[Half-life of blood PSA after radical prostatectomy. Correlations with pathological stage and clinical course of the disease]. / Vita media del PSA sierico dopo prostatectomia radicale. Correlazione con lo stadio patologico e l'evoluzione clinica della malattia.

PSA half-life was calculated in 37 patients after radical prostatectomy to identify earlier patients with residual disease. The half-life calculated in patients potentially "cured" with absolute PSA values inferior to 0.5 ng/ml after 28 days, was significantly different (P = 0.0008) from the group of patients "uncured" (PSA > 1.0 ng/ml) and from those ones that, despite of detectable PSA level, had evidence of recurrence in the following follow-up. In comparison with the absolute value, the PSA half-life is able to define in the group of patients potentially "cured" those who could have a recurrence in the future.

[Acute urinary retention caused by intraprostatic cysts: diagnostic and therapeutic role of transrectal prostatic echography]. / Ritenzione urinaria acuta da cisti intraprostatica: ruolo diagnostico e terapeutico dell'ecografia prostatica transrettale.

There are two type of congenital prostatic cyst, the müllerian duct cyst and the utricular cyst. They are not common and rarely symptomatic. We report a 16-year-old male who presented with acute urinary retention and a 3-month history of urine stream diminished in force and reduced sperm volume. Transrectal ultrasonography showed a prostatic cyst in the midline near the seminal colliculus. Transperineal aspiration of the cyst resulted in return to normal miction and sperm volume.

Glyoxalase activities in tumor and non-tumor human urogenital tissues.

Glyoxalase I and glyoxalase II activities have been measured in human tumor and non-tumor samples of 15 kidneys, 15 bladders, 4 testes, 2 adrenals as well as in 4 samples of prostatic adenomas. In all tissues examined glyoxalase I and glyoxalase II activity values varied widely from one patient to another. No significant difference in glyoxalase I activity between the tumor and non-tumor samples was found. When comparison was made between normal and neoplastic tissues of the same patients, glyoxalase I activity was found to be lower in tumor tissues of 10 out of 15 kidneys, and 2 out of 8 bladders and 1 out of 3 testes. A significant (P < 0.004) decrease of glyoxalase II activity was found only in tumor kidney. The possibility of using the present data to predict the relative sensitivity of human tumor tissues to glyoxalase-related chemotherapy is discussed.

Glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase activities in cancerous and non-cancerous human kidney tissues.

Selenium-dependent (Se-GSH-Px), selenium-independent (non-Se-GSH-Px) glutathione peroxidase and glutathione reductase (GSSG-Rx) activities have been determined in cancerous and non-cancerous human adult kidney. Large inter-individual variation in the activities of all enzymes tested were found in both tumour and non-tumour specimens. In general a significant decrease in the activities of the three enzymes was found in tumours. When a comparison was made between cancerous and non-cancerous tissues of the same individual, Se-GSH-Px activity was found to be lower in tumour in 17 cases out of 29, and the non-Se-GSH-Px activity in 20. In 20 cases out of 29 GSSG-Rx was found to be lower in tumour. It was concluded that changes in the factors involved in the anti-oxidative protection actually occur in human kidney tumour.

DNA and S-phase fraction analysis by flow cytometry in prostate cancer. Clinicopathologic implications.

BACKGROUND: Available prognostic factors for prostate cancer have not been proven consistently useful. The authors evaluated the prognostic value of DNA analysis by flow cytometry (FCM) in prostate cancer. METHODS: Paraffin-embedded tumor specimens taken at tru-cut biopsy or transurethral resection (TURP) from 81 patients with prostate cancer were analyzed for DNA content and S-phase fraction (SPF) by FCM according to the method of Hedley et al (1983). RESULTS: Thirty-five of the 63 (55.5%) evaluable DNA histograms had a diploid pattern, 18 (28.5%) a distinct aneuploid peak, and 10 (16%) a tetraploid pattern. An association was established between DNA ploidy abnormalities and Gleason score (P < 0.04) or presence of metastases at diagnosis (P < 0.0002). At Kaplan-Meier analysis, overall survival was significantly longer (P < 0.0002) in patients with diploid than in those with nondiploid tumors. Among patients with different risk categories, i.e. tumor size, Gleason score, and metastases at presentation, ploidy improved the detection of patients with poorer survival, with the exception of those with T1-T2 tumors. Cox regression analysis showed that ploidy was significantly related to survival. Bivariate models containing ploidy and SPF or Gleason score had a predictive value similar to that including all variables. CONCLUSION: The study data show that DNA ploidy provides additional prognostic information in patients with locally advanced or metastatic prostatic cancer. The role of SPF remains to be established.

[Androgen deprivation in benign prostatic hypertrophy]. / La suppression androgénique dans l'hypertrophie prostatique bénigne.

Benign prostatic hypertrophy is the cause of urinary outflow obstruction in the majority of men older than 50 years. Even if the pathophysiology of BPH is multifactorial, its development needs testicular androgens and aging. Androgen deprivation is the only approach that may reduce the hyperplastic state. This article reviews the endocrine aspect of BPH and the various hormonal treatment strategies, concerning clinical efficacy and side effects.

Glutathione transferase isoenzymes in normal and neoplastic human kidney tissue.

Glutathione transferase (GST) activity in the cytosolic fractions of renal cortex tumour was found to be significantly lower (215 +/- 156 mU/mg) than that present in the corresponding non-tumour (466 +/- 278 mU/mg) tissues. Using the immunoblotting technique, glutathione transferase isoenzymes expression in both tumour and non-tumour kidney was investigated. Alpha and pi class glutathione transferases were the most abundant enzymes in non-tumour kidney and were expressed by all samples investigated. Immunofluorescence analysis indicated that the pi class enzymes are localized mainly in the distal convoluted tubules, whereas alpha class enzymes are localized in the proximal tubules. In the tumour moiety the alpha class GST appears to be absent or expressed at low level as compared with non-tumour samples. On the contrary, no significant differences in the expression of pi class GST were found in tumour as compared with non-tumour tissues. Mu class GST protein was detected in 12 of 26 samples tested. When present, mu class GST constitutes a few per cent of total GST protein. Immunofluorescence studies indicate that mu class GSTs are localized within the distal convoluted tubules. According to the electrophoretic mobility at least two different mu GST subunits (26.5 and 27.5 kd) were found. In one sample only the faster mu class GST subunit was present, two samples expressed both types of GST subunits, whereas nine samples expressed only the slower GST subunit. With the exception of one sample, a reduction of mu class GST expression was seen in tumour as compared with non-tumour tissues. The decrease of activity seen in the cytosolic fraction of tumour kidney must be ascribed mainly to a reduction or to a lack of expression of alpha class GST and to a lesser extent of mu class GST.

Electrophoretic and immunological analysis of glutathione transferase isoenzymes of human kidney carcinoma.

By sequential use of GSH-affinity chromatography and chromatofocusing, the isoenzymes of glutathione transferase from tumor and non-tumor kidney tissues have been purified and their properties compared. On the basis of electrophoretic mobilities on SDS/polyacrylamide gel, substrate specificities toward the diagnostic substrates cumene hydroperoxide and ethacrynic acid and immunoreactivity with antisera raised against alpha, mu and pi class glutathione transferases, it was found that most of the isoenzymes purified from both tumor and non-tumor kidney can be identified as members of either alpha or pi classes. All the samples investigated lacked mu class glutathione transferase. In addition, we could identify in tumor samples two transferases GST-7.6 and GST-5.8/5.9 which on the basis of immunological properties cannot be related to any of the members of the three major classes of glutathione transferases. The latter do not appear to have corresponding forms in non-tumor tissues. It was suggested that specific transferases can be selectively expressed by tumor kidney carcinoma.

[Osteocartilaginous neoplasms of the small trochanter: observations on 4 cases]. / Le neoformazioni osteocartilaginee del piccolo trocantere: osservazioni su 4 casi.

The necessity of a surgical approach to the lesser trochanter is fairly rare event that occurs more frequently in the treatment of tumours situated in this anatomical area. The authors described four cases of osteocartilaginous neoplasms situated in proximity of the lesser trochanter. In two cases the mass was removed through a medial surgical approach (Ludloff); in one case through a postcolateral approach (Gibson), in one case through an anterior approach (Smith-Petersen). Each of the used approaches gives a good light on the lesser trochanter, therefore the choice of surgical approach is essentially determined by the prevalent spatial situation of neoplasm. Among the instrumental examinations available the Authors remark the importance of T.A.C. in the spatial visualization of neoformation.