Search results for "pilot"
showing 10 items of 717 documents
Phase I study in melanoma patients of a vaccine with peptide-pulsed dendritic cells generated in vitro from CD34(+) hematopoietic progenitor cells.
2000
Dendritic cells (DCs) are professional antigen-presenting cells (APCs) that can be used for vaccination purposes, to induce a specific T-cell response in vivo against melanoma-associated antigens. We have shown that the sequential use of early-acting hematopoietic growth factors, stem cell factor, IL-3 and IL-6, followed by differentiation with IL-4 and granulocyte-macrophage colony-stimulating factor allows the in vitro generation of large numbers of immature DCs from CD34(+) peripheral blood progenitor cells. Maturation to interdigitating DCs could specifically be induced within 24 hr by addition of TNF-alpha. Here, we report on a phase I clinical vaccination trial in melanoma patients us…
Imaging findings of liver resection using a bipolar radiofrequency electrosurgical device—Initial observations
2010
Abstract Objective To assess contrast-enhanced US (CEUS), computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance (MR) imaging findings and serial changes of the treated area at follow-up in patients who underwent liver resection using a bipolar radiofrequency electrosurgical device. Methods Imaging findings of 27 patients with resected hepatocellular carcinomas (HCCs) ( n = 24) and metastases ( n = 3) (mean size: 2.6 cm), were retrospectively evaluated. Two readers assessed: the (a) presence, (b) thickness, (c) shape and (d) echogenicity (CEUS)/attenuation (CT)/signal intensity (MR imaging) at coagulated site and the (e) presence of residual tumor of the bipolar radiofrequency electrosurgical de…
Effects of (un)employment on young couples’ health and life satisfaction
2012
This study investigated effects of employed and unemployed job status on health outcomes with questionnaires in 50 young couples. Analysis of variance revealed higher pessimism, higher stress levels, and lower life satisfaction in couples in which one partner was unemployed. These couples also exhibited more health risk behaviours compared to couples in which both partners were working. The dyadic analysis of data, using an actor-partner interdependence model, demonstrated strong actor and partner effects for male partner's job status. Being unemployed was significantly associated not only with male partner's life satisfaction but also with the life satisfaction of his female partner. In ad…
The Effectiveness Of Radial Extracorporeal Shock Wave Therapy In Patients With Chronic Low Back Pain: A Prospective, Randomized, Single-Blinded Pilot…
2019
Karolina Walewicz,1 Jakub Taradaj,2,3 Katarzyna Rajfur,1 Kuba Ptaszkowski,4 MichaÅ Tomasz Kuszewski,2 MirosÅaw Sopel,5 Robert Dymarek5 1Faculty of Physiotherapy, Opole Medical School, Opole, Poland; 2Institute of Physiotherapy and Health Sciences, Academy of Physical Education, Katowice, Poland; 3College of Rehabilitation Sciences, University of Manitoba, Winnipeg, MB, Canada; 4Department of Physiotherapy, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, Poland; 5Department of Nervous System Diseases, Wroclaw Medical University, Wroclaw, PolandCorrespondence: Robert DymarekDepartment of Nervous System Diseases, Faculty of Health Sciences, Wroclaw Medical University, Bartla 5, Wroclaw 51-618, PolandTe…
Effects of immunosuppressive drugs on the cognitive functioning of renal transplant recipients: A pilot study
2011
Some renal transplant patients show cognitive, emotional, and behavioral changes as part of possible neurotoxic effects associated with immunosuppressive medication, especially tacrolimus. This study evaluated effects of immunosuppressive drugs on some cognitive tasks. Patients treated with sirolimus and cyclosporine reported some of the noncognitive side effects related to immunosuppressive treatment. We observed attention and working memory impairment in patients treated with sirolimus or tacrolimus. Performance of cyclosporine-treated subjects was similar to that of healthy volunteer controls. Since the mood, anxiety, and sleep patterns measured were unaffected, it could be concluded tha…
Is endometrial receptivity transcriptomics affected in women with endometriosis? A pilot study
2015
Endometrial receptivity is still questioned today in women with endometriosis. The aim of this study was to assess the endometrial receptivity gene signature in patients with different stages of endometriosis by investigating transcriptomic modifications of their endometrium using the endometrial receptivity array (ERA) test. A prospective, interventional multicentre pilot trial was designed and implemented in two university-affiliated infertility units from Belgium and Spain. Gene expression microarray was used to diagnose the receptivity status by quantifying the expression of 238 specific genes directly related to human endometrial receptivity. Unsupervised hierarchical clustering showed…
New Obesity Indices and Adipokines in Normotensive Patients and Patients With Hypertension
2013
We compared the obesity parameters and selected adipokines—leptin, adiponectin, and resistin—in obese patients with hypertension and normotensive patients. A total of 67 nondiabetic obese outpatients were divided into 2 groups: A–hypertensive and B–normotensive. Serum levels of leptin, adiponectin, resistin, and insulin were measured. Weight, height, waist circumference, and hip circumference were measured to calculate waist-to-hip ratio (WHR), weight-to-height ratio, visceral adiposity index, and body adiposity index (BAI). Among patients with hypertension, significant positive correlations were observed between leptin and body mass index and BAI ( r = .31 and r = .63, respectively). In n…
Early experiences from one of the first treatment programs for chronic hepatitis B in sub-Saharan Africa
2017
Treatment for chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is virtually absent in sub-Saharan Africa. Here we present early experiences from a pilot program for treatment of CHB in Ethiopia. Adults (≥18 years) with CHB were included in a cohort study at St. Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College, Addis Ababa, from February 2015. The baseline assessment included liver function tests, viral markers and transient elastography (Fibroscan 402, Echosense, France). Logistic regression models were used to identify predictors of fibrosis. Tenofovir disoproxil fumarate (TDF) was initiated based on the European Association for the Study of the Liver (EASL) criteria, with some modifications. The initial 300 patients …
Treatment of chronic hepatitis B in sub-Saharan Africa: 1-year results of a pilot program in Ethiopia
2018
Background The World Health Organization has set an ambitious goal of eliminating viral hepatitis as a major public health threat by 2030. However, in sub-Saharan Africa, antiviral treatment of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) is virtually unavailable. Herein, we present the 1-year results of a pilot CHB treatment program in Ethiopia. Methods At a public hospital in Addis Ababa, CHB patients were treated with tenofovir disoproxil fumarate based on simplified eligibility criteria. Baseline assessment included liver function tests, viral markers, and transient elastography (Fibroscan). Changes in laboratory markers were analyzed using Wilcoxon signed-rank tests. Adherence to therapy was measured by …
Clinical Trial: High-dose furosemide plus small-volume hypertonic saline solutions vs. repeated paracentesis as treatment of refractory ascites.
2009
Summary Background In patients with cirrhosis, ascites is defined as refractory when it cannot be mobilized or recurs early in standard diuretic therapy. Aim To compare the safety and efficacy of intravenous high-dose furosemide + hypertonic saline solutions (HSS) with repeated paracentesis in patients with cirrhosis and refractory ascites. Patients and methods Eighty-four subjects (59/25 M/F) with cirrhosis, mostly of viral aetiology, admitted for refractory ascites, were randomly assigned to receive furosemide (250–1000 mg/bid i.v.) plus HSS (150 mL H2O with NaCl 1.4–4.6% or 239–187 mEq/L) (60 patients, Group A) or to repeated paracentesis and a standard diuretic schedule (24 patients,…