Immunohistochemical expression of CD117 in borderline, low- and high-grade ovarian surface epithelial tumours: A clinicopathological study.

INTRODUCTION: Ovarian cancer is one of leading causes of cancer related death in gynecology. CD117 is a tyrosine kinase receptor that plays an important role in regulation of apoptosis, cell proliferation and adhesion by binding to its ligand-stem cell factor. Recent studies demonstrated its aberrant overexpression in various malignancies and concluded that it may play a pivotal role in carcinogenesis. AIM: To evaluate CD117 expression in ovarian surface epithelial tumours. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This retrospective study included 30 ovarian epithelial borderline, low and highly malignant tumours' formalin-fixed paraffin-blocks (FFPE) tissue blocks. Tissue sections were subjected to the routine haematoxylin-eosin stain and with the anti-CD117 immunohistochemically. RESULTS: There is a high significant difference in CD117 expression between borderline and malignant groups (P = 0.001). Additionally, there was significant difference in expression in relation to histopathological type (serous versus non-serous) in low-grade and the high-grade ovarian surface epithelial tumours (p=0.04, p=0.035 respectively). Tumour grade and stage strongly correlates with CD117 expression (p=0.014, p=0.019 respectively). CONCLUSION: We concluded that CD117 expression was significantly correlated with higher ovarian tumour grade and stage.

Impulse control disorders in Parkinson disease: A cross-sectional study in Morocco.

Impulse control disorders (ICDs) in Parkinson's disease (PD) comprise a class of psycho-behavioral disorders often associated with dopamine agonist treatment. The aim of our study was to determine the prevalence of ICDs in a group of Moroccan PD patients and to bring forward some specific aspects in our population. One hundred twenty-five PD patients, without memory impairment and treated for at least six months, were studied. They were questioned about ICDs using the QUIP-RS, and simultaneously evaluated on the motor symptoms and their treatment. Our sample was then divided into two groups: ICDs (+) and ICDs (-) groups. ICDs were identified in 28% of patients: pathological gambling in 3.2%, compulsive sexual behavior in 7.2%, pathological buying in 9.6%, eating behavior disorder in 7.2%, punding-hobbyism in 11.1%. At least two ICDs were found in 14% of patients and dopamine dysregulation syndrome in 10.4%. We also noticed another kind of "ICDs-mimics" specific to our own social context such as "excessive charity" in 18.4%, or excessive reading of the Qur'an in 9.6%. These aspects were not included in the calculation of ICDs prevalence. The ICDs (+) group was younger than the ICDs (-) group (P=0.042) and ICDs were more frequent in men (P=0.031). Dopamine agonist equivalent daily dose (DAED) was significantly higher (P=0.01) in the ICDs (+) group. There are no differences between classes of dopamine agonist used. Young age, male gender and DAED are risk factors for the occurrence of ICDs in Moroccan PD patients, as already described in the DOMINION cohort, but the prevalence found in our study was higher. We highlighted some specific ICDs-mimics in our Arab-Muslim population.

Latex agglutination test for the detection of urinary antigens in visceral leishmaniasis.

This paper describes a new latex agglutination test ('KATEX') for the detection of leishmanial antigen in the urine of patients with visceral leishmaniasis. In preliminary laboratory trials, using urine collected from well-defined cases and controls from Brazil, Yemen and Nepal, the test had 100% specificity and a sensitivity between 68 and 100%. When used in a time-course experiment in cotton rats infected with Leishmania donovani, the test became positive 1 week after inoculation and antigen levels in urine declined rapidly after chemotherapy (the test was negative before the end of the course of treatment). Finally, in an integrated study performed in Sudan, KATEX was compared to microscopy and four different serological tests in a group of 73 patients having presented with clinical manifestations suggestive of visceral leishmaniasis. Compared to microscopy, KATEX performed better than any single serological test in predicting positivity and a particularly good result was obtained by combining KATEX and the direct agglutination test (DAT).

Illusions in reading maps by touch: reducing distance errors.

The study reports systematic distance errors in reading raised-line maps by touch, and how they can be reduced. We show that T-shaped road junctions produce the typical error due to overestimating the length of the bisecting road compared to the bisected road. The error was not reduced when the target location was marked initially by a symbol. However, it was eliminated by instructions to use both hands concurrently to scan the route relative to an external square frame surrounding the map layout and to the body midline. Road junctions, which resemble 'Müller-Lyer' configurations, produced a significant overestimation of the length of a road that ended in diverging side roads relative to underestimating a road section with converging side roads. Spatial anchor cues from landmarks along the route, either alone or in conjunction with the spatial frame instructions, eliminated the illusion equally. We discuss theoretical implications, and the use of map frames and landmarks as spatial guides to improve map use by touch.

Vertical and bisection bias in active touch.

We investigated the conditions that underlie the vertical and bisection illusion in touch, in order to understand the basis of their similarity to visual illusions, and the means of reducing the biases in length perception by active touch. Movement, speed, and spatial reference cues were tested. Movements in scanning L-shapes in ipsilateral and contralateral (across the body midline) table-top space produced significant underestimation of the vertical line with the right hand, but not with the left hand. Right-handed scanning of L-shapes showed no significant bias when the vertical line in the figure was aligned to the body midline, suggesting that spatial cues were involved. The vertical line was overestimated in inverted T-shapes, but underestimated in rotated T-shapes, implicating line bisection. Holding scanning latencies constant reduced the vertical error for inverted T-shapes, but could not explain the bisection bias. Sectioning biases were predicted by the location of junctions on sectioned lines, showing that junction points act as misleading anchor cues for movement extents. The illusion was significantly reduced when reference information was added by instructing subjects to relate two-handed scanning of the figure to an external frame and to body-centred cues. It is argued that disparities in spatial reference (anchor) cues for movement extents are involved in vertical and bisection biases in active touch. The hypothesis that length illusions depend on disparities in spatial reference information can also account for the similarity of the tactile to the visual horizontal-vertical illusion.

The direct agglutination test: a non-specific test specific for the diagnosis of visceral leishmaniasis?

Serology has an important role to play in the diagnosis of the severe clinical syndrome of visceral leishmaniasis (VL). The direct agglutination test (DAT), a simple agglutination test which requires no laboratory facilities, has become the preferred test, particularly for field studies. The nature of the antigens responsible for the agglutination of leishmanial promastigotes by the serum of VL patients is not known. A series of experiments which provide some clues to the molecular basis for the test and which indicate that there might be more in DAT than meets the eye is reported.

The abdominal cocoon--an unusual cause of intestinal obstruction in adolescents.

The abdominal cocoon is a rare cause of intestinal obstruction in adolescent girls caused by encasement of the small intestine in fibrous tissue. Only 15 cases have been reported in the English literature so far. This is a report of another two patients managed at the Aga Khan University Hospital. The correct diagnosis is often not suspected, resulting in delays in the treatment of this condition. Following simple surgical release of the entrapped bowel, these patients do well.

[Intrapleural bupivacaine and parenteral opioid for postoperative analgesia. A comparative study]. / Interpleurales Bupivacain und parenterales Opioid zur postoperativen Analgesie. Eine vergleichende Studie.

The intrapleural administration of local anesthetics via a catheter is a relatively new method for postoperative analgesia after thoracic and upper abdominal surgery. Many authors have described this technique as effective and with few side effects. METHODS. Intrapleural administration of bupivacaine (IPC group) was compared with intramuscular administration of buprenorphine in 26 patients who had undergone a cholecystectomy. During the 1st postoperative week the pulmonary function (vital capacity, forced expiratory volume in 1 s [FEV1]) and an arterial blood gas analysis were performed daily and the quality of analgesia was evaluated. RESULTS. The patients in the two groups were similar with regard to sex, age, weight, and height. The postoperative arterial oxygen partial pressure (pO2) did not differ significantly from the preoperative value in the IPC group, whereas in the opioid group the results were significantly lower than preoperatively (p less than 0.05 6 h after the operation and p less than 0.005 from the 1st to 7th postoperative days). There was a significantly higher pO2 in the opioid group preoperatively that, however, had no correlation with the differences between pre- and postoperative values. After the operation, the differences from the preoperative value were significantly smaller in the opioid group from the 1st to 7th postoperative days, reaching a significance of p less than 0.001 on the 2nd and 3rd, postoperative day. The pCO2 was slightly increased after the operation, but there were no significant differences between the groups. A significant decline in vital capacity and FEV1 occurred in both groups during the first days after the operation; there were no significant differences between the two groups during these days. The degree of pain was similar in the two groups before the analgesic was given. In both groups there was significant improvement of the degree of pain after administration of the analgesic. One hour after the injection, however, the degree of pain was significantly lower in the IPC group compared with the opioid group. Postoperatively, pathologic findings could be seen more often on chest X-rays in the opioid group, although there was no significant difference between the groups. There were no side effects caused by the intrapleural catheter or the local anesthetic except for a minor pneumothorax in 1 patient that did not need any treatment. CONCLUSION. The intrapleural administration of local anesthetic provided very good analgesia in our study. The pO2 was significantly higher and the analgesia was significantly better than after intramuscular opioid administration. Moreover, the technique is simple to perform and has few side effects. We therefore believe it should be employed for postoperative analgesia after thoracic and upper abdominal surgery as well as for other indications to a greater extent.