Current Indications of Secondary Enucleation in Retinoblastoma Management: A Position Paper on Behalf of the European Retinoblastoma Group (EURbG)

Secondary enucleation (SE) puts an irreversible end to eye-preserving therapies, whenever their prolongation is expected to violate the presumed state of metastatic grace. At present, it must be acknowledged that clear criteria for SE are missing, leading to empiric and subjective indications commonly related to disease progression or relapse, disease persistence masking the optic nerve head or treatment-related complications obscuring the fundus view. This absence of evidence-based consensus regarding SE is explained by the continuously moving frontiers of the conservative management as a result of diagnostic and therapeutic advances, as well as by the lack of studies sufficiently powered to accurately stratify the risk of metastasis in conservatively treated patients. In this position paper of the European Retinoblastoma Group (EURbG), we give an overview of the progressive shift in the indications for SE over the past decades and propose guidelines to assist decision-making with respect to when SE becomes imperative or recommended, with corresponding absolute and relative SE indications. Further studies and validation of biologic markers correlated with the risk of metastasis are expected to set more precisely the frontiers of conservative management and thus consensual criteria for SE in the future.

Phenotypic correlations between biologic markers and growth traits in Arbor acres broiler chicken strain

The study was conducted to determine the correlations between biologic markers,haematological indices and growth traits in Arbor Acres broiler strain. A total of 120 Arbor acres strain were used for the experiment which lasted for 56 days. The birds were raised in separate deep litter pens. Data collected include biologic markers: hemoglobin (Hb), packed cell volume (PCV), white blood cell (WBC), red blood cell (RBC), mean cell volume (MCV), mean cellular hemoglobin (MCH), mean cellular hemoglobin concentration (MCHC) and biochemical parameters include: blood glucose (GLU) and total serum protein(PRT). Growth traits include: body weight (BW), body length (BL), shank length (SL), keel length (KL), wing length (WL), breast width (BWD) and drumstick length (DSL). The result obtained showed that MCHC in week 4 it associated significantly with breast length(rp=0.989) and keel length (rp= -0.986), whereas in week 6, serum protein, MCH, PCV, WBC and RBC proved significant markers based on their significant association (P<0.05;P<0.01) with SL (rp=0.975), KL (rp=0.981), DSL (rp= -0.982; -0.989) and BL (rp= -0.991). In week 8, Hb, WBC, MCV, MCH and MCHC proved to be useful markers for selecting keel length, breast length, body length, body length and thigh width in Arbor Acre. Highest correlation was observed between WBC and BL (rp= -0.991) and between MCH and breast length (rp= 0.991) in the 6 week. Due to the limited associations observed in week 4, it may be more reliable to apply the biologic markers in selection programs, starting at the 6 week for Arbor Acres broiler strains. This study advocates that highly polymorphic DNA-based markers which are more reliable should be attempted for improving body weight of broilers.

Pożary odpadów a narażenie strażaków na substancje toksyczne

Waste fires and firefighters’ exposure to toxic agentsIn Poland in recent years more and more waste have been set on fire, thus intervening firefighters are at increased risk of suffering intoxication from fumes. Based on current literature and legal regulations review, characteristics of relevant toxic substances, associated health hazards and preventive measures were analyzed. In order to prevent negative health effects it is crucial not only to equip firefighters with adequate personal protective equipment and clothing but also to introduce obligatory monitoring their proper usage based on biologic markers of intoxication.

Biological Drivers of Wilms Tumor Prognosis and Treatment

Prior to the 1950s, survival from Wilms tumor (WT) was less than 10%. Today, a child diagnosed with WT has a greater than 90% chance of survival. These gains in survival rates from WT are attributed largely to improvements in multimodal therapy: Enhanced surgical techniques leading to decreased operative mortality, optimization of more effective chemotherapy regimens (specifically, dactinomycin and vincristine), and inclusion of radiation therapy in treatment protocols. More recent improvements in survival, however, can be attributed to a growing understanding of the molecular landscape of Wilms tumor. Particularly, identification of biologic markers portending poor prognosis has facilitated risk stratification to tailor therapy that achieves the best possible outcome with the least possible toxicity. The aim of this review is to (1) outline the specific biologic markers that have been associated with prognosis in WT and (2) provide an overview of the current use of biologic and other factors to stratify risk and assign treatment accordingly.