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Biomedical subjects

V Fournier

Publications and source records attributed to V Fournier.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1995

A new protocol for the propagation of dendritic cells from rat bone marrow using recombinant GM-CSF, and their quantification using the mAb OX-62.

Bone marrow (BM)-derived dendritic cells (DC) are the most potent known antigen (Ag) presenting cell in vivo and in vitro. Detailed analysis of their properties and mechanisms of action requires an ability to produce large numbers of DC. Although DC have been isolated from several rat tissues, including BM, the yield is uniformly low. We describe a simple method for the propagation of large numbers of DC from rat BM and document cell yield with the rat DC marker, OX-62. After depletion of plastic-adherent and Fc+ cells by panning on dishes coated with normal serum, residual BM cells were cultured in gelatin coated flasks using murine rGM-CSF supplemented medium. Prior to analysis, non-adherent cells were re-depleted of contaminating Fc+ cells. Propagation of DC was monitored by double staining for FACS analysis (major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II+/OX-62+, OX-19-). Functional assay, morphological analysis and evaluation of homing patterns of cultured cells revealed typical DC characteristics. MHC class II and OX-62 antigen expression increased with time in culture and correlated with allostimulatory ability. DC yield increased until day 7, when 3.3 x 10(6) DC were obtained from an initial 3 x 10(8) unfractionated BM cells. Significant numbers of DC can be generated from rat BM using these simple methods. This should permit analysis and manipulation of rat DC functions in vivo and in vitro.

Animals↗
PubMed1994

[Surveillance of children with liver transplantation].

The benefit of liver transplantation in children with end-stage liver disease is now well established. About 80% of the children are alive 5 years after liver transplantation. These good results are obtained not only because of the improvements of the surgical techniques, but also secondary to the reffinements of the follow-up of the patients. In the intensive care unit, clinical, biological and radiological cares must be permanent, allowing graft function assessment, correction of the haemodynamic disturbances, initiation of specific therapies and the research of any complication which must be promptly treated. The main surgical complications are intraperitoneal haemorrhage, biliary and vascular failures. Bacterial and viral infections, rejection represent frequent medical complications. Following the discharge from the intensive care unit, the children are checked daily until patient and graft conditions reach normal status. As time goes, the risk of complications is decreasing, but does not disappear, underlying the need for regular and long follow-up. In almost children, liver transplantation offers normal growth and scooling.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1994

[Home parenteral nutrition in children: practical modalities].

Today, the duration of parenteral nutrition (PN) is unlimited. PN is used in digestive tract chronic disease (the digestive tract is either unusable or is at rest) or in oncology, hematology and renutrition before transplantation. Thanks to technical advances, PN, although sophisticated, may be applied at home if an active involvement of one parent is obtained. Home PN is indicated when it is planned for more than 3 months. The indications as a function of the disease, socio-cultural background and the distance to the PN centre are reviewed. The technical modalities such as vascular access, the choice of a catheter, the nutriments to be perfused, the parents' training and the logistic support are studied. Complications of home PN are identical to those of prolonged PN; infections is the most frequent. Results of PN as well as the quality of life of the children are briefly reported.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1994

[Common bilio-pancreatic channel. Apropos of a case with intermittent dilatation of the biliary tracts].

BACKGROUND: A common biliopancreatic channel can be revealed by cholestatic episodes. Its early removal avoids the development of liver cirrhosis and the risk of carcinomatous change. CASE REPORT: A 2 year 9 month-old girl had suffered from jaundice plus dark urine and pale stools for 2 months. A similar episode occurred 7 months later. Ultrasonography showed moderate dilatation of the intra and extrahepatic bile ducts that disappeared a few weeks later. A third episode of cholestasis with moderate dilation of the bile ducts occurred at the age of 3 year 11 months, complicated 2 weeks later by abdominal pain, vomiting and abdominal distension. Her serum amylase activity was 1,380 IU/l (N < 82). Ultrasonography and CT scan showed moderate dilation of the common hepatic duct. Liver biopsy showed pathological features consistent with bile obstruction. Endoscopic retrograde choledocopancreatography showed a long common channel with dilated extra and intrahepatic bile ducts, an incomplete pancreas divisum and numerous intracanalar stones. A sphincterotomy was performed and stones were extracted. The patient is well 18 months after surgery, with normal laboratory and ultrasonographic profiles. CONCLUSION: A common biliopancreatic channel is often associated with choledocal cyst. Whether development of the cyst is preceded by intermittent dilation of the bile ducts, as in this case, remains to be determined.

Bile Ducts↗
PubMed1993

[3 pediatric cases of leptospirosis].

Three children presented with an association of pains, infectious syndrome, acute renal failure, hepatitis and meningitis, that lead to the diagnosis of leptospirosis. The clinical spectrum of this rare disease are recalled.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1992

Leucine kinetics in fed low-birth-weight infants: importance of splanchnic tissues.

Whole body Leu kinetics were determined in fed low-birth-weight (LBW) infants. To assess the importance of first-pass splanchnic extraction of ingested amino acids, two tracers were simultaneously infused by intravenous (L-[1-13C]Leu) and intragastric (L-[5,5,5-2H3]Leu) routes in 13 LBW infants [1,742 +/- 169 (SE) g] fed with protein-enriched human milk (protein intake 3.23 +/- 0.97 g.kg-1.day-1). Splanchnic extraction estimated from plasma [2H3]Leu appearance was 48.2 +/- 15.6% of Leu intake. Total Leu flux, endogenous Leu flux (index of protein catabolism), and nonoxidative Leu disposal (NOLD, index of protein synthesis) were 3.45 +/- 0.57, 1.90 +/- 0.74, and 2.54 +/- 0.62 mumol.kg-1.min-1, respectively. Higher estimates were obtained when using alpha-ketoisocaproate as a precursor pool. There was a wide individual variation of protein intake due to the use of human milk, and, over this range, Leu intake was correlated negatively with endogenous Leu flux (r = 0.88, P less than 0.01) whereas NOLD remained fairly constant. Thus, in LBW infants, 1) splanchnic extraction is two times as high as in adults and might reflect an elevated splanchnic protein turnover and 2) increasing protein intake probably promotes protein gain mainly by inhibiting protein catabolism.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

[Nephrotic syndrome, pancreatitis, hepatitis B. Report of a case].

We report on a case of acute pancreatitis in a 9 year-old girl suffering from steroid resistant nephrotic syndrome. Acute abdominal pains revealed pancreatitis whose outcome was favorable after 5 days of total parenteral nutrition. None of the usual causes of pancreatitis was recognized. A serologic profile of hepatitis B, compatible with a chronic carriage of the virus B was found. The possible relationships between pancreatitis, viral hepatitis and the nephrotic syndrome are discussed.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1990

[Stenosing gastroduodenal ulcer in children. Apropos of 3 cases].

Three cases of stenosing peptic ulcers in young children (age 21 months, 6 years and 8 years) are reported. During infancy, peptic ulcer is the main cause of pyloric stenosis after pyloric hypertrophy. The stenosis reveals or complicates primary gastric or duodenal ulcers. A complete cure can only be obtained with medical treatment.

Child↗
PubMed1989

[Ulcero-necrotizing enterocolitis: the role of cytomegalovirus. Apropos of a case].

The authors report a case of Wilson-Mikity syndrome in a preterm newborn, that was followed on the 28th day of life by a necrotizing enterocolitis with colic stenosis. The finding of cytomegalic cells on the pathologic examination of the intestinal lesions, the presence of the virus on direct examination of a tissue sample, the elevated IgG levels and the presence of IgM demonstrated a cytomegalovirus infection. The authors discuss the role of this virus in the pathogenesis of the affection, either as directly responsible for the enterocolitis or as a secondary colonization of previous lesions.

Colectomy↗
PubMed1987

Therapeutic response to progabide in neuroleptic- and L-dopa-induced dyskinesias.

The results of two trials conducted in human dyskinesia with progabide, a specific gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) receptor agonist, are reviewed. In one trial, 13 parkinsonian patients with L-DOPA-induced dyskinesia (LDD) and "on-off" fluctuations were included in a double-blind controlled trial progabide versus placebo. No change was observed during this trial in the severity of dyskinesia on progabide treatment but the drug significantly extended the "on" period as compared with placebo. In the second trial, 20 patients with neuroleptic-induced dyskinesia (TD) entered an open dose ranging trial with progabide. Fourteen of the 16 patients who completed the trial had a good-to-excellent therapeutic response. According to these results, progabide does not seem to have the same therapeutic benefit in LDD as TD. These data suggest that the hypothesis of a dopaminergic supersensitivity as a similar pathogenic substrate for both clinical conditions should be reconsidered. If this hypothesis remains the most consistent to explain the occurrence of LDD, the therapeutic effect of progabide in TD is an argument for an implication of the GABAergic system in the appearance of TD.

Adult↗
PubMed1987

Long-term treatment of epilepsy: open multicenter trial with progabide in epileptic patients.

A long-term open multicenter trial was carried out in 15 European centers with therapy-resistant epileptics to evaluate the efficacy and safety of progabide, a new antiepileptic GABA receptor agonist; 187 patients, suffering from partial epilepsy (57%), primary generalized epilepsy (20%), secondary generalized epilepsy (21%), and unclassified generalized epilepsy (2%), participated in the study. All patients had a total seizure frequency higher than one per month in spite of standard antiepileptic medication; 46% had a mean partial seizure frequency from daily to weekly. Progabide was administered at a mean daily dose of 30.5 mg/kg/day as an add-on to the standard antiepileptic drugs up to one year in 115 patients; 37 patients (19.8%) dropped out because of reasons which were not drug-related (bad compliance, lost to follow-up); in 12 patients (6.5%) progabide was withdrawn for side effects and in 20 (10.7%) for lack of efficacy. 71.3% of patients treated for one year (62% considering the 'cumulative' number of patients) experienced more than a 50% reduction in seizure frequency. This reduction was equally present in patients with partial epilepsy (63.9%) and with generalized epilepsy (62.2% of patients with primary and 57.1% with secondary generalized epilepsy). No signs of tolerance phenomena to the antiepileptic effect of progabide were observed. No side effects were reported in 56.7% of the patients. Clinical side effects were mild and transient, leading to progabide discontinuation in 6.5% of the patients only; an increase in SGPT was observed in 5.7% of the patients, these increases were transient and without any clinical symptom.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

Hemodynamic effects of the anti-hypertensive agent ketanserin in hypertension in man.

The hemodynamic changes caused by ketanserin, an anti-hypertensive agent with S2-serotonergic receptor and alpha 1-adrenoceptor blocking properties, are reviewed in patients with essential hypertension. The hemodynamic profile associates a decrease in total peripheral resistance, an unchanged cardiac output, and a modest reflex cardiac stimulation. Whether the drug reverses the other hemodynamic abnormalities of essential hypertension, such as reduced arterial and venous compliances and increased cardiac mass, remains largely unknown. Evaluation of the changes in arterial and venous systems will be important in the view that the pharmacological profile of ketanserin could be involved in the modifications of the arterial wall observed in hypertension and atherosclerosis.

Blood Pressure↗
PubMed1985

Clinical activity of GABA agonists in neuroleptic- and L-dopa-induced dyskinesia.

It is well known that the therapeutic effect of neuroleptics is counterbalanced by the property of these drugs to induce serious neurological side-effects mainly represented by tardive dyskinesia. Several reports indicate that at the experimental level GABA agonists interact with dopamine neurons with effects on behavior, stereotyped and dyskinetic movements induced by either lesions or dopamine agonists. This action on dopamine-related events provides a basis for a possible therapeutic action of GABA agonists in dyskinesia. Previous results with the GABA agonists muscimol and THIP in tardive dyskinesia have not been encouraging. The present paper deals with clinical results obtained with the new GABA agonist progabide both in neuroleptic-induced dyskinesia and in L-dopa-induced dyskinesia from five studies conducted on a total of 57 patients. Twenty-nine patients suffering from neuroleptic-induced dyskinesia have been treated in three studies (two open, one double-blind cross over) with progabide at doses from 900 to 2400 mg/day; clinical evaluation and EMG testing are in favor of a therapeutic effect of progabide on dyskinesia. Twenty-eight patients with L-dopa dyskinesia have been studied in two double blind trials. At variance with studies in tardive dyskinesia progabide was not effective in this kind of dyskinesia but an increase in the "on" time has been observed in both studies. Attempts to treat tardive dyskinesia with various pharmacological tools are reviewed and discussed, showing that at present no established effective treatment exists for this frequent complication of neuroleptic use. The possible mechanism of action of progabide in dyskinesia is discussed in the light of its pharmacological properties. These results suggest that progabide can be useful in the treatment of neuroleptic-induced dyskinesia.

Antipsychotic Agents↗