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Biomedical subjects

A Brun

Publications and source records attributed to A Brun.

286 records · Page 16Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Tumours of the central nervous system. Proton magnetic resonance relaxation times T1 and T2 and histopathologic correlates.

Proton MR relaxation times T1 and T2 were determined in vitro in 136 small specimens of astrocytomas grades I-IV, of oligodendrogliomas, metastases of adenocarcinomas, meningiomas and acoustic neuromas. In addition, 7 samples of peritumoural white matter were analysed. The analysed specimens were studied microscopically in their entirety regarding tumour type and occurrence of necrosis and non-tumour tissue admixture, such as fibrosis and haemorrhage. Most of the gliomas had longer relaxation times than normal white matter and T2 was significantly longer than in the other three tumour groups. The metastases had longer T1 than normal white matter, while T2 varied. The astrocytomas tended to show shorter relaxation times with increasing degree of malignancy, and shortening of T1 and T2 correlating with the proportion of tissue necrosis. Similarly, the metastases with tissue necrosis had shorter T1 and T2 than non-necrotic samples. The meningiomas had T1 values comparable with normal cortex, while the T2 values varied. Tumours containing a large proportion of fibrous tissue had shorter relaxation times than the others. Acoustic neuromas had only slightly longer T1 than normal white matter, while T2 was not prolonged. Both T1 and T2 were significantly shorter than in all other tumours studied. Peritumoural white matter had prolonged relaxation times compared with normal white matter, correlating to increased water content. These in vitro differences regarding relaxation times in various types of tumours of the central nervous system, dependent on various types of tissue alterations, should be of interest for the interpretation of in vivo images.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Limb-body wall complex with anophthalmos and choroidal coloboma.

A 23-year-old primigravida underwent induced abortion in the 17th week of pregnancy because ultrasound fetometry had indicated possible encephalocele/hygroma of the skull and deformities of limbs and abdominal wall. The fetus delivered showed a deep facial cleft, absence of nose and maxilla, absence of parietal and frontal bones, missing right upper extremity, and a large thoracoabdominal defect with herniation of internal organs. The placenta was large, with an amniotic fold across the fetal surface. The brain was holoprosencephalic with a midline monoventricle and with focal brain wall dysplasia. The right orbit and eye were absent. The left eye was microphthalmic, with an abnormal cornea, a large choroidal coloboma inferiorly, a dysplastic retina, and a cataractous spherical lens. Theories discussed are pathogenesis of the limb-body wall complex (LBWC) and ocular malformations, particularly uveal coloboma. Previous cases of anophthalmos and uveal coloboma are listed. Microscopic examination of the eye was performed in only one of these. The present case is the sixth case published of choroidal coloboma in association with the LBWC.

Abnormalities, Multiple↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies in animals].

INTRODUCTION: The transmissible spongiform encephalopathies affect several species of higher animals apart from man. Amongst these, undoubtedly the best known is that affecting cattle, since the association between consumption of beef and its derivatives and the appearance of a variant of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease in humans has been established. DEVELOPMENT: This type of pathology has been well known for many years in the ovine family, particularly in sheep and goats. In spite of the establishment of hypotheses linking the cause of the appearance of spongiform encephalopathy in cows with an interspecies jump of the disease between the ovine and bovine families, this has not yet been proved. Concomitant with the epidemic of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, other species of animals were reported to have been affected by an identical disease. These included farmed mink, deer, elks, cats and two species of exotic African ungulates (the nyala and the greater kudu). All cases were described in animals kept in captivity for human consumption. Thus it would seem that there was a common cause of the disease in all cases. CONCLUSION: In this paper we describe the most relevant aspects of the appearance of this disorder in animals, including the symptoms, epidemiology and pathology typical of each specific condition.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

A new antitumour treatment combining radiation and electric pulses.

AIM: To investigate the antitumour effect of radiation in combination with electropermeabilization on subcutaneous rat glioma tumours. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Sub-optimal radiation treatment was administered separately or in combination with electric pulses of high voltage to subcutaneous rat brain tumours. The treatment was repeated on four consecutive days and evaluated by TGD and microscopical examination. The tumours were stained for Factor VlII/von Willebrand Factor to investigate the effects on the tumour vasculature. RESULTS: Radiation and electric pulses applied concomitantly resulted in a cure rate of 67% (tumour free >80 days after treatment). Radiation-treated animals showed progressive disease. Histological and immunohistochemical examination of electric impulse-treated tumours showed instant and severe deteriorating effects on tumour vasculature. CONCLUSION: A distinct antitumour effect of the combined treatment of electric pulses and radiation treatment was observed. We believe that the tumouricidal effect arises from destruction of the tumour vasculature but also from DNA related damage from reactive oxygen formed by the electric pulses and the radiation treatment.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Involvement of the immunological system in the pathogenesis of transmissible spongiform encephalopathies].

OBJECTIVE: We review the current knowledge relative to the role of different immune system components and their contribution the spread of prions throughout the infected organism. DEVELOPMENT: During the last years research made on transmissible spongiform encephalopathies conducted to the assumption that changes in the structure of a determined protein (prion protein, PrP) may become self-propagative. The generally assumed finding of an abnormally folded protein as the causative agent, able to propagate in hosts different from it was originated, is changing our views of transmissible diseases. The concept of infection resulting from pathogen propagation within a susceptible host has been steadily linked to the ability of nucleic acids to replicate their own coded information. In the prionosis, term comprising all known prion disorders, the information seems to be coded within the own protein conformation. This phenomena, once again, challenges the well-established principles of molecular biology. CONCLUSIONS: Propagation of prions uses strategies not previously recognized, and depends upon prion conformation and/or specific host restrictions. Thus, certain sheep and goat prion strains (scrapie) or human (variant of Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease) invade the brain after an initial interaction with the immune system of affected individuals. The involvement of the lymphoreticular system or, at least, certain host's immune competence seems to be a prerequisite for neuro-invasion after a natural infection or peripheral inoculation. On the other hand, proper identification of immune cell types involved may open the possibility for post exposure prophylaxis.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Chronic compartmental syndrome in the tensor fasciae latae muscle.

Chronic compartmental syndromes have been reported in various locations in the upper and lower extremities, but to the best of the authors' knowledge it has not been described in the tensor fasciae latae muscle. Two patients, men of about 60 years of age, complained of pain on exertion and sitting associated with swelling of the tensor muscle. In both cases CT scans showed muscle enlargement. Intracompartmental pressure values were high both at rest and during exercise. After fasciotomy the patients were relieved of pain, and intracompartmental pressure values were normalized.

Chronic Disease↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Clinical diagnosis and standardized evaluation of borderline personality: preliminary report].

A sample of 36 patients considered by French clinicians as suffering from a borderline personality disorder was evaluated using the International Personality Disorder Examination, the Diagnostic Interview for Borderline-Revised, and the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory. First, global descriptive analysis of the sample elicited the socio-demographic and standard clinical characteristics of the borderline individuals. After diagnostic evaluation, the sample appeared to be quite homogeneous with 25 of the 36 patients evaluated (69.5%) being defined as borderline by two of the three diagnostic systems: ICD 10, DSM III-R and Gunderson (15/36 = 41.5% of patients were defined as borderline by all three systems). It is the types of BL personality co-diagnoses which differentiated the BL subjects in the sample from those classically described in the international literature, since the most frequent personalities were the Dependent and Avoiding ones, not the Antisocial, Histrionic, Narcissistic or Schizotypic personalities of the DSM III-R. ICD 10 elicited the same significant prevalence of Anxious and Dependent personalities. Lastly, the patients diagnosed as borderline both by clinicians and by all diagnostic systems (forming the sample "core") were compared with the rest of the sample with regard to socio-demographic, clinical and diagnostic characteristics. A few hypotheses are proposed on the type of variables that may permit to discriminate between these two types of patients.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Poisoning by anorexigenics. Information from the data bank of the Anti-Poison Center of Marseille (1973)].

Using the data bank developed by the Computer Service of the Lyon Hospitals, the Anti-Poisons Centre of Marseille presents an initial study of intoxications by appetite suppressants. The work was complemented by a simultaneous study using conventional manual techniques. An epidemiologic review of 1973 and an approximate assessment of toxic doses in the adult and child were possible. They should be of particular use in answering telephone enquiries at anti-poison centres.

Adolescent↗