Fatal subacute liver failure after repeated administration of sevoflurane anaesthesia.

Sevoflurane is a widely used halogenated inhalation anaesthetic. In comparison with other similar anaesthetics, it is not metabolized to potentially hepatotoxic trifluoroacetylated proteins. In this case report, we present a 66-year-old woman with breast carcinoma, who underwent sevoflurane general anaesthesia twice in 25 days.

Cyclooxygenase-2 expression determines neo-angiogenesis in gallbladder carcinomas.

Neo-angiogenesis may have an important role in the poor prognosis of gallbladder carcinoma. An enhanced expression of COX-2 was found in precancerous lesions and in gallbladder carcinoma, likely to be involved in carcinogenesis as well as in angiogenesis. To study the relationships between the COX-2 expression and degree of vascularization, as well as to evaluate their role in the prognosis of patients with gallbladder carcinoma.

Expression of human telomerase catalytic protein in gallbladder carcinogenesis.

Background: Telomerase catalytic subunit (hTERT) gene re-expression is a rate limiting step for the activity of telomerase, a key enzyme implicated in cellular immortalisation and transformation.

Aims: To determine the potential role of hTERT protein in gallbladder carcinogenesis.

Material/methods: hTERT protein was analysed by means of immunohistochemistry in 89 gallbladder tissue samples: 16 normal epithelia, 14 reactive hyperplasias, 15 low grade dysplasias, 16 high grade dysplasias, and 28 adenocarcinomas.