BCAS2 promotes prostate cancer cells proliferation by enhancing AR mRNA transcription and protein stability.

BACKGROUND: We showed previously that breast carcinoma amplified sequence 2 (BCAS2) functions as a negative regulator of p53. We also found that BCAS2 is a potential AR-associated protein. AR is essential for the growth and survival of prostate carcinoma. Therefore we characterised the correlation between BCAS2 and AR. METHODS: Protein interactions were examined by GST pull-down assay and co-immunoprecipitation. Clinical prostate cancer (PCa) specimens were evaluated by immunohistochemical assay. AR transcriptional activity and LNCaP cell growth were assessed by luciferase assay and MTT assay, respectively. RESULTS: BCAS2 expression was significantly increased in PCa. BCAS2 stabilised AR protein through both hormone-dependent and -independent manners. There are at least two mechanisms for BCAS2-mediated AR protein upregulation: One is p53-dependent. The p53 is suppressed by BCAS2 that results in increasing AR mRNA and protein expression. The other is via p53-independent inhibition of proteasome degradation. As BCAS2 can form a complex with AR and HSP90, it may function with HSP90 to stabilise AR protein from being degraded by proteasome. CONCLUSIONS: In this study, we show that BCAS2 is a novel AR-interacting protein and characterise the correlation between BCAS2 and PCa. Thus we propose that BCAS2 could be a diagnostic marker and therapeutic target for PCa.

Mental Health of Healthcare Workers in Indonesia, Philippines, and Taiwan During COVID-19 Pandemic: a Cross-Sectional Survey.

OBJECTIVE: This study aims to determine factors associated with hesitation and motivation to work among healthcare workers (HCWs) in Indonesia, Philippines, and Taiwan during the COVID-19 pandemic. METHODS: HCWs aged ≥20 years working in five hospitals in Indonesia, Philippines, and Taiwan were invited to participate in a self-administered mental health survey between 30 January 2021 and 31 August 2021. The 33-item questionnaire measured HCWs' perceived stress, level of motivation and hesitation to work, attitude and confidence regarding work, attitude on the policies by the hospital and government, and discrimination against the occupation. Each item was rated in a 4-point Likert scale from 0 (never) to 3 (always). Sociodemographic and occupational factors were also considered in data analysis. RESULTS: Of 1349 participants, 671 (49.7%) were from Indonesia, 365 (27.1%) from Philippines, and 313 (23.2%) from Taiwan. Overall, 20.8% of participants showed motivation to work and only 4.7% showed hesitation to work. Compared with HCWs in their 20s, HCWs in their 30s, 40s, and 50s had significantly lower hesitation to work (adjusted odds ratio [AOR] = 0.42, 0.33, and 0.11, respectively; p = 0.01, 0.02, and 0.03, respectively). Similarly, compared with HCWs in their 20s, HCWs in their 30, 40s, 50s, 60s, and 70s had significantly higher motivation to work (AOR = 1.71, 2.98, 5.92, 5.40, and 7.15, respectively; p = 0.01, <0.001, <0.001, <0.001, and 0.02, respectively). Clinical staff had lower motivation to work than non-clinical staff (AOR = 0.60, p = 0.01). Those who worked in high-risk areas had lower hesitation to work than those who worked in low-risk areas (AOR = 0.51, p = 0.03). Overall, higher hesitation to work was associated with 'wanting to leave job/study' (AOR = 4.54, p = 0.03) and 'feeling isolated' (AOR = 4.84, p = 0.01), whereas lower hesitation to work was associated with 'being confident about the future of medical practice' (AOR = 0.33, p = 0.02) and 'burden of child care including lack of nursery' (AOR = 0.30, p = 0.04). Higher motivation to work was associated with 'feeling of being protected by hospital' (AOR = 2.23, p = 0.001), 'confident in my country's pandemic prevention policy' (AOR = 2.19, p = 0.001), 'feeling of elevated mood' (AOR = 4.14, p = 0.004), and 'being confident about the future of medical practice' (AOR = 2.56, p < 0.001), whereas lower motivation to work was associated with 'exhausted mentally' (AOR = 0.35, p = 0.03). CONCLUSION: Various stress-related factors contribute to hesitation and motivation to work among HCWs in Indonesia, Philippines, and Taiwan during the COVID-19 pandemic. Proactive and practical strategies should be implemented to protect HCWs from the negative behavioural and emotional effects of the COVID-19 pandemic.

The effect of pre-emptive use of minimal dose fentanyl on fentanyl-induced coughing.

We performed a randomised, double-blind study to evaluate the effect of the pre-emptive use of minimal dose intravenous fentanyl (25 microg) on the incidence of cough caused by a larger bolus of intravenous fentanyl. Six hundred patients were randomly assigned to one of three groups to receive either 0.5 ml saline 0.9% 1 min before administration of fentanyl 150 microg (3 ml), or pre-emptive fentanyl 25 microg (0.5 ml) 1 min before administration of fentanyl 125 microg or 150 microg. The incidence of fentanyl-induced cough was significantly lower in both pre-emptive groups (7 (3.5%) for 125 microgfentanyl and 15 (7.5%) for 150 microg fentanyl) than in the saline group (37 (18.5%); p = 0.001). We conclude that pre-emptive use of fentanyl 25 microg, administered 1 min before bolus injection of fentanyl (125 or 150 microg), can effectively suppress fentanyl-induced cough.

Epstein-Barr virus-associated intravascular lymphomatosis within Kaposi's sarcoma in an AIDS patient.

Intravascular lymphomatosis (IL) is an unusual neoplasm characterized by multifocal proliferation of lymphoma cells exclusively within the blood vessels. We report here a patient with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and disseminated Kaposi's sarcoma. A 233-bp amplification product of HHV-8 was detected in the DNA extracted from specimens of Kaposi's sarcoma at different sites by polymerase chain reaction (PCR). At autopsy, the vessels within the Kaposi's sarcoma were dilated and filled with atypical large mononuclear cells. No such feature was seen in the vessels of non-Kaposi's sarcomatous regions. Immunohistochemically, the spindle cells of Kaposi's sarcoma were positive for CD31 (endothelial cell marker). The intravascular tumor cells were positive for CD45 (leukocyte common antigen) but negative for others, including chloroacetate esterase, CD45-RO (UCHL-1, Pan-T), CD3, CD43, CD20 (L26, Pan-B), CD30 (Ki-1), immunoglobulin heavy chains and light chains, CD56 (natural killer cell antigen), and CD31. Monoclonal rearrangement of immunoglobulin heavy chain gene was detected in the DNA extracts from fresh tissue of Kaposi's sarcoma by PCR, which indicated that the lymphoma cells within the Kaposi's sarcoma were of monoclonal B cell origin. In situ hybridization revealed that EBER-1 transcripts were present in the lymphoma cells of IL but not in the spindle cells of Kaposi's sarcoma. To the authors' best knowledge, this is the first instance of IL in an AIDS patient with direct evidence of EBV association.

Nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs increase expression of inducible COX-2 isoform of cyclooxygenase in spinal cord of rats with adjuvant induced inflammation.

Several lines of evidence have accumulated that release of excitatory amino acids, nitric oxide and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) play a critical role in the development of peripheral tactile and thermal hypersensitivity in chronic inflammatory pain models. Synthesis of PGE2 is controlled by cyclooxygenase (COX), either the COX-1 or COX-2 isoform. COX-2 plays a central role in the inflammatory reactions. The relationship between central sensitization of a complete Freund's adjuvant (CFA) induced inflammation and expressions of COX-2 were assessed in a rat model of CFA injection induced inflammation. Moreover, the time course of analgesia and spinal COX-2 expression following intrathecal (IT) injection with a nonspecific COX inhibitor (ketorolac) and COX-2 inhibitor (celecoxib) were determined using Western blot and immunohistochemistry. COX-2 protein was slightly increased in the lumbosacral spinal cord at 24 h following subcutaneous injection of CFA in the plantar surface of the left hindpaw (p > 0.05). COX-1 was not detected in normal and CFA injection rats. Surprisingly, IT ketorolac or celecoxib significantly increased spinal COX-2 levels at 1 h post-IT injection (p < 0.05) both in inflamed and non-inflamed rats. Then, spinal COX-2 levels declined at 3 and 6 h post-IT injection. These results provide strong in vivo evidence that COX-2 activity but not level may play a central role in the Freund's adjuvant-induced inflammation. However, spinal COX-2 level was upregulated following IT ketorolac and celecoxib injection. These data implies that suppression of PGE2 activity may induce the expression of spinal COX-2 in Freund's adjuvant-induced pain model. Our study concludes that IT administration of COX-2 inhibitor or nonspecific COX inhibitor is associated with significant short-term increase in spinal COX-2 expression.

Presumption of primary sites of neck lymph node metastases on fine needle aspiration cytology.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the accuracy of presumption of the primary sites of neck lymph node metastases based on fine needle aspiration cytology. STUDY DESIGN: Retrospective review of 133 cytologically diagnosed carcinomas with known primary sites and sufficient cellularity during a three-year period. Presumption of primary sites was carried out on randomized samples six months later. RESULTS: Some cytomorphologic characteristics are useful for presumption of primary sites, such as monolayered papillary fronds with intranuclear cytoplasmic inclusions in thyroid papillary carcinoma; large, polygonal, keratinized cells with a low nuclear/cytoplasmic ratio and anucleated squames in perioral cancers; and numerous naked nuclei, destroyed nuclei and marked lymphocytic infiltrates in nasopharyngeal cancer. The accuracy rate of presumption of primary sites was 100% (6/6) in thyroid papillary carcinoma, 83% (24/29) in perioral cancer and 77% (26/34) in nasopharyngeal cancer but low in other malignancies. CONCLUSION: Utilizing cytomorphologic characteristics, a presumption of primary sites of neck lymph node metastases could be achieved for the thyroid, perioral areas and nasopharynx.

Hemolytic disease of the newborn caused by anti-M antibody.

An unusual case of hemolytic disease of the newborn caused by anti-M antibody is presented. Hyperbilirubinemia was noted in a full-term baby boy at 4 days of age. A total of 160 mL of M-positive packed red blood cells from the baby's father were transfused during the next 9 days and the hemolytic process became aggravated. The baby was referred to our hospital at 14 days of age. Maternal anti-M was detected and the baby was transfused with 50 mL of M-negative packed red blood cells. The baby's condition stabilized and he was discharged uneventfully at 18 days of age.

[Evaluation of yellow IRIS/model 450 for routine urinalysis].

BACKGROUND: Urinalysis yields a great deal of information quickly and economically for detection of renal diseases. The inter-technician variation and time consuming are major problems while processing large amount of specimens. The purpose of this study is to evaluate the benefit of an automated urine analyzer, Yellow IRIS/model 450, and the feasibility of replacing the currently-used manual KOVA method. METHODS: A total of 1,000 random urine specimens were analyzed with Yellow IRIS and KOVA method. Precision, correlation, and detection rate of abnormality were compared between these two methods. RESULTS: The results revealed that Yellow IRIS had high precision with little between-run and within-run variation, while the obtained values were notably highly correlated with the expected values (r = 0.99). In addition, detection rate of blood cell abnormalities for the Yellow IRIS was twice better than for the manual KOVA method. CONCLUSIONS: The high precision of the machine, the simple procedure of performing, and the quickness of obtaining data, can minimize variability caused by the manual method and save processing time for mass screening. It is feasible to replace the manual urinalysis by the automated urine analyzer Yellow IRIS. Nevertheless, to minimize the extent of manual manipulation, including pouring the urine into the pour cup, and placement of the urine strip, will assist in a wider acceptance for the Yellow IRIS/Model 450.

Carbon dioxide laser induced airway fire during larynx surgery: case report.

The precision intrinsic hemostatic properties of the laser have led to its wide use in modern clinical medicine especially in microscopic airway surgery. However, the intense heat generated by the high energy density of the surgical laser can convert combustible tubes into veritable torches, cause catastrophic fires, and result in severe injury to the patient. This is of particular importance when high energy is used on the continuous mode or when the endotracheal tube is repeatedly hit by the laser at the same spot. Most reported laser-induced complications result from the laser beam inadvertently falling on the areas that are not intended to be exposed. We report a case of a trans-tracheostomy tube fire occurring during carbon dioxide (CO2) laser surgery. Aluminum-tape wrapping did not prevent this complication. It was found that the ignition of a trans-tracheostomy tube was caused by the laser striking an unprotected portion of the tube during resection of granuloma of the trachea.