Histopathologic evaluation of arterial wall response to 5 neurovascular mechanical thrombectomy devices in a swine model.

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE: Five commercial devices are available for mechanical thrombectomy in acute ischemic stroke. This study evaluated and compared the resultant arterial damage from these devices. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Wall damage after 4 wall-contact devices (the Merci retriever, Catch thromboembolectomy system, and Solitaire FR revascularization devices of 4 and 6 mm) and 1 aspiration device (the Penumbra System) was evaluated in the superficial femoral arteries of 20 male swine. Each device was tested with and without intraluminal clot. Twenty control vessels were not subjected to any intervention. Acute histopathologic changes were evaluated. RESULTS: In the device samples, endothelial denudation (72.8 ± 29.4% versus 0.9 ± 1.9%, P < .0001), medial layer edema (52 ± 35.9% versus 18.1 ± 27.8%, P = .004), and mural thrombus (5.3 ± 14.2% versus 0%, P = .05) were found to a greater extent compared with the control samples. The aspiration device provoked more intimal layer (100 ± 79.1% versus 58.8 ± 48.9%, P = .27) and medial layer (75 ± 35.4% versus 46.3 ± 34.8%, P = .13) edema than the wall-contact devices. CONCLUSIONS: All devices caused vascular injuries extending into the medial layer. The aspiration device was associated with more intimal and medial layer edema, compared with the wall-contact devices except for the Catch thromboembolectomy system.

[Uterus transplantation. Current situation]. / Transplantation utérine. État des lieux.

Except adoption, absolute uterine factor infertility lacks solution in case of motherhood desire. Gestational surrogacy is still not approved in France. Over the last decade, uterus transplantation experimentation made advances. Data from animal research, progress in immunosuppressive treatment and knowledge about pregnancy after transplantation provide a scenario in which a human allotransplantation project can become reality.

Oncogramme responses of breast tumour cells treated with herceptin correlate with HER2/C-ERB B2 pathological status.

BACKGROUND: Among targeted therapies, Herceptin is a monoclonal antibody successfully used on patients with breast cancer expressing Human Epidermal Growth Factor Receptor-2 (HER2 receptors). Oncogramme is a method developed to predict anticancer activity of molecules and thus individualize chemotherapeutic strategies. Before this ex vivo test enters clinical validation, it was desirable to correlate breast cancer cell responses to Herceptin observed through Oncogramme with HER2 expression by these cells. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Breast tumour fragments were dissociated and obtained cells were cultured in defined medium. After Herceptin treatment, cytotoxicity was detected by cell death analysis, and responses compared to tumour HER2 status were determined by pathologists. RESULTS: Cell responses to increasing doses of Herceptin obtained with Oncogramme were in correlation with HER2 expression. CONCLUSION: Comparison between Herceptin responses obtained with Oncogramme and HER2 status of breast tumour cells confirmed that Oncogramme is a reliable method for prediction of patient cell sensitivity to anticancer drugs.

Donor P-gp polymorphisms strongly influence renal function and graft loss in a cohort of renal transplant recipients on cyclosporine therapy in a long-term follow-up.

Cyclosporin A (CsA) is a substrate for cytochrome P450 3A and the efflux transporter P-glycoprotein (P-gp; ABCB1), both abundantly expressed in the kidney. In a long-term follow-up of a cohort of patients who had received kidney transplants between the years 1990 and 2005, we retrospectively investigated the effect of CYP3A4, CYP3A5, and ABCB1 polymorphisms in kidney graft donors on recipients' renal function and risk of subsequent graft loss. DNA samples from 227 donors and clinical data from the 259 respective recipients were analyzed. Graft loss was significantly associated with the presence of the ABCB1 variant haplotype 1236T/2677T/3435T in the donor (1236T/2677T/3435T vs. other haplotypes: hazard ratio = 9.346; 95% confidence interval (CI) (2.278-38.461); P = 0.0019) and with previous episodes of acute organ rejection (hazard ratio = 3.077; 95% CI (1.213-7.812); P = 0.0178). The variant haplotype was also associated with a greater decrease in renal function (homozygotes for TTT -3.047 mlxmin(-1)/year; heterozygotes for TTT -4.435 mlxmin(-1)/year; others -2.186 mlxmin(-1)/year; P = 0.0240). The study showed that the presence of ABCB1 polymorphisms in donors influences long-term graft outcome adversely with decrease in renal function and graft loss in transplant recipients receiving CsA.