Pentraxin 3 is elevated in haemodialysis patients and is associated with cardiovascular disease.

BACKGROUND: Pentraxins are mediators of inflammation as well as markers of the acute-phase reaction. While elevation of C-reactive protein (CRP) in patients with renal failure and its association with cardiovascular disease is well described, there are no data on pentraxin 3 (PTX3) in this population. METHODS: Plasma was obtained from 44 chronic haemodialysis (HD) patients, 35 peritoneal dialysis (PD) patients, 39 patients with chronic renal failure (CRF) not on dialysis therapy and 14 age-matched normal subjects. PTX3 production in whole blood was also investigated in samples taken before and during HD. RESULTS: PTX3 plasma levels were significantly higher in HD patients (5.8 +/- 0.6 ng/ml) compared with the other three groups. There were no significant differences between PD patients (1.5 +/- 0.4 ng/ml), CRF patients (1.5 +/- 0.4 ng/ml) and normal subjects (0.76 +/- 0.2 ng/ml). In dialysis patients, PTX3 levels correlated significantly with time on renal replacement therapy (RRT) and with weekly erythropoietin dose. PTX3 levels were significantly higher in patients with coronary artery disease and peripheral artery disease compared with those without. During a single HD session, PTX3 production was higher in whole blood samples taken after 3 h HD compared with samples taken before HD. CONCLUSIONS: PTX3 levels are markedly elevated in HD patients. The increase in PTX3 production in whole blood after HD indicates that the HD procedure itself contributes to elevated PTX3 levels in HD patients. The association between PTX3 and cardiovascular morbidity suggests a possible connection of PTX3 with atherosclerosis and cardiovascular disease in HD patients.

Laparoscopic resection of congenital choledochal cyst, hepaticojejunostomy, and externally made Roux-en-Y anastomosis.

The authors present a 3-month-old patient with a congenital choledochal cyst, which was asymptomatic until treatment. On laparoscopy, a type I choledochal cyst was confirmed and excised laparoscopically. A Roux-en-Y anastomosis was constructed after exteriorization of the small bowel via the infraumbilical trocar incision. A laparoscopic end-to-side hepaticojejunostomy was carried out. The operation lasted 4(1/2) hours, without intraoperative problems. Oral food intake was started on day 2 and well tolerated with bile stained stools. Symptoms of bowel obstruction occurred on day 8. On minilaparotomy, the Roux-en-Y anastomosis was found to be adherent to the mesenterium of the colon, leading to obstruction. After mobilizing the loop, the postoperative course was uneventful. We conclude that laparoscopic resection of congenital choledochal cyst and choledochojejunostomy was feasible in the youngest patient operated on so far. However, adhesive small bowel obstruction can also occur, as after conventional operation, when the bowel is exteriorized for Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy.