Double naso-enteric tubes stenting in afferent limb syndrome with concomitant proximal efferent limb obstruction after loop gastrojejunostomy bypass: a case report.

Endoscopic or fluoroscopic guided naso-enteric placement for stenting and decompression has been used in mechanical enteric limb obstruction after gastrectomy or gastric bypass surgery. However, the use of double naso-enteric tube for treatment of multiple enteric limbs obstruction has not been described to date. We present a 61-year-old female with afferent limb syndrome with concomitant efferent limb obstruction which caused by kinking of anastomosis after loop gastrojejunostomy for benign gastric outlet obstruction.

The Differential Contribution of the Innate Immune System to a Good Pathological Response in the Breast and Axillary Lymph Nodes Induced by Neoadjuvant Chemotherapy in Women with Large and Locally Advanced Breast Cancers.

The tumour microenvironment consists of malignant cells, stroma, and immune cells. The role of adaptive immunity in inducing a pathological complete response (pCR) in breast cancer with neoadjuvant chemotherapy (NAC) is well studied. The contribution of innate immunity, however, is poorly documented.

Generation in vivo of peptide-specific cytotoxic T cells and presence of regulatory T cells during vaccination with hTERT (class I and II) peptide-pulsed DCs.

Background: Optimal techniques for DC generation for immunotherapy in cancer are yet to be established. Study aims were to evaluate: (i) DC activation/maturation milieu (TNF-alpha +/- IFN-alpha) and its effects on CD8+ hTERT-specific T cell responses to class I epitopes (p540 or p865), (ii) CD8+ hTERT-specific T cell responses elicited by vaccination with class I alone or both class I and II epitope (p766 and p672)-pulsed DCs, prepared without IFN-alpha, (iii) association between circulating T regulatory cells (Tregs) and clinical responses.

Methods: Autologous DCs were generated from 10 patients (HLA-0201) with advanced cancer by culturing CD14+ blood monocytes in the presence of GM-CSF and IL-4 supplemented with TNF-alpha [DCT] or TNF-alpha and IFN-alpha [DCTI].

Ex vivo recovery and activation of dysfunctional, anergic, monocyte-derived dendritic cells from patients with operable breast cancer: critical role of IFN-alpha.

Background: Dendritic cells (DCs) play a crucial role in initiating effective cell-mediated immune responses, but are dysfunctional and anergic in breast cancer. Reversal of this dysfunction and establishment of optimal DC function is a key prerequisite for the induction of effective anti-cancer immune responses.

Results: Peripheral blood DCs (PBDCs) and lymph node DCs (LNDCs) generated in vitro from adherent cultures of peripheral blood monocytes (PBMs) and lymph node monocytes (LNMs), respectively, using the 4 cytokine conditioned medium (CCM) (GM-CSF+IL-4+TNF-alpha+IFN-alpha) or 3 CCM (GM-CSF+IL-4+TNF-alpha) demonstrated a significantly higher degree of recovery and functional capacity in a mixed lymphocyte DC reaction (MLDCR, p < 0.

Inflammatory bowel disease: dysfunction of GALT and gut bacterial flora (I).

Gut-associated lymphoid tissue (GALT) is the largest lymphoid organ in the body. This is not surprising considering the huge load of antigens (Ags) from food and commensal bacteria with which it interacts on a daily basis. Gut-associated lymphoid tissue has to recognise and allow the transfer of beneficial Ags whilst concurrently dealing with and successfully removing putative and overtly harmful Ags.

Inflammatory bowel disease: dysfunction of GALT and gut bacterial flora (II).

The precise cause(s) of Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis are unknown. From animal models and human studies it is well established that gut bacterial flora are essential for inducing the bowel inflammation. Animal models, when kept in a germ-free environment, do not develop colitis until the gut flora is reconstituted.

Dendritic cells are dysfunctional in patients with operable breast cancer.

Background: Dendritic cells (DCs) play a crucial role in presenting antigens to T lymphocytes and inducing cytotoxic T cells. DCs have been studied in patients with breast cancer to define the factors leading to failure of an effective systemic and locoregional anticancer host response.

Methods: Purified DCs were obtained from peripheral blood (PB) and lymph nodes (LNs) of women with operable breast cancer, using immunomagnetic bead selection.

Dendritic cells (II): Role and therapeutic implications in cancer.

The potential to harness the effectiveness and specificity of the immune system underlies the growing interest in cancer immunotherapy. One such approach uses bone marrow-derived dendritic cells (DCs), phenotypically distinct and very potent antigen-presenting cells, to present tumour-associated antigens (TAAgs) and, thereby, generate tumour-specific immunity. Support for this strategy comes from animal studies that have demonstrated that DCs, when loaded ex vivo with tumour Ags or pulsed with peptides and administered to cancer-bearing hosts, can elicit T cell-mediated cancer destruction.

Dendritic cells (I): Biological functions.

Dendritic cells (DCs) are potent antigen presenting cells (APCs) that possess the ability to stimulate naïve T cells. They comprise a system of leukocytes widely distributed in all tissues, especially in those that provide an environmental interface. DCs posses a heterogeneous haemopoietic lineage, in that subsets from different tissues have been shown to posses a differential morphology, phenotype and function.