Ischemic Colitis.

Ischemic colitis occurs as a result of the decrease of arterial blood supply at the level of the colon and may have consequences which vary from completely reversible lesions to ischemic necrosis. It is a condition that affects both sexes, predominantly people over the age of 50, having multiple etiologies in which the main role is played by atherosclerosis. The symptomatology varies from mild symptoms, which are reversible, to severe ones, with a vital risk. The colonoscopy does not show pathognomonic signs, but it has high sensitivity due to the involvement of the mucosa. There are different treatments according to the clinical form. In general, it goes into remission spontaneously. Emergency surgical treatment is required in acute pancolitis, toxic megacolon, massive hemorrhages, when a subtotal colectomy is performed.

Interferon prophylaxis of hepatic carcinoma.

The present article reveals the importance of hepatic carcinoma among the other diseases in digestive oncology, and also the importance of a correct designation of these cases. Epidemiology and actual hypothesis on the mechanisms of oncogenesis are discussed. There are reviewed some studies in the literature concerning infection with hepatitis B virus, hepatitis C virus, coinfection (B and C viruses, B and D viruses), the role of interferon prophylaxis in such cases. Also there is present a statistics on chronic viral hepatits, cirrhosis of viral etiology and hepatic carcinoma, diagnosed in patients in "N.Gh.Lupu" Hospital, over two decades.

The changes of peroxides and total antioxidants in the plasma of patients who received 131I therapeutically.

Fifty patients with thyroid cancer were studied during administration of high doses of 131I (5-50 mCi). Peroxides, total antioxidants and free sulphydryl-groups were measured in the blood samples obtained before and after administration of radioactive iodine. After the administration of iodine, significant increases of peroxides and free SH groups were observed, as well as the decrease of total antioxidants. These biochemical changes were in agreement with significant decreases of blood platelets and lymphocytes. The data obtained brought forward again the much debated problem of peroxidation and antioxidants in cancer, since comparatively, the patients with other localizations of tumors presented decreases of peroxides and variable amounts of antioxidants. The influence of iodine and thyroid hormones is discussed, with reference to a previous paper in which high levels of peroxides had been found both in hyper- and in hypothyroidism but with different mechanisms. The biochemical changes observed in the patients treated with radioactive iodine confirmed the involvement of peroxides in the consequences of internal irradiation.