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Biomedical subjects

S Eichhorn

Publications and source records attributed to S Eichhorn.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources
PubMed1999

[Expression and localization profile of tenascin in squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck].

Tenascin is a glycoprotein of the extracellular matrix and is mainly expressed in association with a high proliferative and migratory activity. This characteristic has made it a successfully used target molecule in the treatment of glioblastoma. An application of anti-tenascin therapy concept in squamous cell carcinomas of the head and neck (HNSCC) mainly depends on the expression pattern of tenascin in a tumor type. In the present study, we analyzed the messenger (m) RNA and protein expression of tenascin in HNSCC tumors when compared to normal mucosa and determined its cellular localization and correlation with various clinical parameters, including tumor staging. In native tissue tenascin protein was localized in the entire extracellular matrix surrounding the tumor. Normal mucosa showed only a weak and interrupted basement membrane staining. In situ hybridization revealed a very faint tenascin mRNA signal in basal cells of normal mucosa and a strong signal in tumor cells. This tumor cell-specific expression of tenascin was confirmed at the protein level in HNSCC cultures. However, there was no correlation of tenascin expression with tumor staging or tumor cell proliferation. Our data clearly show that tenascin is selectively expressed in HNSCC and therefore could be useful for a therapeutic intervention in these tumors.

Carcinoma, Squamous Cell↗
PubMed1998

Association of prognosis in surgically treated lung cancer patients with cytometric, histometric and ligand histochemical properties: with an emphasis on structural entropy.

OBJECTIVE: To explore new tumor features for refined category formation that permits the tailoring of individualized treatment schemes in lung cancer. STUDY DESIGN: Survival data on patients from six independent studies on cases with surgically treated lung cancer, primary lung carcinoids or metastasizing breast carcinoma (including data on primary breast carcinoma) were analyzed by nonhierarchic multivariant discriminant analysis with respect to a set of cytometric/histometric and immunohistochemical/ligand histochemical parameters. The number of stem lines, S-phase-related tumor cell fraction and the extent of structural entropy and its current were measured. In addition, the expression of binding capacities for histo-blood group trisacharides, galectins, the alpha/beta-interferon antagonist sarcolectin, the lymphokine macrophage migration inhibitory factor and a monoclonal antibody to the Le(y) epitope was monitored for insight into aspects of immunologic and biologic behavior. RESULTS: In all studies, a correlation between tumor parameters, according to TNM stage and survival, was seen. In order to refine this category formation, at least certain selected features should provide an even more stringent association than TNM stages. Indeed, statistical correlation of the cytometric and histometric parameters as well as the expression of receptors for the two histo-blood group trisaccharides, ligands for the galectins (CL-16, CL-14) and macrophage migration inhibitory factor was stronger than that of TNM stage. A large amount of the current of structural entropy was especially highly significantly associated with poor survival. This observation could be verified in each of the different studies. CONCLUSION: The obtained data strongly support the notion that thermodynamic evaluation of tumor growth focusing on the "entropy distance" of the tumor from its environment is a promising perspective warranting extended studies. Additionally, glycohistochemical features, including binding capacities for histo-blood group trisaccharides, have the potential to aid in establishment of a biologic marker set for tumor staging.

Biomarkers, Tumor↗
PubMed1996

Application of attributed graphs in diagnostic pathology.

OBJECTIVE: To compute attributed graphs based upon calculation of the minimum spanning tree (MST) for various applications in diagnostic lung pathology. STUDY DESIGN: The study design included assistance in histologic diagnosis, confirmation of the diagnosis in single cases, measurement of texture alterations after induction chemotherapy, estimation of prognosis of operated-on lung cancer patients and analysis of lung cancer cells in association with differentiation markers. The histologic slides were Feulgen stained, and features of the integrated optical density (IOD) were associated with the nodes of the MST. The same procedure was applied to immunohistochemically and ligand histochemically stained slides by calculation of the mean staining intensity of the cytoplasm of tumor cells. A measure for structural entropy was introduced by computing the relative differences in distance and IOD between neighboring tumor cells in a 1/r2 field of force. In addition, the current of entropy was computed. RESULTS: Structural entropy reflects alterations in regular textures; the current of entropy is an especially good prognostic parameter in lung cancer. In immunochemistry and ligand histochemistry, construction of the attributed MST permits detailed insight into locally different staining behavior of tumor cells and immunocompetent cells. CONCLUSION: Attributed graphs contain important information that can be used for the estimation of survival or for confirmation of diagnostic entities, such as tumor cell types.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1995

Expression of lectin, interleukin-2 and histopathologic blood group binding sites in prostate cancer and its correlation with integrated optical density and syntactic structure analysis.

The binding of several biotinylated biologic probes was determined in sections of 20 surgical specimens of prostate cancer and of 21 biopsy specimens of hyperplastic prostate. Whereas neither the immunomodulatory, galactoside-specific lectin from Viscum album nor the human beta-galactoside-specific lectin (M(r) 14 kd) or its specific antibody discerned any remarkable differences, the lectin from Urtica dioica (UDA) and interleukin-2, the in vitro production of which is enhanced by this lectin, exhibited obvious preference for hyperplastic cells. In addition, the presence of binding sites for chemically synthesized blood group determinants was tested. Carcinoma cases revealed a higher percentage of binding of synthetic blood group trisaccharide H than hyperplasia cases. Due to these differences, diverse parameters, derived from measurement of integrated optical density (IOD) and from syntactic structure analysis, were correlated with the extent of binding of these biologic probes for the tumor cases. Primarily, parameters that are related to computation of a minimum spanning tree were significantly different in positive and negative cases for both UDA and interleukin-2. For the binding of blood group trisaccharide H the 5C exceeding rate, the 2CV deviation index and the distance of neighboring tumor cells with an IOD > 5 were clearly dissimilar. Our results thus suggest an extension of the panel of biologic probes for prostate cancer and substantiate the usefulness of correlations of binding of selected biologic probes to features derived from the assessment of IOD and syntactic structure analysis.

Adenocarcinoma↗
PubMed1993

The consumer survey review process: a pathway to quality.

This paper describes the consumer survey review process (CSRP), a vehicle for continuous improvement of patient care quality at The Mount Sinai Hospital in New York City. Following a historical sketch of the events which led to its establishment at Mount Sinai, we then describe the instrument used to elicit patients' rating of service delivery, the Consumer Survey, and show how it meets the changing requirements of those who use it. Next, we explain the role and functioning of the management group that most directly translates the patient satisfaction data into action, the Consumer Survey Review Group. Finally, we discuss implications of Mount Sinai's consumer survey review process for managing quality in health care.

Data Collection↗
PubMed1987

Abnormal seasonality of schizophrenic births. A specific finding?

The unusual finding of an abnormal seasonal distribution of schizophrenic births, showing an excess of 10% in the winter or spring months and an equal deficit in the summer or autumn months, cannot be explained by artefacts. It has not yet been established whether the finding is specific to schizophrenia. We observed an excess of schizophrenic births of some 10% in March to May, significant at the 5% level, and a deficit of approximately the same size in June to August on the birth data of first-admission patients with the clinical diagnosis of schizophrenia. The data, obtained from the Mannheim Psychiatric Case Register, were compared with those of the Mannheim population and a control group matched by birth year and sex. The total population of mentally retarded children aged 7 to 16 years from the Mannheim population showed an excess of some 20% in April to June and an equal deficit in the last two quarters of the year, compared with the Mannheim population of the same birth years. The finding was not significant, but allowance must be made for the low case number of 415. We also compared 3409 first-admission patients with depressive syndromes (ICD 296 and 300.4) and 5615 first-admission patients with the diagnosis of "neurosis and personality disorders" (ICD 300-302, except 300.4, and 305-309) from the Mannheim Case Register with a control population and a parallel control group. Depressed males showed an excess of births in March to May, which was significant at the 1% level; the birth peak for females was smaller and not significant. The same findings were obtained for the category of neurosis and personality disorders, i.e. an excess of about 10% in March to May for males, significant at the 1% level, and a non-significant excess for females. Our findings are awaiting replication. Causal explanations will be discussed with great reservation. The procreational hypothesis, assuming those factors that lead to an equidirectional seasonal pattern of births with a slight deviation from the average of a year in the general population, to be reinforced in the disease categories mentioned, is regarded as the most simple and plausible explanation. It is based on the assumption that some of the parents of individuals suffering from schizophrenia, mental retardation or probably also some other mental disorders running from generation to generation, have a higher threshold in partner-seeking behaviour, which is overcome more easily in the summer months with the consequence of increased pregnancies.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1987

Hospital employee-patient relations: a program for enhancing patient well-being.

Hospital service employees are often untrained for the human relations aspects of their jobs. Yet, workers who clean patient rooms, deliver meals, provide escort services, make room repairs, and the like can make a critical difference in the quality of patients' hospital experiences. The Patient Service Ethic Program helps such employees identify typical patient concerns during the course of hospitalization and guides them in ways to respond appropriately to those concerns. At a large teaching hospital where this program has been implemented, employees have responded positively to the caregiver role, and managers have used the program as a catalyst for constructive change.

Consumer Behavior↗