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Biomedical subjects

T Lang

Publications and source records attributed to T Lang.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1992

Epidermal growth factor reduces HER-2 protein level in human ovarian carcinoma cells.

Over-expression of the proto-oncogene HER-2 (c-erbB-2/neu) in ovarian, endometrial, and mammary carcinoma is an indicator of poor prognosis. Interactions between the epidermal growth factor (EGF) receptor and the HER-2 protein have been described. The aim of this study was to elucidate the effects of EGF on HER-2 expression. In the human ovarian carcinoma cell lines HTB-77, OVCAR-3, 2780, SKOV-6, SKOV-8 and 2774, and the human mammary tumor cell line SKBR-3, total cellular p185HER-2 was determined by an ELISA, whereas the surface p185HER-2 was measured with a living-cell RIA. Stimulation of these cell lines with either EGF (0.1-30 nM) or TGF-alpha (0.1-30 nM) led to a significant reduction in p185HER-2 expression. The effect was more pronounced in cells with normal HER-2 expression. A reduction of mRNA levels for p185HER-2 by EGF was observed in OVCAR-3 cells but not in the over-expressing lines HTB-77 and SKBR-3. Interestingly, the EGF-induced effect was not always associated with growth stimulation and was not correlated with the number of EGF binding sites detected by a radioligand assay. Our data indicate that EGF treatment results in a down-regulation of p185HER-2.

Base Sequence↗
PubMed1992

[Cardiovascular pathology related to aging. Role of prevention].

During the last 50 years the increase of life expectancy has been dramatic in all Western countries. In France, the life expectancy in 1988 was 80.6 years for women and 72.3 years for men. In 1980, the life expectancy at the age of 60 was more than 20 years in women and 16 years in men. Side by side with this increase of life expectancy there has been a change in the structure of the causes of death. Cardiovascular diseases accounted for 15.6 percent of all causes in 1930, 31 percent in 1950 and 37.4 percent in 1980. Cardiovascular diseases therefore rank very high among the causes of mortality, and one of the principal reasons for this is ageing of the population. Studying the epidemiology of cardiovascular ageing is tantamount to determining the part played by prevention in these diseases. There are wide fluctuations in cardiovascular mortality rate according to some demographic variables: men are more affected than women, the poorer subjects more than the richer subjects, and people living in the North of France more than those living in the South. These disparities are real, irrespective of age, and they can be explained, at least partly, by differences in the prevalence of well-known risk factors. Cardiovascular ageing plays a role, probably important, in the genesis of physical and mental disabilities, but markers that would measure them precisely are lacking. The development of such indicators is a major line of research which should make it possible to evaluate the prospective results of a policy of prevention in a segment of the population where people aged 60 or more accounted for 19.1 percent in 1990 and will account for 25 percent in the year 2020.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

[Doctor-patient relationship--its quality and possibilities for improvement].

A review of the last decade's literature suggests that the doctor-patient relationship could be improved in three main respects: (1) Medical, social and psychological information is obtained incompletely or incorrectly. (2) A positive emotional relationship with the doctor is reported by the patient who has been able to talk about his own ideas, fears and expectations. The doctor rarely enquires about the latter and, if he does so, pays little attention to the reply. (3) Patients are not well informed about prior test results, prognosis or etiology. Concepts in social psychology afford valuable and practical hints in improving the doctor-patient relationship: checking on what the doctor and patient have said; a structured interview (use of a list of topics; open discussion of time limits); avoidance of yes/no type questions at the beginning; perceptions of patients' emotions; partnership-based approach. As a means of approaching the doctor-patient relationship on a psychoanalytic basis, Balint groups have proved of value.

Communication↗
PubMed1992

Cholesterol nucleation time in gallbladder bile of patients with solitary or multiple cholesterol gallstones.

Patients with multiple cholesterol gallbladder stones have been found to be at a higher risk for the recurrence of gallstones after successful nonsurgical treatment than those with a solitary stone. Cholesterol gallstone recurrence, like primary gallstone formation, probably involves a triple defect with supersaturation, abnormally rapid nucleation of cholesterol in bile and altered gallbladder motor function. We investigated whether the increased recurrence rate of patients with multiple stones might be caused by more rapid nucleation. Therefore the time required for cholesterol monohydrate crystals to appear in ultracentrifuged bile of patients with solitary (n = 71) or multiple (n = 42) cholesterol gallstones was determined. The cholesterol nucleation time was significantly (p less than 0.01) longer in the bile from patients with solitary stones (less than 1 to 16 days, median = 2.0 days) than in the bile from patients with multiple stones (less than 1 to 8 days, median = 1.0 days). Moreover, 15 of 71 (21.1%) patients with solitary cholesterol stones but only 1 of 42 (2.4%) patients with multiple cholesterol stones showed a normal (greater than 4 days) nucleation time. However, no difference in the cholesterol saturation index was found between the bile samples from patients with solitary stones and the bile samples from patients with multiple stones (1.55 +/- 0.65 vs. 1.54 +/- 0.59, mean +/- S.D., respectively). The more rapid cholesterol nucleation in gallbladder bile may, therefore, be the major risk factor causing the higher percentage of stone recurrence in patients with multiple cholesterol stones as compared with patients with solitary cholesterol stones.

Bile↗
PubMed1992

Mode of action of photodynamic therapy with sulfonated aluminum phthalocyanine in induced squamous cell carcinomas in animal models.

In order to investigate the mechanism of action of photodynamic therapy (PDT) with sulfonated aluminum phthalocyanine (AlSPc) in squamous cell carcinoma, animal experiments were performed in induced carcinomas of the mucosa of the hamster's cheek pouch and skin of the laboratory mouse. Histological examinations revealed signs of massive interstitial bleeding, indicating a vascular response to PDT with AlSPc. It was also possible to induce similar change adjacent to newly formed vessels at the margin of an inflammatory reaction in the cheek pouch of five hamsters in the absence of tumor cells. Implanted human squamous cell carcinoma cells in athymic nude mice showed that carcinoma cells removed immediately following PDT remained viable, while tumors left in situ became necrotic. These results suggest that the primary effect of PDT with AlSPc in vivo is not the malignant cell itself, but the vascular stroma of the tumor or in the immediate vicinity of the latter.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Length of occupational noise exposure and blood pressure.

A cross-sectional study was performed in the Paris area, with a total of 7901 subjects; 432 of them were exposed to occupational noise greater than or equal to 85 dBA. Noise was measured by the worksite physicians, and length of exposure was collected through interview. The subjects exposed to noise were mainly workers, their body mass index was higher and their job characteristics different from the other subjects, assembly line, shift-work and job under time pressure being more frequent. Blood pressure (BP) was higher among the exposed subjects; this was no longer the case after adjustment for age, body mass index and alcohol intake. Taking length of exposure into account, BP and the prevalence of hypertension increased for durations greater than or equal to 25 years. This relationship was still significant after adjustment for age, body mass index and alcohol intake. These results suggest that a long occupational noise exposure is a risk factor for high blood pressure.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

[Prospective study of echography versus phlebography in the detection of sural venous thrombosis].

Among all noninvasive techniques, high-resolution ultrasonography used alone has rarely been used for the diagnosis of thrombosis in the calf. Nineteen patients with suspected AVT were examined with ultrasonography and phlebography during 4 months. For each patient, a sonogram and a phlebogram were taken within less than 24 hours and interpreted independently. The sonographic exploration with a high-resolution (5 MHz) transducer covers all deep trunks and muscular veins (soleus or gastrocnemius muscles). The positivity criterion is the persistence of a hypoechogenic endoluminal image under moderate compression. According to the phlebographic data, 65% of the patients present with thrombosis. Ultrasonography has a sensitivity of 95% and a specificity of 99% for the study of the deep trunks. Ultrasonography screens more thromboses than phlebography (23 cases versus 17). On a whole, ultrasonography seems to be more sensitive than phlebography for the diagnosis of recent sural thrombosis.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1992

Arterial hypertension in urban Africa: an epidemiological study on a representative sample of Dakar inhabitants in Senegal.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the prevalence and risk markers of arterial hypertension in the context of a rapidly growing urbanization in Africa. DESIGN: A cross-sectional study was performed on a representative sample of inhabitants of Pikine, an urban suburb of Dakar, Senegal. METHODS: Blood pressure was measured by properly trained field workers at subject homes. A total of 2580 individuals were included, aged > or = to 15 years and with a duration of residence > or = 2 months. Complete data including risk markers were obtained for 2300 subjects. RESULTS: The prevalence of hypertension (World Health Organization criteria) was found to be 10.4%. Due to the young age of the population, nearly half of the cases of moderate-to-severe hypertension were observed in middle-aged subjects. Risk markers of hypertension were age and obesity in both sexes: illiterate and multiparous women also had a higher prevalence of hypertension. Awareness of hypertension was infrequent among the hypertensive subjects: of the 189 subjects who had been labelled hypertensive, 10 were treated with antihypertensive therapy but 111 had normal blood pressure levels without any treatment, suggesting poor-quality prior diagnosis. CONCLUSIONS: Hypertension was found to be frequent in this urban African population. These findings emphasize the need for improvement in the management of hypertension, focusing upon the high-risk groups.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Alcohol: an underscored risk factor for diabetes mellitus.

OBJECTIVE: To investigate the link between alcohol consumption and glycoregulation. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Cross-sectional study during the annual occupational health check-up at the work site, concerning 7402 workers, excluding known diabetic persons and pregnant women. Alcohol consumption was recorded as the number of glasses of alcoholic beverage per day as stated by the subjects. A proxy for the glycoregulation was the level of capillary blood glucose measured with a reflectance meter (Reflolux) at the time of the visit. The association of alcohol consumption with impaired glycoregulation was assessed by multivariate analysis including potential confounders. RESULTS: Mean capillary blood glucose increased with increasing alcohol consumption, in both men and women. This association remained significant (p < 0.001) after adjustment for risk factors (multiple linear regression). Among 366 subjects with a fasting glycaemia or an oral glucose tolerance test, 26 were diabetic. Alcohol consumption was found independently associated by logistic regression with diabetes mellitus. CONCLUSION: Alcohol consumption might be a target for primary and secondary prevention of impaired glycoregulation and diabetes mellitus.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

[Outcome of patients with Eisenmenger syndrome. Apropos of 62 cases followed-up for an average of 16 years].

In an era when heart-lung transplantation offers a therapeutic option for patients with Eisenmenger's syndrome, it is important to assess the natural history of this condition. With this objective the authors studied 62 patients followed-up by the same cardiologist. The average follow-up period was 16 years, but 22 patients were followed up for over 20 years. The average age at death was 29 years. It differed significantly for genetically normal patients (31 years for 21 fatalities) compared with a population of trisomics (21 years for 6 fatalities). Half the patient population lived for over 30 years. Fourteen of the 27 deaths occurred during the third decade and only 4 before the age of 20. The probability of surviving 10 more years for a 20 years old genetically normal patient was 56%. The causes of death in the 19 cases in which it could be established were: 5 sudden deaths, 4 right heart failures, 3 massive haemoptyses, 3 pulmonary emboli, 2 pneumonias and 2 peroperative deaths. The functional disability was nearly always minimal or mild, enabling the patient to work: 24 of the 45 non-trisomic patients had full-time jobs. Pregnancy was a poor prognosis factor and could be lethal (2 deaths due to pulmonary embolism in the post-partum period). A heart-lung transplantation would only seem to be justified in patients with severe symptoms, polycythaemia, irreversible right heart failure and/or haemoptysis.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Presentation of Leishmania donovani promastigotes occurs via a brefeldin A-sensitive pathway.

For the presentation of Leishmania promastigotes to polyclonal CD4+ T cells, a processing period within activated macrophages of 3-4 h is required. Presentation can be inhibited by both chloroquine and brefeldin A (BFA), the latter implicating a requirement for newly synthesized MHC class II molecules. This inhibition is both reversible and specific, in that BFA did not inhibit mixed lymphocyte reaction stimulation by these infected macrophages. Immunogold labeling demonstrated that class II was associated with the parasite-containing phagolysosome. The level of class II was not significantly altered in BFA-treated cells in the time period studied, suggesting that antigen may exist the phagolysosome and interact with class II in another cellular compartment.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Role of high total protein in gallbladder bile in the formation of cholesterol gallstones.

While it is generally accepted that cholesterol supersaturation of bile is of key importance in the rapid formation of cholesterol crystals, the role of total biliary protein and pH in the pathogenesis of cholesterol gallstones is less well understood. The relation of cholesterol saturation, total protein, and pH was studied in 73 gallbladder bile samples with and 35 gallbladder bile samples without cholesterol crystals. In samples containing crystals, a trend to higher values of cholesterol and to a higher cholesterol saturation index was observed. However, significantly (P = 0.02) higher concentrations of total protein were found in samples with crystals [0.80 +/- 0.40 g/dL (8.0 +/- 4.0 g/L)] than in samples without crystals [0.63 +/- 0.26 g/dL (6.3 +/- 2.6 g/L)]. Moreover, of 22 bile samples with total protein concentrations greater than 10.0 g/L, cholesterol crystals were detected in all but 2. Total lipids, bile acids, phospholipids, and pH values were not significantly different in the two groups of bile samples. It was concluded that high biliary protein concentrations are frequently associated with cholesterol crystals and may, therefore, be a possible risk factor in the pathogenesis of cholesterol gallstones.

Bile↗
PubMed1991

[Comparison of conventional radium and high dose rate afterloading brachytherapy in cervix cancer].

The combination of intracavitary and external-beam radiation is the treatment of choice in advanced cervical cancer. Low-dose regimens using radium were widely abandoned in favour of high-dose-rate afterloading systems. We compared in this retrospective analysis of 550 patients the 2 different treatment modalities. We could observe neither in overall survival, nor in the incidence of side effects, any significant difference. Although the change from low- to high-dose-rate radiation therapy was not accompanied by a benefit in survival, the latter modality displayed several advantages e.g. a reduced exposure of personnel to radiation and shorter duration of confinement to bed. Patient survival rate was dependent mainly on parameters of tumour burden (FIGO stage), i.v. pyelogram or CT scan of paraaortic lymph nodes. On the other hand, neither the histological classification as epidermoid or adenocarcinoma nor the WHO grading, were useful predictors of patient outcome.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1991

[Snowboarding injuries].

This retrospective study includes 59 people treated at our trauma centre for snowboard accidents that happened in the 1989 winter season. 22 People were severely injured. 2 people died due to a polytrauma. One fracture of the cervical vertebrate column was followed by complete hemiplegia. Reasons for these accidents were a lack of knowledge how to behave outside the marked alpine regions, as well as lack of technical equipment and theoretical education.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1991

Appropriateness of admission in an emergency department: reliability of assessment and causes of failure.

The validity of a modified version of the appropriateness evaluation protocol was assessed in a sample of patients aged 15 and over admitted by means of the emergency department of one of the Paris hospitals. As measured among 371 patients, the reliability of the indicator was high. The prevalence of inappropriate admissions (IA) was found to be 20% using the expert opinions and 25% the instrument. Homelessness was associated with a higher prevalence of IA (34%). Other social factors and age were not related to IA. According to the experts' opinions, difficulties in organizing the continuity of care for patients examined in the emergency room were one of the main causes for IA.

Adolescent↗