Effectiveness of a new carrier-bound fibrin sealant versus argon beamer as haemostatic agent during liver resection: a randomised prospective trial

Background and aims A new carrier-bound fibrin sealant, TachoSil, is expected to be efficacious and safe as a haemostatic treatment in hepatic resection.Design A prospective, randomised, open and controlled multicentre trial with intraoperative as well as postoperative assessment of efficacy and a 1 month follow-up period.Setting Tertiary care centres.Patients/methods One hundred and twenty-one patients requiring secondary haemostasis during planned liver resection. Patients with coagulation disorders and patients with persistent major bleeding after primary haemostatic measures were excluded.Intervention Application of either carrier-bound fibrin sealant (n=59) or argon beamer (argon beam coagulator) (n=62) as secondary haemostatic treatment.Main outcome measure Time to intraoperative haemostasis.Results There was a significant superiority of TachoSil over argon beamer with regard to time to haemostasis (3.9 min, median 3.0, range 3–20 min vs 6.3 min, median 4.0, range 3–39 min) (P=0.0007). Haemoglobin concentration of drainage fluid was significantly lower on day 2 after surgery in TachoSil patients (1.1 mmol/l) than in argon beamer patients (2.3 mmol/l) (P=0.012). Overall, the frequency and causality of adverse events did not differ between the two treatment groups.Conclusion TachoSil is superior to argon beamer in obtaining effective and fast intraoperative haemostasis. The safety data show TachoSil to be tolerable and safe for haemostatic treatment in liver resection.     

WNT-5A, but not matrix metalloproteinase 3 or β-catenin protein, expression is related to early stages of lip carcinogenesis

Background:  Oncogenic Wnt/β-catenin signaling occurs in numerous types of cancers, but little is known about the role of the Wnt protein family member, WNT-5A, in lip carcinogenesis. The aim of this study was to investigate WNT-5A, β-catenin, and matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-3 protein expression in actinic cheilitis (AC), and lip squamous cell carcinoma (LSCC).
Methods:  Twenty-one cases of AC, and fifty-one cases of LSCC were analyzed, with normal lip mucosa used as a control. Qualitative and semi-quantitative analyses of WNT-5A, β-catenin, and MMP-3 immunostaining pattern and cellular distribution were performed.
Results:  WNT-5A was observed in more than 50% of the cells, scattered in all layers of AC, in contrast to the absence of immunostaining in normal lip mucosa. AC presented a higher level of WNT-5A expression than LSCC ( P  =   0.0289, Fisher test), while MMP-3 immunoexpression was statistically more significant in LSCC than in AC ( P  =   0.0285, Fisher test). Immunolabeling of β-catenin protein was differentially distributed between samples; the majority of AC cases (61.90%) demonstrated a membranous-cytoplasmic pattern, while a considerable number of LSCC cases (29.41%) revealed a cytoplasmic pattern, instead of the usual membranous pattern.
Conclusions:  The present results suggest that WNT-5A may be an important marker during initial events of AC malignant transformation, in which non-canonical and canonical Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathways could be involved. Additionally, WNT-5A might recruit other events in LSCC, such as MMP-3 protein synthesis, as its presence is increased in established malignant processes without β-catenin dependency.     

Reinforcing effect of a resin glass ionomer in the restoration of immature roots in vitro

Abstract  – Fifty-six extracted maxillary central incisors were used for this study. The crown of each tooth was removed in order to obtain a standard length of 13 mm. Root canals were enlarged to simulate immature teeth after apexification. The apical 2 mm of the root canal was obturated with gutta-percha and AH26 sealer. The specimens were divided into two groups. Group A was unrestored and served as positive control. In group B, the canal walls were reinforced with a resin modified glass ionomer using a translucent curing post. All teeth were subjected to compressive force using an Instron testing machine until fracture occurred. Group B showed an increased resistance to fracture (456.02 ± 172.47 N) compared with group A (263.46 ± 98.00 N). The difference between groups was statistically significant ( P  < 0.005).     

Quality of life and psychiatric complications after adult living donor liver transplantation.

We investigated the psychosocial effects of a right hepatectomy on donors for adult living donor liver transplantation (ALDLT). Questionnaires were sent to 66 actual donors, who had undergone ALDLT between August 1998 and September 2003, as well as to 139 potential donors, who had been examined as possible candidates for ALDLT; the latter had been excluded and had not undergone surgery. All actual donors reported full recovery within an average period of 14.41 (standard deviation = 8.86) weeks; all had returned to their preoperative employment. In preparation for ALDLT, they had received significantly more support from their families in the decision-making process than the potential donors had (t = 2.02; degree of freedom = 79; P = 0.047); they also felt better informed about donation than the potential donors (t = 2.04; df = 64; P = 0.045). Psychiatric problems occurred in 6 (14%) female donors in the perioperative period, mostly in connection with unrealistic outcome expectations. Donors with severe postoperative complications (n = 3) demonstrated higher scores of psychiatric symptoms (chi-square = 6.39; df = 2; P = 0.041). When we compared potential and actual donors, a significant difference in emotional quality of life was not demonstrated (t = 0.41; df = 76; P = 0.684), and it corresponded to that of the normative sample. For donors, perceived emotional quality of life did not depend on the course of recovery of the recipients. Six to 9 months after donation, potential donors reported a significantly higher physical quality of life than actual donors (t = 2.20; df = 56; P = 0.032). In conclusion, female donors, donors with their own major complications, or donors with unrealistic outcome expectations should be provided with adequate psychosocial care. With regard to the psychosocial outcome, ALDLT is a safe intervention for the donor.     

Allogeneic hematopoietic transplantation and natural killer cell recognition of missing self

Summary:  Although the optimal donor for allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT) is a human leukocyte antigen-matched sibling, 75% of patients do not have a match, and alternatives are matched unrelated volunteers, unrelated umbilical cord blood units, and full-haplotype-mismatched family members. To cure leukemia, allogeneic HSCT relies on donor T cells in the allograft, which promote engraftment, eradicate malignant cells, and reconstitute immunity. Here, we focus on the open issues of rejection, graft-versus-host disease (GVHD), and infections and the benefits of natural killer (NK) cell alloreactivity and its underlying mechanisms. Donor-versus-recipient NK cell alloreactivity derives from a mismatch between inhibitory receptors for self-major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class I molecules on donor NK clones and the MHC class I ligands on recipient cells. These NK clones sense the missing expression of the self-MHC class I allele on the allogeneic targets and mediate alloreactions. HSCT from 'NK alloreactive' donors controls acute myeloid relapse without causing GVHD. We review the translation of NK cell recognition of missing self into the clinical practice of allogeneic hematopoietic transplantation and discuss how it has opened innovative perspectives in the cure of leukemia.     

Successful Renal Transplantation across Simultaneous ABO Incompatible and Positive Crossmatch Barriers

ABO incompatibility and human leukocyte antigen (HLA) sensitization remain the two largest barriers to optimal utilization of kidneys from live donors. Here we describe the first successful transplantation of patients who were both ABO incompatible and crossmatch positive with their only available donor. A preconditioning regimen of plasmapheresis (PP) and low-dose CMV hyperimmune globulin (CMVIg) was delivered every other day until donor-specific antibody (DSA) titers were reduced to a safe level and isoagglutinin titers were < or =16. Each patient received quadruple sequential immunosuppression, splenectomy and three protocol post-transplant PP/CMVIg treatments. There was no hyperacute rejection. Two of the three patients had a persistent positive cytotoxic crossmatch on the day of transplant and eliminated their DSA subsequently. Antibody-mediated rejection (AMR) in one patient was reversed by reinitiating PP/CMVIg and anti-CD20. The patients are more than 9 months post-transplant with excellent graft function. Preconditioning with PP/CMVIg results in a durable suppression of DSA and permits accommodation of the allograft to a discordant blood type. The ability to cross these two barriers simultaneously is clinically important as sensitized patients have often exhausted their blood type compatible living donors during previous transplants.     

Patterns of Detection of Superficial Spreading and Nodular-Type Melanoma: A Multicenter Italian Study

BACKGROUND: Nodular histotype represents the condition that is mostly associated with diagnosis of thick melanoma. OBJECTIVE: The objectives were to evaluate variables associated with and pattern of detection of nodular melanomas and to investigate variables associated with early diagnosis in accordance with histotype (nodular vs. superficial spreading melanomas). METHODS: From the original data set of 816 melanomas, all the invasive lesions classified as superficial spreading (n=500) and nodular (n=93) melanomas were considered for the study. A multivariate logistic analysis was performed. Results. Nodular melanomas did not significantly differ from superficial spreading melanomas regarding sex, anatomic site, number of whole-body nevi, and the presence of atypical nevi. As expected, nodular melanomas were represented by a higher percentage of thick (>2 mm) lesions compared to superficial spreading melanomas (64.5% vs. 9.6%, p<0.001). The pattern of detection significantly differed between nodular and superficial spreading melanomas, the former being more frequently self-detected (44.1% vs. 38.0%) or detected by the family doctor (34.4% vs. 11.4%). Female sex, high level of education, and detection made by a dermatologist had an independent, protective effect against late (>1 mm in thickness) diagnosis in superficial spreading melanomas. No protective variable associated with nodular melanomas was found. CONCLUSION: Patterns of detection for nodular melanomas significantly differ from those for superficial spreading melanomas. For superficial spreading, but not for nodular, melanomas, variables associated with protective effect against late diagnosis can be identified.