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Biomedical subjects

G Baumgartner

Publications and source records attributed to G Baumgartner.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Long-term results of Rehbein's procedure: a retrospective study in German-speaking countries.

AIM: In contrast to other countries, no collective study of Rehbein's procedure in German-speaking nations has been performed. Therefore, our intention was, analogously to Goto and Ikeda's (10) Japanese study in 1984, Kleinhaus's (13) study on Swenson's procedure in 1979, Bourdelat's (2) French-Canadian investigation into Duhamel's technique in 1997 and Martuciello's (11) and Teitelbaum's (16) follow-up in the year 2000, to perform a follow-up study of Rehbein's technique of deep anterior resection. METHODS: The data of 200 patients from 22 German-speaking centers in Switzerland, Austria and Germany were collected. These data were gathered by questionnaire and the children were followed up in the individual participating hospitals for at least 3.5 years after the procedure. The procedure was performed between 1993 and 1997, over a 5-year period. The questionnaire contained 74 items including anamnestic data, diagnostic postoperative treatment and reoperations. RESULTS: Concerning the incidence of anastomotic leaks and resolving anastomotic strictures there was no significant difference between the results in our series and those of the collective analyses made by Hofmann von Kap-herr (7), Holschneider (9) and Sherman (18). In 6.6 % of the 191 patients an anastomotic leak and in 9.9 % a rectal stricture, which had to be dilated, was observed. Concerning late complications, 22.8 % of the children suffered from constipation, 4.3 % from encopresis, 10.6 % from enterocolitis and only 0.5 % from enuresis. The frequency of constipation diminishes over the years. A comparison of the different large series in the literature clearly shows that the incidence of constipation is higher after Rehbein's procedure and the frequency of urinary incontinence and encopresis higher following Swenson's, Soave's and Duhamel's techniques. The incidence of enterocolitis is less after Rehbein's procedure than after Swenson's, Soave's and Duhamel's techniques. CONCLUSIONS: The different results in the literature are due to the individual experience of the author, the very different follow-up methods and the date of follow-up. Therefore, the different results are hard to compare with our study. Nevertheless, Rehbein's anterior resection still could be presented as an adequate and important method to treat Hirschsprung's disease.

Austria↗

Spatial and temporal distribution of "curvina" larvae (Plagioscion squamosissimus Heckel, 1840) and its relationship to some environmental variables in the Upper Paraná River floodplain, Brazil.

With the objective of studying the spatial and temporal distribution of "curvina" Plagioscion squamosissimus larvae and verifying respective spawning sites, monthly sampling was carried out from March 1993 to February 1994 on the Upper Paraná River floodplain. Using a conical-cylindrical plankton net (0.5 mm mesh), samples were taken from the surface of the water bodies, and in the marginal vegetation a strainer and a dragnet ("picaré") were used. Water samples were collected for environmental variable analysis (temperature, dissolved oxygen, water pH, and electrical conductivity). Water level data were obtained from hydrometric stations. High average density of larvae was found from December 1993 to February 1994 due to high temperature and water level. The Baía sub-area was shown to be the most important in the larvae catch, probably due to its semi-lotic characteristics. Larvae size distribution was shown to be more frequent in the 4.0 mm standard length class, indicating that the sampling stations were next to the spawning sites.

Animals↗

Spatial and temporal distribution of larvae and juveniles of Hoplias aff. malabaricus (Characiformes, Erythrinidae) in the Upper Paraná River floodplain, Brazil.

Spatial and temporal distribution of larvae and juveniles of trahira, Hoplias aff. malabaricus (Erythrinidae), and their relationship with environmental parameters in the Upper Paraná River floodplain were analyzed. Sampling of larvae and juveniles of H. aff. malabaricus has been conducted during the period from November 1991 through February 1995, with 42 sampling stations distributed in four sub-areas: Ivinhema I, Ivinhema II, Baía, and Paraná. During the same period, data were obtained for water temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, electrical conductivity, river level, precipitation index, and photoperiod. The largest catches of larvae were in the Ivinhema I sub-area (47.06%), and of juveniles in the Paraná sub-area (54.55%). Larvae and juveniles were caught from October to February. Larvae were mainly collected at night and in all types of environments sampled (lotic, semi-lotic, and lentic). Principal Component Analysis of the environmental parameters and larval density showed that the largest catches were obtained in dry season months, with low values for temperature, electrical conductivity, river level, and photoperiod, and with high concentrations of dissolved oxygen and pH. This reproductive strategy may minimizes predation and maximizes food utilization, as it enables the fish to reach advanced developmental stages, while most other species are spawning.

Analysis of Variance↗

The differentiation inducers phenylacetate and phenylbutyrate modulate camptothecin sensitivity in colon carcinoma cells in vitro by intracellular acidification.

Aromatic fatty acids such as phenylbutyrate (PB) and its metabolite phenylacetate (PA) induce growth arrest, differentiation and apoptosis in solid tumor cells. Despite their antiproliferative action they were reported to exhibit a synergistic effect in combination with cytotoxic drugs like topotecan, and others. Since the activity of the camptothecines (CPTs) depends on local pH conditions, we investigated, whether PB/PA modulate CPT effects indirectly by affecting intracellular pH in SW620 and SW480 colon cancer cells. The results for the colon carcinoma cells show an antagonistic interaction for the combination of CPT and 0.25-5 mM PA in viability assays, resulting in an approximately 3-fold increase in IC50 (control: 20+/-7 nM). A synergistic effect with significantly increased numbers of late apoptotic/necrotic cancer cells (difference +21+/-4%) and 1.4-fold sensitization were detected upon inclusion of 2.5 mM PA during a 4-h CPT (10 micro;M) loading phase. In response to 0.25-1 mM PA/PB the cells exhibit a reversible decrease of pHi (0.1-0.31 pH units) in HEPES- or bicarbonate-buffered media. Dose-dependent acidification and pHi-recovery occurred following addition of PA and PB after an acid load and inhibition of the Na+/H+-antiporter and bicarbonate exchangers, pointing to a possible intracellular mechanism of cytoplasmic acidification. It is concluded that the synergistic modulation of CPT toxicity by short-term PA/PB treatment in colon carcinoma cells is caused by changes in intracellular pH, possibly affecting quantity and localization of the active closed lactone form of this drug.

Annexin A5↗

Effects of chemotherapeutic agents on expression of somatostatin receptors in pancreatic tumor cells.

UNLABELLED: Specific tumors express high amounts of receptors for somatostatin (SST), providing the basis for imaging and treatment using radiolabeled SST analogs. However, little is known about the potential influence of cytotoxic drugs on SST receptor (SSTR) expression in malignant cells. METHODS: To study the interaction between cytotoxic drugs and SSTR expression, the pancreatic cancer-derived tumor cell lines BxPC-3, Panc-1, Capan-1, and ASPC-1 were exposed to a range of cytotoxic drugs in vitro: Gemcitabine, 5-fluorouracil, cisplatin (cis-diaminedichloroplatinum [II]), camptothecin, mitomycin C, and doxorubicin were checked for changes in binding characteristics of the SSTR ligand (111)In-1,4,7,10-tetraazacyclododecane- N,N',N",N"'-tetraacetic acid-lanreotide (DOTA-LAN). Chemosensitivity was quantitated by measurements of reduction in cell numbers, changes in cell cycle distribution, and appearance of apoptotic subG1 (subG1/0 cell DNA content) cells. RESULTS: Cells were treated with gemcitabine (1.0 or 2.0 microg/mL), 5-fluorouracil (65-520 microg/mL), camptothecin (1.5 or 3 microg/mL), mitomycin C (0.1 or 0.2 microg/mL), and doxorubicin (1.0 or 2.0 microg/mL). Each of the chemotherapeutic agents induced a loss of high-affinity receptors. In addition, gemcitabine caused a reduction of low-affinity receptors in BxPC-3, Panc-1, and ASPC-1 cells. Mitomycin C, camptothecin, and 5-fluorouracil also induced an overexpression of low-affinity receptors. In cells pretreated with cisplatin (2-10 microg/mL), binding of DOTA-LAN was increased. Excluding gemcitabine, the increase in low-affinity binding sites exhibits a weak correlation with apoptosis (r(2) = 0.62). For gemcitabine, these effects were reversed after 4 d of recovery of the cell lines, eventually revealing overexpression of low- and high-affinity sites for BxPC-3 and Panc-1 cells and low-affinity sites for ASPC-1 cells. CONCLUSION: Our results clearly show that the pancreatic tumor lines reduce the expression of high-affinity DOTA-LAN binding sites during application of chemotherapeutic drugs, which is accompanied by variable overexpression of low-affinity binding sites. In the case of gemcitabine, SSTRs are overexpressed during recovery from drug exposure within 4 d. These findings may have implications on the interpretation of scintigraphic results obtained by receptor ligands.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Peutz-Jeghers syndrome: is family screening needed?

In a 7-year-old boy, a small-bowel polyp was found intraoperatively as a lead point of an intussusception. Histologically, a hamartoma was found and the clinical work-up revealed Peutz-Jeghers syndrome (PJS). Additionally, all four asymptomatic siblings showed intestinal polyposis. All children in a family with PJS should be properly investigated. In case of an intussusception with a polyp in a critical location, a surgical procedure should follow.

Adolescent↗

Prolonged response to a single androgen suppression phase in a subpopulation of prostate cancer patients.

BACKGROUND: In an intermittent androgen suppression therapy (IAS) trial we observed regular cycles of tumor suppression and regrowth in the majority of patients (17 +/- 2.6 month), with a subpopulation of patients (14 of 72) exhibiting a prolonged response of 28 +/- 7 month (range 18-64+ month) to the first eight-month androgen suppression cycle. PURPOSE: To compare clinical data and laboratory tests (testosterone, prostate-specific antigen, and tissue polypeptide-specific antigen) of matched IAS patients showing either regular treatment cycles (n = 16) or prolonged response (n = 14). RESULTS: Periods of androgen suppression resulted in reversible reduction of serum testosterone (< 1 nmol/l), PSA (< 1 ng/ml) indicating partial growth arrest and apoptotic regression of the tumors. The long-term response subgroup showed significantly lower mean values of tumor gradings, of pretreatment PSA values (11.36 +/- 4.54 vs. 47.5 +/- 12.4 ng/ml PSA), of PSA nadirs during androgen suppression (0.5 vs. 1 ng/ml PSA), and of overall testosterone values (3.9 +/- 1.14 vs. 6.6 +/- 1.18 mmol/l pretreatment) associated with low TPS values. CONCLUSIONS: Patients exhibiting prolonged response to a single cycle of androgen suppression during IAS are characterized by a lower tumor burden, slow growing and less aggressive tumors, lower testosterone serum concentrations and lower absolute PSA nadirs during androgen suppression compared to a matched control group of short-term responders.

Androgen Antagonists↗

Measurements of free and total PSA, tissue polypeptide-specific antigen (TPS), and CYFRA 21-1 in prostate cancer patients under intermittent androgen suppression therapy.

BACKGROUND: The present study evaluated monthly measurements of free and total prostate-specific antigen (PSA), and the tumor proliferation markers tissue polypeptide-specific antigen (TPS) and cytokeratin fragment 21-1 (CYFRA 21-1) in patients with advanced prostate cancer receiving intermittent androgen suppression therapy (IAS). METHODS: Thirty-four men received alternating cycles of 8 month androgen suppression and treatment cessation (mean duration, 10.3 months) until PSA increased to >20 microg/l. Measurements of testosterone, percentage of free PSA, TPS, and CYFRA 21-1 were performed using ELISA and RIA assays. RESULTS: Periods of androgen suppression resulted in reversible reductions of testosterone (from 6 +/- 0.8 to <0.58 ng/ml), PSA (from 31.2 +/- 4.5 to <1.7 microg/l), and prostatic volume (mean reduction, 22.2 +/- 4.6%), indicating apoptotic regression of the tumors. Upon treatment cessation, testosterone increased to 6.1 +/- 0.56 ng/ml within 2 months, followed by an increase of PSA to 5.8 +/- 0.8 microg/l. The mean percentage of free PSA (15.1 +/- 2.6%) exhibited no significant change during the whole IAS cycle. TPS showed a decrease of 50% after 3 months, and CYFRA 21-1 a 25% decrease after 7 months of androgen suppression treatment. During treatment cessation, TPS exceeded the normal cutoff value of 90 U/l late in tumor regrowth (9-11 months), whereas CYFRA 21-1 remained below the normal cutoff value of 3.3 ng/ml. CONCLUSIONS: PSA is the best and most sensitive marker of prostate cancer regression and regrowth during IAS cycles of the markers tested in this study. Free PSA constitutes approximately 15% of total PSA (range, 5-32%), and its percentage showed no significant change during IAS cycles. The TPS and CYFRA 21-1 proliferation marker changes in IAS seem to be related mainly to effects on normal androgen-dependent tissues.

Aged↗

Detection of colonic dysplasia by light-induced fluorescence endoscopy: a pilot study.

Light-induced fluorescence endoscopy (LIFE) has been shown to differentiate between normal mucosa and dysplastic lesions, and dysplastic lesions of the colon occult to routine white-light colonoscopy may thus be visualized by LIFE. We compared the sensitivity and specificity of LIFE to routine white-light colonoscopy in patients with colonic dysplasia. In a pilot study 20 patients with colonic adenoma, inflammatory bowel disease, or with a history of colon cancer were screened for colonic dysplasia during routine colonoscopy. Forty-two sites of mucosal abnormalities regarded as suspicious for dysplasia during white-light colonoscopy were additionally examined with a prototype LIFE system. Biopsies were taken from all 42 colonic sites. The LIFE images were classified as positive or negative for dysplasia. Sensitivity and specificity were calculated by correlating positive and negative findings to the histopathological results. Histopathology detected 21 adenomas with low-grade dysplasia and one with high-grade dysplasia. All dysplastic lesions were found by routine white-light endoscopy. The specificity of conventional white-light endoscopy was 80%. Of the 22 dysplastic lesions 20 were detected by LIFE (sensitivity 91%). The specificity of LIFE was 90% (two false-positive results). LIFE combined with conventional endoscopy may thus improve the detection of colonic dysplasia.

Adult↗

Resveratrol pretreatment desensitizes AHTO-7 human osteoblasts to growth stimulation in response to carcinoma cell supernatants.

Resveratrol, a natural phytoestrogen, has been reported to promote differentiation of murine MC3T3-E1 osteoblasts and to inhibit proliferation of prostate cancer cell lines. In the present study we tested the effects of resveratrol on the increased proliferation of human AHTO-7 osteoblastic cell line induced by conditioned media (CM) from a panel of carcinoma cell lines. This compound was found to modulate AHTO-7 proliferation in a tamoxifen-sensitive mechanism at lower concentrations, but failed to induce the osteoblast differentiation marker alkaline phosphatase (ALP) in contrast to vitamin D3. The proliferative response of AHTO-7 cells to conditioned media from carcinoma cell lines was diminished (30-71.4% inhibition) upon pretreatment with 0.5 microM resveratrol. Highest inhibition was demonstrated for pancreas (BxPC3, Panc-1), breast (ZR75-1) and renal (ACHN) carcinoma cell line supernatants whereas the effect on colon carcinoma (SW620, Colo320DM) cell CM and prostate cancer (PC3, DU145 and LNCaP) CM was less pronounced. Direct addition of resveratrol affected only supernatants of cell lines (<25% inhibition) exhibiting growth stimulatory activity for normal WI-38 lung fibroblasts. Resveratrol inhibited proliferation of DU145 and LNCaP cells in concentrations exceeding 5 microM, altered cell cycle distribution of all prostate cancer cell lines in concentrations as low as 0.5 microM, but did not inhibit the production of osteoblastic factors by these lines. In conclusion, resveratrol failed to induce ALP activity as marker of osteoblast differentiation in human osteoblastic AHTO-7 cells, however, inhibited their response to osteoblastic carcinoma-derived growth factors in concentrations significantly lower than those to reduce growth of cancer cells, thus effectively modulating tumor - osteoblast interaction.

Alkaline Phosphatase↗

The impact of extracellular matrix on the chemoresistance of solid tumors--experimental and clinical results of hyaluronidase as additive to cytostatic chemotherapy.

Chemoresistance is of outstanding importance for the limited results of chemotherapy in solid tumors. Chemoresistance of multicellular tumor tissues is more pronounced than that of single cells in vivo and in vitro. The enzyme hyaluronidase is able to loosen the cell-cell contact and the interstitial connective tissue and as such, in a number of preclinical and clinical trials, was shown to enhance the efficacy of cytostatic agents. Although proven to be very effective as additive to local chemotherapy, the systemic efficacy is not documented as well. We present a randomized trial done in high-grade astrocytomas with combined chemotherapy and radiation therapy with and without hyaluronidase. After very promising pilot results with systemic hyaluronidase in various tumor entities and also astrocytomas, this randomized study failed to show synergy to chemotherapy and radiation therapy in high-grade astrocytomas concerning survival. The promising preclinical data and the rather well documented activity in therapeutic use as additive to local chemotherapy seem to be an adequate motive to further elucidate the complex manner in which hyaluronidase is active in the interstitial tumor matrix and to obtain more information concerning the optimal route of application, the optimal dosage and the spectrum of tumor entities where it is synergistic with cytostatic chemotherapy and perhaps even radiation therapy.

Adult↗

Pacing in distal left ventricular hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.

We report the case of an 85-year-old woman with distal LV hypertrophy resulting in an intraventricular pressure gradient and incomplete systolic emptying who benefited from permanent DDD pacing. Our experience based on this case suggests that permanent dual chamber pacing might be a safe and effective therapy also in symptomatic patients with the rare form of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy with left mid-ventricular obstruction resulting in incomplete emptying of the apical portion of the LV and a significant intraventricular pressure gradient that was not responding to pharmacological therapy.

Aged↗

Phase II trial of gemcitabine in advanced non-small-cell lung cancer.

Gemcitabine has shown activity in different solid tumors. In the present study we have evaluated its efficacy in 32 patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer in a phase II trial. Gemcitabine (1250 mg/m2) was given intravenously as a 30-minute infusion on days 1, 8 and 15. Cycles were repeated every 4 weeks. Twenty-nine patients were evaluable for response and all patients for toxicity. Partial remissions and stable disease were seen in 4 (14%) and 13 (45%) patients, respectively. Improvement of symptoms occurred in 54% of the patients. Side effects were mild and included predominantly leukopenia and thrombocytopenia. In conclusion, gemcitabine is active and well tolerated in patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer.

Adult↗