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Biomedical subjects

B Berkarda

Publications and source records attributed to B Berkarda.

32 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

Chemotherapy in colorectal cancer.

198 patients with colorectal carcinoma were given chemotherapy. Adjuvant chemotherapy was applied to 73 patients, postoperatively, with Dukes A, B, C disease. 125 patients were Dukes D. The four different chemotherapy regimens comprised fluorouracil (5-FU) alone, 5-FU plus levamisole, 5-FU plus mitomycin-C and 5-FU plus adriamycin. Median survival was 18 months in the adjuvant group, with 67%, 30% and 19% of patients alive at the end of 1st, 2nd and 3rd years. 5-FU plus adriamycin and 5-FU plus levamisole give better survival rates. Median survival was 7 months in the metastatic group and only 23% are alive at the end of the first year. Favorable results were observed only with 5-FU plus adriamycin. Even though chemotherapy seems to be of limited value in advanced colorectal cancer, survival and life quality improve when it is given on an adjuvant basis.

Adenocarcinoma↗

The effect of coumarin derivatives on the immunological system of man.

Peripheral blood lymphocyte mitogen responsiveness was studied in 12 normal and 51 cancer patients. One group of patients was treated with warfarin, the second group with coumarin. There was a significant increase in lymphocyte response to phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) following both drugs. This increase indicates that both agents are capable of activating lymphocytes and thus stimulating some immunological functions.

Coumarins↗

Effects of warfarin administration on the immune response of mice.

Administration of warfarin to mice is shown to have little effect on the humoral immune response of these animals to sheep red blood cells (a thymus dependent antigen) or the trinitrophenyl hapten coupled to E. coli lipopolysaccharide (a thymus independent antigen). The ability of low doses of sheep red blood cells to prime T-cells in vivo for helper activity in the in vitro antibody-forming response to trinitrophenyl coupled to sheep red blood cells is also apparently unaffected. By contrast, delayed hypersensitivity responses, measured by foot pad swelling, are significantly stimulated by administration of the drug.

Animals↗

Immunomodulating therapy with rIL-2 and interferon alpha-induces in vivo expression of Bcl-2, Fas (APO-1/CD95), and Fas ligand on peripheral lymphocytes (a pilot study).

The first Phase I Trial with a combination of IL-2 and IFN-alpha was published in 1989. There are still some questions though, concerning the in vivo effects of this combination on lymphocytes. We designed a prospective pilot study to evaluate in vivo effects of low dose IL-2 and IFN-alpha combination on expression of Bcl-2, FAS (Apo-1/CD 95), Fas Ligand, IL-2 receptor (CD25), and HLA-DR on peripheral lymphocytes in patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma. After initiation of the immunomodulating therapy, Bcl-2 expressing lymphocytes increased significantly on day 3 (p < 0.025), Fas (Apo-1/CD95) expressing lymphocyte increased significantly on day 5 (p < 0.003), Fas ligand expressing lymphocytes increased significantly on day 3 (p < 0.004), HLA-DR expressing lymphocytes increased significantly on day 5 (p < 0.003), and IL-2 receptor (CD25) expressing cells increased significantly on day 5 (p < 0.01). We conclude that immunomodulating therapy induces in vivo expression of Bcl-2, Fas (Apo-1) and Fas Ligand in lymphocytes significantly.

Adjuvants, Immunologic↗

Preventive effect of hesperidin against inflammation in CD-1 mouse skin caused by tumor promoter.

Our earlier studies have shown that the flavonoid hesperidin inhibits tumor promotion in a two stage skin tumorigenesis protocol in CD-1 mice. In this study hesperidin's significant protection (p < 0.0001) against 12-0-tetradecanoylphorbol-13-acetate (TPA) induced edema in CD-1 mouse ear will be presented. Hesperidin also afforded significant protection against TPA induced hyperplasia in the dorsal skin through multiple application prior to TPA. Protection by hesperidin was 93% of the epidermal thickness and 100% of the vertical cell layers. The data also indicate the protective effect of hesperidin against TPA caused infiltration of neutrophils by 73%. These results suggest that hesperidin may possess potential as chemopreventive agent against tumor promoter induced inflammation and hyperplasia.

Animals↗