Locally advanced prostate cancer entails a risk of local,regional and systemic relapse requiring the combination of a Ioco-regional treatment,namely external beam radiotherapy(EBRT) to control the pelvic-confined disease,combined with a systemic therapy,namely androgen-deprivation therapy(ADT),to potentiate irradiation and to destroy the infra-clinical androgen-dependant disease outside the irradiated volume.Many phases Ⅲ randomized trials have paved the way in establishing the indications of this combined approach,which requires a long term ADT(≥2 years) with LHRH agonists.The duration of ADT may be reduced to 6 months should there be a significant comorbidity,a reluctance from the patient or a poor tolerance.A multidisciplinary approach will enable physicians to tailor the treatment strategy and a close cooperation between the specialists and the general practitioners will be set up to prevent as much as possible the side-effects of ADT.

BACKGROUND: In the view of the epidemic growth of sensitization to indoor allergens in Southern Vietnam, there is a requirement to screen large population. OBJECTIVE: To evaluate skin prick tests (SPTs) as predictors of positive specific IgE (sIgE) to dust allergens, among patients with chronic respiratory diseases (CRDs). METHODS: The sensitization to Blomia tropicalis (Blo t), Dermatophagoides pteronissinus (Der p), and Blattella germanica allergens (Bla g) were evaluated among 610 CRD, both SPT (≥4 mm) and sIgE by immuno-CAP (≥0.7 kUA/L). RESULTS: Based on sIgE, 45%, 32%, and 33% of patients with CRD were sensitized to Blo t, Der p, and Bla g, respectively, compared to 19%, 18%, and 13% by SPT. The association between SPT and sIgE was statistically significant, though the Kappa factor was fair (i.e., 0.39 to 0.23). While the specificity of SPT to detect sensitization (compared to sIgE) was >90% among the whole population, the sensitivity was only 34%, 41%, and 24% for Bo t, Der p, and Bla g, suggesting that SPT was not enough sensitive to screen the indoor allergen sensitization. Though, among the < 10 pack-year (PY) smokers, the sensitivity was 43% for Blo t, 52% for Der p, and 61% for Blo t and/or Der p, compared to 27%, 30%, and 35% among the ≥10 PY smokers. The sensitivity/specificity was not associated with the diagnosis of asthma compared to chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. CONCLUSION: In the present circumstance, SPT to dust mites allergens can be used to detect a sensitization among CRD population in Southern Vietnam.
Allergens ; Asthma ; Diagnosis ; Dust ; Humans ; Immunoglobulin E ; Mites ; Pulmonary Disease, Chronic Obstructive ; Pyroglyphidae ; Sensitivity and Specificity ; Skin Tests ; Skin ; Vietnam

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate changes in the mechanical properties of capsular tissue using shear wave elastography (SWE) and a durometer under various tensile loads, and to explore the reliability and correlation of SWE and durometer measurements to evaluate whether SWE technology could be used to assess tissue changes during capsule tensile loading. Methods: The inferior glenohumeral joint capsule was harvested from 10 fresh human cadaveric specimens. Tensile loading was applied to the capsular tissue using 1-, 3-, 5-, and 8-kg weights. Blinded investigators measured tissue stiffness and hardness during loading using SWE and a durometer, respectively. Intraobserver reliability was established for SWE and durometer measurements using intraclass correlation coefficients (ICCs). The Pearson product-moment correlation was used to assess the associations between SWE and durometer measurements. Results: The ICC3,5 for durometer measurements was 0.90 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.79 to 0.96; P<0.001) and 0.95 (95% CI, 0.88 to 0.98; P<0.001) for SWE measurements. The Pearson correlation coefficient values for 1-, 3-, and 5-kg weights were 0.56 (P=0.095), 0.36 (P=0.313), and -0.56 (P=0.089), respectively. When the 1- and 3-kg weights were combined, the ICC3,5 was 0.72 (P<0.001), and it was 0.62 (P<0.001) when the 1-, 3-, and 5-kg weights were combined. The 8-kg measurements were severely limited due to SWE measurement saturation of the tissue samples. Conclusion This study suggests that SWE is reliable for measuring capsular tissue stiffness changes in vitro at lower loads (1 and 3 kg) and provides a baseline for the non-invasive evaluation of effects of joint loading and mobilization on capsular tissues in vivo.

No abstract available.
Humans ; Thrombectomy

OBJECTIVEZanthoxylum heitzii is a medicinal plant widely used in central Africa for the treatment of many diseases, especially cardiovascular diseases and hypertension. The diuretic effects of crude stem bark extraction were determined and its safety in rats was evaluated.

METHODSThe diuretic effects of crude stem bark extraction of Z. heitzii 250 g ± 10 g) of both sexes. The crude stem bark extraction of Z. heitzii at the doses of 225, 300 and 375 mg/kg was administered to rats at 5 mL/kg body weight. Urine volume was determined 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 and 24 h after administration of the extract. Kinetics of electrolyte elimination in response to a single oral administration dose of acute treatment was measured. The experiments were performed under the same conditions with two synthetic pharmacological diuretics considered as reference (furosemide and hydrochlorothiazide). Urinary and plasma concentrations of sodium and potassium ions were determined using flame photometry. Concentrations of creatinine, urea, glucose, albumin and electrolytes in the plasma and urine samples were evaluated using a two-way digital bidirectional spectrophotometer. The osmolarity of plasma and urine samples was measured by cytometry using an osmometer. Aldosterone was measured by radioimmunoassay.

RESULTSThe plant extract accelerated the elimination of overloaded fluid and increased urine volume and the excretion of Na+, K+ and Cl- 24 h after administration (P<0.05). The increase in elimination of Na+, K+, and Cl- induced by caused alkalinization of the urine, and showed a strong inhibitory effect on carbonic anhydrase and saluretic. These effects were mainly observed at the dose of 375 mg/kg. At the maximum diuretic response, urinary osmolarity decreased significantly (P<0.05) when compared to controls. The stability of aldosterone level, the absence of correlation with the plasma levels of Na+, and increased clearance of free water in the animals treated with indicated that increased diuresis and natriuresis were tubular in origin. No significant (P>0.05) changes were observed in the body temperature of the animals.

CONCLUSIONThe significant increase in urine volume 24 h after treatment followed a dose-response pattern. The excretion of Na+, K+ and Cl- caused a decrease in urine osmolarity. The stability of aldosterone, the absence of correlation with the plasma levels of sodium, and increased clearance of free water in animals treated with aqueous extract suggest that increased diuresis and moderate natriuresis elevation were of tubular origin.

Animals ; Carbonic Anhydrase Inhibitors ; pharmacology ; Diuretics ; pharmacology ; Electrolytes ; metabolism ; Female ; Furosemide ; pharmacology ; Hydrochlorothiazide ; pharmacology ; Kidney ; drug effects ; physiology ; Male ; Plant Bark ; Plant Extracts ; pharmacology ; Rats ; Rats, Wistar ; Zanthoxylum ; chemistry

OBJECTIVE: Infectious diseases such as typhoid fever lead to the formation of free radicals which can damage the body. Many medicinal plants have antioxidant molecules that neutralize free radicals. The present work evaluated the antioxidant activity and histopathological effects of the dichloromethane fraction of Dichrocephala integrifolia in Salmonella typhi-infected rats. METHODS: The S. typhi-infected rats concurrently received daily doses of D. integrifolia extract at doses of 25, 50 and 100 mg/kg body weight or ciprofloxacin (5 mg/kg body weight) for 15 days. Body temperature was measured daily during infection and treatment periods. At the end of treatment period, the animals were sacrificed and biological responses including hematological parameters, superoxide dismutase and catalase activities, and glutathione, malondialdehyde and nitric oxide concentrations were evaluated. RESULTS: The elevated body temperature induced by infection was significantly decreased in animals treated with 25, 50 or 100 mg/kg of the extract. Platelet levels decreased slightly in infected rats, while treatment with the dichloromethane fraction of D. integrifolia significantly increased platelet levels; this response was greater than that elicited by ciprofloxacin. The doses of 50 and 100 mg/kg of the dichloromethane fraction of D. integrifolia notably decreased monocyte and neutrophil values. Activity of superoxide dismutase and catalase and levels of glutathione in the tissues of treated animals were increased significantly (P < 0.01), while malondialdehyde and nitric oxide levels were significantly decreased (P < 0.01), following treatment with the dichloromethane fraction of D. integrifolia. CONCLUSION The results of this study show that the dichloromethane fraction of D. integrifolia has protective effects against a series of pathological conditions initiated by oxidation and tissue damage in the course of a S. typhi infection.