Safety and Feasibility of Carboplatin and Paclitaxel followed by Fluoropyrimidine Analogs and Radiation as Adjuvant Therapy for Gastric Cancer

Background: Adjuvant 5-fluorouracil (5FU)-based chemo-radiotherapy is currently considered a standard of care for the treatment of gastric cancer. The impact of 5FU-based adjuvant therapy on the rate of distant recurrence has been modest. In order to improve the systemic effects of adjuvant therapy, we have been treating patients with resected gastric cancer with carboplatin and paclitaxel followed by fluoropyrimidine analogue and radiation. Methods: We report on the outcomes of 21 consecutive gastric cancer patients treated off protocol with adjuvant carboplatin (area under the curve 5 mg/ml × min) and paclitaxel (175–200 mg/m2) every 3 weeks, followed by concurrent pyrimidine analogs (either capecitabine 1,600–2,000 mg/m2/day in 17 patients, or 5FU 200 mg/m2/day in 4 patients) and radiation (45–50.4 Gy). Patients received a total of 4–6 cycles of carboplatin and paclitaxel. Results: The median age at diagnosis was 60 years. Sixteen patients had stage 3 disease and 7 of them had positive surgical margins (6 with R1 and 1 with R2 resection), 3 patients were stage 2, and 2 patients were stage 1 (all had R0 resection). All patients had D1/D2 (4 had D2 and 17 had D1) lymph node dissection. The incidence of grade 3 or higher overall, hematologic, or gastrointestinal toxicity in the patients receiving carboplatin and paclitaxel was 57, 48 and 10%, respectively. No treatment-related deaths were observed. After adjuvant treatment 15 patients developed recurrent disease, 10 of whom had distant metastases. The median recurrence-free survival (RFS) was 12.3 months. The median overall survival (OS) was 16.0 months. Patients with R0 resection had significantly longer OS than did those with positive surgical margins (log-rank p = 0.0060). Median OS for the R0 resection group was 28.8 months. Conclusions: Carboplatin and paclitaxel added to radiation plus fluoropyrimidine analogs is a well-tolerated regimen in the adjuvant setting. The activity of this regimen in this relatively high-risk group of gastric cancer patients is of interest for future development

Les mécanismes cellulaires de la gonadogenèse chez l'amphibien xenopus tropicals (étude histologique et immunohistologique)

Dans le cadre des efforts qui visent à introduire Xenopus tropicalis comme un nouveau modèle en biologie du développement et de la reproduction, nous avons effectué une étude histologique, cytologique et immunohistologique de la gonadogenèse, afin de comprendre le processus de la différenciation sexuelle chez cette espèce. Nous avons montré que la gonadogenèse progresse selon un gradient antéro postérieur. En l absence de marqueurs génétiques du sexe, ce gradient nous a permis de définir les différentes étapes de la différenciation histologique des gonades. Nous avons montré que la structure corticomédullaire, présente dans les gonades des deux sexes chez la plupart des vertébrés, n est visible que dans la gonade femelle chez X. tropicalis. Afin d édifier une table de développement gonadique, nous avons établi la correspondance entre les stades gonadiques que nous avons défini avec ceux du développement larvaire. Cette table pourrait ainsi servir à étudier les effets des différents facteurs sur la différenciation sexuelle.Nous avons ensuite analysé par hybridation in situ et par immunohistologie l expression de SOX9, un gène conservé chez les vertébrés et dont le rôle dans la différenciation du sexe chez les amniotes est bien connu. Nos résultats montrent que SOX9 n est pas nécessaire pour déclencher les premiers événements de la différenciation sexuelle des gonades chez X. tropicalis ; en revanche, comme ceci a été décrit chez les amniotes, SOX9 aurait conservé un rôle dans les stades plus tardifs de la différenciation des gonades mâles. Par contre, contrairement aux amniotes, nos résultats montrent que SOX9 jouerait aussi un rôle au cours de l ovogenèse. Un tel rôle est discuté en relation avec l évolution des tétrapodes.PARIS-BIUSJ-Physique recherche (751052113) / SudocSudocFranceF

Working map of the lampbrush chromosomes of Xenopus tropicalis: A new tool for cytogenetic analyses.

International audienceThe amphibian Xenopus tropicalis, whose genome has been recently sequenced, has become an important model organism for vertebrate developmental genetics. The development of cytogenetic tools in this new model organism should contribute to an understanding of the organization of the amphibian genome and the mapping of a variety of loci of interest. In this respect, oocyte lampbrush chromosomes are particularly useful for the localization of genomic sequences expressed during oogenesis. We have constructed a working map of X. tropicalis lampbrush chromosomes, which allows the 10 bivalents of the oocyte karyotype to be readily identified by distinctive combinations of specific landmark structures composed of lateral loops, spheres, and granules. We have also established the patterns of RNA Pol III sites over the chromosomes by immunofluorescence using antibodies directed against two Pol III subunits. Specific staining patterns were found for each chromosome, which constitute a supplementary tool for their identification. Developmental Dynamics 238:1492-1501, 2009. (c) 2009 Wiley-Liss, Inc

Early aspects of gonadal sex differentiation in Xenopus tropicalis with reference to an antero-posterior gradient.

International audienceIn an effort to contribute to the development of Xenopus tropicalis as an amphibian model system, we carried out a detailed histological analysis of the process of gonadal sex differentiation and were able to find evidence that gonadal differentiation in X. tropicalis follows an antero-posterior gradient. Although the main reason for the presence of a gradient of sex differentiation is still unknown, this gradient enabled us to define the early events that signal ovarian and testicular differentiation and to identify the undifferentiated gonad structure. Given the various advantages of this emerging model, our work paves the way for experiments that should contribute to our understanding of the dynamics and mechanisms of gonadal sex differentiation in amphibians. J. Exp. Zool. 309A, 2008. (c) 2008 Wiley-Liss, Inc

Comparison of Cefuroxim versus Cefotaxim in the Treatment of Pneumonia in Children Aged 3 Months- 5 Years an Imaging and Clinical Examination Evidence: Randomized Controlled Trial.

Pneumonia is a common and potentially serious infection that affects children throughout the world. The aim of this study was to compare between cefuroxim and cefotaxim in the treatment of children with pneumonia. All 3 months-5 years old children admitted from 2/1/2012 to 4/31/2012 at Dorrah Hospital in Gaza were included in this study. The clinical outcome, length of hospital stay, and the association of pneumonia incidence to gender and age were compared. Of the 110 children admitted for non-complicated community acquired pneumonia (CAP), sixty patients were treated with cefuroxime and fifty were treated with cefotaxim. Clinical outcome and length of hospital stay is similar between both groups. Interestingly, the pneumonia incidence is higher in younger children and males. In conclusion, both drugs have similar treatment efficacy in terms of clinical outcome and the length of hospital stay. However, cefuroxim has several advantages over cefotaxim, including (1) oral form, allowing outpatient management, (2) less frequency of administration. Thereby, it should be recommended to treat pneumonia in children. [Med-Science 2014; 3(3.000): 1470-8