Pleural Effusions

Another interesting study titled "Pleurectomy / decortication in the setting of multimodality treatment of diffuse malignant pleural mesothelioma." Do Rusch VW.
Memorial Sloan-Kettering Cancer Center, Department of Surgery and Cornell University Medical College, New York, NY 10021st Semin Thorac Cardiovasc Surg. . October 1997, 9 (4) :367-72 Here's an excerpt: "Abstract - Pleurectomy / decortication is frequently performed operation for patients with diffuse malignant pleural mesothelioma (DMPM) has a low surgical mortality (manje. than 5%), but is associated with significant risk of local recurrence. to date, intensive adjuvant chemotherapy or radiation is not reduced this risk. Despite these disappointing results, pleurectomy / decortication May still be the best treatment option for some patients, particularly those with early disease whose condition excludes pneumonectomy. role of pleurectomy / decortication combined with newer treatment strategies such as neoadjuvant therapy or gene therapy warrants investigation ."

Another interesting study titled "The presence of simian virus 40 sequences in mesothelioma and mesothelial cells is associated with high levels of vascular endothelial growth factor." Do Cacciotti P, Strizzi L, Vianale G, L Iaccheri, Libener R, Porta C, Tognoni M, Gaudino G, Mutti L - Am J Respir Cell Mol Biol. 2002 February, 26 (2) :189-93.
Here is an excerpt: "Abstract - The aim of this study was to assess whether the presence of simian virus-40 (SV40) is associated with an increased release of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in human malignant mesothelioma (MM) cells Mi. Studied nine cell lines derived from pleural effusion (PE) in patients with MM, and three different cultures of normal human mesothelial cells (NHMC) derived from pleural fluid of patients with congestive heart failure. NHMC were transfected with full length SV40 (NHMC-FL) or large T antigen (Tag NHMC ) DNA. high levels of VEGF were detected in the conditioned media, each of the two MM cells that tested positive for SV40 by PCR amplification and Southern hybridization and dried Tag transcript by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and immunoprecipitation. we also found that NHMC-FL released high amounts of VEGF. Conditioned medium from SV40-positive MM cells and from FL-NHMC increased proliferation of human umbilical vein cells (HUVEC) and this effect was partially reversed the addition of specific antibodies against VEGF blocker. These results provide the first evidence that SV40 can cause VEGF release in SV40-positive MM cells and that the whole viral genome is required for this effect ."

We all owe debt of gratitude to these fine researchers for their work. If you find any of these statements of support, read the study in its entirety.