Radiofrequency Ablation for Treatment of Refractory Gastric Antral Vascular Ectasia: A Systematic Review of the Literature.

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS: GAVE is an uncommon cause of upper nonvariceal bleeding and often manifests itself as occult bleeding with chronic anemia. To date, the standard of care for GAVE is endoscopic treatment with thermoablative techniques. Despite good technical results, approximately two thirds of patients remain dependent on transfusions after the therapy. One of the emerging and more promising endoscopic treatments for GAVE is radiofrequency ablation (RFA). The aim of this study is to perform a systematic review of literature in order to assess current evidence supporting the effectiveness of this technique for treatment of refractory GAVE. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Through electronic search, we identified 14 records, and after removal of duplicates and irrelevant studies, we selected 10 studies on radiofrequency ablation of GAVE: 4 prospective open-label single-center studies, 1 retrospective multicentric study, and 5 case reports. RESULTS: Among all 72 treated patients reported in literature, 74.3% achieved a clinical response, while nonfatal AEs have been reported in 4.2% of cases. CONCLUSIONS: Despite some qualitative limitations, all literature data support effectiveness of RFA for treatment of refractory GAVE. In the future, large prospective controlled trials with adequate follow-up are needed to better assess the effectiveness and safety of this procedure.

Role of the association of high-risk HPV identified by real-time PCR in cervical preneoplastic lesions.

OBJECTIVE: To evaluate the effects of infection in multiple types of high-risk human papilloma virus (HPV) in cervical preneoplastic lesions in patients undergoing colposcopy following a diagnosis of atypical squamous cells of unknown significance (ASCUS) and low-grade squamous intraepithelial (LSIL) cytology. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Between 2009 and 2010, 2,500 patients were recruited with a mean age of 35 +/- 5 years. Screening for cervical cancer was performed and in case of ASCUS and LSIL the patients underwent colposcopy. The tests for the detection and typing of viral DNA (HPV - DNA test) were performed on cervical swab with real-time PCR amplification. RESULTS: The prevalence of infection was 70% (1579/2256) in the patients recruited. In relation to the degree of preneoplastic lesions some high-risk HPV viral genotypes were identified: HPV 16 (319/1466), HPV 18 (164/1466), HPV 45 (76/1466), HPV 31 (215/1466), HPV 52 (145/1466), HPV 58 (55/1466) HPV 56 (79/1466), HPV 51 (110/1466), HPV 6(138/1466), HPV 11 (88/1466), HPV 42 (34/1466), HPV 53 (43/1466). In case of high-grade lesions of CIN (CIN2 and CIN3) a greater HPV co-infection was detected and in particular the association from 16 to 18 (70%), 16-33 (18%) and 16 to 52 (12%). CONCLUSIONS: Infection caused by the simultaneous presence of multiple HPV genotypes appears to be associated with a significantly increased risk of high-grade lesions of CIN or invasive cancer than the presence of single viral infections. The infection with multiple HPV types is a significant risk factor for high-grade lesions of CIN in women undergoing colposcopy for ASCUS cytology/LSIL. The use of real-time PCR has shown the ability not only to identify the different types of HPV, but also to monitor quantitatively the same over time, and during the study phase, to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of the method in comparison with other techniques.

[Ventilatory care]. / L'assistenza ventilatoria.

Mechanical ventilation is considered a supportive, nontherapeutic technology used to perform the work of breathing for patients who are unable to do so on their own. In neonatology, mechanical ventilation is often used for premature neonates who are unable to sustain ventilation because of reduced functional residual capacity due to surfactant deficiency. Mechanical ventilation is thus an attempt to mimic the respiratory system's physiological function of gas exchange until the respiratory system reaches maturation. In pediatrics, mechanical ventilation is rarely used for acute respiratory distress syndrome as shown by Dahlem et al. in 2003 who found that only 9.9% of cases of respiratory failure in PICU was caused by ARDS. For this reason, ventilatory techniques in PICU are very heterogenous from the assisted to the most aggressive controlled modes associated with ventilator maneuvers. There are no specific guidelines for the use of mechanical ventilation in children and the low number of infants with ARDS in PICU makes it difficult to run randomized controlled trials in this population. Thus the algorithms are based on the results of either adult or neonatal studies. The advantage of extrapolating data from the neonatal evidence relates mainly to the prevention of ventilator induced lung injury (e.g., CPAP, HFOV, NIV, permissive hypercapnia, surfattant), of which neonatologists are particularly expert.

Limits on light-speed anisotropies from Compton scattering of high-energy electrons.

The possibility of anisotropies in the speed of light relative to the limiting speed of electrons is considered. The absence of sidereal variations in the energy of Compton-edge photons at the European Synchrotron Radiation Facility's GRAAL facility constrains such anisotropies representing the first nonthreshold collision-kinematics study of Lorentz violation. When interpreted within the minimal standard-model extension, this result yields the two-sided limit of 1.6×10(-14) at 95% confidence level on a combination of the parity-violating photon and electron coefficients (κ(o+))(YZ), (κ(o+))(ZX), c(TX), and c(TY). This new constraint provides an improvement over previous bounds by 1 order of magnitude.

Neurofibroma in a striped mullet: histochemical and immunohistochemical study.

A case of neurofibroma is reported in a wild striped mullet Mugil cephalus. Macro- and microscopic features are described. The tumor arose on the head as a white-grayish, firm mass protruding outwards but covered by the epidermis. The neoplastic tissue showed well-defined borders and was encapsulated; it was predominantly composed of elongated cells with ellipsoid, hyperchromatic nuclei and pale cytoplasm. The cells were irregularly arranged; in the context of the neoplastic proliferation, these cells were usually densely packed, sometimes forming parallel arrays, but without distinctive nuclear palisades. The diagnosis of neurofibroma is also supported by the positive immunostaining for S-100 and vimentin as well as by the negative calretinin reaction.

Ovarian cancer: lymph node metastases.

PURPOSE OF INVESTIGATION: To analyze pelvic and paraaortic lymph node involvement in epithelial ovarian cancer. METHODS: Between 1995 and 2006, 60 patients with FIGO Stages II, III, IV epithelial ovarian cancer underwent surgical treatment, including systematic pelvic and paraaortic lymphadenectomy. RESULTS: Aortic lymph node metastases were documented in 45 (75%) patients and pelvic nodal metastases in 42 (70%). The incidence of paraaortic nodal involvement was 20% (12/60) in the absence of positive pelvic nodes while the incidence of pelvic nodal involvement was 15% (9/60) in the absence of paraaortic disease; both pelvic and paraaortic lymph node involvement occurred in 55% of patients. The most frequent groups for nodal metastases are paracaval (56%), externaliliac (60%), and obturator (55%). CONCLUSION: The rate of nodal involvement is important in ovarian cancer and there is a high prevalence of both pelvic and paraaortic lymph node metastases. For this reason bilateral pelvic and paraaortic lymphadenectomy is necessary for staging and as treatment for micrometastases, also in patients with unilateral tumors.

Renal involvement in systemic amyloidosis: an Italian collaborative study on survival and renal outcome.

BACKGROUND: Few data are available from large population-based studies on survival and renal outcome of patients with renal involvement and different types of systemic amyloidosis. METHODS: Two hundred and ninety of over 373 patients affected from systemic amyloidosis with renal involvement diagnosed in Italy between January 1995 and December 2000 were followed from diagnosis to death or until the last available clinical control. Eighty-three patients were excluded from analysis either because the amyloid type remained undetermined or they were lost at follow-up. Clinical and laboratory information was collected according to the different types of amyloidosis using a specific form which included renal function with 24 h proteinuria at diagnosis and at the end of follow-up, the type and the date of onset of dialysis and the kind of treatment they underwent. RESULTS: The median time of follow-up was 24 months in primary (AL) amyloidosis (range: 1-88 months), 16 months in AL with associated multiple myeloma (MM + AL: range 1-76 months), 30 months in reactive (AA) amyloidosis (range: 1-99 months) and 52 months in patients with familial forms (AF: range 14-82 months). Patients with AL showed a significantly shorter survival than AA. Despite no significant differences of renal outcome or survival on dialysis being observed between the two groups, a lower renal survival with a higher number of patients who progressed to end-stage renal disease (ESRD) was observed in patients with AA. Overall survival was markedly improved in patients with AL who underwent a specific therapy (conventional chemotherapy or autologous stem cell transplantation (ASCT)) even in the absence of a positive kidney response. Multivariate analysis showed cardiac involvement and specific therapy to significantly influence survival in AL whereas age, serum creatinine (sCr) and heart involvement significantly affected survival in AA. In both groups, sCr and heart involvement were the most relevant predictors for renal outcome, together with urinary protein excretion, in patients with AA. CONCLUSIONS: Our results show a worse survival in AL due to the higher prevalence of heart involvement in this group and emphasize that a specific therapy significantly prolongs survival and slows the progression of renal disease in patients with AL. We suggest that a late nephrological referral is likely the cause of the higher sCr found at presentation in patients with AA and probably accounts for the lower renal survival observed in the short term in these patients. At the time being, renal transplantation and ASCT are still rare therapeutic options for renal patients affected from systemic amyloidosis.

Evaluación no invasiva del status volémico. Confrontación entre indicadores radiográficos y volumétricos / Not invasive evaluation of the status volémico. Confrontation between warning radiográficos and volumetric

La finalidad de nuestro estudio ha sido la de evaluar la existencia de posibles correlaciones entre los principales indicadores volumétricos de carga previa y de función cardiaca, obtenida mediante el sistema PiCCO® (Pulsion Medical Systems, Munich, Alemania), con todos los datos derivados del análisis sistemático de la radiografía de tórax en proyección antero posterior, así como el pedúnculo vascular (VPW) y el índice cardiotorácico (RCT). Materiales y Métodos: Hemos incluido 15 pacientes y analizado conjuntamente 79 radiografías de pacientes electivos. Todos fueron sometidos a monitorización hemodinámica mediante PiCCO y al estudio de los parámetros radiográficos obtenidos (VPW, RCT). El análisis: cálculo de la media y desviación estándar; un análisis de la correlación para las siguientes parejas de parámetros: volumen de sangre intratorácica (ITBVI)-RCT, ITBVI-VPW, agua extravascular (EVLWI )-RCT, EVLWI-VPW . Resultados. Las parejas de los valores estudiados han evidenciado una correlación linear con R igual a 0.54 entre EVLWI-RCT. Discusión. Aunque es un estudio preliminar, los hallazgos más significativos se ven en las variaciones de RCT, que presentan una correspondencia con el edema intersticial antes de que aparezca un incremento crítico de la rata de líquido alveolar. En nuestra experiencia no hemos evidenciado una fuerte correlación entre VPW y los normales indicadores volumétricos de precarga. De acuerdo con los datos en literatura y también en la experiencia pediátrica, estos instrumentos presentan límites que aún no consienten sustituir completamente a la correcta cuantificación de la rata de agua extravascular, en respuesta al incremento volémico. Palabras Claves: Monitorización Hemodinámica, Monitor de PiCCO, Volemia, pedúnculo vascular, índice cardiotorácico, Volumen de sangre intratorácica, Volumen de agua extravascular intrapulmonar, Índice de función cardiaca...

[Metabolomics and medical practice]. / Metabolomica e pratica medica.

High resolution NMR spectroscopy, currently known as "metabolomics", is a technology enabling the rapid, noninvasive and low cost determination of low molecular weigh metabolites (e.g. aminoacids) in biological fluids such as plasma, urine, saliva, cerebrospinal fluid and others. According to Nicholson "Metabolomics is the quantitative measurement of the dynamic multiparametric metabolic response of living systems to pathophysiological stimuli or genetic modification". Over the past 10 years this technology made it possible to discover of a number of lesser-known organ-specific metabolites that has been demonstrated to be reliable indicators of both organ function and viability. Consequently metabolomics has been used, with interesting results, for the functional evaluation of many organs (kidney, liver, heart), drug toxicity and post-transplant monitoring. The international literature demonstrates a growing interest for this technology and its capabilities.

Activity of D-carnitine and its derivatives on Trypanosoma infections in rats and mice.

Little progress has been made in the treatment of African trypanosomiasis over the past decades. L-carnitine has a major role in glycolysis-based energy supply of blood trypanosomes for it stimulates constant ATP production. To investigate whether administration of the isomer D-carnitine could exert a competitive inhibition on the metabolic pathway of the L-form, possibly resulting in parasite replication inhibition, several formulations of this compound were tested on Trypanosoma lewisi and T. brucei rhodesiense in rodent models. High oral dosages of D-cornitine inner salt and proprionyl-D-carnitine were not toxic to animals and induced about 50% parasite growth inhibition in reversible, i.e. competitive, fashion. A putative mechanism could be an interference in pyruvate kinase activity and hence ATP production. Considering both, lack of toxicity and inhibitory activity, D-carnitine may have a role in the treatment of African trypanosomiasis, in association with available trypanocidal drugs.

Antimicrobial investigation of semipurified fractions of Ginkgo biloba leaves.

A total methanolic extract of Ginkgo biloba leaves was fractionated by solvent partition using ethyl acetate (fraction A), n-butanol (fraction B) and water (fraction C). The antimicrobial activity of the three fractions was evaluated using a number of Gram-positive and -negative bacteria and yeasts. The apolar fraction A appeared to be the most interesting because of its activity against several microorganisms; this fraction was further separated by high performance liquid chromatography, and shown to contain substances with strong inhibitory activity against Enterococcus faecalis 31, different from the major known chemical components of G. biloba leaves.

Correlation between a psychometric test and biochemical indices of hepatic encephalopathy in alcoholics.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: In alcohol abusers an alteration of responses to psychometric tests has been reported, even when clinical symptoms of hepatic encephalopathy (HE) are absent. Our research was intended to individualize a simple psychometric test, easy enough to be performed also at the patient's home, able to reveal an impending encephalopathy and, consequently, to facilitate earlier treatment. METHODOLOGY: Twenty-six consecutive male alcoholics were engaged and, after informed consent, the following schedule was applied: administration of a psychometric test, followed by a drawing of blood for the determination of many blood parameters. After 15 days of treatment to detoxicate patients, psychometric tests and blood examinations were repeated. RESULTS: The results confirmed that common blood examinations are not useful to monitor brain damage in chronic alcoholism, that a psychometric test is able to demonstrate a therapeutic improvement and that a positive and significant correlation has been observed between BBCA/AAA ratio and WAIS Score. CONCLUSIONS: These preliminary results suggest that it is possible to suspect dangerous biochemical changes by means of a simple psychometric test.

[Clinical and metabolic features of renal calculi in adults in regard to age of onset]. / Aspetti clinici e metabolici della calcolosi renale nell'adulto in relazione all'età di insorgenza.

BACKGROUND: In this paper, the clinical and metabolic patterns of nephrolithiasis in different ages of adulthood are studied. METHODS: Eight-hundred patients observed at the Mauriziano Hospital between 1990 and 1995, were classified into 3 groups, on the basis of age at the onset of disease: A: 20 through 39 years; B: 40 through 59; C: 60 years and over. RESULTS: Calcium-oxalate stones had a lower recurrence in C (19.1%) and B (31.5%) than in A (41.7%). Pure uric acid stones recurred in 18.9% of C, 16.7% of B and 4.3% of A. The prevalence of hypercalciuria was higher in A (50.3%) than in B (35.9%) and C (36%); so did hypocitraturia. Hyperuricuria was lower in A (5%, p < 0.05) than in B (9.4%) and C (10%). Low urine pH (< 5.5) was 13% in A, 21.3% in B, 38% in C. Prevalence of hyperoxaluria was about 14% in all groups. The whole prevalence of secondary forms of stone disease was 13% in A, 12% in B and 30% in C. Differences among groups were mainly due to prevalence of urological abnormalities and urinary tract infection. In patients without metabolic disturbances. urological abnormalities or urinary tract infections altogether, were 4.6% in A; 5.2% in B; 33% in C. Urological approach removed 8% of stones in A, 5.6% in B and 10.2% in C. CONCLUSIONS: Higher morbidity in younger patients could be due to a lower prevalence of easier-passing uric acid stones. The higher occurrence of urological disturbances and struvite stones in the elderly could explain the higher morbidity in this group.

Minimal change nephropathy presenting in a patient with primary sclerosing cholangitis.

The association of primary sclerosing cholangitis and renal disease is not frequent, and is limited to a few reported cases of immune complex glomerulonephritis. We report the case of a 34-year-old patient with sclerosing cholangitis diagnosed 5 years earlier, with well preserved liver function and no clinical manifestations of cholestasis, who developed minimal change nephropathy. During the nephrotic phase of the disease, the peripheral blood lymphocyte count was normal, with a relative increase in percent CD4+ and an increase in the CD4+: CD8+ ratio. CD4+ cells showed immunoactivation. The HLA-DR expression on T-cells was 59%, and 16.5% of CD3+ cells were CD25+. A course of prednisone therapy induced long-lasting remission of the nephrotic syndrome. Peripheral blood lymphocyte count and subtyping were normal 7 months after prednisone withdrawal. We conclude that primary sclerosing cholangitis can be associated with minimal change nephropathy; underlying cell-mediated immunity may be the common pathogenic mechanism.

Performance of alcoholism screening questionnaires in elderly veterans.

PURPOSE: To validate three alcoholism screening questionnaires in elderly male veterans. PATIENTS: Participants were 120 male veterans aged 65 years or older. METHODS: In this cross-sectional study, consecutive patients in the outpatient general medical practice at the Omaha VA Medical Center were interviewed with the alcohol module of the Revised Diagnostic Interview Schedule (DIS-III-R) and three alcoholism screening questionnaires, the Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test-Geriatric Version (MAST-G), the CAGE, and the Alcohol Use Disorders Identification Test (AUDIT). Performance characteristics (sensitivity, specificity, predictive values, likelihood ratios, and areas under the receiver operating curve [ROC]) of the screening questionnaires were determined in comparison with the DIS-III-R. RESULTS: Forty-three participants (36%) met DSM-III-R (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) criteria for alcohol abuse or dependence; 23% were active drinkers and 13% were inactive. Fifty of the 120 (42%) reported abstinence from drinking during the preceding year. A MAST-G score > or = 5 had a sensitivity and specificity of 70% and 81%, respectively. A CAGE score > or = 2 had a sensitivity and specificity of 63% and 82%. Using active drinkers only, an AUDIT score of > or = 8 had a sensitivity and specificity of 33% and 91%. The positive predictive values (PPV) for the MAST-G, CAGE, and AUDIT were 67%, 66%, and 69%, respectively; the negative predictive values were 83%, 80%, and 68%, respectively. Areas under the receiver operating curves for the MAST-G, CAGE, and AUDIT were 0.84 +/- 0.04, 0.77 +/- 0.05, and 0.56 +/- 0.08, respectively. CONCLUSION: The MAST-G and the CAGE outperformed the AUDIT for detecting alcohol abuse and dependence in an elderly male veteran population. The CAGE, requiring only four easily memorized questions to achieve similar accuracy, appears to offer an advantage over the 24-item MAST-G.

Incidence of biopsy-proven primary glomerulonephritis in an Italian province.

Between January 1, 1970, and December 31, 1994, 1,926 cases of biopsy-proven primary glomerulonephritis (PGN) were diagnosed in an adult population (> 15 years of age) in a northwestern region of Italy with approximately 3.5 million inhabitants. The principal long-term changes were an increase in the absolute number of biopsies per year, an increase in the mean age of patients undergoing biopsy (from 29.3 +/- 12.2 years to 47.0 +/- 17.8 years), an increase in the percentage of patients older than 65 years (from 1.7% to 20.4%), and an increase in the percentage of isolated urinary abnormalities as an indication for biopsy (from 3.5% to 29.6%). In the total biopsy material, immunoglobulin A glomerulonephritis (IgA-GN) is the most frequent type (26%), followed by membranous glomerulonephritis (MGN; 20%). An incidence study was begun in 1990; this survey was restricted to the population of the province of Torino (approximately 2 million inhabitants) as only this area completely refers to the nephrologic centers that entered patients into this study. The overall incidence of PGN is 4.68 new cases/yr/10(5) population with a predominance of males (> 2:1); IgA-GN is the most common type (1.47/yr/10(5) population [34.5%]) in the overall population. In the elderly, cases of PGN are twice as high as in adults (8.19/yr/10(5) population v 4.02/yr/10(5) population in the 65 to 74 year and 45 to 54 year age groups, respectively); MGN mainly accounts for this high incidence (3.4/yr/10(5) population), while the nephrotic syndrome is the most common indication for biopsy (53.8%). A comparison with the incidence in the same area in the early 1970s is evaluable only for PGN, which was mainly registered in the age groups for which an unrestricted biopsy policy was already in place (15 to 35 years). In contrast with a misleading increase of all types of PGN, which is in reality due to the extension of the biopsy policy to older and asymptomatic patients, membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis type I shows a countercurrent decrease from 0.43 to 0.13/yr/10(5) population. Evidence of a simultaneous decrease in severe cardiac valvulopathy, due to rheumatic fever, is also provided. We feel that before epidemiologic conclusions can be reached, a clear understanding of one's own biopsy policy is essential. An apparent change in the PGN rate in our region over the last 25 years mainly depends on modifications in our biopsy policy, most probably coupled with a change in the threshold of detection of symptoms in the general population. At present, according to our experience, IgA-GN is the most common type of PGN in the total bioptic material, as demonstrated in other European countries, while the elderly show a peculiar pattern with a higher PGN incidence, mainly represented by MGN and heralded by the nephrotic syndrome. We also confirm that membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis type I is indeed decreasing in parallel with changes in the microbiologic environment.

[Wegener's granulomatosis. Diagnosis and follow-up of 7 cases]. / Granulomatosi di Wegener. Diagnosi e follow-up di 7 casi.

Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) is a rare small vessels necrotizing and granulomatous systemic vasculitis which usually affects the respiratory-tract and the kidneys. Diagnosis is often difficult, but has become easier with antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) detection that may justify a more aggressive biopsy policy also in the elderly. Classic treatment with steroids and oral cyclophosphamide (CY) has proven to be of benefit, but side-effects are severe and frequent and the search for less toxic therapeutic schemes should be encouraged. We treated with intravenous pulses of CY (1 g/m2 monthly for 6 months, every two months for the following 6 and quarterly for another year) 5 of 7 patients with WG recently admitted to our institution. We obtained a quick, complete response in 4 of these patients, with no side effects, nor relapses, after a mean follow-up of 17 months. The only patient who did not respond was identified soon after the beginning of the treatment because of a poor reduction of ESR and could be shifted to oral administration of CY successfully. From our still limited experience CY intravenous pulses have proven to be safe and effective enough to advice its use as the first-choice treatment for WG.

[Bartter's syndrome in children and adults. Study of 6 cases]. / La sindrome di Bartter nel bambino e nell'adulto. Studio di 6 casi.

Six patients (3 children and 3 adults) with the clinical and biochemical features of Bartter's syndrome are presented. Pediatric cases included a more severe form, in one patient, with physical and mental retardation, hypercalciuria and nephrocalcinosis, and a less severe one, including two patients, with milder clinical features, low calcium and high magnesium excretion and hypomagnesiemia. Adult patients were affected by either the mild congenital form (case n. 4) or the acquired variety (cases n.5 and 6). Tubular function was investigated in the 3 adults by assessing clearance measurements during maximal diuresis. There was a defective fractional distal solute reabsorption (FDR) ranging between 0.52 and 0.60. This was well below the results obtained in one patient with psychogenous vomiting (FDR 0.94) and comparable to those in two patients with interstitial nephropathies caused by vesico-ureteral reflux (FDR 0.63 and 0.67 respectively). We concluded that: 1) the etiopathogenetic spectrum of Bartter's syndrome corresponds to different clinical presentation (mild, heavy, congenital or acquired varieties), and alterations in mineral and electrolyte renal handling; 2) reduction in FDR is a feature neither essential nor exclusive of this syndrome.