M & L Jaargang 27/1

Patrick M.M.A. Bringmans en Pierre M. Vermeersch Veldwezelt-Hezerwater. Een eerste beschermd Midden-Paleolithisch monument in Vlaanderen. [Veldwezelt-Hezerwater.]Een gematigd klimaat, een relatief open landschap of Mammout-steppe en grote kuddes dieren waren voor de menselijke aanwezigheid in Noordwest-Europa doorslaggevend.Hun met tussenpozen samenvallen tussen het Maasdal en Haspengouw verklaart de zowat 133.000 jaar oude sporen van bewoning in Veldwezelt-Hezerwater, meteen de vroegste in Vlaanderen en voldoende reden voor een wettelijke bescherming.Een primeur met handleiding door Patrick M.M.A. Bringmans en Pierre M. Vermeersch.Luc Rossen en Kim Raymakers De reconstructie van een engel en guirlande van Jan-Pieter Van Baurscheit de Jonge aan het Koninklijk Paleis op de Antwerpse Meir. [The reconstruction of the crowning angel statue with garland at the façade of the former Royal Palace in Antwerp, designed by Jan-Pieter Van Baurscheit De Jonge.]De reconstructie van een barokengel toegeschreven aan Jan-Peter Van Baurscheit, op het kuifstuk van het Koninklijk Paleis in Antwerpen, stelde de restaurateurs voor een delicate uitdaging.Niet alleen noopte de faam van de bouwmeester-beeldhouwer tot een doorgedreven documenteren, ook de optie om het oorspronkelijk uit steen gehouwen beeld te modelleren zorgde voor onverwachte complicaties.De bevindingen van Luc Rossen en Kim Raymakers lezen dan ook niet ongenuanceerd.Greet Plomteux Een beschermd herenhuis aan de Antwerpse Rotterdamstraat. [A Protected Mansion in the Antwerp Rotterdamstreet.]Het rijk gestoffeerde, eclectische rijhuis dat weduwe Merckx-Verellen aan de Antwerpse Rotterdamstraat liet optrekken door - en naast deze van - bouwmeester Jos Goeyvaerts, getuigt door de Vlaamse renaissance-art nouveau mengstijl en de opvallende Rozenkruiserssymboliek in vele opzichten van een vrijgevochten persoonlijkheid.Naar aanleiding van de recente bescherming en verhoopte binnenrestauratie zet Greet Plomteux de deuren van dit uitzonderlijk universum voor belangstellenden op een kier.Roger Deneef, Greta Paesmans, Jo Wijnant m.m.v. Jaak Jespers en Filip Van Elst Het Bloso-domein in Hofstade, een uniek recreatieproject uit het interbellum. [The Bloso estate of Hofstade near Malines, a unique recreation project from the interbellum period.]Sinds de kunstmatige totstandkoming aan de vooravond van Wereldoorlog I bleef het huidige BLOSO-domein niet van controverses gespaard.Van zandwinning en onbeheerd recreatiegebied ontpopten de waterplassen zich tijdens het interbellum tot speelterrein van modernistische ontwerpers en landschapsdesigners van diverse teneur en werd het Rijksdomein voor volkstoerisme een begrip.Nu de bescherming en nieuwe impulsen toekomstperspectieven openen, blikken Roger Deneef e.a. kritisch terug op een bewogen geschiedenis.Summar

Role of Bcl-2 as a prognostic factor for survival in lung cancer: a systematic review of the literature with meta-analysis

The role of the anti-apoptotic protein Bcl-2 in lung cancer remains controversial. In order to clarify its impact on survival in small and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), we performed a systematic review of the literature. Trials were selected for further analysis if they provided an independent assessment of Bcl-2 in lung cancer and reported analysis of survival data according to Bcl-2 status. To make it possible to aggregate survival results of the published studies, their methodology was assessed using a quality scale designed by the European Lung Cancer Working Party (including study design, laboratory methods and analysis). Of 28 studies, 11 identified Bcl-2 expression as a favourable prognostic factor and three linked it with poor prognosis; 14 trials were not significant. No differences in scoring measurement were detected between the studies, except that significantly higher scores were found in the trials with the largest sample sizes. Assessments of methodology and of laboratory technique were made independently of the conclusion of the trials. A total of 25 trials, comprising 3370 patients, provided sufficient information for the meta-analysis. The studies were categorised according to histology, disease stage and laboratory technique. The combined hazard ratio (HR) suggested that a positive Bcl-2 status has a favourable impact on survival: 0.70 (95% confidence interval 0.57-0.86) in seven studies on stages I-II NSCLC; 0.50 (0.39-0.65) in eight studies on surgically resected NSCLC; 0.91 (0.76-1.10) in six studies on any stage NSCLC; 0.57 (0.41-0.78) in five studies on squamous cell cancer; 0.75 (0.61-0.93) and 0.71 (0.61-0.83) respectively for five studies detecting Bcl-2 by immunohistochemistry with Ab clone 100 and for 13 studies assessing Bcl-2 with Ab clone 124; 0.92 (0.73-1.16) for four studies on small cell lung cancer; 1.26 (0.58-2.72) for three studies on neuroendocrine tumours. In NSCLC, Bcl-2 expression was associated with a better prognosis. The data on Bcl-2 expression in small cell lung cancer were insufficient to assess its prognostic value.Journal ArticleMeta-AnalysisResearch Support, Non-U.S. Gov'tReviewinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

The role of RAS oncogene in survival of patients with lung cancer: a systematic review of the literature with meta-analysis

The proto-oncogene RAS, coding for a 21 kDa protein (p21), is mutated in 20% of lung cancer. However, the literature remains controversial on its prognostic significance for survival in lung cancer. We performed a systematic review of the literature with meta-analysis to assess its possible prognostic value on survival. Published studies on lung cancer assessing prognostic value of RAS mutation or p21 overexpression on survival were identified by an electronic search. After a methodological assessment, we estimated individual hazard ratios (HR) estimating RAS protein alteration or RAS mutation effect on survival and combined them using meta-analytic methods. In total, 53 studies were found eligible, with 10 concerning the same cohorts of patients. Among the 43 remaining studies, the revelation method was immunohistochemistry (IHC) in nine and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in 34. Results in terms of survival were significantly pejorative, significantly favourable, not significant and not conclusive in 9, 1, 31, 2, respectively. In total, 29 studies were evaluable for meta-analysis but we aggregated only the 28 dealing with non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC) and not the only one dealing with small-cell-lung cancer (SCLC). The quality scores were not statistically significantly different between studies with or without significant results in terms of survival, allowing us to perform a quantitative aggregation. The combined HR was 1.35 (95% CI: 1.16–1.56), showing a worse survival for NSCLC with KRAS2 mutations or p21 overexpression and, particularly, in adenocarcinomas (ADC) (HR 1.59; 95% CI 1.26–2.02) and in studies using PCR (HR 1.40; 95% CI 1.18–1.65) but not in studies using IHC (HR 1.08; 95% CI 0.86–1.34). RAS appears to be a pejorative prognostic factor in terms of survival in NSCLC globally, in ADC and when it is studied by PCR

The role of HER-2/neu expression on the survival of patients with lung cancer: a systematic review of the literature

C-erbB-2 prognostic value for survival in patients with lung cancer remains controversial. We performed a systematic review of the literature to clarify its impact. Studies were identified by an electronic search in order to aggregate the survival results, after a methodological assessment using the scale of the European Lung Cancer Working Party. To be eligible, a study had to deal with c-erbB-2 assessment in lung cancer patients and to analyse survival according to c-erbB-2 expression. In total, 30 studies were eligible: 24 studies dealt with non-small-cell lung carcinoma (NSCLC), five with adenocarcinoma and one study dealt with small-cell carcinoma. In all, 31% of the patients were positive for c-erbB-2. According to c-erbB-2 expression, 13 studies were 'negative' (significant detrimental effect on survival), one 'positive' (significant survival improvement) and 16 not significant. Significant studies had a better subscore relative to analysis and results report than nonsignificant studies. In total, 86% of the significant studies and only 56% of the nonsignificant studies were evaluable for the meta-analysis. This suggests a possible bias in our aggregated results. For NSCLC, the hazard ratio was 1.55 (95% CI: 1.29-1.86) in favour of tumours that do not express c-erbB-2. In conclusion, the overexpression of c-erbB-2 might be a factor of poor prognosis for survival in NSCLC, but there is a potential bias in favour of the significant studies with an overestimation risk of the magnitude of the true effect of c-erbB-2 overexpression.Journal ArticleResearch Support, Non-U.S. Gov'tReviewinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Potential and limitations of bacterial-mediated cancer therapy

Bacterial-based tumor-targeted therapy is an area of growing interest and holds promise for the treatment of solid tumors. Upon systemic administration, various types of non-pathogenic obligate anaerobes and facultative anaerobes have been shown to infiltrate and selectively replicate within solid tumors. The tumor specificity is based upon the unique physiology of solid tumors, which is often characterized by regions of hypoxia and necrosis. Prokaryotic vectors can be safely administered and their potential to deliver therapeutic proteins has been demonstrated in a variety of preclinical models. Although the amount of clinical experience with bacterial vectors is limited to date, the available data clearly demonstrated the feasibility of bacterial-mediated therapy in humans. There are several issues however that are still unknown and remain major challenges. In this review, using Clostridium and modified Salmonella as prototypical agents, we will discuss the major advantages, challenges and shortcomings of bacterial systems for tumor-specific therapy. In addition, we will highlight the requirements needed to advance the approach into clinical trials

Potential and limitations of bacterial-mediated cancer therapy

Bacterial-based tumor-targeted therapy is an area of growing interest and holds promise for the treatment of solid tumors. Upon systemic administration, various types of non-pathogenic obligate anaerobes and facultative anaerobes have been shown to infiltrate and selectively replicate within solid tumors. The tumor specificity is based upon the unique physiology of solid tumors, which is often characterized by regions of hypoxia and necrosis. Prokaryotic vectors can be safely administered and their potential to deliver therapeutic proteins has been demonstrated in a variety of preclinical models. Although the amount of clinical experience with bacterial vectors is limited to date, the available data clearly demonstrated the feasibility of bacterial-mediated therapy in humans. There are several issues however that are still unknown and remain major challenges. In this review, using Clostridium and modified Salmonella as prototypical agents, we will discuss the major advantages, challenges and shortcomings of bacterial systems for tumor-specific therapy. In addition, we will highlight the requirements needed to advance the approach into clinical trials