Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to H Berggren.
Sudden mediastinal haemorrhage one month after heart transplantation in an 18-year-old youth was found to originate from a rupture of the ascending aorta associated with mycotic aortitis. Aortic continuity was restored with a Dacron graft. Cultures from the resected vessel wall showed Candida albicans. The patient recovered, and 11 months later is well.
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Complement and fibrinolytic factors were measured in 9 infants undergoing hemofiltration immediately after cardiopulmonary bypass in an attempt to reduce activation of these systems. Plasma levels of C3a, C5a, and terminal complement complexes increased during bypass by 460%, 85%, and 745%. Plasma levels were reduced after hemofiltration in 8 of the 9 infants, and C3a and C5a fractions were recovered in the ultrafiltrate. The observed activation of the fibrinolytic system seemed to be unaltered by hemofiltration. Fibrinolytic factors were not filtered. Our study shows that increased concentrations of complement factors in the plasma after bypass in infants may be reduced by hemofiltration.
Episodes of atrial fibrillation or flutter frequently complicate the postoperative course after coronary bypass surgery. A hundred and one patients undergoing coronary artery bypass surgery were randomized to oral pre- and postoperative treatment with sotalol, a non-selective beta-blocking agent with class-III antiarrhythmic properties (50 patients), or to half the preoperative beta-blocking dose according to the routine of the department (51 patients). Thus, there was no equipotency regarding beta blockade in the two groups. The incidence of atrial fibrillation was 10% in the sotalol group and 29% in the comparison group, p = 0.028. In 10% of the sotalol patients the dose had to be reduced or stopped compared to in none the group given routine treatment. The patients who developed atrial fibrillation were older, but otherwise there was no statistically significant difference between the two groups. Sotalol was effective in reducing the incidence of atrial fibrillation. However, careful titration of the optimal dose should be performed in order to avoid side effects of the beta blockade.
Extracorporeal circulation with controlled hypothermic low flow perfusion was introduced during the surgical treatment of a patient with a giant intracranial aneurysm of the anterior communicating artery. Heparin-coated equipment (Carmeda Bio-Active Surface; CBAS) was utilized, thus reducing the need for systemic heparinization. Direct cannulation of the right atrium and aorta was established through thoracotomy. Blood flow through the circuit was kept at 4.5 l/min during normothermia. Core cooling, in combination with external surface cooling, was performed for 30 min to a temperature of 18 degrees C (nasopharynx). During a period of 25 min, the time for surgical repair of the aneurysm, blood flow was minimized to 0.4 l.min-1, equilibrating central and peripheral blood pressures to approximately 5-10 mmHg (0.65-1.3 kPa). Reperfusion was started immediately after the low flow period concomitantly with rewarming, aiming at a temperature of 36 degrees C following 150 min. The patient could be weaned off the extracorporeal circulation with minimal inotropic support. The postoperative course was uneventful apart from a left-sided hemiparesis, probably due to an infarction in the area of the right pericallosal artery (A2). The patient was weaned off the ventilator after 6 days. He recovered and the hemiparesis regressed slowly.
University of Wisconsin (UW) solution was compared with modified St. Thomas cardioplegic solution for 6-hour preservation of isolated working rat hearts. The hearts (9 in each group) were arrested with the respective solution and stored, still cannulated, for 6 hours at 4 degrees C. After retrograde reperfusion for 30 minutes, antegrade perfusion was begun at constant left atrial and aortic pressures. Following 25 minutes of antegrade perfusion the hemodynamic recovery of the UW-preserved hearts was superior to that of the other hearts (cardiac output 46.0 +/- 4.8% of the preischemic control values in the UW group and 10.0 +/- 6.0% in the St. Thomas group, p < 0.01). The adenosine triphosphate content was significantly higher in the UW-preserved hearts (18.8 +/- 0.9 vs. 14.7 +/- 1.6 mumol/g dry weight, p < 0.05). No significant intergroup difference was found in aspartate aminotransferase leak or tissue glycogen. The study demonstrated both better function and enhancement of high-energy phosphates with UW solution vs. modified St. Thomas solution in isolated rat hearts, although without difference in enzyme leakage or tissue glycogen, after 6-hour preservation.
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With the aid of specific monoclonal antibodies, tumor tissues from 68 patients with lung cancer were examined for their expression of two small cell lung carcinoma (SCLC) antigens, Fuc-GM1 (fucosyl GM1; IV2FucII3NeuAc GgOse4) and neural-cell adhesion molecule (NCAM), and two broader tumor antigens, carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and carbohydrate cancer-associated antigen CA 50. Expression of Fuc-GM1 was seen in 75% and NCAM in 78% of the SCLC specimens, but also in 12 and 20% of non-SCLC. Either or both of these antigens were expressed in more than 90% of SCLC and in 25% of non-SCLC. CEA was found in more than 80% of SCLC and non-SCLC. Expression of CA 50 was seen in 65-68% of non-SCLC and SCLC, showing preference for SCLC and lung adenocarcinoma. In SCLC, cellular expression of Fuc-GM1 was generally seen together with NCAM and CA 50, but rarely with CEA. There was considerable inter- and intratumor heterogeneity in the expression of all four antigens. The results suggest that CEA is the antigen of choice for the detection of lung cancer regardless of histotype. In combined analysis of CEA, CA 50, Fuc-GM1 and NCAM, two patterns of antigen expression were recognized that appear to discriminate between SCLC and non-SCLC tumors, respectively. A considerable fraction of SCLC and non-SCLC tumors, however, exhibited similar patterns of antigen expression. The biological and clinical significance of these observations remains to be investigated.
Ten children in the age range of 3 to 17 years with moderate to severe aortic valve stenosis (gradients of 55 to 109 mm Hg) underwent cardiac operations. At the time of the operation, during bypass, balloon dilation of the stenotic valve was performed and the results were visually assessed by the surgeon. Of the 10 consecutive cases, only three showed dilation results that were comparable to what seems optimal from a surgical point of view. The adverse effects in the remaining seven patients and the corrective measures taken were as follows: (1) too extensive a rupture requiring stabilizing sutures in one patient; (2) too short a rupture, requiring additional commissurotomy in three patients; (3) rupture into the valve leaflet, requiring valve suture and corrective comissurotomy in another three patients. This last, rather serious complication occurred in patients having functionally bicuspid valves with slightly thickened free valve edges, whereas valves with severely thickened edges ruptured in the commissure line but often to an insufficient degree. Because of the high incidence of suboptimal separation of the stenotic aortic valves with balloon dilation, we recommend that further evaluation of long-term results and identification of unsuitable cases should precede widespread use of the technique.
We have studied MAbs* for their ability to detect SCLC and differentiate this tumor type from the other lung tumor histotypes in cryostat sections of biopsy specimens taken at bronchoscopy from patients with suspected primary lung tumor disease. MAb F12, specific for the ganglioside fucosyl-GM1, reacted with 58% of the cases with SCLC (n = 19) and with less than 3% of those with non-SCLC (n = 38). MAb 123C3, specifically reactive with NCAM, reacted with 78% of the SCLC cases (n = 23). With this MAb no positive staining was seen in the non-SCLC cases (n = 41). None of the two MAbs reacted with tissue sections without tumor. In combined analysis with MAbs F12 and 123C3, all SCLC cases (n = 15) were positive with either and 47% with both of the MAbs. Our results show that both MAbs F12 and 123C3 are highly specific for SCLC in bronchoscopic biopsy tissue specimens, whereas the sensitivity for this histotype tends to be higher with MAb 123C3 than with F12 (P = 0.14). When used in combination, all SCLC cases could be identified. These MAbs may therefore be valuable as complements to current histopathologic characterization and differentiation of lung cancer.
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The aim of this study was to determine if the hypoperfused heart activates complement with formation of anaphylatoxins, terminal complement complexes (TCC), or leukotrienes during cardiopulmonary bypass. Fifteen patients undergoing elective cardiopulmonary bypass surgery were studied regarding complement and leukotriene activation. Blood samples were drawn serially from the radial artery and coronary sinus. The plasma concentrations of the complement components C1INH, C3, C4, and C5 decreased during the procedure, whereas C3a and TCC increased. Protamine reversal of heparin further increased the plasma levels of C3a and TCC. No significant changes in plasma levels of C5a and leukotriene C4 were observed during cardiopulmonary bypass. The activity of the anaphylatoxin inactivator (AI) decreased in both the radial artery and the coronary sinus. There were no significant differences between the concentrations of complement components and leukotriene C4 in blood from the radial artery and coronary sinus. The levels of C3a and TCC increased and C1INH, C3, C4, C5, and the anaphylatoxin inactivator activity decreased to the same extent in the coronary sinus and the radial artery. Thus, the heart does not appear to be the primary site for the altered concentrations of these endogenous vasoactive substances.
From 1954 onwards, 132 patients underwent 165 resections for pulmonary metastases. No other forms of therapy were adopted. The operative mortality was 7.6% (10 patients). After a minimum follow-up of 5 years, the overall survival rate was 20%. The 10- and 15-year survival rates were 6% and 3%, respectively. The major cause of late death was recurrence or spread of the primary disease in 102 patients (83.6%) while 5 patients died of reasons not related to cancer. Fifteen patients (12.3%) are still alive, 13 of whom have no clinical cancer. The presence of symptoms, the disease-free interval of less than 1 year and the number of metastases showed a statistically significant detrimental influence on survival (P less than 0.001, P less than 0.05 and P less than 0.046, respectively). The best 5-year survivals of 42%, 24%, 23% and 23% were noted for metastases from malignancies in the body of the uterus, kidney, bone and colon, respectively. Longterm survival or clinical cure can be achieved with surgery alone by an aggressive approach in selected malignancies.
Thirty-three patients operated on for pulmonary metastases from renal cancer were followed up for a minimum of 5 years or to death. The 5-year survival was 21%. There was a tendency to better survival in patients operated by lobectomy rather than limited resection. Extended operations carried a grave prognosis. Manifest metastatic disease within one year after the primary operation showed shortened survival. Repeated operations were possible, with good results. It is concluded that operations for pulmonary metastases can be performed with good results. However, the effect is a palliative one as the ultimate cause of death in all instances was the spread of the cancer disease.
During an eight-year period, 82 patients 70 years of age or older were operated on for bronchogenic carcinoma. Hospital mortality was 15.9%, and five-year survival was 32%. Results of preoperative dynamic spirometry and bicycle ergometry were predictive for post-operative six-week mortality but not for long-term survival.
In 80 patients who underwent heart surgery the incidence of electrocardiographic (ECG) changes after the operation was analysed. A precordial grid containing 24 leads and leads II, III and aVF was used. Electrocardiographic measurements were taken the day before the operation and again 5 days after the operation. New Q-waves were observed in 2 patients (2.5%) in the 24 precordial leads, in 2 patients in leads II, III and aVF, and in one patient in both precordial leads and leads II, III and aVF. New T-wave inversions were observed in 20 patients (25%) in the 24 precordial leads, in 5 patients (6%) in leads II, III and aVF, and in 3 patients in both precordial leads and leads II, III and aVF. A similar serum enzyme activity was observed both in patients developing Q-waves as well as T-wave inversions compared with cases in whom ECG changes did not appear.