Intestinal histological findings in patients with spondyloarthritis: a study of the relationship with disease activity

The role of intestinal microbioma and subclinical bowel inflammation in the etiology of sponsyloarthritis (SpA) has gained a lot of attention recently. Almost 65% of SpA patients will have asymptomatic bowel inflammation if assessed by ileocolonoscopy. The connection between intestinal inflammation and SpA originated the gut-joint axis hypothesis in which monocytes and T cells found in the joint would have origin in the gut (AU)

Fecal Calprotectin, Gut Inflammation and Spondyloarthritis.

BACKGROUND: Gut inflammation is closely related to spondyloarthritis (SpA) pathophysiology. Fecal calprotectin has been used to measure the degree of gut inflammation. The phenotype of SpA may change according to studied population. AIM: To study the fecal calprotectin levels in a sample of SpA in Brazilian patients and its relationship with epidemiological, clinical and treatment variables as well as with the macro and microscopic degree of gut inflammation. METHODS: Eighty five SpA patients were studied for epidemiological and clinical features, functional and inflammatory indexes and fecal calprotectin levels measured using a ELISA kit. Colonoscopy with intestinal biopsies were performed in 39 of them. At time of colonoscopy a second calprotectin level was done after suspension of at least 3 weeks of used anti-inflammatory nonsteroidal drugs (NSAIDs). RESULTS: Fecal calprotectin levels were higher in Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS) patients (p <0.0001) and in those with axial involvement (p = 0.002). No relationship was found with SpA inflammatory and functional parameters (all p = ns). After suspension of NSAIDs, a drop in fecal calprotectin levels was observed (from median levels of 215.0-76.0 µg/g; p = 0.01). In the colonoscopy, 33.3% had macroscopic signs of inflammation and these patients had higher calprotectin (p = 0.009) than others. Microscopic examination showed that all patients had lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate and eosinophilic infiltrate; epithelial erosion was present in 27.2%. CONCLUSIONS: Patients with ankylosing spondylitis and axial forms of diseases have higher fecal calprotectin levels. Patients with all types of SpA have microscopic inflammatory changes in the gut.

Significance of p16 positive expression in oropharyngeal cancers.

BACKGROUND: The involvement of HPV in oral and oropharyngeal carcinogenesis was first proposed in 2004, based on epithelial HPV tropism and detection of HPV genotypes in oral squamous cell carcinoma samples. While 60-70% of oropharynx tumors may be HPV-positive, only 10 to 19% of tumors of the oral cavity, larynx and hypopharynx appear to have HPV infection. The aim of the study was to evaluate HPV infection associated with oropharyngeal cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Seventy-eight cases were selected for p16 immunoexpression reactions, and demographic data were collected for comparisons. RESULTS: Most patients were over 60 years old, and 64.1% were smokers. Immunohistochemistry results showed that 86.3% of cases stained positive for p16 protein. CONCLUSION: The oropharyngeal cancer profile at Erasto Gaertner Hospital presented a high index of smokers over 60 years as well a high number of p16+ tumors, for what we can not determinate the main etiologic factor, but can be aware of the number of patients that presented HPV infection. Since prevention is still the best way to deal with cancer disease, it is important to analyze the interaction of these two etiologic factors and how to detect lesions at an early stage.

Testicular morphological damage in young rats after inguinotomy with vascular trauma.

BACKGROUND/PURPOSE: Operations for the treatment of inguinal diseases are the most frequent in childhood. Bleeding owing to trauma to the spermatic vessels is frequent and can cause testicular atrophy. The goal of this work was to determine the effects of the trauma to the spermatic vessels in the prepubertal and postpubertal histopathologic alterations in an experimental model in Wistar rats. METHODS: Eighty albino Wistar rats were divided in 4 groups for the histopathologic analysis. In group A, they were submitted to digital compression of the spermatic vessels for 45 seconds; in group B, the spermatic vessels were clamped with hemostats for 5 seconds; in group C, the spermatic vessels were cauterized for 2 seconds. Group D was the control group, in which the animals were submitted to inguinotomy solely. RESULTS: The prepubertal histopathologic alterations were significantly decreased in group A for testicular weight (0.97 +/- 0.10); in group B, for testicular weight (0.81 +/- 0.24), testicular volume (0.522 +/- 0.192), and mean testicular biopsy score (7.2 +/- 2.7); and in group C, for the 5 parameters studied, testicular weight (0.69 +/- 0.28), testicular weight per 100 g of body weight (0.498 +/- 0.188), testicular volume (0.765 +/- 0.308), mean seminiferous tubular diameter (236.6 +/- 62.5), and mean testicular biopsy score (6.9 +/- 3.1). The postpubertal histopathologic alterations were not significant for any of the 5 parameters studied, in the 3 groups. CONCLUSIONS: The prepubertal histopathologic alterations were more intense in the group submitted to cauterization of the spermatic vessels, intermediate in the group submitted to clamping of the spermatic vessels with hemostats, and less severe in the rats submitted to digital compression of the spermatic vessels. The postpubertal histopathologic alterations demonstrated the capability of the young testicle to recuperate from a vascular trauma.

Prevalence of celiac disease in an urban area of Brazil with predominantly European ancestry.

AIM: To determine the prevalence of celiac disease in a group of volunteer blood donors at a blood bank in the city of Curitiba, Brazil through detection of the serum marker immunoglobulin A (IgA) antitransglutaminase antibody. METHODS: Blood samples collected from 2086 healthy subjects at the Paraná State Center for Hematology and Hemotherapy in Curitiba were submitted to ELISA testing for the IgA antitransglutaminase antibody. Positive samples received IgA antiendomysium antibody test through indirect immunofluorescence using human umbilical cord as substrate. Subsequently, patients who were positive on both tests underwent small bowel (distal duodenum) biopsy. RESULTS: Six subjects, four males and two females, tested positive for the two serum markers. Five of the six were submitted to intestinal biopsy (one declined the procedure). Biopsy results revealed changes in the distal duodenum mucosa (three classified as Marsh IIIb lesions and two as Marsh II lesions). Most donors diagnosed having celiac disease presented multiple symptoms (gastrointestinal tract complaints). One donor reported having a family history of celiac disease (in a niece). CONCLUSION: Among apparently healthy blood donors, the prevalence of biopsy-confirmed celiac disease was approximately 1:417, similar to that seen in European countries.

Neuroblastoma in southern Brazil: an 11-year study.

The authors report on the incidence and clinical characteristics of neuroblastoma in southern Brazil. The aims of the study were to evaluate the age at diagnosis, tumor stage, MYCN status, and tumor histopathology, and to relate these factors to survival. All patients with neuroblastoma, 15 years old or younger (n = 125), admitted to the three major pediatric oncology hospitals in the state of Parana over a period of 11 years (between January 1990 and December 2000), were included in the analysis. All patients were followed for at least 5 years. In addition, a FISH evaluation for MYCN status was conducted in a subset of 34 tumors. Overall survival for tumor stages 1, 2, 3, and 4 was 100%, 72%, 59%, and 17%, respectively. Sixty-two percent (77/125) of all patients were older than 2 years; these represented 71% (57/80) of the patients with stage 4 disease. Children who presented with an unfavorable histopathology had a significantly worse prognosis (20% survival) than children with a favorable histopathology (67% survival). MYCN amplification was detected most commonly in stages 3 and 4 tumors (13/16). These data showed a delayed diagnosis of neuroblastoma in children in southern Brazil, and consequently survival was considerably lower in these patients.

Metaplasia intestinal especializada de esôfago distal na doença do refluxo gastroesofágico: prevalência e aspectos clínico-epidemiológicos / Specialized intestinal metaplasia of distal esophagus in the gastroesophageal reflux disease: prevalence and clinical-demographic features

RACIONAL: A metaplasia intestinal especializada pode ser classificada, de acordo com os achados endoscópicos e histológicos, em Barrett longo, Barrett curto e metaplasia intestinal da cárdia. O esôfago de Barrett é doença adquirida que ocorre em aproximadamente 10 por cento a 13 por cento dos indivíduos com doença do refluxo gastroesofágico e representa uma condição pré-neoplásica. É caracterizado por substituição do epitélio escamoso estratificado pelo metaplásico colunar especializado, contendo células caliciformes. OBJETIVOS: Determinar, prospectivamente, a prevalência e as características clínico-epidemiológicas da metaplasia intestinal especializada de esôfago distal na doença do refluxo gastroesofágico. MÉTODOS: Entre abril e outubro de 2002, 402 pacientes com sintomas da doença do refluxo gastroesofágico foram avaliados através de questionário padronizado que abordava as variáveis demográficas e foram submetidos a exame endoscópico com biopsias 1 cm abaixo da junção escamocolunar, nos quatro quadrantes. RESULTADOS: Metaplasia intestinal especializada foi encontrada em 18,4 por cento dos pacientes: 0,5 por cento Barrett longo, 3,2 por cento Barrett curto e 14,7 por cento metaplasia intestinal da cárdia. Houve tendência de maior número de homens apresentando esôfago de Barrett e mulheres com metaplasia intestinal da cárdia. Todos com esôfago de Barrett eram da raça branca. Não houve relação entre a intensidade dos sintomas da doença do refluxo gastroesofágico e a presença de metaplasia intestinal especializada. O tempo de duração de sintomas superior a 5 anos foi uma tendência nos portadores de esôfago de Barrett. Este grupo também apresentou mais hérnia de hiato e esofagite mais intensa do que aqueles com metaplasia intestinal da cárdia. Não houve relação entre uso de tabaco ou álcool e metaplasia intestinal especializada. CONCLUSÕES: Esôfago de Barrett foi mais relacionado ao sexo masculino, com sintomas de longa cronicidade, esofagite mais intensa e sem associação com tabaco ou álcool.

Efficiency of 6- and 12-punctures biopsies to detect prostate cancer in patients with PSA< 10 ng/mL and normal digital rectal examination

OBJECTIVE: Establish the efficiency of 6- and 12-punctures transrectal ultrasound-guided needle biopsies in low risk patients for prostate cancer. Six-punctures (sextant) biopsies were compared to 12-punctures biopsies, assessing which is the best strategy to detect this neoplasm. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Among 240 patients submitted to prostate biopsy, 54 with suspected small and organ-localized tumors (prostatic specific antigen < 10 ng/mL and digital exam of the prostate not suggesting cancer) in glands < 50 cm³ were selected, constituting a homogenous sample. These patients were submitted to standard 3-punctures (basal, mid, and apical) sextant biopsy in parasagittal midline of each prostatic lobe, with 3 additional lateral punctures, bilaterally. Each specimen was separately submitted to histological study. RESULTS: Twenty-two (40.7 percent) patients had prostatic cancer, and 28 presented prostatic hyperplasia, associated or not to inflammatory conditions. High-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (PIN) was detected in 4 patients. From 22 tumors detected by 12-punctures biopsies, 6-punctures biopsies in the parasagittal midline (sextant) diagnosed 50 percent of the cases, while isolated lateral punctures diagnosed 90.9 percent of the malignant neoplasms. Basal lateral punctures responded for 72.7 percent of the cancer diagnosis, while basal sextant punctures responded only for 9.1 percent of the cases. CONCLUSION: For low risk prostate cancer, patientsÆ 12-punctures biopsy was more effective, for sextant biopsy failed to diagnose half of the cases of neoplasm. Three lateral punctures (basal, mid, and apical), with 2 additional punctures in the parasagittal midline (mid and apical) bilaterally are suggested as the best biopsy strategy

[Specialized intestinal metaplasia of the distal esophagus in gastroesophageal reflux disease: prevalence and clinico-demographic features]. / Metaplasia intestinal especializada de esôfago distal na doença do refluxo gastroesofágico: prevalência e aspectos clínico-epidemiológicos.

BACKGROUND: Specialized intestinal metaplasia can be categorized according endoscopic and histological findings in long segment Barrett, short segment Barrett and specialized intestinal metaplasia of cardia. Barrett's esophagus is an acquired disease that is found in about 10%-13% of patients undergoing endoscopy for symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease and it is well established as predisposing to esophageal adenocarcinoma. The columnar epithelium with goblet cells replaces the normal squamous epithelium. OBJECTIVE: To determine the prevalence and clinical-demographic characteristics of specialized intestinal metaplasia of distal esophagus in the gastroesophageal reflux disease. METHODS: From April to October 2002, 402 patients referred to upper endoscopy due gastroesophageal reflux disease were evaluated through of a symptom questionnaire about clinical and demographic features and submitted to upper endoscopy with four-quadrant biopsies 1 cm below escamocolumnar junction. RESULTS: Eighteen point four percent of patients had specialized intestinal metaplasia, 0.5% long segment Barrett esophagus, 3.2% short segment Barrett's esophagus and 14.7% specialized intestinal metaplasia of cardia. Patients with Barrett's esophagus showed a tendency to be male and specialized metaplasia of cardia to be female. All patients with Barrett's esophagus were white. There was not association between symptoms of gastroesophageal reflux disease and specialized intestinal metaplasia, but patients with Barrett's esophagus showed a tendency to have symptoms over 5 years and had more hiatal hernia and esophagitis. The use of alcohol and tobacco was not related to the presence of specialized intestinal metaplasia. CONCLUSIONS: Barrett's esophagus was more related to the male gender, gastroesophageal reflux disease symptoms for 5 years or longer, more intense esophagitis and hiatal hernia, but was not related to the use of tobacco and alcohol.

Efficiency of 6- and 12-punctures biopsies to detect prostate cancer in patients with PSA

OBJECTIVE: Establish the efficiency of 6- and 12-punctures transrectal ultrasound-guided needle biopsies in low risk patients for prostate cancer. Six-punctures (sextant) biopsies were compared to 12-punctures biopsies, assessing which is the best strategy to detect this neoplasm. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Among 240 patients submitted to prostate biopsy, 54 with suspected small and organ-localized tumors (prostatic specific antigen

Insulinoma maligno produzindo hipoglicemia / Malignant insulinoma producing hypoglycemia

Relatamos o caso de uma mulher de 53 anos com episódios de hipoglicemia espontânea com um ano de evolução. A paciente referia fraqueza, sudorese e tremores, especialmente após as refeições. A avaliação laboratorial confirmou hipoglìcemia com altos níveis de insuli-na e peptídeo C. A tomografia axial computadorizada (TAC) de abdome evidenciou uma grande massa com calcificações na cauda do pâncreas. Após ressecção cirúrgica o exame histológico revelou insulinoma maligno. Após 12 meses de acompanhamento a paciente permanecia assintomátíca e normoglicêmica.

Síndrome mieloproliferativa transitória associada à trissomia do 21 e fibrose hepática / Transient myeloproliferative disorder associated with trisomy 21 and liver fibrosis

Recém-nascidos com Síndrome de Down (SD) podem apresentar uma proliferaçäo transitória de células imaturas no sangue periférico e medula óssea. A leucometria pode estar muito elevada, impossibilitando o diagnóstico diferencial com leucemia mielóide aguda (LMA). Em contraste com a LMA, a SMT regride espontaneamente em quatro a oito semanas. Objetivo: Apresentar uma criança com SD, SMT e fibrose hepática, que resultou num prognóstico desfavorável. Relato do Caso: D.M.S., masculino, estigmas da SD, hepatoesplenomegalia, sopro sistólico. Hemograma: 95.000 leucócitos/mm³, 19 por cento blastos, 170.000 plaquetas/mm³, hemoglobina 16,2g/dL. Bilirrubina total 35,86 mg/dL, GOT 184 UI, GPT 122 UI. Ecocardiograma: canal átrio-ventricular total, hipertensäo pulmonar, persistência do canal arterial. Sorologias negativas. Biópsia hepática: colestase, fibrose portal e sinusoidal, elementos mielóides imaturos. Após normalizaçäo da leucometria, manteve plaquetopenia e disfunçäo hepática. No 50º dia de vida, quimioterapia com Daunoblastina e Citarabina. Evoluiu com pneumonia e insuficiência renal. Obito no 61ºdia. Comentários: A história natural da SMT gera questöes intrigantes a respeito de sua origem, evoluçäo e desenvolvimento de leucemia subseqüente. A disfunçäo hepática e a fibrose têm impacto prognóstico. Em relato anterior, de cada oito casos de SMT com disfunçäo hepática, seis evoluíram para óbito, sendo que fibrose hepática difusa, associada a eritropoese extra-medular, foi encontrada em quatro casos. Acredita-se que a lesäo hepática resulta da produçäo de citocinas pelos megacariócitos, por ser o fígado o segundo órgäo hematopoético de células anormais, após a medula óssea

Resultados do transplante hepático em portadores de hepatocarcinoma / Results of liver transplantation in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma

Hepatocellular carcinoma is one of the most common malignancies worldwide. Liver transplantation has emerged as a good option for early-stage hepatocellular carcinoma yielding survival rates as good as for recipients without this type of tumor. OBJECTIVE: To assess the outcome of cirrhotic patients with hepatocellular carcinoma undergoing liver transplantation at the Liver Transplantation Service of the "Hospital de Clinicas", Federal University of Parana, Curitiba, PR, Brazil. METHODS: Retrospective study of cirrhotic patients with hepatocellular carcinoma undergoing orthotopic liver transplantation at the mentioned Institution between September 1991 and September 2000. The diagnosis of hepatocellular carcinoma was established during the pretransplant workup in five patients and the tumor was an incidental finding in the native liver in three. The indication for liver transplantation was restricted to solitary tumor equal to or less than 5 cm or up to 3 nodules, with each nodule measuring less than 3 cm, and no evidence of vascular invasion or extrahepatic spread. Patient survival and evidence of tumoral recurrence posttransplant were evaluated. RESULTS: The most common cause for pretransplantation liver disease was hepatitis C virus (50%). On examination of the explanted liver, the majority of patients (6/8, 75%) had a single lesion; one patient had two nodules and one had a multifocal hepatocellular carcinoma found incidentally in the native liver. Tumor size ranged from 0.2 to 5.0 cm. All cases had neither vascular invasion nor linfonodal envolvement. All patients remained alive and free of tumor recurrence at the time of the study with a mean follow-up of 18.5 months (range, 5-29 months). CONCLUSION: Liver transplantation is a good therapeutic option for early stage hepatocellular carcinoma arising in cirrhotic patients. With proper selection, liver transplantation can offer excellent survival rates free of tumor recurrence

Carcinossarcoma de mama / Carcinosarcoma of the breast: case report

O carcinossarcoma constitui uma forma rara de tumor de mama, correspondendo a cerca de 0,2 por cento dos carcinomas de mama. Descreve-se um caso dessa variante neoplástica em uma mulher de 45 anos, atendida do Serviço de Ginecologia e Mama do Hospital Erasto Gaertner. Discutem-se também aspectos histológicos, bem como opçöes terapêuticas e fatores prognósticos dessa rara neoplasia