Circulating intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and E-selectin in urological malignancies.

Several studies suggest that cellular adhesion molecules (CAM) play a role in cancer progression and metastasis. To evaluate the role of these molecules as possible tumor markers in patients with urological malignancies, we examined the serum levels of intercellular cell adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM-1), vascular cellcular adhesion molecule-1 (VCAM-1) and E-selectin in patients with renal cell-, bladder-, prostate- and testicular cancer. Serum levels of 237 patients with urological cancers, renal cell carcinoma (n = 47), bladder cancer (n = 81), prostate cancer (n = 87) and testicular cancer (n = 22) and a group of 41 patients with benign prostate hyperplasia (BPH) as well as a 42 healthy control persons were examined for CAMs by specific ELISA tests. Serum CAM concentrations of all tumor patients were compared with controls and within the group according to T stage, N stage, tumor grade and extent of distant metastasis. Our results demonstrate that ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 serum levels are not stage dependently elevated; in contrary, they demonstrate a wide range and are highly variable throughout the different cancer types. In renal cell cancer and in bladder cancer, there is a significant difference for ICAM-1 between controls and T3 and T4 and metastatic cancers. A similar difference was found for VCAM-1, however not for E-selectin in any tumor group. Testicular cancer and prostate cancer did not demonstrate any difference in CAM serum levels between patients with tumors and controls. In metastatic renal cell-, bladder- and prostate cancer, the serum levels of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 showed a tendency to correlate with the extent of metastatis although no statistical difference between patients with a single metastatic lesion and patients with multiple lesions could be demonstrated. The results of this study implicate a rather limited role of cellular adhesion molecules. Despite of significant ICAM-1 or VCAM-1 serum levels in some locally advanced tumors or metastatic disease, this observation does not provide enough relevant clinical information for use as tumor markers.

[Ergonomic design of alpha numeric keyboards]. / Ergonomische Gestaltung von alphanumerischen Tastaturen.

Split keyboards have been developed based on laboratory and field studies. They are characterized by a large forearm/hand support, an angle between the two half keyboards of 25 degrees, a frontal-, lateral inclination of 10 degrees and a hand-conforme key arrangement. These split keyboards reduce constrained postures in arms and hands. The keyboard can be operated with supported forearms. Work on a split keyboard is more comfortable and it was preferred by a large majority of the users.

[Load factors at visual display terminals (author's transl)]. / Belastungsfaktoren an Bildschirmarbeitsplätzen.

A medical examination and questionnaire in various office workplaces (N = 295) shows that in intensive work at visual display terminals rheumatic and asthenopic disorders are very frequent. Muscle pain and eye complaints are correlated. The incidence of eye disorders and visual acuity are related to lighting conditions (local and temporal oscillation of characters on the visual display) at the individual workplaces.

[Oscillating light from characters on screens]. / Das oszillierende Licht von Bildschirmzeichen.

An apparatus for measuring the sharpness, the oscillation degree and the stability of characters of 8 different VDTs were developed. Furthermore the contrast of luminances between the essential surfaces was measured. The following results were observed: 2 VDTs had good ergonomic qualities, one was only sufficient and 5 VDTs had insufficient ergonomic light conditions.

[Neck muscular tension due to repetitive work]. / Tension musculaire de la nuque lors de travaux répétitifs.

In our laboratory study 19 students effected 4 repetitive tasks of 70 min each. All four conditions had a motor task at the base and in addition two had to deal with discrimination. In the 2 tasks with discrimination, the electromyography of the neck muscles was distinctly higher than in the 2 other conditions. The tasks with discrimination were accompanied by a higher subjective tension, a lower heart rate variability and a slightly increased urinary excretion. The main cause for an augmentation in the muscle tonus might be the immobilisation of the neck.