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The last decades have seen an increase in rectal cancer, which mainly affects individuals aged over 40 years [1]. The technique of local excision in the treatment of cancer in the middle and lower third of the rectum is gaining momentum, as opposed to low coloanal anastomosis or abdominoperineal (AP) resection. We report a series of 12 consecutive patients (7 male and 5 female, aged 37 to 65 years) who underwent a local excision of T1 to T3 low rectal cancer during the period 2000–2012 after careful selection according to strict criteria. Abdominoperineal resection was suggested in most cases, but patients strongly refused a permanent stoma. All patients were placed in the Jack-Knife position. A close follow-up was maintained for a period of 10 to 144 months. No major complications were recorded during surgery. The postoperative course for eight patients (72%) was uneventful. One patient died after 48 hours due to sepsis, another patient suffering from myelodysplastic syndrome revealed serious bleeding the 5th postoperative day, an obese (140kgr) female patient developed a rectovaginal fistula that required temporary sigmoidostomy, and one patient under medication for myasthenia Gravis developed moderate faecal incontinence. Eleven patients are currently alive and free of disease for a mean period of 68 months. Pathology reports revealed malignancy (T1–T3) in 11 patients. Three (3) patients received neo-adjuvant therapy preoperative chemoradiation therapy, and another patient received postoperative radiation therapy. Local excision of low rectal cancer in accordance with strict criteria, is a safe technique if skillfully performed. Further investigations and trials should be performed to confirm the safety and advantages of this approach.

Familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP), a premalignant clinical entity inherited as an autosomal dominant trait, is characterized by the development thousands of adenomatous polyps of the colorectum during the 2nd and 3rd decade of life. Approximately 80% of patients with FAP harbor truncating germline mutations in the adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) tumor suppressor gene. We tested 24 members of six Greek families. All patients had the FAP phenotype, and one patient had an extracolonic tumor (medulloblastoma). Our method for testing was the polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification from genomic DNA extracted from whole blood, followed by automated DNA sequencing. Two novel truncating mutations (2601delGA and R923X) and three already-known mutations (R876X, Q1045X, and D1822V) were found. Other polymorphisms were also found. We identified the inactivating APC mutation in 12 of 13 of our FAP patients. Our results suggest that PCR sequencing is a reliable method for screening the APC gene for germline mutations.

Ice nucleation protein was partially purified from the membrane fraction of E. coli carrying inaZ from Pseudomonas syringae. The ice nucleation protein was totally localized in the bacterial envelope and was extracted by either salt (0.25 M NH4Cl) or the nonionic detergent Tween 20. The extracted protein was partially purified by sequential passage through DEAE-52 cellulose and Sephacryl-S400 columns. The activity of the purified protein was lost after treatment with phospholipase C, and its activity was subsequently restored by addition of the naturally occurring lipid phosphatidylethanolamine. These results suggest that ice nucleation proteins have a requirement for lipids that reconstitute a physiological hydrophobic environment similar to the one existing in vivo, to attain and maintain a structure that enables ice catalysis.

Faseb Journal

Ice nucleation protein was partially purified from the membrane fraction of E. coli carrying inaZ from Pseudomonas syringae. The ice nucleation protein was totally localized in the bacterial envelope and was extracted by either salt (0.25 M NH4Cl) or the nonionic detergent Tween 20. The extracted protein was partially purified by sequential passage through DEAE-52 cellulose and Sephacryl-S400 columns. The activity of the purified protein was lost after treatment with phospholipase C, and its activity was subsequently restored by addition of the naturally occurring Lipid phosphatidylethanolamine. These results suggest that ice nucleation proteins have a requirement for lipids that reconstitute a physiological hydrophobic environment similar to the one existing in vivo, to attain and maintain a structure that enables ice catalysis. (C) 1998 Academic Press. Cryobiology