Evaluation of serum level of substance P and tissue distribution of NK-1 receptor in breast cancer.

Breast cancer is the second leading cause of cancer death in women with increasing incidence. Hence, finding a diagnostic factor and/or potential drug target could lead to an earlier diagnosis or a more effective therapeutic protocol. It is shown that substance P (SP) through its receptor neurokinin-1 (NK1R) could initiate tumor cell proliferation, angiogenesis, and migration. This was a case-control study on 41 women with breast cancer and 34 healthy controls. Serum level of SP was measured using an ELISA method, and immunohistochemistry staining was performed to study NK1R expression in different cell compartments. Assessing serum SP values of patients showed significantly higher levels than those of healthy individuals. However, no significant correlation was found between SP levels and tumor criteria, but between SP and HER-2. Moreover, the percentage, intensity of staining as well as tissue distribution of NK1R were significantly higher in tumor tissues as compared with controls. Increased serum SP levels and NK1R tissue distribution were observed in patients with breast cancer as compared with their controls, highlighting the involvement of SP/NK1R complex in breast cancer incidence. NK1R profound expression in tumor cell cytoplasm and its significant correlation with the majority of cancer features can be of importance to be taken into consideration as a possible potential therapeutic target in future targeted therapeutic strategies. Furthermore, cytoplasmic expression of NK1R can be suggested as a potent prognostic factor as it has shown significant correlation with TNM and tumor grade.

Evaluation and Comparison of the Early Outcomes of Open and Laparoscopic Surgery of Liver Hydatid Cyst.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Surgery is the mainstay for treatment of liver hydatid cyst. Different surgical procedures have been suggested, but it is important to select the most appropriate treatment to obtain the best results with the lowest rate of recurrence and minimal morbidity and mortality. The aim of this study was to evaluate the early outcomes of open and laparoscopic surgery of hydatidosis. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In this study, 75 patients with uncomplicated liver hydatid cyst were assigned prospectively to either groups of laparoscopic surgery (37, 50.68%) or open procedure (36, 49.32%) during the period of 2007 to 2012. Conversion to open surgery was required in 2 patients (2.67%), who were excluded from the study. Patients were followed for about 17.86±17.64 months. RESULTS: Participants included 73 patients: 49 (67.12%) female and 24 (32.88%) male patients, with the mean age of 38.97±16.48 years. There was no statistically significant difference between the 2 groups with regard to the sex, the occupation, and the mean diameter of the cysts. Bilious staining of the cyst content was observed in 23 (35.94%) patients during surgery, and a maximum diameter of 91 mm was considered as a cut point for predicting postoperative fistula with 69.2% sensitivity and 41.1% specificity. The mean duration of operation, postoperative pain, the hospitalization time, and the time to return to work were significantly lower in the laparoscopic group. Postoperative biliary fistula, cyst cavity infection, and wound infection were not different between the 2 groups. CONCLUSIONS: Laparoscopic surgery seems to be effective and safe, with low morbidity rates for uncomplicated cysts in accessible segments of the liver.

The role of prophylactic cefazolin in the prevention of infection after various types of abdominal wall hernia repair with mesh.

OBJECTIVE: There are controversies about the benefits of prophylactic antibiotics in the prevention of postoperative surgical site infection (SSI) in mesh herniorrhaphy for a long time. This study aimed to evaluate the effectiveness and efficacy of systemic prophylactic cefazolin in prevention of wound infection in various types of hernia repair with mesh materials. METHODS: This is a prospective randomized control study. We evaluated wound infection rates in 395 patients with various kinds of hernia who underwent elective mesh repair using polypropylene mesh from 2007 to 2011. A total of 237 (60.0%) patients received prophylactic cefazolin (study group) and the remaining 158 (40.0%) patients did not receive any prophylactic antibiotics (control group). Patients were followed for infection at the following periods after the operation by an independent surgeon: 10 days, 30 days, 12 months, and then annually for at least 2 years. RESULTS: Eight (2.03%) patients had infection in the site of surgery [2 (1.27%) in the control group and 6 (2.53%) in the study group]. The distribution of infection was not significantly different between the two groups (p = 0.364). The superficial infections were managed by drainage and irrigation. One patient from the study group developed deep SSI and was readmitted and subsequently received antibiotic therapy, drainage, and debridement. CONCLUSION: Preoperative administration of single-dose cefazolin for prosthetic hernia repairs did not markedly decrease the risk of wound infection. Our results do not support the use of cefazolin as a prophylactic antibiotic for various kinds of abdominal wall hernia repair with mesh.

Right Atrium Myxoma After Lung Adenocarcinoma.

INTRODUCTION: Heart secondary tumors are much more common than primary tumors. These two types of tumors differ not only by their source but also by their symptoms and location in heart chambers. CASE PRESENTATION: This report presents a 66-year-old heavy smoker female with a history of pulmonary lobectomy due to lung adenocarcinoma, hysterectomy due to myoma, and lumpectomy due to benign breast mass, who had symptoms of right heart failure for months. Physical examinations followed by imaging showed a mass in her right atrium, which was most likely, a myxoma. After a successful surgical excision, histopathological findings confirmed the diagnosis. More studies are needed to evaluate a possible combination between these soft tissue masses. CONCLUSIONS: A right atrium myxoma in a patient with a history of multiple soft tissue tumors has been limited to only a few cases. This may suggest a genomic affinity or similarity; if so, those with multiple different type soft tissue masses should be screened for a heart mass before the mass becomes complicated.

Sexual function after Stoppa hernia repair in patients with bilateral inguinal hernia.

BACKGROUND: This study was performed to evaluate the effect of Stoppa hernia repair on sexual function of the patients with bilateral inguinal hernia. METHODS: In a prospective follow-up study, 50 patients with bilateral inguinal hernia were investigated to assess sexual function before and 1 and 6 months after standardized Stoppa hernioplasty using the International Index of Erectile Function (IIEF) questionnaire. The mean scores obtained on pre- and postoperative visits for all domains of sexual function were analyzed and compared with the Friedman and paired Wilcoxon tests. RESULTS: The mean score of IIEF at the first month after surgery was significantly declined compared to that before surgery and 6 months after surgery (P< 0.001), while the difference between preoperative score and the score at 6 months after surgery was not significant CONCLUSION: Bilateral inguinal mesh repair with Stoppa technique can decreased sexual activity of the patients at one month after surgery, nevertheless it returns to its initial condition at 6 months after surgery. This suggests that the Stoppa technique does not affect the sexual function of patients with bilateral inguinal hernia.

Serum chemokine ligand 5 (CCL5/RANTES) level might be utilized as a predictive marker of tumor behavior and disease prognosis in patients with gastric adenocarcinoma.

PURPOSE: Gastric cancer is the second leading cause of cancer-related deaths worldwide and the most common gastrointestinal cancer in Iran. Chemokine ligand 5 (CCL5/RANTES) is one of the most potent angiogenic factors that plays an important role in tumor growth, invasion, and metastasis. We aimed to assess the serum level of CCL5 in patients with gastric adenocarcinoma and its relation with histological grade and tumor stage, as well as the disease prognosis. METHODS: Seventy-four patients with gastric adenocarcinoma that had undergone gastrectomy and 96 non-tumoral cases in which gastric cancer was ruled out by gastroscopy and biopsy were enrolled. Demographic and epidemiological characteristics and patient survival data were reviewed. Histological type, grade, and tumor stage (TNM) were determined by a single expert pathologist. Helicobacter pylori infection status and CCL5 serum level were measured by ELISA. Data were analyzed using SPSS software version 16. RESULTS: Patients with gastric adenocarcinoma had significantly higher serum CCL5 level compared with control group (P < .001). Higher serum CCL5 levels were associated with lower histological differentiation (P < .001), higher depth of tumor invasion (P = .022), more frequent lymph nodes involvement (P = .028), and advanced tumor stage (P = .002). The overall survival of patients with CCL5 levels higher than 70,671 pg/ml was significantly lower than those with lower than this cutoff (P = .043). CONCLUSIONS: Serum CCL5 levels might be utilized as a predictive marker of tumor behavior and disease prognosis in patients with gastric adenocarcinoma. Further studies to assess tissue expression of CCL5 and its gene polymorphisms are suggested.

Evaluation of the incidence of complications of lost gallstones during laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

BACKGROUND AND AIM: Recently, an increasing number of reports in the literature have shown various complications of lost gallstones. This study aimed to evaluate patients with lost stones in the peritoneal cavity for any related complications for at least 12 months after the operation. MATERIALS AND METHODS: In a 3-year prospective study, of 900 patients with laparoscopic cholecystectomy, 50 patients with lost stones in the peritoneal cavity were enrolled as the case group. On the same day or the day after, an uncomplicated case was assigned to the control group. Postoperative complications were checked on the 10th day and 1, 6, and 12 months after surgery. They were also visited if they had any complaints at any time. All suspicious cases and also all patients in the last follow-up visit underwent abdominal ultrasonography and were observed for signs of abdominal and port site collections, abdominal and port site stone, abscess, and mass. RESULTS: In 50 cases (34 female and 16 male with a mean age of 59 y), the surgeon was doubtful about proper stone extraction. The mean duration of operation for patients with a ruptured gall bladder was 49.6+30.3 minutes, and in others, it was 27.9+11.7 minutes. During the early postoperative period, fever was detected in 3 (6%) patients in the case group and in 1 (2%) patient in the control group, which was resolved spontaneously. Postoperative pain on the 10th and the 30th days, unrelated to the lost stone, was resolved with analgesics. Abdominal collection was found in 8 (16%) patients in the case group and 5 (10%) patients in the control group, which was not significant. All these patients underwent ultrasonography-guided percutaneous aspiration. The aspirate was serous, and the patients' clinical findings were not clinically significant. CONCLUSIONS: According to the study, serious complications related to the lost stones indicate prophylaxis as the best therapeutic approach for such patients. The patients should be informed about lost stones and their possible complications. Also, conversion to open surgery is not advised.

Study of treatment results and early complications of tube drainage versus capitonnage after the unroofing and aspiration of hydatid cysts.

OBJECTIVE: There is controversy concerning the management of the remaining cavity after the evacuation of a cyst in patients who have undergone surgical operation for liver hydatidosis. This study compares the results of capitonnage and tube drainage of the remaining cavity. METHODS: In this retrospective study, participants were selected from two groups of patients with a liver hydatid cyst who underwent capitonnage or tube drainage from 2004 to 2012. The patients were followed for 6-24 months. The data of age, sex, involved liver lobe, size of the cyst, complications, drain duration, and hospital stay were analyzed. RESULTS: Participants included 155 patients consisting of 96 (61.94%) females and 59 (38.06%) males. Most cysts were in the right lobe, and the most common diameter of the cysts was greater than 10 cm. Capitonnage was performed on 90 (58.06%) patients and the tube drainage procedure was performed on the remaining 65 (41.94%) patients. In the tube drainage group and the capitonnage group, the operative times were 2.21 ± 0.65 hours and 2.53 ± 0.35 hours, respectively; the hospital stays were 5.695 ± 3.37 days and 4.43 ± 2.96 days, respectively; the drain duration was 9.2 ± 1.7 days and 2.1 ± 0.4 days, respectively; and the time to return to work was 14.7 ± 2.3 days and 8.3 ± 10.4 days, respectively. All variables were statistically significant, except for the operative time. Cavity infection and biliary fistula were identified in three patients and six patients, respectively, in the tube drainage group and identified in two patients and three patients, respectively, in the capitonnage group. This difference was not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrated that capitonnage versus the tube drainage method may result in a shorter hospital stay, decreased time to return to work, and low rate of morbidity and complications.

Investigating the effect of autologous platelet-rich plasma on pain in patients with pilonidal abscess treated with surgical removal of extensive tissue.

BACKGROUND: Pilonidal is a painful disease which occurs mainly in the sacrococcygeal area. In 1833 Herbert Mayo first reported a case of a young woman with a hair-containing sinus in the sacrococcygeal area. In 1880, Hodge suggested the term "pilonidal" from the Latin "pilus" for hair and "nidus" meaning nest. OBJECTIVES: Effect of using autologous platelet-rich plasma (PRP) on pain reduction in patients with pilonidal abscess, subjected to extensive surgical removal tissue, was investigated through a clinical trial. PATIENTS AND METHODS: The trial was conducted on two groups from the Center for Surgical Research at Mashhad University of Medical Sciences located at Ghaem hospital in Mashhad city in 2011. Purposive sampling was conducted and the samples were randomly assigned to two groups including test and control. All of the patients referred to the surgical unit of Imam-Reza hospital with acute pilonidal abscess (sacrococcygeal abscess) were considered and randomly assigned to two groups. Patients' dressing was not removed for two days. To avoid systematic errors (Bias), the resident who checked the wound for the first time was completely unaware of the patient's treatment plan. Recovery process and wound healing were monitored for the two groups and compared with each other (every other day for 10 days, and then once a week until complete healing). Data analysis was performed using SPSS19 software with Chi-square, independent t, and Mann-Whitney tests. RESULTS: Based on the obtained results it was found that the pain in the test group was significantly reduced in the first and fourth weeks (P < 0.05), compared to the control group. CONCLUSIONS: Therefore, it has been demonstrated that using PRP can significantly reduce pain in patients subjected to surgical treatment for their pilonidal abscess.

Is urinary 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid helpful for early diagnosis of acute appendicitis?

OBJECTIVE: Acute appendicitis is the most common abdominal emergency in children and young adults. There are a lot of serotonin-containing cells in the appendix, which release serotonin into the bloodstream in response to inflammation. Consequently, serotonin is converted to 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) and secreted into the urine. On this basis, urinary 5-HIAA could be a marker for acute appendicitis. In this study, we investigated the value of 5-HIAA levels in spot urine in the diagnosis of acute appendicitis. METHODS: The urinary 5-HIAA was measured by an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in the spot urine of 70 patients who presented to the emergency department with a clinical picture of acute appendicitis. Urine concentration results were correlated to final histopathologic reports, and the diagnostic value of this factor was measured. RESULTS: Diagnosis of appendicitis was confirmed by histopathologic reports in 59 of 70 patients with presumptive diagnosis of appendicitis. Considering 5.25 mg/L as the cutoff point for urinary 5-HIAA, 28 patients had high urinary 5-HIAA levels, whereas 42 patients had values within reference range. The sensitivity and specificity of this test was 44% and 81%, respectively. CONCLUSIONS: The measurement of urinary 5-HIAA levels is not an ideal diagnostic tool for ruling out or determination of acute appendicitis.

Quantitative analysis of TEM-8 and CEA tumor markers indicating free tumor cells in the peripheral blood of colorectal cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: Colorectal cancer (CRC) remains the third most common cancer in the world. Approximately in 50 percent of patients, metastatic disease is a major cause of death. Therefore, early diagnosis of CRC is crucial for a successful outcome. For the detection of circulating cancer cells, this study applied a sensitive method that employed specific tumor markers for early detection. METHODS: A total of 80 blood samples from 40 CRC patients and 40 age-matched healthy controls were collected for the study. The circulating mRNA levels of two CRC tumor markers, tumor endothelial marker 8 (TEM-8) and carcinoembryogenic antigen (CEA) were evaluated using an absolute quantitative real-time PCR assay in a Stratagene Mx-3000P real-time PCR system. GAPDH was used as the endogenous control. RESULTS: TEM-8 and CEA were primarily detected more in the CRC patients rather than in the controls: 22/40 vs 9/40, p=0.009 and 30/40 vs 11/40, p=0.00054, respectively. In the CRC patients, the mRNA level of these markers was significantly higher in comparison to the normal controls (p=0.018 and 0.01). The overall sensitivity of this panel was 65% with a specificity of 75%. Statistical analysis for demographic variants did not reach significant values. CONCLUSIONS: TEM-8 and CEA markers were detected more frequently and in significantly higher levels in the blood samples of patients compared with samples from age-matched healthy controls. The copy number of CEA and TEM-8 mRNA, as detected by a real-time quantitative PCR, appears to be a promising marker for evaluating the risk of tumor spread.

Value of polyclonal human immunoglobulin tagged with 99mTc for detecting acute appendicitis in patients with intermediate probability of appendicitis.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to assess the value of a technetium ((99m)Tc)-polyclonal antibody to detect acute appendicitis in patients with intermediate probability of appendicitis. METHODS: A total of 40 patients with mean age of 24.6 ± 6.9 years with intermediate probability of appendicitis according to the Alvarado scoring system (score 5 or 6) were studied. After intravenous injection of 740 MBq of (99m)Tc-immunoglobulin G (IgG), a flow and blood pool image was obtained followed by two planar images and single photon emission tomography (SPECT) scan from the lower abdominal and pelvic regions. The images were subjected to visual and quantitative analysis. Patients were followed clinically, and the surgeon decided to operate on or observe the patient depending on the clinical findings. The pathology results were considered the gold standard if patients underwent an operation. If patients improved without surgery, it was considered negative for appendicitis. RESULTS: Altogether, 31 patients were operated on, and 21 patients had acute appendicitis. Nine patients were discharged from hospital and had no symptoms during follow-up. The sensitivity of the planar images for diagnosing appendicitis was 19-24% and specificity was 100%. The sensitivity of SPECT for diagnosis of appendicitis was 62%, the specificity was 68%, and the negative predictive value (NPV) was 62%. Quantitative analysis showed that using a cutoff of >1.2 for the mean right-to-left count per voxel ratio, the sensitivity of the test for detection of appendicitis was 54%, and the specificity was 86%. CONCLUSIONS: (99m)Tc-polyclonal IgG scanning has low sensitivity and moderate NPV for detecting appendicitis. Therefore, it is not a suitable tracer for excluding appendicitis.

Serum Lipid Changes after Short Term SIPC Therapy for Lower Limb Lymphedema.

Lymphedema is a ubiquitous chronic disease with various suggested treatment options, but no definite treatment. Using (Sequential) Intermittent Pneumatic Compression (SIPC) is one of the most appropriate non-surgical treatments without any noticeable complications. In this study, we evaluated the serum lipids changes following SIPC. Participants included 40 lower limb lymphedema patients who underwent High Pressure SIPC for a period of 48 hrs. Pre and Post SIPC serum lipids changes were evaluated. Though, there was some increase in the serum level of cholesterol and triglyceride, none of the patients had the values above the normal range. We concluded that, the fluid entering the serum during SIPC, contain large molecules such as lipids, which increases serum lipid levels. However this phenomenon does not have any significant complication for the patients.

Ruptured giant hepatic hemangioma: report of a case.

Hemangiomas are the most common benign liver masses with a frequency of 0.4-7.3% at autopsy. They are usually discovered incidentally and a few require surgery. Spontaneous or traumatic ruptures are among indications of surgery for hemangiomas. We report a case of giant hepatic hemangioma presenting as hemoperitoneum following use of the slimming belt that underwent an emergent laparotomy. Abdominal exploration revealed that both right and left lobes of the liver were involved with giant hemangiomas. The liver was compressed by tightly packing laparotomy pads. After the operation, the patient was admitted to the surgical intensive care unit. Two days later, a second surgery was performed to remove the laparotomy pads. On the 6th day, the patient was discharged. One month later, to shrink the tumor, percutaneous transarterial embolization of the hepatic artery was performed.

Wound infection incidence in patients with simple and gangrenous or perforated appendicitis.

BACKGROUND: Performing a delayed primary wound closure is often recommended in patients with gangrenous or perforated appendicitis who have undergone an appendectomy. It can result in increased pain as well as an extended hospital stay which, in turn, increases hospital costs. Delayed primary wound closure remains controversial. The general policy in our institution is to perform a primary wound closure. In this study, we have compared the incidence of wound infection in patients with simple appendicitis to those with gangrenous or perforated appendicitis whose wounds were primarily closed. METHODS: This is an observational study which was carried out on 400 patients with gangrenous or perforated (50%) and simple appendicitis (50%). Both groups underwent primary wound closure. Patients were followed for wound infection for at least one month after surgery. Data including age, sex, operating time, pathologic report and wound infection were collected. A comparison between the studied groups was made using Student's t-test for continuous variables and 2 test for categorical variables. RESULTS: The median age of the patients was 23 years. There were 141 (35.2%) females and 259 (64.8%) males. The median operating time was 30 minutes. Wound infections were observed in 15 patients (3.7%), including 6 cases of simple and 9 cases of gangrenous or perforated appendicitis which was not statistically significant. CONCLUSION: There was no statistically significant difference in wound infection between the simple and gangrenous or perforated appendicitis groups.