ANALYSIS OF THE IRAN OIL EMBARGO

This report analyses the macro-economic, sectoral, and energy effects of an Iranian oil embargo. Five scenarios are analysed reflecting various degrees of oil scarcity on the global market and different sizes of embargo coalitions. The report estimates the macro-economic impacts using the global general equilibrium model GEM-E3. The international oil and energy markets are assessed with the POLES model. This provides the impacts in prices and quantities in the international energy (oil) market. Impacts on trade flows regarding refined oil products are estimated with the OURSE model.JRC.J.1-Economics of Climate Change, Energy and Transpor

Dendritic cells are defective in breast cancer patients: a potential role for polyamine in this immunodeficiency

INTRODUCTION: Dendritic cells (DCs) are antigen-presenting cells that are currently employed in cancer clinical trials. However, it is not clear whether their ability to induce tumour-specific immune responses when they are isolated from cancer patients is reduced relative to their ability in vivo. We determined the phenotype and functional activity of DCs from cancer patients and investigated the effect of putrescine, a polyamine molecule that is released in large amounts by cancer cells and has been implicated in metastatic invasion, on DCs. METHODS: The IL-4/GM-CSF (granulocyte–macrophage colony-stimulating factor) procedure for culturing blood monocyte-derived DCs was applied to cells from healthy donors and patients (17 with breast, 7 with colorectal and 10 with renal cell carcinoma). The same peroxide-treated tumour cells (M74 cell line) were used for DC pulsing. We investigated the effects of stimulation of autologous lymphocytes by DCs pulsed with treated tumour cells (DC-Tu), and cytolytic activity of T cells was determined in the same target cells. RESULTS: Certain differences were observed between donors and breast cancer patients. The yield of DCs was dramatically weaker, and expression of MHC class II was lower and the percentage of HLA-DR(-)Lin(- )cells higher in patients. Whatever combination of maturating agents was used, expression of markers of mature DCs was significantly lower in patients. Also, DCs from patients exhibited reduced ability to stimulate cytotoxic T lymphocytes. After DC-Tu stimulation, specific cytolytic activity was enhanced by up to 40% when DCs were from donors but only up to 10% when they were from patients. IFN-γ production was repeatedly found to be enhanced in donors but not in patients. By adding putrescine to DCs from donors, it was possible to enhance the HLA-DR(-)Lin(- )cell percentage and to reduce the final cytolytic activity of lymphocytes after DC-Tu stimulation, mimicking defective DC function. These putrescine-induced deficiencies were reversed by treating DCs with all-trans retinoic acid. CONCLUSION: These data are consistent with blockade of antigen-presenting cells at an early stage of differentiation in patients with breast cancer. Putrescine released in the microenvironmement of DCs could be involved in this blockade. Use of all-trans retinoic acid treatment to reverse this blockade and favour ex vivo expansion of antigen-specific T lymphocytes is of real interest

Consensus guidelines for the definition of time-to-event end points in image-guided tumor ablation: results of the SIO and DATECAN initiative

International audienceThere is currently no consensus regarding preferred clinical outcome measures following image-guided tumor ablation or clear definitions of oncologic end points. This consensus document proposes standardized definitions for a broad range of oncologic outcome measures with recommendations on how to uniformly document, analyze, and report outcomes. The initiative was coordinated by the Society of Interventional Oncology in collaboration with the Definition for the Assessment of Time-to-Event End Points in Cancer Trials, or DATECAN, group. According to predefined criteria, based on experience with clinical trials, an international panel of 62 experts convened. Recommendations were developed using the validated three-step modified Delphi consensus method. Consensus was reached on when to assess outcomes per patient, per session, or per tumor; on starting and ending time and survival time definitions; and on time-to-event end points. Although no consensus was reached on the preferred classification system to report complications, quality of life, and health economics issues, the panel did agree on using the most recent version of a validated patient-reported outcome questionnaire. This article provides a framework of key opinion leader recommendations with the intent to facilitate a clear interpretation of results and standardize worldwide communication. Widespread adoption will improve reproducibility, allow for accurate comparisons, and avoid misinterpretations in the field of interventional oncology research. Published under a CC BY 4.0 license. Online supplemental material is available for this article. See also the editorial by Liddell in this issue

Utilisation des cellules dendritiques comme cellules présentatrices d'antigènes de tumeur à des fins d'éducation lymphocytaire in vitro/par Alban Gervais ; sous la dir. de Véronique Catros-Quemener

Les cellules dendritiques (DC) jouent un rôle central dans le système immunitaire. Notre travail a consisté à utiliser ces DC pour tenter de reproduire in vitro les conditions optimales d'une réponse immunitaire antitumorale. Nous avons recherché comment apprêter les DC avec les multiples antigènes associés aux cellules de la lignée de mélanome M74 pour stimuler des lymphocytes. Différentes procédures ont été évaluées : le traitement des M74 par irradiation, par induction d'apoptose, par induction de nécrose; le traitement par le TNF alpha ou l'IFN gamma; l'opsonisation par des Immunoglobulines; la fusion entre les M74 et les DC. Ces traitements ont permis d'amplifier la prolifération des lymphocytes, et d'augmenter leur capacité cytotoxique contre les cellules M74. Des différences sont apparues dans la capacité des lymphocytes à sécréter de l'IFN gamma ainsi que dans leur spécificité vis-à-vis de l’antigène MelanA. L'induction de la nécrose des cellules M74 par le peroxyde d'hydrogène a permis d'obtenir les meilleurs résultats.RENNES1-BU Sciences Philo (352382102) / SudocSudocFranceF

Can peripartum cardiomyopathy be familial?

Published in "International Journal of Cardiology" vol.137, n°2(Letter to the Editor) Peripartum cardiomyopathy (PPCM) is a rare disorder, with four principal features: 1--development of cardiac heart failure in the last month of pregnancy or within five months after delivery, 2--absence of an identifiable cause for heart failure, 3--absence of underlying heart disease prior to the last month of pregnancy, 4--evidence of left ventricular systolic dysfunction by classic echocardiographic criteria. Reported forms of familial peripartum cardiomyopathy are exceptional. Our observation emphasizes the interest of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) in the investigation of an acute heart failure occurring during the peripartum and allows us to evoke a genetic predisposition in some cases of PPCM, to discuss the fact that some forms of familial PPCM could be unknown familial dilated cardiomyopathy unmasked by pregnancy, and to wonder on the familial screening modalities

Adoptive immunotherapy monitored by micro-MRI in experimental colorectal liver metastasis.

International audienceIn this study we used the colon carcinoma DHDK12 cell line and generated single metastasis after subcapsular injection in BDIX rats as an experimental tumor model. The aim of the work was to set up in vitro experimental conditions to prepare immune effector cells and in vivo conditions for monitoring the effects of such cells injected as adoptive immunotherapy. Dendritic cells can process tumor cell antigens, induce a T-cell response and be used ex vivo to prepare activated lymphocytes. Lymphocytes were harvested from mesenteric lymph nodes and cocultured with bone marrow-derived autologous dendritic cells previously loaded with irradiated tumor cells. In vitro, the coculture: 1) induced the proliferation of lymphocytes, 2) expanded a preferential subpopulation of T CD8 lymphocytes, and 3) was in favor of lymphocyte cytotoxic activity against the DHDK12 tumor cell line. Activated lymphocytes were injected in the tumor-bearing rat portal vein. Parameters could be set to monitor tumor volume by micro MRI. This monitoring before and after treatment and immunohistochemical examinations revealed that: 1) micro MRI is an appropriate tool to survey metastasis growth in rat, 2) injected lymphocytes increase lesional infiltration with T CD8 cells even 15 days after treatment, 3) a dose of 50 millions lymphocytes is not sufficient to act on the course of the tumor

Consensus Guidelines for the Definition of Time-to-Event End Points in Image-guided Tumor Ablation: Results of the SIO and DATECAN Initiative.

There is currently no consensus regarding preferred clinical outcome measures following image-guided tumor ablation or clear definitions of oncologic end points. This consensus document proposes standardized definitions for a broad range of oncologic outcome measures with recommendations on how to uniformly document, analyze, and report outcomes. The initiative was coordinated by the Society of Interventional Oncology in collaboration with the Definition for the Assessment of Time-to-Event End Points in Cancer Trials, or DATECAN, group. According to predefined criteria, based on experience with clinical trials, an international panel of 62 experts convened. Recommendations were developed using the validated three-step modified Delphi consensus method. Consensus was reached on when to assess outcomes per patient, per session, or per tumor; on starting and ending time and survival time definitions; and on time-to-event end points. Although no consensus was reached on the preferred classification system to report complications, quality of life, and health economics issues, the panel did agree on using the most recent version of a validated patient-reported outcome questionnaire. This article provides a framework of key opinion leader recommendations with the intent to facilitate a clear interpretation of results and standardize worldwide communication. Widespread adoption will improve reproducibility, allow for accurate comparisons, and avoid misinterpretations in the field of interventional oncology research. Published under a CC BY 4.0 license. Online supplemental material is available for this article. See also the editorial by Liddell in this issue