Alcohol relapse can adversely affect survival rates in patients after liver transplantation only after 10 years, as per a study.

The study results appeared in Liver Transplantation, the official journal of the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases (AASLD) and the International Liver Transplantation Society (ILTS). This journal is published on behalf of the societies by John Wiley & Sons, Inc. and is available online via Wiley InterScience.

From News-Medical.Net:

Led by Antonio Cuadrado, M.D. of the Gastroenterology and Hepatology  Unit of the University Hospital “Marqués de Valdecilla” in Santander, Spain, the study expanded on a 1977 study involving 44 patients who underwent liver transplants for ALD and 17 controls who were followed up for a mean period of 39.5 months. This group was enlarged for the present study to 54 patients in total, including those analyzed in the previous study. Before transplantation was undertaken, a 6-month period of abstinence from alcohol was required. Patients were all given the same immunosuppressive regimen, consisting of cyclosporine A, steroids and azathioprine. By the end of the third month following transplant, azathioprine was stopped and prednisone was progressively tapered over the first year. Follow-up periods ranged from 14 to 155 months, with a mean of 99.2 months.

It was noted by the study authors that risk-reducing measures such as abstaining from alcohol and quitting smoking should be encouraged in the affected patients.

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Ferguson Jenkins, nominated to the Hall of Fame, recently said that an apology is due from McGwire to all those pitchers who gave up the home runs.

Jenkins sent an open letter to The Associated Press suggesting to the home run king that he has not even started rendering apologies to those he had harmed.

From Sportsillustrated.cnn.com:

McGwire last week admitted he used steroids for a decade, including when he broke Roger Maris’ season home-run record in 1998. Jenkins is one of several Hall of Famers to criticize McGwire, a group that includes Goose Gossage and Carlton Fisk.

Hank Aaron has said he’s willing to forgive McGwire, tied for eighth with 583 home runs.

“You have yet to apologize to all the pitchers you faced while juiced,” Jenkins wrote. “You altered pitchers’ lives. You may have shortened pitchers careers because of the advantage you forced over them while juiced. Have you thought about what happened when they couldn’t get you out and lost the confidence of their managers and general managers? You even managed to alter the place some athletes have achieved in record books by making your steroid-fueled run to the season home run record.”

Jenkins said McGwire needs to render an apology to several constituencies.

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Patients receiving panitumumab for treatment of metastatic colorectal cancer can avoid some skin-associated toxicity with a preemptive, prophylactic skin regimen.

The finding was disclosed in data presented at the 2009 American Society of Clinical Oncology Gastrointestinal Cancers Symposium in San Francisco.

From News-Medical.Net:

“Panitumumab and the other EGFR inhibitors are now key components to the treatment strategies for metastatic colorectal cancer,” Dr. Mitchell said. “But the majority of the patients who receive these agents suffer from skin toxicities, and for some patients, the treatment must be interrupted or discontinued. If we can prevent or minimize these toxicities, it would be a significant advance in patient care.”

The researchers studied 95 patients receiving panitumumab in combination with irinotecan-based chemotherapy. The patients were randomized to receive pre-emptive skin toxicity treatment initiated 24 hours prior to the first dose of panitumumab, then given daily through week six, or reactive skin treatment after the skin toxicity developed. The skin treatment included moisturizers, sunscreen, topical steroids and oral doxycycline.

The primary endpoint was the incidence of specific grade 2 or higher skin toxicities during the six week skin treatment period. The incidence of these toxicities was reduced more than 50% in the group that received pre-emptive treatment.

Quality of life was also assessed, using the Dermatology Life Quality Index. Patients who received the pre-emptive, prophylactic skin treatment regimen reported an improved quality of life, even around week three, which was the median time to first grade 2 or higher skin toxicity in the reactive skin treatment group.

Edith Mitchell, M.D., a clinical professor in the Department of Medical Oncology at Jefferson Medical College of Thomas Jefferson University, presented data from the study, which was co-led by Dr. Mitchell and Mario Lacouture, M.D., an assistant professor of Dermatology at Northwestern University’s Feinberg School of Medicine in Chicago.

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In a finding seen by many as an overturn from conventional wisdom, a plant has been found to produce progesterone, the female sex hormone.

This discovery was reported in the American Chemical Society’s Journal of Natural Products, a monthly publication.

From News-Medical.Net:

“The significance of the unequivocal identification of progesterone cannot be overstated,” the article by Guido F. Pauli and colleagues, states. “While the biological role of progesterone has been extensively studied in mammals, the reason for its presence in plants is less apparent.” They speculate that the hormone, like other steroid hormones, might be an ancient bioregulator that evolved billions of years ago, before the appearance of modern plants and animals. The new discovery may change scientific understanding of the evolution and function of progesterone in living things.

Scientists previously identified progesterone-like substances in plants and speculated that the hormone itself could exist in plants. But researchers had not found the actual hormone in plants until now. Pauli and colleagues used two powerful laboratory techniques, nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectroscopy, to detect progesterone in leaves of the Common Walnut, or English Walnut, tree. They also identified five new progesterone-related steroids in a plant belonging to the buttercup family.

Two powerful laboratory techniques, nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectroscopy were used by the researchers to detect progesterone in leaves of the Common Walnut, or English walnut, tree.

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In the recent times, the spirit and fairness in baseball has been jolted by many times. Some of the biggest names in the world of baseball have been accused and confessed to use of steroids or other performance enhancing drugs.

One of the most impacting testimonials is the fact Manny Ramirez and David Ortiz were two of the players on baseball’s list of nearly 100 players who tested positive for banned substances in the year 2003, as per a report in THE TIMES.

From NYTimes.com

The great Cal Ripken retired before steroid testing. After the disclosure about A-Rod’s failed test, Ripken announced that he wanted to have a talk with Rodriguez. Good for Ripken to step forward. But where was he when a loud and respected voice was needed to push the players union into testing?

Where does baseball go from here?

Hank Aaron has proposed a formula of putting asterisks on certain records to reflect the time in which they were accomplished. With all due respect to Aaron, every era seems to have had its legion of wrongdoers and shortcutters who used whatever science was available to get an edge. Amphetamines, red juice, concoctions and whatever else preceded steroids.

One thing is for sure, baseball fans hope that future doping disclosures do not name their favorite players. However, players need to stop admonishing news media and fans before that.

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Patients suffering from Ulcerative Colitis (UV) can expect significant relief with hypnotherapy coming into the picture.

It was remarked by Keefer, who is director of the Center for Psychosocial Research in Intestinal Bowel Disease at Northwestern’s Feinberg School, that hypnotherapy may be effective for offering relief to these patients by helping them in stress management and developing a sense of control over their health.

From Sciencedaily.com:

“The preliminary results on the improved quality of life for the 27 subjects in this ongoing study (aiming for a total of 80 subjects) look positive so far,” Keefer said.

Once the eight weeks of hypnotherapy are completed, subjects are expected to listen to the relaxation tapes or practice relaxation twice a week to maintain the benefits. They are also encouraged to “step up their practice” of relaxation tapes if they think they are at risk for a flare, Keefer said.

Currently the treatment for the disease is a maintenance medication called 5-ASA. “The problem is most people forget to take the full dose,” Keefer said. If that doesn’t work steroids are often the next treatment, but long-term use can cause joint problems and other side effects such as anxiety and insomnia. When doctors try to taper the patient off steroids, symptoms tend to flare again.

The findings were presented by Keefer at the Crohn’s & Colitis Foundation of America’s 13th Annual Medical Symposium and 14th Annual Patient and Family Conference in Chicago.

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