Aims:To investigate the outcomes of the surgical management and longitudinal assessment of patients with subclinical Cushing's syndrome (SCS) and nonfunctioning adrenocortical adenoma (NFA).Materials and Methods:Between the years 1995 and 2008, 73 patients with asymptomatic adrenocortical adenoma were enrolled. They were informed of the risks and benefits of adrenalectomy and conservative management, and then chose the treatment.Results:SCS was observed in 13 patients (17.8%) and NFA in 60 patients (82.2%). Tumor size in SCS was significantly larger than that in NFA (34.6 ± 9.7 mm vs. 24.5 ± 8.0 mm in diameter, P=0.001). Of the SCS patients, 7 also suffered from hypertension (HT), 2 from diabetes mellitus (DM) and 3 from hyperlipidemia (HL). After adrenalectomy, the insulin dose could be reduced in 2 (100%) patients with DM, in 5 (71.4%) of those with HT and in 2 (66.7%) of those with HL. In the NFA surveillance group, 1 (2.6%) case developed into SCS 3 years after the initial presentation and an increase in size of the tumor was observed in 1 (2.6%), with a mean follow-up of 51.2 months.Conclusions:Surgical resection may be beneficial for the control of SCS and is likely to provide improvement of concomitant HT, DM and HL. Although NFA can be managed conservatively, its size and hormonal activities may change longitudinally. Thus, long-term follow-up is necessary for NFA.
BackgroundHeat shock protein 90 (HSP90), a molecular chaperone associated with the activation of client proteins, was recently reported to play an important role in immunologic reactions. To date, the role of HSP90 in solid organ transplantations has remained unknown. The aim of this study was to evaluate the relationship between serum HSP90α levels and acute allograft rejection after organ and tissue transplantation using serum samples from kidney allograft recipients, an in vitro antibody-mediated rejection model, and a murine skin transplantation.ResultsSerum HSP90α levels were significantly higher in kidney recipients at the time of acute rejection (AR) than in those with no evidence of rejection. In most cases with AR, serum HSP90 decreased to baseline after the treatment. On the other hand, serum HSP90α was not elevated as much in patients with chronic rejection, calcineurin inhibitor nephrotoxicity, or BK virus nephropathy as in AR patients. In vitro study showed that HSP90α concentration in the supernatant was significantly higher in the supernatant of human aortic endothelial cells cocultured with specific anti-HLA IgG under complement attack than in that of cells cocultured with nonspecific IgG. In mice receiving skin transplantation, serum HSP90α was elevated when the first graft was rejected and the level further increased during more severe rejection of the second graft.ConclusionsThe results suggest that HSP90α is released into the serum by cell damage due to AR in organ and tissue transplantation, and it is potentially a new biomarker to help detect AR in kidney recipients.
Background: Zinner syndrome is defined as seminal vesicle cysts with ipsilateral renal agenesis and an ectopic ureter. Symptomatic cases are very rare. In this article, we present a laparoscopic approach for a case of Zinner syndrome.Case Presentation: The patient was a 21-year-old male with difficult urination. A right seminal vesicle cyst and right kidney agenesis associated with ureterocele were found on examination and he was diagnosed with Zinner syndrome. First, we performed transperineal puncture of the ureterocele because it closed the bladder neck during voiding. Although voiding symptoms temporarily improved, the ureterocele recurred soon and the urination disorder was reexacerbated. Next, we selected laparoscopic removal of the ureterocele and the seminal vesicle cyst. The procedure was performed with transperitoneal access using four trocars. Perioperative and postoperative complications were not observed, and micturition was satisfactory after surgery.Conclusion: Treatment for difficult urination because of Zinner syndrome is mostly selected puncture of the ureterocele or seminal vesicle cyst. However, some patients experience recurrence. The laparoscopic approach is minimally invasive and provides a satisfactory surgical field. Therefore, it should be considered the method of treatment for symptomatic Zinner syndrome.
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