[Pleurodesis with electrically activated autologous blood in recurrent pleural effusion--preliminary report].
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Adenocarcinoma↗
Biomedical subjects
B Strauss
Publications and source records attributed to B Strauss.
Choriocarcinoma cells increase the number of differentiating human cytotrophoblasts through an in vitro interaction.
The human placenta arises from the zygote through single cell intermediates called cytotrophoblasts that in turn give rise to a syncytium. In culture, mononucleated cytotrophoblasts exhibit little, if any, cell division but are converted to multinucleated cells. Choriocarcinoma, the malignant tumor of placenta trophoblast, comprises a mixed population of dividing cellular intermediates that resemble cytotrophoblasts but are less differentiated. Because the choriocarcinoma intermediates arise from dividing cells, the tumor may contain one or more cell types in abundance not present in the population of isolated placental cells. To study placental differentiation through cell-cell interaction, choriocarcinoma cell lines were co-cultured with placenta-derived cytotrophoblasts, and placental hormone biosynthesis, as a marker of differentiation was examined. We reasoned that intermediates formed by the tumor might interact with and complement those intermediates in the placenta-derived cytotrophoblast population. Co-culturing either the JAr or JEG choriocarcinoma cell lines with cytotrophoblasts elevated the synthesis of the chorionic gonadotropin alpha and beta subunits 10-20 fold, and human placental lactogen 5-fold. The effect was specific for these trophoblast-derived cells, since comparable quantities of Chinese hamster ovary or HeLa cells did not affect the placental cytotrophoblast culture. Further experiments suggested that the source of enhanced synthesis was the cytotrophoblasts. We propose that an interaction between cytotrophoblasts and choriocarcinoma cells occurs, which results in an increased number of differentiating cytotrophoblasts. Such co-cultures may represent a model system for examining choriocarcinoma cell interaction with normal cells, a process known to occur in vivo. The data are also consistent with the hypothesis that the regulated chorionic gonadotropin production in the placenta is determined by interaction among trophoblast cells at different stages of differentiation.
Animals↗
Mutagenic consequences of the alteration of DNA by chemicals and radiation.
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2-Acetylaminofluorene↗
[Time-limited contacts with psychosomatic-psychotherapeutic ambulatory care. I. Retrospective evaluation by patients].
Despite of the relevance of psychosomatic-psychotherapeutic outpatient services there is a lack of empirical studies concerning their effectiveness and compliance from the patients' point of view. This study describes the retrospective judgements of a maximum of three outpatient consultations, given by 125 patients after a mean follow-up period of 14 months. These patients completed a comprehensive questionnaire, comparable with instruments used in follow-up studies of longterm psychotherapies. The questionnaire covered demographic data, a detailed description of the consultations (including the atmosphere of the contact and the therapeutic alliance), their consequences as well as the present life situation and -quality. The results first indicate that patients who refused their participation in the study received more unspecific recommendations by the therapist, and were more commonly referred by other clinics. The judgements of the consultations were predominantly negative. Patients criticized for example a lack of activity by the therapist and of practical advice. The overall rate of compliance (i.e. number of patients who followed the therapist's recommendations) was 49%. Compliance was higher with respect to individual therapy and lowest with respect to inpatient psychotherapy. As far as the present life situation was concerned, the patients answers indicate a slight decrease of their complaints as well as an increase of life quality as compared to the time of the consultation. Potential reasons for the negative view of time limited contacts with a psychosomatic outpatient unit are finally discussed.
Adolescent↗
[Time-limited contacts with psychosomatic-psychotherapeutic ambulatory care. II. Potential determinants of compliance with therapeutic recommendations].
In a detailed analysis of the data from a follow-up study with 125 patients of a psychosomatic outpatient unit, possible determinants of the utilization of therapeutic recommendations (which was seen as an indicator of compliance) have been analysed. The overall compliance-rate in the sample was 49%. Comparisons of the patients who were compliant or noncompliant (61 vs 37) revealed that demographic as well as diagnostic characteristics hardly differentiated between the two groups. The compliance-rate seems to be higher in patients who had been judged as motivated by their therapist during the time of their contacts with the unit. Besides that, the perception of the atmosphere of the contacts as well as the therapeutic alliance during a maximum of three consultations differed between both groups. Patients who were compliant assessed their life quality more positively at the time of the follow up than the other group. In a second step of the analysis, an attempt was made, by means of cluster analyses, to investigate the relationship between the compliance-rates, and the mode of referral as well as diagnostic characteristics on the one, the judgement of qualitative aspects of the consultations on the other hand. The analysis of the first relationship indicated a tendency for noncompliance in older patients and those suffering from addictions, whereas compliance seemed to be high in younger patients who came to the consultation of their own accord. Multivariate analyses further confirmed the significance of the therapeutic alliance for the prediction of compliance-rates and the importance of several other qualitative aspects of the contacts.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Adaptation, Psychological↗
[Stress: a treatable cardiovascular risk factor?].
The study of psychosomatic factors in the pathogenesis of ischemic heart disease has followed three directions, a clinical-phenomenologic, physiologic-behavioral and a curricular-psychodynamic one. From the sixties onward Type A behavior has been prevailing as concept for the investigation of prospective importance of psychic factors in ischemic heart disease. Such a behavior-oriented view alone proves however to be inadequate. For a comprehensive approach to psychic risk factors and their treatment and prevention anxiety, depression, important experiences in life and individual biographic constellations are equally important. They represent factors only approximated by the conventional term "stress".
Coronary Disease↗
Methyl transferase activity in secondary leukemia.
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Acute Disease↗
Successful multiple segment coronary angioplasty: effect of completeness of revascularization in single-vessel multilesions and multivessels.
A long-term follow-up study was performed to evaluate the long-term value of performing multiple dilatations according to their procedural (single-vessel multilesion or mutltivessel dilatations) and anatomic types (single-vessel disease with multiple dilatations or multivessel disease dilatations with complete and incomplete revascularization). From 1980 until 1988, 248 patients met the following criteria: (1) at least two lesions dilated (range: 2 to 4) and (2) all attempted lesions successfully dilated. The mean length of follow-up was 33 months. The end points analyzed were death, myocardial infarction, redilatation, and bypass surgery. No differences were found for these events between the single-vessel multilesion group (144 patients) and the multivessel group (104 patients). The 4.5-year probability of event-free survival was 68% and 70%, respectively, for the multilesion group and the multivessel group. In the event-free patients, 57% versus 59% were asymptomatic and 45% versus 46% were not taking antianginal drugs. In the anatomic subgroups, there were less event-free patients in the cohort of incompletely revascularized multivessel disease patients (55% of 55 patients) when compared with the cohort of those who were completely revascularized (84% of 79 patients) or when compared with the single-vessel disease multiple dilatation patients (74% of 107 patients). The 4.5-year event-free survival probability for each group was 44%, 78%, and 74%, respectively. This difference was caused by more infarctions (9% versus 2% versus 4%, respectively) and bypass operations in the multivessel disease, incomplete revascularization group (20% versus 5% versus 10%, respectively). In event-free patients, improvement of angina was similar and was documented in over 85% of patients in each group. Furthermore, the number of asymptomatic patients at follow-up was similar in all groups except that within the incomplete revascularization group, less patients were free of antianginal drugs (21% versus 51% versus 48%). Finally, 48% of the entire cohort performed an exercise test 4.6 months (mean) after dilatation and no difference was found in any of the variables in any group. About 10% of the patients experienced angina and approximately 30% had a positive exercise test for ischemia by ST segment criteria. The functional performance in every group was over 90% of the predicted work load. These results suggest that completeness of revascularization in multivessel disease patients is an important prognostic variable. However, the symptomatic improvement after dilatation is very rewarding in all subsets of patients and argues in favor of the continued use of multiple dilatations as a treatment strategy.
Aged↗
Percutaneous valvuloplasty as a treatment for aortic and mitral valve disease.
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Aortic Valve Stenosis↗
Conservative management of adult epiglottitis.
A 10-year retrospective study of 30 adults suffering from acute epiglottitis is reported. Two clinical forms of onset were noted: gradual and accelerated. Abscess formation was present in 27% of cases. None of the patients required intubation or tracheotomy. In contrast to the accepted interventionist approach in children, conservative management in adults is recommended.
Abscess↗
[Generational differences in perception of menstruation and attitude to menstruation].
Based upon a model of individual differences in menstrual experiences the study concerns the question of similarities and difference in menstrual experience and attitudes between mothers and their daughters. 60 mothers (mean age 46.5 years) and 60 daughters (mean age 19.9 years) were investigated using a comprehensive questionnaire which included standardized measures such as the German version of the Menstrual Attitude Questionnaire. Comparisons of both groups revealed significant differences in relation to sex education, preparation for menstruation, and the experience of menarche, which were described more positive by the generation of the daughters. Differences in menstrual cycle effects on wellbeing and behavior were less clear. Behavioral changes and restrictions both demonstrated the significance of the mothers influence on their daughters. Inspite of more positive conditions for a "menstruation related socialization" mothers and daughters showed only slight differences in their menstrual attitudes. This result could confirm the importance and persistence of cultural norms.
Adolescent↗
Heterogeneity of O6-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase activity in peripheral blood lymphocytes: relationship between this activity in lymphocytes and in lymphoblastoid lines from normal controls and from patients with Hodgkin's disease or non-Hodgkin's lymphoma.
We determined O6-alkylguanine-DNA alkyltransferase (AGT) activity in the peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBLs) of normal controls and patients with Hodgkin's disease or non-Hodgkin's lymphoma and compared these values with those of Epstein-Barr virus (EBV)-transformed cell lines prepared from the same PBL samples. PBLs have an AGT level characteristic of the individual from whom the cells were obtained. The AGT activity of lymphoblastoid cell lines obtained from a control group of PBLs was significantly correlated with the activity of the PBLs from which they were derived (r = 0.742). There was no significant correlation between PBLs and EBV-transformed lines derived from these PBLs in Hodgkin's disease/non-Hodgkin's lymphoma patients (r = 0.407, -0.225, and 0.270 for patients prior to, during, or after therapy, respectively). The lack of significant correlation between lines and PBLs was not due to random fluctuations in AGT activity, because multiple lines prepared from the same PBL sample were found to be highly correlated in AGT activity. In order to account for these results, we suppose that PBLs from a given individual are a heterogeneous population with respect to AGT activity. In normal individuals, the AGT activity of early passages of the multi-clonal EBV-transformed cell lines reflect the AGT activity of the PBLs from which they were derived. Malignancy and/or treatment with chemotherapeutic agents may selectively affect those lymphocytes which are targets for EBV-transformation so that the resultant cell line is no longer representative (with respect to AGT activity) of the total PBL population. Long-term culture of lymphoblastoid cell lines results in changes in AGT activity in some but not all cell lines suggesting that with time in culture, subsets with different AGT activities may be selected. There appears to be no growth advantage of low AGT activity and only rarely have we obtained lines with no measurable AGT activity, even after long periods in culture.
Cell Transformation, Viral↗
Mutation induced in vitro on a C-8 guanine aminofluorene containing template by a modified T7 DNA polymerase.
We reacted uracil-containing M13mp2 DNA with N-hydroxy-2-aminofluorene to produce a template with N-(deoxyguanosin-8-yl)-2-aminofluorene adducts. This template was hybridized to a non-uracil-containing linear fragment from which the lac z complementing insert had been removed to produce a gapped substrate. DNA synthesis using this substrate with the modified T7 DNA polymerase Sequenase led to an increase in the number and frequency of lac- mutations observed. Escherichia coli DNA polymerase I (Kf) did not yield a comparable increase in mutation frequency or number even though both Sequenase and the E. coli polymerase had similar, low, 3'----5' exonuclease activities as compared to T4 DNA polymerase. We did not observe an increase in mutations when synthesis was attempted on a template reacted with N-acetoxy-2-(acetylamino)fluorene to give N-(deoxyguanosin-8-yl)-2-(acetylamino)fluorene adducts. Both E. coli and T7 enzymes terminate synthesis before all (acetylamino)fluorene lesions. Only some of the putative aminofluorene adducts produced strong termination bands, and there was a difference in the pattern generated by Sequenase and E. coli pol I (Kf) using the same substrate. Analysis of the mutations obtained from Sequenase synthesis on the aminofluorene-containing templates indicated a preponderance of -1 deletions at G's and of G----T transversions.
Base Sequence↗
[Secondary L-carnitine deficiency in chronic hemodialysis patients].
L-carnitine is an essential substance for the decomposition of long-chain fatty acids and thus for the obtaining of energy in the mitochondria. The L-carnitine fractions in the serum were analysed in 10 patients undergoing haemodialysis before and after the dialysis treatment. 4 patients received a substitution of L-carnitine by oral application of 3.0 and 1.0 g, respectively, after every dialysis or as addition to the dialysate (ca. 62 mumol/l) for in each case 4 weeks. In patients undergoing dialysis the serum carnitine fractions were in many cases already clearly diminished before the dialysis. During the treatment the total L-carnitine levels decreased by ca. 50%, the free L-carnitine values by ca. 70%. Particularly distinct carnitine depletions were found in patients with catabolic metabolic condition, incompatibility of dialysis and post-dialysis syndrome. All forms of application and dosages chosen led to a good correction of the serum carnitine concentrations. 2 patients with oral L-carnitine substitution of 3.0 g and resulting from this serum carnitine levels highly significantly lying above the normal region mentioned ameliorations of the subjective lipid parameters cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol and triglycerides could not be changed in the short period of observation by substitution of L-carnitine.
Adult↗
Chromosomal sensitivity of lymphocytes from individuals with therapy-related acute nonlymphocytic leukemia.
A small fraction of those individuals exposed to cytotoxic chemotherapy or radiation for the treatment of a primary malignant disease will develop a second malignancy some time later. Although exposure to the cytotoxic agents is believed to be the causative factor, the reason only certain individuals develop the second malignancy is unknown. Some studies have suggested that these individuals might be predisposed to cancer because of an inherent sensitivity to the alkylating agents used in cancer therapy. We have reported that these individuals with therapy-related acute nonlymphocytic leukemia (t-ANLL) have reduced endogenous levels of the repair protein O6-alkylguanine alkyltransferase (AGT). To further investigate the etiology of this disease, alkylation-induced sister-chromatid exchange (SCE) formation in individuals who developed second malignancies, was compared to other patient groups and normal controls. Peripheral blood lymphocytes from patients with (1) t-ANLL, (2) primary forms of acute nonlymphocytic leukemia (ANLL de novo), (3) patients with primary malignancies at risk of developing secondary disease, and (4) unexposed, healthy controls were treated in vitro with N-methyl-N'-nitro-nitrosoguanidine or mitomycin C. Baseline and mutagen-induced frequencies of SCEs were determined. These studies failed to detect any increased sensitivity in those patients who developed second malignancies as compared to controls or patients with de novo forms of the same disease. Also, no correlation between sensitivity to the alkylating agent N-methyl-N'-nitro-nitrosoguanidine and endogenous levels of the AGT repair protein was found. These results suggest that t-ANLL patients are not sensitive to SCE induction by either MNNG or MMC.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)
Antineoplastic Agents↗
The relationship between O6-alkylguanine alkyltransferase activity and sensitivity to alkylation-induced sister chromatid exchanges in human lymphoblastoid cell lines.
We investigated the relationship between the ability to repair the O6-alkylguanine lesions and sister chromatid exchange (SCE) induction. Six human lymphoblastoid cell lines, with O6-alkylguanine alkyltransferase (AGT) activities ranging from 0 to 13.2 fmol/micrograms DNA, were tested for their sensitivity to N-methyl-N'-nitro-N-nitrosoguanidine (MNNG)-, methyl methanesulfonate (MMS)- and 1,3-bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea (BCNU)-induced SCEs. L33, a long established lymphoblastoid cell line with no AGT activity, was sensitive to all three alkylating agents. In the other more recently established Epstein-Barr virus transformed cell lines, no correlation between AGT activity (ranging from 2.4 to 13.2 fmol/micrograms DNA) and sensitivity to MMS or MNNG was noted. In fact, of these five cell lines, the cell line with the highest AGT activity, line 852A, was the most sensitive to MNNG-induced SCEs. While cell lines differed in overall alkylation by MNNG, no relationship between overall akylation and sensitivity to MNNG-induced SCE formation was noted. In contrast to the results with the monofunctional alkylating agents, there was a correlation between AGT activity and BCNU-sensitivity to SCE induction. Cell lines with low AGT activities were more sensitive to the bifunctional alkylating agent than cells with higher activities. Therefore, while DNA interstrand cross-links produced by BCNU exposure probably underlie SCE induction by this agent, the lesions and processes that lead to SCE induction after exposure to monofunctional alkylating agents remain unclear.
Alkylating Agents↗
[Responsibilities of psychosomatic medicine in reproduction medicine. A report of experiences].
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Female↗
Low O6-alkylguanine DNA alkyltransferase activity in the peripheral blood lymphocytes of patients with therapy-related acute nonlymphocytic leukemia.
Chemotherapeutic agents such as procarbazine, which produce methylated bases in DNA, are used to treat many Hodgkin's disease (HD) and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (NHL) patients. A small proportion of such patients develop secondary malignancy. We examined the possibility that those patients who develop secondary malignancy have low endogenous levels of O6-alkylguanine DNA alkyltransferase (AGT) activity and are therefore more sensitive to the mutagenic and carcinogenic effects of their treatment. We assayed AGT activity in peripheral blood lymphocytes from patients with HD, NHL, acute nonlymphocytic leukemia (ANLL) de novo, and therapy-related ANLL, as well as a group of normal control subjects. Studies in normal controls showed that at least over a short term of 1 week, individuals have characteristic AGT levels, although some individuals sampled repeatedly over several months showed high variation. Mean AGT activities +/- SE for the various groups studied were (fmol/micrograms of DNA): normal control group, 7.05 +/- 0.36; HD and NHL patients (prior to treatment), 4.97 +/- 0.42; HD-NHL patients receiving procarbazine, 3.88 +/- 0.44; ANLL de novo, 7.78 +/- 1.72; and therapy-related ANLL, 4.30 +/- 0.58. AGT activity decreased in the peripheral blood lymphocytes of some individuals taking procarbazine. The mean AGT activity in the procarbazine-treated patients was low, as was the activity for the therapy-related ANLL patients.
Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗