PURPOSE: In a previous pilot study, HSP60 expression at the transcriptional (mRNA) level was shown to be a negative prognostic factor in ovarian cancer. The aim of this study was to determine HSP60-expression by means of immunohistochemistry and to correlate the results with survival in a large series of ovarian carcinoma patients with a closed follow-up. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Slides from routinely processed, paraffin-embedded tumor blocks belonging to 247 patients with epithelial ovarian carcinoma were studied for the overexpression of HSP60 using the Lk2 monoclonal antibody and the strepatvidin-biotin-peroxidase technique. HSP60-expression was correlated with overall survival by means of life-table analysis and the Kaplan-Meier method. RESULTS: 47 tumors (19%) expressed HSP60. Of them, 12/29 (41.4% positivity) were stage I tumors, whereas only 35 out of the remaining 218 tumors in more advanced surgical stage (16.1%) showed HSP60 staining. This difference was statistically significant (Fisher s exact test; p = 0.004). Even when stratifying stage for stage, the difference between groups still remained statistically significant (Chi square test; p = 0.0095). The survival curve analysis showed a significant difference in favor of those tumors expressing HSP60 (median survival 28 vs. 37 months; log-rank test, p = 0.02). CONCLUSION: Immunohistochemical detection of HSP60-expression in human epithelial ovarian carcinoma is significantly more frequent in tumors from patients with initial stages of the disease. Therefore, HSP60-expression determined by this method is associated with a significantly better prognosis.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Evaluation of the BAX system for detection of Listeria monocytogenes in foods: collaborative study.

A multilaboratory study was conducted to compare the automated BAX system and the standard cultural methods for detection of Listeria monocytogenes in foods. Six food types (frankfurters, soft cheese, smoked salmon, raw, ground beef, fresh radishes, and frozen peas) were analyzed by each method. For each food type, 3 inoculation levels were tested: high (average of 2 CFU/g), low (average of 0.2 CFU/g) and uninoculated controls. A total of 25 laboratories representing government and industry participated. Of the 2335 samples analyzed, 1109 were positive by the BAX system and 1115 were positive by the standard method. A Chi square analysis of each of the 6 food types, at the 3 inoculation levels tested, was performed. For all foods, except radishes, the BAX system performed as well as or better than the standard reference methods based on the Chi square results.

Chi-Square Distribution↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Anemia and hypothyroidism. Ferrokinetic studies].

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Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[1,000 cases of arterial hypertension].

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Adolescent↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Psychosomatic factors in pregnancy toxemia].

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Female↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Left ventricle function in isolated mitral stenosis. Regional angiographic study during the ejection phase].

Twenty two patients with rheumatic mitral stenosis and 12 healthy individuals were studied, using the following parameters: 1) Basal (B), Medial (M) and apical (A) mean velocity of circunferential shortening (VMAC); 2) Ejection fraction (EF); 3) Mid-systolic ejection fraction (FE 50); 4) Relative ejection fraction (REF = FE 50/FE). The student T comparing the patients with mitral stenosis to the control group showed statistical difference in all the parameters studied, but in the M and A, VMAC. In 13 patients (59%) the EF and the REF were found diminished, on the other hand, the EF 50 was definitively abnormal in 19 patients (86%). Twenty one patients (96%) showed abnormalities at least in two of the mentioned parameters and finally, only one had normal ventricular function. We conclude that the ejection ventricular function studied with "regional" indexes is almost always abnormal in patients with mitral stenosis.

Cardiac Output↗

PubMedDate not supplied

[Analysis of preoperative reserve criteria and intraoperative transfusion of blood derivatives at an anesthesiology and recovery service].

Three hundred and three patients undergoing elective surgery were studied prospectively. Patient data and results of serial blood cell counts were recorded before and after surgery and used to evaluate the criteria used to reserve and transfuse blood and blood products, as well as to assess the outcome of transfusions performed. Six hundred and ninety-nine units were reserved, indicating a reservation-to-transfusion ratio of 1.8. The most often cited reasons for reserving blood were surgical technique, nature of disease and prolonged surgery. A high number of reservations were called for from the ward by the surgeons themselves. A total of 180 patients were given transfusions, the main reason being the anesthesiologist's judgement that the Hb count was low (in 26% of cases). Transfusions because of slight bleeding during surgery and prolonged surgery gave rise to the highest Hb counts. The lowest post-transfusion Hb counts recorded occurred when the reason cited was presence of signs of anemia. We conclude that the ratio of reservations to transfusions in our study was acceptable, as were the reasons justifying reserves. There is an overall tendency to achieve excessively high Hb counts (10-11 g/dl) in the early postoperative period. The best criterion for performing transfusion is the presence of signs of anemia.

Anesthesia Department, Hospital↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Correlation of P-glycoprotein overexpression and cellular prognostic factors in formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tumor samples from breast cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: P-glycoprotein overexpression seems to play a prognostic role independent from its association with multidrug resistance. We have been able to verify this previously on fresh-frozen tumor samples, but up to now P-glycoprotein detection on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded material has generally been unsatisfactory. METHODS: Two distinct groups of previously untreated mammary carcinomas were studied for P-glycoprotein expression by means of immunohistochemistry, using the NCL-p-GLYp polyclonal antibody, carried out on slides from archival, paraffin-embedded material. The first group was composed of 15 tumors expressing at least three out of four factors indicative of a worse prognosis: c-erb-B2, mutant p53, cathepsin-D and PCNA (proliferating cell nuclear antigen). The control group was composed of 16 tumors lacking expression of any of these proteins. RESULTS: There was a statistically significant difference in survival (Fisher's exact test, p = 0.0036) between both groups. All four patients who died during the follow-up period (mean 55.1 months) belonged to the first group. Three of these patients harbored tumors with the highest level of expression of P-glycoprotein. This association between P-glycoprotein overexpression and prognosis was also statistically significant (Fisher's exact test, p = 0.0059). CONCLUSION: These results, obtained from a group of mostly operable tumors stratified for cellular risk factors, complement those previously reported by us for locally advanced, inoperable breast cancer only, using fresh-frozen tissue. P-glycoprotein again seems to play a prognostic role, independent of its involvement in multidrug-resistance. The technique used by us yielded useful results on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded archival tumor samples. This opens the possibility for larger studies on populations with a closed follow-up.

ATP Binding Cassette Transporter, Subfamily B, Mem↗