This large, prospective study calls into question the value of the C-reactive protein (CRP) concentration in the prediction of coronary events. In contrast to previous research, this study found that the strength of the CRP concentration as a predictor is relatively moderate and that it adds little to the predictive value of standard coronary risk factors, such as the cholesterol concentration, smoking status, and blood pressure.

The authors believe that recommendations for the use of CRP in the prediction of coronary risk need to be reviewed.

This case–control study of all children born in Denmark from 1990 through 2000 examined detailed information on vaccinations and the occurrence of type 1 diabetes. Using Poisson regression models, the investigators estimated rate ratios for diabetes among all children according to vaccination status. There appeared to be no association between any type of vaccination and diabetes mellitus.

These results do not support a causal relation between childhood vaccination and type 1 diabetes.

This study showed that complete resection of oral leukoplakia with aneuploidy does not reduce the risk of oral cancer or the risk of death from oral cancer. (In aneuploidy, the number of chromosomes is not an exact multiple of the normal diploid number — for example, 49 chromosomes.)

Oral leukoplakia, which is often associated with tobacco use, remains a difficult clinical problem.

Governments and ethics boards increasingly require written informed consent from all subjects before enrollment in clinical registries. The authors of this article examine the effect of a comprehensive effort to obtain informed consent on the participation rate in the prospective Registry of the Canadian Stroke Network. The overall participation rate was 39.3 percent during phase 1 of the project and 50.6 percent during phase 2. Obtaining written consent was costly, leading to selection bias.

These findings highlight the need for privacy legislation and policies permitting waivers to informed consent for minimal-risk observational research.

About half of all nosocomial infections are associated with indwelling devices. Infections associated with implanted surgical devices are particularly difficult to deal with because they can require prolonged antibiotic treatment and repeated surgical procedures. This review summarizes the diagnostic challenges and explains the approaches to managing infections that are associated with various devices, including prosthetic heart valves, vascular grafts, pacemakers and defibrillators, and joint prostheses.

Ductal carcinoma in situ of the breast (also called intraductal carcinoma), a clonal proliferation of malignant-appearing cells within the mammary duct lumens without evidence of invasion beyond the epithelial basement membrane, is the precursor lesion of invasive breast cancer. In the past 20 years, concomitant with the wide use of screening mammography, its detected incidence has risen dramatically. Data from large cohort studies and randomized trials have emerged to guide treatment. This review summarizes progress in the understanding, pathogenesis, and treatment of ductal carcinoma in situ.

A 68-year-old man originally from the Philippines presented with a three-month history of increasing dyspnea on exertion and orthopnea. He also reported an unintentional weight loss of 7 kg (15 lb), night sweats, and abdominal bloating.

There are two experimental approaches to treat cancer through tweaking the immune system; both depend on T lymphocytes' having access to tumor. A recent study involving a mouse model demonstrates the importance of accessibility and is thus relevant to both approaches.