Biomedical subjects

G H Weiss

Publications and source records attributed to G H Weiss.

At least 37 records · Page 2Linked to original sources

PubMed1995

A comparison of resolution of DNA fragments between agarose gel and capillary zone electrophoresis in agarose solutions.

The resolving power of capillary zone electrophoresis (CZE) is compared to that of gel electrophoresis (GE) under similar conditions (agarose, similar length of DNA fragments, identical buffer) but with differences in temperature and field strength. The comparison is based on the time required to reach a desired degree of resolution by each of the two methods. A resolution parameter is developed which is equally applicable to CZE, with relatively diffuse initial conditions in the absence of stacking and measurements expressed in terms of time, and to GE, in which measurements are expressed in terms of spatial parameters. The resolution time in CZE using agarose solutions at 40 degrees C was found to be greater by at least one order of magnitude than that in GE using agarose gels. Thus, the increased migration velocity due to high field strength in CZE substantially outweighs the lower dispersion in GE.

DNA↗

PubMed1995

Calcium tracer kinetics show decreased irreversible flow to bone in glucocorticoid treated patients.

Osteopenia resulting from pharmacologic doses of glucocorticoids is well known. Previously, there has been no satisfactory quantitative model describing the kinetics of calcium flow in subjects on chronic steroid use. A mathematical model of calcium isotope interaction with bone is described and applied to determine an estimate of kinetic parameters characterizing these changes. Calcium tracer dilution kinetics after a bolus injection of 42Ca were measured in 14 subjects with juvenile dermatomyositis, 6 on prednisone regimens and 8 on treatment regimens without prednisone. Irreversible tracer loss from plasma bone is found to be significantly reduced (P = 0.043) in the glucocorticoid-treated patients compared with patients on nonsteroid regimens. Reversible flow to bone is noted to be similar in the two groups. These results suggest a direct effect of glucocorticoids on osteoblast function.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1995

Model of human transitional cell carcinoma: tumor xenografts in upper urinary tract of nude rat.

An in vivo model for the study of human transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) in the urinary tract is desirable. Orthotopic xenografts are useful in order to approximate better the behavior of human tumor cells in situ. Prior models have been described in the urinary bladder of the nude mouse and rat. We have developed the first model of implantation of human TCC in the upper urinary tract of an experimental animal. The kidneys of homozygous nude rats 4 weeks of age were inoculated with 1-5 x 10(6) cells of the RT4 well-differentiated papillary human TCC line through bilateral flank incisions, with transparenchymal injection of tumor cells into either the collecting system (renal pelvis) or the parenchyma. The overall implantation rate was 92% (54/59 kidneys). However, implantation into the collecting system occurred in only 45% (18/45) of the group. Ligation of the ureter prior to inoculation to produce urine stasis improved the mucosal implantation rate. Despite suspect urine cytology findings in the renal pelvis injection group, no distal seeding of the urinary tract was seen. Intraparenchymal tumor growth was less differentiated and had a higher fraction of mitotic cells than mucosal tumors. Vascular and lymphatic invasion were commonly seen; however, distant metastasis was not observed. This model will prove useful in determining the role of seeding in recurrent disease and in developing less invasive modalities for the treatment of upper tract TCC.

Animals↗

PubMed1995

Percutaneous management of transitional cell carcinoma of the renal collecting system: 9-year experience.

PURPOSE: We establish the effectiveness of percutaneous resection of transitional cell carcinomas of the renal collecting system. MATERIALS AND METHODS: A retrospective analysis was done of 36 kidneys treated during a 9-year period. Adjunctive therapy with bacillus Calmette-Guerin was given in 19 cases. RESULTS: Of 36 kidneys 6 were treated by immediate nephroureterectomy for aggressive disease, leaving 30 units treated by a complete course. The recurrence rate was 33%, which varied with histology as specific recurrence rates for grades 1 to 3 tumors (18%, 33% and 50%, respectively). The only cancer related mortalities occurred with grade 3 tumors. These tumors also had a higher incidence of understanding and vascular complications. Bacillus Calmette-Guerin therapy showed no significant improvement in survival. CONCLUSIONS: With vigilant followup, percutaneous management of transitional cell carcinoma of the renal collecting system is an acceptable alternative to nephroureterectomy in patients with grade 1 disease, grade 2 disease who are at risk for renal insufficiency and medical contraindications to a major open operation.

BCG Vaccine↗

PubMed1995

A model of bladder tumor xenografts in the nude rat.

PURPOSE: An in vivo tumor model for the study of human urothelial carcinoma is desirable. Orthotopic xenografts are useful in order to better approximate human tumor cell behavior in situ. A prior model has been described in the nude mouse. However, its small bladder size limits both histologic characterization and the application of intravesical therapeutics. In the absence of preirradiation, orthotopic xenografts of human transitional cell carcinoma in the nude rat has not been previously reported. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Nude rats 2 to 4 weeks of age were inoculated with 1-5 x 10(6) cells of RT4 (well differentiated papillary human bladder tumor cell line). Inoculation was performed via open cystotomy. Techniques of mucosal injury including acid treatment and cautery were explored in an effort to optimize tumor implantation and growth. Animals were sacrificed at varying intervals and histologic assessment was performed. RESULTS: The overall rate of tumor implantation and growth was 93.4% (57 of 61). Tumors reliably grew within the muscularis and mucosal growth was seen as well. Intramuscular tumor growth was less differentiated and had a higher fraction of mitotic cells than mucosal tumor. Tumor growth was consistently seen as early as 2 weeks after inoculation which facilitates experimental trials. Distant metastasis was not observed. Mucosal injury did not increase the rate of tumor implantation. CONCLUSION: This model is highly reproducible and will prove useful in the further study of bladder cancer progression as well as in the development of therapeutic modalities for both superficial and muscle invasive bladder carcinoma.

Animals↗

PubMed1994

Exact conditional distribution of a three-phase invariant in space group P1. IV. Further improvements of Cochran-like approximations.

A new approximate method of computing the conditional probability density function (c.p.d.f.) of a three-phase invariant is investigated, the results being compared to accurate calculations [Shmueli, Rabinovich & Weiss (1989). Acta Cryst. A45, 361-367]. A direct dependence on N, the number of atoms in the unit cell, is incorporated into the new approximation and its performance in the equal-atom case appears to be excellent over a large range of N values. The polynomial approximation of the recently published method [Posner, Shmueli & Weiss (1993). Acta Cryst. A49, 260-265] has been improved in both accuracy and range.

Algorithms↗

PubMed1994

Effects of noncrystallographic symmetry on the epsilon 1 relationship. I. Bicentric arrangements in P1.

An exact Fourier representation of the probability for the epsilon 1 relationship is derived, which takes into account the presence of noncrystallographic centrosymmetry in the asymmetic unit of the space group P1. Illustrative examples show that the main effect of noncrystallographic symmetry is to decrease the probability that E2h is positive, as compared to the corresponding probability in the absence of such symmetry. The effect appears to be more pronounced in the equal-atom case than it is for a structure having a heterogeneous atomic composition.

Chemistry, Physical↗

PubMed1994

Optimization of magnetization transfer experiments for kinetic rate measurements.

A framework is developed for optimizing magnetization transfer experiments for measuring first-order rate constants of a two-component exchange network. In the analysis the spin-lattice relaxation time of the nonsaturated resonance is assumed to be known. However, we demonstrate that our work can also be applied to cases in which the spin-lattice relaxation time falls within a physiologically reasonable range for this parameter. We provide an algorithm for the parameters permitting the experimenter to optimize the selection of measurement times in order to control the error in a worst-case scenario. In addition, we compare the performance of the time-dependent saturation experiment with an inversion experiment in this framework, finding that the former always leads to a more effective design.

Algorithms↗

PubMed1994

A non-Markovian model for calcium kinetics in the body.

We present a new generalized compartmental model for calcium kinetics as measured by tracer concentration in blood plasma. The parameter measuring incorporation of calcium in bone discriminates between different levels of physical development in female teenagers and between teenagers and adults.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1994

Generalized theory of the kinetics of tracers in biological systems.

Most theoretical analyses of tracer kinetics in capillaries contain an implicit assumption that the tissues to which they are connected have homogeneous material properties. The microscopic description of the exchange of tracer molecules and tissues is then modeled in terms of first-order kinetics. We consider a class of more general models allowing us to assess the robustness of simplifying assumptions made above. It is shown that when amorphous properties are important the kinetics of the system may differ considerably from those predicted by standard theories.

Animals↗

PubMed1993

Exact conditional distribution of a three-phase invariant in the space group P1. III. Construction of an improved Cochran-like approximation.

An exact representation of the accurately computable conditional probability density function (c.p.d.f.) of the three-phase invariant for the space group P1 was developed in paper I of this series [Shmueli, Rabinovich & Weiss (1989). Acta Cryst. A45, 361-367]. The computation of this function is too time-consuming for it to be of practical value. It is therefore desirable to find simple approximations based on the exact result that may be more accurate than the familiar Cochran approximation or its extensions. One such approximation, presented here, has the same functional form as the Cochran approximation but with a modified parameter in place of that appearing in Cochran's distribution. Some of the numerical procedures used in the estimation of this modified parameter are also discussed.

Chemical Phenomena↗

PubMed1993

Cytoreductive surgery prior to interleukin-2-based therapy in patients with metastatic renal cell carcinoma.

From May 1985 to December 1990, 93 patients with the clinical diagnosis of metastatic renal cell carcinoma and their primary tumor in place were evaluated for cytoreductive surgery as preparation for systemic therapy with regimens based on interleukin-2. These patients had typical sites of metastatic disease and manifestations of paraneoplastic syndromes. Patients underwent removal of the primary tumor, as well as debulking when this could be performed safely. Thirty-two percent of patients (30/93) had a second surgical resection in addition to their nephrectomy, frequently because of the large size of the primary tumor and its invasion of adjacent structures. Thirteen percent of patients (12/93) experienced postoperative complications. There were no perioperative mortalities. Forty percent of patients (37/93) who underwent nephrectomy could not be treated with immunotherapy, usually because of progression of disease. A preoperative ECOG status greater than or equal to 2 was the only significant risk factor associated with failure to undergo immunotherapy (P = 0.043). The response rate to immunotherapy in the 56 patients receiving interleukin-2 was 27 percent (4 CR, 11 PR).

Adolescent↗

PubMed1992

Changes in urinary magnesium, citrate, and oxalate levels due to cola consumption.

The serum concentration and urinary excretion of four potential stone constituents: calcium, oxalate, phosphate, and uric acid; and of two potential inhibitors of urinary stone formation, citrate and magnesium, were studied before and during ingestion of a carbonated cola beverage. Four participants, after baseline serum determinations, abstained for forty-eight hours from cola consumption and then attempted to drink 3 quarts per day of cola in the following forty-eight hours. One participant failed to drink more than two quarts per day of cola. In all 4 participants twenty-four-hour urinary excretion of magnesium decreased by an average of 2.6 mg. In the 3 participants who succeeded in drinking 3 quarts of cola per day, twenty-four-hour urinary excretion of oxalate increased an average of 8.3 mg and excretion of citrate decreased an average of 122 mg. These results demonstrate changes in urine constituents which could contribute to enhanced kidney stone formation in patients who drink large quantities of cola-flavored carbonated beverages.

Adult↗

PubMed1992

The natural history of renal lesions in von Hippel-Lindau disease: a serial CT study in 28 patients.

OBJECTIVE: Von Hippel-Lindau disease is a multisystem disorder predisposing to renal cysts and cancer. The growth and development of these renal lesions have not been documented previously. We reviewed serial CT scans to determine the rates and patterns of growth of renal lesions associated with von Hippel-Lindau disease. SUBJECTS AND METHODS: Twenty-eight patients with von Hippel-Lindau disease and renal involvement, including the spectrum from simple cysts to solid masses, had follow-up examinations for at least 1 year (mean, 2.4 years; range, 1-12 years) with serial contrast-enhanced abdominal CT. Renal lesions were measured and characterized. Surgical correlation was available in 12 patients. RESULTS: Two hundred twenty-eight lesions (eight lesions per patient) were detected. On the basis of their CT appearance, 168 lesions (74%) were classified as cysts, 18 (8%) as cysts with solid components, and 42 (18%) as solid masses. Among 12 patients with pathologic confirmation, the solid components of cystic lesions and solid lesions almost always contained renal carcinoma. The majority of cysts remained the same size (71%) or enlarged (20%); 9% became smaller or entirely involuted during the follow-up period. Although it is generally presumed that renal cysts are precursors to cancers, the transformation of a simple cyst to a solid lesion was observed in only two patients. Among the 42 solid lesions, all but two enlarged with time, with a mean doubling time of 10 months. CONCLUSION: The renal lesions associated with von Hippel-Lindau disease exhibited wide differences in growth. The majority of renal cysts grew slowly but some involuted. Transition to solid renal cancer was rare among cysts. Complex cystic and solid lesions contained neoplastic tissue that uniformly enlarged. These data may be used to help predict the progression of renal lesions in von Hippel-Lindau disease.

Adult↗

PubMed1991

Exact random-walk models in crystallographic statistics. VI. P.D.F.'s of magnitude of [E] for all plane groups and most space groups.

An exact calculation of the probability density function (p.d.f.) of magnitude of [E], the magnitude of the normalized structure factor, can be developed in terms of Fourier and Fourier-Bessel series whose coefficients can be expressed in terms of the characteristic function. This article provides the formulae for atomic contributions to such characteristic functions. The results presented in this study are applicable to all the plane groups and to 206 three dimensional space groups. Only the space groups isomorphous to the cubic point groups 432, 43m and m3m were omitted due to the complexity of the resulting expressions and the small deviations of the corresponding densities from the central-limit-theorem approximation, which have been observed in simulations for extreme atomic heterogeneities. Representative derivations illustrating the problems and techniques of their solution are provided. All the theoretical results have been computed numerically and compared with simulated distributions. Some results of these computations are illustrated in the accompanying paper, Part VII of this series [Rabinovich, Shmueli, Stein, Shashua & Weiss (1991). Acta Cryst. A47, 336-340].

Fourier Analysis↗

PubMed1991

Exact random-walk models in crystallographic statistics. VII. An all-space-group study of the effects of atomic heterogeneity on the P.D.F.'s of magnitude of [E].

Exact expressions have been found for the probability density functions (p.d.f.'s) of the magnitude of the normalized structure factor for all the two-dimensional and most three-dimensional space groups [Part VI: Rabinovich, Shmueli, Stein, Shashua & Weiss (1991). Acta Cryst. A47, 328-335]. The results of that investigation are used in the present article to examine some effects of atomic heterogeneity, in the various space-group symmetries, on the p.d.f.'s. Some typical comparisons are made between p.d.f.'s based on the central limit theorem and p.d.f.'s computed from exact formulae. In addition, the exact results are compared to histograms of simulated values of magnitude of [E]. It is found that the p.d.f.'s for some space groups are influenced rather strongly by the presence of outstandingly heavy scatters, but they are quite insensitive to the presence of such scatterers in other space groups. The often made general statement 'The presence of outstandingly heavy scatterers may invalidate the indications of Wilson's statistics' is made more precise here, insofar as it depends on the particular space group.

Fourier Analysis↗

PubMed1991

Molecular analysis of genetic changes in the origin and development of renal cell carcinoma.

Renal cell carcinoma has been characterized by an abnormality on the short arm of chromosome 3 which suggests the presence of a tumor suppressor gene at this location. In order to more precisely define the location of the renal cell carcinoma gene and to differentiate molecular changes occurring in early stages of renal neoplasia versus those occurring later in malignant progression, DNA from normal and tumor tissue from 60 patients with various stages of renal cell carcinoma was analyzed for loss of alleles at different chromosomal loci. In tumor tissue from 51 of 58 evaluable patients (88%) there was loss of heterozygosity at one or more of 10 loci tested on chromosome 3 independently of tumor stage. Analysis of the genotypes identified the distal portion of 3p bounded by D3S2 and D3S22 (3p21-26) as the region of the disease gene. In tumor tissue from patients with advanced renal cell carcinoma, we found loss of heterozygosity on chromosome 11p in 5 of 21 (24%), on chromosome 13 in 3 of 9 (33%), and on chromosome 17 in 2 of 19 (11%). We found no loss of heterozygosity at the loci on chromosomes 11, 13, or 17 in tumor tissue from patients with localized renal cell carcinoma (N = 5). These data suggest the existence of a tumor suppressor gene on chromosome 3p which may be essential to the genesis of sporadic renal cell carcinoma and that other tumor suppressor genes are associated with progression of this malignancy.

Adult↗

PubMed1991

von Hippel-Lindau disease: inadequacy of angiography for identification of renal cancers.

Selective renal angiograms were retrospectively evaluated for the identification of renal cell cancers in patients with von Hippel-Lindau disease (VHL). Seven patients underwent angiography and surgery because of solid or complex renal masses identified at cross-sectional imaging. Nine kidneys underwent detailed examination by the surgeon and by a pathologist. There were 31 renal cancers. Angiography had enabled identification of only five cancers (16%), and six others (19%) had been suspected. Cancers detected angiographically were larger than those not detected (P less than .05). Solid tumors tended to appear less hypervascular than expected and occasionally had the angiographic appearance of atypical cysts. There were no false-positive angiograms. Angiography revealed only one cancer not previously suspected and changed the surgeon's approach for only one kidney (11%). The sensitivity and specificity of angiography were 35% and 100%, respectively. In these patients, selective renal angiography is not helpful for the detection or exclusion of cancer in a kidney. It does not have a limited role for vascular mapping prior to partial nephrectomy or tumor enucleation.

Adult↗