[Study of cathepsin D levels in invasive bladder cancer and its stroma. Correlation with tumor stage, cytological grade, lymph node metastasis and survival]. / Estudio de los niveles de catepsina D en el tumor vesical infiltrante y en su estroma, y de su correlación con el estadio tumoral, grado citológico, afectación ganglionar y supervivencia.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate cathepsin D as a prognostic marker in invasive bladder cancer and to determine its relationship with stage, grade, lymph-node metastasis and survival too. MATERIAL AND METHODS: An immunohistochemical staining of 32 radical cystectomy specimens suffering from transitional cell carcinoma was performed, using a monoclonal antibody anti-cathepsin D (Novocastra). We made a semicuantitative measurement of the cathepsin D expression in the tumor and in the peritumoral stroma in a 400 x microscopic high power field. Patient population was composed of 31 men and 1 woman with a mean age of 63.25 years. The mean follow up was 23.6 months. Stage was classified with the WHO 1997 classification. Grade was classified with the ISUP/WHO 1998 classification. For the statistical analysis the Chi-square test, Pearson's test R, the Kaplan Meier method and the log-rank test were used. RESULTS: The pathological stages of the surgical specimens were as follows: pTo:3.1% (1), pT1:12.5% (4), pT2:15.6% (5), pT3:34.4% (11). (p < 0.001) A high cytologic grade was found in 81.25% of the tumors. There was a 43.8% progression rate and 40.6% mortality. There was no statistically significant relationship among Cathepsin's D levels in the stroma and lymph node metastases, stage, or grade (p = 0.473, p = 0.604, p = 0.2423). There was no statistically significant relationship among Cathepsin's D levels in the tumor and lymph node metastases, stage or grade (p = 0.496, p = 0.722 and p = 0.461). The cathepsin D levels, neither in the stroma nor in the tumor, showed no influence neither on the disease free intervals nor in the survival rates (p = 0.785; p = 0.355 and p = 0.614; p = 0.601 respectively). CONCLUSIONS: Immunohistochemical Cathepsin D levels do not seem to play a role in the prognostic of transitional tumors of the urinary bladder.

Expression of type I interferon receptor in renal cell carcinoma.

Immunohistochemical analysis of INF-R was performed on 110 renal tumors, 25 peritumoral kidney tissues and 10 lymph node metastases. Pathological material was previously studied and classified according to predominant cell type, stage and grade. A statistical analysis was made in order to determine to what extent the immunoexpression of INF-R differed in relation to the histological variables studied. All peritumoral kidney sections, 89/110 tumors and 9/10 metastases proved positive. Membranous expression was related to clear cell carcinomas. Type I INF-R is expressed in RCC, independent of tumor stage and grade, as well as sex, age and survival. INF-R is widely expressed in RCC in any tumoral type, and its expression is preserved in metastatic disease, which may help to target those patients who could benefit from INF therapy.

Proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) as a prognostic factor in renal cell carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: A retrospective study was performed on patients with renal cell carcinoma to determine whether tumoral proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) is a predictive factor. METHODS: We studied immunohisto-chemical PCNA expression with pc10 monoclonal antibody in 109 renal tumor paraffin sections. These tumors were previously classified according to cellular type by Thoenes, Furman's grading and Robson's staging, Moreover, we counted the number of mitoses in 10 high power fields (HPF) and also evaluated the tumoral necrosis percentage. Ten year survival curve of Kaplan and Meier was obtained for 90 patients. RESULTS: Nuclear immunostaining for PCNA showed a statistical correlation with Robson's stage, cellular type and nuclear grade. Moreover, the number of positive nuclei was higher in tumors presenting an elevated mitosis count and higher in degree of necrosis. Survival was significantly poorer in patients whose PCNA index was greater than 5%. Nuclear PCNA immunostaining was shown to be an independent prognostic factor in patients with Robson stage I and also in those who had high cytological grading. CONCLUSIONS: These results show PCNA to be a prognostic marker for RCC.

Correlation between serum values of prostatic acid phosphatase and morphometric analysis in the cytologic diagnosis of prostatic carcinoma.

We studied 78 men with suspicion of prostatic carcinoma, who underwent transrectal aspiration biopsy, diagnosing 46 adenocarcinoma, 13 chronic prostatitis and 19 benign prostatic hyperplasia. Moreover, we determined prostatic acid phosphatase (PAP) by enzyme immunoanalysis, resulting in 9/78 false-positives and 18/78 false-negatives. Also, we carried out a morphometric analysis of the cytologic samples which showed good correlation with the cytologic diagnosis except in the moderately differentiated carcinomas. We found a good correlation between PAP values, cytologic diagnosis and nuclear size as well as the percentage of the binucleolated cells.

[Segmental kidney dysplasia]. / Displasia renal segmentaria.

The frequency of segmental renal dysplasia was studied in 15 patients with complete pyeloureteral duplication whose anatomopathologic diagnosis of the lesions of some of the renal segments of duplication were available (14 partial nephrectomies, one open renal biopsy). Evidence of dysplasia was found in 10 cases (67%), the remaining 5 were diagnosed as having chronic pyelonephritis. All patients had a coexisting ureteric anomaly that drained the dysplastic renal segment: 6 ureteral ectopias, 3 ectopic ureteroceles, 1 vesicoureteral reflux. The clinical and pathogenic importance of the associated anomalies of the excretory tract, the diagnostic difficulties arising from the minimally- or non-functioning dysplastic renal segment, and the therapeutic modalities utilized are discussed.

[The Ask-Upmark kidney: a form of reflux nephropathy]. / El riñón de ASK-Upmark: una forma de nefropatía del reflujo.

We present six female patients aged 14 to 47, all diagnosed histopathologically as suffering from Ask-Upmark Kidney and who had clinical manifestations of severe arterial tension associated with urinary infection in four cases. Mictional Cystourethrography was carried out in all cases, and four of them displayed vesicoureteral reflux in the small kidney. Although this pathology has classically been considered a congenital malformation in the context of renal hypoplasias (segmental hypoplasia), the observation of glomerular traces with PAS staining in the renal segments regarded classically as "aglomerular" and the frequent association of this pathology with vesicoureteral reflux point significantly towards Ask-Upmark Kidney being a form of reflux nephropathy. Nephrectomy cured the arterial hypertension in half the cases, and the factors with prognostic importance in this respect are commented upon.

[Effects of urologic surgery on lymphocyte blastogenic response to phytohemagglutinin]. / Efectos de la cirugía urológica sobre la respuesta blastogénica linfocitaria a la PHA.

In order to study the effect of urological surgery on the defence system, we have evaluated the postoperative evolution of the lymphocyte blastogenic response to phytohemagglutinin (PHA) in 45 patients. 25 of them were subjected to a transurethral resection (TUR) of a vesical tumour, 10 to a transvesical prostatectomy, 6 to a pyelolithotomy and 4 to a nephrectomy due to renal atrophy secondary to lithiasis. We verified a significant drop in the lymphocyte blastogenic response to PHA at 2-4 hours of transvesical prostatectomy (p less than 0.001) and of pyelolithotomy and nephrectomy (p less than 0.001) which was sustained until the fourth and second day after operation respectively, with subsequent return to normal. However, lymphocyte blastogenic response to PHA did not vary significantly during the postoperative of patients subjected to a TUR of vesical tumours. On the whole, the degree and duration of postoperative immunodepression was dependent on the intensity of the surgical traumatism.

[Renal dysplasia and vesico-ureteral reflux]. / Displasia renal y reflujo vesicoureteral.

We studied two groups of patients in order to evaluate the frequency of association between renal dysplasia and vesicoureteral reflux. The first was composed of 19 patients with dysplastic kidneys, 15 of whom were studied by means of micturition cystourethrography. The second group was made up of 86 patients with 124 kidneys with reflux. In 16 of these we were able to obtain a histopathological diagnosis of the renal lesions (12 nephrectomies, 4 biopsies). In three cases the renal dysplasia was associated with a vesicoureteral reflux, which represents an incidence of reflux in 20% of the patients with renal dysplasia, and an incidence of dysplasia in 19% of the kidneys with reflux examined histopathologically. We contrast these results with the literature, discussing the pathogenic hypotheses that enable us to explain this association as well as the clinical consequences thereof.

[Effects of urologic surgery on lymphocyte subpopulations]. / Efectos de la cirugía urológica sobre las subpoblaciones linfocitarias.

We studied the postoperative development of lymphocytes, T cells and lymphocyte subpopulations, in peripheral blood in 45 patients. Twenty-five of them were subjected to a TUR of a bladder tumor, 10 to a transvesical prostatectomy, 6 to a pyelolithotomy and 4 to a nephrectomy for renal atrophy secondary to lithiasis. We confirm a significant postoperative drop in the lymphocyte count and in the percentages of OKT 3+ (total T cells), OKT 4+ (helper T cells) and OKT 8+ cells (cytotoxic/suppressor T cells) 2-4 hours after the operation. Its duration varies according to the type of operation carried out. Despite the slight differences observed in the postoperative development of the lymphocyte subpopulations, at no time in the study did we report significant postoperative variations in the OKT 4+/OKT 8+ quotient.

[Treatment of advanced prostatic carcinoma with ketoconazole. Our experience in 10 cases]. / Tratamiento del carcinoma prostático avanzado con ketoconazol. Nuestra experiencia en diez casos.

We have treated 10 patients with histologically diagnosed prostate carcinoma, in states C and D, with orally administered dosage of 1200 mg./day of ketoconazol, with the following results: Four patients were excluded through displaying gastrointestinal intolerance in the first days of treatment. Three patients treated had the dosage reduced to half due to poor tolerance, but no improvement was noted. Another three patients tolerated the treatment for four months and displayed transitory remission of ostealgia, which permitted the withdrawal of analgesics. In these patients the treatment was suspended due to digestive intolerance and to the appearance of a clinical picture compatible with suprarrenal corex hypoadrenalism.