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F Chapel

Publications and source records attributed to F Chapel.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Serum laminin and type IV collagen are accurate markers of histologically severe alcoholic hepatitis in patients with cirrhosis.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: Severe alcoholic hepatitis occurs mainly in patients with cirrhosis, and has a high death rate. Corticosteroid therapy has been particularly advocated as reducing mortality in patients with severe histologic lesions. However, identification of these patients is difficult, requiring transvenous liver biopsy. Extracellular matrix serum markers have been proposed as non-invasive diagnostic tools in alcoholic liver disease. The aim of this study was to determine the accuracy of 5 extracellular matrix serum markers, i.e. laminin (Lam), N-terminal peptide of type III procollagen (PIIINP), type I (CI), type III (CIII) and type IV (CIV) collagens in identifying patients with severe histologic alcoholic hepatitis from among those with cirrhosis and suspected alcoholic hepatitis. METHODS: We studied 80 consecutive patients with alcoholic cirrhosis and clinical suspicion of alcoholic hepatitis referred for transvenous liver biopsy. Clinical severity of alcoholic hepatitis was assessed according to Maddrey's score. Histological severity was scored using the sum of the 3 following items: polynuclear infiltration (0-3); hepatocytes alterations (0-3); Mallory bodies (0-2). According to this score, patients were divided into 3 groups: mild (1-3), moderate (4-6), and severe (7-8) alcoholic hepatitis. Serum levels of the 5 extracellular matrix serum markers were measured at the time of biopsy using radioimmunoassays. Diagnostic value for histologically severe alcoholic hepatitis of the 5 extracellular matrix serum markers was assessed using receiver operating characteristic curves. RESULTS: Histological alcoholic hepatitis was present in 67 patients (mean alcoholic hepatitis score: 3.4+/-2.3). Maddrey's score was 66% sensitive and 69% specific for the diagnosis of severe histologic alcoholic hepatitis. The serum Lam and CIV concentrations were the most accurate in identifying correctly patients with severe histologic alcoholic hepatitis. At a cut-off of 4.1 UI/ml, Lam was 90% sensitive and 77% specific, whereas at a cut-off of 150 ng/ml, CIV was 89% sensitive and 77% specific. Combination of markers did not result in improved diagnostic value. CONCLUSION: In patients with cirrhosis, determination of serum Lam or CIV could represent a simple and accurate non-invasive method for identification of patients with histologically severe alcoholic hepatitis eligible for corticosteroid treatment.

Adult↗

Epstein-Barr virus and gastric carcinoma in Western patients: comparison of pathological parameters and p53 expression in EBV-positive and negative tumours.

AIMS: The presence of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) was studied in 56 gastric carcinomas from Western patients by in-situ hybridization for EBV-encoded RNAs (EBER). EBV-positive and negative carcinomas were compared for various pathological parameters including p53 overexpression. METHODS AND RESULTS: EBERs transcripts were detected in seven cases overall: four cases of 52 conventional carcinomas (7. 7%) and three cases of four gastric carcinomas with lymphoid stroma (75%). EBER positivity was diffuse in five cases and restricted to a localized area of the tumour in two cases of conventional carcinoma. A monoclonal EBV genomic pattern was demonstrated in the case tested by Southern blot analysis. By immunohistochemical analysis, neither EBV latent or lytic cycle proteins nor C3d/EBV receptor were expressed by neoplastic cells. EBER positivity was significantly correlated with prominent lymphoid reaction (P = 0.0002) which was associated with numerous PS100-positive dendritic cells and with HLA-DR expression by tumour cells (P = 0.03). p53 immunoreactivity in more than 30% of tumour cells was detected in 25 out 49 EBV-negative cases and was absent in EBV-positive cases except in one case with focal EBER-positivity. CONCLUSIONS: Focal staining for EBER is an unusual finding in the setting of gastric carcinoma and these results suggest that there might be two types of EBV-associated gastric carcinoma in which the viral infection will play a different role. The presence of a stromal lymphoid reaction which is strongly correlated with EBV positivity, is associated with antigen-presenting ability by HLA-DR-positive tumour cells or abundant dendritic cells. The function of p53 appears preserved in all EBV-associated carcinomas except in one case with focal EBER expression whereas the immunohistochemical pattern of p53 is suggestive of a mutational phenomenon in 51% of EBV-negative cases.

Female↗

Liver iron is predictive of death in alcoholic cirrhosis: a multivariate study of 229 consecutive patients with alcoholic and/or hepatitis C virus cirrhosis: a prospective follow up study.

BACKGROUND/AIMS: A study was undertaken of liver biopsy samples from 229 consecutive patients with alcoholic or hepatitis C virus related cirrhosis who were prospectively followed until January 1996 to evaluate the influence of liver iron content on survival and the occurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma. METHODS: Hepatic iron content was measured with a validated semiquantitative score, and its predictive value for survival and the occurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma was assessed. RESULTS: 130 patients had detectable iron at enrollment. During follow up (57 (28) months), 95 patients died and 39 patients developed hepatocellular carcinoma. No significant relation was found between hepatic iron and the occurrence of hepatocellular carcinoma. Conversely, the presence of iron was predictive of death in alcoholic patients (p = 0.007) by the log rank test but not in patients with hepatitis C virus related (p = 0.71) or mixed (p = 0.98) cirrhosis. The predictive value of hepatic iron content in patients with alcoholic cirrhosis was confirmed by the Cox model using either a binary coding (p = 0.009; relative risk = 2.27; 95% confidence interval 1.2 to 4.19) or the continuous values (p = 0.002). CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that hepatic iron enhances liver lesions caused by alcohol but not those caused by hepatitis C virus.

Carcinoma, Hepatocellular↗

Unusual vascular changes in the red pulp of the spleen accompanying breast carcinoma metastasis.

The prevalence of splenic metastasis from carcinomas varies between 2% and 13% in autopsy studies. Most of them are clinically inapparent. We report herein the case of a splenic metastasis revealing breast carcinoma in a 73-year old woman. Splenectomy was performed to correct hypersplenism. Macroscopically, the cut surface of the spleen was uniform and pale. On microscopical examination, the metastatic infiltration involved both red and white pulp as single cells, cords and micro-nodules. Tumor cells were positive for cytokeratin and epithelial membrane antigen (EMA). The breast origin of this splenic metastasis was supported by the increase of CA 15-3 level, and by the appearance of axillary lymphadenopathy. In addition, the red pulp sinuses were obliterated by multiple thrombi at different stages of development and the splenic cords were collagenized. These changes could result from an unusual stromal reaction.

Aged↗

Botryomycosis.

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AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗

[Unusual vascular lesions in the course of a colonic leishmaniasis in an HIV positive patient].

Patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome are often susceptible to atypical dissemination of visceral leishmaniasis. Digestive localizations seem to be relatively frequent. Colonic localizations reported in the literature are endoscopically normal or show superficial mucosal lesions. We describe an original case of leishmaniasis associated with a colonic pseudotumoral stenosis with perforated ulcer penetrating in the mesocolon. Striking inflammation of mesenteric blood vessels, even far from the ulcer, suggested an ischemic mechanism for the colonic stenosis. These findings raise the hypothesis that vasculitis is secondary to mucosal parasitic infection.

Adult↗

Needle biopsy of hepatocellular carcinoma: assessment of prognostic contribution of histologic parameters including proliferating cell nuclear antigen labeling and correlations with clinical outcomes. Group d'Etude et de Traitement du Carcinoma Hépatocellulaire.

BACKGROUND: Although many studies concerning the prognostic factors of resected hepatocellular carcinoma have been performed, the prognostic information provided by needle biopsy of these tumors has not yet been extensively studied. METHODS: One hundred twenty-four white patients with histologically-confirmed hepatocellular carcinoma were entered into a prospective study from 1990 to 1992 with followed-up through October 1994. Most of the patients had cirrhosis (79%). Patients were classified according to Okuda's staging: Stage I (50%), Stage II (47%), and Stage III (3%). The one-year survival rate was estimated at 58% in Okuda's Stage I, and 15% in Stages II and III. Edmondson's grading, mitotic index, and proliferating cell nuclear antigen labeling index were studied on each biopsy. Univariate and multivariate analyses were performed to determine the prognostic significance of the different parameters. RESULTS: According to Edmondson's critera, 13 of the hepatocellular carcinomas were Grade I, 63 Grade II, 42 Grade III, and 6 Grade IV. There was a significant correlation between Edmondson's grade, mitotic index, and proliferating cell nuclear antigen labeling index (P < 0.01). Univariate analysis showed both the histologic grade (P < 0.001) and mitotic index (P < 0.05) correlated with survival. Cox's model indicated that Edmondson's grading yields additional prognostic information for Okuda's staging (P < 0.001). The one-year survival rate for Okuda's Stage I was 76% for Edmondson's Grades I + II versus 23% for Grades III + IV. CONCLUSIONS: Edmondson's grading appears to be an important prognostic parameter for patients with hepatocellular carcinoma, and could help stratify patients for clinical trials.

Adult↗

Predictive score for the development of hepatocellular carcinoma and additional value of liver large cell dysplasia in Western patients with cirrhosis.

The aim of this study was to identify high-risk patients for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Among 151 patients with histologically proven cirrhosis hospitalized from 1987 to 1990 and prospectively followed-up until June 1994, 31 developed HCC. We assessed the predictive value of 22 variables recorded at enrollment for HCC occurrence by the log rank test and the Cox proportional hazards model. Six clinical and biological variables summarized predictive information of HCC: age > or = 50 years (P = .01), male (P = .01), large esophageal varices (EV) (P = .03), prothrombin activity < 70% (P = .04), serum alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) > or = 15 ng/L (P = .06), and anti-hepatitis C virus antibodies (P = .08). A clinicobiological predictive score identified two groups of patients at low (n = 67; 3-year cumulative incidence, 0%) and high risk for HCC (n = 84; 3-year cumulative incidence, 24%). The predictive value of this score was confirmed using an independent population of 49 patients with cirrhosis. Furthermore, liver large-cell dysplasia (LCD) had an additional predictive value in high-risk patients (P = 10(-4), which thus helped to define a subgroup at very high risk for HCC (n = 12; 3-year cumulative incidence, 72%). In Western patients with cirrhosis, a limited number of usual variables can identify a group of patients at high risk for HCC. Among these patients, liver biopsy allows for the determination a subgroup of patients at very high risk for HCC requiring intensive screening or preventive measures.

Age Factors↗

[Fibrosing cholestatic hepatitis by B virus reactivation in AIDS].

We report an Hepatitis B Virus reactivation, in a patient with an end-stage Human Immunodeficiency Virus infection who developed a rapidly progressive liver failure in four months. The main histological features include ballooning of hepatocytes and ground glass transformation, without significant inflammation. Immunohistochemical staining showed a high expression of viral antigens. This case can be related to "Fibrosing Cholestatic Hepatitis", first described after liver transplantation for cirrhosis B. The mechanism of hepatocellular damage is likely to be a direct cytotoxicity of hepatitis B virus.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

PCR analysis of hepatitis B virus DNA in paraffin-embedded liver tissue from patients with chronic liver disease.

We described a nested polymerase chain reaction protocol to detect hepatitis B viral DNA in paraffin-embedded liver tissue and tried to determine whether this virus was associated with non-B chronic liver disease. Fifty-five samples were obtained from 28 patients with B, and 27 patients with non-B chronic liver disease (35 cirrhosis, 4 hepatocellular carcinoma and 16 chronic hepatitis). The two sets of primers amplify a sequence located in a conserved polymerase/surface region of the viral genome. Reaction products were analysed using a nonisotopic hybridization method. None of the 27 (0%) seronegative samples and 20 of the 28 (71%) seropositive specimens were positive for hepatitis B virus DNA. There were 4 false negatives in which beta-globin PCR was positive. Although its sensitivity is reduced in formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissue, nested PCR allows rapid detection of HBV DNA sequences and can be a useful tool if no frozen tissue is available.

Adolescent↗

Improved current methods for amplification of DNA from routinely processed liver tissue by PCR.

With both a classic DNA preparation protocol (including removal of paraffin wax and protein digestion) and a DNA extraction protocol with Chelex 100, the hepatitis B virus genome was searched for using the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in 30 samples of paraffin wax embedded liver tissue from patients with chronic hepatitis. The classic protocol was more sensitive than the rapid Chelex 100 procedure (10 v six positive samples). A third protocol, including removal of paraffin wax, protein digestion, and Chelex 100 treatment of the digestion solution before PCR, was more sensitive than the others (16 positive samples). It is concluded that it could therefore be helpful for PCR analysis of paraffin wax embedded liver tissue.

Base Sequence↗

Thyroglobulin in medullary thyroid carcinoma: immunohistochemical study with polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies.

The presence of thyroglobulin (TG) was investigated by immunohistochemistry with one polyclonal and three distinct monoclonal anti-TG antibodies in 19 primary and 15 metastatic medullary thyroid carcinoma (MTC) cases. In two primary tumors possessing a mixed trabecular and follicular growth pattern, a significant number of tumor cells were positive with the four antibodies in all parts of the tumor; these tumors were considered to be genuine mixed follicular and parafollicular tumors. The 17 other primary tumors looked like "classical" (ie, predominantly compact) MTC. Eight contained tubular or microfollicle-like structures that were consistently TG-negative. Eight contained residual entrapped normal follicles positive with the four anti-TG antibodies. In six cases isolated foci of tumor cells reacted with polyclonal antibody or monoclonal antibody 11. In 10 cases circulating TG stained positively with polyclonal antibody in vascular channels, five cases stained positively for TG with monoclonal antibody 11, four cases stained positively for TG with monoclonal antibody 7, and three cases stained positively for TG with monoclonal antibody 1. In metastases TG was found in tumor cells in only one instance, but positive reactions were obtained in vascular channels and macrophages in several cases. We conclude from this study that there is no genuine secretion of TG in classical, compact MTC, which differs morphologically and functionally from mixed follicular and parafollicular tumors secreting both TG and thyrocalcitonin.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

[Cystadenoma of the extrahepatic bile ducts: a rare cause of cholestasis].

We report the case of a 45-year-old woman who underwent laparotomy for obstructive jaundice due to an uncommon cystic tumor located in the porta hepatis. Histology of the resected specimen disclosed a cystadenoma of the common hepatic duct. A review of 20 reported cases shows that the preoperative diagnosis is uncommon; wide resection appears to be the treatment of choice since these lesions are susceptible of local recurrence and malignant change.

Cholestasis↗

[Sensitivity of obstetrical ultrasonography in the prenatal diagnosis of major fetal anomalies].

With the aim of evaluating the sensitivity of obstetrical ultrasonography for prenatal screening of major birth defects, a retrospective study was conducted on 164 pregnancies which ended in the birth of an affected baby. The 164 cases had been reported to the Birth Defects Monitoring System of the Bouches du Rhône area by 5 maternity Hospitals between January 1, 1985 and December 31, 1987. Among these 164 cases, 50 were live births, 19 died after birth, 21 were stillbirths and 74 were terminations of pregnancy after prenatal diagnosis. Data from ultrasound reports were cross-checked with data from clinical examination at birth for live births, or from systematic protocol applied to every stillbirth or termination of pregnancy. The 164 notified cases had 196 major fetal anomalies. The results showed that the overall sensitivity of ultrasonography for detection of major fetal anomalies was 75%. The detection rate was assessed for each anomaly. The advised timing for morphological examination of the fetus by ultrasound in France is 20-22 and 30-32 weeks' gestation. Among the major fetal anomalies which were ultimately detected in utero, only 28% were screened before 22 or by 22 weeks' gestation and 14% were not by 32 weeks' gestation. This study underlines the effectiveness of this technique in prenatal diagnosis of major birth defects but also its limits, mainly linked to the lateness of many diagnoses.

Adult↗