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Biomedical subjects

A Fischer

Publications and source records attributed to A Fischer.

926 records · Page 52Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

[Gene therapy].

This paper considers the prerequisites for gene therapy. This new field of therapeutics has not yet proved its efficacity nor its safety. Use, as a drug of DNA molecules which can modify host genome and environment as well requires specific prerequisites; among them, animal experimental models are essential despite their limitations. The different preclinical and clinical steps in the design of gene therapy studies are also discussed.

Animals↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Leukocyte adhesion.

Adhesion of leukocytes is a major event in the induction and effector phases of the immune response, as well as in inflammatory reactions. T-cell activation requires interaction with antigen-presenting cells (APC), B-cell activation needs cognate interaction with T-cells, while cytotoxic T cells strongly bind target cells. Migration of leukocytes into inflammatory areas is mediated by a crucial step of leukocyte binding to endothelial cells followed by trans-endothelial migration. Adhesion molecules mediating these various cell to cell interactions belong to three families, i.e. the immunoglobulin superfamily, integrins and selectins.

Antibody Formation↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Kawasaki disease in Sicily: description of the first case with giant coronary aneurysm].

A case of Kawasaki disease with early development of giant coronary artery aneurysm is reported. The delay in the diagnosis and consequently in the use of correct therapy has conditioned the outcome of the illness. We don't know the predictive factors of cardiac complications, but steroid treatment in our patient probably had an important role in the cardiac damage. The use of echocardiography in the evaluation of coronary aneurysm has confirmed the sensitivity, specificity and predictive value of this technique in detecting cardiac lesions.

Coronary Aneurysm↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Diagnosis and management of blunt great vessel trauma.

Traditionally, thoracic aortic rupture, suspected after blunt thoracic trauma, is characterized by a chest radiograph showing a widened mediastinum. The diagnostic machinery consecutively activated still depends heavily on the pressure as additional traumatic lesions. A patient with additional cranio-cerebral trauma would typically undergo contrast-enhanced computed tomography or magnetic resonance imaging of head, chest, and other regions. In a number of patients these analyses would confirm the presence of blood in the mediastinum without formal proof of an aortic disruption. This is because mediastinal hematomas may be caused not only by an aortic rupture, but also by numerous other blood sources including fractures of the spine and other macro- and microvascular lesions providing similar images. Therefore, aortic angiography became our preferred diagnostic tool to identify or rule out acute traumatic lesions of not only the aorta but with great vessels. However recently, a number of traumatic aortic transsections have been identified by transoesophageal echocardiography (TEE). TEE has the additional advantage of being a bed-side procedure providing additional information about cardiac function. The latter analysis allows for identification and quantification of cardiac contusions, post-traumatic myocardial infarctions, and valvar lesions which are of prime importance to develop an adequate surgical strategy and to assess the risk of the numerous emergency procedures required in patients with polytrauma. The standard approach for repair of isthmic aortic rupture is through a lateral thoracotomy. Distal and proximal control of the aorta can be achieved in a substantial number of cases before complete aortic rupture occurs and a higher proportion of direct suture repair can be achieved under such circumstances. Most proximal descending aortic procedures are performed without cardiopulmonary bypass (clamp and go) but paraplegia may occur before, during, or after the procedure. Ascending aortic lesions and disruption of the aortic arch, the supra-aortic vessels, the main pulmonary arteries, the great veins as well as cardiac lesions are best approached through a sternotomy, which may have to be extended. Cardiopulmonary bypass allowing for deep hypothermia and circulatory arrest is often required and carries its own complications. It is not clear whether the increasing proportion of ascending aortic and cardiac lesions which are observed nowadays are due to a change in trauma mechanics (i.e., speed limits, seat belts, air-bags), an improvement of the diagnostic tools or both.

Aorta, Thoracic↗