Purpose: Among central nervous system malignancies, cytochrome P450 1B1 (CYP1B1) expression has only been characterized in medulloblastoma. An immunotherapeutic agent targeting this antigen was shown to safely stimulate a good immune response. To evaluate the viability of further research efforts targeting this antigen, we examined the expression of CYP1B1 in glial cell malignancies. Experimental Design: We studied the frequency and extent of CYP1B1expression by immunohistochemical analysis in 269 glial tumors (including all major pathologic types) on a tissue microarray. Results were categorized by percentage of cells stained and intensity of cytoplasmic staining within cells. Correlation of CYP1B1 expression with patient prognosis was evaluated by univariate and multivariate analyses. Results: Overall, increased CYP1B1 expression in glial tumors was associated with decreased patient survival time (P < 0.0014 for both percentage and intensity of staining). A significant difference existed in percentage and intensity of staining between astrocytic and oligodendroglial tumors (P = 0.0002 and 0.0003, respectively), between grades of tumors (P < 0.0001 and 0.0079), and between pathologic types of tumors (P < 0.0001 and 0.0339). Positive CYP1B1 staining was seen in 81% of glioblastomas, 84% of anaplastic astrocytomas, 61% of oligodendrogliomas, and 67% of anaplastic oligodendrogliomas. Paradoxically, within specific tumor pathologies, there was a trend toward increased survival as CYP1B1expression increased. However, in the multivariate analysis, this trend disappeared, and CYP1B1 expression seemed prognostically neutral. Conclusion: CYP1B1is frequently expressed in a variety of gliomas and could be used as a target for immunotherapy.

An outbreak of Staphylococcus aureus joint and soft-tissue infections occurred after therapeutic injections in an outpatient setting. A physician performed intra-articular or soft-tissue injections on 17 patients in August 2001, and 5 (29%) were subsequently hospitalized for infections at the site. S. aureus was isolated from 4 patients, and all 4 isolates were indistinguishable by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. Of 10 patients injected with lidocaine and triamcinolone, 5 (50%) developed infections, compared with 0 of 7 patients injected with triamcinolone only (P=.04). A multiple-dose vial (MDV) of lidocaine was likely contaminated with S. aureus. A possible contributing factor was refrigeration after the use of MDVs of lidocaine; the manufacturer recommends storage at room temperature. An in vitro study of S. aureus in MDVs of lidocaine revealed prolonged survival at refrigerator temperatures. This outbreak highlights the importance of strict attention to aseptic procedures and carefully following manufacturers' instructions when using MDVs.