Combining vanadyl sulfate with Newcastle disease virus potentiates rapid innate immune-mediated regression with curative potential in murine cancer models.

The avian paramyxovirus, Newcastle disease virus (NDV), is a promising oncolytic agent that has been shown to be safe and effective in a variety of pre-clinical cancer models and human clinical trials. NDV preferentially replicates in tumor cells due to signaling defects in apoptotic and antiviral pathways acquired during the transformation process and is a potent immunostimulatory agent. However, when used as a monotherapy NDV lacks the ability to consistently generate durable remissions. Here we investigate the use of viral sensitizer-mediated combination therapy to enhance the anti-neoplastic efficacy of NDV. Intratumoral injection of vanadyl sulfate, a pan-inhibitor of protein tyrosine phosphatases, in combination with NDV significantly increased the number and activation status of natural killer (NK) cells in the tumor microenvironment, concomitant with increased expression of interferon-ß, granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor, and monocyte chemoattractant protein-1, leading to rapid tumor regression and long-term cures in mice bearing syngeneic B16-F10 melanomas. The anti-tumor efficacy of this combination therapy was abrogated when NK cells were depleted and when interferon-ß expression was transiently suppressed. Tumor-specific CD8+ T cell responses were not detected, nor were mice whose tumors regressed protected from re-challenge. This suggested efficacy of the combination therapy predominantly relied on the innate immune system. Importantly, efficacy was not limited to melanoma; it was also demonstrated in a murine prostate cancer model. Taken together, these results suggest that combining NDV with vanadyl sulfate potentiates an innate immune response that can potentiate rapid clearance of tumors, with type I interferon signaling and NK cells being important mechanisms of action.

Pancreatitis aguda como complicación infrecuente de litotricia extracorpórea por ondas de choque. Comunicación de un caso / Acute pancreatitis as an unusual complication of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy. A case report / Pancreatite aguda como complicação pouco frequente de litotrícia extracorpórea por ondas de choque. Comunicação de um caso

Resumen: La litotricia extracorpórea por ondas de choque para el tratamiento de la urolitiasis es un tratamiento ampliamente aceptado, pero no exento de complicaciones. La pancreatitis aguda que se desencadena inmediatamente posterior a este procedimiento es infrecuente, pero puede ser una complicación grave que amenaza la vida del paciente. La aparición aguda de dolor abdominal y vómitos en las horas posteriores al procedimiento, deben hacer al médico tratante sospechar esta complicación. Presentamos el caso de un paciente joven que luego de someterse a una sesión de litotricia para el tratamiento de una litiasis renal derecha instaló una pancreatitis aguda que requirió ingreso a terapia intensiva y que se suma a los escasos informes de casos publicados en la literatura médica.

Summary: Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy to treat urolithiasis is a widely aceptable treatment, although it may involve complications. Acute pancreatitis immediately after the procedures is rather unusual, but it may result in a serious life-threatening complication for patients. The appearance of severe pain and vomits a few hours after the procedure should make physicians suspicious of this complication. The study presents the case of a young patient who developed acute pancreatitis after undergoing lithotripsy to treat lithiasis in the right kidney, requiring his admission to the intensive care unit. This will add up to the scarce reports published in the medical literature.

Resumo: A litotrícia extracorpórea por ondas de choque para o tratamento da urolitíase é um tratamento amplamente aceito, mas não isento de complicações. A pancreatite aguda que se desencadeia imediatamente depois deste procedimento não é frequente, porém pode ser uma complicação grave que ameaça a vida do paciente. O surgimento súbito de dor abdominal e vómitos nas horas seguintes ao procedimento devem induzir à suspeita desta complicação. Apresentamos o caso de um paciente jovem que depois de uma sessão de litotrícia para o tratamento de uma litíase renal direita apresentou uma pancreatite aguda com posterior admissão a terapia intensiva; este caso se agrega aos poucos publicados na literatura médica.

Camera Calibration for Water-Biota Research: The Projected Area of Vegetation.

Imaging systems have an indisputable role in revealing vegetation posture under diverse flow conditions, image sequences being generated with off the shelf digital cameras. Such sensors are cheap but introduce a range of distortion effects, a trait only marginally tackled in hydraulic studies focusing on water-vegetation dependencies. This paper aims to bridge this gap by presenting a simple calibration method to remove both camera lens distortion and refractive effects of water. The effectiveness of the method is illustrated using the variable projected area, computed for both simple and complex shaped objects. Results demonstrate the significance of correcting images using a combined lens distortion and refraction model, prior to determining projected areas and further data analysis. Use of this technique is expected to increase data reliability for future work on vegetated channels.

Características clínicas, demográficas e histopatológicas de los pacientes con cáncer colorrectal del Hospital Universitario de Santander / Clinical, demographic and histopathological characteristics of patients with colorectal cancer at Hospital Universitario de Santander, Bucaramanga, Colombia

Introducción. El cáncer colorrectal es una neoplasia maligna frecuente que ocasiona un alto costo social y en morbimortalidad. Se sabe que la mejor estrategia para hacer frente a las enfermedades neoplásicas es la prevención y el diagnóstico precoz. Materiales y métodos. Se llevó a cabo un estudio descriptivo en pacientes con diagnóstico histopatológico final de cáncer de colon y recto, operados por el Servicio de Cirugía General del Hospital Universitario de Santander, entre julio de 2009 y mayo de 2011, tomando los datos en una encuesta prediseñada. Resultados. En un total de 36 pacientes, se obtuvo un promedio de edad de 61,5 años. El 80 % de los pacientes se intervino urgentemente. El síntoma predominante fue dolor abdominal (86,11 %). Los antecedentes familiares de cáncer se presentaron en 22,22 %. El diagnóstico predominante en la biopsia por colonoscopia fue adenocarcinoma (78,57 %). En las piezas quirúrgicas definitivas, el adenocarcinoma se confirmó en 69,44 %. Se obtuvo 72 % de aproximación diagnóstica con la tomografía axial computadorizada, 82 % con el estudio de la biopsia y 90 % con la endoscopia. Conclusión. A pesar de ser un estudio descriptivo, sus resultados se relacionan con una posible falta de oportunidad para lograr la cirugía electiva, esto agravado por el hecho de que la presentación del cáncer colorrectal como urgencia quirúrgica suele corresponder a situaciones clínicas en las que la enfermedad se encuentra en estado avanzado. Es fundamental aplicar la tamización para el cáncer colorrectal según los estándares, y así prevenir y tratar de forma temprana esta enfermedad.

Introduction. Colorectal cancer is a common malignant neoplasm whose morbidity and mortality rates induce high social costs. It is well known that the best strategy to deal with neoplasms is prevention and early diagnosis. Materials and Methods. A descriptive study was completed in patients with the histopathological diagnosis of colorectal cancer that were managed and operated on by the General surgery Service at Hospital Universitario de Santander (Bucaramanga, Colombia) between July 2009 and May 2011, taking the data from a predesigned survey. Results. In a total of 36 patients, the average age was 61.5 years; 80% of the patients were operated on urgently. Main symptom was abdominal pain (86.11%). Family history of cancer was present in 22.22% of the patients. The main diagnosis was adenocarcinoma (78.57%) achieved by colonoscopic biopsy. Adenocarcinoma was confirmed in 69.44% of the surgical specimens. Diagnostic approximation was reached in 72% of patients by means of CT scan, 82% with biopsy and 90% with endoscopy. Conclusions. Despite of being a descriptive study, our results appear to be related to a possible lack of opportunity for elective surgery, worsened by the fact that the presentation of colorectal cancer as a surgical emergency usually corresponds to clinical situations where the disease is in an advanced stage. It appears fundamental to apply the standardized screening methods for colorectal cancer, and thus prevent and treat this disease in a timely manner.

Spontaneous resolution of syrinx: report of two cases in adults with Chiari malformation.

Idiopathic syringomyelia is a disease with variable clinical course. We report here two cases of spontaneous resolution of cervical syrinx in adults previously diagnosed of Chiari-syringomyelia complex. They are added to the nine cases previously reported, and documented the need for careful surgical indication in this disease based on the radiological images of spinal cord cavitation.

Cell therapy for spinal cord repair: optimization of biologic scaffolds for survival and neural differentiation of human bone marrow stromal cells.

BACKGROUND AIMS: The suppression of cell apoptosis using a biodegradable scaffold to replace the missing or altered extracellular matrix (ECM) could increase the survival of transplanted cells and thus increase the effectiveness of cell therapy. METHODS: We studied the best conditions for the proliferation and differentiation of human bone marrow stromal cells (hBMSC) when cultured on different biologic scaffolds derived from fibrin and blood plasma, and analyzed the best concentrations of fibrinogen, thrombin and calcium chloride for favoring cell survival. The induction of neural differentiation of hBMSC was done by adding to these scaffolds different growth factors, such as nerve growth factor (NGF), brain-derived-neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and retinoic acid (RA), at concentrations of 100 ng/mL (NGF and BDNF) and 1 micro/mL (RA), over 7 days. RESULTS: Although both types of scaffold allowed survival and neural differentiation of hBMSC, the results showed a clear superiority of platelet-rich plasma (PRP) scaffolds, mainly after BDNF administration, allowing most of the hBMSC to survive and differentiate into a neural phenotype. CONCLUSIONS: Given that clinical trials for spinal cord injury using hBMSC are starting, these findings may have important clinical applications.

Cáncer de colon y recto: [revisión] / Cancer of colon and recto: [review]

Justificación: el cáncer de colon y recto es la tercera neoplasia más frecuente en el mundo, en la cual se han presentado notables avances en el tamizaje, diagnóstico y tratamiento. Objetivo: realizar una revisión de los avances en la epidemiología, diagnóstico y terapéutica del cáncer de colon y recto. Metodología de búsqueda: se realizó una búsqueda en Medline, según la metodología Cochrane, de artículos publicados desde enero de 1980 a enero de 2006 usando los términos colorectal carcinoma; de esta búsqueda se seleccionaron los manuscritos considerados relevantes por parte de los autores. Conclusiones: se han producido notables avances en el diagnóstico precoz, y tratamiento del cáncer de colon y recto lo cual se traduce en un mejor pronóstico para los pacientes afectados por esta patología...

Justification: colorectal cancer is the third most frequent neoplasm in the World, which have had notable advances in screening, diagnosis and treatment. Objective: a revision of epidemiology, diagnosis and therapeutic advances of colorectal cancer was made. Materials and Methods: following Cochrane´s methodology, a Medline research of articles published between January of 1980 and January of 2006 was made, using the words colorectal carcinoma; the articles considered relevants by the autors were selected of this research. Conclusions: notable advances have been developed in early diagnosis and treatment of colorectal cancer, which traduces in a better prognosis for the patients afected by this disease...

[Individual or service quality evaluation using the 2000 DRG version]. / Apreciação da qualidade individual ou do serviço utilizando os GDHS na versão 2000.

The Diagnosis Related Groups (DRG) aren't only a management instrument useful for managers and technicians but also to physicians as professionals who are in fact their producers. The DRG may be used as guides of good clinical practice and as quality pointer. Never as an absolute truth or way of judging something. We study the new arriving 2000 DGR version and how to use it as a guide and quality indicator for physicians who wants to improve his quality, skills and proficiency in clinical practice. We give a brief look on the DGR world expansion and the bibliography to deep the knowledge in this subject.