Biomedical subjects

H Renner

Publications and source records attributed to H Renner.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2005

Early enteral feeding compared with parenteral nutrition after oesophageal or oesophagogastric resection and reconstruction.

After resective and reconstructive surgery in the gastrointestinal tract, oral feeding is traditionally avoided in order to minimize strain to the anastomoses and to reduce the inherent risks of the postoperatively impaired gastrointestinal motility. However, studies have given evidence that the small bowel recovers its ability to absorb nutrients almost immediately following surgery, even in the absence of peristalsis, and that early enteral feeding would preserve both the integrity of gut mucosa and its immunological function. The aim of this study was to investigate the impact of early enteral feeding on the postoperative course following oesophagectomy or oesophagogastrectomy, and reconstruction. Between May 1999 and November 2002, forty-four consecutive patients (thirty-eight males and six females; mean age 62, range 30-82) with oesophageal carcinoma (stages I-III), who had undergone radical resection and reconstruction, entered this study (early enteral feeding group; EEF). A historical group of forty-four patients (thirty-seven males and seven females; mean age 64, range 41-79; stages I-III) resected between January 1997 and March 1999 served as control (parenteral feeding group; PF). The duration of both postoperative stay in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU) and the total hospital stay, perioperative complications and the overall mortality were compared. Early enteral feeding was administered over the jejunal line of a Dobhoff tube. It started 6 h postoperatively at a rate of 10 ml/h for 6 h with stepwise increase until total enteral nutrition was achieved on day 6. In the controls oral enteral feeding was begun on day 7. If compared to the PF group, EEF patients recovered faster considering the duration of both stay in the ICU and in the hospital. There was a significant difference in the interval until the first bowel movements. No difference in overall 30 d mortality was identified. A poor nutritional status was a significant prognostic factor for an increased mortality. Early enteral feeding significantly reduces the duration of ICU treatment and total hospital stay in patients who undergo oesophagectomy or oesophagogastrectomy for oesophageal carcinoma. The mortality rate is not affected.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

Invasion of blood vessels as significant prognostic factor in radically resected T1-3N0M0 non-small-cell lung cancer.

OBJECTIVES: Radical resection is the therapy of choice in non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, even in early stages (T1N0, T2N0) up to 35% of patients will experience recurrence. The aim of this retrospective study was to evaluate the prognostic influence of lymph vessel or blood vessel invasion in N0 patients. METHODS: A total of 72 patients (male, 49; female, 23; median age 59; range 40-72) with NSCLC entered the study. The stages were T1-3N0 (T1, 25; T2, 41; T3, 6). Thirteen pneumonectomies and 59 lobectomies or bilobectomies with systematic lymphadenectomy and R0 resection were performed. Histologically, 24 adenocarcinomas, 31 squamous cell carcinomas and 14 subtypes of large cell carcinoma were found. In 22 cases microscopic invasion of the lymphatic vessels and in 11 invasions of blood vessels were found. Six patients showed invasion of either structure. RESULTS: The patients were followed up for at least 5 years or until death. During the follow-up period 27 patients died (21 because of recurrence and 6 because of diagnosis not related to NSCLC). The 5 years overall survival amounted to 62.5%. In cases with invasion of the blood vessels the survival rate was 23.5%, in cases without invasion 74.5% (P< or = 0.01), whereas lymph vessel invasion had no significant impact on survival. Multivariate analysis covering T stages, histological subtypes, location of the tumor, grading, age, sex, and invasion of the lymphatic or the blood vessels showed invasion of the blood vessels as the only factor with significant prognostic impact in the study population. CONCLUSIONS: In resectable N0 patients with NSCLC the microscopic invasion of blood vessels should be considered as an additional prognostic parameter.

Adult↗

PubMed2004

Intrapleural instillation of rituximab for the treatment of malignant pleural effusions in NHL.

A patient with CD20(+) leukaemic lymphoplasmacytic Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) presented with bilateral malignant pleural effusions. Systemic chemotherapy, repeated percutaneous drainage and bilateral continous chest tube drainage were unable to control the effusions. Rituximab was instilled in a dose-escalating manner via the chest tubes into both pleural spaces, within two weeks the effusions resolved, and the patient has stayed free of symptoms for eight months ongoing. Rituximab may be a promising novel treatment option for malignant effusions in CD20(+) NHL.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

PubMed2001

Indications for surgery in tracheobronchial ruptures.

OBJECTIVE: Ruptures of the tracheobronchial tree present a life-threatening situation. Nevertheless, therapy is still controversial. Though conservative treatment by antibiotics and intubation with the cuff inflated distal to the tear is favored by some authors, surgical repair is unavoidable in many cases. METHODS: We present a series of 31 patients (mean age 43.6 years, range 8--72 years) with iatrogenous or post-traumatic tracheobronchial ruptures treated since 1975. Fifteen ruptures were longitudinal tears of the trachea, not extending lower than a distance of 3 cm from the bifurcation, 11 involved the bifurcation and/or the main bronchi. The total length of the longitudinal tears ranged from 2 to 12 cm, five were transverse near complete abruptions of the trachea or main bronchi. Involvement of the full thickness of the wall with free view into the pleural space or to the esophageal wall was present in 29 cases. Twenty-nine out of the 31 patients underwent surgical repair and two were treated conservatively. The length and depth of the lesion, the degree of subcutaneous emphysema, pneumothorax and/or pneumomediastinum as well as clinical signs suggesting incipient mediastinitis were considered when making the decision for surgery. RESULTS: Twenty-five out of the 29 patients experienced an uneventful recovery. Four patients died of sepsis unrelated to the tracheobronchial trauma. One of the two patients who underwent conservative therapy also recovered uneventfully. The other one died because of multi-organ failure due to underlying myocardial infarction. CONCLUSIONS: Conveniently localized short lacerations, especially if they do not involve the whole thickness of the tracheal wall, can be treated with antibiotics and intubation with the cuff inflated distal to the tear, avoiding high intra-bronchial pressures also after eventual extubation. In all other cases surgical repair is to be preferred.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2001

Loss of heterozygosity on chromosome arm 11q in lung carcinoids.

Neuroendocrine lung tumors such as typical carcinoid, atypical carcinoid, small-cell lung carcinoma, and large-cell neuroendocrine carcinoma represent a variable group with different biologic characteristics and unclear genetical relationships. We investigated the pattern of allelic loss on chromosome arm 11q in 20 sporadic carcinoid tumors of the lung using 10 microsatellite markers. Loss of heterozygosity was found in 13 of 20 tumors. In 5 of 9 typical carcinoids, 3 distinct regions of allelic loss were identified: 11q13.1 (D11S1883), 11q14.3-11q21 (D11S906), and 11q25 (D11S910). Atypical carcinoids showed loss of heterozygosity at 4 different regions: the first, most proximal region at 11q13 between markers PYGM and D11S937; the second at 11q14.3-11q21 (D11S906); and the third and fourth defined by markers D11S939 (11q23.2-23.3) and D11S910 (11q25). However, the region 11q13 harboring the MEN1 gene was more frequently affected in atypical carcinoids (7 of 11) than in typical carcinoids (2 of 9). The high rate of allelic losses within chromosomal region 11q13 in atypical carcinoids emphasizes the importance of this region for tumor development. We also recognized that more aggressive atypical carcinoids defined by high mitotic counts, vascular invasion, and/or organ metastasis are combined with increased allelic losses. HUM PATHOL 32:333-338.

Adult↗

PubMed2000

Four-year experience with pleural abrasion using a rotating brush during video-assisted thoracoscopy.

BACKGROUND: Due to the high recurrence rate in primary spontaneous pneumothorax (PSP), surgical therapy is currently a well-accepted method of treating this condition. There is no general agreement about the best time for surgical intervention (i.e., after the first or second episode) or the optimal surgical approach,--i.e., tube thoracocenteses, thoracotomy, or video-assisted thoracoscopy (VATS) with or without pleurectomy or pleurodesis. The aim of this study was to verify the efficacy of VATS and mechanical brush pleurodesis using a rotating electrical brush system. METHODS: We treated 47 patients with PSP between June 1993 and June 1997. Follow-up ranged from 20 to 56 months. There were 38 male and nine female patients with a mean age of 26 years. Emergency thoracocenteses due to tension pneumothorax became necessary in three patients. All patients were treated by VATS and mechanical brush pleurodesis. Wedge resection was done if bullae or blebs were present (68.1%). RESULTS: Operating time was 20-60 min (mean, 35). There were no intraoperative complications and no conversions to conventional surgery. In the first few postoperative days, postoperative pain was controlled with nonsteroidal antirheumatic drugs and additional morphines. Drainage time was 3-7 days (mean, 4). Hospitalization time was 4-8 days (mean, 5). The recurrence rate was 2.1% (one patient). No postoperative bleeding or wound infection occurred in any of our patients. CONCLUSIONS: VATS combined with mechanical brush pleurodesis using the electrical brush system is a highly effective and safe treatment for patients with recurrent primary spontaneous pneumothorax.

Adolescent↗

PubMed2000

Does hyperbaric oxygen enhance the effect of photodynamic therapy in patients with advanced esophageal carcinoma? A clinical pilot study.

BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS: Experimental studies have shown that the cytotoxicity of porphyrins and related substances is mediated mainly by singlet oxygen and that hypoxic cells are less affected by porphyrins and light. In a clinical pilot study we assessed the use of photodynamic therapy (PDT) under hyperbaric oxygen (HBO), compared with PDT under normobaric conditions, in patients with advanced esophageal carcinoma. PATIENTS AND METHODS: After diagnostic work-up and staging, photosensitization in all patients was carried out using hematoporphyrine derivate (HpD) (2 mg/kg bodyweight 48 hours prior to PDT). We then applied light at 630 nm (KTP-Nd: YAG laser with DYE box) at dose of 300 J/cm, delivered by a fiber with a radial light-diffusing cylinder (length 1 cm), inserted through the biopsy channel of the endoscope. Of the patients, 14 (12 with stage III cancers, and two with stage IV cancers) were treated by PDT alone, and 17 patients (15 with stage III cancers, and two with stage IV cancers) received PDT under HBO at a level of 2 absolute atmospheric pressures (ATA). Transcutaneous PO2 levels of 500-750 mm Hg under HBO, compared with transcutaneous PO2 levels of 60-75 mm Hg under normobaric conditions, were measured. RESULTS: Improvements regarding dysphagia and stenosis diameter were obtained in both treatment arms with no significant differences (P = 0.36 and 0.14, respectively). The tumor length also decreased in both groups and showed a significant difference in favour of the PDT/ HBO group (P = 0.002). Kaplan-Meier statistics showed median overall survival for the PDT group and the PDT/HBO group as 7.0 and 12 months respectively. The 12-month survival rate was 28.6% for the PDT group and 41.2% for the PDT/HBO group. Logrank test showed a difference in survival in favor of the PDT/HBO group (P = 0.059). No major treatment-related complication occurred, and the 30-day mortality rate was 0%. CONCLUSIONS: Combined PDT/HBO represents a new approach in the treatment of esophageal cancer which, in this pilot study, appears to have enhanced the efficiency of PDT.

Adenocarcinoma↗

PubMed1999

Radiotherapy for invasive thymoma and thymic carcinoma. Clinicopathological review.

PURPOSE: This study reports clinicopathological features and outcome of thymic tumors. Twenty-seven patients with invasive thymoma and 6 patients with thymic carcinoma who had received radiotherapy either primary or postoperatively were analyzed retrospectively. PATIENTS AND METHODS: All 33 patients were irradiated with a mean dose of 50 Gy after complete resection (16 patients), partial resection (9 patients) or biopsy (8 patients). Staging was done according to the Masaoka classification; there were 12 Stage II, 12 Stage III and 9 Stage IV patients. RESULTS: In patients with invasive thymoma Stage II to IV (median follow-up 54.4 months) Kaplan-Meier estimates of overall survival (OS), disease-specific (DSS) and disease-free survival (DFS) at 5 years were 63.7% (95% confidence interval [CI], 42 to 84%), 88.3% (CI, 75 to 100%) and 77.4% (CI, 58 to 95%), respectively. Among the prognostic factors tested, such as age, myasthenia gravis, completeness of surgery and histologic subclassification, total radiation dose, and Masaoka Stage, the latter was the only significant predictor of improved survival (p = 0.04). Considering local control, radiation dose was a significant prognostic factor (p = 0.0006). In patients with thymic carcinoma (median follow-up 43.4 months) 5-year DSS, and DFS were 22.2% (CI, 0 to 60%) and 16.7% (CI, 0 to 46%), respectively. Thymoma as compared to thymic carcinoma had a statistically significant better DSS (p = 0.007) and DFS (p = 0.0007). CONCLUSION: Postoperative radiotherapy with sufficient doses plays an important role as adjuvant treatment in complete or incomplete resected invasive Stage II to III thymoma. In unresectable thymoma Stage III to IV as well as in thymic carcinoma a multimodality approach should be considered to improve survival.

Actuarial Analysis↗

PubMed1999

Self-expandable coated stent after intraluminal treatment of esophageal cancer: a risky procedure?

BACKGROUND: Stenting is a well established palliative treatment for stenotic malignant disease of the esophagus. Because of its merely mechanical potential other tumoricidal techniques are often done before stenting. METHODS: We did esophageal stenting in 11 patients (9 men and 2 women) using a self-expanding coated stent system. Three tumors were localized in the proximal, four in the middle, and four in the distal third of the esophagus. In 9 patients tumors were locally or functional nonresectable, 1 patient refused an operation, and 1 had a recurrence after esophagojejunostomy. One patient had had pretreatment by repetitive dilatation and local hyperthermia, 9 had had photodynamic therapy followed by endoluminal iridium 192 high-dose rate brachyradiotherapy, and 1 patient was admitted with esophagotracheal fistula. The interval between the last endoluminal treatment and stent insertion was between 3 and 29 days (mean, 11 days). RESULTS: In 7 patients (63.7%) no complications were observed. Four patients (36.3%) died of major complications within 1 week. Postmortem examination confirmed that the pressure of the fully expanding stent to the esophageal wall caused the rupture. CONCLUSION: The use of self-expanding coated stents in pretreated esophageal tumors is associated with a high risk of perforation due to pressure of the indwelling tube in a less resistant esophageal wall.

Adult↗

PubMed1998

Is aggressive surgery in pleural empyema justified?

OBJECTIVE: High risk and a long hospitalization time are often quoted as negative aspects of aggressive surgery in pleural empyema. We did a retrospective analysis evaluating outcome and duration of hospitalization in patients treated according to an aggressive schedule. METHODS: Since 1989 we have treated 101 patients with pleural empyema (72 males, 29 females; mean age 50.3 years, range 11-91 years; 77 metapneumonic empyema, 24 empyema following trauma or abdominal surgery). Sixty-nine patients had had unsuccessful conservative pre-treatment (antibiotics, thorcozentses, drainage/irrigation, VATS). Thirty-one were critically ill patients. In eight cases a seropurulent stage of empyema was present, 17 patients had fibrinous membranes, 30 an organizing stage with and 46 without well identifiable dissection plane. Eighty-five patients proceeded to thoracotomy. Pulmonary abscesses or indurative pneumonia necessitated wedge-resection, lobectomy, or pneumonectomy in 29 cases. In the presence of gross necroses or callosities not amenable to decortication primary open-window thoracostomy (n = 22) was carried out. In six cases a secondary open-window thoracostomy was carried out because of persisting putrid secretion and sepsis persisting after decortication or after drainage. The thoracostomy was closed when clean granulative tissue developed. Sixteen patients underwent only drainage and irrigation because of an early stage or because of a general condition not permitting thoracotomy. RESULTS: Three patients died due to severe sepsis not responding to treatment, one had fatal bleeding from a duodenal ulcer (mortality rate 3.9%). The others were able to resume their preoperative activities. The median duration of hospitalization was 14 days (mean 21.1 days; SEM 1.7 days). CONCLUSION: Aggressive surgery for pleural empyema beyond the seropurulent stage ensures rapid relief from sepsis at a low mortality rate even in very ill patients.

Chest Tubes↗

PubMed1996

Adjuvant radiotherapy for breast carcinoma in men: a 20-year clinical experience.

Breast cancer in men is a rare malignancy. Current knowledge about its natural history and diagnostic and therapeutic management relies on reviews and few retrospective studies. From 1972 to 1993, 21 men were irradiated for operable primary (n = 17) or recurrent (n = 4) breast cancers at our institution. The mean age at initial diagnosis was 60 years (45-79 years). Tumor distribution by stage was: stage I (two), stage II (seven), stage III (six), stage IV (two), and unknown in four cases. Patients received radiotherapy to the chest-wall and ipsilateral lymph nodes (17) and to the axilla (seven). Additionally hormones (two) and chemotherapy (four) were applied in some cases. Follow-up ranged from 24 to 190 months (median, 53 months). At last follow-up (November 1994), nine patients were alive and eight without disease. The median overall survival of the whole group was 69 months (mean, 106 months). The 3-year (70%), 5-year (59%) and 10-year survival rates (46%) were consistent with literature data. Overall, relapse- and disease-free survival rates were better in patients with stage I/II than in those with stage III/IV disease. Univariate analysis revealed more favorable results for patients with negative axillary nodes, patients younger than 60 years, those with centrally localized tumors, and patients with a diagnostic delay of < 3 months, but the differences were not statistically significant. Six patients relapsed who had not received initial adjuvant radiotherapy to the site of their relapse. At last follow-up, 13 patients had distant metastases, and 12 of them are dead of the metastatic disease, which developed less frequently in stage I/II than in stage III/IV disease. Postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy is an essential part of the overall treatment strategy of advanced node-negative and node-positive cancer of the breast in men.

Age Factors↗

PubMed1996

[Role of percutaneous radiotherapy in male breast carcinoma].

PURPOSE: Breast cancer in men is a very rare malignancy. Current knowledge about its natural history, diagnostic management and overall prognosis is poor and usually relies on reviews and a few retrospective studies. Herein we report about our past 20-year-clinical experience. PATIENTS AND METHODS: From 1972 to 1993, 21 men with histologically verified tumors were irradiated for operable primary (n = 17) or recurrent (n = 4) breast cancers at our institution. Patients received surgery and post-operative radiotherapy to the chest wall and ipsilateral lymph nodes. Additionally hormones and chemotherapy were applied in only a few cases (n = 5). RESULTS: The follow-up ranged from 18 to 184 months (median 46 months). At last follow-up (11/94), 9 patients were alive and 8 without disease. The median overall survival of all patients was 69 (mean: 106) months and the 5-year survival rate 59%. In univariate analysis, a relapse- and disease-free survival advantage was observed for patients with stage I/II disease, with negative lymph nodes, central tumor location, patients younger than 60 years and short interval (less than 3 months) from first symptoms and diagnostic verification of the malignancy. None of these factors, however, was statistically significant due to the low case number. CONCLUSION: Postoperative adjuvant radiotherapy is an essential part of the treatment strategy of advanced node-negative and node-positive cancer of the breast in men. With respect to locoregional tumor control it is a necessary treatment, while it does not influence the rate of distant metastases. The role of adjuvant hormones and chemotherapy management remains unclear from our scarce patient data.

Adenocarcinoma↗

PubMed1994

[Simultaneous radiochemotherapy in locoregional recurrent breast carcinoma after mastectomy. Results in patients with macroscopic residual tumor R2].

PURPOSE: The aim of this study was to create a treatment policy for macroscopic persistent tumor (R2) in the case of locoregional recurrent breast cancer after mastectomy. The large amount of persisting tumor cells before radiation therapy requires an aggressive therapeutic regime as known by literature. In this tumor situation our therapeutic concept is the combined simultaneous radiation and chemotherapy. PATIENTS AND METHODS: A retrospective evaluation of treatment and follow-up data of 71 patients was made. The median follow-up was 26.4 months. The local radiation therapy was combined with simultaneous chemotherapy, radiotherapy was triggered by the rhythm of chemotherapy: chemotherapy was given by CMF regime with modification according to dosage. Duration of chemotherapy was 2 weeks followed by 2 weeks without any therapy. Four courses of this regime were given. Irradiation was done simultaneously to chemotherapy using a split course technique. All patients had a visible and palpable macroscopic residual tumor before starting therapy so that the result of therapy could be documented easily. RESULTS: At the end of the therapy the complete remission rate (CR) was 89%. This was not depending on radiation dose if more than 30.00 Gy were given. For patients with CR the 5-year-probability of a re-recurrence infield is 29%. The rate of re-recurrence was depending on radiation dose. Increasing the dosage by boost technique above 50.00 Gy decreased re-recurrence to 50% of the value found by dosage of less than 50.00 Gy. Due to ipsilateral re-recurrence outfield the 5-year-probability for ipsilateral local tumor to be controlled continuously is 45%. The median overall survival rate of all patients was 32.5 months. Patients without haematogenous metastases at the beginning of the therapy and continuous local tumor control reached a median survival rate of 42.6 months in contrast to patients with haematogenous metastases or no local tumor control which had a median survival rate of 26.3 months (p < 0.04). CONCLUSION: The combined simultaneous radio-chemotherapy in the case of locoregionally recurrent breast cancer with macroscopic residual tumor (R2) is a successful treatment concept. A prospective study was initiated by ARO study group of the German Cancer Society to improve these data.

Adult↗

PubMed1993

[Is lymphography still relevant in seminoma?].

In the radiotherapist's point of view lymphography and computed tomography scan compete for staging and therapy planning of testicular seminoma. We investigated whether lymphogram can be replaced by computed tomography scan. 114 patients with histologically confirmed seminoma of the testis were treated by radiotherapy at the Nürnberg Community Hospital (n = 65) and the University of Erlangen (n = 49) from 1978 through 1991. Radiological staging included both computed tomography scan and lymphography in all cases. The results of both methods were similar in 79%. Computed tomography scan led to an upstaging in 4% while lymphography was negative. 17% of the patients showed negative results considering computed tomography scan while lymphogram was positive. In accordance with these data treatment portals or doses were altered in 21%. Using the M.D. Anderson Hospital clinical staging system a stage IIa (micrometastasis < 2 cm) is not safely identified by computed tomography scan. Just lymphography can safely identify a stage IIa patient. On the other hand, lymphography shows a very high amount of false positive interpretations. However, two conclusions are made: 1. Using a conventional technic (radiation of para-aortal and ipsilateral iliac region, dose about 30 Gy HD) lymphogram can be superseded by computed tomography scan. 2. In the case of reducing treatment volume and/or dose lymphogram should be added to computed tomography scan.

Dysgerminoma↗

PubMed1991

Proliferative capacity of mononuclear cells in the human lung.

In pulmonary sarcoidosis, a chronic granulomatous disorder with different stages of activity, the proliferative capacity of the alveolar mononuclear cells is unknown. To get a closer look at this proliferation we combined pulse labeling (by means of tritium thymidine incorporation and autoradiography) with an immunocytochemical staining assay. This assay revealed on one single slide simultaneously blue CD4+ lymphocytes, brown CD8+ lymphocytes and red macrophages. We were able to show that CD4+ as well as CD8+ lymphocytes were radiolabeled only in the active state of the disease. But macrophage proliferation occurred independently of the activity of the disease. In other words with this combination of techniques, it is possible to differentiate, on a single slide, three subsets of mononuclear cells, in combination with their proliferative behavior.

Autoradiography↗

PubMed1991

[Bronchoalveolar lavage in systemic scleroderma and systemic lupus erythematosus--differential cell values and enzyme cytochemistry].

The aim of the study was to determine the bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cell differentiation and the activity of beta-glucuronidase and N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase in alveolar macrophages. In 12 patients with systemic sclerosis (SS), 4 with systemic lupus erythematosus and 4 healthy controls BAL was performed. The activity of beta-glucuronidase and N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase was measured semiquantitative by means of cytochemical methods. Lymphocytes and neutrophils in BAL cell differentiation are increased, also the activity of beta-glucuronidase. The activity of N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase is decreased in SS and SLE in comparison with controls. The activity of beta-glucuronidase seems to be a marker of activity of alveolar macrophages in SS and SLE.

Acetylglucosaminidase↗

PubMed1991

[Normal rabbit sera. An immunologic and immunohistologic study].

Reported in this paper are results obtained from immunological and immunohistochemical studies into non-immune rabbit sera which were tested for various antimycobacterial antibodies. 11% of the sera were found to be positive by transmigration electrophoresis, while antibodies against mycobacteria were recorded from 94% of all rabbits by peroxidase-antiperoxidase (PAP), an immunohistological technique of higher sensitivity. Several owners had kept rabbits together with fowl, which was considered to be one of the causes of very high contamination of rabbit stock with mycobacterial antigens. Antimycobacterial antisera and control sera should be obtained from animals with no record of natural immunisation against mycobacteria, since this is the only way to avoid falsely positive reactions, primarily to the use of the immunohistological PAP technique.

Animals↗

PubMed1990

[Chemiluminescence measurements of bronchoalveolar lavage cells in patients with collagenosis].

The purpose of the study was to determine the role of reactive oxygen metabolites in the pathogenesis of interstitial lung involvement in 13 patients with collagen vascular diseases (CVD) in comparison with 10 control subjects. The cellular activity of bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) cells was measured by means of chemiluminescence (CL), spontaneously and after challenge of the cells with opsonized zymosan (simultaneously luminol- and lucigenin-dependent). The findings show an increase of the spontaneous and stimulated CL of BAL cells in CVD, more pronounced in luminol-dependent CL. The luminol-dependent CL correlates with neutrophils in BAL cell differentiation. The results suggest that reactive oxygen metabolites take part in interstitial lung involvement in patients with CVD. Therefore the measurement CL of BAL cells is useful in addition to BAL cell differentiation in diagnostic of interstitial lung involvement in CVD.

Bronchoalveolar Lavage Fluid↗