Tetracycline fluorescence test in the diagnosis of bronchopleuropulmonary tumors. Its value compared with other examinations of the sputum and pleural effusion]

The "tetracycline fluorescence test" is considered, as a consequence of the experiments made by various AA., specific for the diagnosis of tumourous cases. With a purpose to confirm its validity, in the broncopleuropulmonary cases, A. examines 30 spittings and 10 pleural fluids of suspicious cases, comparing the results got by means of this test with those of the routine cytohystological examinations. The results confirm 96% positivity with said test against the 60% postivity of the routine cytohystological ones.     

Vinblastine plus bleomycin continuous infusion chemotherapy of stage III testicular carcinomas

Thirty-four consecutive patients with stage III testicular carcinomas were treated with vinblastine, 8 mg/m2 given in 2 fractions on day 1 and 2, followed by continuous intravenous administration of bleomycin, 15 mg/m2 in 1000 cc of 5% glucose and distilled water over a 24-hour period for 5 successive days beginning on day 2. This cycle was repeated every 28-35 days as toxicity permitted. Complete remission occurred in 18% and complete plus partial remission in 79%. Only 2 of 22 patients with advanced abdominal disease achieved a complete remission. After cytoreductive surgery the complete remission rate was increased to 39%. Median survival of complete responders at 3 years has not been reached, and it has been shown to be significantly superior to that of partial (p less than 0.01) and nonresponders (p less than 0.01). Toxic effects consisted mainly in severe leukopenia, stomatitis, adynamic ileum and osteoarticular pain. One drug-related death due to sepsis with agranulocytopenic fever was observed. Probably because of different patient selection, this report could not reproduce the results reported by Samuels et al. with equivalent drug dosage, but it was confirmed that this regimen is able to achieve a high overall response rate and a prolonged median survival in complete responders. The consistent success of this aggressive combination in inducing a high percentage of partial responses has opened the way for a better definition of the role of surgery for the treatment of advanced testicular carcinoma at out Institute.     

A novel radioimmunometric approach to the assay of components of human haemostasis: 1. Assay of plasma fibrinopeptide a levels

A new and simple approach to the sensitive assay of individual components in complex biological fluids is outlined. The principle involves a competition between soluble and polyvinyl-immobilised antigen (Ag) for a monospecific antibody (ab′) and the subsequent assessment of this competition using an ¹²⁵I-labelled second antibody (ab″). The application of the method is described for the assay of fibrinopeptide A (FPA) in human plasma and a basal level of 400–4500 pgs/ml is reported. The assay procedure requires 3–4 hours, including a Bentonite treatment of the plasma which removes fibrinogen and allows nearly 100% recovery of the FPA. The interaction of fibrinogen with the FPA antiserum allows fibrinogen-coated polyvinyl plates to be used to monitor residual ab′. These fibrinogen-coated plates can be prepared and stored for months at 4°C without any change in their ability to bind the FPA antiserum.     

Medial prefrontal cortex and the self in major depression

Self-focus (i.e. the process by which one engages oneself in self-referential processing) is a core issue in the psychopathology of major depression. The cortical midline structures, including the medial prefrontal cortex (MPFC), play a key role in self-referential processing in healthy subjects. Four functional magnetic resonance imaging studies recently found either an increased or a decreased MPFC activation during self-referential processing in depressed patients compared to healthy controls. Building on critical differences in experimental settings, we argue that these conflicting results are indeed consistent with two modes of elevated MPFC activation in major depression. An elevated tonic ventral MPFC activation, as uncovered by an event-related design, may embody automatic aspects of depressive self-focus, such as attracting attention to self-relevant incoming information. An elevated phasic dorsal MPFC activation, as uncovered by a block-based design, may embody more strategic aspects of depressive self-focus, such as comparing the self with inner standards. Additionally, strategic self-focus in depression may recruit the anterior cingulate cortex and more lateral regions of the prefrontal cortex. An aberrant functional connectivity of the dorsal MPFC may underlie this lack of reciprocal inhibition between the cognitive control network and the default mode network. Altogether, these results suggest that self-focus in depression may emerge as a process competing for brain resources due to a lack of inhibition of the default mode network, resulting in detrimental effects on externally-oriented cognitive processes. Follow-up studies are warranted to determine the trait vs. state nature of these biomarkers and their ability to predict treatment outcome.     

Candidemia after cardiac surgery in the intensive care unit: an observational study

Candidemia is a well-recognized complication of hospital stay, especially in critically ill patients. There is not a general consensus that predictors for candidemia in cardiosurgical intensive care unit (cICU) are different from a general ICU and it has been reported that cardiopulmonary bypass time is a specific risk factor in the cICU. We performed a prospective study to evaluate the main predictors for candidemia in patients admitted to the cICU. Included patients were adults admitted between July 2005 and December 2007 with an ICU-length of stay (ICU-LOS) ≥48 hours after cardiac surgery. Exclusion criteria were solid organ or bone marrow transplants, previous diagnosis of candidemia or other invasive infections and ICU stay before surgery. A multiple regression analysis was performed to identify the risk factors. Among 1955 patients admitted to the cICU, 345 were enrolled. Only 26 patients (1.3%) had candidemia after an ICU-LOS of 20 days (inter-quartile range, IQR 8-49 days). Total parenteral nutrition [odds ratio (OR)=9.56; confidence interval (CI)=1.741-52.534], severe sepsis (OR=4.20; CI=1.292-13.667), simplified acute physiology score II (OR=1.16; CI=1.052-1.278) and ICU-LOS >20 days (OR=6.38; CI=1.971-20.660) were independent predictors of candidemia. Patients undergoing cardiac surgery developed candidemia late after cICU admission and the independent predictors were similar to the general ICU.     

Post-surgery Adherence to Scheduled Visits and Compliance,More than Personality Disorders,Predict Outcome of Bariatric Restrictive Surgery in Morbidly Obese Patients

BACKGROUND: With bariatric restrictive procedures a major issue is predictors of clinical outcome; non-surgical (compliance) and psychological factors might play a role in long term-results of bariatric surgery. We evaluated a set of predictors of short-term and long-term clinical outcome including psychiatric and psychological variables, as well as measures of post-surgery compliance. METHODS: 172 consecutive patients undergoing laparoscopic adjustable gastric banding (LAGB) with a minimum of 12 months follow-up, were studied; before surgery they were administered the NIMH Diagnostic Interview Schedule (Version III-R, DIS III-R) and the Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-IV Axis II Personality Disorders (Version 2.0, SCID-II). After surgery, patients were scheduled for visits at 2-week intervals for the first 2 months, at monthly intervals up to 1 year and 3-monthly intervals for 2 years; compliance with diet, rules, physical exercise, plus integrated compliance (sum of scores), and percentage of attendance at scheduled visits were recorded. Patients were contacted again at 36 and at 48 months. RESULTS: BMI, compliance, percentage of attendance at scheduled visits (positively), and narcissistic personality (negatively) were all associated with weight loss at 12, 24 (and 36 months). Percentage of attendance was also associated at 48 months. At stepwise regression analysis, BMI and integrated compliance predicted weight loss at 12, 24, and 36 months, while percentage of attendance at scheduled visits predicted weight loss at 48 months. Narcissistic personality predicted weight loss only at 12 months. CONCLUSION: Adherence to scheduled visits and compliance to recommended rules, more than personality disorders, predict success of LAGB, at least during the first 4 years.     

Pain in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: a psychological perspective

Pain in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis is often underestimated and untreated by clinicians and few studies have investigated its specific features and impact. Pain experience was investigated with the Italian Questionnaire of Pain, together with the McGill Quality of Life Questionnaire for quality of life (QoL), at a baseline and at a 4-month follow-up. About half of ALS patients reported pain, described as nagging, sore, annoying, boring and exhausting, with periodic but enduring episodes. Pain was related with QoL and its intensity was able to predict QoL worsening. Obtained results indicate the importance of clinical investigation of pain in ALS patients and of the intervention with anti-pain treatment whenever necessary.     

EAU-EANM-ESTRO-ESUR-SIOG Guidelines on Prostate Cancer—2020 Update. Part 1: Screening,Diagnosis, and Local Treatment with Curative Intent

ObjectiveTo present a summary of the 2020 version of the European Association of Urology (EAU)-European Association of Nuclear Medicine (EANM)-European Society for Radiotherapy and Oncology (ESTRO)-European Society of Urogenital Radiology (ESUR)-International Society of Geriatric Oncology (SIOG) guidelines on screening, diagnosis, and local treatment of clinically localised prostate cancer (PCa).Evidence acquisitionThe panel performed a literature review of new data, covering the time frame between 2016 and 2020. The guidelines were updated and a strength rating for each recommendation was added based on a systematic review of the evidence.Evidence synthesisA risk-adapted strategy for identifying men who may develop PCa is advised, generally commencing at 50 yr of age and based on individualised life expectancy. Risk-adapted screening should be offered to men at increased risk from the age of 45 yr and to breast cancer susceptibility gene (BRCA) mutation carriers, who have been confirmed to be at risk of early and aggressive disease (mainly BRAC2), from around 40 yr of age. The use of multiparametric magnetic resonance imaging in order to avoid unnecessary biopsies is recommended. When a biopsy is performed, a combination of targeted and systematic biopsies must be offered. There is currently no place for the routine use of tissue-based biomarkers. Whilst prostate-specific membrane antigen positron emission tomography computed tomography is the most sensitive staging procedure, the lack of outcome benefit remains a major limitation. Active surveillance (AS) should always be discussed with low-risk patients, as well as with selected intermediate-risk patients with favourable International Society of Urological Pathology (ISUP) 2 lesions. Local therapies are addressed, as well as the AS journey and the management of persistent prostate-specific antigen after surgery. A strong recommendation to consider moderate hypofractionation in intermediate-risk patients is provided. Patients with cN1 PCa should be offered a local treatment combined with long-term hormonal treatment.ConclusionsThe evidence in the field of diagnosis, staging, and treatment of localised PCa is evolving rapidly. The 2020 EAU-EANM-ESTRO-ESUR-SIOG guidelines on PCa summarise the most recent findings and advice for their use in clinical practice. These PCa guidelines reflect the multidisciplinary nature of PCa management.Patient summaryUpdated prostate cancer guidelines are presented, addressing screening, diagnosis, and local treatment with curative intent. These guidelines rely on the available scientific evidence, and new insights will need to be considered and included on a regular basis. In some cases, the supporting evidence for new treatment options is not yet strong enough to provide a recommendation, which is why continuous updating is important. Patients must be fully informed of all relevant options and, together with their treating physicians, decide on the most optimal management for them.     

More Extensive Lymph Node Dissection Improves Survival Benefit of Radical Cystectomy in Metastatic Urothelial Carcinoma of the Bladder

Background

Radical cystectomy (RC) may occasionally be performed in individuals with metastatic urothelial carcinoma of the bladder (mUCB). However, the role of lymph node dissection (LND) for such cases is unknown. Thus, we tested the effect of RC on cancer-specific mortality (CSM) and overall mortality in mUCB patients and the effect of LND and its extent on CSM.