The importance of oral foci of infection in renal transplantation

During the treatment of patients with renal failure or renal transplants the most important consideration is to eliminate sources of infection before and after the treatment. Acute or chronic oral infections or bacteraemias resulting from dental procedures may cause serious complications in these patients who already have lowered host resistance caused by immunosuppressant therapy. In order to determine the latest concepts from some international transplantation centres relating to the importance of and the effect of infective sources in the oral cavity, a survey form was prepared which included several questions related to oral foci of infection and renal transplantations.
Results obtained from 22 centres from 12 countries indicated that the majority of the centres included a dental examination in their routine protocol and required completion of any necessary dental treatment before transplantation. However, full agreement among all these centres on the necessity for dental examination as part of the protocol has not yet been reached.     

Prognostic importance of tumor angiogenesis in breast carcinoma with adjuvant chemotherapy

Tumor angiogenesis is believed to be related to prognostic factors involved in tumor development and metastasis. Using immunohistochemical methods, we evaluated tumor angiogenesis in 42 early invasive breast cancer patients (T1-2, NO-1-2, M0). Four patients received tamoxifen, 25 patients received CAF or CA, and 15 patients received CMF as adjuvant therapy. The median follow-up was 47 (range 24-119) months. Ten patients (43.5%) in the node-positive group and 2 patients (10.5%) in the node-negative group relapsed (p = 0.019). The mean microvessel count (MVC) was 60.3 3.05 per 200x field (range: 16-95). MVCs of postmenopausal and premenopausal patients were 50.13 +/- 5.74 and 68.64 +/- 4.11, respectively, in the axillary lymph node (ALN)-negative patient group (p = 0.04). Staining was moderate to strong in 13 (68%) ALN-negative and in 17 (74%) ALN-positive patients (p > 0.05), and was also moderate to strong in 82% of premenopausal patients and in 50% of postmenopausal patients (p = 0.037). There was no significant relationship between angiogenesis and p53, nor was angiogenesis significantly associated with the patient ER status and tumor size. No significant correlations were found between OS/DFS and Factor VIII staining or p53 (log rank test, p > 0.05). Of all ALN-negative patients with increased angiogenesis, one patient of the CMF group relapsed, but no recurrence occurred in patients undergoing anthracycline-based chemotherapy (p > 0.05). On the other hand, of all ALN-positive patients with increased angiogenesis, 5/14 patients treated with anthracylcine and 2/2 CMF-treated patients relapsed (p = 0.175). Despite the statistical insignificance, anthracycline-based adjuvant chemotherapy appears to be more effective than CMF as regards relapse prevention particularly in early ALN-positive breast cancer patients with increased angiogenesis. Additional studies are necessary to demonstrate the clinical importance of angiogenesis.     

Effects of probucol in hyperlipidemic rabbit liver: a preliminary ultrastructural study

Probucol is a lipid-lowering agent with an antioxidant effect; however, its influence on the liver remains unclear. The effects of probucol on hyperlipidemic rabbit liver are investigated to add a structural data on its therapeutical profile. Local albino rabbits were divided into three groups. 1) Hyperlipidemic group: fed with 1% cholesterol (150 g/kg/day) enriched chow for 2 months. 2) Probucol treated group: group 1 + intraperitoneal probucol (10 mg/kg/day) administration for 15 days. 3) Control group fed with normal chow. The blood lipid profile was investigated biochemically. Liver samples were examined electronmicroscopically. Within the parenchymal cells of group 1, the amount of rough surfaced endoplasmic reticulum was increased, its cisterna was dilated displaying a moderately electron dense substance in it and showed close apposition with the condensed mitochondria. In group 2, smooth surfaced endoplasmic reticulum was in extensive amounts filling almost all of the cytoplasm, displayed a reticular, degenerated appearance and was in close relation with the condensed, degenerated mitochondria. Probucol may cause degenerative changes on the liver parenchyme at the subcellular level. It alters the structure of these cells mainly acting on the smooth surfaced endoplasmic reticulum and the mitochondria that are known to be involved in cellular detoxification.     

A quantitative study on the sacrum of the dog.

The aim of this study was to record sacral bone morphometry that may help in selection of the implant type and proper size in sacroiliac separation. For this reason, sacral lengths and width, the length of each sacral vertebrae, distances between cranial and caudal articular processes, vertical and transversal diameters of the cranial endplate, sacral tuberositas and articular surface areas were obtained from 11 dogs. Additionally, the transverse and vertical diameters of the bony structure and sacral canal were measured from six cross-sections. The data of the study were determined to be representative of the sacral values for average-sized dogs, which was confirmed statistically. The highest value was the sacral width among the linear measurements. The ventral sacral length was longer than the dorsal sacral length. The total lateral area of the sacral wing was measured as 677.46 (142.1)mm2. The transverse diameters of the first sacral vertebra important for screw implantation were 46.02 (4.33)mm and 44.18 (5.29)mm in the first and second cross-sections, respectively.     

The role of Casoni’s skin test and indirect haemagglutination test in the diagnosis of hydatid disease

Casonis skin test and indirect haemagglutination test (IHA) are still used in Turkey. The preoperative IHA test or Casonis skin test results of 120 patients with surgically confirmed hydatidosis were retrospectively studied during 1997–2004. At the same period, 306 patients with non-hydatid disease had serologic results for echinococcosis. The sensitivity of immediate intradermal reaction, delayed intradermal reaction, and IHA were 70, 62, and 56%, respectively. Casonis skin test components had higher sensitivity than IHA (P<0.01). The specificity of immediate intradermal reaction, delayed intradermal reaction, and IHA were 87, 85, and 84%, respectively. Cystic lesions in non-hydatid patients were localised commonly in the lungs. The occurrence of hydatid disease for pulmonary, hepatic, and renal cysts was 19, 54, and 5%, respectively. An immediate skin reaction to crude hydatid antigens is more useful than IHA.