Extrafacial lentigo maligna melanoma: analysis of 71 cases and comparison with lentigo maligna melanoma of the head and neck

We report a retrospective analysis of extrafacial lentigo maligna melanoma (LMM), and a comparison with patients with LMM of the head and neck. Seventy-one patients (22 men, 49 women) with extrafacial LMM were identified from the Scottish Melanoma Group database for January 1979-March 1996. Their mean age (63 years) was significantly less than that of 335 patients with head and neck LMM (mean 72 years, P < 0.001), with a significantly greater difference among women than men. Extrafacial sites comprised 17.5% of LMMs. There was a marked body site distribution difference between the sexes (P = 0. 001): 68% of extrafacial LMMs in men were on the trunk while 80% in women were on the limbs, particularly the lower leg. Extrafacial LMMs were thinner at presentation than head and neck LMMs (P < 0.05) in both sexes, but this was not simply explained by the younger age of these patients as there was no significant correlation between age and tumour thickness at either extrafacial or at head and neck sites. Although the female lower leg is a site of chronic solar exposure in older women, the other extrafacial sites are habitually covered in the temperate Scottish climate. The significantly younger age group of patients with LMM at extrafacial compared with head and neck sites therefore suggests that the relationship between LMM and sunlight is not simply related to cumulative solar exposure. The demonstration that head and neck LMMs were thicker at presentation compared with extrafacial sites, despite being at a more routinely visible part of the body, suggests that there are still opportunities for targeted pigmented lesion public education.     

Inhibitory effect of anaphylactic reaction of Sosiho-Tang

The Ilizarov method has broad applications for the generation of bone and soft tissue via an external fixator composed of small pins, tensional wires, rings, hinges and distractors. The success of the technique depends on adherence to Ilizarov's principles of tension-stress phenomenon: preservation of the tissues' blood supply, frequent distraction in small increments, and full function of the extremity.     

A role for certain mouse Aprt sequences in resistance to toxic adenine analogs

The in vitro metabolic activity of the esterase responsible for the hydrolysis of diltiazem (DTZ) to its deacetylated metabolite (M1) was determined in an age-dependent fashion using the rabbit as an animal model. The presence of the enzyme in several tissues (liver, lung, small intestine, and brain) and in whole blood from pre-term and full-term fetuses, full-term newborns, yound and adult rabbits was examined. To this end, DTZ was spiked to 10,000-g tissue homogenates and whole blood to yield a final concentration of 1 microgram/ml. Serial samples were withdrawn from the incubation medium up to 240 min and assayed for DTZ and M1 concentration. In all tissues examined there was a net production of M1. Chemical breakdown and stability studies confirmed the metabolic origin of the M1 formed throughout the incubation. In pre-term fetuses (25 days of gestation) the brain was found to be the most active tissue in eliminating DTZ (brain > liver > lung > small intestine). This trend changed in young and adult rabbits (lung = brain > liver > small intestine). Although an important age-dependent DTZ deacetylase activity was observed in blood, it was not included in the comparison between organs because of the unequal composition of the incubation medium. In conclusion, results showed that fetuses and newborn rabbits have a similar, and in some instances higher, DTZ deacetylase activity to that in adults (p < 0.05). In vitro findings were further confirmed by in vivo experiments.     

Plasticity theory of ductile fracture by void growth and coalescence

The axisymmetric cold forging is used in the automobile industry to manufacture the formed parts en masse. But, this process is often limited by the onset of surface cracking which reduces the quality of the final product. In this paper, the theoretical investigation of the initiation of the ductile fracture in axisymmetric upsetting processes is carried out using a simple method of analysis. The developed method is based on the theory of plasticity and a fracture criterion, in which the influence of the growth and coalescence of the cylindrical and spherical voids is considered. The cracking at the free surface of the cylindrical billet is modelled. Dedicated to Professor Theordor Lehmann, Bochum     

HPV-16 oncogenes E6 and E7 are mutagenic in normal human oral keratinocytes

The mutation frequency of pS189 shuttle vector plasmids is higher in human oral keratinocytes (NHOK) immortalized with cloned human papillomavirus-16 (HPV-16) genome than in primary normal NHOK (NHOK). To determine whether oncoproteins E6 and E7 of HPV-16 are responsible for the higher mutation frequency of the plasmids, we measured the mutation frequency in NHOK and in NHOK expressing the HPV-16 oncogenes (E6, E7, or E6 plus E7). We also measured the mutation frequency in NHOK expressing the E6 or E7 proteins of the non-oncogenic HPV-6b. The mutation frequency, either background or N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG)-induced, in NHOK expressing the HPV-16 oncoproteins (E6, E7, or E6 plus E7) was significantly higher than in NHOK. The HPV-16 oncogenes did not alter the nature of the MNNG-induced mutations (G:C-->A:T), but increased the frequency of deletions and insertions with or without MNNG. The background or MNNG-induced mutation frequency in NHOK expressing the HPV-6b E6 or E7 proteins was the same as in NHOK. NHOK and NHOK expressing HPV6b-E6 or E7 were able to arrest the cell cycle and enhance cellular p53, p21(WAF1/CIP1), and Gadd45 levels when exposed to MNNG, whereas NHOK expressing the HPV-16 E6 oncogene did not demonstrate. NHOK expressing HPV-16 E7 were able to enhance cellular p53, p21(WAF1/CIP1), and Gadd45 levels, but failed to arrest cell cycle progression when exposed to MNNG. These data indicate that HPV-16 E6 and E7 oncogenes are mutagenic in human oral keratinocytes and enhance the mutagenic effect of MNNG. However, the E6 and E7 proteins of the 'low risk' HPV-6b did not demonstrate such an ability.     

Prostatic cryosurgery: use of MR imaging in evaluation of success and technical modifications

PURPOSE: To evaluate the usefulness of contrast material-enhanced magnetic resonance (MR) imaging in objective assessment of prostatic cryosurgery and the role of MR imaging in the modification of prostatic cryosurgical technique. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Thirty-eight consecutive patients with localized (T1-3, N0, M0) prostatic adenocarcinoma treated with prostatic cryosurgery underwent MR imaging without contrast enhancement before cryosurgery and unenhanced and gadolinium-enhanced MR imaging within 1-3 weeks after cryosurgery. The first 20 patients also underwent MR imaging at 3 months after cryosurgery. MR imaging findings were correlated with those from transrectal ultrasound-directed prostatic staging biopsy. RESULTS: Cryonecrotic prostate was identified as avascular regions characterized by absolute signal void on contrast-enhanced images. With progressive modification of cryosurgical technique, complete cryoablation of the prostate was achieved in the latter nine of the 38 patients. When cryoablation was considered complete according to MR imaging criteria, findings invariably correlated with those at biopsy, with no residual prostate tissue or tumor. CONCLUSION: Gadolinium-enhanced MR imaging of the prostate after cryosurgery provides a highly accurate means of monitoring success. Objective MR imaging findings allow modifications to the technology and technique, resulting in optimal therapeutic results with prostatic cryosurgery.     

The effects of a psychoeducational program on adolescents' activity involvement, self-esteem, and locus of control

Adolescents' participation in extracurricular activities is related to a number of variables, such as higher grade point average, increased self-esteem, and lower absenteeism. This research, part of a larger longitudinal study, was designed to determine whether a short, psychoeducational intervention, the personal empowerment program, would affect adolescents' level of involvement in activities, their self-esteem, or their locus of control. Fifty-two ninth-grade students who were average participators were randomly selected and assigned to either the empowerment program or control group. Students were surveyed six months after the program. Analyses of covariance using pretest scores as the covariates indicated that students who participated in the program maintained their level of activity involvement during the transition to high school, a time when participation generally decreases. The program did not produce significant changes in self-esteem or locus of control. Implications for future research are discussed.     

Ga-67 used to localize the tumor bed for radiation therapy after lumpectomy

The authors present a new method to locate the tumor bed after lumpectomy. The method relies on accumulation of Ga-67 at the surgical site. This technique was useful in identifying the tumor bed in six candidates for breast conserving surgery and radiation therapy. This method may be applicable in other soft tissue malignancies that require postoperative radiation.     

Hepatoprotection in ethinylestradiol-treated rats is provided by tauroursodeoxycholic acid, but not by ursodeoxycholic acid

Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) and tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA) have been suggested as potential treatments for drug-induced cholestasis. It was therefore decided to study the effects of administration of UDCA or TUDCA on individual serum bile acid concentration, conventional liver tests and associated hepatic ultrastructural changes in ethinylestradiol-treated (EE) rats mg/kg per day). Control rats were treated s.c. with propylene glycol. EE-treated rats were randomly assigned to receive daily i.p. injections of placebo, TUDCA or UDCA. Four rats in each group were treated for 4 consecutive days, and a second four for 14 days. After 4 days of treatment, the serum levels of cholic acid and taurocholic acid were significantly increased in EE-treated rats. None of the conventional liver tests were significantly different among the four groups. After 14 days of treatment the serum levels of cholic acid, chenodeoxycholic acid, glycocholic acid, glycochenodeoxycholic acid, taurocholic acid, taurochenodeoxycholic acid, bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase and gamma glutamyltransferase were significantly raised in EE and EE plus UDCA treated rats. EE plus TUDCA treated rats, however, had no significant changes in these individual serum bile acids or conventional liver tests. The ultrastructure of livers from EE plus TUDCA treated rats was similar to those of controls. On the other hand, EE and EE plus UDCA rats both showed a significant reduction in sinusoidal microvilli. These results show that treatment of rats for 4 days with EE induces significant rises in the serum concentrations of two individual bile acids and that TUDCA protects against this.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)