复杂性尿道狭窄及并发症诊治的实验研究与临床运用

复杂性尿道狭窄或闭锁的处理一直是泌尿外科最棘手的难题之一,尤其是对初次或再次治疗失败后的复杂性超长段尿道狭窄或闭锁(＞ 14 cm)患者的治疗,作者在治疗复杂性尿道狭窄及其并发症中取得了一系列的原创性成果.与国内外的同类研究比较,主要有以下发现和创新点.①在国际上首次提出并证实结肠黏膜可作为尿道替代物;临床治疗55例超长段尿道狭窄(平均15.2 cm)的结果提示结肠黏膜具有材源丰富、易于剥离、抗感染力强、皱缩率低等优点,适于14 cm以上尿道的重建,尤其是多次治疗失败的复杂性超长段尿道狭窄.②在国际上首次建立新型分期手术治疗复杂性超长段狭窄或闭锁,临床应用11例,疗效显著,为难治性前后尿道间长段狭窄或闭锁提供了一个新的思路.③在国际上首次阐述舌黏膜尿道重建的病理学特征及转归,建立大面积舌黏膜取材新技术;在国内率先开展舌黏膜尿道成形术,样本量为国内外最大.④在国际上首次建立了尿道压客观量化指标(90 cmH2O或较基础压提高40 ～50 cmH2O),用于评估球部尿道悬吊术中尿道压力.从而提高了手术成功率,减少了并发症,取得了显著治疗效果.该系列研究成果先后获省部科技进步一等奖和多项二等奖.     

Pre-treatment waking cortisol response and vulnerability to interferon α induced depression

Depressive disorder is a common consequence of interferon α treatment. An understanding of the aetiological processes involved is evolving. HPA axis abnormalities are clearly described in community depressive disorder and represent vulnerability to depression development. We explored whether pre-treatment HPA axis abnormalities influence depression emergence during interferon α treatment. We examined waking HPA axis response via salivary cortisol sampling in 44 non-depressed, chronic hepatitis C infected patients due to commence standard interferon α treatment. Hamilton depression scales and the structured clinical interview for DSM-IV major depressive disorder status were administered monthly during treatment. Major depressive disorder developed in 26 of 44 subjects during interferon-α treatment. The pre-treatment waking cortisol response over 1 h was significantly greater in the subsequent switch to depression group (F=4.23, p=0.046). The waking cortisol response pre-treatment with interferon α appears greater in those subsequently switching to depressive disorder during treatment. This waking response may join other vulnerability factors for depression emergence in this group. This model could prove a valuable tool in understanding non-iatrogenic depressive disorder in the general population and notably the role of cytokines.     

内皮脂酶与高密度脂蛋白代谢

内皮脂酶是近年来发现的甘油三酯脂肪酶基因家族新成员.该家族还包括脂蛋白脂肪酶、肝脂肪酶.内皮脂酶具有磷脂酶活性,可参与脂蛋白代谢,尤其对血浆中的高密度脂蛋白代谢及高密度脂蛋白胆固醇水平具有明显调节作用.近来研究证明,抑制内皮脂酶可提高人血浆高密度脂蛋白胆固醇水平.但目前内皮脂酶与高密度脂蛋白胆固醇、胆固醇逆行转运及动脉粥样硬化之间的关系仍尚无明确定论,且有待进一步研究.     

Thrombocytopoietic properties of oncostatin M

Oncostatin M (OM) is a 28-kD glycoprotein that exhibits a panoply of biologic effects. Based on histologic observations of increased splenic megakaryocytes in nude mice implanted with an OM-secreting cell line, the thrombocytopoietic properties of OM in mice were investigated in culture and in vivo. Alone, OM did not induce megakaryocytic colony formation, but in combination with murine interleukin-3 (IL-3), OM markedly enhanced colony formation. The effects of OM on colony formation were similar to those of IL-6. OM alone augmented acetylcholinesterase in short-term marrow cultures. In normal mice, the administration of OM augmented platelet counts without increasing other circulating blood cell counts. The increment in counts exceeded that observed with IL-6. The kinetics of the OM response suggested that maximal increases in platelets occurred 3 days after the cessation of OM administration, irrespective of the duration of administration. In irradiated mice, OM administration accelerated platelet recovery and prevented the decrease in red blood cells observed in irradiated control animals. The data show that OM behaves as a megakaryocytic maturation factor in vitro and augments platelet production in vivo. Based on these animal data, OM may have potential clinical utility as a thrombocytopoietic agent.     

Some properties of marrow derived adherent cells in tissue culture

It has previously been shown that monolayer cultures derived adherent cells (MDAC), apparently consisting of fibroblasts, macrophages, epithelioid cells, and fat cells, can support long-term stem cell proliferation in vitro. In the present study, the hematopoietic support capability of murine MDAC monolayers was confirmed and the cultured cells further characterized with respect to the following properties: esterase I activity, complement (C3) receptors, IgG (Fc) receptors, colony stimulating activity (csa) production, and collagen synthesis. The cultures were also examined immunohistochemically to localize fibronectin, laminin, and collagen synthesis and to identify the collagen subtypes synthesized. MDAC morphology was as described in previous studies, although fat cells were few in number. It was found that MDAC included some cells with esterase I activity and C3 receptors. Fc receptors were not, however, detected, nor did the cultures produce csa, indicating that mononuclear phagocytes were not present. MDAC synthesized collagen types I and III and also fibronectin. Staining for epithelial basement membrane proteins (collagen types IV and V and laminin) was negative. The results indicate that the vast majority of these cultured MDAC were fibroblasts.     

Parental origin of mutation and the risk of breast cancer in a prospective study of women with a BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation

The objective is to estimate the risk of breast cancer in women who carry a deleterious BRCA1 or BRCA2 mutation, according to parental origin of mutation. We conducted a cohort study of women with a BRCA1 mutation (n = 1523) or BRCA2 mutation (n = 369) who had not been diagnosed with breast or ovarian cancer. For each woman, the pedigree was reviewed and the origin of the mutation was assigned as probable paternal or maternal. The hazard ratio (HR) for developing breast cancer in the follow‐up period was estimated for women with a paternal mutation compared to a maternal mutation. The risk of breast cancer was modestly higher in women with a paternal BRCA1 mutation compared to women with a maternal BRCA1 mutation (HR = 1.46; 95% CI = 0.99–2.16) but the difference was not significant (p = 0.06). The parental mutation origin did not affect the risk in women with a BRCA2 mutation. Our results are consistent with the hypothesis that there is an increased risk of breast cancer among women with a paternally inherited BRCA1 mutation compared to a maternally inherited mutation. However, the data are not sufficiently compelling to justify different screening recommendations for the two subgroups.     

To tell or not to tell – what to do about p.C282Y heterozygotes identified by HFE screening

Hereditary hemochromatosis (HH) is a common preventable disorder of iron overload that can result in liver cirrhosis and reduced lifespan. Most HH is due to homozygosity for the HFE p.C282Y substitution. We conducted a study of screening for p.C282Y in high schools where p.C282Y heterozygotes (CY) individuals were informed of their genotype by letter. We studied whether these individuals understood the implications of their genotype, whether this resulted in anxiety or reduced health perception and whether cascade testing was higher in families of CY than wild‐type homozygous (CC) individuals. We found 586 of 5757 (1 in 10) screened individuals were CY. One month after receiving their result, 83% correctly answered that they have one copy of p.C282Y. There was no adverse change in anxiety or health perception from prior to screening to 1 month after receiving results. Significantly more family members of CY individuals than CC individuals were informed about HH and had testing for HH. In conclusion, we found that informing CY individuals of their genotype does not increase anxiety and the implications are generally well understood. This leads to cascade testing in a minority of families. CY individuals should be informed of their genetic status when identified by population screening.     

Recent advances in the management of cutaneous malignant melanoma: our case cohort

Decades of research into the management of cutaneous malignant melanoma have proven it to be a ‘tough nut to crack’, and its incidence has continued to increase over the last 30 years. Surgery remains a gold standard for early-stage melanoma with five-year survival of 98% for stage I disease, and 90% for stage II. Nonetheless, patients with stage III disease are at a higher risk, resulting in local recurrence as well as distant metastasis. Research regarding the control of metastatic malignant melanoma of the head and neck has evolved. Currently the search is on to understand metastatic malignant melanoma as a heterogeneous disease both at the molecular and clinical level. This paper focuses on the latest systemic therapy for metastatic disease of the head and neck, including cytotoxic chemotherapy, immunotherapy, and target therapy. The new eighth edition of tumour staging, and the sequelae for malignant melanoma, sentinel lymph node biopsy (SLNB), surgical intervention, and its benefits and shortfalls, are discussed. Also, the outcome of our cohort series of patients with metastatic cutaneous malignant melanoma who were treated with systemic combination therapy in Dorset is presented.