Biomedical subjects

S T Dahlgren

Publications and source records attributed to S T Dahlgren.

3 recordsLinked to original sources

PubMed1988

Parenteral superoxide dismutase plus catalase diminishes pancreatic edema in sodium taurocholate-induced pancreatitis in the rat.

Scavengers of toxic oxygen reduction products have been reported to reduce the inflammatory reaction in some models of pancreatitis. In a blinded study, the effect of parenteral pretreatment with superoxide dismutase plus catalase was compared with placebo on pancreatitis induced in rats by infusion of 0.25% or 2% sodium taurocholate into the hepatopancreatic duct. The degree of inflammation was assessed by macroscopic examination of the pancreas, dry/wet weight ratios of pancreatic specimens, amylase activity in plasma and peritoneal exudate, the weight of the exudate, and its content of total protein. All parameters were indicative of a more severe inflammation in rats given the higher concentration of sodium taurocholate. The only significant effect of the superoxide dismutase plus catalase treatment was a moderate reduction of the dry/wet weight ratio, i.e., pancreatic edema, in rats given 2% sodium taurocholate. Our results indicate that toxic oxygen reduction products, available for interception by parenterally administered superoxide dismutase plus catalase, are of only minor importance in the pathogenesis of sodium taurocholate-induced pancreatitis in the rat.

Amylases↗

PubMed1987

Serum levels of the carbohydrate antigen CA-50 in pancreatic disease.

A monoclonal antibody (C 50) was recently produced by immunization with a colorectal cell line defining the tumour associated carbohydrate antigen CA-50. In previous studies CA-50 in serum has been elevated in 60-70% of patients with gastrointestinal carcinomas. This study surveys the serum levels of CA-50, as determined by a radioimmunoassay, in pancreatic disease. Elevated levels of CA-50 were found in 22 of the 24 patients with carcinoma of the exocrine pancreas, in one of eight patients with chronic pancreatitis, and in six of fourteen attacks (41%) of acute pancreatitis. The serum CA-50 antigen, as determined by the assay employed here, has a high sensitivity (92%) for exocrine pancreatic carcinoma. Only patients with malignant disease had CA-50 values exceeding 43 units per ml. In 58% of the patients with pancreatic carcinoma (14/24), CA-50 values surpassed 43 units per ml. In the presence of a pancreatic mass, marked elevation seems to support diagnosis of carcinoma. The low positive predictive value makes the assay unsuitable as a screening test for detection of pancreatic carcinoma in a general population.

Acute Disease↗

PubMed1986

The continuing challenge of the negative appendix.

A 15-20% negative appendix rate at emergency appendectomy is considered compatible with appropriate aggressiveness of approach for avoidance of perforation and heightened morbidity rate. But the morbidity rate after negative exploration has been estimated as high as 15%. We compared the morbidity rate after emergency appendectomy among patients with acute appendicitis with that in patients with nonacute appendiceal pathology or with normal appendix. Local septic complications (wound infection and/or intraabdominal abscess) were significantly more common in perforative appendicitis than in nonperforative or in cases without appendicitis. Excluding perforative appendicitis, the incidence of such complications did not differ significantly between the other diagnostic groups. The incidence of other complications was evenly distributed among all groups. A scoring system--possibly computer-aided--taking into account predictive factors in appendicitis, combined with careful in-hospital observation, would probably reduce the negative exploration rate in suspected acute appendicitis without increasing the perforation and morbidity rates.

Acute Disease↗