cefoxitin and Digestive-System-Neoplasms

Twenty-three patients (22 male and 1 female) aged 41 to 70 years (mean age 56.4 years) with cancer of the upper respiratory and digestive tracts were entered into the study prior to a major surgical procedure involving incision of cervical mucous membranes. Participants were randomly assigned either to a control group (10 patients) which received no routine intra or postoperative antibiotics, or to a treatment group (13 patients) given cefoxitin perioperatively. Treated patients were given 30 mg/kg cefoxitin intravenously over 30 mn, one hour before surgery was begun, and 30 mg/kg over one hour, 3 hours and 6 hours after the initial infusion was started. Rate of local infection was 80% (8/10) and 15% (2/10) in the control group and treated group respectively (p less than 0.001). In addition, a significant difference in rates of local complications was found: 7 disjunctions and/or fistulae or pharyngostomes in the control group against one suppuration with disjunction in the treated group. In the treated group, a mean 24.6 day reduction in time lapse to cicatrization was observed. Fever greater than or equal to 39 degrees C occurring or persisting beyond the 48th postoperative hour was also significantly more frequent in the control group (7/10 versus 3/13). In contrast, no significant difference was found between rates of other infectious localizations. Local bacterial flora recovered in both groups before and/or after surgery was unremarkable and prophylactic cefoxitin selected no particular pathogens.

Topics: Adult; Aged; Bacterial Infections; Cefoxitin; Digestive System Neoplasms; Drug Evaluation; Female; Humans; Male; Middle Aged; Postoperative Complications; Respiratory Tract Neoplasms

Alterations in the normal glycosylation process are often associated with oncogenic transformation. Using an anti-Tn monoclonal antibody, MLS128, we have investigated the immunohistochemical localization of Tn antigen in normal and malignant tissues of the digestive tract. In normal tissues, MLS128 was immunoreactive with the squamous epithelium of the esophagus and was weakly reactive with the columnar epithelia of the stomach, duodenum, colon, bile duct and pancreatic duct. In malignant tissues, positive immunostaining was detected with high frequency (75%-100%) in carcinomas of the esophagus, stomach colon, biliary tract and pancreas, whereas 2 of 11 (18%) hepatocellular carcinomas were positive. Tn antigen was detected in the upper two-thirds of the normal squamous epithelium, and was often detected in squamous cell carcinomas with cancer pearls (keratinization). These results suggest that the expression of Tn antigen is related to the differentiation of squamous epithelium, or to keratinization. In normal columnar epithelial cells. Tn antigen was localized mainly to the Golgi area. This intracellular localization was preserved in well-differentiated papillary adenocarcinomas of the colon, but was lost in most cases of tubular adenocarcinomas.

Topics: Adenocarcinoma; Antibodies, Monoclonal; Antibody Specificity; Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate; Carcinoma, Squamous Cell; Digestive System; Digestive System Neoplasms; Epithelium; Humans; Immunohistochemistry