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Biomedical subjects

A Adam

Publications and source records attributed to A Adam.

At least 163 records · Page 9Linked to original sources
PubMed1992

Flow cytometric analysis of opposite effects of a monokine on proliferation and differentiation of murine B lymphocytes.

A 35,000 mw factor able to replace macrophages (FRM) in the induction of the in vitro antibody response to sheep erythrocytes has been isolated from the supernatant of murine resident peritoneal macrophage cultures. Purified FRM, when added at the outset of cultures, induced B cells to generate an antigen-specific antibody response. The signals provided by FRM in the process of B cell activation were analyzed using a polyclonal model. Cell cycle analysis by multiparameter flow cytometry after acridine orange staining showed that FRM, on its own, did not trigger the transition of B cells from the G0 to the G1 stage of the cell cycle. In addition, FRM affected neither the basal intracellular free calcium level ([Ca2+]i) nor the rapid increase in [Ca2+]i induced by crosslinking of membrane immunoglobulin (mIgM) with anti-mu antibodies. In parallel with its positive effect on B cell differentiation, FRM markedly reduced both proliferation and cell cycle progression of B cells stimulated with anti-mu plus interleukin 4 (IL-4). Indeed, the addition of FRM to such cultures led to a preferential accumulation of cells in the early G1 compartment of the cell cycle and to a decreased frequency of cells in all other phases including G1B, S and G2/M.

Animals↗
PubMed1992

Transjugular and plugged liver biopsies.

When a liver biopsy is indicated the transabdominal approach using either a Menghini or Tru-Cut needle has been shown to be an extremely safe procedure with very low morbidity and mortality rates in patients with normal or only mildly disturbed coagulation. When the coagulation status is severely deranged, however, several methods of obtaining a liver biopsy have been devised to circumvent the increased risk of bleeding. The transjugular approach has been shown to be both successful and relatively safe. The less cumbersome technique of plugging the needle track after percutaneous transabdominal biopsy has been reported relatively recently. Although it is likely that the latter method will produce good biopsy samples in the majority of cases (and in this regard it may prove to be better than the transjugular route), considerably more experience is required before its true complication rate is known. In a hospital where large numbers of transjugular biopsies are performed by experienced radiologists and in which skilled pathologists are used to interpreting the histological appearances of small, crushed liver samples, there is no compelling reason to change to the plugged biopsy technique. The more difficult question is whether hospitals in which the radiological and histological skills necessary for consistent success with the transjugular approach are not available should adopt the plugged biopsy method. The answer to this question is probably in the affirmative, but will depend on the confidence and interventional experience of the local operator and on more detailed factual information concerning the safety of the plugged method. With regard to the latter point, the publication of a large controlled study on the safety and efficacy of plugged liver biopsy would be a valuable contribution to the world literature on the subject.

Biopsy, Needle↗
PubMed1992

Metallic stents in biliary disease.

The development of self-expanding metallic endoprostheses which can be implanted easily, with minimal trauma, has revolutionized the non-surgical treatment of both benign and malignant biliary strictures. The Wallstent (Medinvent SA, Lausanne, Switzerland), a pliable, tubular stainless steel mesh, is the metallic stent of choice for treatment of malignant strictures and can be implanted in a single session resulting in a shortened hospital stay for patients undergoing palliation of irresectable biliary tumours. Although follow-up is currently rather limited, it appears that the occlusion rate of Wallstents will be lower than that of plastic endoprostheses and no cases of stent migration have been reported. The Gianturco zigzag stent (Cook Inc., Bloomington, Ind, USA) should not be used in malignant strictures because of rapid occlusion due to tumour ingrowth through the struts. However, it exerts a strong, continuous, outward radial force and is ideally suited for use in the small, but difficult to manage, group of patients with benign biliary strictures which recur despite surgery and repeated balloon dilations.

Bile Duct Neoplasms↗
PubMed1992

Patency of side branches after peripheral placement of metallic biliary endoprostheses.

During a 28-month period, the authors placed 91 Wallstent endoprostheses in 55 patients with malignant obstructive jaundice. Five patients developed recurrent jaundice between 2 and 60 weeks after stent insertion due to stent occlusion by tumor overgrowth on seven occasions. To assess long-term segmental side-branch drainage through the walls of such endoprostheses, the cholangiograms obtained following stent occlusion were reviewed. In all five patients, evidence of drainage of intrahepatic ducts through the side of the mesh was observed. Although the number of patients in the series is small, this initial experience suggests that long metallic endoprostheses can be placed peripherally in the intrahepatic bile ducts without the potential risk of infection or occlusion of undrained, noninvolved segments. This policy may delay or prevent endoprosthesis occlusion in many patients.

Adenoma, Bile Duct↗
PubMed1992

Protective effect of cicletanine on hypertension-induced decreases in the renal kallikrein-kinin and prostaglandin systems in stroke-prone spontaneously hypertensive rats.

We investigated the effect of two oral (p.o.) doses of cicletanine (5 and 30 mg/kg/day) for 4 weeks on urinary excretion (UKE), renal concentration (RKC) of kallikrein, and prostaglandin E2 (PGE2) and 6-keto-PGF1 alpha urinary excretion of stroke-prone (SP) spontaneously hypertensive rats (SHR) and Wistar-Kyoto rats (WKY) rats submitted to a high sodium intake (1%). Both doses of cicletanine induced a significant antihypertensive effect in treated SHR as compared with hypertensive untreated controls (HC). After 4-week treatment, a significant difference in mortality was observed between normotensive controls (NC) (0%) and HC (84%). Both doses of cicletanine reduced the mortality of hypertensive animals (8% SHR with 5 mg and 24% SHR with 30 mg vs. 84% in HC). Whereas UKE and RKC were decreased in HC during the progression of untreated hypertension from week 1 to week 4, both doses of cicletanine administration significantly prevented this decrease. Consistently with maintenance of UKE during the course of hypertension, the level of tissue kallikrein was higher in hypertensive cicletanine-treated than in untreated SHR. This increased RKC was associated with a significantly higher rate of kallikrein biosynthesis. The increased level of the urinary excretion and tissue concentration of PGE2 and 6-keto-PGF1 alpha in cicletanine-treated SHR as compared with untreated animals was also of interest. This protective effect on PG excretion correlated with that on kallikrein excretion. The results confirm the efficiency of cicletatine as an antihypertensive treatment. The antihypertensive action includes protective effects on potential vasodepressor kallikrein-kinin and prostaglandin systems.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

6-Ketoprostaglandin F1 alpha↗
PubMed1992

Recurrent respiratory obstruction from a mediastinal bronchogenic cyst.

A large mediastinal bronchogenic cyst presented acutely with paroxysmal atrial fibrillation and severe airflow obstruction. The patient had experienced identical symptoms on two other occasions over the previous 24 years. These had been previously misdiagnosed as due to a mediastinal lymphoma. Percutaneous extrapleural aspiration successfully decompressed the cyst with substantial improvement in lung function. Recurrent swelling of the cyst occurred that could not be relieved surgically. After repeat aspiration percutaneous instillation of bleomycin and alcohol has been used to prevent further increase in the size of the cyst.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Radiation stricture of the biliary ducts: an emerging new entity?

Two patients with stricture of the extrahepatic biliary tree are described. Both patients presented with a clinical picture of obstructive jaundice one to two years following radiotherapy for a malignant condition. As no recurrent tumour was detected in either of the patients the strictures were considered to be the result of radiation therapy. Bilio-enteric decompression was performed in both patients who are well at follow up one and ten years after the procedure.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

The influence of family expressed emotion on the course of schizophrenia in a sample of Spanish patients. A two-year follow-up study.

A sample of 60 Spanish schizophrenic patients was studied to ascertain the relationship between their relatives' expressed emotion (EE) and relapse at follow-up. The relatives' EE and patients' relapse were operationalised following Leff & Vaughn's criteria. At nine months a significant association was not found between the relatives' EE and relapse, but this association became significant on reclassifying the relatives' EE scores after decreasing to four points the cut-off point for critical comments. At 24 months no association was found between EE and relapse. There was a tendency for patients who interrupted their medication or who did not work to relapse more frequently, particularly among the high-EE group.

Adult↗
PubMed1992

Interleukin-5 increases the expression of alkaline phosphatase activity in murine B lymphocytes.

Interleukin-5 (IL-5) was shown to enhance, in a dose-dependent fashion, the expression of alkaline phosphatase (APase) activity in splenic B cells stimulated with dextran sulphate (DXS). The potentiating effect of IL-5 was still more evident when assayed in large B cells than in small resting B cells, whereas IL-2, IL-4 and IL-6 were devoid of activity. Concomitant with increased APase expression, cell-cycle analysis by flow cytometry showed that large B cells in the early G1 phase were stimulated by IL-5, in conjunction with DXS, to enter G1B and to progress further through S and G2/M. A phosphorylation-dephosphorylation pathway could, thus, be involved in IL-5 transmembrane signalling.

Adenosine Triphosphatases↗
PubMed1992

Effects of bradykinin and Des-Arg9-bradykinin on the ischemic rat heart.

In isolated rat hearts subjected to 30 min stop flow followed by 5 min reperfusion, Bradykinin (Bk), 1 and 0.1 microM, significantly decreased ventricular tachycardia and fibrillation, noradrenaline (NA) output at reperfusion as well as myocardial NA loss and lipid peroxidation, and preserved creatine kinase activity. Des-Arg9-Bk 0.1 microM had also similar effects. Hence, the active metabolite des-Arg9-Bk may be involved in the protective action of Bk, partly mediated by its inhibitory effect on NA liberation.

Animals↗
PubMed1991

Discrimination between rat thiostatin (T-kininogen) and one of its cystatin-like inhibitory fragments by a monoclonal antibody, and localization of the epitope.

A monoclonal antibody (mAb D3) raised against rat thiostatin (T-kininogen) strongly interacted with a fragment, identified as cystatin-like domain 3, which inhibits cysteine proteinases but did not recognize intact, native thiostatin. The antigen-antibody reaction requires cleavage of the single peptide chain of thiostatin in its inter-domain 2-3 region. This mAb can also differentiate between the two molecular varieties of thiostatin, reacting only with immobilized domain 3 from T1 thiostatin, which differs from the T2 variety by only 10 out of 125 residues. mAb D3 did not react with an N-terminally truncated domain 3 of T1 thiostatin prepared by submaxillary gland kallikrein k10 proteolysis. This suggests that the epitope, or an essential part of it, is located on a stretch of 12 residues at the N-terminal of the T1 thiostatin domain 3. This sequence in T1 thiostatin differs from that in T2 thiostatin by four amino acids, two of which are arginyl residues in T1. Chemical modification of these residues located at positions 246 and 250 decreased the reactivity of T1 domain 3 towards the antibody, suggesting that at least one of them is a critical residue of the epitope. Arginine 246 is part of a small disulfide loop between cysteines 245 and 248 which is also necessary for antibody recognition. This antibody does not change the inhibitory properties of purified domain 3 towards papain or rat liver cathepsin L, indicating that the N-terminal part of domain 3 is not involved in inhibition. mAb D3 was used to demonstrate the presence of inhibitory thiostatin fragments in ascites fluid but not in plasma from normal or turpentine-injected rats.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1991

[Suicide during inpatient psychiatric treatment].

Although psychiatric therapy has become more effective, in-patients' rate of suicide increased. The methodological deficits of studies has not allowed to derive a good preventive management until now. Results from literature to this topic are reviewed. In an own investigation concerning the suicides of in-patients of the Psychiatric University Hospital in Berlin from 1951 to 1983 we propose five types of constellation of suicide as a new possible procedure to elaborate the results. Preventive consequences and more adequate designs for further studies are discussed.

Adult↗
PubMed1991

Defective production of interleukin 6 by macrophages from C3H/HeJ mice: differential stimulation of interleukin 1 and interleukin 6 induction.

Resident macrophages from lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-hyporesponsive C3H/HeJ mice, in contrast with macrophages from other mouse strains, produced neither interleukin 6 (IL-6) nor interleukin 1 (IL-1) spontaneously. The stimulation of C3H/HeJ macrophages with poly(I:C), LPS or, to a lesser extent, muramyl dipeptide (MDP), induced the production of both cytokines. High levels of intracellular IL-1 activity were produced which were not released in surrounding media unless silica was added to stimulated cells. On the other hand, IL-6 was secreted in the absence of any additional stimulus, hence also in the absence of extracellular IL-1. The kinetics of IL-1 and IL-6 production by LPS-stimulated macrophages were studied. Intracellular IL-1 produced by stimulated C3H/HeJ macrophages reached the levels produced by macrophages from C3H/HeN mice. IL-6-induced secretion, however, was about 5-fold less important than in C3H/HeN macrophages, suggesting a quantitative defect rather than an intrinsic defect in IL-6 production.

Acetylmuramyl-Alanyl-Isoglutamine↗
PubMed1991

Acute cholecystitis: radiological management.

Acute cholecystitis is a common condition which may be difficult to diagnose with confidence on clinical grounds alone. A large number of techniques are now available for imaging the gall bladder but, in practice, ultrasonography and cholescintigraphy are of greatest value. The former is cheap, readily available and features such as the presence of gall stones, gall bladder wall inflammation and a positive sonographic Murphy sign strongly suggest the diagnosis of acute cholecystitis. In addition to its diagnostic uses, ultrasonographically guided percutaneous cholecystostomy provides an alternative and sometimes life-saving form of treatment in those patients who are unfit for surgery. Cholescintigraphy is a highly accurate, non-invasive method for assessing patency of the cystic duct but is not always available in the emergency situation and takes longer to perform than an ultrasound examination. Acute cholecystitis, however, has many manifestations and may be calculous or acalculous, be associated with a patent or obstructed cystic duct, and may be complicated or uncomplicated. Imagining modalities other than those mentioned above may be useful in certain circumstances and this chapter aims to present the advantages and disadvantages of each technique in order to provide guidance for the clinician caring for a patient with suspected acute cholecystitis.

Acute Disease↗