The relationship between serum tumor-associated trypsin inhibitor levels and clinicopathological parameters in patients with gastric cancer.

BACKGROUND: Tumor-associated trypsin inhibitor (TATI) is expressed with trypsinogen in tumors. We studied the clinical-pathologic association and significance of preoperative serum levels of TATI in gastric cancer patients. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Pre-treatment serum levels of TATI in patients with gastric cancer and healthy controls were analyzed by a specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). RESULTS: Statistically significant differences were found in serum TATI levels between patients with gastric cancer and healthy controls (p < 0.0001). There was a significant relationship between the serum levels of TATI and clinicopathological parameters. However, serum levels of TATI were significantly higher in patients with an advanced T stage (T3) (p < 0.001), lymph node metastasis (p < 0.001) and an advanced TNM stage (stage III or IV; p < 0.001). CONCLUSIONS: Our study suggests that TATI may be used to identify potentially high-risk groups of upper gastric carcinoma. Elevated level of TATI was associated with progressive disease or advanced stage.

Comparison of the right and left laparoscopic live donor nephrectomies: a clinical case load.

BACKGROUND: The aim of the present study was to retrospectively compare the results of right- and left-laparoscopic donor nephrectomy (LDN) performed in our Center. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Two hundred and eight patients who were operated on between October 2010 and October 2011 were included. Of the patients, 65 underwent right-LDN and 143 underwent left-LDN. The groups were compared in terms of duration of surgery, warm ischemia time, postoperative complications, length of hospital stay, and donor outcomes. RESULTS: The mean duration of surgery was 144±19.7 min and 147.8±20.2 min in the right- and left-LDN groups, respectively. The mean warm ischemia times were 139.1±54.1 s and 141.5±37.9 in the right- and left-LDN groups, respectively. The mean length of hospital stay was 2.4±1.0 days for both groups. No major complications were observed in the groups. There was no significant difference between the groups in terms of donor outcomes. CONCLUSIONS: The right-LDN is approached cautiously because of short length of vein and the risk for thrombosis. The results of the present study demonstrated that the right-LDN is as safe and effective as the left-LDN.