Adenovirus-mediated suicide gene therapy may hold promise in the treatment of human cancer. We have developed a novel approach that utilizes a lytic, replication-competent adenovirus (Ad5-CD/TKrep) to deliver a cytosine deaminase/herpes simplex virus-1 thymidine kinase fusion gene to tumors. The cytosine deaminase and herpes simplex virus-1 thymidine kinase suicide genes render malignant cells ...

OBJECTIVE Molecular epidemiology studies have lately been focused on occupational cancer associated with exposure to chemical carcinogens in work environment. Measuring serum levels of tumour markers ie. the substances produced in transformed cells, is a modern method used in the prevention or early detection of cancer. A two-year observation study was constructed to investigate the relationshi...

The present case report details a rare case of osteoporosis as the initial manifestation of Crohn's disease (CD). A 43-year-old male was referred to the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University (Changsha, China) for further examination of low back pain (LBP) without digestive symptoms. Bone mineral density (BMD) analysis indicated osteoporosis, particularly in the lumbar spine. Endos...

Celiac disease (CD) is a largely undiagnosed immune-mediated enteropathy. A point-of-care test (POCT) could represent a rapid and cost-effective tool on ruling out CD. The objective of this study is to evaluate retrospectively the performance of a POCT based on detection of IgA and IgG antibodies against deamidated gliadins peptides (DGP). The study was performed on 53 children presenting clini...

The oceanic distribution of cadmium follows closely that of major algal nutrients such as phosphate. The reasons for this "nutrient-like" distribution are unclear, however, because cadmium is not generally believed to have a biological function. Herein, we provide evidence of a biological role for Cd in the marine diatom Thalassiosira weissflogii under conditions of low zinc, typical of the mar...

Children can be exposed to toxic elements in toys and jewelry following ingestion. As, Cd, Cu, Ni, Pb, and Sb bioavailability was assessed (n = 24) via the in vitro gastrointestinal protocol (IVG), the physiologically based extraction test (PBET), and the European Toy Safety Standard protocol (EN 71-3), and health risks were characterized. Cd, Cu, Ni, and Pb were mobilized from 19 metallic toys...

OBJECTIVE The Endocrine Society Clinical Guidelines recommend measuring 24-h urinary free cortisol (UFF) levels using a highly accurate method as one of the first-line screening tests for the diagnosis of Cushing's Syndrome (CS). We evaluated the performance of UFF, urinary free cortisone (UFE), and the UFF:UFE ratio, measured using a liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) me...

BACKGROUND Despite the mounting importance of granulocytapheresis (GCAP) for inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) treatment, its effectiveness in steroid-dependent (SD) and steroid-resistant (SR) patients has not been clearly evaluated. This prospective observational study describes the use of GCAP in SD and SR patients with either Ulcerative Colitis (UC) or Crohn's Disease (CD). METHODS 118 pati...

Corresponding author : Kyoung Won Kim Department of Radiology, Asan Medical Center, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, 88 Olympic-ro 43-gil, Songpa-gu, Seoul 05505, Korea Tel: +82-2-3010-4385, Fax: +82-2-476-4719 E-mail: [email protected] Abbreviations: CT, computed tomography; AFP, α-fetoprotein; CEA, carcinoembryonic antigen; CA, carbohydrate antigen; MRI, magnetic resonance imaging IN...

BACKGROUND There are no data addressing the usefulness of non-invasive tests for the detection of Helicobacter pylori (HP) infection in celiac disease (CD). AIM The aim of this study was to compare two most sensitive and specific tests - urea breath test (UBT) and fecal antigen test (FAT) in HP diagnosis in CD patients. MATERIALS AND METHODS The study comprised of 76 CD patients, 49 healthy...