Biomedical subjects

W Aulitzky

Publications and source records attributed to W Aulitzky.

61 records · Page 4Linked to original sources

PubMed1985

The value of urinary neopterin as an immunological parameter in patients with malignant tumors of the genitourinary tract.

In 153 patients with verified neoplasias of the genitourinary tract, urinary neopterin excretion was monitored under different conditions. As control, urinary neopterin values were taken from 208 male and 209 female volunteers. Neopterin excretion was measured by high performance liquid chromatography. Patients with early tumor stages, both with bladder tumor and carcinoma of the prostate, presented almost normal urinary neopterin levels. The difference of urinary neopterin excretion between low and high stages in bladder tumor (T0-1 versus T2-4) as well in carcinoma of the prostate (stage A-B versus stage C-D) is highly significant (p less than 0.001). In the group of patients with renal cell carcinoma we could not find any correlation between tumor stage and neopterin excretion. The basal urinary neopterin values in patients with testicle tumors were as follows: 1 of 6 patients stage-I seminomatous tumors and 2 of 4 patients with stage-I non-seminomatous tumors demonstrated elevated neopterin levels. In the higher stages all patients, in both groups, exhibited pathologically increased neopterin excretion. During therapy and follow-up: all 24 stage-I (seminomatous and non-seminomatous tumors) patients showed normal neopterin levels: 1 of 3 stage-II (non-seminomatous tumors) patients and all 5 stage-IV (seminomatous and non-seminomatous tumors) patients had elevated urinary neopterin excretion. Our experience suggests that neopterin measurements may supplement laboratory examinations in patients with malignant tumor diseases of the genitourinary tract, providing meaningful information in regard to early detection of tumor progression, tumor recurrence and follow-up.

Adolescent↗

PubMed1985

[Results of a phase II study on the treatment of hairy cell leukemias with various doses of alpha-2-recombinant interferon].

Hairy-cell leukemia has been shown to be extraordinary sensitive to treatment with alpha-interferon. In order to define clinically effective interferon doses associated with minimal toxicity two different dose regimens were applied in this clinical trial: firstly, a conventional dose schedule, and secondly, a biologically defined dose regimen. For dose finding in the latter group, neopterin, a GTP degradation product produced by macrophages under control of interferon, was chosen. Six patients (Group A) received conventional doses of recombinant interferon--alpha-2 (rIFN-alpha-2) 3 X 10(6) U/sqm/daily by the subcutaneous route. Five patients (Group B) were treated with the minimal dose of rIFN-alpha-2 which had previously been shown to induce maximum neopterin levels in urine. Already interferon doses in the range of 3 to 5 X 10(5) U/sqm2/daily administered subcutaneously proved to be sufficient for triggering maximum neopterin excretion in the urine. After six months of interferon treatment all patients were evaluable. At this time both doses regimens proved to be effective in terms of their anti-leukemic activity, but differed significantly in toxicity, which was only seen in Group A patients.

Adult↗

PubMed1984

The circadian rhythms of serum prolactin in nurses working on a night shift.

The diurnal rhythm of serum prolactin levels was investigated in five night-workers (night nurses). Maximal values were found during the day time sleep period. Besides this shift from night to day time, disturbances of the secretion pattern (i.e., 2 prolactin peaks, increased differences between maximal and minimal values) were observed in most cases. The abnormal prolactin rhythm remained constant throughout the night shift period in all but one case.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Outcome of peripheral blood stem cell mobilization in advanced phases of CML is dependent on the type of chemotherapy applied.

High-dose chemotherapy with autologous transplantation of in vivo purged PBSC is a novel investigational approach to treating chronic myelogenous leukemia (CML) patients not responsive to conventional therapy with interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) and not eligible for allogeneic transplantation. PBSC mobilization using either '5+2/7+3'-type chemotherapy or 'mini-ICE/ ICE' chemotherapy was investigated in 43 patients with advanced phases of Philadelphia (Ph)-positive CML. Thirty patients were in late chronic phase (>12 months post diagnosis) and 13 patients in accelerated phase (AP) or blast crisis (BC). Contamination with Ph-positive cells was evaluated in harvests from 37/43 patients. The outcome of PBSC mobilization was dependent on the type of chemotherapy administered: a complete or major cytogenetic response (<35% Ph-positive metaphases) in leukapheresis collections was obtained in ten of 15 patients treated with 'mini-ICE/ICE' but in only three of 28 patients treated with '5 + 2/7 + 3' chemotherapy. One patient (1/43) in blast crisis died during mobilization therapy (2%). Twenty-five patients underwent PBSC transplantation and all of them engrafted successfully. Transplantation-related mortality was 0%. The data show that in advanced phases of CML the chance of harvesting Ph-negative peripheral blood stem cells depends on the type of chemotherapy used for mobilization.

Adult↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Effect of human gamma interferon on mice testis: a quantitative analysis of the spermatogenic cells.

Effect of Human Gamma Interferon (Hu-IFN-gamma) on the testicular histology was studied in mice. Male mice were administered Hu-IFN-gamma intratesticularly at the doses of 2, 10 and 20 micrograms/testis in a volume of 1.0 microliter isotonic normal saline. Contralateral testis served as control and was administered same amount of vehicle. All the animals were sacrificed 7 days after drug administration. Body weight and the weights of testis and epididymis were not affected by IFN treatment nor was there any effect of the drug on the motility of the vas deferens spermatozoa. Low dose of IFN (2 micrograms) did not have significant effect on the histoarchitecture of the testis and various spermatogenic elements, a progressive damage was however observed with the increasing doses of IFN. Pronounced deleterious effect of IFN on the testis leading to desquamation of the germinal epithelium, reduction in the germinal cell height and tubular diameter was observed with 20 micrograms dose. Quantitative studies on seminiferous epithelium showed a significant decrease in the number of Sertoli cells, stage-7 spermatids and stage-16 spermatozoa. The ratios of resting type spermatocyte: type A spermatogonia and stage-7 spermatids: pachytene spermatocyte was also reduced. The ratios of pachytene spermatocyte: resting spermatocyte and stage-16 spermatozoa: stage-7 spermatids were however not affected by IFN treatment. In another experiment IFN was administered (2 micrograms/day) subcutaneously to male mice for 30 days. No effect of drug treatment on body weight, organ weight, sperm motility and histology (including morphometry) of the testis was observed. Our data suggest that IFN action at testis may be associated with the antiproliferative effect of interferon.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Bioassay for determination of human serum luteinizing hormone (LH): a routine clinical method.

Serum levels of LH are used as marker of a number of pathological conditions. In the past many methods (RIA, IRMA, ELISA) have been employed to measure serum LH, these procedures, however, suffer from the drawback that they determine the immuno reactive and not the bioactive part of the hormone. An improved in vitro bioassay method for the estimation of serum LH has been described. The underlying mechanism of the assay is testosterone production by mouse Leydig cells in the presence of added LH. The method has been significantly improved in terms of sensitivity (0.2 IU/l) and simplicity; the assay is simple and does not require any special instruments and can be set up in any endocrinological laboratory.

Animals↗

PubMedDate not supplied

Effect on human gamma interferon on mice testis: a quantitative analysis of the spermatogenic cells.

Effect of Human Gamma Interferon (Hu-IFN-gamma) on the testicular histology was studied in mice. Male mice were administered Hu-IFN-gamma intratesticularly at the doses of 2, 10 and 20 micrograms/testis in a volume of 1.0 microliter isotonic normal saline. Contralateral testis served as control and was administered same amount of vehicle. All the animals were sacrificed 7 days after drug administration. Body weight and the weights of testis and epididymis were not affected by IFN treatment nor was there any effect of the drug on the motility of the vas deferens spermatozoa. Low dose of IFN (3 mukg) did not have significant effect on the histoarchitecture of the testes and various spermatogenic elements, a progressive damage was however observed with the increasing doses of IFN. Pronounced deleterious effect of IFN on the testis leading to desquamation of the germinal epithelium, reduction in the germinal cell height and tubular diameter was observed with 20 micrograms dose. Quantitative studies on seminiferous epithelium showed a significant decrease in the number of Sertoli cells, stage-7 spermatids and stage-16 spermatozoa. The ratios of resting type spermatocyte: type A spermatogonia and stage-7 spermatids: pachytene spermatocyte was also reduced. The ratios of pachytene spermatocyte: resting spermatocyte and stage-16 spermatozoa: stage-7 spermatids were however not affected by IFN treatment. In another experiment IFN was administered (2 micrograms/day) subcutaneously to male mice for 30 days. No effect of drug treatment on body weight, organ weight, sperm motility and histology (including morphometry) of the testis was observed. Our data suggest that IFN action at testis may be associated with the antiproliferative effect of interferon.

Animals↗