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Embryonic neural tumors are responsible for a disproportionate number of cancer deaths in children. Although dramatic improvements in survival for pediatric malignancy has been achieved in previous years advancements seem to be slowing down. For the development of new enhanced therapy and an increased understanding of the disease, pre-clinical models better capturing the neoplastic niche are essential. Tumors of early childhood present in this respect a particular challenge. Here, we explore how components of the embryonic process in stem-cell induced mature teratoma can function as an experimental in vivo microenvironment instigating the growth of injected childhood neuroblastoma (NB) cell lines. Three human NB cell lines, IMR-32, Kelly and SK-N-BE(2), were injected into mature pluripotent stem cell-induced teratoma (PSCT) and compared to xenografts of the same cell lines. Proliferative NB cells from all lines were readily detected in both models with a typical histology of a poorly differentiated NB tumor with a variable amount of fibrovascular stroma. Uniquely in the PSCT microenvironment, NB cells were found integrated in a non-random fashion. Neuroblastoma cells were never observed in areas with well-differentiated somatic tissue i.e. bone, muscle, gut or areas of other easily identifiable tissue types. Instead, the three cell lines all showed initial growth exclusively occurring in the embryonic loose mesenchymal stroma, resulting in a histology recapitulating NB native presentation in vivo. Whether this reflects the 'open' nature of loose mesenchyme more easily giving space to new cells compared to other more dense tissues, the rigidity of matrix providing physical cues modulating NB characteristics, or if embryonic loose mesenchyme may supply developmental cues that attracted or promoted the integration of NB, remains to be tested. We tentatively hypothesize that mature PSCT provide an embryonic niche well suited for in vivo studies on NB.

Methods. The newly described - multigene analysis test (DiBiCol) identifying 7 inflammatory bowel disease (IBD)-specific genes in colonic mucosal biopsy differentiating between ulcerative colitis (UC) and Crohn's disease (CD) with active inflammation - is a new addition to existing methods with a higher stated sensitivity and specificity. Method biopsy material from 78 patients with a complicated course diagnosed as most probably UC in 38, CD in 18 and inflammatory bowel disease unclassified (IBDU) in 22 were investigated by DiBiCol. Results. DiBiCol showed a pattern consistent with CD in 13 patients with UC and led to change of diagnosis in 3 patients and a strong suggestion of CD in 8 patients. A total of 2 patients remained as UC. DiBiCol showed a pattern of UC in 4 patients of 18 with CD leading to a changing of diagnosis to UC in 3 patients, but the fourth remained as CD. In 22 patients with IBDU DiBiCol showed a pattern consistent with UC in 7 cases and with CD in 13 cases. A new evaluation 1 year after the DiBiCol allowed the assessment of clinical diagnosis in 10 patients confirmed in 9 of 10 patients by DiBiCol. In patients with acute flare of colitis the clinical diagnosis corresponded in 10 of 12 UC and in 5 of 6 CD cases. Summary. Adopting the DiBiCol test led to a change of the primary diagnosis in a significant number of patients with the initial diagnosis of UC and CD and suggested a clinically probable diagnosis in most of the patients with IBDU and in those with an acute flare of colitis.

Background: Techniques based on radio frequency (RF) energy have many applications in medicine, in particular tumour ablation. Today, mammography screening detects many breast cancers at an early stage, facilitating treatment by minimally invasive techniques such as radio frequency ablation (RFA). The breast cancer is mostly surrounded by fat, which during RFA-treatment could result in preferential heating of the tumour due to the substantial differences in electrical parameters. The object of this study was to investigate if this preferential heating existed during experimental in vitro protocols and during computer simulations. Methods: Excised breast material from four patients with morphologically diagnosed breast cancers were treated with our newly developed RFA equipment. Subsequently, two finite element method (FEM) models were developed; one with only fat and one with fat and an incorporated breast cancer of varying size. The FEM models were solved using temperature dependent electrical conductivity versus constant conductivity, and transient versus steady-state analyses. Results: Our experimental study performed on excised breast tissue showed a preferential heating of the tumour, even if associated with long tumour strands. The fat between these tumour strands was surprisingly unaffected. Furthermore, the computer simulations demonstrated that the difference in electrical and thermal parameters between fat and tumour tissue can cause preferential heating of the tumour. The specific absorption rate (SAR) distribution changed significantly when a tumour was present in fatty tissue. The degree of preferential heating depended on tissue properties, tumour shape, and placement relative to the electrode. Temperature dependent electrical conductivity increased the thermal lesion volume, but did not change the preferential heating. Transient solutions decreased the thermal lesion volume but increased the preferential heating of the tumour. Conclusions: Both the co, QC 20120305

• The implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) is today widely used for the treatment of sudden cardiac near-death episodes as a result of malignant ventricular dysrhythmia. • After examining the literature, only four descriptive studies, all carried out in the USA, with a qualitative analysis based on ICD-patients’ own perspectives on their life situation have been found. • The aim of this study was to describe how patients living with an ICD-device in south-western Sweden conceive their life situation. • As the focus was on patients’ conceptions seen from a holistic perspective, an analysis inspired by phenomenography was employed on a strategic sample of 15 ICD-patients. • Six categories emerged: a feeling of safety, a feeling of gratitude, a feeling of being, having a network, having a belief in the future, and gaining awareness. • Although the findings cannot be generalized because of the descriptive research design, they illuminate the beneficial as well as intrusive effects of such a device, and emphasize the need for support groups for patients and families as well as further education for personnel in hospital and primary health care.

The implantable cardioverter-defibrillator (ICD) is today widely used for the treatment of sudden cardiac near-death episodes as a result of malignant ventricular dysrhythmia.After examining the literature, only four descriptive studies, all carried out in the USA, with a qualitative analysis based on ICD-patients' own perspectives on their life situation have been found.The aim of this study was to describe how patients living with an ICD-device in south-western Sweden conceive their life situation.As the focus was on patients' conceptions seen from a holistic perspective, an analysis inspired by phenomenography was employed on a strategic sample of 15 ICD-patients.Six categories emerged: a feeling of safety, a feeling of gratitude, a feeling of being, having a network, having a belief in the future, and gaining awareness.Although the findings cannot be generalized because of the descriptive research design, they illuminate the beneficial as well as intrusive effects of such a device, and emphasize the need for support groups for patients and families as well as further education for personnel in hospital and primary health care.

We have studied the promoter utilization and parental imprinting status of human IGF2 in three genetically informative hepatoblastomas from patients ranging in age from 9 months to 3 years, In all three cases, there is a downregulation of promoter P1 in t, Addresses: KAROLINSKA HOSP, DEPT CLIN NEUROSCI, EXPTL ALCOHOL & DRUG ADDICT RES SECT, S-17176 STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN. UNIV UPPSALA, DEPT ANIM DEV & GENET, S-75236 UPPSALA, SWEDEN. KAROLINSKA HOSP, DEPT PATHOL, DIV PEDIAT, S-17176 STOCKHOLM, SWEDEN.

Översatt till [Surgical treatment of heart arrhythmias]

Översatt till [Surgical treatment of heart arrhythmias]