Liver repopulation after hepatocellular transplantation: integration and interaction of transplanted hepatocytes in the host.

The mechanisms of donor hepatocyte integration into recipient liver are not fully understood. We investigated mechanisms of both the integration and interaction of transplanted hepatocytes with host liver cells as well as the repopulation of the host organ following intraportal transplantation. Mature hepatocytes were injected into the portal vein of dipeptidylpeptidase IV (DPPIV)-deficient rats pretreated with retrorsine and subjected to 30% partial hepatectomy to ensure selective donor growth.

Significance of isolated tumor cells in lymph nodes among gastric cancer patients.

Purpose: To determine the frequency and prognostic impact of isolated tumor cells (ITC) in regional lymph nodes judged to be tumor free in conventional histopathology among gastric cancer patients.

Methods: Among 161 patients who underwent gastrectomy and D2-lymphadenectomy, 56 were staged pN0(35%). Archival paraffin blocks of 1148 resected regional lymph nodes of those pN0 patients were reevaluated for ITC using monoclonal antibody Ber-EP4.

Pylorus preservation has no impact on delayed gastric emptying after pancreatic head resection.

Objectives: Delayed gastric emptying (DGE) has been specifically attributed to pylorus-preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy (PPPD). As PPPD has been shown to be comparable with the classic Kausch-Whipple pancreaticoduodenectomy (KWPD) in terms of oncological radicality, DGE has advanced to be the leading argument for hemigastrectomy in PD.

Methods: A prospective, nonrandomized comparison of patients undergoing PPPD (n = 113), KWPD (n = 19), and duodenum-preserving, pancreatic head resection (DPPHR, n = 18) for various diseases was performed.

Vasoactive intestinal polypeptide and gastrin-releasing peptide attenuate hepatic microvasculatory disturbances following intestinal ischemia and reperfusion.

Background/aims: In addition to the primarily affected small bowel, intestinal ischemia and reperfusion (IIR) also leads to a marked decrease in hepatic microcirculation. The aim was to determine the potentially protective effect of the vasoactive hormones vasoactive intestinal polypeptide (VIP) and gastrin-releasing peptide (GRP) on hepatic microcirculation following IIR.

Methods: Using a rat model, three animal groups were subjected to 40 min of intestinal ischemia, two of which were infused with either VIP or GRP (n = 12 each).

Radioimmunotherapy of small-volume disease of metastatic colorectal cancer.

Background: Whereas radioimmunotherapy (RIT) has shown disappointing results in bulky, solid tumors, preclinical results in small-volume disease and in an adjuvant setting are promising. In a previous Phase I study, the authors had encouraging results with the iodine-131 ((131)I)-labeled humanized anti-carcinoembryonic antigen (anti-CEA) antibody (MAb) hMN-14 in small-volume disease of colorectal cancer. The aim of this study was to evaluate, in a subsequent Phase II trial, the therapeutic efficacy of this (131)I-labeled humanized anti-CEA antibody in colorectal cancer patients with small-volume disease or in an adjuvant setting.