Treatment of pure uterine sarcoma at the Institut Català D’Oncologia

Aim

The aim of this retrospective study was to investigate the clinical and histopathological characteristics of the disease and treatment outcome of patients with pure uterine sarcomas.

Background

Uterine sarcomas are especially rare tumours, comprising only 3–5% of uterine cancers. They are characterized by histopathological diversity, rapid clinical progression, and poor prognosis. Optimal management consists of complete surgical removal and adjuvant radiotherapy may improve the prognosis.

Materials and methods

All patients with pure uterine sarcoma histology treated at our centre, the Institut Català D’Oncologia in Barcelona Spain, between 2002 and 2010 were reviewed.

Results

Records of 17 patients treated at our hospital over an 8-year period were obtained. Nine patients (53%) had leiomyosarcoma, 7 (41%) had endometrial stromal sarcoma, and 1 patient had unclassified sarcoma. All patients were treated with external beam radiation after surgical excision. Mean age was 62 years (range, 51–69 years). Of the 17 patients, 13 (76%) presented with stage I disease, 2 (12%) were stage II, and 2 (12%) stage III. The overall actuarial 2-year survival estimate was 82.5%. Two patients experienced local relapse. The 2-year local control rate was 90%. A total of 5 patients experienced either local or metastatic relapse. The 2-year progression free survival rate was 58%.

Conclusion

In our experience, combined treatment (surgery and adjuvant radiation therapy) is effective with acceptable side effects. Larger and multicenter studies are needed to assess treatment outcome for pure uterine sarcoma histology.     

突发先兆子痫并颅内出血与癫痫1例病例报道并文献复习

目的：探讨突发先兆子痫并颅内出血及癫痫发作行紧急临床治疗的可行性及效果。方法：妊娠孕妇突发先兆子痫并颅内出血及癫痫发作,急诊行剖宫产手术及侧脑室引流术。结果：术后CT扫描显示无血肿,且病理报告表明无恶性细胞异型性及动静脉畸形等疾病。在ICU病房中,3天后患者清醒,给予拔除气管插管处理,5天后患者肝功能及凝血功能恢复正常。结论：对于妊娠突发先兆子痫并颅内出血及癫痫发作行积极对症治疗,可以改善孕妇的生存质量。     

Acetone–butanol–ethanol production with high productivity using Clostridium acetobutylicum BKM19

Conventional acetone–butanol–ethanol (ABE) fermentation is severely limited by low solvent titer and productivities. Thus, this study aims at developing an improved Clostridium acetobutylicum strain possessing enhanced ABE production capability followed by process optimization for high ABE productivity. Random mutagenesis of C. acetobutylicum PJC4BK was performed by screening cells on fluoroacetate plates to isolate a mutant strain, BKM19, which exhibited the total solvent production capability 30.5% higher than the parent strain. The BKM19 produced 32.5 g L^?1 of ABE (17.6 g L^?1 butanol, 10.5 g L^?1 ethanol, and 4.4 g L^?1 acetone) from 85.2 g L^?1 glucose in batch fermentation. A high cell density continuous ABE fermentation of the BKM19 in membrane cell‐recycle bioreactor was studied and optimized for improved solvent volumetric productivity. Different dilution rates were examined to find the optimal condition giving highest butanol and ABE productivities. The maximum butanol and ABE productivities of 9.6 and 20.0 g L^?1 h^?1, respectively, could be achieved at the dilution rate of 0.85 h^?1. Further cell recycling experiments were carried out with controlled cell‐bleeding at two different bleeding rates. The maximum solvent productivities were obtained when the fermenter was operated at a dilution rate of 0.86 h^?1 with the bleeding rate of 0.04 h^?1. Under the optimal operational condition, butanol and ABE could be produced with the volumetric productivities of 10.7 and 21.1 g L^?1 h^?1, and the yields of 0.17 and 0.34 g g^?1, respectively. The obtained butanol and ABE volumetric productivities are the highest reported productivities obtained from all known‐processes. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2013; 110: 1646–1653. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Replacement of the Y450 (c234) phenyl ring in the carboxyl-terminal region of coagulation factor IX causes pleiotropic effects on secretion and enzyme activity

The interplay between impaired protein biosynthesis and/or function caused by missense mutations, particularly in relation to specific protein regions, has been poorly investigated. As model we chose the severe p.Y450C mutation in the carboxyl-terminal region of coagulation factor IX (FIX) and, by expression of a panel of recombinant variants, demonstrated the key role of the tyrosine phenyl group for both FIX secretion and coagulant activity. Comparison among highly homologous coagulation serine proteases indicate that additive or compensatory pleiotropic effects on secretion and function by carboxyl-terminal mutations produce life-threatening or mild phenotypes in the presence of similarly reduced protein amounts.     

THROMBIN IMMOBILIZATION TO METHACRYLIC ACID GRAFTED POLY(3-HYDROXYBUTYRATE) AND ITS IN VITRO APPLICATION

Poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) is nontoxic and biodegradable, with good biocompatibility and potential support for long-term implants. For this reason, it is a good support for enzyme immobilization. Enzyme immobilization could not be done directly because poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) has no functional groups. Therefore, modification should be done for enzyme immobilization. In this study, methacrylic acid was graft polymerized to poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) and thrombin was immobilized to polymethacrylic acid grafted poly(3-hydroxybutyrate). In fact, graft polymerization of methacrylic acid to poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) and thrombin immobilization was a model study. Biomolecule immobilized poly(3-hydroxybutyrate) could be used as an implant. Thrombin was selected as a biomolecule for this model study and it was immobilized to methacrylic acid grafted poly(3-hydroxybutyrate). Then the developed product was used to stop bleeding.     

Fine structure of the urnulae of Balaustium mites (Actinotrichida: Erythraeidae) representing peculiar defense organs

The urnulae, until now the enigmatic paired dorsal protrusions on idiosoma dorsum in active postlarval forms of Balaustium mites, were studied using electron microscopy. They consist of walls made of unmodified integument, which form a cylinder covered by a roof of thin cuticle. At the posterior border of the urnula, the roof has a crescent slit. On its inner surface, a rather large muscle inserts with several tendons. The roof forms a flap under which the modified columnar epidermal cells containing numerous lipid inclusions are located. These lipids are probably secreted through pore canals of the overlying cuticle. Materials mainly originating from an extensive vesicular tissue situated underneath the columnar cells of the urnula and under the adjacent unmodified epidermis are extruded through the mentioned slit. Our results support previous studies that have suggested a function of the urnulae as defensive organs. Our study further suggests that the agent that provides the repellent effect comes mainly from the vesicular tissue, whereas the columnar cells with their lipid secretions are likely to restore the external secretion layer of the epicuticle after its destruction during the repellent release. Further structural and functional details are discussed and compared with other putative defensive secretory organs.     

Mesenchymal stem cells isolated from human uterine cervix cancer tissues

In the present study, MSCs (mesenchymal stem cells) were successfully isolated and identified from hUCC (human uterine cervix cancer) tissues. The morphological appearance, immunophenotype, growth curve, cell cycle, cytogenetic features and differentiation potential of these cells were investigated. Results showed that cells isolated from the uterine cervix cancer tissues displayed fibroblast‐like morphology and grew into colonies. Immunophenotyping by flow cytometry revealed that the isolated cells were positive for CD13, CD29, CD44, CD105 and HLA‐I, while negative for CD10, CD14, CD31, CD34, CD38 and HLA‐DR. The cells kept a normal karyotype by chromosome analysis. At the third passage, the percentages of cells in G₀‐/G₁‐, 2‐/M‐ and S‐phase were 84.94, 8.36 and 6.71%, respectively. Under appropriate induction conditions, these cells can differentiate into osteogenic, adipogenic cells and hepatocytes. Taken together, MSCs were confirmed to exist in hUCC tissues, which may provide a new target for clinical cancer therapy.     

B超引导下子宫内膜消融术治疗更年期功血51例临床分析

目的：探讨在B超引导下子宫内膜消融术治疗更年期功血的效果。方法：扩张宫颈至6．5号,吸宫,在B超监视下由子宫右前壁始向外刮凝,依次顺时针方向刮凝宫腔2周。结果：治愈31例（60．8％）,有效19例（37．3％）,好转1例（1．9％）,无效0例。结论：电凝刀子宫内膜消融术与其他更年期功血治疗方法相比,消融的范围及深度由B超监视,安全性高,创伤小,不开刀,恢复快,并且治愈率高,更容易在临床上推广。     

常州地区妇女HPV 感染状况调查

目的:研究常州地区普通妇女人群中HPV感染状况,为宫颈癌的预防及治疗提供理论依据。方法:采用PCR与基因芯片技术,对常州地区参加妇科体检的744名妇女进行HPV分型检查,并对不同分型感染情况进行统计学分析。结果:744名妇女中共检出HPV阳性者157例,感染率为21.10%。在高危型HPV感染妇女中,共计83.64%的妇女感染了以下六种亚型,依次是16型46例,58型28例,33型24例,18型18例,31型11例以及52型11例。结论:鉴于高危型HPV与宫颈癌发生的密切关系,对普通妇女人群展开HPV检测具有预防与治疗意义。     

Intestinal microbiota and secretory immunoglobulin A in feces of exclusively breast-fed infants with blood-streaked stools

Episodes of blood‐streaked stools are not uncommon in exclusively breast‐fed infants under 6 months of age. Such bleeding is thought to be associated with food protein‐induced proctocolitis, however the pathomechanism remains unclear. The aim of this study was to investigate intestinal microbiota and secretory immunoglobulin A in the feces of exclusively breast‐fed infants with blood‐streaked stools. Fecal specimens from 15 full‐term infants with blood‐streaked stools and 15 breast‐fed healthy infants were studied and the results compared. All infants had been delivered vaginally and exclusively breast‐fed. The fecal microbiota were investigated by phylogenetic analysis combined with culture methods for some bacterial species, and feces were assessed for the presence of fecal secretory immunoglobulin A by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. Phylogenetic cluster analysis revealed four major clusters of fecal bacteria, cluster A being found only in healthy infants. The Bacteroides fragilis group was observed more frequently in controls than in patients (P < 0.05). In the controls, the predominant species belonging to the Enterobacteriaceae group was Escherichia coli, whereas in the patients it was Klebsiella (P < 0.05). Concentrations of secretory immunoglobulin A were high in one third of the healthy controls. In conclusion, the pathomechanism of rectal bleeding in exclusively breast‐fed infants may be related to differences in the composition of their intestinal flora.