Collaborative study for the calibration of Ph. Eur. Heparin Sodium Biological Reference Preparation batch 4.

An international collaborative study was organised under the aegis of the Biological Standardisation Programme (BSP) of the Council of Europe and the European Union to calibrate a replacement batch for the European Pharmacopoeia (Ph. Eur.) Heparin sodium Biological Reference Preparation (BRP). Seventeen laboratories contributed data to value assign a candidate batch (cBRP4) in International Units (IU) against the WHO 6th International Standard for Unfractionated Heparin using chromogenic and sheep plasma clotting assays according to Ph. Eur. texts 2.7.5. on unfractionated heparin and 0878 on human antithrombin III. The continuity of consecutive batches of BRP was evaluated by including BRP3 in the set of test samples. The central analysis of the study data showed good precision and reproducibility of both chromo-genic and clotting assays among laboratories. Based on the study data, the Ph. Eur. Commission adopted cBRP4 as Ph. Eur. Heparin sodium BRP4 with assigned activities of 985 IU/mL for anti-IIa assays, 995 IU/mL for anti-Xa assays and 1035 IU/mL for sheep clotting assays.

[Is hysterectomy required during vaginal reconstructive pelvic surgery? About histopathological results]. / Faut-il conserver l'utérus lors de la cure de prolapsus ? Réflexions à partir des résultats anatomo-pathologiques.

OBJECTIVES: To evaluate the rate of pre-cancerous and cancerous endometrial lesions in hysterectomy during vaginal reconstructive pelvic surgery. PATIENTS AND METHODS: In this retrospective and continuous study, a vaginal procedure including reconstructive pelvic surgery with vaginal mesh, hysterectomy and adnexectomy was performed in 152 patients between April 2001 and January 2006. An ultrasonography evaluation was done before surgery. A histopathological analysis of uterus, ovaries and tubes was also performed. RESULTS: In the analysis of 136 cases, precancerous and cancerous lesions have been diagnosed while ultrasonography or cervical smear were normal: 2 (1.4%) endocervical dysplasia, 1 (0.7%) cervical epidermoid carcinoma, 10 (7.35%) endometrial complex non-atypical hyperplasia, 7 (5.1%) endometrial atypical hyperplasia and 2 (1.4%) endometrioid endometrial carcinoma. There was not any cancerous lesions in tubes or ovaries. At 10months, mesh exposure was low at 2.9% (four cases). DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSION: The important rate of cancerous and precancerous lesions raise the question of hysterectomy or hysteroscopy and endometrial biopsy in case of uterine preservation during a vaginal reconstructive pelvic surgery.

[Detection of B19 parvovirus in plasma pools before solvent-detergent treatment of plasma: AFSSAPS and EFS Aquitaine-Limousin's experience]. / Détection du génome viral du parvovirus B19 dans les pools de plasmas servant à la préparation du plasma frais congelé traité pour viro-atténuation par solvant-détergent : expérience de l'Afssaps et de l'EFS Aquitaine-Limousin.

Since 1998, the Aquitaine-Limousin branch of the French Blood Institute has set up a parvovirus B19 (PV B19) systematic screening on each unit of plasma to be treated by solvent-detergent procedure for virus inactivation. Parvovirus B19 nucleic acid systematic testing in plasma pools became mandatory since 2005 (European monograph "Human plasma" - pooled and treated for virus inactivation). The French competent state authority (AFSSAPS) has decided to introduce this test as a part of the external quality control of labile blood products. This process is related to the harmonization of quality control practice realised on blood products in Europe even if the human plasma pooled and treated for virus inactivation by solvent-detergent is considered in France as a blood labile component. Implementation of this test required a validation step and a close cooperation between AFSSAPS and Aquitaine-Limousin blood transfusion centre. Validation consisted in perfecting a semi-quantitative, real-time nucleic acid testing method with automated extraction. This collaborative study leads us to control 1642 plasma pools. All the results were under the threshold of 10,0 IU/microL. AFSSAPS's results were in agreement with those of Aquitaine-Limousin's blood transfusion center who carry out the parvovirus B19 screening both on fresh frozen plasma units composing the pool and on plasma pools.

[A case of adrenal gland metastasis of a cutaneous melanoma treated by excision with 3-year survival]. / A propos d'un cas de métastase surrénalienne d'un mélanome cutané traité par exérèse avec survie de 3 ans.

Case report of a 38-year-old man who, 14 months after resection of a malignant melanoma from the right shoulder in September 1990, presented with a tumour of the right adrenal gland. Resection confirmed metastatic melanoma. Chemotherapy was administered for 3 months. The patient was followed until his death in March 1995, i.e. three years after resection of the secondary adrenal tumour.

[Feulgen and Rossenbeck staining using a microwave oven for quantification of DNA by image analysis]. / Coloration de Feulgen et Rossenbeck au four à microondes pour la quantification de l'ADN par analyse d'images.

A domestic microwave oven was used to modify the Feulgen staining procedure in order to speed up the preparation of cytopathologic smears for the quantification of cell DNA in image analysis. This simple technique needs some precautions concerning the temperature, the hydrolysis time and the position of staining dishes inside the oven must be taken in order to get reproducible results. Thereafter, the conventional staining time can be reduced to 30%. This technique can be applied to cytopathologic smears from various tissues: bladder, prostate, breast, ovary.