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U Maier

Publications and source records attributed to U Maier.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1996

Cytophotometry in the monitoring of bladder cancer under intravesical chemotherapy.

OBJECTIVE: We evaluated the DNA cytophotometry in 446 bladder washing samples from 64 patients under mitomycin C after superficial bladder cancer during an observation period of up to 5 years. The aim of the study was to identify patients at high risk of recurrence despite chemotherapy-induced atypical, hence noninformative cytology. METHODS: The prognostic value of cytology and ploidy during chemotherapy was compared with regard to recurrence rates and the median time to recurrence. RESULTS: Aneuploidy identified 8 of 10 patients recurring within 12 months out of 17 patients with atypia at first presentation after surgery, whereas no recurrence was seen after atypia and diploid histograms (p = 0.005, mean follow-up period 62 months). Aneuploidy was the most accurate indicator of short-time recurrence (p < 0.001 by multivariate analysis). Follow-up data showed a relative risk of recurrence of 12.7 following histogram shifts towards aneuploidy and of 1.6 for positive shifts in cytology. CONCLUSION: Cytophotometry is superior to cytology in predicting the outcome in patients under chemotherapy for superficial transitional cell cancer of the bladder.

Administration, Intravesical↗
PubMed1996

Validation of a 10-minute dipstick test for serum prostate-specific antigen.

OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to determine the clinical usefulness of a recently developed one-step dipstick test for rapid (10 min) and semiquantitative analysis of serum prostate-specific antigen (PSA). The cutoff value of this semiquantitative dipstick test is 4.0 ng/ml. METHODS: PSA levels of 238 serum samples were simultaneously determined by this dipstick test and by a 'classic' monoclonal antibody based PSA enzyme immunoassay. Interassay variations of the dipstick test were determined by repetitive analyses (n = 10) of three serum pools containing 1, 6, and 15 ng PSA/ml. Recovery studies with graded amounts of PSA were performed in normal sera (n = 5) as well as in those with elevated creatinine (n = 5) and bilirubin (n = 5) levels. RESULTS: A total of 139 serum samples had PSA levels, determined by the enzyme immunoassay, < 4.0 ng/ml; 132 (94.9%) of which were negative with the dipstick test, and 7 (5.1%) were false-positive. Samples with a PSA value < 2.0 ng/ml (n = 102) were correctly recognized in 98.1% of the cases by the dipstick test. Serum samples with a PSA value of 4-10 ng/ml were false-negative in 10 of 41 cases (24.4%), the remaining (75.6%) were true positives. Samples containing PSA levels > or = 10 ng/ml (n = 58) were consistently positive. Hence, the overall concordance rate was 92.9%. Analyses of interassay variation of three pools of sera containing 1, 6, and 15 ng PSA/ml revealed a high reproducibility of this test. Elevated levels of bilirubin and creatinine did not interfere with the dipstick test result. CONCLUSIONS: This semiquantitative one-step PSA test is capable of distinguishing serum PSA levels with a cutoff value of 4.0 ng/ml with an overall concordance rate of 92.9%. Advantages of this test are the cheap, simple, and fast test procedure, the avoidance of any instrumentation, and the fact that the results are available within 10 min.

Bilirubin↗
PubMed1996

Primary metastatic carcinoma of the prostate in younger men: a plea to think over usual therapeutic strategies.

METHOD: The time from first diagnosis of primary multiple metastatic prostate carcinoma until progression and until death in patients less than 60 years old under two different therapeutic regimens was evaluated. RESULTS: In the group with pure androgen deprivation (n = 21), the mean time until progression was 11.3 (6-55) months, the mean survival time being 21.4 (11-75) months. In the group with androgen deprivation plus cytostatic therapy (n = 10), progression was noted after 26.7 (15-77) months with a medium survival time of 26.2 (16-82) months. CONCLUSION: The data argue in favor of changing the usual treatment strategy to combination therapy in "young' patients with primary metastatic prostatic cancer.

Adult↗
PubMed1995

Differential expression of complement receptors on human basophils and mast cells. Evidence for mast cell heterogeneity and CD88/C5aR expression on skin mast cells.

Complement-dependent activation of immune cells is regulated by cell surface membrane receptors. In this study, expression of complement receptors (CR) on human blood basophils (n = 11), tissue mast cells (lung, n = 7; skin, n = 10; uterus, n = 4; tonsil, n = 3; heart, n = 10), and on respective human cell lines (basophil line KU-812, mast cell line HMC-1) was analyzed by the use of mAbs and indirect immunofluorescence. Normal blood basophils and KU-812 cells were found to express C5aR (CD88), membrane cofactor protein (CD46), decay-accelerating factor (CD55), and membrane attack complex inhibitory factor (CD59), as well as the previously recognized CR1 (CD35), CR3 alpha (CD11b), CR4 alpha (CD11c), and CR3/4 beta (CD18). Mast cells from all organs as well as HMC-1 cells expressed CD46, CD55, and CD59, but not CD11b, CD21, or CD35. The C5aR (CD88) was detectable on skin mast cells, a subset (5 to 15%) of cardiac mast cells, and on HMC-1 cells, but not on lung, uterus, or tonsillar mast cells (< 5%). Moreover, double immunoperoxidase staining (tryptase vs C5aR/CD88) revealed in situ expression of C5aR on skin, but not lung mast cells. Recombinant human (rh) C5a, at 10(-10) to 10(-7) M, induced secretion of histamine from basophils (rhC5a, 10(-8) M: 53.4 +/- 3.1% vs control < 5%) and from skin mast cells (rhC5a, 10(-8) M: 25.8 +/- 16.1% vs control < 10% histamine release), but not from other mast cells (rhC5a or control: < 10%, p > 0.05). The rhC5a-induced secretion of histamine from basophils and skin mast cells was inhibited by S5/1, a blocking Ab against CD88 (basophils: 37.2% to 75.1%; skin mast cells: 39.2% to 83.9% inhibition, p < 0.05). Together, this study shows that a) basophils and mast cells express a different profile of complement receptors, b) C5a-dependent mediator release in skin mast cells and basophils is mediated via CD88, and c) mast cells constitute a heterogeneous lineage in terms of expression of the C5a binding site CD88.

Antigens, CD↗
PubMed1995

Differential response of human basophils and mast cells to recombinant chemokines.

Chemokines are proinflammatory peptides regulating the functions of various hematopoietic cells. We have analyzed the effects of seven recombinant human (rh) chemokines (MCAF, RANTES, MIP-1 alpha, MIP-1 beta, IL-8, GRO, and IP-10) on the growth and function of human basophils and mast cells. We found that MCAF, but not RANTES, MIP-1 alpha, MIP-1 beta, IL-8, GRO, or IP-10, causes direct and dose-dependent histamine release from basophils (MCAF, 5 micrograms/ml: 26.9 +/- 3.4%; other chemokines: < 5% of total histamine). An increased (2.1 to 3.5-fold) response to MCAF was obtained when basophils were preincubated with rh interleukin-3 (100 units/ml). Moreover, IL-3-primed basophils became responsive to physiologic concentrations (< 1 microgram/ml) of MCAF, IL-8, and RANTES. None of the chemokines tested was able to induce histamine secretion in mast cells obtained from lung (n = 2), skin (n = 1), uterus (n = 3), or tonsils (n = 3), even when cells had been preincubated with the mast cell agonist SCF. The chemokines also failed to modulate the expression of activation antigens (CD11b/C3biR, CD25/IL-2R beta, CD63, IL-3R alpha, CD117/c-kit) on the mast cell line HMC-1 or the basophil cell line KU-812 and were unable to induce differentiation of basophils or mast cells in culture. Together, our results show that basophils respond to rhIL-8, rhMCAF, and rhRANTES and that, unlike human basophils, human mast cells are unresponsive to recombinant chemokines.

Antigens, CD↗
PubMed1995

The clinical value of urinary cytology: 12 years of experience with 615 patients.

AIMS: To analyse the diagnostic value of cytological examination compared with histological findings in a large series of patients (n = 615) with tumours of the urinary tract epithelium. METHODS: Cytological examinations (n = 785) after bladder washing and exfoliative cytology were retrospectively compared and correlated with histological findings. In addition, 1527 bladder washings were obtained during follow up of patients after transurethral resection of bladder tumours. RESULTS: Cytology in bladder washings (overall diagnostic accuracy 66%) provides considerably more information that exfoliative cytology (overall accuracy 49%). Cytological examinations (n = 1125) in patients with bladder tumours receiving intravesical cytostatic drugs (for example, mitomycin C) yielded suspicious or positive results in 28% of patients, without being confirmed by endoscopy during follow up. CONCLUSION: Our results illustrate two major drawbacks of urinary cytology. First, a high rate of false positive results in patients on intravesical chemotherapy. Second, a high rate of false negative results in highly differentiated carcinomas, stressing the need for additional diagnostic tests such as staining with monoclonal antibodies directed against tumour antigens or assessment of ploidy.

Carcinoma, Transitional Cell↗
PubMed1995

Renal cell carcinoma in acquired renal cystic disease 3 years after successful kidney transplantation. Two case reports and review of the literature.

Acquired renal cystic disease (ARCD) has a prevalence of up to 90% in patients with endstage renal failure and an uncommonly high potential of developing into renal cell carcinoma. After renal transplantation, regression of an established ARCD is possible, suggesting a protective effect of transplantation against tumors in the native kidneys. Two case reports describing hypernephromas in kidneys with ARCD 3 years after successful renal transplantation are presented. One patient died 6 weeks after nephrectomy due to metastatic disease, although there were no metastases at the time of operation. The other patient lives with no evidence of disease since 10 months. This report confirms the need of annual sonography of the native kidneys also in renal transplant patients with consecutive computed tomography scanning of suspicious lesions.

Carcinoma, Renal Cell↗
PubMed1994

Maternal sensitivity as an external organizer for biobehavioral regulation in infancy.

Recent findings from both animal and human research have clearly demonstrated connections between behavioral coping mechanisms and adrenocortical function. The aim of this study was to address the role of maternal sensitivity as an external organizer of psychobiological function in infants during the first year of life. Forty-one infants and their mothers were observed during play at 3, 6, and 9 months of age. Age-specific patterns of relation between maternal sensitivity and infant behavioral organization were found indicating contextual dependence of infant behavior at 3 months and experience-related behavioral function at 9 months. An affect of maternal sensitivity on adrenocortical function during the free play was demonstrated at 3 and 6 months, because an increase in cortisol was most frequently observed in infants of highly insensitive mothers. The findings indicate the importance of maternal behavior for infant biobehavioral organization.

Adrenal Cortex↗
PubMed1994

Andrological findings in young patients under long-term antidepressive therapy with clomipramine.

Serum hormone levels of follicle stimulating hormone (FSH), luteotropic hormone (LH), testosterone (T), prolactin (hPRL), estradiol (E2) and GnRH test were carried out in 11 patients after antidepressive therapy with clomipramine at a dosage of 75 mg/day for 3 months. Nine of these patients agreed with the evaluation of ejaculate parameter. As an age matched control group 15 patients without psychiatric disorders but under urological treatment because of erectile dysfunction were investigated in the same manner, with 11 patients being able to produce an ejaculate for examination. Both groups were closely comparable according to age, percentage of proven fertility and urological status. All spermiograms evaluated in the clomipramine group were pathological, especially with regard to volume, sperm motility and sperm morphology, whereas only 37% in the control group showed pathological findings, approximately the same as that of healthy individuals in this age range. Serum hormone levels as well as the hypothalamic-hypophyseal-gonadal axis proven with the Gn-RH test were in normal range in both groups. According to these results it seems evident that clomipramine does not alter sexual hormone profiles in males or interfere with the hypothalamic-hypophyseal-gonadal axis and has a significant negative effect on ejaculate parameters.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Andrological status before and after liver transplantation.

To determine the impact of liver transplantation on andrological status, we compared the endocrine profiles and spermiograms of 2 cohorts of patients before (9) and after (11) transplantation. Before liver transplantation testosterone (1.1 +/- 0.7 ng/ml) and free testosterone (2.0 +/- 1.6 pg/ml) were pathologically decreased in all 9 cases, and luteinizing hormone was lower (1.8 +/- 1.4 mIU/ml) in 5. Only 3 of 9 patients were able to produce ejaculates before liver transplantation, all of which were azoospermic. After a mean interval of 28 +/- 9 months (range 4 to 34 months) following liver transplantation testosterone (5.3 +/- 1.1 ng/ml), free testosterone (15.3 +/- 5.0 pg/ml) and luteinizing hormone (6.2 +/- 3.7 mIU/ml.) were consistently within the normal range, with a highly statistically significant difference (p < 0.025) from pre-liver transplantation values. Semen analyses after liver transplantation revealed normal density, motility and normal forms in 5 patients, 2 suffered from oligoasthenoteratospermia and 4 were unable to produce an ejaculate for semen analyses. These data demonstrate that the hypothalamic-pituitary-testicular hormone axis and gonadal tissue are capable of resuming normal function after liver transplantation in men with chronic liver failure who suffered from massive andrological dysfunction before transplantation.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Incidence of antisperm antibodies in patients with carcinoma of the testis and in subfertile men with normogonadotropic oligoasthenoteratozoospermia.

The incidence and the clinical relevance of sperm-reactive antibodies in subfertile men and in testicular cancer patients were assessed in a pilot study. The sera of 42 men with normogonadotropic oligoasthenoteratozoospermia (OAT syndrome, n = 20) or carcinoma of the testis after inguinal semicastration (n = 22) were analyzed for agglutinating antisperm antibodies using fluorescein-labeled antiglobulin. In the group with the OAT syndrome, the incidence of sperm-reactive antibodies was only 5%, which is comparable to that in normal fertile men. Although the incidence of 18% in the testicular cancer patients was markedly higher, only 2 of the patients in question had abnormal spermiograms, which in one case could, moreover, be explained by previous radiation therapy. In summary in this small group of patients, serum monitoring for sperm-reactive antibodies appeared to be of limited clinical relevance in patients with the OAT syndrome and in testicular cancer patients.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Prostatic metastasis of a small cell lung cancer in a young male.

The case of a 23-year-old male with a solitary prostatic metastasis of a small cell lung cancer is reported. After diagnosis was established by ultrasound-guided transrectal biopsies and bronchial lavage, the patient received 7 cycles of polychemotherapy according to the AEO protocol. While the pulmonary tumour responded with a dramatic remission, the size of the prostatic metastasis remained unchanged. Subsequent radiotherapy to the prostate and pelvis (59 Gy) did not result in tumour reduction. Shortly thereafter, the patient developed polytopic metastases and died 16 months after diagnosis. Even in a young male, the presence of a prostatic metastasis should be considered as a potential diagnosis if prostate biopsies are positive for a small cell carcinoma.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

[Hypothermia caused by neuroleptics. 2 case reports and review of the literature].

The present paper discusses appearance and course of neuroleptic induced hypothermia of a 36 years old woman suffering from periodic catatonia and a 38 years old seriously mentally handicapped man. Analysis of clinical studies and pharmacological tests with animals about body temperature changes caused by neuroleptics yields that these may lead to hypothermia as well as hyperthermia, depending on individual disposition and dose, which is mainly a result of their effect through dopaminergic neurons of the hypothalamus, which controls thermoregulation, and of their influence on vasomotoric mechanisms of vessels of the skin. Though hyperthermic changes are more hazardous and occur more frequently hypothermia by neuroleptic agents is clinically relevant as shown by the summarizing presentation of previously released case reports: hypothermia is found at neuroleptic medicated healthy volunteers and at psychiatric patients with or without physical illness, at which hypothyreosis and impair of the brain seem to represent special risks.

Administration, Oral↗
PubMed1993

The impact of ejaculation on serum prostate specific antigen.

In a pilot study including 18 patients between 20 and 39 years old serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) was evaluated before as well as 1 and 7 days after ejaculation. In 13 patients who had more than 0 ng./ml. PSA before ejaculation (mean 1.44 ng./ml.) there were statistically significant decreases in serum PSA down to 0.17 ng./ml. and 0.29 ng./ml., respectively (p = 0.0001). These results suggest a physiological relationship between ejaculation and decreased serum PSA levels. Due to the clinical significance of PSA in the diagnosis and monitoring of prostate cancer, further studies are needed including men of risk age and untreated prostate cancer patients.

Adult↗