Lung transplantation for cystic fibrosis: a single center experience of 100 consecutive cases.

Objective: Lung transplantation is the ultimate treatment option for patients with end-stage cystic fibrosis (CF) lung disease. Despite poorer reports on survival benefit for CF patients undergoing lung transplantation, several centers, including ours were able to show a survival benefit. This study compares our center's experience with 100 consecutive recipients in two different eras.

Pleural mesothelioma side populations have a precursor phenotype.

DyeCycleViolet was used to set up the side population (SP) functional assay aimed at identifying subpopulations of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) tumor cells with chemoresistance phenotype associated with ABCG2 transporter activity. Self-renewal, chemoresistance and tumorigenicity were tested for SP and non-side population (NSP) cells. Tumors were characterized by mesothelin, calretinin, N-cadherin, D2-40 and Wilms tumor 1 (WT1) immunohistochemistry.

[Impact of surgical intervention in the treatment of pulmonary tuberculosis].

The different modalities in the treatment of tuberculosis (TB) changed within the last century. With the beginning of the era of effective antibiotic treatment, indication for surgical methods became rare. The combination of different classes of antibiotics to treat TB is most often effective but several multi-drug-resistant germs were created, leading to the need of surgical resection as adjuvant treatment.

Activity-based proteomics: identification of ABHD11 and ESD activities as potential biomarkers for human lung adenocarcinoma.

Lung cancer is the leading cause of all cancer related deaths with a worldwide mortality of 1.2 million each year. The 5-year survival rate ranges from 80% in early stages to a dismal 5% in advanced disease.

Frequency and clinicopathologic correlates of KRAS amplification in non-small cell lung carcinoma.

Background: Characterization of the non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) genome has suggested that KRAS amplification is one of the commonest molecular abnormalities in NSCLC. However, the prevalence and clinicopathologic significance of KRAS amplification, and its relationship with KRAS activating mutations have not been well-defined. The purpose of this study was to establish the prevalence of KRAS amplification in two separate, large NSCLC cohorts, to define the clinicopathologic features of KRAS-amplified NSCLC in a single uniformly treated cohort, and to investigate the interplay between KRAS amplification and KRAS mutation.

Volumetry: an alternative to assess therapy response for malignant pleural mesothelioma?

The purpose of our study was to assess robustness of volumetric measurement of malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) before and after chemotherapy to modified RECIST (response evaluation criteria in solid tumours) criteria. 30 patients with digitally available chest computed tomography (CT) scans before and after three cycles of chemotherapy were included. Three readers independently assessed tumour response using two different methods: 1) the modified RECIST criteria; and 2) the tumour volumetric approach using dedicated software (Myrian; Intrasense, Paris, France).

Ischaemia-reperfusion injury in orthotopic mouse lung transplants - a scanning electron microscopy study.

Lung ischaemia-reperfusion (I/R) injury remains a major cause of graft failure in lung transplantation (Tx). With the implementation of orthotopic lung Tx in mice, a physiological model on the base of a perfused and ventilated graft became available for the investigation of I/R injury. Using the scanning electron microscopy (SEM) technique, we here present an analysis of early and late morphological changes of pulmonary I/R injury.

Optimized intrapleural cisplatin chemotherapy with a fibrin carrier after extrapleural pneumonectomy: a preclinical study.

Objective: Our objective was to evaluate whether platinum concentrations in chest wall tissue and in serum are optimized by intracavitary application of cisplatin loaded to a fibrin carrier compared with cisplatin solution in a randomized setting of a pig model.

Methods: After left-sided pneumonectomy including parietal pleurectomy, pigs were randomly assigned to receive either 90 mg/m(2) cisplatin intracavitary solution (n = 6) or to receive 5 mg cisplatin-fibrin (n = 5) applied on a predefined area of the chest wall. Platinum concentration in serum as well as in chest wall tissue was determined at several early time points until day 5 after treatment.

Impact of preoperative right-ventricular function and platelet transfusion on outcome after lung transplantation.

Objective: Lung transplantation has become an established treatment option for end-stage pulmonary diseases. However, outcome depends on preoperative condition and co-morbidity. Furthermore, perioperative blood-product use is known to be associated with worse outcome even in transplant surgery.

Prospective European multicenter randomized trial of PleuraSeal for control of air leaks after elective pulmonary resection.

Objectives: We sought to evaluate the efficacy and safety of a synthetic bioresorbable pleural sealant (PleuraSeal; Covidien, Bedford, Mass) to treat air leaks after pulmonary resection.

Methods: Patients with air leaks after lung resection were randomized to treatment with pleural sealant on air leak sites after standard methods of lung closure or standard lung closure only. The primary outcome variable was the percentage of patients remaining air leak free until discharge.

Induction of senescence markers after neo-adjuvant chemotherapy of malignant pleural mesothelioma and association with clinical outcome: an exploratory analysis.

The aim of this study was to assess the induction of senescence markers versus apoptosis pathways in malignant pleural mesothelioma (MPM) tumour samples before and after neo-adjuvant platinum-based chemotherapy and to investigate their relationship with clinical outcome. Specific senescence pathways were assessed by quantifying the expression of p21 and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) for the p21-p53 pathway, IGFBP7 for the IGF pathway and ALDH1A3 for the IFN pathway. p21 and PAI-1 expression were also assessed by immunohistochemistry.

Automated ERCC1 immunohistochemistry in non-small cell lung cancer: comparison of anti-ERCC1 antibodies 8F1, D-10, and FL-297.

Introduction: The excision repair cross-complementation group 1 (ERCC1) protein is the key enzyme of the nucleotide excision repair (NER) pathway and thus a potential predictor for platinum-based chemotherapy response. We aimed for evaluating different anti-ERCC1 antibodies on formalin-fixed tumor tissue of non-small cell lung cancer patients by automated immunohistochemistry (IHC).

Methods: ERCC1 protein expression was assessed on a tissue microarray of 491 NSCLC's using 2 monoclonal mouse (Mab 8F1, Mab D-10) and 1 polyclonal rabbit (Rab FL-297) antibody.

An experimental approach toward chronic pulmonary allograft rejection: Orthotopic lung versus heterotopic tracheal segment transplantation in rats.

Background: Despite the impact of chronic rejection (CR) on long-term outcomes, clinically relevant experimental models are sparse, often including a design of subcutaneous implantation of tracheal segments. However, this latter site lacks anatomic correlation, adequate perfusion, and ventilatory function. In this study, we compared the spatial and sequential course of CR in models of orthotopic single lung transplantation (LT) versus heterotopically implanted tracheal segments in rats.

Prevention of primary graft dysfunction in lung transplantation by N-acetylcysteine after prolonged cold ischemia.

Background: N-Acetylcysteine (NAC), a thiol-containing compound that has been used as an anti-oxidant, may also lead to an increased glutathione synthesis. This study assessed the protective effect of NAC on primary graft dysfunction after lung transplantation.

Methods: Porcine single left-lung transplantation was performed in 2 experimental groups after 24 hours of cold storage.

Surfactant alterations following donation after cardiac death donor lungs.

The use of lungs from donation after cardiac death (DCD) donors is one of the strategies to increase the donor pool. The aim of this study was to assess the surfactant alterations in DCD donor lungs. Pigs were sacrificed and left untouched for 1 (DCD1), 2 (DCD2) and 3 (DCD3) h.

Airway complications after lung transplantation can be avoided without bronchial artery revascularization.

Purpose Of Review: The major cause of death following lung transplantation in the beginning after the first human lung transplantation in 1963 was airway dehiscence, representing a major obstacle to widespread use of this treatment option. Lung transplantation is unique among all solid organ transplantations, since systemic arterial blood supply is not restored during engraftment. In the eighties and thereafter the problem of airway healing after lung transplantation was the main focus of research.

Donor predicted post-operative forced expiratory volume in one second predicts recipients' best forced expiratory volume in one second following size-reduced lung transplantation.

Objective: The limited number of available grafts is one of the major obstacles of lung transplantation. Size-reduced lung transplantation allows the use of oversized grafts for small recipients. Optimal lung size matching is vital to achieve best functional outcome and avoid potential problems when using oversized grafts.

Clinical review: practical recommendations on the management of perioperative heart failure in cardiac surgery.

Acute cardiovascular dysfunction occurs perioperatively in more than 20% of cardiosurgical patients, yet current acute heart failure (HF) classification is not applicable to this period. Indicators of major perioperative risk include unstable coronary syndromes, decompensated HF, significant arrhythmias and valvular disease. Clinical risk factors include history of heart disease, compensated HF, cerebrovascular disease, presence of diabetes mellitus, renal insufficiency and high-risk surgery.

Pneumonectomy is a valuable treatment option after neoadjuvant therapy for stage III non-small-cell lung cancer.

Objective: The mortality of pneumonectomy after chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer is reported to be as high as 26%. We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of patients undergoing these procedures in 2 specialized thoracic centers to determine the outcome.

Methods: Retrospective analyses were performed of all patients who underwent pneumonectomy after neoadjuvant chemotherapy or chemoradiotherapy for locally advanced non-small-cell lung cancer from 1998 to 2007.