Peritumoral stroma and systemic inflammatory response in cervical cancer.

OBJECTIVE: To compare cervical stroma in advanced cervical cancer with the control group; to compare, in the pre-treatment period, hemogram parameters in patients with advanced cervical cancer with the same parameters as the control group; and to verify if there is an association of stromal markers with prognostic factors in cervical cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We prospectively evaluated 16 patients diagnosed with advanced invasive cervical cancer. A control group of 22 patients was used (uterine leiomyoma). Immunohistochemistry was performed to verify the stromal immunostaining of alpha-smooth muscle actin (SMA) and fibroblast activation protein alpha (FAP). Immunostainings and hemogram parameters were compared using Fisher's exact and Mann-Whitney Test, respectively. RESULTS: Strong FAP immunostaining was more frequent in patients with cervical cancer when compared with patients with leiomyoma (P = 0.0002). Regarding SMA, strong immunostaining was also found more in the group of cancer patients compared to the control group (P < 0.00001). The neutrophil-lymphocyte ratio (NLR) values were higher in the cancer patient group compared to the control group (P = 0.0019). There was no association of the parameters studied with prognostic factors. CONCLUSIONS: Strong FAP and SMA immunostaining was found more in patients with cervical cancer when compared to the control group. NLR values were also higher in cervical cancer.

A case of transient lymphangiectasis of the penis.

OBJECTIVE AND IMPORTANCE: Physicians are likely to encounter patients with penis disorders and can be caught off guard by these uncommon pathologies, especially because they occur in a sensitive anatomical location. CLINICAL PRESENTATION: Here, we report the case of a patient presenting with benign transient lymphangiectasis of the penis (BTLP), including its differential diagnosis and treatment. Conclusion headings: BTLP is not an uncommon pathology and diagnosis is based only on medical history and clinical examination. The differentiation between Mondor's disease and BTLP is not necessary for treatment.

Insulin sensitivity, adjusted beta-cell function and adiponectinaemia among lean drug-naive schizophrenic patients treated with atypical antipsychotic drugs: a nine-month prospective study.

Atypical antipsychotic drugs (AADs) induce weight gain and truncal adiposity, and even the metabolic syndrome (MetS), which may progress to IFG/IGT or DM. AAD effects in lean schizophrenic patients without MetS have not been documented, especially in terms of weight gain and changes in insulin sensitivity (S), beta-cell function (beta) and adiponectinaemia. We prospectively determined the effects of nine-month therapy with AADs on anthropometrics, metabolism and adiponectinaemia, including homoeostasis model assessment (HOMA) modelling of S, beta and betaxS (hyperbolic product, assessing individual beta adjusted for S). We analyzed 36 schizophrenic subjects (M/F: 24/12; Caucasian: n=23, North African: n=12, South Asian: n=1) aged 35+/- years (mean+/-one S.D.) free of MetS (NCEP-ATPIII), of whom 19 study completers were evaluated following AAD treatment. S, beta, betaxS and adiponectin were measured at zero, three and nine months. At nine months, BMI had risen from 22+/-2 to 25+/-2kg/m(2) (P<0.001) and waist circumference from 85+/-8 to 91+/-11cm (P<0.001), while adiponectin decreased from 10.4+/-5.1 to 7.4+/-3.8mug/mL (P<0.001). Blood pressure and lipids were unaffected. S decreased from 138+/-49 to 110+/-58% (P=0.006) and beta increased from 83+/-24 to 100+/-40% (P=0.034). As a result, betaxS decreased from 106+/-19 to 91+/-27% (P=0.015). Fasting glycaemia rose from 89+/-5 to 96+/-9mg/dL (P=0.007). On study completion, 21% had IFG. Long-term use of AADs in lean, drug-naive, schizophrenics initially free of MetS induced weight gain and truncal fat accumulation associated with decreases in adiponectin and hyperbolic product, explaining the increased fasting glycaemia and impaired fasting glucose seen in predisposed individuals.