Measurements of complement factor H-related protein (BTA-TRAK (TM) assay) and nuclear matrix protein (NMP22 assay) - Useful diagnostic tools in the diagnosis of urinary bladder cancer?

Between 1997 and 2000 we investigated in a prospective study the voided urine samples of all consecutive patients undergoing cystoscopy independent from their clinical background (n=705) with the BTA-TRAK(TM) assay (Bard Diagnostics, Redmont, USA) detecting complement factor H-related protein (CFHrP) and the NMP22 assay (Matritech, Newton, USA) measuring nuclear matrix protein, which is supposed to be specific for bladder cancer. The individuals were divided into three groups concerning the clinical background: 233 patients had urological diseases, 268 patients had urinary bladder cancer and 150 patients had other urological malignancies. Based on the clinical findings we compared our results with well established diagnostic methods for urinary bladder cancer such as cytology and the detection of hematuria. In addition, we investigated urine samples from 30 healthy individuals and 24 patients with urinary tract infection without performing cystoscopy. Following the recommendations of the European Group on Tumor Markers we used 95% specificity for benign urological diseases and urinary tract infections, which resulted in a sensitivity of 17% for active bladder cancer for the BTA-TRAK(TM) assay and 31% for NMP22. We compared these results with the detection of hematuria (specificity: 72%) and cytology, which had a sensitivity of 64% and 89%, respectively. Subsequently, we calculated sensitivity and specificity for the detection of relapse of the disease. Again using 95% specificity, in this case for patients with no evidence of disease (NED), in patients with recurrent disease the BTA-TRAK(TM) assay showed % sensitivity as compared to 12% for the NMP22 assay. Due to an insufficient specificity and sensitivity, both tests can neither be clinically useful in screening of high risk patients, nor in primary diagnosis of bladder cancer. They cannot replace neither cystoscopy nor cytology. In the follow-up care more investigations may be necessary to prove the benefit of existing diagnostic strategies for the discrimination between active and inactive bladder cancer

The diagnostic accuracy of two human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) testing systems in combination with CA125 in the differential diagnosis of ovarian masses

Background: Cancer antigen 125 (CA125) is the best known single tumor marker for ovarian cancer (OC). We investigated whether the additional information of the human epididymis protein 4 (HE4) improves diagnostic accuracy. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed preoperative sera of 109 healthy women, 285 patients with benign ovarian masses (cystadenoma: n = 78, leimyoma: n = 66, endometriosis: n = 52, functional ovarian cysts: n = 79, other: n = 10), 16 low malignant potential (LMP) ovarian tumors and 125 OC (stage 1: 22, II: 15, III: 78, IV: 10). CA 125 was analyzed using the ARCHITECT system, HE4 using the ARCHITECT(a) system and EIA(e) technology additionally. Results: The lowest concentrations of CA125 and HE4 were observed in healthy individuals, followed by patients with benign adnexal masses and patients with LMP tumors and OC. The area under the curve (AUC) for the differential diagnosis of adnexal masses of CA 125 alone was not significantly different to HE4 alone in premenopausal (CA 125: 86.7, HE4(a): 82.6, HE4(e): 81.6% p > 0.05) but significantly different in postmenopausal {[}CA125: 93.4 vs. HE4(a): 88.3 p = 0.023 and vs. HE4(e): 87.8% p=0.012] patients. For stage I OC, HE4 as a single marker was superior to CA 125, which was the best single marker in stage H-IV. The combination of CA 125 and HE4 using risk of malignancy algorithm (ROMA) gained the highest sensitivity at 95% specificity for the differential diagnosis of adnexal masses {[}CA 125: 70.9, HE4(a): 67.4, HE4(e): 66.0, ROMA(a): 76.6 and ROMA(e): 74.5%], especially in stage I OC {[}CA 125: 27.3, HE4(a): 40.9, HE4(e): 40.9, ROMA(a): 45.5 and ROMA(e): 45.5%]. Conclusions: CA 125 is still the best single marker in the diagnosis of OC. HE4 alone and even more the combined analysis of CA 125 and HE4 using ROMA improve the diagnostic accuracy of adnexal masses, especially in early OC

Toxicity of ethanol and acetaldehyde in hepatocytes treated with ursodeoxycholic or tauroursodeoxycholic acid

AbstractIn hepatocytes ethanol (EtOH) is metabolized to acetaldehyde and to acetate. Ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA) and tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA) are said to protect the liver against alcohol. We investigated the influence of ethanol and acetaldehyde on alcohol dehydrogenase (ADH)-containing human hepatoma cells (SK-Hep-1) and the protective effects of UDCA and TUDCA (0.01 and 0.1 mM). Cells were incubated with 100 and 200 mM ethanol, concentrations in a heavy drinker, or acetaldehyde. Treatment with acetaldehyde or ethanol resulted in a decrease of metabolic activity and viability of hepatocytes and an increase of cell membrane permeability. During simultaneous incubation with bile acids, the metabolic activity was better preserved by UDCA than by TUDCA. Due to its more polar character, acetaldehyde mostly damaged the superficial, more polar domain of the membrane. TUDCA reduced this effect, UDCA was less effective. Damage caused by ethanol was smaller and predominantly at the more apolar site of the cell membrane. In contrast, preincubation with TUDCA or UDCA strongly decreased metabolic activity and cell viability and led to an appreciable increase of membrane permeability. TUDCA and UDCA only in rather high concentrations reduce ethanol and acetaldehyde-induced toxicity in a different way, when incubated simultaneously with hepatocytes. In contrast, preincubation with bile acids intensified cell damage. Therefore, the protective effect of UDCA or TUDCA in alcohol- or acetaldehyde-treated SK-Hep-1 cells remains dubious

The influence of soil gravel content on compaction behaviour and pre-compression stress

AbstractMany arable soils have significant horizon-specific gravel content levels. Just how these influence compaction behaviour, and in particular precompression stress as an important criterion of a soil's susceptibility to compaction, has yet to be sufficiently clarified. This article is intended to contribute towards answering this question.Firstly, three different fine earths, from the “Clay”, “Silt Loam” and “Sandy Loam” soil texture classes were mixed with staggered proportions (0, 10, 20, 30, 40% by volume) of a quartz gravel (the shape of which was subrounded to rounded, average weighted diameter 6mm). Soil core samplers were filled with the mixtures at a typical density for a natural site. In the case of the 30% by volume variant only, in addition to the quartz gravel an angular to subangular limestone gravel with the same size graduation was also used. The tests were supplemented by 20 samples from a natural site; the gravel content of these varied between 0.1 and 23.5% by volume. All of the disturbed and natural samples were adjusted to a water content at a matric potential of −6kPa. Subsequently, an oedometer test was used to apply loads to them in stages (5–550kPa). Precompression stress was calculated using the resulting stress–bulk density functions.While fine earth bulk density remained constant, the staggered addition of quartz gravel led to an increase in the whole soil density after packing, and thus also to a vertical shift in overall stress–bulk density functions. However, the stress–density functions of the fine earth do show that the overall compaction of fine earth decreased as gravel content increased. In the case of low gravel content levels of no more than 10% by volume, the increase in precompression stress (log) in the disturbed samples was, on the whole, very low. In the disturbed samples, however, as gravel content increased precompression stress (log) increased exponentially. Contrary to this, a continuous linear increase in precompression stress (log) could be observed with increasing gravel content in the natural samples. The angular to subangular shape of the gravel only resulted in greater precompression stress (log) in the “Silt Loam”.At gravel-rich sites, gravel content influences soil compaction behaviour and precompression stress very strongly. For this reason, it is essential that it be considered when assessing such sites' risk of compaction damage

ELECTROMYOGRAPHIC RESEARCHES OF GYAKU-ZUKIIN KARATE KUMITE

The purpose of this study is the presentation of electromyographic analyses of GyakuZuki. Dependent on the degree of the karteka different levels of intermuscular coordination could be observed. On the basis of the adaptive AA model spectral parameters of the EMG signals were determined. These different EMG parameters prove that during the pushing arm extension under equal conditions several frequency bands appear

Myelodysplastic syndromes: Aspects of current medical care and economic considerations in Germany

Myelodysplastic syndromes (MDS) are a heterogeneous group of diseases mainly affecting older people. The use of an increasing number of therapeutic options depends on a systematic risk stratification of the patients. A high percentage of MDS patients need blood transfusions as supportive care, which influence quality of life and cause a great part of the costs generated by MDS therapy. In this article which is based on a workshop about the burden of MDS held in October 2006 in Munich, MDS is discussed with regard to different aspects: current therapies, transfusion medicine, geriatrics, quality of life, and health economic aspects

Abflusstiefen auf aufgelösten Blockrampen bei Rest- und Niederwassersituation

Aufsatz veröffentlicht in: "Wasserbau-Symposium 2021: Wasserbau in Zeiten von Energiewende, Gewässerschutz und Klimawandel, Zurich, Switzerland, September 15-17, 2021, Band 2" veröffentlicht unter: https://doi.org/10.3929/ethz-b-00049975

Impact of exogenous α-amylases on sugar formation in straight dough wheat bread

The use of bacterial or fungal α-amylases is common in wheat bread production to improve several quality-related parameters such as loaf volume, crust color or staling behavior. To study the impact of exogenous α-amylases on straight dough wheat bread, we quantitated mono-, di- and oligosaccharides and residual α-amylase activity in bread crumb during storage for up to 96 h. Discovery-driven proteomics of the five α-amylase preparations studied showed that only a few different amylases per preparation were responsible for the hydrolytic effect. Compared to the control, the supplementation with α-amylase from Bacillus amyloliquefaciens in wheat dough preparation led to major changes in the sugar composition of bread crumb during storage with the formation of oligosaccharides like maltopentaose, maltohexaose, maltoheptaose, and maltooctaose. A residual activity corresponding to 4.0% of the applied activity was determined in the breads prepared with α-amylase from B. amyloliquefaciens, but no residual activity was detected for any of the other fungal or bacterial α-amylases from Aspergillus oryzae or Thermoactinomyces vulgaris. Whether the detected residual activity is related to the characteristics of bread staling or bread crumb properties must be clarified in further studies

Impact of exogenous maltogenic α-amylase and maltotetraogenic amylase on sugar release in wheat bread

The use of exogenous maltogenic α-amylases or maltotetraogenic amylases of bacterial origin is common in wheat bread production, mainly as antistaling agents to retard crumb firming. To study the impact of maltogenic α-amylase and maltotetraogenic amylase on straight dough wheat bread, we performed a discovery-driven proteomics approach with commercial enzyme preparations and identified the maltotetraogenic amylase P22963 from Pelomonas saccharophila and the maltogenic α-amylase P19531 from Geobacillus stearothermophilus, respectively, as being responsible for the amylolytic activity. Quantitation of mono-, di- and oligosaccharides and residual amylase activity in bread crumb during storage for up to 96 h clarified the different effects of residual amylase activity on the sugar composition. Compared to the control, the application of maltogenic α-amylase led to an increased content of maltose and especially higher maltooligosaccharides during storage. Residual amylase activity was detectable in the breads containing maltogenic α-amylase, whereas maltotetraogenic amylase only had a very low residual activity. Despite the residual amylase activities and changes in sugar composition detected in bread crumb, our results do not allow a definite evaluation of a potential technological function in the final product. Rather, our study contributes to a fundamental understanding of the relation between the specific amylases applied, their residual activity and the resulting changes in the saccharide composition of wheat bread during storage