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Biomedical subjects

J Mezger

Publications and source records attributed to J Mezger.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1996

[Libyan patient with chronic diarrhea].

A 22-year-old Libyan patient suffering from chronic diarrhea presented with an alpha-heavy chain paraprotein and a lympho-plasmacellular lymphoma infiltration of the duodenal mucosa. These findings supported the diagnosis of "immunoproliferative small intestinal disease" (IPSID). In this disease, that occurs almost solely in countries with low socioeconomic status, a diffuse infiltration of small intestinal mucosa by neoplastic lymphoid cells causes chronic malabsorption. About 65% of patients exhibit a paraprotein in serum, urine or jejunal juice that consists of the heavy chain of immunoglobulin A (alpha-heavy chain). In advanced stages, IPSID resembles histologically and clinically high grade lymphoma: some patients develop masses in the gut wall, an abdominal lymphadenopathy and involvement of other organs including bone marrow. The disease is believed to be triggered by a chronic infectious antigenic stimulus. Thus, in early stages in some patients cure may be achieved by antibiotic therapy alone. In advanced disease, chemotherapy including anthracyclins is necessary.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Clinical significance of serum S100 in metastatic malignant melanoma.

The clinical significance of serum S100 was assessed in comparison to neuron-specific enolase (NSE) in 126 patients with malignant melanoma: 80 patients with clinical stage I/II, 23 patients with stage III and 23 patients with stage IV according to the criteria of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC). Using cut-off values of 0.15 micrograms/l for S100 and 12.5 micrograms/l for NSE, the sensitivity was found to be 1.3% (1/80) for S100 and 8.75% (7/80) for NSE in patients with stage I/II, 8.7% (2/23) for S100 and 13% (8/23) for NSE in patients with stage III, and 73.9% (17/23) for S100 and 34.8% (8/23) for NSE in patients with stage IV disease (P < 0.05). In 6 patients with stage III/IV tumours, serial measurement of serum S100 and NSE was performed. A rise of serum S100 indicated progression of the disease; a decline indicated response to treatment. Our preliminary results support the value of serum S100 as an adjunct to the clinical staging and monitoring of metastatic malignant melanoma.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Clinical significance of serum S100 in metastatic malignant melanoma.

The clinical significance of serum S100 was assessed in comparison to neuron-specific enolase (NSE) in 126 patients with malignant melanoma: 80 patients with clinical stage I/II, 23 patients with stage III and 23 patients with stage IV according to the criteria of the American Joint Committee on Cancer (AJCC). Using cut-off values of 0.15 microgram/l for S100 and 12.5 micrograms/l for NSE, the sensitivity was found to be 1.3% (1/80) for S100 and 8.75% (7/80) for NSE in patients with stage I/II, 8.7% (2/23) for S100 and 13% (8/23) for NSE in patients with stage III, and 73.9% (17/23) for S100 and 34.8% (8/23) for NSE in patients with stage IV disease (P < 0.05). In 6 patients with stage III/IV tumours, serial measurement of serum S100 and NSE was performed. A rise of serum S100 indicated progression of the disease; a decline indicated response to treatment. Our preliminary results support the value of serum S100 as an adjunct to the clinical staging and monitoring of metastatic malignant melanoma.

Aged↗
PubMed1994

[Expression of transforming growth factor beta-3 (TGF-beta-3) on reactive and malignant cells in ascites and pleural effusion].

PATIENTS AND METHOD: The expression of TGF-beta-3 was examined in 64 patients with reactive and malignant effusion by immunocytochemistry. RESULT: In about half of the patients with malignant effusions (especially breast cancer, gastric cancer, and carcinomas of unknown primary) TGF-beta positive tumor cells could be detected. We could show here for the first time that reactive mesothelial cells could also express TGF-beta. Lymphatic cells were negative in all cases. TGF-beta-3 bioactivity could also be detected in the effusions studied. In our group of patients with far advanced cancer, the expression of TGF-beta had no clear-cut clinical or prognostic correlate. However, the expression of TGF-beta on tumor cells should be interpreted as a marker of tumor progression, taking into account the fibrogenic, angiogenic and immunosuppressive properties of TGF-beta. CONCLUSION: Further research is necessary to answer the question if the 3 isoforms of TGF-beta are coordinately expressed and to elucidate the involvement of this cytokine in tumor progression and metastasis.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Invasive bacterial infections in children born to women infected with human immunodeficiency virus type 1.

To determine the rates and characteristics of invasive bacterial infections in children infected with the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1), we conducted a prospective, longitudinal, observational cohort study of infants born to HIV-1-infected mothers between Dec. 1, 1985, and Sept. 30, 1989. Of 104 subjects whose HIV-1 infection status could be definitively determined, 21 were infected with HIV-1 and 83 were not. In all, 11 (48%) of 23 invasive infections occurred among 10 HIV-1-infected patients and 12 (52%) of 23 occurred among 11 uninfected subjects. Infections with Streptococcus pneumoniae (n = 8), all of which were community acquired, accounted for the greatest proportion (35%) of the organisms isolated from either the blood or the cerebrospinal fluid. Five episodes of pneumococcal bacteremia occurred in the HIV-infected patients; all resolved promptly after treatment was begun, and no serious focal infections developed. Of 13 instances of bacteremia with an organism other than S. pneumoniae, seven were nosocomial. The rate of community-acquired invasive bacterial infections among the HIV-infected children was nearly three times higher than the rate in the non-HIV-infected children (overall, 1.02 infections per 100 person-months vs 0.37 infection per 100 person-months; rate ratio, 2.8; p = 0.05). Most of the increased risk occurred in children > 1 year of age. In contrast, the difference in the rates of infection between those patients in the two groups who were less than 12 months of age was not significant (1.3 infections per 100 person-months vs 0.81 infection per 100 person-months; rate ratio, 1.6; p = 0.47). We conclude that the rate of invasive bacterial infection is higher in HIV-infected children than in their peers, especially after 1 year of age.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1993

An association of the RB gene with osteosarcoma: molecular genetic evaluation of a case of hereditary retinoblastoma.

A 24-year-old male patient with hereditary retinoblastoma and a poorly differentiated osteoblastic osteogenic sarcoma was found to carry a mutant RB1 allele in all cells. This findings was most likely a point mutation or microdeletion because Southern blot analysis of peripheral blood DNA failed to disclose any structural aberration of the RB1 gene. A somatic mutation (deletion) affecting the other allele was found in the osteosarcoma cells. Management of tumor by external radiotherapy in early age is questioned because the effect of irradiation is to significantly increase the total incidence of second tumors above the already high incidence in non-irradiated patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Are children born to young mothers at increased risk of maltreatment?

Previous case-control or cross-sectional studies have provided conflicting results about whether children of teenage mothers are at increased risk of maltreatment compared with children of older mothers. This study is the first to examine this question using a longitudinal, cohort design and the first to address important methodologic issues such as detection bias. Subjects were 219 consecutive index children born to inner-city women who were 18 years or younger and 219 sociodemographically similar comparison children born to women 19 years or older. Data were collected by reviewing the medical records of each child through the fifth birthday. Three outcomes were examined: maltreatment, poor growth, and a change in the child's primary caretaker. Maltreatment was ascertained by having two experts, one of whom was blind to the group status, review each injury documented in the records. Predefined criteria were used to distinguish unintentional injuries from maltreatment (abuse, neglect, or sexual abuse). Maltreatment occurred more frequently in the children of young mothers (12.8%) than in the comparison group (6.4%) (risk ratio [RR] = 2.00; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.17, 3.64). Poor growth, defined by growth criteria, occurred in 6.9% of the index group and in 4.1% of comparison children (RR = 1.67; 95% CI = 0.75, 3.73). A change in the child's primary caretaker, either because of placement in foster care or because the mother left the home, occurred in 12.8% of the index group and in 3.2% in comparison children (RR = 4.00; 95% CI = 1.80, 8.87).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

[Carcinoembryonic antigen in serum and pleural fluid to distinguish between bronchial carcinoma and pleural mesothelioma].

The concentrations of carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) were measured, partly retrospectively and partly prospectively, in 94 patients with diffuse malignant mesothelioma and in 79 with bronchial carcinoma and pleural involvement. Serum concentrations were measured in all patients, pleural-fluid concentrations additionally in 53 patients of the former and 39 of the latter group. The concentrations were significantly higher in those with bronchial carcinoma (P less than 0.001). The two groups could be distinguished by serum concentrations, using 5.2 ng/ml as the limit, with a sensitivity of 68%, specificity of 98% and a predictive value of 96%. Measurement of CEA in pleural fluid (at a limit of 4.5 ng/ml) had a specificity of 94% and a positive predictive value of 90%, sensitivity being similar to that for serum. The negative predictive value for serum CEA concentration was 79%, for pleural fluid it was 81%. Thus in most cases measurement of CEA in serum and, to a lesser extent in pleural fluid, is a very simple method to exclude mesothelioma with a high degree of certainty. If the CEA concentration is below the stated level, either may be present.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

A case of malignant mastocytosis with near-haploid, near-diploid, and polyploid cells in the bone marrow.

Chromosome analysis in bone marrow cells of a 41-year-old woman with malignant mastocytosis (MM) revealed near-haploid (59%), near-diploid (36%), and polyploid (5%) cells. Near-haploid cells had a mode of 25 chromosomes with variable disomy and nullisomy of particular chromosomes. Disomy for chromosome 19 and chromosome 20 were most common. A 17p+ marker was observed in all cells. Other structural chromosomal changes were dicentrics, ring chromosomes, translocations, and double minutes. The modal chromosome number in near-diploid cells was 46 with a range of 41-52. The majority of cells with 46 chromosomes were pseudodiploid and only a few had a normal female karyotype. As in near-haploid cells, various structural chromosomal changes were found. The 17p+ marker was also present in occasional cells suggesting a relationship between the two tumor cell populations. Chromosome numbers in polyploid cells ranged from 70 to about 600. Identical copies of dicentrics or markers were identified in some cells.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Philadelphia chromosome-negative acute hematopoietic malignancy: ultrastructural, cytochemical and immunocytochemical evidence of mast cell and basophil differentiation.

We describe a patient with fever and multiple osteolytic bone lesions accompanied by hypercalcemia, a duodenal ulcer, anemia, and thrombocytopenia. Bone marrow showed a dense infiltration by abnormal cells characterized by small basophil granula, erythrophagocytosis and nuclear atypia. These cells were positive for toluidine blue and partly for myeloperoxidase and chloroacetate esterase, expressed myeloid differentiation markers, and exhibited multiple numerical and structural chromosome aberrations. Molecular genetic analysis showed no breakpoint cluster region rearrangement. Electron microscopy demonstrated granula both of basophil and mast cell type. Concluding, in this patient an acute hematopoietic malignancy with many features of malignant mastocytosis but also with signs of a basophil differentiation. This is further support for a hematopoietic stem cell origin of human mast cells.

Adult↗