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Biomedical subjects

H Kotzmann

Publications and source records attributed to H Kotzmann.

27 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1994

[Disodium pamidronate (APD) in therapy of hypercalcemia in primary hyperparathyroidism].

The established pre-operative therapy for severe hypercalcemia caused by primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT), i.e., rehydration with saline in combination with furosemide, calcitonin and hydrocortisone, rarely leads to satisfactory results. We examined the effect of pamidronate (APD, 45-60 mg), a diphosphonate of the 2nd generation in 6 patients (4 female, 2 male) with severe hypercalcemia caused by pHPT. Prior administration of saline, furosemide, calcitonin and oral diphosphonates of the 1st and 2nd generation had failed and the patients still suffered from symptoms of hypercalcemia. APD reduced serum calcium levels in all patients: values reached the normal range (2.1-2.6 mmol/l) in 3 patients, the upper normal range in 2 patients and fell transiently into the subnormal range in 1 patient. In parallel to the decreasing calcium levels a marked increase in PTH was registered in 4 out of 6 patients. One patient with an adenoma showed no change in PTH levels, whereas one patient with hyperplasia of 5 parathyroid glands showed a significant decrease in PTH. These results confirm the potent hypocalcemic effect of pamidronate even in patients whose serum calcium could not be reduced by other conservative therapeutic strategies. Thus, pamidronate is an effective drug in the treatment of the pre-operative phase of hypercalcemia caused by pHPT.

Aged↗
PubMed1993

Bone mineral density and parameters of bone metabolism in patients with acromegaly.

To assess the effect of chronically elevated plasma growth hormone (GH) levels on bone metabolism and bone mineral density (BMD), 16 patients (10 females and 6 males) with a mean age of 49.1 +/- 13.2 years (range 33-68) with active acromegaly were studied and compared to a control group of 16 sex- and age-matched subjects. BMD of the lumbar spine and two different sites of the proximal femur were measured by dual-energy x-ray absorptiometry (Norland XR-26). In the acromegalic patients the mean plasma GH concentration was 30.1 +/- 11.1 micrograms/liter, and the mean plasma somatomedin C (SMC) concentration was 6.5 +/- 1.5 U/liter. Mean serum osteocalcin (OC) levels (14.3 +/- 1.1 versus 7.2 +/- 0.4 ng/ml, p < 0.001) as well as the urinary hydroxyproline excretion (OHP; 8.8 +/- 1.4 versus 2.7 +/- 0.3 mg, p < 0.0001) were significantly higher in the acromegalic patients than in the control subjects. In the acromegalic patients BMD was significantly elevated in the two examined regions of the proximal femur, that is, the femoral neck (1.06 +/- 0.05 versus 0.86 +/- 0.03 g/cm2, p < 0.05) and Ward's triangle (0.92 +/- 0.06 versus 0.76 +/- 0.03 g/cm2, p < 0.02), whereas the BMD of the lumbar spine was not significantly different from that of control subjects. Among the patients with acromegaly a significant positive correlation between serum OC concentrations, on the one hand, and urinary OHP excretion (r = 0.7, p < 0.004) as well as BMD in the proximal femur (r = 0.64, p < 0.007), on the other hand, could be observed.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Absorptiometry, Photon↗
PubMed1993

Decrease of serum calcium concentration and lost influence of calcium on parathyroid hormone release in a patient with primary hyperparathyroidism after treatment with diphosphonates.

Prolonged decrease of elevated serum calcium levels after treatment with diphosphonates in patients with primary hyperparathyroidism (pHPT) is very rare. A patient with water clear cell hyperplasia and five enlarged glands is presented who received diphosphonates (day 1 through day 8 dichloromethylene diphosphonate orally and a single dose of 60 mg pamidronate on day 8 intravenously) leading to a significant fall in serum calcium levels. Surprisingly, there was no reactive increase in intact parathyroid hormone (PTH) in the following 18 days. Patients with missing PTH regulation to hypocalcemia after diphosphonates who need a period of stabilization prior to parathyroid surgery might benefit most from this therapy.

Aged↗
PubMed1993

[Bone density of the lumbar spine and femur in acromegaly].

Acromegaly is regarded as a cause for secondary osteoporosis, whereas recent papers suggest that growth hormone increases bone mineral density (BMD). In 16 patients with active acromegaly we found an increased BMD compared to normal controls in the lumbar spine and the proximal femur by means of dual energy X-ray absorptiometry. This increase in BMD was statistically significant in the femoral neck and in Ward's triangle (P = 0.05). Moreover, no signs of osteoporosis were found radiologically.

Absorptiometry, Photon↗
PubMed1992

Effect of elevated serum prolactin concentrations on cytokine production and natural killer cell activity.

In vitro and in vivo studies in rodents and human suggested an immunostimulatory effect of prolactin. The aim of the present study was to determine the impact of chronically elevated serum prolactin concentrations on the immune system in patients with prolactinomas. For this purpose parameters of the humoral and cellular immune system were studied in seven patients with prolactinomas on two occasions (1) when their serum prolactin concentration had been normalized through treatment with dopamine agonists and (2) when their serum prolactin concentration was high. Serum concentrations of immunoglobulines, interleukin 1, 3 and 6, TNF-alpha, interferon-gamma and the soluble interleukin 2 receptor, leukocyte subsets and the natural killer cell activity were found to be within the normal range on both occasions, i.e. at normal and at high serum prolactin concentrations. The assumption could be made that long-lasting elevation of serum prolactin concentration induces adaptive changes when the acute stimulatory effects of prolactin on several parameters of the immune system have subsided.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Treatment and prophylaxis of chemotherapy-induced gastrointestinal complaints.

Ninety-eight patients (48 male, 50 female; age median, 56 years; range, 25-85 years) with solid tumors (21 breast cancers, 6 sarcomas, 2 colorectal cancers, 1 pancreatic carcinoma, 1 hypernephroma, and 1 lung cancer) and hematologic neoplasms (24 multiple myelomas, 32 lymphomas, and 10 myeloproliferative syndromes) were recruited into the study. The patients received at least three cycles of chemotherapy with alkylating substances, anthracyclines, antimetabolites, and vinca alkaloids, with or without corticosteroids. A total of 325 cycles of chemotherapy were administered. The symptoms were evaluated by means of a score system on the basis of which heartburn, sensation of repletion, nausea, and cramps were assessed by incidence and degree of severity. Before initiation of concomitant therapy with sucralfate, 47 patients (48%) had symptoms during chemotherapy (heartburn, sensation of repletion, nausea, cramps). After initiation of therapy with sucralfate these symptoms improved in 42 patients (89%); in 6 patients there was a transitory increase in heartburn and nausea. All other patients remained without symptoms in spite of chemotherapy. The evaluation of the patient population as a whole showed a significant decrease of chemotherapy-induced heartburn (p less than 0.01) and nausea (p less than 0.01) during sucralfate therapy. This was tolerated extremely well; side effects were not observed. To summarize, this prospective clinical study shows that sucralfate is an effective and suitable therapeutic principle in long-term therapy for the treatment and prophylaxis of chemotherapy-induced gastrointestinal complaints.

Adult↗
PubMed1990

Erythropoietin treatment of anemia associated with multiple myeloma.

Anemia is a common complication of multiple myeloma. It resolves early in the disease if chemotherapy induces a complete remission, but persists if the disease progresses, causing disabling symptoms and often requiring blood transfusions. We treated 13 patients with myeloma-associated anemia by administering recombinant human erythropoietin three times a week for six months. Eleven patients (85 percent) had steady increases in hemoglobin levels and eventual correction of the anemia. Their symptoms of anemia subsided, and they reported a heightened sense of well-being. No patient had any adverse side effects, particularly episodes of hypertension. Monitoring of the serum M component showed a predominantly stable tumor load without apparent interaction between the underlying disease and the response to erythropoietin therapy. The number of erythroid burst-forming units in the bone marrow and peripheral blood and the level of erythropoiesis in bone marrow smears increased significantly during therapy. Pretreatment serum levels of erythropoietin were higher in the patients who did not respond and in those who required more than two months of treatment before they responded. Serum iron, ferritin, and transferrin concentrations reflected responses to treatment. We conclude that recombinant human erythropoietin is a promising therapeutic tool for treating myeloma-associated anemia.

Aged↗
PubMed1990

[Erythropoietin treatment of tumor-associated anemia in patients with multiple myeloma].

Anemia of malignancy is a complication of neoplastic disease which causes impairing symptoms and often requires blood transfusions. In this clinical trial, we have treated 13 patients suffering from chronic anemia of malignancy and multiple myeloma with recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEPO) three times a week. Eleven patients responded to the treatment by appropriate increases of their hemoglobin levels and the eventual correction of the anemic state, one non-responding patient had to terminate the treatment early because of transfusion requirements. Under rHuEPO therapy, the evaluated parameters of iron metabolism indicated the enhanced synthesis of hemoglobin. The symptoms of anemia subsided in the responding patients and most of them reported a hightened subjective sense of well-being. No adverse side effects, particularly no episodes of hypertension, were observed in any patient.

Aged↗