Activation of NOD2-mediated intestinal pathway in a pediatric population with Crohn's disease.

Background: NOD2 is an intracellular protein involved in host recognition of specific bacterial molecules and is genetically associated with several inflammatory diseases, including Crohn's disease (CD). NOD2 stimulation activates the transcription factor, NF-kappaB, through RIP2, a caspase-recruitment domain-containing kinase. NOD2/RIP2 signaling also mediates the activation of antimicrobial peptides such as human alpha-defensin 5 (HD-5) and human alpha-defensin 6 (HD-6), both produced by Paneth cells.

Plasma homocysteine, folate, and vitamin B12 levels in patients with laryngeal cancer.

Objective: To determine plasma levels of homocysteine, folate, and vitamin B12 in patients with laryngeal cancer and a control group.

Design: Analysis of homocysteine, folate, and vitamin B12 levels in 25 consecutive untreated patients with laryngeal carcinoma and 80 healthy control participants. The study and control groups were subdivided into smokers, ex-smokers, and nonsmokers, as well as drinkers and nondrinkers.

Dysfunctional DC subsets in RCC patients: ex vivo correction to yield an effective anti-cancer vaccine.

Dendritic cells (DCs) are potent antigen-presenting cells responsible for the activation and functional polarization of specific T cells. In patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and other cancers, coordinate DC and T cell defects have been reported. In particular, DC and T cell functional subsets that are not conducive to tumor clearance are hypothesized to predominate in patients with advanced-stage disease.

Prospective monocentric study of non-tunnelled central venous catheter-related complications in hematological patients.

Indwelling central venous catheters (CVCs) are used in the management of hematologic patients. However, insertion and maintenance of CVCs are susceptible to complications. Study design and methods data concerning 388 consecutive catheterisations, performed in oncohematologic patients between April 2003 and December 2004, were prospectively collected.

Current insights in renal cell cancer pathology.

In recent years molecular biologists and pathologists have described new entities of renal cell cancer (RCC) with a totally different morphology and biology among the histotypes of renal carcinoma, but always referring to the same renal cancer disease. The evidence of a distinct biological behavior and long-term prognosis among these makes the correct pathological diagnosis of renal cancer critically important for the clinician. Advances in understanding of the pathogenesis, behavior, and importance of prognostic factors for RCC have paved the way for a revision of its classification and staging.

Unusual solitary metastasis of the ciliary body in renal cell carcinoma.

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) usually metastasizes to the lung, liver, bone; ocular metastasis is uncommon. We describe a rare case of metachronous ciliary RCC metastasis in a 42-year-old man who had undergone left radical nephrectomy for conventional RCC (pT3aN0M0, G2 Fuhrman) 6 years earlier. Solitary metastasis of the left eye presented with inflammatory symptoms, but examination of the fundus and bulbar ultrasound revealed a small mass of the ciliary body.

Interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha)-conditioned DC preferentially stimulate type-1 and limit Treg-type in vitro T-cell responses from RCC patients.

Dendritic cells (DCs) are potent antigen presenting cells and represent attractive candidates for use in novel immunotherapies for patients with renal cell carcinoma (RCC), a disease that has proven refractory to conventional treatment modalities, such as chemotherapy and radiotherapy. Given the perceived need to augment antitumor type-1 immunity (TC1 and Th1) as a therapeutic end point, and the known functional plasticity of DC populations that may display heterogeneous capacity to promote T-cell responses, we sought to identify a preferred DC preparation with this capacity. We compared 2 different preparations of monocyte-derived DC using interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) (IFN-DC and alphaDC1) with classic DCs "matured" (mDCs) using interleukin-1beta/interleukin-6/tumor necrosis factor-alpha/prostaglandin E2, for their ability to promote autologous TC1 antitumor responses from RCC patients in vitro.

Possible association between thyroid autoimmunity and Menière's disease.

Various aetiopathological mechanisms have been postulated to be at the root of Menière's disease (MD), and some data suggest that there may be also an underlying autoimmune factor. In fact, Menière patients manifest certain characteristics that are typical of autoimmune involvement association of particular human leucocyte antigen haplotypes, the presence of antibodies against internal ear antigens. In this study, we evaluated the association between thyroid autoimmunity and MD in a non-selected group of patients.

Clinical applications of oro-pharyngo-oesophageal scintigraphy in the study of dysphagia.

The diagnostic approach to patients with dysphagia is well established and relies mainly on videofluoroscopy and endoscopy. Oro-pharyngo-oesophageal scintigraphy permits both a functional and a semi-quantitative study of the various stages of swallowing. Moreover, by means of this investigation, it is possible to estimate the amount of inhaled bolus.

Testicular granulosa cell tumor of adult type: a new case and a review of the literature.

Testicular granulosa cell tumor of the adult type is a very rare tumor, and, to date and our knowledge, only 23 cases of this rare testicular tumor have been reported in the literature, 5 of which developed metastases. We report a case of granulosa cell tumor of adult type in a 45-year-old man with a 15-year history of a painless increasing right testicular volume who underwent radical orchiectomy. The patient is disease-free after a 2-year follow-up, without any adjuvant therapy.

Incidence of sepsis in central venous catheter-bearing patients with hematologic malignancies: preliminary results.

Background: Indwelling central venous catheters (CVCs) are essential devices in the management of patients with hematological disorders treated with chemotherapy. However, their nature predisposes patients to unwanted complications.

Methods: CVC-related complications were retrospectively analyzed in 227 hematologic patients who were consecutively admitted to our hematology department between May 2002 and April 2004.

Significance of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) load and interleukin-10 in post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders.

The complex relationship between EBV, IL-10 and lymphomagenesis has been widely investigated and several studies have highlighted the diagnostic value of EBV DNA copies and serum IL-10, that may be considered as tumor markers. Notwithstanding the great number of data published in the last few years on the behavior of EBV DNA copies in the peripheral blood of transplanted patients, a threshold value significant for impending or overt post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorder (PTLD) has not yet been defined. Too many factors, both technical and clinicopathological, may affect the results of clinical studies, making their comparison difficult.

Evolution of gastric electrical features and gastric emptying in children with Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy.

Objectives: Although muscular dystrophy (MD) affects primarily striated muscles, smooth muscle cells of the gastrointestinal tract may also be involved. We recorded gastric electrical activity and gastric emptying time (GET) in children with MD at initial presentation and at 3-yr follow-up in order to detect gastric motor abnormalities and study their evolution along the clinical course.

Methods: Twenty children with MD (median age: 4.

Infliximab heals intestinal inflammatory lesions and restores growth in children with Crohn's disease.

Background: Infliximab has recently emerged as an efficacious agent for patients with severe Crohn's disease. There are only few studies on the use of infliximab in children with Crohn's disease: most of them are retrospective and deal only with the clinical response to the drug.

Aim: We aimed at assessing the efficacy of infliximab in children and adolescents with severe Crohn's disease recruited consecutively and followed up prospectively at a single centre.

Bone marrow hypoplasia complicating tacrolimus (FK506) therapy.

Tacrolimus (FK506)-induced hematological toxicity, which has rarely been reported in transplant recipients, may result in anemia episodes, reported mainly in kidney and heart transplant recipients, sporadic cases of thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura/hemolytic uremic syndrome, red cell aplasia (4 reported cases), and generalized bone marrow suppression (only 1 reported case). We describe a case of a liver transplant recipient with pancytopenia that appeared during immunosuppressive therapy with tacrolimus. This patient suffered from progressive anemia, leukopenia with severe neutropenia, and mild thrombocytopenia; bone marrow biopsy showed hypoplasia (20% of cellularity) without dysplasia.

Inflammation of the gastric cardia in children with symptoms of acid peptic disease.

Objectives: To assess the severity and causes of inflammation of the gastric cardia in children undergoing endoscopy for symptoms of acid peptic disease.

Study Design: Patients undergoing upper gastrointestinal endoscopy for symptoms of acid peptic disease had biopsies from gastric cardia, gastric, and esophageal sites, and 24-hour intraesophageal pH monitoring. Gastric cardia was defined at endoscopy as the anatomic zone from the squamocolumnar junction to 0.

Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) load and interleukin-10 in EBV-positive and EBV-negative post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders.

Post-transplant lymphoproliferative disorders (PTLDs) are heterogeneous severe complications occurring in 1-10% of transplanted patients. In most cases, PTLDs are associated with Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection but, recently, some clinical studies have reported an increasing number of EBV-negative PTLDs. Several studies have emphasized the critical role of the early identification of patients at risk for PTLD, in prompting the adoption of either pre-emptive strategies or timely treatment.

[Significance of scrotal Doppler color ultrasonography in the postoperative control of patients treated with varicocelectomy].

ColorDoppler Ultrasound (CDU) is one of the principle methods in the post-operative diagnosis of recurring varicoceles. Aim of this study was valuate modifications of seminal parameters related to scrotal CDU results. In order to clarify varicoceles effect on fertility, these parameters have been related to pregnancy rate.

[Long-term follow-up of peripelvic renal multicystic lymphangiectasia].

Renal peripelvic multicystic lymphangiectasia is a benign disease characterized by multiple cysts arising from the lymphatic vessels of the renal sinus. Cysts, almost always bilateral, surround the profiles of the calices; the biggest cysts can compress pelvis or iuxtapielic ureter and it is difficult to differentiate RPML from hydronephrosis at the Ultrasound. Cysts are asymptomatic, the profiles of calices appear irregular with thin membrane separating each other, the cortical of the kidney is preserved: these are principle elements to distinguish RPML to hydronephrosis at the Ultrasound.

ACTH receptor mRNA in human adrenocortical tumors: overexpression in aldosteronomas.

We previously reported that ACTH receptor (ACTH-R) mRNA is expressed in cortisol-secreting adrenal tumors, with significant differences between adenomas and carcinomas. In order to complete the study we have now evaluated 11 aldosteronomas (APA), 14 non-hypersecreting adenomas, 2 androgen-secreting adenomas and 8 normal adrenal glands. The level of ACTH-R mRNA was evaluated by competitive RT-PCR using a non-homologous competitor.

Effect of finasteride in idiopathic hirsutism.

Increased 5 alpha-reductase activity has been found in hair follicles of hirsute women, suggesting a pathogenetic role. The aim of the present study was to evaluate the effect of finasteride in the treatment of idiopathic hirsutism. Twenty-seven women with idiopathic hirsutism, aged 16-35 years, were treated for 6 months with finasteride, 5 mg once daily.

Color Doppler sonography patterns related to histological findings in Graves' disease.

The aim of this work was to correlate color duplex sonography (CDS) patterns and thyroid histology in hyperthyroid Graves' disease (GD) patients. Sixteen patients with relapsed GD were studied. Before starting a new cycle of medical therapy with methimazole in decreasing doses for 3 to 6 months (baseline study), the patients underwent functional, autoimmune, and CDS studies.

[Effect of various vitamin E supply sources to fattening pigs on pork and bacon quality depending on time of storage].

99 individually kept, fattening pigs (castrated males) were divided into 3 groups. 33 animals each were supplemented with 0, 0.5 or 1.

[Comparison between the diagnostic accuracy in diagnosis of thyroid nodules with fine needle biopsy an intraoperative histological evaluation of frozen tissue].

Background: The aim of this study was to compare the diagnostic accuracy of fine needle biopsy (FNB) and intraoperative frozen-section biopsy (FS) regarding the surgical management of thyroid nodules.

Methods: A total of 812 patients with solitary nodule or dominant nodule in a multinodular goiter were evaluated. The patients underwent preoperative FNB and intraoperative FS diagnosis.

TGF-beta 1 immunohistochemistry in goiter: comparison of patients with recurrence or no recurrence.

The aim of this work was to establish whether the immunohistochemical pattern for TGF-beta 1 in goiters that recur after thyroid surgery is different when compared with goiters that do not recur postoperatively. Twelve goiters, surgically removed by partial resection between 1977 and 1982, were studied. Ten years after surgery, 6 patients had recurrence of goiter or thyroid nodules (group 1); the others did not have any recurrence (group 2).