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Biomedical subjects

K Fischer

Publications and source records attributed to K Fischer.

367 records · Page 21Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

Peripheral DSA with automated stepping.

Peripheral digital angiography can be applied with automated stepping and in digital subtracted technique to evaluate the complete lower extremities angiographically with one single injection of contrast medium. Altogether 25 DSA-examinations were compared with non-substracted technique. By DSA-technique additional series could be reduced to only those, where significantly different flow in both extremities necessitated different timing as known from conventional angiography. DSA-technique with automated stepping may in the future totally replace conventional angiography of the peripheral arteries.

Angiography↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[In vivo measurement of 3-dimensional movement of the iliosacral joint].

The purpose of this study was to quantify in vivo the three-dimensional motion patterns of the sacroiliac joint during passive manipulations as the opinions about the extent of motion of this joint are varied. 12 sacroiliac joints of 6 patients with clinically and radiologically normal joints were investigated. All patients were treated with an external fixator for diagnostic purposes of low back pain unrelated of this study. The motion of the sacroiliac joint was measured continuously with a three-dimensional goniometric system, which was mounted at the end of Schanz screws implanted in S1 and the ilium. All measurements showed relatively small rotation angles around the three main axis to the body between the ilium and the sacrum (< 2 degrees) and very small translations between the screw entry points into the bones (< 1 mm). The maximum rotation angle in the sagittal plane was 1.3 degrees on the right joint and 1.6 degrees on the left joint for flexion plus extension. It is questionable whether this motion can be quantified during manual manipulation. Extension of the hip always produced the largest motion in the sacroiliac joint.

Adult↗
PubMedDate not supplied

Increased expression of interleukin-8 and aminopeptidase N by cell-cell contact: interleukin-8 is resistant to degradation by aminopeptidase N/CD13.

In rheumatic joints, high concentrations of interleukin-8 (IL-8) have been measured in synovial fluid and in pannus tissue. In both locations aminopeptidase N (APN)/CD13, an exopeptidase with reported activity towards IL-8 is also present. The surprising stability of IL-8 in the presence of an alleged IL-8-degrading peptidase prompted us to undertake the present study. Cocultivation of fibroblast-like synoviocytes (SFC) with T cells or with T lymphocytic cell membranes, or of T cells with SFC cell membranes, all resulted in increased IL-8 mRNA expression and IL-8 secretion into the medium, and an increase of APN expression on lymphocytes. IL-8 degradation was monitored by Western blots and HPLC. IL-8(72), as a partially processed form, was used throughout this study since it is abundant in tissues and has increased biological activity in comparison to IL-8(77). Thus its degradation/inactivation is considered of high biological significance. Whereas trypsin as a positive control rapidly degraded IL-8, we did not see any IL-8 degradation, either by a variety of soluble APNs, by leucine aminopeptidase or by APN expressed on the surface of SFC, or on ECV304 cells transfected with an APN expression vector. The much more sensitive HPLC technique resulted in negative results as well.

CD13 Antigens↗
PubMedDate not supplied

The use of complexed PSA for the early detection of prostate cancer.

UNLABELLED: The advent of complexed PSA (cPSA) raised great expectations concerning the role of this parameter for improving the early detection of prostate cancer. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Total PSA (tPSA), free PSA (fPSA) and cPSA were evaluated from the serum of 178 of our clinic's patients (74 patients with prostate carcinoma, 104 patients with benign prostate illness) prior to prostate histology. ROC curves were calculated for all of these parameters as well as for the ratios fit-PSA, c/t-PSA and f/c-PSA. RESULTS: The ROC analysis for the whole examined PSA area and PSA levels of 4 to 10 ng/ml showed a statistically significant difference between the AUCs of the ratios on the one hand and the cPSA and tPSA parameters on the other hand. However, there was no difference between these parameters in PSA levels of up to 6 ng/ml. In the comparison of specificities at PSA levels of 4 to 10 ng/ml, the best results were achieved for the c/tPSA ratio. Neither in the PSA level area between 4 and 10 nglml, nor in the whole examined PSA area, could a difference between the cPSA and tPSA parameters be detected. CONCLUSION: Firm conclusions regarding low PSA concentrations cannot be drawn because of the small number of cases included in our study. However, 5 out of 13 patients with prostate carcinoma, whose tPSA values were still in the employed method's reference area, would have been identified as carcinoma-suspicious and brought to further diagnosis by determining the cPSA value with a recommended cut-off of 2.5 ng/ml.

Diagnosis, Differential↗
PubMedDate not supplied

PSA quick test in capillary blood.

UNLABELLED: The use of PSA quick testing methods with capillary blood (test strips) to screen for carcinoma of the prostate has been a controversial method. MATERIALS AND METHODS: The results determined visually from whole capillary blood were compared with the PSA values obtained from serum through quantitative assay and their correspondence was evaluated. PSA values <4 ng/ml obtained through quantitative assay were regarded and as negative results and PSA > or = 4 ng/ml as positive results. RESULTS: Of 371 usable assays, 100 quantitatively obtained PSA values were positive and 271 negative. Seven test strips showed false-negative and 49 false-positive results. In comparison with the quantitative assay, this is equivalent to a sensitivity of 93% and a specificity of 82%. Comparing the distinction between PSA >4 and <4 ng/ml only, there was no significant difference between the results of the quick test and the quantitative assay (Fischer exact test, p < 0.000). Considering the PSA values between 4 and 10 ng/ml, 10.3% of the results of both methods differed. CONCLUSION: Our series of experiments ascertained a relatively high rate of false-positive PSA test strip results. In practice this can lead to an unpredictable increase of costs, as every positive result requires a quantitative assay. Even more alarming is the loss of sensitivity in the PSA "between 4 and 10 ng/ml" range, which gives false-negative results leading to a delay of diagnosis and therapy.

Capillaries↗