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Biomedical subjects

M Gelin

Publications and source records attributed to M Gelin.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources

Circadian rhythms of blood pressure after liver transplantation.

Twenty-four-hour systolic blood pressure, diastolic blood pressure, and heart rate profiles were recorded in 17 liver-transplanted patients by noninvasive ambulatory monitoring and were analyzed with the periodogram method. These recordings were compared with those of control subjects matched for age, sex, and daytime ambulatory blood pressure. Abnormal blood pressure patterns were found in seven of the 17 patients, whereas the other 10 patients had circadian blood pressure profiles that were not different from those of control subjects. These two groups of liver-transplanted patients did not differ in age, sex, oral dose of cyclosporine, specific serum cyclosporine level, and proportion of patients receiving azathioprine and antihypertensive medications. In contrast, the daily oral dose of prednisolone was significantly higher (p < 0.001) in the seven patients with abnormal circadian blood pressure patterns. Moreover, only the daily oral dose of prednisolone was inversely correlated with the magnitude of the nighttime systolic and diastolic blood pressure decrease (r = -0.64 and r = -0.66, p < 0.01). In contrast to blood pressure, patients and control subjects had similar circadian heart rate variations. We conclude that exogenous glucocorticoid administration may have a dose-dependent effect on the nighttime blood pressure fall and may play an important role in the pathogenesis of the abnormal circadian blood pressure profiles observed in liver-transplanted patients.

Adult↗

A Pugh score of 8 adequately selects patients with parenchymal cirrhosis for liver transplantation.

The aim of our study was to develop simple and highly effective scores to estimate prognosis at 1 year for patients with parenchymal cirrhosis and to define the optimum time for liver transplantation with the same degree of accuracy as the prognosis estimation for primary biliary cirrhosis. The prognostic value of 19 variables was studied retrospectively in 91 patients with parenchymal cirrhosis using multivariate analysis and logistic regression. The best prognostic index was obtained with two independent variables: ascites and aminopyrine breath test. Although the receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve for these two variables was better than the ROC curve for Pugh score, the percentage of correct prediction was excellent for both indices: 92% and 87%, respectively. The critical cut-off value of the Pugh score was 8.8. The prognostic value of a Pugh score < or = 8 or > 8 was confirmed in a prospective study of 145 cirrhotic patients with 78% correct prediction. During this period, 21 patients with parenchymal cirrhosis received transplants with a preoperative Pugh score of 9.5 +/- 2.0 (mean +/- SEM) and 60% 1- and 2-year survival. In conclusion in parenchymal cirrhosis, a Pugh score > 8 indicates a poor prognosis at 1 year. This is a simple, easy and highly effective tool to define the optimal time for liver transplantation in this category of patients.

Follow-Up Studies↗

Computerized morphonuclear characteristics and DNA content of adenocarcinoma of the pancreas, chronic pancreatitis, and normal tissues: relationship with histopathologic grading.

We report the morphonuclear characteristics of normal (13 cases), benign (ie, chronic) pancreatitis (six cases), and neoplastic (ie, ductal) adenocarcinoma (22 cases) tissues of the pancreas. This description is based on computerized cell image analysis, which permits the determination of parameters related to the morphometric (nuclear area), densitometric (nuclear DNA content), and chromatin texture features of Feulgen-stained nuclei from paraffin-embedded archival material. We observed that nuclear area discriminates between normal and benign (ie, chronic pancreatitis) as opposed to neoplastic cell nuclei. Morphonuclear parameters describing chromatin pattern characteristics made it possible to discriminate between grade I pancreatic carcinoma and normal and benign cell nuclei on the one hand, and grades I and III carcinoma on the other hand. The nuclear DNA content increased in a continuous manner from normal and benign through low-grade to high-grade neoplastic tissues of the pancreas. Combining the morphometric, densitometric, and textural parameters into one equation, we were able to calculate a score (ie, the malignancy level index) that showed a close relationship to conventional histopathologic grading. Thus, the computer-aided diagnosis of cytologic specimens from pancreatic lesions offers information of the same significance as that obtained by conventional histopathologic grading.

Adenocarcinoma↗

Factors related to early mortality in cirrhotic patients bleeding from varices and treated by urgent sclerotherapy.

Variceal haemorrhage in cirrhotic patients carries a high early mortality even when balloon tamponade or emergency sclerotherapy are applied. The aim of this study to identify patients dying within six weeks of their first variceal haemorrhage. One hundred and twenty one patients with parenchymal cirrhosis presenting with the first variceal bleeding episode between June 1983 and December 1988 were studied. Nineteen patients were excluded for various reasons. Emergency sclerotherapy was carried out in cases of active bleeding or where there were endoscopic signs of recent bleeding, and then regularly repeated afterwards. Of the 24 variables studied and included in a multivariate analysis using a logistic regression model, three had an independent prognostic value: encephalopathy, prothrombin time, and the number of blood units transfused within the 72 hours of time zero. The subsequent regression equation was able to predict 89% of the patients who will die and 97% of the patients who will still be alive six weeks after their first variceal haemorrhage treated by sclerotherapy. Pugh score was less discriminatory than these last three variables in terms of accuracy of adjustment, goodness of fit to the model, receiver operating characteristic curves, and percentage correct prediction. To measure the accuracy of the prediction rule, our model was applied to another series of 28 cirrhotic patients admitted with their first variceal bleeding during the next period (January 1989 to May 1990). Death and survival were correctly predicted in respectively 82% and 94% of the cases. The use of this score is recommended for the selection of patients with high early mortality after variceal bleeding despite sclerotherapy, and for the design of new therapeutic trials.

Acute Disease↗

Mycoplasma hominis infection of perihepatic hematomas in a liver transplant recipient.

We report the case of a recipient of liver transplantation in whom postoperative perihepatic hematomas were infected by Mycoplasma hominis. Etiologic diagnosis was delayed because this organism is a rare cause of postoperative infection and usually does not grow on standard bacteriologic media. The role of M. hominis in postoperative infections and the diagnostic problems of this organism are discussed.

Hematoma↗

Management of dysphagia in suspected esophageal motor disorders.

Fifty-three patients suffering from dysphagia because of suspected esophageal motor disorders were treated by pneumatic dilatation using the Rider-Moeller technique. Fifteen had achalasia demonstrated by manometric studies. Forty-nine of them had remarkable clinical improvement after the procedure. During the mean period of follow-up (average 5 years, range 1-11), 75% of the patients needed a new dilatation, with a delay of two years. The results of the dilatation were excellent or good in 80% of the cases. Early complications consisted in two esophageal perforations surgically treated. There was no mortality. We did not observe late complications of the procedure. We conclude that pneumatic dilatation should be the initial procedure in the treatment of dysphagia in suspected esophageal motor disorders.

Aged↗

Factors influencing survival at one year in patients with nonbiliary hepatic parenchymal cirrhosis.

Transplantation may be considered for patients with advanced cirrhosis, however, adequate criteria for evaluating survival in those patients are ill-defined. The aim of the present study was to select, among several clinical and functional variables those that could best predict survival at one year. The data collected from 91 consecutive patients with parenchymal cirrhosis hospitalized in our center from February 1984 to January 1986 were subjected to stepwise logistic regression analysis. Death occurring during the first year following entry into the study was considered as a failure. During that period, there were no censored patients. Of 19 variables that entered into the analysis, only two were significant (P less than 0.01): presence (1: moderate; 2: severe) or absence (0) of ascites (A) and breath test (BT: % aminopyrine activity of administered dose at 2 hr). The logistic equation was: 1n (P/1 - P): - 1.95 A + 1.64 BT - 0.393, where P represented the probability of survival at one year. For each patient, P was calculated according to his A and BT values. Using a 0.7 probability cut-point to separate success from failure, 93% (70/75) of successes, 81% (13/16) of failures, and 91% (83/91) of both successes and failures could be correctly predicted. Predictive equations like the present preliminary one can be used in the future to better assess the risk of mortality in patients with parenchymal cirrhosis in whom liver transplantation is considered.

Breath Tests↗

Use of somatostatin for complications occurring after liver transplantation.

Somatostatin can be helpful after liver transplantation in some well-defined indications. In uncontrolled digestive haemorrhage, a short course of somatostatin therapy can be of great help in controlling the acute bleeding and to avoid emergency laparotomy. Somatostatin could also be helpful in bilio-pancreato-intestinal fistula, but in this case its advantage over elective surgical treatment remains to be confirmed.

Acyclovir↗

[Lack of predictive factors for symptomatic recurrence of Crohn disease at the site of surgical anastomosis].

Recurrence of Crohn's disease at the ileocolonic anastomosis after curative surgery is frequent. Prognostic value of several parameters at the time of surgery was studied in 37 patients to detect early symptomatic recurrence of Crohn's disease after surgery. These included patient age at the time of surgery, sex, disease duration before surgery, clinical activity index, length of resected bowel, presence of granulomas in resected bowel segment, indication for surgery, type of medical treatment before surgery, and biochemical parameters at the time of surgery (ESR, C reactive protein and serum albumin level). Symptomatic recurrence associated with endoscopic lesions at the anastomotic site was observed in 10 of 37 patients (27 percent), within one year after surgery. None of the studied parameters were able to differentiate the patients with recurrence or not.

Adolescent↗

Liver transplantation for fulminant and subacute viral hepatic failure in adults.

In our early experience, orthotopic liver transplantation was found to be successful in fulminant and subacute hepatic failure due to viral hepatitis in adults, with 66% 1-year survival rate. In the future, more accurate prognostic criteria would probably improve overall survival rate in acute hepatic failure, by allowing better and earlier selection of patients requiring liver transplantation.

Adult↗

Epithelioid hemangioendothelioma of the liver following contact with vinyl chloride. Recurrence after orthotopic liver transplantation.

Malignant epithelioid hemangioendothelioma of the liver is a recently recognized and uncommon neoplasm of vascular origin. Few cases have been reported and the treatment remains therefore difficult to define. A relationship to oral contraceptive use has been suggested but no other toxic agents have been incriminated. We report here the first case occurring after a close contact with vinyl chloride. Because of wide hepatic destruction and serious portal hypertension with bleeding varices, the patient underwent orthotopic liver transplantation. After a disease-free interval of 20 months, he died from variceal hemorrhage and encephalopathy due to local tumor recurrence with portal thrombosis. Nevertheless, orthotopic liver transplantation remains the only hope of salvage when extensive liver destruction and life-threatening complications are present.

Adult↗

Percutaneous drainage of subphrenic abscesses.

Forty subphrenic abscesses were drained percutaneously in 37 patients. These abscesses were subsequent to abdominal surgery (28 patients), biliary obstruction and/or fistula (six patients), trauma (two patients) or acute pancreatitis (one patient). The procedures were usually monitored by duplex sonography and fluoroscopy (35 out of 40 cases), with an angled subcostal approach to the subphrenic space in over 85% of the cases. Forty-three drainage catheters were inserted using the Seldinger method; 37 (86%) had a size of 12 F or more, 21 were 16 F in size. Only two out of 43 catheters were double-lumen sump drains. The clinical condition improved after insertion of the catheter in all 37 patients. Definitive successful drainage, defined as hospital discharge without complementary surgery, was achieved in 32 patients (87%), without major complications. A temporizing effect was obtained in three additional patients (8%) who underwent curative surgery for the underlying process after complete drainage of the abscess. Two patients died from multiple organ failure before their abscess healed. Considerations for successful drainage of subphrenic abscesses include a good knowledge of the subphrenic space anatomy, the use of large-bore drainage catheters and the recognition and correct management of underlying enteric, biliary or pancreatic fistulas.

Adolescent↗

[Parenteral nutrition at home: 2 years' experience].

Home parenteral nutrition (HPN) must be reserved for patients with an dysfunctional bowel requiring a long-term nutritional support. We report a 2 year experience of HPN at Erasmus Hospital which includes seven patients. Indications and implications of HPN are also discussed.

Crohn Disease↗

Pancreaticoduodenal resection for pancreatic or periampullary tumors--a ten-year experience.

Between January 1978, and December 1987, 79 patients underwent pancreaticoduodenal resection for pancreatic (44) or periampullary tumors (ampulla 18, common bile duct 9, duodenum 8). Fifty-five patients were icteric (55/79: 70%); 33 of them underwent preoperative biliary decompression (endoscopic procedures 29, percutaneous transhepatic drainage 3, laparotomy and T-tube placement. 1) After biliary drainage, bilirubin levels decreased from 12.4 +/- 1.3 mg/dl at admission to 5.1 +/- 1.1 mg/dl before surgery. Pancreaticoduodenal resection was performed within a mean of 15 +/- 13 days after biliary decompression. Twenty-seven patients had no complications, others developed one or more complications. The postoperative mortality was 5% (4/79). The influence of various clinical, biological and pathological factors on postoperative complications and long-term survival was studied. Neither jaundice nor preoperative biliary drainage had a statistically significant effect on overall morbidity and mortality. However, septic and hemorrhagic complications appeared to be more frequent with preoperative bilirubin levels above 20 mg/dl (0.05 less than P less than 0.1), while all postoperative pancreatic and biliary fistulas occurred in patients with a bilirubin level below 6 mg/dl (P less than 0.01). Biliary fistulas were also more frequent when anastomosis was performed on a non-dilated biliary duct (P less than 0.05). Overall actuarial survival was 58% at 1 year and 26% at 5 years. Node and/or contiguous tissue infiltration significantly decreased long-term survival (P less than 0.001). Seventy-one adenocarcinomas were reviewed and graded following a modified version of Klöppel's pathological classification.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Ampulla of Vater↗

Vasoconstrictive effect of portal blood in isolated dog kidney.

Humoral vasoactive substances coming from portal blood have been considered as a possible cause of renal dysfunction in cirrhotic patients. We have thus investigated the effect of perfusion of portal blood from anesthetized dogs on the isolated kidney functions. Both kidneys of a dog were simultaneously perfused on 2 Nizet's pump oxygenators, one kidney serving as control for the other. Renal blood flow was decreased in kidneys perfused with portal blood, as compared to the paired control kidneys perfused with sus-hepatic blood (group A experiments). Addition of polymyxin B to the portal blood restored the renal blood flow to the control level (group B experiments). No significant changes appeared between experimental and control kidneys for glomerular filtration rate, urine output, sodium and water excretion, renin activity, angiotensin II levels, plasmatic PGE2 levels, in group A as well as in group B. We conclude that portal blood of dogs contains vasoactive substances reducing renal blood flow; their action is mediated neither by the renin-angiotensin system nor by changes in renal PGE2 production. The complete abolition of this effect by Polymyxin suggests that these substances may be endotoxins.

Animals↗