Two papers in the Journal this month report on results from the Christchurch Psychotherapy of Depression Study, a randomised controlled trial of interpersonal psychotherapy and cognitive–behavioural therapy (CBT) involving an out-patient sample. Luty et al (pp. 496–502) found no significant difference in efficacy between the two treatment groups, with overall improvements in depressive symptoma...

Intrachromosomal amplification of chromosome 21 (iAMP21) defines a distinct cytogenetic subgroup of childhood B-cell precursor acute lymphoblastic leukemia. Breakage-fusion-bridge cycles followed by chromothripsis and other complex structural rearrangements of chromosome 21 underlie the mechanism giving rise to iAMP21. Patients with iAMP21 are older (median age 9 years), with a low white cell c...

Three papers in the Journal this month consider issues related to outcomes and treatment in first-episode psychosis. Crossley et al (pp. 434–439) reviewed 15 randomised controlled trials of antipsychotic treatment in first-episode psychosis and found no evidence for differences in discontinuation rates or effect on symptoms between atypical and typical antipsychotics. Clear differences in side-...

The objective of this study was to investigate the growth pattern of children with the salt-wasting form of congenital adrenal hyperplasia caused by 21-hydroxylase deficiency (21-OHD). We reviewed the medical records of 13 patients in whom salt-wasting 21-OHD was diagnosed during the first 2 mo of life at our hospital from 1980 through 2008. Six reached adult height. Growth patterns, bone age, ...

Recent studies have suggested that IL-21 is a key factor in the development of IL-17-producing CD4 T cells (Th17) and that the induction of experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis, which depends on mounting an efficient Th17 response, is reportedly impaired in the absence of IL-21 signaling. In this study, we provide supportive in vitro evidence that IL-21 can drive Th17 responses in conjunct...

BACKGROUND A typical growth pattern with decreased pubertal growth spurt has been identified in patients with classical congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH). OBJECTIVE To evaluate the accuracy of final height predictions in patients with CAH using the Bayley and Pinneau (B&P) method. PATIENTS AND METHODS Using growth and final height data of 92 patients (57 F/35 M) with CAH due to 21-hydrox...

Interleukin-21 (IL-21) plays important roles in regulating the immune response. IL-21 receptor (IL-21R) mRNA is expressed at a low level in human resting T cells but is rapidly induced by mitogenic stimulation. We now investigate the basis for IL21R gene regulation in T cells. We found that the -80 to -20 region critically regulates IL-21R promoter activity and corresponds to a major DNase I-hy...