Dynamic induction of ADAMTS1 gene in the early phase of acute myocardial infarction.

Extracellular matrix (ECM)-degrading enzymes such as matrix metalloproteases (MMPs) play an essential role in the repair of infarcted tissue, which affects ventricular remodeling after myocardial infarction. ADAMTS1 (A disintegrin and metalloprotease with thrombospondin motifs), a newly discovered metalloprotease, was originally cloned from a cancer cell line, but little is known about its contribution to disease. To test the hypothesis that ADAMTS1 appears in infarcted myocardial tissue, we examined ADAMTS1 mRNA expression in a rat myocardial infarction model by Northern blotting, real-time RT-PCR and in situ hybridization.

Surgical management of tuberculosis-related hemoptysis.

Background: Tuberculosis is a disease that is often treated with chemotherapy. However, medical treatment usually fails in the management of tuberculosis-related hemoptysis. In this paper, we review our experience in the surgical treatment of tuberculosis-related hemoptysis.

SRL172 (killed Mycobacterium vaccae) may augment the efficacy of trastuzumab in metastatic breast cancer patients.

SRL172, non-specific immunological adjuvant downregulates interleukin-4, upregulates interleukin-2 production, switching towards a T-helper-1 response, induces an increase in natural killer cells and activates antigen presenting cells. The human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 gene amplification is frequently observed in a number of primary tumors, suggesting that the overexpression of this growth factor receptor may contribute to transformation and tumorigenesis. Gene amplification occurs in approximately 15-20% of human breast cancers Amplification is associated with aggressive tumor behavior and shortened survival.

Surgical management of pulmonary aspergilloma.

Records of 59 patients (41 males and 18 females) who underwent 70 operations for pulmonary aspergilloma in a 23-year period were examined retrospectively. Sixty-three operations were for primary treatment of pulmonary aspergilloma, and 7 were for complications of surgery. Twenty-six postoperative complications occurred in 19 patients.

Plasma D-lactic acid level: a useful marker to distinguish perforated from acute simple appendicitis.

Early diagnosis of perforated appendicitis is important for reducing morbidity rates. The aim of this study was to determine the value and utility of plasma D-lactic acid levels in identifying the type of appendicitis. In this clinical study, plasma D-lactic acid levels were assessed in 44 consecutive paediatric patients (23 with acute appendicitis, 21 with perforated appendicitis) before laparotomy.

Calcium and vitamin D supplementation during bisphosphonate administration may increase osteoclastic activity in patients with bone metastasis.

Bone metastasis are a frequent complication of cancer, occurring in up to 70% of patients with advanced breast or prostate cancer. The consequences of bone metastasis are often devastating. Osteolytic metastasis can cause different kinds of skeletal related events including severe pain, pathologic fractures, life-threatening hypercalcemia, spinal cord compression, and other nerve-compression syndromes.

Tracheal adenoid cystic carcinoma masquerading asthma: a case report.

Background: Tracheal tumors are often misdiagnosed as asthma and are treated with inhaled steroids and bronchodilators without resolution.

Case Presentation: Here, a patient with tracheal adenoid cystic carcinoma who had been previously diagnosed with difficult asthma was reported. The possibility of the presence of localized airway obstruction was raised when the flow-volume curve suggesting fixed airway obstruction, was obtained.

Congenital patellar aplasia in conjunction with trisomy 8. A case report.

Congenital patellar aplasia and hypoplasia are quite rare. Bilateral flexion deformity of the fifth finger, patellar aplasia in the right knee and patellar hypoplasia in the left knee were noted in a 6-year-old boy brought in for treatment of curvature of both little fingers. Active and passive movements of the knees were within normal range, and the quadriceps muscle was of normal strength.

Analgesic effects of interpleural bupivacaine with fentanyl for post-thoracotomy pain.

Objective: The analgesic effect of bupivacaine/fentanyl with epinephrine given interpleurally after thoracotomy was investigated in a randomized placebo and intravenous controlled study.

Design: Prospective clinical study.

Setting: University teaching hospital.

Lessons learned from the catastrophic Marmara earthquake: factors influencing the final outcome of renal victims.

Background: During catastrophic earthquakes, crush syndrome is the second most frequent cause of death after the direct impact of trauma. The Marmara earthquake, which struck Northwestern Turkey in August 1999, was characterized by 639 crush syndrome victims with acute renal problems. The factors influencing their final outcome have been the subject of this study.

Experimental testing of a new left ventricular assist device--the microdiagonal blood pump.

All existing ventricular assist devices are associated with a considerable number of serious complications. This article reports on the first animal tests with a newly developed microdiagonal blood pump (MDP). Six adult female sheep weighing 80 to 90 kg underwent implantation of the microdiagonal blood pump.

[Pleuropulmonary blastoma: a case report].

Pulmonary blastoma is a rare seen malignant tumor. It is generally reported in adults. The tumor including immature mesenchimal and/or epithelial structures is morphologically similar to fetal lung tissue.

[A rare tracheal malignant tumor: mucoepidermoid carcinoma (a case report)].

An 18-year-old male preferred to our clinic with hemoptysis, cough, dyspnea and stridor. A wide-based polypoid tumor that was localized at the right wall of the distal trachea was observed over 3 cm from the carina by flexible bronchoscope. Computerized tomography showed an intraluminal soft tissue density mass in the trachea.

False-negative fine-needle aspiration cytology results delay treatment and adversely affect outcome in patients with thyroid carcinoma.

Clinicians have become reliant on fine-needle aspiration (FNA) cytology in the diagnosis of thyroid nodules. We encountered several patients who had thyroid cancer at operation despite having had FNAs that never showed malignant or suspicious cells. Hence, we retrospectively studied 100 consecutive patients with histologically proven thyroid cancer who had undergone preoperative FNA.

Teratoma arising from anomalous common bile ducts: a case report.

Teratoma arising from extrahepatic common ducts is very rare entity. The authors found 2 teratoma cases originating from common bile duct in the literature. As a third case, the authors report on a 4-month-old girl with benign cystic teratoma arising from distal common hepatic bile duct and with anomalous common bile ducts.

Interferon-alpha reduces the development of experimental necrotizing enterocolitis.

Cytokines had important role in the pathogenesis of necrotizing enterocolitis (NEC). The aim of this study is to investigate if IFN-alpha has a prophylaxic effect on experimental NEC development in newborn rat pups. Twenty eight Wistar Albino newborn rat pups were divided into three groups.

Downregulation of N-cadherin in the neointima stimulates migration of smooth muscle cells by RhoA deactivation.

Objective: The aim of the study was to analyze whether cadherin- and Rho-family GTPases-mediated dynamic rearrangement of cell-cell adhesion play an important role during human arterial smooth muscle cell (haSMC) migration.

Methods: Expression patterns of N-cadherin and beta-catenin were analyzed in a domestic pig restenosis model after 14, 28, and 90 days as well as in quiescent and migratory haSMCs in vitro. N-cadherin expression was upregulated by transient sense; downregulation was induced by antisense transfection.

[Thoracic trauma: an analysis of 521 patients].

Background: We evaluated thoracic trauma cases with regard to etiologic causes, treatment methods, outcome, and factors affecting the results in the light of our experience and relevant literature data.

Methods: A retrospective evaluation was made of 521 patients (399 males, 122 females; mean age 42 years; range 4 to 93 years) who were treated for thoracic trauma from September 1997 to August 2002.

Results: Isolated thoracic trauma and multisystem trauma were found in 348 (67%) and 173 (33%) patients, respectively.

Two-staged operation on C2 neoplastic lesions: anterior excision and posterior stabilization.

This retrospective study included eight consecutive cases with C2 vertebral body neoplastic lesions. The anterior retropharyngeal approach was used to remove the lesions and decompress the spinal cord. Spinal stabilization with occipitocervical plating in a second-stage operation makes the treatment more tolerable for patients.

Bardet-Biedl syndrome associated with vaginal atresia: a case report.

This is a case report of Bardet-Biedl syndrome associated with vaginal atresia diagnosed in a 15-year-old girl. She had mild mental retardation; obesity; nistagmus, retinitis pigmentosa and optic atrophy in both eyes; accessory digit on the left hand; polydactyly in lower extremities; a mobile, painful, nonfixed mass of 6 cm in diameter in the pelvic region; a palpable cystic mass in front of the rectal wall; and no vaginal opening. Secondary sex characteristics were determined.

Expression of c-erbB-2 oncoprotein in different types of thyroid tumors: an immunohistochemical study.

Aims: c-erbB-2 expression has been found to be an important prognostic parameter in various types of tumors, but the role played by this oncoprotein in thyroid tumors is still controversial. This study is designed to investigate c-erbB-2 expression in different types of thyroid tumors.

Methods: c-erbB-2 protein over-expression was studied immunohistochemically (IHC) in 68 paraffin-embedded thyroid tumors (12 follicular adenomas, 20 papillary carcinomas, 20 follicular carcinomas, eight medullary carcinomas, eight anaplastic carcinomas), diagnosed at the Pathology Department of Cukurova University.