A Novel Preoperative Patient Survey Predicts Adverse Patient Outcomes-Implementation and Preliminary Results of the Tennessee Preoperative Assessment Tool.

Background: Accurate preoperative risk stratification remains elusive. Existing tools are often missing important patient-reported and functional factors. We sought to implement a novel tool, with dynamic functional data and comorbidity variables, to define factors which predict postoperative outcomes.

Primary cutaneous melanoma arising in a long-standing irradiated keloid.

Ionizing radiation has been used therapeutically for a variety of clinical conditions, including treatment of hypertrophic keloids. Keloids may rarely be associated with malignancy, but the use of low-dose ionizing radiation is associated with an increased risk of cutaneous malignancies. We describe a case in which a primary desmoplastic melanoma arose in a long-standing, previously irradiated keloid.

The effect of multiple wire localization in breast conservation.

Variability exists regarding the surgical technique in breast conservation therapy. The purpose of this project was to determine differences between single (SH) or flanking (FH) hooked needle localization wires used for nonpalpable breast lesions. We retrospectively reviewed 201 female patients at a single institution from 2004 to 2008.

Odontogenic ameloblast associated protein as a novel biomarker for human breast cancer.

Odontogenic Ameloblast Associated Protein (ODAM) is a protein isolated in ameloblasts during odontogenesis. ODAM expression was identified in breast cancer, but its significance remains unknown. The purpose of this study is to determine if ODAM expression can serve as a prognostic marker and provide information regarding treatment in human breast cancer.

The STAT4 and STAT6 pathways in pancreatitis-associated lung injury.

Background: The STAT pathways are integral to the inflammatory response and these proteins provide a direct link between the cytokine receptors and cytokine-induced gene transcription. We examined the roles of STAT4 and STAT6 in lung injury after caerulein-induced severe acute pancreatitis. We hypothesized that a modified organ expression of cytokines and chemokines that occurs in transgenic mice may affect the systemic response to severe acute pancreatitis.

Activation of nuclear factor kappa B and severe hepatic necrosis may mediate systemic inflammation in choline-deficient/ethionine-supplemented diet-induced pancreatitis.

Objectives: We hypothesized that hepatic injury is associated with severe acute pancreatitis (SAP) and may result in lung injury through nuclear factor kappa B (NF-kappaB)-dependent inflammatory mediators. The study characterizes the timing and determines the involvement of selected cytokines and chemokines in the pathogenesis of hepatocellular injury associated with SAP.

Methods: The SAP was induced in C57BL/6 mice by feeding a choline-deficient/ethionine-supplemented diet.

Do adverse histopathologic findings in colorectal cancer patients explain disparate outcomes?

We have previously reported reduced overall and disease-free survival in black patients from a 10-year retrospective review of 668 patients from tumor registry data. This study of 213 patients reports the analysis of available archived tissue from a city hospital (n=44 patients, 53% black) and from a university medical center (n=169, 10.6% black).

Pulmonary MnSOD is nitrated following hepatic ischemia-reperfusion.

Background: Ischemia-reperfusion (I/R) of remote organs is a common cause of lung injury. We observed that lung injury after partial hepatic I/R in mice coincides with the appearance of 3-nitrotyrosine (NT) in the lung tissue, a marker of peroxynitrite involvement and oxidant stress. Peroxynitrite can cause mitochondrial dysfunction by inactivation of manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD), the major antioxidant enzyme in mitochondria.

Endotoxin potentiates lung injury in cerulein-induced pancreatitis.

Background: In this study we examine the effect of endotoxin (lipopolysaccharide) on lung injury in the setting of acute pancreatitis (AP).

Methods: Twelve hourly injections of cerulein (50 microg/kg/h) were used to induce pancreatitis in mice. Intraperitoneal lipopolysaccharide (LPS [6 mg/kg]) was administered 24 hours after the initial cerulein injection.

Systemic nf-kappaB activation in a transgenic mouse model of acute pancreatitis.

Background: Transcription factor NF-kappaB has been implicated in numerous human inflammatory diseases. Acute pancreatitis can result in remote tissue injury, but the involved mechanisms are unknown. This study evaluates the role of systemic NF-kappaB activation in the pathogenesis of lung inflammation in a transgenic pancreatitis model.