Inflammatory and nutritional statuses of patients submitted to resection of gastrointestinal tumors / Estado inflamatório e nutricional em pacientes submetidos à ressecção cirúrgica de tumores do trato gastrointestinal

ABSTRACT Objective: to evaluate the association between the nutritional and the inflammatory statuses of patients with cancer of the gastrointestinal tract undergoing surgical resection and to identify predictors of mortality in these patients. Methods: we conducted a prospective study of 41 patients with gastrointestinal tract cancer submitted to surgery between October 2012 and December 2014. We evaluated the nutritional status by subjective and objective methods. We assessed the inflammatory response and prognosis using the modified Glasgow Prognostic Score (mGPS), Neutrophil/Lymphocyte Ratio (NLR), Onodera Prognostic Nutritional Index (mPNI), Inflammatory-Nutritional Index (INI) and C-Reactive Protein/Albumin ratio (mPINI). Results: half of the patients were malnourished and 27% were at nutritional risk. There was a positive association between the percentage of weight loss (%WL) and the markers NLR (p=0.047), mPINI (p=0.014) and INI (p=0.015). Serum albumin levels (p=0.015), INI (p=0.026) and mPINI (p=0.026) were significantly associated with the PG-SGA categories. On multivariate analysis, albumin was the only inflammatory marker independently related to death (p=0.004). Conclusion: inflammatory markers were significantly associated with malnutrition, demonstrating that the higher the inflammatory response, the worse the PG-SGA (B and C) scores and the higher the %WL in these patients. However, further studies aimed at improving surgical outcomes and determining the role of these markers as predictors of mortality are required.

RESUMO Objetivo: avaliar a associação entre o estado nutricional e inflamatório em pacientes com câncer do trato gastrointestinal submetidos à ressecção cirúrgica e identificar variáveis preditoras de mortalidade nestes pacientes. Métodos: estudo prospectivo de 41 pacientes com câncer do trato gastrointestinal submetidos à cirurgia entre outubro de 2012 e dezembro de 2014. O estado nutricional foi avaliado por métodos subjetivos e objetivos. A resposta inflamatória e o prognóstico foram avaliados através do Escore Prognóstico de Glasgow modificado (mGPS), razão Neutrófilo/Linfócito (NLR), Índice Nutricional Prognóstico de Onodera (mPNI), Índice Inflamatório Nutricional (INI) e razão Proteína C-reativa/Albumina (mPINI). Resultados: metade dos pacientes estava desnutrida e 27% apresentavam-se em risco nutricional. Associação positiva foi encontrada entre percentual de perda de peso (%PP) e os marcadores NLR (p=0,047), mPINI (p=0,014) e INI (p=0,015) e os níveis séricos de albumina (p=0,015), INI (p=0,026) e mPINI (p=0,026) se associaram significativamente às categorias da ASG-PPP. Na análise multivariada, a albumina foi o único marcador inflamatório independentemente relacionado ao óbito (p=0,004). Conclusão: marcadores inflamatórios foram significativamente associados com a desnutrição, demonstrando que quanto maior a resposta inflamatória, piores foram os escores da ASG-PPP (B e C) e maior o %PP nesses pacientes. No entanto, mais estudos, com o objetivo de melhorar resultados cirúrgicos e determinar o papel desses marcadores como preditores de mortalidade são necessários.

Antiphospholipid antibodies and multiple organ failure in critically ill cancer patients

OBJECTIVES: To describe the clinical outcomes and thrombotic events in a series of critically ill cancer patients positive for antiphospholipid (aPL) antibodies. DESIGN: Retrospective case series study. SETTING: Medical-surgical oncologic intensive care unit (ICU). PATIENTS AND PARTICIPANTS: Eighteen patients with SIRS/sepsis and multiple organ failure (MOF) and positive for aPL antibodies, included over a 10-month period. INTERVENTIONS: None MEASUREMENTS AND RESULTS: aPL antibodies and coagulation parameters were measured up to 48 hours after the occurrence of acrocyanosis or arterial/venous thrombotic events. When current criteria for the diagnosis of aPL syndrome were applied, 16 patients met the criteria for "probable" and two patients had a definite diagnosis of APL syndrome in its catastrophic form (CAPS). Acrocyanosis, arterial events and venous thrombosis were present in eighteen, nine and five patients, respectively. Sepsis, cancer and major surgery were the main precipitating factors. All patients developed MOF during the ICU stay, with a hospital mortality rate of 72 percent (13/18). Five patients were discharged from the hospital. There were three survivors at 90 days of follow-up. New measurements of lupus anticoagulant (LAC) antibodies were performed in these three survivors and one patient still tested positive for these antibodies. CONCLUSIONS: In this small series of patients, we observed a high frequency of auto-antibodies and micro- and macro-vascular thrombotic events in critically ill cancer patients. The coexistence of sepsis or SIRS and aPL antibodies was often associated with MOF and death. More studies are necessary to determine the pathophysiological significance of antiphospholipid antibodies in severely ill cancer patients.

Detection of Malignant Cells in Pleural Fluid or Ascites by CD44v8-10/CD44v10 competitive RT-PCR

BACKGROUND: CD44 is a cell surface adhesion molecule which has been implicated in various biologic functions as lymphocyte homing and activation, cellular migration and extracellular matrix adhesion. Over-expression of CD44v8- 10 has been found in several cancers and is considered to be associated with tumor progression and metastasis. Recently, a novel molecular method, CD44v8- 10/CD44v10 competitive reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction(RT-PCR) has been developed for detecting cancer cells over-expressing CD44v8-10. METHODS: We analyzed from benign and malignant pleural effusion and ascites by CD44 competitive RT-PCR and compared to the conventional cytology. RESULTS: The CD44 competitive RT-PCR analysis showed that all the 24 samples associated with benign disease presented a predominant expression of the CD44v10 transcript (v8-10/v10 ratio: 0.126-0.948), whereas 6 of 7 malignant pleural samples associated with cytology positive cancer expressed the CD44v8-10 transcript (v8-10/v10 ratio > 1.00). CONCLUSION: These results indicate that CD44 competitive RT-PCR assay is a useful and adjunct to cytological examination in cancer diagnosis, especially in detecting exfoliated cancer cells in pleural effusion.

The level of cancer markers in relation to certain biological characteristics of the gastrointestinal tumors

Niveis de marcadores de cancer circulantes sao considerados dependentes da natureza biologica das celulas neoplasicas. A producao de CEA em resposta a uma lesao gastrointestinal maligna variou de acordo com a localizacao e estadiamento patologico do tumor primario, enquanto que o grau histologico nao interferiu com os niveis do antigeno. Carcinomas do estomago pareceram sintetizar menos CEA do que aqueles do intestino grosso. A atividade enzimatica dos tumores malignos do colon e do reto, determinada pelos ensaios da gama-GT e PHI revelou estar associada com a progressao tumoral, enquanto que o grau histologico nao foi um fator importante na determinacao dos niveis destes mercadores...

Multiple lymphomatous polyposis of the gastrointestinal tract: a report of two cases with immunohistochemical studies

We describe two cases of multiple lymphomatous polyposis in the gastrointestinal tract from the esophagus to the rectum. Clinical findings, histopathologic and immunohistochemical findings in paraffin embedded tissue are discussed. It is important to recognize this rare form of gastrointestinal lymphoma because of the prognostic and therapeutic implications.

Biochemical markers in gastrointestinal malignancies

E discutido o papel dos marcadores bioquímicos no diagnóstico dos tumores do aparelho digestivo. Sua importância para estratificar pacientes quanto a probabilidade de sobrevida, detectar recorrência e monitorizar o tratamento é analisada