Loss of SMAD4 Is Sufficient to Promote Tumorigenesis in a Model of Dysplastic Barrett's Esophagus.

Background & Aims: Esophageal adenocarcinoma (EAC) develops from its precursor Barrett's esophagus through intermediate stages of low- and high-grade dysplasia. However, knowledge of genetic drivers and molecular mechanisms implicated in disease progression is limited. Herein, we investigated the effect of Mothers against decapentaplegic homolog 4 (SMAD4) loss on transforming growth factor β (TGF-β) signaling functionality and in vivo tumorigenicity in high-grade dysplastic Barrett's cells.

TGF-beta signaling and its targeted therapy in gastrointestinal cancers.

The transforming growth factor β (TGFβ) signaling pathway governs physiological homeostasis in the gastrointestinal system and its deregulation can lead to a diverse range of human pathologies including juvenile polyposis syndrome and tumor initiation, progression, and metastasis. In gastrointestinal malignancies, tumor cells evade the known tumor suppressive effects of TGFβ signaling through frequent inactivation of the pathway. Paradoxically, tumor cells utilize TGFβ-mediated regulation of epithelial-mesenchymal transition and immunomodulation to facilitate the invasive and migratory phenotype of gastrointestinal cancers and avoid immunosurveillance.

Results of long-term follow-up of patients with superficial bladder carcinoma treated with intravesically applied bacillus Calmette-Guerin vaccine according to the schedule of 6 weekly + 6 monthly instillations.

Background: The efficacy of bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) immunotherapy in the prevention of local recurrence and disease progression in patients with superficial bladder cancer is very well documented. This study reports the effect of BCG on disease-specific and overall survival.

Patients And Methods: In this retrospective trial, we have analyzed 170 patients with stage Ta and T1 superficial bladder cancer.

[Lipomatosis pelvis].

The article is a discussion of three cases of lipomatosis in the pelvis and of the surgical treatment undertaken in each case. In the first two cases, fatty tissue compressed the lower uriunary tract, and in the third, the rectosigmoid intestine. In the third case, the patient was also diagnosed as having a malignant rectum polyp.

Immunoprophylactic intravesical application of bacillus Calmette-Guerin after transurethral resection of superficial bladder cancer.

Aim: To evaluate the effect of intravesical instillation of Bacillus Calmette-Guerin (BCG) in the prevention of recurrence and progression of the superficial bladder cancer.

Methods: Between February 1989 and May 1994, 170 patients with histologically proven superficial transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder stage Ta and T1 were assessed as eligible for 6-week + 6-month protocol of intravesical BCG instillation at the Split University Hospital. All patients underwent complete transurethral resection of the tumor, which established tumor size, histology, stage, and absence of muscle invasion.

Usefulness of galactose oxidase-Schiff test in rectal mucus for screening of colorectal malignancy.

Based on a "field-effect" theory in colon carcinogenesis, and the expression of the disaccharide tumor marker D galactose-beta-[1-->3]-N-acetyl-D-galactosamine (Gal-GalNAc) in the rectal mucus of patients with cancer and precancer of the colon, Shamsuddin developed a simple, accurate, inexpensive, easy to perform and rapid (< or = 15 min) screening test for colonic cancer and precancerous lesions. In this study we examined 137 rectal mucus samples of randomly selected patients with colorectal malignancy or other colorectal diseases to confirm the sensitivity and specificity of this test in Croatia. Additionally, to test the validity of the "field-effect" theory, that the mucosa away from the obvious cancer will show abnormalities as a result of the generalized effect of the carcinogen throughout the entire field of the target tissue, we also monitored a subset of 53 patients post-operatively.

Croatian experience in the treatment of 629 urogenital war injuries.

During the war in Croatia, from April 1991 until November 1993, 33,468 wounded persons were reported, and 24,865 of them were hospitalized. Out of the total number of the hospitalized persons 588 wounded suffered 629 injuries of the urogenital system. This study reports on the experience in the treatment of such injuries at 17 urological and surgical institutions.

Extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy (ESWL)--a report on the first 500 patients.

This paper presents the results of the treatment of the first 500 patients treated with the second generation lithotriptor SIEMENS "LITHOSTAR". In 500 patients with 607 stones 521 treatments were performed in 799 sessions. Six months after the ESWL treatment 522 out of 607 stones (86%) were desintegrated completely, i.

[Adrenal gland cyst].

The authors present a case with a large pseudocyst (20 x 10 x 10 cm.) of the suprarenal gland containing tho liters of clear yellow liquid. It had pushed the right kidney entirely to the left retroperitoneum.

[Regeneration of defects in a small portion of the urinary bladder mucosa in experiments with guinea pigs].

Regeneration of the vesical mucosa begins from the remains of the bladder at the trigonum and urethra, and the author studied this regeneration in 30 rats. Epithelial regeneration began on the third day after formation of the defect. On the fifth day the entire defect was covered with transitional epithelium whose thickness did not exceed 1--2 cell layers.

[Surgical treatment of ureterocele].

From 1971 the authors operated on 6 patients with ureterocoele type B (Uson), using a modified Hutch-Chisholm method. Following the removal of the ureterocoele and reconstruction of the detrusor muscle, the hiatus of the ureter and the vesicular wall, the ureter is placed on the reconstructed muscle whereas its free end is fixed to the trigone. Covering the ureter with vesical mucosa is not necessary; in cases with large ureterocoeles that is not even possible.