Expression and clinicopathological significance of antiapoptotis protein survivin in gallbladder cancer.

Background: Clinical significance of survivin (antiapoptosis protein) in gallbladder cancer is not yet established. Aims: This study was performed to assess the expression pattern of survivin in benign and malignant gallbladder lesions using immunohistochemistry (IHC), and to assess its clinicopathological significance. Settings and Design: Prospective study from July 2012 to July 2014 was performed as a part of intramural research project. Materials and Methods: Tissue samples from resected gallbladder for cholelithiasis (n = 27) and carcinoma gallbladder (n = 24) were evaluated for survivin expression by IHC using a scoring system. Their expression was correlated with different clinicopathological parameters. Statistical Analysis: Fisher’s exact test, Student’s t‑test, and Chi‑square test were used as appropriate for data analysis. Kaplan–Meier methods were used to calculate overall and disease‑free survival rates among different groups. Two‑sided P < 0.05 was considered as significant. Results: Benign group (19 females, age [mean ± standard deviation [SD]] 45 ± 14 years) and malignant group (20 females, age [mean ± SD] 48.9 ± 13.4 years) were comparable with respect to menopausal status, presence, size and types of stones. However, survivin expression was significantly higher (66.7%, 95% confidence interval [CI] 24–75) in gallbladder cancer than in cholelithiasis group (33%, CI 46–83), P = 0.025). Its expression did not correlate with gender, age, menopausal status, presence of gallstones or their size, number and type, tumor differentiation, and tumor stage. Conclusions: Significantly higher expression of survivin protein in gallbladder cancer as compared to cholelithiasis group suggests its role in gallbladder carcinogenesis though it may not have prognostic value.

Sepsis: emerging role of nitric oxide and selectins

Sepse – um estado de infecção bacteriana sistêmica – frequentemente leva à falência múltipla de órgãos e associa-se a altos índices de mortalidade, apesar de progressos recentes no manejo de pacientes em unidades de terapia intensiva. Muitos dos efeitos maléficos associados à sepse são atribuídos a uma resposta inflamatória patologicamente ampliada que leva a recrutamento neutrofílico e ativação das moléculas de adesão do grupo das selectinas, durante as fases iniciais do processo . O óxido nítrico e sua diversas isoformas também foram implicados nas diversas manifestações vasculares da sepse como participantes diretos da toxicidade celular. Esta revisão descreve o papel das selectinas e do óxido nítrico em situações clínicas e experimentais de sepse, bem como os respectivos efeitos de processos terapêuticos de bloqueio.