Cimetidine 800 mg twice daily for healing erosions and ulcers in gastroesophageal reflux disease.

Although H2-receptor antagonists have been the mainstay of therapy for gastroesophageal reflux disease (GERD), none of these agents has been approved by the FDA as effective in healing lesions. Since proton pump inhibitors may be associated with long-term disadvantages, a healing regimen with cimetidine would be useful clinically. This multicenter, randomized, double-blind study was conducted to evaluate the efficacy of cimetidine 800 mg b.

[Laser and afterloading therapy of bronchial cancer].

Endobronchial afterloading irradiation by remote control was administered to 304 patients with lung cancer. The use of a highly active 192-Iridium source (740 GBq) is possible; irradiation time lasts only a few minutes. A combined treatment modality with laser was employed in 24%, with chemotherapy in 2%.

Acute treatment of benign gastric ulcer with once-daily bedtime dosing of cimetidine compared with placebo.

This multicentre, double-blind study evaluated the efficacy of cimetidine 800 mg nocte compared to placebo for ulcer healing and pain relief in patients with endoscopically confirmed, benign gastric ulcers treated for up to 8 weeks. Cimetidine accelerated ulcer healing throughout the study. More cimetidine-treated patients (35 of 82, 43%) than placebo-treated patients (26 of 79, 33%) had healed ulcers after 4 weeks of therapy.

Reduction of indomethacin induced gastroduodenal mucosal injury and gastrointestinal symptoms with cimetidine in normal subjects.

A study was performed in 57 healthy volunteers to determine the effectiveness of cimetidine on reducing gastrointestinal (GI) mucosal lesions and symptoms induced by indomethacin. Endoscopic evidence of gastroduodenal injury and various GI symptoms appeared within 4 days after initiation of indomethacin therapy (50 mg TID) alone. Concomitant therapy with cimetidine, either 200 mg QID or 400 mg BID reduced the incidence of gastric erosions by up to 25% and duodenal erosions by up to 44% (gastric erosions from 81 to 61 and 78%, and duodenal erosions from 90 to 50 and 61%).

Once-daily bedtime dosing regimen of cimetidine in the treatment of gastric ulcer.

In a double-blind study of 163 patients with benign chronic gastric ulcer, 83 were randomly assigned to receive 800 mg of cimetidine once daily at bedtime for six weeks and 80 received placebo. After six weeks of treatment, the ulcers were healed in 76% of the cimetidine-treated patients and in 55% of the placebo group (P less than 0.003).

Comparison between continuous and intermittent infusion regimens of cimetidine in ulcer patients.

The relative effectiveness of intermittent infusions and primed continuous infusions of cimetidine in the maintenance of intragastric pH greater than or equal to 4.0 was evaluated in a double-blind crossover trial in 26 patients who had active or healed gastroduodenal ulcers. During the intermittent phase, each patient received 300 mg cimetidine intravenously every 6 hours.

Efficacy of once-daily cimetidine in preventing recurrence of duodenal ulcer.

In a prospective multicenter trial, 88 patients with acute duodenal ulcers that were healed with ranitidine were randomly assigned to receive maintenance treatment with either cimetidine 400 mg (n = 45) or placebo (n = 43) at bedtime for six months. Ten percent of the patients experienced moderate or severe pain both during the day and at night while on placebo during the maintenance phase. The average proportion of cimetidine patients experiencing moderate or severe pain during the day or night was 50% and 80% lower than placebo, respectively.

The efficacy of cimetidine in the treatment of "resistant" duodenal ulcers.

In a prospective multicenter trial, 43 patients with acute duodenal ulcers unhealed after four weeks of treatment with an H2-receptor antagonist, ranitidine, were switched to treatment with another H2-receptor antagonist, cimetidine. Sixty-eight percent of the unhealed patients were successfully healed; of these patients, 81% were free of daytime pain and 89% were free of nighttime pain. Of those with residual pain, 71% and 50% showed improvement in daytime and nighttime pain severity, respectively.

Parenteral antisecretory drug therapy in patients with Zollinger-Ellison syndrome.

Forty-six patients with Zollinger-Ellison syndrome were studied prospectively to determine a safe and effective method and criterion for controlling gastric acid hypersecretion during periods when oral antisecretory agents could not be used. In each patient it was possible to reduce acid secretion to less than or equal to 10 mEq/h after an i.v.

[Sonography of gallbladder carcinoma. Correlation with surgical findings in 60 cases].

60 patients with carcinoma of the gallbladder were staged preoperatively by sonography (staging scheme by Nevin and TNM scheme of the UICC). This was correlated with the operative and histopathological findings. The tumour was diagnosed by sonography in 70% of the patients, 15% were diagnosed at operation and 15% histopathologically.

[Fibrosing mediastinitis].

Fibrosing mediastinitis is a rare entity either idiopathic or caused by granulomatous disease. Plain film findings mainly show widening of the upper half of the anterior mediastinum, whereas CT delineates more clearly the exact location of the mediastinal mass and the extent of compromise of mediastinal structures. Although vessels surrounded by the fibrous mass are typically smoothly bordered and only rarely displaced, diagnosis can only be suspected together with the patients history and clinical course.

[Sonographic staging of pancreatic cancer. Report of 100 cases].

The ultrasound studies of 100 patients with proven pancreatic carcinoma were reviewed and correlated with the intraoperative and pathoanatomic findings. Ultrasound had a sensitivity of 87% in detecting the malignant lesion. The extension of the tumour and the infiltration of peripancreatic structures and visceral vessels was interpreted correctly in 85% of the cases.

Echinococcus multilocularis: in vitro secretion of antigen by hybridomas from metacestode germinal cells and murine tumor cells.

Hybrid cells were produced from Echinococcus multilocularis metacestode germinal cells and murine tumor cells. Small colonies were formed which, while ceasing to grow after a few generations, remained viable for at least 10 weeks. These hybridoma cells secrete antigen(s) reacting in indirect immunofluorescence and ELISA specifically with sera from patients suffering from an E.

Determining the optimal dosage regimen for H2-receptor antagonist therapy--a dose validation approach.

A large number of clinical studies have been performed to establish the safety and efficacy of H2-receptor antagonist therapy. Few if any of these studies have attempted to address the rationale for the dosage and/or dosage regimens being studied. This study is the first large-scale clinical trial, the purpose of which is to validate the chosen regimen and to address the issue of an optimal therapy for a specific patient population.

[Pleurodesis with tetracycline hydrochloride].

Malignant pleural effusion is a common complication of malignant disease requiring drainage and palliative sclerosing therapy in the vast majority of cases. Tetracycline in conjunction with thoracoscopic drainage is currently considered as the optimal sclerosing agent due to its high efficacy, good patient tolerance, simple and repeatable applicability and low cost of treatment. Traditional and more recent agents like fibrin-sealant may give similar results, but do not achieve a favourable all-round-properties.

Protective mechanism of the immune response to a ribosomal vaccine from Pseudomonas aeruginosa. II. In vitro bactericidal and opsonophagocytic studies with specific antiserum.

In vitro bactericidal and opsonophagocytic assays were performed with mouse antiserum to a ribosomal vaccine from Pseudomonas aeruginosa. The results obtained demonstrated that both specific antibody and complement are required for bactericidal and opsonic activities. C4-deficient complement also supported these activities.

Protective mechanism of the immune response to a ribosomal vaccine from Pseudomonas aeruginosa. I. In vivo protection studies in compromised animal models.

Studies of the protective activity of a ribosomal vaccine from Pseudomonas aeruginosa in various immunocompromised animal models were performed. The results obtained demonstrated that the vaccine was highly effective in complement (C5)-deficient mice, C3-deficient (cobra venom factor-treated) mice, and leukopenic mice in providing protection against lethal infection with P. aeruginosa.