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Background: The aim of this study was to compare fourteen non-invasive indexes/scores: AAR, APRI, Fibroindex, MODEL3, Forns index, FIB4, GUCI, FI, FCI, Pohl score, AP index, CDS, HGM-1 and HGM-2, in order to diagnose the hepatic fibrosis stage in a survey of patients with chronic hepatitis C., Methods: 84 patients with chronic hepatitis C were studied. Liver fibrosis was staged according to the Scheuer scoring system. The diagnostic accuracy of these indexes/scores was evaluated by AUROC, contingency tables and logistic regression analysis., Results: The best AUROCs (>0.9) to discriminate cirrhosis (F=4), were observed for CDS, FI, AAR, MODEL3, FIB4, HGM-2 and FCI. To discriminate at least advance fibrosis (F≥3), the best AUROCs (>0.89) were for CDS, FI, FIB4, HGM2-2, MODEL3 and FCI. To discriminate at least significant fibrosis (F≥2), the best AUROCs (>0.8) were for FIB4, GUCI, APRI, FI, Forns index, HGM-2 and FCI. Contingency tables and logistic regression analysis supported the results obtained by AUROC., Conclusions: This study compares the diagnostic performance of fourteen indexes for the diagnosis of liver fibrosis stage in the same group of CHC patients. These results allow the selection of the best indexes for further studies in larger populations, in order to build diagnostic algorithms as an alternative to liver biopsy for fibrosis staging in patients with chronic HCV infection. These algorithms would allow to take therapeutical decisions and the continuous follow-up of hepatic fibrosis in these patients., (Copyright © 2016. Published by Elsevier Inc.)

Introduction: The current staging systems for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) do not sufficiently predict outcomes after liver transplantation (LT). The present study assessed whether some tissue markers related to proliferation and angiogenesis have prognostic value., Patients and Methods: The expression of CD34, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), VEGFR2, VEGFR1, angiopoietin-1, angiopoietin-2, TIE2, COX-2, and proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) in tumor and adjacent cirrhotic tissue samples from 36 patients with HCC (n=10 with tumor recurrence after LT) was determined by immunochemistry. Microvessel density was assessed by CD34 staining and the PCNA labeling index calculated as the percentage of positive cells among at least 1000 hepatocyte nuclei studied in each sample using the computer program ContimUZ. VEGF, VEGFR2, VEGFR-1, angiopoietin-1, angiopoietin-2, TIE2, and COX-2 staining were evaluated by two blinded pathologists. The tumor recurrence rate was analyzed after a minimum follow-up of 36 months., Results: A higher proliferation index in both tumor and adjacent cirrhotic tissue was related to HCC recurrence. The proliferation index in tumor tissue was also related to microvascular invasion. High expression (staining in ≥50% of hepatocytes) of COX2 [P=0.025, odds ratio (OR)=7.5, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.3-43.4], VEGF (P=0.01, OR=12, 95% CI 1.8-80.4), and its receptor VEGFR-2 (P=0.02, OR=8.5, 95% CI 1.4-49.5) in cirrhotic liver tissue, but not tumor tissue, was related to HCC recurrence after LT., Conclusion: A high proliferation index in tumor and cirrhotic tissue and high expression levels of some angiogenic markers in adjacent cirrhotic tissue could be predictive of tumor recurrence after LT.

Background and Aim: Experimental carcinogenesis models provide a useful tool in the study of the aetiopathogenesis and treatment of gastric cancer. We developed a model based on the administration of N-methyl-N-nitrosourea (NMU) in Wistar rats for the induction of maximal yield of gastric carcinomas with a short latency period, and being exclusively localized at the gastric level., Methods: A gastric antiperistaltic fistula was performed in 90 Wistar rats classified into eight different groups. Fifteen days after surgery 5, 10, 15 or 20 mg of NMU/100 g were administered through the fistula once a week for a 3- to 5-week period. Before the administration of NMU, a pyloric blockade was made in order to obtain a temporary isolation of the stomach. At 20 weeks, animals were sacrificed and organs were removed for histological study., Results: All rats treated with 15 mg NMU/100 g once a week for 5 weeks, after pyloric blockade maintained for 1 h, developed well-differentiated carcinomas in the forestomach. Carcinomas were multiple in 11% of cases and appeared with papillomatous lesions in 33% of rats. No tumours were observed in any other organs. In the other groups, no gastric carcinomas were diagnosed., Conclusion: The high incidence of carcinomas in the forestomach, the absence of tumours in other organs and the short latency period represent valuable criteria for the use of our model in chemotherapeutic investigations, as well as in the study of cancer evolution without interferences caused by tumour development in other organs., (Copyright 2000 S. Karger AG, Basel)

As an alternative to end-to-end facial nerve microsurgery, we propose anastomosis of the sectioned nerve ends and wrapping with ipsilateral masseter fascia. This intervention was performed on the right facial nerve of 20 Wistar rats and compared with classical end-to-end anatomosis performed on the left nerve of the same rats. At the end of the experiment, histological studies were made of each nerve removed "en bloc" with the ipsilateral lip orbicular muscle. Five micra-thick sections were stained using conventional and immunohistochemical methods. We analyzed truncal integrity, fibroblast proliferation, demyelination, lymphocyte proliferation, granulomatous reaction, and muscle degeneration in both types of anastomosis. The differences between the two types of anastomosis were statistically non-significant, and both interventions produced similar functional results. Small differences between the techniques might condition the use of one or the other in selected cases.

The aim of this study is to measure percentages of lymphocyte populations and IL-2R cellular expression in peripheral blood during the rejection of a small bowel allograft (SBA) in the rat. Thirty rats were allotted to three groups: A, control, no transplantation (Tx); B, rats receiving an orthotopic SBA; C, similar SBA but with thymostimulin (TP-1) administered before Tx, aimed at increasing the intensity of and accelerating rejection. The percentages of CD19, CD5, CD4 and CD8 cells and of IL-2R were determined when rejection was present. Rejection appeared in rats in group B between days 11 and 26 post-Tx and in group C between days 6 and 7 post-Tx (P < 0.001). In both B and C groups, CD5 and CD4 cells decreased (P < 0.005) and CD8 cells increased (P < 0.001). A correlation between CD8 and IL-2R content was found (P < 0.05). In group C, earliness of rejection correlated with the percentage of CD8 cells (P < 0.05) and the intensity of rejection with numbers of CD8 and CD19 cells (P < 0.05).

The purpose of the present study is to ascertain the immunorestorative effect of two different drugs on immunodepression induced by small bowel surgical resection in an experimental model. The potential immunorestorative effect has been measured by the ability of the drug to avoid the delay of skin allograft rejection induced by surgery and the inhibition of CD4/CD8 index changes induced by surgery in spleen tissue. 120 Wistar-Furth rats (age 12-16 weeks) anesthetized with a single intramuscular dose of ketamine (25 mg), diazepine (4 mg) and atropine (0.1 mg) were allotted to two main groups. One group received a skin graft (SG) from Fisher 344 rats and was treated with placebo, Inmunoferón (AM-3 polypeptidic drug) or TP-1 (thymostimulin) before the experiment (groups I, II, III) or treated with placebo, Inmunoferón or TP-1 before the experiment and underwent enterectomy and anastomosis (groups IV, V, VI). On the 2nd, 5th and 8th postoperative days, biopsies of the SG were taken and the signs of rejection were microscopically studied and evaluated by a pathologist as zero, incipient, moderate or massive. The other group was treated similarly, but the animals did not receive a SG and were splenectomized 5 days later. CD4 and CD8 lymphocyte subpopulations were identified by means of immunoperoxidase technique and monoclonal antibodies. Thymostimulin is able to stimulate the presence of SG rejection signs on the 2nd postoperative day in nonenterectomized animals and on the 8th postoperative day in nonenterectomized animals and on the 8th postoperative day in enterectomized rats and is able to avoid the decrease of the CD4/CD8 index in spleen tissue after surgical immunodepression.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

The contribution of hemodynamic changes to the pathogenesis of accelerated fibrinolysis in liver disease was investigated in rats. In animals with hepatic lesions induced by a 7-week inhalation of carbon tetrachloride there was a significant increase in blood t-PA activity and PAI activity, with no significant change in portal pressure. Following a 10-min portal vein occlusion there was a marked increase in portal pressure and t-PA activity and a significant decrease in PAI activity. Following ligation of both portal vein and hepatic artery, t-PA activity increased to a higher extent and PAI activity was reduced to a lesser extent than changes found in portal-stenosed rats. Our data suggest that high t-PA circulating levels in liver disease could be related not only to the reduced t-PA clearance as a consequence of liver injury but also to hemodynamic changes.

The purpose of the present work was to study: (1) if anesthesia induces changes in the helper/cytotoxic/suppressor T cell ratio in the rat spleen, and (2) if there is any difference between two anesthetic methods usually employed in rat experimentation. 50 Fisher 344 rats were allotted into 5 groups. In group A (control), a splenectomy was performed in an average time of 3 min under ether anesthesia. In groups B1 and B2, the rats anesthetized for 1 h with ether (group B1) or with one single dose of ketamine + atropine + diazepam (group B2) and then underwent splenectomy. Groups C1 and C2 were similar to groups B1 and B2 but splenectomy was performed 24 h later, under ether anesthesia during 3 min. T helper (Th) and T cytotoxic-suppressor (Ts-c) cells were identified in periarterial and follicular spleen tissue by means of an immunohistologic analysis using an immunoperoxidase technique with monoclonal antibodies. In periarterial tissue the Th/Ts-c ratio (mean +/- SE) was: group A, 1.61 +/- 0.11; group B1, 1.10 +/- 0.1; group B2, 1.28 +/- 0.11; group C1, 0.85 +/- 0.08, and group C2, 1.23 +/- 0.12. The differences between groups A and B1, C1 and C2 were statistically significant (t = 2.2833) as well as the difference between groups C1 and C2 (t = 2.5223). The Th/Ts-c ratio was also compared when equal to 1 or less than 1. The difference between groups A and C1 was statistically significant (p less than 0.05) as well. In follicular tissue the ratio was 1 in all the groups.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)