Gender-Specific Metabolomics Approach to Kidney Cancer.

Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is the most common form of kidney malignancy. RCC is more common among men with a 2/1 male/female incidence ratio worldwide. Given the underlying epidemiological differences in the RCC incidence between males and females, we explored the gender specific 1H NMR serum metabolic profiles of RCC patients and their matched controls. A number of differential metabolites were shared by male and female RCC patients. These RCC specific changes included lower lactate, threonine, histidine, and choline levels together with increased levels of pyruvate, N-acetylated glycoproteins, beta-hydroxybutyrate, acetoacetate, and lysine. Additionally, serum lactate/pyruvate ratio was a strong predictor of RCC status regardless of gender. Although only moderate changes in metabolic profiles were observed between control males and females there were substantial gender related differences among RCC patients. Gender specific metabolic features associated with RCC status were identified suggesting that different metabolic panels could be leveraged for a more precise diagnostic.

Serum and urine metabolomic fingerprinting in diagnostics of inflammatory bowel diseases.

AIM: To evaluate the utility of serum and urine metabolomic analysis in diagnosing and monitoring of inflammatory bowel diseases (IBD). METHODS: Serum and urine samples were collected from 24 patients with ulcerative colitis (UC), 19 patients with the Crohn's disease (CD) and 17 healthy controls. The activity of UC was assessed with the Simple Clinical Colitis Activity Index, while the activity of CD was determined using the Harvey-Bradshaw Index. The analysis of serum and urine samples was performed using proton nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopy. All spectra were exported to Matlab for preprocessing which resulted in two data matrixes for serum and urine. Prior to the chemometric analysis, both data sets were unit variance scaled. The differences in metabolite fingerprints were assessed using partial least-squares-discriminant analysis (PLS-DA). Receiver operating characteristic curves and area under curves were used to evaluate the quality and prediction performance of the obtained PLS-DA models. Metabolites responsible for separation in models were tested using STATISTICA 10 with the Mann-Whitney-Wilcoxon test and the Student's t test (α = 0.05). RESULTS: The comparison between the group of patients with active IBD and the group with IBD in remission provided good PLS-DA models (P value 0.002 for serum and 0.003 for urine). The metabolites that allowed to distinguish these groups were: N-acetylated compounds and phenylalanine (up-regulated in serum), low-density lipoproteins and very low-density lipoproteins (decreased in serum) as well as glycine (increased in urine) and acetoacetate (decreased in urine). The significant differences in metabolomic profiles were also found between the group of patients with active IBD and healthy control subjects providing the PLS-DA models with a very good separation (P value < 0.001 for serum and 0.003 for urine). The metabolites that were found to be the strongest biomarkers included in this case: leucine, isoleucine, 3-hydroxybutyric acid, N-acetylated compounds, acetoacetate, glycine, phenylalanine and lactate (increased in serum), creatine, dimethyl sulfone, histidine, choline and its derivatives (decreased in serum), as well as citrate, hippurate, trigonelline, taurine, succinate and 2-hydroxyisobutyrate (decreased in urine). No clear separation in PLS-DA models was found between CD and UC patients based on the analysis of serum and urine samples, although one metabolite (formate) in univariate statistical analysis was significantly lower in serum of patients with active CD, and two metabolites (alanine and N-acetylated compounds) were significantly higher in serum of patients with CD when comparing jointly patients in the remission and active phase of the diseases. Contrary to the results obtained from the serum samples, the analysis of urine samples allowed to distinguish patients with IBD in remission from healthy control subjects. The metabolites of importance included in this case up-regulated acetoacetate and down-regulated citrate, hippurate, taurine, succinate, glycine, alanine and formate. CONCLUSION: NMR-based metabolomic fingerprinting of serum and urine has the potential to be a useful tool in distinguishing patients with active IBD from those in remission.

Simultaneous laparoscopic adrenalectomy and laparoscopic nephron-sparing surgery - new experience with port placement.

The aim of the study was to describe simultaneous laparoscopic adrenalectomy and laparoscopic nephron-sparing surgery, to discuss the details of a convenient laparoscopic approach and the way of port placement, as well as to present a review of the literature concerning combined laparoscopic procedures. A 72-year-old woman was admitted to our department because of a tumor of the right adrenal gland and a small tumor of the right kidney. The patient underwent simultaneous laparoscopic adrenalectomy and laparoscopic nephron-sparing surgery. The postoperative period was uncomplicated. The patient was discharged from the hospital on the 4(th) postoperative day. We believe that the proposed way of trocar placement would help to avoid a 'rollover' problem between the laparoscope and a Satinsky clamp or a 'crossing swords' problem between a Satinsky clamp and manipulators.

Laparoscopic Anderson-Hynes procedure as a treatment of ureteropelvic junction obstruction caused by fibroepithelial polyp.

Fibroepithelial polyps (FEPs) are rare benign ureteral neoplasms of mesodermal origin. As an intrinsic cause of ureteropelvic junction obstruction (UPJO) they are very uncommon. Excretory urography and diuretic renography used by many urologists to diagnose a UPJO may not detect the ureteral polyp. We present a case of ureteropelvic junction obstruction caused by a fibroepithelial polyp, which was not diagnosed preoperatively. The patient underwent successful laparoscopic excision of the polyp with Anderson-Hynes pyeloplasty. We believe that laparoscopy is a useful, minimally invasive operative technique in the treatment of FEPs and may be considered a procedure of choice in large polyps, in which cases the endoscopic procedure is difficult or impossible to perform.

[The use of polymeric Hem-o-lock clips in laparoscopic radical nephrectomy]. / Zastosowanie polimerowych klipsów Hem-o-lock w laparoskopowej nefrektomii radykalnej.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to evaluate the usefulness and cost-effectiveness of polymeric Hem-o-lock clips during laparoscopic nephrectomy. The intra- and postoperative complications of the operation were assessed too. MATERIAL AND METHODS: From April 2011 through November 2011, 19 laparoscopic radical nephrectomies were performed. A preferred method to secure the renal vein was the use of polymeric Hem-o-lock clips. The renal artery was clipped by titanium clips. In five patients an Endo-GIA stapler was used to secure the renal pedicle. All procedures were carried out using a transperitoneal access. The perioperative data were analyzed retrospectively. RESULTS: No intraoperative complications associated with the use of Hem-o-lock clips were observed. The mean procedure time was 202 min. The average blood loss during the operation was 480 ml. No bleeding in the postoperative period was observed. The mean abdominal drain output was 65 ml per day. The mean time to drain removal was 3 days. The average hospital stay was 5-6 days. CONCLUSIONS: Using the polymeric Hem-o-lock clips is a safe, relatively easy and cheep way to close the renal vein during laparoscopic radical nephrectomy.

[The usefulness of the polymeric "double J" catheter in ureteropelvic junction stenting after laparoscopic pyeloplasty]. / Skutecznosc szynowania polaczeniamiedniczkowo-moczowodowego polimerowym cewnikiem "double J" u chorych poddanych laparoskopowej pyeloplastyce.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of the study was to evaluate both the effectiveness of ureteropelvic junction stenting with the use of a polymeric "double J" stent after laparoscopic pyeloplasty, as well as intra- and postoperative complications of the procedure. MATERIAL AND METHODS: From October 2001 to November 2010 laparoscopic pyeloplasty was performer in 150 patients with primary UPJO. In all cases an attempt has been made to insert the stent into the operated kidney before the operation. All but one operations were performed using a transperitoneal approach. Anderson-Hynes pyeloplasty was carried out in 85 cases, Y-V plasty in 61 cases and Fenger plasty in 2 patients. Open conversion was performer in two cases. RESULTS: In 13 cases the complications observed in the postoperastive period were connected with the polymeric stent. In 12 patients the obstruction of the stent lead to massive urinary leakage and in 3 cases from this group urinoma developed. Urinoma was also observed in a patient, who was left without stenting because of the difficulties in inserting the stent to the operated kidney. In 10 cases the stent was successfully replaced but in 3 cases the placement of a percutaneous nephrostomy tube was necessary. It was left in place for 3 weeks. CONCLUSIONS: Our data indicate, that the stent obstruction is the main cause of postoperative complications in patients after laparoscopic pyeloplasty. So far no better method of upper urinary tract drainage after laparoscopic pyeloplasty has been worked out. Experimenting with various types of stents has been of no avail.

[Use of synthetic mesh in abdominal wall hernias repair]. / Zastosowanie siatek syntetycznych w leczeniu przepuklin brzusznych.

Abdominal hernias repair beside cholecystectomy and appendectomy is the most commonly performed surgical procedure. The crucial problem in surgery treatment of abdominal hernias is its recurrence, especially high in procedures performed without use of synthetic graft. Advances in understanding the etiopathogenesis of abdominal hernias and the introduction of the new surgical techniques have considerably improved the results of its repair. The widely used synthetic mesh is made of durable material and its structure enables easy and safety intraperitoneal implantation also in laparoscopic surgery. Unfortunately the high cost of this procedure limits its use. There is still need for 'ideal' mesh material and high hope for increasing biological graft application in the future.