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Biomedical subjects

A Fiedler

Publications and source records attributed to A Fiedler.

At least 19 recordsLinked to original sources

Lyme borreliosis mimicking central nervous system malignancy: the diagnostic pitfall of cerebrospinal fluid cytology.

We report two children with acute loss of neurological functions and signs of an increased intracranial pressure. Imaging techniques ruled out space occupying lesions, whereas CSF cytology indicated CNS involvement of a non-Hodgkin lymphoma in the form of abnormal lymphocytic pleocytosis with malignancy criteria fulfilling lymphoid cells. CSF protein electrophoresis and Borrelia burgdorferi serology revealed neuroborreliosis which was successfully treated with antibiotic therapy. The malignancy mimicking cytology is based on a blastoid transformation of B- and T-lymphocytes due to the antigenic stimulus of B. burgdorferi infection. Lymphoid cells in the CSF of a patient with acute or chronic neurological symptoms raise the differential diagnosis of inflammatory etiology versus CNS lymphoma. Monomorphism and higher quantity of the lymphoid cells point to CNS lymphoma. A lower quantity and polyclonal pattern of lymphoid cells associated with an elevated protein fraction caused by intrathecal immunoglobulin synthesis suggest an inflammatory etiology.

Adolescent↗

[Fatal intracerebral gas gangrene in a 10-month-old child].

Today, intracerebral infections by gas forming bacteria are very rare. They are mostly seen after penetrating injuries and more rarely after trivial trauma. Although prognosis of this kind of infection is severe, the general outcome of these patients after surgical and antibiotic treatment is good. We report a ten months old boy suffering a pecking injury just above the left ear with perforation of the temporal bone and dura. In between 48 hrs he developed a rapidly progressive gas gangrene encephalitis due to infection with C. perfringens and died despite of surgical and antibiotic treatment due to massive brain swelling and cardio-pulmonary failure.

Animals↗

Sexual harassment in the workplace: nurses' perceptions.

This study examined the perceptions of nurses and nursing administrators of various types of sexual harassment. It also investigated the differences in the perceptions based on gender, previous harassment, and position. Significant differences in perceptions of sexual harassment were found according to types of harassment, gender, position, and sensitivity from prior harassment. These results can inform the educators and supervisors about where the message about harassment is not getting through strongly enough, and help them to focus their training efforts.

Data Collection↗

Monoamines and the isolated auricle of sepia officinalis: are there &bgr;-like receptors in the heart of a cephalopod?

Pharmacological examinations of isolated auricles from Sepia officinalis were carried out to analyze the putative role of the monoaminergic transmitter/receptor system in the control of auricle function. In conjunction with histofluorescence studies and HPLC analyses, evidence of a double excitatory serotonergic and noradrenergic innervation of the auricles was obtained. Serotonin-induced positive chronotropic and inotropic effects were blocked by mianserin (5-HT1 and 5-HT2) but not by cyproheptadine (5-HT2). It is assumed that the auricular serotonin (5-HT) receptor represents a 5-HT1-like subtype and is not identical to the ventricular 5-HT receptor. Noradrenaline, adrenaline and dopamine evoked mainly positive chronotropic reactions and less prominent positive inotropic reactions. The potency range (pD2 frequency: noradrenaline 6.65 >> adrenaline 5.69 > dopamine 5.34; pD2 amplitude: noradrenaline 6.09 (greater than or equal to) adrenaline 5.91 > dopamine 5.33) indicates out that noradrenaline might be the effective neurotransmitter in vivo. The &agr; -mimetics clonidine ( &agr; 2) and phenylephrine ( &agr; 1) induced positive chronotropic and inotropic effects, while the &bgr;-mimetics albuterol (&bgr;2>&bgr;1) and dobutamine (&bgr;1) revealed only positive inotropic reactions. The &bgr;-agonist isoprenaline mimicked the positive chronotropic effects of noradrenaline and induced the strongest positive inotropic effects of all the agonists tested. Urapidil ( &agr; 1) or phentolamine ( &agr; 1 and &agr; 2) blocked only the positive chronotropic effects of noradrenaline and isoprenaline. The positive inotropic effects of isoprenaline could be blocked by the adenylate cyclase inhibitors MDL-12,330A or SQ-22, 536, which had no effect on the chronotropic effects of isoprenaline. These results suggest that two catecholaminergic receptors are present in the auricles of Sepia officinalis: an &agr; -like adrenoreceptor mediating mainly chronotropic effects, and a &bgr;-like receptor which appears to mediate inotropic effects by activating the cyclic AMP pathway. These results suggest that the auricles exert a regulatory effect on ventricular performance.

Journal Article↗

Follow-up findings in regional cerebral blood flow (r-CBF)-SPECT in a case of idiopathic childhood hemidystonia. Functional neuroimaging and pathophysiological implications.

A 9 1/2-year-old girl suffered from intermitting tremor and jitteriness of her left hand and oral muscles every 4 to 6 weeks with long lasting episodes. Clinically myoclonias and dystonic positioning of the left arm, hand and facial muscles were seen. No evidence of trauma, infection or inborn errors of metabolism was found. Successful therapy with carbamazepine was initiated while L-DOPA failed. An ictal 99m-Tc-HMPAO-SPECT showed severe asymmetry with focal hyperperfusion of the contralateral right thalamus and basal ganglia as well as of the bifrontal cortex, whereas no anatomical lesions were found by MRI. In contrast, an interictally performed 99m-Tc-HMPAO SPECT showed hypoperfusion of the right thalamus and normalisation of the frontal perfusion under medical treatment. These 99m-Tc-HMPAO-SPECT findings may provide new insights into the localisation and pathophysiological pathways of idiopathic childhood dystonia.

Anticonvulsants↗

Growth inhibition of pancreatic tumor cells by modified antisense oligodeoxynucleotides.

INTRODUCTION: Pancreatic adenocarcinomas are largely resistant to apoptosis. More than 50% of pancreatic tumors reveal mutations in the p53 tumor suppressor gene. METHODS: We investigated the growth of pancreatic tumor cells after downregulation of p53 protein expression by antisense oligodeoxynucleotides. RESULTS: Proliferation and p53 expression of PancTu-I cells overexpressing mutant p53 protein were inhibited by antisense oligodeoxynucleotide treatment. When analyzed, two of three other pancreatic tumor cell lines with mutated p53 were also inhibited in their growth. Two of two wild-type (wt) p53 pancreatic tumor cells were not significantly influenced by p53 expression and were, only to a lesser extent, affected in their proliferation. K562 cells (lacking p53 mRNA) and normal human skin fibroblasts used as a target mismatch control showed no changes in proliferation rates with treatment. The different biological effects in the various cells were not caused by differences in the uptake of the oligodeoxynucleotides as monitored by confocal laser-scanning microscopy. CONCLUSIONS: Truncation and 5'- and 3'-lipophilic modifications of the oligodeoxynucleotides drastically enhanced the growth inhibition of PancTu-I cells, which were resistant to apoptosis-inducing agents. Furthermore, a higher sequence-specificity of the observed effects was achieved with these compounds.

Adenocarcinoma↗

The antifungal activity of a coal tar gel on Malassezia furfur in vitro.

OBJECTIVE: Seborrhoeic dermatitis is associated with Malassezia furfur, but the exact role of this lipophilic yeast is still unclear. The in vitro antifungal activity of a coal tar gel, the base of the gel and coal tar (Stantar) itself has been evaluated against 54 different M. furfur strains, isolated from patients suffering from dandruff, seborrhoeic dermatitis and pityriasis versicolor. METHODS: Minimum inhibitory concentrations (MICs) of the tested agents were measured by the agar dilution technique. RESULTS: The coal tar gel was found to be able to inhibit growth of 52 out of 54 investigated M. furfur isolates in vitro at MIC values between 625 and 10,000 micrograms/ml-corresponding to 3-5 micrograms/ml coal tar. However, the gel base also appears to be a less potent inhibitor of in vitro growth of M. furfur. In addition, it could be demonstrated that coal tar alone has an antifungal potential on M. furfur in vitro. MIC values from 250 to 5,000 micrograms/ml for coal tar were found. Presumably, both coal tar as the active ingredient and the gel base contribute to the in vitro activity of the coal tar gel against M. furfur. CONCLUSIONS: It is suggested that the effect of coal tar gel ointment in dandruff and seborrhoeic dermatitis therapy in vivo may be at least partly due to an antifungal activity of the coal tar but also of the gel base.

Antifungal Agents↗

[Neuroradiological findings in perinatally HIV-infected children].

The neuroradiological studies (CT, MRI, angiography) in 21 children with perinatal HIV infection were reviewed retrospectively. No patient showed an intracranial mass lesion; after intravenous contrast medium application there was no case with disturbed blood-brain barrier. Common non-specific findings were atrophy and delayed myelination. In 7 cases atrophy was combined with multifocal nearly symmetric white matter lesions, which characteristically spared the U-fibres. Further findings included an intramedullary ring-shaped structure in the cervical cord, an AIDS-associated vasculopathy and symmetric calcifications in the basal ganglia. The spectrum of neuroradiological findings in paediatric AIDS patients differs from that in adults. Knowledge of these age-specific findings is important because the number of HIV-infected children is rising.

Age Factors↗

Intrauterine tachycardia and periventricular leukomalacia.

We describe a preterm infant of 32 weeks' gestation with hydrops fetalis due to intrauterine supraventricular tachycardia. On the second day of life, cranial ultrasound showed a mainly right-sided periventricular leukomalacia already with porencephalic cysts. These findings were confirmed by autopsy. An association of intrauterine tachycardia with periventricular leukomalacia must be assumed.

Adult↗

[The effect of an extended initial therapy on molars and single-rooted teeth].

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the benefits of an initial periodontal therapy consisting of a single subgingival root debridement procedure followed by repeated monthly subgingival irrigations over a period of 6 months in 23 patients with multiple advanced periodontal lesions. The clinical and microbiological data of the test group indicated that the applied irrigation scheme was successful in maintaining improvements of periodontal health over a period of 6 months. There were no statistically significant differences in effectiveness between sites in molars and single-rooted teeth. On the other hand, negative controls treated only by a single root debridement procedure displayed a tendency towards pretreatment levels.

Adult↗

[Material study for Aumatic foil technique].

The disadvantage of conventional metal ceramic restorations seems to be the loss of transluszenz and transparency in thin ceramic layers, on behalf of Aumatic-foil an improved aesthetic image is possible. Foil-technique enables the production of metal ceramic crowns with a compressive and shearing forces allowing the appliance to single crown in clinic use. In vitro measurement of the marginal leakage show a sufficient adaptation.

Crowns↗

Subgingival irrigation in the maintenance phase of periodontal therapy.

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of subgingival scaling versus subgingival pocket irrigation with 0.1% chlorhexidine or saline controls on the repopulation of subgingival periodontal sites with disease-associated micro-organisms following a single procedure of scaling and root planing. Additionally, pertinent clinical parameters (attachment level, plaque index, bleeding on probing) were also recorded. 375 sites in 30 individuals with previously untreated periodontal disease were thoroughly scaled and subsequently either rescaled, irrigated, or not treated at all for the following 6 months at 1-month intervals. The results show that the initial scaling and root planing procedure led to significant clinical and microbiological improvements in all experimental groups. These improvements were maintained in all but the untreated sites. Based on the observed clinical and microbiological changes, subgingival irrigation of periodontal pockets at 1-month intervals was equally effective as scaling and root planing performed at the same pace. 0.1% chlorhexidine however, being used as test irrigant, was not more effective than saline controls.

Adult↗

Metabolic control and effect on secondary complications of diabetes mellitus by pancreatic transplantation.

After successful pancreatic transplantation blood glucose can be normalized without exogenous insulin, although oral and intravenous glucose tolerance remains impaired in 10-45% of the patients. There is no significant deterioration of glucose control with time in most patients. Since most recipients of pancreatic grafts have far advanced secondary diabetic lesions and the observation time after grafting is rather short, the effects of pancreatic transplantation on these complications are difficult to interpret. However, the development of diabetic nephropathy can be prevented, skin microcirculation improves significantly, while autonomic and peripheral neuropathy and diabetic retinopathy remain stable or improve slightly in most patients. But these ameliorations may be in part due to elimination of uraemia, since in almost all patients combined pancreas/kidney transplantations were performed. It is concluded that pancreas grafting probably has to be performed much earlier in the course of diabetes, although the improvement in the quality of life is striking even in the end-stage diabetics studied so far.

Blood Glucose↗

[Status of perfusion scintigraphy in the diagnostic strategy in cerebrovascular disorders and space-occupying lesions].

The results of an evaluation of the perfusion scintigraphy findings of 350 hospitalised neurological patients and 55 more strictly selected neurosurgical patients with cerebrovascular complaints, revealed an accuraty of 83%, a sensitivity of 89%, and a specificity of 83%. The selection of the patients had no influence on the results as a whole. Compared with contrast-medium angiography, incorrect diagnosis must be expected in 17% of the cases. This includes erroneous negative findings in 10% of the cases. Grounds for misinterpretations are suggested, and the biological and methodological limitations of the method are set forth.

Brain Ischemia↗