Total gastrectomy reconstructed by interposition of a jejunal J pouch with preservation of hepatic vagus branch and lower esophageal sphincter for T2 gastric cancer without lymph node metastasis

BACKGROUND/AIMS: In order to improve postgastrectomy disorders of patients with T2 (MP or SS) gastric cancer without lymph node metastasis, which mainly locates in the middle third of stomach, we have performed a total gastrectomy preserving both hepatic vagus branches and the lower esophageal sphincter as a function-preserving surgical procedure. METHODOLOGY: In the present study, the application criteria and points of the technique are outlined, and postoperative quality of life is clinically investigated. Twenty-four subjects who underwent this surgical operation (group A; 16 men and 8 women subjects aged 46 to 73 years, mean age 62.2 years) were interviewed regarding appetite, weight loss, reflux esophagitis, dumping syndrome, and microgastria. Cholelithiasis following total gastrectomy was also checked by abdominal ultrasonography. Group A was compared with 26 cases of conventional total gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy, excision of lower esophageal sphincter, total vagotomy, and single jejunal interposition (B group; 19 men and 7 women subjects aged 42 to 75 years, mean age 64.8 years). Application criteria of the technique: Included were cases with T2 cancer of N0 mainly localizing at the middle-third of the stomach which was 4 cm or further in distance from the oral-side margin of the cancer to the esophagogastric mucosa junction. Points of the technique: In lymphadenectomy, hepatic branches of the vagal nerve only preserved. To preserve lower esophageal sphincter, the abdominal esophagus was severed at the level of His angle to the longitudinal axis of the esophagus. Substitute stomach was created as a 15-cm jejunal pouch with a 5-cm-long jejunal conduit for isoperistaltic movement. RESULTS: In group A the food ingestion rate was significantly greater than that of group B (P<0.001) at 6 months and 2.0 years after operation, with no reflux esophagitis or dumping syndrome being noticed at 2.0 years after operation. In group B, loss of appetite 2.0 years after operation was significantly higher than that in group A (P<0.01). In addition, symptomatic reflux esophagitis (heartburn, dyspepsia, regurgitation) developed more significantly in group B than in group A (P<0.05). For food ingestion per time, group B was significantly delayed compared with group A (P<0.05). Body weight loss in group B was significantly higher than that in group A (P<0.01). Postgastrectomy cholelithiasis was detected significantly more in group B than in group A (P<0.05). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggested that the surgical technique proposed is safe and leads to a satisfactory symptomatic and nutritional result, and that this procedure is a function-preserving gastric surgery appropriate to prevent postgastrectomy disorders of subjects for T2 gastric cancer without lymph node metastasis, mainly located in the middle-third of stomach.     

Enteroadhesion fimbriae and enterotoxin of Escherichia coli: genetic transfer to a streptomycin-resistant mutant of the galE oral-route live-vaccine Salmonella typhi Ty21a.

An enterotoxigenic Escherichia coli plasmid encoding colonization factor antigen (CFA) I fimbriae and heat-stable toxin was transferred into a streptomycin-resistant mutant of the Salmonella typhi galE strain Ty21a (a live attenuated oral typhoid vaccine). The virulence plasmid-carrying transconjugants produced CFA I fimbriae and heat-stable toxin. The marked production of CFA I fimbriae was observed even in a vaccine medium for Ty21a. The data lead to a new type of potential live oral vaccine, S. typhi Ty21a producing enteroadhesion fimbriae.     

Angiotensin II type 1 receptor blocker attenuates myocardial remodeling and preserves diastolic function in diabetic heart.

Blockade of the renin-angiotensin system reduces cardiovascular morbidity and mortality in diabetic patients. Angiotensin II (Ang II) plays an important role in the structural and functional abnormalities of the diabetic heart. We investigated whether or not Ang II type 1 receptor blocker (ARB) could attenuate left ventricular (LV) remodeling in male mice with diabetes mellitus (DM) induced by the injection of streptozotocin (200 mg/kg, i.p.). Diabetic mice were treated with candesartan (1 mg/kg/day; DM+Candesartan, n=7) or vehicle (DM+Vehicle, n=7) for 8 weeks. Heart rate and aortic blood pressure were comparable between the groups. Normal systolic function was preserved in diabetic mice. In contrast, diastolic function was impaired in DM+Vehicle and was improved in DM+Candesartan, as assessed by the deceleration time of the peak velocity of transmitral diastolic flow (40.3+/-0.3 vs. 37.3+/-0.5 ms, p<0.01) and the time needed for relaxation of 50% maximal LV pressure to baseline value (tau; 10.6+/-0.7 vs. 8.7+/-0.6 ms, p<0.05) without significant changes in heart rate and aortic blood pressure. Improvement of LV diastolic function was accompanied by the attenuation of myocyte hypertrophy, interstitial fibrosis and apoptosis in association with the expression of connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) and myocardial oxidative stress. Moreover, candesartan directly inhibited Ang II-mediated induction of CTGF in cultured cardiac fibroblasts. ARB might be beneficial to prevent cardiac abnormalities in DM.     

Growth hormone-releasing peptide can improve left ventricular dysfunction and attenuate dilation in dilated cardiomyopathic hamsters

OBJECTIVE: The mammalian heart contains specific growth hormone-releasing peptide (GHRP) binding sites whose physiological significance is unknown. We sought to compare the effects of GHRP and GH on progressive left ventricular (LV) dysfunction in the TO-2 hamster model of dilated cardiomyopathy. METHODS: TO-2 hamsters (8 weeks old) were injected with GHRP-6 (100 microg/kg day), GH (2 mg/kg day), or saline for 4 weeks; F1B hamsters served as controls. LV functional and structural changes were evaluated by echocardiography and pathology. RESULTS: The increase in body weight of GH-treated TO-2 hamsters was greater than that of animals in the other two groups. Plasma GH and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) concentrations were not increased by GHRP-6. LV fractional shortening (LVFS) decreased from 42.0+/-2.6% to 25.4+/-1.8% and the LV end-diastolic dimension (LVDd) increased from 4.0+/-0.1 to 5.0+/-0.1 mm in untreated TO-2 hamsters between 8 and 12 weeks. LVFS was substantially improved by treatment with GHRP-6 (33.4+/-2.0%) or GH (32.0+/-2.1%). The LVDd was significantly smaller in animals treated with GHRP-6 than in those treated with GH. The cross-sectional LV myocyte area and the amount of atrial natriuretic peptide mRNA in the LV were increased by GH but not by GHRP-6. Treatment woth GH at a lower dose (0.2 mg/(kg day)) exerted minimal cardiac and systematic growth effects without improving LV function. CONCLUSION: GHRP can ameliorate the development of progressive LV dysfunction independently of the GH-IGF-1 axis, suggesting a potential new approach to the heart failure.     

Efficacy of conversion from bedtime NPH insulin to morning insulin glargine in type 2 diabetic patients on basal-prandial insulin therapy

In normal subjects, approximately half of the daily insulin requirement constitutes basal insulin. We investigated whether increasing the dose of insulin glargine up to half of the total insulin requirement could lead to better glycemic control in type 2 diabetic patients who were treated on basal-prandial insulin therapy. A total of 62 patients with type 2 diabetes on mealtime rapid-acting insulin analogue and bedtime NPH were randomized to either continuation of bedtime NPH (n=31) or morning glargine (n=31) for 6 months while continuing the aspart/lispro at each meal. The two groups were matched for age, sex, diabetes duration, BMI, HbA(1C), endogenous insulin secretion, and proportion of numbers using aspart/lispro and using oral hypoglycemic agents. The dose of insulin glargine was increased by 2-4 units to meet the target fasting blood glucose, whereas the dose of NPH was principally unchanged as a control group. Mean HbA(1C) at baseline was similar between patients with glargine and NPH (7.2% versus 6.9%). The percentage of glargine dose increased significantly (31% at baseline to 48% at 6 months) without any significant changes in total insulin dose. Mean HbA(1C) at 3 months was 6.6% with glargine and 7.0% with NPH (P<0.0001, adjusted mean change between-treatment difference 0.6% [95% CI 0.3-0.9]), and the values at 6 months were 6.6% and 6.9%, respectively (P=0.007). Frequency of hypoglycemia did not differ between the groups. Increasing the dose of glargine without changing the total daily insulin dose resulted in significantly better glycemic control in type 2 diabetic patients on basal-prandial insulin therapy. Conversion from bedtime NPH to morning glargine appears efficacious with no increase in frequency of hypoglycemia.     

Reduced-intensity stem cell transplantation using allogeneic peripheral blood stem cells from the same donor for relapsed leukemia after bone marrow transplantation

We report the clinical courses of two cases with relapsed acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) after allogeneic bone marrow transplantation (BMT). After reinduction chemotherapy, the patients received reduced-intensity stem cell transplantation using allogeneic peripheral blood stem cells harvested from their previous BMT donors. The conditioning regimen used consisted of fludarabine and melphalan. Graft-versus-host disease (GVHD) prophylaxis was performed with low dose cyclosporin A (CsA, 1 mg/kg/day d.i.v.) on its own. The regimen related toxicity was minimal, and stable engraftment was achieved. Since acute GVHD had not developed by day 30, CsA was stopped abruptly in both cases. After CsA withdrawal, acute GVHD developed, and subsequent chronic GVHD. One of two cases is alive without any relapse of the leukemia 40 months after the peripheral blood stem cell transplantation (PBSCT). In the other case, ALL relapsed 15 months after the PBSCT, however, complete remission was again induced concomitantly with reactivated GVHD. In both these cases, the results suggest that using PBSC as a stem cell source and abrupt cessation of GVHD prophylaxis provided a potent graft-versus-leukemia effect.     

Access to treatment and care associated with HIV infection among members of AIDS support groups in Thailand

To examine the types and distributions of treatment received among persons living with HIV and AIDS (PLWHAs) in Thailand, we analyzed data collected during 2000 from 412 members of PLWHA support organizations in Bangkok and three upcountry northern provinces. Most (74%) of the respondents report ever receiving modern medical care for their HIV-related symptoms; 31% report ever using herbal treatments. Small proportions of those experiencing severe symptoms related to activity limitations report treatments with anti-retroviral medication, treatment for opportunistic infections or treatment for pain. Multivariate analysis suggests that the government's health card system plays an important role in keeping treatment costs down for PLWHAs and their families, that being open about one's HIV status to one's community is positively associated with receiving modern treatment for HIV-related ailments, that being female is negatively associated with receiving modern treatment and that living upcountry (as opposed to living in Bangkok) is associated with using herbal remedies. Policy implications of the findings are discussed.     

Papillary adenoma of the pancreas with excessive mucin secretion.

A 68-year-old woman with papillary adenoma of the pancreas with excessive mucin secretion is reported. The patient was initially diagnosed as having chronic pancreatitis because of a history of repeated attacks of pancreatitis and localized dilatation of the main pancreatic duct. Four years later, endoscopic retrograde pancreatography showed markedly diffuse dilatation of the entire main pancreatic duct with amorphous filling defects of mucin. Excretion of mucin was observed through the enlarged orifice of Vater's ampulla. The patient was treated with distal pancreatectomy, and papillary adenoma with abundant mucin in the cytoplasm was histologically demonstrated. We describe unique clinical features of "mucin-producing pancreatic tumor" and discuss an important role of endoscopic retrograde pancreatography in the diagnosis.     

Prehospital removal improves neurological outcomes in elderly patient with foreign body airway obstruction

Objective

In Japan, the number of patients with foreign body airway obstruction by food is rapidly increasing with the increase in the population of the elderly and a leading cause of unexpected death. This study aimed to determine the factors that influence prognosis of these patients.