Use of tissue plasminogen activator for reopening of clotted dialysis catheters.

The use of central venous catheters as permanent vascular access in chronic hemodialysis is complicated by clotting. We have tried a nonallergenic thrombolytic agent, tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA), to dissolve catheter luminal thrombosis. Eight patients, 7 in chronic hemodialysis and 1 treated by immune adsorption had 18 treatments with locally applied t-PA (2 mg/2 cm3).

Differential effect of selective beta 1 and nonselective beta-adrenoceptor blockade on epinephrine and atropine response in normal humans.

Sympathetic stimulation with epinephrine (EPI) combined with parasympathetic blockade with atropine was studied in 10 healthy volunteers premedicated with placebo or three different beta-adrenoceptor blockers: atenolol (62.5 micrograms/kg, beta 1-selective), propranolol (62.5 micrograms/kg, nonselective), and pindolol (7.

The conduction system in human cardiac allografts. A histological and immunopathological study.

Twenty-five hearts were lost in the first 103 orthotopic human cardiac allografts in 100 recipients. Twenty-two patients died. The first nine recipients were treated with Cyclosporin A and high dose Prednisolone and the subsequent recipients were immunosuppressed with a triple regimen consisting of Azathioprine in addition to Cyclosporin A and low dose Prednisolone.

Vascular rejection in cardiac transplantation. A morphological study of 25 human cardiac allografts.

Between November 1983 and January 1990 103 orthotopic heart transplants were performed at the National Hospital, University of Oslo, Norway. Twenty-two patients died. Acute and/or chronic rejection was the cause of death in nine, disseminated infection in eight, cancer in three, and cerebral haemorrhage in one of the patients.

Combined radiotherapy and surgery in the treatment of neck node metastases from squamous cell carcinoma of the head and neck.

A prospectively recorded series of 107 patients with clinical neck node metastases from head and neck squamous cell carcinomas, treated in 1983-1988, and with initial local control, is evaluated. Eighty-eight patients received preoperative, and were operated 4-6 weeks after radiotherapy, and 19 received postoperative radiotherapy. Forty-four of the neck specimens in the preoperatively treated patients showed vital tumor tissue, 7 with positive and 37 with negative resection margins.

Indications and results of pancreatic transplantation: the Oslo experience 1983-1990.

The Norwegian pancreas transplantation programme was initiated in June 1983. By November 1990, a total of 77 pancreatic transplantations had been performed, 63 simultaneously with a renal transplant. Five patients received pancreatic grafts after previous renal grafting while nine non-uraemic diabetic patients received pancreatic grafts only.

Treatment of noise induced hearing loss.

In most textbooks, it is stated that noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL) is an irreversible impairment of hearing. This is certainly true for the slowly, over time acquired NIHL. Working for years in a very noisy environment is causing a gradual killing of hair cells in the inner ear, with no hope for recovery.

The nasolabial skinflap in intraoral reconstruction.

Twenty-four patients underwent reconstruction of the lower anterior part of the oral cavity with a total of 29 nasolabial skinflaps, following ablative surgery for squamous cell carcinoma. Partial necrosis due to biting occurred in one flap. The rest healed without complications.

Risk factors for total and cause-specific mortality in human cardiac transplantation. Prolonged extracorporeal bypass time: a high risk factor for rejection and infection.

Data from the first 103 human heart transplantations in 100 recipients performed at a single centre from November 1983 to January 1990 were analysed to detect risk factors for overall and cause-specific mortality. Twenty-two patients died. Cumulative 1 year graft survival was 82% and 5 year, 68%.

A long-term study of atenolol and doxazosin in mild and moderate hypertension.

The efficacy and tolerability of doxazosin and atenolol in the management of mild and moderate hypertension were compared in a multicentre, parallel study, the first year of which was randomized and double-blind. Patients who completed this first year were invited to enter a two-year extension phase; the results after the first year are presented. A total of 228 patients entered the double-blind phase (118 received atenolol).

Mental health and psychosocial functioning in children with recent onset of rheumatic disease.

Mental health was evaluated early in the course of juvenile rheumatic disease; 106 parents of children (aged 1-17 yrs) were interviewed and 98 of the children were assessed when the child was hospitalized. Instruments included the Child Assessment Schedule (CAS), the Children's Global Assessment Scale (CGAS) and the Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL). Half the patients received a psychiatric diagnosis; psychosocial dysfunction of at least mild severity was found in 64% of the patients.

Immunogenicity of yeast-derived hepatitis B vaccine from two different producers.

The immunogenicity and reactogenicity of two preparations of yeast-derived hepatitis B vaccines were compared in healthy adult populations. The two groups were vaccinated in parallel, but they were not matched for age and sex. All subjects seroconverted, and 9 months after the first vaccine dose, all had anti HBs titres of at least 10 IU/l.

IL-6 in synovial fluids, plasma and supernatants from cultured cells of patients with rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory arthritides.

The purpose of this investigation was to measure interleukin 6 (IL-6) levels in synovial fluid (SF) and plasma from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and other inflammatory arthritides (non-RA) and to examine the in vitro production of IL-6 by T cells and monocytes from SF and peripheral blood (PB). All patients had high levels of IL-6 in SF. Although the median level was higher in the group of non-RA arthritides, the difference was not statistically significant.

Characterization of a new malignant human T-cell line (PFI-285) sensitive to ascorbic acid.

A new malignant human T-cell line-labelled PFI-285-has been isolated from a boy with malignant lymphoma. Morphologically, the cells had characteristics of malignant lymphoid cells. The cells presented surface antigens as early cortical lymphocytes and proliferated non-adherently as single cells, independent of T-cell growth factor (IL-2), in liquid culture.

Questionnaire reliability and validity for aluminum potroom workers.

As a part of a study on the respiratory symptoms of aluminum potroom workers, the reliability of a self-administered questionnaire and an interview questionnaire was studied with the use of 261 and 49 employees, respectively. The validity of the self-administered questionnaire (134 persons examined) and the interview questionnaire (90 persons examined) was assessed in a comparison of the statements with the case histories. The reliability of the self-administered questionnaire was fairly high, the kappa coefficient ranging from 0.

Room temperature influences output from the Wright jet nebulizer.

Standardization of the solute output from the Wright nebulizer is necessary in nonspecific bronchial challenge to obtain reproducible results. Airflow and driving pressure are known determinants of the output. In an epidemiological study, in which day-to-day variations in room temperature occurred, we found the reproducibility of the output from a Wright nebulizer to be outside the range of acceptance.

A functional study of purified CD4+ and CD8+ cells isolated from synovial fluid of patients with rheumatoid arthritis and other arthritides.

The purpose of this investigation was to study purified synovial fluid (SF) CD4+ and CD8+ cells from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) and other inflammatory joint diseases (non-RA) with respect to the proliferative response to mitogens and recombinant interleukin 2 (rIL-2). Highly purified cell subsets were isolated by an immunomagnetic technique, and spontaneous proliferation as well as proliferative reSponses to rIL-2 and a combination of phytohaemagglutinin (PHA) and phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) (to substitute for accessory cells) were measured. Some patients had SF CD4+ and/or CD8+ cells with moderately increased spontaneous proliferation, but only the CD4+ cells of the two patient groups differed significantly from the peripheral blood (PB) T-cell subsets of healthy individuals who served as controls.

Nitroblue tetrazolium reduction in monocytes and monocyte-derived macrophages. Effect of oxidative burst stimulants and interferons.

The ability to mount an oxidative burst (OB) in response to medium, zymosan and phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) was assessed in human blood monocytes cultured for 1 day (MO) and monocyte-derived macrophages cultured for 10 days (MDM). Further, the effect of recombinant interferons (IFNs) on OB generation was examined. The OB was measured as a reduction of nitroblue tetrazolium (NBT).

Circulatory effects of oxygen radicals.

Oxygen radicals have vasoactive properties. The hypoxanthine-xanthine oxidase system generates oxygen radicals. This system relaxes isolated constricted ductus rings from fetal lambs and constricts the pulmonary circulation of adult pigs.

Evaluation for left ventricular aneurysm resection: a prospective study of clinical and haemodynamic characteristics.

A consecutive series of 97 patients with a left ventricular aneurysm (LVA) was evaluated for aneurysmectomy. A wide range in left ventricular (LV) function was found. Angina pectoris was the primary indication (51%) in 55 patients who were operated upon, whereas poor LV function was the main reason (67%) for rejecting surgery in 42 patients.

Effects of atenolol and pindolol on the hypokalaemic and cardiovascular responses to adrenaline infusion.

To investigate if the intrinsic sympathomimetic activity of pindolol could modify its beta-blocking effects on the responses to an adrenaline infusion, 10 healthy volunteers were studied. At an interval of 1-4 weeks each subject received pindolol and atenolol in randomized order before the infusion of adrenaline 0.06 microgram.

B-cell growth-promoting activity in supernatants from CD4+ cells from synovial fluid and peripheral blood of patients with rheumatoid arthritis and other inflammatory arthritides.

The purpose of this study was to compare CD4+ cells from peripheral blood (PB) and synovial fluid (SF) of patients with rheumatoid arthritis with regard to mitogen-induced production of B-cell growth-promoting activity. CD4+ cells were isolated by a direct immunomagnetic technique and supernatants from both unstimulated and mitogen-stimulated CD4+ cells were studied. B-cell growth-promoting activity was assayed using highly purified B cells obtained from peripheral blood of healthy individuals.

Colloid versus crystalloid cardioplegia. A prospective, randomized clinical study.

The effects of adding colloid (dextran 40, Rheomacrodex) to cardioplegic solution were studied in 55 men undergoing bypass grafting for uncomplicated coronary artery disease. The patients were randomly allocated to group I (n = 27), in which 35 g dextran 40 was added to the St Thomas II cardioplegic solution, or group II (n = 28), which received a standard crystalloid cardioplegic solution. The groups were comparable in regard to preoperative and intraoperative data.

Improvement in cardiac performance and exercise tolerance after left ventricular aneurysm surgery--a prospective study.

Forty two patients were studied prospectively by rest and exercise radionuclide ventriculography before and after (10 +/- 4 months) left ventricular aneurysm resection. Functional classification (NYHA) improved from 3.0 +/- 0.

Rhabdomyoma of the tongue. Report of a case with light microscopic, ultrastructural and immunohistochemical observations.

Adult rhabdomyoma is a benign neoplasm of skeletal muscle origin, which mainly occurs in the head and neck region. Because of its rarity the diagnosis may be missed, especially if cross-striations cannot be demonstrated by light microscopy. By applying supplementary diagnostic evaluation with immunohistochemistry and electron microscopy, the diagnosis is established.