Association of 2D Perfusion Angiography and Wound Healing Rate in Combined Femoro-popliteal and Below-the-Knee Lesions in Ischemic Patients Undergoing Isolated Femoro-popliteal Endovascular Revascularization.

The aim of this study was to demonstrate the association between 2-dimensional (2D) perfusion angiography and wound healing rate in patients with combined femoro-popliteal and below-the-knee lesions in critical limb-threatening ischemia (CLTI) and foot wounds undergoing isolated femoro-popliteal endovascular revascularization. Between January and June 2019, 24 patients with multilevel CLTI and foot wounds underwent isolated femoro-popliteal endovascular revascularization. In all of them, an assessment of foot perfusion by 2D perfusion angiography was performed. To evaluate the foot perfusion, a region of interest was identified, and time-density curves were calculated. Changes of the overall time-density curves were evaluated together with transcutaneous oximetry (TcPO2) using bivariate correlation (Pearson correlation coefficient) and associated with 6-month wound healing. The mean increase of time-density curves was 212.2% (range from +9.8% to +1984.9%) and the mean increase of TcPO2 was 116.4% (range from -4.7% to 485.7%). No significant association between time-density curves and TcPO2 values (Pearson correlation coefficient: -0.24) was observed (P = .3). At 6 months, wound healing occurred in 15 of 24 (62.5%) patients. In conclusion, this preliminary experience confirmed that 2D perfusion angiography associates with wound healing rate in CLTI patients with ischemic foot wounds and combined femoro-popliteal and below-the-knee lesions who are undergoing isolated femoro-popliteal endovascular revascularization. No association between time-density curves and TcPO2 values was observed.

Real-time RT-PCR for the measurement of prostate-specific antigen mRNA expression in benign hyperplasia and adenocarcinoma of prostate.

Since PSA is supposed to play an active role in the progression of prostate cancer, we applied a quantitative RT-PCR to measure the absolute levels of prostate-specific antigen (PSA) mRNA expression in benign and malignant prostatic tissue. Consecutive fine needle prostate biopsy material from 59 patients (43 with prostate adenocarcinoma and 16 with benign prostatic hyperptrophy; BPH) was used for the measurement of PSA mRNA expression. In addition, we evaluated the correlation between PSA synthesis and PSA circulating levels in the same patients. The relationship between PSA mRNA expression and histological grade was also evaluated. PSA mRNA was measured with a quantitative RT-PCR, based on the use of fluorogenic probes, according to the TaqMan reaction system. The mRNA expression for PSA in prostate adenocarcinoma biopsies was highly variable, ranging from 2 x 10(4) to 2.1 x 10(8) molecules/microg total RNA with a mean value of 2.5 x 10(7) and significantly higher (p = 0.006) than that found in BPH patients (mean: 1.3 x 10(6) and range: 6.9 x 10(2) to 8 x 10(6)). The mRNA PSA expression in needle biopsy material did not seem to be related to PSA circulating levels in prostate cancer patients (r = 0.281), whereas in BPH patients the two parameters correlated significantly (r = 0.667, p < 0.01). A reduction of PSA mRNA expression in samples with a lower grade of differentiation (Gleason score 9-10) was also observed. Even though a mean increase of PSA expression was demonstrated in cancer samples, this small difference does not confirm a significant role of PSA proteolytic activity in prostate cancer progression. In conclusion, the assay procedure we proposed represents a reliable basis for more extensive study of PSA physiopathology in prostate cancer.