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Biomedical subjects

P Maurice

Publications and source records attributed to P Maurice.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

[Esophageal candidiasis in HIV positive patients. Lack of statistical correlation with CD4 lymphocytes].

One hundred and twenty-nine upper gastrointestinal endoscopies were performed between November, 1986, and November, 1990, at the Fort-de-France Hospital (Martinique), on 92 patients who were seropositive for the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). Blood samples were drawn at the same time as 75 endoscopic examinations and the number of CD4 lymphocytes/mm3 was determined. The incidence of esophageal candidiasis was 23.1% and lesions were observed in 17.2% of the endoscopies performed systematically at the time that the patient's seropositivity was first established. No significant relationship was found between the presence of esophageal candidiasis and peripheral blood CD4 lymphocyte counts.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections

[The treatment of acute lymphatic leukemia in adults: pilot project with intensive early therapy without a maintenance phase].

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) is conventionally treated in three phases: remission induction, consolidation and maintenance. In adults initial remission rates of nearly 80% can be achieved. The 3 to 5 year leukemia free survival is 20 to 40%. Most relapses occur during maintenance, despite continuous therapy for 2 to 3 years. The value of maintenance therapy following intensive induction in adults is not documented. In this pilot study we treated 34 patients with ALL in five Swiss centers between 1986 and 1989 with intensive induction/consolidation therapy alone. Three induction/consolidation courses were applied: course I, 43 days, consisting of daunomycin, vincristine, prednisone, methotrexate, L-asparaginase and intrathecal CNS prophylaxis; course II, 6 days, consisting of high dose cytosine arabinoside and VP-16; course III, three non randomized arms, either allogeneic or autologous bone marrow transplantation (BMT) or high dose cyclophosphamide and repeated intrathecal therapy alone. 32 patients (94%) reached complete remission (CR): 24 after course I (71%), 7 after course II (cumulative 91%) and one after course III only (cumulative 94%). 3 patients had early, relapses before course III, 3 died of infection, and 2 of graft-versus-host disease. One patient had refractory leukemia in all three courses. 26 patients (76%) were in CR after completion of therapy. 16 relapsed within 1 to 17 months (median 5). 10 patients are free of disease after 10 to 44 months (median 24): 5 had had allogeneic BMT, 3 autologous BMT and 2 cyclophosphamide in course III.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult

Neoplastic characteristics of the DNA found in the plasma of cancer patients.

About one third of patients with various malignant diseases were found to have extractable amounts of DNA in their plasma whereas no DNA could be detected in normal controls. Using the test established by one of us (M.B.), which is based on decreased strand stability of cancer cell DNA, we have found that several plasma DNA originate from cancer cells.

Carcinogens

[Super intensive treatment followed by bone marrow autograft in cases of hematologic neoplasms and solid tumors].

Thirty-one patients underwent autologous bone marrow transplantation (ABMT) after intensive radio and/or chemotherapy. On 18 occasions, bone marrows were treated in vitro with either Asta-Z 7557, Asta-Z 7654 or the rat monoclonal antibody Campath-1M and complement. Sixteen patients were transplanted for acute leukemia: 6 patients were in first complete remission (CR), 5 in CR greater than 1 and 5 in relapse. Twelve out of fourteen evaluable patients have relapsed. Two patients transplanted in CR 2 and CR 1 remain in CR after 9.5 and 12 months respectively. Nine patients were transplanted for aggressive lymphoma: four patients were in CR 1, 2 in CR greater than 1, 1 in first relapse and 2 refractory to best available second line chemotherapy. All 3 achieved CR after ABMT. Nine patients are evaluable: 4 relapsed and 5 remain in CR at 5, 6.5, 21, 25 and 39 months, this last patient transplanted in a refractory state, the others in CR 1. Four patients were transplanted for refractory Hodgkin's disease: 3 patients are evaluable. One patient achieved complete remission which lasted 9 months. Two patients were transplanted for relapsed solid tumors and achieved a partial response. In conclusion, the response rate is encouraging for patients transplanted during active and sometimes refractory phases of the diseases (8/13 evaluable patients achieved CR). However, for the whole group of patients, including those transplanted for acute leukemia in CR 1, the relapse rate was high. Durable remissions were achieved for patients with aggressive lymphoma who were transplanted early in the disease.

Acute Disease

Long-term results of two Swiss AML studies.

The Swiss group for clinical cancer research (SAKK) completed two first line protocols for the treatment of acute myelogenous leukemia (AML). In the first protocol (SAKK AML 74, from August 1974 to April 1977; 107 patients) the effectiveness of immunization with viral oncolysate during maintenance treatment was tested. After successful induction treatment, the patients were randomized in two groups: Group A: monthly maintenance chemotherapy for 2 years and group A+IT, which received the same maintenance chemotherapy regimen plus, on day 15, injection of viral oncolysate. Of the 107 patients, 57 (53%) achieved complete remission, 29 then being randomized to group A, 28 to group A+IT. As of August 1984, there is no statistical difference between the survival times of the two groups (p = 0.288). Ten years after the start of the study there is still no clear plateau of the survival curve. Nine percent of all patients (18% of the remission patients) are alive today. With the treatment of the mid-seventies, therefore, the cure of a patient suffering from AML was a rare event. The second protocol (SAKK AML 77, from April 1977 to April 1982; 162 patients) was designed to evaluate the usefulness of a prolonged maintenance treatment after early consolidation. The 74 patients who were still in remission after early consolidation treatment were assigned to either maintenance chemotherapy or to observation only. At 3.5 years after the last patient's entry there was no difference between the groups in duration of survival (p = 0.332).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult

[Foreign body in the tricuspid valve with valvular insufficiency and right-left shunt].

We present the case of a 50-year old man who progressively developed tricuspid valve insufficiency with opening of a patent foramen ovale responsible for right-to-left shunt with polycythaemia. The tricuspid valve insufficiency was due to a foreign body, probably of surgical origin as suggested by its radiological image and by the patient's previous history. It would have been introduced, far away from the tricuspid valve (compound fracture of the wrist), several years previously. At surgery, we found the foreign body embedded in the valve system. As a possible mechanism for the mutilation, an undiagnosed endocarditis was suspected but could not be confirmed. Three cases tricuspid endocarditis (with foreign bodies in the right ventricle) and 3 cases of asymptomatic tricuspid valve foreign bodies have been published. Fifty-five cases of foreign bodies introduced peripherally and migrated into the heart, the pericardium and the pulmonary artery are reviewed.

Coronary Circulation

[Transplantation of allogeneic bone marrow treated in vitro with Campath-1 monoclonal antibody].

Out of 14 bone marrow transplants, 12 patients received transplantations with allogeneic bone marrow after in vitro T-cell depletion with monoclonal Campath 1. The patients also received short term cyclosporin. This small series is in agreement with the results of larger series using T-depleted marrow as far as the prevention of graft versus host disease is concerned, and with respect to mixed chimerism, slow take, late rejection and, possibly, increased risk of recurrence.

Aged

Antihypertensive effects of tertatolol: 3-month comparative study against acebutolol.

Thirty-two hypertensive patients (mean age 52.9 +/- 1.7 years) with a supine diastolic blood pressure (DBP) between 95 and 130 mm Hg (mean 104.3 +/- 0.8) received, following a randomized allocation, either tertatolol 5 mg (n = 16) or acebutolol 400 mg (n = 16) in a single daily dose. The 2 drugs were administered during a 3-month treatment period (from day 0 to day 90) in a single-blind fashion. At rest (n = 32), the decrease of supine systolic blood pressure (SBP) reached 27.3 mm Hg after 1 month of tertatolol treatment (from day 0 to day 30; p less than 0.01); there was a further decrease of 5.1 mm Hg from day 30 (D30) to day 90 (D90) (NS). The corresponding decreases after acebutolol treatment reached respectively 22.3 mm Hg (p less than 0.01) and 5.7 mm Hg (p less than 0.05). Similar results were observed in the upright position. The decrease of supine DBP reached 14.0 mm Hg in patients treated with tertatolol from D0 to D30 (p less than 0.01); a further decrease of 2.9 mm Hg occurred from D30 to D90 (NS). The corresponding decreases in patients administered acebutolol reached respectively 7.6 mm Hg (p less than 0.01) and 5.2 mm Hg (p less than 0.01). Similar results were observed in the upright position. On submaximal exercise (ergometric bicycle; n = 18), the decrease of SBP reached respectively 31.3 mm Hg during tertatolol treatment from D0 to D30 (p less than 0.01) and 8.8 mm Hg from D30 to D90 (NS).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Acebutolol

Efficacy and clinical cross-resistance of a new combination therapy (AMSA/VP16) in previously treated patients with acute nonlymphocytic leukemia.

We investigated the tolerance, efficacy, and clinical cross-resistance of a new combination chemotherapy in 38 patients with previously treated acute myeloblastic leukemia (AML). It consisted of 120 mg2/d 4'(9-acridinylamino) methanesulfon-m-Anisidide (m-AMSA) in a one-hour infusion and 80 mg/m2/d etoposide (VP-16) in a 24-hour infusion, both administered for 5 days. The first 27 patients also received vinblastine, 6 mg/m2 on day 8, but this therapy was discontinued because of intestinal complications. Thirteen of 23 patients (56%) at first or subsequent relapse and five of 15 patients (33%) who were primarily resistant to an anthracycline/cytarabine combination achieved a complete response (CR) (hemoglobin level not taken into account) with a median CR duration of 5 months and 2 months, respectively. The response rate was as high as 63% for patients at first or second relapse whether the remission was maintained or not. The median times to recovery of normal bone marrow cellularity, of blood granulocyte counts greater than 500/microL, and of platelets greater than 20,000/microL were 34, 27, and 22 days, respectively. Marked but reversible gastrointestinal toxicity was observed in 24% of the patients, and two patients died of infection during induction. The one-hour AMSA/continuous VP-16 combination is effective for patients with relapsing AML and shows no cross-resistance in a proportion of patients refractory to the standard anthracycline-cytarabine combination.

Adolescent

[Abnormal origin of the left coronary artery. Pre- and postoperative hemodynamic and metabolic studies].

The authors report the case of an asymptomatic 45 year old man in whom an abnormal origin of the left coronary artery was discovered fortuitously. Coronary angiography was carried out for electrocardiographic signs of anterior myocardial infarction and showed the left coronary artery arising from the pulmonary artery: there was apical dyskinesia with alteration of global left ventricular function. The ostium of the left coronary artery was closed and a saphenous vein aorto-left anterior descending artery bypass was performed. There were no complications. Left ventricular function has not improved 8 months after surgery. The haemodynamic and coronary signs of myocardial ischaemia demonstrated preoperatively regressed after surgery: the coronary "steal" caused by the malformation which led to poor perfusion of the territory of the left coronary artery has therefore been corrected by surgery. This procedure should be carried out as early as possible in order to limit extension of the myocardial lesions.

Coronary Artery Bypass

[Transplantation of allogeneic bone marrow treated in vitro with Campath-1 monoclonal antibody].

5 patients underwent bone marrow transplantation for severe aplastic anemia (2) and acute leukemia (ALL) in first remission (3). Graft versus host disease prophylaxis was performed by depleting T lymphocytes in the donor bone marrow with the rat monoclonal Campath-1 and autologous complement. In addition, patients received cyclosporin A. Engraftment occurred normally in all 5 patients but 1 patient (SAA) had a late graft failure. Two patients suffered mild degrees of GvHD. All patients are currently in complete remission, one having undergone a second transplantation.

Adult

[Clinical and electrophysiological aspects of median intra-His bundle block with normal electrocardiogram at rest].

The clinical and electrophysiological features and the natural history of median intra-His block with a normal resting electrocardiogram were studied: 11 patients had a fixed split H1-H2 potential with a spontaneous or induced block between H1 and H2. The patients (5 men and 6 women) were aged 17 to 70 years (average 53 years). Associated pathology included 2 cases of aortic stenosis (1 severe), 1 case of ischaemic heart disease (effort angina), 1 case of mitral valve prolapse and 2 cases of hypertension. The presenting symptoms were syncope (4 cases), dizziness (2 cases), effort angina (1 case) and tiredness (3 cases); 1 patient was asymptomatic. Holter monitoring (24 hours) was performed in 8 patients and s-owed paroxysmal conduction defects in 6 cases; 4 Mobitz II 2nd degree AV block, 1 3rd degree AV block with narrow QRS complexes and 1 case of blocked atrial extrasystoles at coupling intervals longer than 480 ms and sinus cycle lengths of over 800 ms. Exercise testing by bicycle ergometry (4 patients) was normal in 1 case and revealed Mobitz II 2nd degree AV block in 3 cases. Baseline electrophysiological studies showed an A-H1 interval ranging from 60 to 100 ms (average 78 ms), a H1-H2 interval of 20 to 40 ms (average 31 ms) and a H2-V interval of 30 to 50 ms (average 32 ms). Block between H1 and H2 was observed: "spontaneously" during electrophysiological investigation in 6 cases, after IV atropine in 1 case, during overdrive atrial pacing at rates slower than 150/min in 7 cases, after atrial extrastimulus with a functional intra-His refractory period of over 420 ms in 7 cases, after ajmaline in 3 of the 4 cases in which this test was performed. A cardiac pacemaker was implanted in 10 patients in whom the initial symptoms have all regressed; the remaining patient considered to be "epileptic" had another syncopal attack under therapy and was finally paced. This series demonstrates that the diagnosis of median intra-His block depends on precise electrophysiological criteria and should be looked for even when the presenting symptoms are atypical; some of our patients complained only of tiredness. The value of Holter monitoring and careful endocavitary investigation is emphasised. Median intra-His block should be distinguished from longitudinal and functional His bundle dissociation.

Adolescent

Acute myelogenous leukaemia: maintenance chemotherapy after early consolidation treatment does not prolong survival.

To investigate the value of maintenance chemotherapy after early consolidation treatment, an attempt was made to induce remission in 162 previously untreated patients, age-range 7-65 years (median 43). The 74 patients who were still in remission after early consolidation treatment (given for 3-5 months) were assigned to either maintenance chemotherapy every 8 weeks for 2 years or to observation only. After a median observation period of 44 months there was no difference between the groups in duration of remission or survival. Surprisingly, patients above 40 survived longer after early consolidation (median 4 years) than did patients aged 40 and below (median 1.6 years, p = 0.0002).

Adolescent