Search

Background: Quantification of gene expression using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) requires normalization to an endogenous reference gene termed housekeeping gene (HKG). Many of the commonly used HKGs are regulated and vary under experimental conditions and disease stages. Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) is associated with several different liver histological lesions that may modulate HKG expression. We investigated the variability of commonly used HGKs (18S, β-actin, glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate [GAPDH], and arginine/serine-rich splicing factor [SFRS4]) in the liver of patients with ALD. Methods: Fifty consecutive patients at different stages of ALD underwent liver biopsy. The stability of HKG was assessed according to liver histological lesions. Results: β-actin had the highest coefficient of dispersion (COD) (23.9). β-actin tended to decrease with steatosis and to increase with alcoholic hepatitis; β-actin also increased in patients with both alcoholic hepatitis and cirrhosis. GAPDH and SFRS4 COD were 2.8 and 2.1, respectively. GAPDH was decreased with steatosis and increased with alcoholic hepatitis and fibrosis. 18S had the lowest COD (1.4). Both 18S and SFRS4 levels were not significantly modified with respect to all alcohol-induced liver histological lesions. Conclusions: In patients with ALD, the most constantly expressed HKGs are 18S and SFRS4. These genes are appropriate reference genes for normalization of RT-qPCR in the liver of patients with ALD. The use of other HKGs such as β-actin or GAPDH would lead to misinterpretation of the results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article reports on the investigation of underlying mechanisms of action activated by particulate matter (PM) air pollution in France. It is stated that the investigation was done to improve knowledge on the adverse health effects caused by PM air pollution and was taken place at a strongly industrialized French seaside city, Dunkerque. Moreover, the chemical and physical characteristics have been previously found in the place and short-term studies have shown them to cause dose-dependent and time-dependent oxidative damage and protein secretion of inflammatory mediators and apoptotic events in human lung epithelial cells in culture. However, findings suggested that the activation of nuclear factor-kappa B complex preceded cytotoxicity in Dunkerque city PM-exposed L132 cells.

Background: Laparoscopy is slowly becoming an established technique for liver resection. This procedure still is limited to centers with experience in both hepatic and laparoscopic surgery. Preliminary reports include mainly minor resections for benign liver conditions and show some advantage in terms of postoperative recovery. The authors report their experience with laparoscopic liver resection, the evolution of the technique, and the results.Methods: From 1999 to 2006, 70 laparoscopic liver resections were performed using a procedure similar to resection by laparotomy.Results: There were 38 malignant tumors (54%) and 32 benign lesions (46%). The malignant tumors were mainly hepatocellular carcinomas (19 of 24 patients had cirrhosis). The tumor mean size was 3.8 +/- 1.9 cm (range, 2.2-8 cm). There were 19 major hepatectomies, 34 uni- or bisegmentomies, and 17 atypical resections. The operative time was 227 +/- 109 min. Conversion to laparotomy was required for seven patients (10%), mainly for continuous bleeding during transection. Nine patients (13%) required blood transfusion. One patient had both brisk bleeding and gas embolism from a tear in the section line of the right hepatic vein requiring laparoscopic suture. Blood loss and transfusion requirements were significantly lower in recent than in early cases and in resections with prior vascular control than in those without such control. Postoperative complications were experienced by 11 patients (16%), including one bleed from the hepatic stump requiring hemostasis and two subphrenic collections requiring percutaneous drainage. One cirrhotic patient died of liver failure after resection of a partially ruptured tumor. No ascites was observed in other cirrhotic patients. The mean hospital stay was 5.9 days.Conclusion: The study results confirm that laparoscopic liver resection, including major hepatectomies, can be safely performed by laparoscopy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract: Exposure to urban airborne particulate matter (PM) has been associated with adverse health effects. In this work, we focused our attention on the capacity of air pollution PM to induce cytotoxic, oxidative stress, and inflammatory responses in human epithelial lung cells (L132) in culture. PM were collected in Dunkerque, a French seaside city, and their physical and chemical characteristics were carried out. Their size distribution showed that 92.15% of the PM were equal or smaller than 2.5 and their specific surface area was 1m2/g. Inorganic (i.e. Fe, Al, Ca, Na, K, Mg, Pb, etc.) and organic (i.e. VOC, PAH, etc.) chemicals were found in PM. Physical and chemical properties of Dunkerque City’s PM suggested that much of the collected PM derived from wind-borne dust from the industrial complex and the heavy motor vehicle traffic. Their cytotoxicity, as evaluated by survival rate determination, lactate dehydrogenase activity, and mitochondrial dehydrogenase activity showed concentration and time-dependent effects in L132 cells (LC10=18.84μgPM/ml; LC50=75.36μgPM/ml). Moreover, in PM-exposed L132 cells, there were concentration- and time-dependent changes in lipid peroxidation, superoxide dismutase activity, 8-hydroxy-2′-deoxyguanosine formation, and poly(ADP-ribosyl)ation, on the one hand, and in tumor necrosis factor-alpha secretion, inducible nitric oxide synthase activity, and nitric oxide release, on the other hand. Taken together, these findings suggested that oxidative stress and inflammatory responses proceeded cytotoxicity in PM-exposed L132 cells. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

To contribute to complete the knowledge of the underlying mechanisms of action involved in air pollution particulate matter (PM)-induced cytotoxicity, an aerosol was collected in Dunkerque, a French seaside City heavily industrialized. In this work, we focused our attention on its physical and chemical characteristics, its cytotoxicity, and its role in the induction of the volatile organic compound (VOC) and/or polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH)-metabolizing enzymes in human lung epithelial cells (A549). Size distribution showed that 92.15% of the collected PM were PM2.5> and the specific surface area was 1m2/g. Inorganic (i.e. Fe, Al, Ca, Na, K, Mg, Pb, etc.) and organic (i.e. VOC, PAH, etc.) chemicals were found in collected PM, revealing that much of them derived from wind-borne dust from the industrial complex and the heavy motor vehicle traffic. The thermal desorption study indicated that organic chemicals were not only adsorbed onto the surface but also highly incrusted in the structure of PM. The lethal concentrations at 10% and 50% of collected PM were 23.72μg/mL (or 6.33μg/cm2>) and 118.60μg/mL (or 31.63μg/cm2>), respectively. The VOC and/or PAH-coated onto PM induced significant increases in mRNA expressions of cytochrome P450 (cyp) 1a1, cyp2e1, cyp2f1, nadph quinone oxydo-reductase-1, and glutathione s-transferase-pi 1, versus controls. Hence, we concluded that the metabolic activation of the very low doses of VOC and/or PAH-coated onto the inorganic condensation nuclei from Dunkerque City''s PM is one of the underlying mechanisms of action closely involved in its cytotoxicity in human lung epithelial cells. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]

• Twenty six cases of Caprine Nodular Thelitis were studied from11 French dairy goat farms. • Lesions were located on the udder/teat skin, on the body skin and on the scrotum skin. • Mycobacterium uberis DNA was amplified from 26 samples out of 47 (15 goats out of 26). • Affected female goats were > 4 years old and originated from large breeding units. Bovine Nodular Thelitis (BNT) is a granulomatous dermatitis of teat skin associated with acid-fast bacilli. A similar condition has been recorded in a dairy goat flock in France recently. The causative agent was shown to be related to the leprosy-causing bacilli Mycobacterium leprae and M. lepromatosis , then sequenced and named M. uberis. Following the initial report in goats, the aim of this study was to investigate new cases of Caprine Nodular Thelitis (CNT) in the same area to confirm the presence of M. uberis by molecular techniques and to get a better description of the clinical signs and of the affected flocks. Twenty-six animals (25 females and 1 male) from 11 flocks were included in the study. Lesions were located on the udder/teat skin (24/25), on the body skin (6/25) or on the scrotum skin (1/1). Udder skin lesions were circular, nodular and/or ulcerate covered with a crust and associated with supramammary lymph node enlargement. Body skin lesions were located at different parts of the body, showed large necrotizing ulcers with undetermined edges and were associated with regional lymph node enlargement. Histopathological results indicated granulomatous dermatitis and lymphadenitis of varying intensity with no acid-fast bacilli seen after Fite-Faraco staining. M. uberis DNA was amplified from 26 samples out of 47 (udder: 11/22; lymph node: 11/20; body: 4/5). The female goats were mostly older than 4 year of age and originated from breeding units characterized by large flock size and high proportion of goat in continuous lactation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Current clinical studies report the results of laparoscopic resection of hepatocellular carcinoma ( HCC) obtained in small cohorts of patients. Because France was involved in the very early development of laparoscopic surgery, the present study was conducted in order to report the results of a large, multicentre experience. Methods A total of 351 patients underwent laparoscopic liver resection for HCC during the period from 1998 to 2010 in nine French tertiary centres. Patient characteristics, postoperative mortality and morbidity, and longterm survival were retrospectively reviewed. Results Overall, 85% of the study patients had underlying liver disease. Types of resection included wedge resection (41%), left lateral sectionectomy (27%), segmentectomy (24%), and major hepatectomy (11%). Median operative time was 180 min. Conversion to laparotomy occurred in 13% of surgeries and intraoperative blood transfusion was necessary in 5% of patients. The overall morbidity rate was 22%. The 30-day postoperative mortality rate was 2%. Negative resection (R0) margins were achieved in 92% of patients. Rates of overall and progression-free survival at 1, 3 and 5 years were 90.3%, 70.1% and 65.9%, and 85.2%, 55.9% and 40.4%, respectively. Conclusions This multicentre, large-cohort study confirms that laparoscopic liver resection for HCC is a safe and efficient approach to treatment and can be proposed as a first-line treatment in patients with resectable HCC. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]