Introduction: Post-chemotherapy retroperitoneal lymph node dissection (PCRPLND) has a well-established role in the management of residual retroperitoneal masses >1cm in patients with advanced non-seminomatous germ cell tumor (NSGCT). Herein, we report our singlesurgeon surgical experience in a Canadian tertiary hospital. Methods: We identified 57 patients with NSGCT who received primary chemotherapy and PCRPLND from 2010–2016. Surgical complication rate was graded with Clavien-Dindo classification. Chi-squared testing was used in testing for differences in proportion of PCRPLND tumor histology vs. the historical cohorts. Chi-squared testing was also used to analyze the association between primary orchiectomy tumor histology and postchemotherapy residual mass (PCRM) tumor histology. Results: The overall complication rate was 23% (n=13), of which four were Clavien-Dindo grade IIIb and one was grade IVa. Fourteen percent of patients required additional procedure for resection of adjacent organs intraoperatively. There was a statistically significant difference in the distribution of PCRPLND tumor histologies (chi-squared p=0.0187), with a lower rate of viable tumor (7%) and higher rate of teratoma (63%) compared to historical cohorts. The absence of teratoma in the primary orchiectomy specimen was associated with the findings of fibrotic/necrotic tissue in the PCRM (chi-squared p=0.0005). Conclusions: Our series demonstrated that the rate of viable tumor in PCRM appears lower than published historical series, and this possibly reflects the improvement in chemotherapy delivery in a contemporary series. The high rate of teratoma in the PCRM calls for ongoing need for PCRPLND. Grade III and IV surgical complications are considered rare in our series.
Fluorescently labeled, solute-binding proteins that change their fluorescent output in response to ligand binding are frequently used as biosensors for a wide range of applications. We have previously developed a “Computational Identification of Non-disruptive Conjugation sites” (CINC) approach, an in silico pipeline utilizing molecular dynamics simulations for the rapid design and construction of novel protein–fluorophore conjugate-type biosensors. Here, we report an improved in silico scoring algorithm for use in CINC and its use in the construction of an oligogalacturonide-detecting biosensor set. Using both 4,5-unsaturated and saturated oligogalacturonides, we demonstrate that signal transmission from the ligand-binding pocket of the starting protein scaffold to the CINC-selected reporter positions is effective for multiple different ligands. The utility of an oligogalacturonide-detecting biosensor is shown in Carbohydrate Active Enzyme (CAZyme) activity assays, where the biosensor is used to follow product release upon polygalacturonic acid (PGA) depolymerization in real time. The oligogalacturonide-detecting biosensor set represents a novel enabling tool integral to our rapidly expanding platform for biosensor-based carbohydrate detection, and moving forward, the CINC pipeline will continue to enable the rational design of biomolecular tools to detect additional chemically distinct oligosaccharides and other solutes.
scite is a Brooklyn-based organization that helps researchers better discover and understand research articles through Smart Citations–citations that display the context of the citation and describe whether the article provides supporting or contrasting evidence. scite is used by students and researchers from around the world and is funded in part by the National Science Foundation and the National Institute on Drug Abuse of the National Institutes of Health.
hi@scite.ai
10624 S. Eastern Ave., Ste. A-614
Henderson, NV 89052, USA
Copyright © 2024 scite LLC. All rights reserved.
Made with 💙 for researchers
Part of the Research Solutions Family.