medical journals update
ORIGINAL ARTICLE: Azathioprine or Methotrexate Maintenance for ANCA-Associated Vasculitis
Current standard therapy for Wegener’s granulomatosis and microscopic polyangiitis combines corticosteroids and cyclophosphamide to induce remission, followed by a less toxic immunosuppressant. This prospective, open-label, multicenter trial indicated that the safety and efficacy of azathioprine and methotrexate are similar for maintenance therapy after initial remission in these two conditions. <P>
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ORIGINAL ARTICLE: Inhibition of the Bcl-xL Deamidation Pathway in Myeloproliferative Disorders
DNA damage in normal cells triggers a newly discovered pathway that raises intracellular pH, which in turn deaminates and impairs the antiapoptotic Bcl-xL protein, thereby causing an increase in apoptosis. This pathway was found to be suppressed in mature myeloid cells and stem cells from patients with chronic myeloid leukemia and polycythemia vera. <P>
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ORIGINAL ARTICLE: Shared and Distinct Genetic Variants in Type 1 Diabetes and Celiac Disease
Type 1 diabetes and celiac disease, both of which are associated with HLA class II genes, cosegregate in populations, suggesting a common genetic origin. In this article, the authors tested whether any non-HLA loci are shared. They report susceptibility alleles shared by both diseases, indicating that common biologic mechanisms underlie these immune-mediated disorders. <P>
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ORIGINAL ARTICLE: Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, Sertraline, or a Combination in Childhood Anxiety
In this randomized study, children and adolescents with primary diagnoses of separation anxiety or generalized anxiety disorders or social phobia received cognitive behavioral therapy, sertraline, a combination of these treatments, or placebo for 12 weeks. The results indicate that both cognitive behavioral therapy and sertraline reduced the severity of anxiety in children with anxiety disorders, [...]
PERSPECTIVE: Culture Shock — Patient as Icon, Icon as Patient
<p>On my first day as an attending physician in a new hospital, I found my house staff and students in the team room, a snug bunker filled with glowing monitors. …
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PERSPECTIVE: Melamine and the Global Implications of Food Contamination
<p>Food contamination, whether accidental or intentional, has been a sad, recurrent theme throughout recorded history, going back some 8000 years and described in the Old Testament. However, a new dimension …
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