Currently, pancreatic adenocarcinoma mainly occurs after 60 years of age, and its prognosis remains poor despite modest improvements in recent decades. The aging of the population will result in a rise in the incidenc...Currently, pancreatic adenocarcinoma mainly occurs after 60 years of age, and its prognosis remains poor despite modest improvements in recent decades. The aging of the population will result in a rise in the incidence of pancreatic adenocarcinoma within the next years. Thus, the management of pancreatic cancer in the elderly population is gaining increasing relevance. Older cancer patients represent a heterogeneous group with different biological, functional and psychosocial characteristics that can modify the usual management of this disease, including pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic changes, polypharmacy, performance status, comorbidities and organ dysfunction. However, the biological age, not the chronological age, of the patient should be the limiting factor in determining the most appropriate treatment for these patients. Unfortunately, despite the increased incidence of this pathology in older patients, there is an underrepresentation of these patients in clinical trials, and the management of older patients is thus determined by extrapolation from the results of studies performed in younger patients. In this review, the special characteristics of the elderly, the multidisciplinary management of localized and advanced ductal adenocarcinoma of the pancreas and the most recent advances in the management of this condition will be discussed, focusing on surgery, chemotherapy, radiation and palliative care.展开更多
The development of microsurgery has been dependent on experimental animals. Microsurgery could be a very valuable technique to improve experimental models of liver diseases. Microdissection and microsutures are the tw...The development of microsurgery has been dependent on experimental animals. Microsurgery could be a very valuable technique to improve experimental models of liver diseases. Microdissection and microsutures are the two main microsurgical techniques that can be considered for classifying the experimental models developed for liver research in the rat. Partial portal vein ligation, extrahepatic cholestasis and hepatectomies are all models based on microdissection. On the other hand, in portacaval shunts, orthotopic liver transplantation and partial heterotopic liver transplantation, the microsuture techniques stand out. By reducing surgical complications, these microsurgical techniques allow for improving the resulting experimental models. If good experimental models for liver research are successfully developed, the results obtained from their study might be particularly useful in patients with liver disease. Therefore experimental liver microsurgery could be an invaluable way to translate laboratory data on liver research into new clinical diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.展开更多
The splanchnic inflammation inchronic liver disease increases intestinal angiogenesis. In the current study our aim was demonstrating that the small bowel lymphangiogenesis is associated with angiogenesis in chronic c...The splanchnic inflammation inchronic liver disease increases intestinal angiogenesis. In the current study our aim was demonstrating that the small bowel lymphangiogenesis is associated with angiogenesis in chronic cholestasis in the rat. A stereological study of the lymphatic microcirculation in the small intestine was performed in cholestatic rats. Portal enteropathy in cholestasis increases lymphatic microvessels in the mucosa and submucosa layers. Thus, the lymphatic microvessel volume fraction was superior (p < 0.001) in the mucosa (0.16 ± 0.01) and submucosa (0.16 ± 0.01), in regard to the muscle layer 0.015 ± 0.01. The lymphatic microvessel length density was higher in the mucosa (76.89 ± 2.86 mm-2;p -2;p < 0.01), in relationship to the muscle layer (5.04 ± 2.92 mm-2). These alterations predominate in the duodenum (volume fraction: 0.10 ± 0.01 and length density: 33.55 ± 5.98 mm-2) and ileum (volume fraction: 0.16 ± 0.01 and length density: 38.62 ± 6.07 mm-2). This study demonstrates the predominance of an increased lymphangiogenic response in both end sides of the small bowel associated with chronic liver disease. Since the porto-systemic venous collateral circulation in the chronic liver insufficiency is developed in the ends of the gastrointestinal tract, the excessive duodeno-ileal lymphangiogenesis could suggest the development of amesenteric-systemic lymphatic bypass in the chronic portal hypertension.展开更多
Prehepatic portal hypertension induces a splanchnic low-grade inflammatory response that could switch to high-grade inflammation with the development of severe and life-threatening complications when associated with c...Prehepatic portal hypertension induces a splanchnic low-grade inflammatory response that could switch to high-grade inflammation with the development of severe and life-threatening complications when associated with chronic liver disease. The extraembryonic origin of the portal system maybe determines the regression to an extraembryonic phenotype, i.e., vitellogenic and amniotic, during the evolution of both types of portal hypertension. Thus, prehepatic portal hypertension, or compensated hypertension by portal vein ligation in the rat, is associated with molecular mechanisms related to vitellogenesis, where hepatic steatosis and splanchnic angiogenesis stand out. In turn, extrahepatic cholestasis in the rat induces intrahepatic portal hypertension, or decompensated hypertension, with ascites and hepatorenal syndrome. The splanchnic interstitium, the mesenteric lymphatic system, and the peritoneal mesothelium seem to create an inflammatory pathway that could have a key pathophysiological relevance in the production of ascites. The hypothetical comparison between the ascitic and the amniotic fluid also allows for translational investigation. The induced regression of the splanchnic system to extraembryonic functions by portal hypertension highlights the great relevance of the extraem-bryonic structures even during postnatal life.展开更多
Background:In recent years posterior corneal astigmatism and its effect on total corneal astigmatism has been studied,with research showing that this can impact total astigmatism.This study aims to ascertain if there ...Background:In recent years posterior corneal astigmatism and its effect on total corneal astigmatism has been studied,with research showing that this can impact total astigmatism.This study aims to ascertain if there is significant change in the posterior corneal astigmatism after cataract surgery and its impact on the total astigmatism.Methods:Analysis of 76 eyes that underwent cataract surgery with monofocal intraocular lens implantation.Corneal topography was performed with Pentacam(OCULUS®)pre-and post-operatively.Total corneal astigmatism was calculated with the algorithm of vergence tracing.We compared preoperative and postoperative changes in the magnitude and axis differences of anterior corneal curvature astigmatism,posterior corneal curvature astigmatism and the calculated total corneal astigmatism.We calculated the correlation between the total preoperative astigmatism and the difference between total corneal astigmatism and anterior corneal astigmatism.Results:The mean preoperative and postoperative posterior astigmatism was 0.31±0.02 D,showing no significant differences before and after surgery(P=0.989).Statistically significant differences between the calculated total corneal astigmatism and anterior corneal astigmatism were registered preoperatively and postoperatively in the with-the-rule anterior(WTR)corneal astigmatism(P=0.004,P<0.0001);against-the-rule(ATR)anterior corneal astigmatism(P<0.0001,P<0.0001)and in the oblique(P=0.026,P=0.019)subgroups.The posterior corneal astigmatism and the total corneal astigmatism correlated positively with the differences between the total corneal and anterior corneal astigmatism(R=0.378,P=0.001).Conclusions:There were statistically significant differences between the magnitude of the total astigmatism and anterior corneal astigmatism,underlining the impact of posterior corneal astigmatism.A positive correlation between the preoperative posterior astigmatism and the difference between the total corneal and the anterior corneal astigmatism suggests a specially relevant role of posterior corneal astigmatism when evaluating patients with higher degrees of astigmatism.展开更多
文摘Currently, pancreatic adenocarcinoma mainly occurs after 60 years of age, and its prognosis remains poor despite modest improvements in recent decades. The aging of the population will result in a rise in the incidence of pancreatic adenocarcinoma within the next years. Thus, the management of pancreatic cancer in the elderly population is gaining increasing relevance. Older cancer patients represent a heterogeneous group with different biological, functional and psychosocial characteristics that can modify the usual management of this disease, including pharmacokinetic and pharmacodynamic changes, polypharmacy, performance status, comorbidities and organ dysfunction. However, the biological age, not the chronological age, of the patient should be the limiting factor in determining the most appropriate treatment for these patients. Unfortunately, despite the increased incidence of this pathology in older patients, there is an underrepresentation of these patients in clinical trials, and the management of older patients is thus determined by extrapolation from the results of studies performed in younger patients. In this review, the special characteristics of the elderly, the multidisciplinary management of localized and advanced ductal adenocarcinoma of the pancreas and the most recent advances in the management of this condition will be discussed, focusing on surgery, chemotherapy, radiation and palliative care.
基金Supported by grants from the Mutua Madrile a Foundation, No. FMM Ref.no AP 69772009the National Department of Science and Innovation, No. MICINN, Ref. no PSIC2010-19348, in part
文摘The development of microsurgery has been dependent on experimental animals. Microsurgery could be a very valuable technique to improve experimental models of liver diseases. Microdissection and microsutures are the two main microsurgical techniques that can be considered for classifying the experimental models developed for liver research in the rat. Partial portal vein ligation, extrahepatic cholestasis and hepatectomies are all models based on microdissection. On the other hand, in portacaval shunts, orthotopic liver transplantation and partial heterotopic liver transplantation, the microsuture techniques stand out. By reducing surgical complications, these microsurgical techniques allow for improving the resulting experimental models. If good experimental models for liver research are successfully developed, the results obtained from their study might be particularly useful in patients with liver disease. Therefore experimental liver microsurgery could be an invaluable way to translate laboratory data on liver research into new clinical diagnostic and therapeutic strategies.
文摘The splanchnic inflammation inchronic liver disease increases intestinal angiogenesis. In the current study our aim was demonstrating that the small bowel lymphangiogenesis is associated with angiogenesis in chronic cholestasis in the rat. A stereological study of the lymphatic microcirculation in the small intestine was performed in cholestatic rats. Portal enteropathy in cholestasis increases lymphatic microvessels in the mucosa and submucosa layers. Thus, the lymphatic microvessel volume fraction was superior (p < 0.001) in the mucosa (0.16 ± 0.01) and submucosa (0.16 ± 0.01), in regard to the muscle layer 0.015 ± 0.01. The lymphatic microvessel length density was higher in the mucosa (76.89 ± 2.86 mm-2;p -2;p < 0.01), in relationship to the muscle layer (5.04 ± 2.92 mm-2). These alterations predominate in the duodenum (volume fraction: 0.10 ± 0.01 and length density: 33.55 ± 5.98 mm-2) and ileum (volume fraction: 0.16 ± 0.01 and length density: 38.62 ± 6.07 mm-2). This study demonstrates the predominance of an increased lymphangiogenic response in both end sides of the small bowel associated with chronic liver disease. Since the porto-systemic venous collateral circulation in the chronic liver insufficiency is developed in the ends of the gastrointestinal tract, the excessive duodeno-ileal lymphangiogenesis could suggest the development of amesenteric-systemic lymphatic bypass in the chronic portal hypertension.
文摘Prehepatic portal hypertension induces a splanchnic low-grade inflammatory response that could switch to high-grade inflammation with the development of severe and life-threatening complications when associated with chronic liver disease. The extraembryonic origin of the portal system maybe determines the regression to an extraembryonic phenotype, i.e., vitellogenic and amniotic, during the evolution of both types of portal hypertension. Thus, prehepatic portal hypertension, or compensated hypertension by portal vein ligation in the rat, is associated with molecular mechanisms related to vitellogenesis, where hepatic steatosis and splanchnic angiogenesis stand out. In turn, extrahepatic cholestasis in the rat induces intrahepatic portal hypertension, or decompensated hypertension, with ascites and hepatorenal syndrome. The splanchnic interstitium, the mesenteric lymphatic system, and the peritoneal mesothelium seem to create an inflammatory pathway that could have a key pathophysiological relevance in the production of ascites. The hypothetical comparison between the ascitic and the amniotic fluid also allows for translational investigation. The induced regression of the splanchnic system to extraembryonic functions by portal hypertension highlights the great relevance of the extraem-bryonic structures even during postnatal life.
文摘Background:In recent years posterior corneal astigmatism and its effect on total corneal astigmatism has been studied,with research showing that this can impact total astigmatism.This study aims to ascertain if there is significant change in the posterior corneal astigmatism after cataract surgery and its impact on the total astigmatism.Methods:Analysis of 76 eyes that underwent cataract surgery with monofocal intraocular lens implantation.Corneal topography was performed with Pentacam(OCULUS®)pre-and post-operatively.Total corneal astigmatism was calculated with the algorithm of vergence tracing.We compared preoperative and postoperative changes in the magnitude and axis differences of anterior corneal curvature astigmatism,posterior corneal curvature astigmatism and the calculated total corneal astigmatism.We calculated the correlation between the total preoperative astigmatism and the difference between total corneal astigmatism and anterior corneal astigmatism.Results:The mean preoperative and postoperative posterior astigmatism was 0.31±0.02 D,showing no significant differences before and after surgery(P=0.989).Statistically significant differences between the calculated total corneal astigmatism and anterior corneal astigmatism were registered preoperatively and postoperatively in the with-the-rule anterior(WTR)corneal astigmatism(P=0.004,P<0.0001);against-the-rule(ATR)anterior corneal astigmatism(P<0.0001,P<0.0001)and in the oblique(P=0.026,P=0.019)subgroups.The posterior corneal astigmatism and the total corneal astigmatism correlated positively with the differences between the total corneal and anterior corneal astigmatism(R=0.378,P=0.001).Conclusions:There were statistically significant differences between the magnitude of the total astigmatism and anterior corneal astigmatism,underlining the impact of posterior corneal astigmatism.A positive correlation between the preoperative posterior astigmatism and the difference between the total corneal and the anterior corneal astigmatism suggests a specially relevant role of posterior corneal astigmatism when evaluating patients with higher degrees of astigmatism.
