Relaxant effect of brain natriuretic peptide in nonsensitized and passively sensitized isolated human bronchi.

Brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) relaxes guinea pig tracheal smooth muscle in vitro and is effective in preventing ovalbumin-induced bronchoconstriction and microvascular leakage in guinea pigs in vivo. Nonetheless, published studies on BNP in human airways in vitro are still lacking in the literature. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of BNP in isolated human bronchi. The relaxant effect of BNP (1 nM to 10 microM) was assessed in nonsensitized and in passively sensitized human bronchial airways pre-contracted with submaximal concentration (EC(70)) of carbachol or histamine. At the end of the experiment, papaverine (500 microM) was then added. BNP induced a weak relaxant activity on carbachol-contracted bronchi in nonsensitized (relaxation: 4.23+/-0.51%) and passively sensitized bronchi (relaxation: 11.31+/-2.22%). On the other hand, BNP induced a relaxant activity on His-contracted bronchi in nonsensitized (relaxation: 42.52+/-9.03%) and in passively sensitized (relaxation: 60.57+/-9.58%). All these findings are a clear documentation of the modest relaxant role of BNP in asthma and, likely, COPD.

[Evaluation of the reliality of an oncotropic drug in diagnostics of the retrosternal lesions]. / Diagnostica delle lesioni tiroidee retrosternali. Attendibilità di un farmaco oncotropo.

Aim of this research is the evaluation of an oncotropic drug in diagnostics of substernal goiter. We used the SESTA-MIBI in 26 patients with cervico-mediastinal goiter and evaluated the pre and intra operating data with the histopathological specimen. The radiodrug has noticed profit in the differential from neoplastic and colloidal tissue, even if in a few cases it has also demostrated affinity for the benign adenomas. When the fine aspirated needle biopsy has turned out inadwisable or not setting, the MIBI methodical has been of special help. The extent of the use of this radiodrug also to parathyroid and cardiac pathology has made the economical costs cheaper and promoted the routine use of the methodology.

Intraoperative pleural lavage: is it a valid prognostic factor in lung cancer?

BACKGROUND: In patients undergoing lung resection for non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC), the primary TNM (tumor-regional lymph node-distant metastasis) staging system is the best prognostic factor. However, it is necessary to investigate other factors that could more accurately predict a patient's prognosis. In this study we evaluated the significance of positive intraoperative pre-resectional lavage in patients with NSCLC. METHODS: We enrolled 84 patients (79 men, 5 women) aged between 36 and 81 years (mean age, 64.8 years) undergoing a major lung resection for NSCLC, with no preoperative evidence of pleural effusions. Intraoperatively, the patients were given a pre-resectional pleural lavage with physiologic saline solution. The fluid was aspirated and sent to cytology. RESULTS: Pre-resectional pleural lavage was positive in 19 patients (22.6%). The lavage was positive in 7.3% in patients with early stage I disease (3/41) and 37.2% in patients with stage II/III disease. In the group of 16 patients with chest wall neoplastic involvement (T3), 9 had a positive lavage (56.2%; p = 0.05). No significant correlation was found between positive lavage and nodal status, visceral pleural involvement, or histologic findings. Patients with malignant cells in the pre-resectional lavage had a significantly shorter survival than patients with a negative lavage (p = 0.025). CONCLUSIONS: A positive cytology finding of intraoperative pre-resectional pleural lavage could be an important prognostic factor in patients undergoing major lung resection for NSCLC. Patients with a positive lavage should be upstaged. However, larger series are needed to define accurately the role of this technique in early stage lung cancer.

[Retroperitoneal pleomorphic liposarcoma. A case of survival after ten years]. / Liposarcoma pleomorfo retroperitoneale. Dieci anni di sopravvivenza.

Sarcomas are malignant neoplasms which can involve both soft tissues and/or bones. The soft tissues sarcomas are very rare, representing about 1% of all malignant tumors. In the resectable cases, histologic grading, site and dimensions of tumor influence recurrence and survival rates. Currently, surgery is the only curative therapy for soft tissues sarcomas in adult patients, with the exclusion of retroperitoneal sarcomas, which have have poor prognosis, due to look of surgical radicality and low radiotherapy and chemotherapy responsiveness. In fact, chemotherapy by conventional regimens, as adriamicine plus ifosfamide or CYVADIC, allows not more than 25% of partial responses, with a median survival of 12 months.