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Biomedical subjects

C Lang

Publications and source records attributed to C Lang.

At least 127 records · Page 7Linked to original sources
PubMed1990

[Diagnosis of Alzheimer's dementia].

Alzheimer's disease is the most common form of dementia in the elderly. Owing to a lack of accurate easily determined clinical criteria, neuropathological findings remain decisive for establishing the diagnosis. However, full utilization of all the presently available methods, such as history taking, physical examination, neurological and mental status, psychological testing, laboratory examinations, additional procedures involving the use of diagnostic equipment, can result in a diagnostic accuracy of about 90%. The very wide spectrum of possible differential diagnostic possibilities can be greatly reduced by the judicious use of a few selective examinations. Here, the possibilities available in the doctor's office are better than ever before. Of decisive importance for the patient is to consider the possibility of dementia, and to exclude treatable causes as soon as possible.

Alzheimer Disease↗
PubMed1990

[Diagnostic differentiation of dementia diseases by modern imaging procedures].

We present a review on recent neuroimaging techniques, like x-ray computed tomography (XCT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), positron emission tomography (PET) and single photon emission tomography (SPECT) in dementia and related diseases. Significant new findings have been obtained using techniques reflecting proton density, regional brain perfusion and brain metabolism. In dementia of the Alzheimer type, for example, temporoparietal and sometimes also frontal reductions in cerebral blood flow and metabolism are characteristic. The infarctions found in multi-infarct dementia are especially well visualized on T2-weighted MRI images. Pick's disease is characterized by brain atrophy and decrease of radiotracer activity in the frontal lobes. In huntington's chorea the metabolic rate on PET scan in the area of the caudate nuclei may be reduced even before signs and symptoms become apparent. Furthermore, neuroimaging provides us with fairly typical finding in Creutzfeld-Jakob's disease, alcoholic dementia, Wilson's disease, hydrocephalus, Parkinson's disease, progressive supranuclear ophthalmoplegia, Fahr's disease, and the olivopontocerebellar ataxias. Neuroimaging techniques, however, have always to be interpreted in conjunction with clinical findings, thus disclosing their full range of information.

Brain↗
PubMed1990

Neuropsychological findings in treated Wilson's disease.

Seventeen patients, treated for Wilson's disease (WD), underwent a set of neuropsychological tests and were compared with a closely matched control group. There were clear differences between the groups (chi 2-test, p less than 0.0001). Wilson patients with only hepatic involvement, however, did not at all differ from their controls. Wilson patients with neuropsychiatric signs differed from controls on a reasoning test (p = 0.0016), and the entire WD group differed on a perceptual speed task (p = 0.0025). Compared to normal test values, however, the patients' group means were all within plus or minus one standard deviation from the normal mean. Special testing procedures and construction of the test battery excluded a factor of motor deficits as a major cause for the differences. The neuropsychological findings are viewed in relation to other findings in patients with motor disorders and predominantly subcortical lesion sites. Wilson's disease may be a dementing condition, but not when treated adequately.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1990

The leucine zipper domain of avian cMyc is required for transformation and autoregulation.

Small deletions of 7 to 48 amino acids have been generated in the leucine zipper domain of the avian cMyc protein and the mutant cMyc proteins expressed using an avian retroviral vector. Retrovirally encoded cMyc protein transforms primary chick embryo fibroblasts and leads to abnormal regulation of the endogenous c-myc gene. Deletion of the most C-terminal leucine of the zipper motif confers a partial phenotype affecting some but not all parameters of transformation. Complete loss of transforming activity results from deletion of further leucine residues, including one which is not part of the heptad repeat. In cMyc transformed cells endogenous c-myc mRNA is expressed at a low level and is abnormally refractory to induction by serum stimulation. In contrast, a non-transforming cMyc protein which lacks the zipper does not affect normal c-myc expression. These results demonstrate that the leucine zipper domain of avian cMyc is required for both transformation and autoregulation, and suggests that essential leucine residues within the motif may be spaced differently from those in the zippers of Fos and Jun.

Amino Acid Sequence↗
PubMed1989

Foix-Chavany-Marie-syndrome--neurological, neuropsychological, CT, MRI, and SPECT findings in a case progressive for more than 10 years.

In a 66-year-old woman signs and symptoms of bilateral opercular syndrome (Foix-Chavany-Marie-syndrome) developed progressively over a period of more than 10 years. Facio-linguo-velopharyngeo-masticatory diplegia with automatic-voluntary dissociation was accompanied by motor aphasia and oral apraxia leading to a state of almost complete anarthria. Although it initially resembled the anterior biopercular syndrome there are also features indicating involvement of the posterior opercula. Although the aetiology remains obscure without pathological data, a bilateral focal brain atrophy is assumed. This is probably the first case documented by MRI and SPECT.

Aged↗
PubMed1989

The interaction of human papillary and reticular fibroblasts and human keratinocytes in the contraction of three-dimensional floating collagen lattices.

Fibroblasts derived from the papillary and reticular dermis of human skin and human keratinocytes show differences in their abilities to contract floating three-dimensional gels constructed from type I collagen. Reticular fibroblasts produce greater gel contraction than papillary fibroblasts. When equal numbers of papillary and reticular fibroblasts are mixed in the gels, papillary fibroblasts consistently inhibit gel contraction by reticular fibroblasts indicating interaction between these cell types in the contraction process. Surprisingly, keratinocytes alone produce greater gel contraction than that produced by either fibroblast type. Cooperativity in the gel contraction process is observed when fibroblasts are incorporated into the collagen matrix and keratinocytes are seeded onto the gel surface. Keratinocytes and dermal fibroblasts adhere to the collagen fibril to induce gel contraction by different mechanisms. Fibroblast contraction of collagen gels does not require fibronectin but is a serum-dependent reaction. In contrast, keratinocyte contraction of collagen gels occurs in a serum-free environment. Polyclonal, affinity-purified antibodies to human plasma fibronectin at high concentrations do not inhibit gel contraction by keratinocytes, making unlikely the possibility that fibronectin synthesized by the keratinocyte is a significant factor in the gel contraction process. We are currently examining the possibilities either that keratinocytes are synthesizing other adhesion proteins or that receptors on the cell surface can interact directly with the collagen fiber.

Cell Adhesion↗
PubMed1989

Is Wilson's disease a dementing condition?

A case presentation in this journal by Rosselli, Lorenzana, Lasselli and Vergara (1981) has raised the issue of intellectual deterioration in Wilson's Disease. Relevant findings in the recent literature are discussed.

Dementia↗
PubMed1989

[3-dimensional recording of changes in the infant jaw with unilateral cheilognathopalatoschisis with special reference to the results of preoperative orthodontic therapy].

The changes of jaws of cleft palate children were examined from birth until after the operative lip closure by the aid of a method of coordinate measurement technique. The examination resulted in a significant reduction of the anterior, medial and posterior cleft width during the preoperative treatment period. The anterior and posterior width of alveolar crest arch remained nearly constant in the examination period. The translation of the anterior poles of the palate segments in the case of the unilateral clefts were more distinct in the transversal direction than in sagittal direction. Values of slope were constant or became little smaller after the orthopedic treatment. After the lip closure we found end-to-end relation resulting from guided growth of the segments having constant arch dimensions. A collapse of the segments could not be observed. Altogether we can say the preoperative orthopedic therapy would give the cleft palate good suppositions for the further development.

Cleft Lip↗
PubMed1989

[Three-dimensional recording of changes in infant jaws with bilateral lip-maxilla-palate clefts with special reference to the results of preoperative orthodontic therapy].

Bilateral clefts are more difficult to treat than unilateral ones. The most important step during the orthopedic therapy is the retrusion of the premaxilla between the lateral segments of the maxilla. Thus the anterior cleft width, as opposed to the medial and posterior cleft width, did not become smaller. The position of premaxilla is mainly shown in the sagittal measurement values. The values of slope also changed in this sample. The maxilla became more flat. The preoperative orthodontic therapy can also be seen as advantageous in the case of bilateral clefts.

Child, Preschool↗
PubMed1988

Attenuation of burn-induced changes in hemodynamics and glucose metabolism by the PAF antagonist SRI 63-675.

The importance of platelet-activating factor (PAF) in producing hypotension, hemoconcentration and alterations in carbohydrate metabolism following thermal injury was investigated in chronically catheterized rats. Animals were fasted overnight, anesthetized with pentobarbital, and then injected with saline or the PAF antagonist SRI 63-675 prior to a 25% body surface area scald injury. Burned animals showed a sustained 20-30% fall in mean arterial pressure that was attenuated by the PAF antagonist. Burn also produced a prolonged increase in hematocrit. Animals pretreated with SRI 63-675 showed a similar degree of polycythemia after 1 h, but thereafter hematocrit fell and was not different from sham-burned animals. Burn increased the plasma glucose (45-52%) and lactate (5-6 fold) concentrations, and tended to produce an early increase and a later decrease in the rate of glucose appearance (Ra). These metabolic changes were associated with elevated plasma levels of glucagon and catecholamines. The PAF antagonist prevented the hyperglycemia, reduced the hyperlactacidemia, and prevented the late fall of glucose Ra. Treated animals still showed increased levels of glucagon, while catecholamine concentrations were reduced by 50%. Short-term survival (4 h) was markedly improved (86 vs. 43%). These results suggest that PAF produced following thermal injury is responsible, at least in part, for the early hemodynamic changes and hemoconcentration. However, the role of PAF as a mediator of burn-induced glucose dyshomeostasis appears secondary to its hemodynamic effects.

Animals↗
PubMed1988

[Suprascapular nerve entrapment syndrome].

Nineteen patients with isolated suprascapular entrapment neuropathy were seen between 1980 and 1986. A neurogenic cause and absence of other deficits were confirmed by electromyography. Electroneurographic tests were performed in 13 and demonstrated delayed conduction time and (or) reduction in stimulus response amplitude. In 16 patients there was an acute or chronic mechanical cause (direct pressure on the suprascapular nerve, forced dislocation of the shoulder blade). Two types of paralysis could be distinguished, an upper one affecting both the infra- and the supraspinatus muscles (12 patients), and a lower one involving only the infraspinatus muscle (4 patients). In two patients an inflammatory cause was considered likely, while in one the cause remained unclear. Restricting movement brought about an improvement in most patients, while in one the neurophysiological parameters improved after neurosurgical intervention, without complete clinical restoration.

Accidental Falls↗
PubMed1988

[Crohn's disease-- 10 years' experience at a city hospital].

Between 1977 and 1986, 92 patients with Crohn's disease (53 females and 39 males, average age 32 years at diagnosis) were admitted for a total of 158 hospital stays at the St. Claraspital, Basel. In 71 cases the diagnosis was based on one or more of radiologic and endoscopic evaluation and/or operative findings. In 4 cases diagnosis was based solely on clinical findings and in the remaining 17 the original diagnostic workup could not be evaluated retrospectively. 65% of cases were histologically proven, while the rest of the patients were either not biopsied or biopsy yielded inconclusive results. Crohn's disease was located simultaneously in the small and large bowels in 41 patients, in the small bowel only in 23 (25%) and in the large bowel only in 20 (22%). The remaining localizations were either proximal GI tract or anal region only. Surgery was performed a total of 65 times in 44 of the 92 patients (48%), the most frequent procedures being ileocecal resection and surgical treatment of perianal fistulas and abscesses. Accordingly, the main indications for surgery were perianal complications (37%) and stenotic bowel lesions (29%). The resection rate was higher in ileal (35%) than in colorectal (25%) involvement. The 3 rectal amputations eventually necessary were all in patients with anorectal involvement.

Adult↗