Effect of lung resection on pulmonary function. A comparative study in different surgical procedures

The effect of lung surgery on respiratory function has been investigated in 40 patients considering separately the three main procedures (pneumonectomy, lobectomy and thoracotomy alone) to ascertain if the resected lung and the volume removal can influence this function in the immediate postoperative period. The patients were submitted to spirometry and arterial gas analysis preoperatively and during 9 days postoperation; the tests controlled were VC, FEV1, TV and RR. No significant difference has been noticed among various surgical procedures.     

Chromosome abnormalities in lymphocytes and fibroblasts of subjects with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1.

A consistent degree of chromosome instability was found in cultured lymphocytes and in fibroblasts derived from skin biopsies of three patients with multiple endocrine neoplasia type 1 (MEN1). In both tissues, there was a significant increase in chromosomal breakage. Dicentrics and tricentrics, rings, translocations, deletions, acentric fragments, and presumptive double minutes were the most frequent abnormalities in lymphocytes. The fibroblasts of two patients had large clones consisting of trisomy 7 and trisomy 18 cells, respectively.     

Pulmonary function in patients with pleural effusion of varying magnitude and fibrothorax

Pulmonary function was studied in sixty patients with pleural effusion and seventy patients with fibrothorax. The patients with pleural effusion were divided into three groups according to the extent of the effusion. The patients were submitted to spirometry and arterial blood gas analysis. The effects of pleural effusion on pulmonary function is evaluated with regards to the size of effusion. Small-size pleural effusion little affects arterial oxygen tension. Pleural effusion and fibrothorax have a similar pattern of pulmonary function.     

Cytogenetics of multiple endocrine neoplasia syndromes. I. Two different, unique clonal chromosome changes in a medullary thyroid carcinoma and in a C-cell thyroid hyperplasia.

In short-term cultures of tumor tissue from a medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC), we found a large clone of cells with a balanced translocation t(9;12)(p24;q22). A large clone with a balanced translocation t(10;16)(p11;q24) was also found in cultures from a C-cell thyroid hyperplasia. No clearcut evidence for chromosome instability was observed in the lymphocytes of the two patients. The mother of the first patient died of MTC; two relatives of the second patient had MTC and one of them had pheochromocytoma. These findings classify the two subjects as MEN 2A patients with different phenotypic expression but with the same type of chromosomal abnormality.     

Homozygous and compound heterozygous mutations at the Werner syndrome locus

The Werner syndrome (WS) is a rare autosomal recessive progeroid disorder. The Werner syndrome gene (WRN) has recently been identified as a member of the helicase family. Four distinct mutations were previously reported in three Japanese and one Syrian WS pedigrees. The latter mutation was originally described as a 4 bp deletion spanning a spliced junction. It is now shown that this mutation results in a 4 bp deletion at the beginning of an exon. Nine new WRN mutations in 10 additional WS patients, both Japanese and Caucasian, are described. These include three compound heterozygotes (one Japanese and two Caucasian). The new mutations are located all across the coding region.      

Outcomes of previously untreated elderly patients with AML: a propensity score-matched comparison of clofarabine vs. FLAG

The 5-year overall survival (OS) in patients ≥?60 years old with acute myeloid leukemia (AML) remains <?10%. Clofarabine-based induction (CLO) provides an alternative to low-intensity therapy (LIT) and palliative care for this population, but supporting data are conflicted. Recently, our institution adopted the FLAG regimen (fludarabine, cytarabine, and granulocyte colony-stimulating factor) based on data reporting similar outcomes to CLO in elderly patients with AML unable to tolerate anthracycline-based induction. We retrospectively analyzed the efficacy and safety of patients ≥?60 years old with AML treated with FLAG or CLO over the past 10 years. We performed a propensity score match that provided 32 patients in each group. Patients treated with FLAG had a higher CR/CRi rate (65.6 vs. 37.5%, P?=?0.045) and OS (7.9 vs. 2.8 months, P?=?0.085) compared to CLO. Furthermore, FLAG was better tolerated with significantly less grade 3/4 toxicities and a shorter duration of neutropenia (18.5 vs. 30 days, P?=?0.002). Finally, we performed a cost analysis that estimated savings to be $30,000–45,000 per induction with FLAG. Our study supports the use of FLAG both financially and as an effective, well-tolerated high-dose treatment regimen for elderly patients with AML. No cases of cerebellar neurotoxicity occurred.     

Beta-catenin accumulates in intercalated disks of hypertrophic cardiomyopathic hearts

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate whether cardiomyocyte membrane structure and cell/extracellular matrix adhesion alterations perturb the cadherin/catenin complex in the hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM). METHODS: Hypertrophic cardiomyopathic hamster (UM-X7.1 strain) and human hearts were studied by light and electron microscopy, Northern and Western blot analyses and immunohistochemistry. RESULTS: Intercalated disks are disorganized in both hamster and human cardiomyopathic hearts; beta-catenin is increased and accumulated in intercalated disks depriving cardiomyocyte nuclei of fundamental signals. The accumulation of beta-catenin is post-translationally regulated by an increased Wnt expression, a simultaneous decrease in glycogen synthase kinase 3beta (GSK3beta) expression and a different expression pattern of adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) isoforms. CONCLUSION: The reorganization of cell/cell adhesion in cardiomyopathic hearts is mainly contributed by the cadherin/catenin system, which is differently regulated to sustain cell structural rather than signalling needs causing considerable consequences in the determination of cardiomyocyte phenotype and clinical outcome. The accumulation of beta-catenin in intercalated disks could concur to increase myocardial wall stiffness and left ventricular end-diastolic pressure (LVEDP) in hypertrophic cardiomyopathic hamster and human hearts.     

Comparing diagnosis of midfacial fractures by radiologists and plastic surgeons

Emergency Radiology - Clinicians who manage facial fractures often rely on radiologist interpretations to help with assessment and management. Among treating physicians, facial fractures are...