Mednews Africa

Immunochemistry and Lung Cancer: Application in Diagnosis, Prognosis and Targeted Therapy.

Oncology. 2011 Jul 6;80(3-4):247-256

Authors: Nanguzgambo AB, Razack R, Louw M, Bolliger CT

Immunochemistry is now an established ancillary technique in lung cancer diagnosis. Not only does it help in supporting the morphological diagnosis of malignancy, but its role now extends to the determination of cell lineage, ascertaining the primary site of tumour origin and contributing to decisions on prognosis and treatment. Early detection and confirmation of lung cancer facilitate early treatment decisions. Read More

Typha capensis (Rohrb.)N.E.Br. (bulrush) extract scavenges free radicals, inhibits collagenase activity and affects human sperm motility and mitochondrial membrane potential in vitro: a pilot study.

Andrologia. 2011 Jul 6;

Authors: Henkel R, Fransman W, Hipler UC, Wiegand C, Schreiber G, Menkveld R, Weitz F, Fisher D

The biodiversity in South Africa provides more than 30 000 higher plants, of which more than 3000 are used by traditional healers to treat diseases. Typha capensis (bulrush) is one of the medicinal plants used in South Africa to treat male fertility problems. Read More

JunD-mediated repression of GADD45alpha and gamma regulates escape from cell death in prostate cancer.

Cell Cycle. 2011 Aug 1;10(15)

Authors: Zerbini LF, de Vasconcellos JF, Czibere A, Wang Y, Paccez JD, Gu X, Zhou JR, Libermann TA

The AP-1 transcription factor complex has been implicated in a variety of biological processes including cell differentiation, proliferation, apoptosis and oncogenic transformation. We previously established that activation of the AP-1 family member JunD contributes to deregulated expression of the anti-apoptotic IL-6 gene in prostate cancer cells. We now show that inhibition of JunD in prostate cancer cells results in GADD45alpha- and gamma-dependent induction of cell death and inhibition of tumor growth that is mediated at least partially via c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38 kinase activation. Apoptosis induction by dominant negative JunD and JNK and p38 kinase activation are impeded upon knock down of GADD45alpha and gamma expression by small interfering RNA, most vividly demonstrating the central role of GADD45alpha and gamma in JunD-mediated escape of prostate cancer cells from programmed cell death.

PMID: 21734453 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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Laryngeal carcinoma: experience in Ile-Ife, Nigeria.

Niger J Clin Pract. 2011 Jan-Mar;14(1):74-8

Authors: Amusa YB, Badmus A, Olabanji JK, Oyebamiji EO

This study aimed to determine the prevalent age, pattern of presentation, histopathology type, and outcome of management of laryngeal carcinoma in our environment.

PMID: 21493997 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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[Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in Sub-Saharan immigrants in Almería (Spain)].

Enferm Infecc Microbiol Clin. 2011 Feb;29(2):121-3

Authors: Salas J, Vázquez J, Cabezas T, Lozano AB, Cabeza I

There is scant information available in Spain regarding virological markers and clinical status in Sub-Saharan patients infected with HVB.

PMID: 21330010 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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A survey of facial nerve dissection techniques in benign parotid surgery among maxillofacial and ear, nose, and throat surgeons in Nigeria.

Niger J Clin Pract. 2011 Jan-Mar;14(1):83-7

Authors: Adeyemo WL, Taiwo OA, Somefun OA, Olasoji HO, Ndukwe KC, Fashina AA, Alabi BS

The aim of the present study is to identify the facial nerve dissection technique routinely used during parotidectomy for benign parotid tumors by Nigerian Oral and Maxillofacial (OMF) and Ear, Nose, and Throat (ENT) Surgeons.

PMID: 21493999 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

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Community researchers conducting health disparities research: Ethical and other insights from fieldwork journaling.

Soc Sci Med. 2011 May 30;

Authors: Mosavel M, Ahmed R, Daniels D, Simon C

Lay persons who are trained to conduct research in their own communities form an essential part of many research projects. However, the effects of conducting research in their own communities have not been adequately explored. This paper examines the experiences, perceptions, and challenges faced by a group of community researchers during their involvement in a research project that examined if, and how, the relationships between mothers and their adolescent daughters could be harnessed to develop a daughter-initiated cervical cancer intervention. Seven community researchers interviewed 157 mother-daughter pairs in Cape Town, South Africa. We examine the use of journaling as a tool to document the experiences of community researchers, and we consider how journaling may help the community-based researcher grapple with the research process, and, more broadly, what such journal content illustrates with respect to the nature and challenges of community-engaged health research. An analysis of the content of the journals provides a strong indication of how personal and intimate the research process can be for community researchers by virtue of the background that they bring into the process as well as the additional weight of the research process itself. The complexities of navigating dual and somewhat oppositional roles – the role of impartial scientist or researcher and the role of invested community person – has been both underestimated and insufficiently researched.

PMID: 21680071 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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Selection of Suitable Reference Genes for Quantitative Real-Time PCR in Apoptosis-Induced MCF-7 Breast Cancer Cells.

Mol Biotechnol. 2011 Jun 17;

Authors: Ferreira E, Cronjé MJ

Apoptosis is induced in MCF-7 breast cancer cells following treatment with salicylic acid (20 mM), either in the presence or absence of a heat shock (42°C for 30 min). In order to study the alterations of apoptotic genes with quantitative real-time PCR (qPCR), suitable genes with unchanged expression following the treatments is required for normalizing the gene expression levels. In this study, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH), β-actin (ACTB), Histone H2A (HIST), constitutively expressed heat shock protein 70 (HSC70) and tyrosine 3-monooxygenase/trytophan 5 monooxygenase activation protein, 14-3-3 (YWHAZ) were evaluated as appropriate reference genes. Analysis of gene expression data with one-way ANOVA, geNorm and NormFinder identified HIST and YWHAZ as the least affected during the induction of apoptosis by the different treatments, and is the most suitable gene-pair for normalization during qPCR analysis in MCF-7 breast cancer cells undergoing apoptosis following treatment with SA and/or HS.

PMID: 21681549 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher]

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Cervical cancer treatment in Africa.

Curr Opin Oncol. 2011 Jul 2;

Authors: Denny L

PURPOSE OF REVIEW: This review is to inform the reader about the current situation with regard to treatment of cervical cancer in Africa and the barriers and complexities faced in most African countries. It also reviews the natural history of cervical cancer, the new 2009 International Federation of Gynecology and Obstetrics staging, and current treatment guidelines for cervical cancer. Read More

Global epidemiology of Barrett’s esophagus.

Expert Rev Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2011 Feb;5(1):123-30

Authors: Fock KM, Ang TL

Barrett’s esophagus (BE) is defined as a metaplastic change of the distal esophageal epithelium from squamous to columnar type epithelium with the presence of intestinal metaplasia. There is a striking geographic variation in the prevalence rates of BE. Most epidemiological data on BE are derived from patients undergoing endoscopy and do not reflect prevalence rates in the general population. BE is much more common in the West when compared with Asia and Africa. Read More