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Biomedical subjects

D Emrich

Publications and source records attributed to D Emrich.

At least 91 records · Page 5Linked to original sources
PubMed1984

[Inhibition of the hemolytic activity of influenza viruses by antibody].

Haemolysis caused by influenza viruses is known to occur below pH 6; the pH-optimum for each virus strain is different. Clear dose-effect correlations were found to prevail between the amount of haemolysis and virus concentration. Antibody-mediated inhibition of haemolysis has been investigated with the strain A/PR/8/34 (H1N1) and the recombinant X-73 (H3N2). Inhibition of haemolysis by antisera against different influenza. A virus subtypes suggests that haemolysis inhibiting antibodies are not identical with haemagglutination inhibiting antibodies. The action of antibodies directed against host-cell specific components was excluded by adsorption procedures. Haemolysis inhibiting antibodies are thought to be directed against antigenic determinants of the haemagglutinin functioning as fusion factor.

Animals↗
PubMed1984

[Scintigraphy with 99mTc-methylene diphosphonate for the detection and localization of rhabdomyolysis].

In 24 patients with biochemically proven rhabdomyolysis 34 scans with 99mTc-MDP were performed to detect regional as well as generalized myolysis. When performing the scan within 10 days after the maximum of myolysis, scintigraphic detection was possible in 95% of the patients, but after 20 days in none. Regional tracer accumulation in muscles was more frequent (89%) than generalized diffuse accumulation (31%). Predominantly muscles of the thigh, the buttocks and the upper arm were involved. Diffuse tracer accumulation in both kidneys occurred in 75% of patients with significant renal dysfunction. The results show that in addition to regional muscle damage generalized myolysis may be detected by scintigraphy with 99mTc-MDP. In cases of regional muscle damage scintigraphy proved to be more sensitive than clinical signs.

Alcoholism↗
PubMed1983

[The prognostic value of the determination of thyroid hormones].

For recognition and exclusion of hyper- and hypothyroidism total thyroxine, index of free thyroxine, free thyroxine and total triiodothyronine were evaluated. Among 532 strictly selected patients, corresponding to the five main thyroid out-patient groups, the four parameters were estimated simultaneously. Their sensitivity and specificity including two combinations of free thyroxine and total triiodothyronine were calculated. On the basis of an average prevalence of the five above-mentioned groups among our patients and the two most frequent interfering factors (administration of oestrogens and additional iodine intake) predictive values were assessed. The following results were obtained. 1. Differences among the various in-vitro parameters are less than generally assumed. For free thyroxine and the combination of increased free thyroxine or total triiodothyronine, sensitivity and specificity were slightly higher than for other parameters. 2. There is insufficiently substantiated probability of positive evidence of hyperthyroid and hypothyroid states being supplied by all the examined parameters if these are the only criteria relied upon. The probability of positive evidence of hyperthyroid states is only acceptable if, prior to use of in-vitro tests, the prevalence has been considerably increased by history and clinical findings. 3. The probability of exclusion of hyperthyroid states supplied by the examined parameters is high. However, despite their high negative predictive value they are insufficient for the definite exclusion of hypothyroid states if the latent types are included.

Adenoma↗
PubMed1983

[Immunogenic and non-immunogenic hyperthyroidism: attempts at a clinical differentiation].

In a retrospective study, 326 cases of thyroid hyperfunction but no scintigraphic demonstration of autonomous adenoma, were on the basis of certain primary and secondary criteria grouped as probably immunogenic or probably non-immunogenic hyperthyroid. Primary criteria were hormonal orbital signs and occurrence of thyroid antibodies. Secondary criteria concerned age, presence or absence of goitre and nodular goitre, scintigraphically silent areas and iodine contamination in relation to the onset of the disease. There was a significant difference between immunogenic and non-immunogenic hyperthyroidism by these criteria. In non-immunogenic hyperthyroidism, it is probable that suddenly raised iodine intake plays an important role in the initiation of hyperthyroid metabolic states. This was demonstrable in 82% of these patients, while in those with probably immunogenic hyperthyroidism iodine contamination (at 16%) seemed to be of less significance.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1983

Visualizing cardiac blood pool: comparison of three labeling methods.

The quality of three different labeling methods of visualizing the cardiac blood pool was investigated in 72 patients: 99mtechnetium labeling of red blood cells in vivo or in vitro and human serum albumin. By the simplified technique of in vitro labeling of RBC from the view point of (1) labeling efficiency, (2) activity in the blood, (3) count rates in a standard ROI over the left ventricle and the paracardiac background, (4) ratio of these count rates, and (5) evaluation of image quality, the best results were obtained. HSA and in vivo labeled RBC led to satisfactory results for visual assessment of ventricular performance in most cases. In spite of the slightly higher technical investment involved in the in vitro labeling method this technique appears to be preferable for gated cardiac blood pool studies in view of the excellent labeling quality.

Coronary Circulation↗
PubMed1983

[Detection of rhinoliquorrhea with 99mTc-labelled human serum albumin].

99mTc-labelled human serum albumin was used in 42 patients, 35 without and 7 with proven rhinoliquorrhoea, to combine liquor scintigraphy with the detection of liquor fistula. Since some 99mTc is split off from albumin during the time of investigation and is actively secreted by mucous membranes and salivary glands it was not possible to detect liquorrhoea by calculation of activity ratios like that of secretion of the nose to blood or saliva. But dividing the activity in the secretion of the nose by that in saliva after 2 and 6 hrs this ratio was independent of the amount of activity and had a sensitivity of 100% and a specificity of 93% in detecting a liquor fistula. Combining scintigrams of the subarachnoidal space with the search for liquorrhoea using an always available radiopharmaceutical such as labelled HSA might be attractive. In 4 of 7 patients with a liquor fistula there was additionally a pathologic result obtained with scintigraphy of the subdural space.

Adolescent↗
PubMed1983

[Prognostic value of thallium scintigraphy in diagnostic problem cases].

Quantitative myocardial scintigraphy was performed in 40 patients with a medium prevalence of coronary artery disease (CAD), i.e. in cases with diagnostic difficulties. The results were compared with those of coronary angiography and ventriculography performed within 6 months thereafter. Sensitivity of scintigraphy in 16 patients with CAD was 88% and specificity in 14 individuals without heart disease was 93%. But in 10 patients with non-coronary heart disease specificity decreased to 30%. Scintigraphic evidence of ischemia increased specificity to nearly 100% including patients with non-coronary heart disease but sensitivity was reduced to 69%. The results demonstrate that myocardial scintigraphy with 201Tl is useful in cases with suspected CAD if diagnostic difficulties arise during the early phase of investigation. But there are limitations due to a rather high prevalence of non-coronary heart disease in such groups.

Adult↗
PubMed1982

External radiation exposure of personnel working with 99mTechnetium.

Radiation from 99mTc was measured at typical locations in those areas of a nuclear medicine department where approximately 50 Ci 99mTc is used per year. In addition, measurements of shielded and unshielded syringes containing 99mTc-labelled radiopharmaceuticals were carried out. From these data radiation exposure of hands and of the whole body of personnel was calculated, taking into consideration the mean working times in the areas and the times of direct and indirect handling of 99mTc. They were compared with the mean values obtained by personnel dosimetry through quartz fibre pocket dosimeters and TLD finger ring dosimeters. The whole body radiation calculated from local measurements for technicians (163 +/- 15 mR/year) (mean +/- SE) and for physicians (260 +/- 15 mR/year) was very low judged by the maximum permissible dose of 5,000 mrem/year and correlated well with those of personnel dosimetry (165 +/- 15 R and 265 +/- 15 R/year respectively). Although local radiation was rather high during generator elution and while preparing radiopharmaceuticals (13 +/- 1.2 mR/h) the radiation exposure to the hands of the radiochemists measured by the TLD finger ring dosimeter was low (2.6 +/- 0.2 R/year). This was attained by consistently using long distance tools in order to avoid direct contact with 99mTc-containing vials and syringes. The most critical point of radiation exposure in our investigation were the finger tips during injection of 99mTc, when syringe shielding was not used (80-130 mR/injection of 10 mCi). Under our conditions this amounts to 330-560 R/year when a total of 40 Ci is injected by the same physician. This by far exceeds the maximum permissible dose of 60 rem/year. The dose can be reduced extensively to only 2-3 R/year when tungsten shielding of the syringe is consistently used.

Body Burden↗
PubMed1981

[Diagnostic problems of hyperthyroidism in the older age group (author's transl)].

Seventy-seven patients aged more than 60 years from the iodine deficiency area of southern Lower Saxony with hyperthyroidism, diagnosed by assessment of thyroid parameters, showed a nonspecific disease picture with surprising frequency when compared with younger patients. Predominant characteristics were weight loss (86%), general weakness (78%), tachycardia (74%), reduced appetite (66%), exertional dyspnoea (60%), apathy, lack of initiative or depression (48%), and uncharacteristic abdominal complaints (20%). A goitre was not palpable in 30 patients (39%). Laboratory diagnosis was hampered by relative or absolute TBG deficiency and conversion inhibition in the form of a low-T3 syndrome as evidence of non-thyroidal changes in generalised disorders. Neither thyroxine nor triiodothyronine were increased in ten patients (13%). Only by additional routine estimation of the thyroxine-binding index (T3 in vitro test) as indicator of free binding capacity could the diagnosis be ascertained in these cases. The poor prognosis be ascertained in these cases. The poor prognosis of hyperthyroidism in the older age group necessitates generous use of specific diagnostic laboratory investigations in cases with suspicious symptoms.

Age Factors↗
PubMed1980

Predictive value of thallium scintigraphy in coronary artery disease.

To verify the predictive value of thallium exercise scintigraphy, 20 normal individuals and 60 patients with coronary artery disease (CAD) were examined, using a quantitative standard technique and receiver operating characteristic analysis. The sensitivity of thallium scintigraphy for the presence of CAD was 97% for patients with previous infarction and 85% for those without infarction. The sensitivity for the extent of CAD was 93% for vessels perfusing infarcted areas and only 67% for vessels without infarction. In patients without myocardial infarction, sensitivity for the number of diseased vessels decreased with increasing extent of CAD. An underestimation of hemodynamically significant stenoses was proven by a comparison with the results of exercise ventriculography. The predictive value of a normal scintigram at a high prevalence of CAD is as low as the predictive value of an abnormal scintigram at a low prevalence level (screening). Thallium scintigraphy is indicated in patients with a medium prevalence of CAD, e.g., in patients with atypical angina and in asymptomatic patients with pathologic ECG.

Adult↗
PubMed1980

Validity of different gated equilibrium blood pool methods for determination of left ventricular ejection fraction.

Left ventricular ejection fractions (EF) were determined in 37 patients by biplane cineventriculography (Angio) and by four modifications of the gated equilibrium blood pool (GBP) method: 1. Region of interest (ROI) in enddiastole (ED), correction by external background, 2. ROI in ED, correction by internal background between ED and endsystole (ES), 3. ROI in ED (maximum) and ES (mimimum); no background correction, 4. ROI in ES, correction by background between ED and ES. EFGBP were determined after injection of 20 mCi 99mTc human albumin (Anger-camera, all-purpose collimator, 16 ECG-segments, 64 x 64 matrix with 1.5 zoom). EF by biplane angiography (EFangio) was calculated by the formula of Dodge. The following correlation between angiographically and scintigraphically determined EF's were found: EFGBP1 = 0.504 EFangio + 8.08, EFGBP2 = 0.847 EFangio + 10.0, EFGBP3 = 0.911 EFangio + 3.75, EFGBP4 = 0.648 EFangio - 3.51 Intraobserver variability of GBP method 2 and 3 was +/- 5%. EFS determined by GBP methods 2 and 3 are as accurate as the EFs determined by cineventriculography.

Adult↗