HEPATITIS C VIRUS ANTIBODY (ANTI-HCV): PREVALENCE IN PSORIASIS

Background. In cases of psoriasis (PS), the etiology of the underlying liver disease is occasionally unknown. To investigate antibodies to hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV), their prevalence and clinical significance, 118 unselected outpatients with PS were studied prospectively. Methods. Anti-HCV was assayed in serum by second-generation enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA), considering a serum anti-HCV (+), when the optical density ratio was equal to or greater than three times the cut-off value, in duplicate determinations, whereas anti-HBc, anti-HBs, HBsAg, anti-HBe, and HBeAg were also evaluated by ELISA, as were the transaminases. As controls we took the 1.2% anti-HCV prevalence found in 60,000 blood donors from Buenos Aires city. Results. Nine of 118 serum samples (7.6%) proved to be anti-HCV (+) (P < 0.001). There were no differences between positive and negative cases as regards gender, age, history of hepatitis, transfusions, or parenteral exposure, disease duration, or psoriasis type, and prior treatment with methotrexate and etretinate. Fifteen percent (17/113) were anti-HBc (+), 64.7% anti-HBs (+) (11/17) and 2.5% HBsAg (+) (3/17), whereas 3/17 (2.5%) showed isolated anti-HBc positivity. Liver biopsies in six anti-HCV patients disclosed four with chronic active hepatitis, one with cirrhosis, and one with steatosis. Conclusions. In the presence of liver disease in PS patients, an HCV infection should be considered as an alternative diagnosis. The high anti-HCV prevalence in this series is attributable to infection by inapparent parenteral routes, through minute skin abrasions, as reported for hepatitis B virus in PS.     

Comparison of Surgical Cut and Sew versus Radiofrequency Pulmonary Veins Isolation for Chronic Permanent Atrial Fibrillation: A Randomized Study

Background: Surgical pulmonary veins isolation (PVI) is done to restore sinus rhythm (SR) in patients with chronic permanent atrial fibrillation (CPAF) and mitral valve disease. Here we compare the efficacy of electrical block lines performed with radiofrequency (RF) compared with conventional surgery. Methods: Randomized trial of 22 patients with CPAF and indication for mitral valve surgery. Ten patients underwent conventional surgery (SURG) and 12 RF. To prove the efficacy of the blockage lines, epicardial pacemaker wires were placed in the isolated pulmonary veins region (IPVR) and right atria (RA). Results: There were no differences in the baseline data among the groups. All patients remained in SR during the immediate postoperative period. Block lines were tested in patients who remained in SR during the following days (eight in SURG and nine in RF). The median value of thresholds to conduct the stimulus of IPVR for the RA was 18 mA in SURG and 3 mA in RF (P < 0.022). Eight SURG patients and seven RF patients (P < 0.38) remained in SR at hospital discharge. Eleven RF patients and one SURG required amiodarone to maintain SR (P < 0.001). The incidence of recurrent atrial fibrillation (AF) in the follow‐up was 10.7/100 patients/year in the SURG group versus 73.1/100 patients/year in the RF group (P = 0.009). Conclusions: PVI by SURG formed more effective block lines than RF. SR at hospital discharge was similar among the groups, but more amiodarone was used in RF. During follow‐up, incidence of recurrent AF was higher in the RF group. (PACE 2010; 33:1249–1257)     

Second‐hand smoking and carboxyhemoglobin levels in children: a prospective observational study

Aim: To establish baseline noninvasive carboxyhemoglobin (COHb) levels in children and determine the influence of exposure to environmental sources of carbon monoxide (CO), especially environmental tobacco smoke, on such levels. Background: Second‐hand smoking may be a risk factor for adverse outcomes following anesthesia and surgery in children (1) and may potentially be preventable. Patients and Methods: Parents and their children between the ages of 1–12 were enrolled on the day of elective surgery. The preoperative COHb levels of the children were assessed noninvasively using a CO‐Oximeter (Radical‐7 Rainbow SET Pulse CO‐Oximeter; Masimo, Irvine, CA, USA). The parents were asked to complete an environmental air‐quality questionnaire. The COHb levels were tabulated and correlated with responses to the survey in aggregate analysis. Statistical analyses were performed using the nonparametric Mann–Whitney and Kruskal–Wallis tests. P < 0.05 was statistically significant. Results: Two hundred children with their parents were enrolled. Children exposed to parental smoking had higher COHb levels than the children of nonsmoking controls. Higher COHb values were seen in the youngest children, ages 1–2, exposed to parental cigarette smoke. However, these trends did not reach statistical significance, and confidence intervals were wide. Conclusions: This study revealed interesting trends of COHb levels in children presenting for anesthesia and surgery. However, the COHb levels measured in our patients were close to the error margin of the device used in our study. An expected improvement in measurement technology may allow screening children for potential pulmonary perioperative risk factors in the future.     

THE EFFECT OF HIGH GRADE PROSTATIC INTRAEPITHELIAL NEOPLASIA ON SERUM TOTAL AND PERCENTAGE OF FREE PROSTATE SPECIFIC ANTIGEN LEVELS

PURPOSE: It is established that the percentage of free prostate specific antigen (PSA) in serum is low in patients with prostate cancer. An unanswered question is whether a low percentage of free PSA can be explained by high grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia alone. We compared the percentage of free PSA in men with high grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia alone, prostate cancer, benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH) and a normal prostate (that is normal digital rectal examination and PSA less than or equal to 2.5 ng./ml.). MATERIALS AND METHODS: From October 1994 through December 1997, 48 men were diagnosed with high grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia without concomitant prostate cancer. Of these men 43 with a mean age plus or minus standard deviation of 67.4 +/- 7.8 years comprised our study group. To date none has been diagnosed with cancer during followup. Serum free and total PSA levels were measured, and the percentage of free PSA was calculated. The percentage of free PSA in the 43 men was compared to that in 50 with prostate cancer (mean age 65.4 +/- 7.8 years), 50 with biopsy proved BPH (67 +/- 7) and 43 with a normal prostate (61 +/- 8). RESULTS: There was no significant difference in mean total serum PSA in patients with high grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia, prostate cancer or BPH. The percentage of free PSA was significantly lower in patients with prostate cancer (14.9 +/- 6.5%) than those with high grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (20.8 +/- 7.1%), BPH (20.1 +/- 7.3%) or a normal prostate (27.7 +/- 12.2%). There was also no significant difference in the percentage of free PSA between men with high grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (20.8 +/- 7.1%) and those with BPH (20.1 +/- 7.3%). Additionally, men with a normal prostate had a higher percentage of free PSA (27.7%) than those with BPH (20.1%), high grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (20.8%) or prostate cancer (14.9%). CONCLUSIONS: The percentages of free PSA in men with high grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia and BPH are similar, and significantly higher than those found in men with prostate cancer.     

Undifferentiated carcinoma of the jejunum with extensive rhabdoid features . Case report and review of the literature

Malignant rhabdoid tumor, first described in the kidney of young infants, is a rare and highly aggressive neoplasm of controversial histogenesis that has been reported at many other sites, including the gastrointestinal tract. However, malignant rhabdoid tumor of the small intestine is very rare, with only seven cases published to date. We report a 70‐year‐old man who presented with abdominal pain and weight loss, and showed a perforated jejunal mass with disseminated metastases by imaging. The patient underwent partial jejunectomy and biopsy of a liver metastasis. Microscopically, the tumor was characterized by neoplastic cells with vesicular nuclei, large nucleoli and abundant eccentric cytoplasm with hyaline globular intracytoplasmic inclusions. Immunohistochemically, the neoplasm coexpressed vimentin and epithelial antigens (AE1/AE3, Cam 5.2, CK34βE12, CK19 and EMA), most of them showing a peculiar immunostaining pattern in relation to the globular inclusions. Ultrastructurally, the inclusions corresponded to paranuclear whorls of intermediate filaments. The patient received postoperative chemotherapy but died 9 months after surgery. In summary, we report the exceptional case of an undifferentiated carcinoma of the jejunum with rhabdoid phenotype. As with tumors at other sites, recognition of rhabdoid morphology in small intestine neoplasms is of significance because the prognosis is extremely poor.