Evaluation of uterine antioxidants in bitches suffering from cystic endometrial hyperplasia-pyometra complex.

Cystic endometrial hyperplasia-pyometra complex (CEH-P) is a common disease in sexually mature bitches. Disease progression leads to oxidative stress, resulting in the depletion of uterine antioxidants and lipid peroxidation of associated cells, which further aggravates the condition. The concentration of antioxidant enzymes, the level of lipid peroxidation within the uterine tissue, and its reflection in the serum and urine need to be elucidated. The aim of this study was to analyze the concentration of antioxidants such as superoxide dismutase (SOD), catalase (CAT), glutathione (GSH), glutathione peroxidase (GPx), and the lipid peroxidation marker malonaldehyde (MDA) in three types of samples, i.e., serum, urine, and uterine tissue. For this purpose, 58 pyometra-affected and 44 healthy bitches were included in the present study. All animals underwent ovariohysterectomy (OVH). Our data indicated highly significant difference (p<0.01) in the antioxidant concentrations of uterine, serum and urine samples. Furthermore, there was a highly significant (p<0.01) difference in the serum levels of ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP) and free radical scavenging activity (FRSA) indicated poor capacity to overcome oxidative stress in the CEH-Pyometra condition. We showed that CEH-P induces oxidative stress, which further depletes the antioxidant enzyme reserves in the uterus. Thus, the weak antioxidant defence predisposes to uterine damage and disease progression. The simultaneous depletion of antioxidants and an increase in lipid peroxidation in the serum and urine may also act as early indicators of uterine pathology.

Tumor markers in patients with pancreatic carcinoma.

BACKGROUND: Tumor markers are putative prognostic indicators for patients with carcinoma, but have not heretofore been evaluated in patients with Stage II and III pancreatic carcinoma. METHODS: Patients with Stage II (n=9) and Stage III (n=25) unresectable regional adenocarcinoma of the pancreas were treated with combined modality therapy. Treatment consisted of split course radiotherapy and simultaneous combination chemotherapy with fluorouracil infusion, streptozotocin, and cisplatin. Prior to treatment, patients free of both infection and jaundice provided blood for CA 19-9, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and CA 125 assays. RESULTS: The overall median survival of Stage II patients was 21.1 months. Due to the small number of Stage II patients with markedly abnormal assays, it was not possible to test for a statistically significant association between pretreatment tumor assays and survival. Among patients with Stage III pancreatic carcinoma, a CA 19-9 assay of 2000 u/ML or less identified a group of 16 patients with a median survival of 12.8 months. In contrast, 8 Stage III patients with a CA 19-9 assay of greater than 2000 u/mL had a median survival of 8 months and only 1 patient survived for 1 year (P=0.020, log rank test; P=0.010, Wilcoxon test). Among Stage III patients, a comparison of those with a normal assay versus any degree of abnormal assay failed to provide prognostic information. Analyses based on a combination of CA 19-9 and CA 125 assays provided additional powerful prognostic information: (P=0.002, log rank test; P=0.005, Wilcoxon test). CEA assays failed to provide information alone or in combination with the CA 19-9 assay. After adjusting for the CA 19-9 assay in multivariate analyses, neither performance status nor tumor size were significant prognostic variables for patients with Stage III cancers. CONCLUSIONS: Pretreatment CA 19-9 assays provide powerful independent and objective prognostic information.

Jumping translocations in leukemia.

Jumping translocations are an unusual phenomenon and have been rarely reported in leukemia. We report three patients whose leukemic cells had multiple related clones resulting from unbalanced jumping translocations of 1q and 7q to chromosomes 1, 8, 15, 21 and 22. The chromosome findings, together with limited published reports, suggest that jumping translocations are new non-random rearrangements and may represent poor prognostic biological markers. Although their origin is unknown, circumstantial evidence suggests that telomeric ends of receptor chromosomes may play a role in stabilizing jumping translocations in dividing malignant cells.

Cerebral demyelination with 5-fluorouracil and levamisole.

We report a patient who developed multifocal cerebral demyelination with the use of 5-fluorouracil, levamisole, and leucovorin as adjuvant treatment for intestinal adenocarcinoma. The clinical features were acute confusion, restlessness, ataxia, and slurred speech. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed multifocal enhancing white matter lesions. Brain biopsy showed a well-demarcated area of demyelination in cerebral white matter. The patient improved clinically and radiologically after cessation of chemotherapy and a short course of steroids. There have been only 4 previously reported cases of multifocal leukoencephalopathy related to the use of combination 5-fluorouracil and levamisole. The extensive use of these agents as adjuvant treatment for colorectal carcinoma may result in more frequent recognition of this form of neurological toxicity.