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Biomedical subjects

A Montag

Publications and source records attributed to A Montag.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

A comparison of the prognoses for deep and subcutaneous sarcomas of the extremities.

We evaluated 172 patients who had a soft-tissue sarcoma of the extremity in order to determine whether the prognosis for a subcutaneous sarcoma was better than that for a deep sarcoma. At a median of thirty-six months after the biopsy or definitive operation at our hospital, six of the fifty-two patients who had had a subcutaneous sarcoma had died and one had had a local recurrence; in contrast, forty of the 120 patients who had had a deep sarcoma had died and eight had had a local recurrence. Twenty-five (48 percent) of the subcutaneous sarcomas were malignant fibrous histiocytomas, and thirty-eight (73 percent) were small (five centimeters or less in the largest dimension). The three-year estimates of disease-free survival were 85 percent for the patients who had a subcutaneous sarcoma and 54 per cent for those who had a deep sarcoma (p = 0.002). Although the survival estimates remained significantly different when the groups were matched for histological diagnosis and for intracompartmental location (p = 0.0001 and 0.0006, respectively), they were not significantly different when the groups were matched for the size of the tumor (p = 0.42). A Cox proportional-hazards model confirmed that a tumor size of more than five centimeters and the histological grade are the most significant prognostic factors (p = 0.0007 and p = 0.004, respectively): a tumor size of more than five centimeters was associated with a relative risk of 3.5 (95 per cent confidence interval, 1.7 to 7.3), and a higher histological grade was associated with a relative risk of 4.0 (95 per cent confidence interval, 1.6 to 10.3). Subcutaneous location, when considered separately, was not a significant prognostic factor (p = 0.45). The data indicate that a tumor size of more than five centimeters is a more important prognostic indicator than histological diagnosis, depth, or intracompartmental location.

Adolescent↗

Comparison of mutations of ras oncogene in human pancreatic exocrine and endocrine tumors.

BACKGROUND: Ras oncogene mutations have been found in many human cancers; however, pancreatic endocrine tumors have rarely been studied. The purpose of this study was to analyze ras mutations in pancreatic endocrine tumors and to compare these results with the incidence of ras mutations in pancreatic exocrine cancers studied in our laboratory. METHODS: Ras oncogene mutations were studied in 33 foregut endocrine tumors (pancreatic 31, duodenal submucosa 2). Eleven were insulinomas, 12 gastrinomas, 2 glucagonomas, and 11 others were nonfunctioning islet cell carcinomas. Thirteen were benign and 20 were malignant. These were compared with 65 pancreatic exocrine cancers. Tumors were microdissected from paraffin-embedded sections. DNA was extracted and amplified by polymerase chain reaction. Mutations were detected by a oligonucleotide hybridization method with sequence-specific phosphorus 32-radiolabeled probes. RESULTS: No ras mutations were identified among the 33 pancreatic endocrine tumors. In contrast, 51 of 65 (78.5%) pancreatic exocrine cancers exhibited a ras mutation. Fifty were K-ras mutations and one unusual tumor exhibited a N-61 ras mutation. CONCLUSIONS: Ras oncogene mutations do not play a role in the tumorigenesis of pancreatic endocrine tumors.

Adenoma, Islet Cell↗

Tissue and cell-specific patterns of expression of rat liver and intestinal fatty acid binding protein during development and in experimental colonic and small intestinal adenocarcinomas.

BACKGROUND: Mammalian small intestinal and colonic epithelium express members of a multigene family of hydrophobic ligand binding proteins of which liver and intestinal fatty acid binding protein represent among the most abundant intestinal gene products. These proteins are expressed in a cell- and region-specific manner and emerge in a temporally distinctive pattern. EXPERIMENTAL DESIGN: We have studied expression of these genes in the small intestine and colon of rats treated with 1,2-dimethylhydrazine since these animals develop a predictable pattern of both small and large bowel cancers. Studies were also undertaken in fetal and neonatal small intestine and colon. RESULTS: There was a 10- and 50-fold decrease, respectively, in mRNA abundance for intestinal and liver fatty acid binding protein in RNA from colon cancers compared with either uninvolved or control RNA. Immunocytochemical analysis revealed decreased staining for both proteins within their normal distribution together with ectopic clusters of cells reactive for liver fatty acid binding protein within colonic tumors. A more striking mosaic of immunocytochemical staining for both liver and intestinal fatty acid binding protein was found in small intestinal adenocarcinomas. Similar mosaic patterns of immunocytochemical staining were transiently detectable in rat fetal small intestine and neonatal colon. CONCLUSIONS: The region- and cell-specific expression of these genes, which may be linked temporally to events in intestinal differentiation, are subject to disruption in a cell-specific manner in the transformed, or dedifferentiated, phenotype.

1,2-Dimethylhydrazine↗

Occurrence of p53 gene deletions and human papilloma virus infection in human head and neck cancer.

Little is known regarding the molecular genetic events in head and neck carcinoma. Epidemiological evidence suggests that both alcohol and tobacco use are related to the development of these neoplasms, and viral infections have also been postulated to play a role in some tumors. Loss of p53 tumor suppressor gene function has been found in many malignancies and can occur through either gene mutation or by interaction with the E6 protein of oncogenic human papilloma viruses (HPV). Because the mucosal surfaces of the head and neck are exposed to mutagens and HPVs, we studied DNA derived from 30 stage I-IV squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck (9 primary tumors and 21 early passage cell lines) for p53 gene mutations as well as for the presence of oncogenic HPV DNA. Exons 2 through 11 of the p53 gene were examined using single strand conformation polymorphism analysis followed by direct genomic sequencing of all variants. HPV detection was done using polymerase chain reaction amplification with HPV E6 region type specific primers as well as L1 region degenerate ("consensus") primers; HPV type was determined by restriction fragment length polymorphism analysis of the amplified fragment as well as by Southern blotting of genomic DNA. Sixteen of 30 tumors (53%) had p53 mutations and oncogenic HPV DNA was detected in 3 of 30 (10%) tumors, none of which had p53 mutations. The p53 mutational spectrum observed was characterized by equal frequencies of transversions (6 of 16), transitions (5 of 16), and deletions (5 of 16). This distribution of mutations differs from the spectrum of p53 mutation reported in esophageal (P = 0.05) and lung (P = 0.02) cancers, two other tobacco associated neoplasms. A previously undescribed clustering of 3 mutations at codon 205 was also observed. A trend toward a shorter time to tumor recurrence after treatment was noted for those patients with tumors exhibiting p53 gene mutations, and no relationship between p53 mutations and tumor stage or node status was noted. Alteration in p53 gene function appears common in head and neck cancer, and the mutational spectrum observed may reflect the role of different mutagens or mutagenic processes than those responsible for the p53 mutations in lung and esophageal neoplasms.

Alcohol Drinking↗

Long-term survival of xenogeneic pancreatic islet grafts induced by CTLA4lg.

Antigen-specific T cell activation depends on T cell receptor-ligand interaction and costimulatory signals generated when accessory molecules bind to their ligands, such as CD28 to the B7 (also called BB1) molecule. A soluble fusion protein of human CTLA-4 (a protein homologous to CD28) and the immunoglobulin (lg) G1 Fc region (CTLA4lg) binds to human and murine B7 with high avidity and blocks T cell activation in vitro. CTLA4lg therapy blocked human pancreatic islet rejection in mice by directly affecting T cell recognition of B7+ antigen-presenting cells. In addition, CTLA4lg induced long-term, donor-specific tolerance, which may have applications to human organ transplantation.

Abatacept↗

[The determination of free and bound methylated nucleobases in food].

The following method was developed for the qualitative and quantitative determination of methylated purine and pyrimidine bases in food; some RNA-rich food was also investigated. The bases were liberated from nucleic acids, nucleotides, and nucleosides by acid hydrolysis with trifluoroacetic and formic acid (1/1, V/V) at 240 degrees C in a pressure-digestion system. Purification and fractionation of hydrolysates were achieved by sorbent extraction with an RP 18 column and a cation exchange column. The major and methylated nucleobases were determined by ion-exchange chromatography and reversed-phase-HPLC.

Chromatography, High Pressure Liquid↗

[Chronic urticaria in enterobiasis vermicularis (oxyuriasis)].

We report on a patient with chronic urticaria associated with enterobiasis vermicularis (oxyuriasis). The current distribution of Enterobius vermicularis and its importance concerning chronic urticaria of endogenous origin is evaluated and discussed.

Adult↗

Prognostic significance of ploidy determination in rectal cancer.

Between 1965 and 1981, 154 patients with potentially curable rectal adenocarcinoma underwent surgical treatment at the University of Chicago Medical Center. In 134 cases, enough histological material was available to perform determinations of DNA content by the cytophotometric method (n = 108), or by the flow cytometric technique (n = 109). In 83 cases, DNA content was analyzed in the same specimen with both techniques, and in 77 of these cases the sections obtained from the paraffin blocks were contiguous. When using flow cytometry, 62% of stage B and 74% of stage C lesions were classified as aneuploid on the basis of a DNA index greater than 1. This correlation was statistically significant (p = 0.002). Patients with diploid tumors had an actuarial five-year survival equal to 62% in comparison with a 46-51% five-year survival for patients with aneuploid tumors. This difference was not statistically significant and it was explained by the tendency for aneuploid tumors to be in an advanced histopathological stage.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Comparison of estrogen receptor immunocytochemical assay in frozen and paraffin sections.

Frozen and paraffin sections of 11 breast carcinomas were stained for estrogen receptors (ER) using the same rat monoclonal primary antibody, D75P3, as the marker and alkaline phosphatase as the chromogen-linking enzyme. The results of this staining process were assessed visually and with the microTICAS image analysis system to determine the degree of correlation between frozen and paraffin-embedded tissue. In all specimens, some fraction of the nuclei stained positively. This included two specimens selected for their biochemically negative assay; one of them stained strongly positively with D75P3. The results of quantitative analysis support the visually apparent correlation between the two types of samples in terms of both overall staining pattern and intensity of nuclear staining. Although the conclusions of this pilot study are limited because of the small number of cases, this method of staining establishes the feasibility of representative ER determination in archival paraffin-processed material. The additional information provided by this method is potentially useful in stratifying patients in prospective studies on the basis of the efficacy of hormonal therapy in biochemically ER positive breast tumors.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

Evidence for a common molecular pathogenesis in colorectal, gastric, and pancreatic cancer.

We examined tissue extracted from 19 gastric, 7 pancreatic, and 23 colorectal carcinoma specimens to determine the comparative incidence of allele loss on chromosomes 5, 17, and 18 and that of KRAS2 point mutations. Chromosome 5 allele loss occurred at the same frequency in all three gastrointestinal tumors (approximately 30%), whereas chromosome 17 and 18 allele losses were seen at a significantly lower frequency in gastric (20%) and pancreatic (0%) malignancies than in colorectal cancer (57%). Point mutations in KRAS2 were seen in 83% of pancreatic and 52% of colon cancers, but not in gastric cancer specimens. In pancreatic tumors, these mutations were always found in the second nucleotide of codon 12. In colorectal cancer, the distribution was more variable, involving the second nucleotide of codon 13 and both the first and second nucleotides of codon 12. These results suggest that inactivation of the adenomatous polyposis coli gene on chromosome 5 may be an initiating step for carcinomas of the stomach and pancreas as well as of the colon, but that the genes involved in tumor progression events may be tissue- or tumor-specific.

Adenocarcinoma↗

[Nucleic acid components in carbohydrate-rich food].

The content of nucleic acid components in numerous foods, especially carbohydrate-rich ones, has been investigated. The data obtained for bases (purines and pyrimidines) were calculated as nucleic-acid equivalents (RNA or DNA); the IMP content was calculated from the measured content of hypoxanthine. Not only did cultivated plants such as cereals and pulses show a high RNA-equivalent content but also vegetables such as spinach, leek, broccoli, Chinese cabbage and cauliflower. We found the same results in mushrooms including oyster, flat, button (whitecaps) and cep mushrooms. In many vegetarian instant meals, the addition of autolysed or hydrolysed yeast caused a large increase in the purine content. Most natural foods which contain resting cell tissue, such as grains of seed, have only high-molecular-mass nucleic acid components with different concentrations; however, growing cell tissue (e.g. soya-bean sprouts) show, as well as the nucleic acids, some lower-molecular-mass compounds.

DNA↗

[The analysis of polycyclics in vegetable samples].

PAH analyses in vegetables are often difficult to carry out; therefore two different clean-up methods, which allow elimination of interfering matrix components such as essential oils, waxes, carotinoids and chlorophylls were developed. Clean-up of 32 different vegetables samples consisted of either Bio-Beads S-X3 chromatography or semi-preparative HPLC on silica gel Si-60. PAH were determined by capillary GC-MS, which allowed the application of deuterium-labeled internal standards. The results are presented; higher PAH contamination was detected in kale and parsley.

Chromatography, Gel↗

Estimates of dose to intraperitoneal micrometastases from alpha and beta emitters in radioimmunotherapy.

Intraperitoneal metastases from ovarian and other gynecologic tumors are a significant source of treatment failure. In recent years, investigators have used radiolabeled monoclonal antibodies to treat this disease with encouraging results. We have developed a dose calculational technique which generates isodose distributions from intraperitoneally administered alpha and beta particle emitters. In this study we apply the calculations to tissue biopsy samples to determine the adequacy of dose to ovarian micrometastases. Tissue samples from staging biopsies at the time of surgical debulking are scanned to identify small metastases. The patient population studied comprised those with ovarian disease who based on clinical criteria would be considered good candidates for intraperitoneal radioimmunotherapy. The regions of interest (which include the tumor and surface of the peritoneum) are digitized and tumor volumes are contoured. Dose calculations based on the modeling of intraperitoneally administered antibodies radiolabeled with various isotopes is performed and the minimum dose to tumor and normal tissue is assessed. For example, with tumor uptake of 0.1% injected dose per gram of tissue, the surface tumor dose from alpha emitters is up to 45,000 rads. The dose falls to 6000 rads at approximately 40 microns from the peritoneal surface. The surface dose from 20 mCi 90Y administered in 1500 ml saline is up to 10,000 rads, and at a 2-mm depth, approximately 2000 rads. From our calculation dose distribution from radioimmunotherapy varies as a function of physical characteristics of the isotope, absorption of activity, and amount of disease being treated.

Alpha Particles↗

Modeling of dose to tumor and normal tissue from intraperitoneal radioimmunotherapy with alpha and beta emitters.

Dose distributions for normal and tumor tissues from intraperitoneally administered radiolabeled antibodies have been calculated for 90-Yttrium (90Y), 131-Iodine (131I), and 211-Astatine (211At). The dose calculations use data on the activity of intraperitoneal fluid administered, the percent injected dose/gm uptake by tumor, biological half life, and a model for diffusion of antibody/radionuclide complex into peritoneal tissues. Calculations are performed for planar and hemispherical tumor shapes, ranging in size to establish the influence of geometry on dose distribution. Calculations for tumor geometry obtained from biopsies are also performed. When the activity is concentrated on or near the tumor surface, the maximum dose to a planar tumor for a 20 mci administration of 90Y is approximately 60 Gy, and falls rapidly to 50% of this value within 1 mm. However, for a hemispherical tumor, the dose is a maximum of 26 Gy, with an average of approximately 20 Gy. The surface dose from 131I (130 mci) is 240 Gy, and diminishes to 20 Gy in .05 cm in the planar case, whereas a hemispherical tumor receives a dose of 90 Gy over a large fraction of the volume, with the distal portions receiving 40 Gy. The surface dose for an administration of 70 mci of 211 At is 450 Gy and decreases to 50% of this value in 30 microns. Both surface geometry and tumor size are important determinants in the heterogeneity of tumor dose, as are the dose administered, antibody uptake, biodistribution, and residence time factors. These initial studies suggest that the size of disease which may be effectively treated is much less than the range of the particle emitted by radiolabeled antibodies. Furthermore, therapy is ultimately limited by the degree to which the antibody/radionuclide complex can diffuse and permeate the tumor.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗

Ras oncogene expression as a prognostic indicator in rectal adenocarcinoma.

In order to investigate the value of ras oncogene expression as a prognostic indicator in rectal adenocarcinoma, we evaluated the level of ras gene protein product (p21) in the available material of 149 consecutive Dukes' B and C specimens resected at our institution between 1965 and 1981. Five year follow-up was available in all patients. Pathology slides and archival paraffin blocks were retrieved for confirmation of the original diagnosis, study of histopathological features, and measurement of p21 content. P21 titers were obtained using the RAP-5 monoclonal antibody in a semiquantitative immunohistochemical assay. Titer was expressed as the highest dilution of antibody giving definitive staining using the avidin-biotin peroxidase method. The analysis indicated that the group of tumors with high (greater than or equal to 1:40,000) p21 titers had a worse 5-year survival (43.9 versus 64.3%, P less than 0.02), higher incidence of distant metastases (51.8 versus 23.2%, P less than 0.001), and more advanced Dukes' stage (53.7 versus 35.7% incidence of Dukes' C stage, P less than 0.04) than tumors with low (less than 1:40,000) titers. Multivariate analysis also demonstrated that the influence of the level of ras gene protein product on survival was independent of Dukes' stage. We conclude that detection of high levels of ras oncogene protein product indicates a group of tumors with a more aggressive behavior, characterized by a higher percentage of distant recurrences and worse prognosis. These findings suggest that measurement of p21 may become clinically important in identifying patients at high risk of recurrent disease.

Adenocarcinoma↗