Bacteremia después de biopsias de próstata dirigidas por ultrasonido / Bacteremia after ultrasound guided transrectal prostate biopsy

Propósito: Determinar la incidencia de bacteremia después de biopsias por sextantes y octantes de próstata. Material y métodos. Se trata de un estudio prospectivo realizado en un lapso de tiempo de 5 meses, en el servicio de cografía urológica de la Clínica de Marly, en los pacientes que llegan remitidos para biopsias prostáticas por sospecha de cáncer de próstata. El examen es realizado por un único urólogo especialista, utilizando un ecógrafo Siemens Sonoline Prima, con un transductor biplanar de 5 a 7,5 MHz. Las biopsias ecodirigidas se obtienen con aguja de biopsia 18 gauge y pistola de biopsia automática. Las muestras se marcan y analizan por separado. Se obtiene una muestra de orina inmediatamente antes del examen, que se envía al laboratorio para urocultivo. Todos los pacientes se citan a las 24 horas del examen para toma del hemocultivo, el cual se procesa con antibiograma si se detecta crecimiento bacteriano. La preparación del paciente consiste en la toma de antibiótico (Ciprofloxacina) por 3 días, y la colocación de un enema evacuador previo al examen. Resultados: El estudio incluyó 69 pacientes. El promedio de edad del grupo de estudio fue de 62.9 años, con un volumen promedioprostático de 46.78 cc. La incidencia de bacteremia fue de 7.24 por cien, (n=5). No se observó diferencia en la incidencia de bacteremia en pacientes que toman antibiótico profiláctico genérico o comercial, ni en las biopsias por sextantes vs.octantes. El 32.69 por cien de los pacientes a quienes se le toman biopsias (n=104) tienen carcinoma de próstata. No existió diferencia significativa para la detección del cáncer prostático entre la toma de biopsias por octantes y sextantes. Conclusiones: En este estudio se encontró una incidencia de bacteremia y cuadro de sepsis, mas baja que la comparada con las estadísticas informadas en la literatura. Las técnicas actuales de biopsias transrectales ecodirigidas con la toma de múltiples muestras obtenidas con aguja fina, son seguras c...

G2/M checkpoint stringency is a key parameter in the sensitivity of AML cells to genotoxic stress.

Acute myeloid leukemia (AML) cells exposed to genotoxic agents arrest their cell cycle at the G2/M checkpoint and are inherently chemoresistant. To understand the mechanism of this chemoresistance, we compared the ability of immature CD34+ versus mature CD34- AML cell lines (KG1a and U937, respectively) to recover from a DNA damage-induced cell cycle checkpoint in G2. Here, we report that KG1a cells have a more stringent G2/M checkpoint response than U937 cells. We show that in both cell types, the CDC25B phosphatase participates in the G2/M checkpoint recovery and that its expression is upregulated. Furthermore, we show that CHK1 inhibition by UCN-01 in immature KG1a cells allows checkpoint exit and induces sensitivity to genotoxic agents. Similarly, UCN-01 treatment potentializes genotoxic-induced inhibition of colony formation efficiency of primary leukemic cells from AML patients. Altogether, our results demonstrate that checkpoint stringency varies during the maturation process and indicate that targeting checkpoint mechanisms might represent an attractive therapeutic opportunity for chemoresistant immature AML cells.

Patch testing with beryllium alloy samples in guinea pigs.

An experimental study was conducted in guinea pigs for the predictive assessment of the beryllium alloy hazard in occupational exposure of the skin to beryllium compounds. Guinea pigs were sensitized to beryllium sulfate according to the maximized Magnusson and Kligman test, and challenged with beryllium alloys and metallic copper, beryllium and aluminum samples. Results showed a delayed skin hypersensitivity reaction in 30 to 60% of pre-sensitized guinea pigs challenged with copper-beryllium alloys and aluminum-beryllium alloy. An inflammatory follicular reaction was induced by copper in both controls and pre-sensitized guinea pigs.

Use of Mishell-Dutton culture for the detection of the immunosuppressive effect of iron-containing compounds.

Mishell-Dutton culture, known as an in vitro model for the evaluation of the humoral immune response of mice spleen cells to sheep red blood cells (SRBC), was used to study the immunosuppressive effect of iron-containing compounds. This response was indicated by the number of antibody forming cell (AFC) per million nucleated cells. Ferrous sulfate and ferric citrate (0.1 mM), when continuously present in Mishell-Dutton culture, significantly decreased the SRBC AFC response by approximately 63% and 86% of the control values, respectively. Ferric citrate, preincubated (24 h) with spleen cells and followed by lavage, significantly decreased the SRBC AFC response by approximately 54% of the control values. Primary and iron-treated coal, in concentrations ranging from 40 micrograms.ml-1 to 120 micrograms.ml-1, significantly decreased the SRBC AFC response when continuously present in Mishell-Dutton culture. Iron-treated coal, suppressed this response, in dose-dependent amounts, to a greater extent than did the primary coal:73% versus 54% at 120 micrograms.ml-1. We concluded that Mishell-Dutton culture is suitable for studying the immunotoxicity of iron and these results may contribute to explain a decrease of host resistance against parasitic and bacterial infection in workers exposed to iron.

Incidence of retinal detachment following clear-lens extraction in myopic patients. Retrospective analysis.

OBJECTIVE: A retrospective study was performed to establish the incidence of retinal detachment among 107 patients (165 eyes) with pathologic myopia who underwent clear-lens extraction. INTERVENTIONS: The techniques employed were intracapsular extraction (3.0%), aspiration (59.4%), and extracapsular extraction (37.6%); average follow-up was 31 months. RESULTS: Retinal detachment developed in 12 eyes (7.3%) an average (SD) of 30.7 +/- 26.6 months postoperatively; the mean age of these patients was 34 years. We found a clear association between postoperative YAG laser/surgical posterior capsulotomy and the incidence of retinal detachment (11% vs 5.5%) but no association between intraoperative rupture of the posterior capsule and the ultimate incidence of retinal detachment. The retina was reattached in nine cases (75%).

Allergic contact dermatitis from safety clothes and individual protective devices.

Safety clothing and individual protective devices may induce contact dermatitis. Typical clinical patterns cannot always be found. Patch testing must be performed with articles actually used and with specific allergens. In some cases, it is necessary to analyze chemically the article itself.

Cytotoxic and neoplastic transforming effects of industrial hexavalent chromium pigments in Syrian hamster embryo cells.

Twenty eight moderately water-soluble to insoluble chromium (VI) compounds, such as zinc and lead chromate, industrial and laboratory synthesized pigments, and the analytical reagents strontium, barium and calcium chromate, were physicochemically characterized and studied for cytotoxicity and morphological transformation in cultured Syrian hamster embryo (SHE) cells. In vivo validation of malignancy of transformed SHE cells was performed. A high physicochemical diversity among the complex chromium pigments was revealed. The solubility of the compounds was greatly increased after incubation in a complete medium and even higher under cell culture conditions. The cytotoxic effects appeared to be due principally to extracellular solubilized chromium because the most solubilized compounds. Zn, Ca and Sr chromates, were equitoxic at about the same Cr concentration treatment and 8-fold more cytotoxic than less soluble compounds such as some Pb chromates and Ba chromate. However, certain physicochemical properties of lead chromate pigments could also influence their cytotoxic activity. All test compounds were, in a dose-dependent manner, efficient in inducing morphological transformation of SHE cells. Many of the Cr pigments, although physicochemically different, were similarly effective in transformation induction. Nevertheless, compounds among Zn and Pb chromates had various transforming potencies. Ba chromate was the least active in inducing transformation. Certain physicochemical properties could mediate the transforming activity but no particular relationship could be established between any one of the physicochemical parameters and the transforming potency. Cloned morphologically-transformed colonies of SHE cells were grown in soft agar medium and showed true neoplastic behaviour by tumour formation in syngeneic animals. These results show that various chromate pigments containing either Zn or Pb, of medium to very low aqueous solubility, induced neoplastic transformation of SHE cells.

Allergy to nickel or cobalt: tolerance to nickel and cobalt samples in man and in the guinea pig allergic or sensitized to these metals.

The aim of this study was to evaluate, in animals and humans sensitive to nickel or cobalt, the tolerance to manufactured metal samples of nickel and cobalt of a defined metallographic structure, plated or not with a layer of chrome or copper/chrome of a determined thickness. Under the defined experimental conditions, a guinea pig sensitized to one metal (nickel or cobalt) was intolerant to both metals (nickel and cobalt). A plating of chrome or copper/chrome did not act as a protection. In the human, it was not the same: the tolerance to metal samples was determined by the specific sensitivity. A plating of chrome or copper/chrome did not act as protection.

Nickel allergy: tolerance to metallic surface-plated samples in nickel-sensitive humans and guinea pigs.

The purpose of this work is to evaluate in nickel-sensitive patients and guinea pigs the tolerance to nickel samples, surface-plated with one or several metals of varying structures and thicknesses. All the metal samples elicited allergic reactions in the guinea pig. In humans, absolute tolerance was not observed for any sample. In humans, the interposing of a layer of bright copper between nickel and surface chrome greatly increased the tolerance.

Risk of lung cancer among iron ore miners: a proportional mortality study of 1,075 deceased miners in Lorraine, France.

A proportional mortality study of 1,075 iron ore miners in Lorraine, France, who died between 1960 and 1976 showed a significant excess of lung cancer mortality (proportionate mortality ratio = 2.25). Moreover, proportionate lung cancer mortality increased with the duration of work underground (proportionate mortality ratio = 4.24 for subjects who worked underground for more than 30 years) and was higher among pneumoconiotic (siderotic) miners (proportionate mortality ratio = 3.85) than among nonpneumoconiotic miners. These results were confirmed by a case-control study nested in the mortality study. Smoking habits could not be estimated retrospectively with sufficient accuracy to be taken into account. Although the proportion of smokers among contemporary iron ore miners is larger than in the French male population, occupational factors may also play a role; radiation exposure can be ruled out because there is no detectable radioactivity in the Lorraine mines, but dust exposure may be considered as an etiologic factor owing to the relationship between siderosis and lung cancer.

Guinea pig pulmonary response to sensitization by five preformed monoisocyanate-ovalbumin conjugates.

The ability of 5 dissimilar monoisocyanates conjugated to ovalbumin (OA) as a carrier protein to induce pulmonary hypersensitivity towards the hapten specific component was assessed by using a previously described method based on the determination of a respiratory index (RI) in the guinea pig. The test chemicals included the commercially available p-tolyl and hexyl monoisocyanates (TMI and HMI), with 4-isocyanoto-4'-diphenylmethane (IDM), 4-isocyanoato-4'-methyldiphenylmethane (IMDM) and 1-isocyanato-methyl-1,3,3-trimethylcyclohexane (IMTC) as synthetized monoisocyanates. Guinea pigs were exposed daily to an aerosol of the OA conjugate of each monoisocyanate up to day 15. Increases in respiratory rate and/or respiratory collapse occurred in the guinea pigs exposed to TMI-OA and HMI-OA conjugates by days 9 and 15, with RI values of 155 and 177, respectively, being recorded. The greatest mean RI values in guinea pigs exposed to IDM-OA, IMDM-OA and IMTC-OA conjugates up to day 15 were 20, 25 and 22, respectively, and were not indicative of any pulmonary reaction. Guinea pigs exposed in parallel to each test conjugate did not exhibit any pulmonary reaction when they were exposed to OA on the challenge days. All these findings evidence pulmonary hypersensitivity as the result of exposure to TMI-OA and HMI-OA conjugates and suggest a high degree of conjugation and strong linkage of all the monoisocyanates with OA.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Experimental sensitization of guinea-pigs to nickel and patch testing with metal samples.

Two groups each of 30 guinea-pigs were painted on 5 days/wk for 4 wk with 1% nickel sulphate in lanolin. The dose was applied to the shaved dorsal skin, which was prepared daily before treatment with sodium lauryl sulphate and injected intradermally each week during this period with 0.1 ml 1% potassium alum in distilled water, close to the site of NiSO4 application. Of the two groups of guinea-pigs submitted to this epicutaneous procedure, 63 and 80% developed skin allergy in response to challenge with 2% NiSO4 after a rest period of 2 wk, whereas no sensitization response was elicited by 1% NiSO4 in the guinea-pig maximization test. When two further groups were sensitized by the epicutaneous procedure, the first group, with a sensitization rate of 52% at the first challenge, showed no decline in response with five successive monthly challenges. Addition of NiCl2 to the drinking-water of the second group did not increase the sensitization rate induced by the monthly rechallenges with NiSO4. In guinea-pigs allergic to nickel, plating of Ni-coated brass discs with chromium as a special surface treatment prevented the occurrence of the contact allergy elicited by brass discs coated with Ni alone, whereas plating with gold/copper/cadmium did not.

Contact allergy to safety shoes.

During 1972-1984, 13 cases of allergy to safety shoes were found. It generally affects young men. The allergens are very different from those in other types of shoe. The presence of mercaptobenzothiazole and dibenzothiazyl disulfide detected in some nonwoven materials is worthy of note.