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Biomedical subjects

I Penttilä

Publications and source records attributed to I Penttilä.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1994

A flow cytometric study on the effect of low dose cyclic prednisolone treatment on sperm-bound antibody levels.

Using flow cytometry the changes in the proportion of spermatozoa positive for antisperm antibody, and for levels of sperm-bound immunoglobulin (Ig)G and IgA antibody and some other semen parameters were monitored during low dose cyclic prednisolone treatment to 11 male patients. Patients were given prednisolone 20 mg/day for the first 10 days of the partner's menstrual cycle and then 5 mg on days 11 and 12. The treatment was repeated for three cycles and the sperm parameters measured after the first cycle, third cycle and in four cases also 1 and 3 months after cessation of treatment. A clear reduction of sperm-bound IgG antibody levels was seen in 3/11 (27%) patients, while only IgA was reduced in 2/11 (18%) patients. Only minor changes in sperm-bound antibody levels were shown in 63% (7/11) of patients, and in one patient the levels of sperm antibody even increased. Thus, corticosteroid treatment did not reduce sperm-bound antibodies in the majority of cases. In those cases in which the levels of sperm antibody declined, the decrease in sperm-bound antibodies was noticeable even after one cycle of prednisolone treatment.

Autoantibodies↗
PubMed1994

Diagnostic value of tissue polypeptide specific antigen in patients with pancreatic carcinoma.

We evaluated the clinical utility of a new tumor marker tissue polypeptide specific antigen (TPS) in the diagnosis of pancreatic carcinoma. Serum concentrations were determined in 113 patients with jaundice, in 18 patients with laboratory values suggesting cholestasis and in 60 patients with suspicion of chronic pancreatitis or pancreatic tumor. Twenty-four of these 191 patients had pancreatic carcinoma and 2 patients had carcinoma of the papilla of Vater. The highest median serum TPS value was detected in patients with malignant liver disease, but high median values were also measured in patients with pancreatic cancer, bile duct cancer or benign liver disease. The sensitivity of TPS was 50.0%, with a specificity of 73% and an efficiency of 70%. In comparison with carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), CA 50 and CA 242, the TPS test showed lower sensitivity, but the differences in specificity and negative predictive value were considerably smaller. The utility of TPS as a complementary test was also analyzed. When TPS was combined with other marker tests, their specificities clearly improved, being highest in the combination of TPS and CA 242 (92.5%). In this combination, efficiency and positive likelihood ratio were also clearly better (85% and 5.6) than those of the marker tests alone. In conclusion, TPS seems less accurate than CEA, CA 50 or CA 242 in the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, but because of its different nature it may be considered to be used as a complementary test.

Biomarkers, Tumor↗
PubMed1993

Correlation between the ratio of serum low-density lipoprotein cholesterol and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol with that of serum apolipoproteins B and A-I.

Phosphowolframate/magnesium chloride, a commonly used precipitation method for the determination of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol in human serum, yields a supernatant containing almost all of the lipoproteins apo A-I and apo A-II but no lipoprotein apo B. The correlation between high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and apo A-I was very high (r = 0.94), as well as that between the precipitation method and ultracentrifugal analysis (r > 0.95, P < 0.001). In contrast, detergent precipitation (for the determination of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol in human serum) produced sediments which contained the major proportion of apo B and only minor amounts of apo A-I and apo A-II. The precipitation method for low-density lipoprotein cholesterol showed very good agreement with ultracentrifugal analysis (r = 0.99). Yields of 80.2% were obtained for apo B with both methods. Results obtained using the precipitation methods showed excellent agreement with those obtained using the Friedewald formula (r > 0.99). Results were also very similar when hypertriglyceridemic serum samples were briefly centrifuged before analysis of cholesterol, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triglyceride values. The present study shows highly significant correlations between cholesterol/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol or low-density lipoprotein cholesterol/high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and apo B/apo A-I ratios (P < 0.001). Apo B and apo A-I levels could be used in addition to low- and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol values when assessing the risk of cardiovascular disease, if the methods for determining serum apolipoproteins have been properly standardized.

Apolipoprotein A-I↗
PubMed1993

Inverse relationship between physical activity and plasma fibrinogen in postmenopausal women.

The relationship between habitual physical activity and plasma level of fibrinogen was investigated in a cohort of 180 postmenopausal women, aged 60-69 years. Plasma fibrinogen was determined from prediluted plasma by adding an appropriate amount of thrombin to the sample. The time until fibrin formation occurred was measured. Physical activity during the month and year preceding the examination was assessed using self-administered questionnaires. There was a statistically significant inverse relationship between physical activity and fibrinogen (beta = -0.20; P = 0.005). For further analyses of the association between physical activity and fibrinogen the subjects were classified into three categories according to their weekly physical activity frequency: 0 to 1, 2 to 3, and 4 or more during the preceding month. The mean (S.D. [95% CI]) levels of fibrinogen from lowest to highest categories were: 3.49 (1.10 [2.99, 3.99]), 3.31 (1.52 [2.82, 3.81]), and 3.20 (2.26 [2.73, 3.67]) g/l, respectively, when age, body mass index (BMI), smoking, alcohol intake, LDL-cholesterol and estrogen use were allowed for (P = 0.021). BMI was directly associated with fibrinogen (beta = 0.30; P < 0.001), especially in the physically least active women. Smoking was directly (beta = 0.19; P = 0.006) and estrogen use inversely (beta = -0.15; P = 0.037) related to plasma fibrinogen level. The present data suggest that in postmenopausal women a low level of physical activity is associated with a high level of plasma fibrinogen.

Aged↗
PubMed1993

Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis of the tumour markers CEA, CA 50 and CA 242 in pancreatic cancer; results from a prospective study.

The serum values of the tumour markers carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA), cancer-associated carboanhydrate antigens CA 50 and CA 242 were evaluated in 193 patients with hepatopancreato-biliary diseases by receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis in order to compare their diagnostic accuracy in pancreatic cancer (n = 26), and to define optimal cut-off levels for the serum values of these tumour markers in the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer. The ROC analysis showed that all marker tests are considerably sensitive (77-81%) at the specificity level of 80%. The CA 242 test was more sensitive than CEA and CA 50 at high specificity levels (> 0.90) but slightly less sensitive at low specificity levels (< 0.60). The CEA test and CA 50 test performed equally well at high and low specificity levels. According to this study, it would seem optimal to use the cut-off level of 4.1 ng ml-1 for CEA, and the level of 137 U ml-1 for CA 50, since they gave a sensitivity of 77% at the specificity levels of 83% and 84%, respectively. For CA 242 the optimal cut-off level was 21 U ml-1, which gave a sensitivity and specificity of 81%. In conclusion, the results of ROC curve analysis suggest that the CA 242 test has an advantage over CEA and CA 50 because of its higher specificity in pancreatic cancer. In addition, it would seem reasonable to use higher cut-off values than what has been recommended for CEA and CA 50 in the diagnosis of pancreatic cancer, but for CA 242 the recommended cut-off level of 20 U ml-1 seems appropriate.

Antigens, Tumor-Associated, Carbohydrate↗
PubMed1993

Serum cholesterol and high density lipoprotein cholesterol distributions in patients with acute myocardial infarction and in the general population of Kuopio province, eastern Finland.

As part of the FINMONICA project, serum total cholesterol (TC) and high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDLC) concentrations were determined in 1216 AMI patients (937 men, 279 women) aged 35-64 years in the province of Kuopio in eastern Finland during the 5-year period 1983-87. The distributions were compared with the corresponding distributions in a representative sample of the general population of the same area (1026 men, 1021 women). The mean serum TC levels did not differ between the AMI patients and the normal population. Only the prevalence of a very high serum TC level (> 8.0 mmol l-1) among women was significantly higher in the AMI group than in the population sample. On the other hand, in both sexes the age-adjusted mean HDLC was significantly lower in the AMI group than in the population sample. Our findings emphasize the importance of HDLC measurement as a part of the assessment of the lipid risk factor profile in patients with AMI.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Serum osteocalcin and carboxyterminal propeptide of type I procollagen in rheumatoid arthritis.

OBJECTIVES: Previous reports indicate that serum osteocalcin (serum bone GLA protein (S-BGP)) and carboxyterminal propeptide of type I procollagen (PICP) can be used as indicators of bone formation and turnover. The purpose of this study was to assess the activity of bone formation in patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) using S-BGP and S-PICP. The biochemical data were compared with data obtained from bone histomorphometry. METHODS: Concentrations of S-BGP and S-PICP were measured in 119 women with RA aged 30-66 years and 47 healthy female controls matched for age. Bone histomorphometry of iliac crest samples was performed in 107 patients with RA. RESULTS: Weak to moderate correlations between the serum markers and histological bone formation parameters were found. Concentrations of S-BGP and S-PICP were significantly decreased in patients with RA compared with the controls (S-BGP 7.2 (2.3) v 8.7 (2.1) micrograms/l; S-PICP 105 (32) v 117 (38) micrograms/l. The lowest values were found in patients with recent onset RA. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that bone formation and bone remodelling are generally reduced in patients with RA.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Lipids and lipoproteins predicting coronary heart disease mortality and morbidity in patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes.

BACKGROUND: The aim of this study was to investigate the association of lipoprotein fractions with the future risk of coronary heart disease (CHD) in patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes (NIDDM). METHODS AND RESULTS: At baseline, lipoprotein fractions were determined in 313 diabetic patients with NIDDM (153 men and 160 women), and these patients were followed up for 7 years with respect to CHD events (CHD death or all CHD events including CHD death or nonfatal myocardial infarction). Altogether, 56 NIDDM patients (28 men and 28 women) died from CHD and 25 had a nonfatal myocardial infarction (17 men and 8 women) during the follow-up. NIDDM patients having these CHD events during the follow-up had higher levels of total and very-low-density lipoprotein (VLDL) triglycerides and VLDL cholesterol and lower levels of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and HDL2 cholesterol than those without CHD events. The risk for CHD death was fourfold and for all CHD events, twofold higher among diabetics with low HDL cholesterol (< 0.9 mmol/L) than among diabetics with HDL cholesterol > or = 0.9 mmol/L. High triglyceride level (> 2.3 mmol/L) was associated with a twofold increase in the risk of CHD events. In multiple logistic regression analyses, HDL was inversely associated with CHD events and VLDL triglycerides with CHD events in NIDDM patients with low HDL cholesterol level (< or = 1.12 mmol/L). CONCLUSIONS: Our 7-year follow-up study gives evidence that low HDL and HDL2 cholesterol, high VLDL cholesterol, and high total and VLDL triglycerides are powerful risk indicators for CHD events in patients with NIDDM:

Cholesterol↗
PubMed1993

Value of serum alkaline phosphatase, aminotransferases, gamma-glutamyl transferase, leucine aminopeptidase, and bilirubin in the distinction between benign and malignant diseases causing jaundice and cholestasis: results from a prospective study.

A prospective study of 187 patients with jaundice and 33 patients with unjaundiced cholestasis was carried out to evaluate the value of serum bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase (ALP), aspartate aminotransferase (ASAT), alanine aminotransferase (ALAT), gammaglutamyl transferase (GGT), and leucine aminopeptidase (LAP) in the differential diagnosis between benign and malignant diseases causing jaundice and/or cholestasis. In the patients with malignant disease (n = 60), the mean serum bilirubin and ALP concentrations were significantly higher (p < 0.001) than in the patients with benign disease (n = 160). Serum LAP, ASAT, ALAT, or GGT levels did not show any significant differences. A stepwise discriminant analysis was carried out to evaluate the value of laboratory tests in predicting malignancy. The discrimination function is DF = bilirubin x 0.71 + ALP x 0.58 + ASAT x -0.24 + ALAT x 0.18 + LAP x 0.08 + GGT x -0.22. When the discriminant function was considered as a diagnostic score (DS), the sensitivity of it in detecting malignancy was 58% with a specificity of 89% and an efficiency of 81%. The DS of serum bilirubin and ALP reached the sensitivity of 61% with a 87% specificity and an efficiency of 79%. The post-test probability of malignant disease calculated by in this test combination was 69%. The LR+ was 4.8 and LR- 0.44. In conclusion, serum bilirubin and alkaline phosphatase seem to be the most potential tests of these laboratory tests in distinguishing benign and malignant causes of jaundice and/or cholestasis, high levels being suggestive of malignant disease.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1993

A Nordic reference serum suitable for use as trueness control in the clinical routine laboratory.

The described reference serum is characterized by: liquid human serum at "normal" level stored in frozen state at -80 degrees C; minimum damage of proteins; aseptic preparation; cryoprecipitate and excess fibrin removed; serum cleared by ultracentrifugation; pH at 7.2-7.6; available in sealed glass ampoules with inert gas (one ml serum in each); specified components among most frequently analyzed analytes; homogeneity assured and stability monitored; produced under strict rules for good manufacturing practices (GMP). The assigned values are traceable to reference measurement procedures and reference materials of highest achievable metrological level; according to the present proposal the maximum allowable uncertainty of the assigned value is based on biological variation (shared common reference intervals); the uncertainty should ideally not exceed 1/5 of the maximum allowable bias of results obtained on patients samples (even 1/2 would theoretically be acceptable and, for a practical guide approximately < 1% may suffice). The present document provides some guidance of how the reference serum could be established in practice. The document also indicates the use of the material and further extension of the concept. The present work is done as a NORDKEM project.

Blood Chemical Analysis↗
PubMed1993

Endocrine and metabolic effects of guar gum in menopausal women.

The effect of a gel-forming dietary fiber, guar gum (15 g/day) on blood pressure, climacteric symptoms, serum hormones (estrone, estradiol, testosterone, androstenedione, follicle-stimulating hormone and luteinizing hormone) and on blood glucose and serum lipids (cholesterol, high density lipoprotein (HDL) cholesterol and triglycerides) was studied in a double-blind, placebo-controlled, parallel-group trial involving 30 menopausal women. A total of 15 women (Group A) were treated with guar gum and 15 (Group B) with placebo, for 6 months. Patients visited the doctor at the beginning of the study and after 3 and 6 months of treatment. Climacteric symptoms decreased significantly (p < 0.001) in both groups. Serum total cholesterol decreased by 5% in the guar gum group but this was not statistically significant. No changes in serum hormone levels or in other lipid and blood glucose levels were observed in either group. Body weight and blood pressure also did not change.

Blood Glucose↗
PubMed1993

Effects of two low-fat diets, high and low in polyunsaturated fatty acids, on plasma lipid peroxides and serum vitamin E levels in free-living hypercholesterolaemic men.

Diet enriched with polyunsaturated fat may increase the susceptibility of LDL to oxidation. Therefore the effects of two low-fat diets on plasma lipid peroxides in free-living mildly hypercholesterolaemic men (n = 37) were investigated in a randomized single-blind 28-week study. Composition of the diets were (1) American Heart Association (AHA) type 32/10:8:8 (indicating percentages of energy from total fat/saturated fat:monoenes:polyenes in actual diet); (2) low-fat 30/12:8:3. The subjects kept 3-day dietary records five times during the study to estimate the intake of nutrients. Plasma lipid peroxides were measured photometrically as the thiobarbituric-acid reactive substances (TBARS). Levels of serum vitamin E during the study were also determined. Mean change (+/- SD) in serum low density lipoprotein (LDL) cholesterol was similar in both groups (-0.32 +/- 0.76 vs -0.32 +/- 0.87 mmol/l) (AHA type vs low-fat). Level of TBARS decreased (P < 0.05) during the AHA type diet (-8.4 +/- 37.1%) (mean +/- SD) and increased (P = 0.228) during the low-fat diet (+8.7 +/- 27.0%) from 0 to 6 months. The mean intake of total active tocopherols was greater (14.7 +/- 3.7 mg) during the AHA type diet compared to the low-fat diet (7.8 +/- 2.1 mg). Serum vitamin E to LDL cholesterol ratio increased from 8.9 +/- 2.9 to 9.6 +/- 2.4 nmol/mmol (0 vs 6 months) (P = 0.07) during the AHA type diet and from 8.6 +/- 2.6 to 9.3 +/- 2.4 nmol/mmol (P = 0.159) during the low-fat diet.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

American Heart Association↗
PubMed1993

The pH of secretions in sinusitis and otitis media.

Impaired mucociliary function is a common finding in patients with recurrent respiratory infections, sinusitis and otitis media. One main component of mucociliary transport, ciliary beating activity, is sensitive to environmental hydrogen ion concentration (pH). The pH of secretion in 103 specimens from acute or chronic sinusitis and in 98 specimens from acute or secretory otitis media were measured. There were no differences between acute and chronic sinusitis (mean of pH 7.5 +/- 0.5 and 7.4 +/- 0.6) or between mucous and purulent secretions. In acute otitis media, secretion was significantly more acidic than in secretory otitis media (mean of pH 7.7 +/- 0.5 versus 8.2 +/- 0.4). The pH was less than 7.0 in 16 (15.5%) patients with chronic sinusitis and in two (8%) patients with acute otitis. The study shows that pH of sinusal or tympanal secretion is, in the majority of patients, within limits that do not cause ciliostasis.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1992

Clinical evaluation of a new serum tumour marker CA 242 in pancreatic carcinoma.

The aim of this study was to evaluate the new monoclonal tumour marker CA 242 in the diagnosis of pancreatic carcinoma and to compare it with the established markers CA 50 and CEA. Serum concentrations were determined in 113 patients with jaundice, in 20 patients with laboratory values suggesting cholestasis, and in 60 patients with a suspicion to have chronic pancreatitis. Twenty-four of these 193 patients had pancreatic carcinoma and two patients had carcinoma of papilla of Vater. The sensitivities of CA 242, CA 50 and CEA were 80.7%, 96.1%, and 92.3%, respectively. The specificities were 79.0%, 58.0%, and 59.2%. The sensitivities of combinations of CA 50 and CEA with CA 242 did not exceed the sensitivity of CA 50 alone. The specificity of CA 242 was improved by combining it with CEA (92.2%). The serum marker CA 242 seems to be less sensitive than CEA and CA 50 in the detection of pancreatic carcinoma, but it may prove useful because of its high specificity.

Adenoma, Bile Duct↗
PubMed1992

Identification of health status dimensions in a working-age population. An exploratory study.

With regard to health care there is a growing demand for comprehensive and reliable instruments of general health status measurement. In the Finnish Healthy Village Study, 427 men and 366 women of working age participated in a comprehensive health examination that included more than 120 physical, psychological, and social health status variables. On the basis of minimum correlation values, 37 health status variables were chosen for factor analytic study. Principal component factor analysis with varimax rotation identified six dimensions of health status: physical functioning, emotional state, perceived health, anthropometric state and blood pressure, social functioning, and biochemical state. These six factors accounted for 46% of the total variance of health status variables. Health profile analysis of both men and women revealed the same dimensions but in different order. Men ranked their self-rated general health more closely with their physical functioning, whereas women ranked it with perceived health. The identification of general health status dimensions has implications for planning health promotion programs and evaluating their outcomes.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Early abnormalities in coronary heart disease risk factors in relatives of subjects with non-insulin-dependent diabetes.

Coronary heart disease risk factor levels were studied in 184 first-degree relatives (sisters and brothers) of non-insulin-dependent diabetic subjects (124 relatives with normoglycemia, 34 relatives with impaired glucose tolerance [IGT], and 26 relatives with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus [NIDDM]) and in 215 relatives of nondiabetic subjects (194 relatives with normoglycemia and 21 relatives with IGT). Subjects with IGT exhibited the highest insulin responses to an oral glucose load. Systolic blood pressure was significantly higher; serum high density lipoprotein cholesterol level was significantly lower; and total, low density lipoprotein, and very low density lipoprotein triglyceride levels were higher in the relatives with a family history of diabetes who had IGT or NIDDM than in the normoglycemic relatives without a family history of diabetes. These abnormal changes were not seen in normoglycemic relatives or relatives with IGT who had no family history of NIDDM. Thus, in relatives of diabetics, abnormal glucose tolerance seems to induce changes in cardiovascular heart disease risk factor levels that are similar to those observed in NIDDM. Therefore, a family history of diabetes adds substantially to the risk for atherosclerosis, particularly in subjects with IGT.

Apolipoproteins↗
PubMed1992

Contents of apolipoprotein A-I, A-II and B of the human serum fractions for high-density and low-density lipoproteins prepared by common precipitation methods.

Two common precipitation methods for the determination of HDL-cholesterol in human serum were used, dextran sulphate/MgCl2 and phosphowolframate/MgCl2. They yield supernatants which contained almost all of the apoA-I and apoA-II lipoproteins but no lipoprotein apoB. The correlations between chol-HDL and apoA-I were about the same with these methods (r = 0.79 and 0.80). The correlation between the precipitation methods and ultracentrifugal analysis for chol-HDL was highly significant (r = > 0.95). Correspondingly, two common precipitation methods for the determination of LDL-cholesterol in human serum, buffered heparin, and polyvinyl sulphate procedures, produced sediments, which contained the major proportion of the apoB and only small amounts of apoA-I and apoA-II. However, yields of only 69.0-80.2% were obtained for apoB from the sediments and of 85.8-89.4% from supernatants calculated as the difference from chylomicron free serum. This difference might be due to alterations of the molecular structure of apoB by the precipitation reagents. Comparison of the results with the precipitation methods to those using the Friedewald formula showed excellent agreements (r = > 0.91). Very comparable results were also obtained in the case of marked hypertriglyceridaemia provided that the serum samples were briefly centrifuged before analysis of chol, chol-HDL, and triglyceride values for the formula of chol-LDL. The precipitation methods for chol-LDL showed very good agreement with the values obtained by ultracentrifugal analysis (r = > 0.93). There were no remarkable differences in the correlation of apoB and chol-LDL values measured by different methods (r = 0.85). According to the present results it was found that highly significant correlations existed between chol/chol-HDL or chol-LDL/chol-HDL and apoB/apoA-I ratios (p < 0.001). It is quite evident that apoB and apoA-I values could be used to replace chol-LDL and chol-HDL values when the risk for the cardiovascular diseases is to be assessed.

Apolipoprotein A-I↗