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Biomedical subjects

D Jonas

Publications and source records attributed to D Jonas.

134 records · Page 8Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Infection of the upper extremity by Mycobacterium marinum in a 3-year-old boy--diagnosis by 16S-rDNA analysis.

A 3-year-old boy developed several subcutaneous nodular lesions on his right arm. Based on the histological examination of one of these nodules furunculosis was suspected and cefuroxime was tentatively given. However, acid-fast bacilli were then detected in the tissue specimen and a few colonies of acid fast, gram-positive rods grew on blood agar. Definitive species diagnosis (Mycobacterium marinum) was rapidly achieved by automated sequencing of amplified 16S-rDNA and antimicrobial therapy was adjusted according to the available literature. After 3 weeks of treatment with clarithromycin, rifampicin and protionamid regression of the nodular lesions was evident.

Arm↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Clinical relevance of serum angiogenic activity in patients with transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder.

Angiogenesis is essential for tumor growth and progression and is mediated by positive and negative regulators of vessel growth. Since angiogenic mediators found in patient serum have been postulated to reflect the angiogenic potential of a malignant tumor, we investigated the angiogenic activity in the serum of patients with transitional cell carcinoma (TCC). The data were correlated to tumor characteristics and the clinical course of the patients. Eighty-one patients with transitional cell carcinoma and 53 control persons were included in the study. Preoperative serum samples were collected and both vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) and basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) were quantified by ELISA. Additionally, the serum evoked proliferative activity on human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) was evaluated. Data were compared to the clinical course of the patients. Serum of tumor patients significantly enhanced the proliferative capacity of HUVEC, compared to cells grown in standard culture medium (p = 0.0032), but not when compared to serum from control persons. Serum from patients with superficial TCC and well differentiated tumors induced a significantly higher angiogenic response (ANG(hi)) than serum from patients with poorly differentiated and invasive carcinomas (ANG(lo); p = 0.037). VEGF level of ANG(hi) serum was 384.22 +/- 247.76 pg/ml (n = 37) which significantly differed from mean VEGF level detected in ANG(lo) serum (247.72 +/- 211.93 pg/ml, n = 42; p = 0.019). Similarly, mean bFGF levels were 9.58 +/- 5.91 pg/ml in ANG(hi) serum versus 5.74 +/- 3.52 pg/ml) in ANG(lo) serum (p = 0.0043). A negative correlation was established between VEGF/bFGF serum concentration and patient prognosis. The experiments demonstrate a positive correlation between VEGF and bFGF serum level and endothelial proliferation in vitro. The inverse relationship between angiogenic activity and tumor stage might disclose information about angiogenesis and tumor progression in TCC.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

In vitro susceptibility to everninomycin of gram-positive nosocomial pathogens isolated from intensive care units in Germany.

BACKGROUND: Gram-positive bacteria are increasingly found to be causative pathogens in nosocomial infections, and the occurrence of vancomycin resistance in enterococci as well as staphylococci has prompted the investigation of alternative antimicrobial agents active against these strains. Everninomycin, a new oligosaccharide antibiotic, has excellent in vitro activity against gram-positive bacteria, including those resistant to vancomycin. However, avilamycin, a related compound, has been used in Europe as a growth promoter in animal food for years and concern has been raised that cross-resistance in clinical isolates may arise. METHODS: We studied a collection of 268 nosocomial gram-positive isolates from intensive care unit patients with nosocomial pneumonia, urinary tract infection and sepsis, using standard in vitro susceptibility testing. RESULTS: It could be shown that all species tested were exquisitely sensitive to everninomycin (MIC(90) of 0.38 microg/ml for Staphylococcus aureus, 0.5 microg/ml for enterococci and 0.75 microg/ml for coagulase-negative staphylococci). Furthermore, no difference could be observed between methicillin-resistant and methicillin-sensitive S. aureus or between Enterococcus faecium and Enterococcus faecalis. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that everninomycin is a promising antibiotic for the treatment of nosocomial infections in intensive care unit patients and that the use of a related substance as an additive in animal food has not yet promoted resistance in clinical isolates.

Aminoglycosides↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Value of tumor M2 (Tu M2-PK) in patients with renal carcinoma.

Pyruvate kinase is one of the glycolytic key enzymes. It exists in various isoforms which are expressed in different cell types. One of these isoforms, the type Tu M2-PK, is strongly overexpressed by tumor cells and released into body fluids. The concentration of Tu M2-PK in body fluids can be quantitatively determined by a commercially available enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA)-kit. The Tu M2-PK concentration was measured in EDTA-plasma of 116 patients with renal carcinoma and 42 patients suffering from nephritis, by using this kit. The ranges of the Tu M2-PK-concentrations of the two groups did not overlap, indicating a highly significant discrimination of renal carcinoma and benign renal diseases. Furthermore, the Tu M2-PK concentration in EDTA-plasma correlated strongly with the Robson tumor stage of the 116 patients. The present results indicated that the Tu M2-PK might be the first tumor marker, which could be an excellent complementation of the diagnostic program for renal carcinoma.

Biomarkers, Tumor↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Complexed PSA in routine diagnosis.

INTRODUCTION: Prostatic tumor tissue produces a more complex form of PSA (cPSA) than free PSA (fPSA). For the early detection of prostate cancer, cPSA is supposed to be more sensitive than the ratio of fPSA and tPSA. The aim of the study was to evaluate the diagnostic value of cPSA in the early detection of malignant prostatic tumor. MATERIALS AND METHODS: We evaluated the new cPSA test comparing it with the already routinely used fPSA and tPSA test. The study comprised a total of 100 patients with different urological symptoms attending the Division of Urology, University of Frankfurt, Germany. Biopsy and histological examination were performed in all cases. The histological report was compared with the laboratory results obtained by immunological and electrochemiluminescence methods. RESULTS: Forty-one had a benign tumor of the prostatic gland and 59 had a malignant process diagnosed by histological examination. The cut-off level for cPSA was at 2.3 ng/ml. Within a range of 2.0-4.0 ng/ml tPSA and a cut-off of 2.3 ng/ml for cPSA we found a tumor sensitivity of the test in 92%, proved by the histological report. cPSA allows the detection of a malignant process at an earlier stage than tPSA and even within a "normal-range" of tPSA between 2.0-4.0 ng/ml. A concentration of tPSA between 4.1 and 10 ng/ml represents a grey zone. With measurement of cPSA we achieved, in 71% of our cases, a more specific result than in obtaining the PSA ratio. We did not observe any adverse result in the concentration of cPSA concerning manipulation of the prostatic gland as seen before in the measurement of fPSA. cPSA is much more stable regarding transportation and storage. There is no loss of concentration level observed up to -20 degrees C, whereas fPSA shows a loss of 10%. CONCLUSION: We conclude that the new tumor marker cPSA is more specific in the concentration range of tPSA from 2.0-4.0 ng/ml, as well as in the grey zone between 4.0-10 ng/ml.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Diagnostic value of skeletal AP and PSA with respect to skeletal scintigram in patients with prostatic disease.

The aim of this study was to compare the diagnostic value of skeletal AP and PSA with the skeletal scintigram in patients with prostatic cancer. PSA and skeletal AP were measured by Tandem-R-Ostase Assay (IRMA) and Tandem-R-PSA-Assay. 64 patients with prostatic cancer, 20 of them in stage D2 were involved. Patients with a prostatic cancer and bone metastases show remarkable increased skeletal AP concentration with a median concentration of 50ng/ml SAP and 95 ng/ml PSA. Patients without bone metastases have a lower median concentration of SAP at 10 ng/ml and PSA concentration of 40 ng/ml which is within the normal range. Six out of 20 patients at stage D2 showed a significant increase of SAP concentration and even of PSA before bone metastases were seen by skeletal scintigraphy. We conclude when skeletal metastases are assumed in patients with prostatic cancer, a combination of skeletal scintigramm and measurement of SAP seem to be of advantage to recognize patients with bone metastases earlier.

Alkaline Phosphatase↗