Duodenal gastrointestinal stromal tumor: clinical, pathologic, immunohistochemical characteristics, and surgical prognosis.

OBJECTIVE: Gastrointestinal stromal tumors (GISTs) occur rarely in the duodenum. The characteristics of duodenal GIST have not been well clarified. The aim of this study is to clarify the characteristics and surgical prognosis of patients with primary duodenal GIST. METHODS: Data of patients with surgically treated primary duodenal GIST were retrospectively analyzed. Immunohistochemical expressions of p53, p16, and Ki-67 were evaluated to explain the prognosis. RESULTS: Compared with gastric or small intestinal GISTs in historical studies, duodenal GISTs had a relatively smaller size, lower mitotic count, lower Ki-67 LI, lower p16 loss, and similar p53 expression. The 1- and 3-year recurrence-free survival rates of patients with complete resection were 100 and 95.2%. CONCLUSION: Patients with completely resected primary duodenal GIST seem to have a more favorable prognosis. This may be related to the different expressions of some immunohistological makers compared with GISTs of other locations.

Triptolide affects the differentiation, maturation and function of human dendritic cells.

Triptolide is a purified component from a traditional Chinese herb Tripterygium wilfordii Hook F. It has been shown to have anti-inflammatory and immunosuppressive activities by its inhibitory effect on T cells. But the effect of triptolide on dendritic cells (DC) is unknown. Dexamethasone (Dex) is a classic immunosuppressive agent known to suppress the immune response at different levels and has recently found to modulate the development of DC, thereby influencing the initiation of the immune response. In this study, we investigated the affect of triptolide on the differentiation, maturation and function of DC differentiated from human monocytes (MoDC) in vitro in the presence of GM-CSF and IL-4. Dex was included in the study as a reference. Our data show that both triptolide and Dex prevented the differentiation in immature MoDC by inhibiting CD1a, CD40, CD80, CD86 and HLA-DR expression but upregulating CD14 expression, as well as by reducing the capacity of MoDC to stimulate lymphocyte proliferation in the allogeneic mixed lymphocyte reaction. They blocked the maturation of MoDC as totally blocked induction of CD83 expression and absent upregulation of CD40, CD80, CD86 and HLA-DR. In addition, higher concentration of triptolide (20 ng/ml) and 10(-6) M Dex induced apoptosis in MoDC as measured by expression of APO2*7 and DNA fragmentation (TUNEL assay). However, the phagocytic capacity of MoDC was enhanced by triptolide but not Dex. Therefore, the suppression of DC differentiation, the function in immature DCs as well as the inhibition of DC maturation by triptolide may explain some of its immunosuppressive properties. It is suggested that DCs are a primary target of the immunosuppressive activity of triptolide.

Symptomatic adult annular pancreas: report of two cases and a review of the literature.

BACKGROUND: Annular pancreas in adults is a rare embryologic abnormality detected after development of complications. Embryology, diagnosis and treatment strategies for symptomatic adult annular pancreas remain controversial. In this paper we reevaluated these problems in view of the technological and theoretical advances. METHODS: In 2 patients with annular pancreas, one(36-year-old male patient) presenting with duodenal obstruction and duodenal ulcer associated with duodenocolic fistula underwent Billroth II gastrectomy and fistula ectomy and the other(17-year-old male patient) presenting with duodenal obstruction and duodenal ulcer underwent Billroth II gastrectomy. English language literature about annular pancreas etiology, diagnosis and treatment was reviewed. RESULTS: Both of the patients had uneventfully recovered. Abdominal computed tomography, endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography and magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography showed typical images of annular pancreas. Duodenal bypass procedure, choledochojejunostomy, endoscopic sphincterotomy or biliary stenting, and pancreatic resection were alternative to treat this sort of anomaly. CONCLUSIONS: Annular pancreas in adults is a rare congenital abnormality, while newer imaging modalities and an index of suspicion may assist in finding more cases. The management of this congenital anomaly should be individualized according to the associated complications.

Identification of genes differentially expressed in monocyte-derived dendritic cells with 1alpha,25-dihydroxyvitamin D3 using cDNA arrays.

In order to study the molecular mechanism of the inhibitory effect of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) on dendritic cells, experiments were performed using Atlas cDNA expression arrays from Clonetech to identify the differentially expressed genes of dendritic cells by 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3). Analysis of cDNA arrays revealed changes in the expression of 9 genes, including those involved in DNA binding and transcription, extracellular cell signaling and communication, intracellular transducers, as well as cell adhesions. The results indicated that a multiple molecular network is involved in the inhibitory role of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) on dendritic cells. The Atlas Array technology may facilitate the elucidation of complex pharmacological process of 1,25-dihydroxyvitamin D(3) on dendritic cells.