Agreement of Different Methods for Tissue Based Detection of HER2 Signal in Invasive Breast Cancer

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer mortality amongst American women. The HER2 gene encodes a cell surface receptor that affects cell proliferation and has been recognized as a diagnostic factor in treatment selection for invasive breast cancer. Examine accuracy in HER2 detection between manual count, computer assisted, and automated tiling algorithm. 42 randomly selected invasive breast cancer specimens were enumerated by fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH)for HER2 and CEP17 markers using the Vysis HER2 assay (AbbotLaboratory, North Chicago, IL). Specimens were tested using three methods: Manual, computer assisted nuclei selection (Tissue FISH MetaSystems, Newton, MA), and automated enumeration (MetaSystems, Newton, MA). The greatest bias and widest agreement limits for HER2 and CEP17 were seen in Automatic versus Manual, the gold standard. HER2 values greater than 6 possessed the greatest bias and widest agreement limits. CEP17 comparison showed similar bias and agreement limits for each comparison. Kappa values indicated good agreement for all methods although Tissue FISH and Manual possessed better agreement. Higher agreement at lower HER2 & CEP17 count maybe due to fewer chromosomal aberrations, in which selection of field of views has less variation between methods. Alternatively, increased background signals seen in polyploidy may be responsible for the variations in signal count. Manual and Tissue FISH demonstrated good agreement amongst by both Altman Bland and Cohen's Kappa. While the automatic method has good agreement at lower HER2, the sharp increase in variability at higher HER2 counts illustrates a limitation of the automatic method.

Negative Pressure Wound Therapy With Low Pressure and Gauze Dressings to Treat Diabetic Foot Wounds

This study was a prospective cohort study to evaluate negative pressure wound therapy (NPWT) with low pressure and a gauze dressing to treat diabetic foot wounds. Thirty patients with diabetic foot wounds were consented to a prospective study to evaluate wound closure and complications to evaluate NPWT with low pressure (80 mmHg) and a gauze dressing interface (EZCare, Smith and Nephew) for up to 5 weeks. NPWT was changed 3 times a week. Study subjects were evaluated once a week for adverse events and wound measurements. Of study subjects, 43% attained at least a 50% wound area reduction after 4 weeks of therapy. Our results suggest that a high rate of wound closure could be expected with low pressure and a gauze interface.

Electrical stimulation to accelerate wound healing

BACKGROUND

There are several applications of electrical stimulation described in medical literature to accelerate wound healing and improve cutaneous perfusion. This is a simple technique that could be incorporated as an adjunctive therapy in plastic surgery. The objective of this review was to evaluate the results of randomized clinical trials that use electrical stimulation for wound healing.

METHOD

We identified 21 randomized clinical trials that used electrical stimulation for wound healing. We did not include five studies with treatment groups with less than eight subjects.

RESULTS

Electrical stimulation was associated with faster wound area reduction or a higher proportion of wounds that healed in 14 out of 16 wound randomized clinical trials. The type of electrical stimulation, waveform, and duration of therapy vary in the literature.

CONCLUSION

Electrical stimulation has been shown to accelerate wound healing and increase cutaneous perfusion in human studies. Electrical stimulation is an adjunctive therapy that is underutilized in plastic surgery and could improve flap and graft survival, accelerate postoperative recovery, and decrease necrosis following foot reconstruction.

Electrical stimulation as an adjunctive treatment of painful and sensory diabetic neuropathy

BACKGROUND

The objective of this review is to evaluate the use of electrical stimulation to treat diabetic neuropathy. Application of electrical stimulation may provide a novel treatment option for large and small fiber neuropathy in persons with diabetes. Large and small nerve neuropathy alters pain, proprioception, touch perception, and motor function, which cause burning foot pain and serve as protective mechanisms from ulcerations.

METHODS

A content search for clinical trials involving electrical stimulation, neuropathy, and diabetes was conducted through PubMed. Randomized clinical trials and prospective studies with outcome measures affecting the lower extremity function were selected for review.

RESULTS

We identified eight studies in which electrical stimulation was used to treat diabetic neuropathy. Six studies evaluated small fiber neuropathy. Two studies evaluated patients with both small and large fiber neuropathy and reported significant improvement in vibration and monofilament testing and reduction in symptoms in the electrical stimulation treatment group. Six of the eight painful neuropathy studies identified significant improvement in symptoms. There were no studies that evaluated electrical stimulation to treated diabetic motor neuropathy, fall prevention or postural instability.

CONCLUSIONS

Electrical stimulation may be an effective alternative and adjunctive therapy to current interventions for diabetic peripheral neuropathy.

Preventing heart disease by controlling hypertension: impact of hypertensive subtype, stage, age, and sex

BACKGROUND

Hypertension is related to significant morbidity and mortality rates from coronary heart disease (CHD). This report examines the relative and absolute impact on risk for CHD by controlling hypertension to high normal and optimal levels.

METHODS

Among all subjects with untreated or inadequately treated hypertension in the National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey (NHANES) III who were 30 to 74 years of age and without prior CHD, the 10-year risk of CHD was calculated. With the use of sampling weights, the number of CHD events by age group, hypertension subtype (isolated diastolic hypertension [IDH], systolic-diastolic hypertension [SDH], and isolated systolic hypertension [ISH]), and stage of hypertension was estimated. Risk was recalculated and the number of events reestimated, assuming a reduction in blood pressure (BP) to high normal and optimal levels. The number and proportion (population-attributable risk, or PAR%) of events that could be prevented were determined from the differences in events and risk between uncontrolled and controlled BP levels. Derived from this was the number of persons needing treatment per CHD event prevented.

RESULTS

Control of hypertension to high normal levels could prevent approximately one fifth (PAR = 19%) of CHD events in men and one third (PAR = 31%) of CHD events in women, whereas control to optimal levels may prevent 37% and 56% of CHD events, respectively (P <.01 for differences between men and women). Of CHD events that could be prevented, the greatest proportion occurred from controlling BP among older persons, men, and those with stage 1 hypertension (vs stages 2 and 3) or with ISH (vs IDH or SDH). The number of persons with hypertension needing treatment to prevent one CHD event ranged from 20.5 in men to 38.6 in women when controlled to high normal BP and 10.7 in men and 21.3 in women when controlled to optimal BP.

CONCLUSIONS

The greatest impact from control of hypertension occurs in older persons, men, and those with ISH, whereas the greatest PAR% occurred in women. Optimal control of BP could prevent more than one third of CHD events in men and more than half of events in women. Greater efforts to control hypertension in these populations may have a substantial impact in preventing CHD events.