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Biomedical subjects

A Reiter

Publications and source records attributed to A Reiter.

At least 181 records · Page 10Linked to original sources

46,XX gonadal dysgenesis associated with congenital nerve deafness.

A sporadic case of a woman presenting with the combination of pure 46,XX gonadal dysgenesis and congenital nerve deafness is reported. A similar association had been reported as a rare familial occurrence. The apparent heterogeneity of phenotypic characteristics among the previously reported individuals and the possible genetic implications are discussed.

Adolescent↗

Prophylaxis and treatment of neoplastic meningeosis in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukemia.

The introduction of cranial radiotherapy (CRT) has provided efficient control of overt or subclinical meningeosis in acute leukemia. Especially due to the long-term toxicity of CRT, reduction or elimination of radiotherapy appeared mandatory after cure rates of more than 70% had been achieved in acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Several large clinical trials of the Berlin-Frankfurt-Münster (BFM) Study Group with more than 3500 patients since 1981 have demonstrated that intensive systemic and intrathecal chemotherapy without or with limited CRT can efficiently prevent central nervous system (CNS) relapses in a large percentage of patients. However, only in low-risk patients prophylactic radiotherapy can be completely and safely replaced by conventional doses of methotrexate. In addition, reduction of chemotherapy in low-risk ALL increased the rate of relapses with CNS involvement. Thus, only a combination of multidrug induction, high-dose methotrexate (HD-MTX) consolidation, and reintensification allowed safe elimination of CRT in low-risk ALL. This approach combined with CRT with 12Gy and 18 Gy in medium and high risk ALL, respectively, reduced the incidence of relapses with CNS involvement to less than 5% (trial ALL-BFM 86). Patients with inadequate response to therapy, or with T-cell ALL, or with overt CNS disease are at particularly high risk for relapse with CNS involvement, and require more systemic and intrathecal chemotherapy combined with cranial irradiation. In B-cell ALL, short intensive chemotherapy pulses including HD-MTX could completely replace radiotherapy. In AML, post-consolidation CRT appears to be advantageous with regard to control of extramedullary as well as systemic relapses.

Antimetabolites, Antineoplastic↗

Toxicity and effectiveness of high-dose idarubicin during AML induction therapy: results of a pilot study in children.

BACKGROUND: Idarubicin (IDR) is one of the most effective, but also toxic drugs in the treatment of AML. The standard dose used in children and adults is 8-12 mg/m2 during induction. PATIENTS AND METHODS: To improve outcome, we increased the IDR dose from 12 mg/m2 (standard dose in study AML-BFM 93), applied over three days during induction therapy (AIE = Ara-C, Idarubicin, Etoposide) to 14 mg/m2 in a pilot study including 17 patients (16 with de novo AML, one with secondary AML). Outcome and toxicities were compared with the other patients of study AML-BFM 93, treated with 3 x 12 mg/m2 IDR or 6 x 30 mg/m2 daunorubicin (DNR). RESULTS: Patients of the pilot study achieved a good blast cell reduction in the bone marrow on day 15, a high CR rate of 94% and a low relapse rate (3/17 pts.), however, not significantly different to the IDR (12 mg/m2) group. Hematological toxicity was high, median duration until neutrophil recovery > 500/microliter was 25.0 (12-66) days, and similar to the IDR (12 mg/m2) and DNR groups. Duration of thrombocytopenia (time to > 20,000/microliter) was 21 (10-66) days in the pilot study compared to 19 (7-26) days in DNR patients (p = 0.08). Four of 17 pilot patients presented with severe WHO grades 3/4 of mucositis during induction. One patient died in long-lasting aplasia after the 3rd treatment block. CONCLUSION: Results of this pilot study show that the IDR 14 mg/m2 regimen was effective but also toxic. According to our results which, however, are based on small patient numbers, an improved outcome compared to the IDR 12 mg/m2 regimen seems to be unlikely, therefore the possibly increased toxicity might not be acceptable.

Acute Disease↗

[Cutaneous lesions and blood count changes in a 9-month old girl with glutaric aciduria type I].

Non-specific cutaneous lesions are common in patients suffering from acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Leukemic skin infiltrates are present in about 30% of cases of monoblastic or myelomonocytic leukemia. The appearance of specific skin lesions can precede bone marrow involvement. We report the case of a 9-month-old girl with acute myelogenous leukemia (FAB M5) and glutaric aciduria type I which initially presented with cutaneous lesions, anemia and leukopenia.

Amino Acid Metabolism, Inborn Errors↗

[Improved treatment results in children with AML: Results of study AML-BFM 93].

BACKGROUND: In the multicenter trial AML-BFM 93 daunorubicin or idarubicin was randomly applied in all patients during induction in combination with cytarabine and etoposide. After induction all patients were stratified to the standard or high risk group. To improve outcome in high risk patients high dose cytarabine and mitoxantrone (HAM) was introduced. The placing of HAM as either the 2nd or 3rd therapy block was randomized to evaluate the efficacy and toxicity accordingly. PATIENTS AND METHODS: 471 children with de novo AML entered the trial AML-BFM 93 (161 standard risk, 310 high risk). RESULTS: Overall, 387 of 471 (82 %) patients achieved remission, 5-year survival, event free survival (EFS), and disease free survival were 60 % SE 3 %, 51 % SE 2 % and 62 % SE 3 %, respectively. Idarubicin-based induction resulted in a significantly better blast cell reduction in the bone marrow on day 15 (25 of 144=17 % patients with > 5 % blasts compared to 46 of 149=31 % patients after daunorubicin, pchi(2)=0.01). This was, however, mainly seen in high risk patients treated with idarubicin (19 % vs. 38 %, pchi(2)=0.007). Cardiotoxicity, WHO grade 1 - 3 shortening fraction reduction after induction occurred in 6 % patients in both arms. In the total group of patients probabilities of five years event-free survival and disease-free survival were similar for patients treated with daunorubicin or idarubicin. However, in patients presenting with more than 5 % blasts on day 15 there was a trend for a better outcome after treatment with idarubicin (p logrank 0.06). Outcome in high risk patients was superior in study 93 compared to study 87 (remission rate and 5-year pEFS in study AML-BFM 93 vs. study 87: 78 % vs. 68 %, p=0.007, and 44 % vs. 31 %, p logrank=0.01). The placing of HAM as the 2nd or 3rd therapy block was of minor importance. However, patients who received the daunorubicin treatment during induction benefited from early HAM. CONCLUSION: Compared to study AML-BFM 87 treatment results in study AML 93 improved significantly in high risk patients. This can partly be contributed to the better response on day 15 after idarubicin induction but is mainly due to the introduction of HAM.

Acute Disease↗

[Changes of periprosthetic bone mineral density in cementless bicontact stem implantation; influence of different parameters--a prospective 4-year follow-up].

AIM: This prospective study describes the periprosthetic BMD (bone mineral density) after implantation of the cementless Bicontact stem over a period of 4 years. Additionally, the influence of several relevant parameters like age, sex, BMI (body mass index) and the influence of the stem-size on the periprosthetic BMD course were investigated. METHOD: Measurement of the periprosthetic BMD in 36 patients (15 female, 21 male) in a prospective longitudinal study over 4 years with DEXA (dual energy X Ray absorptiometry) of the proximal Gruen zones 1 and 7. RESULTS: We found a good precision of the method in vivo with a CV (coefficient of variation) of 1.04 %. There was a decline of the periprosthetic BMD at the whole proximal stem (ROI 0) of 20 % in the first 6 months. Afterwards there was a significant increase at the lateral stem (ROI 1) of 3.46 %, in contrast no significant change could be found medially, maybe as a result of a more lateral induction of power. The investigated parameters BMI, age and sex had no influence on the relative course of mineralisation. At stem sizes bigger than 15 the decline of BMD was significantly larger than at the stem sizes smaller than 15. CONCLUSION: DEXA is a sufficiently precise method to investigate periprosthetic BMD. The postoperative periprosthetic course of mineralisation and the extent of BMD loss in the first 6 months after the Bicontact stem is similar to other periprosthetic BMD courses of prosthesis with a similar design. The course of mineralisation in "smaller" stems is obviously more auspicious than the course of "bigger" stems.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗

[Stenosing tenovaginitis -- is injection therapy beneficial?].

AIM: Symptoms, frequency of complaints, patient's subjective assessment, and relapse rate were evaluated in patients provided with injection therapy for stenosing tenovaginitis (ST). METHODS: Fifty-five patients (34 women, 21 men) suffering from ST underwent injection therapy of 0.25 ml triamcinolone and 0.25 ml mepivacain hydrochloride administered under the A1 pulley. Symptoms, frequency of complaints, subjective assessment, and evidence of recurrent disease were monitored for 5 years following injection therapy. Patients were divided into 3 groups: injection therapy with good outcome, injection therapy with poor outcome, and injection therapy but subsequently operated. RESULTS: The middle finger (38 %) and the ring finger (31 %) were affected most commonly. ST afflicted more women than men. Twenty-seven patients (49 %) showed long-term relief of symptoms. Sixty-six percent of patients experienced short-term relief of symptoms. Therapy failure was more common in men, in younger patients, and in patients with diabetes. Better results were seen in women, in older patients, and in patients with rheumatism. Complications of injection therapy did not occur during this study. CONCLUSION: Injection therapy is a justifiable alternative to surgery in patients with ST. In this study, half of the patients treated described long-term relief of symptoms, and assessed the effects of injection therapy positively. Especially satisfied patients included women, older patients, and patients with rheumatism.

Adolescent↗

Prognostic impact of age in children and adolescents with acute lymphoblastic leukemia: data from the trials ALL-BFM 86, 90, and 95.

Large progress has been made in the treatment of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) of childhood and adolescence over the past 30 years. Eighty percent of the patients can be cured, but clinical subgroups with a dismal outcome can still be identified. In this study, we investigated the association of age with prognosis in 5 181 patients with ALL under 18 years (y) of age enrolled in the three consecutive treatment trials ALL-BFM 86, 90 and 95 in more than 80 centers. Event-free survival (pEFS) of the total group was significantly associated with age. The most unfavorable outcome was found in infancy and the best results were achieved at toddler and pre-school age. Beyond 5 y of age, survival probability decreased (pEFS at 8 y: < 1 y = 0.45; 1-5 y = 0.82; 6-9 y = 0.75; 10-14 y = 0.63; > or = 15 y = 0.59). The proportion of T-ALL as compared to precursor B-cell ALL (pB-ALL) was lower in younger children, due to an incidence peak of pB-ALL in toddlers and at pre-school age compared to a constant incidence of T-ALL. Within the T-ALL group, no correlation of age with sex, initial white blood cell count, CNS disease, or early treatment response was found. Children under 10 y of age had a slightly lower relapse rate compared to older patients. Within pB-ALL patients, the proportion as well as the absolute incidence of TEL/AML1 rearrangement and DNA index of > or = 1.16 was higher in the younger children. A lower proportion of BCR/ABL-positive ALL was observed in the age group of < 6 y when compared to patients aged > or = 6 y, but the absolute incidence was constant across the age groups after the first year of life. More than half of the infants had a CD10-negative pB-ALL. The incidence was constant after a peak in the first year of life, yet the percentage of CD10 negativity increased with rising age in this subgroup. Adolescents with pB-ALL had a significantly higher proportion of prednisone poor-responders. Accordingly, outcome was worse in older patients. This pattern was also evident in the biologically heterogeneous group of patients with a DNA index of > or = 1.16. In contrast, no significant age-related outcome differences could be shown within TEL/AML1- or BCR/ABL-positive patients, as well as within CD10-negative pB-ALL beyond infant age. Analysis of the pB-ALL group in a Cox's regression model including age and the above-listed biological factors revealed age < 1 year and > or = 10 years as independent risk factors. This is in line with the poorer prognosis of these age groups in the pB-ALL subgroup without specific biological characteristics. This subgroup also had an incidence peak at toddler age, presumably containing other favorable biological subsets. An independent prognostic impact of age in pediatric ALL cannot be excluded by this study. However, our analyses show that the age-associated different prognosis in childhood ALL is at least partly related to the different distribution of relevant prognostic subgroups between the age groups.

Adolescent↗

[Long-term treatment with recombinant human granulocyte colony stimulating factor in patients with severe congenital neutropenia].

Severe congenital neutropenia is a disorder of myelopoiesis characterized by severe neutropenia secondary to either a maturational arrest of myelopoiesis at the level of promyelocytes (Kostmann-Syndrome; SCN) or regular cyclic fluctuations in the number of blood neutrophils with a median ANC below 500/microliter (cyclic neutropenia). We have treated 32 patients with SCN and 4 patients with cyclic neutropenia. Thirty of 32 patients with SCN and all 4 patients with SCN responded to r-met HuG-CSF treatment with an increase of the median ANC to above 1000/microliter. The doses needed to achieve and maintain the response varied between 0.8 and 120 micrograms/kg/d. Long-term treatment did not exhaust the myelopoiesis: The mean ANC remained stable up to 5 years of treatment. The increase in ANC was associated with dramatic clinical responses: significant reduction of severe bacterial infections, reduction of intravenous antibiotic treatment episodes, and reduction of hospitalizations. No severe bacterial infections occurred in any of the r-met HuG-CSF responders during long-term treatment. Severe adverse event, most likely associated with the underlying disease, included the development of MDS/Leukemia in two patients, and osteopenia/osteoporosis in 12 patients. These results demonstrate the beneficial effects of r-met HuG-CSF treatment in severe congenital neutropenia patients.

Adolescent↗

[Definition of malignant histiocytosis and large cell anaplastic (Ki-1) lymphoma in children].

Cells belonging to the mononuclear phagocytic system may give rise to a wide variety of proliferative disorders. These neoplastic or reactive diseases of monocytes, histiocytes and macrophages are still poorly understood, both from a biological, clinical and pathological point of view. In 1984 a new type of non-Hodgkin's lymphomas has been described, which recently was termed large cell anaplastic lymphoma (LCAL). Since both "true" malignant histiocytosis (MH) and LCAL display some clinico-pathological similarities, we reevaluated eleven children with the primary diagnosis of MH, who entered the multicentric therapy study DAL-HX 83. On the basis of the typical morphology LCAL and not MH has been diagnosed in all cases. The Ki-1 (CD 30) positive tumor cells of LCAL can display different phenotypes, either T-lymphoid, B-lymphoid, histiocytic or neither of them (O-phenotype). Therefore we investigated the lineage specificity of tumor cells in 15 paediatric patients with LCAL. Tumor cells of histiocytic origin could be demonstrated in only one of them. In 7 patients the neoplastic cells were of T cell and in the remaining 7 cases of non T/non B cell (O) phenotypes, confirming the extreme rarity of MH in children. It is our opinion that MH and LCAL seem to be different diseases not only nosologically but also clinico-pathologically. In the multicentric therapy studies NHL-BFM 81 and NHL-BFM 83 the frequency of LCAL in childhood is compared to all other subentities at 3%.

Adolescent↗

[Incidence, clinical markers and prognostic significance of immunologic subtypes of acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) in children: experiences of the ALL-BFM 83 and 86 studies].

In the therapy studies ALL-BFM 83 and 86, immunophenotyping of ALL by monoclonal antibodies was performed in a total of 1162 protocol patients (ALL-BFM 83 n = 578; ALL-BFM 86 n = 584). Both studies yielded similar results with respect to the incidence of immunological subtypes: CD10-negative pre-pre-B ALL (ALL-BFM 83: 3.6%; ALL-BFM 86: 5.3%), common ALL (80.1%; 77.9%), B-ALL (1.9%; 2.8%), pre-T/T-ALL (13.9%; 13.5%). Leukemic cells of 3 patients in the ALL-BFM 83 study lacked lymphoid and myeloid antigens (acute unclassifiable leukemia, 0.5%), and 3 patients in the ALL-BFM 86 study exhibited different blast populations with expression of either myeloid or lymphoid features (acute mixed-lineage leukemia, 0.5%). Coexpression of myeloid antigens (CD13 and/or CD33 and/or CDw65) on lymphoblasts (My-positive ALL) was identified in 35 of the 570 (6.1%) protocol patients prospectively analyzed in the ALL-BFM 86 study. The following associations were observed between the immunological subtype and the clinical risk factors: median age (years)-pre-pre-B 3.0, common 4.3, B- 7.9, pre-T/T-ALL 8.5 (pre-pre-B, common vs. pre-T/T-ALL p = 0.05); median leukocyte counts (x 10(9)/l)-pre-pre-B 80, common 9.1, B- 12.3, pre-T/T-ALL 68.1 (common, B- vs. pre-pre-B, pre-T/T-ALL p less than 0.05). The prognostic relevance of the immunophenotype was evaluated on the basis of the therapeutic results obtained in the ALL-BFM 83 study. A significant difference in the remission rate was only recognizable between patients with common ALL (99.1%) and those with pre-T/T-ALL (93.7%, p less than 0.001). After a median follow-up of 54 months, the probability of event-free survival is 71% for pre-pre-B ALL, 67% for common ALL, 56% for pre-T/T-ALL and 27% for B-ALL (common vs. B-, pre-T/T-ALL p less than 0.001), the prognosis in patients with pre-pre-B and common ALL being markedly influenced by the initial leukocyte counts and the age.

Antigens, CD↗

Low grade malignant non-Hodgkin's lymphomas and peripheral pleomorphic T-cell lymphomas in childhood--a BFM study group report.

Non-Hodgkin's lymphomas (NHL) are classified as low or high grade malignant lymphomas of either B or T cell origin. Cells of low grade malignant NHL (LG-NHL) of B cell type represent either follicular or postfollicular, cells of LG-NHL of T cell type postthymic maturation stages in the lymphoid differentiation pathway. LG-NHL often fail to undergo long-term complete remission or cure in adults, no matter what type of conventional therapy is applied. In three pediatric therapy studies frequency and probability of continuous complete remission (pCCR) were studied for LG-NHL and peripheral pleomorphic T-cell lymphomas (PTCL). Of 432 evaluated patients only six children (1.4%) were qualified as LG-NHL. LG-NHL of T cell type were diagnosed in three children (one T-zone lymphoma, two PTCL of small cell type), LG-NHL of B cell type in another three cases. Two children presented with nodular type of centroblastic/centrocytic lymphoma (CB/CC), one with lymphoplasmocytoid type of immunocytoma (IC). In addition to the two patients with low grade malignant PTCL, there have been also four children with high grade malignant PTCL. The analysis showed that there was not significant difference for event free survival of children with LG-NHL and HG-NHL, respectively (pCCR: 0.63 and 0.82, p = 0.29). In contrast, when comparing high and low grade PTCL versus all other types of childhood NHL (non-PTCL), a significant difference seems to exist (pCCR for PTCL: 0.44, for non-PTCL: 0.83; p = 0.02). However, for further concisive conclusions more patients are needed for evaluation.

Adolescent↗

[Corticosteroid-dependent reduction of leukocyte count in blood as a prognostic factor in acute lymphoblastic leukemia in childhood (therapy study ALL-BFM 83)].

In therapy study ALL-BFM 83 a total of 630 patients with acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) have prospectively been evaluated for initial response on therapy with corticosteroids. It was the aim to qualify the in vivo cytoreduction as a new predictor for therapy failure. All patients were exposed for 7 days to prednisone before combination chemotherapy at day 8 has been started. At day 0 one additional dose of Methotrexate was given intrathecally. Therapy for all patients with non-B-ALL has been stratified according to initial tumor burden (risk factor) providing four therapy branches: standard risk low (SR-L), standard risk high (SR-H), medium risk (MR), high risk (HR). After a median duration of study of 21 months, event-free survival (EFS) is for all 630 patients 73%, 81% for SR-L, 76% for SR-H, 69% for MR, and 35% for HR patients (date of evaluation Jan. 1, 1987). In this prospective study, a small subgroup of patients (n = 48; 7.6% of total group) is characterized by greater than 1000 leukemic blasts/mm3 peripheral blood at day 8 after exposure to prednisone. In this subgroup the EFS is only 43% in contrast to 76% in the complementary group of 582 patients with less than 1000 leukemic blasts/mm3 peripheral blood at day 8. Patients of that risk group are derived from therapy branches SR-H, M and HR, the latter contributing relatively most patients. In this negatively selected group all patients with an initial high white blood count, CNS disease at diagnosis, immune subtypes as prae-T-ALL (n = 6), T-ALL (n = 18), null-ALL (n = 5), and males clearly dominate. Of 48 patients with greater than 1000 blasts/mm3 at day 8 4 subsequently failed to enter remission and 8 were qualified as lateresponders. 18 patients relapsed, most of them earlier compared to those of the complementary group. The initial in vivo response on corticosteroid therapy is considered a supplementary prognostic predictor for early failure. It will be utilized in trial ALL/NHL-BFM 86 to qualify patients at the highest risk for relapse. This group of patients is supplemented in addition by non- and lateresponders and children with acute undifferentiated leukemia (AUL). The in vivo corticosteroid test is simple, generates early and reliable results and can be obtained almost always. Thus it may be recommended for use in a multicenter trial.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗

[Acute lymphoblastic leukemia in infancy: results of 5 multicenter ALL-BFM therapy studies 1970-1986].

Acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL) of infancy has in contrast to all other age groups a less favorable prognosis. In order to determine the possible causes and biological principles for impaired outcome of infant patients in five consecutive clinical trials ALL-BFM 1970-1986, both clinical characteristics and biological features for one hundred and ninety-six patients aged two years and less have been evaluated retrospectively (forty-two infants under one year of age). The observations illustrate, that less favorable subtypes of childhood ALL are more frequent in these children, preferably in infants aged six months and less, explaining decisively the impaired prognosis. These subtypes are characterized by large tumor burden (p = less than 0.001), initial central nervous system (CNS) involvement (p = less than 0.001), and a high CNS relapse rate (p = 0.03). Phenotypically the undifferentiated leukemic blast cells show negative reactions for cALLa and often for Tdt (0-ALL and AUL; p = less than 0.001). The switch to prognostically more favorable ALL subtypes occurs about the end of the first year of life. Nevertheless, early failures by non-response or late-response seem not to influence the poorer outcome. However, compared to the preceding trials, results of studies ALL-BFM 81 and ALL-BFM 83 were significantly improved in respect to the probability of continuous complete remission for infant patients (pCCR less than 1 y: 0.44 vs. 0.28), confirming that treatment by itself is one of the major prognostic determinants.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗

[Significance of procarbazine in the chemotherapy of Hodgkin's disease--a report of the Cooperative Therapy Study DAL-HD-85].

It was the objective of the DAL study HD-85 to examine the possibility of a reduction of chemotherapy, compared to the study HD-82 which had applied a combined treatment strategy resulting in a relapse rate of only 2.5% after 4 years, and a proportion of intercurrent deaths of 1.5%, in a total of 203 patients. Procarbazine was eliminated in the OPPA-therapy (OPA) and replaced by methotrexate in the COPP-cycles (COMP). Chemotherapy consisted in 2 cycles of OPA for stage I/IIA (group 1), 2 cycles of OPA and 2 cycles of COMP for stage IIB/IIIA (including IEA/IIEA) (group 2), and 2 cycles of OPA and 4 cycles of COMP for stage IIIB/IV (group 3). The subsequent radiotherapy was limited to the initially involved fields, the dosage of 35, 30 or 25 Gy depending on the extent of chemotherapy. Regions showing incomplete tumor regression after chemotherapy received another 5 Gy, in patients of groups 2 and 3. Between Jan. 1985 to Nov. 1986, 103 children with Hodgkin's disease from 42 participating hospitals were enrolled in this study. 98 patients were treated according to protocol (59 boys, 39 girls). A specific strategy for the selective indication of laparotomy and splenectomy was applied. With this strategy no laparotomy was performed in 39/98 patients (40%). 67 patients (68%) retained their spleen. 4 patients showed progression of the disease under chemotherapy, all others achieved remission. 16 patients relapsed before Dec. 31, 1987. So far no child of this study has died.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗