An analysis of p53, BAX and vascular endothelial growth factor expression in node-positive rectal cancer. Relationships with tumour recurrence and event-free survival of patients treated with adjuvant chemoradiation

Tumours of patients with node-positive rectal cancer were studied by immunohistochemistry for p53, BAX and vascular endothelial growth factor expressions. Results were correlated to the relapse rate, the pattern of relapse and the event-free survival after radical surgery and adjuvant chemoradiation. After a median follow-up of 60 months, 39 patients remained disease-free and 40 patients relapsed (18 local relapses and 22 distant metastases). The majority of disease-free patients showed p53 negative and vascular endothelial growth factor negative tumours. Local relapses occurred more frequently in patients with p53 overexpressing tumours (P<0.01), while distant metastases were in patients with vascular endothelial growth factor positive tumours (P<0.003). Patients with p53 negative or vascular endothelial growth factor negative tumours showed better event-free survival than patients with p53 positive or vascular endothelial growth factor positive tumours. BAX analysis did not show any association with patients' outcome and it was unrelated to the p53 status. Adjuvant treatment strategies for node-positive rectal cancer may be improved by identifying categories of high-risk patients. In this study, vascular endothelial growth factor and p53 expressions correlated with recurrent disease, pattern of relapse and poor event-free survival

Color Doppler imaging in glaucoma patients with asymmetric visual field loss

WOS: 000088656400016With color Doppler imaging, we attempted to determine whether glaucoma patients with asymmetric visual field losses had evidence of asymmetric blood flow velocities in the central retinal artery despite similar intraocular pressure (IOP) curves in both eyes. We found that eyes with more severe visual field damage had an increased local resistance to blood flow in the central retinal artery. Thus vascular factors might have important roles in the pathogenesis of primary open-angle glaucoma

Communities and change in the anthropocene: understanding social-ecological vulnerability and planning adaptations to multiple interacting exposures

The majority of vulnerability and adaptation scholarship, policies and programs focus exclusively on climate change or global environmental change. Yet, individuals, communities and sectors experience a broad array of multi-scalar and multi-temporal, social, political, economic and environmental changes to which they are vulnerable and must adapt. While extensive theoretical-and increasingly empirical-work suggests the need to explore multiple exposures, a clear conceptual framework which would facilitate analysis of vulnerability and adaptation to multiple interacting socioeconomic and biophysical changes is lacking. This review and synthesis paper aims to fill this gap through presenting a conceptual framework for integrating multiple exposures into vulnerability analysis and adaptation planning. To support applications of the framework and facilitate assessments and comparative analyses of community vulnerability, we develop a comprehensive typology of drivers and exposures experienced by coastal communities. Our results reveal essential elements of a pragmatic approach for local-scale vulnerability analysis and for planning appropriate adaptations within the context of multiple interacting exposures. We also identify methodologies for characterizing exposures and impacts, exploring interactions and identifying and prioritizing responses. This review focuses on coastal communities; however, we believe the framework, typology and approach will be useful for understanding vulnerability and planning adaptation to multiple exposures in various social-ecological contexts