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Neurocysticercosis (NCC) is a major cause of seizures and epilepsy. Diagnosis is based on brain imaging, supported by immunodiagnosis in serum or cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). Lumbar puncture is invasive and painful. Blood sampling is slightly painful and poorly accepted. Urine antigen detection has been used for other parasites and tried in NCC with suboptimal performance. We used a monoclonal antibody-based ELISA to detect Taenia solium antigens in urine from 87 Peruvian neurocysticercosis patients (viable cysts, N = 34; subarachnoid cysticercosis, N = 10; degenerating parasites, N = 7; calcified lesions, N = 36) and 32 volunteers from a non-endemic area of Peru. Overall sensitivity of urine antigen detection for viable parasites was 92%, which decreased to 62.5% in patients with a single cyst. Most patients (30/36, 83%) with only calcified cysticercosis were urine antigen negative. Antigen levels in paired serum/urine samples (evaluated in 19 patients) were strongly correlated. Non-invasive urine testing for T. solium antigens provides a useful alternative for NCC diagnosis.

BACKGROUND This study was designed to determine the feasibility, maximum tolerated dose, and toxicities of intraarterial administration of paclitaxel-albumin nanoparticles in patients with advanced head and neck and recurrent anal canal squamous cell carcinoma. Antitumor activity also was assessed. METHODS Forty-three patients (31 with advanced head and neck and 12 with recurrent anal canal squamous cell carcinoma) were treated intraarterially with ABI-007 every 4 weeks for 3 cycles. In total, 120 treatment cycles were completed, 86 in patients with head and neck carcinoma (median, 3 cycles; range, 1–4) and 34 in patients with anal canal carcinoma (median, 3 cycles; range, 1–4). ABI-007 was compared preliminarily with Taxol® for in vitro cytostatic activity. Increasing dose levels from 120 to 300 mg/m2 were studied in 18 patients. Pharmacokinetic profiles after intraarterial administration were obtained in a restricted number of patients. RESULTS The dose-limiting toxicity of ABI-007 was myelosuppression consisting of Grade 4 neutropenia in 3 patients. Nonhematologic toxicities included total alopecia (30 patients), gastrointestinal toxicity (3 patients, Grade 2), skin toxicity (5 patients, Grade 2), neurologic toxicity (4 patients, Grade 2) ocular toxicity (1 patient, Grade 2), flu-like syndrome (7 patients, Grade 2; 1 patient, Grade 3). In total, 120 transfemoral, percutaneous catheterization procedure–related complications occurred only during catheterization of the neck vessels in 3 patients (2 TIA, 1 hemiparesis) and resolved spontaneously. CONCLUSIONS Intraarterial administration of ABI-007 by percutaneous catheterization does not require premedication, is easy and reproducible, and has acceptable toxicity. The maximum tolerated dose in a single administration was 270 mg/m2. Most dose levels showed considerable antitumor activity (42 assessable patients with 80.9% complete response and partial response). The recommended Phase II dose is 230 mg/m2 every 3 weeks. Cancer 2001;92:2592–602. © 2001 American Cancer Society.

Background. Acute rhabdomyolysis has been described to occur only rarely after systemic administration of cancer chemotherapy drugs, such as cytarabine and 5-azafluorene. A single case of rhabdomyolysis after treatment with alfa-interferon recently was reported, but to the authors' knowledge, there have been no published cases of clinically relevant rhabdomyolysis after systemic therapy with the other agents. Methods. The case of a 28-year-old woman with metastatic melanoma and no known history of neuromuscular disorders who developed severe myalgia followed by acute, extensive rhabdomyolysis with multiorgan failure after concurrent administration of systemic biologic therapy and chemotherapy consisting of alfa-interferon, interleukin-2, cisplatin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine is described. Results. The patient sustained considerable morbidity requiring hemodialysis and respiratory support but eventually recovered. Review of the literature revealed no reported cases of acute rhabdomyolysis after the systemic administration of these agents with the exception of alfa-interferon. Conclusion. Acute rhabdomyolysis should be considered when evaluating patients receiving similar bio-chemotherapy regimens, particularly for those regimens that are alfa-interferon–based and for patients who develop myalgia along with evidence of multiorgan failure. Cancer 1995; 76:678–9.

The findings of this study of 41 aged (over 65) non-acidotic diabetic patients demonstrated not only a correlation between glycosuria and tubular reabsorption of phosphates but also an increase of renal phosphate excretion with an increase in clearance (35 per cent of the cases) despite a virtually normal level of blood phosphorus. By contrast, this pattern was demonstrated in only 16 per cent of 31 aged nondiabetic controls. There was no statistical difference between the blood phosphorus and calcium values in the two series of subjects. In 12 of 14 aged diabetic subjects who underwent the induced hypercalcemia test, phosphate clearance values indicated depression of parathyroid function. Among the possible hypotheses regarding the pathogenesis of the renal phospho-calcium metabolic disturbance in aged diabetic patients, that of secondary adaptive hyperparathyroidism is discussed, although not accepted.

The aim of this multi-institutional study was to identify predictors of residual high-grade (HG) disease at re-transurethral resection (reTUR) in a large cohort of primary T1 HG/Grade 3 (G3) bladder cancer patients. A total of 1155 patients with primary T1 HG/G3 bladder cancer from 13 academic institutions that underwent a reTUR within 6 weeks after first TUR were evaluated. Logistic regression analysis was performed to assess the association of predictive factors with residual HG at reTUR. Residual HG cancer was found in 288 (24.9%) of patients at reTUR. Patients presenting residual HG cancer were more likely to have carcinoma in situ (CIS) at first resection (p=25 kg/m2. On multivariable analysis, independent predictors for HG residual disease at reTUR were tumor size >3cm (OR = 1.37; 95% CI: 1.02-1.84, p=0.03), concomitant CIS (OR 1.92; 95% CI: 1.32-2.78, p=0.001), being overweight (OR= 2.08; 95% CI: 1.44-3.01, p=25 kg/m2., This study was supported by "Fondazione Muto", Naples-Italy. M.D.V is supported by the Scholarship Foundation of the Republic of Austria OeAD and by the EUSP Scholarship - European Association of Urology., info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersion