Curative resection of a primarily unresectable acinar cell carcinoma of the pancreas after chemotherapy

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Acinar cell carcinoma (ACC) represents only 1–2% of pancreatic cancers and is a very rare malignancy. At the time of diagnosis only 50% of the tumors appear to be resectable. Reliable data for an effective adjuvant or neoadjuvant treatment are not available.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>A 65-year old male presented with obstructive jaundice and non-specific upper abdominal pain. MRI-imaging showed a tumor within the head of the pancreas concomitant with Serum-Lipase and CA19-9. During ERCP, a stent was placed. Endosonographic fine needle biopsy confirmed an acinar cell carcinoma. Laparotomy presented an locally advanced tumor with venous infiltration that was consequently deemed unresectable. The patient was treated with five cycles of 5-FU monotherapy with palliative intention. Chemotherapy was well tolerated, and no severe complications were observed. Twelve months later, the patient was in stable condition, and CT-scanning showed an obvious reduction in the size of the tumor. During further operative exploration, a PPPD with resection of the portal vein was performed. Histopathological examination gave evidence of a diffuse necrotic ACC-tumor, all resection margins were found to be negative. Eighteen months later, the patient showed no signs of recurrent disease.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>ACC responded well to 5-FU monochemotherapy. Therefore, neoadjuvant chemotherapy could be an option to reduce a primarily unresectable ACC to a point where curative resection can be achieved.</p

Selective Hyper-responsiveness of the Interferon System in Major Depressive Disorders and Depression Induced by Interferon Therapy

Though an important percentage of patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) undergoing interferon (IFN) therapy develop depressive symptoms, the role of the IFN system in the pathogenesis of depressive disorders is not well understood.50 patients with HCV infection were treated with standard combination therapy (pegylated IFN-α2a/ribavirin). IFN-induced gene expression was analyzed to identify genes which are differentially regulated in patients with or without IFN-induced depression. For validation, PBMC from 22 psychiatric patients with a severe depressive episode (SDE) and 11 controls were cultivated in vitro with pegylated IFN-α2a and gene expression was analyzed.IFN-induced depression in HCV patients was associated with selective upregulation of 15 genes, including 6 genes that were previously described to be relevant for major depressive disorders or neuronal development. In addition, increased endogenous IFN-production and selective hyper-responsiveness of these genes to IFN stimulation were observed in SDE patients.Our data suggest that selective hyper-responsiveness to exogenous (IFN therapy) or endogenous (depressive disorders) type I IFNs may lead to the development of depressive symptoms. These data could lead to the discovery of novel therapeutic approaches to treat IFN-induced and major depressive disorders

Measurement of the forward η\eta meson production rate in p-p collisions at s\sqrt{s}=13 TeV with the LHCf-Arm2 detector

International audienceThe forward $\eta$ mesons production has been observed by the Large Hadron Collider forward (LHCf) experiment in proton-proton collision at $\sqrt{s}$=13 TeV. This paper presents the measurement of the inclusive production rate of $\eta$ in $p_T<$ 1.1 GeV/c, expressed as a function of the Feynman-x variable. These results are compared with the predictions of several hadronic interaction models commonly used for the modelling of the air showers produced by ultra-high energy cosmic rays. This is both the first measurement of $\eta$ mesons from LHCf and the first time a particle containing strange quarks has been observed in the forward region for high-energy collisions. These results will provide a powerful constraint on hadronic interaction models for the purpose of improving the understanding of the processes underlying the air showers produced in the Earth's atmosphere by ultra-energetic cosmic rays

LHCf Run II physics results in proton-proton collisions at s\sqrt{s} = 13 TeV

International audienceThe LHC-forward experiment (LHCf), located at the Large Hadron Collider (LHC), is designed tomeasure the production cross section of neutral particles in the very-forward region, covering thepseudorapidity region above 8.4 (up to zero-degree particles). By measuring the very-forwardparticle production rates at the highest energy possible at an accelerator, LHCf will providefundamental informations to improve phenomenological hadronic interaction models used in thesimulation of air-showers induced by ultra-high-energy cosmic rays in the atmosphere. Theexperiment consists of two small independent detectors placed 140 metres away from the ATLASinteraction point (IP1), on opposite sides. Each detector is made of two sampling and positionsensitive calorimeters.This contribution will focus on the Run II physics results of LHCf in proton-proton collisions at 13TeV. At first the photon energy spectrum will be presented and compared with the predictions ofseveral hadronic interaction models. The advantages of the ATLAS-LHCf combined analysis willthen be discussed and the preliminary spectrum of very-forward photons produced in diffractivecollisions (tagged by ATLAS) will be shown together with models predictions. The preliminaryFeynman-x and transverse momentum spectrum of $\pi^0$, and the Feynman-x spectrum of $\eta$ will alsobe presented. Photons and $\pi^0$ production cross section provides important information about theelectromagnetic component of an air-shower, while $\eta$ measurements give the possibility to probethe strange-quark related contribution. Finally, the neutron energy spectrum measured in severalpseudorapidity regions will be shown and compared with the predictions of various hadronicinteraction models. From these measurements the average inelasticity of the collisions, whichstrongly affects the development of an air-shower, has also been extracted

Measurement of the forward η\eta meson production rate in p-p collisions at s\sqrt{s}=13 TeV with the LHCf-Arm2 detector

International audienceThe forward $\eta$ mesons production has been observed by the Large Hadron Collider forward (LHCf) experiment in proton-proton collision at $\sqrt{s}$=13 TeV. This paper presents the measurement of the inclusive production rate of $\eta$ in $p_T<$ 1.1 GeV/c, expressed as a function of the Feynman-x variable. These results are compared with the predictions of several hadronic interaction models commonly used for the modelling of the air showers produced by ultra-high energy cosmic rays. This is both the first measurement of $\eta$ mesons from LHCf and the first time a particle containing strange quarks has been observed in the forward region for high-energy collisions. These results will provide a powerful constraint on hadronic interaction models for the purpose of improving the understanding of the processes underlying the air showers produced in the Earth's atmosphere by ultra-energetic cosmic rays