Pulmonary echinococcosis: A rare pseudotumour of the lung.

Cystic echinococcosis is a widely endemic helminthic disease worldwide but occurs only rarely in Central Europe. Humans are infected as 'aberrant' hosts by Echinococcus granulosus and develop cysts in numerous different organs. 20%-30% of the affected individuals develop hydatid disease in the lungs with associated complications including pleuritis, lung abscess and pneumothorax. Radiologically, the pulmonary lesions of cystic echinococcosis occasionally pose difficulties in the differential diagnosis of primary lung carcinoma or metastatic disease and vice versa. Herein we report on a case of pulmonary hydatid disease in a 25-year-old Iraqi male presenting with a cystic lesion of the lung associated with thoracic pain and involuntary weight loss. Despite of its rare occurrence in Central Europe, clinicians, radiologists and pathologists should be aware of this entity and its pulmonary manifestations. During frozen section examination, imprint cytology specimens may facilitate the detection of the pathogens.

Goettingen Minipigs (GMP): Comparison of Two Different Models for Inducing Diabetes.

PURPOSE: Preclinical experiments on large animals are indispensable for evaluating the effectiveness of diabetes therapies. Miniature swine are well suited for such studies due to their physiological and pathophysiological responses. METHODS: We compare two methods for inducing diabetes in Goettingen minipigs (GMP), in five with the beta cell toxin streptozotocin (STZ) and in five other GMP by total pancreatectomy (PE). Glucose homeostasis was assessed with the intravenous glucose-tolerance test (IVGTT) and continual monitoring of interstitial glucose levels. At conclusion of the observation period, the pancreata were examined histologically. Three non-diabetic GMP served as control group. RESULTS: The IVGTT revealed markedly diabetic profiles in both GMP groups. STZ-GMP were found to harbor residual C-peptides and scattered insulin-positive cells in the pancreas. PE-GMP survived the total pancreatectomy only with intensive postoperative care. CONCLUSIONS: Although both methods reliably induced diabetes in GMP, the PE-GMP clearly had more health problems and required a greater expenditure of time and resources. The PE-GMP model, however, was better at eliminating endogenous insulin and C-peptide than the STZ-GMP model.

Surface analysis of an encapsulation membrane after its implantation in mini-pigs.

The biocompatibility of membranes aiming at being a part of a bioartificial pancreas has been tested. For that purpose, we have studied a polycarbonate membrane surface after its implantation in mini-pigs. The membranes were made hydrophilic by an argon plasma surface treatment followed by a dipping in a hydrophilic polymer solution. Two polymers were tested: polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and hydroxypropylmethylcellulose (HPMC). To test their biocompatibility, an encapsulation device for pig Langerhans islets, with external membranes treated as described above, was implanted in different mini-pigs. The pigs received no further treatment. The devices were explanted after in vivo exposure and the membranes were analysed by XPS (x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy) and ToF-SIMS (time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry). After this time, the substrate with the PVP or HPMC treatment was still detected on the different samples. The surface treatment signal, however, was attenuated. This is explained by the detection of other components partly covering the surface. XPS and ToF-SIMS analyses revealed the presence of biological molecules on the two faces of the membrane: the outside face in contact with the biological environment and the inside face in contact with the device. ToF-SIMS images show the inhomogeneity of the biological molecules on the membrane surface. In conclusion, biological molecules adhered to the encapsulation membrane surface after implantation but the surface treatments remained unaltered.