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Biomedical subjects

C Kurz

Publications and source records attributed to C Kurz.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1988

[Joint pain in pre- and postmenopausal arthropathia climacterica].

The menopausal syndrome consists of a variety of psychic and physical signs of different intensity. At our outpatient department for climacteric complaints and osteoporosis prevention (1. Dept. of Gynecol. and Obstetrics, Vienna) 820 women, who have been consulting this department for the first time because of prevailing complaints or prophylactic reasons, were registered in the year 1986. In the course of this work we paid particular attention to the symptom "pain in a joint" as a sign of the beginning climacteric period. Referring to our patient population we tried to analyse epidemiologically the frequency and the degree of severity of menopausal arthritic pain as well as the therapeutical response to a hormone substitution therapy. To what extent an endocrinologic explanation can be found and which facts let us assume such a statement, we tried to demonstrate in the discussion.

Arthritis↗
PubMed1988

[Results of radioiodine treatment of patients with immunogenic and non-immunogenic hyperthyroidism using different focal doses].

The aim of this study was to check the efficacy of radioiodine (131I) therapy (RIT) in a large number of patients (n = 506) suffering from immunogenic or non-immunogenic hyperthyroidism (Graves' disease, Plummer's disease). Since there is no causal cure for immunogenic hyperthyroidism RIT provides, like all other modalities, only a moderate rate of success which is clearly dose-related. Applying 60 Gy, normal thyroid function can be achieved in only 54% of the cases. A dose of 150 Gy succeeds in 86% of the cases. The solitary decompensated autonomous adenoma (DAA) can be eliminated surgically as well as by RIT with a high degree of success (95%). Contrary to surgery, RIT does not have any noticeable early or late morbidity. The high rate of success of RIT in patients with DAA could be confirmed in two groups with different follow-up periods (16 and 65 months). As expected, the rate of hypothyroidism increased from 11% in the early group to 23% in the late group. Multinodular autonomous adenomas can be eliminated successfully using RIT as well. The concept to apply a dose of 400 Gy to the total functional autonomous tissue as determined by ultrasound yields better results (95%) than 150 Gy to the whole thyroid gland as measured by ultrasound (88%). The rate of hypothyroidism as shown by these results (up to a maximum of 62% after RIT of Graves' disease using 150 Gy) is the lesser evil compared to remaining or recurrent hyperthyroidism since these patients can be treated with thyroid hormones without problems.

Adenoma↗
PubMed1987

Chromatin association and DNA binding properties of the c-fos proto-oncogene product.

As a first step in the analysis of the molecular function of the nuclear c-fos proto-oncogene product we have studied its subnuclear localization in serum-stimulated mouse fibroblasts where it forms a non-covalent, apparently monodisperse complex with another nuclear protein, p39. The c-fos/p39 complex is almost quantitatively released from intact nuclei by DNasel or micrococcus nuclease treatment under conditions where only a minor fraction of DNA and nuclear proteins is released. In gel filtration experiments, c-fos/p39 comigrates with chromatin and seems to be associated with regions of increased DNasel accessibility. c-fos/p39 is bound to chromatin by electrostatic forces of moderate strength since greater than 90% of the complex can be eluted from nuclei at 0.4 M NaCl. In vitro, the c-fos/p39 complex in nuclear extracts binds to double- and single-stranded calf thymus DNA, suggesting that the association of c-fos/p39 with chromatin is at least in part due to its interaction with DNA. In agreement with this conclusion, c-fos/p39 is released from nuclei by incubation with tRNA, presumably due to competition for binding sites. Our observations are compatible with the hypothesis that c-fos may play a role in the regulation of gene expression.

Animals↗
PubMed1987

[Irradiation of chemodectomas].

The rarely occurring, slowly growing glomus tumours of the inner ear, bulbus jugularis or carotis bifurcation, according to the site of the tumour, can be the cause of loss of hearing, tinnitus, vertigo, pain and cranial nerve destruction. As a result of radiotherapy, after having applied 45 Gy, the size of the tumour decreases only very slowly. Although radiotherapy yields very good results, chemodectomas are usually operated on. However, radiation can be applied as first choice of treatment because of its simplicity and because it is well tolerated by the patient. If surgery is used as first choice the rate of recurrence is higher and one should therefore always consider the use of radiotherapy. Our own results with eight patients confirmed that glomus tumours respond well to radiation. This is generally also known from the literature on this subject.

Brain Neoplasms↗
PubMed1987

[Interaction of plasma beta-endorphin and progesterone in the luteal phase].

Recent research indicates that opioid peptides may be participants in the coordination and control of the menstrual cycle. The peripheral ovarian steroids (progesterone and estradiol) seem to modulate endogenous opioid activity and thereby hypothalamic LH-RH-secretion. This mechanism works during the luteal-phase under the influence of progesterone. The purpose of this study is to investigate the interaction of endogenous opioid peptides and peripheral ovarian steroids in 24 women by comparing progesterone and beta-endorphin levels of unstimulated and HMG-stimulated cycles. The women with stimulated cycles showed significantly higher progesterone and beta-endorphin levels. The interaction of progesterone und beta-endorphin may partly be explained by the fact that progesterone acts on progesterone receptors in the central nervous system. This leads to activity of opioid neurons in the brain and finally influences LH-RH- and LH-release. Beta-endorphin production is also discussed to come from the ovary. Beta-endorphin is involved maintaining normal luteal phase and therefore plays an important role in reproduction.

Female↗
PubMed1987

Different types of modification in c-fos and its associated protein p39: modulation of DNA binding by phosphorylation.

We have studied the biosynthesis and biochemical properties of the c-fos gene product and its associated protein (p39) in growth factor-stimulated fibroblasts. c-fos is a markedly acidic protein that is extensively post-translationally modified by phosphorylation and another type of modification not changing its relative molecular mass (Mr). More than 10 different forms of c-fos protein can be identified by two-dimensional gel analysis. In c-fos-transformed cells, however, most of the highly modified forms are missing. The affinity for DNA of less phosphorylated c-fos-protein complexes is higher than that of the highly modified ones. The transforming potential of c-fos protein and its affinity for DNA thus seems to be inversely correlated with the extent of its phosphorylation. In contrast to c-fos, p39 is a basic protein that is rendered even more basic by post-translational modification. Two other forms of p39 differing in specific domains of the protein (p41 and p43) were also found to be complexed with c-fos.

Animals↗
PubMed1985

Regulation of c-fos transcription in mouse fibroblasts: identification of DNase I-hypersensitive sites and regulatory upstream sequences.

In quiescent mouse fibroblasts, the c-fos gene is expressed at very low levels, but is rapidly and transiently inducible by peptide growth factors. In this study, we have identified in quiescent cells five DNase I-hypersensitive sites located -1700, -290, +10, +240 and +700 bp relative to the 5' cap site. After serum stimulation, the distinct nuclease hypersensitive site at position +10 rapidly disappeared, and instead a broad region of DNase I accessibility between positions 0 and +250 occurred. Nucleotide sequence analysis of the 5'-flanking region of the mouse c-fos gene showed that the hypersensitive site around position -290 is located in a region that is highly conserved between mouse and human, and that contains an enhancer-like structure. When the mouse c-fos promoter and 351 bp of 5'-flanking sequences were linked to the bacterial chloramphenicol acetyl transferase (CAT) gene and transfected into NIH3T3 cells efficient, constitutive expression of CAT activity was observed, even in unstimulated, quiescent cells. However, removal of a 256-bp stretch upstream from position -95 completely abolished CAT expression, indicating that sequences within a region of approximately 350 bp upstream from the cap site are indispensable for c-fos transcription. In addition, our findings point to the existence of other sequence elements that exert negative regulation in the absence of growth factor stimulation. Such sites may be found around the growth factor-responsive nuclease hypersensitive sites in the vicinity of the cap site.

Acetyltransferases↗
PubMed1984

A colorimetric method for DNA hybridization.

A general method has been developed which allows crosslinks to be produced between proteins and single-stranded DNA. Such single-stranded DNA protein complexes have been tested for blot hybridization using two colorimetrically detectable enzymes, namely peroxidase and alkaline phosphatase, as the protein moiety of the probe. After hybridization and incubation with a substrate solution sequences complementary to the probe can be visualized directly without the need of tedious cytochemical sandwich methods. This procedure will detect target sequences, a few kilobases long, in the 1- to 5-pg range.

Animals↗