BACKGROUND Experimental animal and clinical studies indicate that blood platelets have an important role in atherosclerosis and formation of thrombi. Prospective studies presenting evidence of an association between blood platelet count and cardiovascular mortality have not been performed. METHODS AND RESULTS From 1973 to 1975, blood platelets were counted, and their responsiveness to aggregating agents was studied in healthy middle-aged men. The aim was to assess the possible association between these variables and coronary heart disease. At 13.5 years of follow up, a significantly higher coronary heart disease mortality was observed among the 25% of subjects with the highest platelet counts. Platelet aggregation performed in a random subsample (150 of the 487 men), moreover, revealed that the 50% with the most rapid aggregation response after ADP stimulation had significantly increased coronary heart disease mortality compared with the others. These associations could not be explained by differences in age, lipids, blood pressure, or smoking habits. CONCLUSIONS The present study is the first to present conclusive, prospective evidence of an association between platelet concentration and aggregability and long-term incidence of fatal coronary heart disease in a population of apparently healthy middle-aged men.

Prospective longitudinal health-related quality of life (QOL) data from 161 women newly diagnosed with breast cancer were compared to age-adjusted mean QOL scores from a general female population (n=949). In addition, multiple factors (demographic, personality trait, participation in treatment decision-making, information satisfaction, and medical data), which previous research has indicated affect the QOL of breast cancer patients, were simultaneously investigated in a multivariate model, in order to determine which of these variables have the strongest influence on QOL one year after surgery. QOL was evaluated with the EORTC QLQ-C30 at time of diagnosis, three- and 12-months postoperatively. Women with breast cancer scored significantly lower on emotional, cognitive, and social functioning (p < 0.01) at time of diagnosis compared to the general female population, and continued to score lower on cognitive (p=0.008) and social (p=0.009) functioning one-year after surgery. In addition to the initial QOL, breast conservation surgery was predictive of better physical functioning (p=0.01) and body image (p < 0.0001), while chemotherapy was predictive for poorer role functioning (p=0.01) one year after surgery. Dispositional optimism was predictive for better emotional (p=0.003) and social functioning (p=0.01) one year after surgery. At time of diagnosis and throughout the post-diagnosis period, dispositional optimism was associated with better QOL and fewer symptoms.

There is increasing evidence that inflammation plays an important role in the progression of acute ischemic stroke (AIS). The primary aims of this study were to examine the serum levels of 13 cytokines, C-reactive protein (CRP), glucose, and hemoglobin in AIS patients, and their relationship to stroke lateralization, type, and infarct volume. Forty-five patients with AIS were evaluated. Blood samples were taken within 72 h, and volumetric analyses performed within 1–7 days after AIS onset. Cytokines were measured in serum from all patients and from 40 control subjects using Luminex Bio-Plex XMap technology. The levels of interleukin (IL)-1ra (p < 0.001), IL-6 (p < 0.001), IL-8 (p < 0.001), IL-9 (p = 0.038), IL-10 (p = 0.001), IL-12 (p = 0.001), IL-18 (p < 0.001), and GRO-α (CXCL1) (p = 0.017) were significantly higher in the AIS patients than in the controls. The IL-8 level was significantly correlated with age in the patient group (r = 0.52, p < 0.001). None of the variables were found to be associated with stroke lateralization. Infarct volume was significantly positively correlated with CRP level (r = 0.47, p = 0.005). Patients with radiologically confirmed infarctions had significantly elevated serum levels of GRO-α (p = 0.023). The cytokine profile of the AIS patients supports not only earlier findings of a proinflammatory response but also early activation of endogenous immunosuppressive mechanisms. Novel findings of this study are elevated serum levels of IL-9 and GRO-α. Elevated GRO-α in AIS patients with radiologically confirmed infarctions suggests that GRO-α is specific for stroke of known etiology. Our results indicate that CRP plays an important role in the progression of cerebral tissue injury.

In this study, we investigated the stability of optimism-pessimism in relation to receiving bad news (i.e., positive lymph nodes, more advanced cancer stage) after breast cancer surgery and in comparison to the stability of anxiety and depression level. The women (n = 165) completed the Life Orientation Test-Revised (Scheier, Carver, & Bridges, 1994) and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (Zigmond & Snaith, 1983) at time of diagnosis, 3 months, and 12 months after surgery. Overall, women's optimism-pessimism levels remained stable over the follow-up period whether they received bad news or not. In contrast, women's anxiety and depression level decreased significantly over the same time period with 1 exception. Women's level of depression remained fairly stable among those who received bad news. Optimism-pessimism appears to remain stable over situations as well as time and regardless of negative affects.

Colon cancer located in the transverse and descending colon is associated with poor prognosis. Comparison of results from different centres is difficult due to selection and classification differences, and different methods used for calculation of survival.