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Biomedical subjects

C Urban

Publications and source records attributed to C Urban.

At least 145 records · Page 8Linked to original sources
PubMed1987

[Changes in the vertebrae as an initial symptom of leukemia].

Back pain due to vertebral changes as early feature of acute lymphocytic leukemia (ALL) in childhood has been infrequently reported. There are 8 previously described patients with similar clinical and laboratory data, suggesting a biologically unique subset of ALL. Characteristic findings of this rare primary manifestation of leukemia are lack of significant organomegaly or lymphadenopathy, normal or low white blood cell count with predominance of lymphocytes and rarely circulating lymphoblasts, normal platelet count, uric acid and lactate dehydrogenase values. In the following report we make a further attempt to confirm the hypothesis of a subset of ALL, demonstrating two additional patients with characteristic features of ALL presenting with vertebral changes and low leukemic burden.

Child, Preschool↗
PubMed1986

[Treatment of stage IV neuroblastoma with high-dose melphalan and autologous bone marrow transplantation following in vitro preliminary treatment of the bone marrow with the active cyclophosphamide derivative Asta Z-7654].

The case of a 4 year 8 months old boy with neuroblastoma of unknown primary, metastatic to the bone and to the bone marrow is presented. After achieving a partial remission with six cycles of conventional chemotherapy, the patient was given supraconventional chemotherapy (melphalan 220 mg/m2 bolus i.v.) in an effort to eliminate residual disease. Prior to the administration of the drug, 560 cc of autologous bone marrow, morphologically free of tumor was harvested (total 110 X 10(8) nucleated cells) and concentrated to a mononuclear cell fraction with a total of 10 X 10(8) cells. After in vitro purging with the stable metabolite of 4-hydroperoxycyclophosphamide ASTA Z 7654 (40 micrograms/2 X 10(7) mononuclear cells/ml), the mononuclear cell suspension was retransfused 10 hours following the application of high dose melphalan. Hemopoietic reconstitution was delayed with a platelet count reaching 70,000/microliter only after seven months. At the time of this writing (20 months after diagnosis and 16 months after autologous bone marrow transplantation) there is no evidence for active disease according to the bone scan and multiple bone marrow biopsies. In view of the dismal prognosis of patients with neuroblastoma, stage IV it is recommended that further patients should be treated with a slightly modified protocol of the cooperative austrian neuroblastoma study.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗
PubMed1986

[Results of neuroblastoma treatment in Austria (1979-1984)].

During the period from 1979 until 1984 55 children were registered: 4 in Evan-stage I, 13 in stage II, 16 in stage III, 18 in stage IV and 4 in stage IV-S. 39 of these 55 patients have been followed for a minimum of two years. The current two year survival rate is 10/10 in stages I and II, 6/13 in stage III, 3/14 in stage IV and 2/2 in stage IV-S. These results demonstrate but a slight improvement in patients with stage II since the last Austrian statistic 1974. Despite modern chemotherapy the chance for survival of children with stage III or IV neuroblastoma is poor and better treatment modalities should be searched for.

Antineoplastic Combined Chemotherapy Protocols↗
PubMed1985

[Ultrasound diagnosis of malignant diseases in pediatrics].

Grey scale abdominal ultrasound was used in a total of 146 children for primary diagnostic evaluation of abdominal masses and for follow-up of patients with malignant diseases. Of 93 patients examined for a suspected abdominal mass, 6 showed to have an intraabdominal tumour. In each case the site of tumour origin could be ascertained by ultrasound. The remaining 87 patients showed no pathological findings and have been tumour-free at routine follow-up studies. Sonography proved to be also useful in the follow-up of patients with malignant diseases. Local recurrence or metastases could be ruled out on the basis of sonographic findings alone in 32 out of 35 surgically treated patients, in 3 children with non-resectable tumours, changes in tumour size during radio- and chemotherapy could be studied. Diagnostic ultrasound was also of great importance in the assessment of complications after surgery, radio- and chemotherapy. So the early detection of hydronephrosis in 2 patients with treated nephroblastoma prevented a damage of the remaining kidney. Due to the high accuracy of sonography, invasive diagnostic methods could be restricted to a small number of patients in whom ultrasound failed to provide adequate information.

Abdominal Neoplasms↗
PubMed1985

Hematological and oncological indications for splenectomy in children.

The most common hematologic and oncologic indications for splenectomy in childhood are hereditary spherocytosis, chronic idiopathic thrombocytopenic purpura, hypersplenism, and Hodgkin's disease. Because of the increased incidence of septic complications after splenectomy, benefits to be gained from the operation should be weighed against the risks. A retrospective study was done on the charts of 42 consecutive children with hematologic and oncologic disorders, who underwent splenectomy between 1967 and 1982. The incidence of septic complications after splenectomy was 12%; sepsis, however, only occurred in patients with severe underlying diseases (three patients with Hodgkin's disease, one patient with systemic lupus erythematosus, and one patient with chronic pseudo-malignant immunoproliferation). In contrast, none of the patients who were splenectomized for other reasons (mainly hereditary spherocytosis and chronic immune thrombocytopenic purpura) had a septic complication. Two patients with end-stage Hodgkin's disease (5%) experienced fatal septic complications. Although splenectomy is well established for diagnostic and therapeutic considerations in patients with Hodgkin's disease, not all of them might benefit from this operation, and studies with a more limited approach to splenectomy might prove to be of the same therapeutical value.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1985

Subunit analysis of latent and non-latent F1-ATPase from Micrococcus lysodeikticus (luteus).

Limited trypsin and chymotrypsin digestions were performed on the latent F1-ATPase from M. lysodeikticus, and subsequent analysis on SDS-polyacrylamide gels revealed subunit profiles with degraded alpha and delta subunits similar to those of ATPase preparations with spontaneously occurring lower degrees of latency. The ATPase obtained from M. lysodeikticus membranes after n-butanol extraction was also non-latent with similar SDS-gel patterns to the aforementioned ATPases. In addition, the sensitive technique of crossed immunoelectrophoresis was used to show that all of the above ATPases contained alpha, beta, gamma, delta and epsilon subunits but some of them were in degraded forms. Although the delta subunit was the first to be cleaved, the loss of latency can be attributed to the degradation of the alpha subunit.

Butanols↗
PubMed1985

[Supportive measures in aggressive cytostatic therapy].

Over the past years significant progress has been made in the treatment of childhood cancers due to newer and more intensive chemotherapeutic regimes. However, with the increased intensity of chemotherapy, more treatment related complications are seen, requiring also more aggressive supportive care. The major complications of the cytotoxic treatment are bone marrow aplasia, immunosuppression, vomiting, anorexia and weight loss and supportive measures as adequate blood component supply, prophylaxis, recognition and effective treatment of infections as well as parenteral hyperalimentation are corner stones of modern cancer therapy. Blood sampling, application of blood products or intravenous drugs and continuous parenteral nutrition is easily performed using a central venous line. Our experience with the continuous venous access of central lines in patients receiving aggressive cytotoxic treatment did not show a higher incidence of infectious complications but had significant advantages in the supportive care.

Anemia, Aplastic↗
PubMed1984

Transient encephalopathy during the late course of treatment with high-dose methotrexate.

An acute episode of encephalopathy after the infusion of 16 g methotrexate is reported in a 12-year-old girl with osteogenic sarcoma. The complication occurred during the 11th treatment course, when severe vomiting and diarrhea were followed by a low urine output with consecutive toxic concentrations of methotrexate in serum and cerebrospinal fluid leading to severe systemic and central nervous system toxicity. The onset of the central nervous system toxicity was acute with slurred speech, paresis of the external rectus eye muscles, ataxia, and hemiparesis, and symptoms resolved completely after 30 hours by treatment with calcium leucovorin and forced diuresis. After management of the cerebral and systemic toxicity, high-dose methotrexate treatment could be reinstituted, and was followed by no further complications. In contrast to the transient cerebral dysfunctions, probably caused by embolization of tumor tissue in the early course of high-dose methotrexate treatment, the acute neurologic syndrome observed in the current case after the prolonged use of methotrexate seemed to be related to direct central nervous system toxicity of the drug.

Bone Neoplasms↗
PubMed1984

[Immunosuppressive treatment of severe aplastic anemia with high-dose methylprednisolone and antithymocyte globulin in 2 patients].

This article describes the treatment of two patients with severe aplastic anaemia (SAA) by means of high-dose methylprednisolone ( HDMP ) and antithymocyte globulin (ATG). A complete normalization of the haematological data was obtained in one patient, which has persisted now for 10 months. ATG and HDMP seem to provide an alternative mode of treatment of SAA to bone marrow transplantation if there is no histocompatible bone marrow donor available.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1984

Monoclonal antibodies to canine cell surface antigens: a comparison of screening assays.

An ELISA for detection of monoclonal antibodies to surface antigens on canine lymphocytes was evaluated, and results were compared with three additional tests: a radioimmunoassay using 125I-labeled staphylococcal protein A (IPA), the fluorescence activated cell sorter (FACS II), and CdL. Three potentially interesting hybridomas were subsequently selected from two fusions.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

[Myoclonic encephalopathy (Kinsbourne syndrome)].

Three children with myoclonic encephalopathy (Kinsbourne's disease) are described, in which one of them was shown to have ganglioneuroblastoma. Symptoms were opsoclonus, polymyoclonia of the striated muscles and cerebellar ataxia. Treatment consisted in corticosteroids and adrenocorticotropic hormone respectively in all patients, the patient with ganglioneuroblastoma also had a resection of the tumor. All patients responded to therapy, however recurrence of myoclonia and of the opsoclonus were seen after discontinuation or reduction of the corticosteroid dose, as well as following the course of intercurrent viral infections. Neurologic symptoms eventually disappeared after 3 1/2-5 1/2 years, however in two children behavioural abnormalities and disorders of speech and cognitive development remained.

Adrenal Cortex Hormones↗
PubMed1983

Immunochemical analysis of Micrococcus lysodeikticus (luteus) F1-ATPase and its subunits.

The F1-ATPase from Micrococcus lysodeikticus has been purified to 95% protein homogeneity in this laboratory and as all other bacterial F1S, possesses five distinct subunits with molecular weights ranging from 60 000 to 10 000 (Huberman, M. and Salton, M.R.J. (1979) Biochim. Biophys. Acta 547, 230-240). In this communication, we demonstrate the immunochemical reactivities of antibodies to native and SDS-dissociated subunits with the native and dissociated F1-ATPase and show that: (1) the antibodies generated to the native or SDS-dissociated subunits react with the native molecule; (2) all of the subunits comprising the F1 are antigenically unique as determined by crossed immunoelectrophoresis and the Ouchterlony double-diffusion techniques; (3) antibodies to the SDS-denatured individual delta- and epsilon-subunits can be used to destabilize the interaction of these specific subunits with the rest of the native F1; and (4) all subunit antibodies as well as anti-native F1 were found to inhibit ATPase activity to varying degrees, the strongest inhibition being seen with antibodies to the total F1 and anti-alpha- and anti-beta-subunit antibodies. The interaction of specific subunit antibodies may provide a new and novel way to study further and characterize the catalytic portions of F1-ATPases and in general may offer an additional method for the examination of multimeric proteins.

Antigen-Antibody Complex↗
PubMed1983

Stimulation of lymphokine production by teleocidin, aplysiatoxin, and debromoaplysiatoxin.

Previous studies showed that the tumor-promoting phorbol ester 12-O-tetradecanoylphorbol 13-acetate (TPA) and several structurally related tumor-promoting compounds stimulate lymphocytes to produce immune interferon (IFN-gamma) and interleukin 2 (IL-2). This study shows that three compounds structurally unrelated to TPA, previously shown to mimic TPA in some other biological activities, are similar to TPA in stimulating IFN-gamma and Il-2 production in cultures of human peripheral blood lymphocytes. The production of another lymphokine, termed lymphotoxin (LT), was also enhanced by TPA and the other three compounds examined. Maximal enhancement of lymphokine production was observed in cultures costimulated with TPA or one of the other tested compounds and phytohemagglutinin (PHA). TPA was separated from IFN-gamma during a multistep purification procedure.

Alkaloids↗
PubMed1983

Chemotherapy of malignant fibrous histiocytoma of bone. A report of five cases.

Five patients with evaluable malignant fibrous histiocytoma (MFH) of bone (three with primary tumor and two with primary tumor and metastatic disease) were treated with preoperative chemotherapy including high dose methotrexate (HDMTX) with citrovorum factor rescue (CFR) as is used for patients with osteogenic sarcoma. All five patients demonstrated a clinical response to chemotherapy. Three of four patients who underwent surgery had complete responses and one patient had greater than 90% tumor necrosis as documented by histologic examination of the resected primary tumor. All four patients who underwent surgery following preoperative chemotherapy are surviving free of disease from one to six years from the start of treatment; chemotherapy was discontinued after six to 11 months in these patients. The median disease-free survival time is 31.5 months. This study demonstrates the effectiveness of chemotherapy in MFH of bone, and in particular the effectiveness of HDMTX with CFR which caused measurable responses in all patients while receiving this therapy as a single agent.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1983

[Life-threatening hypernatremia caused by faulty preparation of fully adapted infant formula].

Two male newborns developed severe life threatening hypernatremia with serum sodium levels of 181 and 196 meq/l respectively. Both children were fed a two-to fivefold concentrated powdered infant formula since birth. Shortly before admission diarrhea developed in both patients. The children were admitted during the third week and fourth week respectively, of their lifes with clinical signs of severe hyperosmolar dehydration. In both, treatment of shock was instituted and was followed by rehydration therapy. Great care was taken to lower serum sodium by not more than 15 meq/l/day in order to prevent cerebral edema. Inspite of these measures, the first patient developed cerebral seizures 5 hours after initiation of fluid replacement. The patient was intubated, and measures aimed at prevention of cerebral edema were started (hyperventilation). The eventual outcome was satisfactory, on follow up the patient showed no signs of persistent cerebral damage. In the second patient the same management was started from the beginning and no cerebral problems occurred. Restoration of stable body functions with a normal electrolyte status was achieved within five days.

Brain↗
PubMed1983

Chemical pleuritis as the cause of acute chest pain following high-dose methotrexate treatment.

This report describes the clinical and roentgenographic features of a pleuritis seen following the administration of high-dose methotrexate (HDMTX). Among 210 patients who received 3130 courses of HDMTX from 1977 through 1980, the incidence of this clinical entity was 8.5% (n = 18). The sudden onset of chest pain occurred only after the third or fourth HDMTX treatment and usually lasted between three and five days; the pain was often quite severe and led to extensive clinical examination before recognition of the benign transient nature of this syndrome. Roentgenographic examination of the chest revealed thickening of the intralobar pleura, most prominent on the right side. Our observations support the hypothesis that this adverse drug reaction occurs more frequently than assumed, but is often ignored or misinterpreted.

Adolescent↗