytes from patients with thyroid cancer were incubated with recombinant interleukin 2 (100 U/mL) and 0.5 mg/L of SW for 7 days, and thyroid cancer cells obtained from surgical specimens were pretreated with SW (0.5 mg/L) for 18 hours. The cytotoxicity of SW-treated LAK cells against tumor cells tested in a standard 4-hour radioactive chromium Cr 51 release assay. RESULTS: The cytotoxicity of SW-treated LAK cells against autologous thyroid cancer cells was found to be significantly greater than that of standard LAK cells incubated with interleukin 2 alone. The N-alpha-benzyloxycarbonyl-L-lysine thiobenzyl ester esterase activity of LAK cells, this activity being a cytotoxic factor that is necessary for the lethal hit stage, was also increased by SW treatment. Further, thyroid cancer cells incubated with SW, as compared with nontreated tumor cells, showed much higher susceptibility to LAK killing. CONCLUSIONS: Our results suggest that SW might have potential immunomodulatory properties in the treatment of thyroid cancer.