Clinical study of combined use of tomudex (raltitrexed) and xeloda (capecitabine) as first-line treatment for patients with metastasizing colorectal cancer.

We studied the efficiency of combined chemotherapy with tomudex and xeloda preparations in patients with metastasizing colorectal cancer. The treatment (240 courses) was effective in 75% patients. Time median before progression was 6.

An in vivo comparative study of the e-polytetrafluoroethylene vascular prostheses: Vitaflon and Gore-Tex.

A comparative study was performed in order to validate new Russian e-PTFE vascular prostheses Vitaflon (St. Petersburg, Russia). The Gore-Tex prostheses were chosen as a referential model.

In vitro and in situ intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) expression by endothelial cells lining a polyester fabric.

In order to improve long-term patency of vascular grafts, the promising concept of endothelial cell seeding is actually under investigation. Our laboratory tested a polyester coated with albumin and chitosan which permits a rapid colonization by human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) and it seems relevant to test in vitro the expression of adhesive molecules expressed by cells with regard to the inflammatory process. We studied intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1) expression and focused our work on the determination of ICAM-1 sites expressed per adherent cell lining the biomaterial, thus in situ, in comparison to control HUVEC on plastic wells: the results obtained by binding experiments were correlated to flow cytometry analyses and showed that the polyester does not induce a proinflammatory state and that HUVEC covering the structure are able to respond to a stimulus.

Comparative assessment of hepatic Glisson's capsule and bovine pericardium in heart valve bioprostheses.

Background And Aim Of The Study: The optimal material for heart valve bioprostheses remains disputable. This investigation was initiated to compare the properties of hepatic Glisson's capsule, clinical experience of which in cardiovascular surgery is minimal, with those of bovine pericardium.

Methods: Hepatic Glisson's capsule was harvested from bull calves and used to create composite pulmonary arterial monocusp grafts and bioprostheses.