Endothelial cells stimulate growth of normal and cancerous breast epithelial cells in 3D culture.

Background: Epithelial-stromal interaction provides regulatory signals that maintain correct histoarchitecture and homeostasis in the normal breast and facilitates tumor progression in breast cancer. However, research on the regulatory role of the endothelial component in the normal and malignant breast gland has largely been neglected. The aim of the study was to investigate the effects of endothelial cells on growth and differentiation of human breast epithelial cells in a three-dimensional (3D) co-culture assay.

Vacuum-Assisted Closure for Successful Treatment of a Major Contaminated Gunshot Chest-Wound: A Case Report.

Vacuum-assisted closure (VAC) is a well-established treatment for complicated wound infections and chronic wounds, including poststernotomy mediastinitis. The use of VAC in treating high-energy trauma has been more limited. We present a case where VAC was successfully used to treat a contaminated self-inflicted gunshot-wound of the chest and abdomen.

CDKN2A mutations and melanoma risk in the Icelandic population.

Background: Germline CDKN2A mutations have been observed in 20-40% of high risk, melanoma prone families; however, little is known about their prevalence in population based series of melanoma cases and controls.

Methods: We resequenced the CDKN2A gene, including the p14ARF variant and promoter regions, in approximately 703 registry ascertained melanoma cases and 691 population based controls from Iceland, a country in which the incidence of melanoma has increased rapidly.

Results: We identified a novel germline variant, G89D, that was strongly associated with increased melanoma risk and appeared to be an Icelandic founder mutation.

Human breast microvascular endothelial cells retain phenotypic traits in long-term finite life span culture.

Attempts to study endothelial-epithelial interactions in the human breast have been hampered by lack of protocols for long-term cultivation of breast endothelial cells (BRENCs). The aim of this study was to establish long-term cultures of BRENCs and to compare their phenotypic traits with the tissue of origin. Microvasculature was localized in situ by immunohistochemistry in breast samples.

A population-based study on the familial aggregation of cutaneous malignant melanoma in Iceland.

The aim of this study was to characterize the familial nature of cutaneous malignant melanoma (CMM) in Iceland. Risk ratio was used to estimate the risk among relatives of all CMM index cases diagnosed in Iceland over a 45-year period (1955-1999), using data from the National Cancer Registry and a genealogy database that covers the whole of Iceland's population. First-, second-, and third-degree relatives of CMM patients did not have an increased risk of the disease, and no added risk of other types of cancer among relatives was observed, except for thyroid cancer in first-degree male relatives.

Intracellular Fas ligand in normal and malignant breast epithelium does not induce apoptosis in Fas-sensitive cells.

Fas ligand (FasL) is expressed on some cancers and may play a role in the immune evasion of the tumour. We used immuno-histochemistry to study the expression of Fas and FasL in tissue samples from breast cancer patients, as well as normal breast tissue. Our results show that Fas and FasL are co-expressed both in normal tissue and in breast tumours.

Transplantation of cultured autologous epithelium after meningococcal septicaemia in a 4-year-old with 35% skin loss.

A 4-year-old girl with scattered full-thickness skin and soft tissue wounds mainly on the extremities and corresponding to roughly 35% of the total body surface area was treated with early excision and transplantation of cultured autologous epidermal grafts. The transplantation was accomplished in one stage, three weeks after admission. The epidermal cells were cultured in Stockholm, Sweden and the time of transportation of the grafts to Reykjavik, Iceland (seven hours) did not seem to affect the quality, as 85% had taken one week after transplantation.

Pulsed ultrasound does not improve healing of venous ulcers.

A controlled study of the effects of pulsed ultrasound was carried out in conjunction with a standard treatment for healing chronic leg ulcers on 44 patients divided randomly into two groups. All patients received standard treatment (paste impregnated bandage and a self-adhesive elastic bandage) plus placebo-ultrasound or pulsed ultrasound (1:9, 0.5 watt/cm2 at 1 MHz, for 10 min) 3 days a week for 4 weeks, thereafter twice weekly for 4 weeks and once weekly for the following 4 weeks.

Effects of electrical nerve stimulation (ENS) in ischemic tissue.

Blood flow was measured in the skin flaps of 20 patients who had undergone reconstructive surgery. All flaps were showing clinical signs of deficient circulation. Local blood flow in skin flaps was significantly increased by electrical nerve stimulation (ENS) (p less than 0.

Acupuncture and sensory neuropeptides increase cutaneous blood flow in rats.

The effect on blood flow of electro-acupuncture (EA) injection of substance P (SP) and calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) was studied in musculocutaneous flaps in the rat, using laser Doppler flowmetry. The circulatory border was estimated before and after treatment. It was shown that treatment with EA increased the blood flow moving the circulatory border distally 66% after a treatment.

Increased skin flap survival and arterial dilation by calcitonin gene-related peptide. A study in the pig.

Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP), a recently discovered neuropeptide, is a potent vasodilator and increases blood flow in many vascular beds. The effect of CGRP treatment was investigated in critical pig pedicle and island flaps. Prior to pharmacological treatment the peroperative circulation border was estimated with fluorescein.

Calcitonin gene-related peptide-like immunoreactivity in nerve fibers in the human skin. Relation to fibers containing substance P-, somatostatin- and vasocactive intestinalpolypeptide-like immunoreactivity.

Calcitonin gene-related peptide-like immunoreactivity was demonstrated in in sensory nerve fibers in the epidermis and dermis as free nerve endings and around blood vessels and hair follicles of the human finger pad and arm skin. The vast majority of the calcitonin gene-related immunoreactive fibers was shown to display also substance P-like immunoreactivity and a few fibers in the dermis were somatostatin positive. No fibers displaying both substance P and somatostatin-like immunoreactivity were found but a few substance P immunoreactive fibers in the dermis-epidermis region were found to contain also vasointestinal polypeptide-like immunoreactivity.

Effect of electrical nerve stimulation on healing of ischaemic skin flaps.

Blood circulation was measured by laser doppler flowmetry in fasciocutaneous flaps of 24 patients who underwent reconstructive surgery for mammary carcinoma. 19 of the 24 patients had clinical signs of deficient circulation in the flaps. 14 patients were treated with electrical nerve stimulation (ENS) and 10 with placebo-ENS.

Transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) increases survival of ischaemic musculocutaneous flaps.

The effect of transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) on the survival of a dorsal musculocutaneous flap was studied in the rat. Postoperative TENS treatment significantly increased the flap survival area in groups of rats receiving different modes of TENS. The flap survival area was up to 95% in the TENS-treated groups compared with 33-45% in the control groups.

Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) and transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) increase cutaneous blood flow in a musculocutaneous flap in the rat.

The effect of blood flow on transcutaneous electrical nerve stimulation (TENS) and injection of calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) was studied in a musculocutaneous flap of the rat, using laser Doppler flowmetry. The circulatory border was estimated before and after treatment. It was shown that repeated treatments with TENS gradually increased the blood flow, moving the circulatory border distally more than 100% after three treatments.

The anatomy and histology of the cranially based dorsal musculocutaneous flap of the rat.

The cranially based dorsal musculocutaneous flap of the rat is commonly used to study the effects of various pharmacological compounds of flap survival. In the present study the anatomy and histology of the flap are described. It is shown that the central vessel of the flap is a vein and that this vein can be used for injection of substances into the capillary network of the flap.

Calcitonin gene-related peptide increases survival of a musculocutaneous critical flap in the rat.

Calcitonin gene-related peptide (CGRP) was shown to increase the survival area of ischaemic tissue from 45% in control animals to about 90% in treated animals. This effect was demonstrated in a musculocutaneous flap model in the rat. The concentrations used were 2 X 10(5) times lower than those known to cause an increase in skin blood flow under normal conditions.

Decreased survival of experimental critical flaps in rats after sensory denervation with capsaicin.

The role of capsaicin-sensitive primary sensory neurons on the survival of experimental critical flaps was studied in the rat. Pretreatment with capsaicin, which depletes neuropeptide transmitter content from primary sensory neurons, caused a dramatic decrease in flap survival area compared to normal animals. In contrast, pretreatment with reserpine, which depletes catecholamines from adrenergic neurons, including the sympathetic post-ganglionic fibers, resulted in a significant increase in the survival area.

Infected pseudo-aneurysm of the femoral artery caused by a monitoring catheter.

A patient suffering from severe burns developed a mycotic aneurysm in the femoral artery as a result of insertion of a monitoring catheter. Treatment with antibiotics and repeated arterial surgery failed and a below knee amputation was finally performed. The use of monitoring intraarterial catheters in burn patients is to be avoided, because of impaired immunity, wound infection and septicaemia in this type of patient which could facilitate the development of septic aneurysm.

Pseudomonas cepacia septicemia in patients with burns: report of two cases.

Pseudomonas cepacia has been ascribed to low pathogenicity in man. Within a 10-day period this organism caused 2 cases of septicemia in the Karolinska Hospital burn unit, one with fatal outcome. Both cases were severely burned patients.

Accidental burns with domestic fire-lighting fluid.

The use of methyl alcohol (methanol) as an igniting fluid is very dangerous. Nineteen patients (17 males and 2 females), burned while using this fluid for lighting barbecues or filling lamps and stoves, have recently been treated at the Burn Unit at the Karolinska Hospital. A mean of 23% body surface was involved and many of the burns were deep dermal or full thickness.