The effect of synbiotics on acute radiation-induced diarrhea and its association with mucosal inflammatory and adaptive responses in rats.

Background: Previous clinical studies advocated that probiotics beneficially affect acute radiation-induced diarrhea. These encouraging results were attributed to the restoration of the intestinal flora; however, there is lack of evidence if and how probiotics influence the underlying pathophysiological mechanisms.

Aims: The present study was conducted to investigate the potential supporting role of a synbiotic preparation (combination of pro- and pre-biotics) on experimentally-induced acute radiation diarrhea from the perspective of mucosal inflammation and histological injury.

Comparison of fibrate, ezetimibe, low- and high-dose statin therapy for the dyslipidemia of the metabolic syndrome in a mouse model.

Background And Aim: The treatment-of-choice for the optimal management of the dyslipidemia of the metabolic syndrome (MetS) is not clearly defined. We compared the efficacy of 4 drug regimes for the management of this dyslipidemia in a mouse model.

Materials And Methods: A total of 60 C57Bl6 mice comprised the study group.

Evaluation of the clinical significance of focal adhesion kinase and SRC expression in human pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma.

Objectives: Focal adhesion kinase (FAK) and Src, 2 protein tyrosine kinases, have been suggested to regulate several fundamental cellular activities that promote the malignant phenotype in various human tumors, including pancreatic adenocarcinoma. Even though research has already turned in laboratory investigations and clinical trials on the possible use of agents blocking the 2 enzymes in cancer management, the data on the clinical significance of FAK and Src in pancreatic adenocarcinoma are still scarce.

Methods: The FAK and Src protein expression was assessed immunohistochemically in tumor specimens of 65 patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma and was statistically analyzed in relation to various clinicopathological characteristics, tumor proliferative capacity, and patients' survival.

Targeting dyslipidemia in the metabolic syndrome: an update.

Background: The management of the Metabolic Syndrome (MetS) includes lifestyle interventions (e.g. diet and exercise for weight reduction), as well as drug treatment to normalize blood pressure, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, triglycerides and glucose values.

Protective effect of remote ischemic preconditioning in renal ischemia/reperfusion injury, in a model of thoracoabdominal aorta approach.

Background: Thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm open surgery is accompanied by a significant incidence of renal failure due to renal ischemia. The effect of remote ischemic preconditioning (RIPC) in renal ischemia/reperfusion (IR) injury during a thoracoabdominal aortic aneurysm open repair approach was examined on an animal model.

Materials And Methods: Three groups of rats underwent the following operations respectively: (a) Sham operation in control group; (b) Renal IR injury produced by subphrenic aortic cross-clamping (45/45 min IR), in IR group; (c) The same renal IR injury following RIPC produced by a brief occlusion of the infrarenal aorta (15/15 min IR) in RIPC group.

Abscesses of the spleen: report of three cases.

Abscess of the spleen is a rare discovery, with about 600 cases in the international literature so far. Although it may have various causes, it is most usually associated with trauma and infections of the spleen. The latter are more common in the presence of a different primary site of infection, especially endocarditis or in cases of ischemic infarcts that are secondarily infected.

A role for surgery in primary pancreatic B-cell lymphoma: a case report.

Introduction: Primary pancreatic lymphoma is a very rare but manageable malignant tumour which may be clinically confused as a pancreatic carcinoma. This case report demonstrates the value of surgical resection in the management of pancreatic lymphoma.

Case Presentation: We report a case of a 65-year-old man who was admitted with obstructive jaundice, vague upper abdominal pain and weight loss.

A global assessment of the inflammatory response elicited upon open abdominal aortic aneurysm repair.

The inflammatory response during elective open infrarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm repair and its impact on outcome is investigated. Twenty high-risk patients were enrolled, and blood samples were obtained at 8 perioperative time points. Endotoxin, cytokines (tumor necrosis factor-alpha and interleukin-1beta, and interleukin-6), CD11b expression, and nitric oxide were measured.

Laparoscopic cholecystectomy after open cholecystostomy for gallbladder empyema: a case report.

The case of a patient with gallbladder empyema initially drained through a minilaparotomy procedure under local anesthesia with a tube cholecystostomy is reported in this paper. Eight weeks later, the patient underwent an elective interval laparoscopic cholecystectomy. At laparoscopy, the gallbladder and the cholecystostomy tube were dissected free from the abdominal wall and the greater omentum, which was attached to the gallbladder.

Replication protein A is an independent prognostic indicator with potential therapeutic implications in colon cancer.

Replication protein A (RPA), a component of the origin recognition complex, is required for stabilization of single-stranded DNA at early and later stages of DNA replication being thus critical for eukaryotic DNA replication. Experimental studies in colon cancer cell lines have shown that RPA protein may be the target of cytotoxins designed to inhibit cellular proliferation. This is the first study to investigate the expression of RPA1 and RPA2 subunits of RPA protein and assess their prognostic value in colon cancer patients.

Total thyroidectomy for the treatment of thyroid diseases in an endemic area.

Introduction: Thyroidectomy is a common operation with very low mortality and an acceptable morbidity rate. Total thyroidectomy has become the predominant type of surgery used today for the treatment of thyroid diseases. In this retrospective study, we analyzed the complications of thyroid surgery according to the operative technique used in our department.

Immunohistochemical localization of thymidine phosphorylase in gastric cancer: is there a role of the differential expression in tumor cells and associated stromal cells?

Background: The aim of this study was to investigate the expression of thymidine phosphorylase (TP), a known angiogenic factor for endothelial cells, in gastric carcinoma cells and tumor-associated stromal cells.

Materials And Methods: Sixty-six gastric carcinomas were studied. TP expression was assessed with the P-GF.

Primary liposarcoma of esophagus: a case report.

Liposarcoma is the most common soft tissue sarcoma in adult life while esophageal liposarcoma is an extremely rare tumor. In the world literature, only 14 cases of esophageal liposarcomas have been described. We report a 72-year old male patient who was urgently admitted to our hospital for acute epigastric pain with a burning retrosternal sensation, persistent nausea, vomiting and dysphagia.

Myoplasty versus omentoplasty in the surgical treatment of hydatidosis of the liver dome.

Background And Aims: Even though surgery is the mainstay in the management of hydatid disease of the liver, controversies still exist about the preferred operating technique. This study was conducted to evaluate myoplasty versus omentoplasty for the surgical treatment of hepatic dome hydatidosis.

Patients And Methods: Sixty-two patients with a hydatid cyst located over the right superior-posterior part of the liver or a cyst adherent to the right hemidiaphragm were classified into two groups according to the type of surgical approach.

Incisional hernioplasty with extraperitoneal onlay polyester mesh.

Recurrent incisional hernia remains a major problem for the general surgeon. The high recurrence rate of incisional hernias after primary closure by tissue approximation led to the development of tension-free procedures using prosthetic materials. The goal of this study is to present the results of an extraperitoneal tension-free technique using a polyester mesh (Mersilene).

Prognostic significance and correlation with survival of bcl-2 and TGF-beta RII in colon cancer.

Bcl-2 and TGF-beta receptors type II (RII) in colon carcinomas were studied in a series of 113 patients, to determine their prognostic significance and to correlate their expression with other prognostic indicators. Bcl-2 expression in the tumor cells showed a reverse relation with tumor size (P = 0.018), histological grade (P = 0.

Glucocorticoid receptor (GR) immunohistochemical expression is correlated with cell cycle-related molecules in human colon cancer.

The aim of this study was to examine glucocorticoid receptor (GR) immunohistochemical expression in colon cancer histopathological specimens and to correlate it with clinicopathological parameters, tumor proliferative capacity, cell cycle-related molecule expression, and patients' survival. Primary tumoral samples from 91 colon cancer patients were immunostained for the detection of GR, cyclins D1 and E, Rb protein (pRb), p16, p21, and Ki-67, using the streptavidin-biotin-peroxidase technique. GR expression was correlated with tumor histopathological characteristics and proliferative capacity, cell cycle-related molecule expression, and patients' survival.

Perforated carcinoma of the sigmoid colon in an incarcerated inguinal hernia: report of a case.

Perforation of the large bowel due to benign or malignant disease in an inguinal hernia is very rare, but should be considered as a potential cause of strangulated hernias. A 79-year-old man with a 2-day history of scrotal swelling and pain in the left side associated with fever and chills was brought to our Emergency Department, where he was classified as American Society of Anesthesiologists IVE. A large left incarcerated scrotal hernia was diagnosed and surgical exploration was performed using local infiltration anesthesia.

Docetaxel and epirubicin supported by granulocyte colony-stimulating factor first-line in advanced breast cancer.

This phase II trial studied the efficacy and toxicity of docetaxel-epirubicin, supported by granulocyte colony-stimulating factor, as first-line chemotherapy in metastatic breast cancer. Patients received epirubicin (60 mg/m2) followed 1 hour later by docetaxel (80 mg/m2) every 3 weeks for a maximum of 8 cycles or until disease progression. Prophylactic granulocyte colony-stimulating factor (5 micrograms/kg) was administered daily for 5 days.

Primary Tuberculosis of the Pancreas Mimicking a Pancreatic Tumor.

Tuberculosis of the pancreas is very rare, and isgenerally associated with miliary tuberculosis (1).The correct diagnosis is often missed if there is noevidence of tuberculosis in other organs (2). Therefore,it can present to the clinician as a difficult diagnosticdilemma.

Diaphragm myoplasty in the prevention of complications after surgery of hydatid disease of the liver.

A variety of techniques have been used for surgical treatment of hepatic hydatid cysts. The objective of this study is to describe the technique of diaphragm myoplasty, and to present our experience in the treatment of selected patients with hydatid disease of the liver by means of this alternative surgical technique. The technique combines a diaphragm myoplasty with a wide partial cystectomy performed through a right thoracophrenotomy incision.

Primary biliary cirrhosis accompanied by CREST syndrome.

CREST syndrome, a relatively benign, slowly progressive variant of systemic scleroderma consists of calcinosis, Raynaud's phenomenon, esophageal dysfunction, sclerodactyly, and telangiectasia. Although the association of this syndrome with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is recognized in women, it has never been described in a man. We report the rare case of a male patient with CREST syndrome accompanied by PBC, manifested by acute cholecystitis and mild jaundice.

Circulating VEGF levels in the serum of gastric cancer patients: correlation with pathological variables, patient survival, and tumor surgery.

Objective: To evaluate the clinical usefulness of serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) levels in gastric cancer patients.

Summary Background Data: Vascular endothelial growth factor plays an important role in the formation of new blood vessels involved in the growth and metastatic spread of solid tumors, but there is limited information regarding the clinical significance of serum VEGF levels in cancer patients.

Methods: Serum VEGF concentrations were measured by an enzyme linked immunosorbent assay in 61 healthy controls and in 58 gastric cancer patients before surgery, and then again at 7 and 30 days after surgery.