Biomedical subjects

M Blech

Publications and source records attributed to M Blech.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed2006

An outbreak of Mycobacterium jacuzzii infection following insertion of breast implants.

BACKGROUND: Surgical wound infections caused by rapidly growing mycobacteria developed in 15 women after insertion of breast implants from August to November 2003 at a single medical center. METHODS: A case-control study was conducted that included the identified patients, as well as women who underwent breast operations at the same center who did not develop infections. The study was accompanied by an extensive environmental investigation. Isolates were identified by standard bacteriological methods and by comparison of their 16S rRNA, HSP65, RPOB, SODA, and RECA gene sequences. Isolates were compared by random amplified polymorphic DNA analysis and by pulsed-field gel electrophoresis. RESULTS: The risk factors for infection included surgery performed by 1 specific surgeon (odds ratio, 21.3; 95% confidence interval, 3.64-125.6). Identical strains of mycobacteria were isolated from the infected wounds of the patients; from the eyebrows, hair, face, nose, ears, and groin of this particular surgeon; and from this surgeon's outdoor whirlpool. The isolates exhibited a biochemical profile overlapping that of Mycobacterium wolinskyi, but their sequences of 16S rRNA and HSP65, RPOB, SODA, and RECA genes differed. We propose the name "Mycobacterium jacuzzii" for this new species. DNA fingerprints of cultured isolates from the surgical wounds, areas of the surgeon's body that grow hair, and the surgeon's whirlpool were identical. When the surgeon discontinued his use of the whirlpool and began cleaning the hairy areas of his body with a shampoo containing triclosan, the outbreak ended. CONCLUSIONS: This outbreak brings to light the possibility of the colonization of human skin and human-to-human transmission of environmental mycobacteria during surgery that involves implant insertion.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1997

Electrolyte equilibration of human kidneys during perfusion with HTK-solution according to Bretschneider.

Twelve surgically removed human kidneys (mainly tumor kidneys) were investigated. The investigations comprised perfusion criteria (perfusion flow, perfusion pressure, perfusion resistance, electrolyte equilibration). During perfusion of the kidneys with HTK solution, the perfusion resistance was nearly three times as high in human kidneys as in canine kidneys perfused under the same conditions in previous studies. Beside possible species differences the raised perfusion resistance may be explained by the greater trauma to the human kidneys due to the surgery, the primary ischemic stress which cannot be avoided clinically and the often nonoptimal initial diuresis. Nevertheless definitive perfusion is possible under clinical conditions although pronounced increases of perfusion resistance may occur. As indicated by the raised perfusion resistance of human kidneys under clinical conditions as compared with canine kidneys in an experimental model, electrolyte equilibration of human kidneys was protracted. For this reason, a duration of perfusion of at least 10 min is necessary in clinical application of HTK solution, i.e., longer than in animal experiments.

Glucose↗

PubMed1995

The social HMOs. Meeting the challenge of integrated team care coordination.

Four social health maintenance organizations (social HMOs) implemented care coordination programs in 1985 to integrate acute and long-term care for aged Medicare beneficiaries. The team approach to care coordination has been the key concept of the model at all four sites. Team members include the primary care physician, the care coordinator, inpatient and medical office staff, geriatric nurse practitioners, home care nurses and social workers, contracted community-based care staff, and, at three of the sites, volunteers. This article describes how care coordinators work with the health care teams in the social HMOs.

Aged↗

PubMed1992

Heterogeneity of tumour necrosis factor production in renal cell carcinoma.

Endogenous tumour necrosis factor (TNF) production was investigated by in situ hybridisation and immunohistochemistry in 8 renal cell carcinoma (RCC) patients at different stages of disease. Analysis of frozen sections of tumour biopsy specimens revealed variable degrees of macrophage infiltration and great heterogeneity in TNF gene expression. Two metastatic tumours investigated showed abundant TNF protein production and marked macrophage infiltration. Based on morphological criteria, these TNF-positive cells most likely belong to the macrophage lineage. Two years after nephrectomy the individual survival time was recorded; however, the small numbers did not yet allow any correlation of TNF production to the clinical course of disease. Further studies will be required to eventually reveal the role of TNF in renal cell carcinoma development.

Aged↗

PubMed1991

[Localization and extent of tissue damage caused by extracorporeal lithotripsy (ESWL)].

Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy (ESWL) causes proteinuria. In our study we investigated the protein fractions and the electrolyte composition of the urine in patients who had been treated with ESWL. The aim was to obtain information on the degree and the localisation of the glomerular, tubular or vascular destruction caused by ESWL in humans. A total of 34 patients with stones had been treated with ESWL. As parameters we used: urine output, creatinine clearance, total protein, albumin, immunoglobulin G, N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (beta-NAG), alpha-1-microglobulin, the fractional excretion of Na+ and apolipoprotein-A-1. After ESWL treatment proteinuria and albuminuria are found. Our parameters show no deterioration of the glomerula or the tubulus. The increase in apolipoprotein-A-1, a postglomerular parameter, however, is interpreted as a manifestation of vascular destruction after ESWL; this is normally temporary, leaving no permanent damage.

Acetylglucosaminidase↗

PubMed1990

A new method for conservative renal surgery--experimental and first clinical results.

So far two methods for prolonging the tolerance of renal ischemia are available: 1) surface cooling with crushed ice and 2) perfusion cooling with an extracellular-like solution. Both methods use only the principle of reducing metabolism through cooling. While rewarming during surgery the ischemic protection is lost, or the kidney must be cooled once again. Therefore, a new preservation solution should reduce energy consumption due to its composition in addition to cooling. For open heart surgery, the HTK solution by Bretschneider is already used clinically. In 71 dog kidney experiments, the ischemic time kidneys could tolerate was prolonged by this solution from 15 to 120 min at 35 degrees C and from 45 to 360 min at 25 degrees C. After 2 h of ischemia at 30 degrees C glomerular filtration rate was about 20 ml/min.100gww within 3 h of reperfusion. After six postoperative days the filtration rate was 40 ml/min.100 gww. No ischemic damage could be recognized by histological investigations. The clinical effectiveness of this method was shown in 7 clinical applications. Ischemic duration lasted up to 113 min, and blood creatinine was between 0.8 and 2.4 mg% at the 6th postoperative day. Use of this preservation technique thus leads to improved kidney function immediately following operation. Longer ischemia can be tolerated by a kidney thus protected, and using this technique excellent visibility can be achieved during intrarenal surgery, simplifying, for example, tumor extirpation.

Animals↗

PubMed1990

Glucose content and efficiency of glycolysis in protected ischemic kidneys of different species.

In ischemic canine kidneys protected by Bretschneider's HTK solution the glycolytic lactate production is limited by a low renal substrate content. However, for anaerobic energy supply ischemic organs depend on glycolysis. To evaluate the role of glycolysis in renal protection, the relationship between lactate production and anaerobic energy supply was examined in protected kidneys of dogs, sheep, and swine. Additionally, in canine kidneys an attempt was made to improve anaerobic energy provision by adding glucose to the protective solution. The results were as follows: (1) According to increasing lactate production from swine to dog to sheep, intraischemic ATP decay was delayed least in swine and most in sheep. (2) Glucose addition (10 mM) to the HTK solution roughly doubled the time for ATP to fall to 1 mumol/g dry wt (tATP) in dogs. (3) The greater the lactate production in all three species, the lower the decrease in SAN (ATP + ADP + AMP) from 5 to 120 min of ischemia. (4) A glucose additive in the protective solution led to a significant (p less than .005) increase of SAN in dogs at 120 min of ischemia. A sufficient substrate supply seems to be an essential component of a reliable renal protection.

Adenine Nucleotides↗

PubMed1990

["Imperative indication" for organ-preserving kidney tumor surgery].

Imperative indications for organ-sparing surgery of renal tumors are given mainly in existing or imminent restriction of renal function. Organ-sparing excision of renal tumors under in-situ protection with HTK-solution compared with operations without protection have the following advantages: 1. reduced blood loss, 2. longer ischemia, 3. better tissue differentiation with benefit for radicality, 4. shorter hospital stay.

Cardioplegic Solutions↗

PubMed1990

[Impulse cytophotometry and irrigation cytology in the diagnosis of bladder cancer].

In a retrospective study in which 273 patients with histologically proven carcinoma of the urinary bladder had been examined by performed cytological and flow cytometric analysis carried out in parallel, the diagnostic yield of flow cytometry was compared with the result of urinary cytology. Urinary cytology and flow cytometry made it possible to detect histologically proven transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) in 60% and 64%, respectively. Combination of the two methods increased the diagnostic yield to 76%. An increase in the diagnostic yield was seen especially for well-differentiated TCC, from 34% to 51%. In spite of this improvement, the combination of flow cytometry with urinary cytology did not mean fewer endoscopic investigations were needed in view of the persisting substantial diagnostic deficit in well-differentiated TCC.

Aneuploidy↗

PubMed1990

[Extracorporeal shockwave lithotripsy with combined ultrasound and roentgenologic calculus localization. Initial clinical experiences with the Lithostar plus].

Since the introduction of extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy for non-invasive treatment of renal and ureteral stones, lithotripter units have relied on either fluoroscopic or ultrasound stone localization. While ultrasound stone localization reduces X-ray exposure and facilitates treatment of radiolucent renal stones, fluoroscopic stone localization is superior in the detection of ureteral stones. Since April 1989 we have been using the Lithostar plus, a new lithotriptor system, which provides both fluoroscopic and ultrasound stone localization. After treatment of 108 patients, the initial data suggest that this system combines the advantages of both localization principles, while being as efficient as other second-generation lithotriptor units in bringing about the disintegration of renal and ureteral stones.

Equipment Design↗

PubMed1989

Urinary LDH-release for evaluation of postischemic renal function.

Following renal ischemia under protection, the perfusion of the tubular system increases concomitant to the rise of GFR. The transport into urine of enzymes entering the tubular lumen due to ischemic injury is dependent on tubular flow. Thus, we examined if in the early postischemic phase urinary enzyme determinations can contribute to the evaluation of the ischemic injury despite the interference of a changing tubular washout. Canine kidneys were perfused with different protective solutions and subsequently rendered ischemic. From the beginning of reperfusion the endogenous creatinine clearance, the urine minute volume and the urinary LDH-concentration were determined. The urinary LDH-concentration allowed only a rough assessment of renal ischemic damage. The adjustment of the urinary LDH amounts to the GFR resulted in a better graduation according to the ischemic stress. With such a standardized LDH parameter the urinary LDH release was somewhat lower on the average when L-aspartate was added to the HTK solution in place of chloride. In conclusion, during the early postischemic recovery after renal protection the examination of the urinary enzyme release may be a useful diagnostic means for the assessment of the extent of the ischemic injury if an appropriate frame of reference is applied.

Animals↗

PubMed1989

Intraischemic metabolic effects of different disaccharides on protected canine kidneys.

The addition of the disaccharides maltose (10, 20, 30 mM) and sucrose (30, 60 mM) to Bretschneider's organ protective HTK solution was evaluated to improve renal protection by an enhanced glycolytic energy supply. Canine kidneys were perfused for 8 min with either HTK solution or HTK solution containing additional disaccharides. After nephrectomy the kidneys were incubated at 25 degrees C and metabolic parameters were determined at regular intervals. Maltose and sucrose are slowly cleaved during renal ischemia but maltose distinctly faster than sucrose. Maltose increases intraischemic ATP supply. However, 30 mM maltose was no better than 10 mM. 60 mM sucrose was about as effective for glycolysis as 10 mM maltose. However, possibly due to fructose release there was an accelerated decrease of adenine nucleotides with sucrose. Although fructose enters glycolysis it seems to have negative side-effects. Hence, probably neither sucrose nor fructose are appropriate for renal substrate supply during ischemia.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗

PubMed1989

Contribution of amino acids in protective solutions to postischemic functional recovery of canine kidneys.

Amino acids are known to increase glomerular filtration rate (GFR). There is also an early resumption of filtration following 2-h renal ischemic stress under protection by histidine-buffered histidine-tryptophan-ketoglutarate solution (HTK), possibly due in part to an amino acid effect. Hence, we have examined the possibility of further enhancing the postischemic GFR by adding 32 (ASP I; 4 mM Mg2+) or 36 (ASP II; 6 mM Mg2+) mM L-aspartate (asp) or 32 mM DL-aspartate (ASP III) to the HTK solution in place of chloride. After infusion of 500 ml 5% glucose, canine kidneys were protected by an 8-min perfusion with HTK (n = 5), ASP I (n = 4), ASP II (n = 5) or ASP III-solution (n = 3). The subsequent ischemia lasted for 2 h at 27-31 degrees C. During reperfusion, both GFR and filtration fraction (FF) were higher in kidneys protected by L-aspartate-containing solutions. ASP III showed no improvement against HTK. An additional preischemic intra-aortal application of HTK or ASP I solution just above the exit of the renal arteries prior to the intrinsic protective perfusion further raised the postischemic GFR. The present results suggest that L-aspartate but also histidine may have favorable amino acid effects in renal protective solutions in addition to known positive effects of histidine.

Animals↗

PubMed1989

Postischaemic interrelations between energy metabolism and functional recovery of protected canine kidneys.

Following renal ischaemia under effective protection glomerular filtration starts at a time when renal high-energy phosphates are resynthesized. The present investigation was carried out to examine the interdependence of the two processes. Therefore, canine kidneys were protected with sodium poor and nominally Ca2+ free buffered solutions. After different times of ischaemia and reperfusion the glomerular filtration rates (GFR) were determined and afterwards tissue specimens were excised for the determination of high-energy phosphates. Both the GFR and the renal energy content were higher with shorter ischaemia periods or longer reperfusion. As a rule there was a correlation between GFR and ATP, both probably mainly signifying the degree of preservation of proximal nephron sites, as the interrelation between the GFR and the renal SAN (ATP + ADP + AMP) content also signifies. However, with the addition of aspartate to the protective solution it could be demonstrated that the GFR also can rise without a concomitant increase of ATP. Under certain conditions an increase of GFR can even be associated with a lowering of the renal ATP content.

Adenosine Monophosphate↗

PubMed1988

Metabolic, energetic and structural changes in protected and unprotected kidneys at temperatures of 1 degree C and 25 degrees C.

In 110 canine kidneys, we examined the time course of energy rich phosphates, lactate, intrarenal ph and renal morphology with Euro-Collins- or with HTK-protection of Bretschneider and compared these findings with unprotected kidneys during complete ischemia at 1 degree C and at 25 degrees C. Both kidney protective solutions prolonged energy-rich phosphate-decline by a factor of 3-4 compared with that of unprotected kidneys. The lactate increase was greater in Euro-Collins-protected kidneys than in HTK-protected and in unprotected kidneys, leading to pH values of 6.5 in Euro-Collins and to 6.4 in unprotected kidneys after 24 hours, in contrast to a pH-value of 7.3 with HTK-protection. This may be the reason for structural deterioration seen in unprotected and in Euro-Collins-protected kidneys after 12, and 48 h of ischemia at 1 degree C, whereas in HTK-protected kidneys a sufficient preservation of structure can be seen. In one human kidney, protected with Euro-Collins-solution, we were able to show that at 1 degree C intrarenal pH and lactate accumulation is similar to the levels in canine kidneys. In Euro-Collins preserved kidneys lactate accumulation at 25 degrees C is even greater than at 1 degree C, leading to inhibition of energy metabolism and to structural deterioration, whereas HTK-solution, because of its high buffer concentration, is able to maintain ischemic metabolism leading to sufficient protection of intrarenal pH and of adenine nucleotides as well as structural protection at 1 degree C and at 25 degrees C.

Animals↗

PubMed1988

Impulse cytophotometric DNA analysis in pituitary adenomas.

Flow cytometric DNA analysis was carried out on 32 microsurgically removed pituitary adenomas. Additionally, the histograms of tumor cell nuclei of 7 patients were compared with those of the cultured cells from the same tumor samples. The tumors were classified into 3 groups according to the proliferation index (PI) of the flow cytometric results: 1) tumors with DNA patterns of slow proliferation (PI under 10), to which the majority of the examined pituitary adenomas belonged; 2) pituitary adenomas with diploid karyograms and PI values from 10 to 15; 3) diploid or aneuploid karyograms with PI values above 15. The third group were characterized histologically by increased chromatin content, nuclear polymorphism, mitoses, and extrapituitary infiltration of the tumor cells, and were, therefore, no longer benign. However, there was no direct relationship between the intensity of hormone secretory activity of the tumors and DNA ploidy. Cultured adenoma cells examined by flow cytometry remained stable in all cases but one.

Adenoma↗

PubMed1988

[The value of lymphography of malignant testicular tumors].

Between 1965 and 1968, 6500 lymphograms were performed at the University of Göttingen. Amongst these, there were 412 patients with malignant testicular tumours. In 81 patients the results of lymphography could be checked histologically. There was agreement between the lymphographic and histological findings in 65 patients (80.3%), sensitivity of 98.1% (51 out of 52) and specificity of 48.3% (14 out of 29). In 50 patients CT was performed in addition. The findings agreed in 31 cases; in eight patients lymphangiography resulted in a false positive finding and CT was incorrect in 12 patients. In all patients with proven retroperitoneal metastases, one or the other method produced a correct diagnosis.

Adult↗

PubMed1988

[Clinical use of the Bretschneider HTK cardioplegic solution for in situ protection of the kidney].

The first clinical use of Bretschneider's HTK-solution for in-situ-protection of the kidney in mild hypothermia is reported. By means of this protective method renal surgery can be performed in a bloodless field without permanent loss of renal function. After initial protective perfusion of the kidney no repeated perfusions or additional surface cooling must be done. There are no systemic side effects when the HTK-solution is applied appropriately.

Cardioplegic Solutions↗