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Biomedical subjects

A Lluch

Publications and source records attributed to A Lluch.

81 records · Page 5Linked to original sources

[HBs antigen and antibody in Barcelona].

The frequency of HBs antigen and antibody has been studied among three populations living in Spain: blood donors, hospital staff, renal deficient hemodialyzed patients. Total results and those given with reference to age, sex, place of birth and residence are compared to each other and to those obtained for populations living in Languedoc.

Adult↗

[Study of non-participation in the breast cancer screening program in the city of Valencia (Spain)].

AIM: To determine the reasons for non-participation of women in a breast cancer screening program. METHODS: We performed an observational, cross-sectional study in women who were invited to participate in the breast cancer screening program in the city of Valencia and who failed to attend. The women were interviewed in their homes through a questionnaire consisting of 25 questions grouped as follows: knowledge of the program, reasons for nonparticipation, attitudes or beliefs and characteristics of the interviewees (socioeconomic and educational variables and age). A descriptive analysis was performed. Differences in the characteristics of women were evaluated through bivariate analysis. Multivariate analysis was performed through logistic regression. RESULTS: A total of 783 addresses were used, 411 questionnaires were completed and 361 were analyzed. The 50 questionnaires used in the pilot study were excluded because, as a consequence of this study, the questionnaire had been modified. Most of the women (93.4%) (CI: 90.3-95.7) remembered having an appointment. The main reason for not attending was being screened in another health service in 48.8% (CI: 43.6-53.9), followed by various personal reasons in 16.1% (CI: 12.3-19.9) and inability to keep the appointment at the specified time in 15.5% (CI: 11.8-19.2). Comparison of women in the middle and upper social classes with those in the lower classes revealed important differences. Middle and upper class women had a higher probability of knowing about the program and of being on hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and the most frequent reason for non-attendance was attendance at another program run by another health service. In lower class women the reasons for non-attendance were fear, not believing the program to be important to health and inability to keep the appointment at the specified time. In the multivariate analysis, the variables that entered the model were HRT, social class and education. Thus, middle or upper class women undergoing HRT and with secondary or higher education had a higher probability of being screened. CONCLUSIONS: The profile of non-participating women belongs on the one hand to those in the middle or upper social classes, undergoing HRT and being screened by other health services and, on the other, to a group of women of low social class, whose reason for non-participation is fear and timetable difficulties.

Aged↗

Phase II trial of cisplatin and etoposide as first-line therapy in metastatic breast carcinoma.

Twenty-two patients with metastatic breast carcinoma were treated with a combination of cisplatin (100 mg/m2 i.v. day 1) and etoposide (100 mg/m2 i.v. days 1-3). Eligible patients had measurable disease with normal organ functions, performance status < 3, age < 70 years and no previous chemotherapy for metastatic disease. Twenty patients were assessable for response. Objective responses were seen in 50% (95% confidence limits: 24.4-67.8). One patient achieved a complete response. Objective response was observed in patients with visceral metastatic disease and who had received anthracyclin-containing regimens in previous chemotherapy. Median survival after therapy was 55 weeks. Median time to progression was 23 weeks. Hematologic toxicity was limiting. Cisplatin plus etoposide is an active combination in advanced breast cancer.

Adult↗

Quantitative monoclonal antibody determination of estrogen and progesterone receptors in human breast cancer: correlation with the radioligand method.

To assess the possibility of substituting our routine method (dextran-coated charcoal, DCC) of determining estrogen (ER) and progesterone receptors (PR) for an enzyme immunoassay technique (EIA), we compared the two methods for determination of the two types of receptor in breast cancer specimens. In terms of sample positivity or negativity, the two techniques agreed in 76 of the 82 samples analyzed for ER (92.7%; p < 0.001), and in 65 out of 75 samples assayed for PR (86.6%; p < 0.001). Quantitative analysis of the data showed a significant correlation between DCC and EIA for both ER (r = 0.84; p < 0.0001) and PR (r = 0.77; p < 0.0001). The results suggest the usefulness of EIA in substituting DCC, although further clinical studies are required to fully evaluate this new method.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

CA 15.3, CEA and TPA tumor markers in the early diagnosis of breast cancer relapse.

To evaluate the utility of CA 15.3 in detecting breast cancer relapse before clinical evidence of metastatic disease, serial determinations of CA 15.3 serum levels were made in 444 disease-free patients after surgery, during 36 months of follow-up. The results were compared with carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and tissue polypeptide antigen (TPA). The study found CA 15.3 to be more sensitive as an early indicator of relapse than CEA or TPA; moreover, simultaneous determination of the other markers offers no information additional to that obtained by CA 15.3 alone.

Adult↗

Intravitreal ganciclovir for cytomegalovirus retinitis in patients with AIDS.

OBJECTIVE: To assess the evolution of cytomegalovirus (CMV) retinitis and evaluate the possible complications associated with the use of intravitreal injections to treat this disease. DESIGN: A nonrandomized, retrospective study with case series was performed. The study took place over 34 months. SETTING: The study included patients with AIDS who developed CMV retinitis, and who were treated in the hospital, as outpatients, or both. PATIENTS: Twelve patients with AIDS and CMV retinitis diagnosed between June 1990 through April 1993 were included in the study. MAIN PATIENT PARAMETERS AND OUTCOME MEASURES: For each patient, the following data were recorded: age, risk factors, other systemic findings, dates of AIDS and CMV retinitis diagnoses, stage of AIDS, extent of the retinitis, CD4 lymphocyte count at the time of diagnosis of retinitis, visual acuity, clinical evolution of the ocular infection, therapy, complications caused by the treatment, development on nonocular CMV, and the use of zidovudine or didanosine during the study period. RESULTS: Vision improved or remained stable in nine patients and worsened in three. Two patients developed optic neuritis. The retinitis progressed to the other eye in only one of the eight patients who had unilateral involvement. The rate of relapse with maintenance therapy was 8.3% (n = 1) within the first 8 weeks. Treatment was well tolerated. There was no evidence of toxicity after a total of 226 intravitreal ganciclovir injections. All patients were able to tolerate zidovudine or didanosine concomitantly with intravitreal ganciclovir. CONCLUSIONS: Intravitreal ganciclovir appears to be an effective alternate to systemic ganciclovir in patients with severe neutropenia and in patients who choose to continue receiving systemic zidovudine or didanosine. Early treatment and long-term maintenance therapy is essential for preserving sight.

AIDS-Related Opportunistic Infections↗

Mechanism of suppression of the depressed lymphocyte response in lung cancer patients.

We studied the function of monocyte-mediated suppression in the proliferative responses of depressed T-cells of patients with advanced lung cancer, with both local (Stage III) and extrapulmonary metastasis (Stage IV). The mononuclear cells of 13 non-treated patients showed a significant drop in proliferation upon stimulation with suboptimum, optimum and supraoptimum doses with regards to normal controls (p less than 0.001). On treating T-cells with indomethacin, lymphoblastic transformation increased in both groups (patients and controls), but was significantly greater in the patient group (p less than 0.001). The lipopolysaccharide (LPS) exerted an inhibitory effect on the suppressor cells of normal individuals, yet failed to do so in the case of patients treated either with or without indomethacin. The stimulation of the patients mononuclear cells with PWM failed to increase proliferation, and was not affected by either indomethacin of LPS. Our conclusions are as follows: Patients with lung cancer present a drop in mononuclear cell proliferation when stimulated with PHA; This phenomenon may be due to an exacerbation of the immune systems suppressor function; One of the suppressor mechanisms is prostaglandin-dependent and mediated by monocytes; The B-cells have no relevant functions.

Aged↗