Here are what the editors at HealthDay consider to be the most important developments in Pathology for September 2012. This roundup includes the latest research news from journal articles, as well as the FDA approvals and regulatory changes that are the most likely to affect clinical practice.
SNPs Linked to Erectile Dysfunction After Radiotherapy
FRIDAY, Sept. 28 (HealthDay News) -- Twelve single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) are associated with development of erectile dysfunction (ED) following radiotherapy for prostate cancer, according to a study published online Sept. 28 in the International Journal of Radiation Oncology*Biology*Physics.
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Proteins in Human Corneal Epithelial Cells Fight Pathogens
FRIDAY, Sept. 28 (HealthDay News) -- Epithelial cytokeratins constitutively produce cytoprotective antimicrobial peptides and serve as an innate defense mechanism in human corneal epithelial cells, according to a study published online Sept. 24 in the Journal of Clinical Investigation.
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Pregnancy Generates Sustained Maternal Anergy to Fetal Antigen
FRIDAY, Sept. 28 (HealthDay News) -- Pregnancy generates fetal-specific immune cells that suppress the immune response towards the fetus, which are rapidly re-accumulated in subsequent pregnancies, according to an experimental study published online Sept. 26 in Nature.
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Distinct Lung Microbiome in Cystic Fibrosis, Healthy Adults
FRIDAY, Sept. 28 (HealthDay News) -- The lungs of healthy people are colonized with a diverse community of microbes that differs substantially from the bacteria found in the lungs and sputum of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF), according to research published online Sept. 26 in Science Translational Medicine.
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Male DNA Common in Women's Brains
FRIDAY, Sept. 28 (HealthDay News) -- Over 60 percent of women have male DNA in their brains, possibly from a prior pregnancy with a male fetus, which is associated with a lower prevalence of Alzheimer's disease, according to a study published online Sept. 26 in PLoS One.
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Much of Intellectual Disability Not Genetically Inherited
THURSDAY, Sept. 27 (HealthDay News) -- A considerable proportion of severe intellectual disability results from de-novo genetic variants, suggesting that only a small proportion of cases are likely to be inherited in an autosomal recessive fashion, according to a study published online Sept. 27 in The Lancet.
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Myogenes Identified for Spondyloarthritis Synovitis
THURSDAY, Sept. 27 (HealthDay News) -- There are disease-specific and inflammation-independent stromal alterations in spondyloarthritis (SpA) synovitis, according to a study published online Sept. 12 in Arthritis & Rheumatism.
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Negative Response to Uncertain Prenatal Microarray Results
THURSDAY, Sept. 27 (HealthDay News) -- Women do not necessarily consider the potential significance and ambiguity of the information they could receive from prenatal microarray testing, according to a study published online Sept. 6 in Genetics in Medicine.
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Transcription Profile Distinguishes Subgroups in MS
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with multiple sclerosis (MS) can be differentiated according to their transcription profile, according to a study published in the Sept. 26 issue of Science Translational Medicine.
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Gut Bacteria Offers Clues About Risk of Developing T2DM
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Gut bacteria from individuals with and without diabetes differ substantially and can be used to accurately discriminate between those with and without the disease, according to a study published online Sept. 26 in Nature.
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Conditional Reprogramming Can Help ID Pathogenic Viruses
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Conditional reprogramming can be successfully used to generate cell cultures from normal and tumor tissue of a patient with papillomatosis, facilitating identification of a mutant human papillomavirus (HPV) and allowing appropriate treatment, according to a study published in the Sept. 27 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Cord Blood-Derived Stem Cells Localize to Intestinal Crypt
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 26 (HealthDay News) -- Cord blood-derived cells can preferentially migrate and engraft into the intestine, which could be useful in treating disorders such as inflammatory bowel disease, according to a study published in the September issue of Hepatology.
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BPA Alters Oogenesis and Follicle Formation in Primates
TUESDAY, Sept. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Rhesus monkeys exposed to bisphenol A (BPA) experience alterations in early oogenesis and follicle formation, according to a study published online Sept. 24 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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Marijuana-Like Chemical Corrects Behavior in Fragile X
TUESDAY, Sept. 25 (HealthDay News) -- The protein lost in fragile X syndrome, the most common genetic cause of autism, is part of a complex that, when targeted by a drug that boosts a natural marijuana-like chemical in the brain, corrects some of the behavioral abnormalities in mice, according to a study published online Sept. 25 in Nature Communications.
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Bacteriophages of P. acnes Have Limited Genetic Diversity
TUESDAY, Sept. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Bacteriophages that infect the dominant bacteria inhabitant of the human sebaceous follicle, Propionibacterium acnes (P. acnes), which contributes to the pathogenesis of acne, have limited genetic diversity and display a broad host range, according to a study published online Sept. 25 in mBio.
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Protein Linked to Male Infertility Can Activate Eggs
TUESDAY, Sept. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Injecting eggs with a recombinant human phospholipase Cζ (PLCζ), a protein linked to male infertility, can activate calcium ion oscillations, which are necessary for oocyte activation and successful embryo development, according to a study published online Sept. 24 in Fertility and Sterility.
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Best Mouse Model of Tumor Drug Exposure Identified
TUESDAY, Sept. 25 (HealthDay News) -- Compared with mouse or human melanomas transplanted into mice, a genetically-engineered mouse melanoma model best approximates the tumor pharmacokinetics of a melanoma drug observed in patients, according to a study published online Sept. 19 in The Oncologist.
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Childhood Antibiotic Exposure Linked to Development of IBD
MONDAY, Sept. 24 (HealthDay News) -- Early exposure to antianaerobic antibiotics in childhood is associated with an increased risk of developing inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), according to research published online Sept. 24 in Pediatrics.
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Genetic Variants Identified for Risk of Male Breast Cancer
MONDAY, Sept. 24 (HealthDay News) -- Two single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associated with an increased risk of male breast cancer have been identified, according to a study published online Sept. 23 in Nature Genetics.
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Urge to Overeat Linked to Production of Natural Narcotic
FRIDAY, Sept. 21 (HealthDay News) -- When presented with tasty foods, the brain produces the opioid peptide enkephalin that stimulates an unexpected reward center in the brain and leads to overeating, according to a study published online Sept. 20 in Current Biology.
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Central Centrifugal Cicatricial Alopecia Pathogenesis Studied
FRIDAY, Sept. 21 (HealthDay News) -- Protease-activated receptor 2 (PAR-2), which is activated by cowhage, may play a role in central centrifugal cicatricial alopecia (CCCA), the most common cause of scarring hair loss in African-American women, according to research published online Sept. 17 in the British Journal of Dermatology.
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Channel Blockers Reduce Causes of Asthma Symptoms
THURSDAY, Sept. 20 (HealthDay News) -- Epithelial expression of the calcium-activated chloride channel (CaCC) TMEM16A is increased in patients with asthma, and its inhibition negatively regulates epithelial mucin secretion and airway smooth muscle contraction, according to a study published online Sept. 17 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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Neuroprosthesis Improves Decision-Making in Monkeys
THURSDAY, Sept. 20 (HealthDay News) -- A neuroprosthetic device can improve or restore impaired decision-making in monkeys, according to a study published in the October issue of the Journal of Neural Engineering.
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Drug Improves Social Function in Fragile X Syndrome
THURSDAY, Sept. 20 (HealthDay News) -- A γ-aminobutyric acid type B (GABAB) agonist, STX209 (Arbaclofen), can significantly improve social function in patients with fragile X syndrome, according to a study published in the Sept. 19 issue of Science Translational Medicine.
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Bladder Cancer Survival Similar for Partial, Radical Cystectomy
THURSDAY, Sept. 20 (HealthDay News) -- For select patients with bladder cancer, there is no difference in metastasis-free or cancer-specific survival with partial cystectomy (PC) or radical cystectomy (RC), but there is an increased risk for intravesical recurrence for those treated with PC, according to research published in the October issue of The Journal of Urology.
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Thin Placenta at Birth Ups Risk of Sudden Cardiac Death Later
THURSDAY, Sept. 20 (HealthDay News) -- Sudden cardiac death in adults is associated with placental size at birth, with a significantly increased risk of death for decreased placental thickness, according to a study published online Sept. 19 in the International Journal of Epidemiology.
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Emotional Neglect in Childhood Ups Stroke Risk in Adults
THURSDAY, Sept. 20 (HealthDay News) -- Emotional neglect as a child may be tied to a higher risk of stroke as an adult, according to a study published online Sept. 19 in Neurology.
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CSF Assay Moderately Accurate for Diagnosing Sporadic CJD
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 19 (HealthDay News) -- For individuals with suspected sporadic Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease (sCJD), the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) 14-3-3 protein assay is a useful diagnostic test, according to research published online Sept. 19 in Neurology.
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Higher Dietary Fructose Tied to Lower Liver Energy Stores
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 19 (HealthDay News) -- Increased dietary fructose consumption may impair hepatocellular energy homeostasis, as seen with reduced levels of liver adenosine triphosphate (ATP), with lower levels seen in those with high uric acid (UA) levels, according to a study published in the September issue of Hepatology.
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Breast Tumor's Molecular Subtype Key in Treatment Choice
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 19 (HealthDay News) -- Molecular subtypes are predictors of breast cancer mortality and can play a role in determining the best course of treatment to follow, according to a study published online Sept. 18 in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.
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Nearly Half of European Mortality Due to Cancer, Chronic Disease
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 19 (HealthDay News) -- Deaths from cancer and chronic diseases accounted for approximately 42 percent of deaths in 2007 across the European Union (EU), according to a study published online Aug. 28 in BMJ Supportive & Palliative Care.
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Suspected Viruses Don't Cause Chronic Fatigue Syndrome
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 19 (HealthDay News) -- There is no relationship between chronic fatigue syndrome/myalgic encephalomyelitis (CFS/ME) and either xenotropic murine leukemia virus-related virus (XMRV) or polytropic murine leukemia virus (pMLV), according to a study published online Sept. 18 in mBio.
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Drug Class Unexpectedly Effective on Breast Cancers
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 19 (HealthDay News) -- Drugs that normally target cancer cells defective in DNA homologous recombination repair, poly(ADP-Ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors, are also effective on breast cancer cells positive for human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2), even in the absence of the repair defect, according to a study published in the Sept. 15 issue of Cancer Research.
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Biomarkers Identified in Head and Neck Cancers
TUESDAY, Sept. 18 (HealthDay News) -- In patients with head and neck cancer, human papillomavirus (HPV) infection predicts survival when determined by viral load and viral gene expression rather than the presence of viral DNA or expression of the p16 tumor suppressor gene, according to two studies published online Sept. 18 in Cancer Research.
Abstract - Holzinger
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Abstract - Liang
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Melanoma Transection Doesn't Affect Overall Survival
TUESDAY, Sept. 18 (HealthDay News) -- Melanoma transection does not affect disease-free survival or mortality, according to a study published online Sept. 10 in the Journal of the American Academy of Dermatology.
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Cancer Incidence and Mortality Declining for Hispanics
MONDAY, Sept. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Cancer incidence and death rates seem to be declining for Hispanics, but screening use is lower than for non-Hispanic whites, according to two studies published online Sept. 17 in CA: A Cancer Journal for Clinicians.
Abstract - Siegel
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Abstract - Cokkinides
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No Increased Cancer Risk With Herpes Zoster Infection
MONDAY, Sept. 17 (HealthDay News) -- There is no increased risk of cancer among patients with newly diagnosed herpes zoster infection, according to a study published online Sept. 17 in CMAJ, the journal of the Canadian Medical Association.
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Ethnic Variation Seen in Level of Pancreatic Triglycerides
MONDAY, Sept. 17 (HealthDay News) -- There is considerable ethnic variation in the levels of pancreatic triglycerides (TGs) and in β-cell dysfunction, according to research published online Sept. 11 in Diabetes Care.
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White Matter Structural Changes ID'd in Children With T1DM
MONDAY, Sept. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Children with type 1 diabetes have significant structural differences in the white matter of their brain compared to healthy children, which correlates with hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) values, according to a study published online Sept. 10 in Diabetes Care.
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Distinct Chromatin Patterns Linked to Heart Development
MONDAY, Sept. 17 (HealthDay News) -- Distinct chromatin patterns accompany the development of heart cells from embryonic cells, providing a blueprint that could help identify the causes of congenital heart disease, according to a study published online Sept. 13 in Cell.
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Thyroid-Stimulating Hormone Up Over Time in Oldest Old
FRIDAY, Sept. 14 (HealthDay News) -- For the oldest old, increases in thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) occur over time but do not correlate with mortality, according to a study published online Aug. 9 in the Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism.
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Microbiome Changes Linked to Chronic Sinusitis
THURSDAY, Sept. 13 (HealthDay News) -- Alterations in bacterial communities present in the sinuses correlate with chronic sinusitis, according to a study published in the Sept. 12 issue of Science Translational Medicine.
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Review: Inflammation's Role in Obesity-Colorectal Cancer Link
THURSDAY, Sept. 13 (HealthDay News) -- A new review summarizes the ways in which inflammation and altered metabolism are associated with colorectal cancer in obese individuals; the review was published online Sept. 3 in Obesity Reviews.
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Study Supports IL16 Role in Prostate CA in African-Americans
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 12 (HealthDay News) -- In African-Americans, IL16 polymorphisms appear to play a role in prostate cancer susceptibility, according to research published online Aug. 24 in Cancer Epidemiology, Biomarkers & Prevention.
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Effect of Copy-Number Variation in Disease Elucidated
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 12 (HealthDay News) -- There is considerable variation in the phenotypes associated with recurrent copy-number variants, with multiple, large copy-number variants compounding to result in severe clinical presentation, according to a study published online Sept. 12 in the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Rare Cancer Syndrome Linked to Lower Diabetes Risk
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 12 (HealthDay News) -- People with Cowden syndrome, with tumor-suppressor phosphatase and tensin homologue (PTEN) mutations that increase their risk of cancer, have enhanced sensitivity to insulin even though they are more likely to be obese, according to a study published in the Sept. 13 issue of the New England Journal of Medicine.
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Flow Cytometry Indicates Treatment Response in AML
WEDNESDAY, Sept. 12 (HealthDay News) -- For children with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), minimal residual disease (MRD) activity, as measured using flow cytometry, is a good indicator of treatment response, with morphologic analysis providing limited additional information, according to a study published online Sept. 10 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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Genomic Alterations ID'd in Lung Squamous Cell Carcinoma
TUESDAY, Sept. 11 (HealthDay News) -- Genomic characterization of lung squamous cell carcinomas has identified several statistically recurrent mutations, according to a study published online Sept. 9 in Nature.
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SPECT/CT Associated With Improved Survival in Melanoma
TUESDAY, Sept. 11 (HealthDay News) -- For patients with clinically lymph node-negative melanoma, the use of single-photon emission computed tomography/computed tomography (SPECT/CT) to aid sentinel lymph node excision (SLNE) is associated with increased detection of metastatic involvement and improved disease-free survival, compared with standard SLNE, according to a study published in the Sept. 12 issue of the Journal of the American Medical Association.
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Molecular Differences ID'd for Small/Non-Small Cell Lung CA
TUESDAY, Sept. 11 (HealthDay News) -- Molecular differences have been identified in small cell lung cancer (SCLC) and non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) cell lines, which may represent potential therapeutic targets, according to a study published online Sept. 6 in Cancer Discovery.
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Potential Pandemic Influenza Virus Circulating in Pigs
TUESDAY, Sept. 11 (HealthDay News) -- An influenza virus circulating in pigs in South Korea is highly lethal and transmissible in a ferret model of infection; it is lethal to mice, replicates efficiently, and infects human lung tissue after acquisition of additional mutations, according to a study published online Sept. 10 in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
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Many Disease Variants Found in Regulatory DNA Regions
TUESDAY, Sept. 11 (HealthDay News) -- Most of the gene variants associated with disease are located within regulatory DNA regions, according to a study published in the Sept. 7 issue of Science.
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Marijuana Use Linked to Higher Risk of Testicular Cancer
MONDAY, Sept. 10 (HealthDay News) -- Marijuana use is associated with an approximately two-fold higher risk of testicular cancer, particularly nonseminoma and mixed histology tumors, according to a study published online Sept. 10 in Cancer.
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Antibody Titer Prognostic in Membranous Nephropathy
FRIDAY, Sept. 7 (HealthDay News) -- Two techniques can be used to measure antiphospholipase A2 receptor (aPLA2R) antibody titers in patients with idiopathic membranous nephropathy (iMN), with antibody titers indicative of outcome, according to research published online Sept. 6 in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.
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Elevated Rheumatoid Factor Ups Risk of Developing RA
FRIDAY, Sept. 7 (HealthDay News) -- Individuals in the general population with elevated levels of rheumatoid factor have a significantly increased risk of developing rheumatoid arthritis, according to a study published online Sept. 6 in BMJ.
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Antiretrovirals Increasingly Used for HIV in the U.S.
FRIDAY, Sept. 7 (HealthDay News) -- Since 2000, more HIV-infected patients in the United States are receiving antiretroviral treatment, viral load has fallen, and CD4 counts at death have risen, according to a study published in the Sept. 4 issue of the Annals of Internal Medicine.
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Not All Docs/Nurses Want to Be Asked About Hand Hygiene
FRIDAY, Sept. 7 (HealthDay News) -- Although most health care workers (HCWs) appreciate the role of patients in preventing health care-associated infection, a considerable proportion are uncomfortable with patients asking about their hand hygiene, according to a letter published online Sept. 3 in the Archives of Internal Medicine.
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Characteristics of Long-Term Gastric Cancer Survivors ID'd
THURSDAY, Sept. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Patients with gastric and gastroesophageal junction (GEJ) cancer who survive for longer than three years after diagnosis seem to have distinct demographic and pathologic characteristics, compared with those who do not survive, according to research published online Sept. 4 in the Journal of Clinical Oncology.
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Prevalence of Diagnostic Errors in the ICU Assessed
THURSDAY, Sept. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Diagnostic errors in the intensive care unit (ICU) are prevalent, with 28 percent of autopsies reporting at least one misdiagnosis, according to a study published online July 21 in BMJ Quality & Safety.
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Remodeling Starts Within 48 Hours of Cardiac Injury
THURSDAY, Sept. 6 (HealthDay News) -- After cardiac injury, signs of remodeling are observed as early as 48 hours, and include structural changes and enlargement of the heart, and associated changes in cell populations, according to a study published online Sept. 4 in The American Journal of Pathology.
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Congenital Disease Linked to Adipocyte Development
THURSDAY, Sept. 6 (HealthDay News) -- Some patients with congenital generalized lipodystrophy (CGL), who lack adipocytes and develop severe insulin resistance, have a defect in adipocyte development that can be partially reversed, according to a study published online Aug. 28 in Diabetes.
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MAOA Gene Expression Linked to Happiness in Women
TUESDAY, Sept. 4 (HealthDay News) -- Women with low expression of a gene involved in breaking down neurotransmitters report greater happiness, according to a study published online Aug. 4 in Progress in Neuro-Psychopharmacology & Biological Psychiatry.
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Gene Variant More Common in Internet Addicts
TUESDAY, Sept. 4 (HealthDay News) -- A variant of a gene implicated in anxiety and addiction (nicotinic acetylcholine receptor subunit alpha 4 [CHRNA4]) is more frequent in people addicted to the Internet, particularly females, according to a study published in the September issue of the Journal of Addiction Medicine.
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