Spanish multicenter study of surgical resection of pancreatic tumors infiltrating the celiac axis: does the type of pancreatectomy affect results?

BACKGROUND: Pancreatectomy plus celiac axis resection (CAR) is performed in patients with locally advanced pancreatic cancer. The morbidity rates are high, and no survival benefit has been confirmed. It is not known at present whether it is the type of pancreatectomy, or CAR itself, that is the reason for the high complication rates. METHODS: Observational retrospective multicenter study. INCLUSION CRITERIA: patient undergoing TP, PD or DP plus CAR for a pancreatic cancer. RESULTS: Sixty-two patients who had undergone pancreatic cancer surgery (PD,TP or DP) plus CAR were studied. Group 1: 17 patients who underwent PD/TP-CAR (13TP/4PD); group 2: 45 patients who underwent DP-CAR. Groups were mostly homogeneous. Operating time was longer in the PD/TP group, while operative complications did not differ statistically in the two groups. The number of lymph nodes removed was higher in the PD/TP group (26.5 vs 17.3), and this group also had a higher positive node ratio (17.9% vs 7.6%). There were no statistical differences in total or disease-free survival between the two groups. CONCLUSION: It seems that CAR, and not the type of pancreatectomy, influences morbidity and mortality in this type of surgery. International multicenter studies with larger numbers of patients are now needed to validate the data presented here.

The Impact of Culturing the Organ Preservation Fluid on Solid Organ Transplantation: A Prospective Multicenter Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: We analyzed the prevalence, etiology, and risk factors of culture-positive preservation fluid and their impact on the management of solid organ transplant recipients. METHODS: From July 2015 to March 2017, 622 episodes of adult solid organ transplants at 7 university hospitals in Spain were prospectively included in the study. RESULTS: The prevalence of culture-positive preservation fluid was 62.5% (389/622). Nevertheless, in only 25.2% (98/389) of the cases were the isolates considered "high risk" for pathogenicity. After applying a multivariate regression analysis, advanced donor age was the main associated factor for having culture-positive preservation fluid for high-risk microorganisms. Preemptive antibiotic therapy was given to 19.8% (77/389) of the cases. The incidence rate of preservation fluid-related infection was 1.3% (5 recipients); none of these patients had received preemptive therapy. Solid organ transplant (SOT) recipients with high-risk culture-positive preservation fluid receiving preemptive antibiotic therapy presented both a lower cumulative incidence of infection and a lower rate of acute rejection and graft loss compared with those who did not have high-risk culture-positive preservation fluid. After adjusting for age, sex, type of transplant, and prior graft rejection, preemptive antibiotic therapy remained a significant protective factor for 90-day infection. CONCLUSIONS: The routine culture of preservation fluid may be considered a tool that provides information about the contamination of the transplanted organ. Preemptive therapy for SOT recipients with high-risk culture-positive preservation fluid may be useful to avoid preservation fluid-related infections and improve the outcomes of infection, graft loss, and graft rejection in transplant patients.

Regulation of cell death receptor S-nitrosylation and apoptotic signaling by Sorafenib in hepatoblastoma cells.

Nitric oxide (NO) plays a relevant role during cell death regulation in tumor cells. The overexpression of nitric oxide synthase type III (NOS-3) induces oxidative and nitrosative stress, p53 and cell death receptor expression and apoptosis in hepatoblastoma cells. S-nitrosylation of cell death receptor modulates apoptosis. Sorafenib is the unique recommended molecular-targeted drug for the treatment of patients with advanced hepatocellular carcinoma. The present study was addressed to elucidate the potential role of NO during Sorafenib-induced cell death in HepG2 cells. We determined the intra- and extracellular NO concentration, cell death receptor expression and their S-nitrosylation modifications, and apoptotic signaling in Sorafenib-treated HepG2 cells. The effect of NO donors on above parameters has also been determined. Sorafenib induced apoptosis in HepG2 cells. However, low concentration of the drug (10nM) increased cell death receptor expression, as well as caspase-8 and -9 activation, but without activation of downstream apoptotic markers. In contrast, Sorafenib (10 µM) reduced upstream apoptotic parameters but increased caspase-3 activation and DNA fragmentation in HepG2 cells. The shift of cell death signaling pathway was associated with a reduction of S-nitrosylation of cell death receptors in Sorafenib-treated cells. The administration of NO donors increased S-nitrosylation of cell death receptors and overall induction of cell death markers in control and Sorafenib-treated cells. In conclusion, Sorafenib induced alteration of cell death receptor S-nitrosylation status which may have a relevant repercussion on cell death signaling in hepatoblastoma cells.

Osteoclastoid giant cell carcinoma of the pancreas.

Osteoclastoid (osteoclast-like) giant cell carcinoma of the pancreas is an infrequent entity. There has long been discussion concerning its epithelial or mesenchymal origin. Whether its prognosis is better than that of other exocrine tumours of the pancreas has not yet been established. We present a case of this rare entity. The patient has remained disease-free now for 30 months.

Agenesis of the gallbladder confirmed by nuclear magnetic resonance cholangiogram.

We present a case of gallbladder agenesis, an uncommon bile duct malformation, which was found on attempting to perform a laparoscopic cholecystectomy. The diagnosis was confirmed postoperatively on a nuclear magnetic resonance cholangiogram.

[Re-education of the anal sphincter in patients with myelomeningocele]. / Reeducación del esfínter anal en el mielomeningocele.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to analyze the usefulness of biofeedback techniques based on manometrical procedures in the treatment of defecation disorders in patients with myelomeningocele. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We studied 24 patients with myelomeningocele, aged 13 days to 15 years, who were referred to our Instrumental Diagnosis Unit for evaluation of anorectal function, or constipation and/or fecal incontinence study. Biofeedback was given to 12 patients who fulfilled the following criteria: age more than 5 years, existence of anorectal sensitivity with a perceptual threshold of less than 60 ml of rectal expansion, ability to contract and relax the gluteus muscles and thus be able to exercise pressure on the anal margin, and collaboration on the part of child and the family. As a complement defecatory maneuvers were performed. RESULTS: Between 4 and 65 sessions took place (35.14 19.97) after which rectal perceptual volume decreased from 24.66 14.13 to 3.33 2.95 ml and pressure on the anal margin increased from 45.62 17.82 to 114.37 13.99 mmHg. These differences were statistically significant (p < 0.001). Clear clinical improvement was produced in 10 of 12 patients who achieved good fecal continence with spontaneous depositions. Partial improvement was produced in 2 patients. CONCLUSIONS: We consider that biofeedback based on manometrical procedures is more useful than other conservative therapies in the treatment of defecatory problems in patients with myelomeningocele. In most patients this technique produces clinical improvement with satisfactory continence and without the drawbacks of other procedures.