Effects of ethnicity and socioeconomic status on surgical outcomes from inflammatory bowel disease.

Purpose: Evidence suggests that ethnicity and socioeconomic status of patients with chronic diseases influence their healthcare outcomes. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of these factors on the surgical outcome of patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) over a 15-year period.

Methods: A retrospective observational study investigated IBD patients operated on at an NHS Trust between 2000-2015, with follow-up data until 2020.

A feasibility study of circulating melanoma cells in the perioperative context of hyperthermic isolated limb perfusion (HILP) in 20 patients.

Introduction: Hyperthermic Ιsolated Limb Perfusion using melphalan and TNFα (TM-HILP) is a regional chemotherapy method for advanced melanoma.

Purpose: To explore the feasibility of the study of Circulating Melanoma Cells (CMCs) in the context of acute physiological changes induced by TM-HILP and their association with oncological outcomes.

Methods: The study included 20 patients undergoing TM-HILP for unresectable in-transit melanoma of the limbs, stage III(B/C/D).

Physiological parameters for Prognosis in Abdominal Sepsis (PIPAS) Study: a WSES observational study.

Background: Timing and adequacy of peritoneal source control are the most important pillars in the management of patients with acute peritonitis. Therefore, early prognostic evaluation of acute peritonitis is paramount to assess the severity and establish a prompt and appropriate treatment. The objectives of this study were to identify clinical and laboratory predictors for in-hospital mortality in patients with acute peritonitis and to develop a warning score system, based on easily recognizable and assessable variables, globally accepted.

Late local, peritoneal and systemic recurrence of renal angiomyolipoma: A case report.

Renal angiomyolipoma (AML) is a relatively rare tumor that is generally considered as merely benign. However, epithelioid AML (EAML), an uncommon subtype, is associated with potentially malignant behavior. We herein present the case of a 60-year old male patient who had undergone left nephrectomy with left adrenalectomy and lymphadenectomy for a renal tumor 12 years earlier, and presented to our hospital with dull abdominal pain.

Spontaneous adrenal hemorrhage. Report of two cases and review of pathogenesis, diagnosis and management.

Adrenal hemorrhage represents a relatively rare condition, usually associated with meningococcal septicemia. It is an underestimated cause of acute decompensation, multiorgan failure and death, usually diagnosed post-mortem. Depending on its etiology adrenal hemorrhage is categorized as traumatic and non-traumatic.

The evolving management of small bowel adenocarcinoma.

Background: Small bowel adenocarcinoma (SBA) is rare despite the fact that the small bowel represents the longest part and has the largest surface of all alimentary tract sections. Its incidence is 50-fold lower than that of colorectal carcinoma. It is often diagnosed at an advanced stage due to atypical and late symptoms, its low index of suspicion, difficult endoscopic access and poor detection by radiological imaging, resulting in impaired outcome.

Hyperthermic isolated limb perfusion. The switch from Steinmann pins to Omni-tract assisted isolation.

Background: Hyperthermic isolated limb perfusion (HILP) represents an alternative to amputation for patients with either in-transit melanoma or unresectable soft tissue sarcoma, entailing delivery of high-dose chemotherapy after isolation of the extremity, under hyperthermic conditions. Stabilization of the Esmarch elastic bandage is so far performed with the use of Steinmann pins. In this study, we presented our experience with HILP and demonstrated an alternative technique for limb isolation using an Omni-tract retractor instead of the traditional Steinmann pin, while comparing the two methods.

Pharmacological principles of intraperitoneal and bidirectional chemotherapy.

Intraperitoneal chemotherapy is associated with a significant pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic benefit and can, alone or in combination with systemic chemotherapy (bidirectional chemotherapy), be used for treating primary and secondary peritoneal surface malignancies. Due to the peritoneal-plasma barrier, high intraperitoneal drug concentration can be achieved by intraperitoneal chemotherapy, whereas systemic concentration remains low. Bidirectional chemotherapy may provide in addition adequate drug concentrations from the side of the subperitoneal space to the peritoneal tumour nodules.

Alterations in leukocyte transcriptional control pathway activity associated with major depressive disorder and antidepressant treatment.

Major depressive disorder (MDD) is associated with a significantly elevated risk of developing serious medical illnesses such as cardiovascular disease, immune impairments, infection, dementia and premature death. Previous work has demonstrated immune dysregulation in subjects with MDD. Using genome-wide transcriptional profiling and promoter-based bioinformatic strategies, we assessed leukocyte transcription factor (TF) activity in leukocytes from 20 unmedicated MDD subjects versus 20 age-, sex- and ethnicity-matched healthy controls, before initiation of antidepressant therapy, and in 17 of the MDD subjects after 8 weeks of sertraline treatment.

Herpes and polyoma family viruses in thyroid cancer.

Thyroid cancer is considered the most common malignancy that affects the endocrine system. Generally, thyroid cancer derives from follicular epithelial cells, and thyroid cancer is divided into well-differentiated papillary (80% of cases) and follicular (15% of cases) carcinoma. Follicular thyroid cancer is further divided into the conventional and oncocytic (Hürthle cell) type, poorly differentiated carcinoma and anaplastic carcinoma.

Investigation of BK virus, Epstein-Barr virus and human papillomavirus sequences in postoperative thyroid gland specimens.

Background: Although recent evidence has implicated viruses in the regulation of epithelial-to-mesenchymal transition and tumor progression, little is known regarding viral infections in thyroid malignancies. Thus the aim of this study was to detect sequences of 3 potentially oncogenic viruses - BK virus (BKV), Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) and human papillomavirus (HPV) - in a series of postoperative thyroid gland specimens.

Methods: Thirty patients with thyroid nodules who underwent surgery for thyroid disease within a 3-year period were enrolled.

Large presacral tailgut cyst with a carcinoid tumor in a male: report of a case.

Tailgut cysts are developmental hamartomas found in the presacral space. They are usually detected incidentally during physical examinations or imaging studies. However, they may cause symptoms due to compression of nearby organs.

Obturator hernia revisited: surgical anatomy, embryology, diagnosis, and technique of repair.

Obturator hernia is the protrusion of intraperitoneal or extraperitoneal organs or tissues through the obturator canal. The first case was published by de Ronsil in 1724. Obturator hernia is more common in older malnourished women due to loss of supporting connective tissue and the wider female pelvis.

Perineal hernia: surgical anatomy, embryology, and technique of repair.

Perineal hernia is the protrusion into the perineum of intraperitoneal or extraperitoneal contents through a congenital or acquired defect of the pelvic diaphragm. The first case was reported by de Garangeot in 1743. Perineal hernias may occur anteriorly or posteriorly to the superficial transverse perineal muscles.

Lumbar hernia: surgical anatomy, embryology, and technique of repair.

Lumbar hernia is the protrusion of intraperitoneal or extraperitoneal contents through a defect of the posterolateral abdominal wall. Barbette was the first, in 1672, to suggest the existence of lumbar hernias. The first case was reported by Garangeot in 1731.

Identifying leukocyte gene expression patterns associated with plasma lipid levels in human subjects.

Plasma lipid levels have been known to be risk factors for atherosclerosis for decades, and in recent years it has become accepted that inflammation is a crucial event in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis. In this study, we investigated the relationship between plasma lipids and leukocytes by profiling and analyzing leukocyte gene expression in response to plasma lipid levels. We discovered several interesting patterns of leukocyte gene expression: (1) the expression of a number of immune response- and inflammation-related genes are correlated with plasma lipid levels; (2) genes involved in lipid metabolism and in the electron transport chain were positively correlated with triglycerides and low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL) levels, and negatively correlated with high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL) levels; (3) genes involved in platelet activation were negatively correlated with HDL levels; (4) transcription factors regulating lipogenesis-related genes were correlated with plasma lipid levels; (5) a number of genes correlated with plasma lipid levels were found to be located in the regions of known quantitative trait loci (QTLs) associated with hyperlipemia.

Cardiac gene expression profiling provides evidence for cytokinopathy as a molecular mechanism in Chagas' disease cardiomyopathy.

Chronic Chagas' disease cardiomyopathy is a leading cause of congestive heart failure in Latin America, affecting more than 3 million people. Chagas' cardiomyopathy is more aggressive than other cardiomyopathies, but little is known of the molecular mechanisms responsible for its severity. We characterized gene expression profiles of human Chagas' cardiomyopathy and dilated cardiomyopathy to identify selective disease pathways and potential therapeutic targets.

First comprehensive mapping of cartilage transcripts to the human genome.

We present the first comprehensive transcriptome-to-genome mapping for human cartilage. First, we determined that the cartilage transcriptome represents between 13,200 and 15,800 unique genes. Next, a subset of approximately 10,000 of the best characterized cartilage-expressed transcripts (CETs) was selected and mapped to the human genome.

Gene expression profile of zebrafish exposed to hypoxia during development.

Understanding how vertebrates respond to hypoxia can have important clinical implications. Fish have evolved the ability to survive long exposure to low oxygen levels. However, little is known about the specific changes in gene expression that result from hypoxia.

Construction of a zebrafish cDNA microarray: gene expression profiling of the zebrafish during development.

Vertebrate embryogenesis is a complex process controlled by a transcriptional hierarchy that coordinates the action of thousands of genes. To identify and analyze the expression patterns of these genes, we constructed a zebrafish cDNA microarray containing 4512 unique genes identified from zebrafish embryonic heart, adult hearts, and skeletal muscle cDNA libraries. We examined the patterns of gene expression during development in the zebrafish between five time points relative to 12h post-fertilization (hpf).

Global gene expression profiling of end-stage dilated cardiomyopathy using a human cardiovascular-based cDNA microarray.

To obtain a genomic portrait of heart failure derived from end-stage dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), we explored expression analysis using the CardioChip, a nonredundant 10,848-element human cardiovascular-based expressed sequence tag glass slide cDNA microarray constructed in-house. RNA was extracted from the left ventricular free wall of seven patients undergoing transplantation, and five nonfailing heart samples. Cy3- and Cy5-labeled (and reverse dye-labeled) cDNA probes were synthesized from individual diseased or nonfailing adult heart RNA, and hybridized to the array.

Construction of a human cardiovascular cDNA microarray: portrait of the failing heart.

Identifying key genes that regulate the complex diseases of the cardiovascular system can be greatly facilitated with the use of microarrays. In an effort to obtain a global portrait of gene expression in the failing heart, we have constructed in-house a glass microscope slide cDNA microarray (termed "CardioChip") containing 10,368 redundant and randomly-selected sequenced expressed sequence tags (representing known genes, other matched ESTs, and novel, unmatched ESTs) derived from several human heart and artery cDNA libraries. From our preliminary data with Cy3- and Cy5-labeled probes, we have identified 38 transcripts showing a minimum twofold differential expression, among which are several novel or previously-uncharacterized genes.