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M C Vekemans

Publications and source records attributed to M C Vekemans.

14 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2002

Characteristics of secondary acute lymphoblastic leukemia with L3 morphology in adult patients.

Secondary acute lymphoblastic leukemia (sALL) is an uncommon condition and sALL with L3 morphology is still less frequent. Here, we compare the characteristics of available cases of L3 sALL (16 patients, including 12 previously published cases and 4 personal cases) to those of de novo L3 ALL and of non L3 sALL. Two patients with L3 sALL obtained a CR after aggressive treatment of their leukemia. Compared with 24 patients from the literature with de novo L3 ALL, L3 sALL patients were characterized by an older age (median 46 vs. 29.5 years, p = 0.0003) and by a poor prognosis (complete responses: 2/16 vs. 19/24, p = 0.0001, median survival: 0.46 month vs. undetermined, p < 0.0001). In comparison with 19 patients from the literature with non L3 sALL, L3 sALL patients were characterized by a high Male/Female ratio (14/2 vs. 8/11, p = 0.01), a frequent history of Hodgkin's disease (12/16 vs. 7/19, p = 0.04) and, again, by a poor prognosis (complete responses: 2/16 vs. 13/18, p = 0.0001, median survival 0.46 vs. 13 months, p = 0.001). In conclusion, though based on a small group of heterogeneously treated patients, some characteristics of L3 sALL, seem to emerge, compared both with de novo L3 ALL and with non L3 sALL, the most prominent being its extremely poor prognosis.

Adult↗
PubMed1997

Nuclear oncology and the Imagene concept.

Over the past 2 decades we have witnessed an explosion of new radioisotopic tracers aimed at detecting, staging and eventually treating tumors. In fact, nuclear oncology has evolved into a field on its own. Aside from aspecific radioisotopic tracers such as thallium 201 or gallium 67, clinicians and oncologists can now use specific radiolabeled monoclonal antibodies and metabolic tracers. In the near future, molecular probes based on the sequencing of the human genome with an exquisite specificity should also become available. In this article, we shall review the most recent developments in this new field.

Genome, Human↗
PubMed1995

Outcome following organ removal from poisoned donors: experience with 12 cases and a review of the literature.

From 1975 to 1993, our University Hospital performed 2789 graft procedures. During the same period, 12 poisoned, "brain-dead" patients were considered as organ donors. The toxic substances involved were: methaqualone (n = 1), benzodiazepine alone (n = 1), benzodiazepine plus tricyclic antidepressants (n =1), tricyclic antidepressants alone (n = 1), barbiturates (n = 2), insulin (n = 2), carbon monoxide (n = 1), cyanide (n = 1), methanol (n = 1), and acetaminophen (n = 1). From these intoxicated persons, 32 organ transplants were obtained, but only 23 could be followed for 1 month and only 20 for 1 year. The outcome at 1 month was favorable in 20 of the 23 patients. Two heart transplant patients died with 24h after grafting from stroke and acute heart failure, respectively. Preoperative hepatic encephalopathy was not corrected after grafting and was directly responsible for the death of a liver transplant patient. After 1 year, 15 of the 20 recipients were still alive. Chronic hepatic graft rejection led to a fatal outcome in one recipient and to second grafting in another. Finally, one recipient died from delayed neoplasia. Based on our experience, organ procurement may be considered in a few select cases of acute poisoning. Attention should, however, be drawn to possible graft damage due to some poisons.

Brain Death↗
PubMed1995

Scintigraphic imaging of oncogenes with antisense probes: does it make sense?

Based on the specificity of the Watson-Crick base pairing formation, antisense deoxyoligonucleotides have been used to inhibit the expression of oncogenes in various cancer cells. Activation of an oncogene by means of amplification leads to an increased, detectable amount of the mRNA transcript in the cytoplasm. The aim of this study was to demonstrate that cells which are expressing a particular mRNA transcript do preferentially and specifically retain the antisense probe targeting that mRNA. Using a mouse plasmacytoma cell line (MOPC315) which produces high levels of IgA heavy chain mRNA, a control mouse pre B cell line (7OZ/3B), a human mammary cell line (MCF7) which expresses the erbB2 or neu oncogene, MOPC315 cells as neu-negative controls, and antisense DNA oligonucleotides complementary to the 5' region of the mRNAs and the sense sequence, we have shown that there is a preferential, specific retention of the IgA and neu antisense sequence in MOPC315 and MCF7 cells, respectively. We have further demonstrated that this retention is time and concentration dependent with a maximum at 24 h. We conclude that cancer cells which express a particular oncogene are suitable targets for radiolabeled antisense deoxyoligonucleotides directed toward the oncogene transcript. This work and recent developments in the antisense field lead to the expectation of a new class of radiopharmaceuticals with unique specificity.

Adenosine Triphosphate↗
PubMed1995

Dynamic antral scintigraphy to characterize gastric antral motility in functional dyspepsia.

UNLABELLED: We evaluated intragastric food distribution and antral motor activity in patients with functional dyspepsia. METHODS: A standard gastric emptying test and dynamic imaging of the antrum were used to characterize gastric antral motility disturbances and to correlate them with total and compartmental gastric emptying in 25 dyspeptic patients. RESULTS: We found a 40% prevalence of gastroparesis in functional dyspepsia. Solid gastric emptying delay is indicated by a prolonged lag phase and an increase in frequency and amplitude of gastric contractions, resulting in nonexpulsive antral contractions and/or antropyloric dyscoordination. Food retention in the distal stomach and antral distention appears to account for patients' dyspeptic symptoms. CONCLUSION: This study demonstrates that scintigraphy not only detects abnormalities of food distribution in the stomach but also provides information on antral motor activity noninvasively. Dynamic antral scintigraphy and compartmental gastric emptying are useful tools to define the pathophysiology of dyspeptic patients with or without gastroparesis.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Advances in radio-imaging of neuroendocrine tumors.

Neuroendocrine tumors are usually slow-growing tumors that are difficult to locate with standard diagnostic imaging procedures, including enhanced computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging. The observation that most neuroendocrine tumors have at their surface a high level of somatostatin receptors and the synthesis of octreotide (a long-lasting somatostatin analogue) has led to the development of a new radio-imaging procedure to detect these tumors. This procedure has been applied in numerous patients for the detection of neuroendocrine and other types of tumors. In this review, we summarize the results of the studies published recently in the literature.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Characterization of gastric antral motility disturbances in diabetes using a scintigraphic technique.

In this study, food distribution in the stomach and gastric antral motor activity in patients with longstanding diabetes have been evaluated. With use of a standard gastric emptying test with an acquisition protocol and a refined Fourier algorithm to analyze the data, antral contractions have been characterized and gastric motility parameters were correlated to gastric retention in 20 diabetic patients with or without gastroparesis and in 10 healthy subjects. The results of this study show that, in longstanding diabetes, gastric emptying retardation is accounted for by a retention of food in the proximal stomach, which is reflected by a prolonged lag phase as well as by a reduction in antral motor activity that is determined by a decrease in the amplitude of the antral contractions. This study demonstrates that scintigraphy can noninvasively characterize abnormalities of food distribution in the stomach and provides information similar to that obtained from manometry.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Fatal Capnocytophaga canimorsus septicemia in a previously healthy woman.

A previously healthy 47-year-old woman presented to the emergency department with septic shock five days after a small dog bite on the dorsum of her hand. Capnocytophaga canimorsus was isolated from blood cultures. Despite intensive therapy, multiple organ failure developed, and the patient died 27 days after admission. Characteristics of Capnocytophaga (formerly CDC group Dysgonic Fermenter-2) infection are briefly discussed. This unusual outcome in a previously healthy patient and the need for careful management of dog bite wounds, even if initially very small, is emphasized.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Fatal Streptococcus suis meningitis in man.

A case of Streptococcus suis meningitis is observed in a 39-year-old and previously healthy meat factory worker. Neurological recovery was incomplete despite adequate and sustained antimicrobial therapy. Early deafness was demonstrated by brainstem auditory evoked potentials. Death due to aspiration pneumonia, cardiac arrest and subsequent cerebral anoxia occurred late in the course of the illness.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Intensive care management of Guillain-Barré syndrome during pregnancy.

A particularly severe case of Guillain-Barré syndrome occurring during pregnancy is reported. The therapeutic approach including plasmapheresis, ventilation, analgesia, sedation, metabolic requirements and heparin therapy is discussed with the consequences on foetal development and the early days of life.

Adult↗