Integrative bioinformatics approaches to map key biological markers and therapeutic drugs in Extramammary Paget's disease of the scrotum

Extramammary Paget’s disease (EMPD) is an intra-epidermal adenocarcinoma. Till now, the mechanisms underlying the pathogenesis of scrotal EMPD is poorly known. This present study aims to explore the knowledge of molecular mechanism of scrotal EMPD by identifying the hub genes and candidate drugs using integrated bioinformatics approaches. Firstly, the microarray datasets (GSE117285) were downloaded from the GEO database and then analyzed using GEO2R in order to obtain differentially expressed genes (DEGs). Moreover, hub genes were identified on the basis of their degree of connectivity using Cytohubba plugin of cytoscape tool. Finally, GEPIA and DGIdb were used for the survival analysis and selection of therapeutic candidates, respectively. A total of 786 DEGs were identified, of which 10 genes were considered as hub genes on the basis of the highest degree of connectivity. After the survival analysis of ten hub genes, a total of 5 genes were found to be altered in EMPD patients. Furthermore, 14 drugs of CHEK1, CCNA2, and CDK1 were found to have therapeutic potential against EMPD. This study updates the information and yields a new perspective in the context of understanding the pathogenesis of EMPD. In future, hub genes and candidate drugs might be capable of improving the personalized detection and therapies for EMPD.

Hazardous effects of chemical pesticides on human health-Cancer and other associated disorders

Poisoning from pesticides is a global public health problem and accounts for nearly 300,000 deaths worldwide every year. Exposure to pesticides is inevitable; there are different modes through which humans get exposed to pesticides. The mode of exposure is an important factor as it also signifies the concentration of pesticides exposure. Pesticides are used extensively in agricultural and domestic settings. These chemicals are believed to cause many disorders in humans and wildlife. Research from past few decades has tried to answer the associated mechanism of action of pesticides in conjunction with their harmful effects. This perspective considers the past and present research in the field of pesticides and associated disorders. We have reviewed the most common diseases including cancer which are associated with pesticides. Pesticides have shown to be involved in the pathogenesis of Parkinson's and Alzheimer's diseases as well as various disorders of the respiratory and reproductive tracts. Oxidative stress caused by pesticides is an important mechanism through which many of the pesticides exert their harmful effects. Oxidative stress is known to cause DNA damage which in turn may cause malignancies and other disorders. Many pesticides have shown to modulate the gene expression at the level of non-coding RNAs, histone deacetylases, DNA methylation patterns suggesting their role in epigenetics.

Validation of the Fournier's gangrene severity index in a large contemporary series

PURPOSE

In this study we identified prognostic factors for survival and validated the accuracy of the Fournier's gangrene severity index in patients with Fournier's gangrene.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

We retrospectively reviewed medical records of patients diagnosed with Fournier's gangrene between 1996 and 2006. Fournier's gangrene severity index scores were assessed using a receiver operating characteristic curve. Using an outcome variable of inpatient mortality, univariate analyses were performed using the Mann-Whitney U, chi-square and Fisher exact tests.

RESULTS

A total of 68 patients (79.4% male, mean age 55.8 +/- 15.2 years) diagnosed with Fournier's gangrene met the criteria for review. The inpatient mortality rate was 10% (7 patients). The mean Fournier's gangrene severity index score for survivors was 5.4 +/- 3.5 vs 10.9 +/- 4.7 for nonsurvivors (p = 0.006). Isolated Fournier's gangrene severity index and individual laboratory parameters associated with mortality included heart rate (p = 0.05), respiratory rate (p = 0.02), serum creatinine (p = 0.03), serum bicarbonate (p = 0.001), serum lactate (p = 0.001) and serum calcium (p = 0.03). Although mean total body surface area was only suggestive of an association (p = 0.169), abdominal wall (p = 0.004) or lower extremity (p = 0.005) involvement was associated with increased mortality. Using a Fournier's gangrene severity index score threshold of 9 (sensitivity 71.4%, specificity 90%) there was a 96% survival rate in patients with a Fournier's gangrene severity index of less than 9 and a 46% mortality rate in those with a Fournier's gangrene severity index of 9 or greater (p = 0.001, OR 22, 95% CI 3.5-139.7).

CONCLUSIONS

The Fournier's gangrene severity index remains an objective and simple method to quantify the extent of metabolic aberration at presentation in patients with Fournier's gangrene. A Fournier's gangrene severity index threshold value of 9 is sensitive and specific for predicting mortality in this patient population.

Genital and Nongenital Nonmelanoma Skin Cancer: More Epidemiological Studies Are Needed

Although black men in the United States have a lower mortality of nongenital nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) than white men, they have a higher mortality of genital NMSC than white men. Mortality of NMSC has declined over time. Ethnicity-specific incidence and survival analyses of NMSC can be used to determine to what degree earlier detection and/or more efficient therapies have contributed to these observations.

Trends in nonmelanoma skin cancer mortality rates in the United States, 1969 through 2000

The purpose of this population-based study was to assess trends in mortality rates for nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) in the United States. Particular emphasis was placed on the subgroup of malignancies arising on genital skin. Nearly 75,000 deaths in the United States were attributed to NMSC from 1969 to 2000. The age-adjusted US mortality rate for NMSC arising on nongenital skin from 1969 to 2000 was 0.69/10(5)/year; the rate among men was twice that among women. Mortality rates among white men exceeded that of black men by a factor of two; the same was observed among women, but by a smaller multiple. Corresponding mortality rates for malignancies arising from genital skin (penis, scrotum, vulva) were higher in women (0.54) than in men (0.30). In contrast to nongenital NMSC, mortality rates among black men were twice that of white men; however, rates for white and black women were similar. These results suggest that greater emphasis could be placed on reducing mortality from genital NMSC while continuing to stress reduction of excess sun exposure.

Hyperbaric oxygen for the treatment of fournier's gangrene

PURPOSE

Fournier's gangrene is a necrotizing fasciitis of the genitalia that is associated with high morbidity and mortality. Groups at many institutions have initiated routine adjuvant hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy. We examined whether HBO has made a difference in the morbidity, mortality and costs associated with treating this disease. We also analyzed predictors of extended hospital stay and mortality.

MATERIALS AND METHODS

The records of patients with the hospital discharge diagnoses of Fournier's gangrene, necrotizing fasciitis, gangrene of the genitalia and scrotal gangrene from 1993 to 2002 were reviewed. Data concerning clinical presentation characteristics, hospital stay, complications, hospital charges and outcomes, including graft failure and death, were analyzed.

RESULTS

A total of 42 patients were identified and followed a median 4.2 years. Of the patients 16 underwent surgical debridement and antibiotic therapy alone, and 26 were treated with HBO plus surgery and antibiotics. Overall disease specific mortality was 21.4%, that is 12.5% in the nonHBO group and 26.9% in the HBO group. Three or more complications occurred in 13% of nonHBO and in 19% of HBO cases, of which the most common was myocardial infarction. The skin graft failure rate was 6% (nonHBO) and 8% (HBO). Physical disability was a statistically significant predictor of extended hospital stay (p <0.01). There was a trend toward a correlation between known coronary artery disease and death (p = 0.2). A statistically significant difference was noted in average daily hospital charges in nonHBO vs HBO cases ($2,552 vs $3,384 daily, p <0.01).

CONCLUSIONS

These data do not support routine HBO in the treatment of Fournier's gangrene. There was a trend toward higher morbidity and mortality in the HBO group, suggesting that treatment may have been given to patients who were more ill.

A life-threatening infection: Fournier's gangrene

Fournier's gangrene is a life-threatening disorder in which infection of the perineum and scrotum spreads along fascial planes, causing soft tissue necrosis. If urgent surgery is delayed, the disease will soon result in septic shock, multiorgan failure, and death. In this study, we present 21 patients with Fournier's gangrene who were treated in period between 1994 and 2001. Patients' charts were reviewed retrospectively and are discussed in the light of literature. All patients received aggressive surgical debridment. Penicillin or Ceftriaxone, aminoglicoside and metronidazole were administered intravenously. Of the 21 patients, 5 had scrotal carbuncle, 1 had urethral stricture, 1 had chronic indwelling urethral catheterization, 2 had perirectal abscess, and 1 had hemorrhoidectomy. In eleven patients we couldn't identify any cause. Twelve patients had diabetes mellitus, and two had chronic alcoholism. Escherichia coli was isolated in 12 purulent tissue cultures, and Bacteroides fragilis in eight. Seventeen patients survived, whereas four died. Fourier's gangrene is considered a surgical emergency. Early surgical intervention is essential, as the gangrene can spread rapidly at rates reaching 2 mm per hour. So that Fournier's gangrene is an abrupt, rapidly progressive, gangrenous infection of the external genitalia and perineum and is a real urologic emergency.

Fournier's gangrene

Fournier's gangrene can still be a life-threatening condition with a high mortality rate. Diagnosis and treatment should be prompt and adequate. Radiological studies may help to define the extent of the disease preoperatively in cases in which this is unclear. Surgery with extensive debridement of all necrotic tissue is the mainstay of treatment.

Fistulas complicating diverticulitis

This study was undertaken to assess the appropriate management of patients with diverticulitis complicated by fistula formation. A retrospective chart review was conducted on patients with symptoms of a fistula who presented between 1975 to 1995. There were 42 patients (32 women, 76%; 10 men, 24%) who ranged in age from 46 to 89 years (mean 69.8 +/- 9.8). Six patients had multiple fistulas. The types of fistulas included colovesical (48%), colovaginal (44%), colocutaneous (4%), colotubal (2%), and coloenteric (2%). Operative procedures consisted of resection and primary anastomosis in 38 patients and a Hartmann's operation in one. Three patients were managed conservatively with antibiotics (two due to poor performance status, the third due to resolution of symptoms). There were no operative deaths. The postoperative course was uncomplicated in 69%, while 12 patients (31%) experienced 19 complications (40%). These consisted of urinary tract infection (9.5%), atelectasis (7.1%), prolonged ileus (4.8%), arrhythmias (4.8%) and renal failure, myocardial infarction, pseudomembranous colitis, peroneal nerve palsy, unexplained fever, pulmonary edema (2.4% each). There were no anastomotic leaks and no deaths. Hospital stay ranged from 6 to 31 days (mean 12.3 +/- 7.6). Fistulas due to diverticulitis were safely managed by resection and primary anastomosis without mortality and with acceptable morbidity in this series. Patients deemed to be poor operative risks can be managed with a course of nonoperative treatment.

[Perineal gangrene. Analysis of 24 cases]

Fournier's syndrome, characterised by anaerobic necrotising cellulitis of the soft tissues situated below the diaphragm, is a serous disease with an unpredictable course. From 1978 to 1991, we treated 24 men with a mean age of 57 years (27 to 90 years). Following the diagnosis of this disease, rigorous treatment was instituted immediately, consisting of a triple antibiotic combination, repeated surgical exposure, debridement and drainage with a frequent, almost systematic indication for faecal diversion (n = 16), hyperbaric oxygen therapy and classical intensive care measures. The mean interval between the first clinical signs and the diagnosis was 7.4 days. The lesions were limited to the perineum in 11 cases and extended to the abdomen, thighs and/or loins in 13 cases. The microorganisms responsible for the infection were identified in 19 cases and blood cultures were positive in 5 cases. This infection was of coloproctological origin in 12 cases, urogenital origin in 4 cases and postoperative in 2 cases, while no aetiology could be identified in 6 patients. There were 6 deaths and 18 cures without sequelae. 1. The prognosis of this disease is better in younger subjects (under the age of 60 years) with a localised clinical form, with no deterioration in the general status, sterile blood cultures and treated by a diversion colostomy. 2. A detailed aetiological work-up must be performed, looking for local or regional infection, cancer, haematological malignancy or arterial disease.

Fournier's disease. Report of a case and review of the literature

We report a case of Fournier's gangrene affecting a 77-year-old man. The patient was found to have decompensated diabetes mellitus that had been ignored before the onset of the disease. Several authors have described earlier a dramatic, explosive disease, leading to severe prostration within a few hours. Most of the recent cases, like this patient, have had a more insidious course, with symptoms beginning several days before hospitalization. Forty-five days after surgical debridement under spinal anesthesia and daily local treatment the scrotum was completely healed. The etiology and pathogenesis of this infrequent disease are discussed.

[Fournier's disease: a report of 9 cases]

Nine cases of Fournier's gangrene diagnosed between 1982 and 1989 are reported. All were males with a mean age of 76 (47-82 years). Seven had a history of alcoholism and one had non insulin-dependent diabetes. Six patients also had an anal fistula which may have been the starting point of the infection. The causal agents were two anaerobes (Clostridium perfringens and Bacteroides fragilis) two gram-negatives (Morganella morgagni and Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and one, an unidentified gram-positive. In three patients a mixed intestinal flora was isolated and in another no germs were found. All were treated with broad-spectrum antibiotics and surgery. Seven patients survived and two died.

Causes, presentation and survival of fifty-seven patients with necrotizing fasciitis of the male genitalia

This analysis of our experience with 57 men with necrotizing fasciitis of the genitalia was done to identify prognostic variables and to assess the results of a treatment policy of immediate and, if required, repetitive surgical debridements. The mean age of the patients was 55 years. Thirty-eight patients were alcoholics or diabetics, or both. All of the infections were of a genitourinary, anorectal or cutaneous source. Thirty-five per cent of the infections were confined to the genitalia and 65 per cent extended to the abdominal wall or thigh, or both. Forty-seven patients survived. Survival was associated significantly with a younger age, a serum blood urea nitrogen (BUN) level of less than 50 milligrams per deciliter at presentation, the absence of a constellation of abnormalities at presentation consistent with sepsis and a decreased incidence of major complications after initial débridement (p less than 0.05 to 0.01). Survival was not associated with the extent of infection, the duration of symptoms before hospitalization, systemic risk factors, the source of infection, abnormal findings at presentation (excluding a BUN of greater than 50 milligrams per deciliter) and the bacteriologic factors of the infection. Both localized and extensive necrotizing fasciitis of the male genitalia are potentially lethal disorders that require prompt treatment.

[Necrotizing perineal phlegmon (Fournier's gangrene)]

The scrotal and perineal necrosis process, known as Fournier's gangrene, constitutes a characteristic clinical pattern of fulminating course and high mortality. In this series, we analyse 22 patients bearers of this condition treated in our service over the last 10 years. Their average age was 60.6. A factor unleashing the infectious process could be shown in 14 patients (63.6%), chiefly urogenital pathology. Six patients were diabetic (27.3%). The treatment favoured by the authors contemplates early surgical intervention with limited debridement, ample drainage, wide spectrum antibiotics and cystostomy in appropriate cases. With this schema the mortality of the series was only 9.1% (2 patients). This entity represents a real urological emergency. Its early identification and prompt appropriate treatment are key elements for bringing down the high mortality.

Cause of death in hemophilia A patients in the United States from 1968 to 1979

Death data on 949 hemophiliacs for the years 1968-1979 have been analyzed. The median age at death has increased from 33 to 55 years. There was no evidence of new diseases caused by the more intensive therapy during this time interval. The leading infectious disease was hepatitis, accounting for eight deaths. Only one acute hepatitis death was listed after 1974, when sensitive tests for hepatitis B antigen screening of plasma were implemented. Cirrhosis was a primary or associated cause of death in 76 cases (8%) and pneumonia was a primary or associated cause of death in 62 deaths (6.5%). The types of malignancies in hemophiliacs were similar to those in the male US population with no evidence of excessive retrovirus malignancies prior to infection with HIV-1.

Fournier's gangrene: report of 20 patients

Synergistic necrotizing fasciitis of the penis and scrotum was described first by Fournier and remains a rare but life-threatening disease. In Fournier's initial description the process was believed to be idiopathic. During the last 10 years we have treated 20 patients with Fournier's gangrene and a definite urologic or colorectal cause could be identified as the source of the infection in 19 (95 per cent). Despite the use of broad-spectrum antibiotics and aggressive surgical débridement the mortality rate was 45 per cent.

Mortality of Shipham residents: 40-year follow-up

The 1939 populations of Shipham, a village in Somerset with high soil-cadmium levels, and a nearby control village have been followed for 40 years. Death certificates were obtained for those who had died, and the mortality rates were compared with those for England and Wales. Small excesses of hypertensive, cerebrovascular, and genitourinary disease were noted in Shipman but not in the control village. These conditions have been associated wih cadmium toxicity, and so it is possible that cadmium had some influence on the disease pattern in Shipham; but if so, the effect was slight. By contrast, fewer deaths than expected from respiratory disease and cancers were observed in both villages. This gave rise to all-cause mortality rates in Shipham and the control village which were similar and well below the national average.

Mortality and autopsy rate from urogenital diseases in Finland in 1955-1973

Mortality from various urogenital diseases including the malignant neoplasms of the genito-urinary system and the breast in Finland in 1955-1973 was studied. Only minor changes were found in the total death rate of all these diseases between 1955 and 1973. However, the age-specific death rates of the nephritis-nephrosis group decreased both among males and females. Also mortality from all other urogenital diseases than malignant neoplasms decreased among elderly and middle-aged people. Mortality from malignant neoplasms of the breast increased slightly among elderly women and that of the prostate among elderly men. The autopsy rate of the deaths due to all other urogenital diseases (33.5% in 1973) than malignant neoplasms (27.4%) was of the same order as that recorded for all natural deaths (33.2%) in Finland between 1963 and 1973. Many types of malignant urogenital neoplasms remained significantly under-autopsied. The highest autopsy rates of the single urogenital diseases were recorded for acute nephritis and unqualified nephritis; the respective national rates were 90 and 71%, in 1973. These rates exceeded highly significantly the mean national autopsy rate of all deaths which was 38.2%.