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- Weiland, O, et al.
(författare)
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Efficacy of human leucocyte alpha-interferon treatment for chronic hepatitis C virus infection
- 1995
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Ingår i: Scandinavian Journal of Infectious Diseases. - : Informa UK Limited. - 1651-1980 .- 0036-5548. ; 27:5, s. 319-324
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- A total of 42 Swedish patients with biopsy-proven chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection were treated with a natural human leucocyte alpha-interferon (HuIFN-alpha-Le), Alfanative (BioNative AB, Umeå, Sweden) in an open uncontrolled study. Two patients were withdrawn from treatment within 2 weeks due to non-compliance and were omitted from further analysis, and 40 patients (17 females), mean age 39 years (range 24-71) completed the study. All patients were HCV RNA-positive in serum prior to treatment, with raised alanine aminotransferase (ALT) levels > 1.5 times the upper normal limit known for more than 6 months. Interferon was given at a dose of 3 MU t.i.w. for an intended 24 weeks and follow-up was a further 24 weeks after treatment. Biochemical non-responders were withdrawn from treatment within 12-16 weeks but continued follow-up. Overall 21/40 (52.5%) patients had a complete biochemical response with normal ALT levels at the end of treatment. Sustained response during follow-up was seen in 8 (20%) whereas 13 (32.5%) had a non-sustained response. At the end of treatment 23 (58%) patients had undetectable serum HCV RNA and 9 (23%) at follow-up. Patients with sustained, non-sustained and non-response had a mean pretreatment HCV RNA level of 3.2 x 10(5), 2.5 x 10(6) and 3.2 x 10(6) genomes/ml, respectively, differences that did not reach statistical significance. Of the patients 3, 9, 10 and 14 had genotype 1b, 3a, 1a, and 2b, respectively, and 4 had mixed genotypes. Of the 23 patients with genotype 2b or 3a, 7 had a sustained response vs. none of the 13 patients with genotype 1a or 1b (p = 0.03). No patients with cirrhosis had a sustained response whereas 4/18 with chronic persistent and 4/18 with chronic active hepatitis had such a response. It is concluded that some 50% of patients treated with HuIFN-alpha-Le responded with normalisation of ALT levels but that only 20% had a durable response 24 weeks post-treatment, and that patients with genotypes 3a or 2b seem to respond better than patients with other genotypes.
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| 2. |
- Greenberg, R, et al.
(författare)
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Aggressive treatment of acute limb ischemia due to thrombosed popliteal aneurysms
- 1998
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Ingår i: European Journal of Radiology. - 1872-7727. ; 28:3, s. 211-218
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- OBJECTIVE: The absence of infra-popliteal runoff in patients with acute limb ischemia and thrombosed popliteal aneurysms carries a high risk of amputation. A combined treatment method involving thrombolysis and surgery is reported. MATERIAL AND METHODS: Information regarding six patients was reviewed. Ankle brachial indices and degree of ischemia were recorded. All patients underwent digital subtraction angiography. In five patients thrombus dissolution was achieved using a combination of mechanical and pharmacologic therapy. One patient was judged incapable of withstanding any delay in reperfusion and was treated with isolated limb perfusion using a thrombolytic agent. All patients underwent surgical revascularization. Follow-up (1-3 years) consisted of duplex examinations at 6 months and yearly thereafter. RESULTS: Five patients had no measurable ankle brachial index (ABI), while one patient had an ABI of 0.4. Initial angiography noted all patients to have no runoff in continuity to the pedal arch. Following thrombolytic therapy, an adequate bypass vessel was noted in all cases, with reconstitution of the plantar arch in five patients. Distal revascularizations included one peroneal, and five below knee popliteal arterial bypasses. Fasciotomies were performed in four of the six patients. There were no amputations. One patient developed a persistent foot drop. Two patients developed bypass grafts occlusions; one of which required therapy. CONCLUSION: The pre-operative use of thrombolytic therapy is a safe and effective method to achieve limb salvage in this patient population. Patients must be capable of withstanding an additional period of ischemia allowing for reconstitution of distal runoff. Isolated limb perfusion is of use when a delay to reperfusion cannot be tolerated.
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| 3. |
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| 4. |
- Li, Aihong, et al.
(författare)
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Clonal rearrangements in childhood and adult precursor B acute lymphoblastic leukemia : a comparative polymerase chain reaction study using multiple sets of primers.
- 1999
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Ingår i: European Journal of Haematology. - 0902-4441 .- 1600-0609. ; 63:4, s. 211-8
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Ig heavy chain (IgH) and T-cell receptor (TCR) gene rearrangements were investigated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification of diagnostic tumour samples from 91 patients (57 children and 34 adults, with cut-off at age 16) with precursor B acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL). Using primers directed to the framework regions (FR) 1, 2 and 3 of the IgH gene, clonal IgH rearrangements were observed in 82, 58 and 58%, respectively, whereas clonality was presented in 45 and 27% using primers hybridising to the TCR delta and gamma genes. A combination of all five primer sets used resulted in 96% positive cases (children 100%, adults 88%). The frequency of clonal IgH rearrangements correlated to patient age with a significantly lower fraction of positive cases in the adult group. The concomitant usage of more than one V(H) family gene was similar for childhood and adult ALL, and an over-representation of V(H)6 rearrangements was found in childhood ALL. Twenty-five out of 91 cases (27%) displayed an oligoclonal pattern for either IgH or TCR gene rearrangements (children 37%, adults 12%). A comparative analysis of samples from different compartments was performed in 23 patients, and differences between two or three compartments were observed in seven cases. Unexpectedly large, clonally appearing PCR products of 540-715 bp were found in three leukemias and sequence analysis verified their clonal nature. In summary, using multiple sets of primers clonal rearrangements of IgH and TCR genes can be detected in a very high frequency, including previously neglected large size PCR products. A common heterogeneity was demonstrated in different compartments reflecting ongoing clonal evolution, which can make detection of minimal residual disease (MRD) in ALL troublesome. Therefore, we suggest that a minimum of three targets should be used to minimise false-negative results.
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| 7. |
- Luhr, O., et al.
(författare)
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A retrospective analysis of nitric oxide inhalation in patients with severe acute lung injury in Sweden and Norway 1991-1994
- 1997
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Ingår i: Acta Anaesthesiologica Scandinavica. - : Wiley. - 0001-5172 .- 1399-6576. ; 41:10, s. 1238-46
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- BACKGROUND: Patients with severe acute lung injury (ALI) have been treated compassionately on doctors' initiative with inhaled nitric oxide (INO) in Sweden and Norway since 1991. In 1994 the previously used technical grade nitric oxide was replaced by medical grade nitric oxide. METHODS: We have carried out a retrospective data collection on all identified adult patients treated with INO for >4 h during the period 1991-1994 focusing on safety aspects and patient outcome. We used the following exclusion criteria (1) Age <18 years, (2) Simultaneous treatment with extracorporeal removal of CO2 (3) NO inhalation period <4 h, (4) Incomplete or missing patient charts, (5) Use of INO in order to treat pulmonary hypertension following cardiac surgery, with little or no acute lung injury. RESULTS: Inclusion criteria were met by 56 out of 73 identified patients. Mean age was 48+/-19 years and the median duration of INO treatment was 102 h. PaO2/FIO2 ratio at start of treatment was 85 +/- 33 mm Hg with a lung injury score (LIS) of 3.2+/-0.8. The aetiology of the lung injury was pneumonia (n= 27), sepsis (n=12) and trauma (n=8). Survival to hospital discharge was 41% and survival after 180 d was 38%. Three serious adverse events were identified, two from technical failures of the INO delivery device and one withdrawal reaction necessitating slow weaning from INO. No methaemoglobin values >5% were reported during treatment. CONCLUSION: The overall mortality did not differ dramatically from historical controls with high mortality. Only a randomised study may determine whether INO as an adjunct to treatment alters the outcome in severe ALI. One cannot at present advocate the routine use of INO in patients with ALI outside such studies.
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| 10. |
- Rosenquist, R, et al.
(författare)
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Clonal evolution as judged by immunoglobulin heavy chain gene rearrangements in relapsing precursor-B acute lymphoblastic leukemia.
- 1999
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Ingår i: European Journal of Haematology. - 0902-4441 .- 1600-0609. ; 63:3, s. 171-9
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Tidskriftsartikel (refereegranskat)abstract
- Oligoclonality and ongoing clonal evolution are common features in patients with precursor-B (pre-B) acute lymphoblastic leukemia (ALL), as judged by immunoglobulin heavy chain (IgH) gene rearrangement analysis. These features are considered to be results of secondary rearrangements after malignant transformation or emergence of new tumor clones. In the present study we analyzed the IgH gene rearrangement status in 18 cases with relapsing pre-B ALL using variable heavy chain (V(H)) gene family specific polymerase chain reaction (PCR) amplification and single stranded conformation polymorphism (SSCP) analysis. Clonal IgH rearrangements were displayed in all leukemias but one, and altered rearrangement patterns occurred in five cases (29%), which were selected for detailed nucleotide sequence analysis. In one case, multiple subclones at diagnosis were suggested to be derived from a progenitor clone through joining of different V(H) germline gene segments to a pre-existing D-J(H) complex (V(H) to D-J(H) joining). Evidence for V(H) gene replacement with identical N-sequences at the V(H)-D junction and a common D-J(H) region was observed in one case. Diversification at the V(H)-D junction consisting of heterogeneous N-sequences were observed in one case. This molecular modification of the V(H)-D region could fit a hypothesized "open-and-shut" mechanism. Nevertheless, despite these ongoing events at least one IgH rearrangement remained unchanged throughout the disease in most patients, indicating that the immunoglobulin heavy chain locus can be a suitable marker for detection of minimal residual disease (MRD).
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