Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to J Schlosser.
The diagnosis of male infertility requires methodical approach which is primarily clinical, aimed at identifying all potential factors. Biological and radiological assessments allow diagnosis confirmation, and evaluation of both prognosis and therapeutic strategy.
Large amounts and excellent viabilities of pancreatic islets are prerequisites for recent advances in islet transplantation. Cryopreservation has been shown to enlarge transplanted cell mass, but has been accompanied by reduced viability. In this study rat pancreatic islets were differentiated into small (<200 micro m), medium (200-400 micrometers) and large (>400 micrometers) categories and their susceptibilities to different freezing conditions were evaluated: concentration of cryoprotectant (0.7-3.1 M), equilibration (15 vs. 45 min, 22 degrees C vs. on ice) and post-thaw removal of cryoprotectant (15 vs. 30 min, stepwise vs. one-step). The most prominent finding was a negative correlation between islet size and viability observed in non-frozen islets to a minor degree (r=-0.44) and significantly enhanced after cryopreservation (r<-0.8). The concentration of cryoprotectant showed the most significant influence on viability affecting small, medium and large islets. Different techniques of equilibration with the cryoprotectant resulted in significant changes of islet viability of medium islets, whereas small and large islets were unaffected. For different techniques of removal of the cryoprotectant, no significant influence on viabilities was found. We conclude that large islets represented a highly susceptible population concerning damage due to cryopreservation.
Renal cancer with caval thrombus is a disease which requires precise preoperative assessment, in order to adapt the surgical technique to the stage and extent of the disease. Recent developments in CT imaging, spiral acquisition and, more recently, the multiarray technique, allow a high quality evaluation. In the light of a case of right renal tumour with bifocal caval extension, the authors discuss the valuable contribution of this imaging modality in the staging assessment and evaluation of arterial (single or multiple artery, anatomical situation in relation to the left renal vein, presence of early bifurcations, etc.), and venous structures (renal vein, genital vein, extension of the thrombus, lumbar vein and hepatic vein). Improvements in CT imaging constitute a major progress in the staging of renal cancers with caval thrombus and make a considerable contribution to the choice of treatment strategy.
We have previously shown that plasma lipoproteins can be separated by analytical capillary isotachophoresis (ITP) according to their electrophoretic mobility in a defined buffer system. As in lipoprotein electrophoresis, HDL show the highest mobility followed by VLDL, IDL, and LDL. Chylomicrons migrate according to their net-charge between HDL and VLDL, because ITP has negligible molecular sieve effects. Three HDL subfractions were obtained which were designated fast-, intermediate-, and slow-migrating HDL. To further characterize these HDL subfractions, a newly developed free-solution ITP (FS-ITP)-system was used, that allows micro-preparative separation of human lipoproteins directly from whole plasma (Böttcher, A. et al. 1998. Electrophoresis. 19: 1110-1116). The fractions obtained by FS-ITP were analyzed for their lipid and apolipoprotein composition and by two-dimensional nondenaturing polyacrylamide gradient gel electrophoresis (2D-GGE) with subsequent immunoblotting. fHDL are characterized by the highest proportion of esterified cholesterol of all three subfractions and are relatively enriched in LpA-I. Together with iHDL they contain the majority of plasma apoA-I, while sHDL contain the majority of plasma apoA-IV, apoD, apoE, and apoJ. Pre-beta-HDL were found in separate fractions together with triglyceride-rich fractions between sHDL and LDL. In summary, ITP can separate the bulk of HDL into lipoprotein subfractions, which differ in apolipoprotein composition and electrophoretic mobility. While analytical ITP permits rapid separation and quantitation for diagnostic purposes, FS-ITP can be used to obtain these lipoprotein subfractions on a preparative scale for functional analysis. As FS-ITP is much better suited for preparative purposes than gel electrophoresis, it represents an important novel tool for the functional analysis of lipoprotein subclasses.
OBJECTIVE: Study of the 5-year oncological results of a series of 24 patients treated by conservative surgery and Iridium 192 for stage pT2 bladder transitional cell carcinoma. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Retrospective study of 24 patients (mean age: 60 years) treated between March 1979 and June 1988, for a solitary bladder tumour, with a diameter less than 5 cm, without lymphadenopathy or detectable metastases at the time of treatment. Treatment successively consisted of TUR of the lesion for histological diagnosis, preoperative pelvic irradiation of 10.5 Gy, lymph node dissection in 3 patients, insertion of brachytherapy tubes at the resection site (5 cases), associated with lumpectomy (9 cases) or partial cystectomy (10 cases). 18 patients underwent a brachytherapy with doses of 45 to 60 Gy, while 6 patients received a half-dose protocol: brachytherapy 30 Gy + postoperative external beam irradiation (20 to 30 Gy to the tumour site, 30 to 40 Gy to pelvic lymph node chains). RESULTS: At 5 years, 2 out of 6 deaths were attributable to bladder cancer. 4 other patients died without recurrence, 4 patients relapsed at the site of brachytherapy and/or away from this site, requiring salvage cystectomy in one patient, and repeated TUR +/- BCG therapy in the other three patients. Overall, 18 out of 24 patients were alive at 5 years, 17 had a functional bladder, and 14 were free of recurrence. CONCLUSION: Conservative surgery associated with Iridium 192 brachytherapy can be an oncologically reasonable alternative to total cystectomy for selected pT2 bladder tumours: unifocal tumours, less than 5 cm in diameter.
OBJECTIVE: To provide hospital leaders with strategic goals or actions likely to have a significant impact on antimicrobial resistance, outline outcome and process measures for evaluating progress toward each goal, describe potential barriers to success, and suggest countermeasures and novel improvement strategies. PARTICIPANTS: A multidisciplinary group of experts was drawn from the following areas: hospital epidemiology and infection control, infectious diseases (including graduate training programs), clinical practice (including nursing, surgery, internal medicine, and pediatrics), pharmacy, administration, quality improvement, appropriateness evaluation, behavior modification, practice guideline development, medical informatics, and outcomes research. Representatives from appropriate federal agencies, the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, and the pharmaceutical industry also participated. EVIDENCE: Published literature, guidelines, expert opinion, and practical experience regarding efforts to improve antibiotic utilization and prevent and control the emergence and dissemination of antimicrobial-resistant microorganisms in hospitals. CONSENSUS PROCESS: Participants were divided into two quality improvement teams: one focusing on improving antimicrobial usage and the other on preventing and controlling transmission of resistant microorganisms. The teams modeled the process a hospital might use to develop and implement a strategic plan to combat antimicrobial resistance. CONCLUSIONS: Ten strategic goals and related process and outcome measures were agreed on. The five strategic goals to optimize antimicrobial use were as follows: optimizing antimicrobial prophylaxis for operative procedures; optimizing choice and duration of empiric therapy; improving antimicrobial prescribing by educational and administrative means; monitoring and providing feedback regarding antibiotic resistance; and defining and implementing health care delivery system guidelines for important types of antimicrobial use. The five strategic goals to detect, report, and prevent transmission of antimicrobial resistant organisms were as follows: to develop a system to recognize and report trends in antimicrobial resistance within the institution; develop a system to rapidly detect and report resistant microorganisms in individual patients and ensure a rapid response by caregivers; increase adherence to basic infection control policies and procedures; incorporate the detection, prevention, and control of antimicrobial resistance into institutional strategic goals and provide the required resources; and develop a plan for identifying, transferring, discharging, and readmitting patients colonized with specific antimicrobial-resistant pathogens.
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The mitogenic effect of epidermal growth factor (EGF) and the characteristics of EGF binding were studied on primary cultures of rabbit proximal tubular cells. EGF was found to be a potent mitogen and stimulated DNA synthesis 18-fold above the level observed in quiescent cells. Using 125I-EGF as a ligand, two classes of specific EGF receptors were identified on the proximal tubular cell in culture, i.e., a high-affinity receptor with a dissociation constant (Kd) of 0.3 nM and maximal binding (Bmax) of 1.7 X 10(4) receptors/cell and a low-affinity receptor with a Kd of 1.9 nM and Bmax of 5.3 X 10(4) receptors/cell. Because angiotensin II (ANG II) appeared to possess many properties common to growth factors, we also examined the interaction of ANG II and EGF on these cells. ANG II was not mitogenic, but it potentiated the mitogenic effect of EGF with a maximal effect at 10(-9) M. The dose-response curve of EGF-induced mitogenesis was shifted to the left in the presence of 10(-9) M ANG II, decreasing the approximate half-maximal stimulatory concentration from 3 X 10(-8) to 5 X 10(-9) M. ANG II also stimulated prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) release, but inhibition of basal and ANG II-stimulated PGE2 synthesis had no effect on mitogenesis. ANG II had no effect on the binding of EGF to the high-affinity receptor from 1 to 20 h and did not alter receptor downregulation. ANG II (10(-9) M) had no effect on cell protein content, RNA and protein synthesis, Na+-H+ antiport, and intracellular free Ca2+ concentration. Higher concentrations of ANG II (5 X 10(-8) to 5 X 10(-6) M) led to a rapid and transient dose-dependent rise in cytosolic free Ca2+ concentration. These studies demonstrate that ANG II potentiates EGF-induced mitogenesis at one or more postreceptor steps that may include small changes in cytosolic Ca2+ concentration.
The value of radiotherapy to the chest (RC) in disseminated small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) has been questioned. Two protocols for disseminated SCLC from the Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG) have been compared. They were developed four years apart. The first one included radiotherapy (RT), 3000 rad in two weeks, to the primary tumor, mediastinum and supraclavicular areas, while the second one deleted any RC. Multidrug chemotherapy (CT) and brain RT were used in both protocols. Nonresponders to CT were removed from the study. Our main findings are as follows: (1) Initial chest relapses (patients with no initial extrathoracic relapse) have increased from 24-55% when RC is not given (P = 0.0001). Overall chest relapse (adding those patients that relapsed simultaneously in the chest plus other sites) in the second protocol was 73%. (2) Amount of response to CT does not influence the chances for relapse. Even complete responders to CT have a high chance for chest relapse. (3) Sites of relapse without RC are mainly in the primary tumor, ipsilateral hilus and mediastinum. (4) With RC, relapses shift to the chest periphery, mostly to the lung outside the radiotherapy field and to the pleura. (5) The two very different CT regimens have produced similar percentages and duration of response. (6) CT schema with periodic reinductions prolongs duration of response and survival over schema with continuous maintenance. Hence, interruption of CT to allow RC does not seem to adversely influence CT efficacy. From our results and the review of the literature we conclude that: (1) patients with disseminated SCLC that respond to CT should be given RC to decrease chest relapses. (2) A dose of 3000 rad in two weeks seems to be enough to produce a low percentage of chest relapse in disseminated SCLC, as survival of these patients is short and many will die prior to developing chest relapse. However, according to the literature, 4000-4800 rad is probably a more effective dose. (3) More studies and guidelines are needed to outline proper boundaries of radiotherapy fields, to decrease chances of peripheral chest relapses. (4) Median survival might not be a good parameter to evaluate the impact of RC in disseminated SCLC. The study of long-term survivors seems to be more important.
The article reports on a study of 22 suicides which occurred between 1972 and 1978 during inpatient treatment of patients of the Psychiatric Clinic of Hanover Medical College, partly within the premises of the clinic and partly without. The group of patients who committed suicide in the clinic itself is characterised on the basis of the individual social, personal and disease-relevant data and compared with the overall patient population of the clinic. It is found that there was an increase in the suicidal rate following a change in the organisational and therapeutical skeleton concept of the clinic, but the question whether there is a causal relationship must remain unsettled. It is also discussed whether a higher proportion of suicidal risk patients is being admitted to the clinic due to greater emphasis on the care for residents in nearby areas, patients who would otherwise not have been treated on an inpatient basis. Another problem which is considered worth discussing is whether and to what extent rehabilitation activities overtax the facilities and possibilities of some hospitals and to what extent the new - basically favourably rated - clinical concept for suicide-risk patients entails additional burdens which could be met by suitable suicide-preventive measures.
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Explore the source record for details and available documents.