Prostate Cancer Recurrence in Kidney Transplant Recipient 15 Years After Radical Prostatectomy: A Case Report

Incidence of malignant tumors in kidney transplant recipients is higher than nontransplanted population due to many factors, such as immunosuppression therapy and complex donor-recipient interaction. Genitourinary malignancies have been reported as the second most common malignancy in kidney transplant recipients. In this regard, prostate cancer is the most common neoplasm. Herein, we describe a rare case of prostate cancer recurrence after 15 years in a patient who underwent kidney transplant after radical prostatectomy.     

Treatment of temporomandibular disorders with a combination of hard acrylic stabilisation appliance and a soft appliance in the opposing jaw. A retro- and prospective study

The aim of this study was to evaluate the treatment effect of a combined treatment with a stabilisation appliance and a soft appliance in the opposing jaw in patients refractory to previous TMD treatment. During a 5-year-period, 2001-2005, a total of 98 patients received the combined treatment at the Department of Stomatognathic Physiology, the Institute for Postgraduate Dental Education, J?nk?ping, Sweden. Before the patients received the combined treatment, they had already been given several different TMD treatments during a long period of time, either before referral or at the specialist clinic, with only minor or no effect on their TMD symptoms. The patients were followed prospectively (n=10), or analysed retrospectively (n=88). The data registered were gender, age, main indication for TMD treatment, number of visits to the clinic before and after the introduction of the combined treatment, as well as according to a clinical (Di) and anamnestic (Ai) dysfunction index. The most common causes for treatment in the retrospective material were problems of muscular origin and problems of both muscular and TMJ origin. In the prospective material, most of the patients had mainly muscular symptoms. Both the clinical and anamnestic dysfunction index decreased statistically significantly in the retrospective material after the introduction of the combined treatment. There was a numerical improvement of both indices also in the prospective material. In conclusion, the present investigation showed that a combined treatment with a hard acrylic stabilisation appliance and a soft appliance in the opposing jaw seems to give a remarkable improvement of TMD signs and symptoms in apparently therapy resistant TMD patients. General conclusions should, however, be made with caution due to the fact that the study did not include any control group. There is an obvious need for randomized controlled studies concerning the efficacy and effectiveness of the combined treatment presented in this study.     

A breast density index for digital mammograms based on radiologists’ randing

The purpose of this study was to develop and evaluate a computerized method of calculating a breast density index (BDI) from digitized mammograms that was designed specifically to model radiologists’ perception of breast density. A set of 153 pairs of digitized mammograms (cranio-caudal, CC, and mediolateral oblique, MLO, views) were acquired and preprocessed to reduce detector biases. The sets of mammograms were ordered on an ordinal scale (a scale based only on relative rank-ordering) by two radiologists, and a cardinal (an absolute numerical score) BDI value was calculated from the oridinal ranks. The images were also assigned cardinal BDI values by the radiologists in a subsequent session. Six. mathematical features (including fractal dimension and others) were calculated from the digital mammograms, and were used in conjunction with single value decomposition and multiple linear regression to calculate a computerized BDI. The linear correlation coefficient between different ordinal ranking sessions were as follows: intraradiologist intraprojection (CC/CC):r=0.978; intraradiologist interprojection (CC/MLO):r=0.960; and interradiologist intraprojection (CC/CC):r=0.968. A separate breast density index was derived from three separate ordinal rankings by one radiologist (two with CC views, one with the MLO view). The computer derivedBDI had a correlation coefficient (r) of 0.907 with the radiologists’ ordinalBDI. A comparison between radiologists using a cardinal scoring system (which is closest to how radiologists actually evaluate breast density) showedr=0.914. A breast density index calculated by a computer but modeled after radiologist perception of breast density may be valuable in objectively measuring breast density. Such a metric may prove valuable in numerous areas, including breast cancer risk assessment and in evaluating screening techniques specifically designed to improve imaging of the dense breast.     

Stab wounds to the extremities: indications for angiography

To ascertain the sensitivity of physical examination with respect to significant arterial injury, the angiographic findings of 61 stab wounds to the extremities were correlated with specific physical findings. In 25 injuries there were physical findings of major injury, including one or more of the following: pulse deficit, active bleeding or expanding hematoma, bruit or murmur, neurologic deficit, or hypotension. Of these 25 injuries, angiographic examination revealed significant vascular damage in 11. In 36 injuries physical findings indicated minor injury, with proximity to major vessels or nonexpanding hematoma being the only indication for arteriography. None of these patients had significant vascular injuries. Physical examination was found to be 100% sensitive in screening for significant vascular injuries. These results indicate that arteriography is unwarranted in stab wounds to the extremities if the only indications are proximity to major vessels or nonexpanding hematoma.     

Coeliac disease-specific autoantibodies targeted against transglutaminase 2 disturb angiogenesis

Coeliac disease is characterized by immunoglobulin-A (IgA)-class autoantibodies targeted against transglutaminase 2 (TG2), a multi-functional protein also with a role in angiogenesis. These antibodies are present in patient serum but are also found bound to TG2 below the epithelial basement membrane and around capillaries in the small intestinal mucosa. Based on these facts and the information that the mucosal vasculature of coeliac patients on a gluten-containing diet is disorganized, we studied whether the coeliac disease-specific autoantibodies targeted against TG2 would disturb angiogenesis. The effects of coeliac disease-specific autoantibodies on in vitro angiogenesis were studied in angiogenic cell cultures. The binding of the antibodies to cells, endothelial sprouting, migration of both endothelial and vascular mesenchymal cells, the integrity of the actin cytoskeleton in both cell types and the differentiation of vascular mesenchymal cells were recorded. In vitro, IgA derived from coeliac disease patients on a gluten-containing diet binds to surface TG2 on endothelial and vascular mesenchymal cells and this binding can be inhibited by the removal of TG2. In addition, coeliac disease-specific autoantibodies targeting TG2 disturb several steps of angiogenesis: endothelial sprouting and the migration of both endothelial and vascular mesenchymal cells. Furthermore, the autoantibodies cause disorganization of the actin cytoskeleton in both capillary cell types that account most probably for the defective cellular migration. We conclude that coeliac disease-specific autoantibodies recognizing TG2 inhibit angiogenesis in vitro. This disturbance of the angiogenic process could lead in vivo to the disruption of the mucosal vasculature seen in coeliac disease patients on a gluten-containing diet.     

Secretion of celiac disease autoantibodies after in vitro gliadin challenge is dependent on small-bowel mucosal transglutaminase 2-specific IgA deposits

Background

Sand fly saliva contains potent and complex pharmacologic molecules that are able to modulate the host's hemostatic, inflammatory, and immune systems. In this study, we evaluated the effects of salivary gland sonicate (SGS) ofLutzomyia intermedia, the natural vector ofLeishmania braziliensis, on monocytes obtained from the peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of healthy volunteers. We investigated the effects of sand fly saliva on cytokine production and surface molecule expression of LPS-stimulated human monocytes uninfected or infected withL. braziliensis.

Results

Pre-treatment of non-infected human monocytes withL. intermediaSGS followed by LPS-stimulation led to a significant decrease in IL-10 production accompanied by a significant increase in CD86, CD80, and HLA-DR expression. Pre-treatment with SGS followed by LPS stimulation andL. braziliensisinfection led to a significant increase in TNF-α, IL-6, and IL-8 production without significant alterations in co-stimulatory molecule expression. However, pre-treatment withL. intermediaSGS did not result in significant changes in the infection rate of human monocytes.

Conclusion

Our data indicate thatL. intermediasaliva is able to modulate monocyte response, and, although this modulation is dissociated from enhanced infection withL. braziliensis, it may be associated with successful parasitism.     

Small-intestinal TG2-specific plasma cells at different stages of coeliac disease

Background

In coeliac disease, ingestion of gluten induces the production of transglutaminase 2 (TG2)-targeted autoantibodies by TG2-specific plasma cells present at high frequency in the small intestinal mucosa in untreated disease. During treatment with a gluten-free diet (GFD), the number of these cells decreases considerably. It has not been previously investigated whether the cells are also present prior to development of villous atrophy, or in non-responsive patients and those with dietary lapses. We aimed to define the frequency of small bowel mucosal TG2-specific plasma cells in coeliac disease patients with varying disease activity, and to investigate whether the frequency correlates with serum and small intestinal TG2-targeting antibodies as well as mucosal morphology and the number of intraepithelial lymphocytes.

Results

Mucosal TG2-specific plasma cells were found in 79% of patients prior to development of mucosal damage, in all patients with villous atrophy, and in 63% of the patients after 1 year on GFD. In these disease stages, TG2-specific plasma cells accounted for median of 2.3, 4.3, and 0.7% of all mucosal plasma cells, respectively. After long-term treatment, the cells were present in 20% of the patients in clinical remission (median 0%) and in 60% of the patients with poor dietary adherence (median 5.8%). In patients with non-responsive coeliac disease despite strict GFD, the cells were found in only one (9%) subject; the cells accounted for 2.4% of all plasma cells. A positive correlation between the percentage of TG2-specific plasma cells and serum TG2 antibody levels (r_S?=?0.69, P?<?0.001) and the intensity of mucosal TG2-targeting IgA deposits (r_S?=?0.43, P?<?0.001) was observed.

Conclusions

Our results show that TG2-specific plasma cells are already detectable prior to villous atrophy, and that generally their frequency increases during overt disease. By contrast, on GFD, the percentage of these cells decreases. Overall, the presence of TG2-specific plasma cells in the small bowel mucosa mirrors the presence of gluten in the diet, but the frequency is not always parallel to the level of serum or intestinal TG2 antibodies. These findings increase the knowledge about the development of the TG2 plasma cell responses especially in the early phases of coeliac disease.