Nr-axSpA represented the majority of patients (67.3%) only if duration of back pain was 1 year and less at the time of referral. Between 1 and 6 years of back pain duration the probability of nr-axSpA and AS was nearly equal (1-3 years: 52.5% and 47.5%, respectively; 3-6 years: 53.7% and 46.3%, respectively). In patients with back pain duration of 6-9 years, AS was more likely (61.1%) to be diagnosed than nr-axSpA (38.9%), and this increased further over time.\n\nConclusions Non-radiographic axial SpA represents an important differential diagnosis of back pain,

especially in patients with recent symptom onset.”
“The mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) is a serine/threonine kinase

that plays a pivotal role in mediating cell size and mass, proliferation, and survival. mTOR has also emerged as an important modulator of several forms of renal disease. mTOR is activated AMPK inhibitor after acute kidney injury and contributes to renal regeneration and repair. Inhibition of mTOR with rapamycin delays recovery of renal function after acute kidney injury. Activation of mTOR within the kidney also occurs in animal models of diabetic nephropathy and other causes of progressive kidney disease. Rapamycin ameliorates several key mechanisms believed to mediate changes associated with the progressive loss of GFR in chronic kidney disease. These include glomerular hypertrophy, PCI-32765 mw intrarenal inflammation, and interstitial fibrosis. mTOR also plays an important role in mediating cyst formation and enlargement in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease. Inhibition of mTOR by rapamycin or one of its analogues represents a potentially novel treatment for autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease. Finally, inhibitors of mTOR improve survival in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma.”
“Pathologic response to preoperative therapy is increasingly

recognized as an important prognostic factor in solid tumors. The impact of pathologic response on survival in pancreatic adenocarcinoma is not well established.\n\nData on 135 consecutive patients treated with chemoradiation selleck screening library followed by pancreatectomy for adenocarcinoma of the pancreatic head and/or body between July 1987 and May 2009 were reviewed. Histopathologic examination was performed in 107 patients to determine pathologic response, defined as minor (< 50% fibrosis relative to residual neoplastic cells), partial (50-94% fibrosis), or major (95-100% fibrosis).\n\nMinor, partial, and major pathologic response rates were 17% (n = 18), 64% (n = 68), and 19% (n = 21), including a 7% (n = 8) complete pathologic response rate. Pathologic response correlated with R0 resection (P = 0.019), negative lymph nodes (P = 0.006), and smaller tumor size (P = 0.001).