Publications (14)21.77 Total impact
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Article: Association of human herpes, papilloma and polyoma virus families with bladder cancer.
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ABSTRACT: The aim of the present study was to assess the possible etiologic role of human papillomavirus (HPV), human herpes virus (HHV) and the human polyoma virus families (BKV and JCV) in the tumourigenesis of bladder cancer. Thirty biopsy specimens from patients with different grades and stages of bladder cancer, who underwent transurethral bladder cancer resection, and 30 normal bladder mucosa specimens were analysed using polymerase chain reaction (PCR) for the detection of the above three virus family members. The presence of HPV was determined in all specimens with nested PCR and real-time quantitative PCR. All cancerous specimens, including the control group, were found to be negative both by PCR and real-time qPCR for the presence of HPV DNA, whilst all samples examined by PCR tested negative for the presence of HSV-1,2 Varicella zoster virus and HSV-7 DNA. Cytomegalovirus, HHV-6 and HHV-8 exhibited similar incidence in sample positivity in both cancerous and healthy tissues. EBV showed a higher prevalence in bladder cancer specimens compared to healthy tissue (p = 0.048), whilst BKV and JCV were detected only in tumour samples. The presence of EBV in a significant proportion of bladder tumours indicates the etiological role of this virus in cancer tumourigenesis.Tumor Biology 09/2012; · 1.94 Impact Factor -
Article: Statins and prostate cancer: molecular and clinical aspects.
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ABSTRACT: The field of the potential applications of 3-hydroxy-3-methylglutaryl-coenzyme A (HMG-CoA) reductase inhibitors (statins) beyond their unambiguous cardiovascular beneficial effects is steadily increasing. In this regard, statins have also been shown to possess anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory, antioxidant and growth inhibitory properties. Regarding their role in carcinogenesis, both preclinical and clinical studies report conflicting results. Intriguingly, accumulating evidence suggests that statins may relate to decreased prostate cancer incidence and recurrence risk. However, data from clinical studies seem to be still weak and are confounded by several factors. Nonetheless, preclinical data suggest that statins might exert a chemopreventive role against prostate cancer by inhibiting the proliferation and inducing apoptosis of prostate cancer cells and also inhibiting angiogenesis, inflammation and metastasis. Cholesterol lowering as well as statin pleiotropy through inhibition of the synthesis of isoprenoids have both been implicated in their anticancer properties. In this review, we discuss the preclinical and clinical evidence supporting the preventive or potentially harmful effects of statins on prostate tumourigenesis and conclude that statins should not be recommended for the prevention of prostate cancer development or progression based on the current data.European journal of cancer (Oxford, England: 1990) 02/2011; 47(6):819-30. · 4.12 Impact Factor -
Article: Detection of bacillus Galmette-Guérin (Mycobacterium bovis BCG) DNA in urine and blood specimens after intravesical immunotherapy for bladder carcinoma.
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ABSTRACT: A real-time PCR targeting IS6110 was employed for the detection of Mycobacterium tuberculosis DNA in specimens collected from 10 patients treated with intravesical M. bovis bacillus Galmette-Guérin (BCG) immunotherapy for bladder malignancy. BCG DNA was detected in all urine specimens taken 24 h after the instillations, as well as in 24% of the specimens collected 7 days after the instillations; it was also detected in a single specimen taken 6 weeks after the last instillation. BCG DNA was detected in 8.3% of the blood specimens taken 1 day after instillation, and its amplification was associated with cases of self-limiting fever. These findings give indications that this real-time PCR is helpful to recognize BCG bacteremic cases, which may lead to mycobacterial infection.Journal of clinical microbiology 01/2011; 49(4):1206-8. · 4.16 Impact Factor -
Article: 1939 PATIENT GUIDED REAL TIME STONE TRACKING METHOD. CAN THE PATIENT HAVE AN ACTIVE ROLE IN THE TREATMENT DURING EXTRACORPOREAL SHOCK WAVE LITHOTRIPSY?
Journal of Urology - J UROL. 01/2011; 185(4). -
Article: Urothelial carcinoma of the sarcomatoid variant in a young patient with spina bifida: a case report and review of the literature.
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ABSTRACT: Patients with neurogenic bladder due to spina bifida are considered to be at increased risk for aggressive bladder cancer. We present a unique case of a 32-year-old woman with spina bifida diagnosed with sarcomatoid urothelial carcinoma of the bladder and report diagnosis and management. A 32 year old woman with neurogenic bladder managed with intermittent self catheterisations, presented with gross hematuria. On cystoscopy, she had a bulky bladder mass on the posterior bladder wall. Bladder biopsies revealed sarcomatoid variant of bladder transitional cell carcinoma. Treatment included radical cystectomy with ileal conduit diversion and adjuvant chemotherapy with excellent intermediate term follow up. Patents with neurogenic bladder managed with intermittent self catheterisations need periodical follow up due to increased risk for aggressive bladder cancer. Immediate radical cystectomy with adjuvant chemotherapy is the suggested treatment approach.Cases Journal 01/2009; 2:9381. -
Article: Spontaneous perirenal hemorrhage: a 10-year experience at our institution.
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ABSTRACT: To report our experience in patients with spontaneous perirenal hemorrhage (SPH) seen at our institution over a 10-year period. Over the years from 1992 to 2002, 13 patients with SPH without a history of trauma, were treated at our hospital. There were 5 male and 8 female patients with a mean age of 55.7 years (range 36-79 years). The patients' records were reviewed retrospectively with respect to etiology, clinical presentation, radiologic findings and therapeutic management of SPH. All patients were presented with flank or abdominal pain. Radiological evaluation included ultrasonography (U/S) in 7 cases and computed tomography (CT) in 13 cases. An underlying renal mass was indentified employing U/S in 2 cases and using CT in 10 cases respectively. The etiology of SPH was determined in 12 cases. The most common causes were angiomyolipoma (5 patients) and renal cell carcinoma (4 patients). Out of the remaining 4 cases with SPH, one was associated with anticoagulant therapy; polyarteritis nodosa and Wegener angeitis were the underlying diseases in 2 cases respectively; finally, the etiology could not be determined in 1 case. All but two patients were managed surgically. Complete nephrectomy was performed in 6 cases, partial nephrectomy in 4 and simple evacuation of the haematoma was performed in 1 case. SPH presence should arouse suspicions concerning its etiology, since the most common cause is a renal tumor and approximately 50% of such tumors are malignant. CT scanning is a useful imaging modality for the initial evaluation of SPH, permitting identification of the underlying cause in most instances.International Urology and Nephrology 02/2004; 36(1):15-9. · 1.47 Impact Factor -
Article: Electrothermal bipolar coagulation for radical prostatectomies and cystectomies: a preliminary case-controlled study.
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ABSTRACT: Hemostasis is of utmost importance in urologic cancer surgery. The aim of this initial case-controlled study was to evaluate the use of an electrothermal biporal coagulator (Ligasure device) in major urologic procedures, including open radical prostatectomies and radical cystectomies. Over the years 2001 to 2002, 58 patients aged 56-74 years (mean: 65 years) underwent open radical prostatectomies and open radical cystectomies performed by the same surgeon, employing either conventional ligation in the control group (radical prostatectomy, n = 15; radical cystectomy n = 9) or the Ligasure device in the study group (radical prostatectomy, n = 24; radical cystectomy n = 10) to ensure blood vessel patency. Effectiveness and postoperative outcomes were evaluated. The 2 groups were similar regarding demographic and clinical variables. The mean operation time was significantly shorter in the Ligasure group compared with the control group for both the prostatectomy (125 minutes vs. 144 minutes, p < 0.001) and the cystectomy procedures (253 minutes vs. 281 minutes, p < 0.001). The mean intra-operation blood loss was significantly lower in the Ligasure group compared with the control group for both prostatectomy (569 ml vs. 685 ml, p = 0.04) and cystectomy procedures (637 ml vs. 744 ml, p = 0.02). Intraoperative blood transfusion was only required in 2 patients (1 radical prostatectomy, 1 radical cystectomy) in the Ligasure group and in 7 patients in the control group respectively (p = 0.01). There was no effect of surgical specimen size on operation time for both prostatectomy (r = -0.03, p = 0.8, n = 39) and cystectomy procedures (r = 0.02, p = 0.9, n = 19). There were no serious intra-operation or postoperative complications related to the use of the Ligasure device. Ligasure radical prostatectomy and radical cystectomy are safe, and significantly decrease both the operation time and the blood loss, when compared to the conventional ligation method.International Urology and Nephrology 01/2004; 36(2):181-5. · 1.47 Impact Factor -
Article: Independent predictors of failure of shockwave lithotripsy for ureteral stones employing a second-generation lithotripter.
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ABSTRACT: To define factors associated with the failure of shockwave lithotripsy (SWL) in the treatment of ureteral stones. We retrospectively studied 405 men and 283 women (mean age 52.6 years) who underwent SWL with a second-generation lithotripter in the period 1994 to 2001. We evaluated available clinical and radiologic features that might have been related to failure of SWL therapy. Treatment was successful in 502 patients (73%). The 186 patients (27%) in whom treatment failed underwent endourologic alternatives or open surgery. Multivariate logistic regression analysis revealed that unsuccessful outcome was significantly related to: (1) pelvic ureteral stones (odds ratio [OR] 4.02; 95% CI 1.97, 8.19); (2) stone size >10 mm (OR 3.46; 95% CI 2.16, 5.53); (3) obstruction (OR 1.93; 95% CI 0.99, 3.77); and (4) obesity (OR 1.87; 95% CI 0.95, 3.77). Although the predictive value of each individual parameter was relatively low (15.3%-27.9%) the cumulative risk was 82.95% when patients had all four features. The strongest independent predictors of failure were pelvic stones and stones >10 mm (cumulative predictive value 57.3%). These variables may enable identification of a subgroup of patients who will fail initial SWL. These patients may be candidates for endourologic alternatives as first-line treatment.Journal of Endourology 05/2003; 17(4):201-5. · 1.85 Impact Factor -
Article: Membrane androgen binding sites are preferentially expressed in human prostate carcinoma cells.
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ABSTRACT: Prostate cancer is one of the most frequent malignancies in males. Nevertheless, to this moment, there is no specific routine diagnostic marker to be used in clinical practice. Recently, the identification of a membrane testosterone binding site involved in the remodeling of actin cytoskeleton structures and PSA secretion, on LNCaP human prostate cancer cells has been reported. We have investigated whether this membrane testosterone binding component could be of value for the identification of prostate cancer. Using a non-internalizable testosterone-BSA-FITC analog, proven to bind on membrane sites only in LNCaP cells, we have investigated the expression of membrane testosterone binding sites in a series of prostate carcinomas (n = 14), morphologically normal epithelia, taken from areas of the surgical specimens far from the location of the carcinomas (n = 8) and benign prostate hyperplasia epithelia (n = 10). Isolated epithelial cells were studied by flow cytometry, and touching preparations, after 10-min incubation. In addition, routine histological slides were assayed by confocal laser microscopy. We show that membrane testosterone binding sites are preferentially expressed in prostate carcinoma cells, while BPH and non-malignant epithelial cells show a low or absent binding. Our results indicate that membrane testosterone receptors might be of use for the rapid routine identification of prostate cancer, representing a new diagnostic marker of the disease.BMC Clinical Pathology 02/2003; 3:1. -
Article: Nephron-sparing surgery for localized renal cell carcinoma with a normal contralateral kidney: a European three-center experience.
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ABSTRACT: To assess the long-term effectiveness and safety of nephron-sparing surgery for the treatment of localized renal cell carcinoma with a normal contralateral kidney. Since 1973, 118 patients have undergone nephron-sparing surgery for renal cell carcinoma on an elective basis at our institutions. The vast majority of these tumors were incidental findings, with a mean tumor diameter of 3.35 cm (range 0.7 to 5.6). The median follow-up was 8.5 years (range 0.5 to 18), and of those patients alive, 27 (28%) were followed up for more than 10 years. The pathologic stage was pT1N0M0 in 110 cases (93.2%) and pT3aN0M0 in 8 (6.7%); 59 were grade 1, 52 were grade 2, and 7 were grade 3. Complications occurred in 4 patients, including retroperitoneal bleeding in 1 treated by reoperation, urinomas in 2, and ureteral stricture in 1 treated conservatively. Renal function remained normal during the whole follow-up period, and slight proteinuria was observed in 13 patients. The 10-year distant and local recurrence rate was 4% and 3.9%, respectively. The cancer-specific 5, 10, and 15-year survival rate was 97.3%, 96.4%, and 96.4%, respectively. Our experience, based on a long median follow-up, suggests that nephron-sparing surgery on an elective basis can achieve long-term survival for the treatment of incidental and low-stage renal cell carcinomas without compromising the efficacy of cancer treatment.Urology 01/2003; 60(6):998-1002. · 2.43 Impact Factor -
Article: Membrane androgen binding sites are preferentially expressed in human prostate carcinoma cells
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ABSTRACT: Abstract Background Prostate cancer is one of the most frequent malignancies in males. Nevertheless, to this moment, there is no specific routine diagnostic marker to be used in clinical practice. Recently, the identification of a membrane testosterone binding site involved in the remodeling of actin cytoskeleton structures and PSA secretion, on LNCaP human prostate cancer cells has been reported. We have investigated whether this membrane testosterone binding component could be of value for the identification of prostate cancer. Methods Using a non-internalizable testosterone-BSA-FITC analog, proven to bind on membrane sites only in LNCaP cells, we have investigated the expression of membrane testosterone binding sites in a series of prostate carcinomas (n = 14), morphologically normal epithelia, taken from areas of the surgical specimens far from the location of the carcinomas (n = 8) and benign prostate hyperplasia epithelia (n = 10). Isolated epithelial cells were studied by flow cytometry, and touching preparations, after 10-min incubation. In addition, routine histological slides were assayed by confocal laser microscopy. Results We show that membrane testosterone binding sites are preferentially expressed in prostate carcinoma cells, while BPH and non-malignant epithelial cells show a low or absent binding. Conclusions Our results indicate that membrane testosterone receptors might be of use for the rapid routine identification of prostate cancer, representing a new diagnostic marker of the disease.BMC Clinical Pathology. 01/2003; -
Article: Giant ureteral stone in association with primary megaureter presenting as an acute abdomen.
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ABSTRACT: A 20-year-old woman presented with abdominal pain of 4-h duration and of sudden onset. A plain abdominal radiograph showed a giant ureteral stone measuring 12 cm causing ureteral obstruction. Abdominal ultrasound revealed severe dilatation of the two upper thirds of the left ureter and a hydronephrotic ipsilateral kidney. Subsequent renal scan demonstrated that it was a non-functional kidney while the contralateral kidney was normal. A left nephroureterectomy was performed.European Journal of Radiology 03/2002; 41(2):170-2. · 2.61 Impact Factor -
Article: Symptomatic relief of patients with advanced bladder carcinoma after regional intra-arterial chemotherapy.
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ABSTRACT: Thirty-two patients (30 men, 2 women), median age 68 years (range 47-85) with histologically confirmed advanced bladder carcinoma (Stages T3 and T4 according to the International Union Against Cancer staging system), who were poor surgical candidates, were prospectively treated with 1-6 (median 4) cycles of intra-arterial epirubicin (60 mg/cycle) delivered through two infusion pumps that were surgically implanted to each internal iliac artery, along with intravenous leucovorin 200 mg per day and 5-fluorouracil 750 mg per day for three consecutive days. Regional intra-arterial chemotherapy was well tolerated. There were 12 complete and 10 partial responses for an overall objective response rate of 69%. Eight patients had stable disease and 2 demonstrated progressive disease. All participating patients had gross hematuria prior to therapy. After the end of treatment, 24 out of 32 patients had resolution of their gross hematuria. Eight out of 15 patients with tumor-associated dysuria at the time of initiation of chemotherapy had significant pain relief at the end of the treatment. Regional intra-arterial chemotherapy is a safe and effective technique for patients with advanced, muscle invasive bladder carcinoma and can improve the quality of life of most affected patients by decreasing the degree of hematuria and dysuria associated with this malignancy.Anticancer research 23(6D):5143-7. · 1.73 Impact Factor -
Article: The implication of initial 24-core transrectal prostate biopsy protocol on the detection of significant prostate cancer and high grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia.
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ABSTRACT: To assess the diagnostic value of an initial 24-sample transrectal ultrasound guided (TRUS) prostate biopsy protocol compared to the 10-core technique. We retrospectively reviewed the prostate biopsy database of consecutive men undergoing prostate biopsies under local anesthesia by using the 10 (Group A) and 24 (Group B) protocols. Men were stratified according to biopsy protocol and PSA levels. Exclusion criteria were age ≥ 75 years and PSA > 20 ng/mL. The Mann-Whitney U and Fisher's exact test were used for statistical analysis. Between April 2007 and August 2009, 869 men underwent TRUS prostate biopsies of which 379 were eligible for the study. Group A (10-cores) consisted of 243 (64.11%) men and group B (24-cores) included 139 (35.89%) men. The overall prostate cancer detection rate was 39.09% and 34.55% in Group A and B, respectively (p = 0.43). An overall 9.8% increase in Gleason 7 detection rate was found in Group B (p = 0.24). The high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (HGPIN) detection rate in men with negative initial biopsies was 15.54% and 35.55% in Group A and B, respectively (p < 0.001). In patients with PSA < 10 ng/mL, the 24-core technique increased Gleason 7 detection rate by 13.4% (p = 0.16) and HGPIN by 23.4% (p = 0.0008), compared to the 10 core technique. The 24-core technique increased the concordance between needle biopsy and prostatectomy specimen compared to 10-core technique (p < 0.002). The initial 24-core prostate biopsy protocol did not show any benefit in the detection of prostate cancer compared to the 10-core technique. However, it improved the HGPIN detection and the correlation between biopsy results and radical prostatectomy Gleason score in men with lower PSA levels.International braz j urol: official journal of the Brazilian Society of Urology 37(1):87-93; discussion 93. -
Article: Coexisting non-functioning pheochromocytoma and renal oncocytoma: a case report and review of the literature
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ABSTRACT: We report a case of an oncocytoma, coexisting with a non-functioning pheochromocytoma in a patient who was operated on for suspicion of a renal tumor with metastases to the ipsilateral adrenal gland. As oncocytoma is a relatively rare lesion of the kidney, estimated to account for approximately 3–5% of renal neoplasms, its coexistence with non-functioning pheochromocytoma, to the best of our knowledge, has not hitherto been described in the medical literature.European Journal of Radiology.
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2009
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Γενικό Νοσοκομείο Ασκληπιείο Βούλας
Voúla, Attiki, Greece
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2002–2003
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University Hospital of Heraklion
Iráklion, Attiki, Greece
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