PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

V Fait

Publications and source records attributed to V Fait.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2005

Peripheral polymorphonuclear leukocyte priming contributes to oxidative stress in early pregnancy.

OBJECTIVE: The cause of elevated blood leukocyte count in pregnancy is unknown. We hypothesized that priming of peripheral polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNL) caused this elevation. METHODS: Eleven women in the first trimester of pregnancy were included in this prospective study. Peripheral venous blood was drawn twice from each woman, before and after a medical abortion (pregnant and nonpregnant, respectively). Complete blood cell count, plasma alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and rate of superoxide release from separated phobrol 12-myristate-13-acetate (PMA)-stimulated PMNL were determined. RESULTS: The PMNL count in early pregnancy was significantly higher, with a significant increase in the PMNL rate of superoxide release compared to the nonpregnant state. A linear correlation between the rates of superoxide release and PMNL counts before and during pregnancy was found. ALP levels were significantly elevated in early pregnancy. CONCLUSION: The increased PMNL count is probably a compensatory response to PMNL priming. The increased rate of superoxide release from primed PMNL may contribute to oxidative stress in early pregnancy.

Adult↗
PubMed2005

[Implantations of venous ports--the latest advances].

A continuously growing spectrum of cytostatic preparations used to treat oncological patients, as well as a growing spectrum of indications to treat patients with disseminated or locally advanced findings even in the elderly patients, brings on a subject of long-term venous portae problems to solve. The venous port is a smart solution of this problem. The method minimalizes risks resulting from long-term canylations of the central venous system and, primarily, substantially improves comfort of patients. This argument takes in consideration not only periods between chemotherapy applications, but also administration of the cytostatic preparation itself. The following article summarizes long-term experience with port implantations in the MOU. It points out increasing rates of patients with implanted ports and highlights frequency rates of observed complications connected with both the port implantation and the port use.

Catheters, Indwelling↗
PubMed2005

Pilot study of sole conformal peroperative interstitial brachyradiotherapy of early stage breast carcinoma using high-dose rate afterloading.

In this study of high-dose-rate brachyradiotherapy to the lumpectomy site as the sole radiation are documented a three-dimensional treatment planning and preliminary results of accelerated partial- breast irradiation. From March 2002 to July 2004 25 patients were prospectively included in this study. Six patients were excluded becuase of definitive histology of lobular carcinoma or positive margin. The median age was 63.2 years (range: 44-77 years). Median follow-up of all patients is 11 months (range: 3-25 months) with a minimum follow-up of 3 months. Radiation was delivered using the high-dose-rate remote afterloader VariSource with [192]Ir source. The patients received radiation twice a day at least 6 hours apart for a total of 10 fractions over five days with a single dose of 3.4 Gy. The total dose was 34.0 Gy prescribed as a minimum peripheral dose to match or minimally exceed the volume defined by the surgical clips as seen on CT scans. Freehand technique allows conformal placement of the catheters to the shape of the lumpectomy cavity. We use the method of geometric optimalisation which allows the calculations of dose distribution in relation to target. At a median follow-up of 11 months none of patients developed in-field breast recurrences, one patient had out-of-field recurrences. There were no regional nodal recurrences. At each patient, there was calculated target volume size in cm3 (median 91.3 cm3) dose volume histogram (DVH), dose homogenity index (DHI). Median DHI was 0.42. Median volume of breast tissue getting 100% of the prescription dose, V(100), is 87%; and V(150) 48.5%. We have noticed two treatment complications: hematoma and abscess in the place of tumorous bed after exstirpation. At last follow-up, patients rated the overall cosmetic outcome excellent. This method is suitable just for patients with histologically confirmed small tumors (<3 cm in diameter) without negative prognostic factors for local recurrence (age at least 40 years, negative surgical margins, nodal involvement - maximum three positive nodes without extracapsular extension).

Adult↗
PubMed2005

Lack of STAT 1 phosphorylation at TYR 701 by IFNgamma correlates with disease outcome in melanoma patients.

STAT 1, a member of signal transducer and transcription activator family has been implicated as key downstream mediator of interferon (IFN) signaling. Its functional activation requires phosphorylation at Tyr 701 and Ser 727 residues. Various STAT abnormalities have been found in cancer cells but their relation to oncogenesis, tumor behavior and disease outcome remains mostly unknown. We have examined the inducibility of STAT 1 phosphorylation by IFN alpha/gamma in primary cultures established from melanoma lymph node metastases at first progression and correlated our results with disease outcome and overall survival. Forty-four patients at clinical stage I-III at initial diagnosis entered the study. STAT 1 inducibility of phosphorylation by IFNs was assessed in melanoma cell lysates by means of standard immunoprecipitation and Western blotting using polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies. Lack of STAT 1 phosphorylation at Ser 727 after either IFN was recorded in 75% of patients, however, no correlations with disease evolution could be proved. In contrast, STAT 1 phosphorylation response at Tyr 701 after IFNalpha occurred in 13 (29.5%) and after IFNgamma in 32 (73%) patients. Inducibility of STAT 1 activation at Tyr 701 but not at Ser 727 driven by IFNgamma but not by IFNalpha significantly and unfavorably [corrected] influenced disease- free interval and overall survival. In conclusion, these results show that the absence of IFNgamma inducibility of STAT 1 phosphorylation at Tyr 701 positively correlates with disease outcome in malignant melanoma patients and may represent new independent prognostic marker.

Adult↗
PubMed2004

Uterine artery embolization for management of interstitial twin ectopic pregnancy: case report.

Interstitial pregnancy is rare and dangerous variation of ectopic pregnancy. We describe a case of unilateral interstitial viable twin pregnancy treated by selective uterine artery embolization. A 23-year-old women with clinical and ultrasonic diagnosis of viable twin interstitial pregnancy was treated by selective uterine artery embolization after failure of systemic methotrexate treatment. Her serum beta-HCG was undetectable 2 months after the procedure and the ultrasound scan 70 days after embolization showed only multiple echogenic spots in the right uterine cornua. This therapeutic modality seems to be effective for conservative management of interstitial ectopic pregnancy, and as a prophylactic measure before surgical intervention to prevent major bleeding.

Adult↗
PubMed2003

[Do we comply with the standard classification of staging in colorectal carcinoma after curative resection?].

BACKGROUND: Lymph node status is the most important prognostic and predictive factor in curatively resected colorectal cancer. According to TNM staging system, a minimum number of 12 regional lymph nodes is to be examined for the correct staging. In addition to the status of lymph nodes other important prognostic factors should be reported by the pathologist. METHODS: A retrospective study was performed to analyze how many of regional lymph nodes were examined in colorectal cancer specimens in two hospitals (Czech Republic) during the last few years. Availability of other prognostic factors important for the management of the disease after surgery was always investigated. RESULTS: In the hospital "A", the examination of lymph nodes were not sufficient in 43.8% of 121 cases analyzed, in the hospital "B", the number of examined lymph nodes was less than a minimum of 12 in all 162 cases. There were often no data available regarding to a histological examination of resection margins, grading and angioinvasion. CONCLUSION: Reporting of the standard and most important prognostic factors in colorectal cancer was not sufficient in two selected hospitals and it may not be much better in others. It might have a deteriorating influence on the outcomes despite of successfully performed primary surgery. Search for the new prognostic and predictive factors, that would help us to stratify the patients for the optimal tailored therapy is surely needed, but the standard staging parameters, as are the lymph node involvement, resection margins, grading and angioinvasion, must not be forgotten as occurred to be in many cases of our study.

Biopsy↗
PubMed2003

Malignant melanoma associates with deficient IFN-induced STAT 1 phosphorylation.

STAT 1, a member of signal transducers and transcription activators of STAT family proteins, has been implicated as important mediator of IFN signaling. Functional activation of STAT 1 requires tyrosine and serine phosphorylation. Defects in its expression or activation in response to IFNs were observed in numerous pathological conditions including cancer. To further explore cancer-associated impaired STAT 1 response to IFNs, the inducibility of serine (S 727) and tyrosine (Y 701) phosphorylation by IFN-alpha/-gamma was assessed in 21 melanoma cell lines and in 35 primary cultures derived from melanoma patients. STAT 1 levels and inducibility of its activated phospho-forms were detected by Western analysis using specific polyclonal and monoclonal antibodies. All cell lines as well as patient melanoma samples expressed STAT 1 with variable signal intensity. Significant impaired IFN-induced STAT 1 S 727 phosphorylation was observed in both model systems with average of 77% of non-responders recorded in patient melanoma cells and 76% in melanoma cell lines. Failure of PY 701 induction occurred in patient samples (63% after IFN-alpha and 34% after IFN-gamma induction) and to a lesser degree in cell lines (i.e. response absence to IFN-alpha in 5 and to IFN-gamma in 2 melanoma lines). Our study demonstrates STAT 1 functional abnormalities in melanoma cells. On the basis of detailed analyses of patient melanoma cells with respect to the inducibility of STAT 1 phosphorylation by IFNs, four categories of patients could be distinguished: a) activation on both S 727 and Y 701, b) not inducible response, c) activation on Y 701 but not on S 727, d) heterogeneous response. Clinical study is now in progress to establish the significance of in vitro STAT 1 activation for predicting the response to IFN-based therapy and to explore biological consequences in cases responding in vitro to IFN-induced STAT 1 activation on only one of the critical amino acid residues.

Blotting, Western↗
PubMed2003

[Principles of post-resection brachytherapy of solid tumors using high dose rate (HDR) afterloading].

Postresection interstitial brachytherapy is one of the modern methods of radiotherapy the aim of which is to administer a larger radiation dose without greater irradiation of the surrounding sound tissues. The administration of higher radiation doses leads in some solid tumours to better local control of the disease and makes it thus possible to use the organ and its function after preserving surgical operations. Post-resection interstitial brachytherapy belongs in the wider concept to intraoperative radiotherapy the advantage of which is direct control of the irradiated area during surgery. The method of introduction of the radiation source into the applicators in the tumour during surgery (afterloading technique) makes its possible to start radiotherapy after obtaining the definite histological result. Post-resection brachytherapy reduces markedly the total time of irradiation treatment.

Brachytherapy↗
PubMed2003

[Sentinel node biopsy in colorectal carcinoma--pilot study].

BACKGROUND: Sentinel lymph node biopsy is a widely accepted method for staging melanoma and breast cancer in indicated cases. However, the use of the method in colorectal cancer is under clinical investigation. The aim of the pilot study was to introduce the technique into the surgical practice in colon carcinoma, to determine the feasibility and potential problems and to evaluate the first experience. METHODS: Twenty patients with colon cancer underwent lymphatic mapping and sentinel node biopsy using blue dye, fluorescein or lymphoscintigraphy followed by standard surgical resection. The acquired sentinel nodes were investigated with both standard hematoxylin-eosin staining and immunohistochemical staining for cytokeratin. RESULTS: Lymphatic mapping adequately identified at least one sentinel node (SN) intraoperatively or by a modified ex vivo technique in 20 patients (100%). The average number of SN was 1.5 (range 1-3), non-SN 13.6 (range 1-38) per patient. SN correctly predicted the regional lymphatic basin status in 14 cases (70%). The false negative rate was 40%. No patient has been upstaged on the basis of immunohistochemical staining. CONCLUSIONS: Lymphatic mapping and sentinel node biopsy in colon cancer is feasible and safe method with a high SN identification rate. The role and significance of sentinel node biopsy in colon cancer is not as clear as its role in other tumors and remains controversial. Further large prospective studies with standardized techniques are needed to evaluate the potential benefit of this new method.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

[Lymphatic mapping and sentinel lymph node biopsy in selected carcinomas of the digestive tract].

The current status of lymphatic mapping and sentinel node biopsy in patients with selected carcinomas of the digestive tract is described. The possible future use of the method in patients with gastric, small bowel and colorectal malignancies is considered. Preoperative lymphatic mapping and reliable identification of sentinel node (nodes) in patients with gastrointestinal cancers may lead to tailored resections or limited surgical procedures. On the other hand, extended lymph node dissection may be performed in those patients in whom the sentinel node(s) contains tumour cells or in cases where skip lymphatic nodes metastases appear. The method offers the opportunity of improving staging (ultrastaging) by identification of patients with early dissemination in lymphatic nodes where conventional methods are not sensitive enough. These patients should be considered for traditional adjuvant treatment or be included in trials with more effective adjuvants regimens. Large prospective multicenter studies are needed to find out if the sentinel node concept is valid in gastrointestinal cancer. If the answer is yes, several basic diagnostic and therapeutic measures may be changed in favour of cancer patients.

Coloring Agents↗
PubMed2001

Induction of labor in women with previous cesarean section using the double balloon device.

BACKGROUND AND METHODS: To evaluate the efficacy and safety of labor induction by the double balloon device in women with previous cesarean section. Induction of labor was carried out in 37 women with previous cesarean section for various indications. All the inductions of labor were performed using the Atad double balloon device (ARD). RESULTS: Cervical ripening (Bishop scores above 5) was achieved in 82.3% of the induced women with subsequent vaginal delivery in 78.6% and repeat cesarean section in 22.3%. An important observation of the results was the chances to achieve a vaginal delivery according to the second Bishop score that was recorded 12 hours following the insertion of the device. When the second was above 5 the chances for vaginal delivery were 79.4%. The mean time from removal of the device to delivery was 10.8 hours. No complications were noted using the device. CONCLUSIONS: The double balloon device appears to be a safe and effective method of inducing labor in women with a previous lower segment cesarean section. Wide scale studies and further use of the device for induction of labor in women who have had previous cesarean sections are warranted.

Adult↗
PubMed2000

Sentinel lymph node biopsy in cutaneous melanoma: the WHO Melanoma Program experience.

BACKGROUND: We report the experience of the World Health Organization (WHO) Melanoma Program concerning sentinel lymph node (SLN) biopsy for detecting patients with occult regional nodal metastases to submit to selective regional node dissection. METHODS: From February 1994 to August 1998, in 12 centers of the WHO Melanoma Program, 892 SLN biopsies were performed in 829 patients with clinical stage I melanoma (male: 370; female: 459; median age: 50 years old). The location of the primary melanoma was as follows: trunk 35%; lower limbs, 45%; upper limbs, 18%; and head and neck, 2%. Blue dye injection for SLN identification was performed in all cases; preoperative lymphoscintigraphy was done in 440 patients, and an intra-operative probe for a radio-guided biopsy was used in 141 cases. Overall, the SLN identification rate was 88%. In 68% of the patients, only one SLN was identified, whereas two and three or more SLN were detected in 24% and 8% of the remaining cases, respectively. RESULTS: Overall SLN positivity rate was 18%. Intra-operative frozen section examination was performed in 39% of the cases and was helpful in detecting occult localizations only in 47% of the positive SLNs. Distribution of positive cases by primary thickness was as follows: < 1mm: 2%; 1-1.99 mm: 7%; 2-2.99 mm: 13%; and > or = 3 mm: 31%. Positive nonsentinel lymph nodes were found in 22% of cases with positive SLN submitted for selective dissection. No complications due to the procedure were registered. Of 710 patients who were evaluated, 40 (6%) presented a regional nodal relapse after a negative SLN biopsy and underwent a delayed therapeutic dissection. From the 710 enrolled cases, 638 (88.5%) were alive without evidence of disease at the time of this writing. A multivariate analysis showed SLN status as one of the most significant prognostic factors (P = .000) along with thickness (P = .001) and ulceration (P = .015) of primary tumor. CONCLUSIONS: These data confirm the feasibility and safety of the SLN technique for selecting patients to submit to a radical node dissection. The data represent the basis for a future trial by the WHO Melanoma Program in this field to evaluate the most appropriate surgical approach for treating patients with occult regional nodal metastases.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1998

[Sentinel lymphadenectomy in malignant cutaneous melanoma--short-term results and prognostic significance].

The predictive value of sentinel node status in skin melanoma was studied. Between August, 2, 1994 and February, 20, 1998, in Surgical Department of Masaryk Memorial Cancer Institute, Brno, 166 lymphatic regions were explored in 153 patients with 154 melanomas. We were not able to visit any other institute performing this procedure, so our beginning failure rate has been quite high, approx. 40% declining to final less than 3%. Lymphatic mapping was performed with the use of Patentblau V dye (BYK, Germany), injected preoperatively intradermally to the tumour or into the scar after nonradical removing of melanoma. Lyphoscintigraphy has been used in cases of dubious lymphatic spread, especially in trunk melanomas. Hand held gamma probe could not be used for unacceptable cost. From 143 identified sentinel nodes were 26 positive in 24 patients. From these patients 10 relapsed, with 6 locoregional and 4 distant recurrences. 2 Patients died. In 108 patient with negative sentinel node 3 recurrences occurred, one nodal, and two local, no distant metastases occurred till now. The incidence of positive sentinel nodes was growing with Breslow thickness. Extremely poor prognosis can be expected in patients with Breslow > 4.0 mm and positive sentinel node.

Humans↗
PubMed1997

[Regional chemotherapy of liver tumors].

Based on experience with regional intrahepatic chemotherapy in 67 patients with inoperable primary, and in particular secondary liver tumours, which comprises several hundred administered cycles of mostly continuous regional regimens, the authors summarize briefly the main principles and possibilities of this treatment. In a review of randomized studies they provide evidence for the advantage of regional chemotherapy, as compared with systemic treatment, in particular with regard to the higher percentage of therapeutic responses. In correctly indicated, and if possible early cases of hepatic tumourous affections, it is possible to potentiate the effect of regional chemotherapy by local destruction of tumourous foci by alcoholization, cryodestruction or resection. An integral part of this treatment is also monitoring of the effect by following up the dynamics of serum levels of tumour markers and by imaging methods. Because the most frequent cause of failure of this method are extrahepatic secondaries and secondary chemoresistance of the tumourous foci, improvement of results can be expected in particular from a combination of regional and systemic chemotherapy and the inclusion of cytokines into the therapeutic schemes.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗
PubMed1997

[Cytokines in regional immunochemotherapy of liver tumors].

Regional intrahepatic chemotherapy of inoperable primary and secondary liver tumours can achieve, as compared with the little effective systemic chemotherapy, a higher percentage of therapeutic responses. The objective of regional chemoimmunotherapy, i.e. the use of cytokines, in particular interferon alpha (IFN-a) and interleukin-2 (IL-2) in the therapeutic regimens is to improve the survival of patients with malignant liver tumours. One of the main prerequisites of the effect of locally administered cytokines is activation of hepatic lymphocytes (LAL)-liver associated lymphocytes, effectors with specific phenotype and potential anti-tumourous effect directly in the target area. Although in regional monotherapy the effectiveness of cytokines is low, regimens combining the administration of cytostatics with IL-2 achieve a 50-70% therapeutic response. The authors summarize basic data on the regional administration of cytokines and present an review of combined regimens of regional chemoimmunotherapy, including their own protocol of the Masaryk Oncological Institute in Brno.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗
PubMed1993

[Myositis ossificans--a rare complication after axillary dissection].

We are showing a case of the myositis ossificans, appearing after the dissection of axilla simulating a metastasis of a malignant melanoma. In these circumstances this is a very rare case. It can, however, lead to an unnecessary operation. For this reason it should be useful to bera this possibility in mind.

Axilla↗