Laparoscopy in chronic abdominal pain: a prospective nonrandomized long-term follow-up study.

Goal: Our aim was to assess the long-term efficacy of diagnostic laparoscopy and adhesiolysis on the treatment of intractable chronic abdominal pain.

Study: This was a prospective nonrandomized study of 72 patients (60 women and 12 men). One surgeon performed a total of 79 diagnostic laparoscopies including 61 adhesiolysis.

alpha-, beta- and chi-catenin expression in human pancreatic cancer.

Background: Previous studies have revealed that cadherin-catenin-complex have an impact on adhesive function between the cells and that the expression of these complexes are associated with tumour invasion and metastatic potential. In this study we investigated the expression of catenins (alpha, beta, chi) and their relationship to clinicopathological factors and prognosis in human pancreatic adenocarcinoma.

Patients And Methods: The expression of catenins was analysed immunohistochemically in 36 patients with pancreatic ductal adenocarcinoma, diagnosed and treated between 1994 and 1999 at Kuopio University Hospital, Finland.