Brodimoprim: therapeutic efficacy and safety in the treatment of bacterial infections.

The clinical efficacy and safety of brodimoprim has been studied by numerous investigators. In the trials reviewed 2291 cases were entered. Of these 2214 were evaluable for efficacy and 2277 for safety. Brodimoprim has been found to exhibit good therapeutic efficacy in upper and lower respiratory tract infections, in bacterial gastroenteritis and in typhoid fever. Response rates in the above indications were reported to be in the range of 85-100% for upper respiratory tract infections, 84-92% for lower respiratory tract infections, 97-100% for bacterial gastroenteritis and 95-100% for enteric fever. In controlled studies these response rates were in the same range as those obtained with standard drugs (ampicillin, amoxicillin, cephalosporins, erythromycin, doxycycline, chloramphenicol). Of the 2277 patients assessable for safety 1429 had received brodimoprim and 848 received a comparative agent. In the brodimoprim group, the overall incidence of clinical adverse events occurring in patients during treatment was 12.7%. The majority of adverse events reported were nausea and vomiting, skin reactions, and CNS reactions. The incidence and pattern of adverse events caused by comparative drugs was similar to those caused by brodimoprim, with the exception of doxycycline which generated fewer clinical adverse events than the other regimens. Brodimoprim in single daily doses may be considered as a highly efficacious and well tolerated antibacterial agent against a broad range of bacterial infections.

Cell-cell interactions affect the accumulation of a cytokeratin-like protein during lens fiber development.

Extracellular matrix proteins were presented in culture to postmitotic, epithelial precursors of chick lens fiber cells as rigid, planar surfaces or malleable gels. Their ability to maintain and promote differentiated characteristics was judged by tritiated thymidine incorporation, immunologic detection of a cytokeratin-like protein (CP49) which accumulates during lens fiber development, and the formation of multicellular aggregates known as lentoids. Regardless of their composition, planar substrates stimulated the reentry into the cell cycle by promoting cell spreading. Laminin- and type IV collagen-coated surfaces facilitated monolayer growth and no appreciable accumulation of CP49. Thin films of Matrigel, which initially stimulated cell division, eventually promoted the formation of extensive lentoids, multicellular aggregates exhibiting many morphologic and biochemical properties of lens fibers. Malleable gels of Matrigel, however, inhibited cell division and immediately allowed the cells to begin lentoid formation. Culture conditions which favored lentoid formation also showed greatly enhanced levels of CP49 accumulation. In addition, lentoids were also shown to accumulate an integral membrane protein (MIP26) which is present in communicating junctions between neighboring fiber cells. These studies indicate that increased cell associations within forming lentoids may influence the progression of lens fiber terminal differentiation in vitro.

Fleroxacin: in-vitro activity worldwide against 20,807 clinical isolates and comparison to ciprofloxacin and norfloxacin.

By June 1987 worldwide investigators from 37 centres in 12 countries had completed epidemiological susceptibility testing studies comparing the in-vitro activity of fleroxacin with that of ciprofloxacin, norfloxacin and other antibacterials. In this paper the results of these studies, expressed primarily as MIC90S, are reviewed and analysed for centre to centre variability. Twenty thousand eight hundred and seven strains were evaluable for comparative analysis. All three quinolones exhibited high in-vitro activity against Enterobacteriaceae (MIC90 less than or equal to 0.125-2 mg/l), other common aerobic Gram-negative bacilli or coccobacilli (MIC90 less than or equal to 0.125-1 mg/l) and staphylococci, including selected resistant isolates (MIC90 less than or equal to 0.5-4 mg/l), and moderate to weak activity against streptococci and anaerobes (MIC90 = 1- greater than or equal to 8 mg/l). The activity of fleroxacin and norfloxacin was quite similar, but was usually inferior to that of ciprofloxacin. Comparison of data from the various investigating centres showed divergent results for many bacterial species, the MIC90S for the same quinolone varying by two to four dilution steps or more from centre to centre.

[Color-coded Doppler sonography of the pelvis-leg arteries: an appraisal of the value of that method in comparison with angiography]. / Farbcodierte Doppler-Sonographie der Becken-Bein-Arterien: Uberprüfung der Wertigkeit der Methode im Vergleich zur Angiographie.

The aim of this study was to determine the accuracy of colour-coded Doppler sonography (CDS) and its advantages as compared with angiography and pulsed Doppler sonography. For this purpose, the arteries in the pelvis, thigh and knee of 42 patients were examined by CDS, the gold standard being angiography. In ten patients, pulsed Doppler sonography was performed as well and the length of the examination compared with that of CDS. It was shown that CDS is valuable in the investigation of peripheral vessels and that it can replace angiography after femoro-popliteal bypass operations or PTA. Compared with pulsed Doppler sonography, CDS has the advantage of being much quicker.

[Color-coded Doppler sonography of the carotid arteries]. / Farbkodierte Doppler-Sonographie der Karotiden.

Doppler colour flow imaging provides colour-coded visualisation of blood flow additional to the B-mode image. In this study, the carotid arteries of 92 patients were examined comparing duplex sonography with Doppler colour flow imaging. Efficiency of these methods was evaluated by angiography in 16 patients. Examination time was shorter by using Doppler colour flow imaging; evaluation of haemodynamics and anatomical changes was simplified.

[Angiodynography: technical principles and clinical uses]. / Angiodynographie: technische Grundlagen und klinische Anwendungen.

Angiodynography is a newly developed system that enables Doppler sonography to be used to obtain a colour-coded real-time image of the blood vessels in the familiar ultrasound slice image. A new computerised technique allows both the familiar pulse echo signal and the Doppler shift of the signal resulting from movement in the body to be displayed for each point on the ultrasound slice plane. Stationary tissue structures are shown as the familiar grey scale image, while movement such as of the blood is shown in colour. 453 patients were examined. Normal and pathological flow measurements were obtained in the carotid artery, the jugular vein, in renal transplants, in the thyroid, the testis and in the urethra. Pathological flow velocities were visualised in stenosis, tumours and diffuse alterations of parenchyma.

[Real-time sonography in the diagnosis and follow-up of malignant tongue tumors. I. Anatomic basis]. / Real-time-Sonographie in Diagnostik und Verlaufskontrolle maligner Zungentumoren. Teil I: Anatomische Grundlagen.

Normal structures of the tongue and floor of the mouth were studied using anatomic sections cut with a stainless steel band saw. The sections were performed on the same planes as used in US and CT scanning. The ultrasound studies were carried out with 20 young and healthy volunteers. CT images were obtained from head/neck preparations that were subsequently used for anatomic sectioning. On comparing these sections to US and CT images, normal structures including intrinsic and extrinsic tongue muscles, vessels and salivary glands were identified. Knowledge of the anatomic landmarks is mandatory for optimal US image reading.