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H Orjasaeter

Publications and source records attributed to H Orjasaeter.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1995

Experiences of the Janus Serum Bank in Norway.

The ongoing JANUS project was started in 1973. The serum bank comprises 424,938 serum samples consolidated from 293,692 donors. The specimens are stored at -25 degrees C. From 1 to 13 consecutive samples are available from each donor. Up to October 1993 about 14,000 of the donors had developed some form of cancer. Frozen serum samples collected from a few months to 19 years prior to clinical recognition of their disease are available for research purposes. The principle aim of the JANUS project is to search in the premorbid sera for chemical, biochemical, immunological or other changes that might be indicative of cancer development at early stages. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and two-dimensional protein electrophoresis have been used to evaluate the stability of the frozen sera. Some recent findings are: CA-125 may be elevated months prior to the diagnosis of ovarian cancer; serum thyroglobulin may be a preclinical tumor marker in subgroups of thyroid cancer; low levels of selenium in serum reflects increased risk of thyroid cancer; raised antibodies in serum against Epstein-Barr virus is a risk factor for development of Hodgkins disease; prostate-specific antigen may be elevated years prior to clinical diagnosis of prostate cancer; and linoleic acid in serum phospholipids is inversely related to breast cancer risk. The serum bank is, in principle, suitable for environmental studies, e.g., human exposure assessment. The steering committee of the JANUS project is open to suggestions for collaborative research on this topic.

Biomarkers, Tumor↗
PubMed1994

Liver disease in anti-hepatitis C virus-positive Norwegian blood donors.

In a prospective study of 16,756 consecutive blood donors, we found 54 donors (0.3%) to be anti-hepatitis C virus (HCV)-positive by a first-generation enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. After retesting, 18 donors were confirmed positive or indeterminate by a second-generation recombinant immunoblot assay. Sixteen of these donors were found positive by a second-generation enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, and 15 of these were positive by HCV polymerase chain reaction with two primer sets. Nine donors (50%) had a history of drug abuse. In 15 donors found positive by a second-generation enzyme-linked immunoblot assay liver biopsy specimens were taken after at least 6 months' follow-up. In all except one hepatitis C RNA-negative donor, histologic abnormalities were observed, even when alanine aminotransferase (ALAT) levels were continuously normal or only moderately elevated. The abnormalities were less pronounced in these donors (n = 5) than in donors with ALAT levels increased more than twice the upper normal limit (p < 0.05). In conclusion, we found the proportion of previous drug abusers in anti-HCV-positive blood donors to be high. We confirm that the presence of anti-HCV (second generation) usually, and HCV-RNA always, seems to indicate ongoing infection--also when ALAT levels are normal. Our study further suggests that low-activity hepatitis, evaluated by ALAT levels, may indicate a milder disease.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

The JANUS serum bank.

The on-going JANUS project was initiated by the Norwegian Cancer Society in 1973. The serum bank comprises close to 0.5 million serum samples collected from 170,000 donors. From 2-16 consecutive samples are available from each donor. The sera are stored at -25 degrees C. At regular intervals the JANUS-collection is matched against the files of the Norwegian Cancer Registry. From 1973 to 1991 almost 5000 of the donors have developed some form of cancer. Frozen serum samples collected from a few months to 18 years prior to clinical recognition of their disease are consequently available for research purposes. The aim of the JANUS-project is to search in these premorbid sera for chemical, biochemical, immunological or other changes that might be indicative of cancer development at early stages. Gas chromatography-mass spectrometry and two-dimensional protein electrophoresis have been used to evaluate the stability of the frozen sera. Some recent findings are: CA125 is elevated several months prior to diagnosis of ovarian cancer; serum thyroglobulin may be a preclinical tumour marker in subgroups of thyroid cancer; low level of selenium in serum reflects increased risk of thyroid cancer; and raised antibodies in serum against Epstein-Barr virus is a risk factor for development of Hodgkin's disease. On-going research includes trace elements and cancer, and studies on lipid-profiles, diet and cancer. The serum bank may in principle be used for other purposes, e.g. in environmental studies. Analysis of sequential sera may determine chemical substances in the sera that might reflect differences in exposure to environmental pollutants in the period 1973-1991.

Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate↗
PubMed1993

Serum carbohydrate-deficient transferrin as a marker of alcohol consumption in patients with chronic liver diseases.

We measured serum levels of carbohydrate deficient transferrin (CDT) in 420 subjects: 100 healthy blood donors, 82 healthy employees, 70 abstaining patients with different chronic nonalcoholic liver disease, 16 abstaining patients with alcoholic fatty liver, 50 abstaining patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis, 25 abusing patients with alcoholic fatty liver, 41 abusing patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis, and 36 patients with alcohol dependence syndrome with a daily ethanol consumption of 173 +/- 120 g the last 4 weeks before blood was drawn. In controls the serum level of CDT was significantly higher in females compared with males (17.7 +/- 5.1 and 13.7 +/- 3.8 units/liter, respectively), and the upper normal limit was defined as 27 and 20 units/liter. Sixty-two of 102 (60.8%) abusing patients with alcoholic liver disease had increased levels of CDT compared with 1 of 66 abstaining (1.5%) patients with alcoholic liver disease, and 10 of 70 (14.3%) abstaining patients with nonalcoholic liver disease among them 3 with primary biliary cirrhosis and 2 with chronic autoimmune hepatitis. No correlation was found between serum CDT and gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase (GGT), AST, ALT, and mean red cell volume (MCV). The sensitivity and specificity for serum CDT was 61 and 92%, respectively, compared with 85 and 18% for GGT and 70 and 66% for MCV. No advantage was gained by using the CDT/transferrin ratio. Our study confirms that CDT is a specific marker for chronic alcohol abuse, except in few patients with other chronic liver diseases. Serum CDT seems to be a better indicator of abstention than GGT; AST and MCV in patients with alcoholic liver disease. However, in our hands CDT is not so sensitive for alcohol abuse in patients with liver disease as reported earlier in unselected alcoholics.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

[Attitude of blood donors towards cholesterol measurement].

In analyses of cost-effectiveness it is customary to count knowledge of having a high serum cholesterol level as a negative factor. There is little support for this practice in the literature. We have studied the attitude of 305 Norwegian blood donors towards cholesterol testing. 63% stated that they were interested in their serum cholesterol level, and 40% said they knew their own serum cholesterol level. The attitude towards cholesterol testing was clearly positive, both among men and among women, regardless of age. Only one donor stated that she did not want to have her serum cholesterol tested in conjunction with blood donation.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

[Changes in serum cholesterol level in blood donors over a 2-year period].

Serum cholesterol levels were measured in 280 blood donors between November 1988 and May 1989 and again between February and April 1991. In 84 of these persons the cholesterol level was also measured between November 1989 and January 1990. The 122 females showed a 9.6% reduction in mean serum cholesterol from 5.8 mmol/l in the first sample to 5.2 mmol/l in the final sample. The 158 males showed a 7.4% reduction from 5.7 to 5.3 mmol/l. Females with initial values greater than 6 mmol/l showed an average reduction in serum cholesterol of 15.2%. For males with initial values greater than 6 the reduction was 14.0%. There was no difference in reduction between those whose cholesterol was measured at the beginning and the end of the study and those whose cholesterol was also controlled during the course of the study. Our study shows that, in the case of blood donors, a programme involving measuring serum cholesterol and distributing written information can lead to a substantial reduction in serum cholesterol.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

[The effect of conversion from blood donation to plasma donation on serum ferritin and hemoglobin].

In the present study the effect of a change from whole blood to plasma donation on iron stores is investigated by measuring serum ferritin levels. Paired serum samples from 125 plasma donors showed a significant increase in mean serum ferritin level with plasmapheresis. 76% of the plasma donors showed an increase in serum ferritin. For plasma donors the haemoglobin concentration is not related to serum ferritin level and hence to iron stores, and a change in haemoglobin concentration is not related to a change in serum ferritin. Plasma donation is a good alternative to whole blood donation for fertile women and for blood donors opposed to iron supplements.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

[Cholesterol status of blood donors. Motivation for dietary changes and their effects].

We present the results of serum-cholesterol measurements in 956 blood donors and an evaluation of their motivation for dietary changes based on answers to a questionnaire. The mean serum-cholesterol level was 5.5 mmol/l for women and 5.7 mmol/l for men, with an increase in serum-cholesterol with age. Motivation for dietary changes was food, since 85% answered that they would change their diet if their serum-cholesterol was high. 65% of those who knew their serum-cholesterol to be high before this study had changed their diet. 38% of the smokers answered that they would stop smoking if their serum-cholesterol was high. Eight to 14 months later, serum-cholesterol measurements in 201 of the blood donors showed that 72.4% of those with serum-cholesterol greater than 6 mmol/l had changed their diet and that these had reduced their serum-cholesterol by an average 10.6%.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

[The effect of plasmapheresis on IgG and albumin].

Since 1986, we have performed 26,500 plasma donations at the Red Cross and National Hospital Blood Centre. In conjunction with these donations, 4,000 serum samples from 3,400 donors have been tested for IgG and albumin level. 125 donors who donated plasma regularly were studied further. In this group we found a mean reduction in IgG of 0.3 g/l, but no significant reduction in albumin. Even for donors who donate regularly the mean time interval between donations was more than 40 days. Today's recommendation of regular IgG and albumin control is a result of experiences from twice weekly plasma donations in the USA. We conclude that such testing is unnecessary in Norway.

Adult↗
PubMed1989

Serum procollagen III peptide in alcoholic and other chronic liver diseases.

Increased levels of serum procollagen III peptide (P-III-P) have been found in patients with alcoholic hepatitis and cirrhosis. Serum P-III-P was increased (greater than 15 micrograms/l) in 38 of 44 (86%) patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis, in 6 of 20 (30%) with fatty liver, in 1 of 13 (8%) with non-alcoholic fatty liver, and in 3 of 14 (21%) with other chronic liver diseases. Median serum P-III-P was almost three times higher in alcoholic liver cirrhosis than in alcoholic fatty liver (p less than 0.001). Serum P-III-P was increased in three of six patients with alcoholic fatty liver and periportal fibrosis. In the total material (n = 91), a statistically significant negative correlation between serum P-III-P and albumin (r = -0.71, p less than 0.001) and Normotest (r = -0.63, p less than 0.001), respectively, and a positive correlation between serum P-III-P and bilirubin (r = 0.65, p less than 0.001) were found. The serum level of P-III-P had no prognostic value concerning the mortality in patients with alcoholic cirrhosis.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Plasma CEA in large bowel carcinoma: which patients should be followed by regular postoperative measurements? Preliminary follow-up results in 100 patients with different tumor DNA-ploidy patterns.

In 100 patients with large bowel carcinomas, the tumors were divided into a distinctly aneuploid (AN) group (63) and a near diploid (ND) group (37) by flow cytometric (FCM) DNA quantitation of cell suspensions. Preoperative plasma CEA levels were determined in all patients. Thirty-eight patients with AN and 28 patients with ND tumors were operated on for cure and had normal plasma CEA levels postoperatively. These two groups had regular CEA plasma measurements as part of the clinical follow-up. In the AN group, 12 of 15 patients have had recurrence preceded by CEA elevation. In the ND group, however, only one of eight recurrences was preceded by a rise in CEA level; the one with elevation also had increased plasma CEA prior to operation. It thus seems that a low CEA output of ND tumors explains many of the "false-negative" CEA measurements in disseminated cases. It is concluded that, in addition to patients with an elevated preoperative plasma CEA level, all patients with aneuploid tumors should be subjected to repeated plasma CEA measurements as part of the follow-up program.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Comparison of two CEA assays in primary and recurrent large bowel carcinoma with different DNA ploidy pattern.

Pre-operative CEA levels were measured in 100 patients with large bowel carcinomas with different DNA ploidy pattern and serial post-operative determinations performed in the 64 who had been operated for cure. The follow-up period was 3 1/2-8 yr. All CEA measurements were performed consecutively with a RIA (Roche), and subsequently repeated in one batch with an EIA (Roche) based on a monoclonal antibody. Both assays showed a similar number of 'false-negative' CEA levels pre-operatively--varying from 69% in aneuploid (AN) Dukes' A to 8% in AN Dukes' D tumours, and from 75% in near diploid (ND) Dukes' A to 40% in ND Dukes' D tumours. The sensitivity for detecting recurrence in patients with tumours of either ploidy pattern was slightly better with EIA than with RIA. A difference between the AN and ND group was shown somewhat better with RIA, the sensitivity in the AN group being 79% and the median lead time 7 months compared to 13% and 2 months in the ND group. The corresponding figures with EIA were 71% and 7 months for the AN group and 63% and 1 1/2 months for the ND group. However, all but one of the patients with ND DNA pattern who showed recurrence-associated CEA elevation with EIA also had an elevated level pre-operatively. We conclude that all patients operated for cure should be followed by regular CEA measurements post-operatively if they had an elevated CEA level prior to operation.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Aneuploidy↗
PubMed1986

Carcinoembryonic antigen in patients with gastric carcinoma.

Carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) was quantified pre- and post-operatively in plasma from 171 patients with gastric carcinoma. The pre-operative plasma concentration was above the normal reference value (3.5 micrograms/l) in 18% of the patients in stage I-III (pTNM) and in 57% of the patients in stage IV. Pre-operative concentrations above 10 micrograms/l indicated metastatic or inoperable disease. The concentrations were not different between the stages I, II and III. However, the pre-operative CEA concentrations were related to survival after potentially curative resection. At recurrence most of the patients had markedly increased CEA, often with increasing CEA in the months before clinical recurrence. Most of the patients clinically disease-free at the end of the follow-up period had a transitory or prolonged post-operative elevation of CEA. This made the post-operative evaluation of CEA difficult. Serial determination of CEA in the follow-up of gastric cancer patients therefore had little or no clinical value, whereas the pre-treatment levels were of clinical significance.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

Comparison of a CEA-EIA assay based on monoclonal antibody with a CEA-RIA assay with polyclonal antiserum.

A monoclonal CEA-EIA assay is evaluated with respect to clinically pertinent data. Comparison is done with the conventional CEA-RIA assay (Roche). Good interlaboratory reproducibility was found, and the stability was very good over the one year evaluation period. The EIA assay could be performed in samples of serum and plasma with compatible results. The correlation between the EIA and RIA values was different in different diagnostic groups, with high correlation in colo-rectal cancer, and low in non-malignant diseases, in which the EIA assay had a lower frequency of CEA positive values. In colo-rectal cancer the RIA assay shows a 20% specificity improvement compared with the EIA assay. This was also reflected in better predictability for true positive and true negative cancer diagnosis in this group of patients as well as increased ability to discriminate between malignant and non-malignant diseases. In other groups of patients, like lung cancer and uterine cervical cancer, such improvement was not seen. The discrimination between malignant and non-malignant diseases was comparable to that of the RIA assay. In follow-up series the EIA and RIA assays detected recurrences and responses to treatment in a quite similar way. In most cases of recurrences from colo-rectal cancer, however, the EIA values increased faster and were a better indicator for recurrent disease than the RIA values.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗
PubMed1984

The prognostic significance of carcinoembryonic antigen determinations in patients with adenocarcinoma of the cervix.

Pretreatment levels of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) correlate well with the extent of disease in squamous cell and adenocarcinoma of the cervix. These two tumor types, however, have significantly different capacities for CEA release. The prognostic significance of pretreatment CEA determinations in squamous cell cancers is restricted to a subpopulation of these tumors and low values are equivocal. The present paper reports a long-term follow-up of 54 patients with adenocarcinoma of the cervix, all stages. It was found that no patient, regardless of stage, with an initial value over 15 micrograms/liter survived the disease. In the range between 5 and 15 micrograms/liter the recurrence rate was 67%. Patients with initial values under 5.0 micrograms/liter had an estimated 5-year survival of 90% in contrast to 11% if pretreatment values were over this limit. In Stage I, only 1 out of 8 patients with pelvic lymph node metastasis had a pretreatment value under 5.0 micrograms/liter. CEA determinations are of definite value in the planning of treatment and follow-up of patients with adenocarcinoma of the cervix.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1983

Association between HLA-B40 and acute alcoholic hepatitis with cirrhosis and the lack of relation between carcinoembryonic antigen and HLA antigens in alcoholic liver disease.

The frequency of HLA-B40 was significantly increased in 30 patients with acute alcoholic hepatitis with cirrhosis (63%) and in 60 patients with alcoholic cirrhosis with or without acute alcoholic hepatitis (48%) compared with its frequency in 234 healthy blood donors (18%). The HLA-B40 frequency was not increased in 20 patients with acute alcoholic hepatitis without cirrhosis (0%), in 41 patients with fatty liver infiltration (12%), or in 67 alcoholics with moderate biochemical abnormalities (19%). The association between HLA-B40 and alcoholic liver cirrhosis and acute alcoholic hepatitis with cirrhosis favors the idea that these disorders might be genetically determined. There was, however, no difference in the distribution of the HLA antigens in 54 patients with different degrees of alcoholic liver disease and an elevated carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) value of greater than or equal to 5.0 micrograms/l compared with 61 alcoholics with different degrees of liver disease and a normal CEA value. Thus, the results of HLA-A and -B typing gave no evidence of genetic susceptibility to develop a CEA elevation in patients with alcoholic liver disease.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1983

Five years' follow-up of patients with elevated carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and alcoholic liver disease, with special reference to mortality rate and development of malignancy.

Plasma-carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) was analyzed by a modified CEA-Roche radioimmunoassay (RIA) in 109 alcoholics with various degrees of liver disorders. The total mortality rate during the 5-year observation period was 48%, compared with an expected mortality rate of 12% (p less than 0.001). Sixty-one per cent of 46 alcoholics with CEA values greater than or equal to 5.0 micrograms/l died during the observation period of 5 years, compared with 38% of 63 cases with normal CEA values (p less than 0.05), indicating a possible prognostic value of CEA. Ten patients developed malignancies during the observation period, which is more than three times the expected cancer frequency in this groups. The frequency of malignant disease was not higher in alcoholics with initially elevated CEA than in those with normal values. Thus, CEA seems to be of no value for predicting malignancy in alcoholics.

Adult↗