Annual Review of MedicineThis is an RSS file. You can use it to subscribe to this data in your favourite RSS reader, such as GoogleReader, or to display this data on your own website or blog. Subscribe to this data using MyMedWorm.Subscribe to this data using GoogleReader.Subscribe to this data using Bloglines.Subscribe to this data using MyYahoo.

This page shows you the latest items in this publication.

Pages: 1 2 3

147 records returned

Revascularization for Coronary Artery Disease: Stents Versus Bypass Surgery.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Coronary artery disease (CAD) is one manifestation of ischemic heart disease, which is the leading cause of mortality in the world. In addition to preventive medical therapy and lifestyle changes, consideration of revascularization of obstructed arteries to reduce ischemia, alleviate angina, and improve quality of life is a mainstay of current practice. However, the benefits of different methods of revascularization in particular patient populations are debated. Percutaneous coronary intervention (PCI), which involves placement of intracoronary stents in most patients, is a less invasive procedure than coronary artery ...
Source: Annual Review of Medicine - October 12, 2009 Category: Journals (General) Authors: King Iii SB, Marshall JJ, Tummala PE Tags: Annu Rev Med Source Type: journals

Toward an Antibody-Based HIV Vaccine.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Developing an HIV-1 vaccine that can elicit antibodies to prevent infection has been a formidable challenge. Although no single immunogen has generated antibodies that can neutralize diverse isolates, progress has been made in understanding (a) the structure of the HIV-1 envelope glycoprotein, which is targeted by neutralizing antibodies, (b) how HIV-1 evades antibodies made by an infected host, and (c) how rare monoclonal antibodies can exhibit broadly neutralizing activity. Advances in structural and molecular biology coupled with new approaches to isolate neutralizing antibodies from HIV-1-infected individuals are e...
Source: Annual Review of Medicine - October 12, 2009 Category: Journals (General) Authors: Hoxie JA Tags: Annu Rev Med Source Type: journals

Diagnosis and Treatment of Neuropsychiatric Disorders.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Neuropsychiatry is the subspecialty of psychiatry that deals with disorders at the intersection of neurology and psychiatry. Neuropsychiatric disorders are complex and incompletely understood. Neuroscience research is beginning to elucidate the biological underpinnings of many of these disorders. These advances have the potential to improve diagnosis, inform treatment selection, and facilitate development of new and better interventions. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Medicine Volume 61 is January 07, 2010. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/catalog/pubdates.aspx for revised estima...
Source: Annual Review of Medicine - October 11, 2009 Category: Journals (General) Authors: Taber KH, Hurley RA, Yudofsky SC Tags: Annu Rev Med Source Type: journals

Genes and Drugs Determine Individual Therapeutic Utility.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Humans have considerable genetic variation, as shown by their DNA sequence differences. Drug responsiveness and toxicity are affected by this variability. Genetic variation affects prodrug activation, drug target, downstream activation pathways, drug elimination, and toxicity activation. Molecular diagnostic methods have discovered the genetic basis of these "outlier" drug responses. By predicting a patient's response, such diagnostics can improve both the safety and efficacy of drugs. The article illustrates the matching of molecular diagnosis to drug therapy for improved patient outcomes. Expected final online public...
Source: Annual Review of Medicine - October 11, 2009 Category: Journals (General) Authors: Caskey CT Tags: Annu Rev Med Source Type: journals

Alveolar Surfactant Homeostasis and the Pathogenesis of Pulmonary Disease.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The alveolar region of the lung creates an extensive epithelial surface that mediates the transfer of oxygen and carbon dioxide required for respiration after birth. Maintenance of pulmonary function depends on the function of type II epithelial cells that synthesize and secrete pulmonary surfactant lipids and proteins, reducing the collapsing forces created at the air-liquid interface in the alveoli. Genetic and acquired disorders associated with the surfactant system cause both acute and chronic lung disease. Mutations in the ABCA3, SFTPA, SFTPB, SFTPC, SCL34A2, and TERT genes disrupt type II cell function and/or sur...
Source: Annual Review of Medicine - October 6, 2009 Category: Journals (General) Authors: Whitsett JA, Wert SE, Weaver TE Tags: Annu Rev Med Source Type: journals

Biological Mechanisms Linking Obesity and Cancer Risk: New Perspectives.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Body mass index, as an approximation of body adiposity, is associated with increased risk of several common and less common malignancies in a sex- and site-specific manner. These findings implicate sex- and cancer site-specific biological mechanisms underpinning these associations, and it is unlikely that there is a "one system fits all" mechanism. Three main candidate systems have been proposed-insulin and the insulin-like growth factor-I axis, sex steroids, and adipokines-but there are shortfalls to these hypotheses. In this review, three novel candidate mechanisms are proposed: obesity-induced hypoxia, shared geneti...
Source: Annual Review of Medicine - October 6, 2009 Category: Journals (General) Authors: Roberts DL, Dive C, Renehan AG Tags: Annu Rev Med Source Type: journals

Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy in Patients on Immunomodulatory Therapies.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) is a demyelinating disease of the white matter of the human brain caused by lytic infection of oligodendrocytes with the human polyomavirus JCV. Although the majority of PML cases occur in severely immune-suppressed individuals, with HIV-1 infection as the predominant factor, PML has been increasingly diagnosed in patients treated with biological therapies such as monoclonal antibodies that modulate immune system functions. Monoclonal antibodies that target the cell adhesion molecules VLA-4 (natalizumab; Tysabri(R) for multiple sclerosis and Crohn's disease) or LFA-1 (ef...
Source: Annual Review of Medicine - August 30, 2009 Category: Journals (General) Authors: Major EO Tags: Annu Rev Med Source Type: journals

Anorexia Nervosa: Current Status and Future Directions.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a serious mental illness categorized by a failure to maintain a minimally normal weight, a fear of gaining weight or becoming fat, and preoccupations about body shape or weight. AN is associated with significant morbidity and a mortality rate as high as that seen in any psychiatric illness. Biological factors, including genetic predisposition, appear to play a role in the development of AN. Treatment is challenging both because interventions with clear empirical support have not been identified and because individuals affected by AN are typically reluctant to undergo weight restoration. Prelimi...
Source: Annual Review of Medicine - August 30, 2009 Category: Journals (General) Authors: Attia E Tags: Annu Rev Med Source Type: journals

Pharmacogenetics of Warfarin.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Warfarin is a drug with a narrow therapeutic index and a wide interindividual variability in dose requirement. Because it is difficult to predict an accurate dose for an individual, patients starting the drug are at risk of thromboembolism or bleeding associated with underdosing or overdosing, respectively. Single nucleotide polymorphisms in the cytochrome P450 2C9 (CYP2C9) and vitamin K epoxide reductase (VKOR) genes have been shown to have a significant effect on warfarin dose requirement. Other genes mediating the action of warfarin make either little or no contribution to dose requirement. Although the polymorphism...
Source: Annual Review of Medicine - August 16, 2009 Category: Journals (General) Authors: Kamali F, Wynne H Tags: Annu Rev Med Source Type: journals

Stress Cardiomyopathy.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Recently, an increasing number of cases of stress cardiomyopathy, mainly occurring in elderly women, have been documented in many parts of the world. In Japan, this disease is known as takotsubo cardiomyopathy (named after the fishing pot used for trapping octopus). Symptoms of this condition are akin to those of acute myocardial infarction, but no obstructive lesions are found in the coronary arteries, and left ventricular apical ballooning is present. Stress cardiomyopathy is now a well-recognized cause of acute heart failure, lethal ventricular arrhythmias, and ventricular rupture. Although the precise mechanism of ...
Source: Annual Review of Medicine - August 16, 2009 Category: Journals (General) Authors: Akashi YJ, Nef HM, Möllmann H, Ueyama T Tags: Annu Rev Med Source Type: journals

Thrombopoietin and thrombopoietin mimetics in the treatment of thrombocytopenia.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Although the thrombopoietin receptor was discovered in 1991 and thrombopoietin (TPO) was purified in 1994, the development of a clinically useful TPO was hampered by the appearance of neutralizing antibodies to some forms of recombinant TPO. However, in 2008 two new drugs that mimic the effect of TPO became available to treat thrombocytopenia. Romiplostim is a TPO peptide mimetic given by subcutaneous injection that activates the TPO receptor by binding to the distal hematopoietic receptor domain just like TPO. Eltrombopag is a TPO nonpeptide mimetic administered orally that activates the TPO receptor by binding to the...
Source: Annual Review of Medicine - August 2, 2009 Category: Journals (General) Authors: Kuter DJ Tags: Annu Rev Med Source Type: journals

Oral iron chelators.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Deferoxamine (DFO) was the standard of care for transfusional iron overload for >40 years, requiring subcutaneous infusion for 8-12 h/day, 5-7 days/week. Oral iron chelators are an important development, offering the potential to improve compliance and patients' quality of life. The oral, three-times-daily agent deferiprone appeared to be a promising advance; however, its use has been limited owing to serious adverse events, such as neutropenia and agranulocytosis. Therapy combining deferiprone with DFO has proved effective in the management of severe cardiac siderosis. Deferasirox is a novel, orally active agent th...
Source: Annual Review of Medicine - July 29, 2009 Category: Journals (General) Authors: Cappellini MD, Pattoneri P Tags: Annu Rev Med Source Type: journals

Management of breast cancer in the genome era.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The genomic era has been characterized by an exponential increase in the number of targets in the management of breast cancer. Prognostic profiling has helped to determine which tumors are more likely to be associated with poor disease-free survival. Gene expression profiles are being studied in order to improve predictions of response and toxicity. Epigenetics is being evaluated for its ability to influence estrogen receptor expression. However, these fields require further validation. This review discusses the advances in the management of breast cancer through genomic evaluation. PMID: 19630569 [PubMed - in proc...
Source: Annual Review of Medicine - July 29, 2009 Category: Journals (General) Authors: Morrow PK, Hortobagyi GN Tags: Annu Rev Med Source Type: journals

MicroRNAs in Cancer.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small, noncoding RNAs with important functions in development, cell differentiation, and regulation of cell cycle and apoptosis. MiRNA expression is deregulated in cancer by a variety of mechanisms including amplification, deletion, mutation, and epigenetic silencing. Several studies have now shown that miRNAs are involved in the initiation and progression of cancer. In this review, we briefly describe miRNA biogenesis and discuss how miRNAs can act as oncogenes and tumor suppressors. We also address the role of miRNAs in the diagnosis, prognosis, and treatment of cancer. PMID: 19630570 [PubM...
Source: Annual Review of Medicine - July 29, 2009 Category: Journals (General) Authors: Garzon R, Calin GA, Croce CM Tags: Annu Rev Med Source Type: journals

Evolving treatment of advanced colon cancer.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
We present in detail these recent advances and provide some insight into several promising future strategies. PMID: 19630571 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Annual Review of Medicine)
Source: Annual Review of Medicine - July 29, 2009 Category: Journals (General) Authors: Segal NH, Saltz LB Tags: Annu Rev Med Source Type: journals

Nicotine dependence: biology, behavior, and treatment.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This article reviews the epidemiology, assessment, neurobiology, genetic etiology, and treatment of nicotine dependence. Enhanced understanding of these dimensions of nicotine dependence may help to advance progress toward lowering the prevalence rate of tobacco use in the U.S. and lowering the rate of tobacco-related morbidity and mortality. PMID: 19630572 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Annual Review of Medicine)
Source: Annual Review of Medicine - July 29, 2009 Category: Journals (General) Authors: Ray R, Schnoll RA, Lerman C Tags: Annu Rev Med Source Type: journals

Immunomodulation of allergic disease.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This review focuses on sublingual immunotherapy (SLIT), toll-like receptor-9 (TLR-9) vaccines using cytosine phosphorothioate guanosine (CpG)-allergen conjugates, and anti-IL-5 as novel immunomodulating therapies in allergy. At present, all three approaches are investigational in the United States and require further study to determine their safety and effectiveness. SLIT provides a novel oral route of administering an allergen to induce tolerance to inhaled allergens. Studies of SLIT in allergic rhinitis demonstrate that it reduces symptoms and medication use and is associated with a low incidence of systemic allergic...
Source: Annual Review of Medicine - July 29, 2009 Category: Journals (General) Authors: Broide DH Tags: Annu Rev Med Source Type: journals

Hypereosinophilic syndrome: current approach to diagnosis and treatment.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Hypereosinophilic syndrome is a heterogeneous group of rare disorders characterized by marked blood or tissue eosinophilia resulting in a wide variety of clinical manifestations. Although the existence of clinical subtypes (or variants) of HES has been appreciated for some time, the recent characterization of some of these variants at the molecular and immunologic levels has demonstrated dramatic differences in disease pathogenesis, response to treatment, and prognosis depending on the etiology of the eosinophilia. This, together with the availability of novel targeted therapies, including tyrosine kinase inhibitors an...
Source: Annual Review of Medicine - July 29, 2009 Category: Journals (General) Authors: Klion A Tags: Annu Rev Med Source Type: journals

Extensively drug-resistant tuberculosis: a new face to an old pathogen.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The presence and consequences of resistance to drugs used for the treatment of tuberculosis have long been neglected. The recent detection and recognition of widespread multiple-drug-resistant (MDR) and extensively drug-resistant (XDR) tuberculosis have raised interest and concern among clinicians and public health authorities globally. In this article, we describe the current global status of drug-resistant tuberculosis. We discuss the development of resistance, current management, and strategies for control. PMID: 19630575 [PubMed - in process] (Source: Annual Review of Medicine)
Source: Annual Review of Medicine - July 29, 2009 Category: Journals (General) Authors: Shenoi S, Friedland G Tags: Annu Rev Med Source Type: journals

The expanded biology of serotonin.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Serotonin is perhaps best known as a neurotransmitter that modulates neural activity and a wide range of neuropsychological processes, and drugs that target serotonin receptors are used widely in psychiatry and neurology. However, most serotonin is found outside the central nervous system, and virtually all of the 15 serotonin receptors are expressed outside as well as within the brain. Serotonin regulates numerous biological processes including cardiovascular function, bowel motility, ejaculatory latency, and bladder control. Additionally, new work suggests that serotonin may regulate some processes, including platele...
Source: Annual Review of Medicine - July 29, 2009 Category: Journals (General) Authors: Berger M, Gray JA, Roth BL Tags: Annu Rev Med Source Type: journals

Advances in autism.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Autism is a common childhood neurodevelopmental disorder with strong genetic liability. It is not a unitary entity but a clinical syndrome, with variable deficits in social behavior and language, restrictive interests, and repetitive behaviors. Recent advances in the genetics of autism emphasize its etiological heterogeneity, with each genetic susceptibility locus accounting for only a small fraction of cases or having a small effect. Therefore, it is not surprising that no unifying structural or neuropathological features have been conclusively identified. Given the heterogeneity of autism spectrum disorder (ASD), app...
Source: Annual Review of Medicine - July 29, 2009 Category: Journals (General) Authors: Geschwind DH Tags: Annu Rev Med Source Type: journals

Chronic consciousness disorders.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Although philosophers and cognitive neuroscientists have struggled to define human consciousness, physicians can identify and assess its two clinical dimensions: wakefulness and awareness. A comatose patient has neither wakefulness nor awareness; a patient in a vegetative state has wakefulness without awareness; and a minimally conscious patient has both, but awareness is impaired. Syndromes of unconsciousness have established diagnostic criteria, but they encompass a spectrum of severity of brain damage and have indistinct boundaries. Functional neuroimaging using PET and fMRI have provided a new and complementary way...
Source: Annual Review of Medicine - July 29, 2009 Category: Journals (General) Authors: Bernat JL Tags: Annu Rev Med Source Type: journals

MRI-guided focused ultrasound surgery.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
MRI-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) surgery is a noninvasive thermal ablation method that uses magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for target definition, treatment planning, and closed-loop control of energy deposition. Integrating FUS and MRI as a therapy delivery system allows us to localize, target, and monitor in real time, and thus to ablate targeted tissue without damaging normal structures. This precision makes MRgFUS an attractive alternative to surgical resection or radiation therapy of benign and malignant tumors. Already approved for the treatment of uterine fibroids, MRgFUS is in ongoing clinical trials for...
Source: Annual Review of Medicine - July 29, 2009 Category: Journals (General) Authors: Jolesz FA Tags: Annu Rev Med Source Type: journals

The HapMap and genome-wide association studies in diagnosis and therapy.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The International HapMap Project produced a genome-wide database of human genetic variation for use in genetic association studies of common diseases. The initial output of these studies has been overwhelming, with over 150 risk loci identified in studies of more than 60 common diseases and traits. These associations have suggested previously unsuspected etiologic pathways for common diseases that will be of use in identifying new therapeutic targets and developing targeted interventions based on genetically defined risk. Here we examine the development and application of the HapMap to genome-wide association (GWA) stu...
Source: Annual Review of Medicine - July 29, 2009 Category: Journals (General) Authors: Manolio TA, Collins FS Tags: Annu Rev Med Source Type: journals

Lessons learned from the natural hosts of HIV-related viruses.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The fact that human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) causes a deadly disease in humans whereas its simian counterparts, the simian immunodeficiency viruses (SIVs), are virtually nonpathogenic in their natural hosts remains a fundamental mystery of modern medicine. Arguably, the pathogenesis of HIV infection will remain poorly understood until the mechanisms responsible for the AIDS resistance of natural SIV hosts are fully explained. Over the past few years, some key features of natural SIV infections have been described in studies conducted predominantly in sooty mangabeys (SMs), African green monkeys (AGMs), and mandrill...
Source: Annual Review of Medicine - July 29, 2009 Category: Journals (General) Authors: Paiardini M, Pandrea I, Apetrei C, Silvestri G Tags: Annu Rev Med Source Type: journals

Growing Up with HIV: Children, Adolescents, and Young Adults with Perinatally Acquired HIV Infection.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Tremendous success in the prevention and treatment of pediatric HIV in high-resource countries has changed the face of the epidemic. A perinatally HIV-infected child now faces a chronic disease rather than a progressive, fatal one. However, these successes pose new challenges as perinatally HIV-infected youth survive into adulthood. These include maintaining adherence to long-term, likely life-long therapy; selecting successive antiretroviral drug regimens, given the limited availability of pediatric formulations and the lack of pharmacokinetic and safety data in children; and overcoming extensive drug resistance in mu...
Source: Annual Review of Medicine - July 20, 2009 Category: Journals (General) Authors: Hazra R, Siberry GK, Mofenson LM Tags: Annu Rev Med Source Type: journals

Transcatheter Valve Repair and Replacement.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
There is significant interest in developing transcatheter therapy for valvular heart disease (VHD). Numerous devices have been developed for the percutaneous treatment of pulmonary and aortic stenosis as well as mitral regurgitation. Several of these devices have progressed to randomized clinical trials. These ongoing trials for aortic stenosis and mitral regurgitation will provide important insights into the durability of these therapies as well as the results following standard surgical repair. The field of transcatheter valve therapy is rapidly evolving, and this review aims to summarize the current status of the fi...
Source: Annual Review of Medicine - November 14, 2008 Category: Journals (General) Authors: Kodali S, Schwartz A Tags: Annu Rev Med Source Type: journals

Erythropoietin in Cancer Patients.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Therapy with erythropoiesis-stimulating agents (ESAs) is associated with well-documented benefits to anemic cancer patients undergoing chemotherapy, most importantly a reduction in the likelihood of needing red cell transfusions. One challenge in supportive cancer care is a relative resistance to ESAs, requiring high doses with a significant rate of nonresponse. Recent advances in our understanding of iron metabolism in patients with chronic illness and the results of clinical trials indicate that parenteral iron improves ESA response in this setting. Another issue is the safety of ESA treatment in cancer patients. The...
Source: Annual Review of Medicine - November 3, 2008 Category: Journals (General) Authors: Glaspy JA Tags: Annu Rev Med Source Type: journals

IL-23 and Autoimmunity: New Insights into the Pathogenesis of Inflammatory Bowel Disease.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The intestinal immune system has the challenge of maintaining both a state of tolerance toward intestinal antigens and the ability to combat pathogens. This balance is partially achieved by reciprocal regulation of proinflammatory, effector CD4(+) T cells, and tolerizing, suppressive Treg subsets. Inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) comprises Crohn's disease (CD) and ulcerative colitis (UC). Genome-wide association studies have linked CD to a number of IL-23 pathway genes, notably IL23R (interleukin 23 receptor). Similar associations in IL-23 pathway genes have been observed in UC. IL23R is a key differentiation feature o...
Source: Annual Review of Medicine - October 31, 2008 Category: Journals (General) Authors: Abraham C, Cho JH Tags: Annu Rev Med Source Type: journals

The Kidney and the Ear: Emerging Parallel Functions.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The association between renal dysplasia and minor malformations of the external ear is weak. However, there is a remarkable list of syndromes that link the kidney to the inner ear. To organize these seemingly disparate syndromes, we cluster representative examples into three groups: (a) syndromes that share pathways regulating development; (b) syndromes involving dysfunction of the primary cilium, which normally provides critical information to epithelial cells about the fluid in which they are bathed; (c) syndromes arising from dysfunction of specialized proteins that transport ions and drugs in and out of the extrace...
Source: Annual Review of Medicine - October 31, 2008 Category: Journals (General) Authors: Torban E, Goodyer P Tags: Annu Rev Med Source Type: journals

Primary Myelofibrosis: Update on Definition, Pathogenesis, and Treatment.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Primary myelofibrosis (PMF) is a clonal stem cell disorder that manifests clinically as anemia, splenomegaly due to extramedullary hematopoiesis, leukoerythroblastosis, and constitutional symptoms, which are the clinical hallmarks of PMF.Within the past three years it has been determined that a single, recurrent, somatic mutation in the gene encoding the cytoplasmic tyrosine kinase Janus kinase 2 ( JAK2) occurs in the majority of patients with PMF, and more recently, activating mutations in the gene encoding the thrombopoietin receptor MPL have also been identified in a subset of PMF patients. These discoveries have yi...
Source: Annual Review of Medicine - October 23, 2008 Category: Journals (General) Authors: Abdel-Wahab OI, Levine RL Tags: Annu Rev Med Source Type: journals

Emerging Concepts in the Immunopathogenesis of AIDS.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
There is an intense interplay between HIV and the immune system, and the literature is replete with studies describing various immunological phenomena associated with HIV infection. Many of these phenomena seem too broad in scope to be attributable either to HIV-infected cells or to the HIV-specific immune response. Recently, a more fundamental understanding of how HIV affects various T cells and T cell compartments has emerged. This review covers the role of immune activation in HIV immunopathogenesis, how that activation could be mediated directly by HIV replicating within and damaging the gut mucosal barrier, how HI...
Source: Annual Review of Medicine - October 23, 2008 Category: Journals (General) Authors: Douek DC, Roederer M, Koup RA Tags: Annu Rev Med Source Type: journals

Biomarkers for Prostate Cancer.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The development of biomarkers for prostate cancer screening, detection, and prognostication has revolutionized the management of this disease. Prostate-specific antigen (PSA) is a useful, though not specific, biomarker for detecting prostate cancer.We review the literature on prostate cancer biomarkers, including serum markers (PAP, tPSA, fPSA, proPSA, PSAD, PSAV, PSADT, EPCA, and EPCA-2), tissue markers (AMACR, methylated GSTP1, and the TMPRSS2-ETS gene rearrangement), and a urine marker (DD3PCA3/UPM-3). Future research should focus on validation of already existing biomarkers and the discovery of new markers to ident...
Source: Annual Review of Medicine - October 23, 2008 Category: Journals (General) Authors: Makarov DV, Loeb S, Getzenberg RH, Partin AW Tags: Annu Rev Med Source Type: journals

Polycystic Kidney Disease.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
A number of inherited disorders result in renal cyst development. The most common form, autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD), is a disorder most often diagnosed in adults and caused by mutation in PKD1 or PKD2. The PKD1 protein, polycystin-1, is a large receptor-like protein, whereas polycystin-2 is a transient receptor potential channel. The polycystin complex localizes to primary cilia and may act as a mechanosensor essential for maintaining the differentiated state of epithelia lining tubules in the kidney and biliary tract. Elucidation of defective cellular processes has highlighted potential therap...
Source: Annual Review of Medicine - October 23, 2008 Category: Journals (General) Authors: Harris PC, Torres VE Tags: Annu Rev Med Source Type: journals

Genetic Testing in Clinical Practice.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In the practice of internal medicine, the value of genetic testing in common (mono)genetic diseases such as familial hemochromatosis, hypercholesterolemia, Mediterranean fever, and thrombophilia is limited. The genotype insufficiently predicts the phenotype because of the powerful effects of other modifying genes, environmental influences, and lifestyle factors. Many common diseases, including diabetes mellitus, osteoporosis, and cardiovascular disease, have strong genetic influences but are called complex genetic traits. The underlying genetic factors are currently investigated using new molecular tools such as genome...
Source: Annual Review of Medicine - October 23, 2008 Category: Journals (General) Authors: Lamberts SW, Uitterlinden AG Tags: Annu Rev Med Source Type: journals

Stroke Rehabilitation: Strategies to Enhance Motor Recovery.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Recent evidence indicates that the brain can remodel after stroke, primarily through synaptogenesis.Task-specific and repetitive exercise appear to be key factors in promoting synaptogenesis and are central elements in rehabilitation of motor weakness following stroke. Expert medical management ensures a patient is well enough to participate in rehabilitation with minimal distractions due to pain or depression. Contraint-induced motor therapy and body-weight-supported ambulation are forms of exercise that "force use" of an impaired upper extremity. Technologies now in common use include robotics, functional electrical ...
Source: Annual Review of Medicine - October 17, 2008 Category: Journals (General) Authors: O'Dell MW, Lin CC, Harrison V Tags: Annu Rev Med Source Type: journals

Cardiomyopathic and Channelopathic Causes of Sudden, Unexpected Death in Infants and Children.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
In the past decade there has been an increasing awareness of distinct, potentially lethal heritable cardiomyopathic and channelopathic syndromes as they pertain to sudden cardiac death in infants and children. This review highlights current clinical and molecular findings of two highly relevant structural cardiac abnormalities evident at autopsy, namely hypertrophic cardiomyopathy and arrhythmogenic right ventricular cardiomyopathy, as well as the cardiac channelopathies of long QTsyndrome, catecholaminergic polymorphic ventricular tachycardia, Brugada syndrome, and short QT syndrome, which may account for one third of...
Source: Annual Review of Medicine - October 17, 2008 Category: Journals (General) Authors: Tester DJ, Ackerman M Tags: Annu Rev Med Source Type: journals

Bisphosphonate-Related Osteonecrosis of the Jaw: Diagnosis, Prevention, and Treatment.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Bisphosphonate therapy has been considered standard therapy in the management and care of cancer patients with metastatic bone disease and patients with osteoporosis. The efficacy of these drugs is due to their ability to inhibit osteoclast-mediated bone resorption. However, the postmarketing experience with intravenous and, to a much lesser extent, oral bisphosphonates has raised concerns about potential side effects related to profound bone remodeling inhibition and osteonecrosis isolated to the jaws. We review the risk factors, incidence, pathogenesis, prevention strategies, and management of this new complication. ...
Source: Annual Review of Medicine - October 17, 2008 Category: Journals (General) Authors: Ruggiero SL, Mehrotra B Tags: Annu Rev Med Source Type: journals

Prospects for Life Span Extension.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Life expectancy has increased dramatically in the United States and in much of the world in recent years and decades. The factors underlying this increase are incompletely understood and are undoubtedly complex. A question that drives current research is whether life expectancy can be further extended using current knowledge of modifiable risk factors. A still more challenging research focus is on the possibility that life expectancy might be further increased through knowledge gained from studies of the basic biology of aging and its genetic and environmental modifiers. Expected final online publication date for the A...
Source: Annual Review of Medicine - September 25, 2008 Category: Journals (General) Authors: Sierra F, Hadley E, Suzman R, Hodes R Tags: Annu Rev Med Source Type: journals

Necrotizing Enterocolitis.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC) remains a major cause of neonatal morbidity and death. The pathophysiology is poorly understood. Prevailing evidence suggests that NEC is due to an inappropriate inflammatory response of the immature gut to some undefined insult. The mortality rate (15%-25%) for affected infants has not changed appreciably in 30 years. Many infants with NEC recover uneventfully with medical therapy and have long-term outcomes similar to unaffected infants of matched gestational age. Infants with progressive disease requiring surgical intervention suffer almost all of the mortality and morbidity. Of these...
Source: Annual Review of Medicine - September 25, 2008 Category: Journals (General) Authors: Henry MC, Moss LR Tags: Annu Rev Med Source Type: journals

Cancer Screening: The Clash of Science and Intuition.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This article explains these biases and other common confounders in cancer screening. The most direct and reliable way to avoid being led astray by intuitions is through the use of randomized controlled trials. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Medicine Volume 60 is January 07, 2009. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/catalog/pubdates.aspx for revised estimates. PMID: 18803476 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Annual Review of Medicine)
Source: Annual Review of Medicine - September 19, 2008 Category: Journals (General) Authors: Kramer BS, Croswell JM Tags: Annu Rev Med Source Type: journals

Barrett's Esophagus and Esophageal Adenocarcinoma.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The incidence of esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) has risen dramatically over the past three decades in western countries. The importance of Barrett's esophagus (BE) derives from its potential to transform to adenocarcinoma. BE is characterized by endoscopically recognized displacement of the squamocolumnar junction proximal to the gastroesophageal junction, with replacement of squamous mucosa with columnar lined mucosa. Adenocarcinomas of the esophagus appear to arise from Barrett's mucosa through progressive degrees of dysplasia, but the pathogenesis and natural history of this process are still unclear. Much of our k...
Source: Annual Review of Medicine - September 10, 2008 Category: Journals (General) Authors: Bresalier RS Tags: Annu Rev Med Source Type: journals

Role of Endothelin Receptor Antagonists in the Treatment of Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
This article briefly reviews preclinical data and the current status of ETRAs in the clinical management of PAH. Expected final online publication date for the Annual Review of Medicine Volume 60 is January 07, 2009. Please see http://www.annualreviews.org/catalog/pubdates.aspx for revised estimates. PMID: 18764741 [PubMed - as supplied by publisher] (Source: Annual Review of Medicine)
Source: Annual Review of Medicine - September 2, 2008 Category: Journals (General) Authors: Abman SH Tags: Annu Rev Med Source Type: journals

Understanding and Reducing Variation in Surgical Mortality.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Surgical mortality varies widely across hospitals and surgeons, more so than would be predicted by chance alone or differences in case mix. Although a large body of research has suggested the importance of procedure volume, clinical mechanisms underlying variation in surgical mortality remain largely unknown. Payers, policy makers, and professional organizations have implemented a variety of large-scale strategies aimed at improving outcomes. Selective referral, process compliance, and outcomes measurement reflect different philosophies on how best to improve surgical quality and have distinct advantages and disadvanta...
Source: Annual Review of Medicine - August 29, 2008 Category: Journals (General) Authors: Birkmeyer JD, Dimick JB Tags: Annu Rev Med Source Type: journals

Food Allergy: Recent Advances in Pathophysiology and Treatment.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Food allergies, defined as an adverse immune response to food proteins, affect as many as 6% of young children and 3%-4% of adults in westernized countries, and their prevalence appears to be rising. In addition to well-recognized acute allergic reactions and anaphylaxis triggered by IgE antibody-mediated immune responses to food proteins, there is an increasing recognition of cell-mediated disorders such as eosinophilic gastroenteropathies and food protein-induced enterocolitis syndrome. We are gaining an increasing understanding of the pathophysiology of food allergic disorders and are beginning to comprehend how thi...
Source: Annual Review of Medicine - August 19, 2008 Category: Journals (General) Authors: Sicherer SH, Sampson HA Tags: Annu Rev Med Source Type: journals

Goals of Inpatient Treatment for Psychiatric Disorders.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The purpose of the psychiatric hospital changed dramatically during the twentieth century. Formerly the primary location for psychiatric treatment, the hospital now plays a more circumscribed role within a community-based system of care. Crisis stabilization, safety, and a focus on rapid discharge are the critical components of the acute inpatient stay. Subspecialized units focus on geriatrics, children, adolescents, dual diagnosis (substance abuse and mental illness), trauma disorders, eating disorders, and forensics. When integrated with the general medical system and a comprehensive base of community-delivered day t...
Source: Annual Review of Medicine - August 19, 2008 Category: Journals (General) Authors: Sharfstein SS Tags: Annu Rev Med Source Type: journals

The Treatment of Hyperhomocysteinemia.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
The unique biochemical profile of homocysteine is characterized by chemical reactivity supporting a wide range of molecular effects and by a tendency to promote oxidant stress-induced cellular toxicity. Numerous epidemiological reports have established hyperhomocysteinemia as an independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease, cerebrovascular disease, dementia-type disorders, and osteoporosis-associated fractures. Although combined folic acid and B-vitamin therapy substantially reduces homocysteine levels, results from randomized placebo-controlled clinical trials testing the effect of vitamin therapy on outcome in ...
Source: Annual Review of Medicine - August 19, 2008 Category: Journals (General) Authors: Maron BA, Loscalzo J Tags: Annu Rev Med Source Type: journals

Complement regulatory genes and hemolytic uremic syndromes.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Hemolytic uremic syndrome is a triad of microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, and acute renal failure. It is one of a group of conditions termed the thrombotic microangiopathies, which are characterized by prominent endothelial cell injury. It may be diarrheal-associated or atypical (aHUS). Evidence for a pathogenic role of the alternative pathway of complement was first suggested in 1974. Mutations in the complement regulatory proteins factor H, membrane cofactor protein (CD46), and factor I predispose to aHUS development. Mutations of the activating components factor B and complement C3 have also been ...
Source: Annual Review of Medicine - July 7, 2008 Category: Journals (General) Authors: Kavanagh D, Richards A, Atkinson J Tags: Annu Rev Med Source Type: journals

Advance directives.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Most patients want some control over their medical care, including-or even especially-when they are too sick to participate in decisions. Clinicians who have to make decisions for patients who are unable to participate often would appreciate guidance from patients' wishes. Advance care planning responds to these needs. The process provides for discussions about goals in different scenarios and allows inclusion of the family and physician as well as the patient. It helps to have the patient and family complete validated worksheets that walk them through the various considerations and result in expressions of preference ...
Source: Annual Review of Medicine - July 7, 2008 Category: Journals (General) Authors: Emanuel LL Tags: Annu Rev Med Source Type: journals

EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors in lung cancer: an evolving story.Email this article to a colleague. Save this article to My Clippings. Discuss or comment on this article.
Drugs that target the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) have had a major impact on the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). The use of these drugs has also motivated pivotal advances in the understanding of the molecular biology of NSCLC, including the discovery that mutations in EGFR are associated with dramatic and sustained responses to anti-EGFR treatments. This review summarizes the clinical development of EGFR tyrosine kinase inhibitors, the discovery of molecular predictors of response, and the future directions for research in the field. PMID: 17716025 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE] (Sourc...
Source: Annual Review of Medicine - July 7, 2008 Category: Journals (General) Authors: Sequist LV, Lynch TJ Tags: Annu Rev Med Source Type: journals