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PITTSBURGH -- Bacterial biofilms colonizing the middle ear - and not re-infections -- may be the cause of recurrent otitis media, according to investigators here.

BOSTON -- Siblings of melanoma patients reacted with mixed success to an intensive awareness intervention protocol, according to investigators here.

VALENCIA, Spain -- With a combination of pegylated interferon and Rebetol (ribavirin), liver transplant recipients with recurrent hepatitis C (HCV) infection respond as well as non-transplants patients, researchers here reported.

SEATTLE -- Circulating fetal cells may account for why rheumatoid arthritis tends to improve or even disappear during pregnancy, according to researchers here.

ATLANTA -- The much ballyhooed decline in teenage smoking seems to have bottomed out, according the CDC.

LOS ANGELES - Throughout the genome, males and females express the same genes differently, a finding that may help explain well-established differences in how men and women respond to medical treatment.

TORONTO - A chemoradiotherapy regimen containing Platinol (cisplatin) and 5-FU (fluorouracil) carcinoma was not associated in a phase III trial for anal canal cancer with a better survival.

TORONTO - The addition of Gemzar (gemcitabine) to Taxol (paclitaxel) and radiotherapy for locally advanced pancreatic cancer did not significantly improve median survival compared with just Taxol and radiotherapy.

PORTLAND, Ore - The novel anti-smoking drug Chantix (varenicline) is effective both to stop smoking and to keep off cigarettes, according to several investigations.

SUTTON, England - A perioperative chemotherapy regimen improved progression-free and overall survival in potentially curable gastric cancer, researchers here reported.

Depression and obesity are often partners in pathology, according to investigators here.

ROCKVILLE, Md. - The FDA has approved Lucentis (ranibizumab injection) for treatment of wet age-related macular degeneration.

What is the next step when a patient’s urine culture shows -hemolytic streptococci?

Abstract: Elderly persons with active tuberculosis may present with the classic features, such as cough, hemoptysis, and fever, but some patients present with less typical signs, such as hepatosplenomegaly, liver function abnormalities, and anemia. A high index of suspicion is required when a patient presents with cough or pneumonia unresponsive to conventional therapy. Acid-fast smear and mycobacterial culture of a sputum specimen are recommended for diagnosis. For an elderly patient who tests positive with purified protein derivative, 9 months of isoniazid prophylaxis is recommended. For patients who are intolerant of isoniazid or have been exposed to or infected by an isoniazid-resistant strain, rifampin single-agent preventive therapy may be an effective alternative. (J Respir Dis. 2006;27(7):307-315)

Patients with allergic rhinitis are genetically predisposed to producing specific IgE antibodies in response to environmental allergens, such as tree, grass, or ragweed pollen or cat, dog, or dust mite allergens. Patients must have symptoms suggestive of allergies and positive skin or serologic test results that correlate with their symptoms.

How strong is the evidence supporting the use of horse chestnut seed extract for chronic venous insufficiency?

Is methotrexate an appropriate therapy for synovial cysts associated with osteoarthritis?

Sexual dysfunction may not reverse after the drug that is causing the problem is discontinued.