Sivan Ekstein, MD, Amir Elami, MD, Gideon Merin, MD, Mervyn S. Gotsman, MD, FACC and Chaim Lotan, MD, FACC
Background: Patients with multivessel coronary artery disease are candidates for either angioplasty and stenting or coronary artery bypass grafting. A prospective randomized study designed to compare the both methods included only a minority of the eligible patients.
Objective: To compare coronary artery bypass grafting to angioplasty plus stenting in patients with multivessel disease who declined randomization to a multicenter study (the ARTS).
Methods: During 1997-98 we prospectively followed 96 consecutive patients who were eligible according to the ARTS criteria but refused randomization. Of these patients, 50 underwent angioplasty + stenting and 46 underwent coronary bypass surgery. We compared the incidence of major adverse cardiac and cerebral events, chest pain recurrence, quality of life and procedural cost during the first 6 months.
Results: All procedures were completed successfully without mortality or cerebral events. The rate of Q-wave myocardial infarction was 2% in the AS group vs. 0% in the CABG group (not significant). Minor complications occurred in 7 patients (14%) in the AS group and in 21 patients (45%) in the CABG group (P < 0.01). At 6 months follow-up the incidence of major cardiac and cerebral events was similar in both groups (11% and 4% in the AS and CABG groups respectively, P=NS). Seventeen patients (36%) in the AS group required repeat revascularization compared to only 3 (7%) in the CABG group (P=0.002). Nevertheless, quality of life was better, hospitalization was shorter and the cost was lower during the first 6 months after angioplasty.
Conclusion: Angioplasty with stenting compared to coronary bypass surgery in patients with multivessel disease resulted in similar short-term major complications. However, 36% of patients undergoing angioplasty may need further revascularization procedures during the first 6 months.
Alla Reitman, MD, Ilana Friedrich, MD, Ami Ben-Amotz, PhD and Yishai Levy, MD
Background: Obesity is among the well-established risk factors for cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. However, the exact mechanisms are not well understood. Low concentrations of vitamins (fat soluble antioxidants and B vitamins) are linked to accelerated atherosclerosis through increased oxidative stress and homocysteine.
Objective: To compare plasma antioxidant vitamins (carotenoids and vitamin E), B vitamins (folic acid and B12) and homocysteine – all linked to increased cardiovascular morbidity – between patients with severe obesity and lean control subjects.
Methods: We investigated plasma carotenoids, vitamin E, folic acid, B12, and homocysteine in 25 obese patients and their age-matched controls (body mass index 38 ± 3 vs. 21 ± 2 kg/m2), respectively), related to BMI and plasma insulin.
Results: Patients with obesity had normal B vitamins and a non-significant decrease in plasma homocysteine as compared to controls (9.4 ± 2.6 vs. 11.4 ± 4.8 mmol/L, P = 0.07). There was a significant decrease in both plasma carotenoids and vitamin E (0.69 ± 0.32 vs. 1.25 ± 0.72 and 24 ± 10 vs. 33 ± 14 mg/ml, respectively; P < 0.01). Both vitamins were inversely related to BMI and plasma insulin, which was significantly increased in patients with obesity (22 ± 21 vs. 6 ± 2 mU/ml, P < 0.01).
Conclusions: Obese patients with BMI above 35 kg/m2 show low plasma antioxidants (carotenoids and vitamin E). This may result in increased oxidative stress and consequently enhanced atherosclerosis in these patients.
Jamal Zidan, MD, Shifra Zohar, MD, Ioram Mezerecki, MD, Stefan Kral, MD and Boris Bilenca, MD
Background: The treatment of patients with recurrent ovarian carcinoma after failure of first and second-line chemotherapy is still debated. Chemical agents used for third and fourth-line therapy usually yield poor results with severe toxic side effects.
Objective: To summarize our experience with goserelin in the treatment of patients with recurrent ovarian cancer.
Methods: From September 1996 to June 1999 we administered goserelin, 3.6 mg subcutaneously every 4 weeks, to 15 patients with advanced and recurrent epithelial ovarian cancer (median age 59.0, median performance status 3.0).
Results: Seven of 15 eligible patients relapsed after platinum-based chemotherapy (3 of them also received paclitaxel and another 2 received tamoxifen). Four patients relapsed after carboplatin and paclitaxel, one of whom was treated with topotecan thereafter. Two patients relapsed after single-agent paclitaxel. Two patients with advanced disease and poor performance status without previous treatment received only goserelin. There was one complete response (6.7%) and 1 partial response (6.7%) lasting 8 and 14 months respectively (overall response rate 13.4%). In addition, the disease stabilized in three patients (20%) for a median of 7.5 months. In 10 patients the disease progressed. There was no significant toxicity. Median survival of all patients was 5.8 months.
Conclusion: Goserelin was helpful in one-third of our patients with advanced and refractory ovarian cancer. It is an easy and non-toxic option for treating very ill or previously heavily treated patients.
Dean Ad-El, MD, Nardi Casapi, MD, DMD, Eran Regev, MD, DMD, Raphael Zeltser, DMD, Oded Nahlieli, DMD, Arie Shtayer, DMD, Eithan Hochvald, MD, Jean-Yves Sichel, MD, Tomy Shpitzer, MD, Yehuda Ben Asher, MD and Arie Eldad, MD
Background: The most frequent cause of defect in the mandible is tumor-related surgery. Larger defects or anterior arch defects cause severe morbidity due to disturbances in function and aesthetics.
Objectives: To assess the outcome of free tissue transfer for mandible reconstruction.
Methods: Since 1998 we operated on 11 patients with mandible defects using the fibula flap as the reconstruction method. We performed immediate reconstruction in eight patients after ablative surgery, and late reconstruction due to radiation-induced complications in three.
Results: All patients achieved good functional and aesthetic outcome. During the follow-up period two patients died of their malignant disease and one patient died from a non-related cause. Although two patients underwent reoperation in the first 3 months after their primary operation due to fixation failure, there were no other major complications.
Conclusions: According to the literature and our limited experience, the fibula flap is a safe and reliable option for mandible reconstruction.
Fabio Broglio, MD, Emanuela Arvat, MD, Andrea Benso, MD, Cristina Gottero, MD, Flavia Prodam, MD, Riccarda Granata, PhD, Mauro Papotti, MD, Giampiero Muccioli, PhD, Romano Deghenghi, PhD and Ezio Ghigo, MD
Ghrelin, a 28 amino acid acylated peptide predominantly produced by the stomach, displays strong growth hormone-releasing activity mediated by the hypothalamus-pituitary GH secretagogue receptors that were found to be specific for a family of synthetic, orally active GH secretagogues. The discovery of ghrelin brings us to a new understanding of the regulation of GH secretion. However, ghrelin is much more than simply a natural GH secretagogue. It also acts on other central and peripheral receptors and exhibits other actions, including stimulation of lactotroph and corticotroph secretion, orexigenia, influences gastroenteropancreatic functions, and has metabolic, cardiovascular and anti-proliferative effects. Knowledge of the whole spectrum of biologic activities of this new hormone will provide new understanding of some critical aspects of neuroscience, metabolism and internal medicine. In fact, GHS were born more than 20 years ago as synthetic molecules, eliciting the hope that orally active GHS could be used to treat GH deficiency as an alternative to recombinant human GH. However, the dream did not become reality and the usefulness of GHS as an anabolic anti-aging intervention restoring the GH/IGF-I axis in somatopause is still unclear. Instead, we now face the theoretic possibility that GHS analogues acting as agonists or antagonists could become candidate drugs for the treatment of pathophysiologic conditions in internal medicine totally unrelated to disorders of GH secretion.