Evaluation of tissue culture insert membrane compatibility in the fluorescein leakage assay

The Fluorescein Leakage (FL) test, a short-term in vitro assay measuring damage on exposure to eye irritants to a transepithelial barrier permeability system, has been assessed as an alternative to the Draize rabbit eye irritation assay in the EU/Home Office international validation trial. The assay is based on the degree of leakage of sodium fluorescein through a confluent layer of Madin-Darby canine kidney epithelial (MDCK) cells grown on a tissue culture insert following exposure to a potential irritant. Several different types of tissue culture inserts with different membrane growth surfaces, pore sizes and pore densities have been employed in the past. Problems with chemical binding and other incompatibilities with insert membranes can affect the sensitivity of MDCK cells. Cationic surfactants in particular appear to interfere with the passage of fluorescein, leading to underestimation of damage to MDCK cellular function. A blind comparison between MDCK cells cultured on Anopore() and the Millicell-HA inserts using the EU/Home Office set of surfactants indicate that the sensitivity of cells cultured on Anopore inserts appeared to correlate more closely with in vivo data. The ability to microscopically evaluate the status of MDCK cultures through Anopore further recommends this membrane as possibly the better choice for the FL assay.

The process of change in psychotherapy for depression: helping clients to reformulate the problem

There is increasing interest in mental health nurses delivering structured short-term evidence-based psychotherapies such as cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) and interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT); however, while there is evidence of the efficacy of psychotherapy for depression, there is limited understanding of the treatment processes. Data were drawn from audio tapes of CBT and IPT sessions for treatment of depression. The transcripts of the initial, middle and final psychotherapy sessions of 40 clients were analysed. A thematic analysis was conducted to identify what was occurring in the sessions, how the client was describing psychotherapy and how the client was describing improvement or lack of improvement in depressive symptoms. There were differences in descriptions of therapy and the experience of depression between clients who responded and those who did not respond to therapy that were related to improvement in symptoms but not to the specific therapy. These differences were in the client's engagement with the language of therapy, sense of optimism about the particular model of psychotherapy, ability to examine their own role in the problem and desire to engage with new ways of being in their lives. Clients who responded to CBT or IPT had flexibility to develop new ways of thinking and acting, the ability to accept responsibility for their role in the identified problem and were willing to risk change.

Depression but not seizure factors or quality of life predicts suicidality in epilepsy

The objective of this study was to determine prevalence and predictive risk factors of suicidality in a large sample of epilepsy outpatients. We prospectively examined 193 consecutive adult epilepsy outpatients for depression, including suicidal ideation. Demographic and epilepsy factors, medication toxicity and health-related quality of life were also evaluated. The prevalence of suicidal ideation within the past two weeks was 11.9%. Although medication toxicity, health-related quality of life and BDI scores were each associated with suicidal ideation in the bivariate analyses, only the BDI remained significant in the logistic regression analysis. About one-fourth of the subjects with suicidal ideation had no significant symptoms of depression. Recent thoughts of suicide are a common occurrence in the outpatient epilepsy clinic setting, but these are not predicted by gender, age, seizure factors, medication toxicity or self-perceived quality of life. Although depression is associated with suicidal ideation, about one-fourth of the suicidal subjects were euthymic or only mildly depressed.

Community-based treatment of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis: early experience and results from Western Kenya

BACKGROUND

In the light of the 2010 World Health Organization estimation of 650 000 cases of multidrug-resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB) globally, the need to develop, implement and scale up MDR-TB treatment programs is clear. The need is greatest and urgent in resource-poor countries, such as Kenya, with a high TB burden and an anticipated rise in reported cases of MDR-TB with increasing access to drug susceptibility testing.

OBJECTIVES

To describe the set-up of a community-based program, early clinical outcomes, challenges and possible solutions.

SETTING

The Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital (Moi Hospital) catchment areas: Western and North Rift Provinces, Kenya.

DESIGN

Program description and retrospective chart review.

RESULTS

An MDR-TB team established a community-based program with either home-based DOT or local facility-based DOT. Following referral, the team instituted a home visit, identified and hired a DOT worker, trained family and local health care professionals in MDR-TB care and initiated community-based MDR-TB treatment. In the first 24 months, 14 patients were referred, 5 died prior to initiation of treatment and one had extensively drug-resistant TB. Among eight patients who initiated community-based DOT, 87% underwent culture conversion by 6 months, and 75% were cured with no relapse after a median follow-up of 15.5 months. Multiple challenges were experienced, including system delays, stigma and limited funding.

CONCLUSION

Despite multiple challenges, our model of an MDR-TB team that establishes a community-based treatment system encircling diagnosed cases of MDR-TB is feasible, with acceptable treatment outcomes.

PD04-03: Sexual Dysfunction in Premenopausal Women with Breast Cancer: Prevalence and Severity

Background: Sexual dysfunction is reported after chemotherapy and endocrine therapies. However, the prevalence and severity of sexual dysfunction in premenopausal women undergoing therapy for both local and metastatic disease is not well defined. This study was performed in order to understand the impact of contemporary breast cancer treatment on the prevalence and severity of sexual health in premenopausal women.

Methods: We developed a survey that includes a previously validated questionnaire, the Female Sexual Function Index (FSFI), as well as an established measure of health-related quality of life (the EuroQol EQ-5D), and disease-specific items to characterize sexual dysfunction and its causes based on literature review and expert consultations. Anonymous administration of the surveys was conducted in outpatient clinic waiting areas of the Breast Cancer Center at Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center (MSKCC), under an IRB waiver of consent.

Results: 372 consecutively approached premenopausal women with breast cancer of any stage, undergoing treatment were each queried once. The mean age was 47. 87% reported current or past hormonal treatment, and 86% reported current or past chemotherapy (76% adjuvant; 24% for metastatic disease). Sexual dysfunction attributed to breast cancer or its treatment, defined as an FSFI score <26, was reported by 75% of respondents with a mean score of 16.3. Among these women, 79% of patients considered their sexual symptoms to be bothersome, with 51% noting moderate or severe levels of bother (score >=5/10). In a multivariate analysis, metastatic disease, development of amenorrhea from cancer treatment, antidepressant use and poorer overall health were each significantly associated with worse FSFI scores. Lower FSFI scores were also significantly associated with worse health-related quality of life.

Conclusion: Sexual dysfunction is prevalent in premenopausal women treated for breast cancer and should be discussed with patients as a potential adverse effect of therapy. Assessment of sexual symptoms throughout treatment and beyond may facilitate the use of potential interventions such as lubricants, dilators, treatment modification and counseling.

Citation Information: Cancer Res 2011;71(24 Suppl):Abstract nr PD04-03.

Complete electric dipole response and the neutron skin in 208Pb

A benchmark experiment on (208)Pb shows that polarized proton inelastic scattering at very forward angles including 0° is a powerful tool for high-resolution studies of electric dipole (E1) and spin magnetic dipole (M1) modes in nuclei over a broad excitation energy range to test up-to-date nuclear models. The extracted E1 polarizability leads to a neutron skin thickness r(skin) = 0.156(-0.021)(+0.025) fm in (208)Pb derived within a mean-field model [Phys. Rev. C 81, 051303 (2010)], thereby constraining the symmetry energy and its density dependence relevant to the description of neutron stars.

The effects of intraduodenal nutrient infusion on serum CCK, LES pressure, and gastroesophageal reflux

BACKGROUND

Fats cause reflux symptoms in many patients and cholecystokinin (CCK) may play a role. This study was designed to evaluate the effects of intraduodenal nutrient infusion on serum CCK levels, lower esophageal sphincter (LES) pressure, and gastroesophageal reflux (GER).

METHODS

Twenty-four asymptomatic volunteers were studied. A Dent sleeve catheter assessed LES function while an impedance-pH catheter measured reflux events. Participants were randomized to fat (F), carbohydrate (C) or protein (P) infusion. Serum CCK and LES pressures were measured at baseline and after nutrient infusion.

KEY RESULTS

Baseline LES pressures and CCK levels were similar in all three groups. A significant linear decrease was found in LES pressure during F, but not C or P, infusion (P=0.004). A significant interaction effect was noted between the infusion groups and CCK levels (P=0.002). A significant linear increase was noted in CCK levels during F but not during C or P infusion (P=0.02). A significant inverse correlation was found between CCK levels and LES pressure (ρ=-0.43; P=0.04). Esophageal acid exposure was significantly increased in the F infusion group (median; interquartile range: 1.10%; 0.25-4.7%) compared to both the C (0.03%; 0.00-0.39%) and P infusion (0.03%; 0.00-0.39%) groups (P=0.04).

CONCLUSIONS & INFERENCES

Intraduodenal F infusion was associated with an increase in CCK levels, while P and C were not. LES pressure decreased significantly after fat infusion and reflux events were more frequent. Fat-induced CCK release is another mechanism that contributes to GER.