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Biomedical subjects

C Mietens

Publications and source records attributed to C Mietens.

63 records · Page 4Linked to original sources
PubMedDate not supplied

An outbreak of Acinetobacter calcoaceticus infection in a neonatal care unit.

Between January and December 1988, 383 neonates were admitted to our neonatal intensive care unit. 1,991 swabs and blood cultures were tested bacteriologically. Among them 90 specimens obtained from 41 patients were positive for Acinetobacter calcoaceticus. During this period we discovered and treated three cases with A. calcoaceticus sepsis. Three additional cases had blood cultures positive for this bacterium without demonstrating any clinical signs of infection. There is good evidence that contaminated warm air humidifiers were the source of infection. A review of microbiological data for several months preceding the outbreak showed a definite increase in the presence of A. calcoaceticus. The affected neonates required specific antibiotic therapy and intensive care. All of them survived. Conditions favoring the spread of these generally non-pathogenic bacteria and modes of preventive measures are discussed. The necessity of continuous bacteriological surveillance and careful disinfection of intensive care equipment is emphasized.

Acinetobacter Infections↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[C brachydactyly in four generations].

The article reports on a 18-days old female newborn with a symmetrical C-Brachydactyly with dominant inheritance. This brachydactyly type C also occurred in four further family members in four generations. The variability of symptoms and inheritance are discussed.

Female↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Quantitative aberrations in serum immunoglobulins in children with acute viral hepatitis].

Serum levels of IgG, IgA and IgM were determined by LASER nephelometry in 134 patients with acute viral hepatitis. Different types of hepatitis were serologically differentiated by radioimmunoassays. 102 patients had hepatitis A, 27 patients hepatitis B and 5 hepatitis non-A-non-B infections. 30 patients with hepatitis A and 9 with hepatitis B were checked in a follow-up-study. The IgA levels showed the least changes and were found to be within normal range in over 75% in hepatitis types A and B. On the other hand, IgG levels and - to a greater extent - IgM levels were found to be elevated in a great number of these patients. Levels below the 2s-range were found only rarely. Children with hepatitis B had elevated IgG and IgM in 44,4% and 33,3% of the cases. In patients with hepatitis A IgG level elevations (above 2s-range) were found in 44,2% and IgM level elevations in 96, 1% of the cases. No significant differences were found between the age Groups 0-1 year, 1-2, 3-5, 6-8 and 9-15 years of patients with hepatitis A regarding their serum immunoglobulin levels. 14 days after diagnosis a decrease of the elevated IgM was found in patients with hepatitis A parallel to an increase in the IgG values. No significant changes were observed in patients with hepatitis B. The IgA levels remained constant both in patients with hepatitis A and B infections. For hepatitis non-A-non-B a statistical evaluation was not possible due to the small number of patients.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Recurrent staphylodermas in marked IgE elevation: the hyper-IgE syndrome].

This is a report of a 6-year-old boy with repeated staphylococcus infections especially in the hairy region of the head. Investigating the disease an extremely elevated IgE of 10,000 KU/l was found, specific IgE in RAST only at a low level. The immunologic investigations showed a reduction of the T-suppressor-cells and an increase of IgG levels. Defects of phagocytosis or chemotaxis could not be demonstrated.

Child↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Catamnestic studies of the vaccination status of 7,176 children in Bochum].

7176 children, who were hospitalized between 1978 and 1983 in the Children's Hospital of the University of Bochum were analysed by the use of case histories and vaccination certificates for their status of vaccination. An age related complete vaccination status was found only in 46.7% for diphtheria, in 55.3% for tetanus and in 48.1% for poliomyelitis. A quarter of all children had not received any vaccinations for diphtheria, tetanus or poliomyelitis. Considerable gaps for at least one of these three vaccinations were found in half of all children. It was striking that especially the booster vaccinations for diphtheria in the sixth and seventh year and for tetanus and poliomyelitis in the tenth or eleventh year were frequently missed. While vaccinations for measles and mumps were increasing in younger children a general decrease for pertussis vaccination was noted. Vaccination quotes and the socio-economic situation of the families were statistically significantly correlated. Highest rats were found in children from university graduates with a decreasing tendency towards a lower socio-economic level. The situation for foreign worker families was significantly worse than for German children. However especially for these children standard vaccinations are very important as visits in there home countries produce a high incidence of exposure to infections. The general aim of the study was to find out those groups where special informations and propagations for vaccination are necessary.

Adolescent↗
PubMedDate not supplied

[Selective IgA deficiency].

Selective IgA deficiency may be defined as an inborn state characterized by a decrease of serum IgA levels below 8 IU/1 (approximately 5 mg/dl) which may be associated with clinical symptoms of disease. The frequency of this condition in the general population varies between 1 : 400 and 1 : 3000 in different countries. Patients with defects of chromosome 18, ataxia teleangiectatica and with connatal rubella syndrome have a high incidence of IgA deficiency. Inspite of the decrease in circulating IgA there are B-lymphocytes containing IgA molecules in the peripheral blood. Thus it has been concluded that transformation of B-lymphocytes into IgA bearing plasmacells is stunted by another mechanism. While small amounts of IgA may be released by transformed plasmacells the capacity of B-lymphocytes to mature into fully functioning plasmacells releasing normal amounts of IgA is defective. T-cells acting as suppressor cells for IgA differentiation have been demonstrated in peripheral blood and are a possible explanation for this phenomenon. The majority of individuals with IgA deficiency are healthy. Evaluations of increased susceptibility for infections have to consider the fact that 6 respiratory tract infections per year are the average for any preschool child. However a number of children with IgA deficiency suffer from recurrent bacterial infections such as sinusitis, bronchitis and pneumonia, usually responding well to antibiotic treatment. IgA deficiency has an established correlation with atopic disease. There is an 40 fold increase in incidence of allergies and autoimmune diseases such as rheumatoid arthritis, lupus erythematodes and thyroiditis in individuals with IgA deficiency.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Autoimmune Diseases↗