Preoperative CT and MRI prediction of non-resectability in patients treated for pseudomyxoma peritonei from mucinous appendiceal neoplasms.

AIMS: To evaluate computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings for sign of hepatoduodenal ligament and small bowel non-resectability in patients with pseudomyxoma peritonei (PMP) and to compare assessments made by the radiologist based on their experiences. METHODS: Between January 2009 and June 2014, all consecutive patients with PMP selected for curative surgery were scheduled to undergo CT and MRI examinations within two days of their surgery. Several imaging findings of hepatoduodenal ligament and small bowel involvements were retrospectively evaluated by a senior and a junior radiologist and compared with surgical findings. RESULTS: Of the 82 patients enrolled in the study, 11 had non-resectable lesions with hepatoduodenal ligament infiltration (n = 4) and/or extensive small bowel involvement (n = 9). All patients underwent CT and 73 underwent MRI scan. Infiltration of the adipose tissue of the hepatoduodenal ligament by mucinous tumor was associated with non-resectability. For the senior and junior radiologists, the sensitivity and specificity were 75% and 100%, and 50% and 100% on CT (kappa value (k) = 0.79); 67% and 100%, and 33% and 97% on MRI (k = 0.38), respectively. Diffuse involvement of the mesentery and/or the small bowel serosa was also associated with non-resectability. For the senior and junior radiologists, the sensitivity and specificity were 67% and 100%, and 56% and 99% on CT (k = 0.82); 88% and 100%, and 38% and 100% on MRI (k = 0.58), respectively. CONCLUSION: CT and MRI can both contribute to the diagnosis of non-resectability in patients with PMP. The use of MRI to identify small bowel involvement, in particular, benefits from a more experienced radiologist.

[Description of patients with confirmed influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 admitted to an intensive care unit and identification of severity risk factors]. / Description des cas confirmés de grippe A(H1N1)pdm09 admis en réanimation et identification des facteurs de gravité

OBJECTIVE: The authors had for objective to describe patients with confirmed influenza A(H1N1)pdm09 admitted to an intensive care unit (ICU) in a university hospital and to identify risk factors correlated with the severity of the disease. DESIGN: A prospective study was conducted in an university hospital during the A(H1N1)pdm09 influenza pandemic. Severe laboratory confirmed cases (admitted to an ICU) were described and compared with non-severe confirmed cases (not admitted to an ICU). RESULTS: Sixty-nine patients were included; 36 (52%) were 15 to 44 years of age. Sixteen (23%) cases were defined as severe, ten of these (63%) concerned patients 45 to 64 years of age. The independent factors associated with severity were: a history of heart disease, obesity, and tobacco abuse. CONCLUSIONS: This work reinforces the need to identify and protect groups at risk of severe outcomes.

Attachment and proliferation of bovine aortic endothelial cells onto additive modified poly(ether urethane ureas).

To better understand endothelial cell interactions with poly(ether urethane urea) (PEUU) materials, and to assess bovine aortic endothelial cell attachment, films were incubated for 24 h with BAEC in media containing 5% fetal bovine serum. Other films were allowed to incubate for 4 more days in media containing 5% fetal bovine serum without cells to assess BAEC proliferation. The assay was performed on PEUU films modified with acrylate and methacrylate polymer and copolymer additives that spanned a wide range on the hydrophobicity/hydrophilicity scale. Tissue culture polystyrene (TCPS) was used as a control. The assay showed that PEUU films loaded with Methacrol 2138F [copoly(diisopropylaminoethyl methacrylate [DI-PAM]/decyl methacrylate [DM]) (3/1)] or with its hydrophilic component, DIPAM, in homopolymer form (i.e., h-DIPAM), significantly enhanced BAEC attachment (approximately 80% of TCPS values) and proliferation (approximately 80%) when compared to unloaded PEUU films (attachment 73%; proliferation, 47%) or to PEUU films loaded with the more hydrophobic acrylate or methacrylate polymer additives (attachment, 32-69%; proliferation, 18-57%). The assay also showed that PEUU films coated with homopoly(diisopropylaminoethyl acrylate) (h-DIPAA) significantly enhanced BAEC attachment and proliferation when compared to PEUU films coated with h-decyl acrylate (h-DA); films coated with the copolymer of these two acrylates (i.e., co-[DIPAA/DA] [3/1]) showed intermediate behavior. To explain the enhancement of BAEC interaction with films loaded with Methacrol 2138F or h-DIPAM, when compared to unmodified PEUU films or to PEUU films loaded with more hydrophobic acrylate and methacrylate polymer additives, it was assumed that the additives near the surface region of the solvent swollen PEUU matrix may have migrated to, or near to, the PEUU-air interface during film formation, creating an additive enriched PEUU surface region. It is suggested that, once at this surface region, dynamic reorientation in response to an aqueous medium ensured the additives were able significantly to influence protein adsorption, and concomitant endothelial cell behavior, but only if they interacted with aqueous media more favorably than the PEUU. The ability of Methacrol and h-DIPAM additives to enhance endothelial cell behavior is argued to be the result of increased hydrophilicity. This is the result of exposed, hydrogen-bonding DIPAM moieties and increased surface flexibility, which is itself due to the hydration of unhindered Methacrol chains, which may create an additive enriched PEUU-water interfacial zone.

Protein adsorption to poly(ether urethane ureas) modified with acrylate and methacrylate polymer and copolymer additives.

To understand better blood interactions with poly(ether urethane urea) (PEUU) materials, a radioimmunoassay and whole or diluted human plasma were used to characterize the presence of fibrinogen, immunoglobulin G, factor VIII/von Willebrand factor, Hageman factor (factor XII), and albumin on a PEUU formulation and on PEUU formulations modified with the amphiphilic additive Methacrol 2138F (co[diisopropylaminoethyl methacrylate (DIPAM)/decyl methacrylate] [3/1]), or with hydrophobic acrylate or methacrylate polymer or copolymer additives. The protein adsorption assay showed that PEUU films loaded or coated with Methacrol 2138F (Methacrol) or homopoly-DIPAM (h-DIPAM) adsorbed significantly lower amounts of the studied proteins than did either the base PEUU formulations or the PEUUs loaded with the more hydrophobic acrylate or methacrylate polymer additives. Experiments with Methacrol-loaded PEUUs, where the loading of Methacrol was varied from 0.25 wt% to 20.0 wt%, showed that the adsorption of each of the characterized proteins did not vary significantly throughout the Methacrol loading range, and that all Methacrol-loaded PEUU formulations adsorbed significantly lower amounts of the studied proteins than did the unloaded PEUU. Phase separation within the additive loaded PEUUs was characterized by scanning electron microscopy (SEM). The solubility parameters of the additives, as well as of the base PEUU, were calculated and used to interpret differences in phase separation of the additive modified PEUUs. The analysis showed that additives of lower solubility parameter phase-separated into fewer large microdroplets within the PEUU matrix. SEM analysis also showed that additive microdroplets were not present on the air side surface of loaded PEUUs. To explain the differences in protein adsorption to the air side of additive loaded PEUUs when compared to the base PEUU, it was assumed that the additives near this region of the solvent swollen PEUU matrix may have migrated to, at, or near the PEUU-air interface during film formation, creating an additive enriched PEUU surface region. Once at this surface region, it was suggested that dynamic surface reorientation in response to an aqueous medium ensured that the additives were able significantly to influence protein adsorption behavior only if they interacted with aqueous media more favorably than the PEUU.

Protein adsorption onto poly(ether urethane ureas) containing Methacrol 2138F: a surface-active amphiphilic additive.

Surface characterization and protein adsorption studies were carried out on a series of additive dispersed and additive coated poly(ether urethane ureas), PEUUs, to characterize early events in the blood compatibility of these materials. A hypothesis that is based on surface hydrophilicity, surface flexibility, and adsorption media has been developed to understand the modulated adsorption of plasma proteins by PEUU additives. Electron spectroscopy for chemical analysis (ESCA) and contact angle analysis were performed on two PEUU formulation as well as on PEUU formulations modified with Methacrol 2138F (co[diisopropylaminoethyl methacrylate (DIPAM)/decyl methacrylate (DM)][3/1]) or acrylate or methacrylate polymer or copolymer analogs of Methacrol 2138F. Methacrol 2138F is a commercially used amphiphilic copolymethacrylate. ESCA showed that the PEUUs loaded with Methacrol 2138F or with its hydrophilic component, homopoly (DIPAM) (h-(DIPAM)), had a higher percentage of nitrogen at their surfaces than did the base PEUUs. Contact angle analysis also showed that the air side of PEUU formulations loaded with Methacrol 2138F were more hydrophobic than was the air side of base PEUUs when films were cast from dimethylacetamide. However, during contact angle testing, the air side of PEUU films loaded with Methacrol 2138F rapidly became more hydrophilic than did the air side of the base PEUU films. A radioimmunoassay and whole or diluted human plasma were also used to characterize the presence of the proteins fibrinogen, immunoglobulin G, factor VIII/von Willebrand factor, Hageman factor (factor XII), and albumin, on the surface of the same PEUUs as analyzed by ESCA and contact angle. The protein adsorption assay showed that PEUU films loaded or coated with Methacrol 2138F, with a copolyacrylate analog of Methacrol 2138F (co(diisopropylaminoethyl acrylate [DIPAA]/decyl acrylate [DA]) [3/1]), or with the hydrophilic polyacrylate or polymethacrylate component analogs of Methacrol 2138F (h-DIPAM or h-DIPAA) adsorbed significantly lower amounts of the proteins than did either the base PEUU formulations or the homopoly(decyl methacrylate) (h-DM) or homopoly(decyl acrylate) (h-DA) coated or loaded PEUUs.

Effect of some additives on the biostability of a poly(etherurethane) elastomer.

Four materials based on a single poly-(etherurethane) (PEU) prepared from MDI and PTMEG but differing in additives were studied in the cage implant system. The two additives studied were Santowhite powder at the 1% level and Methacrol 2138F 5%. Methacrol 2138F appeared to be immiscible with the base PEU and was dispersed in discrete domains about 0.5-micron in size. The retrieved PEU specimens were also cleaned and examined in the optical and scanning electron microscopes, and the size and density of adherent foreign body giant cells (FBGCs) were measured at implantation times up to 10 weeks. Methacrol 2138F had no effect on the density, coverage or size distribution of adherent FBGCs, but leaching of Methacrol 2138F was considered to be responsible for extensive pitting of the PEU surface. On the other hand, Santowhite powder appeared to inhibit formation of FBGCs, and while surface cracking and flaking were observed as early as 3 weeks postimplantation on some PEUs, the Santowhite powder effectively inhibited surface cracking and flaking up to the longest implantation time studied.

Gastric lymphomas: chemotherapy as a primary treatment.

Twenty-one of 65 patients with gastric lymphoma have been treated with combination chemotherapy; 17 patients had chemotherapy as primary treatment, and 4 had it for residual disease after incomplete surgical resection. Three of these patients were in stage III and 18 were in stage IV of the disease, according to the TNM Staging Classification. CHOP-Bleo or CHOP combination was given to 17 patients, and the COPP-Bleo regimen to three; the last one was treated with COP. Sixteen of the 18 stage IV patients entered into complete remission after 6 to 10 courses of CHOP or COPP-Bleo; there was one partial response and one failure. Six complete responders had a surgical restaging performed and none of them had gross evidence of residual disease; all of them had partial gastrectomy and in five cases there was no microscopical evidence of disease; in one of the resected stomachs, a focus of residual disease was discovered involving the submucosa but without compromise of the serosa. Fourteen (77.7%) of these patients are alive with no evidence of disease 1-10 (X = 3.8 years); one patient died with recurrent disease at 30 months; another patient died of other causes after 3 years; one patient is alive with disease at 18+ months. All the remaining 16 stage IV patients who were not given chemotherapy have died, median survival time being 5 months.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

[Combined chemotherapy with the FEM protocol in advanced gastric cancer]. / Quimioterapia combinada con el esquema FEM en cáncer gástrico avanzado.

Thirty one patients with diagnosis of Gastric Cancer were admitted in this study. Median age was 71 years (range 24-82). Twenty two were male. No one had previous chemotherapy. Functional capacity was 0-1 in 26/31 (60.6%). More common symptoms were: loss of weight 21/31 (75.1%) and abdominal pain in 13/31 (40.3%). Ten patients were Borrmann III and nine Borrmann IV. Twenty one had surgery: 12 palliative gastrectomy and 9 exploratory laparatomy. Twenty three cases were adenocarcinoma and 8 undifferentiated carcinoma. FEM regimen was administered (5 Fluoruracil 600 mg/m2/day 1 and 8, Epidoxorubicin 30 mg/m2/day 1 and Mitomycin 10 mg/m2/day 1). Ten of 24 patients (41.7%) achieved partial remission with a median survival of 10.5 months. Three patients achieved subjective response with a median survival of 6 months. Median survival for the non response was 3 months (range 2-7 months). Survival difference between responders and no responders was statistically significant. Survival among the adjuvent group was 5.7 months (range 2-16 months). One out of three patients survived without evidence of disease at the end of this study. Twenty three patients died and 5 were lost to follow up. Alopecia was the most common secondary effect in 74%, nausea and vomiting in 60% and leukopenia below 3000 x mm3 in 54%. Cardiotoxicity was not documented in any case.