Injury to a transplanted kidney during caesarean section: a case report

As fertility is restored after renal transplant, more female recipients of a renal transplant successfully complete pregnancies that are safe for the mother, the fetus, and the renal allograft. Although the transplanted kidney lies in one of the iliac fossae, normal vaginal delivery is not impeded by this positioning. Caesarean section is indicated in many scenarios, primarily for obstetric reasons, particularly when the transplanted kidney lies in a position where it could be injured. Here, we report our experiences managing a rare instance of injury to a transplanted kidney during caesarean section and discuss the relevant aspects of its management. To our knowledge, this is the first report in the English literature of an injury to a transplanted kidney during caesarean section.     

Predictors and prognostic value of oral hairy leukoplakia and oral candidiasis in South African HIV-infected patients.

BACKGROUND: Oral hairy leukoplakia and oral candidiasis diseases (OHL/OC) are common clinical manifestations of HIV/AIDS. Sparse literature exists from resource-limited countries on their incidence and impact on HIV-infected patients. OBJECTIVE: To determine the predictors and prognosis of OHL/OC in HIV-infected patients. METHODS: Patients were drawn from a cohort established in 1992 and prospectively followed until 1997 in the adult HIV clinics, University of Cape Town. Cox hazards regression models were fitted to determine the predictors of OHL/OC, and the association between OHL/OC and progression to AIDS and death. RESULTS: 218 patients presenting with OHL/OC at their initial clinic visit were excluded. 205/772 patients developed OHL/OC (27.8 cases/100 years). White ethnicity (hazard ratio [HR] = 1.73, 95% CI 1.23-2.33), CD4+ count < 200 cells/(L (HR = 2.55, 95% CI 1.89-3.45), total lymphocyte count < 1250 cells/(L (HR = 1.72, 95% CI 1.28-2.31) and WHO stage 3 or 4 (HR = 2.61, 95% CI = 1.93-3.53) where variables predictive of increased hazard to developing OHL/OC. OHL/OC were independently associated with hazard of AIDS (HR = 3.65, 95% CI 1.89-6.69) and death (HR = 2.12, 95% CI 1.47-4.34). CONCLUSIONS: The presence of OHL/OC in HIV-infected patients provides important prognostic information, and can be used as a cost-effective tool for screening patients in therapeutic interventions in resource-limited settings.     

Abnormal expression of MHC class II and ICAM-1 by melanocytes in vitiligo

The relationship between damage to cutaneous melanocytes and antimelanocyte autoimmunity in vitiligo is unclear. We have demonstrated abnormal expression of MHC class II molecules by perilesional melanocytes in 13/21 patients with vitiligo and a six-fold increase in the number expressing the intercellular adhesion molecule ICAM-1. These molecules have important roles in normal antigen presentation and activation of helper T lymphocytes, and their expression by melanocytes may contribute to the abnormal immune response in vitiligo. MHC class II is not expressed by melanocytes in psoriasis and is unlikely to be induced in vitiligo by cytokines released from activated non-melanocyte-specific T lymphocytes.     

Abdominal apoplexy: A rare case of spontaneous rupture of the superior mesenteric artery in a hypertensive patient

INTRODUCTIONSpontaneous rupture of an intra-abdominal visceral artery is an exceptionally rare and potentially fatal cause of abdominal apoplexy.PRESENTATION OF CASEWe present a case of a 54-year-old hypertensive male who developed hypovolemic shock in our Emergency Department after presenting with abrupt onset of abdominal pain and diarrhea. Intra-operative findings revealed rupture of the superior mesenteric artery with massive hemoperitoneum. The bleeding vessel was ligated and the patient made a full recovery after 3 weeks in the Intensive Care Unit.DISCUSSIONHigh index of suspicion is necessary for early preoperative diagnosis and must be considered in any patient with a history of hypertension presenting with abrupt abdominal pain, signs of peritoneal irritation and unexplained hypovolemic shock. Immediate resuscitation and prompt surgical control of bleeding is paramount in patient prognosis.CONCLUSIONThe seemingly unpredictable nature of abdominal apoplexy must be noted, a precipitating cause in most cases is untraceable and early diagnosis relies solely on awareness of the condition.     

Post PCI Angina

• Based on a multi‐payer claims database, post‐PCI angina (or chest pain) was frequent, occurring in 28% of patients at 1‐year and 40% at 3 years.
• Patients with post‐PCI angina had more physician and emergency department visits, diagnostic testing, (including repeat cardiac catheterization 29 vs. 4%) and hospitalizations at 1‐year leading to markedly higher total direct medical costs.
• These results should stimulate further research into the etiology of post‐PCI angina and strategies to decrease both the frequency and the significant economic burden associated with the challenging problem.

     

Increased sensitivity to platinum drugs of cancer cells with acquired resistance to trabectedin

Background:

In order to investigate the mechanisms of acquired resistance to trabectedin, trabectedin-resistant human myxoid liposarcoma (402-91/T) and ovarian carcinoma (A2780/T) cell lines were derived and characterised in vitro and in vivo.

Methods:

Resistant cell lines were obtained by repeated exposures to trabectedin. Characterisation was performed by evaluating drug sensitivity, cell cycle perturbations, DNA damage and DNA repair protein expression. In vivo experiments were performed on A2780 and A2780/T xenografts.

Results:

402-91/T and A2780/T cells were six-fold resistant to trabectedin compared with parental cells. Resistant cells were found to be hypersensitive to UV light and did not express specific proteins involved in the nucleotide excision repair (NER) pathway: XPF and ERCC1 in 402-91/T and XPG in A2780/T. NER deficiency in trabectedin-resistant cells was associated with the absence of a G₂/M arrest induced by trabectedin and with enhanced sensitivity (two-fold) to platinum drugs. In A2780/T, this collateral sensitivity, confirmed in vivo, was associated with an increased formation of DNA interstrand crosslinks.

Conclusions:

Our finding that resistance to trabectedin is associated with the loss of NER function, with a consequent increased sensitivity to platinum drugs, provides the rational for sequential use of these drugs in patients who have acquired resistance to trabectedin.     

Mobilization of Philadelphia-negative peripheral blood progenitor cells with chemotherapy with rhuG-CSF in chronic myelogenous leukaemia patients with a poor response to interferon-alpha

The purpose of this cooperative study was to evaluate the quantity and quality of Ph¹-negative progenitor cells mobilized in the peripheral blood of patients with chronic myelogenous leukaemia soon after aplasia induced by chemotherapy. 32 patients ineligible for allografting who were cytogenetically refractory to interferon-alpha (IFN-α) were entered into this study. The chronic phase varied widely, with a median duration of 17 months (range 3–90 months). All patients were treated with intensive conventional chemotherapy regimens and recombinant human granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (rhuG-CSF, lenograstim). Peripheral blood progenitor cells (PBPC) were harvested by leukaphereses during early recovery from chemotherapy-induced aplasia. A total of 119 leukaphereses were performed. Median numbers of CD34⁺ cells and CFU-GM collected were 2.04 × 10⁶/kg and 2.9 × 10⁴/kg, respectively. There was a significant correlation between white cell count and number of CD34⁺ cells in the leukaphereses (P = 0.0001, r² = 0.41, n = 104). A strict correlation between the number of CD34⁺ cells and CFU-GM in the leukapheretic product (P = 0.0001, r² = 0.39, n = 110) was observed. 21% of evaluable patients (6/29) achieved a complete cytogenetic remission in the leukapheretic product and the other four patients achieved a major cytogenetic response for an overall response of 35% (10/22 patients). To date, 16 patients have been autografted and are alive. Five of them are Ph¹-negative (three patients) or partially Ph¹-negative (two patients). In conclusion, despite the high-risk characteristics of this study population, Ph¹-negative PBPC were successfully mobilized in more than one-quarter of patients using a chemotherapy plus rhuG-CSF regimen. The importance of this achievement is increased by the current lack of other practical methods of rescuing Ph¹-negative cells in such patients.     

Rectal colonization with group B streptococcus: relation to vaginal colonization of pregnant women.

Anorectal carriage as a possible primary source of vaginal colonization by group B Streptococcus was investigated. The study was performed during two separate periods and included 789 pregnant women and 422 neonates. Specimens from multiple sites were obtained for culture from all women and infants and were streaked onto blood agar plates containing 8 mug of gentamicin sulfate/ml and 15 mug of nalidixic acid/ml, which allow selective growth of streptococci. Cultures positive for group B streptococci were obtained from 162 (20.5%) of the pregnant women and from 50 (11.8%) of the neonates. Rectal cultures were positive for streptococci in 142 (17.9%) of the women, and vaginal cultures gave positive results in 81 (10.2%). The higher incidence of positive results in rectal as opposed to vaginal cultures (ratio of 2:1) was encountered during all phases of the study. This finding suggests that the gastrointestinal tract may be the primary site of colonization by group B Streptococcus and that vaginal colonization may represent contamination from this source.