Occupational immediate-type asthma and rhinitis due to rhodium salts.

Background: Whereas platinum salts are well known occupational allergens, rhodium salts have not been identified as inhalative sensitizing substances.

Methods: A 27-year-old atopic operator of an electroplating plant developed work-related shortness of breath and runny nose with sneezing after exposure to rhodium salts. Quantitative skin prick tests (SPT) and bronchial challenge tests with a dosimeter protocol were performed with quadrupling doses of the sodium chloride salts of rhodium (Na(3)RhCl(6)) and platinum (Na(2)PtCl(6)).

Heterogeneity of breast cancer associations with five susceptibility loci by clinical and pathological characteristics.

A three-stage genome-wide association study recently identified single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in five loci (fibroblast growth receptor 2 (FGFR2), trinucleotide repeat containing 9 (TNRC9), mitogen-activated protein kinase 3 K1 (MAP3K1), 8q24, and lymphocyte-specific protein 1 (LSP1)) associated with breast cancer risk. We investigated whether the associations between these SNPs and breast cancer risk varied by clinically important tumor characteristics in up to 23,039 invasive breast cancer cases and 26,273 controls from 20 studies. We also evaluated their influence on overall survival in 13,527 cases from 13 studies.

High incidence of metastatic disease in primary high grade and large extremity soft tissue sarcomas treated without chemotherapy.

Background: The risk of metastasis and the survival in patients with primary extremity soft tissue sarcomas is worse when tumour size is large and the grade of malignancy is high. Such tumours may receive chemotherapy and/or radiation therapy (RTX) for optimising local control. Irradiation can either be applied preoperatively or after tumour resection.

Platinum concentrations in sera of catalyst production workers are not predictive of platinum salt allergy.

Platinum (Pt) salts are potent occupational allergens in precious metal refineries and catalyst productions. The threshold limit value of 2000 ng soluble Pt/m3 enforced in many countries has been questioned because there is still a high incidence of Pt salt allergy. The objective of the present case series is to define the predictive value of biological monitoring by relating Pt in the serum of catalyst production workers and control subjects to sensitization to Pt salts as assessed by skin prick testing.