Interactions between cancer cells and immune cells drive transitions to mesenchymal-like states in glioblastoma

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Pretransplant bilateral hand-assisted laparoscopic nephrectomy in adult patients with polycystic kidney disease.

Laparoscopic procedures continue to gain popularity over traditional open procedures for a number of abdominal and pelvic surgeries. With increasing experience, the application of this technique is rising because it provides an alternative, less invasive, approach to various surgical procedures. Herein, we report our experience with adult patients with polycystic kidney disease, requiring bilateral laparoscopic nephrectomy before renal transplantation.     

Preventing hypoxemia and hemodynamic compromise related to endotracheal suctioning.

OBJECTIVE: To help the clinician bridge the gap between research and practice in determining ways to minimize side effects of endotracheal suctioning. DATA SOURCES: This article summarizes four previous reviews of research and studies published between 1984 and 1991 related to oxygenation techniques before, during and after endotracheal suctioning, and hemodynamic consequences of the suctioning procedure. STUDY SELECTION: Studies were reviewed by type of subject: animals, human subjects with normal lung function, and human subjects with abnormal lung function. Research of pediatric and head-injured populations was excluded from this review. DATA EXTRACTION: Oxygenation protocol, endotracheal suction characteristics, outcomes and measurement times, sample and setting, and findings were presented. CONCLUSIONS: Conclusions relate to the effectiveness of various endotracheal suction protocols on prevention of hypoxemia and hemodynamic compromise in intubated patients. DATA SYNTHESIS: An algorithm to guide clinical decision making is presented based on the conclusions of this review of the research.     

In vitro cytotoxicity and phototoxicity of N-piperazinyl quinolone derivatives with a 2-thienyl group.

We examined the cytotoxic potential of nine N-[2-substituted-2-(2-thienyl)ethyl] piperazinyl quinolone derivatives on human oral epithelial mouth carcinoma (KB) and human squamous carcinoma (A431) cell lines. Phototoxic properties of these compounds were also evaluated by mouse 3T3 fibroblast under ultraviolet-A (UVA) irradiation. The percent of cell viability was evaluated by MTT assay. Compound 6 having a 4-[2-(phenylmethoxyimino)-2-(2-thienyl)ethyl] group attached to N4 position of piperazine ring of enoxacin showed the highest cytotoxicity potential on both A431 and KB cell lines (IC50 of 3.11+/-0.52 and 4.91+/-1.94 microg/ml, respectively). While some of the other tested compounds exhibited clear phototoxic potential in 3T3 cell line, compound 6 showed only a minor potential of phototoxicity. These findings suggest the high potential of 4-[2-(phenylmethoxyimino)-2-(2-thienyl)ethyl] derivative of enoxacin as a cytotoxic compound with low potency of phototoxic reactions. The mentioned chemical was identified to be of special interest for further characterization.     

Efficacy of allogeneic cord blood platelet gel on wounds of dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa patients after pseudosyndactyly surgery

Epidermolysis bullosa (EB) is a rare genetic disorder characterized by the formation of blisters and wounds in skin and mucous membranes; it is classified into four types and has various methods of treatment. Management of previous wounds and prevention of formation of new lesions are the most important strategies in the course of therapy to improve patient's quality of life; lack of wound management can lead to further complications such as infection. The current study investigated the therapeutic effects of allogeneic platelet gel (prepared from umbilical cord blood) in a group of children diagnosed with dystrophic epidermolysis bullosa (DEB) eligible for surgical correction of pseudosyndactyly in the hand. The post‐surgical clinical outcome in this group was compared with the clinical outcomes of DEB patients receiving the standard treatment (paraffin gauze wound dressing and topical antibiotics) after corrective surgery. The current study results showed an increase in the rate of recovery and promotion of tissue granulation, complete wound healing, and a decrease in pain level and treatment period. The application of cord blood platelet gel topical dressing was not a conventional method of treatment in patients with DEB wounds and blisters. However, the current study results demonstrated that this gel dressing could effectively accelerate epithelialization and healing of the wounds and decrease patients' pain and post‐surgical recovery period, which altogether leads to improvements in patients' overall quality of life.     

Detubularized Isolated Ureterosigmoidostomy: Description of a New Technique and Preliminary Results

Purpose

A technique is described to improve the evacuation pattern and, accordingly, the life-style of patients with ureterosigmoidostomy.

Materials and Methods

An inverted U-shaped sigmoid colon is detubularized, and the left colon is fixed in continuity to the posterior wall of the rectal ampulla in line with the anorectal canal. The ureters are reimplanted into the sigmoid pouch using the nipple technique.

Results

All 15 patients followed for 3 to 18 months postoperatively passed clear urine and solid feces separately, with good anal control and at convenient periods (urine 3 to 6 times and solid feces once daily). Urographic studies showed stabilization of renal morphology in 26 units, improved function in 3 and deterioration in 1. Dynamic study of the rectum in 3 patients showed a capacious rectosigmoid reservoir with low pressure.

Conclusions

The technique of detubularized isolated ureterosigmoidostomy has important advantages over conventional ureterosigmoidostomy. Patients pass urine and feces separately and at convenient intervals with good anal control. The upper urinary tract is well preserved, and there is potentially less risk of colonic carcinogenesis.     

Desire to Void and Force of Micturition in Patients with Intestinal Neobladders

Purpose

We attempted to determine how patients with an orthotopic bladder perceive the desire to void and the force achieved to evacuate the bladder.

Materials and Methods

A total of 24 men who had undergone post-cystectomy bladder substitution (ileocecal in 12, sigmoid in 6 and ileal in 6) was evaluated subjectively and objectively by pressure-flow study 1 to 3 years postoperatively.

Results

Desire to void was felt at the base of the penis or in the perineum by 20 men (83 percent). Abdominal pressure contributed to intra-reservoir pressure by 51 to 54 percent in ileocecal, 20 to 24 percent in sigmoid and 23 to 25 percent in ileal neobladders.

Conclusions

Patients perceive the desire to void when drops of urine leak into the proximal urethra from an overfilled neobladder. Urine is evacuated mainly by abdominal straining for ileal neobladders, mainly by contraction for sigmoid neobladders, and by approximately equal contributions of contraction and straining for ileocecal neobladders.     

Central auditory processing and word discrimination in patients with multiple sclerosis

Many multiple sclerosis (MS) patients with normal pure tone threshold suffer from difficulties in their hearing especially speech perception in background noise, which is possibly because of incompetence of central auditory processing in this group. Three audiologic tests including gap in noise test (GIN), duration pattern sequence test (DPST) and word discrimination score (WDS) were used for comparing a number of aspects of central auditory processing between patients with MS and normal subjects. Approximate threshold and percent of correct answers in GIN test, percent of correct answers in DPST test and monosyllabic discrimination in WDS test were obtained through cross-sectional non-invasive study conducted on 26 subjects with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis who had mean age of 28.9 (SD 4.1) years, and 26 18–40-year-old ones with normal hearing and mean age of 27.7 (SD 5.2). Results of this study demonstrate increased approximate threshold and reduction of percent of correct answers obtained from GIN test in patients with multiple sclerosis (Pv = 0.0001). Furthermore in patients with MS, the average of correct answers in DPST was lower than normal subjects and finally performance of MS subjects in WDS test in quiet environment was correlated with GIN threshold (r = ?/624, Pr = /003). Results of the present study showed that patients with MS had defect in aspects of central auditory processing consisting of temporal resolution, auditory pattern and the memory for auditory task and difficulty in discrimination of speech in noisy environment that are related to the involvement of central nervous system.