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Biomedical subjects

J Gerber

Publications and source records attributed to J Gerber.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1997

Cathepsin B-like activity as a serum tumour marker in ovarian carcinoma.

Serum cathepsin B-like activity was determined in 75 patients with ovarian carcinomas and in control groups. Ovarian cancers were of FIGO stages I-IV. Control groups consisted of 15 healthy women, 20 patients with myomas of the uterus, and 17 with benign ovarian cysts. Preoperative results showed elevated cathepsin B-like activity in 100% of the patients with ovarian cancers in relation to healthy subjects and patients with myomas, and in 78% in relation to benign ovarian cysts. Cathepsin B activity increased progressively with the FIGO stage of the disease, but the differences among particular stages were not statistically significant. In serous tumours cathepsin activity was significantly higher only in comparison to endometrioid ones (p < 0.001). Antipapain capacity of cystatins in the sera was also determined. No significant correlation between cathepsin B-like, and antipapain activity of cystatins was found. Serum cathepsin B-like activity may be helpful in the preoperative differential diagnosis between ovarian carcinomas and benign ovarian or uterine tumours.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1997

The effect of aging on the utilization of chemotherapy for metastatic breast cancer: a population-based study.

Older women (i.e., > or = 65 years of age) receive less adjuvant chemotherapy than younger women, in part because chemotherapy has been less effective in postmenopausal than premenopausal women in clinical trials. Metastatic breast cancer, however, does not respond differently to chemotherapy by age. Therefore, to evaluate further the effect of age on chemotherapy utilization, we conducted a population-based study of the treatment of metastatic breast cancer. Patients (n = 132) were identified by cross-tabulating death certificates from 1984 to 1991 with breast cancer cases in the Washington County Cancer Registry. Treatment information was obtained from the Tumor Registry of the Washington Country Hospital and Hospital medical records. Forty patients (74%) < 65 years old received chemotherapy compared to 11 (42%) 65-74 and 6 (12%) > or = 75 (p < 0.0001). Adjusting for other medical conditions and whether or not the patient saw a medical oncologist, there was still a significant effect of age in patients > or = 75 (p < 0.001) and a trend (p = 0.17) for patients 65-74. The different patterns of chemotherapy utilization were not associated with survival differences. Radiation therapy was also utilized significantly less frequently in older than younger patients, but the age effect was not as pronounced as with chemotherapy. There was no age effect on the utilization of hormonal therapy. Less frequent utilization of chemotherapy in older patients is probably caused by a combination of patient and physician factors and may result in less effective palliation for older patients.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1997

Clinical and pathological characterization of northern elephant seal skin disease.

From 1984 through 1992, staff at The Marine Mammal Center (TMMC, Sausalito, California, USA) examined 207 northern elephant seals (Mirounga angustirostris) with a condition of unknown etiology called northern elephant seal skin disease (NESSD). The skin lesions were characterized by patchy to extensive alopecia and hyperpigmentation, punctate or coalescing epidermal ulceration, and occasionally, massive skin necrosis. Microscopic lesions included ulcerative dermatitis with hyperkeratosis, squamous metaplasia and atrophy of sebaceous glands. All diseased seals were less than 2 years of age and suffered from emaciation, depression, and dehydration. Mortality from septicemia increased significantly with severity of skin ulceration. Compared to 14 apparently unaffected seals, diseased seals had depressed levels of circulating thyroxine, triiodothyronine, retinol, serum iron, albumin, calcium, and cholesterol. Levels of alanine aminotransferase, aspartate aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase, gamma glutamyl transpeptidase, blood urea nitrogen, and uric acid were elevated. Morphometrically, diseased animals were approximately 15% smaller than normal seals of the same sage. Serum and blubber concentrations of 36 polychlorinated biphenyl congeners (sigma PCB) and dichloro-diphenyl-dichloroethylene (p,p'-DDE) were negatively correlated with body mass. Mean concentrations of sigma PCB and p,p'-DDE in serum in diseased seals were elevated as compared to apparently normal seals. Etiology of this syndrome remains unknown, but the possibility of PCB toxicosis cannot be ruled out.

Alopecia↗
PubMed1997

The activities and subcellular localization of cathepsin B and cysteine proteinase inhibitors in human ovarian carcinoma.

Ovarian carcinomas exhibited a higher cathepsin B activity than did normal ovaries. The plasma membrane fractions of ovarian cancers were enriched in the activities of both cathepsin and cysteine proteinase inhibitors. The ratio of cathepsin to the inhibitors in these fractions was higher at stage IV than at stage III of the disease, classified according to the Federation of International Gynecology and Obstetrics.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1996

nm23 expression in tissue sections and tumor effusion cells of ovarian neoplasms.

The genetic changes involved in the metastatic process of ovarian epithelial cancer remain undetermined. The expression of nm23, a putative metastasis-suppressor gene product, was assessed immunohistochemically in malignant and benign ovarian neoplasms, considering histology of tumors and clinical advancement of disease. Comparison of nm23 protein content in tissue sections and respective cyst and/or ascitic fluid cells was also performed. Significant heterogeneity of nm23 immunostaining was observed, and no correlation with histological subtype of ovarian carcinoma was found. Expression of nm23 was higher in carcinomas compared with benign tumors. A significant trend to have a higher nm23 reactivity in ascitic fluid cells vs. primary tumors was observed. Our results indicate that the increase of nm23 reactivity is activated in the early stages of the disease and that the progression of ovarian carcinoma is accompanied by overexpression of nm23 protein. Our observations did not confirm the postulated role of nm23 as a suppressor gene in ovarian cancer.

Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous↗
PubMed1996

Expression of p53 protein and Ki-67 reactivity in ovarian neoplasms. Correlation with histopathology.

The expression of Ki-67 proliferation antigen and its relation to p53 protein was assessed immunohistochemically in malignant and benign ovarian neoplasms, considering the stage of disease and histology of tumors. The comparison of p53 and Ki-67 in tissue sections and respective cyst and/or ascitic fluid cells was also performed. Significant heterogeneity of staining was observed. However, the relationship between p53 and Ki-67 activity in tissue sections and loose cells in individual patients was evident. Moreover, the presence of Ki-67 antigen was closely correlated with p53 protein. It was observed the trend for serous carcinoma to have a higher Ki-67 and p53 positivity versus endometrioid and mucinous carcinomas. However, it was not statistically significant. Both growth fraction as measured by Ki-67 staining and p53 content were significantly higher in stages III and IV compared to stages I and II of ovarian carcinomas (P<.05, and P<.01, respectively). In benign ovarian neoplasms, no p53 reactivity was observed and Ki-67 staining was very low. Our results showed that p53 is not a feature of benign epithelial ovarian tumors and indicate that increased proliferative activity of cells seems to involve immunohistochemically detectable alterations in p53 gene contributing to the evolution of ovarian carcinoma.

Adenocarcinoma, Mucinous↗
PubMed1996

Anti-inflammatory treatment influences neuronal apoptotic cell death in the dentate gyrus in experimental pneumococcal meningitis.

Apoptotic neuronal death and the increase of neuron-specific enolase (NSE) in cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) were studied in a rabbit model of experimental pneumococcal meningitis after treatment with antimicrobial (ceftriaxone) and antiinflammatory agents (dexamethasone, monoclonal antibodies against the beta-subunit of beta 2-integrins [anti-CD18 mAb]). Twenty-four hours after infection, apoptotic cell death was found solely in the granular cell layer of the dentate gyrus. Neurons with DNA fragmentation were quantified with the in situ tailing (IST) reaction. Dexamethasone and anti-CD18 mAb inhibited the NSE increase in CSF significantly (p = 0.003, p = 0.011). After administration of dexamethasone the density of apoptotic neurons was significantly higher than in control animals receiving only ceftriaxone (p = 0.044). The median of the density of apoptotic neurons was lower in the dentate gyrus in animals receiving anti-CD18 mAb and ceftriaxone vs those receiving only ceftriaxone, although the difference did not reach statistic significance (p = 0.058). In conclusion, apoptotic cell death occurs in the dentate gyrus during the early phase of bacterial meningitis. The extent was influenced by antiinflammatory therapy. The systemic administration of glucocorticoids increased the quantity of apoptotic neurons in the dentate gyrus but reduced overall neuronal damage as indicated by low levels of NSE concentration in CSF.

Animals↗
PubMed1995

Measurements of haptoglobin by the reaction with concanavalin A in sera of patients with ovarian tumours.

The concentration of haptoglobin in sera of healthy women and patients with non-malignant and malignant ovarian tumours was measured by two methods, i.e. complex formation with haemoglobin and complex formation with concanavalin A. High correlation (r = 0.74) between both the methods was found in the group of healthy women, but correlation coefficients were much lower in the group of non-malignant and malignant tumours (r = 0.42 and 0.37, respectively). Direct determinations of haptoglobin, and calculation of the ratio of haptoglobin bound to concanavalin A to haptoglobin bound to haemoglobin revealed statistically significant differences among the examined groups. Comparison of two methods of haptoglobin quantitation suggest that processes connected with ovarian disorders may alter the glycosylation of haptoglobin oligosaccharide chains.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

The effect of age on the beta-adrenergic lipolytic response in healthy humans.

We evaluated the effect of age on the lipolytic response to intravenous infusion of isoproterenol in 12 elderly (age, > 60 years) and 12 young (age, 21 to 34 years) volunteers to examine if there is alteration in innervated beta-adrenergic responsiveness in tissues other than the heart. Lipolysis was evaluated by measuring the plasma concentrations of free fatty acids and glycerol. We also measured the plasma concentration of isoproterenol during infusion so that we could calculate comparable plasma isoproterenol concentrations to lipolytic responses in the two age groups. Our data show that, at equivalent infusion rates of isoproterenol, the two age groups achieved equivalent isoproterenol concentrations. The elderly had a higher concentration of free fatty acids but equivalent concentrations of glycerol as compared with the young subjects at equivalent isoproterenol plasma concentrations. However, our data were complicated by the fact that at the higher infusion rates of isoproterenol, the elderly showed a greater sympathetic stimulation than the young subjects as measured by plasma norepinephrine concentrations. Nonetheless, our data could not show that the elderly subjects were more resistant to beta-adrenergic receptor-mediated stimulated lipolysis. Thus innervated beta-adrenergic receptor hyporesponsiveness caused by aging may not necessarily extend to all organ systems.

Adult↗
PubMed1993

The microtip intramedullary probe for intraoperative pressure measurement.

The implantation of femoral stem prostheses and intramedullary fracture stabilisation are well-established techniques in traumatology. Although the biomechanical advantages of intramedullary splinting are obvious, impairments of pulmonary circulation and respiratory function are typical and feared complications. These pulmonary disturbances are strikingly correlated with operation-induced intramedullary hypertension. A simple, low-invasive and reliable system for the measurement of intramedullary pressure is presented. At the heart of the system is a microtip probe, transforming changes of pressure into electric impulses, filtered and amplified in a pressure measuring system (PMS).

Femoral Fractures↗
PubMed1993

[Intraoperative recording of intramedullary pressures with a microprobe].

The implantation of femoral prostheses and intramedullary nailing for fracture stabilisation are well-established techniques in traumatology. Nevertheless, the obvious biomechanical advantages of intramedullary splinting are partly offset by occasional disturbances of pulmonary circulation and function. These disorders of pulmonary function are apparently correlated with an operation-induced increase in intramedullary pressure. A simple, low-invasive and reliable system for the measurement of intramedullary pressure is presented. The heart of the system is a microtip probe that converts changes in pressure into electrical impulses, which are then filtered and amplified in the pressure measuring system (PMS).

Bone Marrow↗
PubMed1991

Acute phase reactants and circulating immune complexes in patients with ovarian carcinoma.

Serum levels of haptoglobin (HP), sialic acid total (NAN) and lipid-bound (NAL), seromucoid (SER), its content in total protein (%SER), as well as circulating immune complexes (CIC), were measured in sera of women with ovarian carcinoma, prior to their treatment and through the course of chemotherapy, remission and recurrence of malignancy, respectively. Control groups consisted of healthy women and patients with benign tumors (ovarian cysts and uterine myomas). Pretreatment measurements of acute phase reactants discriminated cancers (FIGO stages I+II, III, IV) from healthy group, however differences between benign tumors and stages of ovarian cancer were not so distinct. Changes in the examined parameters (acute phase reactants) indicated satisfactorily a response to the administered chemotherapy and early signs of the progression of the disease. Because of great variations in serum CIC concentrations, they were found to be of no value either in diagnosis or in the surveillance of the disease status.

Acute-Phase Proteins↗
PubMed1989

[Use of partusisten in cases of placenta praevia and the incidence of respiratory distress syndrome in newborn infants].

Partusisten (Th 1165a, fenoterol) was given to 40 pregnant women aged from 19 to 39 years in whom ultrasonography demonstrated placenta praevia. Bleeding occurred between 21 and 36 weeks of pregnancy. The control group consisted of 44 pregnant women aged from 21 to 43 years not treated with partusisten. Bleeding in this group developed between 22 and 40 weeks of pregnancy. The authors conclude that partusisten use in cases of bleeding from placenta praevia in adequate doses and at adequate time make possible prolongation of pregnancy duration which increases the progression of lung maturation in the fetus and enabling reaching of relative biological maturity. This reduces the incidence of neonatal respiratory distress syndrome, and is the method of choice if genital bleeding develops prior to the 32nd week of pregnancy.

Adult↗