Purinergic signalling and immune cells

This review article provides a historical perspective on the role of purinergic signalling in the regulation of various subsets of immune cells from early discoveries to current understanding. It is now recognised that adenosine 5'-triphosphate (ATP) and other nucleotides are released from cells following stress or injury. They can act on virtually all subsets of immune cells through a spectrum of P2X ligand-gated ion channels and G protein-coupled P2Y receptors. Furthermore, ATP is rapidly degraded into adenosine by ectonucleotidases such as CD39 and CD73, and adenosine exerts additional regulatory effects through its own receptors. The resulting effect ranges from stimulation to tolerance depending on the amount and time courses of nucleotides released, and the balance between ATP and adenosine. This review identifies the various receptors involved in the different subsets of immune cells and their effects on the function of these cells

Laparoscopic division of a portosystemic shunt to treat chronic hepatic encephalopathy

In the event of liver cirrhosis with severe portal hypertension, voluminous portosystemic shunt may lead to refractory encephalopathy. Obliteration of the shunt has been described as a satisfactory therapeutic solution, and reported procedures are mainly endovascular embolization and surgical shunt ligation through laparotomy. The former procedure is less invasive and seems to be as efficient. Laparoscopy, which is widely recognized to minimize mortality and morbidity in cirrhotic patients undergoing surgery, has never been used for such a procedure. Shunt division can therefore be considered using this modern approach to good effect and reduced morbidity. In support of this view, we report a case of severe chronic encephalopathy cured by laparoscopic surgical division of a large shunt after failure of the percutaneous technique

Etude cellulaire et genetique de la differenciation des lymphocytes B secreteurs d'IgA des plaques de Peyer

CNRS AR 11682 / INIST-CNRS - Institut de l'Information Scientifique et TechniqueSIGLEFRFranc

Non-occlusive Small Bowel Ischemia Related to Postoperative Feeding Jejunostomy Tube Use After Esophagectomy for Cancer: Propensity Score Analysis of the AFC-FREGAT Database

International audienc

Surgically treated oesophageal cancer developed in a radiated field: Impact on peri-operative and long-term outcomes

International audienc

Impact of Neoadjuvant Chemoradiotherapy on Postoperative Outcomes After Esophageal Cancer Resection

International audienceObjectives: To assess the impact of neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy (NCRT) on anastomotic leakage (AL) and other postoperative outcomes after esophageal cancer (EC) resection.Background: Conflicting data have emerged from randomized studies regarding the impact of NCRT on AL.Methods: Among 2944 consecutive patients operated on for EC between 2000 and 2010 in 30 European centers, patients treated by NCRT after surgery (n = 593) were compared with those treated by primary surgery (n = 1487). Multivariable analyses and propensity score matching were used to compensate for the differences in some baseline characteristics.Results: Patients in the NCRT group were younger, with a higher prevalence of male sex, malnutrition, advanced tumor stage, squamous cell carcinoma, and surgery after 2005 when compared with the primary surgery group. Postoperative AL rates were 8.8% versus 10.6% (P = 0.220), and 90-day postoperative mortality and morbidity rates were 9.3% versus 7.2% (P = 0.110) and 33.4% versus 32.1% (P = 0.564), respectively. Pulmonary complication rates did not differ between groups (24.6% vs 22.5%; P = 0.291), whereas chylothorax (2.5% vs 1.2%; P = 0.020), cardiovascular complications (8.6% vs 0.1%; P = 0.037), and thromboembolic events (8.6% vs 6.0%; P = 0.037) were higher in the NCRT group. After propensity score matching, AL rates were 8.8% versus 11.3% (P = 0.228), with more chylothorax (2.5% vs 0.7%; P = 0.030) and trend toward more cardiovascular and thromboembolic events in the NCRT group (P = 0.069). Predictors of AL were high American Society of Anesthesiologists scores, supracarinal tumoral location, and cervical anastomosis, but not NCRT.Conclusions: Neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy does not have an impact on the AL rate after EC resection (NCT 01927016)

MN1 C-terminal truncation syndrome is a novel neurodevelopmental and craniofacial disorder with partial rhombencephalosynapsis

MN1 encodes a transcriptional co-regulator without homology to other proteins, previously implicated in acute myeloid leukaemia and development of the palate. Large deletions encompassing MN1 have been reported in individuals with variable neurodevelopmental anomalies and non-specific facial features. We identified a cluster of de novo truncating mutations in MN1 in a cohort of 23 individuals with strikingly similar dysmorphic facial features, especially midface hypoplasia, and intellectual disability with severe expressive language delay. Imaging revealed an atypical form of rhombencephalosynapsis, a distinctive brain malformation characterized by partial or complete loss of the cerebellar vermis with fusion of the cerebellar hemispheres, in 8/10 individuals. Rhombencephalosynapsis has no previously known definitive genetic or environmental causes. Other frequent features included perisylvian polymicrogyria, abnormal posterior clinoid processes and persistent trigeminal artery. MN1 is encoded by only two exons. All mutations, including the recurrent variant p.Arg1295* observed in 8/21 probands, fall in the terminal exon or the extreme 3' region of exon 1, and are therefore predicted to result in escape from nonsense-mediated mRNA decay. This was confirmed in fibroblasts from three individuals. We propose that the condition described here, MN1 C-terminal truncation (MCTT) syndrome, is not due to MN1 haploinsufficiency but rather is the result of dominantly acting C-terminally truncated MN1 protein. Our data show that MN1 plays a critical role in human craniofacial and brain development, and opens the door to understanding the biological mechanisms underlying rhombencephalosynapsis.status: publishe

Role of neoadjuvant treatment in clinical T2N0M0 oesophageal cancer: results from a retrospective multi-center European study

International audienceAims: The aims of this study were to compare short-and long-term outcomes for clinical T2N0 oesophageal cancer with analysis of (i) primary surgery (S) versus neoadjuvant therapy plus surgery (NS), (ii) squamous cell carcinoma and adenocarcinoma subsets; and (iii) neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy versus neoadjuvant chemotherapy.Methods: Data were collected from 30 European centres from 2000 to 2010. Among 2944 included patients, 355 patients (12.1%) had cT2N0 disease; 285 (S) and 70 (NS), were compared in terms of short-and long-term outcomes. Propensity score matching analyses were used to compensate for differences in baseline characteristics.Results: No significant differences between the groups were shown in terms of in hospital morbidity and mortality. Nodal disease was observed in 50% of S-group at the time of surgery, with 20% pN2/N3. Utilisation of neoadjuvant therapy was associated with significant tumour downstaging as reflected by increases in pT0, pN0 and pTNM stage 0 disease, this effect was further enhanced with neoadjuvant chemoradiotherapy. After adjustment on propensity score and confounding factors, for all patients and subset analysis of squamous cell and adenocarcinoma, neoadjuvant therapy had no significant effect upon survival or recurrence (overall, loco-regional, distant or mixed) compared to surgery alone. There were no significant differences between neoadjuvant chemotherapy and chemoradiotherapy in short-or long-term outcomes.Conclusion: The results of this study suggest that a surgery alone treatment approach should be recommended as the primary treatment approach for cT2N0 oesophageal cancer despite 50% of patients having nodal disease at the time of surgery