Prognostic significance of liver metastases as first site of generalisation in patients with breast cancer--a retrospective analysis.

Of 672 patients with metastatic breast cancer, 24 evaluable patients with primary liver metastases were analysed with regard to their prognostic variables and survival. In 50% of these patients, liver metastases were found within the first 8.5 months after the diagnosis of breast cancer.

A double-blind randomized-phase II trial comparing immunization with antiidiotype goat antibody vaccine SCV 106 versus unspecific goat antibodies in patients with metastatic colorectal cancer.

This article reports on the first double-blind randomized clinical study with an antiidiotype antibody vaccine in patients with metastatic colorectal carcinoma. The study was performed to determine immunological parameters, efficacy, and tolerability of the vaccine. Forty-two patients with metastatic colorectal cancer were randomly assigned to multiple immunizations with goat IgG antiidiotype vaccine SCV 106 (n = 21) or unspecific goat IgG as controls (n = 21).

Collagenous colitis: a study of the distribution of morphological abnormalities and their histological detection.

In collagenous colitis, the literature is conflicting concerning where in the colon the lesions are most likely to be present and most severe. Conflicting data furthermore shed doubt on the sensitivity of the histological detection of the morphological abnormalities and the threshold criteria for diagnosis. We addressed these questions in 56 patients with collagenous colitis.

Low-intensity laser irradiation improves skin circulation in patients with diabetic microangiopathy.

Objective: Diabetic foot problems due to angiopathy and neuropathy account for 50% of all nontraumatic amputations and constitute a significant economic burden to society. Low-intensity laser irradiation has been shown to induce wound healing in conditions of reduced microcirculation. We investigated the influence of low-intensity laser irradiation by means of infrared thermography on skin blood circulation in diabetic patients with diabetic microangiopathy.

Biliary Wallstent endoprosthesis in malignant hilar obstruction: long-term results with regard to the type of obstruction.

Aim: To evaluate the clinical efficacy of percutaneously placed biliary Wallstents in the management of malignant hilar obstruction with regard to the obstruction type.

Patients And Methods: Sixty-six Wallstents were inserted in 41 patients with inoperable hilar obstruction: 13 patients had a type I obstruction according to Bismuth-classification, 18 a type II, eight a type III, and two a type IV obstruction, respectively. Clinical follow-up data were obtained from all the patients and the referring physicians.

Recombinant Bet v 1, the major birch pollen allergen, induces hypersensitivity reactions equal to those induced by natural Bet v 1 in the airways of patients allergic to tree pollen.

Background: Atopic allergens produced by recombinant DNA methods are promising tools for diagnosis and therapy of Type I allergy. To evaluate the immunologic properties of these molecules, it is necessary to compare them with natural allergens in vitro and in vivo.

Objective: The study was carried out to determine whether the potency of recombinant Bet v 1 (rBet v 1) is comparable to that of natural Bet v 1 (nBet v 1) in inducing allergic reactions in the nose and bronchi.

Prediction of survival after out-of-hospital cardiac arrest: results of a community-based study in Vienna.

The objective of this study was the assessment of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest and the definition of possible predictive factors for final hospital discharge. Out of a database of 89,557 consecutive missions of the Vienna emergency medical system (EMS) during 1990, there were 623 missions due to a collapse of non-traumatic origin: in 374 cases (60.0%) the patients were declared dead without further attempts at resuscitation.

Alcohol-induced organic cerebral psychosyndromes: partial reversal of cognitive impairments assisted by dihydroergocristine.

Chronic alcohol abusers show a specific pattern of cerebral damage associated with cognitive and behavioral defects known as the organic cerebral psychosyndrome, which is partially reversible upon discontinuation of ethanol consumption. To assess the potential of nootropic drug therapy in alcohol rehabilitation in a double-blind study design, 56 consecutive patients who participated in routine rehabilitation therapy received 2 x 3 mg/day dihydroergocristine or placebo in tablet form over 6-13 weeks. Forty-nine patients completed the protocol.

Common bile duct obstruction due to malignancy: treatment with plastic versus metal stents.

Purpose: To compare the clinical efficacy and treatment costs of plastic versus metal biliary stents.

Materials And Methods: In a randomized trial, 101 patients with malignant common bile duct obstruction underwent transhepatic stent implantation and were followed up until death. Patients were stratified into risk and nonrisk groups.

Neoadjuvant chemotherapy (MVAC) in locally invasive bladder cancer.

In order to evaluate the efficacy of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in invasive urothelial carcinoma of the bladder a retrospective analysis was performed. 54 patients without distant metastases (T2-T3b, N0-X, M0) received 3 cycles of neoadjuvant chemotherapy according to the MVAC protocol (methotrexate, vinblastine, doxorubicin and cisplatin) after transurethral resection (TUR) followed by cystectomy. 52 patients had previously undergone cystectomy immediately after TUR.

Bronchial wall thickness: appropriate window settings for thin-section CT and radiologic-anatomic correlation.

Purpose: To analyze the influence of computed tomographic (CT) window settings on bronchial wall thickness and to define appropriate window settings for its evaluation.

Materials And Methods: Three inflation-fixed lungs were scanned with a section thickness of 1.5 mm by using a high-spatial-frequency algorithm.

Amantadine versus biperiden: a double-blind study of treatment efficacy in neuroleptic extrapyramidal movement disorders.

Anticholinergic treatment of neuroleptic extrapyramidal movement disorders (EPS) has been associated with induction of tardive dyskinesia. Also an increasing abuse of anticholinergics by schizophrenic patients is noted. Since as early as 1976, positive effects of amantadine (AMA) on neuroleptic EPS have been described, therefore a controlled study of these reports seemed worthwhile.

[Hemodynamics and ergometric performance modified by low dosage oral contraceptives].

In this pilot study hemodynamic parameters under base-line and performance conditions during a cycle without (N) and with low-dosed oral contraceptives (OC) were of interest. A group of 6 women (age 23.2 +/- 2.

Comparison of the single breath with the intrabreath method for the measurement of the carbon monoxide transfer factor in subjects with and without airways obstruction.

Background: Measurement of the carbon monoxide transfer factor (TLCO) has traditionally been performed using the single breath method but recently the intrabreath method has been developed. The aim of this study was to compare the two methods in the clinical evaluation of patients with obstructive and non-obstructive pulmonary disorders.

Methods: Measurements of TLCO with the intrabreath method were carried out on a study sample composed of 50 patients with non-obstructive disorders and 50 with airways obstruction (FEV1/FVC < 70%) either before or after a single breath measurement of the TLCO had been performed.

Adjuvant intravesical mitoxantrone after transurethral resection of primary superficial transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder. A prospective randomised study.

A prospective randomised controlled clinical trial began in 1989 on 126 patients with superficial transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder (pTa-pT1, grades 1-3) to compare the efficacy of adjuvant topical mitoxantrone after transurethral resection versus no further treatment. 62 patients received no further treatment, 64 patients received weekly 20 mg mitoxantrone intravesically for 6 weeks after differentiated TUR of all visible tumours. The endpoint of the study was any progression of stage or grade or further recurrences.

[Sensitization to inhaled allergens in the Vienna population].

The present study investigated the sensitization to inhalatory allergens in a randomized cross-section of the population of Vienna (altogether 3000 men and women). A representative sample of 600 persons was invited to an examination consisting of a skin prick test and determination of serum total IgE and allergen-specific IgE. In addition, the same tests were performed in persons with asthma or allergic rhinitis on the basis of a history of these conditions in the replies to a screening questionnaire.

[Topical immunotherapy (KLH) vs. chemotherapy (Ethoglucid) in prevention of recurrence of superficial bladder cancer. A prospective randomized study].

A prospective randomized controlled study on the effect of KLH (keyhole limpet hemocyanin) versus etoglucid in the prevention of recurrences in primary and recurrent superficial transitional cell carcinoma of the bladder (stage pTa-pT1, grades 1-3 according to the recommendations of UICC and WHO) after complete transurethral resection of the tumor started in 198. Patients in group 1 (n = 76) were immunized with 1 mg KLH intracutaneously, after which they received bladder instillations of 30 mg (30 ml) KLH weekly for 6 weeks and then monthly for 1 year. Patients in group 2 (n = 85) received weekly bladder instillations of 0.

Role of glucocorticoids in the cholinergic degeneration in rat hippocampus induced by ethylcholine aziridinium (AF64A).

Glucocorticoids potentiate hippocampal damage induced by various noxious insults in vivo and in vitro and are implicated in age-related loss of neurons in the hippocampus of various species. The cholinergic innervation of the hippocampus appears to be especially prone to the endangering effect of glucocorticoids, since corticosterone, like acute stress or ACTH, induces a rapid activation of the cholinergic septo-hippocampal pathway. We now report the influence of glucocorticoids on the degeneration of this pathway induced by the cholinergic neurotoxin ethylcholine aziridinium (AF64A).

Interferon-alpha stimulates the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis in vivo and in vitro.

The successful therapeutic use of interferon-alpha (IFN-alpha) in myeloproliferative disorders offered the possibility to test its acute and long-term effects on the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis in humans. ACTH and cortisol plasma concentrations were measured in 8 patients hourly starting from 4 p.m.

[Effects of carotid endarterectomy on various neuropsychologic parameters. A neuropsychologic longitudinal study].

Carotid endarterectomy was performed in 25 patients with symptomatic cerebrovascular disease. All patients underwent detailed neuropsychological investigations immediately before surgery, immediately after surgery, and again after a follow-up period of 14 months. Immediately after surgery the flicker fusion frequency was temporarily reduced, indicating an impairment of global cognitive functioning.

Thyroid autoimmunity and hypothyroidism during long-term treatment with recombinant interferon-alpha.

Forty-five patients with myeloproliferative or myelodysplastic syndromes, treated with recombinant interferon-alpha (rIFN-alpha) for a minimum of 1 up to 4 years, were examined for the occurrence of thyroid autoimmunity. During treatment, the rate of thyroid autoimmunity rose to more than 20%. The decrease in severity and frequency of thyroid autoimmunity after withdrawal of IFN shows that this is a potentially reversible side effect.

[Transrectal sonographic (TRUS) prostatic volumetry in assessing tumor response to radiation].

The aim of this study was to document the grading-related response of carcinoma of the prostate to radiotherapy, especially in views of the fact that the PSA values of hormonal therapy are not evaluable if hormonal therapy is done prior to radiotherapy or in patients with high likelihood of metastatic spread. Controls were done on 55 patients before, during and after primary external radiotherapy of carcinoma of the prostate with volumetric analysis of transrectal ultrasound (TRUS) of the prostate. There were significant differences between G1 and G2 tumors on the one hand and G3 tumors on the other hand.

[Comparison of results of daily blood pressure self-monitoring and general practice monitoring within the scope of a study assessing treatment of hypertension with quinapril].

24 hour blood pressure monitoring is a well established method in the field of antihypertensive research. Patients self recorded blood pressure values are an additional option to overcome the disadvantages of casual office readings--however they are not frequently used within intervention trials. To prove the usefulness of selfrecordings in clinical trials we investigated both selfrecordings taken twice a day and casual readings within intervals of 1 to 3 weeks, in this study on the efficacy and tolerability of the ACE-inhibitor Accupro.

MDR1 gene expression and treatment outcome in acute myeloid leukemia.

To prospectively assess the role of MDR1 gene expression in patients with de novo acute myeloid leukemia (AML), levels of MDR1 RNA in blast cells were determined at diagnosis and correlated with treatment outcome in 63 patients. MDR1 RNA levels were negative in 29% and positive in 71% of the patients. The complete remission rate in response to induction chemotherapy was 89% for MDR1 RNA-negative patients and 53% for MDR1 RNA-positive patients (P = .