Decrease of apoptosis rate in patients with renal transplantation treated with mycophenolate mofetil

We conclude that treatment with MMF of kidney transplant patients does not affect the proliferative rate of cells of the allograft, but decreases the number of apoptotic cells in tubular epithelium

Nuclear factor-kappa B in the liver of patients with chronic hepatitis C: decreased RelA expression is associated with enhanced fibrosis progression

The mechanisms of liver damage in chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection are poorly understood. The transcription factor, nuclear factor-kappa B (NF-kappa B), regulates the expression of genes involved in apoptosis, inflammation, and antiviral response. It plays a protective role in several forms of liver damage. In this study, we analyzed NF-kappa B by gel mobility shift assay and immunohistochemistry in liver biopsies from HCV-infected patients, and we have determined the hepatic levels of the components of the NF-kappa B system by semiquantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR). We found that NF-kappa B was activated in the liver of patients with chronic hepatitis C. Neither NF-kappa B activity nor the RNA levels of NF-kappa B subunits showed correlation with liver inflammatory activity, viral load, or HCV genotype. By contrast, hepatic mRNA values of RelA, the main element of active NF-kappa B, correlated inversely with apoptosis (r = -.68; P <.05) and with the rate of fibrosis progression (r = -.51; P <.04). In intermediate/rapid fibrosers, RelA mRNA levels were significantly decreased as compared with slow fibrosers (P <.003) and with normal livers (P <.03). In conclusion, we found that NF-kappa B is activated in chronic HCV-infected livers, and that the expression of RelA is inversely correlated with liver cell apoptosis and with the rate of fibrosis progression. Our data thus suggest that RelA expression may protect against liver fibrosis and hepatocellular damage

Idiopathic adulthood ductopenia: long-term follow-up after liver transplantation

In 1988, Ludwig et al proposed the term idiopathic adulthood ductopenia (IAD) for the condition of chronic cholestatic liver disease associated with loss of intrahepatic bile ducts of unknown etiology with clinical onset in adulthood (1). In recent years, several cases of idiopathic biliary ductopenia in adulthood have been described. This disease is severe in most cases and can progress to cirrhosis. For progressive IAD, orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT) has been the only successful treatment. There are only a few cases reported of OLT for IAD and no information is available about the prognosis of these patients in the long term after OLT. In the present report, we describe the long-term follow-up after OLT in one patient fulfilling IAD criteria

Angiomiolipoma epitelioide hepático

Abstract: We describe the case of a hepatic epithelioid angiomyolipoma in a 50-year-old woman with epigastric pain and well-circumscribed 47 mm hepatic mass detected by ultrasonography. Angiomyolipoma is a rare benign mesenchymal tumor of the liver, composed of variable amounts of smooth muscle cells, abnormal blood vessels and adipose tissue. Preoperative diagnosis is difficult. Immunoreactivity with HMB-45 antibody helps to distinguish this tumor from other benign and malignant tumors of the liver

Secuelas tras inyección ilegal de silicona líquida como técnica de aumento mamario: presentación de 2 casos

The use of liquid silicone for breast augmentation was widespread in the 1960s but was abandoned at the end of the decade due to numerous studies describing the development of a large number of local complications, as well as remote migration of small amounts of silicone. The use of liquid silicone also leads to enormous difficulty in the early diagnosis of breast cancer; these patients are precluded from routine screening programs and must undergo exhaustive periodic examinations. Magnetic resonance imaging has become the most effective test for the early detection of breast cancer in these patients. Indications for subcutaneous mastectomy are the presence of local complications, suspicion of a malignant lesion, or the patient’s desire to prevent both these potential problems

Molecular features in a biphenotypic small cell sarcoma with neuroectodermal and muscle differentiation

We report a case of a 13-year-old girl with soft tissue sarcoma of the hand, which showed muscle and neuroectodermal immunophenotypes. Molecular studies were performed on RNA collected from fine-needle aspiration (FNA) cytology and peripheral blood samples by nested reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and Southern blot analysis. This biphenotypic tumor showed simultaneous expression of EWS-FLI1 and PAX3-FKHR transcripts, specific of Ewing family tumors and alveolar rhabdomyosarcoma, respectively. Although childhood sarcomas with simultaneous muscle and neural differentiation have been described to have EWS-FLI1 transcripts, there are no reports of tumors with both transcripts. Cytological specimens are a good source of RNA for molecular studie

Lymphoma of the gastric stump: report of a case

We report a case of primary lymphoma on a previously resected stomach in a 62-year-old man. The patient was treated 22 years earlier with a partial gastrectomy and Billroth II reconstruction for a benign gastric ulcer. The rarity of this entity and its possible relationship with pseudolymphoma or lymphoid nodular hyperplasia is discussed, and the literature is reviewed

Gastroduodenal injury after radioembolization of hepatic tumors

Radioembolization is a new tool for the treatment of hepatic tumors that consists in the injection of biocompatible microspheres carrying radioisotopes into the hepatic artery or its branches. METHODS: We have performed radioembolization in 78 patients with hepatic tumors using resin-based microspheres loaded with yttrium-90. All patients were previously evaluated to minimize the risk of hazardous irradiation to nontarget organs and to obtain the data needed for dose calculation. RESULTS: We report a complication found in three cases (3.8%) that consists of abdominal pain resulting from gastroduodenal lesions and that had a chronic, insidious course. Microscopically, microspheres were detected in the specimens obtained from all affected gastric areas. Since these gastroduodenal lesions do not appear when nonradiating microspheres are injected in animals, lesions are likely to be due to radiation and not to an ischemic effect of vascular occlusion by spheres. CONCLUSIONS: We believe that a pretreatment evaluation that includes a more thorough scrutiny of the hepatic vascularization in search of small collaterals connecting to the gastroduodenal tract can help prevent this awkward complicatio

Leukotriene C4 detection as an early graft function marker in liver transplantation

Leukotrienes are a group of compounds belonging to the eicosanoid family that are formed from the metabolism of arachidonic acid by means of 5-lipoxigenase. Leukotriene C4 (LTC4) has a pronounced proinflammatory character and is formed by combining leukotriene A4 with glutation. This step is catalyzed mainly by the isoenzyme 4-4 of the hepatic glutation transferases, although other enzymes may participate in its formation. The liver plays a decisive part in the formation of this compound despite the fact that it can be synthesized along other cellular lines. In orthotopic liver transplant (OLT), the evaluation of the early functioning of the graft is, in many cases, complex. The difficulty of evaluation lies in the absence of specific markers to indicate when the transplanted organ will prove viable notwithstanding the damage resulting from preservation, and when these lesions are irreversible. The aim of this study is to determine whether there is a relationship between the ability to synthesize LTC4 immediately after OLT and the early functioning of the graft