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Biomedical subjects

P Bourgeois

Publications and source records attributed to P Bourgeois.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources

Estimation of right ventricular ejection fraction by means of 99Tcm-macroaggregates.

A method is described for assessing right ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF) by means of 99Tcm-macroaggregates (MAA). The method consists of performing, in right anterior oblique (RAO) projection, a direct ECG-gated data acquisition over 120 s, as soon as the intravenous administration of the tracer is started. The activity returning to the left heart being negligible, background is limited to the lung activity overlapping the right ventricle. The distribution of lung activity in the gated frames is, however, exactly the same as that in the lung perfusion image, it can therefore be subtracted using static lung scintigraphy acquired directly after the gated study. Considering the count density distributions in the corrected end-diastolic (ED) and end-systolic (ES) frames and the first harmonic phase and amplitude images, ED and ES RV regions of interest (ROIs) are delineated for the calculation of RVEF. It has been shown that using 5 mCi 99Tcm-MAA, the ED count obtained is similar to that usually observed during a 20 mCi 99Tcm first-pass study. Intraobserver variation is acceptable and there is a good correlation between the RVEF calculated by this method and that obtained by means of a steady-state ECG-gated 81Krm technique. As the method presents similar advantages to those offered by 81Krm while using 99Tcm, it constitutes, in our opinion, a good approach for estimating RVEF in routine clinical practice.

Humans↗

[Environmental chemicals: their clinical significance in rheumatology].

Over the past years, various illnesses including features of connective tissue disorders (e.g. systemic sclerosis, systemic lupus erythematosus, mixed connective tissue disease), and rheumatoid arthritis, seemingly related to exposure to environmental materials have been reported. This paper presents some typical case reports and review major environmental associations seen in rheumatology, along with their epidemiology, clinical and laboratory features, possible pathogenesis, prognosis, and potential therapy.

Adult↗

The actual survival rate in systemic lupus erythematosus: study of a 1976 cohort.

The purpose of this study was to establish the actual survival rate of a cohort of 51 patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) all of whom were followed during 12 years from 1976 to 1988 and to evaluate the prognostic significance of the severe complications of the disease. Forty-eight were females. The mean age was 28.5 at onset, 36.2 at diagnosis and 42 at entry; 80% had four or more 1982 ARA criteria at diagnosis and 96% in 1988. Survival rates were: 96% at two years, 86.3% at five years and 74.5% at twelve years. The main cause of death was infection (62%); SLE was directly responsible in only one case. Manifestations considered as severe occurred in almost two-thirds of the cases without any concordance in the time sufficient to recognize different severe forms of the disease.

Adolescent↗

Evaluation from population registry data of health care expenditure during the 6 months after cancer diagnosis.

It is currently estimated in France, that the cost of cancer has risen to $3.8 billion, with an annual growth of 5-10%. This represents approximately 6% of all health expenditure. The data from the Registry of Tumors in the Doubs region have enabled us to make an evaluation of health expenditure, reimbursed by the French Securite Sociale (S.S.), and its distribution in relation to different activities (diagnosis, type of treatment, follow-up, transport), according to cancer site. In 1984, the average cost per patient within the first 6 months of the illness was evaluated at $4,000. The results show major differences for the cancer sites, care facilities and budget items. Diagnosis assessment represents 27% of all expenditure, surgery 37%, radiotherapy, chemotherapy and transport, 11% each. All kinds of expenses are fully reimbursed by the French S.S. and transportation, which at the beginning used to avoid hospitalization, is now used as a comfort system and represents a high cost to the S.S. The different costs for the same illness between private, general public and university hospitals do not reflect a difference in care, but rather different systems of calculating and functioning. Till now there has not been any logical evaluation of care in the French health system.

Data Collection↗

Mechanism of analgesia induced by hypnosis and acupuncture: is there a difference?

Hypnosis and acupuncture can alleviate experimentally induced pain but the mechanism of analgesia remains unclear for both techniques. Experimental pain was induced by cold pressor test (CPT) in 8 male volunteers. Analgesic effect of hypnosis (HA) and acupuncture (AA) was assessed before and after double-blind administration of placebo or naloxone, in a prospective, cross-over study. We found that pain intensity was significantly lower with HA as compared with AA, both with naloxone (P less than 0.001) and placebo (P less than 0.001). Within HA or AA groups, pain scores did not differ significantly when naloxone or placebo was administered. During AA, however, pain scores were similar to control values when naloxone was given (P = 0.05) but decreased significantly with placebo (P less than 0.002). Analog scales for pain intensity and pain relief showed a good correlation (r = 0.94). Plasma levels of beta-endorphins did not change significantly in any combination. Heart rate, peripheral arterial blood pressure and skin conductance were very insensitive indices to assess pain intensity or relief, as well as intensity of acupuncture stimulation or depth of hypnotic trance. We conclude: (1) HA and AA can significantly reduce pain from CPT, and HA is more effective than AA: (2) HA and AA are not primarily mediated by the opiate endorphin system; and (3) plasmatic levels of beta-endorphins are not significantly affected by either HA or AA nor by naloxone or placebo administration.

Acupuncture Analgesia↗

Bone marrow scintigraphy in prostatic carcinomas.

Bone marrow scintigrams (MS) were performed on 73 men with histologically proven prostatic carcinomas. Follow-up data were available in 24 cases. Thirty-six patients had skeletal metastases at the time of the first MS investigation. They were compared with conventional bone scintigrams (BS) as well as clinical, biological, radiological and other follow-up data obtained for the same patients. At the present stage of revision and of follow-up of our patients, MS appeared less sensitive than BS in diagnosing skeletal metastases (94% as against 100% if all abnormal MS and BS presentations are considered as diagnostic or 83% as against 86% if more restrictive analytic criteria were applied). On the other hand, MS showed slightly higher specificity (81% for MS as against 73% for BS) when all abnormal MS and BS presentations are considered as diagnostic. With more restrictive diagnostic criteria, BS remains more specific (100%) than MS (87%). Nevertheless, the likelihood of bone metastasis is low when a normal MS is found in case of dubious BS situations, but high when the MS is pathological. In 11 patients with skeletal metastasis for whom follow-up investigations were available, MS appeared better than (4 cases) or equivalent to (6 cases) BS for evaluating the responses and the ultimate evolution of the disease. Marrow scintigrams are thus a useful tool in cases of dubious BS and for evaluating the response of skeletal metastasis to treatment.

Aged↗

99Tcm-HMPAO-labelled leucocytes for bone marrow scintigraphy and evaluation of skeletal lesions. Comparison with 99Tcm-HSA colloid results.

Bone marrow scintigrams obtained 2-6 h and/or 20-24 h after injection of 99Tcm-HMPAO-labelled leucocytes (LeuSc) in 16 patients (seven males, nine females, average age 57 years, either with benign or malignant haemopathy, or with benign or metastatic skeletal diseases) have been compared to corresponding pictures obtained 20 min after injection of 99Tcm-labelled human serum albumin nanosized colloids (NanSc, performed within a week thereafter). Overall distribution of the colloids and of the labelled leukocytes at the level of the bone marrow appeared to be the same. Fresh vertebral fractures as well as metastatic lesions of the axial skeleton appeared as cold defects in both investigations. Fractures of the ribs as well as one metastatic lesion involving one trochanter could not be identified. Although all seven lesions involving Th9 to L4 could be clearly investigated with LeuSc, only three could be recognized with NanSc. It is concluded that, in patients with cancerous diseases, LeuSc is better than NanSc in demonstrating lesions in the case of dubious conventional osseous scintigrams as well as in the case of neurological or skeletal symptoms at the level of the lumbar and/or low thoracic regions.

Bone Diseases↗

[Occupational exposure to silicon and dermatopolymyositis. 3 cases].

After 5, 16 and 21 years of occupational exposure to silica, 2 men and 1 woman, respectively, were diagnosed as having dermatopolymyositis. Pulmonary impairment was always present and took the form of diffuse interstitial fibrosis in 2 patients, whose lung biopsies revealed high particulate silica contents. The role of silica in the induction of dermatopolymyositis is discussed in light of published information on silica-induced connective tissue diseases.

Adult↗

[Detection of anti-Ro(SS-A) by using immunoimprint. Comparison with double diffusion in agar. Apropos of a series of 63 primary Gougerot-Sjögren syndromes].

Among soluble anti-nuclear antigen auto-antibodies, anti-Ro(SS-A) were, for unknown reasons, difficult to detect by immunoimprint (II). The aim of this study was the development of a method of preparation of Ro(SS-A) antigen enabling greater sensitivity in the detection by II of the corresponding antibodies, then application of this method in a series of 63 cases of primary Sjögren's syndrome in order to study the clinical significance of anti-Ro(SS-A) antibodies. Ro(SS-A) antigen was prepared from human spleen and partially purified on DE-52 resin. The protein extract prepared reacted in II with reference anti-Ro(SS-A) and anti-La(SS-B) antibodies. The series of 63 cases of primary Sjögren's syndrome (57 F, 6M) included 50 of extraglandular primary Sjögren's syndrome and 13 of isolated glandular primary Sjögren's syndrome. Twenty two cases of primary Sjögren's syndrome had anti-Ro(SS-A) (35%). Twenty patients had anti-Ro(SS-A) by II (32%) and 17 by double diffusion in agar (27%) (p = NS). Among 7 discordant sera, 2 were not detected by II. The incidence of anti-Ro did not differ statistically between the extraglandular (40%) and glandular (15%) primary Sjögren's syndrome groups. Patients were divided into two groups according to whether they did (n = 22) or did not (n = 41) produce anti-Ro(SS-A).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Antibodies, Antinuclear↗