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L Wise

Publications and source records attributed to L Wise.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Cytokines in Crohn's colitis.

BACKGROUND: Increasing evidence points to a pathologic role for cytokines in Crohn's colitis. Levels of cytokines are increased in diseased segments of colon in Crohn's colitis, but no one has studied the concentration of cytokines in clinically and histologically nondiseased segments. METHODS: Mucosal biopsies were obtained from 7 patients with active segmental Crohn's colitis and from 7 controls without inflammatory bowel disease. The concentration of Interleukin (IL)-1 beta, IL-2, IL-6, and IL-8 in patients and controls were determined using enzyme linked immunosorbent assay and compared. Histologic sections were also performed to confirm diseased and nondiseased segments of colon. RESULTS: The concentrations of IL-1 beta, IL-6, and IL-8 were significantly higher in the involved segments of colon (10.3 +/- 4.1, 3.7 +/- 1.0, 34.4 +/- 6.9 picograms [pg] per mg) when compared to controls (1.8 +/- 0.5, 1.1 +/- 0.5, 5.3 +/- 1.0 pg/mg). The concentrations of IL-1 beta, IL-2, and IL-8 (8.5 +/- 2.9, 5.3 +/- 1.2, 26.3 +/- 8.8 pg/mg) in normal appearing segments of colon of patients with Crohn's colitis were also significantly higher than in controls, whose IL-2 level was 2.0 +/- 0.5 pg/mg. IL-1 beta and IL-8 were significantly more concentrated in both the involved and uninvolved colonic segments of patients with Crohn's colitis compared to controls. IL-2 and IL-6 were also more concentrated in Crohn's patients than in controls, but not significantly. The differences in interleukin concentrations between involved and uninvolved segments of colon in patients with segmental Crohn's colitis were not significant. CONCLUSIONS: Although Crohn's colitis is often a segmental disease, concentrations of IL-1 beta and IL-8 are increased throughout the entire colon. These observations reinforce the hypothesis that Crohn's colitis involves the whole colon even when this is not apparent clinically or histologically.

Adult

Preoperative factors of prognostic significance in gastric cancer.

This study was undertaken to investigate the ability of local anatomical and primary histological features of gastric cancers, as well as DNA analysis, to predict prognosis. Using multivariate analysis, results indicate that location of a tumor in the gastric cardia, poor differentiation, involvement of adjacent organs, and aneuploidy are all independent predictors of survival. All of the factors studied can be determined by endoscopic procedures preoperatively on patients with gastric cancers and could be helpful in selecting some patients for perioperative adjunctive therapies.

Adenocarcinoma

Ki-67 reactivity in breast carcinoma analyzed by a computer-assisted image system: preliminary results.

The proliferative index of 63 breast carcinomas was measured on Ki-67 immunostained frozen tissue sections with a computer-assisted image analysis system. The mean proliferative index in estrogen-positive breast carcinomas was lower than in estrogen-negative carcinomas. An inverse relationship between proliferative index and short-term disease-free survival was noted.

Breast Neoplasms

Carcinoma in situ.

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Breast Neoplasms

The Henry operation for incarcerated and strangulated femoral hernias.

Selection of a subinguinal, inguinal, or preperitoneal approach permits the surgeon flexibility in managing femoral hernias. A 20-year experience is reviewed, with 44 incarcerated or strangulated femoral hernias corrected using the preperitoneal Henry operation. It is an effective and safe method of repair. Examination of the contralateral side revealed an unsuspected femoral hernia in seven (16%) of the cases.

Aged

Prognostic factors in node-negative breast cancer.

One hundred patients with node-negative breast cancer were examined to analyze the influence of tumor size, nuclear grade, and DNA content determined by flow cytometry on overall survival. Patients with diploid cancers lived significantly longer than those with aneuploid cancers (126 +/- 8 vs 80 +/- 11 months). Patients with an S-phase fraction less than 10% lived significantly longer than those with S-phase fractions 10% or greater (122 +/- 8 vs 85 +/- 10 months). Tumor size had the major impact on survival, and multivariate analysis of variance by the Cox proportional hazards model showed the greatest effect on prognosis. Tumor grade did not significantly influence overall survival.

Breast Neoplasms

Prognostic significance of DNA measurement determined by image analysis in human breast carcinoma.

The nuclear DNA of human breast carcinoma cells was studied by image analysis using archival paraffin-blocked tissues from two groups of patients with breast cancers. One group had survived greater than 10 years (N = 20) and the other less than 3 years (N = 26) after the initial diagnosis. Cellular preparations were made from pepsin-digested deparaffinated sections. The nuclear DNA was stained with Feulgen stain and measured by a computerized image analysis system. The data show that in addition to nodal status the pattern of DNA histograms obtained from image analysis can provide powerful prognostic information in breast carcinoma. The prognostic value of DNA histogram patterns may be independent of nodal status.

Breast

Increased intestinal permeability: implications for thoracoabdominal aneurysm repair.

Coagulopathy and massive bleeding plays a major role in the mortality of thoraco-abdominal aneurysm repair. Increasing supraceliac aortic cross-clamp time from 0 to 90 minutes increases the degree of disseminated intravascular coagulation, which occurs as a result of occlusion and reperfusion of the superior mesenteric artery. The purpose of this study was to investigate the mechanism of the superior mesenteric artery reperfusion disseminated intravascular coagulation. Twenty dogs were divided into four groups: cross-clamp time of 30 minutes; cross-clamp time of 60 minutes; cross-clamp time of 90 minutes; and control. Permeability was determined by lactulose/mannitol absorption. The venous effluent was sampled for endotoxin, potassium, bacteria, and pH every hour and urine was collected for six hours. Lactulose absorption was significantly higher in all of the experimental groups. There was increased permeability in the 60 and 90 minute groups which correlated significantly with time. Venous endotoxin, potassium, and blood cultures for bacteria did not change significantly. The pH was significantly lower every hour for six hours in the 90 minute group. These data suggest that intestinal permeability is increased with supraceliac aortic clamping and can be kept to a minimum for clamp times of under one hour.

Animals

Smooth muscle cell elastase, atherosclerosis, and abdominal aortic aneurysms.

Smooth muscle cells (SMC) were obtained by outgrowth of human aortic explants from abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA) patients, aortic occlusive disease (AOD) patients, and transplant donors (controls). Specimens were incubated with medium alone or medium with either elastin-derived peptides (EDP, 5 micrograms/mL) or low-density lipoproteins (LDL, 5 micrograms/mL). Elastase activity (ng/mg total protein) was assayed from 4-week-old cultures. Control aortas obtained from patients significantly younger secrete an increased amount of elastase at baseline compared with AOD and AAA patients (p less than 0.05). Elastin-derived peptides caused a significant increase in elastase secretion in all groups. The increase in elastase secretion in response to EDP in AAA patients was significantly higher compared with AOD or control. Low-density lipoprotein had no effect on SMC elastase secretion. These data suggest that (1) aortic SMCs secrete elastase in response to EDP, (2) SMC elastase is age dependent, and (3) AAA SMC secrete an abnormally high amount of elastase compared with AOD and control aortas in response to EDP. Like the neutrophil, the SMC is highly responsive to the degradation products of elastin and in AAA patients secrete significantly increased amounts of elastase in response to the breakdown products of atherosclerosis.

Adult

Cardiovascular changes during laparoscopic cholecystectomy.

Although the technique of laparoscopic cholecystectomy has increasing appeal, physiologic data to support the safety of this procedure are lacking. We studied the cardiovascular changes in 16 patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy, using impedance cardiography as a noninvasive means of continuous monitoring of cardiac output. Serial measurements of mean arterial pressure (MAP), heart rate (HR), intraperitoneal pressure and expired carbon dioxide tension (PECO2) were also recorded. Results revealed a decrease of 30 percent (p < 0.001) in cardiac index and 5 percent (p = 0.089) in HR, along with increases of 15 percent (p < 0.001) in MAP and of 79 percent (p < 0.001) in the calculated total peripheral resistance index. This elevation in afterload could lead to both an increase in myocardial oxygen consumption and to the potential risk of myocardial ischemia and possibly infarction or congestive heart failure, or both, in patients who are susceptible. The data suggest that patients with a history of cardiac disease should have preoperative cardiac evaluation and be closely monitored during laparoscopic cholecystectomy, as in any other extensive operation.

Adult

Stress-induced gastric lesions and the synthesis of prostaglandins and leukotrienes.

Prostaglandin E2 renders the mucosa of the GI tract more resistant to acute injury by aspirin, acid, bile salts, and stress, whereas leukotrienes promote inflammation and retard healing of ulcers. The relationship of stress ulcer formation to changes in the activities of prostaglandin synthetase and lipoxygenase was evaluated in this study. After a 24 hr fast, 10 rats were stressed by the cold-restraint method for 4 hr and 10 rats were not stressed. Rats were terminated, stomachs were excised, the number of lesions were counted, and the nonulcerated mucosa was assayed for prostaglandin E2 and leukotriene synthesis. The mucosa was minced, washed in buffered saline, and then incubated for 10 min in a 1.3 mM sodium arachidonate solution containing a nonionic detergent (poloxamer 188), NaCl, KCl, KPO4, glutathione, hemin, MgSO4 and Hepes at pH 8.0. An ANOVA was used to compare the groups. Following stress the number of gastric lesions increased from 0.7 +/- 0.6 to 13.5 +/- 2.6, while leukotriene synthesis increased from 173 +/- 20 to 2170 +/- 187 pg/mg/min. A shift in synthesis from prostaglandins to leukotrienes in the mucosa appears to be detrimental to cytoprotection.

Animals

Preliminary study of the protective effect of the calcium channel blocker, nifedipine, on adriamycin-induced tissue injury.

The effect of nifedipine, an oral calcium-channel blocker, on adriamycin-induced wound healing was studied. Nifedipine was administered to animals prior to treating with adriamycin. The healing strengths of cecal, fascial, and skin anatomoses were measured. Animals treated with adriamycin alone had significant decreases in healing strength compared to controls: for cecum at postoperative days (POD) 7 and 14; for skin at PODs 14, 21, and 28; for fascia at POD 28. Overall, nifedipine reduced the impact of adriamycin injury on the strength of healing incisional anastomoses. Nifedipine also appeared to protect collagen synthesis at anastomotic sites from adriamycin-induced impairment.

Animals

Effect of allopurinol on adriamycin-induced impairment of wound healing.

Use of antineoplastic drugs perioperatively requires an understanding of their potential effects on healing wounds. Adriamycin is an antineoplastic drug with a wide range of antitumor activity. Prior studies have demonstrated that adriamycin impairs skin wound healing but these studies have offered limited explanations for the mechanism of action of the drug vis á vis impairment of healing wounds. In this study we investigated the effect of a xanthine oxidase inhibitor, allopurinol, on adriamycin-induced tissue injury to determine the role oxyradicals might play in reducing wound-breaking strength. Sixty-four Buffalo rats were studied. Eight animals were used to establish drug tolerances. Fifty-six animals were divided into four experimental groups; saline control (2 mL IP), allopurinol control (4.3 mg/kg po), allopurinol-adriamycin (4.3 mg/kg po + 6 mg/kg IV, respectively), and adriamycin (6 mg/kg IV). Animals treated with adriamycin alone had significantly reduced weight at postoperative day (POD) 7 compared to control groups (p less than .025). Bowel-bursting strength (BBS) of the animals treated with adriamycin alone was also significantly decreased at POD 7, compared to controls (p less than .025), and by POD 14 the animals treated with adriamycin alone had a significantly decreased fascial tensile strength, compared to the saline control (p less than .05). At no point did the animals treated with both allopurinol and adriamycin show a significantly decreased weight, BBS, or fascial tensile strength compared to control animals. Allopurinol appeared to protect against adriamycin toxicity on healing wounds. These results suggest that xanthine oxidase and possibly superoxide radicals play an important role in mediating adriamycin toxicity on healing wounds.

Allopurinol

Neutrophil chemotaxis and neutrophil elastase in the aortic wall in patients with abdominal aortic aneurysms.

To test the hypothesis that elastin-derived peptides (EDP) from human aortic tissue may be chemotactic for inflammatory cells, we studied the chemotaxis of neutrophils and monocytes to EDP derived from abdominal aortic aneurysm (AAA), aortic occlusive disease (AOD), and control aortas. In addition, we determined if neutrophils deliver neutrophil elastase to the aorta in vivo by staining for neutrophil elastase (NE) throughout the course of abdominal aortic aneurysms with the monoclonal antibody to human NE. EDP from AAA, AOD, and control tissue demonstrated significant chemotactic activity for both neutrophils and monocytes. All neutrophils had a greater attraction to EDP from AAA tissue compared to AOD and control aorta. Neutrophils from AAA patients were more attracted to EDP of AAA tissue than were neutrophils of AOD or control patients attracted to their respective aortic EDP. Neutrophil elastase stained positive in the adventitia and thrombus throughout the course of the aneurysm, but was not found in the intima, media, or plaque of the aorta.

Aorta, Abdominal

Is colonoscopy safe in the early postcolectomy period?

Colonoscopy was performed preoperatively and 1, 2, 3 and 7 days following a left hemicolectomy with a primary anastomosis in 11 dogs. The remaining colon and anastomosis were adequately visualized. Maximal intraluminal pressures achieved were from 15 to 35 mmHg. No leakage of air or intra-abdominal abscesses were present. In ten patients undergoing colonoscopy for lower gastrointestinal symptoms, the pressures were similarly measured. Although pressures were slightly higher in patients, averaging 30 mmHg, the results suggest that colonoscopy can be safely performed during the early postcolectomy period.

Air

Hospital costs, resource characteristics, and the dynamics of death for general surgery patients.

The world of health care finance and quality assessment is undergoing rapid change. We analyzed a large group of general surgical patients who died regarding hospital resource consumption. General surgical patients who died generated much greater resource consumption than survivors per DRG; increasing hospital LOS for general surgical patients who died was associated with increasing financial risk under DRGs. Patients who died after non-emergency admission generated similar financial risk to patients who died after emergency admission. General surgical patients who died who were referred from another clinical service generated, on average, similar resource consumption to non-referred patients who died. The results of this study support those of previous studies suggesting the payment inequities of DRGs for general surgical patients who die and suggest that attention should be directed at improving the DRG hospital payment system for these patients.

Aged

Measurement of prostaglandin G/H synthase and lipoxygenase activity in the stomach wall by HPLC.

A method for the determination of prostaglandin G/H synthase and lipoxygenase activities in tissues was developed and employed with rat gastric mucosa samples. Tissues and microsomes were incubated in a buffer containing nonionic detergent and 1.32 mM arachidonic acid for 10 min. Following extraction with ethyl acetate, the oxidation products of arachidonic acid were derivatized with panacyl bromide. A reversed-phase column and a quaternary mobile phase were used to separate and quantitate the panacyl bromide esters of prostaglandin E2 and leukotriene C4/D4. Prostaglandin G/H synthase and lipoxygenase activities were determined in gastric mucosa and were 371 +/- 66 and 173 +/- pg/mg/min, respectively.

Animals