Inverted Papilloma of the Upper Urinary Tract

Inverted papillomas of the upper urinary tract are rare lesions that have a male predominance. The associated symptoms are similar to those of other urothelial neoplasms. The tumors are considered benign and local excision has been advocated by many but long-term followup is lacking. We present a case of a locally excised inverted papilloma of the renal pelvis with a 3.5-year followup. While local excision appears to be ideal treatment, the difficulty with preoperative diagnosis and the reported coexistence of malignancy demand careful patient selection and close long-term followup. The biological potential of recurrence, multicentricity and malignancy is addressed.     

Triamcinolone acetonide injections for the treatment of recalcitrant post-radical prostatectomy vesicourethral anastomotic stenosis: A retrospective look at efficacy and safety

IntroductionWe aimed to evaluate the success of bladder neck injections of triamcinolone at the time of transurethral bladder neck incision (BNI) for prevention of recurrent vesicourethral anastomotic stenosis (VUAS) following prostate cancer treatment.MethodsThis is a retrospective cohort study examining patients with recurrent VUAS post-radical prostatectomy (RP) ± radiation treated with triamcinolone injections at the time of BNI. VUAS was diagnosed by symptoms followed by cystoscopy or urethrography. The outpatient procedures were done under general anesthesia. Cold knife incisions were made at the three, nine, and 12 o’clock BN positions, followed by triamcinolone injections (4 mg/mL) into the three and nine o’clock incision sites. Treatment outcomes were determined with cystoscopy.ResultsEighteen men underwent 25 procedures over a four-year period. Median age at diagnosis of VUAS was 65 (interquartile range [IQR] 61–68); median time to VUAS from RP was eight months (IQR 5–12). Fourteen patients (78%) had radiation treatment. The cohort had 128 unsuccessful VUAS treatments, with a median of five failed treatments per patient (IQR 3–10). Failed treatments included BN dilation, BNI, BN injection of mitomycin C, and urethral stent placement. Success rate after a mean of 16.3 months (standard deviation [SD] 8.1) from the time of triamcinolone injection was 83% (15/18). Six patients went on to have successful incontinence surgery. Five patients (28%) had treatment complications (bleeding, urinary tract infection, pain, and urinary extravasation). The three non-responders are stable and awaiting re-treatment with triamcinolone injection.ConclusionsTriamcinolone bladder neck injections for post-RP VUAS are a useful and safe treatment for recurrent stenosis.     

Adenylate cyclase activity in rat corpora lutea evidence for a rapid development of the regulatory Ns-protein

Adenylate cyclase activity was studied in membranes from isolated corpora lutea of defined ages obtained from pregnant mare's serum gonadotropin treated rats and the effects of luteinizing hormone (LH), isoproterenol, guanylylimidodiphosphate (Gpp (NH)p), fluoride and forskolin were compared. The effect of LH on adenylate cyclase activity increased with the luteal age up to nine days of age, while the effect of isoproterenol increased dramatically during the first days, reaching a maximum at 2-3 days of age and then declined. Forskolin potentiated the effects of both LH and isoproterenol without affecting the patterns of age-dependency. The effect of forskolin itself was fairly constant during the luteal phase, indicating a relatively constant amount of the catalytic unit in the corpus luteum. The effects of fluoride and Gpp(NH)p on the other hand increased markedly during the first days and then remained constant for the rest of the period studied. These results suggest that the regulatory Ns-protein develops during the first days of luteal life. It is speculated that the close correlation between the development of beta-adrenergic response and the development of Ns-protein are causally related.     

Identifying Youth Problem Profiles and Predicting Remission Following Mental Health Treatment

This study utilized latent profile analysis to categorize youth served by a public mental health setting into homogenous classes. Then, associations between class membership and meeting clinical criteria by the latest assessment were examined. Caregiver responses to the Ohio Scales, Short Form, Problem Severity Scale for 1090 youth completed at entry into this public mental health system were subjected to latent profile analysis. This method classifies youth into categories based on mental health problem profiles, in order to determine the degree to which these groupings are related to later mental health outcomes. The classification of youth cases that emerged was then used to predict clinical remission at or nearest end of treatment, including final Ohio Scales Problem Severity scores and a measure of day-to-day functioning, the Child and Adolescent Functional Assessment Scale (CAFAS). A four-class model was identified as best representing the data, reflecting a relatively low-risk class (63.3% of the sample), an internalizing class (23.2%), a delinquency class (8.8%), and a high-risk class (4.7%). Individuals in the internalizing and high-risk classes had lower likelihoods of achieving problem remission than those in the low-risk and delinquency classes at the time of their last completed Ohio Scales. Additionally, youth assigned to the delinquency and high-risk classes had lower likelihoods of reaching functional impairment remission than those in the internalizing and low-risk classes. Youth membership in a class based on initial problem scores can be utilized to predict clinical remission over the course of treatment in public mental health care. Such class-based predictions support other methods of predicting outcomes and can be used by clinicians to develop more informed treatment plans and to adjust treatment based on such classifications.

     

Results of a phase I/II trial of recombinant human granulocyte- macrophage colony-stimulating factor in very low birthweight neonates: significant induction of circulatory neutrophils, monocytes, platelets, and bone marrow neutrophils

Neonates, especially those of very low birthweight (VLBW), have an increased risk of nosocomial infections secondary to deficiencies in development. We previously demonstrated that granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor (GM-CSF) production and mRNA expression from stimulated neonatal mononuclear cells are significantly less than that from adult cells. Recombinant murine GM-CSF administration to neonatal rats has resulted in neutrophilia, increased neutrophil production, and increased survival of pups during experimental Staphylococcus aureus sepsis. In the present study, we sought to determine the safety and biologic response of recombinant human (rhu) GM-CSF in VLBW neonates. Twenty VLBW neonates (500 to 1,500 g), aged < 72 hours, were randomized to receive either placebo (n = 5) or rhuGM-CSF at 5.0 micrograms/kg once per day (n = 5), 5.0 micrograms/kg twice per day (n = 5), or 10 micrograms/kg once per day (n = 5) given via 2-hour intravenous infusion for 7 days. Complete blood counts, differential, and platelet counts were obtained, and tibial bone marrow aspirate was performed on day 8. Neutrophil C3bi receptor expression was measured at 0 and 24 hours. GM-CSF levels were measured by a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay at 2, 4, 6, 12, and 24 hours after the first dose of rhuGM-CSF. At all doses, rhuGM-CSF was well tolerated, and there was no evidence of grade III or IV toxicity. Within 48 hours of administration, there was a significant increase in the circulating absolute neutrophil count (ANC) at 5.0 micrograms/kg twice per day and 10.0 micrograms/kg once per day, which continued for at least 24 hours after discontinuation of rhuGM-CSF. When the ANC was normalized for each patient's first ANC, there was a significant increase in the ANC on days 6 and 7 at each dose level. By day 7, all tested doses of rhuGM- CSF resulted in an increase in the absolute monocyte count (AMC) compared with placebo-treated neonates. In those receiving rhuGM-CSF 5.0 micrograms/kg twice per day, there was additionally a significant increase in the day 7 and 8 platelet count. Tibial bone marrow aspirates demonstrated a significant increase in the bone marrow neutrophil storage pool (BM NSP) at 5.0 micrograms/kg twice per day and 10.0 micrograms/kg once per day. Neutrophil C3bi receptor expression was significantly increased 24 hours after the first dose of rhuGM-CSF at 5.0 micrograms/kg once per day. The elimination half-life (T1/2) of rhuGM-CSF was 1.4 +/- 0.8 to 3.9 +/- 2.8 hours.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)