[Congenital cervical salivary fistula: a case report]. / Fistules salivaires cervicales congénitales: à propos d'un cas.

Cyst and fistulas of the gills grooves and thyro-glossal tracts are well documented. On the contrary, congenital neck salivary fistulas are uncommon.

Analysis of hydrophilic and lipophilic choline compounds in radioresistant and radiosensitive glioblastoma cell lines by HILIC-ESI-MS/MS.

A new method based on hydrophilic interaction chromatography-electrospray ionisation-tandem mass spectrometry (HILIC-ESI-MS/MS) coupled to the use of a stable isotope labelled substrate was developed to study the metabolism of choline (Cho) compounds in two human glioblastoma multiform (GBM) cell lines with different responses to ionising radiation. Analysis was performed in the positive ion mode using multiple reaction monitoring. This fast, sensitive and selective method enabled the profiling of both hydrophilic and lipophilic Cho-containing compounds, to analyse specifically different phosphatidylcholine (PtdCho) molecular species, and to measure simultaneously native and labelled Cho metabolites. Radioresistant (SF763) and radiosensitive (SF767) cells were incubated for 8 h with d(9)-Cho. Higher native Cho and phosphocholine (PCho) concentrations and higher uptake of d(9)-Cho and formation of d(9)-PCho were found in the radioresistant cell line. The similar low concentrations of native cytidine 5'-diphosphocholine (CDP-Cho) and d(9)-CDP-Cho in both cell lines show that CDP-Cho is the limiting metabolite in the two models. The turnovers (percentage of each d(9)-Cho compound in its respective pool, i.e. native + labelled) were lower in radioresistant cells for all Cho compounds, suggesting a global PtdCho metabolism more active in radiosensitive cells that could be related to their higher proliferation rate.

[Toxocariasis mimicking liver tumor]. / Toxocarose hépatique pseudotumorale.

INTRODUCTION: Toxocariasis is a common helminth infection that causes visceral larva migrans in humans. It has a wide and varied clinical spectrum. CASE: A 60-year-old woman consulted after 6 months of recurrent biliary pain with fever. Laboratory tests showed moderate disturbance of liver enzymes and hypereosinophilia (10 400/mm3). Imaging studies revealed a pseudotumor in hepatic segment IV, hyperechoic in abdominal ultrasound and low density in computed tomography. The diagnostic conclusion after ultrasound-guided liver biopsy was unspecific granulomatous hepatitis and eosinophilic infiltrate. The course of the antibody titer to Toxocara canis finally resulted in a diagnosis of Toxocara infection. Outcome was good following treatment with diethylcarbamazine. DISCUSSION: Some clinical features of liver toxocariasis can mimic tumors and may be interpreted histologically as granulomatous hepatitis, eosinophilic infiltrate of the hepatic portal vein, and/or necrotizing eosinophilic abscesses. Treatment is not yet well codified, but the symptomatic forms call for albendazole or diethylcarbamazine.

The glutathione-related detoxification system is increased in human breast cancer in correlation with clinical and histopathological features.

PURPOSE: The glutathione detoxification pathway includes glutathione S-transferase (GST) and peroxidase (GPX) isoenzymes as well as glutathione reductase (GSSR). Though well established from cultured cancer cell lines, its involvement in resistance is still unclear in the tumours. This study aimed to describe the parameters that influence the glutathione contents and associated activities in breast cancer. METHODS: The components of the glutathione pathway were measured in the tumours from 41 women with primary breast cancer in comparison with those in the matched tumour-free samples. Appropriate statistical studies (regression analysis, Wilcoxon signed rank test) explored the influence of clinical and prognostic factors. RESULTS: Reduced and total glutathione contents were largely increased (P < 0.0001) and all related activities were significantly enhanced in the tumours. Interindividual variations were described, probably due to various parameters (age, menopause, axillary lymph node status, S and G2 + M cell fractions, ER, cathepsin-D and c-ErbB-2 expressions) that influence particular components of the glutathione pathway, especially the glutathione levels. CONCLUSIONS: The breast tumours improved their redox status and detoxification capacities depending on various parameters of significance for cell proliferation and aggressiveness, which supports the involvement of the glutathione pathway in malignant cell resistance to oxidative stress and apoptosis.

Neurotropic, immunological and gastric effects of low doses of Atropa belladonna L., Gelsemium sempervirens L. and Poumon histamine in stressed mice.

Previous studies realized in the laboratory have indicated that application of experimental stress (such as unavoidable footshock) induced significant behavioral, gastric and immunological alterations in mice. The aim of this study was to evaluate effects of low doses of Atropa belladonna L., Gelsemium sempervirens L. and Poumon histamine on stress-induced behavioral, immunological and gastric alterations. Locomotor, postural and exploratory activities have been evaluated by two behavioral tests: light/dark box and staircase tests. Immunological studies were investigated to count white blood cells subpopulations (lymphocytes, neutrophils, monocytes and basophils) by coulter counter. The severity of gastric erosions was evaluated by microscopic technique in mice after experimental stress. The results have demonstrated that low doses of G. sempervirens L. and A. belladonna L. had a significant neurotropic and protective effects on behavioral and gastric alterations induced by experimental stress. The immunological protective effects observed were probably induced via their neurotropic effects. The P. histamine showed a significant immunoprotective and gastroprotective effect in mice exposed to experimental stress.

Leukaemic small cell variant anaplastic large cell lymphoma during pregnancy.

The history of a 28-year-old woman with anaplastic large cell lymphoma (ALCL) in the first trimester of her pregnancy is reported. Investigations allowed to diagnose a T-cell CD30 positive ALCL, which appearance is rare during pregnancy. Moreover, the atypical lymphoid cells were found in the peripheral blood and were predominantly small to medium sized with nuclear irregularities and cytoplasmic azurophilic granules, which allowed the hypothesis of leukaemic presentation of a small cell variant ALCL. A variant of the t(2:5)(p23:q35) was found [del(2)(p22)]. The patient died shortly after diagnosis.

The glutathione-related detoxification pathway in the human breast: a highly coordinated system disrupted in the tumour tissues.

Glutathione and the associated enzymes, glutathione S-transferases, peroxidases, and reductase, have been implicated in cancer chemoresistance. This pathway was investigated in paired cancerous and peritumoral breast samples from 41 women. The tumours exhibited a higher redox status as deduced from increased transferase, peroxidase, and reductase activities and from higher total and reduced glutathione contents. Several components were strongly correlated in peritumoral tissues, suggesting a highly co-ordinated glutathione pathway that appeared disrupted in breast tumours with only a few correlations left. Therefore, resistance could spontaneously result from deregulated variations in the glutathione pathway, which might be relevant to the malignant disease progression.

Intrapancreatic lipoma. First case in the literature.

A round mass was found by an abdominal ultrasonography in the head of the pancreas of a 63 year-old woman. Ultrasonography was performed because of abdominal pain. Percutaneous aspiration cytology suggested pancreatic adenocarcinoma. A pancreatoduodenectomy was performed heading to the discovery of an intrapancreatic lipoma. This lesion should be added to the list of benign connective tissue tumors of the pancreas.

[Rectal metastasis of breast cancer. Apropos of 2 cases]. / Métastases rectales du cancer du sein. A propos de 2 cas.

2 cases of rectal metastatic breast carcinoma were treated by an abdomino-perineal resection. The rectal involvement is quite uncommon, and only 6 others cases treated with surgery have been described in the international literature. We think that only radical surgery can give a good palliation.

[Pancreas divisum or embryonic pancreas. Anatomical study (apropos of 16 cases)]. / Pancréas divisum ou embryonnaire étude anatomique (à propos de 16 cas).

The authors study the Pancreas divisum's rate in 242 cadavers. With two successive studies, they establish a rate of about 6.6%. They conform the sexual disparity and the presence of muscular fibre cells on a level with papilla duodeni minor.