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Biomedical subjects

C Meissner

Publications and source records attributed to C Meissner.

At least 55 records · Page 3Linked to original sources
PubMed1994

[Does long-term blood pressure reduction in patients with essential hypertension improve concomitant metabolic disorders?].

AIM: Aim of this study was to investigate the occurrence of metabolic abnormalities in patients with newly diagnosed essential hypertension and to assess the effects of a blood pressure lowering drug therapy on the respective variables. PATIENTS AND RESULTS: Twenty-six hypertensive subjects (12 female, 14 male) were included in the study. Twenty-one normotensive subjects (9 female, 12 male) served as a control group. During an oral glucose tolerance test the hypertensive subjects had higher blood glucose and serum insulin levels than the controls. The hypertensive patients also showed higher triglyceride concentrations and a more abdominal pattern of body fat distribution. In addition, the women with essential hypertension exhibited a higher free androgen index (32.2 +/- 14.8 vs 20.1 +/- 15.0%, p < 0.05) than the women of the control group. After a 3 to 6 month treatment period with nifedipine or nitrendipine the elevated blood pressure of the hypertensives was significantly reduced. In a second glucose tolerance test carried out in 13 patients blood glucose, serum insulin and triglyceride concentrations were significantly lower compared to the pretreatment period. The other metabolic and hormonal variables remained unchanged. CONCLUSION: This observation raises the question, whether a long-term vasodilatating antihypertensive therapy can improve the metabolic abnormalities found in patients with essential hypertension.

Adult↗
PubMed1994

Accumulation of granulocytes in the lung and skin of guinea pigs. Inhibition by the anti-H1 antiallergic agent epinastine.

The aim of this study was to investigate whether the antiallergic/H1-antagonistic drug epinastine (WAL 801, Alesion, CAS 108929-04-0) inhibited inflammatory granulocyte infiltration in respiratory or dermal tissue. A late-phase bronchial eosinophilia was induced in sensitized and challenged guinea pigs, and a skin chamber technique was developed for assessing leukotriene-B4 (LTB4) induced transdermal chemotaxis in vivo in this species. Oral epinastine as well as the reference compounds beta-methasone and the LTB4-receptor antagonist 7-[3-(4-acetyl-3-methoxy-2-propylphenoxy) propoxy]-3,4-dihydro-8-propyl-2H-1-benzopyran-2-carboxylic acid (ADCA) demonstrated a dose-dependent inhibition of granulocyte accumulation. The rank order of oral activity was epinastine > betamethasone > ADCA for bronchial eosinophilia and betamethasone > epinastine = ADCA for transdermal chemotaxis. These animal studies suggest a non-antihistamine activity of epinastine which may contribute to its clinical efficacy as an antiallergic drug.

Animals↗
PubMed1993

Characterization of T cell repertoire changes in acute Kawasaki disease.

Kawasaki disease (KD) is an acute multisystem vasculitis of unknown etiology that is associated with marked activation of T cells and monocyte/macrophages. Using a quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) technique, we recently found that the acute phase of KD is associated with the expansion of T cells expressing the V beta 2 and V beta 8.1 gene segments. In the present work, we used a newly developed anti-V beta 2 monoclonal antibody (mAb) and studied a new group of KD patients to extend our previous PCR results. Immunofluorescence analysis confirmed that V beta 2-bearing T cells are selectively increased in patients with acute KD. The increase occurred primarily in the CD4 T cell subset. The percentages of V beta 2+ T cells as determined by mAb reactivity and flow cytometry correlated linearly with V beta expression as quantitated by PCR. However, T cells from acute KD patients appeared to express proportionately higher levels of V beta 2 transcripts per cell as compared with healthy controls or convalescent KD patients. Sequence analysis of T cell receptor beta chain genes of V beta 2 and V beta 8.1 expressing T cells from acute KD patients showed extensive junctional region diversity. These data showing polyclonal expansion of V beta 2+ and V beta 8+ T cells in acute KD provide additional insight into the immunopathogenesis of this disease.

Acute Disease↗
PubMed1991

Clinical and epidemiologic characteristics of patients referred for evaluation of possible Kawasaki disease. United States Multicenter Kawasaki Disease Study Group.

STUDY OBJECTIVES: (1) To determine those diseases that most often mimic Kawasaki disease (KD) in the United States. (2) To examine the physical findings and laboratory studies that influenced experienced clinicians to exclude the diagnosis of KD. (3) To compare epidemiologic features of patients with KD and patients referred for evaluation of possible KD in whom alternative diagnoses were established. DESIGN: Case comparison study. SETTING: Seven pediatric tertiary care centers. PATIENTS: Consecutive sample of 280 patients with KD and 42 comparison patients examined within the first 14 days after onset of fever. MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS: (1) Infectious diseases, particularly measles and group A beta-hemolytic streptococcal infection, most closely mimicked KD and accounted for 35 (83%) of 42 patients in the comparison group. (2) The standard diagnostic clinical criteria for KD were fulfilled in 18 (46%) of 39 patients in whom other diagnoses were established. (3) Patients with KD were significantly less likely to have exudative conjunctivitis or pharyngitis, generalized adenopathy, and discrete intraoral lesions, and more likely to have a perineal distribution of their rash. The patients with KD were also more likely to have anemia and elevated erythrocyte sedimentation rate; leukocyte count less than 10 X 10(3)/mm3 and platelet count less than 200 X 10(3)/mm3 were significantly less prevalent in patients with KD. (4) Residence within 200 yards of a body of water was more common among KD patients. CONCLUSIONS: (1) Measles and streptococcal infection should be excluded in patients examined for possible KD. (2) Laboratory studies that may be useful in discriminating patients with KD from those with alternative diagnoses include hemoglobin concentration, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and serum alanine aminotransferase activity. (3) Residence near a body of water may be a risk factor for the development of KD.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1990

Interpretation of IgG subclass values: a comparison of two assays.

Because we have noted discordant results in the measurement of IgG subclass concentrations by means of a widely available commercial radial immunodiffusion (RID) kit in comparison with an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) developed at the Centers for Disease Control (CDC), we conducted in a blinded manner a comparison of the two assays, using sera from 48 healthy children. The correlation coefficients between the assays were 0.92, 0.82, 0.93, and 0.86 for the IgG1, IgG2, IgG3, and IgG4 assays, respectively. However, the RID assay assigned lower values for IgG1 and IgG4 determinations than the ELISA did. Furthermore, the "normal lower range values" provided by the RID assay were higher for each IgG subclass. When the sera from the healthy control subjects were analyzed with the RID assay, 12 (25%) of 48 subjects had values below the normal range for at least one subclass measurement. In contrast, with the CDC ELISA, all values were within the 95% confidence limits determined for the CDC ELISA. We suggest that age-specific normal limits be established with the use of sera from many healthy subjects for any assay measuring IgG subclass concentrations. As new groups of immunodeficiencies are defined and potential therapies are advocated, careful attention to assay standardization will result in a clearer delineation of these disease groups and of their response to treatment.

Child↗
PubMed1989

[Deglutition-induced supraventricular tachycardias].

We describe the cases of two patients who exhibited a supraventricular tachycardia induced by swallowing. In both cases we found a systemic hypertension, other cardiac or gastroesophagic abnormalities were absent. The electrophysiologic studies demonstrated in the first case a supraventricular tachycardia with 1 : 1 AV-conduction and an origin in the right atrium, in the second case an atrial tachycardia with AV-block originating in the right atrium too. The pathogenetic mechanism is discussed. In both cases after treatment with amiodarone a complete cessation of the tachycardias was reached.

Amiodarone↗
PubMed1989

X-chromosomal DNA polymorphisms in two ethnic groups from India.

Four polymorphic sites of the short arm of the X chromosome were studied in two racial groups from India, the Assamese and the Malayalee. Since the allelic frequencies of the two groups did not differ markedly from each other, the data from the two populations were pooled. The frequency of the A2 allele was 0.57 for the L1.28 probe, 0.20 for the RC8 probe, 0.28 for the pD2 probe and 0.11 for the L754 probe. The A3 allelic fragment of the RC8 probe was not found among 67 Indians, and in one Assamese woman an additional 7.0-kilobase fragment was found. The differences between the Indian population and other ethnic groups were analyzed.

Alleles↗
PubMed1988

Effects of current therapy of Kawasaki disease on eicosanoid metabolism.

Coronary artery inflammation in Kawasaki disease is accompanied by thrombocytosis and platelet activation. It was hypothesized that abnormal metabolism of bioactive eicosanoids could result from or contribute to these events. Circulating plasma thromboxane B2, 6-keto-prostaglandin F1 alpha and prostaglandin E were measured by double antibody radioimmunoassay in patients with Kawasaki disease before and after aspirin alone or aspirin and intravenous gamma globulin therapy. Plasma prostaglandin E concentrations were normal in all patient groups. Pretreatment thromboxane B2 was elevated compared with age-matched controls, fell moderately with high-dose aspirin (60 to 100 mg/kg/day) and marginally increased with low-dose aspirin (3 to 5 mg/kg/day) 6 to 8 weeks after treatment. Plasma 6-keto-prostaglandin F1 alpha was not detected in 12 of 16 patients before therapy and remained low in all but 1 patients by 6 to 8 weeks. Thromboxane B2 correlated weakly with serum salicylate concentration but had no relation to platelet mass. The results in these patients with Kawasaki disease indicate only partial thromboxane suppression and depressed prostacyclin generation regardless of therapy. This balance favors coronary vasoconstriction and platelet aggregation capable of potentiating myocardial ischemia or infarction. The results justify consideration of higher or more frequent aspirin doses for longer duration and thromboxane receptor blockade in this disease.

6-Ketoprostaglandin F1 alpha↗
PubMed1980

[ALL-study series of Hamburg (author's transl)].

From 1971 through 1979 145 newly diagnosed patients with ALL have been treated within a series of consecutive studies. Study I corresponds to branch A of the 1972 DAL study. In the following studies the induction therapy has been escalated stepwise with the continuation therapy remaining mostly unchanged. Thereby the disease free survival rates increased from 75 to 94% after one year and from 32 to 60% after 4 years respectively. CNS-relapse mainly occurred during the second year of treatment. Their incidence rose from 5% to more than 10% in connection with a change in the radiation portal. Since another correction of the portals with special consideration of the paramedian lower border of the skull base no more CNS-relapses have been observed until now. The actual cooperative ALL-study follows a modified BFM-protocol with postponed asparaginase in hoping to achieve reduced initial morbidity and at least equal good survival times.

Child↗
PubMed1979

[Use of gen5 and gen6 ts-mutants of phage T3 as indicators of inhibitors of DNA synthesis].

In an enzyme-specific drug screening system nalidixic acid and 3'-FTdR, inhibitors of DNA synthesis, both reduce the growth of wild type and temperature-sensitive point mutants of phage T3 with different efficiencies. The wild type shows the strongest sensitivity against the drugs, while an exonuclease mutant is the most insensitive variant. The DNA polymerase mutants exhibit an intermediate degree of inhibition. The anthracycline antibiotics violamycin BI and adriblastin which preferentially inhibit RNA synthesis show the same degree of inhibition for all mutants. This is true also for the RNA synthesis inhibitor lambdamycin, which is identical with chartreusin. The protein synthesis inhibitors chloramphenicol and o-phenanthroline, a chelating agent, impair all mutants to the same extent. Our data confirm the hypothesis that structural variants of essential viral enzymes, when compared with the wild type should reveal different sensitivities against specific inhibitors and show that this T3 system could be used for the indication of specific inhibitors of DNA synthesis.

Aminoglycosides↗
PubMed1979

[Differences in sensitivity of T3, T7, T4 and lambda phages to bleomycin and phleomycin].

In contrast to phage lambda the phages T3, T7 and T4 are not inhibited by as much as 150 microgram bleomycin/ml, while the chemically related antibiotic phleomycin increasingly inhibits the propagation of the phages in the order T4-T3-lambda. 20 microgram phleomycin/ml inhibit T3 by 95%. The resistance against bleomycin is surprising, because 10 microgram BM/ml block completely the colony-forming capacity of the host bacterium. The drug resistance of the phage growth correlates with the weak decrease of phage DNA synthesis, while the host cell DNA synthesis ceases rapidly. In accordance with these data is the in vivo inhibition of Escherichia coli cells and the in vitro degradation of their DNA. However, a contradiction exists between the in vivo resistance of T3 and T4 and the in vitro susceptibility of their DNA against nucleolytical fragmentation by bleomycin. The mechanism of the insensitivity of T3, T7 and T4 against bleomycin is unknown.

Anti-Bacterial Agents↗
PubMed1979

Hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) in children with long standing and newly diagnosed diabetes mellitus.

In 35 children with long-standing diabetes mellitus, a significant correlation was found between the hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c)--and the 24-hour urinary glucose excretion. By contrast, 11 newly diagnosed diabetic children had grossly elevated HbA1c-concentrations, but no correlations could be established between the levels of HbA1c and the duration of symptoms, blood glucose, glycosuria, ketonuria and the acid--base status. However, HbA1c and C-peptide were significantly correlated. The elevated HbA1c-concentrations decreased towards normal in all of these 11 children after 2--3 months following adequate therapy. The results suggest that the determination of HbA1c may serve as a valuable metabolic control index in children with long-standing diabetes mellitus, but adds little information in newly diagnosed patients. For the individual diabetic child during the early treatment period, HbA1c may be the index of choice for adequacy of metabolic control.

Acid-Base Equilibrium↗
PubMed1978

[Detoxification of tetanus toxin].

Reported in this paper are experiments conducted to compare formaldehyde, glyoxal, malondialdehyde, succindialdehyde, glutardialdehyde, adipindialdehyde, beta-propiolacton, and pyrocarbonic acid diethylester for their toxifying properties. Tetanus toxin, 1.5 million dlm/ml or 120 binding units, was used. Glutardialdehyde proved to be the most favourable compound and was followed by formaldehyde against the background of the experimental arrangement used, that is determination of concentrations for inactivation and antigenic properties of the toxoids. Glyoxal, malondialdehyde, succindialdehyde, and beta-propiolactone followed in some distance, whereas no inactivation at all was obtained from adipindialdehyde and pyrocarbonic acid diethylester.

Adipates↗