Effects of octreotide on morphology of pituitary adenomas in acromegaly.

We studied the effects of the long-acting somatostatin analogue octreotide (SMS 201-995, Sandoz, Basel, Switzerland) on the morphology of pituitary adenomas in acromegaly. Of the 29 adenomas examined by light microscopy, 16 had been treated pre-operatively with octreotide. The treated adenomas were compared with the untreated adenomas.

Epidermal Langerhans cells and prognosis of patients with mycosis fungoides and Sezary syndrome.

Langerhans cells (LC) (CD1a-positive dendritic epidermal cells) have been proposed to favour the pathogenesis of mycosis fungoides (MF) and Sézary syndrome (SS). We therefore examined the influence of LC retrospectively on the survival of 35 patients. Two clinical parameters (age, stage of disease) were additionally evaluated.

Retroperitoneal sarcoma in a series of 51 adults.

Fifty-one patients with retroperitoneal sarcoma underwent surgery at the University Clinics of Hamburg from 1970 to 1988. Malignant schwannoma, liposarcoma and malignant fibrous histiocytoma were the most common histological types. High grade sarcomas (G3) predominated (42%), while 26% were graded G2 and 33% G1.

DNA cytophotometry and prognosis in ovarian tumors of borderline malignancy. A clinicomorphologic study of 80 cases.

Surgical specimens of 80 ovarian tumors of borderline malignancy (OTBM) were investigated by scanning DNA cytophotometry. Diploid or euploid DNA histograms were found for 21 tumors, whereas 59 OTBM showed noneuploid or aneuploid DNA patterns. All patients were followed-up after surgery for at least 3 years (mean observation period, 6.

[Exocrine function of a heterotopically transplanted pancreas segment in humans].

Pancreatic secretion is involved in circadian regulation of the whole organism. This observation was obtained in animals and humans with pancreatic fistulas. We report on three patients in whom the pancreas was removed totally or subtotally because of chronic pancreatitis with severe pain.

Prognostic indices for tumor relapse and tumor mortality in follicular thyroid carcinoma.

To establish an objective basis for therapeutic decisions and follow-up programs in patients with follicular thyroid cancer, the authors developed a prognostic scoring system. The prognostic impact of nine clinical, histologic, and therapeutic parameters was quantified retrospectively based on a multivariate analysis covering 149 patients. The relative relapse risk in follicular thyroid cancer (RR) was 6.

[Mycosis fungoides and Sézary syndrome: diagnostic and prognostic relevance of cellular antigen expression].

Mycosis fungoides and Sézary syndrome (cutaneous T-cell lymphomas [CTCL]) are recognized, especially in the early stages, as being a potentially difficult diagnostic problem when they have to be histologically differentiated from a series of inflammatory disorders (ID). The diagnostic value of immunophenotyping is controversial; almost all studies have been semiquantitative. The prognostic implications of the antigen expression in CTCL are not known.

Epidermal Langerhans' cell densities influence survival in mycosis fungoides and Sézary syndrome.

Because Langerhans' cells (LC) (CD1a-positive epidermal cells) have been discussed to be involved in the pathogenesis of mycosis fungoides and Sézary syndrome, the authors examined the influence of densities of Langerhans' cells and, concurrently, of other phenotypes retrospectively on survival of 35 patients. Cell densities were assessed on cryostat sections (alkaline phosphatase antialkaline phosphatase-technique) of the respective diagnostic biopsy specimens. Additionally, two clinical parameters (age, stage of disease) were evaluated.

Role of transmitral blood flow velocity by Doppler echocardiography in the evaluation of coronary artery disease.

To determine the relation between presence and severity of coronary artery disease and diastolic filling abnormalities by Doppler echocardiography, recordings of transmitral inflow velocity were made at rest in 90 patients with coronary artery disease and 28 normals. At the time of the Doppler examination, 81 patients with coronary artery disease (90%) and 10 normals (36%) were treated with antianginal medications. No difference was found in the ratio between early (E) and late (A) diastolic filling velocity (E/A ratio) when comparing patients with greater than 70% obstruction of at least one coronary artery to age-matched normals, regardless of the presence or absence of wall motion abnormalities.

[Changes in pure human pancreatic juice in chronic pancreatitis].

Investigations of pancreatic juice revealed new insights into the pathogenesis of chronic pancreatitis (cP). But many results are contradictory. In this paper pure human pancreatic juice from patients with cP (n = 14) was compared with results obtained from normal subjects (n = 22).

Radioprotection of minipig salivary glands by orciprenaline-carbachol. An ultrastructural and semiquantitative light microscopic study.

Parotid and submandibular glands of miniature pigs were exposed to 36 Gy X-irradiation given as 6 x 6 Gy in 3 weeks. Half of the animals received orciprenaline and carbachol before each dose. The effects were analysed 6 months later by light and electron microscopy.

[Radioimmunotherapy of solitary liver metastases using intratumor instillation of 131I-labeled monoclonal antibodies--initial results of a clinical study].

Solitary liver metastases (carcinoembryogenic antigen positive) in two patients suffering from colon carcinoma were multifocally injected with 131I-labelled monoclonal antibodies (131I-MAb) against the carcinoembryogenic antigen (CEA). The 131I activity in the metastases decreased biexponentially. The 131I serum concentration declined triexponentially in patient 1 and monoexponentially in patient 2.

Dendritic/Langerhans cells and prognosis in patients with papillary thyroid carcinomas. Immunocytochemical study of 106 thyroid neoplasms correlated to follow-up data.

Paraffin sections of 106 primary thyroid carcinomas were the subject of an immunocytochemical study to determine the density of infiltrates of S-100 protein-positive dendritic/Langerhans cells (LC), lysozyme-positive histiocytes, and LCA-positive lymphocytes. Evidence of dense infiltrates of LCs was found only in the majority of papillary thyroid carcinomas (PCs). The determination of the quantity of LCs proved to be a highly effective means of assessing the prognosis of these tumors.

Leu-M1 immunoreactivity and prognosis in medullary carcinomas of the thyroid gland.

Leu-M1 antigen is a monocyte/granulocyte-related marker known to be consistently expressed in the Reed-Sternberg cells of patients with Hodgkin's disease and to be present in tumour cells of a variety of non-haematopoietic neoplasms, most of them adenocarcinomas. The biological significance of this aberrant reaction has not yet been clarified. Recently, however, we have demonstrated that marked epithelial Leu-M1 immunoreactivity significantly correlated with an unfavourable clinical course in papillary carcinomas of the thyroid gland.

Increased thyrotropin binding in hyperfunctioning thyroid nodules.

The object of this study was to investigate TSH receptors in hyperfunctioning thyroid nodules (HFN). In HFN, obtained from seven patients, 125-I-TSH binding as determined by equilibrium binding analysis on particulate membrane preparations, was found to be significantly increased as compared with normal thyroid tissues (five patients; P less than 0.001).

[Morphology and prognosis of follicular thyroid cancer--a clinico-pathologic and DNA cytometric study of 95 tumors].

A retrospective study of 95 follicular thyroid carcinomas was conducted to evaluate the prognostic value of different morphological and clinical features. The biological behaviour of these tumours was primarily influenced by presence or absence of a capsule type of confinement: the frequency of lethal outcome among widely invasive carcinomas was six times higher than among encapsulated neoplasms. Furthermore, dismal prognosis could be demonstrated for tumours occurring in older patients (with a sharp break in the prognosis at the age of 52 years) and for those lesions which displayed oxyphilic metaplasia.

[Prognostic criteria of papillary thyroid cancer. Morphologic clinical analysis of 202 cases of tumor].

A retrospective study of 202 papillary thyroid carcinomas was conducted to determine the prognostic value of different morphological and clinical features. The biological behaviour was primarily influenced by tumor type: Among encapsulated (n = 28) and occult lesions (n = 34), each time recurrence-free survival was seen, whereas 22% of patients with widely invasive tumours (n = 140) died from carcinoma (mean observation period: 9.6 years).

Prognostic significance of Leu-M1 immunostaining in papillary carcinomas of the thyroid gland.

Leu-M1 antigen is a monocyte/granulocyte-related marker known to be consistently expressed in the Reed-Sternberg cells of patients with Hodgkin's disease. Recently, however, the presence of Leu-M1 has also been noted in tumour cells of a variety of non-haematopoietic neoplasms, most of them adenocarcinomas. The biological significance of this aberrant reaction has not been clarified.

[Possibilities of ultrasound diagnosis in dermatology].

At present, ultrasound is the only available non-invasive method to give information about in vivo structures of the skin. We report on the most important physical fundamentals and technical requirements for diagnostic ultrasound in dermatology. Furthermore we discuss the actual clinical use of the technique.

Kinetics of serum creatine kinase and creatine kinase-MB after intracoronary thrombolysis.

The kinetics of the activity of total creatine kinase (CK) and creatine phosphokinase isoenzyme muscle-brain were investigated in 48 patients with acute myocardial infarction after successful intracoronary thrombolysis, and compared to the enzyme activities in 17 patients in whom thrombolysis failed. CK activity peaked significantly earlier after a successful thrombolysis than after an unsuccessful attempt: in patients with successful thrombolysis, CKmax = 10.5 +/- 3.

Increasing skeletal involution in the elderly?

Studies of bone mineral content (MC) of the limbs in normal populations have shown there is an increase of MC during adolescence, a maximum MC for both sexes between 30 and 40 years of age and a subsequent decrease which is at least twice as great in females than in males. There are different findings in the literature on the course of these MC changes with aging. The present cross-sectional study of 180 subjects over age 70 showed a slight increase in the annual decrease of radius MC in females and a distinct acceleration of the MC decrease in males after about 80 years.