Melricflash/CW_MedAbstractsAlt huggingface dataset:
Response rates in relapsed Wilms' tumor. A need for new effective agents. Three hundred eighty-one children with Wilms' tumor were treated in the United Kingdom Children's Cancer Study Group WT1 Study (1982 to 1986). Seventy-one patients had relapses during or after treatment with surgery and chemotherapy, and radiation therapy, depending on stage and histologic characteristics. Forty-nine patients were evaluable for disease response to second-line chemotherapy alone. Evaluation of response to chemotherapy was impossible in the remaining patients because either surgery or radiation therapy was used at the time of relapse. With second-line combination chemotherapy (which included ifosfamide, etoposide/VM26, cisplatin/carboplatin, bleomycin, melphalan, and Thiotepa [Lederle Laboratories, Pearl River, NY]), there were five complete responses and 12 partial responses. In patients with favorable histologic findings, six of nine with Stage I, five of ten with Stage II, none of 11 with Stage III, three of 16 with Stage IV, and one of five with Stage V disease survived. Two survivors were treated with chemotherapy alone; the others received combined treatment with chemotherapy, radiation therapy, and/or surgery. For those with unfavorable histologic findings of any stage, only two of 20 survived. The authors conclude that, even for patients with localized disease with favorable histologic findings, the "salvage" rate is little more than 50%, and for all other stages and histologic findings the likelihood of cure after relapse is remote. There is clearly a need for additional effective chemotherapeutic agents for these patients. 

Category: neoplasms
Prostatic urethra dilatation with the Gianturco self-expanding metallic stent: a feasibility study in cadaver specimens and dogs. In an effort to develop a transcatheter technique for dilatation of the prostatic urethra without the use of balloons, the feasibility of using Gianturco self-expanding stents was evaluated. Initially, eight human cadaveric prostatic urethras were stented to evaluate the ability of the stent to dilate the lumen. In all cases, the device attained its unconstrained diameter immediately on placement. Subsequently, stents were placed in the prostatic urethra of 12 dogs and followed up for 1 month (four dogs), 3 months (one dog), and 6 months (seven dogs). Five bare straight-end prostheses, one nylon-covered straight-end device, and six flared-end stents were used. Three of the bare straight-end stents migrated during the follow-up, whereas the nylon-covered and flared-end stents did not. Stent diameters greater than 1.3 times the urethral diameter caused moderate to marked edema and inflammation. After 6 months, white deposits were found on the solder points, presumably from electrolysis. Our experience suggests that placement of Gianturco self-expanding stents may be a useful method of dilating and maintaining the luminal diameter of the prostatic urethra, although care must be taken to select the proper stent size. 

Category: general pathological conditions
Reverse coitus: mechanism of urethral injury in male partner. Reverse coitus, a rarely used sexual position, makes the male urethra more vulnerable to injury from the pubic arch and symphysis pubis of the female partner. Severe pain, bleeding and immediate detumescence were observed in 3 patients. The lesion usually occurred at the fossa navicularis, responded well to conservative management and did not hinder micturition. Potency has been well preserved in all 3 patients. 

Category: general pathological conditions
In vitro anticolon antibody production by mucosal or peripheral blood lymphocytes from patients with ulcerative colitis [published erratum appears in Gut 1991 Apr;32(4):460] Serum anticolon antibody and in vitro anti-colon antibody production by peripheral blood and mucosal lymphocytes was investigated in patients with ulcerative colitis. The frequency of serum anticolon antibody was 71% in 41 patients with ulcerative colitis, estimated by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) using isolated rat colon epithelial cells. This finding confirms our previous report on the frequency of serum anticolon antibody detected by flow cytometry analysis. The estimated frequencies of IgG anticolon antibody secreting cells were 1.5-12.5/10(6) cells in the colonic mucosa and 0.1-0.5/10(6) cells in peripheral blood, from patients with ulcerative colitis when Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) was used as a B cell polyclonal activator. Poisson analysis of limiting dilution culture showed that about one per 140 IgG cells in the colonic mucosa synthesised anticolon antibody. Two monoclonal IgG antibodies were obtained from EBV transformed anticolon antibody secreting cells by limiting dilution method. One reacted with goblet cells in the intestine, and the other reacted mainly with colonic epithelial cells. These results suggest that heterogeneous anticolon antibodies are present in patients with ulcerative colitis and that colonic mucosa may be the main source of anticolon antibody. Local autoimmune reaction might have an important role in causing the inflammation of colonic mucosa in this disease. 

Category: digestive system diseases
Very low birth weight children: behavior problems and school difficulty in a national sample We addressed three questions concerning the behavioral and academic status of low and very low birth weight infants through a secondary analysis of the 1981 National Health Interview Survey--Child Health Supplement: (1) in children born with very low birth weight, what is the risk of behavior problems and school difficulty compared with that in heavier low birth weight and normal birth weight children? (2) What are the correlates of school difficulty? (3) Are behavior problems associated with school difficulty when variables are controlled for these correlates? The analysis revealed that 34% of very low birth weight children could be characterized as having school difficulty, compared with 20% and 14% of the other groups, respectively, and that they were more likely to have higher scores on the hyperactive subscale of the Behavior Problems Index. Although a broad array of sociodemographic factors correlated with school difficulty, very low birth weight and hyperactivity scores contributed independently to the risk of academic problems. We conclude that very low birth weight infants are at risk of having school problems that are in part associated with hyperactive behavior. 

Category: general pathological conditions
Postischemic seizures and necrotizing ischemic brain damage: neuroprotective effect of postischemic diazepam and insulin. Insulin has recently been shown experimentally to modify ischemic brain damage when administered either before or after the episode of ischemia. In controlled studies in the rat, high doses of insulin (greater than or equal to 8 IU/kg) result in seizures and early death. The present study was undertaken to determine whether diazepam, a potent, centrally penetrating GABAmimetic, alone or in combination with insulin, could mitigate postischemic seizures or regional selective neuronal necrosis and infarction. Forebrain ischemia was induced in rats for 10 1/2 minutes by carotid clamping and hypotension. The animals were observed clinically until elective perfusion-fixation and quantitative pathologic examination at 1-week recovery. Diazepam, either alone or with insulin, reduced regional brain necrosis and reduced the seizure rate. Insulin alone also led to reduced regional necrosis. However, the combination of diazepam plus insulin yielded the greatest proportion of undamaged brains in the hippocampus, thalamus, and midbrain. In the neocortex, the diazepam-only group showed the greatest number of normal hemispheres. Hypothalamic infarction was eliminated by all three treatments. Seizures per se were associated with increased damage in the cerebral cortex, thalamus, and brainstem, irrespective of treatment group. The findings indicate that ischemic brain necrosis can be mitigated by diazepam and insulin treatment begun in the immediate postischemic period. 

Category: nervous system diseases
Dietary intake in patients with acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS), patients with AIDS-related complex, and serologically positive human immunodeficiency virus patients: correlations with nutritional status. One of the major clinical manifestations of the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS) and AIDS-related complex (ARC) is the development of cachexia. This most likely results from a multifactorial interplay of poor diet, malabsorption, and altered metabolism. To assess the potential role of nutrient intake in the development or persistence of malnutrition, a detailed analysis was performed of a 72-hr diet record in clinically stable patients with AIDS (N = 18), ARC (N = 12) and in human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) seropositive controls without significant manifestations of disease (N = 13). Total calorie intake was 39.1 +/- 13.2 kcal/kg/day in AIDS patients vs 34.6 +/- 7.8 kcal/kg/day in ARC patients or 31.9 +/- 17.7 kcal/kg/day in HIV seropositive cases (all p = NS). Likewise, mean protein intakes were similar among the groups and exceeded recommended daily dietary allowance (RDA) guidelines. The mean body weight changes from the inception of illness were -11 +/- 1% in AIDS, -6 +/- 7% in ARC, vs +3 +/- 2% in HIV-seropositive-only cases (p less than 0.05 vs AIDS and ARC). Dietary vitamin and mineral analysis revealed that 88% of AIDS, 88% of HIV seropositive, and 89% of ARC patients were ingesting less than 50% RDA for at least one nutrient. The mean number of deficiencies per patient was 1.8 +/- 1.3 in AIDS, 3.8 +/- 3.5 in ARC, and 2.9 +/- 2.5 in HIV-seropositive-only cases (p less than 0.05 AIDS vs ARC). There were no significant correlations between specific anthropometric measurements and dietary intakes of protein or fat. 

Category: general pathological conditions
Measurement of D-dimer in plasma as diagnostic aid in suspected pulmonary embolism The potential of plasma measurement of D-dimer (DD), a specific derivative of crosslinked fibrin, for diagnosis or exclusion of pulmonary embolism was investigated in a prospective series of 171 consecutive patients who attended an emergency department with suspected pulmonary embolism. The diagnosis was made or excluded by means of a clinical decision-making process which included clinical evaluation, ventilation-perfusion (VQ) lung scan, and, as indicated, pulmonary angiography, venography, or non-invasive examination of the leg veins. Pulmonary embolism was diagnosed by this process in 55 (32%) of 170 patients with sufficient data. All but 1 of these 55 patients had a DD concentration of 500 micrograms/l or above. The sensitivity and specificity of this cutoff concentration for the presence of pulmonary embolism were 98% and 39%, respectively, which give positive and negative predictive values of 44% and 98%. Among the 115 patients (68%) who had inconclusive VQ scans, 31 were diagnosed as having pulmonary embolism. 29 of the remaining 84 patients without pulmonary embolism had DD concentrations below 500 micrograms/l, which means that further diagnostic procedures could have been avoided in a quarter of the patients with inconclusive VQ scans. The sensitivity of the plasma measurement of DD remained high even 3 and 7 days after presentation (96% and 93%). Plasma measurement of DD therefore has a definite place in the diagnostic procedure for suspected acute pulmonary embolism in attenders at emergency departments: a concentration below 500 micrograms/l rules out the diagnosis. 

Category: general pathological conditions
Renal function in obstructive jaundice in man: cholangiocarcinoma model. Renal function with respect to water clearance and renal hemodynamics was studied in 15 patients with obstructive jaundice due to cholangiocarcinoma. The results were compared with those of the control normal subjects. There was no change in renal function in the patients with mild to moderate jaundice, with total serum bilirubin from 8.0 to 15.1 mg/dl. Increased urinary sodium excretion and decreased free water and negative water clearances were observed in the patients with severe jaundice with total serum bilirubin from 27.0 to 40.4 mg/dl and normal serum albumin. Renal blood flow was normal, but creatinine clearance was decreased. In severely jaundiced patients with serum bilirubin from 30.5 to 40.1 mg/dl and hypoalbuminemia urinary sodium excretion, free water clearance, negative water clearance, renal blood flow and creatinine clearance were decreased. There was salt and water retention in this group. The findings suggest that in severe jaundice there is inhibition of sodium chloride reabsorption in the thick ascending limb of Henle's loop. ADH and increased hydraulic conductivity of the collecting tubules possibly contribute to decreased free water clearance. In severely jaundiced patients with hypoalbuminemia this salt losing effect is converted to salt retention by increased proximal tubular reabsorption of sodium. 

Category: general pathological conditions
Treatment of congenital coronary arteriovenous malformations with micro-particle embolization. The successful treatment of a symptomatic coronary arteriovenous malformation (CAVM) by a percutaneous embolization technique with micro-particles is described. Objective evidence of ischemia and its subsequent disappearance after embolization is presented. The embolization technique and possible indications and contraindications are discussed. 

Category: cardiovascular diseases
Immunohistochemical detection of P-glycoprotein in endometrial adenocarcinoma. P-glycoprotein (Pgp) has emerged as the central mediator in classic multidrug resistance in model systems in vitro. High levels of Pgp also have been detected in many normal human tissues and tumors; and its role in clinical drug resistance is currently under investigation. Recently significant levels of Pgp were localized to gravid and secretory endometrium; and it was demonstrated that the combination of estrogen and progesterone is sufficient to induce high levels of both Pgp mRNA and Pgp in uterine secretory epithelium. These findings suggest that increased Pgp expression also may be present in hormone-responsive malignancies such as endometrial adenocarcinoma. To determine whether Pgp is expressed in endometrial adenocarcinoma, 36 endometrial adenocarcinomas (grade I [n = 17]; grade II [n = 6]; grade III [n = 13]) were investigated retrospectively by the avidin-biotin-complex immunohistochemical procedure using three murine monoclonal antibodies (MAb) MAb C219, MAb C494, and MAb JSB-1, which recognize spatially distinct cytoplasmic epitopes of Pgp. Seventy-two percent of the tumors showed positive immunostaining with at least one MAb; 67% showed immunostaining with MAb C219, 50% with MAb C494, and 62% with MAb JSB-1. Forty-six percent of tumors were immunoreactive to two and 29% to all three antibodies. Membranous and Golgi/paranuclear type staining patterns were observed. Overall the intensity of immunostaining varied from one sample to another for a given tumor type, and considerable heterogeneity of expression was commonly seen within a given tumor. Strong to moderate immunoreactivity was seen in diffusely infiltrating, adenosquamous, and serous papillary carcinomas. In general, immunoreactivity to MAb C494 was weaker than MAb C219 or MAb JSB-1. Adenomatous and non-neoplastic endometrium adjacent to the tumors displayed strong membranous immunostaining with MAb JSB-1. Endometrial capillaries showed weak-to-moderate immunostaining to all three antibodies. It is concluded that Pgp is commonly expressed in endometrial adenocarcinoma and may be a significant factor responsible for their drug-resistant nature subject to modulation by progesterone. 

Category: neoplasms
Acute dissection of the internal mammary artery: a fatal complication of coronary artery bypass grafting. A case of acute traumatic dissection of the right internal mammary artery is presented in a patient who had both IMAs grafted for recurrent angina 10 years after initial vein coronary revascularisation. The event was mistaken for spasm, but because of severe circulatory collapse no time was available to treat the patient appropriately. The purpose of this report is to facilitate the early recognition and avoidance of this potentially fatal complication. 

Category: general pathological conditions
Protection of the small intestine against irradiation by means of a removable prosthesis. In radiation therapy of tumors, several techniques are used to prevent injury of the intestinal loops. Their purpose is to drive the intestine out of the external beam. Understanding the disadvantages they present, a temporary prosthesis which effectively protects the small bowel, and is easy to remove, has been developed. The device is a 600 to 1,000 ml, silicone rubber, expandable balloon. When implanted in the pelvis or retroperitoneal cavity, and filled, this balloon displaces the intestinal loops out of the pelvic irradiation field. It may remain either filled or empty between each irradiation session. Due to its particular elliptical shape, once empty, the balloon can be removed through a 3 cm incision under local or peridural anesthesia at the completion of radiotherapy. Eleven patients with recurrent (8) or primary (3) cancer have been implanted. The protective effect has been evaluated on successive biologic tests, performed during treatment. No problem related to the prosthesis, no alteration of the biologic tests, nor bowel injury have been observed after several months follow-up. This device is suitable for preventing intestinal complications during therapy, allowing a higher dose of radiations in some cases. 

Category: neoplasms
Chromosomes in childhood acute lymphoblastic leukaemia: karyotypic patterns in disease subtypes. To define further the clinical importance of cytogenetic analysis in acute lymphoblastic leukaemia (ALL) a prospective study was performed on 139 unselected children. Analyses were considered adequate in 104, of whom 35 were normal and 69 had clonal abnormalities. Abnormalities were categorised according to banded chromosome analysis as well as chromosome count. Karyotypes were correlated with clinical and laboratory features at diagnosis and with survival. Of the successful analyses, thirty five (34%) children had no abnormalities; this group contained an excess of T cell disease. Twenty five (24%) had a "characteristic" hyperdiploid karyotype and as a group had lower presenting white counts, a tendency to CD10, and periodic acid schiff positivity of the blast cells and smaller spleens. None was an infant and only one was over 10 years old. Seven (7%) children with t(9; 22), t(8; 14), or t(4; 11) translocations were grouped together as "specific" translocations. Collectively they had a significantly worse prognosis than the remainder. Nine children developed central nervous system relapse, six of whom had either t(4; 11) or abnormalities of 9p or 19p. A descriptive classification taking into account chromosome bonding pattern is cytogenetically more appropriate and may be more clinically useful than grouping children simply by chromosome number. As knowledge and techniques improve, the classification of cytogenetic abnormalities in ALL will need to be kept under frequent review. 

Category: neoplasms
Variceal rebleeding after portosystemic shunting. Strategies and solutions to a vexing problem. The purpose of this review was to discuss an approach to the treatment of recurrent bleeding from esophageal or gastric varices after portosystemic shunt. From our own clinical experience, as well as that of others, it appears that re-establishment of portal decompression should offer the best chance at long-term survival. Luckily, innovations in angiographic technique have allowed attainment of this goal without the inordinate risk of an operative procedure. However, not all patients' situations will be amenable to such treatment. For some of them, operative decompression of the portal venous system can be carried out in an anatomic area previously untouched. For those patients in whom no decompression is possible, direct endoscopic treatment of the varices will offer an alternative, albeit temporizing, approach. 

Category: digestive system diseases
Increased risk of leukemia relapse with high-dose cyclosporine A after allogeneic marrow transplantation for acute leukemia. Eighty-one patients with acute myeloid leukemia (ANLL, n = 44) or acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL, n = 37), aged 10 to 50 years were randomized to receive 1 mg/kg per day (n = 41, group A) or 5 mg/kg per day (n = 40, group B) of cyclosporine A (CyA) from day -1 to day +20 after bone marrow transplant (BMT). All patients received CyA orally thereafter. All patients were prepared with cyclophosphamide (CY) 120 mg/kg and fractionated total body irradiation (TBI), and received unfractionated BM from an HLA-identical sibling. The two groups were comparable for diagnosis, disease status, French-American-British (FAB) classification, WBC count at diagnosis, cytogenetic abnormalities, extramedullary disease before BMT, donor/recipient age and sex, number of cells infused, and number of days with intravenous (IV) CyA. Median follow-up for surviving patients in group A was 983 v 632 days in group B. Patients in group A had lower serum levels of CyA (295 v 686 ng/mL, P = .004), lower bilirubin levels (1.9 v 2.6 mg/dL, P = .07), lower creatinine levels (0.9 v 1.4 mg/dL, P = .06), and a lower proportion of CD8+ cells in the peripheral blood (PB) within day +21 (19% v 28%, P = .07). First day to 0.5 x 10(9)/L neutrophils was comparable in the two groups (13 v 14 days; P = .1). In a Cox model, the actuarial risk of acute graft-v-host disease (GVHD) grade II+, after stratification for age (less than 20 years greater than) was significantly lower in group B patients (0.54, P = .04). The actuarial risk of developing chronic GVHD was comparable (P = .9). Actuarial transplant-related mortality (TRM) at 240 days was 28% and 26% (P = .8) in group A and B: the major cause of death was GVHD in group A (P = .02) and multiorgan toxicity in group B (P = .07). The actuarial risk of relapse at 2 years overall was 20% in group A and 52% in group B (P = .001); it was 9% v 43%, respectively, for patients in first remission (P = .0001) and 48% v 63% for patients in non-first complete remission (CR) (P = .1). Actuarial 2-year disease-free survival (DFS) in group A and B was 58% v 32% (P = .02) for all patients, 71% v 35% (P = .01), in first remissions, and 30% v 23% (P = .2) in advanced disease.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS). 

Category: neoplasms