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Biomedical subjects

A Kiss

Publications and source records attributed to A Kiss.

At least 217 records · Page 12Linked to original sources

Cloning and nucleotide sequence of the genes coding for the Sau96I restriction and modification enzymes.

The genes coding for the GGNCC specific Sau96I restriction and modification enzymes were cloned and expressed in E. coli. The DNA sequence predicts a 430 amino acid protein (Mr: 49,252) for the methyltransferase and a 261 amino acid protein (Mr: 30,486) for the endonuclease. No protein sequence similarity was detected between the Sau96I methyltransferase and endonuclease. The methyltransferase contains the sequence elements characteristic for m5C-methyltransferases. In addition to this, M.Sau96I shows similarity, also in the variable region, with one m5C-methyltransferase (M.SinI) which has closely related recognition specificity (GGA/TCC). M.Sau96I methylates the internal cytosine within the GGNCC recognition sequence. The Sau96I endonuclease appears to act as a monomer.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

[A case of successfully treated cyclic amegakaryocytic thrombocytopenic purpura].

The case of a patient with cyclic, acquired, periodically amegakaryocytic thrombocytopenia is described. On the base of a seemingly typical megakaryocytic thrombocytopenia ITP was diagnosed at first. He did not respond to steroid, therefore splenectomy was performed. He relapsed and thereafter severe thrombocytopenia was observed, periodically, for 8-10 days in every five-six weeks. During the cytopenic periods recognizable megakaryocytes and precursors were totally absent from the bone marrow. After the haemorrhagic periods platelet counts elevated to normal or even higher levels and the marrow was plenty of megakaryocytes. Vincristine was unsuccessful, but cyclosporine administration for a longer time was not without success. The patient has a normal platelet count since one year. No similar case of cyclic amegakaryocytic thrombocytopenia was found in the literature.

Bone Marrow Examination↗

[Endoscopic resolutions of volvulus of the sigmoid colon].

The flexible colonoscope has brought considerable advantages to the diagnosis and nonsurgical treatment of volvulus. In the case of repeated recurrences that make surgery vital because of the onset of signs of vascular trouble on the twisted ansa, preoperative resolution permits correction of hydroelectrolytic imbalances and the preparation of the colon with the possibility of operating with no need for protective colostomy. It also allows resolution of the acute situation in the presence of contraindications to intervention.

Adult↗

[Fatal thrombotic microangiopathy in the mother and fetus].

The appearance of thrombotic microangiopathy (thrombotic thrombocytopenic purpura, haemolytic uraemic syndrome) could have been documented in a 23 years old pregnant woman, who had been treated previously for immune-thrombocytolytic purpura. The disturbing anamnestic data caused significant delay in correct diagnosis and in starting of fresh-frozen plasma therapy, so the woman and her fetus (in utero) had been died. The specific histological microangiopathic lesions could have been well documented by the autopsy of the mother, however no such alterations could have been detected in the fetus and placenta. This latter intriguing observation might be remarkable in the evaluation of several concepts dealing with the aetiopathogenesis of thrombotic microangiopathy. The short review of literature of thrombotic microangiopathy in pregnancy and puerperial period is also given.

Female↗

Cloning and characterization of the HpaII methylase gene.

The HpaII restriction-modification system from Haemophilus parainfluenzae recognizes the DNA sequence CCGG. The gene for the HpaII methylase has been cloned into E. coli and its nucleotide sequence has been determined. The DNA of the clones is fully protected against cleavage by the HpaII restriction enzyme in vitro, indicating that the methylase gene is active in E. coli. The clones were isolated in an McrA-strain of E. coli; attempts to isolate them in an McrA+ strain were unsuccessful. The clones do not express detectable HpaII restriction endonuclease activity, suggesting that either the endonuclease gene is not expressed well in E. coli, or that it is not present in its entirety in any of the clones that we have isolated. The derived amino acid sequence of the HpaII methylase shows overall similarity to other cytosine methylases. It bears a particularly close resemblance to the sequences of the HhaI, BsuFI and MspI methylases. When compared with three other methylases that recognize CCGG, the variable region of the HpaII methylase, which is believed to be responsible for sequence specific recognition, shows some similarity to the corresponding regions of the BsuFI and MspI methylases, but is rather dissimilar to that of the SPR methylase.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Cloning and nucleotide sequence of the gene encoding the Ecal DNA methyltransferase.

The gene coding for the GGTNACC specific Ecal DNA methyltransferase (M.Ecal) has been cloned in E. coli from Enterobacter cloacae and its nucleotide sequence has been determined. The ecalM gene codes for a protein of 452 amino acids (Mr: 51,111). It was determined that M.Ecal is an adenine methyltransferase. M.Ecal shows limited amino acid sequence similarity to other adenine methyltransferases. A clone that expresses Ecal methyltransferase at high level was constructed.

Amino Acid Sequence↗

Symptoms of achalasia in young women mistaken as indicating primary anorexia nervosa.

The case of a young women with dysphagia, regurgitation, and weight loss, who was diagnosed as having anorexia nervosa but in whom reevaluation showed that achalasia was causing the symptoms, is presented together with related observations. Misinterpretation of esophageal symptoms may occur not only as a consequence of inadequate history taking and of being biased by a patient's emaciation, age, and gender, which leads to view certain aspects of the patient's history and behavior as suggesting a pathologic attitude towards eating and body weight, but also as a consequence of a misinterpretation of the symptoms as indicative of an eating disorder by the patients themselves. In some cases a disordered attitude toward eating and body weight may develop together or coexist with achalasia. The clinical evaluation of patients with symptoms suggestive of anorexia nervosa but also of bulimia nervosa should include the taking of a thorough history regarding swallowing and vomiting in order to recognize a possible esophageal motor disorder.

Adult↗

Oesophageal and gastric motor activity in patients with bulimia nervosa.

Previous studies showed that symptoms of oesophageal motor disorders can be misinterpreted as indicating anorexia nervosa and that in primary anorexia nervosa gastric motility is frequently impaired. We investigated in 32 women with bulimia nervosa whether symptoms of oesophageal motor disorders could be obscured by or be mistaken as forming part of bulimic behaviour, and whether impaired gastric motility was frequent as well. Oesophageal motility was normal in 18 of 26 patients studied, another four had incomplete lower oesophageal sphincter relaxation. Two patients had vigorous achalasia and each one achalasia and diffuse oesophageal spasm, all of whom experienced two types of vomiting: one self-induced and one involuntary, in which the vomit was non-acidic and tasted as the preceding meal. Gastric emptying of a semisolid meal was studied in all patients except of the eight with oesophageal motor abnormalities. Emptying was significantly slower than in healthy controls and grossly delayed in nine of 24 patients. Antral contraction amplitudes were lower and increased less postcibally than in controls. In conclusion (i) bulimic behaviour can obscure symptoms of oesophageal motor disorders and (ii) gastric emptying is frequently delayed in bulimia nervosa.

Adolescent↗

Prolactin response to immobilization stress and hemorrhage: the effect of hypothalamic deafferentations and posterior pituitary denervation.

The roles of posterior and anterolateral connections to the mediobasal hypothalamus (MBH) as well as innervation of the posterior pituitary in the PRL response to immobilization (IMO) and hemorrhage (HEM) were studied by means of surgical isolation, performed 6-9 days before stress exposure. Male rats bearing indwelling tail artery cannulae subjected to 120-min IMO reached peak PRL secretion in 5-20 min. HEM of 25% elicited a significant rise of PRL levels. A posterior cut in the MBH, performed without damaging the serotonergic fibers from the brain stem, attenuated the PRL response to 25% HEM, whereas the PRL elevation due to IMO remained unaffected. An anterolateral cut around the MBH eliminated both the IMO- and HEM-induced stimulation of PRL. Posterior lobe denervation reduced by about 27% the PRL response to IMO and eliminated the response to HEM. These results suggest the following conclusions. The neural structures located posteriorly to the MBH are involved in the transfer of signals triggering PRL secretion due to hypovolemia. Intact anterolateral pathways to the MBH and stalk-median eminence region are essential for the PRL-releasing activity under both stimuli. The posterior lobe may be an important link in the PRL stress response in male rats.

Animals↗

Metabolism of cortisol in anorexia nervosa.

In patients with anorexia nervosa 24-h mean plasma concentration of cortisol were 0.44 +/- 0.09 mumol/l (normal less than 0.28 mumol/l). Following stimulation by ACTH (1-24) urinary excretion rates of cortisol were stimulated from 0.22 +/- 0.08 to 4.85 +/- 2.78 mumol/24 h. Similarly, plasma concentrations of the glucocorticoid metabolite, tetrahydrocortisone, increased from 23.3 +/- 9.0 to 47.3 +/- 30.2 nmol/l; urinary excretion rates of tetrahydrocortisone increased from 3.61 +/- 0.90 to 8.40 +/- 1.72 mumol/24 h. The relative share of the sulphate, glucuronide and free fractions of tetrahydrocortisone in the patients' urine did not indicate any defect in metabolization of this steroid metabolite. Excretion rates of the four glucocorticoid tetrahydro-metabolites, tetrahydrocortisone, allotetrahydrocortisone, tetrahydrocortisol, and allo-tetrahydrocortisol, expressed as percent of total steroid excretion, were similar in patients with anorexia and in healthy women under basal conditions (24 +/- 6 vs 23 +/- 6%) and during stimulation by ACTH (1-24) (36 +/- 10 vs 45 +/- 6%). The share of the two androgen metabolites, androsterone and etiocholanolone, was 24 +/- 5% of total steroid excretion (basal; healthy women: 27 +/- 8%) and 13 +/- 2% (ACTH stimulation; healthy women: 12 +/- 4%) in patients with anorexia nervosa. Thus, analysis of urinary steroid excretion rates did not indicate a shift in adrenocortical function. The results confirmed enhanced secretion of cortisol in patients with anorexia nervosa under basal conditions and during/following stimulation by ACTH. The ACTH-induced increase in the concentrations of the tetrahydro-glucocorticoid metabolites in urine was less pronounced than that of cortisol.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adrenocorticotropic Hormone↗

Characterization of an intermediate adenovirus strain.

An intermediate strain of human adenovirus of subgenus D was investigated by type specific serological reactions and restriction endonuclease analysis. The latter method showed the strain identical to the prototype strain of human adenovirus type 9 as well as did serum neutralization tests. In contrast with the previous methods haemagglutination inhibition tests showed the strain related to both the prototypes strains of human adenovirus 9 and 13.

Adenoviruses, Human↗

Types of neurons and synaptic relations in the lateral superior olive of the cat: normal structure and experimental observations.

Light and electron microscope studies on normal and experimental material in the lateral superior olive (LSO) of cat revealed the presence of three types of neurons: (i) fusiform cells characterized by the large number of terminals articulating with them and projecting to the nuclei of the lateral lemniscus (NLL) and central nucleus of the inferior colliculus (CNIC) (ii) marginal cells embedded in the neuropil of the fibrous capsule and sharing input and output characteristics with the fusiform neurons (iii) multipolar cells with spinous dendrites, local axonal spread and synaptic relation restricted to few afferents only. Four distinct types of axon terminals were distinguished on the basis of their size, vesicle content, membrane attachments, postsynaptic relations and origin. (i) Large terminals with asymmetrical membrane contacts and round vesicles (AR) were of ipsilateral cochlear nucleus origin and articulated predominantly with fusiform and marginal projection cells. (ii) The majority of small AR type terminals arose from the spherical cells of the ipsilateral nucleus of the trapezoid body (NTB). Their number was larger on the fusiform and marginal cells. (iii) Medium sized terminals of symmetrical membrane apposition and pleomorphic vesicles originated from the ipsilateral NLL and CNIC. Their quantitative distribution indicated preference for the multipolar cells. (iv) Profiles with symmetrical membrane contacts and flattened vesicles (SF) type were considered to be terminals of the spinous multipolar interneurons, thus local in origin.

Animals↗

[La Peyronie's disease. Our experience].

Following an aetiopathogenetic review of I.P.P., diagnostic and therapeutic possibilities are assessed. Medically, stress is laid on the value of orgotein, an SOD which, used in time, reduces pain and penis curving and permits satisfactory sexual activity. In the case of inveterate forms or of large plaques, the use of a silastic prosthesis is proposed. This support enables a normal sex life to be continued, so resolving psychological and family stress.

Adult↗

[Use of intraoperative transcystic choledoscopy in calculosis of the main bile duct].

Choledochoscopy is complementary to peroperative cholangiography in exploration of the main biliary way. Transcystic access is proposed in choledocholithiasis. The cystic duct, in fact, is frequently transitable owing to the dilatation produced by the migration of gallstones and because of the increasing miniaturisation of instruments. This examination of the MBW is less traumatic and risky than transcholedochotomic choledochoscopy.

Endoscopy↗

[Hairy cell leukemia].

Clinical experiences on seven patients suffering from hairy cell leukaemia are presented. The disease was most often identified at age above 50 and was more frequent in men. Splenomegaly and infiltration of bone marrow or spleen with tartrat resistant acid phosphatase positive lymphoid cells were detected in all cases. Splenectomy resulted complete clinical remission in six and partial remission in one patient. Two patients have died. The mean survival time is five years. The surviving patients are in good clinical remission.

Combined Modality Therapy↗

Course of cerebral lesions in a patient with periarteritis nodosa studied by magnetic resonance imaging.

The course is reported of a patient with periarteritis nodosa who initially presented with neurological symptoms. Multiple cerebral lesions were documented by the first magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) investigation. The majority of these had disappeared completely in the follow-up MRI studies. In contrast to neurological improvement the patient eventually died due to multiorgan failure. Postmortem histological examination revealed no pathological findings in the brain except one single necrotic area already known from MRI. Remissions of histological and angiographic alterations in periarteritis nodosa have been described as "local healing" leading to fibrosis and scarring. Our findings suggest that restitutio ad integrum may occur, at least in cerebral lesions.

Adult↗