Respiratory syncytial virus as a cause of pulmonary hemorrhage in a low birth weight infant - strategies for protection and prevention: a case report

A case study of 39-year old man with persistent wheezing, episodes of haemoptysis and dry cough unsuccessfully treated with inhaled beta2-agonists and steroids for about 10 months. Chest radiograph revealed a disproportion in dimensions between both lungs, with the left one being smaller than the right one. Spirometry demonstrated a restrictive pattern. During bronchoscopy, a polypoid endobronchial tumor, localized in the left main bronchus, completely occluding its lumen, was found. The tumor was diagnosed as carcinoid. In this case, due to the lack of characteristic symptoms, diagnosis of carcinoid was delayed. Patients unsuccessfully treated for bronchial asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease should undergo bronchoscopic examination

Molekularne terapie celowane w niedrobnokomórkowym raku płuca

Terapie celowane działają w sposób wybiórczy na białka sygnałowe komórek nowotworowych, powodując upośledzenie ich funkcji życiowych. W niedrobnokomórkowym raku płuca (NDRP) zastosowanie znalazły inhibitory kinaz tyrozynowych związanych z receptorem dla naskórkowego czynnika wzrostu (EGFR): erlotynib i gefitynib. Leki te są stosowane w zaawansowanym raku płuca jako terapia drugiego lub trzeciego rzutu po niepowodzeniu pierwszorzutowej chemioterapii. Cetuximab jest przeciwciałem monoklonalnym skierowanym przeciwko zewnątrzkomórkowej domenie EGFR. Natomiast bewacyzumab jest przeciwciałem blokującym działanie czynnika wzrostu śródbłonka naczyń (VEGF), powodując upośledzenie ukrwienia tkanki nowotworowej. Przeciwciała mogą być stosowane jako uzupełnienie chemioterapii oraz po jej zakończeniu. Mediana czasu życia chorych na zaawansowaną postać NDRP w wyniku stosowania bewacyzumabu wyniosła po raz pierwszy w historii leczenia tego nowotworu ponad 12 miesięcy. Istnieją duże różnice w skuteczności omawianych leków w zależności od genetycznych właściwości komórek nowotworowych. Obecnie najważniejszymi badaniami molekularnymi użytecznymi w kwalifikacji chorych do terapii celowanych są: badanie immunohistochemiczne w celu wykrycia ekspresji EGFR, fluorescencyjna hybrydyzacja in situ, za pomocą której można wykryć amplifikację genu dla EGFR, oraz metody genetyczne zmierzające do określenia występowania mutacji EGFR i K-Ras

Biochemical and immunohistochemical study on physiological activity and distribution of hepatic cathepsin D

Cathepsin D (EC 3.4.23.5) is a lysosomal endopeptidase physiologically present at very low concentration in different tissues. The aim of the study was to estimate the physiological activity and distribution of cathepsin D in the liver. Four groups of ten-week-old male Wistar rats were raised without xenobiotics and sacrificed on day 4, 42, 47 and 84 of the experiment, and their livers were taken for immunohistochemical and biochemical investigation. Immunostaining for cathepsin D was evaluated by light microscope. Activity of the free and bound fractions of hepatic cathepsin D was measured spectrophotometrically. Immunohistochemical staining for cathepsin D was positive in Browicz-Kupffer cells in some but not in all rat liver specimens of each experimental group. The staining pattern was cytoplasmic and granular. Occasionally the positive stained endothelial cells were also found. No activity of cathepsin D in hepatocytes was detected. The positive immunostaining was found in livers with high enzyme activity in the biochemical investigation. No significant differences in activity of the free and bound fractions of cathepsin D among the different age groups were noted. However, the higher, age-dependent activity (p>0.05) of the free fraction was observed in the youngest and the two-middle groups of rats that were sacrificed on day 42 and 47 than in the oldest one. The bound fraction did not reveal such changes. It could be concluded that there were no differences in the activity of hepatic free and bound fractions of cathepsin D in male Wistar rats of various reproductive age. The rat Browicz-Kupffer cells revealed the highest activity of cathepsin D

Effect of selected alcohol dehydrogenase inhibitors on the human heart lactate dehydrogenase activity - an in vitro study

Metabolic acidosis complicates methanol, ethylene glycol and other alcohol intoxications. It is caused firstly by acid metabolites and secondly by the lactate elevation. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH; EC 1.1.1.1) inhibitors and substrates: 4-methylpyrazole (4-MP), cimetidine, EDTA, ethanol and methanol on lactate dehydrogenase (LDH; EC 1.1.1.27) activity. The activity of LDH was determined spectrophotometrically in in vitro human heart homogenates with the mentioned compounds at 0.01, 0.1, 1.0 mM concentrations of 4-MP, cimetidine, EDTA, and 12.5, 25.0, 50.0 mM of ethanol and methanol. The LDH activity was significantly inhibited by 0.1 mM (p<0.05) and 1.0 mM (p<0.01) 4-MP and 1.00 mM EDTA (p<0.05). Higher LDH activity vs. control was observed in the samples incubated with all studied ethanol and methanol concentrations but these differences were not statistically significant. Thus, 4-MP was found to be the most effective inhibitor of LDH of all compounds tested. Therefore, such effect of 4-MP seems to be an additional advantage in methanol and ethylene glycol intoxications

Prognostic value of p27kip1 expression in adenocarcinoma of the pancreatic head region

Background. p27kip1 is a tumour suppressor gene, functioning as a cyclin-dependent kinase inhibitor, and an independent prognostic factor in breast, colon, and prostate adenocarcinomas. Conflicting data are reported for adenocarcinoma of the pancreas. The aim of this study was to establish the prognostic value of p27kip1 expression in adenocarcinoma of the pancreatic head region. Patients and methods. The study included 45 patients (male/female ratio 2:1; mean age 59, range 38–82 years) with adenocarcinomas of the pancreatic head region: 24 – pancreatic head, 18 – periampullary and 3 – uncinate process. The patients underwent the Kausch-Whipple pancreatoduodenectomy (n=39), pylorus-preserving pancreatoduodenectomy (n=5), or nearly total pancreatectomy (n=1). Eight patients received adjuvant chemotherapy postoperatively. Follow-up time ranged from 3 to 60 months. Tumours were staged according to the pTNM classification (UICC 1997). Immunohistochemistry was done on paraffin-embedded blocks from tumour sections. Quantitative determination of p27kip1 expression was based on the proportion of p27kip1 -positive cells (< 5% = negative). Survival analysis was carried out using the Kaplan-Meier method and Cox regression model. Results. Positive p27kip1 expression was detected in 22 tumours (49%), whereas 23 tumours (51%) were p27kip1-negative. There were no significant correlations between p27kip1 index and stage or lymph node involvement. Median survival time in patients with p27kip1-positive tumours was 19 months, whereas in patients with p27kip1-negative tumours it was 18 months (p=0.53). A significant relationship was found between p27kip1-negative tumours and radical resection (p=0.04). Multivariate survival analysis revealed that the localization of the tumour (pancreatic head/uncinate process vs periampullary) was the only significant and independent prognosticator (p = 0.01, Cox regression model). Resection margins involvement and grade remained nearly significant prognostic factors (p=0.07 and p=0.09, respectively). Conclusion. We conclude that p27kip1 has limited overall prognostic utility in resected carcinoma of the pancreatic head region, but its potential role as a marker of residual disease needs to be further assessed