Microvascular abnormalities in patients with rheumatoid arthritis

Microvascular involvement represents one of the first apparent steps in many autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis (RA). Early in the disease, peripheral microangiopathy may be easily recognized and studied by videocapillaroscopy. The aim of this study has been to observe the differences in labial microcirculation between healthy patients and patients suffering from RA. A total of 30 healthy patients and 30 patients suffering from RA were examined. The patients with conditions known to compromise microcirculation, such as diabetes, hypertension, or some pharmacological treatments were not included in the study. All the patients were non-smokers. Labial capillaroscopy was used to investigate the characteristics of microcirculation. Visibility, course, tortuosity, as well as the possible presence of microhemorrhages, the average caliber of the capillary loops and the number of visible capillary loops per square millimeter were evaluated for each patient. The investigation was simple, non-invasive, and repeatable for each patient. In patients suffering from RA, it was possible to observe a reduced caliber of capillaries, as well as greater elongated capillaries, in comparison to controls. This study shows that capillary alterations in patients suffering from RA occur in labial mucosa microcirculation; such evidence could be extremely important in the diagnosis of suspected RA.     

健肝愈胃汤合西药治疗门脉高压性胃病临床观察

目的探讨中药健肝愈胃汤（自拟）、西药心得安、奥美拉唑、胶态果胶铋胶囊联合治疗门脉高性胃病（PHG）的疗法。方法将136例PHG患者随机分成两组,对照组52例常规口服心得安、奥美拉唑、果胶铋;治疗组84例在常规服用以上西药的同时服用中药健肝愈胃汤。两组疗程均为2个月。结果治疗组临床治疗总有效率89.3%。显效率46.4%;对照组临床治疗总有效率80.7%,显效率13.5%。两组比较有显著性差异（P〈0.05）。结论中药健肝愈胃汤、西药心得安、奥美拉唑、果胶铋联合治疗PHG疗效显著。     

急性梗阻的左半结肠癌Ⅰ期切除吻合体会

目的探讨左半结肠癌急性梗阻Ⅰ期切除吻合的Ⅰ临床应用价值。方法对1988年1月至2006年12月24侧实施左半结肠癌急性梗阻Ⅰ期切除吻合手术患者的资料进行回顾性总结。结果24例均未发生吻合口漏，仅3例发生切口感染，经局部换药处理Ⅱ期愈合。结论积极的术前准备、术中彻底的肠减压能为左半结肠癌急性梗阻Ⅰ期切除吻合提供安全保证.     

Internal Hernias: Clinical Findings,Management, and Outcomes in 49 Nonbariatric Cases

Internal hernia, the protrusion of a viscus through a peritoneal or mesenteric aperture, is a rare cause of small bowel obstruction. We report the clinical presentation, surgical management, and outcomes of one of the largest series of nonbariatric internal hernias. Ten-year retrospective review of patients at our institution yielded 49 cases of internal hernias. Majority of patients presented with symptoms of acute (75%) or intermittent (22%) small bowel obstruction. While 16% of CT scans were suspicious for internal hernia, in no cases the preoperative diagnosis of internal hernia was made. The most frequent internal hernias were transmesenteric (57.0%) and 34 hernias (69%) were caused by previous surgery. All internal hernias were reduced and the defects were repaired. Compromised bowel was present in 22 cases and 11 patients underwent small bowel resection. The mean postoperative hospitalization was 10.9 days. The overall mortality rate from our series is 2%, and the morbidity rate is 12%. Transmesenteric hernias, as complications of previous surgeries, are the most prevalent internal hernias. Preoperative diagnosis of internal hernia is extremely difficult because of the nonspecific clinical presentation. However, if discovered promptly, internal hernias can be repaired with acceptable morbidity and mortality. Poster presentation at Digestive Disease Week, May 22, 2006, Los Angeles, California, USA.     

术后早期肠内营养对食管癌患者肠黏膜屏障功能的影响

目的 探讨食管癌患者术后早期施行肠内营养支持对胃肠道黏膜屏障的保护作用. 方法术前3个月内体重下降超过患病前体重20%的食管癌患者56例,按所给营养方法不同分为肠内营养组(n=30)和肠外营养组(n=26),观察两组患者的临床结果,分别于术后第1、4和8天测定两组患者尿乳果糖与甘露醇的比值、血浆内毒素、肿瘤坏死因子(TNF)、胃泌素和谷氨酰胺水平. 结果肠内营养组患者术后体重减轻较少,感染性并发症发生较少(P<0.01,0.05).术后第4天和8天,肠内营养组尿乳果糖与甘露醇比值、血浆内毒素和TNF较肠外营养组低(P<0.01),胃泌素、谷氨酰胺较肠外营养组高(P<0.01). 结论食管癌患者术后早期肠内营养对肠道黏膜屏障功能具有一定的保护作用,有可能减少术后感染性并发症的发生.     

Chronic GVHD in minor salivary glands and oral mucosa: histopathological and immunohistochemical evaluation of 25 patients

BACKGROUND: Graft-vs.-host disease (GVHD) is the major cause of morbidity and mortality in patients undergoing allogeneic Bone Marrow Transplantation (BMT). The aim of our study was to identify the most relevant histological features for diagnosis of chronic Graft-vs.-Host Disease (cGVHD) in oral mucosa and minor salivary glands of 25 patients, as well as to evaluate the immunophenotype of the inflammatory cells. METHODS: Sixteen patients that were submitted to allogeneic BMT but did not present cGVHD were selected as a control group. The sections were studied on H & E and CD68, CD45, CD4, CD8, CD20 staining. RESULTS: The most frequent histologic findings in oral mucosa at the day of diagnosis of cGVHD were: hydropic degeneration of the basal layer of the epithelium, apoptotic bodies, lymphocytic infiltration, and focal or total cleavage between the epithelial and connective tissue. In the labial salivary glands (LSG), lymphocytic infiltration, acinar loss and fibrosis were the main alterations. Cytotoxic CD8-T cells and macrophages were predominant both in the epithelium and connective tissue, as well as in minor salivary glands. CONCLUSIONS: Histological features were useful in the diagnosis of oral cGVHD. It is suggested that CD8-T cells and macrophages play important role in the pathogenesis of the disease.     

梗阻性左半结肠癌I期切除吻合术的探讨

目的探讨急性梗阻性左半结肠癌I期切除、吻合的可行性。方法采用术中肠管切开减压，近远端肠管顺行灌洗，I期肿瘤切除、吻合。结果15例患者除1例吻合口瘘经引流冲洗后治愈，余病例全部I期愈合。结论左半结肠癌引起肠梗阻，严格掌握手术适应证，合理围手术期处理，术中肠管减压、灌洗及术后扩肛，I期切除吻合术是安全可取的。     

Laparoscopic treatment of Meckel's diverticulum

We present two cases in which complication of a Meckel's diverticulum were dealt with, and in one case diagnosed using the laparoscope. One was a large bleeding diverticulum containing ectopic gastric mucosa, with the diagnosis suggested preoperatively, confirmed laparoscopically, and the pathology resected extracorporeally. The second was a partial intermittent small-bowel obstruction due to torsion around the mesodiverticular band, diagnosed and resected via the laparoscope. The literature of Meckel's diverticula and complications is reviewed, with open and laparoscopic treatment options. Although uncommon, many cases of Meckel's diverticulum may be quite suitable for laparoscopic diagnosis and treatment.     

Cholera Toxin B-Mediated Targeting of Lipid Vesicles Containing Ganglioside GM1 to Mucosal Epithelial Cells

Purpose. To determine whether the non-toxic pentameric B subunit of Cholera toxin (CTB) binding to ganglioside GM1 on both the lipid vesicles and epithelial cells may provide a means to target lipid vesicles to mucosal cells expressing surface GM1. Methods. Sonicated lipid vesicles containing ganglioside GM1 were prepared. Inter-vesicle cross-linking due to pentameric CTB binding to these GM1 vesicles was determined with a sub-micron particle analyzer. Association of CTB to GM1 vesicles was analyzed with continuous sucrose gradient centrifugation. CTB-mediated binding of GM1 vesicles to human mucosal epithelial cells (Caco-2 and HT-29), mucous membranes of mouse trachea, and nasal tissues were detected with fluorescent labeled vesicles. Results. An increase in lipid particle size due to binding of CTB to lipid vesicles and inter-vesicles cross-linking was detected. At a 30-to-1 mole ratio of membrane-bound GMl-to-CTB, optimum increase in GM1 vesicle aggregation, was detected. Under such conditions, all the added CTB molecules were associated with GM1 vesicles. Time course analysis showed that inter-vesicles cross linking by CTB was detectable within 10 min. and reached a maximum value at 60 min. CTB associated GM1-vesicles bind to mucosal epithelial cells HT-29 and Caco-2 with similar affinity [K_d = 7.8 × 10^–4 M lipid (Caco-2) and 7.6 × 10^–4 M lipid (HT-29)]. GM1 mediated binding specificity was demonstrated by blocking with anti-GMl antibody and the insignificant degree of CTB-associated GM1 vesicle binding to GM1 deficient C6 cells. Conclusions. The CTB-mediated GM1 binding to multiple membrane surfaces provides selective localization of GM1 vesicles to GM1 expressing mucosal cells and tissues. The strategy may be useful in localizing drugs and proteins to gut and respiratory tract mucosa.     

Development of intestinal epithelial cell lines using a transgenic mouse

The epithelial cells of the colonic mucosa of the animal have proved impossible to culture using standard tissue culture techniques. Immortalization of adult colonic epithelial cells has been unsuccessful due to the lack of DNA synthesis in these cells once they are isolated from the tissue. Recently an unique transgenic mouse bearing a temperature sensitive mutant of the known immortalizing gene, SV40 large T has become available. The advantage of this mouse is that the SV40 large T gene is expressed in every cell. Active immortalizing protein is produced in each cell at the permissive temperature. We have used colonic mucosa from these mice to initiate cultures of epithelial cells from the colon of adult mice. The cells grow readily at the permissive temperature but die within 7 days at the non-permissive temperature. The methods used to develop these cultures are described.