Introduction: Stroke-associated pneumonia (SAP) is a major cause of mortality in patients who have suffered from severe ischemic stroke. Although multifactorial in nature, stroke-induced immunosuppression plays a key role in the development of SAP. Previous studies using a murine model of transient middle cerebral artery occlusion (tMCAO) have shown that focal ischemic stroke induction results in functional defects of lymphocytes in the spleen, thymus, and peripheral blood, leading to spontaneous bacterial infection in the lungs without inoculation.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjectives: To assess bone marrow (BM) sampling in academic medical centers.
Methods: Data from 6,374 BM samples obtained in 32 centers in 2001 and 2011, including core length (CL), were analyzed.
Results: BM included a biopsy (BMB; 93%) specimen, aspirate (BMA; 92%) specimen, or both (83%).
Aims: We evaluated a Selective Bladder Denervation (SBD) device, which uses radiofrequency ablation, for the treatment of overactive bladder syndrome in terms of its nerve denervation, ablation characteristics, and post-treatment healing.
Methods: Using the SBD device, eight fresh extirpated ovine bladder trigones were treated (90°C set point for 60 s) and nitroblue tetrazolium viability stained to characterize the ablation. In addition, 12 trigones were treated in vivo with three adjacent ablations and divided into survival cohorts: Day 7, Day 30, and Day 90 to assess the ablations and their associated healing.
In this article, a novel cryotherapy approach using a uniform, controlled, and consistent in vivo application of liquid nitrogen (LN) spray as a Metered Cryospray (MCS) process is described. Although MCS may be used for many potential clinical applications, this paper focuses on the development that led to the controlled and consistent delivery of radial LN cryogen spray in order to generate a uniform circumferential effect and how the amount of MCS can be adapted to specifically ablate targeted diseases within a patient's lumen such as an airway or esophagus.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFMyeloid sarcoma is an extramedullary tumor consisting of immature hematopoietic cells of granulocytic or monocytic differentiation. While rare, it can be seen in a variety of clinical settings and is most commonly associated with acute myeloid leukemia (AML), myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) and myeloproliferative neoplasms (MPN). We present a rare case of myeloid sarcoma occurring in the bladder of a 56 year old male.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFDespite initial response to therapy, most acute myeloid leukemia (AML) patients relapse. To eliminate relapse-causing leukemic stem/progenitor cells (LPCs), patient-specific immune therapies may be required. In vitro cellular engineering may require increasing the "stemness" or immunogenicity of tumor cells and activating or restoring cancer-impaired immune-effector and antigen-presenting cells.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFJ Minim Invasive Gynecol
December 2011
Study Objective: To evaluate the AEGEA vapor-based endometrial ablation system using an in vivo peri-hysterectomy model.
Design: Single-site feasibility study (Canadian Task Force classification II-2).
Setting: University medical center.
The actin-filament associated protein (AFAP) family of adaptor proteins consists of three members: AFAP1, AFAP1L1, and AFAP1L2/XB130 with AFAP1 being the best described as a cSrc binding partner and actin cross-linking protein. A homology search of AFAP1 recently identified AFAP1L1 which has a similar sequence, domain structure and cellular localization; however, based upon sequence variations, AFAP1L1 is hypothesized to have unique functions that are distinct from AFAP1. While AFAP1 has the ability to bind to the SH3 domain of the nonreceptor tyrosine kinase cSrc via an N-terminal SH3 binding motif, it was unable to bind cortactin.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFEnhanced expression and activity of cSrc are associated with ovarian cancer progression. Generally, cSrc does not contain activating mutations; rather, its activity is increased in response to signals that affect a conformational change that releases its autoinhibition. In this report, we analyzed ovarian cancer tissues for the expression of a cSrc-activating protein, AFAP-110.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: Infiltration of the central nervous system (CNS) by leukemia is a problematic disease manifestation of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). The mechanisms by which leukocytes interact with human brain-derived microvasculature endothelial cells (HBMEC) and enter the CNS are largely derived from models of inflammation. However, our data indicate that ALL cells do not elicit an inflammatory phenotype by HBMEC.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFPurpose: Efficiency, anatomic, and histopathologic outcomes of GreenLight HPS 120-W, 532-nm lithium triborate (LBO) laser photoselective vaporization of the prostate (PVP) in a survival model of living canines were studied and compared with the outcomes of the only benchmarked survival study of 60-W 532-nm potassium-titanyl-phosphate (KTP) laser PVP in living canines.
Materials And Methods: Twelve dogs underwent anterograde PVP with the 120-W LBO laser and, 4 each, were euthanized 3 hours (acute), 3 days (early), or 8 weeks (chronic) postoperatively. Laser energy and time were recorded.
Aim: To compare the safety and efficacy of four energy-based vascular sealing and cutting instruments.
Methods: Blood vessels of various types and diameters were harvested from four pigs using four instruments: Harmonic ACE (Ethicon Endo-Surgery, Cincinnati, OH), LigaSure V and LigaSure Atlas (Valleylab, Inc., Boulder, CO; a division of Tyco Healthcare), and EnSeal vessel fusion system (SurgRx, Inc.
Biliary cystadenomas with mesenchymal stroma are neoplasms whose growth may be hormone sensitive. This study profiled the immunohistochemistry of these lesions to clarify the pathophysiology and define clinical management. Twelve patients with biliary cystadenomas were identified.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFThe 11q terminal deletion disorder or Jacobsen syndrome is a contiguous gene disorder. It is characterized by psychomotor retardation, cardiac defects, blood dyscrasias (Paris-Trousseau syndrome) and craniofacial anomalies. We report on a female patient with an approximately 10 Mb interstitial deletion with many of the features of Jacobsen syndrome: A congenital heart defect, dysmorphic features, developmental delay, and Paris-Trousseau syndrome.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFBackground: Posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) is a rare, serious complication of transplantation. The characteristics and associations of this disease in pancreas recipients have not been extensively studied.
Methods: From January 1988 through December 2002, 787 pancreas and 569 kidney-pancreas transplants were performed at our institution.
Cryosurgery is emerging as a promising treatment modality for various cancers, but there are still challenges to be addressed to improve its efficacy. Two primary challenges are determining thermal injury thresholds for various types of cell/tissue, and understanding of the mechanisms of freezing induced cell/tissue injury within a cryolesion. To address these challenges, various model systems ranging from cell suspensions to three-dimensional in vivo tissues have been developed and used.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAuer rods are a hallmark of acute myeloid leukemia but occasionally are seen in myelodysplastic syndromes (MDSs) or chronic myelomonocytic leukemia, rarely in cases with fewer than 5% blasts. The significance of this finding is unclear. We report 9 cases of this unusual phenomenon.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFFanconi anemia is a rare genetic disorder that leads to bone marrow failure. Hematopoietic cell transplantation (HCT) is currently the only treatment option with curative potential. When a suitable HLA-matched sibling donor is not available, patients are often treated with androgenic steroids before considering HCT.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFRadiofrequency ablation (RFA) is increasingly used to treat hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) in patients awaiting a liver transplant. Despite its increasing use, detailed histologic information is scarce regarding the nature of RFA-treated lesions. We identified four chronic hepatitis C patients who had RFA of their HCC before their liver transplant.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFStudy Objective: To evaluate the effects and feasibility of direct cryothermic and hyperthermic therapy on leiomyomata and adjacent myometrium, and to contribute to evidence-based treatment thresholds based on measurements of direct cell injury.
Design: Experimental study (Canadian Task Force classification II-2).
Setting: University hospital.
Advances in minimally invasive renal cryosurgery have renewed interest in the relative contributions of direct cryothermic and secondary vascular injury-associated ischemic cell injury. Prior studies have evaluated renal cryolesions seven or more days post-ablation and postulated that vascular injury is the primary cell injury mechanism; however, the contributions of direct versus secondary cell injury are not morphologically distinguishable during the healing/repair stage of a cryolesion. While more optimal to evaluate this issue, minimal acute (< or = 3 days) post-ablation histologic data with thermal history correlation exists.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFWe report a case of acute leukemia, which presented as cholecystitis in a previously healthy middle-aged adult. Leukemic involvement of the gastrointestinal tract is a well-known clinicopathological entity. However, leukemic infiltration of the gall bladder wall is a rare occurrence.
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