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Biomedical subjects

R Baz

Publications and source records attributed to R Baz.

16 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed2006

Recombinant human erythropoietin is associated with increased overall survival in patients with multiple myeloma.

BACKGROUND: Recombinant human erythropoietin (rhEPO) is effective for the treatment of anemia associated with multiple myeloma. Data from animal studies and case reports suggest that rhEPO has antineoplastic properties. METHODS: Two hundred and ninety-two patients enrolled on different chemotherapy clinical trials at the Cleveland Clinic Myeloma Program between 1997 and 2003 were the subjects of this study. Information on erythropoietin use as well as baseline prognostic variables were collected retrospectively. RESULTS: The population consisted of 257 patients with multiple myeloma treated at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation from 1997 to 2003 and followed for at least 1 month. Thirty-five patients were excluded from this analysis because information on erythropoietin use was not available. One hundred and twenty-seven patients received rhEPO for at least 1 month and the rest did not received rhEPO. On average, patients who received rhEPO were older, had a higher Southwest Oncology Group (SWOG) stage, higher serum creatinine, lower serum hemoglobin, higher beta2-microglobulin, lower platelet counts, and a longer time from diagnosis to enrollment at the myeloma program (p < 0.001 for all). After adjusting for age, months from diagnosis to enrollment, serum creatinine, hemoglobin, platelet count, and beta2-microglobulin, the use of rhEPO was associated with improved overall survival (hazard ratio = 0.6; 95% CI = 0.38-0.94) in patients with SWOG stages II, III and IV but not in patients with SWOG stage I. CONCLUSION: rhEPO was associated with improved overall survival in this population of anemic multiple myeloma patients with SWOG stages of II, III and IV. A prospective randomized trial is warranted to corroborate this finding.

Aged↗
PubMed2006

Lenalidomide and pegylated liposomal doxorubicin-based chemotherapy for relapsed or refractory multiple myeloma: safety and efficacy.

BACKGROUND: Lenalidomide is active and well tolerated in relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma. We conducted a phase I/II trial of the combination of lenalidomide and chemotherapy to evaluate the safety and efficacy of the combination. METHODS: The 62 patients enrolled received liposomal doxorubicin 40 mg/m(2) i.v. and vincristine 2 mg i.v. on day 1, dexamethasone 40 mg p.o. on days 1-4 (DVd), and lenalidomide on days 1-21 in 28-day cycles. Primary end points were maximum tolerated dose (MTD) of lenalidomide with DVd chemotherapy and overall response rate (ORR) by Southwest Oncology Group criteria of the combination. FINDINGS: The median age was 62 years, 70% of patients were males and 65% had refractory multiple myeloma. The MTD of lenalidomide with DVd chemotherapy was 10 mg and the dose-limiting toxicity was non-neutropenic sepsis. After 7.5 months of median follow-up, the ORR of the combination was 75%, with 29% of patients achieving a complete or near complete remission. The median progression-free survival was 12 months, while the median overall survival has not yet been reached. INTERPRETATION: The combination of lenalidomide and DVd chemotherapy was well tolerated and resulted in high response rates in this mostly refractory patient population. Evaluation of this combination in newly diagnosed patients is warranted.

Aged↗
PubMed1984

Effects of nitrendipine and hydralazine on plasma catecholamines in essential hypertension.

We compared the efficacy and safety of nitrendipine with that of hydralazine in 21 subjects with essential hypertension. Nitrendipine or hydralazine was given in a double-blind manner after a placebo period. Dose was titrated to diastolic blood pressure (BP) less than or equal to 90 mm Hg and the dose established during titration was continued for 5 to 7 wk. Both supine and erect BP were decreased by both drugs, but heart rate was affected only minimally. Myocardial oxygen demand decreased only with nitrendipine (P less than 0.05), although the change may have been the result of somewhat higher systolic BP while on placebo. Hydralazine induced minimal changes in levels of plasma catecholamines, but plasma norepinephrine levels rose in subjects on nitrendipine. Side effects encountered with both drugs were much the same, although nitrendipine was more often associated with mild fatigue. There were mild elevations in liver function parameters in two subjects on nitrendipine. There was little difference between the effects of nitrendipine and hydralazine in hypertension.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Mitral valve replacement in children and in adolescents. Surgical indication and long-term results in 86 cases].

1. The authors present 86 children and adolescents with rheumatic heart disease of the Pediatric Cardiology Service of the Instituto Nacional de Cardiologia who received valve replacements in the period between September, 1964 and April, 1973, a series which is more numerous and of longer follow-up than any published up to the present 2. In order to obtain comparable results, patients with mitral heart disease of other origen and aortic replacement as well as those subjected to double or triple exchange, were omitted from the study. 3. The symptomatology, the presence of compensated heart failure, the progression of cardiomegaly, the radiologic and electrocardiographic changes, the presence of atrial fibrillation, the mean venocapilary, pulmonary arter, and left right ventricle telediastolic pressures, the pulmonary resistence figures and the results of cineangiocardiography were the fundamental elements used to establish the surgical indication. 4. None were operated with clinic or laboratory data suggesting rheumatic activability. The shortest period between the last bout of rheumatic fever and surgery was 10 months. 5. The clinic improvement was remarkable. Half of the cases receiving digitalis and diuretics were released without this prescription and only 10% continue to take digitalis. With the exception of five patients, the physical capacity is normal and most play sports. The postoperatory radiologic and electrocardiographic changes were remarkable, most were obtained a few months after surgery. With the exception of one case, atrial fibrillation disappeared (in 58% before six months in a group of 31 patients). 6. The later complications attributed to the valve replacement as well as the 15 deaths in the total lot were analyzed. It was pointed out that the hospital death rate was 12.6% and the later was 5.3%, extraordinarily low figures if it is taken into account that the material corresponds to nine years of work and the problems inherent to the initial period are included. It gains still greater importance if compared to the series published up to the date. The global mortality rate of 17.9% is small in relation to the only comparable publication, -30 and if only the results of the last three years are compiled (61 cases equals 70 of the series), the global death rate was 9.8%. 7. It was noted that the results are due to the system adopted for establishing the surgical indication, to the good state of the myocardial fiber...

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Diagnosis of textilomas].

Despite all the precautions during surgery, it may be assert that obliviousness of a compress or of a mesh remains still possible. In order to define this accident a non-medical term, textiloma, is used, only in hospital environment. Radiology and medical imaging represent the main tool for the diagnosis of textilomas. Plain film of the abdomen and/or ecography may be sufficient for revealing the textiloma. Just in a few cases a computed tomography may be required. In order to demonstrate all these, using two cases, we'll emphasize the main radio-semiological aspect of textilomas, and thus intending to establish an examination algorithm.

Diagnosis, Differential↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Epidemiologic aspects of sudden death in the Constanţa District].

This study is aimed to clarify some aspects of the cardiac sudden death (CSD) in the context of the general pathology. 5842 cases were taken into study, representing the total number of autopsies performed in the Forensic Department of Constanţa District between 1997-2002 (subjects of both sexes aged 6 months to 82 years). Sudden death represents 80% of the non-violent death cases. We found 1563 cases of sudden death, out of which 891 were CSD (57%). The yearly distribution of the CSD cases was: 1997 - 205 cases (58.23%), 1998 - 164 (56%), 1999 - 161 (60%), 2000 - 121 (67.6%), 2001 - 98 (52.4%), 2002 - 142 (50.17%). Coronary atherosclerosis was the cause of 78% of the CSD. They are followed by far by other causes: respiratory (24.3%), meningo-cerebral (5.05%), digestive (2.3%), endocrine (1.85%), infectious (1.6%), the syndrome of the child sudden death (1.28%), renal (0.64%), neurological (0.57%), allergic (0.9%), hematological (0.32%), the syndrome of the sportsmen sudden death (0.32%). These figures are age-dependent: between 45-65 years of age the cardiovascular/respiratory causes ratio is of 5/1 ; it decreases to lesser ages to become inversed (1/2). The ratio to the meningo-cerebral causes is of 25/1 and largely decreases so that over 70 years of age it becomes usually 2/1 and sometimes 1/1.

Adolescent↗