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Biomedical subjects

A Zeller

Publications and source records attributed to A Zeller.

31 records · Page 2Linked to original sources
PubMed1999

Prevalence and clinical outcome of hepatitis C infection in children who underwent cardiac surgery before the implementation of blood-donor screening.

BACKGROUND AND METHODS: There are few data on the prevalence and clinical outcome of hepatitis C infection in children. We studied 458 children who underwent cardiac surgery in Munich, Germany, before 1991, when blood-donor screening for hepatitis C was introduced in Germany. Their mean age at first operation was 2.8 years; none of the children had received blood transfusions before or 'after cardiac surgery, and none of their mothers had antibodies to the hepatitis C virus (anti-HCV). We compared these patients with 458 control subjects matched for age and sex. RESULTS: Sixty-seven (14.6 percent) of the 458 patients who had undergone cardiac surgery had anti-HCV, as compared with 3 (0.7 percent) of the control subjects (P<0.001). At a mean interval of 19.8 years after the first operation, 37 (55 percent) of the 67 patients who were positive for anti-HCV had detectable HCV RNA in their blood. The infection had cleared in the other 30 patients, as evidenced by negative results on three polymerase-chain-reaction analyses performed at six-month intervals. Only 1 of the 37 patients who were positive for HCV RNA had elevated levels of liver enzymes; that patient had severe right-sided congestive heart failure. Of the 17 patients who underwent liver biopsies, only 3 had histologic signs of progressive liver damage. These three patients had additional risk factors: two had congestive heart failure, and the third had also been infected with hepatitis B virus. CONCLUSIONS: Children who had undergone cardiac surgery in Germany before the implementation of blood-donor screening for hepatitis C had a substantial risk of acquiring the infection. However, after about 20 years, the virus had spontaneously cleared in many patients. The clinical course in those still infected seems more benign than would be expected in people infected as adults.

Adult↗
PubMed1985

[Incidence of asymptomatic gallstones in hospital patients].

A total of 1512 hospital patients was screened by ultrasound to evaluate the prevalence of asymptomatic gallstones. Before ultrasound examination each patient filled in a form about his or her symptoms. In 1122 subjects no gallstones were found. 134 subjects had been cholecystectomized, 165 subjects had symptomatic and 91 subjects had asymptomatic gallstones, respectively. An asymptomatic gallstone was prospectively defined being "silent" when no abdominal complaints had occurred. Women had gallstones or cholecystectomy twice as often as men. 34% of the gallstones in men and 36% of the gallstones in women being asymptomatic. Seventy nine percent of the subjects with an asymptomatic stone did not know about their gallstones. The fraction of subjects with gallstones or cholecystectomy and the fraction of gallstones being asymptomatic, both increased with age. Nausea occurred in 5% of the subjects with asymptomatic gallstones, but in 39% of those with symptomatic gallstones or cholecystectomy. Subjects with asymptomatic gallstones complained about food intolerance significantly less often than subjects with symptomatic gallstones or subjects after cholecystectomy.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1982

Platelet monoamine oxidase activity and plasma levels of non-catecholic phenylethylamines in insulin-dependent diabetic subjects.

The activity of blood platelets monoamine oxidase (MAO) was significantly reduced in a group of insulin-dependent diabetics when compared to sex- and age-matched controls. This enzymatic change was accompanied by a dramatic increase in the plasma levels of phenylethylamine, whereas no significant changes were observed for the concentration of either p-tyramine or phenylethanolamine. Levels of the o- and m-isomers of tyramine were below detectable limits (less than 0.050 ng/ml). A possible role of the MAO/monoamine system in the pathophysiology of diabetes is discussed.

Blood Platelets↗