柠檬酸对分化型甲状腺癌患者首次131I治疗后唾液腺功能的保护作用

目的：探讨柠檬酸对术后首次行¹³¹I治疗（简称清甲治疗）的分化型甲状腺癌（DTC）患者唾液腺功能的影响,阐明柠檬酸对¹³¹I治疗的甲状腺癌患者唾液腺功能的保护作用。方法：经患者知情同意,随机选择准备首次行¹³¹I治疗的68例甲状腺乳头状癌患者,随机分为对照组和柠檬酸组,每组34例。对照组患者无特殊准备,柠檬酸组患者于¹³¹I治疗前1周及治疗后3周内每天含柠檬酸1 min（0.2 g/次）后吐出。2组患者分别于¹³¹I治疗前24 h及¹³¹I治疗后3个月行2次^99mTcO^4-唾液腺显像检查,计算第15分钟摄取指数（15 min UI）和排泌分数（SR）,评估唾液腺功能。结果：与¹³¹I治疗前比较,对照组患者¹³¹I治疗后右侧腮腺和双侧颌下腺15 min UI差异无统计学意义（P>0.05）,左侧腮腺15 min UI降低（P<0.05）;与¹³¹I治疗前比较,柠檬酸组患者¹³¹I治疗后双侧腮腺及双侧颌下腺15 min UI差异无统计学意义（P>0.05）;与对照组比较,柠檬酸组患者¹³¹I治疗前后双侧腮腺和双侧颌下腺15 min UI差异均无统计学意义（P>0.05）。与¹³¹I治疗前比较,对照组患者双侧腮腺治疗后SR降低（P<0.05）,双侧颌下腺SR差异无统计学意义（P>0.05）,柠檬酸组患者双侧腮腺和双侧颌下腺治疗后SR差异无统计学意义（P>0.05）;与对照组¹³¹I治疗后比较,柠檬酸组患者双侧腮腺SR升高（P<0.05）,双侧颌下腺SR差异无统计学意义（P>0.05）。结论：DTC患者术后首次¹³¹I治疗后唾液腺排泌功能可能受损,短期口含柠檬酸对唾液腺具有保护作用,可以减轻唾液腺的放射性损伤。     

The sonographic appearance of acute focal pyelonephritis 8 years experience

AIM: Acute focal pyelonephritis (AFP) is a variant of pyelonephritis in which single or multiple discrete areas show changes of inflammation. The reported sonographic appearances of AFP are varied but are typically described as being echopoor. The purpose of this study was to review the sonographic appearances of AFP and attempt to explain the range of findings by correlation with clinical details. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We reviewed retrospectively the sonographic findings and medical records of 17 cases of AFP. The study group consisted of 13 women and four men (mean age 20 years). Lesions were designated as echogenic, echopoor or of mixed echogenicity as compared to the adjacent renal cortex, and to the liver or spleen. RESULTS: The abnormal areas were echogenic in 12 patients, echopoor in three and of mixed echogenicity in two. An attempt was made to explain the variation in appearances by correlation with clinical details including the patient's age, the duration of symptoms, the length of antibiotic treatment and the presence of haematuria. CONCLUSION: Areas of acute focal pyelonephritis may be echogenic, echopoor or of mixed echogenicity. Our data would suggest that areas of increased echogenicity are more common. There is no discernible correlation with clinical findings.     

Predictors of survival after liver transplantation for hepatocellular carcinoma associated with Hepatitis C.

The efficacy of orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) associated with hepatitis C virus (HCV) is not well defined. This study examines the variables that may determine the outcome of OLT for HCC in HCV patients. From 1990 to 1999, 463 OLTs were performed for HCV cirrhosis. Of these patients, 67 with concurrent HCC were included in the study. Univariate and multivariate analyses considered the following variables: gender, pTNM stage, tumor size, number of nodules, vascular invasion, incidental tumors, adjuvant chemotherapy, preoperative chemoembolization, alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) tumor marker, lobar distribution, and histological grade. Overall OLT survival of HCV patients diagnosed with concomitant HCC was significantly lower when compared to patients who underwent OLT for HCV alone at 1, 3, and 5 years (75%, 71%, and 55% versus 84%, 76%, and 75%, respectively; P < 0.01). Overall survival of patients with stage I HCC was significantly better than patients with stage II, III, or IV (P < .05). Eleven of 67 patients developed tumor recurrence. Sites of recurrence included transplanted liver (5), lung (5), and bone (1). Twenty-four of 67 patients (36%) died during the follow-up time. Causes of deaths included recurrent HCC in 8 of 24 patients (12%) and recurrent HCV in 3 of 24 patients (4.5%), whereas 13 (19.5%) patients died from causes that were unrelated to HCV or HCC. Both univariate and multivariate analysis demonstrated that pTNM status (I versus II, III, and IV; P < .05) was a reliable prognostic indicator for patient survival. Presence of vascular invasion (P = .0001) and advanced pTNM staging (P = .038) increased risk of recurrence. Multivariate analysis showed that pretransplant chemoembolization and adjuvant chemotherapy reduced risk of death after OLT in HCC recipients. In conclusion, this study demonstrates the effectiveness of OLT for patients with HCC in a large cohort of chronic HCV patients. Advanced tumor stage, and particularly vascular invasion, are poor prognostic indicators for tumor recurrence. Early pTNM stage, adjuvant chemotherapy, and preoperative chemoembolization were associated with positive outcomes for patients who underwent OLT for concomitant HCV and HCC.     

Human pancreatic growth hormone-releasing factor-44 differentially stimulates release of stored and newly synthesized rat growth hormone in vitro

Effects of synthetic human pancreatic GH-releasing factor-44 (hpGRF-44) on synthesis and release of rat pituitary GH and PRL were examined in vitro in a static incubation system. A double label, specific immunoprecipitation protocol permitted simultaneous study of hormone synthesis as well as release of both stored and newly synthesized hormone. Synthetic hpGRF-44 (0.3 and 3.0 nM) stimulated the release of stored GH 240% beyond the basal level, while simultaneously stimulating the release of newly synthesized GH by 610%. Despite the stimulation of release, hpGRF-44 did not alter GH synthesis (102% of control value). A small but statistically significant increase in release of stored PRL occurred in response to hpGRF-44, while release of newly synthesized PRL and PRL synthesis were unaffected. In contrast, 1 mM (Bu)2cAMP stimulated the release of both newly synthesized and stored GH and PRL. We conclude that hpGRF-44 differentially stimulates GH release from separate intracellular compartments and that the lactotroph may also, under certain conditions, respond to this secretagogue.     

Long-term follow-up of patients with Crohn's disease. Relationship between the clinical pattern and prognosis

In a study of 615 new patients with Crohn's disease consecutively diagnosed at the Cleveland Clinic between 1966 and 1969, 592 patients were observed (mean greater than 13 yr, minimum 7 yr), giving a follow-up rate of 96.3%. The original hypothesis was that initial anatomic involvement (the clinical pattern) bears directly on clinical course and prognosis. Disease sites were as follows: 246 ileocolic, 165 small intestine, and 181 colon/anorectal. Among patients with ileocolic disease, 225 (91.5%) had surgery. For the small intestine pattern, the operative incidence was 65.5%; for the colon/anorectal pattern, it was 58%. Operations were for specific reasons: internal fistula with abscess or intestinal obstruction for ileocolic pattern; intestinal obstruction for small intestine pattern; and severe perianal disease or toxic megacolon for colon/anorectal pattern. Complications among nonoperated patients included perianal fistulas and extraintestinal manifestations. No statistical correlation existed between type and duration of medical treatment and prognosis. Seventy-five deaths occurred (12.8%), 36 of which related directly to Crohn's disease. Even after many years, symptoms continued and quality of life tended to be suboptimal among operated patients. For nonoperated patients, the most favorable quality of life was experienced by those with segmental involvement of the colon or ileum. Poor prognosis correlated with ileocolic disease and presence of sepsis because of an internal fistula.     

Downstaging to non-invasive urothelial carcinoma is associated with improved outcome following radical cystectomy for patients with cT2 disease

Introduction

Pathologic stage is a critically important prognostic factor after radical cystectomy (RC) that is used to guide the use of secondary therapies. However, the risk of disease recurrence, for patients clinically diagnosed with muscle-invasive tumors who are found not to have muscle-invasive disease at RC are poorly defined. Therefore, we reviewed the long-term outcomes in patients who were downstaged to non-invasive urothelial carcinoma at time of RC.

Methods

We identified 1,177 consecutive patients with muscle-invasive urothelial carcinoma of the bladder who underwent radical cystectomy at our institution between 1980 and 1999 without neoadjuvant therapy. Postoperative disease recurrence and survival were estimated using the Kaplan?CMeier method and compared using the log rank test. Cox proportional hazard regression models were used to analyze the impact of pathologic stage on survival.

Results

Pathologic downstaging to non-muscle invasive disease was identified in 538 (45.7?%) patients. The 10-year cancer-specific survival was 84.1, 77.4, 71.1 and 58.5?% for those with pT0, pTis, pT1 and pT2 tumors, respectively. On multivariate analysis, the risk of cancer-specific mortality was significantly decreased for patients with non-muscle invasive disease than those with organ-confined muscle invasion (RR?0.39; p?=?0.002). There was no difference in disease-specific mortality among patients who had non-invasive (pT0, pTa, or pTis) disease (p?=?0.19).

Conclusions

Downstaging from clinical muscle-invasive bladder cancer to non-muscle invasive disease at RC is associated with a significant reduction in cancer-specific mortality. However, even patients with residual non-muscle invasive disease may suffer disease recurrence and require continued surveillance after surgery.     

Hepatitis C Positive Grafts may be used in Orthotopic Liver Transplantation: A Matched Analysis

Hepatitis C (HCV)-positive liver grafts have been increasingly used in patients with decompensated liver disease from HCV because of critical shortage of available organs. Fifty-nine recipients of HCV-positive grafts were matched to patients who received HCV-negative grafts. All recipients were transplanted for HCV liver disease. Matching variables were (1) status, (2) pre-transplant creatinine, (3) recipient age, (4) donor age, (5) warm ischemia time, and (6) year of transplantation. Both unmatched and matched analyses were performed on patient survival, graft survival, and time to HCV recurrence. There was no significant statistical difference in patient, graft, or HCV recurrence-free survival between recipients of HCV-positive and HCV-negative grafts with matched and unmatched analyses (p > 0.05). The 3-year estimates of HCV disease-free survival were 12% (+/- 9%) and 19% (+/- 7%) using HCV-positive and -negative grafts, respectively. The use of HCV-positive grafts in recipients with HCV does not appear to affect patient survival, graft survival, or HCV recurrence when compared with the use of HCV-negative grafts. Our results suggest that HCV-positive grafts can be used in a HCV liver transplant recipient.     

P-Selectin Glycoprotein Ligand-1 (rPSGL-Ig)-Mediated Blockade of CD62 Selectin Molecules Protects Rat Steatotic Liver Grafts from Ischemia/Reperfusion Injury

We examined the effects of early blockade of CD62 selectin-mediated adhesive interactions in steatotic rat liver models of ex vivo cold ischemia followed by reperfusion or transplantation by administration of P-selectin glycoprotein ligand-1 (rPSGL-Ig). In the model of cold ischemia/reperfusion, livers pretreated ex vivo with rPSGL-Ig at harvesting from obese Zucker rats showed significantly decreased portal resistance, increased bile production, and diminished hepatic endothelial neutrophil infiltration, as compared with untreated controls. Pretreatment of fatty livers with rPSGL-Ig prior to transplantation extended the survival of lean Zucker rat recipients from 40% to 90%. This effect correlated with significantly improved liver function, depressed neutrophil activity, and decreased histologic features of hepatocyte injury. Intragraft expression of CD62 P-selectin was similar in both recipient groups. rPSGL-Ig treatment decreased intragraft infiltration by CD3/CD25 cells, diminished expression of pro-inflammatory TNFalpha, IL-6, iNOS, IL-2 and IFN-gamma, without significantly affecting mRNA levels coding for anti-inflammatory IL-4. Thus, rPSGL-Ig blockade of CD62-mediated adhesive interactions protects against severe ischemia/reperfusion injury suffered otherwise by steatotic rat livers. These findings document the potential utility of rPSGL-Ig in increasing the transplant donor pool through modulation of marginal steatotic livers.