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Biomedical subjects

T Dao

Publications and source records attributed to T Dao.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1993

Assessment of portal contribution to liver perfusion by quantitative sequential scintigraphy and Doppler ultrasound in alcoholic cirrhosis. Diagnostic value in the detection of portal hypertension.

To assess the portal contribution to liver perfusion, we carried out quantitative sequential scintigraphy in 110 patients with alcoholic cirrhosis (22 Child-Pugh class A, 39 class B, 49 class C) and 15 normal subjects. Duplex Doppler ultrasound found a type of intrahepatic circulation that made the standard scintigraphic procedure inaccurate in four cases of cirrhosis, which were reevaluated. Portal contribution to liver perfusion was lower in cirrhotics than in normal subjects (48.7 +/- 29% versus 78.4 +/- 6%; p < 0.001). The sensitivity of scintigraphy in detecting portal hypertension, based on portal contribution < or = 66%, was 61.8% (with a 100% specificity) compared with 66.7% for endoscopy (diagnosis based on existence of varices). The overall sensitivity of the two tests together was 86.1%. Portal contribution to liver perfusion was inversely correlated to Child-Pugh score (r = 0.53; p < 0.001), to prothrombin time (r = 0.52; p < 0.001), and to hepatic venous pressure gradient (r = 0.43; p < 0.001) and positively correlated to albuminemia (r = 0.42; p < 0.001). Concurrent alcoholic hepatitis and the existence of large portosystemic collaterals were related to a decrease in portal contribution to liver perfusion. We conclude that quantitative sequential scintigraphy, which shows a direct relationship between portal contribution to liver perfusion, on the one hand, and the amount of portosystemic shunting, the progression of liver disease, and/or acute liver injury, on the other, could serve as a diagnostic test for portal hypertension. The addition of scintigraphy improves the overall sensitivity of endoscopy.

Collateral Circulation↗
PubMed1993

MR appearance of multiple myeloma of the spine before and after treatment.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to describe the changes in the MR appearance of painful lesions of the spine before and after treatment in 18 patients with multiple myeloma and to correlate these changes with the clinical response to treatment. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Eighteen patients with multiple myeloma and tumor nodules in the spine had MR imaging of the same site in the spine before and after treatment. Unenhanced T1- and T2-weighted spin-echo images, dynamic ultrafast low-angle shot (turbo-FLASH) images before and after IV bolus injection of paramagnetic contrast material, and contrast-enhanced T1-weighted spin-echo images were obtained. Characteristic signal and contrast enhancement before and after treatment were compared and were correlated with clinical data and the results of immunochemical and pathologic tests. RESULTS: Changes in signal intensity and enhancement of the lesions occurred after treatment in 14 of 18 patients. The characteristics of the lesions after treatment had three patterns: (1) rim enhancement or no enhancement of the lesions, (2) early enhancing lesions associated with other nonenhancing lesions or lesions with rim enhancement, and (3) no change from the enhancement pattern seen before treatment. In 13 of 18 patients, these patterns correlated well with the response to treatment. A discrepancy was observed in five patients. CONCLUSION: The MR appearance of spinal myeloma is different before and after treatment. MR images, particularly contrast-enhanced images, may be helpful in monitoring the response to treatment of focal bone lesions of myeloma.

Combined Modality Therapy↗
PubMed1993

A novel cell growth-promoting factor identified in a B cell leukemia cell line, BALL-1.

A novel leukemia cell growth-promoting activity has been identified in the culture supernatant from a human B cell leukemia cell line, BALL-1. The supernatant from unstimulated cultures of the BALL-1 cells significantly promoted the growth of 16 out of 24 leukemia/lymphoma cell lines of different lineages (T, B and non-lymphoid) in a minimal concentration of fetal bovine serum (FBS), and of 5 out of 12 cases of fresh leukemia cells in FBS-free medium. The growth-promoting activity in the BALL-1 supernatant has been further characterized using FPLC chromatography, molecular weight (MW) sieve filtration and dialysis. The MW of the factor was less than 10 kDa. The growth-promoting activity was heat and acid stable and resistant to trypsin treatment. The factor isolated from the BALL-1 supernatant was distinct from known polypeptide growth factors with MW below 10 kDa, such as epidermal growth factor, transforming growth factor alpha, insulin-like growth factor I (IGF-I), IGF-II and insulin, as determined by specific antibodies and by cell growth-promoting tests. The factor in the BALL-1 supernatant did not promote the proliferation of normal human fresh peripheral blood lymphocytes or mouse fibroblast cell line, BALB/c3T3. In addition to the BALL-1 supernatant, a similar growth-promoting activity was found in the culture supernatants from 13 of 17 leukemia/lymphoma cell lines tested. The activity in these culture supernatants promoted the growth of leukemia/lymphoma cell lines in autocrine and/or paracrine fashions. These observations suggest that the low MW cell growth-promoting activity found in the BALL-1 culture supernatant is mediated by a novel factor which may well be responsible for the clonal expansion of particular leukemic clones.

Cell Division↗
PubMed1993

[Contribution of liver biopsy and serology of hepatitis C virus to the diagnosis of a moderate and prolonged elevation of aminotransferases].

The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic usefulness of percutaneous liver biopsy and screening for hepatitis C virus antibodies with 1st and 2nd generation ELISA in asymptomatic blood donors with persistent (> 1 year) and moderate elevation (> 1.5 times the upper limit of normal) of serum alanine aminotransferase. The diagnosis was established from clinical, biological and ultrasound data before biopsies were obtained, then compared to the histological diagnosis. Thirty one of 56 blood donors who satisfied the preceding criteria accepted liver biopsy and were subsequently included in the study. An accurate diagnosis was proposed before biopsy in 20 cases. This was in agreement with the histological results in 19 cases but in 2 of these, unexpected lobular hepatitis was associated with the expected steatosis. Positive hepatitis C virus tests corresponded to chronic hepatitis in all cases (n = 5). No accurate diagnosis could be proposed in the 11 remaining cases owing to the lack of evidence of any etiology (n = 4) or because several potential etiologies were possible for the same subject (n = 7). Histological diagnoses were: isolated steatosis (n = 12), steatosis associated with lobular hepatitis (n = 7) or with chronic persistent hepatitis (n = 1), chronic active (n = 2) or chronic persistent hepatitis (n = 3), alcoholic hepatitis (n = 2), hemochromatosis (n = 1), and normal liver (n = 3). Liver biopsy is essential to the accurate etiological diagnosis of persistent and moderate elevation of aminotransferases despite hepatitis virus C tests which are associated with the correct diagnosis of chronic hepatitis in 16% of cases.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult↗
PubMed1993

Multiple and heterogeneous patterns of cytokine production in 18 leukemia and in vitro transformed mature T cell lines reflect the individuality of human leukemias.

The relationship between cytokine production patterns and immunophenotype marker profiles was studied in a panel of 18 T cell lines originating from various types of hematological malignancies and from human T cell lymphotropic virus-I (HTLV-I)-transformed cells. The production of 11 different cytokines by both unstimulated and phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-stimulated cells was tested. The production of interleukin-1 alpha (IL-1 alpha), IL-2, IL-3/granulocyte-macrophage colony stimulating factor (GM-CSF), IL-4, IL-5, IL-6, tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF-alpha), TNF-beta and interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) by some of the cell lines was detected, and no cell line produced IL-1 beta or IFN-alpha. All 4 cell lines producing IL-1 alpha also produced other inflammatory cytokines, namely, IL-6, TNF-alpha and TNF-beta, but they did not produce IL-2. The IL-1 alpha-producing cell lines had the phenotype of mature, activated T cells, regardless of leukemia or transformant origin (TdT-, CD4+, CD8-, IL-2R+, HLA-DR+) and all were HTLV-1+. However, the production of other cytokines followed a random distribution, and no relationship emerged between cytokine production patterns and alpha/beta or gamma/delta type of T cell receptor (TcR) expression, immunophenotypic marker profiles, or the clinical origin of the cells. These results thus show that human leukemia and HTLV-I-transformed T cell lines can produce a large number of biologically active cytokines and that, except for the association of inflammatory cytokine production with mature activated cells, random patterns of cytokine production reflect the individuality of leukemia cell lines.

Cell Line, Transformed↗
PubMed1993

[Cancer of the gallbladder. Epidemiology, diagnosis and prognostic factors].

Between 1978 and 1986, 77 cases of primary gallbladder carcinoma were recorded in the Calvados Digestive tumors Registry (covering a population of 589,559 inhabitants) among 125 extra-hepatic bile duct carcinomas. The crude incidence was 2.4/100,000 in females and 0.6 in males (sex-ratio = 3.8). Cholelithiasis was demonstrated in 81.3%. Gallbladder carcinoma was diagnosed correctly preoperatively in only 13.5%. Out of the 74 operated patients, there were only 6 mucosal or sub-mucosal carcinomas and liver involvement was present in 40%. Diagnosis was made post-operatively on the resected specimen in 13 patients (non reoperated) Operative mortality was 24%. The overall survival was 14.7% at one year, 4% at 5 years (median = 3 months). In multivariate analysis the prognostic factors were: curative resection (9 patients, 3-year survival: 55%), parietal extension, liver involvement. No significant trend in prognosis could be demonstrated during the study period.

Actuarial Analysis↗
PubMed1992

[Calibrated latero-lateral portacaval anastomosis in the treatment of digestive hemorrhages by portal hypertension in the cirrhotic patient].

The calibrated side to side portocaval shunt was described in 1979 by P. Marion. This type of shunt preserves a hepatopedal blood flow by maintaining portocaval pressure gradient superior to halve of the initial gradient. Twenty nine shunts were performed from 1981 to 1989 in patients with hemorrhagic liver cirrhosis alcoholic in 83 percent of cases). Two patients were in Child Pugh C class (7%), six procedures were performed as an emergency (21%). The operative mortality was nil. The hepatopedal blood flow assessed by direct venous angiography was maintained in 66% of cases at one year and 22% at five years. The actuarial survival rate without recurrent bleeding was 96% at two years, 88% at five years. Severe chronic encephalopathy was noted in three cases (10.3%). One patient was successfully treated by surgical anastomotic tightening with disappearance of the hepatic encephalopathy. The actuarial survival rate without encephalopathy was 82.7% at five years. The side to side calibrated shunt is a technically easy procedure with low mortality, low incidence of thrombosis and clinical results similar to the results of Warren's procedure. For these reasons, we have decided to include this procedure in our local protocol of management of hemorrhagic liver cirrhosis.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

[Value of hepatic angioscintigraphy combined to pulsed Echo-Doppler: application to the study of portal hypertension of cirrhotic patients. Apropos of 148 cases].

Quantitative hepatic angioscintigraphy was combined with duplex Doppler in order to study liver perfusion in normal subjects and in 148 patients with liver cirrhosis. The portal component of liver perfusion determined by scintigraphy was reduced in patients with liver cirrhosis and correlated to the development of cirrhosis and to porto-hepatic gradient pressure. Duplex Doppler allowed assessment of portal blood direction. Determination of portal blood flow was possible in only a few patients: portal blood flow was increased in the first stage of cirrhosis and then decreased; hepatofugal flow was observed only in the most severe stage. Angioscintigraphy and Duplex Doppler appear to be complementary in the study and follow-up of portal hypertension.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

[Prospective study of routine screening for cirrhosis and colonic tumors associated with Streptococcus bovis bacteremia].

Between 1987 and 1990, seven patients hospitalized in our hospital had bacteremia caused by Streptococcus bovis. Complete gastrointestinal evaluation was routinely carried out for digestive portal of entry and liver disease screening. In four cases (2 bacteremia, 2 endocarditis), a colonic growth was detected: sigmoid adenoma (n = 1) and rectosigmoid carcinoma (n = 4); in one case (endocarditis), several rectosigmoid carcinomas were associated with alcoholic cirrhosis; in one case (bacteremia), alcoholic cirrhosis was diagnosed; in one case (endocarditis), no gastrointestinal or hepatic portal of entry was found. These cases emphasize the need for simultaneous detection of endocarditis and gastrointestinal portal of entry such as colonic tumor and/or cirrhosis, in case of Streptococcus bovis bacteremia.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1987

Effects of preoptic microinjections of alpha-MSH on fever and normal temperature control in rabbits.

alpha-MSH within the septal region of the brain has been implicated in fever control; this peptide and ACTH (1-24), which contains the alpha-MSH amino acid sequence, reduce fever when given intracerebroventricularly (ICV) or peripherally. These peptides also cause hypothermia when given in doses larger than those required to reduce fever. Both peptides occur naturally within the preoptic PO region of the brain, the CNS locus of primary temperature control. alpha-MSH (350 ng) injected bilaterally into the PO region via chronic cannulas reduced fever caused in six rabbits by IV injection of IL-1 (interleukin 1, endogenous or leukocyte pyrogen) but had no effect in afebrile animals. A larger dose (1.5 micrograms) not only reduced fever but caused hypothermia in 12 rabbits. In separate experiments PO injections of ACTH (1-24) (1 microgram) reduced normal temperature. In the same six rabbits alpha-MSH (1 microgram) caused slightly smaller hypothermia. alpha-MSH (1.5 micrograms) also had no effect in 8 afebrile rabbits when injected into the septum. The primary conclusion is that alpha-MSH receptors within the PO region can contribute to both the antipyretic and hypothermic actions that are observed after ICV and peripheral administration of the peptide.

Animals↗