Search results for " KAP"

Knowledge, risk perception and behaviours in swimming pool users of Palermo city, Sicily

2012

Abstract To assess knowledge, risk perception and behaviours of a sample of swimming pool users in Palermo. A total of 498 subjects were interviewed by self-administered anonymous questionnaire including socio-demographic questions, knowledge/risk perception and behaviours. Overall, 289 subjects (58%) had a mean of 1.9±1.2 healthy behaviours. Age older than 30 years (OR=0.46; 95% CI=0.26–0.81), female sex (OR=0.52; 95% CI=0.35–0.76) and a high knowledge score (OR=0.15; 95% CI=0.03–0.69) were significantly associated with having healthy behaviours in both univariate and multivariate analysis. Unhealthy behaviours can be frequently found in swimming pool bathers and, particularly, in some tar…

Evaluation of erlotinib treatment response in non-small cell lung cancer using metabolic and anatomic criteria

2016

BACKGROUND: In this paper the clinical value of PET for early prediction of tumor response to erlotinib in patients with advanced or metastatic non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) after failure of at least one prior chemotherapy regimen is evaluated. The aim was to compare the early metabolic treatment response using European Organization for Research and Treatment of Cancer (EORTC) 1999 recommendations and PET Response Criteria in Solid Tumors (PERCIST), and the standard treatment response using Response Evaluation Criteria in Solid Tumors (RECIST). METHODS: Twenty patients with stage IV NSCLCwere enrolled prospectively. PET/CT studies were performed before, then 48 hours, and 45 days after…

Kappa free light chains in cerebrospinal fluid as markers of intrathecal immunoglobulin synthesis.

2004

Abstract Background: Intrathecal immunoglobulin synthesis is observed in several inflammatory disorders of the central nervous system, but its detection by current laboratory tests is either tedious or relatively insensitive. We assessed the diagnostic accuracy of an assay for κ free light chains (κFLC) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) and serum, and compared it with traditional tests for intrathecal immunoglobulin synthesis. Methods: κFLCs were measured by nephelometry in CSF/serum pairs from 112 patients. Samples were excluded if blood contamination of CSF as a result of traumatic lumbar puncture (n = 12) or monoclonal bands in both CSF and serum (n = 5) were present. The remaining sample pai…

Reproducibility of the WHO histological criteria for the diagnosis of Philadelphia chromosome-negative myeloproliferative neoplasms

2014

This study, performed on behalf of the Italian Registry of Thrombocythaemias (Registro Italiano Trombocitemie), aimed to test the inter-observer reproducibility of the histological parameters proposed by the WHO classification for the diagnosis of the Philadelphia chromosome-negative myeloproliferative neoplasms. A series of 103 bone marrow biopsy samples of Philadelphia chromosome-negative myeloproliferative neoplasms consecutively collected in 2004 were classified according to the WHO criteria as follows: essential thrombocythaemia (n=34), primary myelofibrosis (n=44) and polycythaemia vera (n=25). Two independent groups of pathologists reviewed the bone marrow biopsies. The first group w…

Interexaminer reliability of low back pain assessment using the McKenzie method.

2002

STUDY DESIGN A test-retest design was used. OBJECTIVE To assess interexaminer reliability of the McKenzie method for performing clinical tests and classifying patients with low back pain. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA Clinical methods and tests classifying patients with nonspecific low back pain have been based mainly on symptom duration or extent of pain referral. The McKenzie mechanical diagnostic and classification approach is a widely used noninvasive, low-technology method of assessing patients with low back pain. However, little is known about the interexaminer reliability of the method, previous studies having yielded conflicting results. METHODS For this study, 39 volunteers with low b…

Risk Factors for Classical Kaposi Sarcoma in a Population-based Case-control Study in Sicily

2008

Abstract Background: Classical Kaposi sarcoma is a rare complication of Kaposi sarcoma-associated herpes virus (KSHV) infection. We conducted a population-based, frequency-matched case-control study in Sicily to further investigate the reported inverse relationship between smoking and classical Kaposi sarcoma and to identify other factors associated with altered risk. Methods: All incident, histologically confirmed classical Kaposi sarcoma cases in Sicily were eligible. A two-stage cluster sample design was applied to select population controls. KSHV seropositivity was determined using four antibody assays (K8.1 and orf73 enzyme immunoassays and two immunofluorenscence assays). Using SAS-ca…

Towards an international language for incontinence-associated dermatitis (IAD): design and evaluation of psychometric properties of the Ghent Global …

2018

Background Incontinence-associated dermatitis (IAD) is a specific type of irritant contact dermatitis with different levels of severity. An internationally accepted instrument to assess the severity of IAD in adults with established diagnostic accuracy, agreement, and reliability is needed to support clinical practice and research.Objectives To design and psychometrically evaluate the Ghent Global IAD Categorisation Tool (GLOBIAD).Methods The design was based on expert consultation using a three-round Delphi procedure with 34 experts from 13 countries. The instrument was tested using IAD photographs reflecting different severity levels in a sample of 823 health professionals in 30 countries…

"Baseline physical functioning status of metastatic colorectal cancer patients predicts the overall survival but not the activity of a front-line oxa…

2010

BACKGROUND: No differences in response rate (RR), progression-free survival (PFS), overall survival (OS) and quality of life (QoL) were seen in patients randomly treated with biweekly oxaliplatin plus either fluorouracil/folinic acid or capecitabine. METHODS: We investigated the independent effect of baseline clinical characteristics and physical functioning (PF) domain on RR, PFS, and OS in 310 patients who completed the EORTC QLQ-C30 questionnaire. Multivariate analyses stratified by treatment were performed. An exploratory analysis was done by grouping patients with a PF score superior or equal to the highest quartile (n = 111), included between the highest and the lowest quartiles (n = …

Differential expression of receptor activator of nuclear factor kappa B in healthy endometrium, ovarian endometrioma, and endometrioid ovarian cancer

2019

Long-term outcome prediction by clinicopathological risk classification algorithms in node-negative breast cancer--comparison between Adjuvant!, St G…

2009

Background: Defining risk categories in breast cancer is of considerable clinical significance. We have developed a novel risk classification algorithm and compared its prognostic utility to the Web-based tool Adjuvant! and to the St Gallen risk classification. Patients and methods: After a median follow-up of 10 years, we retrospectively analyzed 410 consecutive node-negative breast cancer patients who had not received adjuvant systemic therapy. High risk was defined by any of the following criteria: (i) age 2 cm. All patients were also characterized using Adjuvant! and the St Gallen 2007 risk categories. We analyzed disease-free survival (DFS) and overall survival (OS). Results: The Node-…