PubMed Health⌕ Search

Biomedical subjects

A Lie

Publications and source records attributed to A Lie.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Mucosal topography around implants in edentulous upper jaws. Photogrammetric three-dimensional measurements of the effect of replacement of a removable prosthesis with a fixed prosthesis.

A photogrammetric technique was tested to measure the topography of the mucosa around implants, placed in edentulous upper jaws. Photographs were taken of casts from 6 patients, who all had used a removable overdenture for one year. Another series of photographs was taken on new casts after the use of a fixed prosthesis for a second year. The 6 pairs of photographs were measured and compared in an analytical stereo plotter for surface contour and implant positions. The results from the measurements indicated a trend of general recession of the mucosa after one year with fixed prosthesis, both on the buccal as well as on the palatal side. The mean volume of recession was 222.4 mm3, corresponding to an average of 0.4 mm3/mm2 of mucosa. More recession was generally observed on the palatal side, but obvious variations between the patients were present. In conclusion, the photogrammetric technique was considered to be well suited for analysing tissue contours in various dental situations.

Aged↗

Poor outcome of intensive chemotherapy for adult acute lymphoblastic leukemia: a possible dose effect.

Fifty consecutive adult patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) were treated with an intensive cyclical chemotherapy and the mean received dose of individual cytotoxic drug was retrospectively studied. The median age was 28 years. Twenty-one (43%) had white blood cell (WBC) count over 30 x 10(9)/l. Of the 26 patients with successful cytogenetic studies, ten (28%) had unfavorable clonal chromosomal abnormalities (four Philadelphia chromosome, six others). A high complete remission (CR) rate (86%) was achieved. This was associated with delivery of 100% of the planned dosage of vincristine, prednisone, and daunorubicin at induction. Dose reduction of asparaginase, the fourth drug in the induction protocol, was recorded in 20 (40%) patients. The CR rate of these patients was not adversely affected. Dose reduction was recorded during consolidation (38 of 43 remitters) and maintenance (18 of 20 remitters) as a result of treatment toxicity. The mean received dose of teniposide, Ara-C, asparaginase, mercaptopurine, and methotrexate was 73% (SD 7%), 73% (SD 7%), 62% (SD 41%), 65% (SD 15%) and 73% (SD 17%) of the planned dosage, respectively. The 5-year overall survival and leukemia-free survival (LFS) were 11% (95% CI: 0-27%) and 13% (95% CI: 0-26%), respectively. Even standard-risk patients had 4-year LFS of only 26% (95% CI: 0-57%). Among 36 remitters not withdrawn from consolidation, there were 29 treatment failures after a median follow-up of 42 months; 25 (86%) of these were leukemia relapse, three (10%) were toxic death during consolidation, and one patient (4%) died from therapy-related myelodysplastic syndrome. We postulate inadequate drug delivery during postremission therapy contributed to the high relapse rate in the whole group as well as the standard-risk patients.

Adult↗

Detection of immunoglobulin gene rearrangement in lymphoid malignancies of B-cell lineage by seminested polymerase chain reaction gene amplification.

Seminested polymerase chain reaction (PCR) was used to amplify the DNA fragments of the complementarity-determining region 3 of the immunoglobulin (Ig) gene heavy chain from the malignant cell specimens of patients with leukemias and lymphomas of B-cell lineage. Two different pairs of primers were used sequentially. Twenty of the 27 (74%) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) patients, 14 of 19 (74%) chronic lymphocytic leukemia (CLL) patients and eight of 20 (40%) non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) patients, who had rearrangement of the Ig gene heavy chain by Southern analysis, were positive by the seminested PCR. False-negative results appeared to occur more commonly in cases of lymphoma. The PCR analysis was also less likely to be positive if one-stage PCR studies with either pair of primers were both negative. The seminested PCR technique was found to have a high sensitivity of detecting malignant cells at the level of 0.02%. The clinical application of this assay needs to be investigated further.

Base Sequence↗

Coexpression of PMP22 gene with MBP and P0 during de novo myelination and nerve repair.

The recently cloned PMP22 gene, the rat variant of the murine growth arrest-specific gene gas3, encodes a new 22 kD integral membrane glycoprotein of peripheral myelin. By means of in situ hybridization and immunohistochemistry, we have (1) analyzed PMP22 expression in myelinated and nonmyelinated peripheral nerves, and (2) compared the spatio-temporal changes in the expression of PMP22 mRNA with the expression of the myelin genes P0 and MBP (myelin basic protein) in developing as well as degenerating and regenerating sciatic nerve of rat. (3) We further investigated the expression of PMP22 mRNA by Northern blot in cultured Schwann cells maintained under different conditions of cell growth and arrest. Expression of PMP22 mRNA is restricted to Schwann cells of myelinated peripheral nerve. Transection of sciatic nerve in adult rat leads to a simultaneous and rapid decline in both PMP22 and P0 mRNA to nondetectable levels in the degenerating distal stump. When a demyelinated and axon-free distal stump, as indicated by the lack of MBP and neurofilament immunoreactivity, was reanastomosed to its proximal counterpart, the coordinated reexpression of PMP22 and MBP succeeded axonal regeneration through the distal segment with a delay of 1-2 weeks. As in regenerating nerve, a striking synchrony of expression of PMP22 and P0 transcripts, as well as MBP immunoreactivity, could be observed during sciatic nerve development. Further, in vitro evidence suggests that, unlike NIH3T3-fibroblasts, expression of PMP22/gas3 is not strictly growth arrest-specific in Schwann cells.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Animals↗

Effective salvage therapy using all-trans retinoic acid for relapsed and resistant acute promyelocytic leukemia.

All-trans retinoic acid (ATRA) has been shown to be active against acute promyelocytic leukemia (APL). Six patients with APL, either in relapse or resistant to initial chemotherapy were reinduced with ATRA 100 g/m2/day for 6 weeks. Complete remission was achieved in all six of them. Side effects were seen in two of them. ATRA appears to provide a relatively safe and reliable means to induce a complete remission in patients with refractory or relapsed APL.

Adolescent↗

Expression of decorin mRNA in the nervous system of rat.

A rat cDNA clone (pCD67) isolated from a cDNA library of regenerating sciatic nerve by differential hybridization screening revealed 75% homology on the nucleic acid level and 81% homology (including conservative amino acid changes) to the deduced amino acid sequence of the core protein of human dermatan/chondroitin sulfate proteoglycan decorin (PGII, PG40, PG-S2). Two transcripts of 1.3 and 1.75 KB very similar in size to the two decorin mRNA species previously identified in connective tissue were detected by Northern blotting in both normal and injured sciatic nerve and in the mature and embryonic rat brain. The steady-state level of the decorin 1.3 KB mRNA was very much higher in peripheral nerve than in the central nervous system or in other non-neural tissues (skeletal muscle, heart, colon, kidney). In situ hybridization experiments indicated that decorin mRNA is expressed by Schwann cells and vascular cells in peripheral nerve. In the spinal cord the ventral horn motor neurons and other neurons in gray matter showed specific hybridization signals. Furthermore, in situ hybridization indicated decorin expression in Purkinje neurons and cells of the molecular layer in cerebellum, and in neurons of the primary olfactory cortex and brainstem (pons). Our data clearly demonstrate decorin mRNA expression in distinct neural cell populations, suggesting yet unknown functions of this proteoglycan in the peripheral and central nervous system.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Intensive chemotherapy for adult lymphoblastic lymphomas.

A total of 20 adults patients presenting with previously untreated lymphoblastic lymphoma underwent an intensive chemotherapy protocol. Either the BACOP or the m-BACOD regimen was used for induction. If the patients achieved a complete clinical remission (CR) after three courses, they were given intensive consolidation and maintenance chemotherapy based on a protocol that was modified from the L10/L17M regimen of the Memorial Sloan-Kettering group for acute lymphoblastic leukaemia and lymphoblastic lymphoma. Patients exhibiting localised areas of bulky disease were given additional involved-field radiotherapy. In all, 15 (75%) men and 5 (25%) women were entered in this study. Their median age was 28 years (mean, 30 years; range, 12-64 years). Overall, 3 (15%) had stage II disease, 3 (15%) had stage III disease and 14 (70%) had stage IV disease; 7 (35%) patients exhibited B symptoms and 4 (20%) had bulky disease. The overall (CR) rate was 10/20 (20%), and that following BACOP and m-BACOD therapy was 4/8 (50%) and 6/12 (50%), respectively. In all, 7 of the 10 complete responders (70%) relapsed. The disease-free survival of the ten who achieved a CR was 23% at 3 years. The overall survival of all 20 patients at 3 years was only 37%, and there were very few long-term survivors. More effective treatment for adult lymphoblastic lymphoma is required.

Adult↗

A group-based training programme for general practitioners: a Norwegian experience.

There are approximately 3000 general practitioners in Norway, serving a population of slightly above four million people. A three year postgraduate education scheme for general practitioners has been in effect since 1973, to be replaced by a five year vocational training programme from January 1985, making general practice a fully recognized specialty from that date. The educational requirements consist of one year of hospital training, four years of training in general practice, and a total of 400 hours of course education, mainly in clinical subjects. The core element of the training is attendance at a group-based structured educational programme of two years' duration. This article describes the concepts and content of this decentralized group-based education, as well as some of the conflicting considerations which eventually led to this new Norwegian model of general practice training. The first evaluation studies indicate that the educational programme has met a long standing need among general practitioners.

Curriculum↗

Mercury in urine.--Sex, age and geographic differences in a reference population.

The urine of 103 inhabitants from Hadeland and 240 persons from Odda, Norway, was examined with respect to the content of mercury and creatinine. Odda is a small community in a narrow fiord on the western coast of Norway. The sea water is polluted with mercury and other heavy metals emitted from a zinc smelter. Hadeland is a less industrialized county in the eastern part of Norway without any known inorganic mercury contamination of the external environment. None of the participants of the study were occupationally exposed to mercury. The mercury excretion was significantly higher among people living in Odda and highest among those living close to the zinc smelter. This finding probably reflects a contamination of the external environment. Women in Odda and Hadeland had a higher mercury excretion than the males of the respective regions. Mercury excretion also seemed to be age-dependent in that there was a gradual reduction in mercury excretion with advancing age. Although there seem to be age- and sex-dependent differences with respect to mercury excretion, 100 nmol of mercury/1 of urine and 10 nmol of mercury/mmol of creatinine are suggested as upper limits for "normal" mercury excretion among non-occupationally exposed persons living in Norway.

Adolescent↗

Intensive chemotherapy for peripheral T-cell lymphomas.

Forty-two patients with previously untreated peripheral T-cell lymphomas (PTCL) were treated with an intensive chemotherapy protocol. Either the BACOP or the m-BACOD regimen was used for induction. Patients achieving complete clinical remission after three courses were given intensive consolidation and maintenance chemotherapy similar to the L10/L17M protocol designed by the Memorial Sloan-Kettering Group for acute lymphoblastic leukemia and lymphoblastic lymphoma. There were 27 (64 per cent) males and 15 (36 per cent) females. The median age was 54 years (mean 53, range 15 to 68). Seven of them (17 per cent) had stage I disease, four (10 per cent) stage II, seven (17 per cent) stage III and 24 (57 per cent) stage IV. Eighteen patients (43 per cent) had B symptoms and four (10 per cent) had bulky disease. According to the Working Formulation, the histology was diffuse mixed in 16 patients (38 per cent), diffuse large cell in 18 (43 per cent), diffuse immunoblastic in four (10 per cent) and unclassifiable in four (10 per cent). According to a modified Japanese Lymphoma Study Group's classification, the histology in 24 patients (57 per cent) was the pleomorphic type, in 13 (31 per cent) immunoblastic-lymphadenopathy-like (IBL-like), and in five (12 per cent) unclassifiable. The overall complete remission rate was 67 per cent. Twenty-five per cent of the complete responders relapsed and the DFS of the CR patients was 62 per cent at three years. The overall survival of all patients at three years was 52 per cent. Patients with stage I, II and III disease had significantly better CR rate (100 per cent versus 42 per cent, p = 0.001) and overall survival (82 per cent versus 35 per cent at three years, p = 0.01) than those with stage IV disease but the relapse rate and DFS of CR patients were similar. This study shows that the prognosis of patients with PTCL can be improved by intensive therapy.

Adolescent↗