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Biomedical subjects

M Pecherstorfer

Publications and source records attributed to M Pecherstorfer.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1991

[Pamidronate in the treatment of tumor-associated hypercalcemia].

After a 48-hour rehydration period 28 of 31 patients with cancer-associated hypercalcemia (serum calcium greater than or equal to 2.8 mmol/l) were treated intravenously with the bisphosphonate pamidronate. In three patients fluid repletion with 0.9% saline solution had already normalized serum calcium levels. Pamidronate was given in a single infusion on day 0, the dose of pamidronate adapted to the severity of hypercalcemia. If the serum calcium concentration was greater than or equal to 2.8 mmol/l on day 3, application of pamidronate was repeated. In all patients normocalcemia was restored; mean serum calcium decreased from 3.2 +/- 0.35 on day 0 to 2.15 +/- 0.32 on day 12. Hypercalcemia recurred in 11 patients, seven of these underwent pamidronate treatment according to the same therapeutical regimen. Normal calcium levels were attained in five cases. Side effects were of minor gravity: brief hyperthermia occurred in four patients and transient, asymptomatic hypocalcemia was noticed in nine cases.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

[Recurrent hypoglycemia and lactate acidosis in non-Hodgkin's lymphoma].

Two weeks after partial resection of the small intestine for an intra-abdominal stenosing centroblastic non-Hodgkin lymphoma, a 65-year-old man began to experience recurrent attacks of hypoglycaemia (down to 30 mg/dl) together with lactic acidosis (lactate 5.13 mmol/l), tachycardia and sensations of heat. Very high parenteral glucose input (up to 750 g/day) was necessary to maintain normal blood sugar levels. There was close correlation between the level of glucose consumption and the degree of lactic acidosis. After chemotherapy the abnormalities improved, but recurred as the neoplasm proliferated once more. An endocrine mechanism for the hypoglycaemic attacks was excluded by the low serum concentrations of insulin and of "insulin-like growth factors" I and II and by the fact that the levels of glucagon, glucocorticoids, growth hormone and thyroid hormone were within the normal ranges. There were pleural and peritoneal effusions containing large numbers of tumour cells. Investigated in vitro, the fluids showed a decline in glucose and a rise in lactate concentration. Studies with an artificial pancreas also showed that glucose utilization rate in vivo was increased to four times the normal and that it could be raised still further by insulin stimulation. These findings provide evidence of direct consumption of glucose by the tumour cells in the form of abnormally increased anaerobic glycolysis.

Acidosis, Lactic↗
PubMed1991

[PTH-related protein (PTHrP) in serum of patients with tumor hypercalcemia].

Parathyroid hormone-related protein (PTHrP) is a recently described hormone, that was isolated from malignant tumors. It shows many properties of parathyroid hormone (PTH) and is related to the pathogenesis of humoral hypercalcemia of malignancy. Therefore, we analyzed PTHrP in the sera of 30 patients with hypercalcemia of malignancy and compared the values with those obtained in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism, Paget's disease of bone, and normal subjects. PTHrP was quantitated with radioimmunoassay (RIA) using aminoterminal antibodies without and with chromatographical sample purification applying SEP-PAK C18 cartridges. Measurements of PTHrP without sample purification yielded high values in all patient groups. There was no differentiation between patient groups. However, quantitation of PTHrP after SEP-PAK C18 purification of the samples resulted in values above the normal range only in tumour patients. In 30 normal subjects PTHrP levels were 110 +/- 75 pg-eq/ml. Eight out of 30 patients with malignant tumours displayed PTHrP-concentrations above 335 pg-eq/ml. PTHrP levels in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism or Paget's disease of bone were within the normal range. PTHrP concentrations were not affected from renal function. We conclude, that determination of PTHrP after sample purification may contribute to the differential diagnosis of malignant disease.

Aged↗
PubMed1990

[Erythropoietin in multiple myeloma].

In a 59-year-old man with multiple myeloma (kappa-light chain paraproteinaemia) in stage IIIB, bone marrow infiltration with atypical plasma cells was reduced by five cytostatic treatment courses with vincristine, melphalan, cyclophosphamide and prednisone (VMCP protocol), but anaemia requiring blood transfusion persisted (haemoglobin concentration 5.3 g/dl). Even administration of interferon alpha-2b (5 million units s.c. every other day) failed to alter this. Only a combination of interferon and erythropoietin (150 U/kg i.v. every other day) achieved lasting regression of the anaemia (haemoglobin concentration up to 14 g/dl). In four other anaemic patients with multiple myeloma, stage III, treated according to the VMCP protocol but without additional interferon, erythropoietin did not improve erythropoiesis.

Aged↗
PubMed1988

[Morphologic changes in urine erythrocytes in interference contrast microscopy as an indication of the source of microhematuria].

According to Birch and Fairley (1, 2, 3) it is possible to differentiate glomerular from nonglomerular microhematuria by red cell morphology. Using an interference contrast microscope we examined urine sediments of 85 patients characterized by a microhematuria with more than 8000 red cells/ml urine. Examination of 31 patients with glomerular disease and 27 patients with nonglomerular disease yielded a correlation of 83.5 and 88% respectively between our results and the verified cause of microhematuria. In contrast red cell morphology did not prove any diagnostic favour in 27 patients with renal transplantation.

Diagnosis, Differential↗