Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to Ladislav Prikler.
Ureteral herniation is rare and difficult to diagnose, especially when intermittent, and ureterocystoneostomy using the psoas hitch or boari flap techniques have so far been used as therapeutic options. We describe ureterolysis in two cases as a successful alternative approach.
Serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA) determination in conjunction with digital rectal examination (DRE) is recommended by the majority of clinical guidelines for early detection(opportunistic screening) of prostate cancer provided the patient is well informed and has a life-expectancy of at least 10 years. The major disadvantage of PSA is its lack of specificity. Various static and dynamic concepts have been developed to improve the diagnostic performance of PSA of which free/total PSA ratio and PSA doubling time seem to be the most promising. Apart from early detection, population screening(mass screening) is a distinct topic. The effect of the latter one with regard to reduction of prostate cancer specific mortality and quality of life issues is not yet clear. Several national and international prospective trials are currently being conducted to answer these important questions but results will only be available in a few years.
The control of dendritic cell (DC) migration is pivotal for the initiation of cellular immune responses. When activated with inflammatory stimuli, the chemokine receptor CCR7 is up-regulated on DCs. Activated DCs home to lymphoid organs, where the CCR7 ligands CCL19 and CCL21 are expressed. We previously found that human monocyte-derived DCs (MoDCs) exclusively migrated to CCL19 and CCL21 when matured in the presence of prostaglandin (PG) E2. Because PGE2 did not alter CCR7 cell surface expression, we examined whether PGE2 may exert its effect by coupling CCR7 to signal transduction modules. Indeed, stimulation with CCR7 ligands led to enhanced phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase-mediated phosphorylation of protein kinase B when MoDCs were matured in the presence of PGE2. Moreover, CCL19/CCL21-induced intracellular calcium mobilization in MoDCs occurred only when PGE2 was present during maturation. MoDC migration to CCL19 and CCL21 was dependent on phospholipase C and intracellular calcium flux but not on phosphatidylinositol-3 kinase. Hence, our data provide insight into CCL19/CCL21-triggered signal transduction pathways and identify a novel function for PGE2 in controlling the migration of mature MoDCs by facilitating CCR7 signal transduction.
The effect of population screening with regard to reduction of prostate cancer specific mortality and quality of life issues is not yet clear. Several national and international prospective studies are currently being conducted to answer these important questions. They include the trials in the Federal State of Tyrol, Austria and in the Quebec City area, Canada, as well as the Prostate, Lung, Colorectal and Ovarian (PLCO) trial in the United States and the European Randomized Study of Screening for Prostate Cancer (ERSPC). In the meantime, individual case finding (opportunistic screening) is recommended for men with a life-expectancy of at least 10 years.