c-Kit proto-oncogene expression in endometrial hyperplasia and endometrial cancer

Purpose

To evaluate the expression of c-kit (CD117) in endometrial hyperplasia and endometrial cancer.

Methods

Expression of c-kit in 10 normal endometrium, 18 simple endometrial hyperplasia, 16 complex endometrial hyperplasia (10 cases with atypia and 6 cases without atypia), and 6 endometrial cancer were investigated by immunohistochemistry.

Results

c-Kit expression decreased as the lesion progressed to endometrial cancer. Immunostaining was mostly focal and weak in the normal endometrium and was mostly diffuse and strong in the simple and complex endometrial hyperplasia.

Conclusions

Simple and complex hyperplastic endometrial tissues express diffuse cytoplasmic staining for c-kit and the expression decreases with the progression of the lesion.     

Characterization and Antibiotic Sensitivity Profile of Bacteria in Orofacial Abscesses of Odontogenic Origin

Background

Odontogenic infections range from peripheral abscess to superficial and deep infections leading to severe infections in head and neck region. This study was aimed to assess bacterial isolates responsible for orofacial infection of odontogenic origin and their drug susceptibility patterns so as to provide better perceptive for the management of odontogenic infections.

Methods

The study was made in a selected cohort of patients, irrespective of age and gender having moderate and severe orofacial infections of odontogenic origin admitted to Yenepoya University Hospital. Pus samples were collected and identification of bacteria was performed by 16S rRNA gene sequencing. Antimicrobial susceptibility testing was performed by Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method.

Result

A total of 37 study subjects were included, with bacterial isolation rate of 31 (83.7 %). The mean age presented of all patients was 40.62. Of all, 24 (64.9 %) were males. Staphylococcus aureus, Enterobacter claocae subsp. dissolvens, Klebsiella quasipneumoniae subsp. similipneumoniae, Staphylococcus aureus subsp. anaerobius and Klebsiella pneumoniae subsp. ozaenae were the most prevalent isolates. Result showed that 58.6 % of the isolates were resistant to gentamicin, 52.5 % for ampicillin, 51.3 % for piperacillin; least resistant being 18.9 % for azithromycin.

Conclusion

High prevalence of bacterial isolates was found, Staphylococcus aureus being the dominant. Most of the bacteria were resistant to different classes of antibiotics. Appropriate antibiotics should be given based on the bacterial isolates, culture sensitivity and clinical course of the disease.

     

Skeletonized or Pedicled Harvesting of Left Internal Mammary Artery: A Systematic Review and Meta-analysis

By performing a systematic review, this study determined that harvesting the left internal mammary using the skeletonized technique to harvest the internal mammary artery (IMA) resulted in a longer usable length intraoperatively (P < 0.0001) and a higher postoperative flow rate (P = 0.01) when compared to the pedicled technique; with no clear benefit to mortality (P = 0.89) or sternal wound infection (SWI) rate (P = 0.10). n; number of cases.

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Assessing tubal patency with transvaginal salpingosonography after the reversal of tubal ligation for female sterilization

The objective of this study was to assess tubal patency usingtransvaginal salpingosonography (TSSG) among women treated bytubal ligation after sterilization and to compare these resultswith those obtained using X-ray hysterosalpingography (HSG).Twenty-one healthy women were recruited. Air was used as a contrastmedium in TSSG and Omnipaque® as a water-soluble contrastmedium in the HSG examination. All women underwent at leastone TSSG. If the woman did not become pregnant during the follow-upor had a miscarriage or tubal pregnancy, she was re-examinedwith a second TSSG and the results were compared with thoseof HSG undertaken during the same menstrual cycle. Because ofthe high pregnancy rate the final number of patients was reducedto 10. The observed agreement between the two TSSGs was 70%,which was low compared with our earlier results. The kappa coefficientwas only 0.41. The sensitivity of TSSG for the detection oftubal occlusion was 54%. This can be explained by the fact thatthe mean time interval between the two TSSGs was long (5.5 months)and results were not therefore comparable or repeatable. Wecan conclude that the women with patent tubes became pregnantafter the first TSSG while the women taking part in the secondTSSG had impaired tubal function. There were more occluded tubesobserved in the second TSSG than in the first. An analysis comparingthe second TSSG with HSG produced better results. The observedagreement was 84%, kappa coefficient 0.67, demonstrating a goodreproducibility of TSSG; the sensitivity of TSSG for the detectionof tubal occlusion was 83%, specificity 85%, positive predictivevalue 91% and negative predictive value 75%. Thus, TSSG shouldbe regarded as a reliable, rapid, safe and inexpensive methodfor testing tubal patency after reversal of tubal ligation forsterilization. It also allows simultaneous scanning of the uterinecorpus, endometrium and ovaries and may have a clearing actionon occluded tubes. TSSG can thus replace X-ray HSG in the primaryevaluation of tubal status, even in this special group of patients.     

The Effects of Human Amniotic Membrane and Fibrin Sealant in the Prevention of Postoperative Adhesion Formation in the Rabbit Ovary Model

Summary: The study group consisted of 29 female, white New Zealand rabbits. The rabbits were randomized into 3 groups and a midline laparotomy was performed in order to make a 4–5 mm long lesion using a scalpel in both ovaries. In Group 1, both of the ovaries were left uncovered. In Group 2, the right ovaries were covered by human amniotic membrane graft. In Group 3, 0.1–0.2 mL of Tisseel solution was applied to the lesion in the right ovaries. No medication was applied to the left ovaries in any of the groups and thus this ovary acted as an individual control. After 2 weeks the adhesion scores were graded by relaparotomy in a blind manner. Fibrin sealant showed a significant reduction in postoperative adhesion formation compared with the amniotic membrane graft and control groups (p<0.001). Therefore, it can be concluded that fibrin sealant can be used as an adjuvant during reproductive surgery.     

Anti-apoptotic effect of succinyl gelatine in a liver ischaemia–reperfusion injury model (Bcl-2, Bax, Caspase 3)?

Apoptosis of tissues may contribute to ischaemia–reperfusion injury. The aim of the present study was to determine whether administration of a colloid solution would prevent apoptosis after liver ischaemia–reperfusion. New Zealand rabbits, weighing 1.5–2 kg, were randomized to receive either 4% SG (20 ml kg ⁻¹h⁻¹ ) by 30 min of intravenous (i.v.) infusion (Group I, n= 7) or equivalent volumes of 0.9% sodium chloride (Group II, n= 6) i.v. before a 45 min interruption of the portal vein blood flow and then 45 min of reperfusion. The animals were killed following the reperfusion period. Their livers were processed for histopathological examination and paraffin sections of these tissues were examined. The expression of Bcl-2, Bax and caspase 3 were analysed by immunohistochemistry. ANOVA and the Wilcoxon W -test were used for statistical analysis, and mean values were expressed ±sd. Histologically, the foci of ischaemic necrosis were observed in liver specimens of the periportal area in one of the animals in Group I and in two in Group II. Immunhistochemical analysis demonstrated an increase in Bcl-2 protein levels in Group I compared to Group II ( P< 0.05). Bax expression was lower in Group I than in Group II. Immunoreactivity for caspase 3 did not differ significantly between the two groups (47.0 ± 35.93 in Group I, 32.83 ± 23.63 in Group II). Our results indicate that gelofusine did not protect the liver tissue against ischaemia–reperfusion-induced apoptosis.     

Complex Formation Between Metronidazole and Sodium Urate: Effect on Photodegradation of Metronidazole

Photodegradation of solutions of metronidazole in the presence and absence of sodium urate was studied. Photodegradation appeared to follow zero-order kinetics and was found to be dependent on the pH, buffer species, sodium urate concentration, and light source. Complex formation between metronidazole and sodium urate accounted for the photostabilization of metronidazole. The dissociation constant for this complex was calculated to be 3.4 × 10^–3 M.     

Aortenklappenersatz mit perikardialen Bioprothesen

Hintergrund  

Der Aortenklappenersatz (AKE) mit Bioprothesen geringen Durchmessers ist auch heute noch Gegenstand kontroverser Diskussionen. Da für perikardiale Prothesen bessere Eigenschaften bekannt sind, war es das Ziel der vorliegenden Studie, die hämodynamischen Eigenschaften und klinischen Verläufe nach Implantation von 21 mm perikardialen Bioprothesen im Vergleich zu Klappen standard–porcinen Ursprungs zu evaluieren.     

Changes in endothelial function before and after renal transplantation*

Endothelial dysfunction is an early key event in the development of atherosclerotic cardiovascular disease observed in chronic renal failure patients. The role of renal transplantation (RTx) on endothelial dysfunction is still unclear. The aim of this study was to evaluate the endothelial function of chronic renal failure patients before RTx (while they were on hemodialysis, HD), and after RTx (at the 6th and 12th months) by a noninvasive method, brachial arterial ultrasound. A total of 22 (17 male, mean age: 33.9 +/- 11.6 years) RTx recipients were enrolled in the study. Endothelium-dependent vasodilation (EDD) was assessed by establishing reactive hyperemia. EDD prior to transplantation was significantly lower when compared with EDD measured at the 6th and 12th months after RTx (EDD pretransplantation: 6 +/- 3.7%, EDD at the 6th month of RTx: 8.3 +/- 2.3% and EDD at the 12th month of RTx: 12.1 +/- 3.6%, P < 0.001). When the EDD values measured at the 6th and 12th months of RTx were compared, measurements of the 12th month were found significantly higher than those of the 6th month (P < 0.001). Our results also showed that RTx has provided improvement in endothelial function by eliminating the uremic environment although not in the early post-RTx period.