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Biomedical subjects

H Becker

Publications and source records attributed to H Becker.

At least 415 records · Page 23Linked to original sources
PubMed1986

Concentrations of 3 beta-hydroxy androgens in epithelium and stroma of benign hyperplastic and normal human prostate.

Androgen metabolites with 3 beta-hydroxy configuration--ie, dehydroepiandrosterone (3 beta-hydroxy-5-androsten-17-one, DHEA), 5-androstene-3 beta-17 beta-diol (A-Diol), and 5 alpha-androstane-3 beta, 17 beta-diol (3 beta-Diol)--were measured by radioimmunoassay in the homogenate, in the mechanically separated epithelium and stroma, and in the nuclear fractions of epithelium and stroma of benign hyperplastic (BPH) and normal human prostatic tissue, in muscle homogenates and in plasma. The main results were: 1) Mean prostatic DHEA, A-Diol and 3 beta-Diol were 6-7 times as high as plasma values (1 g = 1 ml). Compared to muscle, prostatic values were more than tenfold higher. 2) The values in homogenates of BPH and normal prostate were not statistically different (pmol/mg DNA, mean +/- SEM, BPH: DHEA 46.8 +/- 7.2, n = 11; A-Diol 5.7 +/- 1.2, n = 12; 3 beta-Diol 3.7 +/- 0.6, n = 13; normal prostate: DHEA 56.0 +/- 5.5, n = 2; A-Diol 7.4 +/- 2.4, n = 5; 3 beta-Diol 5.8 +/- 1.7, n = 5). 3) In the nuclear fractions of epithelium and stroma the values were low compared to the homogenates and could not be discriminated from unspecific retention. Although we could not demonstrate either a specific retention of the 3 beta-hydroxysteroids in the nuclei or conclusive differences in steroid accumulation between epithelium and stroma of BPH and normal prostate, which could explain the development of the disease, the high levels in the tissue particularly of A-Diol would be compatible with estrogenic action at the prostate level.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Development of aortic aneurysms in familial supravalvar aortic stenosis.

In a male patient with supravalvar aortic stenosis (SAS) and peripheral pulmonary arterial stenoses, aortic aneurysms developed between his first and fourth years of life. He died five days after correction of SAS and resection of aneurysms. Histologic examination revealed disarrangement as well as severe degeneration of elastic fibers in the aortic wall. This tissue defect is probably inherited through an autosomal dominant mechanism. It may lead to aneurysm formation. Only one case of SAS with aortic aneurysm has been previously reported.

Aortic Aneurysm↗
PubMed1986

[Hysterosonography and its significance in the diagnosis of endometrial cancer].

Hysterosonography is a method which enables the macroscopic spread of endometrial carcinomas in the uterus to be demonstrated. It is not a substitute for histologic findings. It only furnishes information about conditions within the organ, not beyond it. Compared to other image-producing methods used hitherto, this is the first which enables the extent of spread of the tumor to be determined macroscopically, for information purposes, prior to therapy. It is thus possible to plan the surgical procedure individually, and, if radiotherapy is employed, to determine exactly the target volume for intracavitary therapy.

Endometrium↗
PubMed1986

Botany of European mistletoe (Viscum album L.).

European mistletoe (Viscum album L.) is a hemiparasitic plant growing on different host trees. According to host specifity three different races can be distinguished. The plant is dioecious with very reduced male and female flowers. The life cycle of V. album is described starting from seed germination to the development of the leaves. The parasitism affords special adaptation to mineral nutrition.

Mistletoe↗
PubMed1986

Effect of urapidil, clonidine, and prazosin on sympathetic tone in conscious rats.

To test the hypothesis that the hypotensive action of urapidil is in part related to a direct action on the brain, the central (intracerebroventricular) and peripheral (intravenous) effects of urapidil were studied and compared with those obtained with clonidine and prazosin. All studies were conducted in conscious, chronically instrumented stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHRSP). Efferent sympathetic nervous system activity was estimated by means of a bipolar electrode implanted on the splanchnic nerve. Only clonidine, administered intracerebroventricularly and intravenously, decreased sympathetic nerve activity. Urapidil and prazosin either did not affect sympathetic nerve activity after central administration or increased it after peripheral administration at low and high doses, respectively. Centrally administered urapidil and prazosin lowered blood pressure but also blocked the response to intravenously administered phenylephrine; this result suggests a peripheral effect. Centrally administered urapidil decreased heart rate. Urapidil given either intracerebroventricularly or into the cisterna magna had no influence on baroreceptor responses. Intravenous infusions of urapidil and prazosin in sufficient doses to lower blood pressure in spontaneously hypertensive rats by 50 mm Hg completely blocked the actions of phenylephrine. These data suggest that in conscious SHRSP urapidil lowers blood pressure through peripheral blockade of alpha 1-adrenergic receptors rather than by means of central sympathetic suppression. In this regard urapidil resembles prazosin rather than clonidine; however, the effect of urapidil on heart rate is consistent with a central mode of action.

Animals↗
PubMed1986

[Therapy of rheumatic diseases with inosiplex].

27 patients (13 rheumatoid arthritis, RA; 4 systemic lupus erythematosus, SLE; 5 systemic sclerosis, PSS; 5 undifferentiated connective tissue disease, UCTD) were treated with inosiplex for more than 23 months (7.7 +/- 1.3). Clinical improvement was impressive by the end of the first month of therapy in 7 patients with moderate active RA (p less than 0.01), and 5 of these patients treated for more than 8 months continued to do well (p less than 0.05). In contrast, patients with very active RA did not show any clear-cut improvement. In the other diseases studied, 5 patients responded rapidly (reduction in arthritis, improvement of pulmonary involvement). A concomitant rise in the T4/T8- (helper-/suppressor-) cell ratio with increased numbers of T4+-cells was observed in patients with RA and PSS. Our data suggest that some patients with rheumatic diseases may benefit from long-term treatment with inosiplex.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

[Suppressor cell activity in patients with undifferentiated collagenoses].

Undifferentiated connective tissue syndromes (UCTS) have been considered as early stages of classical rheumatic diseases. We have studied the immunoregulatory function of T8+ cells from patients with UCTS by measuring the effects on pokeweed-mitogen-induced immunoglobulin production. Compared with normals the suppressor activity of T8+ cells was shown to be markedly diminished. These results indicate that an abnormality in generation of suppressor function may be a general feature of early stages of rheumatic diseases.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

[Exocrine and endocrine testicular function following unilateral torsion--a retrospective clinical study of 36 patients].

Of 86 patients who had undergone unilateral testicular torsion the fertility in 36 patients could be examined 1-9 years later. The testis in 27 patients (= 75%) was surgically untwisted. Of 9 patients (= 25%) the testis was removed because of marked hemorrhagic infarction. Fixation of the contralateral testis was prophylactically performed in all cases. The testis of all patients who had undergone the detorsion within the first 22 h were saved and there was no significant difference of the testicular volume compared with the contralateral side. An atrophy of the contralateral testis following prophylactical fixation was never observed. In most of the 36 patients the fertility was diminished: Seminal analysis revealed an oligozoospermia in 44%, a teratozoospermia in 20%, an asthenozoospermia in 20% and a normozoospermia in 16% only. This result was independent of the duration of the torsion. There was no difference in the group of patients with detorsion and the group with orchidectomy. The endocrinological examination revealed a statistically significant correlation between FSH and sperm density and between FSH and the duration of the torsion. But both correlation coefficients were less than 0.5 and are therefore without any clinical relevance. Testosterone, LH and prolactin were normal in all cases.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

B lymphocyte activation by insoluble anti-mu antibodies in patients with systemic lupus erythematosus.

In order to study the capacity of anti-immunoglobulin (Ig) antibodies to induce proliferative responses in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBC) from patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), anti-mu coupled to Sepharose beads (anti-mu) was used as a polyclonal activator. In 18 patients, a strong proliferative response was associated with inactive disease, and the response was lower in clinical active disease (P less than 0.02). An inverse correlation could also be observed in six patients who were studied longitudinally (P less than 0.01). These results indicate that anti-mu responsiveness is closely related to disease activity in SLE. In addition, sequential data obtained from two patients during an early stage of clinical deterioration suggest that a low anti-mu response might be an early indicator of a clinical relapse. In the patients investigated, the anti-mu response was not correlated with the response to pokeweed mitogen (PWM), or with the quantity of B cells. When T cell depleted cell fractions were studied, marked increases in the proliferative responses to anti-mu were observed in some patients. These studies suggest that the response to anti-mu might be modified by T cells to a variable extent in patients with SLE.

Adult↗
PubMed1986

Cerebral dynamics of N-isopropyl-(123I)p-iodoamphetamine.

Temporal changes in the distribution of N-isopropyl-(123I)p-iodoamphetamine (IMP) within the brain are measured with serial tomographic imaging. In the cerebellum there is a decrease in activity of 42% from the early [15-45 min postinjection (p.i.)] to the late (210-240 min p.i.) scan, while in the cortex the decrease is 18%, and in the basal ganglia there is no decrease within this time. In brain tumors there was no IMP uptake in the early as well as in the late scans, regardless of tumor type, perfusion rate, or blood-brain barrier dysfunction. In 11 of 43 patients with a cerebral infarction a real increase of 123I activity (mean +21%) was seen in the late images. This "filling in" phenomena might be useful in selecting patients for bypass surgery. In these patients the diaschisis cerebelli, seen in the early scans, disappeared in the late images. The regional distribution of IMP changes with time; spatial ratios might be blurred by temporal changes. High-flow areas such as visio-auditory centers can be delineated clearly after stimulation in fast early scans; in these areas the pharmacokinetics of 123I are different from other cortex regions. To get the full information from the IMP brain uptake, both spatial and temporal variation must be measured.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1986

[Intraoperative sonography to localize a kidney tumor].

The authors present the case of a 61-year old man with microhematuria, in whom the preoperative diagnostic work-up (urography, percutaneous sonography, CT, retrograde pyelogram) had led to the diagnosis of a right sided renal tumour. Intraoperatively a kidney tumour was neither seen nor palpated. However, the mass was clearly outlined by intraoperative sonography. The following nephrectomy revealed an intrarenal adenocarcinoma of the kidney of 2.5 cm diameter.

Adenocarcinoma↗