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Biomedical subjects

Luc Michel

Publications and source records attributed to Luc Michel.

9 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2003

Increased expression of endothelin-1 and its mitogenic receptor ETA in human papillary thyroid carcinoma.

OBJECTIVE: Since the isolation of endothelin-1 (ET-1) in 1988, there has been tremendous interest in the pathophysiological roles of ET-1 as a vasoconstrictive and mitogenic peptide. Whereas ET-1 is mainly released by vascular endothelial cells, it also proved to be produced by various tissues including the thyroid. Because of its mitogenic properties in malignancy and its role as an inflammatory modulator, ET-1 could be involved in thyroid carcinogenesis and thyroiditis. DESIGN AND PATIENTS: Studies were performed in human thyroid samples obtained at the time of surgery from 39 men and women aged 15-72 years. Thyroid samples were classified in four groups according to conventional histology: normal thyroid (n = 7) papillary thyroid carcinoma (n = 12), Hashimoto's thyroiditis (n = 9) and benign nontoxic nodular goitres (n = 11). Immunohistochemistry and real-time quantitative polymerase chain reaction were used to determine the expression of ET-1 and its receptors (ETAR and ETBR). RESULTS: ET-1 and ETAR mRNA levels were, respectively, 3.8 +/- 1.3 and 4.1 +/- 1.5 times greater (P < 0.001) in papillary thyroid carcinoma than in normal thyroid. Expression of ETBR was unaltered. In Hashimoto's thyroiditis, ET-1 and ETAR were also overexpressed (P < 0.005). Furthermore, immunohistochemistry demonstrated a greater percentage of ET-1-positive follicular cells in these conditions (P < 0.001). In nodular goitres, the expression was increased by 1.7 +/- 0.7 times (P < 0.05) but expression of receptors remained unchanged. CONCLUSIONS: ET-1 and ETAR overexpression observed in thyroid carcinoma suggest a mitogenic role of ET-1 that theoretically could be countered by ETAR antagonists. ET-1 and ETAR overexpression in thyroiditis supports a role of ET-1 in the inflammatory process.

Adolescent↗
PubMed2003

[Psychological health of students and identification of persons at risk: avoidance of an exam as symptom of depression].

OBJECTIVE: Our exploratory study concerning student psychological health was aimed at identifying possible subgroups of at-risk students within a college-student population. METHOD: A total of 445 students answered four questionnaires (three standard psychometric instruments and an ad hoc questionnaire comprising 50 multiple-choice questions). We then searched for risk-groups by studying all answers obtained with the ad hoc questionnaire and looking for those answers that were significantly correlated with ratings of psychopathology. To carry out this search, we used first and second order principal components factor analysis. RESULTS: Our results show that the incidence of depression is almost twice as high among students that have withdrawn from an exam session than among the other students in our sample. It is further possible to determine that, in our sample, it is not withdrawing from an exam session that causes depression but, rather, it is depression that increases the probability of withdrawing from an exam session. CONCLUSION: It thus definitely seems that, unlike flunking exams, withdrawing from exams is often a symptom of depression.

Adult↗
PubMed2002

Intraoperative gamma probe detection of insulinoma in an elderly patient with pancreatic cystic lesions.

Insulinoma is a rare endocrine tumour in the elderly. We report the case of an 81-year-old woman suffering from grand mal seizures. Insulinoma was suspected because plasma glucose and insulin levels were 1.5 mmol/l and 80.4 pmol/l, respectively. A pancreatic computerized tomography (CT) scan, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and arteriography were normal but (111)In-DTPA-octreotide scintigraphy detected a hotspot in the pancreatic tail. Intraoperative pancreatic ultrasonography and palpation were non-contributory due to multiple pancreatic cysts and nodular lesions. However, a gamma-detecting probe localized a small tumour, labelled preoperatively with (111)In-DTPA-octreotide. Intraoperative insulin measurements in portal venous blood confirmed the successful removal of an insulinoma that was 6 mm in diameter histologically. Pancreatic cystic lesions increase with age and make the intraoperative localization of the insulinoma difficult. Intraoperative gamma probe detection of the tumour labelled with (111)In-DTPA-octreotide might therefore constitute a useful surgical tool.

Aged↗
PubMed2002

The protection of the patient's private life: a vast normative landscape. First Part.

The debate on the protection of people's private life is stronger than ever, particularly in the health care sector, where choices have to be made in order to decide between the conflicting interests at stake. This Article gives an overview of the general provisions that aim, for the time being, at guaranteeing this protection to the patient. His or her right to respect for private life, which aims at protecting not only the confidentiality of his or her private realm and relationships with others, but also his or her freedom of choice regarding this private realm and these relationships, is indeed expressed, in various forms, in a large number of texts of every possible origin. It would be a mistake to regard these as a heap of redundant rules. These texts can be distinguished according to their content, the time of their elaboration and their authors. Although complex, the normative structure that they form is not void of effectiveness. A next article will examine how they are extended and supplemented by provisions trying to answer, at the level of the respect of private life, to the growing use of computers in medical practice.

Belgium↗
PubMed2002

The protection of the patient's private life: the computer challenge. Second part.

Today, medical practice is invaded by a growing number of technologies of all kinds, among which computer techniques have an important place. Although they have significant advantages, for instance in terms of medical record management, they give rise to several problems, particularly concerning the confidentiality of the patient's data with regards to third party. A great number of specific provisions, complementary to the general texts protecting private life (examined in the first part of this two parts article), endeavour to solve these problems. It is true that these provisions are recent, have various origins and often appear as rules difficult to understand. Yet, they are partially inspired by a common logic. Relying on these common features, the authors make two suggestions for the future, in order to avoid that the growing computerisation of medical practice eventually destabilises the health care relationship: a) Any dictatorship of confidentiality must be rejected b) Stimulating a sense of professionalism is most likely the way to avoid an anarchic and unrealistic development of rules aimed at regulating the health care relationship.

Computers↗