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Biomedical subjects

N Gascón

Publications and source records attributed to N Gascón.

5 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1996

Different hCG assays to measure ectopic hCG secretion in bladder carcinoma patients.

We evaluated the clinical performance of assays measuring intact human chorionic gonadotropin alone (i-hCG), intact and nicked human chorionic gonadotropin (i-hCG and hCGn), free beta-subunit (free beta-hCG) and total beta-human chorionic gonadotropin (t-hCG) using different commercial kits, in a group of bladder carcinoma patients with ectopic human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) secretion, at diagnosis and during treatment. The diagnostic sensitivity obtained ranged between 63.6% and 75.7% (t-hCG assays), 72.7% (free beta-hCG assay), 18.2% (i-hCG and hCGn) and 6% (i-hCG assay). Median increases of hCG during treatment in patients with chemotherapy resistance ranged from 4.9 to 6.9 for t-hCG and free beta-hCG assays and from 1.4 to 3.2 for i-hCG and i-hCG plus hCGn assays. Median decreases when chemotherapy was efficient ranged from 2.8 to 3.3 (t-hCG and free beta-hCG assays) and from 1.1 to 1.5 (i-hCG and i-hCG plus hCGn assays). We conclude that t-hCG and free beta-hCG are the most suitable assays for the management of bladder carcinoma patients as the ectopic secretion of chorionic gonadotropin is mainly due to the free beta-subunit.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Alpha-fetoprotein-concanavalin A binding as a marker to discriminate between germ cell tumours and liver diseases.

In order to differentiate whether slight alpha-fetoprotein (AFP) increases observed in any patient are due to germ cell tumours (GCT) or to liver diseases (including hepatotoxicity of chemotherapy), we measured the binding ratio of the AFP to concanavalin A (ConA). A total of 218 serum samples were studied: 102 samples from 72 GCT patients and 116 from patients with liver diseases. Considering a cut-off value to be a ConA binding ratio of 15%, we distinguished AFP produced by GCT (> 15%) from AFP produced by tumoral and non-tumoral liver diseases (< or = 15%) with a sensitivity of 98% and specificity of 100%. The difference between mean ConA binding ratios was statistically significant (P < 0.0001). We did not distinguish AFP produced by tumoral and non-tumoral liver diseases. ConA binding ratio may be a sensitive index to distinguish whether an increase of AFP concentration as low as 15 U/ml in a GCT patient during the follow-up is produced by the tumour or by liver dysfunction (including hepatotoxicity of chemotherapy).

Biomarkers, Tumor↗
PubMed1993

Dipyrone interference on several common biochemical tests.

We studied the effect in vitro and in vivo of dipyrone on the determination of several biochemical tests in two analyzers, a Hitachi 747 and a Kodak Ektachem 700. From studies in vitro, we found significant interference by dipyrone (P < 0.05) in the determination of creatine kinase (CK), lactate dehydrogenase (LD), uric acid, triglycerides, cholesterol, aspartate aminotransferase, alanine aminotransferase, and urea nitrogen with both instruments, and in the determination of creatinine in the Ektachem analyzer. We also studied the effect of intravenously administered dipyrone in 14 patients. Dipyrone interfered significantly (P < 0.05) in the determination of CK, LD, uric acid, triglycerides, and cholesterol with both instruments, and creatinine only with the Ektachem analyzer. Using high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), we measured concentrations of dipyrone in the serum of patients who had received the drug and observed a negative correlation between the concentrations of dipyrone in the blood and the percentage of each analyte concentration.

Alanine Transaminase↗