Cognitive-behavioral therapy in smoking cessation: a review of the literature

Background: Smoking cessation is associated with significant health benefits. A review on the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) in smoking cessation would help identify proven effective interventions and enable more informed treatment decisions. Objective: The aim of this theoretical review is to map the effectiveness of CBT and its components in smoking cessation using a non-systematic search. Methods: 272 reviews published in English in the last 10 years were found in the PubMed database using keywords. These were sorted out and supplemented with other articles for a total of 108 processed articles. Results: The effectiveness of CBT in smoking cessation as a stand-alone treatment or treatment enhancing the pharmacotherapy has been demonstrated in large clinical trials, both in individual (RR vs. minimal intervention 1.57 (1.40 - 1.77)) and in group counseling (RR vs. self-help program 1.88 (1.52 - 2.33)). The effectiveness increased with the intensity of the therapy. Of the individual components, commitment, feedback to behavior, social reward, identity associated with changed behavior and financial reward were significantly effective. Information about emotional consequences and reframing the slip had a significantly negative impact. The effectiveness of improving coping skills...Východiska: Zanechání kouření je spojeno s významným zdravotním přínosem. Přehled literatury o účinnosti kognitivně-behaviorální terapie (KBT) v odvykání kouření by pomohl rozpoznat prokazatelně účinné intervence a umožnil informovanější rozhodování o způsobech léčby. Cíl: Cílem této teoretické přehledové práce je zmapovat účinnost KBT a jejích jednotlivých prvků v odvykání kouření pomocí nesystematické rešerše. Metody: V databázi PubMed bylo pomocí klíčových slov vyhledáno 272 review publikovaných v anglickém jazyce v posledních 10 letech. Ta byla selektována a doplněna o další články na celkový počet 108 zpracovaných článků. Výsledky: Účinnost KBT jako samostatné léčby i léčby zvyšující účinek farmakoterapie v odvykání kouření byla prokázána v rozsáhlých klinických studiích, a to jak v individuálním (RR proti minimální intervenci 1.57 (1.40 - 1.77)), tak ve skupinovém (RR proti svépomocnému programu 1.88 (1.52 - 2.33)) poradenství. Účinnost se zvyšovala s intenzitou terapie. Analýza účinnosti jednotlivých složek KBT ukázala signifikantně pozitivní efekt závazku, zpětné vazby k chování, společenské odměny, identity spojené se změněným chováním a finanční odměny. Signifikantně negativní dopad měly dvě techniky, informace o emočních důsledcích a přerámování lapsu. Nepodařilo se prokázat účinnost...Klinika adiktologie 1. LF UK a VFNDepartment of Addictology First Faculty of Medicine Charles University and General University Hospital in PragueFirst Faculty of Medicine1. lékařská fakult

LIME: A New Membrane Raft-associated Adaptor Protein Involved in CD4 and CD8 Coreceptor Signaling

Lymphocyte membrane rafts contain molecules critical for immunoreceptor signaling. Here, we report identification of a new raft-associated adaptor protein LIME (Lck-interacting molecule) expressed predominantly in T lymphocytes. LIME becomes tyrosine phosphorylated after cross-linking of the CD4 or CD8 coreceptors. Phospho-LIME associates with the Src family kinase Lck and its negative regulator, Csk. Ectopic expression of LIME in Jurkat T cells results in an increase of Csk in lipid rafts, increased phosphorylation of Lck and higher Ca2+ response to CD3 stimulation. Thus, LIME appears to be involved in regulation of T cell activation by coreceptors

Non–T Cell Activation Linker (NTAL): A Transmembrane Adaptor Protein Involved in Immunoreceptor Signaling

A key molecule necessary for activation of T lymphocytes through their antigen-specific T cell receptor (TCR) is the transmembrane adaptor protein LAT (linker for activation of T cells). Upon TCR engagement, LAT becomes rapidly tyrosine phosphorylated and then serves as a scaffold organizing a multicomponent complex that is indispensable for induction of further downstream steps of the signaling cascade. Here we describe the identification and preliminary characterization of a novel transmembrane adaptor protein that is structurally and evolutionarily related to LAT and is expressed in B lymphocytes, natural killer (NK) cells, monocytes, and mast cells but not in resting T lymphocytes. This novel transmembrane adaptor protein, termed NTAL (non–T cell activation linker) is the product of a previously identified WBSCR5 gene of so far unknown function. NTAL becomes rapidly tyrosine-phosphorylated upon cross-linking of the B cell receptor (BCR) or of high-affinity Fcγ- and Fcɛ-receptors of myeloid cells and then associates with the cytoplasmic signaling molecules Grb2, Sos1, Gab1, and c-Cbl. NTAL expressed in the LAT-deficient T cell line J.CaM2.5 becomes tyrosine phosphorylated and rescues activation of Erk1/2 and minimal transient elevation of cytoplasmic calcium level upon TCR/CD3 cross-linking. Thus, NTAL appears to be a structural and possibly also functional homologue of LAT in non–T cells

Cognitive-behavioral therapy in smoking cessation: a review of the literature

Background: Smoking cessation is associated with significant health benefits. A review on the effectiveness of cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) in smoking cessation would help identify proven effective interventions and enable more informed treatment decisions. Objective: The aim of this theoretical review is to map the effectiveness of CBT and its components in smoking cessation using a non-systematic search. Methods: 272 reviews published in English in the last 10 years were found in the PubMed database using keywords. These were sorted out and supplemented with other articles for a total of 108 processed articles. Results: The effectiveness of CBT in smoking cessation as a stand-alone treatment or treatment enhancing the pharmacotherapy has been demonstrated in large clinical trials, both in individual (RR vs. minimal intervention 1.57 (1.40 - 1.77)) and in group counseling (RR vs. self-help program 1.88 (1.52 - 2.33)). The effectiveness increased with the intensity of the therapy. Of the individual components, commitment, feedback to behavior, social reward, identity associated with changed behavior and financial reward were significantly effective. Information about emotional consequences and reframing the slip had a significantly negative impact. The effectiveness of improving coping skills..

AIRE Recruits P-TEFb for Transcriptional Elongation of Target Genes in Medullary Thymic Epithelial Cells▿ †

AIRE is a transcriptional activator that directs the ectopic expression of many tissue-specific genes in medullary thymic epithelial cells, which plays an important role in the negative selection of autoreactive T cells. However, its mechanism of action remains poorly understood. In this study, we found that AIRE regulates the step of elongation rather than initiation of RNA polymerase II. For these effects, AIRE bound and recruited P-TEFb to target promoters in medullary thymic epithelial cells. In these cells, AIRE activated the ectopic transcription of insulin and salivary protein 1 genes. Indeed, by chromatin immunoprecipitation, we found that RNA polymerase II was already engaged on these promoters but was unable to elongate in the absence of AIRE. Moreover, the genetic inactivation of cyclin T1 from P-TEFb abolished the transcription of AIRE-responsive genes and led to lymphocytic infiltration of lacrimal and salivary glands in the CycT1−/− mouse. Our findings reveal critical steps by which AIRE regulates the transcription of genes that control central tolerance in the thymus

How to make usage of the standardized EuroFlow 8-color protocols possible for instruments of different manufacturers

International audienceA critical component of the EuroFlow standardization of leukemia/lymphoma immunophenotyping is instrument setup. Initially, the EuroFlow consortium developed a step-by-step standard operating protocol for instrument setup of ≥8-color flow cytometers that were available in 2006, when the EuroFlow activities started. Currently, there are 14 instruments from 9 manufacturers capable of 3-laser excitation and ≥8 color measurements. The specific adaptations required in the instrument set-up to enable them to acquire the standardized 8-color EuroFlow protocols are described here. Overall, all 14 instruments can be fitted with similar violet, blue and red lasers for simultaneous measurements of ≥8 fluorescent dyes. Since individual instruments differ both on their dynamic range (scale) and emission filters, it is not accurate to simply recalculate the target values to different scale, but adjustment of PMT voltages to a given emission filter and fluorochrome, is essential. For this purpose, EuroFlow has developed an approach using Type IIB (spectrally matching) particles to set-up standardized and fully comparable fluorescence measurements, in instruments from different manufacturers, as demonstrated here for the FACSCanto II, and Navios and MACSQuant flow cytometers. Data acquired after such adjustment on any of the tested cytometry platforms could be fully superimposed and therefore analyzed together. The proposed approach can be used to derive target values for any combination of spectrally distinct fluorochromes and any distinct emission filter of any new flow cytometry platform, which enables the measurement of the 8-color EuroFlow panels in a standardized way, by creating superimposable datafiles