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Biomedical subjects

P E Hellström

Publications and source records attributed to P E Hellström.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1988

The ovarian cancer associated antigen CA 125 in patients with pleural effusions.

The concentration of the ovarian cancer associated antigen CA 125 was determined in the pleural fluid of 25 patients with lung cancer and of 40 patients with benign diseases. Paired serum and pleural fluid samples were measured in 21 tumor patients and 34 patients with nonmalignant diseases. Serum CA 125 was elevated (greater than 35 U/ml) in 16 of 25 (64%) patients with carcinoma and 13 of 34 (38%) patients with benign diseases. The CA 125 level in serum was markedly elevated (greater than 200 U/ml) in five of six adenocarcinomas whereas a slightly elevated level was associated with only one of four mesotheliomas and with one of three secondary carcinomas. The pleural fluid concentration of CA 125 was higher than the serum value in 90% of the patients, showing a median ratio of 4.9, respectively. Pleural fluid values higher than 250 U/ml were seen in 18 of 25 (72%) subjects with pleural effusion due to malignancy and in 10 of 40 (25%) patients in the benign group. There were no apparent differences in the pleural fluid CA 125 levels in patients having different types of cancer and different benign diseases.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1988

Inhaled budesonide influences cellular and biochemical abnormalities in pulmonary sarcoidosis.

In a randomized, double-blind study 19 patients with newly-detected pulmonary sarcoidosis were treated with either inhaled budesonide, 800 micrograms twice daily (n = 9), or placebo (n = 10) for 8-10 weeks. Before and after treatment, chest roentgenograms, lung function tests, bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) and biochemical tests were performed. Angiotensin converting enzyme (ACE) activity and beta2-microglobulin (beta 2M) concentrations were measured in serum. The same tests, as well as albumin and hyaluronan were measured in the BAL-fluid. The total cell number in BAL-fluid, differential counts and lymphocyte subpopulations were determined (total T- and B-lymphocytes, T-helper/inducer (OKT-4) and T-suppressor/cytotoxic (OKT-8) lymphocytes). No significant changes in chest roentgenograms or lung function tests were observed during the short study time. However, a decrease in serum ACE (p less than 0.1) and beta 2 M (p less than 0.05) as well as in BAL-hyaluronan (p less than 0.01) was found in the budesonide-treated patients as well as a decrease in the percentage of BAL T-lymphocytes (p less than 0.05) and the T4/T8 ratio (p less than 0.1). No significant changes were seen in the placebo group. The findings suggest that treatment with inhaled budesonide influences biochemical and cellular findings in patients with early sarcoidosis in the same way as treatment with systemic corticosteroids. The results may also explain clinical effects seen in sarcoidosis patients treated with inhaled corticosteroids. However, further studies are required to determine the long-term clinical benefits of inhaled steroids in pulmonary sarcoidosis.

Administration, Inhalation↗
PubMed1985

Pleural fluid ferritin concentrations in human disease.

The concentration of ferritin was measured in the pleural fluid of 108 patients with pleural effusions. In all groups of patients the ferritin concentration was higher in pleural fluid than in serum. The greatest differences, with up to 100 times more ferritin in the pleural fluid, were found for patients with rheumatoid pleurisy, malignant effusions, and empyema. In patients with non-malignant inflammatory pleural effusions the concentration of ferritin in pleural fluid correlated significantly with other pleural fluid indices of inflammation: there was a positive correlation with lactate dehydrogenase activity and a negative correlation with concentrations of glucose and complement components C3 and C4. Ferritin was detected immunocytochemically only in the macrophages found among the pleural fluid cells. Our study shows that large amounts of ferritin accumulate locally in the pleural cavity in certain types of pleural inflammation. The accumulation is probably partly the result of increased local reticuloendothelial system activity. Determination of the concentration of ferritin in pleural fluid may provide corroborative information for differential diagnosis and may further our understanding of the pathogenetic events that lead to the perpetuation of inflammatory activity in pleural effusions.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1983

Alpha1-antitrypsin: PI type and lung tuberculosis. A negative report.

The protease inhibitor type (PI type) of alpha 1-antitrypsin in serum from 955 patients with lung tuberculosis was determined by isoelectric focusing. No overrepresentation of any PI type was found among the patients with tuberculosis. Furthermore, the tuberculosis did not seem to be worse among the unusual PI type patients as compared with the patients with MM phenotypes.

Female↗
PubMed1982

Chemical and immunological features of pleural effusions: comparison between rheumatoid arthritis and other diseases.

The value of determination of pleural fluid glucose, pH, lactic dehydrogenase, IgG, IgA, IgM, C3, C4, anti-IgG antibody, and hydroxyproline in distinguishing between pleural effusions caused by rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and those resulting from other diseases was studied. The series comprised seven patients with RA and 115 patients with other diseases including systemic lupus erythematosus, tuberculosis, malignant disease, empyema, pneumonia, congestive heart failure, and nonspecific pleural effusion. The low glucose concentration, the low pH and the low C4 level in rheumatoid pleural effusion were the most valuable diagnostic findings. The presence of anti-IgG antibody in pleural fluid was not specific for RA. The concentration of hydroxyproline in pleural fluid and the pleural fluid-to-plasma hydroxyproline ratio were significantly higher in RA than in tuberculosis and malignant disease. The results support the view that local metabolic and immunological phenomena as well as a high turnover of collagen occur in the pleural cavity in RA.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1980

Evaluation of amantadine in the prophylaxis of influenza A (H1N1) virus infection: a controlled field trial among young adults and high-risk patients.

The usefulness of amantadine in the protection of humans against influenza A (H1N1) virus was evaluated in a double-blind field trial with 555 volunteers in Finland in the winter of 1978. Three populations--patients in a general hospital, adults in a home for the aged, and two groups of military conscripts--were chosen. Epidemic influenza occurred only in the two groups of conscripts: the incidence of serologically verified influenza was 66% and 83% in the groups that received placebo and 43% and 51% in the groups that received amantadine, giving protection rates of 36% (P = 0.05) and 39% (P = 0.001). The evaluation of the effect of amantadine on the occurrence of illness was obscured by concomitant adenoviral infections that caused influenza-like symptoms. No clear difference in the occurrences of side effects was observed between the placebo and amantadine-treated groups; however, a significantly greater number of participants who took 200 mg of amantadine/day (16.9%) stopped medication during the trial as compared with the placebo groups (7.6%) (P < 0.02).

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Assessment of the tuberculosis agglutination test.

A total of 139 random samples of serum taken at intervals during chemotherapy from 16 patients were analysed using agglutination methods for the serological diagnosis of tuberculosis. The series comprised six cases of far advanced pulmonary tuberculosis, four cases with advanced lesions, two cases with minimal spread and four controls. The samples were analysed simultaneously and independently using two different batches of antigen in two test systems. The test results were comparable in the two series and the diagnostic outcome of the test was not encouraging, the percentages of false negatives being 52 and 60 or 9 and 32, depending on the criteria selected, and those of false positives being 3 and 0 or 59 and 44 respectively. The magnitude of the titres obtained did not reflect the severity of the disease. In addition the test did not prove useful as a method for following up the results of treatment of individual patients in this series.

Agglutination Tests↗
PubMed1979

Pleural fluid lysozyme in human disease.

Lysozyme content was measured in the plasma and pleural fluid of 110 patients with pleural effusions of various causes. The concentration of pleural fluid lysozyme was significantly higher (P less than .001) in patients with tuberculous pleurisy than in those with primary pulmonary carcinoma, metastatic carcinoma of the lung, connective tissue disease, nonspecific pleurisy, or congestive heart failure. Tuberculous patients also had a significantly higher (P less than .001) pleural fluid-to-plasma lysozyme ratio than did the other patients. Plasma lysozyme activity did not differ significantly among the various patient groups. Lysozyme was identified immunohistochemically in epithelioid cell granulomas in tuberculosis, in activated macrophages in lymph nodes adjacent to tuberculous lesions, and in granulocytes in pleural empyema. No lysozyme was detected in neoplastic cells in pulmonary carcinoma. The results show that the determination of pleural fluid lysozyme is a simple, fast method for obtaining corroborative information in the differential diagnosis of tuberculous pleurisy.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1978

T and B lymphocytes in pleural effusions.

To determine the diagnostic significance of the determination of T and B lymphocytes in pleural fluid, we studied these cells in peripheral blood and in pleural fluid by means of surface markers. Our study comprised 30 patients suffering from pulmonary tuberculosis, pulmonary malignancy, connective tissue disease, nonspecific pleurisy or congestive cardiac failure. In pulmonary tuberculosis, both the percentage and absolute numbers of T lymphocytes in pleural fluid were significantly higher than in peripheral blood. In patients with pulmonary tuberculosis, pulmonary malignancy or nonspecific pleuritis, the percentages and absolute numbers of B lymphocytes were significantly lower in pleural fluid than in peripheral blood. Considered together with other clinical and laboratory indices, these determinations may aid in the differential diagnosis of pleurisy of various etiology.

Adult↗
PubMed1978

Systemic lupus erythematosus and DNA antibodies in pleural effusions.

The quantity of antibodies to double-stranded DNA (ds-DNA) in 53 pleural effusions from 48 patients was measured by means of a modified Farr technique. In 10 samples, binding of ds-DNA was greater than 5 mg/l (range 6--14 mg/l), five samples being from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), four from patients with lung cancer, and one from a patient with pulmonary tuberculosis. After treatment of pleural effusion samples with DNase, there was a marked increase of ds-DNA binding in the SLE group (n = 5), but none in the lung cancer group (n = 7) or in 4 patients with pleural effusions of various origin. In pleural fluid, demonstration of antibodies to ds-DNA and anti-ds-DNA-ds-DNA complexes, unmasked by DNase, may prove valuable when differentiating clinical conditions with pleural effusions.

Antibodies, Antinuclear↗
PubMed1977

Acid glycosaminoglycans (mucopolysaccharides) in the differential diagnosis of pleural effusion.

Pleural fluid glycosaminoglycans (GAG) in 64 patients with various diseases were isolated by anion-exchange chromatography after proteolysis, and characterised by spectrophotometric, electrophoretic and enzymatic techniques. GAG concentrations ranged from 7 to 1178 microng hexuronate/ml pleural fluid. The highest values (1178, 161 and 160 micron/ml) were found in patients with diffuse mesothelioma. Over 90% of the pleural fluid GAG consisted of hyaluronic acid (HA) in these patients. In other types of pleural effusion the relative HA content varied from 42 to 70% of the total GAG. Determination of pleural fluid HA consequently appears extremely valuable in the diagnosis of the form of mesothelioma producing HA. The mean GAG concentration of pleural fluid was significantly higher in tuberculous pleurisy than in hydrothorax (P less than 0.01), secondary malignant pleural effusion (P less than 0.0005) and idiopathic pleurisy (Pless than 0.03). It was impossible to demonstrate definite correlations between GAG and protein, and GAG and glucose concentrations of pleural fluid.

Diagnosis, Differential↗
PubMed1977

A comparison between an equimolar inhaled dose of ibuterol and terbutaline in asthmatics.

The effect of equimolar doses of ibuterol, 0.75 mg, and terbutaline, 0.50 mg, was compared in 16 asthmatics. Both drugs were given double-blind in a single dose by inhalation. The drugs did not significantly differ from each other in any of the parameters used in the trial. Both had rapid onset of action on the bronchospasm as measured with a Wright's peak flow meter. The effect was still statistically significant 300 min after the inhalation compared with the pre-treatment values. Neither drug had any effect of clinical importance on heart rate or blood pressure. No side effects were observed during the trial.

Adult↗