Is there a relation between type of primary melanoma treatment and the development of intralymphatic metastasis? A review of the literature

AbstractBackgroundIntralymphatic metastases (ILM) originate from tumor cell emboli entrapped in dermal lymphatics between primary tumor and regional lymph node basin. Because of this origin, sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB) might increase ILM by restricting lymph flow.MethodsPubmed, Embase, Cochrane and Medline were searched for articles on ILM between 1980 and September 2014. ILM Incidences were calculated after wide local excision (WLE), excision with elective lymph node dissection (ELND) or therapeutic lymph node dissection (TLND), WLE with SLNB with or without completion lymph node dissection (CLND) and delayed lymph node dissection (DLND) for patients developing nodal metastasis during follow-up.ResultsIn 36 studies, 14,729 patients underwent WLE, 1682 patients WLE/ELND, 362 patients WLE/DLND and 11,201 patients WLE/SLNB. On meta-analysis, ILM occurrence was 3.4% (95% CI 2.8–4.2%). ILM occurred most frequently in the WLE/DLND group (5.5%, 95% CI 3.5–8.7%), followed by WLE/ELND (4.7%, 95% CI 3.1–7.0%), WLE/SLNB (4.5%, 95% CI 3.5–5.7%) and WLE alone (1.9%, 95% CI 1.4–2.7%). 1330 SLNB+ patients were identified and 5783 SLNB− patients. For these groups, on meta-analysis, ILM recurrence was 13.2% (95% CI 10.8–16.2%) and 3.4% (95% CI 2.5–4.5%), respectively (p=0.01).ConclusionIn this review SLNB is associated with an increase of ILM with an incidence of 1.9% for WLE vs. 3.4% for SNLB−. Selection bias in this review cannot be excluded. However, ILM occur four times more frequently after SLNB+ than SLNB− procedures and more often after SLNB+/CLND than WLE/DLND or WLE/ELND. ILM should therefore be viewed as a bio-marker of aggressive primary disease.SynopsisSentinel lymph node biopsy is thought to increase intralymphatic metastasis by restricting lymph flow. This review demonstrates that there is an increase in metastasis, but this result has to be interpreted with caution due to possible selection bias. Aggressive tumor characteristics are likely the cause of this increase

Relationships between sleeve trial and wearer trial assessment of discomfort and objective measurements

The relationships were investigated between the prickle discomfort scores, assessed by human response from wearer trial garment assessment, and sleeve trial, Wool ComfortMeter (WCM) and Wool HandleMeter (WHM) assessments of fabrics, and fiber diameter characteristics including mean fiber diameter (MFD). Sleeve trial assessment followed exercise, the use of a control sleeve to reduce participant variance and four sensory traits. WHM provides eight handle parameters calibrated against a panel of experts. Four scenarios were evaluated: sleeve trial assessment with MFD; sleeve trial assessment with MFD and WCM; sleeve trial assessment with MFD, WCM and WHM parameters; and sleeve trial assessment with WCM and WHM parameters. Data were analyzed using correlation and forward stepwise general linear modeling. There was no evidence that the incidence of fibers coarser than 30 µm aided the prediction of prickle discomfort once MFD had been accounted for in the models. There were significant correlations between the WCM measurement and each sleeve trial attribute. There was no significant correlation between WHM parameters and sleeve trial assessments. The sleeve trial attribute of ‘skin feel’ offers potential to improve the predictions made of wearer trial prickle discomfort when used in association of the WCM with or without data on fabric MFD. There was little evidence to support using WHM parameters with or without the WCM in predicting wearer assessed prickle discomfort of fabrics. These results indicate that the rapid evaluation of fabrics using sleeve trial assessment can provide cost effective ranking of consumer preferences

Use of S-100B to Evaluate Therapy Effects during Bevacizumab Induction Treatment in AJCC Stage III Melanoma

To investigate the feasibility of using bevacizumab to improve the survival of American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC) stage III melanoma patients, we investigated how a single bevacizumab treatment affected nodal disease and a panel of biomarkers in clinically fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (FDG-PET)/computed tomography (CT)-staged, stage III melanoma patients, prior to therapeutic lymph node dissection (TLND). Four weeks before TLND, nine patients (median age 50, range 28.8-62.1 years; two male, seven female) with palpable lymph node metastases received 7.5 mg/kg bevacizumab. Before and after this treatment, all patients were assessed by measurements of the maximum standardized uptake value (SUVmax) by FDG-PET scan, and serum S-100B and lactate dehydrogenase (LDH). After TLND, the dissection specimen was analyzed for number of removed lymph nodes, number of metastatic lymph nodes, and tumor necrosis. Median follow-up was 15.5 (2.2-32.9) months. Histopathological analysis revealed tumor necrosis in six patients, of whom five had an S-100B decline and one had an unchanged S-100B level after bevacizumab. The other three patients showed an S-100B increase and no necrosis. Tumor necrosis was correlated with S-100B decrease (P = 0.048). No association was found between necrosis and the markers SUVmax and LDH. No wound healing disturbances were encountered. Tumor necrosis in dissection specimens was associated with declining S-100B levels, while elevated S-100B was only found in cases with no necrosis. Bevacizumab might be useful in treating AJCC stage III melanoma patients prior to TLND, and S100-B appears to be a useful marker for assessment of treatment effects

Comparison of sapwood invasion by three Phytophthora spp.in different hosts

Many Phytophthora spp. have recently been isolated from native vegetation in Western Australia. As their pathogenicity is often unknown, it is not possible to provide advice to land managers on the impact of site infestation on native plants and how these infestations should be managed. We describe a rapid screening method based on sapwood invasion that has been used to compare the pathogenicity of Phytophthora arenaria, P. cinnamomi and P. multivora. Radial invasion into the xylem of six banksias and three eucalypts was assessed in an excised branch assay in summer and winter. Branches were wound inoculated and invasion was assessed by plating from a strip of tissue cut across the stem at the inoculation point and at 40 mm above and below. A symptomless infection had established in both the bark and sapwood within 6 days. P. arenaria was only isolated from the strip of tissue at the inoculation point. P. cinnamomi was isolated from the sapwood of Banksia attenuata, B. burdettii, B. menziesii and B. speciosa 40 mm above or below the inoculation point in some experiments. P. multivora was isolated from B. speciosa 40 mm below the inoculation point in one experiment. Hyphae of both species were seen in both ray parenchyma cells and xylem vessels. The invasiveness of the Phytophthora spp. was compared on the two groups of hosts using scores for sapwood invasion at the inoculation point. For banksias, P. cinnamomi and P. multivora had significantly higher invasion scores on banksias than P. arenaria but were not significantly different to one another. There was no significant difference between the three Phytophthora spp. on the eucalypt hosts. Assessing sapwood invasion provides a rapid, inexpensive and biologically meaningful way of screening the many Phytophthora spp. that have been isolated from native vegetation

Toksikološka svojstva citrinina

Citrinin (CTN) is a nephrotoxic mycotoxin produced by several fungal strains belonging to the genera Penicillium, Aspergillus, and Monascus. It contaminates various commodities of plant origin, cereals in particular, and is usually found together with another nephrotoxic mycotoxin, ochratoxin A (OTA). These two mycotoxins are believed to be involved in the aetiology of endemic nephropathy. In addition to nephrotoxicity, CTN is also embryocidal and fetotoxic. The genotoxic properties of CTN have been demonstrated with the micronuleus test (MN), but not with single-cell gel electrophoresis. The mechanism of CTN toxicity is not fully understood, especially not whether CTN toxicity and genotoxicity are the consequence of oxidative stress or of increased permeability of mitochondrial membranes. CTN requires complex cellular biotransformation to exert mutagenicity. Compared with other mycotoxins, CTN contamination of food and feed is rather scarce. However, it is reasonable to believe that humans are much more frequently exposed to CTN than generally accepted, because it is produced by the same moulds as OTA, which is a common contaminant of human food all over the world. At present, there are no specifi c regulations either in Croatia or in the European Union concerning CTN in any kind of commodity.Citrinin (CTN) nefrotoksičan je mikotoksin koji proizvode različiti sojevi plijesni iz rodova Penicillium, Aspergillus i Monascus. CTN se može naći u različitim namirnicama biljnog podrijetla, osobito u žitaricama i obično se nalazi zajedno s drugim nefrotoksičnim mikotoksinom, okratoksinom A (OTA). Pretpostavlja se da je izloženost ovim mikotoksinima povezana s nastankom endemske nefropatije. Osim što je nefrotoksičan, CTN je još i embricidan i fetotoksičan. Na genotoksičnost citrinina upućuje pozitivan mikronukleusni test na različitim vrstama staničnih kultura, iako je kometski test negativan. Mutagenost CTN-a očituje se na različitim vrstama stanica samo ako se pridodaju stanični aktivatori kao npr. S9-mix. Mehanizam toksičnosti CTN-a nije potpuno razjašnjen pa još uvijek traje znanstvena rasprava je li njegova toksičnost i genotoksičnost posljedica oksidacijskog stresa ili povećane permeabilnosti mitohondrijskih membrana. U dostupnoj literaturi podaci o kontaminiranosti hrane i krmiva ovim mikotoksinom mnogo su rjeđi od onih za druge mikotoksine. Može se pretpostaviti da su ljudi često izloženi ovom mikotoksinu zato što ga proizvode iste plijesni koje proizvode i OTA, a one kontaminiraju hranu po cijelom svijetu. U Hrvatskoj i u zemljama Europske Unije ne postoje zakonske odredbe o dopuštenim granicama CTN-a u bilo kojoj vrsti hrane

Maternal efficiency in beef cattle is not compromised by selection for leanness or feed efficiency

Beef cattle producers are concerned that selecting for carcass traits such as leanness, or for increased feed efficiency, might be deleterious to maternal efficiency and limit the use of genetic improvement technologies such as Estimated Breeding Values (EBVs). We define maternal efficiency by production parameters such as days to calving, birth weight, growth rate, weaning weight, as well as efficiency measures such as total intake and kg weaned per megajoule of metabolisable energy consumed per cow calf unit – kg weaned/MJ ME intake. Selecting for leanness in cattle is of economic benefit due to the relationship to higher yielding carcasses (Nkrumah et al., 2004). Net Feed Intake (NFI) is a trait used to measure feed efficiency in beef cattle, and is calculated as the actual amount of feed eaten by an individual animal less the expected amount of feed consumed based on the animal’s growth rate and body weight (Koch et al., 1963). Low NFI (high efficiency) is economically desirable due to the potential to reduce feed costs and increase stocking rates. Both traits affect the body condition of dams and this is closely linked to maternal traits in cattle (Morris on et al., 1999; Roche et al., 2000; Meikle et al., 2004). This experiment aims to quantify the impact on the breeder herd of selection for leanness or feed efficiency over three breeding cycles. The impact of level of nutrition was also assessed

The hydration status of lambs after lairage at two Australian abattoirs

Urine samples were collected from lambs slaughtered at 2 abattoirs, 1 in Western Australia (WA) and 1 in Victoria (Vic.), for the purpose of estimating hydration status at the time of slaughter. Collections were made from 219 consignments at WA and 57 consignments at Vic., over a 12-month period commencing in July 2003 and finishing in June 2004. The average consignment urine specific gravity was high, suggesting subclinical dehydration was common at both abattoirs. Consignment urine specific gravity was higher at Vic. than WA during the months from January to June. Analyses of demographic data collected at WA suggested that average consignment urine specific gravity was higher in sucker lambs than carry over lambs, highest in August and lowest in January, and higher in lambs from the south-eastern districts compared with other districts within the state

Tumor Mitotic Rate Added to the Equation:Melanoma Prognostic Factors Changed?

This study aimed to investigate the predictive value of the tumor mitotic rate per mm(2) (TMR) for sentinel lymph node (SLN) status and survival in intermediate and thick cutaneous melanoma. Patients treated for stage I and II melanoma with wide local excision and SLN biopsy between May 1995 and May 2013 were analyzed. In case of insufficient data regarding TMR, pathology slides were reanalyzed. Prognostic factors for SLN status and survival were analyzed with the emphasis on TMR, which was analyzed as a continuous variable, dichotomized (median value) and categorized by two methods. The study analyzed 453 patients with complete TMR data. The median Breslow thickness was 2.20 mm, and 31.8 % of patients had tumor-positive sentinel lymph node biopsies (SLNBs). In the univariate analysis, TMR was associated with tumor-positive SLNB. This association was not significant in the multivariate analysis. Breslow thickness, primary tumor location on trunk and legs, and younger age were associated with tumor-positive SNLB. At a median follow-up of 47 months, 119 patients (26.3 %) had recurrent disease, and 92 (20.3 %) had died of melanoma. In the univariate analysis, TMR could be established as a significant prognostic factor for disease-free and disease-specific survival, but not in the multivariate analyses. Breslow thickness, ulcerated melanoma, and tumor-positive SLNB were significant prognostic factors for survival. The study was unable to establish TMR as an independent prognostic factor associated with the presence of SLN metastasis. Regarding survival, increasing TMR showed a strong association with decreased survival in the univariate analysis, but this association was rendered nonsignificant by the importance of Breslow thickness and ulceration status in the multivariate model