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Biomedical subjects

T M Fliedner

Publications and source records attributed to T M Fliedner.

266 records · Page 15Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Distribution, determinants, and prognostic value of gamma-glutamyltransferase for all-cause mortality in a cohort of construction workers from southern Germany.

BACKGROUND: Serum gamma-glutamyltransferase (GGT) is commonly measured as a marker of hepatobiliary disorders in clinical practice, but little is known about its distribution and prognostic value for all-cause mortality. METHODS: Distribution and determinants of serum GGT levels were assessed among 8,043 construction workers ages 25-64 who underwent occupational health examinations in six centers in Southern Germany from 1986 to 1988. Study participants were followed for all-cause mortality until 1994. RESULTS: Serum GGT levels were considerably higher in this cohort than among male employees examined in a national survey conducted during the same period. The factors most strongly related to serum GGT were self-reported alcohol consumption, body mass index, diabetes, and hypertension, but relations of GGT levels were also found with nationality, occupation, and smoking. There was a strong dose-response relation between serum GGT levels and all-cause mortality (P value for trend < 0.001). Compared with men with GGT levels below 15 U/liter (measured at 25 degrees C), relative risks (95% CI) were 1.46 (0.86-2.49), 1.78 (1.08-2.94), 2.09 (1.26-3.45), and 3.44 (2.20-5.38) for men with GGT levels of 15-19, 20-29, 30-49, and > or = 50 U/liter, respectively. This relation was reduced but not eliminated by control for body mass index, diabetes, hypertension, alcohol consumption, and other covariates in multivariable analysis. CONCLUSION: Serum GGT is a strong risk indicator of all-cause mortality.

Adult↗
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Karyotype abnormalities and their clinical significance in blast crisis of chronic myeloid leukemia.

We examined karyotypes and their prognostic significance in a series of 122 patients with chronic myeloid leukemia in blast crisis. Of 73 patients cytogenetically examined at the onset of blast crisis 63% had developed secondary cytogenetic abnormalities in addition to the Philadelphia chromosome. These newly emerging abnormalities included a double Philadelphia chromosome in 20 patients, a trisomy 8 in 17, and an isochromosome 17q in 11 patients. Development of such additional karyotypic abnormalities was significantly associated with a shorter median survival and less response to cytoreductive treatment and was significantly more common in nonlymphoid blast crisis than in the lymphoid-type blast crisis. Thus, assessment of karyotypes at the onset of chronic myeloid leukemia blast crisis appears to be of prognostic significance for both remission duration and survival.

Blast Crisis↗
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Description of a closed plastic bag system for the collection and cryopreservation of leukapheresis-derived blood mononuclear leukocytes and CFUc from human donors.

Hemopoietic stem cells were collected from blood by means of continuous-flow centrifugation. The therapeutic use of large quantities of autologous blood stem cells requires a suitable, reliable and easily practicable cryopreservation technique which prevents loss of cell number and viability. This paper describes a closed plastic bag system consisting of one part for the collection and freezing of blood-derived mononuclear cells (MNC), among them granulocyte/macrophage progenitor cells (CFUc), and of a second part for thawing the cryopreserved cells and washing them free of DMSO before transfusion to a patient. In a series of 20 leukaphereses, the average number of collected MNC and CFUc was about 11 x 10(9) and 8 x 10(5) respectively. The recovery rate of the leukapheresis derived MNC and CFUc after cryopreservation, thawing, and washing was demonstrated to be 90 per cent of better. Sequential leukaphereses in the same donor showed little effect on red and white blood cell concentration. However, there was a significant decrease in the donor's blood platelet concentration prior to the third leukapheresis.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Telematics in research planning processes: an example from global health.

It is increasingly recognized that the appropriate application of information and communication technology can substantially improve communication and cooperative work processes in terms of quantity, quality and cost-effectiveness. Within large organizations, strategic decision making is one of the key cooperative processes which have to be faced. In this paper the authors discuss one example of this class of cooperative processes: research planning within the World Health Organization (WHO). The paper presents conceptual details of a process designed to assist in creating global networks of scientists, planners and field workers interested in cooperating to promote health development activities of WHO. The implementation of this process was realized in an Internet-based system to support global research planning. In particular, this application shows that the utilization of information and communication technology can not only quantitatively change existing processes, but can create new ones--and on a qualitatively improved level.

Cooperative Behavior↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Preparation of the promotion of therapeutic studies as an open planning process].

During the preparation of the government program "Health Research and Development", which was started in 1978, an attempt was made to involve the scientific community directly in establishing priorities for research on rheumatic diseases. At a planning conference open to all interested research scientists the following questions were considered: 1. What are the methodological requirements for therapeutic trials? 2. What are the open questions in the field of clinical rheumatology and which of them should be given priority? 3. What are the conditions for running multicenter therapeutic trials successfully? This paper describes the methodology and the results of the analysis of research needs and priorities and discusses the special problems of clinical rheumatology research in the Federal Republic of Germany.

Clinical Trials as Topic↗