Effects of bortezomib on platelet aggregation and ATP release in human platelets, in vitro

INTRODUCTION: Proteasome inhibitor bortezomib (PS-341) has been the first proteasome inhibitor that has entered clinical trials with its antiproliferative and proapoptotic effects in patients with multiple myeloma. Recent studies indicate that proteasome inhibitors can be useful in prevention of experimental arterial thrombosis in renovascular hypertensive rat models. The aim of the present study is to investigate the effect of bortezomib on in vitro platelet aggregation and adenosine triphosphate (ATP) release of human platelets. MATERIALS AND METHODS: For this purpose, platelet aggregation was induced in the platelet-rich plasma (PRP) using 3 microg ml(-1) collagen, 5 microM adenosine diphosphate (ADP), 10 microM epinephrine and 1 U ml(-1) thrombin and ATP release was induced by collagen. RESULTS AND CONCLUSIONS: Bortezomib showed an inhibitory effect on platelet aggregation induced by ADP in human PRP in a dose- and time-dependent manner, whereas it had no effect on collagen-, epinephrin and thrombin-induced aggregation. ATP-release reaction induced by collagen was inhibited dose- and time-dependently by bortezomib, even though collagen-induced platelet aggregation was apparently not affected in human PRP. These findings indicate that bortezomib may be an antiaggregating agent and its' effects may be related to adenine nucleotide receptor dependent regulatory proteins which are important for physiological and pathophysiological cellular processes. However, our in vitro studies suggest that this hypothesis is inadequate to explain the observations completely. This phenomenon and its clinical implication justify further clinical investigations.     

Postoperative atrial fibrillation

Atrial fibrillation is a common arrhythmia after cardiac surgery. It is associated with an increase in morbidity, length of hospital stay, and mortality. Patients who are at higher risk of postoperative atrial fibrillation should receive prophylactic treatment. Atrial fibrillation usually resolves spontaneously after heart rate is controlled; however, if patients are highly symptomatic or hemodynamically unstable, sinus rhythm should be restored by electrical or pharmacologic cardioversion. Patients with atrial fibrillation of more than 48 hours should receive antithrombotic therapy for thromboembolism prevention.     

Clinical characteristics of neonates With VACTERL association

Background: The VACTERL association (VA) is the non‐random co‐occurrence of vertebral anomalies, anal atresia, cardiovascular malformations, tracheoesophageal fistula and/or esophageal atresia, renal anomalies, and/or limb anomalies, and is referred to by the first letters of its components. Studies investigating the clinical characteristics of VA patients and probing of the observed current six component types are limited, and none of them is focused on neonates. We investigated the clinical characteristics of our patients diagnosed as having VA in the newborn period. Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the neonates whose final diagnosis was VACTERL association. Presence of at least three components of previously reported six anomalies was accepted as VACTERL association. Sex, birthweight, gestational age, postnatal age, anomalies of the systems that are included in VA, and the other features were recorded. Results: There was a male predominance (14/11) of 28 patients; and there were three patients with ambiguous genitalia. The most common observed VACTERL component was vertebral anomalies (n= 26), followed by anal atresia (n= 19), tracheoesophageal fistula/esophageal atresia (n= 17), renal anomalies (n= 15), limb anomalies (n= 15) and cardiac anomalies (n= 14). The most frequent combination was VCTL (n= 4). Fifteen (57%) patients had non‐VACTERL anomalies and the most frequent of these was ambiguous genitalia (n= 3). Conclusion: VA patients may have different clinical characteristics in different populations, and clinicians may miss some component features if the patients are evaluated after the neonatal period.     

An unusual presentation of alveolar echinococcosis in a 12‐yr‐old immunocompetent child

Oral A, Ozturk G, Aydinli B, Kantarci M, Salman AB. An unusual presentation of alveolar echinococcosis in a 12‐yr‐old immunocompetent child. Abstract: AE is a parasitic disease caused by Echinococcus multilocularis (E.m.). AE is a rare form of echinococcosis and mostly seen in 50‐ to 70‐yr‐old patients. Its asymptomatic invasive tumor‐like lesion development period, which lasts as much as 20 yr, is too long. Hence, this disease is very rare in children. Herein, we report an AE in a 12‐yr‐old girl who was not eligible for surgical treatment because of a radiological evaluation of non‐resectable lesion and was scheduled for a LT.     

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提要：口腔颌面部恶性肿瘤约占全身恶性肿瘤的3％～5％,其组织病理学类型多样,以鳞状细胞癌最多见,约占90％以上。由于解剖部位特殊,口腔颌面部恶性肿瘤不仅影响外观,而且造成咀嚼、吞咽、呼吸和语音等功能障碍,严重降低患者的生存质量,并危及生命。手术、放疗和化疗是口腔颌面部恶性肿瘤的三大治疗手段,免疫治疗、生物治疗对某些类型的肿瘤和晚期患者是必要的补充和辅助措施。早期患者以手术治疗为主,晚期患者则提倡综合序列治疗,并鼓励患者参加临床试验。口腔颌面部恶性肿瘤患者的5年总存活率在65％左右,晚期患者的5年存活率不足30％。为了规范口腔颌面部恶性肿瘤的治疗,进一步提高患者的远期存活率,中华口腔医学会口腔颌面外科专业委员会肿瘤学组牵头,组织国内从事口腔颌面部恶性肿瘤治疗的知名专家,参考国内外文献,尤其是2009年美国国立综合癌症网络（NCCN）制订的指南中的相关内容,撰写了《口腔颌面部恶性肿瘤治疗指南》,希望对口腔颌面部恶性肿瘤的规范治疗起到指导作用。随着医学科学技术的发展,新的技术、方法、药物会不断出现,本指南将及时予以更新,以反映和纳入最新的研究成果,为广大患者提供最新的治疗方案。     

Weekly docetaxel and cisplatin with concomitant radiotherapy in addition to surgery and/or consolidation chemotherapy in stage III non-small cell lung cancer

Purpose  

The aim of this study was to evaluate efficacy and feasibility of a combination of weekly docetaxel and cisplatin administered concomitantly with radiotherapy followed by surgery in addition to consolidation chemotherapy with docetaxel and cisplatin administered every 3 weeks in stage III non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC).     

Right coronary revascularization by coronary-coronary bypass with a segment of internal thoracic artery

In certain coronary artery bypass grafting operations, the internal thoracic artery is not by itself adequate for complete arterial revascularization. Which graft should be used for revascularization of the right coronary artery is still a matter of debate. From August 2000 through July 2005, we performed coronary-coronary bypass grafting on 48 patients (77.1% men, 22.9% women), whose mean age was 57.2 years (range, 40-75 yr). After completion of the internal thoracic artery anastomoses, we performed coronary-coronary bypass grafting with a remaining (distal) segment of the left (or, rarely, the full length of the free right) internal thoracic artery. The proximal and distal anastomoses of the internal thoracic artery to the right coronary artery were end-to-side. We preferred to use the right coronary ostium as the proximal anastomosis site where possible; otherwise, we used a disease-free segment of the right coronary artery. A total of 192 anastomoses were performed (mean, 4.15 per patient); all used the bilateral internal thoracic arteries as conduits. There were no in-hospital deaths or perioperative myocardial infarctions. The duration of follow-up ranged from 1 to 46 months (mean, 9.6 mo). Follow-up angiography was performed in 24 patients (50%). The mean time to coronary angiography was 16.5 months (range, 7 days-2 years). The patency rate was 100%. We conclude that coronary-coronary anastomosis by means of a distal segment of the internal thoracic artery can help to achieve complete arterial revascularization in selected patients.