ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Infusion of the abdominal aorta with pancreatic elastase induces aneurysms in a rat model (Anidjar/Dobrin). Because elastolysis liberates elastin degradation products (EDPs), the present experiment was carried out to test the hypothesis that an EDP alone could induce features of aneurysm disease. METHODS: The EDP val/gly/val/ala/pro/gly (VGVAPG), elastase, or saline solution was infused into infrarenal aorta (n = 4/group). After 1 week aortic diameters were measured, and the tissues were prepared for histologic examination. Adventitial capillaries (vessels per high-power field) were counted over a standardized preparation of aorta. Wall thickness was measured by means of computer-aided planimetry. RESULTS: There was an increase of greater than 100-fold in mean vessels per high-power field in aortas receiving VGVAPG or elastase versus saline controls (4.10 +/- 0.68 SEM or 4.48 +/- 0.49 SEM versus 0.03 +/- 0.03 SEM, respectively, p < 0.05). The VGVAPG-perfused group had a 26% +/- 4% SEM increase in diameter from baseline that was statistically significant (p < 0.01), but the aortas did not reach aneurysmal dimensions. CONCLUSIONS: Although no aneurysms occurred at 1 week after the infusion of EDP, the results demonstrate that the EDP VGVAPG can induce a characteristic feature of aneurysm disease. The model permits study of the earliest stages of experimental aneurysm formation and raises interesting questions regarding the role of the vasa vasorum in this pathologic process.
Subject(s)
Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal/metabolism , Disease Models, Animal , Elastin/pharmacology , Neovascularization, Pathologic/chemically induced , Oligopeptides/pharmacology , Animals , Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal/pathology , Elastin/metabolism , Muscle, Smooth, Vascular/metabolism , Neovascularization, Pathologic/metabolism , Neovascularization, Pathologic/physiopathology , Rats , Rats, WistarSubject(s)
Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal/metabolism , Disease Models, Animal , Elastin/pharmacology , Neovascularization, Pathologic/chemically induced , Oligopeptides/pharmacology , Vasa Vasorum/pathology , Animals , Aortic Aneurysm, Abdominal/pathology , Elastin/metabolism , Neovascularization, Pathologic/metabolism , Neovascularization, Pathologic/physiopathology , Rats , Rats, WistarABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: The tall cell variant (TCV) of papillary thyroid cancer is reported to have a poor prognosis. This study examines the incidence and end result of surgical treatment of TCV. METHODS: In this study, 240 thyroid cancers treated over a 23-year period at two hospital centers are reviewed. A total of 153 patients with papillary cancer were available for follow-up. All microscopic slides were re-examined. RESULTS: Of the total 183 papillary cancers, 19 (10.4%) were TCV. The remainder were usual papillary or other papillary cancer variants. Patient age, tumor size, lymph node and soft-tissue involvement, recurrence, and death rates were evaluated. Multivariate statistical analysis disclosed that TCV histology, as well as age and tumor size, were significant predictors of recurrence. CONCLUSION: Despite a high rate of recurrence in TCV cases over age 50 (6/9), there were no recurrent TCVs in cases under age 50 (0/8). Pathologists and surgeons must develop an increased awareness of this entity and implications for more radical treatment in the older age group.
