Arsenic Trioxide inhibits the growth of human ovarian carcinoma cell line

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether Arsenic Trioxide may be an effective treatment of human ovarian carcinoma, we examined if it induced apoptosis in human ovarian cancer cell line. METHODS: The human ovarian cell line SKOV3 was exposed to different concentrations of As2O3: 0 (control), 0.1 microM, 1 microM, 5 microM and 10 microM. The effect on cells proliferation and apoptotic parameters was examined. RESULTS: The most effective inhibitory Arsenic Trioxide concentrations were 5 microM and 10 microM, causing growth inhibition of 79% and 83%, respectively. The maximum inhibitory effect of Arsenic Trioxide on cellular proliferation was seen after 48 h. No morphological or molecular features of apoptosis have been observed. At the same time, there were no typical changes of cellular necrosis. CONCLUSIONS: The exact mechanism by which Arsenic Trioxide inhibits the growth of ovarian cancer cells is probably not by apoptosis. However, since As2O3 has been shown to inhibit ovarian cancer cellular growth, it should be further elucidated as a possible chemotherapeutic agent of ovarian cancer.     

Bullet injury to the pituitary gland: a rare cause of panhypopituitarism

An unusual case of head injury with a direct bullet injury to the pituitary gland is described. The hormonal profile one month after the injury showed severe panhypopituitatism which did not improve one month after surgical removal of the intrasellar bullet fragment.     

Molecular characterization of suicide by microarray analysis

Several lines of evidence support the idea that individuals who commit suicide have a certain biological predisposition, part of which is given by genes. Studies investigating genetic factors increasing suicide predisposition have been limited by current knowledge of the suicide neurobiology and have typically investigated one or a few genes at a time, whereas it is anticipated that several genes account for the total genetic variance mediating suicide. This review focuses on the advantages and the interest of using the microarray technology to investigate the neurobiology of suicide and discusses, by means of a data analysis example, the possible methodological problems and bioinformatic strategies that should be employed in order to separate the signal from the large amount of background noise, which is usually generated in such studies. Microarray expression studies and related platforms are promising tools to gain better insight into the neurobiology of suicide.     

True celiac artery aneurysm secondary to median arcuate ligament syndrome

Median arcuate ligament syndrome (MALS) is a rare disorder associated with chronic, postprandial abdominal pain and radiographic evidence of celiac artery compression. True arterial aneurysms distal to sites of chronic vascular compression due to post-stenotic dilatation have been described in other anatomic locations such as thoracic outlet syndrome and popliteal entrapment syndrome. We present the case of a patient who presented to vascular surgery clinic with a 35 year history of epigastric abdominal pain and bloating and was found to have a large celiac artery aneurysm with severe compression by the MAL.     

The Effect of Prior Biopsy Scheme on Prostate Cancer Detection for Repeat Biopsy Population: Results of the 14-core Prostate Biopsy Technique

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the diagnostic performance of 14-core repeat biopsy protocol and the impact of prior biopsy scheme on repeat prostate biopsy group. METHODS: 211 patients had repeat biopsy using 14-core protocol consisting of 10-core peripheral zone (classical sextant+4 lateral peripheral cores) and 4-core transitional zone (TZ) biopsies. The diagnostic yield was determined both in patients who had previously undergone sextant or 10-core biopsy protocol. RESULTS: Overall cancer detection rate was 25.6%. 14-core biopsy technique detected cancer in 36.1 and 18.7% of the patients who had a previous sextant biopsy and 10-core biopsy protocol, respectively (P = 0.005). Patients with and without high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (HGPIN) in the previous sextant biopsy had 56.5 and 28.3% cancer detection rates on the subsequent extended biopsy, respectively (P = 0.017) Patients who had previous 10-core biopsy with and without HGPIN revealed 22.9 and 17.2% cancer detection rates, respectively (P = 0.465) Additional four lateral peripheral cores detected 33% (3/30) and 17% (4/24) of cancers in patients with previous sextant and 10-core biopsy, respectively. 3.7% of the patients had tumor only in the TZ and none of them had prior extended biopsy. CONCLUSIONS: The yield of extended 14-core repeat biopsy protocol was higher in patients with previous negative sextant biopsy compared to the patients with previous negative 10-core biopsy. HGPIN history found on previous sextant biopsy was a strong cancer predictor on repeat biopsy; same was not true for the patients with previous 10-core biopsy. The yield of lateral peripheral cores and TZ biopsies were lower in patients with prior negative extended biopsy.     

Importance of microbiological evaluation in management of infectious complications following percutaneous nephrolithotomy

Aim To evaluate the infectious complications, microorganism distribution and antibacterial treatment in patients who underwent percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL). Patients and methods Three hundred and thirty-eight patients who were 17 years age or older who underwent PCNL between January 2001 and December 2002 have been evaluated retrospectively. Urine cultures obtained before, during and after PCNL and cultures of stone fragments, extracted during PCNL, were analyzed. Eighty-two patients, who have been referred to Section of infectious disease because of postoperative fever (Group 1; 58 males, 24 females, mean age: 45.5 years) and the remainder of patients (Group 2; 169 males, 87 females, mean age: 44.5 years) were compared in regard to infectious complications and microbiological culture results. Results The evaluation of peroperative urine cultures revealed that patients in Group 1 had more positive urine cultures than the other group. The analysis showed fever developed more frequently in patients with positive stone cultures and also in patients with positive peroperative urine. Overall, during the study period, five of 338 (1.5%) patients developed sepsis and none of them was lost due to sepsis. Comparison of two groups revealed that patients in Group 1 had a larger stone burden, longer operative time and longer postoperative hospital stay than patients in Group 2. Conclusion Fever and bacteriemia after PCNL are common, through progression to sepsis is rare. Recovery is possible with a high degree of suspicion, early intervention and intensive treatment. The results of cultures taken preoperatively, peroperatively and during the febrile period have great importance for decision of required changes during the treatment.     

Total IgE levels do not change 1 year after endoscopic sinus surgery in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis

BACKGROUND: Total IgE levels positively correlate with the amount of mucosal thickening on sinus CT scans. Our objective was to investigate whether the levels of total serum IgE decreased 1 year after endoscopic sinus surgery in patients with chronic rhinosinusitis, suggesting that the total IgE was influenced by the sinus disease. METHODS: 55 patients about to undergo endoscopic sinus surgery for chronic rhinosinusitis were enrolled in a prospective clinical study. All patients had preoperative sinus computerized tomography (CT) scans and levels of total serum IgE measured before surgery and 1 year postoperatively. RESULTS: Preoperative total IgE levels showed a significant correlation with the extent of disease on sinus CT (r(s) = 0.413, p = 0.002). Total serum IgE levels did not show any statistically significant change from the preoperative values when measured 1 year postoperatively (324.25 +/- 217.30 ng/ml vs. 326.35 +/- 204.50 ng/ml; p = 0.61). CONCLUSIONS: The levels of total serum IgE do not change after sinus surgery for chronic rhinosinusitis. IgE levels in chronic rhinosinusitis may reflect a systemic factor in disease pathogenesis, and are probably not related to the amount of local inflammation within the sinuses.     

Paternal isodisomy of chromosome 7 with cystic fibrosis and overgrowth

We have diagnosed a boy with cystic fibrosis (CF) due to paternal UPD presenting with overweight and developmental delay, not typical features to CF patients. Two previously reported patients with paternal UPD(7) did not present overgrowth. The discrepancy between the phenotype of this boy and the other two patients raises the question of imprinted genes or homozygotization of a disease-causing gene in paternal UPD7.     

Dorsal raphe vs. median raphe serotonergic antagonism. Anatomical, physiological, behavioral, neuroendocrinological, neuropharmacological and clinical evidences: relevance for neuropharmacological therapy

Monoaminergic neurons located in the central nervous system (CNS) are organized into complex circuits which include noradrenergic (NA), adrenergic (Ad), dopaminergic (DA), serotonergic (5-HT), histaminergic (H), GABA-ergic and glutamatergic systems. Most of these circuits are composed of more than one and often several types of the above neurons. Such physiologically flexible circuits respond appropriately to both external and internal stimuli which, if not modulated adequately, can trigger pathophysiologic responses. A great deal of research has been devoted to mapping the multiple functions of the CNS circuitry, thereby forming the basis for effective neuropharmacological therapeutic approaches. Such lineal strategies that seek to normalize complex and mixed physiological disorders, however, meet only partial therapeutic success and are often followed by undesirable side effects and/or total failure. In light of these, we have worked to develop possible models of CNS circuitry that are less affected by physiological interaction using the models to design more effective therapeutic approaches. In the present review, we cite and present evidence supporting the dorsal raphe versus median raphe serotonergic circuitry as one model of a reliable paradigm, necessary to the clear understanding and therapy of many psychiatric and even non-psychiatric disturbances.