Leicester General Hospital

About: Leicester General Hospital is a healthcare organization based out in Leicester, United Kingdom. It is known for research contribution in the topics: Population & Transplantation. The organization has 2481 authors who have published 3034 publications receiving 107437 citations.

Effect of recombinant human erythropoietin on erythropoiesis in homozygous sickle-cell anaemia and renal failure

Abstract: The development of end-stage renal disease (ESRD) in patients with sickle-cell anaemia results in increased transfusion dependence, increasing the risk of iron overload. Correction of anaemia with recombinant human erythropoietin (rHuEpo) in dialysis patients might also result in stimulation of haemoglobin F production, which protects against sickling, although very high doses were required to achieve this effect in non-uraemic animals. rHuEpo was administered to three transfusion-dependent patients with ESRD and homozygous sickle-cell disease (initial dose 100 U/kg twice weekly, increasing to 125 U/kg at 6 weeks, and to 150 U/kg at 9 weeks in two patients). This resulted in reticulocytosis and increased circulating erythroid blast-forming units. Total haemoglobin was predominantly HbA (i.e. transfused blood) at the start of the study, reflecting transfusion dependence, but after 3 months' treatment was between 60 and 94% HbS. No sickling crises occurred. Haemoglobin F remained at less than 3% of total haemoglobin. One patient was withdrawn at 10 weeks with CAPD peritonitis. The other two patients completed 12 weeks' treatment without transfusion but final Hb concentrations were 4.5 and 5.5 g/dl. Whether larger doses of rHuEpo will be more successful in managing such patients remains unclear. No effect on HbF production can be expected.

Ten-year experience of endoscopic transanal resection.

Abstract: Rectal neoplasms, both benign and malignant, have traditionally been managed by radical open surgical procedures, including anterior and abdominoperineal resections, posterior proctectomies (Kraske’s approach), and the posterior transsphincteric York-Mason approach. 1 However, these are major surgical procedures with associated complications and may be unsuitable for elderly, frail patients and unnecessary if the purpose of the intervention is to resect early benign lesions or achieve palliative symptom control. 2–5 In recent years, local treatment procedures have been developed to manage benign lesions and offer palliation in nonresectable tumors where the risks of open surgery would be unjustifiable. 2,3,6 Endoscopic transanal resection of tumor (ETAR), using urologic resectoscopes, 2,7 is a local approach for either the palliation or the definitive treatment of rectal neoplasms or symptomatic control of anastomotic strictures without the risks of major surgery. The technique of ETAR is particularly useful when the lesion lies below the peritoneal reflection but not within reach of rectal examination 2 and has been used during a 10-year period by one surgeon at our specialized colorectal unit. The data presented are a retrospective audit of the results of this surgeon’s experience.

ErbB receptors: possible therapeutic targets in prostate cancer?

Abstract: tyrosine kinase transmembrane glycoprotein (Fig. 1) which has high affinity for several ligands, principally EGF and TGFa , as well as amphiregulin, betacellulin and heparinbinding epidermal growth factor-like factor (HB-EGF). ErbB-2 shares some homology with EGFR, but the key difference is that no ligand has been identified for this receptor, and indeed, it may not possess one. It has thus become known as an ‘orphan’ receptor. The other two receptors, erbB-3 and erbB-4, bind several ligands including the neuregulins and epiregulin (Fig. 2). Although all four receptors should be regarded as an integrated family which modulate the function of each other, this review will concentrate on EGFR and HER-2, as there are few data about HER-3 and -4 in prostate cancer.