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Biomedical subjects

F Hansen

Publications and source records attributed to F Hansen.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Cardiovascular disease in male patients with carotid transient ischemic attacks or minor strokes.

The authors tested the hypothesis that coronary heart disease and lower extremity atherosclerosis occur more frequently in patients with transient ischemic attacks (TIA) than in patients with minor stroke. Thirty-three consecutive male patients with TIA and 36 with minor stroke from the carotid artery territory were examined with ultrasonography of the cardiac, iliac, and femoral arteries; echocardiography (UCG); electrocardiogram (ECG); thallium scintigraphy (TS) of the myocardium; and assessment of the ankle/arm index (A/AI). TS showed myocardial infarctions to be more common among TIA patients than among minor stroke patients, 54% vs 19%, p = 0.019. UCG showed the frequency of left ventricular and atrial dilatation to be higher in the TIA group than in the minor stroke group, 64% vs 27%, p = 0.0084. Significant artery stenosis (greater than or equal to 50%) was not, however, more frequent in the TIA group than in the minor stroke group, nor was there any significant difference between the groups in A/AI. The frequency of TS-verified myocardial infarction (MI) was higher in the subgroup with greater than or equal to 50% carotid artery stenosis than in that with less than 50% stenosis, 61% vs 25%, p = 0.022, and also higher in the pathological UCG subgroup than in the normal UCG subgroup, 50% vs 15%, p = 0.025. Thus, there was a greater incidence both of TS-verified MI and of UCG-verified cardiac dilatation in the TIA group than in the minor stroke group but no difference between the groups in the degree of atherosclerosis either in the carotid or lower extremity regions.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adult

Phase II clinical trial of VP-16-213 (etoposide) administered orally in advanced ovarian cancer.

Antitumor effect and toxicity of single-drug treatment with per oral VP-16-213 (etoposide) were evaluated in a phase II trial which included 22 patients with recurrence or progression of ovarian carcinoma. Two of these patients were evaluable only for toxicity. All patients had previously been treated with a combination chemotherapy involving at least three different drugs. The median age was 59 years (range 21-76). VP-16-213 was administered orally at a daily dose of 200 mg/m2 for 4 consecutive days every third week with systematic dose escalation. Fourteen patients were treated to grade 3-4 hematologic toxicity (WHO) and 8 to grade 0-2. Eleven experienced nausea and vomiting and 4 partial alopecia. One patient achieved a CR and another a PR with a duration of 3 months and 5 + months, respectively.

Administration, Oral

Eighty-year-old men without cardiovascular disease in the community of Malmö. Part I. Social and medical factors, with special reference to the lipoprotein pattern.

A total of 1280 80-year-old men were invited to a medical examination to study common risk indicators for cardiovascular disease (CVD) in the elderly. From the pool of 811 responders (63.3%), all 122 individuals who fulfilled our inclusion criteria were assigned to one of four groups: (1) no CVD, non-smokers; (2) no CVD, smokers; (3) CVD, smokers; (4) CVD, non-smokers. A telephone interview with 75 non-responders suggested that this group contained more institutionalized subjects, but otherwise did not differ from the group of participants. Subjects with CVD had higher levels of plasma cholesterol and LDL cholesterol than those without CVD, whereas plasma HDL cholesterol and plasma triglyceride concentrations did not differ between the groups; thus the LDL/HDL ratio was higher in the CVD group. Lipoprotein concentrations did not differ between smokers and non-smokers. However, the mean cholesterol levels were low (5.19 +/- 1.01 mmol l-1), suggesting selective mortality. No differences between the groups were found with regard to Lp(a). The mean blood pressure for the whole group was 149/79 mmHg, and there were no differences between subgroups. Our study suggests that mechanisms such as selective mortality modify the risk factor pattern in the elderly. In 80-year-old individuals, elevated LDL cholesterol levels can still be identified as a risk indicator for CVD, whereas there does not appear to be any association between CVD or low HDL levels or elevated blood pressure in this age group.

Aged

Eighty-year-old men without cardiovascular disease in the community of Malmö. Part II. Smoking characteristics and ultrasound findings, with special reference to glutathione transferase and pyridoxal-5-phosphate.

A total of 1280 80-year-old men in the community of Malmö were questioned about smoking habits and the occurrence of cardiovascular disease (CVD). After a careful medical and duplex ultrasound examination, four groups were selected for further studies: (1) no CVD, non-smokers: (2) no CVD, smokers: (3) CVD, smokers: (4) CVD, non-smokers. In total 122 individuals participated. The average tobacco consumption by smokers was 13 g d-1 for 59 years. In the CVD group 45% of subjects had atherosclerotic symptoms at more than one site. Smoking was found to be correlated with lower extremity atherosclerosis, cholesterol and LDL cholesterol were correlated with carotid artery lesions and pathological ankle/arm index, and blood pressure was correlated with lower extremity lesions. In contrast with middle-aged populations, individuals with an increasing degree of lesions in the lower extremities had a larger percentage of high glutathione transferase activity than subjects without CVD. Smokers had significantly lower pyridoxal-5-phosphate levels than non-smokers. It is concluded that some heavy smokers might reach an advanced age in good health. Smoking was also operative as a risk indicator for lower extremity atherosclerosis in 80-year-old individuals.

Aged

Anxiety disorders during acute bereavement: risk and risk factors.

Forty-four percent of bereaved spouses reported at least one type of anxiety disorder during the first year of bereavement in a survey of a representative sample composed of a subgroup (N = 48) assessed 6 months after bereavement and another subgroup (N = 54) assessed 12 months after bereavement. The bereaved spouses experienced 6-month prevalence rates for panic disorder and generalized anxiety disorders that were higher than community prevalence rates for the same metropolitan area (p less than .01). Past personal history of anxiety disorder was an independent risk factor (p less than .05), and anxiety disorders were associated with severe grief (p less than .01) and depression (p less than .05). The large overlap of anxiety disorders with major depression observed in this study indicates that the estimated rates of anxiety disorder are not independent of major depression in most cases and raises questions about whether the anxiety disorders of bereavement are prodromal, concomitant, or residual with respect to major depression.

Adult

Evaluation of ulceration in the extracranial carotid artery with ultrasonography: a comparison with arteriography.

The accuracy of duplex-scanning and angiography in detecting ulceration in the carotid arteries was evaluated. Sixty-nine patients underwent duplex-scanning and carotid arteriography, and the findings were blindly compared to the operative specimens. Duplex-scanning had a significantly higher sensitivity (90 vs 48%, P less than 0.001) and accuracy (88 vs 59%, P less than 0.001) than angiography. There was no difference in specificity (84 vs 89%, P = 0.28). Comparison was also made between conventional arch angiography and selective carotid angiography in detecting ulceration. There was no significant difference between the methods (sensitivity 47 vs 50%, specificity 82 vs 100%). Finally, interobserver variability in detecting ulceration with duplex-scanning was evaluated in double-blind evaluation of the duplex-scans. The interobserver agreement was 84%. Duplex-scanning seems to be superior to angiography in detecting ulcerations in the extracranial carotid artery.

Adult

Phase II study of 1,2,4-triglycidylurazol (TGU) in previously untreated and treated patients with small cell lung cancer.

Six previously untreated poor prognosis patients and eight previously treated patients with small cell lung cancer (SCC) were treated with 1,2,4-triglycidylurazol (TGU, NSC-332488) 800 and 650 mg/m2 every 4 weeks, respectively. No responses were observed. The survival time of the previously untreated patients was short, a median of 7 weeks (range 5-10 weeks). Myelosuppression was severe and prolonged with white blood count, WHO grade 3-4, in four previously untreated patients and in two previously patients, and with platelets, WHO grade 3-4, in both four previously untreated and in four previously treated patients. Gastrointestinal toxicity was mild to moderate. It is concluded that TGU is inactive in SCC.

Aged

Regional lung function in long-term survivors after chemotherapy for small cell lung cancer.

In order to evaluate the regional lung function in patients with small cell lung cancer with long-term survival, we measured the regional lung function in 17 patients. We studied the patients with 81m-krypton ventilation scans and 99m-technetium perfusion scans, as well as measurements of static lung volumes (VC, RV, TLC), flow volume indices (FEV1, FVC, MEF50), and carbon monoxide diffusing capacity (DLCO). We found both the ventilation and the perfusion of the affected lung to be slightly but significantly lower (P less than 0.05), while no obvious ventilation or perfusion defects could be identified at the former tumor site. The static volumes of the lungs, the FVC and the FEV1 were within predicted normal values, while a significant decrease was seen in the PEF, MEF50, and DLCO. It is concluded that patients with small cell lung cancer who obtain complete remission with normalization of the chest X-ray and long-term survival after 18 months of intensive chemotherapy also have a nearly normal lung function.

Aged

beta-Granins: 21 kDa co-secreted peptides of the insulin granule closely related to adrenal medullary chromogranin A.

Three closely related forms of a 21 kDa protein which is co-secreted with insulin have been purified and analysed. These differed in behaviour on ion-exchange chromatography but were indistinguishable by their susceptibility to staphylococcal V8 proteinase digestion, amino acid composition or N-terminal amino acid sequence. Their amino acid composition and N-terminal sequences were remarkably similar to adrenal medullary chromogranin A, a much larger protein (72 kDa). Antibodies to chromogranin A also reacted strongly with the 21 kDa protein in isolated insulin granules. It is concluded that the 21 kDa proteins either represent a repeated domain within the chromogranin molecule or a closely related gene product. The name beta-granin is proposed for these proteins.

Adrenal Medulla

Kinetics of small lymphocytes in normal and nude mice after splenectomy.

Autoradiography and various quantitations on lymphoid tissues have been used to evaluate the kinetics of small lymphocytes in normal (+/nu or +/+) and congenitally athymic nude (nu/nu) NMRI mice 1 month after splenectomy or sham-splenectomy. The results indicate that splenectomy causes depressed thymic activity and diminished numbers of T lymphocytes in peripheral lymphoid tissues. The total number of cells in these tissues as well as the blast cell activity, were within normal limits. Bone marrow lymphocyte numbers and kinetics as well as blood lymphocyte levels in splenectomized and sham-splenectomized normal animals were comparable. Blood lymphocyte numbers were at normal levels in splenectomized nude mice, in spite of reduced numbers of bone marrow and thoracic duct lymphocytes. It is suggested that increased number of newly-formed lymphocytes, found in lymph nodes and blood of splenectomized mice, are released from the lympho-myeloid organs in compensation for the loss of long-lived, thymus-derived cells.

Animals

The effect of a chlorhexidine-containing gel on oral cleanliness and gingival health in young adults.

Students at a vocational school participated in a double-blind, cross-over study to test the effect of brushing with a 1% chlorhexidine-containing gel once a day. In the control period, a placebo gel was used. Each treatment period lasted for 4 weeks. This was subsequently followed by 4 weeks of ordinary toothbrushing. Any toothbrushing additional to the therapeutic brushing was performed with a standard commercial dentifrice without abrasives. In addition to the treatment groups, containing a total of 24 subjects, another group of 12 subjects received standardized oral hygiene instruction. Oral hygiene and gingival condition were assessed in all groups throughout the study. The chlorhexidine-containing gel seemed to have no effect on gingivitis and only a slight inhibitory effect on plaque formation. Furthermore, an increase in the degree and frequency of staining of the tooth surfaces related to the use of active gel were observed.

Adolescent