ABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Ischemia/reperfusion injury after liver transplantation (LT) may be associated with primary graft dysfunction (PDF) or non-function. Prostaglandins were demonstrated to be beneficial in reducing ischemic injury by improving microcirculation and protecting endothelial cells. The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of the continuously administered prostaglandin I(2) analog iloprost on allograft function after LT. METHODS: Eighty patients were prospectively randomized and assigned to two groups. Patients in the treatment group received iloprost for seven d after transplantation, and those in the control group did not. The primary end point was graft dysfunction. RESULTS: The incidence of PDF was 20% (n = 8) in the control group and 5% (n = 2) in the treatment group, respectively (p = 0.087). Four patients in the control group underwent re-transplantation for initial non-function (INF). There was no evidence for INF in the treatment group. Iloprost was associated with improved allograft function. Clinical course and outcome were comparable. CONCLUSIONS: We suggest iloprost to be beneficial for early post-transplant liver function. If the rate of PDF can be significantly reduced with this treatment concept, it should be analyzed in a larger number of patients (ISRCTN95672167).
Subject(s)
Epoprostenol/analogs & derivatives , Graft Survival/physiology , Iloprost/therapeutic use , Liver Transplantation , Vasodilator Agents/therapeutic use , Adult , Aged , Aged, 80 and over , Female , Follow-Up Studies , Humans , Male , Middle Aged , Pilot Projects , Prognosis , Prospective Studies , Reperfusion Injury/prevention & control , Transplantation, Homologous , Young AdultABSTRACT
BACKGROUND: Gastric cancer is one of the most frequent malignancies worldwide. More than 50% of all patients present with advanced stage of disease, with long-time survival of less than 5%. In selected subgroups, palliative gastric resection seems to be beneficial for survival and improved quality of the remaining life time, but is still controversially discussed. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We report 3 cases of patients with intestinal-type advanced gastric cancer. All patients presented preoperatively with stage IV disease with liver metastases. The patients underwent palliative gastric resection and subsequent palliative chemotherapy. We performed a genome-wide DNA analysis of 9 gastric cancer tissue specimens using the DNA microchip array technique. RESULTS: 4 and 6 years after palliative surgery and chemotherapy, 2 of the patients show no signs of recurrence, while the third patient shows stable disease under third-line chemotherapy 4 years after the initial diagnosis. Comparative genetic analysis of 9 gastric cancer tissue specimens suggested that the degree of chromosomal aberration was closely related to survival for intestinal-type gastric cancers. CONCLUSIONS: Palliative gastric resection is beneficial for survival and quality of life in selected patients. Determination of the degree of chromosomal aberrations might be helpful in predicting the response on multimodal treatment in intestinal-type gastric cancer. A better understanding of molecular biology is needed to define prognosis markers and molecular targets.
