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Biomedical subjects

K Drechsler

Publications and source records attributed to K Drechsler.

7 recordsLinked to original sources

Euro heart failure survey. Medical treatment not in line with current guidelines.

UNLABELLED: It was the aim of the Euro Heart Survey on Heart Failure to assess whether patients are being treated according to current guidelines. METHODS: In Germany, patients were screened in 7 medical centers if their discharge diagnoses were myocardial infarction, a new episode of atrial fibrillation, or diabetes mellitus. Patients were enrolled if at least one additional criterion was fulfilled: (1) clinical diagnosis of heart failure, (2) hospital admission due to heart failure within the last 3 years, (3) therapy with loop diuretic, (4) medication for heart failure or ventricular dysfunction documented by echocardiography within the past 24 hours prior to death. RESULTS: 2166 patients were screened of whom 747 were included in the study (478 men, 269 women). 93% of the patients suffered from heart failure. Despite the high number of patients with known heart failure (ischemic heart failure in 71%), only 72% received ACE inhibitors and 62% beta-blockers. Average daily dose met recommendations in only 63% of patients on ACE inhibitors and 54% on beta-blockers. 74% of the patients received diuretics (furosemide 36%, thiazide 34%, spironolactone 17%). CONCLUSION: An inadequately low number of patients with heart failure receives medical therapy according to guidelines, despite all the overwhelming evidence for improved morbidity and mortality. Awareness of physicians needs to be improved.

Adrenergic beta-Antagonists↗

Expression of HMGI-C, a member of the high mobility group protein family, in a subset of breast cancers: relationship to histologic grade.

The high-mobility-group (HMG) protein gene HMGI-C is apparently involved in the genesis of a variety of benign human solid tumors with rearrangements of chromosomal region 12q14-15 affecting the HMGI-C gene. So far, no expression of HMGI-C has been found in adult tissues, and no data are available on the expression of HMGI-C in primary human malignant tumors of epithelial origin. Therefore, we analysed the HMGI-C expression patterns in 44 breast cancer samples and 13 samples of nonmalignant adjacent tissue by hemi-nested reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction for HMGI-C expression. There was no detectable expression of HMGI-C in any nonmalignant adjacent breast tissues analyzed. In contrast, we found expression in 20 of 44 breast cancer samples investigated. In invasive ductal tumors, expression was noted predominantly in tumors with high histologic grade: 17 of 21 breast cancer samples with histologic grade 3 but only three of 16 samples with histologic grades 1 or 2 showed expression of HMGI-C. In addition, all seven lobular breast cancer samples tested did not express HMGI-C. From these results, we concluded that HMGI-C expression may be of pathogenetic or prognostic importance in breast cancer.

Adult↗

HMGI-C expression patterns in human tissues. Implications for the genesis of frequent mesenchymal tumors.

Cytogenetically visible aberrations of chromosomal region 12q14-15 in a variety of frequent benign human tumors reflect rearrangements of the HMGI-C gene. The mechanisms by which the HMGI-C gene contributes to tumorigenesis are mostly unknown, although frequently aberrant transcripts containing exons 1 to 3 of HMGI-C and ectopic sequences from other genes due to breaks within the third intron of HMGI-C are detectable. This is the first report analyzing human tissue samples mainly of mesenchymal origin by a highly sensitive polymerase-chain-reaction-based approach detecting HMGI-C expression. We found HMGI-C expression in embryonic tissue but no expression in any of several adult tissues tested except for two myometrial tissues. These data suggest that HMGI-C is mainly expressed in human tissues during embryonal and fetal development. Thus, its particular role for tumor development may be due to the expression of at least exons 1 to 3 rather than to the formation of fusion transcripts.

Adult↗

Altered glycosylation of the MUC-1 protein core contributes to the colon carcinoma-associated increase of mucin-bound sialyl-Lewis(x) expression.

The mucin carbohydrate epitope sialyl-Le(x), detected with the monoclonal antibody AM-3, is strongly overexpressed in > 90% of human colon carcinomas. We show here that in colon carcinoma one of the mucin cores bearing the sialyl-Le(x) group is MUC-1, whereas sialyl-Le(x) present in normal colon is not detectable on MUC-1. The amounts of MUC-1 core detectable with the monoclonal antibody BC3 in extracts of tumor tissue are 60-180% of those in normal tissue. Two other carbohydrate epitopes located on MUC-1 in mucins from normal and tumor tissue have also been characterized. In contrast to sialyl-Le(x), their expression on MUC-1 is variable and does not correlate with the malignant transformation of colonic mucosa. The transfer of the sialyl-Le(x) group onto the MUC-1 core contributes to the colon carcinoma-associated overexpression of the sialyl-Le(x) epitope.

Antigens↗

Ethical dilemmas in long-term care settings; interviews with nurses in Sweden and England.

With the aim of investigating ethical dilemmas arising in long-term care settings, nurses were interviewed at hospitals in southern Sweden and southern England. The interviews confirmed the occurrence of conflicts in caring for the elderly, and conflicts in the staff-patient-relative constellation. The content of the interviews was analysed with regard to prevailing principles of patient autonomy and the ranking order of preferences among those involved.

Conflict, Psychological↗

Education in action.

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Faculty, Nursing↗

HMGIC expression patterns in non-small lung cancer and surrounding tissue.

BACKGROUND: So far no powerful molecular markers have been found allowing an early detection of lung cancer enabling a higher rate of curative cancer therapy. Based on its expression patterns in other malignant tumors the expression of the high mobility group protein gene HMGIC is a possible new candidate for such a diagnostic marker. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The HMGIC expression patterns were determined in samples from 19 non-SCLC, 14 corresponding non-malignant adjacent lung, and 7 pleural tissues by hemi-nested RT-PCR followed by the detection of HMGIC specific amplification products by Southern blot hybridization. RESULTS: HMGIC expression was found in 14/19 non-SCLC samples. In contrast, expression was not detectable in any of the non-malignant adjacent lung or pleural tissues. CONCLUSIONS: These results suggest that HMGIC expression may be a potential new and powerful indicator for lung cancer. An HMGIC expression assay may be applicable to sputum or broncho-alveolar lavage fluid samples facilitating early detection of lung cancer.

Aged↗