In vivo
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An aqueous plant extract from Azadirachta indica and its chromatographic fraction F1 (neem extract) exerted immunomodulating and antimetastatic activities in BALB/ c-mice. Regular subcutaneous administration of neem extract yielded significantly increased spleen weight and significant enhancement of peritoneal macrophage activity in the chemiluminescence assay, and activation marker CD-44 expression. The thymus weight and thymocyte counts did not show significant differences in the control and neem extract-treated groups, however, determination of peripheral blood cells revealed significant up-regulations of leukocyte subsets, the lymphocytes and monocytes. ⋯ To evaluate the antimetastatic activity of neem extract, sarcoma L-1 cells and lymphosarcoma RAW cells were intravenously inoculated into BALB/c-mice. In these model systems the number of experimental lung and liver metastases decreased relevantly, however, biometrically non-significantly in neem extract-treated animals, as compared to the control mice which received injections of saline solutions. Neem extract can be regarded as an immunomodulating and antimetastatic substance which holds promise for further experimental and clinical investigation.
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Multicenter Study Comparative Study
Safety and efficacy of local administration of contractubex to hypertrophic scars in comparison to corticosteroid treatment. Results of a multicenter, comparative epidemiological cohort study in Germany.
To investigate the safety and efficacy of Contractubex administration to hypertrophic scars in routine out-patient practice and to compare it to corticosteroid treatment. ⋯ For the primary aim of this study (assessment of normalization of erythema, pruritus, and consistency of hypertrophic scars) and for time to normalization, local administration of Contractubex was significantly more effective than corticosteroid treatment. Concerning safety, Contractubex treatment was associated with significantly less adverse events (e.g. teleangiectasias, cutaneous atrophy of scars and surrounding skin tissue) than topical corticosteroid application.
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Relapse in individual patients after incomplete/residual removal of meningiomas cannot be predicted by histology alone as re-growth occurs even in histologically benign meningiomas. ⋯ The mean PCNA, Ki-67 and hTERT LI were higher in the relapsing group of residual meningiomas than in the stable group, although no statistical difference was found for PCNA and Ki-67. On the other hand, a statistical difference between the two groups of meningiomas was found for hTERT; however, it is no absolute predictor for relapse at the individual patient level.
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Review Comparative Study
Impairments of the 2-5A synthetase/RNase L pathway in chronic fatigue syndrome.
This paper provides an overview of the evidence addressing the impairments of the 2'-5' oligoadenylate (2-5 A) synthetase/RNase L pathway in Chronic Fatigue Syndrome (CFS) patients. The 2-5A synthetase/RNase L pathway in CFS patients appears to be both up-regulated (i.e. increased levels of bioactive 2-5A synthetase and increased activity of the RNase L enzyme) and deregulated (elastase and calpain initiate 83 kDa RNase L proteolysis, generating two major fragments with molecular masses of 37 and 30 kDa, respectively). ⋯ Since various components of the pathway appear to be related to performance during a graded exercise stress test, some evidence supportive of the clinical importance of the impaired pathway in CFS patients has been provided. Studies addressing the treatment of the deregulation of the 2-5A synthetase/RNase L pathway in CFS are warranted.
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Comparative Study
Evaluation of spiral computed tomography versus ventilation/perfusion scanning in patients clinically suspected of pulmonary embolism.
To prospectively evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of spiral computed tomography (CT) versus ventilation/perfusion (V/Q) scanning in the examination of patients clinically suspected of having pulmonary embolism (PE). ⋯ Spiral CT has an excellent sensitivity, specificity, PPV and NPV for the diagnosis of PE and it could be used as the first-line imaging modality in patients suspected of PE.