Reproductive factors and lower extremity arterial occlusive disease in women.

Background: Reproductive variables affecting sexual hormone levels seem to be significant for atherosclerosis, a major cause of morbidity of the vessels of the lower extremities such as lower extremity arterial occlusive disease (LEAOD). We quantify a direct relationship between reproductive variables including age at regular and premature menopause and the incidence of severe LEAOD among post-menopausal women.

Methods And Results: Questionnaires were administered to 269 female amputees with LEAOD, 224 patients who underwent total joint replacement due to osteoarthritis and 88 healthy women.

Soluble p185(HER-2) in patients with malignant bone tumours.

Background: This study was initiated to test the hypothesis that soluble p185(HER-2) could be of value as a diagnostic or predictive marker for patients with malignant bone tumours.

Procedure: Sera of 35 patients with high-grade malignant osteosarcoma (n = 27) and Ewing Sarcoma (n = 8) were tested at the time of diagnosis by ELISA and compared with sera of controls (n = 38) and clinical data.

Results: In patients with osteosarcoma and Ewing Sarcoma, levels of sp185(HER-2) did not differ significantly from levels in controls.

Bone mineral density in long-term survivors of highly malignant osteosarcoma.

We studied the bone mineral density (BMD) of 48 long-term survivors of highly malignant osteosarcoma who had been treated according to the chemotherapy protocols of the German- Swiss-Austrian Co-operative Osteosarcoma Study Group which include high-dose methotrexate. The mean age of the patients was 31 +/- 4.2 years and the mean follow-up 16 +/- 2.

Serum concentrations of APO-1/Fas and interleukin-1beta-converting enzyme in osteosarcoma correlate with response to chemotherapy.

Background: Cytotoxic drugs used in neoadjuvant chemotherapy may exert their effect by activation of apoptosis. Both APO-1/Fas and Interleukin-1beta-converting (ICE)/caspase-1 are believed to act as mediators of apoptotic cell death.

Patients And Methods: The sera of 21 patients with high-grade osteosarcoma were tested at the time of diagnosis by ELISA and compared with clinical data.

Concentration of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) in the serum of patients with malignant bone tumors.

Background: Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is recognized as an important stimulator of angiogenesis. Formation of new blood vessels by angiogenic factors occurs in many biological processes, both physiological and pathological, among others in growth of primary solid malignant tumors and metastasis. This implies that the inhibition of angiogenic factors like VEGF would result in a suppression of tumor growth and metastasis formation.