The INTERNATIONAL MISSION study: minimally invasive surgery in ovarian neoplasms after neoadjuvant chemotherapy.

OBJECTIVES: The aim of this retrospective multicenter study was to investigate the extent, feasibility, and outcomes of minimally invasive surgery at the time of interval debulking surgery in different gynecological cancer centers. METHODS/MATERIALS: In December 2016, 20 gynecological cancer centers were contacted by e-mail, to participate in the INTERNATIONAL MISSION study. Seven centers confirmed and five were included, with a total of 127 patients diagnosed with advanced epithelial ovarian cancer after neoadjuvant chemotherapy and minimally invasive interval surgery. Only women with a minimum follow-up time of 6 months from interval surgery or any cancer-related event before 6 months were included in the survival analysis. Baseline characteristics, chemotherapy, and operative data were evaluated. Survival analysis was evaluated using the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS : All patients had optimal cytoreduction at the time of interval surgery: among them, 122 (96.1%) patients had no residual tumor. Median operative time was 225 min (range 60 - 600) and median estimated blood loss was 100 mL (range 70 - 1320). Median time to discharge was 2 days (1-33) and estimated median time to start chemotherapy was 20 days (range 15 - 60). Six (4.7%) patients experienced intraoperative complications, with one patient experiencing two serious complications (bowel and bladder injury at the same time). There were six (4.7%) patients with postoperative short-term complications: among them, three patients had severe complications. The conversion rate to laparotomy was 3.9 %. Median follow-up time was 37 months (range 7 - 86): 74 of 127 patients recurred (58.3%) and 31 (24.4%) patients died from disease. Median progression-free survival was 23 months and survival at 5 years was 52 % (95% CI: 35 to 67). CONCLUSIONS: Minimally invasive surgery may be considered for the management of patients with advanced ovarian cancer who have undergone neoadjuvant chemotherapy, when surgery is limited to low-complexity standard cytoreductive procedures.

The Biomolecular Interaction Network Database and related tools 2005 update.

The Biomolecular Interaction Network Database (BIND) (http://bind.ca) archives biomolecular interaction, reaction, complex and pathway information. Our aim is to curate the details about molecular interactions that arise from published experimental research and to provide this information, as well as tools to enable data analysis, freely to researchers worldwide. BIND data are curated into a comprehensive machine-readable archive of computable information and provides users with methods to discover interactions and molecular mechanisms. BIND has worked to develop new methods for visualization that amplify the underlying annotation of genes and proteins to facilitate the study of molecular interaction networks. BIND has maintained an open database policy since its inception in 1999. Data growth has proceeded at a tremendous rate, approaching over 100 000 records. New services provided include a new BIND Query and Submission interface, a Standard Object Access Protocol service and the Small Molecule Interaction Database (http://smid.blueprint.org) that allows users to determine probable small molecule binding sites of new sequences and examine conserved binding residues.

Sensitization to the fungus Hemileia vastatrix (coffee leaf rust).

BACKGROUND: The aim of the present study was to determine the existence of sensitization to the fungus Hemileia vastatrix (coffee leaf rust) in a sample of the Brazilian population. This fungus attacks coffee plantations, and in some regions of Brazil the concentration of its spores in the air can be very high. METHODS: A total of 378 individuals underwent skin tests (prick and intradermal tests) with H. vastatrix extract. The subjects were divided into four groups according to the occurrence of atopy and the region where they lived (coffee-growing or non-coffee-growing regions), and another group (V) consisted of 50 rural workers employed on coffee plantations. The presence of specific IgE against the fungus H. vastatrix in sensitized individuals was demonstrated in vitro by immunoblotting. RESULTS: There was no statistical difference in comparing the results with intradermal or prick tests. The incidence of positive tests was significantly higher among atopic individuals residing in coffee-growing regions (14.7%). Among rural workers, 10% showed positive tests. Immunoblotting revealed specific IgE against 20 protein bands of H. vastatrix. CONCLUSION: The fungus H. vastatrix may be an important allergen in coffee-producing countries. The sensitization is more frequent among atopic individuals residing in coffee-growing regions.

Clinical and laboratorial study of 19 cases of mucopolysaccharidoses.

UNLABELLED: The mucopolysaccharidoses (MPS) are a heterogeneous group of inborn errors of lysosomal glycosaminoglycan (GAG) metabolism. The importance of this group of disorders among the inborn errors of metabolism led us to report 19 cases. METHOD: We performed clinical, radiological, and biochemical evaluations of the suspected patients, which allowed us to establish a definite diagnosis in 19 cases. RESULTS: Not all patients showed increased GAG levels in urine; enzyme assays should be performed in all cases with strong clinical suspicion. The diagnosis was made on average at the age of 48 months, and the 19 MPS cases, after a full clinical, radiological, and biochemical study, were classified as follows: Hurler - MPS I (1 case); Hunter - MPS II (2 cases); Sanfilippo - MPS III (2 cases); Morquio - MPS IV (4 cases); Maroteaux-Lamy - MPS VI (9 cases); and Sly - MPS VII (1 case). DISCUSSION: The high relative frequency of Maroteaux-Lamy disease contrasts with most reports in the literature and could express a population variability.

Schizophrenia, bipolar disorder and depression. A discriminant analysis, using 'lifetime' psychopathology ratings.

Discriminant and canonical variate analyses were performed using 302 patients, on whom ratings of lifetime psychopathology and course of illness has been made. DSM-III diagnoses were used to form the criterion groups. Bipolar disorder emerged as a distinct grouping, but there are reasons for dissatisfaction with its definition. The remaining patients formed a 'schizodepressive continuum', but this also had a tendency to bimodality. It is possible that the distinction between schizophrenia and depression was obscured by inadequacies in the data and the inclusion of excessive numbers of patients with schizoaffective depression in this study.