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Biomedical subjects

L Bertrand

Publications and source records attributed to L Bertrand.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1988

Comparison between mouse kidneys of pre- and postnatal ages maturing in vivo and in serum-free organ culture.

1. To evaluate the influence of age, DNA synthesis and brush border hydrolase activities were determined in mouse kidneys maturing in vivo and in serum-free organ culture. 2. DNA synthesis decreased with advancing age. 3. The protein content and leucylnaphthylamidase, maltase, trehalase, alkaline phosphatase and gamma-glutamyltransferase activities increased with aging. 4. The differences due to age were reproduced in kidneys maturing in culture. 5. These results show that age has a significant effect on the parameters determined, but apparently has no influence on the viability of the kidney explants in culture.

Aging↗
PubMed1988

Epidermal growth factor (EGF) influences DNA synthesis in human fetal kidneys maturing in serum-free organ culture.

Human fetal kidney explants (13-17 weeks of gestation) were maintained in serum-free organ culture. The influence of epidermal growth factor (EGF) was determined after 2 and 5 days by evaluating DNA and protein synthesis as well as the activities of five brush border hydrolases. During the studied period the overall morphology was preserved and the analysed parameters remained constant. Only DNA synthesis decreased after 2 days. The addition of EGF to the medium did not change any of the cell activities, except DNA synthesis. In fact, the incorporation of [3H]thymidine was significantly stimulated by 105% in 5-day explants cultured in the presence of the growth factor. These results indicate that EGF directly influences proliferation but not maturation of brush border enzymes in fetal human kidneys in culture.

Culture Media↗
PubMed1986

Long term results after portal disconnection of the esophagus using an anastomotic button for bleeding esophageal varices in cirrhosis.

From 1968 to 1984, 250 patients with cirrhosis and bleeding esophageal varices underwent portal disconnection of the esophagus using either Murphy's button (before 1974) or an esophageal device developed by one of the authors (after 1974). One hundred and thirty-four patients underwent operation on an elective basis and 116 underwent emergency procedures. With the use of Child's classification, 62 patients were class A, 125 were class B and 63, class C. The over-all operative mortality rate was 24.4 per cent but this varied with the hepatic functional status and whether or not the operation was done on an elective or emergency basis. The long term survival rates were 53 per cent at one year, 36 per cent at three years, 24 per cent at five years and 8 per cent at ten years. Ninety-six per cent of the patients were without proved recurrent esophageal bleeding at one year, 88 per cent at three years, 79 per cent at five years and 66 per cent at ten years. Portal disconnection of the esophagus using an anastomotic button is a simple and effective procedure which can benefit many patients with cirrhosis who undergo an operation for bleeding varices on an elective or emergency basis. It constitutes an efficacious prophylactic means for preventing recurrent bleeding from esophageal varices.

Actuarial Analysis↗
PubMed1985

[Latent myocardiopathy in chronic alcoholic patients with or without hepatic involvement].

Infraclinical myocardial lesions were searched for in patients with various types of liver disease due to chronic alcoholic intoxication. During a single procedure, a transjugular liver and right endoventricular biopsy and hemodynamic evaluation were performed in 26 patients without clinical evidence of cardiac involvement. Patients were classified into 5 groups: I, no liver disease (n = 4); II, fatty liver (n = 7); III, acute alcoholic hepatitis (n = 3); IV, cirrhosis (n = 7); V, cirrhosis with alcoholic hepatitis (n = 5). The study also included the determination of the serum thiamine level, a 24 h non-stop EKG recording and a M mode echocardiography. The cardiac-thoracic ratio, the EKG and Holter monitoring were normal. The serum thiamine levels decreased regularly from group I to group V, but there was no significant difference between patients with cirrhosis (group IV and V) and the others (group I to III). The same findings applied to the echocardiographic data. At rest, hemodynamic data were normal in all patients. Various degrees of myocardial lesions were present in 86 p. 100 of the cases. They included: cellular hypertrophy, contraction bands, interstitial fibrosis, fibroblastic infiltrate, perinuclear, cellular and or interstitial edema. Although frequent, these lesions were moderate and not specific. No correlation was found between the myocardial lesions and the type of liver disease. Myocardial lesions without cardiac manifestations have therefore been observed in vivo in nearly all patients with chronic alcoholic intoxication. These lesions were not correlated with the stage of alcoholic liver disease.

Cardiomyopathy, Alcoholic↗
PubMed1984

[Hemorrhagic portal hypertension with soft liver].

Over 14 years the authors have observed 6 adults with a special form of portal hypertension revealed by massive gastrointestinal hemorrhages due to rupture of voluminous esophageal varices. Though first suggested by huge enlargement of the spleen (5 out of 6 cases), cirrhosis was eventually discounted by laparoscopy and laparotomy. The liver was of normal volume, smooth (never nodular) and above all soft to the touch, to the biopsy needle and to the surgeon's hand. The histologic lesions of the liver were minimal and heterogeneous: fibrosis without cirrhosis (2 cases), isolated and mild steatosis (2 cases), one non-specific lymphohistiocytic granuloma (2 cases), moderate myeloid metaplasia (2 cases), hepatic siderosis without fibrosis (1 case), sinusoidal congestion (3 cases). Normality of the portal vein was evidenced by angiography (5 cases) or inferred from the elevated porta-caval gradient (1 case), and was confirmed once on autopsy. Sus-hepatic catheterization was performed in every case and provided the following information: right atrial pressure always normal, sus-hepatic veins normal, porta-caval gradient normal or slightly elevated in 4 patients (suggesting presinusoidal block) and obviously elevated in the other two (as in post-sinusoidal block). The minimal histologic lesions of the liver, the normality of the portal vein, the lack of sus-hepatic obstruction, and the variable porta-caval gradient make it impossible to localize the obstacle (if any) and thus say what is the mechanism of portal hypertension with soft liver. In the absence of elevated splenic inflow, this hypertension has to be classified as essential or idiopathic. Soft consistency of the liver has never been reported before in such cases.

Aged↗
PubMed1983

[Articular manifestations of Yersinia infections. Apropos of 4 personal cases. Review of the literature].

The reactive arthritis due to Yersinia enterocolitica (YEC) have been know for a little more than ten years. A great many cases have been reported, especially by Scandinavian authors. In contrast, few cases have been reported in the course of Yersinia pseudotuberculosis infections (YPT). Analysis of 36 cases in the literature shows that although they are rare, the YPT reactive arthritis do exist and are not fundamentally different from those due to YEC. A few minor differences in their clinical signs have been demonstrated: the higher incidence of erythema nodosa and the lower incidence of cardiac involvement in the cases due to YPT. In both forms, there is a characteristic genetic predisposition, marked by the high incidence of the antigen HLB B27 (50 to 80 p. cent), which explains their strict relationship with diseases of the rheumatic pelvispondylitis group.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

[Anemia in rheumatoid polyarthritis. Value of serum ferritin for the estimation of iron stores].

Biochemical evaluation of iron depletion due to bleeding is difficult in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients with inflammatory anaemia. The authors have tried to assess the usefulness of serum ferritin (SF) level measurements--considered a reliable index of iron stores--by comparing the values obtained with true iron stores, as determined by Perls' test on bone marrow. The study involved 50 RA patients with anaemia and raised erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR). The poor correlation (r = 0.51) observed between the two tests in this population was mainly due to differences in ESR. SF levels and Perls' test results correlated better in patients with an ESR above 50 mm/h. (r = 0.69) than in patients with an ESR above 50 mm/h. (r = 0.44). The mean ESR values were higher than those found in patients without inflammatory syndrome. SF levels, therefore, are unreliable in patients with inflammatory syndrome, and no practical conclusion concerning iron stores can be drawn from the finding of a normal SF level. In the present study, only SF levels higher than 250 ng/ml were associated with positive Perls' tests. The behaviour of ferritin in the presence of inflammation may explain the results obtained.

Anemia, Hypochromic↗
PubMed1982

[Treatment of cholesterol gallstones with ursodesoxycholic acid (author's transl)].

A double-blind clinical trial comparing ursodesoxycholic acid and chenodesoxycholic acid in patients with cholesterol stones in the gall-bladder showed that ursodesoxycholic acid was superior to the older drug not so much in percentage of biliary calculi dissolved but in dosage reduction (50%) and improved clinical and biological tolerance.

Chenodeoxycholic Acid↗
PubMed1981

[Enzymatic profile of hepatic and biliary diseases (author's transl)].

Measuring the activity of certain serum enzymes is of considerable interest in the diagnosis of hepatic or biliary diseases, even in the absence of jaundice. The battery of tests required is at present limited to transaminases for cytolysis, alkaline phosphatase for cholestasis, and gamma-glutamyl-transpeptidase for chronic alcoholism, carcinoma of the liver and obstruction of the common bile duct. The enzymatic profile thus obtained complements the clinical findings and often provides decisive arguments in favour of a diagnosis, thereby avoiding invasive radiological and instrumental explorations.

Alanine Transaminase↗
PubMed1978

[Angio-immunoblastic lymphadenopathy].

A report is presented on four cases of angioimmunoblastic lymphadenopathy. In this recently individualized entity, adenomegaly with fever and cutaneous eruption is associated with polyclonal hypergammaglobulinemia and autoimmunization, especially of anti-erythrocytic type. The lymph nodes are homogenized by a lymphoplasmo-immunoblastic granuloma with angiogenesis. The disease could be attributed to hyperplasia of B lymphocytes with a deficit of T cells, which would explain the autoimmunization. It appears in some cases to be triggered by accidents of drug intolerance. Prognosis is poor and the course of the disease is nearly always fatal in the long or short term. It is difficult to ascertain whether prolonged remissions, either spontaneous or therapeutic, can be considered actual cures.

Aged↗
PubMed1978

[Cirrhogenic hepatitis due to perhexiline maleate: general review based upon one new case with ultrastructural study (author's transl)].

The authors describe a case of cirrhogenic hepatitis due to Pexid which was given for 8 months at 400 mg/day for a severe angina pectoris. We find here the anatomo-clinical profile of perhexiline maleate hepatiits already described in approximately 20 cases. There was a cirrhogenic evolution in our case as in 5 others : but here cirrhosis was revealing and seems stabilized since the treatment was stopped. The cirrhogenic evolution could be due to a cumulative effect of the drug and/or to an immuno-allergic mechanism as in alcoholic cirrhosis which is very similar, especially from an anatomical point of view. However cirrhogenic hepatitis differs by a characteristic lysosomal overload : brown pigment under microscopic observation and lipolysosomes with in some cases a lamellar structure under electron microscopic observation. The prescription of such a drug should be limited to cases of refractory angina pectoris and needed a regular clinical and biological survey.

Aged↗
PubMed1977

[Acute alcoholic hepatitis].

Acute alcoholic hepatitis is an anatomical (fatty liver with sclerosing hyaline necrosis) and a clinical (hepatomegaly with a variety of symptoms of hepatic failure) entity arising out of chronic alcoholism, and of a typically 'pre-cirrhotic' state. Although fatal in 25% of acute cases due to failure of homeostasis, it often leaves a centrilobular scarring necrosis which in more than 60% of cases progresses to nodular cirrhosis. Continued alcoholism worsens the prognosis. Alcoholic hepatitis may be confused with acute abdominal catastrophes or with a hepatoma. The characteristic Mallory bodies found on liver biopsy are found rarely in non-alcoholic hepatitis. There is no effective treatment for this disease except reduction of alcohol intake; indeed, the disease may become self-perpetuating.

Acute Disease↗