Alterations in epithelial mucin expression are associated with carcinogenesis, but there are few ... more Alterations in epithelial mucin expression are associated with carcinogenesis, but there are few data in biliary tract cancer (BTC). In pancreatic malignancy, MUC4 is a diagnostic and prognostic tumour marker, whereas MUC5AC has been proposed as a sensitive serological marker for BTC. We assessed MUC4 and MUC5AC expression in (i) prospectively collected bile and serum specimens from 72 patients with biliary obstruction (39 BTC) by real-time reverse transcriptase -PCR (qPCR) and western blot analysis, and (ii) 79 archived biliary tissues (69 BTC) by immunohistochemistry. In bile, MUC4 protein was detected in 27% of BTC and 29% of primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) cases, but not in other benign and malignant biliary diseases (Po0.01 and P ¼ 0.06). qPCR revealed a 1.9-fold increased MUC4 mRNA expression in BTC patients' bile compared with benign disease. In archived tissues, MUC4 protein was detected in 37% of BTC but in none of the benign samples (P ¼ 0.03). In serum, MUC5AC was found exclusively in BTC and PSC sera (44% and 13%, respectively; Po0.001 for BTC vs non-BTC) and correlated negatively with BTC survival. Biliary MUC4 and serum MUC5AC are highly specific tumour-associated mucins that may be useful in the diagnosis and formulation of therapeutic strategies in BTC.
Journal of The American College of Cardiology, 1997
Objectives. We sought to evaluate the serial changes in the response of the hibernating myocardiu... more Objectives. We sought to evaluate the serial changes in the response of the hibernating myocardium to dobutamine stimulation after revascularization.
Journal of The American College of Cardiology, 2000
The study assessed whether end-diastolic wall thickness (EDWT), measured with echocardiography, i... more The study assessed whether end-diastolic wall thickness (EDWT), measured with echocardiography, is an important marker of myocardial viability in patients with suspected myocardial hibernation, and it compared this index to currently established diagnostic modalities of dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) and rest-redistribution thallium-201 (Tl-201) scintigraphy.
Among 23,059 patients who underwent exercise myocardial tomography between 1985 and 1994 at our i... more Among 23,059 patients who underwent exercise myocardial tomography between 1985 and 1994 at our institution, there were 817 (3.5%) with a strongly positive exercise electrocardiogram and normal myocardial tomograms. Among these, 52 patients had no conditions known to be associated with a false-positive exercise electrocardiogram and no previous coronary revascularization, and underwent coronary angiography. Of the 32 patients with significant coronary stenoses, 50% had 1-vessel disease and only 22% had 3-vessel disease (p <0.05). Among 55 stenosed arteries, 56% were of moderate severity (50 to 74%), whereas only 9% had subtotal or total occlusion (95 to 100%) (p <0.001). There was a significant gender difference in the prevalence of significant coronary stenoses (80% in male vs 24% in female patients, p <0.0001). A strongly positive exercise electrocardiogram coupled with normal exercise myocardial tomograms is a rare clinical finding. In women, this finding is usually associated with normal coronary arteries, whereas in men it often denotes coronary artery disease, usually of mild to moderate degree. (Am J Cardiol 1996;78:638–641)
Tekes, the National Technology Agency of Finland, is the main financing organisation for applied ... more Tekes, the National Technology Agency of Finland, is the main financing organisation for applied and industrial R&D in Finland. Funding is granted from the state budget.
Alterations in epithelial mucin expression are associated with carcinogenesis, but there are few ... more Alterations in epithelial mucin expression are associated with carcinogenesis, but there are few data in biliary tract cancer (BTC). In pancreatic malignancy, MUC4 is a diagnostic and prognostic tumour marker, whereas MUC5AC has been proposed as a sensitive serological marker for BTC. We assessed MUC4 and MUC5AC expression in (i) prospectively collected bile and serum specimens from 72 patients with biliary obstruction (39 BTC) by real-time reverse transcriptase -PCR (qPCR) and western blot analysis, and (ii) 79 archived biliary tissues (69 BTC) by immunohistochemistry. In bile, MUC4 protein was detected in 27% of BTC and 29% of primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) cases, but not in other benign and malignant biliary diseases (Po0.01 and P ¼ 0.06). qPCR revealed a 1.9-fold increased MUC4 mRNA expression in BTC patients' bile compared with benign disease. In archived tissues, MUC4 protein was detected in 37% of BTC but in none of the benign samples (P ¼ 0.03). In serum, MUC5AC was found exclusively in BTC and PSC sera (44% and 13%, respectively; Po0.001 for BTC vs non-BTC) and correlated negatively with BTC survival. Biliary MUC4 and serum MUC5AC are highly specific tumour-associated mucins that may be useful in the diagnosis and formulation of therapeutic strategies in BTC.
Journal of The American College of Cardiology, 1997
Objectives. We sought to evaluate the serial changes in the response of the hibernating myocardiu... more Objectives. We sought to evaluate the serial changes in the response of the hibernating myocardium to dobutamine stimulation after revascularization.
Journal of The American College of Cardiology, 2000
The study assessed whether end-diastolic wall thickness (EDWT), measured with echocardiography, i... more The study assessed whether end-diastolic wall thickness (EDWT), measured with echocardiography, is an important marker of myocardial viability in patients with suspected myocardial hibernation, and it compared this index to currently established diagnostic modalities of dobutamine stress echocardiography (DSE) and rest-redistribution thallium-201 (Tl-201) scintigraphy.
Among 23,059 patients who underwent exercise myocardial tomography between 1985 and 1994 at our i... more Among 23,059 patients who underwent exercise myocardial tomography between 1985 and 1994 at our institution, there were 817 (3.5%) with a strongly positive exercise electrocardiogram and normal myocardial tomograms. Among these, 52 patients had no conditions known to be associated with a false-positive exercise electrocardiogram and no previous coronary revascularization, and underwent coronary angiography. Of the 32 patients with significant coronary stenoses, 50% had 1-vessel disease and only 22% had 3-vessel disease (p <0.05). Among 55 stenosed arteries, 56% were of moderate severity (50 to 74%), whereas only 9% had subtotal or total occlusion (95 to 100%) (p <0.001). There was a significant gender difference in the prevalence of significant coronary stenoses (80% in male vs 24% in female patients, p <0.0001). A strongly positive exercise electrocardiogram coupled with normal exercise myocardial tomograms is a rare clinical finding. In women, this finding is usually associated with normal coronary arteries, whereas in men it often denotes coronary artery disease, usually of mild to moderate degree. (Am J Cardiol 1996;78:638–641)
Tekes, the National Technology Agency of Finland, is the main financing organisation for applied ... more Tekes, the National Technology Agency of Finland, is the main financing organisation for applied and industrial R&D in Finland. Funding is granted from the state budget.
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Papers by Usman Qureshi