Trocar Site Recurrence after Laparoscopic Cholecystectomy for Unsuspected Isolated Gallbladder Metastasis of Melanoma: A Case Report and Review of the Literature

Cutaneous melanoma can metastasize to almost any organ, including in-transit metastases, lymph nodes, liver, lungs, brain, and bones. Spread to the gastrointestinal tract is less common and generally concerns the small bowel, colon, and stomach. Gallbladder involvement is rarer, and only few cases describe it as the sole site of metastasis upon diagnosis. Melanoma metastases to the gallbladder are usually detected on staging or surveillance imaging, as patients usually show few or no symptoms. In resectable stage IV melanoma patients, complete surgical resection appears to improve the prognosis. However, due to the rarity of isolated gallbladder metastasis of melanoma, there are no guidelines regarding the optimal surgical approach (endoscopic or open cholecystectomy). Here, we report the case of isolated gallbladder melanoma metastasis found after laparoscopic cholecystectomy performed in a 46-year-old female patient with no known history of cancer presenting with acute cholecystitis symptoms. Six weeks after surgery, the patient developed trocar site recurrence. This case highlights the importance of a planned and open surgery for resectable melanoma metastases rather than a laparoscopic approach

T Cell Reactivity against Mycolyl Transferase Antigen 85 of M. tuberculosis in HIV-TB Coinfected Subjects and in AIDS Patients Suffering from Tuberculosis and Nontuberculous Mycobacterial Infections

The mycolyl transferase antigen 85 complex is a major secreted protein family from mycobacterial culture filtrate, demonstrating powerful T cell stimulatory properties in most HIV-negative, tuberculin-positive volunteers with latent M.tuberculosis infection and only weak responses in HIV-negative tuberculosis patients. Here, we have analyzed T cell reactivity against PPD and Ag85 in HIV-infected individuals, without or with clinical symptoms of tuberculosis, and in AIDS patients with disease caused by nontuberculous mycobacteria. Whereas responses to PPD were not significantly different in HIV-negative and HIV-positive tuberculin-positive volunteers, responses to Ag85 were significantly decreased in the HIV-positive (CDC-A and CDC-B) group. Tuberculosis patients demonstrated low T cell reactivity against Ag85, irrespective of HIV infection, and finally AIDS patients suffering from NTM infections were completely nonreactive to Ag85. A one-year follow-up of twelve HIV-positive tuberculin-positive individuals indicated a decreased reactivity against Ag85 in patients developing clinical tuberculosis, highlighting the protective potential of this antigen

Heparin-Binding-Hemagglutinin-Induced IFN-γ Release as a Diagnostic Tool for Latent Tuberculosis

BACKGROUND: The detection of latent tuberculosis infection (LTBI) is a major component of tuberculosis (TB) control strategies. In addition to the tuberculosis skin test (TST), novel blood tests, based on in vitro release of IFN-gamma in response to Mycobacterium tuberculosis-specific antigens ESAT-6 and CFP-10 (IGRAs), are used for TB diagnosis. However, neither IGRAs nor the TST can separate acute TB from LTBI, and there is concern that responses in IGRAs may decline with time after infection. We have therefore evaluated the potential of the novel antigen heparin-binding hemagglutinin (HBHA) for in vitro detection of LTBI. METHODOLOGY AND PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: HBHA was compared to purified protein derivative (PPD) and ESAT-6 in IGRAs on lymphocytes drawn from 205 individuals living in Belgium, a country with low TB prevalence, where BCG vaccination is not routinely used. Among these subjects, 89 had active TB, 65 had LTBI, based on well-standardized TST reactions and 51 were negative controls. HBHA was significantly more sensitive than ESAT-6 and more specific than PPD for the detection of LTBI. PPD-based tests yielded 90.00% sensitivity and 70.00% specificity for the detection of LTBI, whereas the sensitivity and specificity for the ESAT-6-based tests were 40.74% and 90.91%, and those for the HBHA-based tests were 92.06% and 93.88%, respectively. The QuantiFERON-TB Gold In-Tube (QFT-IT) test applied on 20 LTBI subjects yielded 50% sensitivity. The HBHA IGRA was not influenced by prior BCG vaccination, and, in contrast to the QFT-IT test, remote (>2 years) infections were detected as well as recent (<2 years) infections by the HBHA-specific test. CONCLUSIONS: The use of ESAT-6- and CFP-10-based IGRAs may underestimate the incidence of LTBI, whereas the use of HBHA may combine the operational advantages of IGRAs with high sensitivity and specificity for latent infection.Journal ArticleResearch Support, Non-U.S. Gov'tinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Contribution à l'étude des réactions immunitaires humorales induites par les antigènes du complexe 85 de M. Bovis BCG dans la tuberculose et la lèpre

Doctorat en sciences médicalesinfo:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublishe

Contribution à l'étude des réactions immunitaires humorales induites par les antigènes du complexe 85 de M. Bovis BCG dans la tuberculose et la lèpre

Doctorat en sciences médicalesinfo:eu-repo/semantics/nonPublishe

Mass spectrometric determination of dissociation energies of molecules Bi2, Bi3, Bi4 and BiPb

The vaporization of pure bismuth and of a 1 :1 Bi+Pb alloy were studied. Above pure bismuth the species Bi, Bi2, Bi3 and Bi 4 were observed in the approximate ratios 0.6 :1.0 :0.002 :0.02. The atomization energies per bonding atom were calculated from partial pressure measurements to be 47.0, 43.0 and 47.0 kcal/mole for Bi2, Bi 3 and Bi4 respectively. The molecule BiPb was identified and its dissociation energy determined to be D°0(BiPb) = 33.0 kcal/mole.SCOPUS: ar.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Patients with superficial bladder tumors possibly share cross-reactive antigens with BCG :suggestion of a specific targetting of bcg activated t-cells

The precise mechanism of action of BCG in bladder cancer treatment is still poorly understood. The question remains whether bladder tumour cells are destroyed in an aspecific manner by polyclonally activated killer cells or targetted by specifically activated T-cells recognizing cognate cpitopes. We tested therefore the lymphoproliferation of peripheral blood lymphocytes against the secreted fibroncctin-binding antigen 85 complex from BCG (AG 85) in patients with superficial bladder tumours (TCC) prior to any BCG treatment. Using a whole blood assay, T-cell response against BCG and AG 85 was investigated in 80 patients with superficial bladder tumours prior to BCG treatment and in 34 control subjects without malignancy matched for age and sex. both groups without past history of tuberculosis. Lymphoproliferation was measured by means of a tritiated thymidine uptake assay on day 7 of culture. In patients with superficial TCC, a significant lymphoproliferative response before any BCG treatment against whole BCG antigen and AG 85 was observed in 32/80 (40.0%) and 51/80 (63.7%) patients respectively. In the control group 3 patients (8.8%) had a significant lymphoproliferation (but significantly lower than bladder cancer patients) against BCG and against AG 85 (p<0.001 and p<0.00001 respectively). Patients with superficial TCC demonstrate a clear increased lymphoproliferation against mycobacterial antigens prior to any BCG treatment. Our data suggest the possible existence of bladder cancer antigens cross-reactive with mycobacterial antigens and especially the major secreted fibronectin-binding antigen from BCG culture filtrate, AG 85. This could imply that BCG possibly acts through botli a nonspecific and a specific targetting of activated T-cells.SCOPUS: ar.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Lymphocytic pleural effusion associated with valproic acid.

Letterinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Detection of anti-85A and anti-851B IgG antibodies in HIV-infected patients with active pulmonary tuberculosis [4]

SCOPUS: le.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe

Evolution of osteocalcin, alkaline phosphatase and parathyroid hormone after parathyroidectomy in patients receiving chronic maintenance hemodialysis

SCOPUS: ar.jinfo:eu-repo/semantics/publishe