Das kleinzellige Bronchialkarzinom – neue Entwicklungen nach ASCO 2007

Wiener Medizinische Wochenschrift - Aggressives Tumorwachstum, frühe Metastasierung und hohe Assoziation mit intensivem Nikotinkonsum sind die Charakteristika des kleinzelligen...     

Plain radiographic findings in anterior cruciate ligament injury and repair

Although magnetic resonance imaging is the most accurate imaging method of evaluating the anterior cruciate ligament, several plain radiographic signs suggestive of anterior cruciate ligament injury have been described. Plain radiographs also play an important role in evaluating anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction.     

Laparoskopisch-pelvine Lymphadenektomie nach definitiver Strahlentherapie des Prostatakarzinoms

Ohne Zusammenfassung     

Polycystic kidney disease genes and polycystins

Conclusion The past decade has seen extraordinary progress in the study of autosomal-dominant polycystic kidney disease. The 2 major genes for this disorder have been identified. Animal models of ADPKD have been produced. The molecular basis of the disease has been characterized. ADPKD is a “second-hit” disease, much like many cancer predisposition syndromes. This has profound implications for our understanding. The progression of ADPKD in individual patients is likely related more to their individual rate of acquisition of second hits at thePKD1 orPKD2 locus than to the inherited germ line mutation itself. Therapeutic approaches will perhaps now be considered, which will include interventions that may limit the rate at which somatic mutations occur in the kidney. The major focus of research at present is to elucidate the normal functions ofPKD1 andPKD2. Protein binding partners are being sought for both proteins. The possible calcium channel function ofPKD2 is being investigated. The downstream effects of cellular deficiency of either protein are likely to yield many clues. Modifying genetic factors that may independently affect disease progression are likely to be identified using the several mouse models. Perhaps the next decade will bring great strides in understanding and in potential therapy for this common disease. This paper was presented at the 2nd International Forum “The Frontiers of Nephrology,” Tokyo, May 10, 1998.     

Treatment of End-Stage Renal Disease in Central and Eastern Europe: Overview of Current Status and Future Needs

The situation of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients in central and eastern Europe was very poor for many years during the so called socialistic era. Economical and political liberation resulted in the significant growth of renal replacement facilities in this region. The number of hemodialysis units increased significantly (56%) during the period 1990–1996, and the number of patients treated with this modality has risen by 75%. More dramatic progress was achieved in peritoneal dialysis. The number of units performing this method of renal replacement therapy (RTT) increased by 277% and the number of patients by more than 300%. Not only quantitative but also qualitative changes were observed. More modern hemodialysis machines installed in the vast majority of units allow for the performance of bicarbonate dialysis, controlled ultrafiltration, and sodium profile modeling. Also, a wider choice of biocompatible dialyzers has become available during the last few years. The number of centers performing renal transplantation has increased significantly, but the number of renal transplants has not followed this progress. Despite all the progress, further development of all RRT methods is necessary to achieve acceptance rates comparable to those observed in developed countries.     

Diagnostic subgroups of developmental dyslexia have different deficits in neural processing of tones and phonemes.

The present study addressed auditory processing in 8-11-year-old children with developmental dyslexia by means of event-related brain potentials (ERP). Cortical sound reception was evaluated by recording N250 responses to syllables and tones and cortical sound discrimination by analyzing the mismatch negativity (MMN) to syllable and tone changes. We found that both cortical sound reception and sound discrimination were impaired in dyslexic children. The analysis of the data obtained from two dyslexic subgroups, Dyslexics-1 being impaired in non-word reading (or both non-word and frequent word reading) and Dyslexics-2 in frequent word reading but not in non-word reading, revealed that the MMN was specifically diminished in the latter group whereas it was normal-like in Dyslexics-1. However, no differences were found between these subgroups in sound reception as indicated by the responses elicited by the standard stimuli. These results show that different diagnostic subgroups of dyslexics have different patterns of auditory processing deficits as suggested by similarly impaired sound reception in both dyslexic groups and the sound-discrimination impairment specific to one of the groups.     

Rescue of lethal molybdenum cofactor deficiency by a biosynthetic precursor from Escherichia coli

Substitution therapies for orphan genetic diseases, including enzyme replacement methods, are frequently hampered by the limited availability of the required therapeutic substance. We describe the isolation of a pterin intermediate from bacteria that was successfully used for the therapy of a hitherto incurable and lethal disease. Molybdenum cofactor (Moco) deficiency is a pleiotropic genetic disorder characterized by the loss of the molybdenum-dependent enzymes sulphite oxidase, xanthine oxidoreductase and aldehyde oxidase due to mutations in Moco biosynthesis genes. An intermediate of this pathway-'precursor Z'-is more stable than the cofactor itself and has an identical structure in all phyla. Thus, it was overproduced in the bacterium Escherichia coli, purified and used to inject precursor Z-deficient knockout mice that display a phenotype which resembles that of the human deficiency state. Precursor Z-substituted mice reach adulthood and fertility. Biochemical analyses further suggest that the described treatment can lead to the alleviation of most symptoms associated with human Moco deficiency.