Secondary headaches: secondary or still primary?

The second edition of the International Classification of Headache Disorders makes a distinction between primary and secondary headaches. The diagnosis of a secondary headache is made if the underlying disease is thought to cause headache or if a close temporal relationship is present together with the occurrence of the headache. At first glance, this may allow clearly secondary headaches to be distinguished from primary headaches. However, by reviewing the available literature concerning several selected secondary headaches, we will discuss the hypothesis that some secondary headaches can also be understood as a variation of primary headaches in the sense that the underlying cause (e.g. infusion of glyceryl trinitrate [ICHD-II 8.1.1], epilepsy [7.6.2], brain tumours [7.4], craniotomy [5.7], etc.) triggers the same neurophysiologic mechanisms that are responsible for the pain in primary headache attacks

IGFBP-rP1, a potential molecule associated with colon cancer differentiation

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>In our previous studies, we have demonstrated that insulin-like growth factor binding protein-related protein1 (IGFBP-rP1) played its potential tumor suppressor role in colon cancer cells through apoptosis and senescence induction. In this study, we will further uncover the role of IGFBP-rP1 in colon cancer differentiation and a possible mechanism by revealing responsible genes.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>In normal colon epithelium, immunohistochemistry staining detected a gradient IGFBP-rP1 expression along the axis of the crypt. IGFBP-rP1 strongly expressed in the differentiated cells at the surface of the colon epithelium, while weakly expressed at the crypt base. In colon cancer tissues, the expression of IGFBP-rP1 correlated positively with the differentiation status. IGFBP-rP1 strongly expressed in low grade colorectal carcinoma and weakly expressed in high grade colorectal carcinoma. In vitro, transfection of PcDNA3.1(IGFBP-rP1) into RKO, SW620 and CW2 cells induced a more pronounced anterior-posterior polarity morphology, accompanied by upregulation with alkaline phosphatase (AKP) activity. Upregulation of carcino-embryonic antigen (CEA) was also observed in SW620 and CW2 transfectants. The addition of IGFBP-rP1 protein into the medium could mimic most but not all effects of IGFBP-rP1 cDNA transfection. Seventy-eight reproducibly differentially expressed genes were detected in PcDNA3.1(IGFBP-rP1)-RKO transfectants, using Affymetrix 133 plus 2.0 expression chip platform. Directed Acyclic Graph (DAG) of the enriched GO categories demonstrated that differential expression of the enzyme regulator activity genes together with cytoskeleton and actin binding genes were significant. IGFBP-rP1 could upreguate Transgelin (TAGLN), downregulate SRY (sex determining region Y)-box 9(campomelic dysplasia, autosomal sex-reversal) (SOX9), insulin receptor substrate 1(IRS1), cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor 2B (p15, inhibits CDK4) (CDKN2B), amphiregulin(schwannoma-derived growth factor) (AREG) and immediate early response 5-like(IER5L) in RKO, SW620 and CW2 colon cancer cells, verified by Real time Reverse Transcription Polymerase Chain Reaction (rtRT-PCR). During sodium butyrate-induced Caco2 cell differentiation, IGFBP-rP1 was upregulated and the expression showed significant correlation with the AKP activity. The downregulation of IRS1 and SOX9 were also induced by sodium butyrate.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>IGFBP-rP1 was a potential key molecule associated with colon cancer differentiation. Downregulation of IRS1 and SOX9 may the possible key downstream genes involved in the process.</p

Biomarkers and outcome after tamoxifen treatment in node-positive breast cancers from elderly women

The predictive role of tumour proliferative rate and expression of p53, bcl-2 and bax proteins, alone and in association with tumour size, nodal involvement and oestrogen receptors (ER), was analysed on 145 elderly patients (≥70 years of age) with histologically assessed node-positive breast cancers treated with radical or conservative surgery plus radiotherapy followed by adjuvant tamoxifen for at least 1 year. The 7-year probability of relapse was significantly higher for patients with tumours rapidly proliferating (hazard ratio (HR) = 2.0, P = 0.01), overexpressing p53 (HR = 4.4, P = 0.0001), weakly or not exhibiting bcl-2 (HR = 1.9, P = 0.02), without ERs (HR = 3.4, P = 0.0001) or with ≥ 4 positive lymph nodes (HR = 2.3, P = 0.003) than for patients with tumours expressing the opposite patho-biological profile. Conversely, tumour size and bax expression failed to influence relapse-free survival. Adjustment for the duration of tamoxifen treatment did not change these findings. Oestrogen receptors, cell proliferation, p53 accumulation and bcl-2 expression were also predictive for overall survival. Within ER-positive tumours, cell proliferation, p53 accumulation, bcl-2 expression and lymph node involvement provided significant and independent information for relapse and, in association, identified subgroups of patients with relapse probabilities of 20% (low-risk group, exhibiting only one unfavourable factor) to 90% (high-risk group, exhibiting three unfavourable factors). Such data could represent the initial framework for a biologically tailored therapy even for elderly patients and highlight the importance of a patho-biological characterization of their breast cancers. © 2000 Cancer Research Campaig

Hemifacial spasm due to a tentorial paramedian meningioma: a case report.

Hemifacial spasm (HFS) is a movement disorder characterised by involuntary paroxysmal facial movements that usually involve the orbicularis oculi and then spread to the other facial muscles. A microvascular compression and demyelination of the seventh nerve at its exit from the brain stem is considered to be the main aetiology of HFS. In addition to rare idiopathic (cryptogenetic) cases, others causes of HFS exist: tumours or vascular malformations have been described, of both the ipsilateral and contralateral cerebellopontine angle (CPA). However, space-occupying lesions in locations other than CPA are usually not thought to be responsible for HFS. Here we describe the case of a 45-year-old woman suffering from HFS, who dramatically improved after surgical removal of a tentorial paramedian meningioma

An exponential scaling law for the strain dependence of the Nb3Sn critical current density

The critical current density of the Nb3Sn superconductor is strongly dependent on the strain applied to the material. In order to investigate this dependence, it is a common practice to measure the critical current of Nb3Sn strands for different values of applied axial strain. In the literature, several models have been proposed to describe these experimental data in the reversible strain region. All these models are capable of fitting the measurement results in the strain region where data are collected, but tend to predict unphysical trends outside the range of data, and especially for large strain values. In this paper we present a model of a new strain function, together with the results obtained by applying the new scaling law on relevant datasets. The data analyzed consisted of the critical current measurements at 4.2 K that were carried out under applied axial strain at Durham University and the University of Geneva on different strand types. With respect to the previous models proposed, the new scaling function does not present problems at large strain values, has a lower number of fitting parameters (only two instead of three or four), and is very stable, so that, starting from few experimental points, it can estimate quite accurately the strand behavior in a strain region where there are no data. A relationship is shown between the proposed strain function and the elastic strain energy, and an analogy is drawn with the exponential form of the McMillan equation for the critical temperature