Splenectomy and antiviral treatment for thrombocytopenic patients with chronic hepatitis C virus infection.

Thrombocytopenic patients with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection are poor candidates for antiviral treatment with interferon (IFN), but no standard treatment for thrombocytopenia has yet been established. We evaluated the safety of splenectomy and its efficacy for the initiation and continuation of antiviral therapy. From March 2003 to April 2006, 10 patients (mean age 62.5 years) with HCV-related cirrhosis, low platelet count (<==106 000/mm(3)) and splenomegaly (spleen size >==10 cm) underwent splenectomy. Platelet counts significantly increased at 4-8 weeks after splenectomy [pre: 64 200 +/- 6900/mm(3)vs post 209 000 +/- 40 600/mm(3) (P = 0.004)]. No severe operative complications were observed. All patients subsequently received antiviral therapy. Of the eight patients who were infected with HCV genotype 1 and had a high viral load (>==100 KIU/mL), four received combination therapy with pegylated IFNalpha-2b plus ribavirin, and the other four received standard IFNalpha-2b plus ribavirin. One patient infected with HCV genotype 2 and another with HCV genotype 1 and a low viral load (<100 KIU/mL) were treated with pegylated IFNalpha-2a. Six patients achieved sustained virologic response (SVR). Among four patients who failed to achieve SVR, one was given retreatment with pegylated IFN plus ribavirin, and the other three received low-dose long-term IFN therapy. Although this study was small, the treatment results were similar to those for patients without thrombocytopenia and suggested that splenectomy would not reduce the antiviral efficacy of IFNalpha-based treatment.

Simultaneous observation of endocrine and exocrine functions of the pancreas responding to somatostatin in man.

Six patients who underwent segmental autotransplantation of the caudal pancreas (SAT) following total pancreatectomy for pancreatic cancer were investigated. The graft was transplanted to the left groin, and pancreatic juice was diverted outside through a polyethylene tube indwelled into the main pancreatic duct. In these SAT patients, the responses of insulin (IRIS) in terms of plasma levels and pancreatic secretion to subcutaneous injections of somatostatin octreotide (Sandostatin: SMS201-995) were simultaneously observed. Four doses (0.039, 0.156, 0.625 and 2.5 micrograms/kg) of SMS201-995 were given on separate days. As a control, saline was injected subcutaneously. Standard liquid test meal was given 1 h after the subcutaneous injection. The basal plasma IRI were significantly decreased with doses greater than 0.156 microgram/kg. The postprandial responses of IRI was also significantly suppressed with the same doses. On the other hand, the basal pancreatic exocrine secretion was significantly suppressed with doses greater than 0.625 microgram/kg. The postprandial pancreatic exocrine secretion was also significantly suppressed with doses greater than 0.625 microgram/kg. Those suppressions were dose-dependent. The postprandial CCK secretion was also significantly suppressed in dose-dependent manner with SMS201-995. The CCK suppression was significantly correlated with the suppression of pancreatic exocrine secretion. This clinical study under the setting of SAT demonstrated not only the direct inhibitory effect of somatostatin on both the islet and acinar cells but also, probably, the indirect inhibitory effect on the acinal cells via suppression of CCK release in humans.

Is laparoscopic colorectal surgery less invasive than classical open surgery? Quantitation of physical activity using an accelerometer to assess postoperative convalescence.

BACKGROUND: With the technical advances of recent years, the number of operative manipulations in the abdominal cavity by laparoscopic surgery is now considered to be the same as that using classical open surgery. The question has been raised whether laparoscopic colorectal surgery with lymphadenectomy improves the recovery compared to open surgery. METHODS: We compared patients' physical activity for 7 days postoperatively as measured with an accelerometer between laparoscopic-assisted colorectal resection (LAC, n = 32) and classical open colorectal surgery (OC, n = 30). RESULTS: Physical activity expressed as cumulative acceleration was significantly higher in the LAC than in the OC group on each postoperative day. The recovery time, defined as the day on which the cumulative acceleration recovered to 90% of the preoperative level, was significantly shorter (p < 0.05) in the LAC (3.4 +/- 1.2 days) than in the OC group (6.8 +/- 1.7 days). CONCLUSION: Our results showed that the duration of convalescence with LAC was significantly shorter than that with the OC procedure. Laparoscopic colorectal surgery appears to allow an earlier recovery after the operation than the classical open procedure, and it is less invasive as assessed by convalescence.

An investigation into the practice of concurrent chronic ambulatory peritoneal dialysis catheter insertion and arteriovenous fistula formation in patients needing dialysis.

To review the practice of concurrent chronic ambulatory peritoneal dialysis catheter insertion and arteriovenous fistula formation in patients needing dialysis, we retrospectively assessed the results of arteriovenous fistula procedures, the risk factors for fistula failure, and the selection strategy used to choose which patients with end-stage renal disease would be given dialysis. We analysed the medical records of 136 patients who had first-time arteriovenous fistulae created between 1 July 1986 and 1 May 1994 at a public hospital in Sydney, Australia. As many as 36% of fistulae were never used (24.5% due to primary failure) and 30.1% of the fistulae used had to be abandoned for various reasons. In addition, 22.8% of patients experienced complications, the most common being thrombosis and stenosis. None of the factors associated with fistula formation were significant in terms of fistula patency rates, but smokers and female patients had inferior fistula patency rates. Whereas the overall results were satisfactory, the practice of concurrent chronic ambulatory peritoneal dialysis catheter insertion and arteriovenous fistula formation to give vascular access for dialysis is questionable.

[Siblings of familial adenomatosis coli with gastric cancer--case report].

Adenomatosis coli is recently regarded as a systemic disease with a predisposition to multiple tumor formation. We report siblings of familial adenomatosis coli with gastric cancers. Case 1 was a 58 year-old elder brother. His diagnosis was familial adenomatosis coli accompanied with colon cancer and simultaneous early gastric cancer. Total colectomy and partial gastrectomy were carried out on Mar. 13, 1984 at our hospital. Numerous polyps over the whole colon and an ulcerative tumor in the hepatic flexure were found in the resected colon. Histologically tubular adenocarcinoma were demonstrated in the ulcerative tumor, and all other polyps were adenomas. In the resected gastric specimen, there were two shallow, depressed lesions on the each anterior and posterior wall of the antrum. Histologically both of them were adenocarcinoma confined within the mucosa. Postoperative course was satisfactory and he is quite healthy 2 and a half years after surgery. Case 2 was a 56 year-old younger brother. He received a partial gastrectomy for advanced gastric cancer at another hospital on May 20, 1982. In one and a half year from the surgery, a large lung tumor (probably metastasis of the gastric cancer) was found and he received chemotherapy. He also received radiation therapy in June, 1984 and during this admission barium enema study was performed. It revealed numerous polyps over the whole colon. No cancerous lesions were found. He died of lung tumor on Dec. 8, 1985. The similar siblings were first reported by Kokaji et al. in 1984, and our cases seem to be the second ones.

Laparoscopic intragastric surgery using a radially expandable sleeve.

Laparoscopic intragastric surgery (LIGS) has become more widely established in Japan as a therapy for early gastric cancers and some types of submucosal gastric tumors. However, there have been some technical difficulties with the original method of LIGS. Certain complicated procedures to access the gastric lumen are required, along with repair of the gastric wall after endoluminal procedures. Using a 5-mm radially expandable sleeve (RES) for the working ports in LIGS, it becomes easier to establish access to the gastric lumen, and repair of the port sites on the gastric wall is not required. Using RES makes LIGS a simpler, less invasive procedure.

Nonfunctioning islet cell carcinoma of the pancreas associated with massive intra-abdominal hemorrhage.

Pancreatic islet cell tumors are rarely associated with intra-abdominal hemorrhage. We report herein a rare case of nonfunctioning islet cell carcinoma associated with massive hemorrhage into the abdominal cavity caused by spontaneous rupture of the tumor. A 44-year-old man presenting with sudden upper abdominal pain was admitted to his local hospital on April 18, 1994. On April 19, a laparotomy was performed with the diagnosis of peritonitis. Massive hemorrhage of unknown origin occurred, and he was transferred to our hospital in a state of hypovolemic shock. Imaging findings revealed massive hematoma in the abdominal cavity and a hypervascular tumor arising from the body of the pancreas. Because the hemorrhage was life-threatening, an emergent re-laparotomy was performed on April 20. Apart from the massive hemorrhage, a pancreatic tumor (60 x 35 x 30 mm in size) with spontaneous rupture was noted. Distal pancreatectomy, combined with splenectomy and removal of the hematoma, was performed. Histological findings revealed an islet cell carcinoma of the pancreas with venous invasion. Peritoneal dissemination, liver metastasis, and lymph node metastasis were not observed. The patient is alive without recurrence 6 years and 5 months after the operation.

Significant role of intragraft lymphoid tissues in preventing insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus recurrence in whole pancreaticoduodenal transplantation.

Graft recurrence of insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) was examined. Islet transplantation or pancreas-alone transplantation excluding the duodenum and peripancreatic lymph nodes was compared with whole pancreaticoduodenal transplantation. A Wistar Furth (WF; RT1(u), RT6.2) to major histocompatibility complex (MHC)-compatible diabetes-prone (DP; RT1(u), RT6.1 gene carrier)-biobreeding (BB) rat transplantation model was used. Only DP recipients that had been transplanted with whole pancreaticoduodenal grafts were free from IDDM recurrence (>60 days postgrafting) when treated with anti-intercellular adhesion moluecule-1 (ICAM)-1/leukocyte function-associated antigen-1 (LFA-1) monoclonal antibodies (mAbs). In the spleen cells of the DP rats that had accepted pancreatic grafts (60 days postgrafting), flow cytometric analysis showed that NKR-P1(+)TCRalphabeta(+) (NKT) cells had proliferated markedly, with the proportion of 12.8 +/- 1.7% in the total splenic T cells, most of which (86.2%) were derived from the donor (RT6.2(+)). By enzyme-linked immunonosorbent assay (ELISA), serum interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) was not detected (<13 pg/ml) in all rats. However, interleukin-4 (IL-4) was detected as 158.8 +/- 28.0 pg/ml in the nonrecurrent DP recipients. These data suggested that to prevent IDDM recurrence in the pancreatic graft, the lymphocytes in the pancreaticoduodenal grafts are necessary. Also, the donor-derived NKT cells might have some immunoregulatory functions with a Th2 deviation.

A Case of Microangiopathic Hemolytic Anemia Associated with Breast Cancer: Improvement with Chemoendocrine Therapy.

Microangiopathic hemolytic anemia (MAHA) is a term which describes the association of hemolytic anemia with red cell fragmentation caused by microangiopathy mechanically. This paper reports a 45-year-old woman with bone metastases from breast cancer. She developed MAHA and disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC). Although the prognosis of MAHA associated with malignant tumor has been very poor, she achieved remission of the syndrome after chemoendocrine therapy.