Development of the descending colon during the human foetal period

The growth, changes in shape, topography and relation to the peritoneum of the descending colon were assessed on the basis of material taken from 178 foetuses of both sexes, aged from 72 to 236 days of pregnancy. The statistical analysis method demonstrated that the descending colon growth process occurs about a month earlier in female foetuses as compared to male ones. From the statistical point of view, the longitudinal growth of the descending colon significantly slows down in the 7th and 8th months of pregnancy, while the width of this part of the large intestine increases sharply towards the end of the foetal development period. The statistically important process of the descending colon rising over the surface of the left kidney and adrenal gland was noticed in male foetuses. This occurs approximately one month earlier in female foetuses as compared to males. The ascent of this part of the colon is accompanied by a change in its shape from straight, to curved and, finally, to wavy in the oldest age group of male foetuses. The changes in relation to the peritoneum are manifest in a gradual change in the position of this section of the intestine from the intraperitoneal, where more than 40% of the cases examined had a fully movable mesentery, to the extraperitoneal, with 14% of foetuses having a mesentery in the 8th month of pregnancy

Serum interleukin-12 and interleukin-18 levels in patients with oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma

Interleukin-12 (IL-12) and interleukin-18 (IL-18) play an important role as immunomodulatory factors in cancer pathogenesis. The aim of the study was analyze changes of serum IL-12 and IL-18 concentrations in oesophageal squamous cell carcinoma patients depending on the progression of cancer. Materials and Methods: Blood samples were taken from 41 patients with oesophageal cancer: 5 women and 36 men, mean age 59 ± 9 years. 23 patients had surgical resection of oesophagus with II and III tumor stage, 18 patients with IV stage of cancer progression were treated by palliative procedures. The control group included 15 healthy blood donors: 4 female and 11 males, mean age 41 ± 6 years. The concentrations of IL-12 and IL-18 were determined by ELISA tests. Results: Serum IL-12 and IL-18 amounts detected in blood of oesophageal cancer patients were significantly higher in comparison to control group (p < 0.001). Serum IL-12 level was higher in patients with IV stage of the disease than in patients with II and III stages. Also serum IL-18 level was significantly higher in patients with IV stage in comparison to patients surgically treated (p < 0.05). Statistically significant differences were found in concentrations of IL-18 according to clinicopathological parameters such as: stage of cancer progression, tumor depth, lymph node metastasis (p < 0.05). Conclusions: Serum IL-12 and IL-18 levels are significantly higher in oesophageal cancer patients than in the healthy subjects. A relation between IL-18 content and cancer progression has been registered.Интерлейкин-12 (ИЛ-12) и интерлейкин-18 (ИЛ-18) играют важную роль в качестве иммуномодулирующих факторов в патогенезе злокачественных новообразований. Цель: анализ изменений уровней ИЛ -12 и ИЛ -18 в сыворотке крови больных плоскоклеточным раком пищевода при прогрессировании заболевания. Материалы и методы: образцы крови брали у 41 больного раком пищевода (5 женщин и 36 мужчин, средний возраст 59 ± 9 лет). У 23 больных в стадии II и III провели хирургическое удаление опухоли, 18 больным с IV стадией заболевания проводили паллиативное лечение. Контрольнаягруппа состояла из 15 здоровых доноров (4 женщин и 11 мужчин, средний возраст 41 ± 6 лет). Концентрации Л-12 и Л-18 определяли иммуноферментным методом. Результаты: уровни ИЛ -12 и ИЛ -18 в сыворотке крови больных раком пищевода значительно выше, чем у здоровых людей (p < 0,001). Уровень ИЛ -12 выше у больных с IV стадией заболевания, чем у больных со стадиями II и III. Уровень ИЛ-18 в сыворотке крови больных с IV стадией заболевания выше, чем у больных,перенесших хирургическое вмешательство (p < 0,05). Статистически значимые различия в уровне ИЛ-18 зависели от различных клинико-патологических параметров (стадии заболевания, опухолевой инвазии, наличия метастазов в лимфатических узлах) (p < 0,05). Выводы: уровни ИЛ-12 и ИЛ-18 в сыворотке крови у больных раком пищевода значительно выше, чем у здоровых людей-доноров. Выявлена зависимость между содержанием ИЛ -18 и прогрессированием заболевания