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N Dimitrov

Publications and source records attributed to N Dimitrov.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1988

Effect of thymosin (fraction 5) on the plasma levels of glucose and glucoregulatory hormones in humans.

Several interactions between thymosin (fraction 5) and the endocrine system have been described in animals, but its effects in humans have not been studied. Plasma levels of glucose, insulin and glucagon were obtained in response to a glucose load before and after treatment with thymosin in eight patients. The glucose tolerance was normal in all subjects and remained so following thymosin administration. No significant changes in the levels of glucagon and insulin were obtained. In six patients, baseline levels of plasma cortisol and ACTH were also obtained. Four out of six patients demonstrated an increase in ACTH levels although the mean differences did not achieve statistical significance. Plasma cortisol levels also did not change significantly. We conclude that thymosin given over a short term is unlikely to significantly influence carbohydrate metabolism. Since four out of six patients showed an increase in basal ACTH levels, it suggests that thymosin may affect the hypothalamic pituitary/adrenal axis. However, further study is needed for complete evaluation of these effects.

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗
PubMed1987

Prolonging tamoxifen therapy for primary breast cancer. Findings from the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project clinical trial.

OBJECTIVE: To determine whether prolonging the duration of tamoxifen administration beyond the cessation of a combined chemotherapy regimen benefits patients with primary breast cancer with positive findings in axillary nodes who benefit initially from the combined regimen. DESIGN: Nonrandomized, nonconcurrent cohort study. SETTING: National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project, conducted in 68 institutions in North America. PATIENTS: Women were included if they had breast cancer with positive nodes and were aged 49 years or less with both estrogen and progesterone receptor levels of 10 fmol or more, aged 50 to 59 years with progesterone receptor levels of 10 fmol or more, or aged 60 to 69 years. Two cohorts were compared: patients who were randomly assigned to the tamoxifen arm of the adjuvant chemotherapy trial (randomized patients) and women who were added to this arm after randomization had ceased (registered patients). Three hundred seventy-seven women in each group who were disease free at the end of the initial 2-year treatment period were followed for an additional 3 years. INTERVENTIONS: All received melphalan, fluorouracil, and tamoxifen (10 mg twice daily by mouth) for 2 years. Registered patients (but not randomized patients) were offered tamoxifen for a third year after the initial 2-year treatment period, and 273 (72%) agreed. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: Women receiving a third year of tamoxifen had a better disease-free survival rate (odds ratio, 1.54; 95% confidence interval, 1.14 to 2.07; p = 0.004) and survival rate (odds ratio, 1.56; 95% Cl, 1.02 to 2.37; p = 0.04) through their fifth postoperative year. Women aged 50 years or more benefited, but those aged 49 years or less did not. CONCLUSIONS: The benefit of tamoxifen given to tamoxifen-responsive patients in conjunction with melphalan and fluorouracil appears to be enhanced when the tamoxifen treatment is continued beyond cessation of treatment with these agents.

Actuarial Analysis↗
PubMed1984

The prognostic significance of preoperative carcinoembryonic antigen levels in colorectal cancer. Results from NSABP (National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project) clinical trials.

This analysis explores the prognostic significance of preoperative carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) levels in patients with colorectal cancer. The data were derived from 945 patients entered into two randomized prospective clinical trials of the National Surgical Adjuvant Breast and Bowel Project. A strong correlation was evident between preoperative CEA level and Dukes class. The mean CEA progressively increased with each Dukes category and the mean value for each of the four classes was significantly different. This relationship was prevalent whether the data were analyzed for all colorectal lesions regardless of location or specifically for right-sided colon tumors. The prognostic function of preoperative CEA level was independent of the number of positive histologic nodes. Preoperative CEA level correlated with the degree of lumen encirclement by tumor. Tumors that did not encircle more than one half the lumen were associated with significantly lower preoperative CEA levels than those that did. The presence or absence of lumen obstruction was unrelated to the preoperative CEA level. The relative risk of developing a treatment failure was associated with preoperative CEA, in both Dukes B and C patients, demonstrating that the prognostic significance of preoperative CEA was independent of Dukes class.

Carcinoembryonic Antigen↗
PubMed1981

Treatment of primary breast cancer with chemotherapy and tamoxifen.

We studied the possibility that the addition of tamoxifen to L-phenylalanine mustard combined with 5-fluorouracil enhances the benefit from the latter two drugs that has been observed in women with primary breast cancer and positive axillary nodes. Recurrence of disease was reduced at two years in patients given the three-drug regimen whose tumor estrogen-receptor levels were greater than or equal to 10 fmol. Among patients greater than or equal to 50 years old treatment failure was significantly reduced (P less than 0.001): by 51 per cent in those with one to three positive nodes and by 64 per cent in those with four or more. Higher receptor levels were associated with a greater probability of disease-free survival. Patients less than or equal to 49 years old were less responsive: those with one to three positive nodes received no benefit from tamoxifen at any receptor level, whereas those with four or more appeared to have reduced treatment failure associated with higher receptor levels. This adjuvant chemotherapy is not indicated in patients less than or equal to 49 years old whose tumor receptor levels are below 10 fmol; there is a suggestion of benefit in patients greater than or equal to 50 years old whose levels are low.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1978

[Epizootiological characteristics of trichophytosis in calves raised commercially].

Epizootiologic studies were carried out after a special programme in four calf-fattening combines harbouring trichophytosis-affected animals. Tested was the effectiveness of a Soviet vaccina, Tphi 130 under this country's conditions. It was found that 20 per cent of the examined contact calves and 23.3 per cent of the survivals were carriers of T. faviforme. It was demonstrated that the vaccine conferred solid immunity against the Bulgarian strains of T. faviforme.

Animals↗
PubMed1977

[Congenital cystic dilatation of biliary tract (author's transl)].

The congenital cystic dilatation of biliary tract is un frequent affection and there are many types described (classification of Alonso Lej). The authors present the observation of a little girl of 12 years who presented a complete cystic dilatation ob biliary tract, diagnosed before the operation by intravenous biligraphy. This association of intra and extra hepatic cystic dilatation has been described in 1964 by Arthur and Stuart, and the diagnosis is to be done by intraveinous biligraphy in 30% of cases.

Bile Ducts↗
PubMed1976

[Effect of Corynebacterium parvum on murine cultured bone marrow cells].

The administration of Corynebacterium parvum (C. parvum) stimulates in the mouse the bone marrow colony forming cell compartment in two stages. The first stage reaches pic values one day after two consecutive injections and the second, more important stage, reaches a pic at the 9th day which lasts over 27 days. There is no evidence that this effect is related to the liberation of CSF.

Animals↗
PubMed1976

[Study of the effect of some of the vaccination plans applied in Bulgaria against Newcastle disease].

Comparative studies were carried out on the effect of the vaccination of broilers against Newcastle disease with La Sota strain through the single application in the drinking water on the 21st day and the newly introduced vaccination at the age of four days, using the spray method, as well as the combined method--spray vaccination on the fourth day and giving the vaccine twice on the 21st day. It was found that the last method confers better immunity and higher immunity against the disease as compared to offering the vaccine only once on the 21st day.

Aerosols↗
PubMed1976

[Study of an immunization plan for broilers via the spray method against Newcastle disease using vaccines from the Bl and La Sota strains].

Studied was the immunization pattern against Newcastle disease in birds with the use of a spray method on broilers obtained congenitally from their mothers, having antihemagglutinins. All birds on one of the premises ( a total of 14, 000) were vaccinated when 5 days old with a liquid vaccine of strain B1 (one fourth dose per bird) using the Dutch pulverizing apparatus Flox-10 -- group I. Other 14,000 birds of another of the premises of the same batch were treated at the same age with the same dose via the same route of application of a liquid vaccine of the La Sota strain --group II. All birds of the two groups were revaccinated in the same way at the age of 25 days with a vaccine of the La Sota strain at the rate of a whole dose per bird. The birds were kept under equal conditons of feeding and management. It was found that they built immunity which protected them fully from Newcastle disease up to the end of the fattening period (2 months). This was demonstrated by the test for establishing resistance to a control infection with a highly virulent strain of the Newcastle disease virus (challenge) as well as serologically by the hemagglutination inhibition reaction. At the slaughter by the end of the fattening period all period all birds of the two groups sshowed almost equal average body weight, however, those of group I manifested 0.97 per cent lower mortality rate and lower forage intake per kg weight (by 23 g on an average).

Aerosols↗
PubMed1976

[Experience in controlling the Salmonella carrier state on a pedigree poultry breeding farm].

Systematic microbiologic control was carried out in the 1972-1975 period on an elite poultry farm whereas from the 23,724 samples studied, taken from objects of the epizootic chain forage-birds-hatchery, 78 cultures of Salmonella organisms of 14 species or 0.32 per cent of the total number of samples were isolated. A trend was observed toward the year-to-year drop in the number of positive findings of Salmonellae, and by the end of 1975 the results were negative. This fact was backed by the investigations in the poultry dressing combines throughout the country that have received the parental forms of birds from the sanated elite poultry farm. Established was vertical (congenital) transmission of Salmonella enteritidis, and using the typhoid-pullorosis test all carrier birds were detected and eliminated. Thus serologically were followed up and eliminated the hidden sources of infection among the flocks on the elite poultry farm. The alimentary mechanism of infection transmission (horizontally with the chain forage-birds was discontinued through the storage of feed mixtures packed in bags (not in bulk). The chain birds-hatchery was interrupted by means of fumigation, the eggs being treated up to the second hour following laying, and then subjected to four subsequent treatment with disinfectants up to hatching. The environment was sanated by three-fold disinfections every sixth day with lysol, formalin or veraform, anf fumigation with formaldehyde vapours, resulting in 100 per cent effectiveness. This was demonstrated many times bacteriologically. The overall observation of hygiene measures contributed to the sanation of the elite farm. The parallel examination of personnel on the farm made by organs of the Hygiene and Epidemiologic Inspection detected a female worker that acted as a carrier of S. enteritidis. Upon her elimination the complex of measures for the study and complete sanation of the farm was considered fulfilled.

Animals↗
PubMed1975

Daily intravenous infusions of Corynebacterium parvum in twenty patients with disseminated cancer: a preliminary report of clinical and biologic findings.

Twenty terminally ill patients with various disseminated tumors were treated with daily iv infusions of Corynebacterium parvum given alone at doses of 4 mg/day, 5 days/week, for 4-16 weeks. In 8 patients (40%), the lesions partially regressed to less than 50% of their original size. Another patient who did not improve with C. parvum therapy had a complete remission after the first course of chemotherapy. Skin tests, total leukocyte counts, and T- and B-cell counts revealed variable and unpredictable changes. Phytohemagglutinin- and concanavalin A-induced blastogenesis tended to increase. Of 10 patients, 8 had a significant decrease in serum C3 levels after completion of C. parvum therapy, possibly due to an increased C3 consumption by macrophages activated by the immunostimulant. That nonspecific immune stimulation after repeated iv infusions of an immunostimulant can by itself induce regression in disseminated disease does not agree with the current concept that immunotherapy can be effective only against minimal residual disease. The therapeutic procedure proposed here, though frequently associated with moderate short-lasting side effects, is devoid of serious toxicity.

B-Lymphocytes↗