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...     

Untersuchung zur Morbidität der indigenen Volksgruppen der Chiquitanos im südlichen Amazonasgebiet

The Chiquitano-tribe lives in the southern Amazonas region in Bolivia, remote from larger towns. A study (n=1514) on morbidity over an one year period (April 1995 till March 1996) and its relation to general and social medicine is given. Most frequently, childreh under 15 years and women in parity age (15–45 years) sought consultation (34,1 %, 42,7 %). Gastrointestinal, respiratoral and gynecological-obstetric diseases were predominant (22,4 %, 16,2 % and 15,7 %). In the dry season, common colds and respiratoral infections represented the major health problem. In the rainy season, infectious diarrhea diseases caused by polluted water as a consequence of extended floods were most frequent. Typical tropical diseases (malaria, Dengue fever, Chagas’ disease, leprosy a.o.) and socially caused diseases (AIDS, dependencies on drugs and alcohol, consequencies of crime) were rarely seen. With respect to severity, 55,8 % of the patients showed mild disorders. More serious diseases were observed in 39, 8 %. 4,6 % of the patients were diagnosed severly ill and needed hospitalization. Epidemiological data on general and social medicine of minorities in developing countries and their actual degree of medical care are important in a shrinking world. The data are useful to estimate medical needs and plan improvements to the health care system especially in rural areas.     

Rapid chemical kinetic techniques for investigations of neurotransmitter receptors expressed in Xenopus oocytes

Xenopus laevis oocytes have been used extensively during the past decade to express and study neurotransmitter receptors of various origins and subunit composition and also to express and study receptors altered by site-specific mutations. Interpretations of the effects of structural differences on receptor mechanisms were, however, hampered by a lack of rapid chemical reaction techniques suitable for use with oocytes. Here we describe flow and photolysis techniques, with 2-ms and 100-μs time resolution, respectively, for studying neurotransmitter receptors in giant (≈20-μm diameter) patches of oocyte membranes, using muscle and neuronal acetylcholine receptors as examples. With these techniques, we find that the muscle receptor in BC₃H1 cells and the same receptor expressed in oocytes have comparable kinetic properties. This finding is in contrast to previous studies and raises questions regarding the interpretations of the many studies of receptors expressed in oocytes in which an insufficient time resolution was available. The results obtained indicate that the rapid reaction techniques described here, in conjunction with the oocyte expression system, will be useful in answering many outstanding questions regarding the structure and function of diverse neurotransmitter receptors.     

CGP 6809 — A new nitrosoureido-sugar derivative with activity in human tumor xenografts

Summary CGP 6809 [ethyl-6-deoxy-3,5-di-O-methyl-6-(3-methyl-3-nitrosoureido)--d-glucofuranoside] is a new methylnitrosoureido-sugar derivative that has been shown to be active against a broad spectrum of transplantable tumours in mice and rats [14]. We investigated the anti-tumour effect of CGP 6809 in ten selected, human tumour xenograft lines growing s. c. in nude mice. The p. o. administration of 125 mg/kg per day for 10–15 days was less toxic (lethality 12% in tumour-bearing nude mice) than the i. p. injection of 62.5 mg/kg per day (lethality 22%). The anti-tumour effect was similar for both application routes; two large bowel cancers responded to treatment with CGP 6809, rectal cancer CXF 158 showed a remission, and the rapidly growing, undifferentiated colonic cancer CXF 280 exhibited a transient no-change. Furthermore, remissions were observed in the epidermoid lung cancer LXF 322 and in thyroid cancer 117. Tumour progression was found in another epidermoid lung cancer and in three stomach cancers, one melanoma, and one soft tissure sarcoma. CGP 6809 is a promising new agent for clinical trials, especially for large bowel and epidermoid lung cancer.Supported in part by grant PTB 8467 from the Bundesminister für Forschung und Technologie, Bonn, FRG     

Differential Fear of Cardiopulmonary Sensations in Emergency Room Noncardiac Chest Pain Patients

Fear of bodily sensations has received extensive attention in relation to panic disorder, and more recently, other types of anxiety pathology and chronic pain problems. Extending this work, the present study examined fear of bodily sensations and its underlying dimensions in emergency room patients with Noncardiac Chest Pain (NCCP; n = 63). We posited a differential specificity hypothesis, expecting that specific cardiopulmonary fears would be more strongly associated with NCCP symptoms relative to other bodily fears. As hypothesized, participants reported cardiopulmonary sensations as significantly more fear-provoking than numbness, dissociation, and gastrointestinal sensations. Additionally, regression analysis indicated that after accounting for theoretically relevant demographic variables and health status, cardiopulmonary fear was the best predictor of a composite index of cardiac complaints intensity, even after removing variance related to the absolute number of cardiac complaints. We discuss these findings in relation to the specific role for the fear of cardiopulmonary sensations in chest pain complaints, with implications for better understanding the underlying psychological processes involved in NCCP.     

Epidermal T lymphocytes--ontogeny, features and function.

Conclusions The murine epidermis contains a network of Thy-1⁺ dendritic T cells. These T cells arise from early fetal stem cells and differentiate in the fetal or neonatal thymic or epidermal microenvironment. Their lack of expression of CD5, CD4, and CD8 antigens, as well as their virtually exclusive expression of a CD3/TCR V3/V1 complex, distinguishes DETC from the bulk of peripheral T cells.The early appearance of TCR / cells in ontogeny, the lack of expression of CD4 and CD8 antigens, and the relative paucity of and genes compared to and genes, indicates that / T cells provide a phylogenetically primitive, broadly acting, and poorly discriminating immunologic defense system. In this system, recognition of antigen is not restricted by classical MHC class I and class II antigens, but may occur in the context of relatively nonpolymorphic restricting elements, such as Qa [82], Tla [10] or CD1 [62]. This rather primitive immune system provided by DETC may serve to protect the epidermal integrity. Upon recognition of self proteins released following epidermal injury, DETC may become activated and assist in the removal of altered cells. In this limited fashion, the epidermis may be an independently competent immunologic system. However, the fact that the TCR repertoire of DETC does not allow for the recognition of antigenic peptides in conjunction with MHC moieties excludes the possibility that the diverse immune response elicited by topical contact with foreign antigens is mediated by DETC.Whether this statement also applies to the human epidermis cannot be answered at the present time. Let us consider a few plausible concepts concerning derivation and function of human epidermal T cells. First, one could postulate that in early ontogeny, the human epidermis harbors a small, indigenous population of naive T lymphocytes with monomorphic TCR representing an analogue to murine DETC. These cells could function in a manner similar to that proposed for murine DETC. They may even persist into adult life, so far undetected because they would be outnumbered by immigrating polymorphic T cells from peripheral lymphoid organs. Second, it is conceivable that the human epidermis contains an indigenous population of naive T lymphocytes with a polymorphic TCR repertoire representing a phylogenetically advanced analogue to murine DETC. Although equipped with TCR allowing antigen recognition in the context of MHC, their density is probably too low to make them an effective host defense system against the multitude of environmental antigens presented by Langerhans cells. One could rather assume that they proliferate upon recognition of self antigens occurring in a perturbed epidermis. The autoreactivity of these cells may not necessarily be beneficial. Finally, the fact that the entry of circulating HECA-452⁺ memory cells into the skin is dependent upon the injury-induced ELAM-1 expression by endothelial cells of the dermal microvasculature could indicate that all T cells present in adult human epidermis are recruited upon alteration of the skin. Following this reasoning, the human epidermis should not be regarded as a complete, self-sustaining immunologic organ but rather as a homing site for and a target of lymphocytes antigenically sensitized in peripheral lymphoid organs.     

Blends of alkyloxy-substituted liquid-crystalline aromatic polyesters and copolyesters with poly(ethylene terephthalate)

Blends containing poly(ethylene terephthalate) (PET) and a series of alkyloxy laterally substituted liquid-crystalline copolyesters (HTO5-X series 1 ) in various ratios were prepared in the melt at 260°C by mechanical mixing. The visual and light microscopical appearance of the blends in the solid state and in the melt was found to be homogeneous for those blends which contained an aliphatic-rich HT05-X copolyester. The homogeneous appearance can be explained by a colloidal dispersion of the liquid-crystalline polymer (LCP) in PET. Obvious phase separation in the melt occurs slowly after long periods of time. Phase separation is forced by annealing at about 270°C, where a change of viscosity is observed, and by shearing the sample. Characterization of theblends by DSC experiments shows that the thermal behaviour of all blends is dominated by the phase transitions of PET and that the LC-low-phase of the HTO5-X copolyesters with a high degree of alkyloxy substitution is suppressed. The WAXS diffraction patterns of all blends contained an amorphous halo. For blends with low HTO5-X concentration, inner reflexions from the nematic sanidic phase, as exhibited by the HTO5-X copolyester, could be observed. For blends with higher HTO5-X copolyester concentration, characteristic reflexions from HTO5-X copolyester crystals could be observed. The number of X-ray reflexions of the crystalline LCP in the blend is reduced compared to that of the pure LCP.     

Heart-focused anxiety,illness beliefs,and behavioral impairment: Comparing healthy heart-anxious patients with cardiac and surgical inpatients

Psychological features and complaints of persons presenting to medical settings with heart-focused anxiety and noncardiac chest pain are poorly understood. Comparing 20 healthy heart-anxious patients to cardiac and surgical inpatients and nonpatient controls, we found that healthy heart-anxious patients (a) were as afraid of chest pain and heart palpitations as inpatients with heart disease, (b) were as incapacitated by symptoms and using medical services as much as both inpatient groups; and (c) reported higher levels of cardiac disease conviction, heart awareness, and behaviors designed to protect their heart than surgical patients and nonpatients. Compared to all other groups, healthy heart-anxious patients reported more panic and other anxiety disorders, hypochondriacal beliefs, physical symptoms, obsessive-compulsive concerns, and negative affect. Following a hyperventilation test, heart-anxious patients also indicated more distressing symptoms and thoughts, and felt less safe and in control than surgical patients and nonpatients. Results support efforts for a timely recognition, diagnosis, and behavioral treatment of persons with heart-focused anxiety.