Skin cancer and new treatment perspectives: a review.

Skin cancers are by far the most common malignancy of humans, particularly in the white population. The growing incidence of cutaneous malignancies has heralded the need for multiple treatment options. Although surgical modalities remain the mainstay of treatment, new research and fresh innovation are still required to reduce morbidity and mortality. Approaches for skin cancer may pass through new technological methods instead of new molecules. The first part of this paper provides a review of the state of the art regarding skin cancer disease as well as epidemiology data. Then, it describes the gold standards of the current recommended therapies worldwide and the actual needs of these patients. This is the first paper that highlights the novel and future therapeutic perspectives for the treatment of skin malignancies, new therapeutic agents and promising technological approaches, from nanotechnology to immunotherapy.

4-{[4-(Hy-droxy-meth-yl)piperidin-1-yl]meth-yl}phenol.

In the title compound, C(13)H(19)NO(2), the piperidine ring has a chair conformation with the exocyclic N-C bond in an equatorial position. In the crystal, mol-ecules are linked head-to-tail by phenol O-H⋯O hydrogen bonds to hy-droxy-methyl-ene O-atom acceptors, forming chains which extend along [100]. These chains form two-dimensional networks lying parallel to (101) through cyclic hydrogen-bonding associations [graph set R(4) (4)(30)], involving hy-droxy O-H donors and piperidine N-atom acceptors.

Intestinal ischemia-reperfusion is attenuated by treatment with atenolol in rabbits.

To study whether treatment with the beta-blocker atenolol (AT) attenuates intestinal dysfunction caused by ischemia (I) and reperfusion (R), rabbits were treated with AT (1 mg.kg(-1), introvenously) or saline solution (SS) prior to I (60 minutes), which was produced by occlusion of the superior mesenteric artery, and/or R (120 minutes). After I or I/R, 2-cm jejunal segments were mounted in an organ bath to study neurogenic contractions stimulated by electrical pulses or KCl using a digital recording system. Thin jejunal slices were stained hematoxylin and eosin for analysis by optical microscopy. Compared to the sham group, the jejunal contractions were similar in the I + AT and the I/R + AT groups, but reduced in the I + SS and the I/R + SS groups. The jejunal enteric nerves were damaged in the I + SS and the I/R + SS groups, but not in the I + AT and the I/R + AT. These results suggest that AT may attenuate intestinal dysfunction caused by I and I/R.

Bovine blood components: fractionation, composition, and nutritive value.

The objective of this research work was to fractionate bovine blood, collected hygienically in a slaughterhouse, into blood plasma protein concentrate, red blood cell concentrate, globin isolate, and a carboxymethylcellulose-heme iron (CMC-heme) complex. All four fractions were studied for proximate composition and amino acid and mineral contents. The nutritive value of plasma protein concentrate and globin isolate was comparatively studied using rat bioassays. The amino acid content in plasma protein concentrate is well balanced and produced net protein utilization and net protein ratio equivalent to 95% those of casein. Globin isolate ( approximately 91% protein) is deficient in isoleucine and S-containing amino acids and was unable to support rat growth at 10% concentration in the diet. Red blood cell concentrate and the isolated CMC-heme complex were good sources of bioavailable iron. Iron availabilities for CMC-heme and whole blood cell concentrate, related to ferrous sulfate as 100%, were 64 and 70%, respectively.

[Evaluating the impact of a hematinic iron-rich nutritional supplement]. / Avaliação do impacto de um suplemento nutricional rico em ferro hematínico.

A quasi-experimental epidemiological study was performed to evaluate the effect of a nutritional supplement made from bovine blood on human blood parameters. Healthy women who were neither pregnant nor breast-feeding were allocated to two groups: study (n=32) and control (n=17). Women in the study group received 0.5 mg of iron per day, while controls received placebo. Food intake frequency and side effects related to ferrous sulfate were recorded. A 24-hour dietary recall was performed every two weeks, and blood samples were collected to determine biochemical parameters. Compared to controls, the study group showed higher serum iron and iron retention capacity, lower calorie, protein, and vitamin C intake, and lower consumption of dairy products and fruit. Adjusted mean blood parameters were calculated using ANOVA. The output showed increased serum iron (p=0.009) and decreased iron retention capacity (p=0.031) at the end of the study. The results favor use of the product to treat iron deficiency anemia.

Phenotypic analysis of yellow fever virus derived from complementary DNA.

A thorough phenotypic characterization of yellow fever (YF) virus generated from cDNA is a necessary prerequisite for mapping virulence/attenuation determinants and exploring the potential of YF attenuated virus 17D as a carrier for heterologous protective epitopes. In this study, YF virus was produced from 17D cDNA clones after lipofectin-mediated RNA transfection of certified primary cultures of chicken embryo fibroblasts (YFiv5.2/SL). This virus was passaged once in embryonated chicken eggs according to current YF vaccine manufacture methodology to produce the experimental virus (YFiv5.2/VL). These viruses were characterized in established monkey neurovirulence safety tests and quantitative clinical and histologic scores were derived for each virus. The experimental vaccine viruses (YFiv5.2/SL and VL) compared favorably with another well-known YF vaccine strain (17DD) used as control virus for the histologic score. Although slightly higher clinical neurovirulence was observed for YFiv5.2 as compared with the 17DD virus, it should not preclude the use of YFiv5.2 for mapping YF virus virulence determinants.

Dengue serologic survey of schoolchildren in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1986 and 1987.

Two major epidemic waves of dengue 1 occurred in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, in 1986 and 1987. This article reports the results of a survey of Rio schoolchildren who were tested serologically for antibodies to dengue 1 before and after the second major epidemic wave. The highest percentages of positive subjects were found in districts with relatively poor socioeconomic conditions and mosquito control problems. It also appears likely that the estimated number of dengue cases occurring in 1986-1987 was substantially below the number that actually occurred. In addition, because of this exposure to dengue 1, Rio de Janeiro now runs the risk of dengue hemorrhagic fever/dengue shock syndrome occurring should another dengue serotype be introduced within the next few years.

Enzyme immunoassay for the detection of dengue IgG and IgM antibodies using infected mosquito cells as antigen.

The detection of immunoglobulin (Ig)G and IgM antibodies to dengue 1 virus was studied by a simple enzyme immunoassay, in which infected cultured cells infected with dengue virus were used as antigen (EIA-ICC). Detection of anti-dengue 1 IgG by EIA-ICC was correlated with haemagglutination assays. EIA-ICC anti-dengue 1 IgM detection was less sensitive than IgM capture enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. IgG and IgM responses in dengue 1 infection were studied by EIA-ICC, using sera collected at different intervals after onset of illness: IgM and IgG appeared on the 4th day of disease; the highest IgM mean titres were detected on the 7th day and IgM was not detected in sera obtained after the 60th day; the highest mean titres of anti-dengue 1 IgG were seen in sera obtained between 22 and 30 d after onset of illness. EIA-ICCs for 6 flaviviruses and 1 alphavirus were conducted with sera from patients infected with dengue 1, and primary and secondary infections of other flaviviruses. The results showed that anti-dengue 1 IgG detection was sensitive, and the antibodies were cross-reactive among the flaviviruses. Anti-dengue 1 IgM detected in dengue 1 patients was mostly type specific. The pattern of secondary dengue infection, i.e. the presence of IgG and a low titre or absence of IgM antibodies, was observed in the sera of 6 patients obtained in the first week after onset of illness. EIA-ICC is useful for dengue diagnosis, surveillance and sero-epidemiological studies.