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Biomedical subjects

H Maier

Publications and source records attributed to H Maier.

At least 217 records · Page 12Linked to original sources

[The primary reconstruction of soft palate by intraoral buccal transposition flap].

A method for the primary reconstruction of soft palate after radical tumor excision is described. By combination of a cranial pedicled pharynx flaps and a cranial pedicled intraoral buccal transposition flap is it possible to close the resulting defect in a double layer. In additional resection of the combination of the method with a M. masseter-transposition flap is possible. By the method it is possible to have a satisfactory reconstruction of swallowing and speech functions with only small operative troubles.

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell↗

[Epidemiologic aspects of cancers of the head-neck area].

This review gives an impression of the different epidemiological aspects of squamous cell carcinomas of the oral cavity, the pharynx and the larynx. The main riskfactor associated to development of head/neck-cancer is the chronical consumption of tobacco and alcohol. Tobacco contains different types of well known carcinogens (tobaccospecific nitrosamins, polycyclic aromatic carbonates PAH). Alcohol by itself is not described as carcinogen. The multiplicative effect on the carcinogenic potency of tobacco in head/neck-cancer caused by alcohol consumption is well documented in many epidemiological studies. Enquires were directed at occupational exposure to substances like asbestos, solvents, coal products, welding fumes, wood dust, cement and many other substances. Different authors could show that socioeconomic factors, dietary habits and life style are associated to an elevated head/neck-cancer risk, independent of alcohol and tobacco consumption.

Carcinogens↗

Pharmacokinetics of cefotiam in plasma, parotid saliva and mixed saliva in healthy adults.

Cefotiam (Spizef; CAS 61622-34-2) at a dose of 2 g was administered intravenously to 10 young, healthy, male volunteers. Multiple simultaneous blood, parotid saliva, and mixed saliva samples were collected for 7 h. The antibiotic assay was carried out by high-pressure liquid chromatography. Significant salivary cefotiam concentrations were found for 2 to 4 h, potentially inhibitory to a wide array of pathogens commonly isolated from the upper aerodigestive tract. Salivary cefotiam concentrations were correlated to plasma levels (p less than 0.01), but saliva/plasma ratios varied considerably. It is unlikely that passive diffusion is the applicable transfer mechanism for cefotiam secretion into saliva.

Adult↗

[Oral hygiene and dental status in patients with squamous cell cancers of the upper aerodigestive tract].

Dental status and oral hygiene were investigated in a case-control study of 100 patients suffering from head and neck cancer and 214 age- and sex-matched controls. The dental status and paradontal status are poor in cancer patients. The number of decayed or missing teeth was significantly higher in our patients compared with controls. Furthermore, in the tumour group the rate of moderate or severe gingivitis and the presence of extensive tartar were significantly higher. These findings are mainly due to poor oral hygiene. Few of the cancer patients ever brushed their teeth, and the number of dental check-ups was significantly lower than in control subjects. Poor oral hygiene is predominantly an expression of self-neglect due to chronic alcohol consumption, which was present in nearly all of our patients. Furthermore, it seems to be related to an unsatisfactory health education in the lower social strata, to which most of cancer patients belong.

Adult↗

[Excretion of beta-lactam antibiotics in human parotid saliva].

We investigated the penetration of beta-lactam antibiotics into parotid saliva after intravenous administration. Neither mezlocillin nor oxacillin could be detected in parotid saliva, but cefotaxime (CTX) and cefotiam (CTM) penetrated parotid saliva very well. While salivary CTM concentrations reached peak values (9.52 +/- 3.4 mg/l) within 30 min of the end of infusion, the highest CTX concentrations in parotid saliva (5.84 +/- 2.6 mg/l) were observed after 90 min. After 300 min the salivary CTM levels were below the limit of detection, while the mean CTX concentration even 360 min after the end of infusion was 2.27 +/- 1.23 mg/l. Both CTX and CTM achieve salivary concentrations that are inhibitory against the prevailing pathogens causing suppurative parotitis, and thus promise to be effective for the treatment of this disease. Furthermore, the excretion of comparatively high concentrations of both drugs into the mouth achieves a selective decontamination of the mucosal surfaces of the upper aerodigestive tract so that they are suitable for perioperative prophylaxis in head and neck surgery.

Adult↗

Photodynamic treatment of malignant brain tumors.

30 patients with primary or recurrent malignant brain tumors (9 primary, 18 recurrent malignant gliomas, 1 malignant meningioma, 2 melanomas) were treated altogether 37 times by photodynamic therapy (PDT) whether after intravenous, intraarterial or direct intratumoral sensitisation by hematoporphyrin (HPD) after conventional surgical removal of the tumor mass. The light was produced by an Argon pumped dye laser at doses varying from 40-220 J/cm2. A single dose of radiation of 4 Gy was administered to 18 patients immediately after PDT. The 9 patients with primary glioblastomas received in addition a full course of radiation therapy. The histological specimens taken during PDT demonstrated tumor necrosis, with oedema of normal brain tissue adjacent to the tumorbed. The median survival of patients with multiple recurrences and various radio- and chemotherapeutic modalities was 6 months (range 4-13 months). 9 patients with primary manifestation of a glioblastoma had a median survival of 19 months (0.5-29 months). Increased phototoxicity of the skin was the only side effect of PDT and did not reduce the quality of life of the patients.

Adult↗

[Steroid receptors and atypical histology as prognostic parameters in meningioma].

Cytosolic oestrogen and progesterone receptors (ER and PR) were determined in 58 primary and 13 recurrent meningiomas and related to their histological and clinical features. ER levels were low or not detectable (range 0-34 fmol/mg prot., median 0 fmol), whereas considerable amounts of PR were found in 69% of primary tumours (range 0-583 fmol/mg prot., median 72 fmol) and in 5/5 long-term recurrences (range 69-505 fmol/mg prot., median 143). Eight tumours recurred within a short-term period (less than 5 years) with a low PR expression (range 0-34 fmol/mg prot., median 0 fmol) and all presented raised cellularity and mitotic rate ("atypical" meningioma) or criteria of definitely malignant meningioma. The primary tumours of the short-term recurrences were not available for receptor analysis; however, they also were either "atypical" or anaplastic meningiomas. Long-term recurrences never displayed other than classical histology. From our results we conclude that polymorphy, as well as a lack of PR are strong indicators for short-term recurrence.

Brain↗

[Intraoperative radiotherapy of brain gliomas].

11 patients with recurrent brain tumours underwent intraoperative radiotherapy (IORT) at a dosage of 15-25 Gy of fast electrons (17-20 MEV). IORT allows a higher dose of irradiation to be delivered to a well-defined target than is possible with external radiation, in anticipation of favourable results. However, tumour growth was not influenced in 7 out of the 11 patients and these patients died between 2 and 10 months following IORT. The remaining four patients are living still up to 15 months postoperatively. Due to the inhomogeneity of our patients no definitive conclusions can be drawn. However, well-defined tumours which can be radically excised are definitely more suitable for IORT than large, infiltrating tumours.

Adult↗

[Risk factors for squamous epithelial carcinoma of the mouth, the oropharynx, the hypopharynx and the larynx].

This case-control-study, carried out in two University clinics, comprised 200 men (mean age 57.5 +/- 10.8 [range 33-89] years) with squamous epithelioma of the larynx (44.5%), oral cavity (23.5%), oropharynx (24%) or hypopharynx (8%) and 800 controls. Enquiries were directed at social status, life style and occupational exposure to substances such as asbestos, solvents, wood dust and cement. The peak incidence of these cancers was from 50 to 60 years of age. The proportion of unmarried or divorced men among the cancer patients was more than twice as high as in the controls (25.8% vs 11.8%; P less than 0.001). The proportion of cancer patients who had completed technical college or university education was significantly lower than in the controls (9.6% vs 24.4%; P less than 0.001). Tobacco and alcohol consumption by the cancer patients was roughly twice as great as in the controls: the cancer patients admitted to an average cigarette consumption of 43.2 +/- 27.9 pack years as compared with 20.1 +/- 26.7 pack years for the controls (P less than 0.001), and an alcohol intake of 69.2 +/- 58.1 g/d as compared with 29.8 +/- 27.5 g/d for the controls (P less than 0.001). Both these factors--drinking alcohol and smoking cigarettes--acted independently of one another to raise the relative risk of squamous epithelioma of the upper respiratory or digestive tract. The effects of alcohol and tobacco on cancer risk were multiplicative rather than merely additive. Enquiries into diet failed to reveal any clear differences tending to incriminate any particular food. Long-term exposure to cement dust was linked with an increased risk of cancer.

Adult↗

Evidence for the induction of protease activity on cultured tumour cells as a consequence of implantation into nude mice.

We have studied the enzymic status of a tumour associated protease on human colonic tumour cells cultured in vitro and grown in vivo in nude mice. The cultured tumour cells lack this protease. The cells of the tumour colonies in the mice possess active enzyme although the tissue contains an inhibitor capable of inactivating this tumour cell protease. The evidence indicates that the induction of this protease on the tumour cells is a consequence of implantation of the cultured cells into the nude mouse.

Aminacrine↗

Argyrophilic nucleolar organizer region proteins (Ag-NORs) in human brain tumors: relations with grade of malignancy and proliferation indices.

Proliferation indices and mean number of silver-stained nucleolar organizer region-associated proteins (Ag-NORs) are compared in 65 brain tumors, including 34 gliomas, 8 meningiomas, 17 metastatic tumors, and 6 other tumors. Immunocytochemical investigations include labeling with the monoclonal antibody Ki-67 which identifies the whole growth fraction, and with a monoclonal antibody against bromodeoxyuridine (BrdUrd) which detects cells in the S phase of the cell cycle after in vitro incubation with BrdUrd. When all types of tumors are collectively considered, mean numbers of Ag-NORs did not correlate with Ki-67 and Brd-Urd labeling indices (LIs) and mitotic index. Among tumor subtypes, only meningiomas showed significant correlations between Ag-NOR counts, LIs, and malignancy. Mean number of Ag-NORs did not correlate with proliferation indices and tumor grade in low-grade and high-grade gliomas. However, recurrent high-grade gliomas showed a tendency to higher Ag-NOR counts than primary tumors. This study indicates that counting of Ag-NORs in paraffin sections is of limited value in tumor neuropathology. Correlations found in meningeal tumors should be substantiated in larger series.

Adult↗

The status of trypsin-like enzymes in squamous-cell carcinoma of the head and neck region.

The activity of two proteases associated with tumour cells was studied using frozen sections of squamous-cell carcinoma and fluorescent probes for the enzymes. Four fluorescent probes were used to define the enzymic status of guanidinobenzoatase on the surface of the squamous carcinoma cells. Each of four probes demonstrated the location of cells possessing inactive guanidinobenzoatase, whereas adjacent cells of the same tumour exhibited active enzyme. It was shown that the inactive form of the enzyme was an inhibitor-enzyme complex that could be dissociated. In contrast, all of the squamous carcinoma cells possessed active trypsin-like enzymes that were recognised by fluorescent aprotinin molecules. The observed variation in enzymic status of these two tumour-associated enzyme systems is discussed in the context of a possible biological control mechanism for cell migration.

Aminacrine↗

[Sialochemical studies in Sjögren disease].

The concentrations of sodium, potassium, calcium, protein and lactoferrin and the enzymatic activity of salivary kallikrein, phosphohexoisomerase, alpha-amylase, lysozyme and IgA were measured in the parotid saliva of 12 patients suffering from Sjögren's syndrome. Compared with a control group (n = 31) remarkable differences were found in the composition of the parotid saliva in Sjögren patients. The possible reasons for these sialochemical alterations are discussed.

Adult↗

[Use of B-mode sonography in the diagnosis of laryngocele].

A case of a combined laryngocele is presented, including clinical features, the histopathological findings, and the treatment of the disease. The article stresses the value of imaging methods such as CT-scan and high-resolution real-time sonography for preoperative diagnosis. Especially note-worthy is the fact that the internal and external parts of laryngoceles, filled with fluid and with air, can be shown by sonography.

Hernia↗

[Tobacco- and alcohol-associated cancer risk of the upper respiratory and digestive tract].

A case-control study of squamous cell carcinoma of the upper aerodigestive tract conducted in the ENT Departments of the University hospitals of Heidelberg and Giessen (FRG) provided information on the role of chronic tobacco and alcohol consumption as risk factors in 200 patients and 800 control subjects (4:1 matched design).--Only 4.5% of the tumour patients were non-smokers in contrast to 29.5% in the control group. The average tobacco and alcohol consumption in the patients was more than twice that high than in the control subjects. The highest alcohol and tobacco consumption was observed in patients suffering from oropharyngeal cancer.--It could be demonstrated that tobacco as well as alcohol increased the risk for head and neck cancer, in a dose-dependent fashion, as separate risk factors. In heavy smokers (greater than 60 pack years) a relative risk of 23.4 (alcohol-adjusted) was calculated. For heavy drinkers (greater than 100 g ethanol/day) a relative risk of 21.4 (tobacco-adjusted) was documented. Combined alcohol and tobacco consumption showed a synergistic effect and increased the cancer risk more in an multiplicative than in an additive manner: A daily ethanol consumption of more than 75 g/day combined with more than 50 pack years caused a risk value of 146.2.

Adenocarcinoma↗

[Lipomatous atrophy of the parotid gland in chronic alcohol consumption].

The effect of chronic ethanol consumption on the morphology of the rat parotid gland was investigated. After feeding an ethanol diet containing 36% of total calories as ethanol for 90 days light microscopic and electron microscopic investigations of the parotid gland tissue showed a striking fat accumulation compared to control rats. Besides interstitial fat tissue dispositions, fat droplets of various size occurred in most of the acinar cells. Additional morphometric investigations revealed a decrease in mean acinar cell volume (-21.9% p greater than 0.001). The latter finding reflects an atrophy of the secretory parenchyma and appears to be responsible for the impaired saliva secretion after chronic ethanol consumption which has been observed in former studies.

Alcohol Drinking↗

[The coexpression of keratin and vimentin in untreated squamous cell carcinoma of the ENT tract].

Forty-four untreated squamous-cell carcinomas of the upper aerodigestive tract were examined immunohistochemically with antibodies against keratin and vimentin. Surprisingly, in 18% of cases, a coexpression of both intermediate filaments was found both in undifferentiated carcinomas and in highly differentiated carcinomas, where it was only possible to observe this phenomenon in the basal cell layer. The tumor-biological relevance of these findings must be the subject of further investigations.

Antibodies, Monoclonal↗