Placement of port-a-cath through the right internal jugular vein under ultrasound guidance.

PURPOSE: This study was undertaken to demonstrate the effectiveness of ultrasound (US)-guided placement of porta-cath (PC) through the right internal jugular vein (RIJV) by evaluating the onset of early and late complications. MATERIALS AND METHODS: From 30 June 2008 to 30 June 2011, we placed 695 port-a-caths in 694 patients with a mean age of 58 years. Exclusion criteria were active infection, bleeding disorders and life expectancy <6 months. The procedures were performed in the angiography suite under local anaesthesia. After US-guided puncture of the RIJV, the subcutaneous pocket was prepared, followed by tunnelling of the vein and closure of the surgical wound. In order to evaluate pneumothorax (PNX), all patients underwent chest X-ray a few hours after the end of the procedure unless there were clinical indications. We evaluated the technical success of the procedure and the rate of complications. RESULTS: Technical success was achieved in all cases. The device was kept in place for an average of 168 days. There was one case of PNX (0.14%) as shown on chest X-ray and five cases of late complications (0.70%): one case of intracatheter thrombosis (0.14%), two cases of disconnection between the reservoir and catheter (0.28%) and two cases of PC infection (0.28%). CONCLUSIONS: This procedure incurs very small number of complications compared with other positioning techniques using accesses such as the subclavian vein. Complications recorded in our study are comparable, in type and incidence, to those found by other authors, with the most frequent being device infection.

Ultrasound guided fine-needle aspiration biopsy of thyroid nodules: Guidelines and recommendations vs clinical practice; a 12-month study of 89 patients.

INTRODUCTION: Given the high prevalence of thyroid nodules in the general population it is essential to develop a method for identifying those nodules which require fine-needle aspiration biopsy (FNAB) due to suspicion for malignancy in order to avoid over- or under treatment of this disease. The ultrasound (US) criteria identified by Kim et al. and the American Association of Clinical Endocrinologists appear to be the most sensitive and most specific. The purpose of this study was to analyze a sample of patients who underwent FNAB of the thyroid and to compare the obtained data with the international guidelines and the recommendations for management of thyroid nodules. MATERIALS AND METHODS: This study analyzed the clinical, anamnestic and US reasons for which 97 nodules located in 89 patients underwent FNAB, and the data were compared with the criteria set by the guidelines and with the cytological results. RESULTS: Echogenicity was indication for FNAB in 99% of cases, appearance of the margins in 75.3%, presence of calcifications in 93.8% and presence of vascularity in 73.2%. In a total of 4.1% of cases, cytological outcome was positive for malignancy, 21.6% necessitated monitoring, 4.1% were referred to surgery and histological examination of the surgical specimen and 63.9% resulted negative for malignancy. DISCUSSION: The finding of hypoechoic nodules often leads to continued investigation; the presence of intranodular vascularization detected at Doppler US is perceived as suspicious and the presence of microcalcifications always leads to further investigation. On the request of the endocrinologist the dominant nodule in a goiter is in most cases subjected to FNAB even if the volume has not increased. Adequate US criteria can help identify potentially malignant nodules and guide implementation of FNAB. However, identification of malignant nodules using instrumental investigation cannot disregard medical records and clinical laboratory tests. According to the authors' experience, a close collaboration between endocrinologists, radiologists and pathologists is essential for a correct evaluation of patients with thyroid nodules in order to avoid over or under estimation of the risk of malignancy of a nodule and therefore of the necessity to perform further examinations.

Effects of a peptide fraction isolated from mitochondrial DNA on stationary rat hepatocyte culture.

In this research we have investigated the effects of mitochondrial peptide fraction bound to DNA on stationary rat hepatocyte cultures. The treatment with this peptide was responsible of cellular lysis, followed by significant proliferation after 46th day until 51st in which it is reestablished. In the present study it seems that peptides bound to hepatocyte mitochondrial DNA are involved in longer term cultural stabilization properties. Our results demonstrate that the peptide is a lysing factor activity at short terms.

Mast cells in female mouse lymph nodes.

This study was designed to examine the possible role of sex steroid hormones on mast cells localized in uterus draining lymph nodes (UDLN) in mice. Young virgin estrous animals had more mast cells than diestrous animals in both the UDLN and popliteal lymph nodes (PLN). In retired breeders there were no differences in mast cell numbers of estrous and diestrous animals. There were no differences in mast cell numbers among weanling and older animals in diestrous in the UDLN but, in the PLN, mature animals in either diestrous or estrous had more mast cells than the PLN of weanlings. In mature animals, ovariectomy did not alter mast cell number in either node. However, ovariectomy of weanlings increased mast cell numbers in the PLN but not in the UDLN. These results suggest that the UDLN behaves as a nonclassical target organ for the endocrine system, with mast cell number variations related to gonadal steroid levels.

Monoclonal antibodies specific for carcinoembryonic antigen produced by hybridoma technology

El objetivo del presente trabajo fue la producción, caracterización y aplicación de anticuerpos monoclonales anti-antígeno carcinoembrionario. Ratones Balb/c fueron inmunizados con 2 dosis ip de 5 y 10 microng de antígeno carcinoembrionario en adyuvante completo de Freund cada 30 días, y 3 dosis de refuerzo durante días consecutivos. Las células esplénicas fueron fusionadas con células de mieloma X63/Ag8.653 en presencia de polietilenglicol, y los híbridos rescatados en medio selectivo conteniendo hipoxantina-methotrexate-timidina. La detección de híbridos productores de anticuerpos monoclonales dirigidos contra el antígeno se realizó por radioinmunoanálisis en fase sólida, utilizando como trazador imunoglobulina de conejo anti-ratón marcada con 125I. Se obtuvo una eficiencia del 65% en crescimiento y del 13% en positividad. Los híbridos fueron clonados y estabilizados por miniclonado repetitivo, con un 65% de crecimiento y 40% de positividad. De 11 hibridomas productores se seleccionaron 3 que fueron inyectados en ratones BALB/c para la obtención de tumores ascíticos. La inmuno-especificidad de los anticuerpos monoclonales A4, A15 y A19 fue determinada por inmunoelectroforesis crozada, detectándose la formación de inmunoprecipitados específicos entre los anticuerpos monoclonales y el antígeno carcinoembrionario marcado con 125I. El anticuerpo monoclonal A4, de altas afinidad (K=1,60x10*10 litros/mol) fue activo en el radioinmunoensayo hasta la dilución 1: 10 000 testada, permitiendo detectar valores de aproximadamente 0,5ng/ml. En ensayos de competición contra el anticuerpo policlonal, el rango de inhibición obtenido fue del 28 al 35% utilizando antígeno purificado, y del 10 al 15% con sueros de pacientes afectados por cáncer de colon...(AU)

Monoclonal antibodies specific for carcinoembryonic antigen produced by hybridoma technology

El objetivo del presente trabajo fue la producción, caracterización y aplicación de anticuerpos monoclonales anti-antígeno carcinoembrionario. Ratones Balb/c fueron inmunizados con 2 dosis ip de 5 y 10 microng de antígeno carcinoembrionario en adyuvante completo de Freund cada 30 días, y 3 dosis de refuerzo durante días consecutivos. Las células esplénicas fueron fusionadas con células de mieloma X63/Ag8.653 en presencia de polietilenglicol, y los híbridos rescatados en medio selectivo conteniendo hipoxantina-methotrexate-timidina. La detección de híbridos productores de anticuerpos monoclonales dirigidos contra el antígeno se realizó por radioinmunoanálisis en fase sólida, utilizando como trazador imunoglobulina de conejo anti-ratón marcada con 125I. Se obtuvo una eficiencia del 65% en crescimiento y del 13% en positividad. Los híbridos fueron clonados y estabilizados por miniclonado repetitivo, con un 65% de crecimiento y 40% de positividad. De 11 hibridomas productores se seleccionaron 3 que fueron inyectados en ratones BALB/c para la obtención de tumores ascíticos. La inmuno-especificidad de los anticuerpos monoclonales A4, A15 y A19 fue determinada por inmunoelectroforesis crozada, detectándose la formación de inmunoprecipitados específicos entre los anticuerpos monoclonales y el antígeno carcinoembrionario marcado con 125I. El anticuerpo monoclonal A4, de altas afinidad (K=1,60x10*10 litros/mol) fue activo en el radioinmunoensayo hasta la dilución 1: 10 000 testada, permitiendo detectar valores de aproximadamente 0,5ng/ml. En ensayos de competición contra el anticuerpo policlonal, el rango de inhibición obtenido fue del 28 al 35% utilizando antígeno purificado, y del 10 al 15% con sueros de pacientes afectados por cáncer de colon...