Adjuvant capecitabine is at least as effective as fluorouracil plus leucovorin for survival in people with resected stage III colon cancer.
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Biomedical subjects
Publications and source records attributed to T Sauerbruch.
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HISTORY AND CLINICAL FINDINGS: A 61-year-old man with dyspnea and diffuse abdominal pain due to increasing ascites caused by liver cirrhosis of unknown etiology was admitted for consideration of transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic stent-shunting (TIPSS). The patient's medical history included paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria (PNH), presenting as slight hemolysis diagnosed 24 years previously. One year before the patient underwent radical retropubic prostatectomy for a localized prostate cancer. Shortly after this intervention he developed ascites. INVESTIGATIONS: Color Doppler ultrasonography revealed an abnormal flow in the major hepatic veins. Transjugular liver biopsy indicated hepatic a circulatory disorder. Hepatic venography revealed the so-called "spider web" pattern characteristic for the Budd-Chiari syndrome. The hypercoagulable state due to paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria was accentuated by manipulation on the prostate during prostatectomy and presumably resulted in a thrombotic obstruction of the hepatic veins. TREATMENT AND CLINICAL COURSE: After exclusion of contraindications a transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic stent shunt (TIPSS) was performed, which led to a decrease of portal pressure. Signs of portal hypertension such as esophageal varices and ascites resolved completely. The patient has been free of complaints for one year. CONCLUSION: We assume that a hypercoagulopathy due to asymptomatic paroxysmal nocturnal hemoglobinuria resulted in Budd-Chiari syndrome when boosted by postoperative release of procoagulation factors in the thrombokinase-rich prostate. TIPSS is a therapeutic option in these patients.
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The prognosis of metastatic colorectal cancer is still poor, raising the need for alternative therapeutic approaches, particularly by manipulating the antitumour immune response. Advanced tumour stages, however, are frequently accompanied by functional T cell defects which may be critical for a T cell based anticancer immunotherapy. The aim of this study was to address whether T cells from colorectal cancer patients with advanced tumour stages can be specifically antigen activated against their autologous tumour cells. METHODS: T cells were isolated from colorectal cancer patients and retrovirally transduced to express a recombinant immunoreceptor that has an extracellular binding domain for carcinoembryonic antigen (CEA) and an intracellular CD3zeta signalling domain with and without CD28 costimulation for T cell activation. RESULTS: Peripheral blood T cells from colorectal cancer patients were successfully engineered to express the anti-CEA immunoreceptor on the cell surface. On coincubation with autologous CEA(+) tumour cells, T cells with anti-CEA immunoreceptor are specifically activated to secrete interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) and to lyse autologous tumour cells whereas T cells without immunoreceptor are not. T cells equipped with combined CD3zeta-CD28 signalling receptor are more efficiently activated to secrete IFN-gamma compared with T cells with CD3zeta signalling receptor. Induction of interleukin 2 secretion on targeting towards autologous tumour cells requires triggering of T cells by the CD3zeta-CD28 costimulatory receptor. CONCLUSIONS: T cells from advanced colorectal cancer patients can be tumour specifically activated with high efficiency by engraftment with a combined CD3zeta-CD28 immunoreceptor to break tolerance against autologous tumour cells.
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OBJECTIVE: To assess characteristics and outcome of emergency patients with acute malaria. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We retrospectively assessed the clinical and laboratory parameters of 137 consecutive patients (87 males, 50 females; median age 37 years, range 17 - 67 years) presenting with acute malaria to our tertiary care center between 1992 and 2002. RESULTS: Falciparum malaria was diagnosed in 116/137 and tertian malaria in 19/137 patients; a single patient was infected with both parasites while in another case the type of parasite remained unclear. Infections were acquired in Africa (121), Asia , and in the Americas . One traveler visited multiple continents. Only 36 % (50/137) of patients had used malaria chemoprophylaxis. 128/137 patients were treated as in-patients; 22 of these had to be treated on an intensive care unit. According to the criteria of the German Society of Tropical Medicine, 44/137 (32 %; 95 % confidence interval (CI): 25 - 40 %) patients suffered from complicated malaria. The overall mortality rate was 2/137 (1.5 %; 95 % CI: 0,4 - 5.2 %); the mortality rate of complicated malaria tropica was 2/44 (4,5 %; 95 % CI 1,3 - 15 %). Patients with complicated malaria were significantly older than those with uncomplicated malaria. Median length of hospital stay was 4 days in uncomplicated and 9 days in complicated cases. Based on costs of EUR 2500 per case, an attack rate of > 3 % in East African travelers and a cost of EUR 55 for a chemoprophylaxis with mefloquine, chemoprophylaxis is cost-effective. CONCLUSION: In our retrospective analysis, complicated malaria tropica was associated with older age. Although malaria causes considerable morbidity, the overall mortality from severe malaria is low. Reinforcement of chemoprophylaxis especially in travelers to Africa could reduce malaria cases and is cost-effective.
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Colorectal cancer (CRC) is one of the most common causes of cancer mortality in Western countries. Approximately six percent of the population will develop colorectal cancer during life. Individuals older than 50 years or with a family history for colorectal tumors as well as patients with an inflammatory bowel disease have an increased risk for CRC. A significant reduction of colorectal cancer mortality can be achieved by screening of asymptomatic patients and removal of premalignant adenomatous polyp precursors. Colonoscopy is recognized as the gold standard, but in future virtual colonoscopy might be a reasonable addition. Asymptomatic individuals with an average risk for CRC should be screened from the age of 50 and then every 10 years if the examination showed no pathological findings. When the individual or family history indicate a higher risk for a colorectal neoplasia, screening should begin at the age of 40 or 10 years before the earliest tumor occurrence in the family. Families with hereditary CRC require a special surveillance.
INTRODUCTION: Epidemiological data of colorectal cancer are sparse and often incomplete. Therefore, we initiated a population-based examination of five-year survival of colorectal cancer patients. METHODS: For complete registration, diagnosis and tumour stage of all patients in the region of Bonn/Rhine-Sieg were assessed independently according to reports of medical practitioners and pathologists. Each patient was followed by a standardised questionnaire during a period of five years. RESULTS: Between June and November, 1994 348 patients were registered. Median age at diagnosis was 69 years for males (n = 160) and 72 years for females (n = 188). According to the UICC classification 18, 26, 23 and 26 % had stage I-IV tumours, respectively; the tumour stage remained unclear in 7 %. Adjuvant (radio)-chemotherapy was indicated in 89 patients, but only 49 % of these were treated. Five-year overall survival (OS) and relative overall survival were 41 and 54 %, respectively. Although disease-free survival (DFS) was significantly better for early stage colorectal cancer, OS did not differ significantly between stage I and stage III tumours. Young patients diagnosed before the age of 50 had a significantly lower DFS. These data were comparable with other European countries but were lower than data reported in the USA. DISCUSSION: The high rate of patients with stage IV colorectal cancer and the low proportion of patients receiving adjuvant (radio)-chemotherapy according to international or national consensus recommendations were disappointing. Although data were comparable with other European countries more efforts are necessary to establish effective screening programs for asymptomatic patients and to increase the willingness for standardised adjuvant treatment.
There are three major goals in the prophylaxis and treatment of upper gastrointestinal bleeding in portal hypertensive patients: prophylaxis of the first bleeding episode, therapy of active bleeding and prophylaxis of recurrent bleeding. Several therapeutic options are available: non-selective beta-blockers are the treatment of choice in the primary prophylaxis of the first bleeding episode in patients with large esophageal varices. Alternatively, endoscopic band ligation therapy is an option. Acute bleeding varices should be treated by ligation pharmacological and antibiotic therapy. Prophylaxis of recurrent bleeding is patient-dependent: shunt surgery is an option in young patients in a good medical condition (Child-Pugh class A). In patients with refractory ascites and a bilirubin below 3 mg/dl, TIPS is a good option together with recurrent bleeding. At the moment, there are no trials showing that endoscopic ligation therapy is superior to prevent pharmacological therapy. Nevertheless, the first-line treatment in most patients in Germany is endoscopic band ligation. Bleeding from ectopic varices and bleeding from hypertensive gastropathy should be treated individually either by endoscopy, TIPS or drug therapy.
Acute hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection is a global cause of acute hepatitis. However, chronic HAV infection is unlikely. Nevertheless, there is some evidence that acute infection with HAV may trigger chronic active hepatitis which fulfils the criteria of autoimmune hepatitis (AIH). Whether AIH following HAV infection is virus specific remains unclear. Despite evidence that inherited factors may play a role in the development of autoimmunity after viral infection, the pathomechanism remains unclear. We describe a 75-year-old woman with a history of pulmonary sarcoidosis who developed AIH after acute HAV infection.
INTRODUCTION: Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (atypical p-ANCA) are detected at high prevalence in sera from patients with autoimmune hepatitis (AIH), but their diagnostic relevance for AIH has not been systematically evaluated so far. METHODS: Here, we studied sera from 357 patients with autoimmune (autoimmune hepatitis n=175, primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) n=35, primary biliary cirrhosis n=45), non-autoimmune chronic liver disease (alcoholic liver cirrhosis n=62; chronic hepatitis C virus infection (HCV) n=21) or healthy controls (n=19) for the presence of various non-organ specific autoantibodies. Atypical p-ANCA, antinuclear antibodies (ANA), antibodies against smooth muscles (SMA), antibodies against liver/kidney microsomes (anti-Lkm1) and antimitochondrial antibodies (AMA) were detected by indirect immunofluorescence microscopy, antibodies against the M2 antigen (anti-M2), antibodies against soluble liver antigen (anti-SLA/LP) and anti-Lkm1 by using enzyme linked immunosorbent assays. To define the diagnostic precision of the autoantibodies, results of autoantibody testing were analyzed by receiver operating characteristics (ROC) and forward conditional logistic regression analysis. RESULTS: Atypical p-ANCA were detected at high prevalence in sera from patients with AIH (81%) and PSC (94%). ROC- and logistic regression analysis revealed atypical p-ANCA and SMA, but not ANA as significant diagnostic seromarkers for AIH (atypical p-ANCA: AUC 0.754+/-0.026, odds ratio [OR] 3.4; SMA: 0.652+/-0.028, OR 4.1). Atypical p-ANCA also emerged as the only diagnostically relevant seromarker for PSC (AUC 0.690+/-0.04, OR 3.4). None of the tested antibodies yielded a significant diagnostic accuracy for patients with alcoholic liver cirrhosis, HCV or healthy controls. CONCLUSIONS: Atypical p-ANCA along with SMA represent a seromarker with high diagnostic accuracy for AIH and should be explicitly considered in a revised version of the diagnostic score for AIH.
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BACKGROUND: Gastroduodenal motorfunction, gallbladder motility, and pancreatic secretion are closely related during the interdigestive state. The extent to which application of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDC) influences this process is only partly understood. AIM: As UDC is widely used for the therapy of gallbladder stones and of cholestatic liver disease, we wanted to define the immediate effect of UDC on interdigestive gallbladder and antroduodenal motility, biliary-pancreatic secretion and hormone release in man. METHODS: Interdigestive gastrointestinal function in 10 healthy males (26-35 years) was studied twice after 12-hour fasting on 2 different days. Antroduodenal motility was continuously recorded manometrically over a complete interdigestive migrating motor complex (MMC) cycle. Gallbladder volume was evaluated sonographically in 5- to 7-min intervals during the MMC cycle. Pancreatic and biliary secretion was determined by a standard duodenal perfusion technique measuring chymotrypsin, amylase, lipase and bile salts in duodenal aspirates every 15 min. Plasma levels of pancreatic polypeptide (PP) and motilin were determined by radioimmunoassay in 15-min intervals. On 2 separate days, 7-10 days apart, each subject received intraduodenally either 10 mg/kg UDC (pH 8) or placebo 30 min after the first recorded duodenal MMC cycle phase III. RESULTS: With placebo, the fasting gallbladder volume decreased slightly from phase I (32 +/- 8 ml) to the end of phase II (24 +/- 13 ml), but increased significantly from 31 +/- 14 ml (phase I) to 46 +/- 11 ml (phase III) after intraduodenal UDC application (p < 0.01). Pancreatic secretion was significantly reduced after UDC application at the end of phase II (secretion of chymotrypsin 10 +/- 3 U/min vs. 5 +/- 2 U/min, p < 0.01). Serum levels of PP were also reduced by UDC during the entire MMC cycle. This reached statistical significance at the end of phase II (84 +/- 8 pg/ml vs. 57 +/- 14 pg/ml; p < 0.05) and during phase III (86 +/- 19 pg/ml vs. 64 +/- 22 pg/ml; p < 0.05), while motilin slightly increased during the MMC cycle after UDC application. UDC instillation did not affect antroduodenal motility. CONCLUSION: UDC exerts significant inhibitory effects on interdigestive gallbladder contractility, pancreatic secretion, and PP release. Whether these inhibitory effects are mediated by cholinergic pathways or other mechanisms requires further investigation.
BACKGROUND AND AIMS: The adenomatous polyposis coli (APC) protein plays a crucial role in the regulation of beta-catenin, which is linked to the cell adhesion molecule E-cadherin. Furthermore, beta-catenin and cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2) are both involved in the activation of nuclear transcription factors inducing cell proliferation. Germline mutations in the APC gene are the cause of familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP). To characterise the expression pattern of these proteins in FAP in comparison with sporadic adenomas, we studied 18 FAP-associated adenomas, 16 sporadic adenomas and seven normal colonic controls. METHODS: E-cadherin, beta-catenin, COX-2 expression and the proliferative index (Ki67) were assessed by immunohistochemistry (index of expressing cells / total number of cells) in adenomatous mucosa, adjacent non-neoplastic tissue and normal colonic controls. RESULTS: E-cadherin expression was significantly and homogeneously reduced in FAP adenomas (24%; 95%CI 16-32; sporadic adenomas 61%; 38-84; normal controls 98%; 96-100). Membraneous beta-catenin expression was significantly reduced in both FAP (30%; 11-49) and sporadic (42%; 19-65) adenomas (normal controls 96%; 88-104), whereas marked nuclear staining occurred in sporadic, but not in FAP adenomas. Stromal COX-2 expression and the proliferative index were increased only in sporadic adenomas (sporadic adenomas: COX-2 12%; 7-17, Ki67 24%; 15-33, FAP adenomas: COX-2 8%; 5-11, Ki67 5%; 2-9, normal controls: COX-2 4%; 2-7, Ki67 6%; 1-11). CONCLUSION: Proteins involved in cell adhesion and cell proliferation, especially E-cadherin, are expressed differently in FAP and sporadic adenoma, pointing to possible differences in the molecular pathways to adenoma.
Intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (ICP) is characterized by the occurrence of pruritus mostly in the third trimenon. Diagnosis is based on the presence of pruritus and elevated levels of serum bile acids in the absence of pruritic skin diseases. There is strong evidence of a genetic predisposition for ICP. Numerous studies have investigated the association of known cholestasis genes such as ABCB4 (also designated MDR3), ABCB11 ( BSEP) and ATP8B1 ( FIC1) with ICP. The results of these studies implicate a heterogeneous etiology of this syndrome. ICP increases the risk of preterm delivery and fetal loss. Furthermore, intense pruritus may necessitate premature induction of labor with its known higher frequency of complications for mother and child. Therefore, ICP pregnancies should be managed as high-risk pregnancies. Pharmaceuticals to alleviate pruritus or improve cholestasis like antihistamines, phenobarbital, anion exchange resins, dexamethasone or S-adenosylmethionine are not widely accepted because of questionable efficacy or side effects. Recent randomized studies have shown beneficial effects of ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) on laboratory data and pruritus in patients with ICP. Improved knowledge about the diagnostic classification of different types and pathophysiological mechanisms of ICP may allow for a more targeted treatment of this disease in future.
Rudolf Schindler was born in Berlin and achieved his international reputation with the textbook "Lehrbuch und Atlas der Gastroskopie", written in Munich. This was the first book containing excellent endoscopic pictures. He was the first to report on more than four hundred gastroscopies performed without complications. 1928 to 1932, he developed the first semi-flexible gastroscope together with the technical designer Georg Wolf from Berlin. This became the lasting standard for about twenty-five years. In 1934, Schindler emigrated to Chicago after being released as a Nazi prisoner. In 1937, he was awarded the gold medal for his research on gastritis by the American Medical Association. He became the leading person among American gastroscopists for many years and, in 1941, the first president of the American Gastroscopic Club. After 1943 he moved to California to work and live. He also received awards from the American Societies for Gastroscopy and Gastrointestinal Endoscopy in 1953 and 1962. He spent his last years in Munich. His honorary titles of father, architect or super salesman of gastroscopy describe the spectrum of his personality. He was an endoscopist with outstanding technical and diagnostic skills and knew particularly how to deal with patients, how to develop endoscopes as well as being a highly qualified teacher, author and scientist. He also had many hobbies, in particular playing and conducting music perfectly.
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BACKGROUND AND STUDY AIMS: We have conducted a study to compare the diagnostic yields of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and capsule endoscopy for the detection of small-bowel polyps in patients with inherited polyposis syndromes. PATIENTS AND METHODS: MRI was performed in 20 patients, with either Peutz-Jeghers' syndrome (PJS; n = 4) or familial adenomatous polyposis (FAP; n = 16), and capsule endoscopy was done the next day. The number, size, and location of polyps were analyzed. RESULTS: Overall, 448 polyps ranging from about 1 mm to 30 mm in size were detected in eight patients by capsule endoscopy, whereas with MRI only 24 polyps all bigger than 5 mm could be seen in the four PJS patients. CONCLUSIONS: Polyps bigger than 15 mm were detected similarly with capsule endoscopy and MRI, whereas smaller polyps were seen much more often with capsule endoscopy. Polyps smaller than 5 mm were exclusively seen with capsule endoscopy. However, location of the detected polyps and determination of their exact sizes was more accurate by MRI.